When there’s a bomb threat at school

Today, my school received the bomb threats that many JCCs around the US have received. Today, it was me, my friends, my school, and my family that were impacted. We were alarmed first by a soft lockdown followed by a fire alarm going off and an instant evacuation. We were moved across campus and then to a nearby church, escorted by police officers and the local news stations.

Today was the first day of the Hebrew month of Adar. This month we celebrate Purim, a holiday that celebrates the life of the Jewish people and our existence. In the midst of this celebration, we must also remember that the Purim story did not have to end the way it did. The Jews lives were at stake and it took bravery of someone, in this case Esther, to take a stand for the Jews.

Today, as we stood outside, we were surrounded by boys wearing tefillin and reading the Torah, girls praying, and people rejoicing in Purim songs. Today, we did not stand in fear for the threat that was inflicted, but rather used it to strengthen our kavanah and stand for the Jewish people.

This is no coincidence that this happened today. I believe Hashem has a reason for everything and find that this shows us how truly blessed we are to be in this world. In our daily lives we get so caught up in what’s going on that we forget who brought us here and our mission in life.

Today, nothing was forgotten.