Shulamith comes together for Yom Ha’Atzmaut

It’s been 16 years since Shulamith School for Girls opened on Long Island, and for the first time, three divisions of the school came together to celebrate an event — on Yom Ha’Atzmaut.

Unit this year, geography was always a factor (the lower and middle divisions were located more than a mile apart), but now, Shulamith’s spacious new Cedarhurst campus makes it possible for the school’s more than 450 students to celebrate together.

In the morning, as students entered the building, they were greeted with Israeli music playing over the sound system. The day began with a tefila chagigit in the auditorium. Grades 6–8 davened Shacharit together and were joined by grades 2–5 for the recitation of Hallel. The first and second graders then joined the program which began with Mrs. Yarmak’s moving words about the significance of this “shevet achim gam yachad.”  This was followed by a joint performance by the 4th and 6th grade choir (pictured). The event ended with a video presentation of Hatikva, with everyone singing along. 

At the end of this most beautiful day, all students, faculty, and staff went outside to the huge yard for an unforgettable program. The 4th graders performed the moving song “Eretz, Eretz, Eretz,” and the eighth graders performed a daglanut that they had learned that day, and were joined by the entire Middle Division.  Everyone then posed for a picture taken by Morah Miri Fried who was 40 feet above on the roof of the school.

Then the dancing began! The Lower Division students marched around the perimeter of the yard while the Middle Division students danced in the center. Everyone was exhausted by the end of the day but all agreed that it was most memorable.