Dear members of the Gann community,
We join the Boston Jewish community and Jews around the world in expressing our profound horror, sadness, and grief over the devastating events in Israel this weekend. Many Gann families, faculty, and staff have deep connections to victims as well as to Israeli soldiers and reservists. We have Gann alumni studying in Israel, living in Israel, and currently serving in the IDF. Israel is central to our Jewish identity and it is integral to Gann Academy’s mission of educating and inspiring the next generation of Jewish leaders. We stand together with Israelis and Jews across the world in condemning such a violent, baseless attack on civilians.
Tomorrow, Monday, October 9 at 12:00pm, the Jewish community of Boston will gather at the Parkman Bandstand on the Boston Common to express our solidarity with Israel. I, along with other members of Gann’s leadership, teachers, and students, will be in attendance. We strongly encourage all members of our community to join us.
On Tuesday, the entire Gann community will gather during our Limmud Block for a short ceremony to honor the men, women, and children who were murdered over the weekend, to send support to those whose lives will forever be impacted by these events, and to stand in solidarity with Israeli soldiers and citizens. As a school community, we will come together in heartfelt prayer for the well-being and safety of every individual living in Israel. We ask students to come to school on Tuesday with an understanding that there will be a quiet, reflective tone in the building. Our flags will be at half-mast, and there will be yizkor (memorial) candles in our lobby. Our rabbinic team is on-call for pastoral support and our school counselor, Ilyse Rikleen, LMHC, will be available for all students who need additional support.
With prayers for peace,
Dalia Hochman
Head of School
