Hurricane damage
Hurricane damageCaryn Lubin

Israeli students prayed for the United States on Tuesday as Hurricane Sandy hit America’s east coast, killing dozens and causing an estimated $20 billion in damage.

Students read Psalms (Tehillim) as a prayer for those affected by the storm in each of the 100 schools affiliated with the AMIT educational network.

AMIT director Dr. Amnon Eldar explained that for many students, the prayers were a way of giving back to those who have helped them. “We have 25,000 students,” he said. “Many of them are in Sderot, Ashkelon, and Be’er Sheva, and when they are in danger from rocket attacks, American Jews pray for them, support them, and come visit, and also help and contribute, because they are our brothers, our flesh and blood.”

“Most citizens of the United States are good friends to the state of Israel, and when they are in trouble, we feel a real need to pray for them,” he explained.

On a more personal level, he added, “Each of the 25,000 students in the AMIT network owes a debt of gratitude to the women of AMIT in the United States who established the school network, support it, and allow it to succeed and to invest in students throughout the country.”

Rabbi Shimon Shushan of the AMIT yeshiva in Petach Tikva said, “We explained to the students that we have a moral obligation to help our friends, and we believe we have the power to do what little is in our hands – and that is to pray for our brothers in the United States at this difficult time.”