Continuing an annual tradition, AMIT’s young leadership council completed a yearlong educational process with “Yom AMIT” (AMIT Day), a day when hundreds of AMIT students and staff come together and turn their attention to a specific theme. This year’s theme was the connection between Jewish communities in Israel and the Diaspora.
Throughout the year, students on the AMIT young leadership council conduct activities related to the given theme. Leading up to this week’s event, the AMIT young leadership created an interactive game for all AMIT schools to utilize.
The exciting celebration took place in Or Akiva, where student representatives from all AMIT high schools and Midreshet AMIT gathered along with principals, teachers, AMIT leadership, and the mayor of Or Akiva, Yaakov Edri.
In addition to the 300 student representatives from AMIT schools across the country, Midreshet AMIT students were excited to attend the special event.
The day began with roundtable discussions about life in Israel and the contrast to life in the Diaspora. The Israeli students were interested to learn about the comfort and the challenges of Jewish life in America, London, and Australia. We watched a festive “Daglanut” (flag dance) and all signed a “Proclamation of Unity” as we made our way into the hall.
After being welcomed by AMIT Director General Dr. Amnon Eldar and other leaders, the students enjoyed hearing presentations from various high school olim and their native Israeli classmates.
Midreshet Amit students Evie Blinder and Olga Mamrout both spoke on behalf of the midrasha and shared unique stories of their family histories and their connection to Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael.
Olga, from Florida, described how her father and his family, who are originally from Damascus, Syria, faced tremendous anti-Semitism that forced them to flee to Brooklyn. Olga had never visited Israel prior to her studies at Midreshet AMIT.
“Even though I had never been to Israel prior to this year, my parents instilled in us a strong love for the Jewish homeland, so when I got off the plane this past August, I immediately felt comfortable and at home,” Olga said in her speech.
“When my father was 17, he had to grow up, leave school and work to support his family. When I turned 17, I made the choice to make Israel my home for a year at Midreshet AMIT and spend the year learning Torah and connecting to Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael.”
Her friend Evie Blinder, who is from Lawrence, New York, went to a Zionist school where she sang Hebrew songs and marched in blue-and-white on Yom Ha’atzmaut. Her year at Midreshet AMIT was her 12th visit to Israel.
“When it was time to decide to come to Israel before college for the year, it wasn’t really a choice I had to make, it was more a path that was laid out for me since I was born, and Midreshet AMIT was at the end of it,” Evie said.
“My year in Israel was so much more than I expected it to be. I was able to finally feel like I was a part of Israeli society and life rather than just feeling like a temporary visitor.”
She added that, without AMIT, she also would never have met Olga. “Our lives seem so different but our Judaism, love and support for the state of Israel brought us together,” said Evie.
Finally, everyone enjoyed the amazing “Yachad Yad B’Yad” musical mashup made by students from many different AMIT schools who joined together to create an incredible original musical composition.
