Two Israeli soldiers visited Golda Och Academy to meet with members of the middle school and high school Israel clubs Sept. 11.
The soldiers were tank commander Cpl. Zev Simcha Grushka, originally from Long Island who made aliyah to serve in the IDF, and Reserve First Sgt. Lia Naidorf, who served as a combat soldier in the canine unit in the IDF.
The meeting was organized by the GOA H.S. Israel Club and the New Jersey Chapter of Friends of the IDF.
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Seth Rosenberger, director of the N.J. Chapter of the FIDF, said the organization works to create a bond between Israeli soldiers and the American Jewish community.
“A lot of the soldiers who come here are shocked by how much the people here think about them and care about them,” Mr. Rosenberger said.
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GOA’s Director of Israel Education Lilach Bluevise, said, “At GOA we form a strong engagement with Israel – the land and the people. Through encounters with Israelis, our students and staff get to personally connect to Israeli peers, Israeli leaders, professionals, soldiers, etc. This meeting was one of the many opportunities our students have for a living bridge between our community and Israel.”
First Sgt. Naidorf said she was impressed with the Golda Och students’ interest and commitment to Israel.
“I knew there were schools in America like this, but I didn’t know how deep and intense the connection is with Israel,” she said. “Here at Golda Och I can feel the spirit of doing something together. The students have an understanding of what it is to be an Israeli and not just a Jew.”
Golda Och Academy is a Jewish day school in West Orange serving approximately 550 students from more than 70 communities across New Jersey. For more information about GOA, visit www.GoldaOchAcademy.org.
