"Despite the Darkness, We've Built a Place of Peace:" HIH Teacher Daniel De Shalit
After an exceedingly challenging school year, filled with war and uncertainty, our students and staff were joyfully planning their graduation and completion ceremonies—a moment to honor the grit and dedication that got everyone through an extremely difficult year.
Instead, another war broke out. Schools closed, and all graduation ceremonies moved online. And yet, our stellar teachers found a way to make our end-of-year digital graduation ceremonies extra special and meaningful, despite the less than ideal circumstances.
At our Jerusalem school’s online graduation ceremony, beloved civics teacher Daniel De Shalit shared one of his signature hope-filled messages.
“I’m in a storm of emotions these days. I feel excitement and also joy from my baby son’s laughter, alongside great frustration, anger, and sadness. Sometimes I feel boredom and despair, but sometimes I find hope in the abyss. It’s on the subject of hope that I want to speak today.
One of the problems during wartime is that it’s very hard to imagine a different reality. So let’s take a few minutes to imagine our future together, Arabs and Jews, human beings, living together in peace. But first, a look backwards:
“Despite the darkness, in these past six years we’ve built a place of peace and safety, of goodness and comfort.”
Our new graduates began here six years ago. Do you remember all that we’ve dealt with during these six years? We had Covid-19, a war in Gaza and the events of May 2021, multiple elections, mass protests, October 7th, the current war in Gaza, and now a war with Iran too.
Despite the darkness, in these past six years we’ve built a place of peace and safety, of goodness and comfort. Throughout it all, our principal Efrat, has protected our school and cared for all of us, students and staff, making sure that everything is as good and as safe as possible so we can learn and succeed, and be the most ethical people that we can be. So I’d like to thank Efrat for everything.
We don’t know what summer vacation will look like—maybe things will be hard like they are now, or maybe the war will end and we’ll feel safer. Regardless, I charge each of you to do something good every day this summer, either for yourselves or someone else. Even when we help someone else, it does us good too.
“Wars always end, and then comes peace. It may not happen quickly, but it will happen. And when this day comes, our job at Hand in Hand will be even more important, because we will be the model for living together, despite the challenges.”
And when we come together again in the fall—and we will be coming back together—the teachers will greet you and say, “wow! What did you eat this summer!? You got so tall!” And the new 10th graders will get math homework on the first day of school because you have a bagrut test at the end of the year!
Next year, I hope we’ll have good news. Wars always end, and then comes peace. It may not happen quickly, but it will happen. And when this day comes, our job at Hand in Hand will be even more important, because we will be the model for living together, despite the challenges, proving that if you want it, it is possible to live together with love and peace. I am so proud to be a part of this place!
We’re here now together, in these hard times, supporting each other. And we’ll be here again next year, with hopes for better days, and we will continue to build a better future for all of us.”
