Members of Ach Gadol Address High School Students following K-12 Kabbalat Shabbat

by Talia Herbst, SSLI '25

Today, students gathered in the gym for a K-12 Kabbalat Shabbat. Afterward, high school students got the opportunity to hear from CEO Daniel Aharon, Major Hadas, and Staff Sergeant Vitaly, all involved in Ach Gadol, a non-profit organization that focuses on supporting lone soldiers during their IDF (Israeli Defense Force) service. A lone soldier is a soldier in the IDF that either lives in Israel alone or does not have parents that can support them there.

Every Friday morning, the lower school has Kabbalat Shabbat; however, today there was a special exception, and the upper school was able to join them. Interim Head of School Ofra Hiltzik explained, “We felt that it would be very important once in a while to bring the entire community together. Knowing that today we wanted to dedicate [the day] to Israel, we felt it would be a perfect opportunity to bring us all together as one Kehilla” (community).

Sophomore Shay Ginzburg loves it when the upper school and lower school gather and interact. “We all get to sing together and reminisce, all while welcoming in Shabbat and the weekend," she said. Junior Samson Mildron agreed: “Kabbalat Shabbat was really awesome; it felt like a throwback, and it gave me a really strong sense of community.”

Hearing the stories of two soldiers who were in the army had an impact on students as well. Ginzburg thought that Hadas’s story “was incredibly moving because of her mixed background.” Her mother is an Ethiopian Jew, and her father is a Bedouin Muslim. Ginzburg continued, “I have never heard a perspective quite like hers, and I am honored that she shared it with us.” Hadas was originally raised in a Jewish community in Israel, but one day her family moved to a Muslim community. She felt very out of place and uncomfortable as she had to hide being Jewish, so she later left the community and joined the IDF. 

Mildron also found the two stories to be “very different and interesting.” Vitaly is from Belarus, and he moved to Israel to join the combat unit in the IDF. Both Vitaly and Hadas wished they had someone to guide them in the beginning of their time serving in the IDF, so when they found out about Ach Gadol, they decided to volunteer to help other lone soldiers.

We are thankful for Vitaly, Hadas, and Daniel coming to teach us about Ach Gadol. (S. Thorgersen)

Hiltzik was very pleased with how engaged the students were. She commented, “Our kids are really a wonderful body. They know how to rise to the occasion, they know how to come together, and they're very kind to the lower school students.” Mildron definitely wants to see more all-school Kabbalat Shabbats in the near future. He stated, “It’s important for us to continue to maintain a connection with Israel, and it's important to acknowledge the difficulties as well as the strengths that people have within the country.”

Hiltzik concluded, “It's beautiful to see when we come together, and I'm very grateful for my community, my home away from home.”

Talia Herbst is a writer for Paw Print Now and has been published on the site since December 2021. Talia is currently a junior at the Schechter School of Long Island and can be reached at the following email address: therbst25@schechterli.org.