“Please, Rabbi,” the mother pleaded. “My son is hysterical. Can you try to calm him?” As 13-year-old Moshe* took the phone, the air raid sirens outside continued to blare.
“Moshe, you are strong,” Boys Town Jerusalem Principal Rabbi Yehudah Rosencrantz told him gently. “The war will end soon. You’ll be back with your friends in school before long. You’re not alone – we’re here for you.”
Axiety during the war
Rabbi Rosencrantz explained that Moshe is a gifted student who struggles with chronic anxiety throughout the year. “The war has been devastating for him. His medications are no match for the terrors of wartime,” he said, noting that Moshe studies in a small BTJ Special Education class.
Continuing to learn against all odds
When schools were closed at the outbreak of the Iranian War, Moshe and his classmates continued learning online via Zoom. “Moshe is exceptionally bright. He even won first place in our online Passover Quiz for the entire seventh grade.”
Moshe’s progress was interrupted
Before the war, Moshe had been making excellent progress both socially and academically. But like so many of his classmates, he has suffered serious setbacks under the constant threat of bombings and the terrifying wail of sirens. “He’s now back on heavy medication to calm his nerves, and even that doesn’t always help.”
This generation is carrying too much
Rabbi Rosencrantz emphasized that the emotional toll extends far beyond the Special Education program. “Every student is struggling. Today’s students have endured two years of the Covid epidemic followed by two years of war. Their lives – and their learning – have been deeply disrupted. We thank our donors for enabling us to give Moshe and others the tools, support, and confidence to heal and succeed, both now and in the future.”
*Name changed for privacy reasons