A Maccabee Moment at Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy/Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School
The storm on November 15 brought with it many challenges for countless people in the Livingston community and surrounding areas. At the Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy/Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School, the school was presented with the challenge of how to keep their students safe and get their many students home, especially those who commute from further areas like East Brunswick, Springfield, Highland Park and Staten Island, as well as the local students from West Orange and Livingston.
While we initially thought that the students would merely be delayed in the building, they were served dinner and entertained with movies, open gym, and more. As the night went on, it became clear that it would not be safe to let the buses, which arrived at the school late in the night, out onto the roads. Close to 100 students spent the night at the school. Many faculty, administration, and staff remained in the building and devoted themselves throughout the night to protect, soothe, care for and engage the students. They applied their skills and common sense to selflessly support every single child’s needs. Older students intuitively came to look out for the younger students, reading them books, playing games with them, and more to ease their time during the impromptu sleepover. The school caterer prepared dinner, snacks, breakfast and Friday lunch for students who were in the building.
Over 70 commuter high school students were hosted by scores of Livingston school families in the middle of the night on a moment’s notice, who provided the students warm, gracious and supportive hospitality. One host home even made a birthday party for one of the students!
The list of remarkable gestures of kindness and leadership showed that night goes on and on. JKHA and RKYHS were proud to see the way that the entire community came together to support one another during the trying night.
Submitted by Erica Rosenfeld, Alumni Coordinator and Communications Associate, Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy/Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School.
AVI CHAI concluded its general grant making on December 31, 2019.
A Maccabee Moment at Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy/Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School
Posted by: Deborah Fishman
December 10, 2018
Working in a Jewish day school, you are surrounded by modern-day Maccabees whose heroic actions lead to miracles — big and small — all the time. During Chanukah, AVI CHAI and Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools are featuring stories from Jewish day schools of “Maccabee moments” when students, teachers, and leaders made a difference to surmount challenges, beat the odds, and valiantly further Jewish values and actions in our community. Together we will read them and say “Nes Gadol Haya PO!” Chag Urim Sameach!