Starting School on the Darkest Day of the Year

The first day of school is always a bit of a strange sort of national holiday in Israel. 

The tongue in cheek question every year is:
Are we celebrating because the children have embarked on another year of educational enrichment and academic pursuit, or because they’re finally back in routine and out of the house…?

This year, the “holiday” was more starkly paradoxical than ever, marred by the news that six hostages, held since being brutally abducted nearly a year ago, had been murdered in cold blood before being brought back to Israel, just hours before the nation’s children returned to the classroom. 

Most of the children celebrating their return to school probably had not yet heard the news before reaching their desks. Many parents had not either.

On the walk to school that day, one of my children asked the question that countless Israeli parents have been asked not infrequently over these past 11 months: Do you think Hersh is still alive?

We had passed a sticker calling for his release — A tiny one on an electric pole declaring that time was running out.

I personally had not yet seen the news; trying to focus on my kids’ first day of school that particular morning.

By the time I got to the traditional September 1st school ceremony, however, I did know the horrible fate of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Ori Danino,, Eden Yerushalmi, Carmel Gat, Alexander Lubnov, and Almog Sarusi. Presumably most, if not all, of the other parents and teachers in attendance knew as well. 

Yet, the ceremony went on as planned. Nothing was different than it would’ve been otherwise, except perhaps a more palpably emotional and intentional prayer that the hostages be released safely, alive.

The ceremony, primarily geared towards those entering first grade, was spirited, meaningful, happy, heartbreaking and poetic.

Like every year, attendees and participants were greeted by the blare of Naomi Shemer’s classic, “Shalom Kita Alef (Hello First Grade)” on repeat – a song about a girl named Dana, whose educational journey begins on that exciting first day of school.

Dana’s asleep, Dana’s awake… a great journey starts today: Shalom Kita Alef!

The song likens Dana to biblical heroines Yocheved and Miriam, while touching on the scope of topics she will learn in the years to come:

Dana will learn about the solar system,

How chlorophyll in plants is made,

How the whole of creation lives and breathes.

All of it starting on this first day.

Paired up with a sixth grader, each first grader filed in, entering their school years through an arch of blue and white balloons. Some of them look excited, some embarrassed, all of them small.

(courtesy)

The song’s chorus droned on:

Dana’s asleep, Dana’s awake…

I assume that for many like me, the juxtaposition between the terrible news and this festive event was surreal, dreamlike. The fact that “Shalom” means peace, as well as “Hello” was also probably not lost on everyone.

Dana’s asleep, Dana’s awake…

Shalom Kita Alef. Shalom.

The ceremony went on, and I doubt that there was a principal in the country who considered canceling it or even changing it in any significant way. Children should not have to be constantly reminded of the difficult period we are in. They are entitled to the excitement, the joy (and even the embarrassment) of their first day of school, just like their older siblings, just like Dana.

Celebration of life and children and education is a cornerstone of our faith and our essence as a people. It is who we are, who we strive to be. Perhaps it’s even our chlorophyll. To a large extent, it is why – despite how heavy, depressing and difficult everything feels right now for many – we will not just survive this period, but ultimately flourish.