A large student delegation from Southern Israel near Gaza visited San Diego Jewish Academy (SDJA) in Carmel Valley and the San Diego area recently, together with therapists, counselors, and faculty, for a “get out of the war zone” trip. San Diego Jewish Academy (SDJA), an early childhood center to 12th grade school guided by Jewish values and rooted in strength of community, excitedly welcomed the 95 11th graders from Sha’ar Hanegev in Israel, a region that was ravaged during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, a news release stated.
“We are thrilled to welcome these incredible teens, all of whom have shown remarkable resilience in the face of adversity, having been evacuated from their homes following the tragic massacre,” said Shani Abed, Head of Lower School at San Diego Jewish Academy, in the news release. “This visit is a wonderful and important opportunity to build connections and lasting friendships between young people in our communities. We are a global Jewish people, and we can all gain strength from each other during these difficult times.”
San Diego Jewish Academy students hold welcoming signs for their student visitors from Israel. (Courtesy of San Diego Jewish Academy)
Throughout their stay, the Israeli students experienced on-campus learning at San Diego Jewish Academy with their peers, Kabbalat Shabbat services, social events, and excursions around town. This included surfing in La Jolla Shores and visiting tourist sites. Sha’ar Hanegev and San Diego’s Jewish communities established close ties more than 25 years ago, and last year the city of San Diego and Sha’ar Hanegev formalized a sister city relationship.
Added Belinda Feldman, an SDJA parent of 11th and 12th graders who hosted Israeli students, in the news release: “It has been another wonderful experience hosting three special girls from SN. For our family, it connects us to the land of Israel as well as to three families living in the south. For 12 days, we learned about each other’s customs, traditions as well as struggles. We learned to communicate in spite of our language barriers and had many funny moments in between. As Israel continues to fight for us all, the privilege of hosting these students is truly a small part of us giving back and honestly we are the ones who have gained the most! We hope these 12 days allowed the kids a chance to exhale, laugh and enjoy all San Diego has to offer!”
“These authentic, personal interactions in San Diego can hopefully provide just a little sense of healing for the students from Sha’ar Hanegev,” said Zvi Weiss, Head of School at San Diego Jewish Academy, in the news release. “At the same time, this is a unique opportunity for our students to live out some of our values, by showing support for their peers and strengthening Jewish peoplehood. Every year, our graduating students visit the Sha’ar Hanegev region during their class trip to Israel. It’s a privilege to reciprocate the hospitality we always experience by welcoming such a significant delegation to SDJA.”
The students’ travel was sponsored by the Israeli Ministry of Education. Jewish Federation of San Diego sponsored the costs associated with the students’ stay in San Diego; they were hosted by SDJA families during the trip and accompanied by teachers, a psychologist, and youth group leaders on all activities.
Developing students with strong Jewish identities and meaningful, personal connections to Israel is an integral part of the SDJA experience. Added Weiss in the news release, “San Diego Jewish Academy strives to empower each student to learn for life, guided by Jewish values and rooted in strength of community. This visit ties into every part of our mission and is more important now than ever before.”