On Wednesday night, our school community gathered at Beth Israel for our Golden Thread Gala. This year’s theme, was The Legacy You Leave, to celebrate the retirement of our Head of School, Russ Klein and honour his leadership of the past 16 years. We were thrilled to have 445 guests fill the ballroom at Beth Israel including grandparents, parents, faculty, community supporters, and over 80 King David alumni who were students during Russ’s tenure.

This year’s Yom Hazikaron ceremony was especially stirring and meaningful. The student-led assembly, began with an explanation of the meaning of Israel’s Memorial Day, a day to commemorate fallen heroes and victims of terrorist acts in Israel. This day was emotional as we honoured the memory of our beloved alumnus, Ben Mizrachi. Leah Weidman, a close friend of Ben's who attended King David with him for five years, spoke about Ben and how we all continued to be inspired by his kindness and strong values. She lit a candle in his memory. We listened to the siren sound on Yom Hazikaron in Israel. We followed this meaningful recognition, hearing the siren and holding a minute of silence.

Yom HaShoah is a solemn occasion observed to commemorate the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, as well as the millions of other individuals who perished under Nazi persecution during World War II. This day serves as a poignant reminder of the atrocities committed during the Holocaust, including the systematic genocide of Jews and the destruction of countless lives, families, and communities.