Large Delegation of Sha’ar Hanegev Students Heading to San Diego Jewish Academy

SAN DIEGO (Press Release) –One hundred thirty 11th and 12th graders from Sha’ar Hanegev in Israel, a region in Southern Israel that was ravaged during the October 7th Hamas attacks, will visit the San Diego Jewish Academy at the end of February.  This is the largest student delegation to visit the U.S. since the war started.

“We are thrilled to welcome these incredible teens, all of whom have shown remarkable resilience in the face of adversity, having been evacuated from their homes following the tragic massacre,” said Shani Abed, Director of School Relations at San Diego Jewish Academy. “This visit is a wonderful and important opportunity to build connections and lasting friendships between young people in our communities. We are a global Jewish people, and we can all gain strength from each other during these difficult times.”

The visit kicks off with an opening ceremony on campus February 27th. Throughout their stay, the Israeli students will experience on-campus learning with their peers, Kabbalat Shabbat (Friday night) services, social events, and excursions around town. This includes surfing in La Jolla Shores, and visiting tourist sights, synagogues, and volunteering at Seacrest Village Retirement Community. They also will have an overnight camp experience. Sha’ar Hanegev and San Diego’s Jewish communities established close ties more than for 25 years ago, and last year the city of San Diego and Sha’ar Hanegev formalized a sister city relationship.

“These authentic, personal interactions in San Diego can hopefully provide just a little sense of healing for the students from Sha’ar Hanegev,” said Zvi Weiss, Head of School at San Diego Jewish Academy. “At the same time, this is a unique opportunity for our students to live out some of our values, by showing support for their peers and strengthening Jewish peoplehood. “Every year, our graduating students visit the Sha’ar Hanegev region during their class trip to Israel. But this is the first time we get to reciprocate the hospitality we always experience by welcoming such a significant delegation to SDJA.”

The students’ travel is sponsored by the Israeli Ministry of Education. Jewish Federation of San Diego is sponsoring the costs associated with the students’ stay in San Diego; they will be hosted by SDJA families during the trip and accompanied by psychologists, teachers, and youth group leaders on all activities.

Developing students with strong Jewish identities and meaningful, personal connections to Israel is an integral part of the SDJA experience. Added Weiss, “At SDJA we strive to empower each student to learn for life, guided by Jewish values and rooted in strength of community. This visit ties into every part of our mission and is more important now than ever before.”
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Preceding provided by San Diego Jewish Academy