In a solemn ceremony commemorating the attacks of September 11, Scheck Hillel Grade 8-12 students came together Thursday to remember the victims and to honor the responders – the heroes – who worked tirelessly in the aftermath of this national tragedy. Keynote speaker, Naval Aviator Captain Karen Baetzel (Ret.), one of those brave responders, shared a photo documentary of her first hours at Ground Zero in New York. She keeps intact the dusty boots she wore that day.
This moving Student Life program was framed by Scheck Hillel’s band’s performance of the Star-Spangled Banner and Taps, and Grade 12 student Akiva Schechter’s rendition of “God Bless America”.
At the core of the enduring Jewish identity we foster here at Scheck Hillel, is our American patriotism and pride, valuing the ideals of democracy and freedom for all. Today and always, we remember.