INTRODUCTION

Ideally, school is a place of growth, and to enable that growth, we try to maintain school as a place where our students can feel safe. Unfortunately, it is impossible to shelter our students from trauma, tragedy, and loss. 

Especially in times of communal loss and trauma, our schools and our students are impacted. Israelis nationwide are currently spending long hours in bomb shelters as the war with Iran continues. Israel has already suffered losses since the war began and Jews worldwide continue to pray for the safety of Israel. The news is overwhelming and, as teachers, we tend to view the world through our educator lens—i.e. how can I help my students make sense of this? At this moment, that can feel like an insurmountable task. To that end, we’ve prepared some practical resources and activities to help (you and) your students during these trying times.