AMIT students in Modi’in recently hosted students from Midreshet AMIT and another local school for a fascinating discussion with retired Major General (retired) Eliezer Shkedy, formerly the commander of Israel’s air force and CEO of El Al airlines.
The meeting was part of a program to commemorate First Lieutenant Natan Cohen, z”l, at the AMIT Mr. & Mrs. Lester Sutker Arts and Sciences Junior and Senior High School for Boys. Cohen, a 23-year-old platoon commander in the Armored Corps and former resident of Modi’in, was killed in Operation Protective Edge in Gaza in 2014. The program invites notable Israeli public figures to the school for thought-provoking discussions.
Shkedy told the audience about insights he gained during his army service and in various management roles. He talked to them about leadership and excellence and said that the foundation for being good citizens “is giving to the other and believing in your own abilities.”
He also toured the school and met with its award-winning robotics team to hear about their plans for the upcoming year.
“We are pleased to be able to introduce our students to leading figures in Israeli society,” said Lior Halevi, the school’s principal. “They learn from them about leadership and Zionism while remembering Natan Cohen, z”l, who served as role model for all of us.”
The meeting with the students was significant because AMIT schools work to promote leadership qualities among its students, many of whom are from the socioeconomic and geographic periphery and may not have the opportunity to meet Israel’s military or business leaders. Programs such as these featuring leading Israeli figures offer the students a chance to relate to and see new role models.
Present at the event were Cohen’s parents and Modi’in municipal representatives
