What’s in the Program?
The “Memory in the Community” program is designed to connect schools with their broader communities and create a shared space for remembrance, meaning, belonging, and collective memory.
Each participating school will select one of Israel’s national memorial days (such as Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Day, Holocaust Remembrance Day, Memorial Day for Israel’s Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism, or Sigd – Ethiopian Jewish Heritage Day). On that day, the school will host a community-wide memorial event, led by students and educators. Local residents, families, and community organizations will be invited to take part in this meaningful gathering.
Program Goals
- Empower students to take an active role in shaping national and communal remembrance.
- Strengthen connections between schools and their local communities through emotional and meaningful ceremonies.
- Foster a rooted and values-based identity through youth-led initiatives in memory, creativity, and leadership.
- Encourage intergenerational dialogue about memory, identity, and life in Israeli society.
Program Elements
- Student-led planning and implementation, with guidance from educational staff.
- Creative expression through music, letters, video clips, life stories, memory installations, and more.
- Collaborative engagement with other community groups: network schools, kindergartens, youth movements, retirement homes, and local families.
- Personal and collective commemoration of local individuals or inspirational figures.
This program provides students with a meaningful and active role in shaping memorial events. Rather than being passive observers, they become co-creators of collective memory.
Through personal expression, intergenerational conversations, and leading a community event, students process complex ideas about identity, values, and memory—engaging with emotional content in an empowering and supportive way.
The process offers them a chance to connect to the broader Israeli narrative and feel part of a community that remembers, honors, and creates meaning together.
What’s Required from the School?
- Appoint a teacher to lead the program
- Select a team of 4–6 committed students
- Facilitate student training by the teacher
- Plan and produce the community memorial event
