Ofra students prepare for Memorial Day
Ofra students prepare for Memorial DayYoni Kempinski

The Ulpana Yeshiva High School for Girls in Ofra prepared its students for Memorial Day in a more personal way.

Ofra is situated along Highway 60, a road which has been the site of many terror attacks against Israelis, particularly during the Second Intifada, also known as the Oslo War. That being the case, the Ulpana a few years ago started a special educational program, called “Memorial Road”, which involves the students travelling along Highway 60 and stopping at each point where a terrorist attack had taken place.

At each “terror point” along the road, the girls gathered to recite Psalms, commemorate the victims and raise the Israeli flag. They also heard from bereaved parents and families who came to speak to them.

“Memorial Road” was initiated by Chaya Rund, who lost her son to a terror attack on Highway 60. Rund, who works in the Ulpana’s kitchen, told Arutz Sheva, “I thought about ways of marking Memorial Day in a way which is different than the regular ceremonies we have on this day.”

“At each point, girls from the Ulpana gather, and we hope that other families from the area will join us as well,” said Rund. “We talk, we sing, and we remember. It’s important for us to publicly say that we, in fact, are continuing to live.”

Orly, a counselor at the Ulpana, told Arutz Sheva, “We make the girls understand where they live and get them to notice all the places that exist. These are the stories of our homes.”

She added that the girls “were afraid at the beginning, but once they stand here with the flags they become so proud. It’s a process they’re going through, from being scared to being proud of where they live.”