On Thursday night, Israel experienced its worst civilian tragedy when 45 people were killed in Meron. Sunday was declared a National Day of Mourning for all of Israel to come together 
and commemorate the lost. It was a day of solidarity with the impacted families and a day of prayer for those who are still in the hospital.
AMIT schools held school-wide ceremonies as well as classroom level, age-appropriate discussions to help process their thoughts and emotions related to the tragedy.
At AMIT Elaine Silver Technological School in Beer Sheva, they began a daily Chassidic teaching that will be sent out through the end of the “shloshim” (30-day mourning period). AMIT Ramle gave out bracelets with a play on words: “v’ahavta lerei’acha kemo-ach”, “love your fellow Jew like a brother”. Shlomo, a student in 10th grade, said, 
“The tragedy in Meron was very hard for me.I was there only a few hours before. I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, it is very hard to lose so many people and on the other hand it is emotional to see Am Yisrael coming together to help.” In Ra’anana, The Sutker AMIT Renanim Science and Technology High School for Girls, students wrote letters to the bereaved families which will be delivered later in the week when staff and students pay shiva calls around Israel.
Said Ofra Pe’er, principal at AMIT Renanim, “One of the values that is most important to us at AMIT Renanim is Achdut – unity of Am Yisrael. After the tragedy in Meron, we thought it was appropriate to start the day with discussions according to grade and with a school-wide Tefillah in memory of those that died and for the Refuah Sheleima to those who were injured.”
Lag B’omer celebrates, among other things, the end of the dying of Rabbi Akiva’s students. It is a time of unity and love for one’s fellow Jew and that was the focus throughout the AMIT communities.
Dr Amnon Eldar, Director General of AMIT, remarked, “During these terrible days, the most important thing in our eyes is the connection to Israeli society. On the National Day of Mourning, we came together in prayer for a speedy recovery for those injured, remembering those who died, and comforting those families that lost their loved ones.”
