As the world marks the third anniversary of Oct. 7, schools across World ORT’s global network—from Latin America to Europe, Israel and Southern Africa—are remembering the day through ceremony, testimony and learning. World ORT serves 200,000-plus beneficiaries, including some 80,000 students, in 30 countries across five continents.
“This day will be remembered forever in our history, but it is very much still our present. Our schools are marking the day in meaningful, powerful ways,” said Dov Ben-Shimon, CEO of World ORT.
Some have already begun with recognition activities at the start of the week. Recognition ranges from memorial ceremonies and testimonies from families and survivors to student-led assemblies, classroom reflection and film. These include:
HEARING FROM FAMILIES AND SURVIVORS:
- MEXICO: Colegio Olamí ORT. Students will meet Dana Silberman-Sitton, the sister of Shiri Bibas, who lost her parents, Yossi and Margit, Shiri and her young nephews, Ariel, 4, and Kfir, nine months, in the terrorist attacks. A memorial ceremony and a moment of silence will accompany her talk on memory and resilience in the face of profound loss.
- SPAIN: Colegio Hatikva, Barcelona. Ninth-grade students will lead a ceremony for students from sixth through 10th grade and their families under the theme “Brothers and Sisters.” One student and her mother will speak about their relatives, the Kedem family, who were murdered on Oct. 7. The rest of the day will turn to commemoration, collective memory and hope.
- FRANCE: ORT Marseille. The entire school will gather for readings, testimonies from young survivors, Kaddish, a minute of silence and candle-lighting. Two students will also read testimonies at a ceremony organized by the local town hall.
- BRAZIL: Escola ORT, Rio de Janeiro. Students will hear from a Holocaust survivor. The commemoration also includes sirens, a minute of silence and texts about what happened read by teachers.
LED BY STUDENTS:
- ARGENTINA: ORT Argentina. Remembrance runs from seventh grade through fifth year, with fifth-year students taking the lead. Younger grades take part in teacher-led reflection, PLAI Program activities, testimony stations and a study of “A Day in October,” which tells 40 stories about 40 heroes of Oct. 7. The fourth year will hear a keynote testimony from Yair Horn, an Argentine-Israeli kidnapped with his brother by Hamas. The fifth year will also create a “Nation of Heroes” mural and Wall of Remembrance with sticker kits designed by families of victims and fallen soldiers, and join an assembly with family members of Nova music festival victims.
- ISRAEL: World ORT Kfar Silver. Students of the Aderet Pre-Military Leadership Academy (Mechina) will lead memorial ceremonies for the junior and senior high school divisions as part of the National Day of Remembrance. A dedicated session, “From Here We Rise,” pairs remembrance with renewal, resilience and rebuilding.
- SOUTH AFRICA: King David School, Johannesburg. High school students have been rehearsing a special assembly featuring a dance performed to readings of letters written before people went into the army, along with a song, poems and speeches. The assembly will be recorded.
LEARNING, REFLECTION AND HOPE:
- FRANCE: ORT Montreuil. Several Year 12 classes will experience a virtual reality film about Kibbutz Nir Oz, in partnership with KKL and a delegation from Nitza Ruah, and the school will hold a voluntary commemorative ceremony.
- FRANCE: ORT Villiers-le-Bel. An Arte documentary will be shown in all classes, followed by a day of conferences for students from Year 9 upwards.
- FRANCE: ORT Toulouse. The school will set up its annual commemorative table and share a photograph afterwards.
- COLOMBIA: Colegio Colombo Hebreo, Bogotá. The school is preparing a video for social media, followed by age-appropriate activities in Jewish-studies classes.
- PERU: Colegio León Pinelo, Lima. The school and community will hold their commemorations after a scheduled break.
Said Ben-Shimon: “Remembrance looks not only behind us but ahead, to the young people who will carry memory forward and build a future shaped by responsibility, compassion and hope.”
