Under the shadow of the recent Operation Protective Edge conflict, Boys Town Jerusalem high school students visited the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in preparation for the upcoming Jewish New Year. “The most powerful lessons about the spirit of humanity are to be found here, in the stories of those who made the supreme sacrifice to enable Jews to live in a strong, safe Israel,” declared Principal Rabbi Yehudah Rosencrantz.

“All of the boys have brothers, parents and/or relatives who have served in the Israel Defense Forces, yet this summer’s battles brought the students (who will be enlisting in the coming years) much closer to reflecting on selflessness and bravery in defending the Jewish State. This visit also became an opportunity for some students to express pent-up emotions and distress related to the war.”

As the students passed from grave to grave in the vast military cemetery, they learned a number of stories about the young men who had fallen. And, in a time-honored tradition, these teenagers paid personal tribute to Boys Town Jerusalem graduates who lay buried there.

“In every generation, our soldiers have been called upon to defend the Israeli nation from enemy danger,” Rabbi Rosencrantz said. “As this New Year approaches, we are mindful that we owe our lives to our defenders. We pray fervently that our students will cherish the values that motivated their brothers who fell, and that an era of peace will begin at last.”