5/14/2021 Head of School Message

Dear DKJA Community, 
 
My heart goes out to our brothers and sisters in Israel who have faced a violent and frightening week. We at Donna Klein Jewish Academy send our condolences to families who have lost loved ones. Our thoughts and prayers go to Israel. During tefillah this week, our students said prayers for peace in Israel and for the health and safety of all. I have a deep, personal connection with Israel, and it breaks my heart to watch videos of violence plaguing the Promised Land. DKJA has students, faculty, staff, and administration who come from Israel. We also have graduates and families who are living in Israel and some who are in the IDF protecting our homeland. I encourage us all to reach out to our loved ones and friends who are there and offer words of support and prayer. Fostering the love of Israel is deeply rooted in our curriculum and teachings, and it is my hope that peace is restored soon.
       
Please know that the safety and security of the entire DKJA community is our top priority and the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County remains a secure and protected campus. Rest assured that our security team has protocols in place to even further enhance our security during times such as these.
 
In the midst of the unsettling unrest in Israel this week, DKJA was designated as a No Place for Hate® 2020-2021 school through the Anti-defamation League (ADL) for the ninth year in a row. To receive the No Hate banner, our DKJA ADL team, led by Ms. Silvana Delbo, created and submitted three projects to the ADL headquarters for review. This year, our projects included an anti-bullying presentation in the first grade, where our students were taught about the importance of being an “upstander” and not a “bystander,”  and an eighth-grade project about the different masks people wear beyond just the physical masks worn in the pandemic. In addition, our entire Claire and Emanuel G. Rosenblatt High School student body worked on a project about being a positive role model on social media. Today, May 14, is No Place for Hate Day, which celebrates establishments that strive to create diverse and inclusive communities. I am proud that we are one of these establishments and that our entire community is committed to combatting hate of any kind.
 
This week, our students celebrated Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day. This special day was commemorated with division-wide assemblies in our Middle School and High School. Our Lower School students also participated in grade-level discussions about the significance of the holiday. In addition, our students, faculty, staff, and administration prepared for the upcoming holiday Shavuot with assemblies and classroom dialogue. Earlier this week, I held our final Storytime of the year, where I was once again joined by Mrs. Jill Shoshany. Together, we read an inspiring story about Shavuot. As a reminder, our school and office will be closed on Monday, May 17, and Tuesday, May 18, in honor of the holiday.
 
I wish our entire community a happy and healthy Shavuot and long weekend. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school on Wednesday, May 19.
 
Shabbat Shalom,
Helena Levine
Head of School
 
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