On Dec. 4, the eleventh grade traveled to Long Island to visit and comfort the family of Omer Neutra, a 21-year-old American-Israeli IDF tank commander killed in the Hamas attack on October 7th, 2023, during their time of mourning. The public shiva allowed students to express their condolences simply by being present. It was emphasized by Rabbi Dahlia that the most important aspect of the shiva was to show up for the grieving family. 

The trip was brief, with only a 10-15 minute encounter with the family; however, it was clear that the students’ presence made a difference. Reflecting on her experience, junior Juliette Heisler said, “It was touching and very surreal because of the closeness of it. Omer lived on Long Island and was a part of so many communities that we are connected to or know about.” 

“The bus ride there was longer than on the way back. We knew we were going for a short time, but it was meaningful and worth it,” Heisler added.

Additionally, junior Ariella Roseman shared, “It [the shiva] didn’t feel as awkward as I expected,” adding that, like Juliette, she also found the visit to be “extremely meaningful.” 

Although only a select number of students were able to attend due to the short notice and limited space on the bus, others contributed to the comfort of the family in spirit. During tefillah, juniors wrote letters of condolence to the grieving family which the students who attended delivered.