Since then, my frequent trips to Israel have only deepened my admiration for our community’s unyielding spirit. Our faculty has shown heroic grace under pressure. They know that education is not just a basic right, but a profound duty—a duty to impart knowledge, to inspire wisdom, to nurture the leaders of tomorrow.
Imagine being a student uprooted from everything familiar, thrust into a new school with new faces and unfamiliar teachers. Our students from Sderot met this challenge with a flexibility that would leave most adults in awe. For those who needed more support, AMIT was there with essential therapy services. The students’ ability to focus on their future, despite the chaos around them, is a testament to their inner strength and the nurturing environment that AMIT has worked tirelessly to create. Their perseverance ensures that their academic journey continues and prepares them for a brighter future.
Our faculty members have shown unparalleled dedication to their students and their profession. Some made the tough decision to leave their families behind to continue teaching, while others undertook long commutes, traveling over two hours each way, to balance their commitments to both their families and their students. These professionals exemplify the concept of growth out of a crisis. They taught our students more than academics; they imparted lessons on resilience and on the sheer unbreakable human spirit.
In May, I traveled to Israel to attend a conference for our principals from almost 90 high schools throughout the country. I was honored to hear their individual stories of sacrifice and dedication. Many principals reported to their reserve units even before being officially called. They worked tirelessly to balance their military responsibilities with their duties at AMIT, exemplifying a deep sense of duty and commitment. In one instance, when attendance issues arose among our displaced students from Sderot, who were scattered across the country, soldiers in the principals’ units went door to door to personally encourage each student to attend school. This wasn’t just a gesture; it was a mission, a testament to the extraordinary lengths our educators go to ensure their students’ well-being and education.
Those stories and experiences would have been enough to make my trip to Israel memorable, but the pinnacle of the weekend came during our Shabbat lunch. We were all gathered for our meal when there was suddenly a murmur in the room. Because it was Shabbat, most people did not have their phones. Not all of our staff or schools are religious, however, so some secular individuals had access to technology. The din grew, and suddenly someone shouted, “They just released four hostages!” Moments later a correction ensued: “No… they just rescued four hostages!” The whispers turned into full conversations, and questions about the identity of the rescued hostages surfaced. Suddenly, someone yelled, “It’s Noa! They rescued Noa!” Noa Argamani, a graduate of AMIT Wasserman Junior and Senior High School in Beersheva, was home. She, along with Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv, had been rescued. We later learned that some of the special-forces heroes who performed the rescue are part of our AMIT family. The emotion in the room was palpable. There wasn’t a dry eye. People began clapping, praying, singing, and offering toasts to L’Chaim. It is a moment I will never forget. Looking around that room, I felt an overwhelming sense of optimism.
As I write this, we don’t know what the future holds for Am Yisrael, but that experience was a powerful reminder of the profound connections between our educators and students, and on the ability our faculty has to help build Israel—one child at a time.
