We are approaching graduation. The pupil is freed all at once from the burden of the past and takes a long and hard look at threethings: his past, his present and his future.

This building of the gymnasium has witnessed young life, stormy periods searching for solution and hope.

The child at school starts dreaming and develops his imagination. The first impressions are of flowers, fields, friends and games. He is happy, unconscious happiness. He does not know yet he should pursue happiness and that happiness is hard to achieve.

Gradually the child perceives the depth of life. God created the sky and the earth and God’s spirit is above the water. God created the world and in the sky He dwells. Father tells him to fear God and grandfather tells him to love God. Chaos: Cain kills his brother Abel. A killer. God tears Saul’s kingdom. The child poses questions: “Why?” He is confused. His father says: this is life.

A new period – the Prophets. The child asks together with Jeremiah why the wicked are successful. I tell the truth and say what I think and the teachers seem not to like me. My friend is an intriguer – how come he is honored? The soul rebels, inner conflicts. Outward, it is expressed in rebellion and obstinacy. The growing child asks: “Is it worth it to be good, righteous? Society does not respect you and your opinions.” He suffers – in the center of the world – from the outside injustice. His soul demands answers. School cannot help him. He reacts against his teacher, neglects his studies. In fact, the walls of the school inhibit the bursting out of his soul.

This is the Job period – hesitation and complaints. Then there is quiet. The world becomes closer. The ones near to him do not understand him and he becomes one with the cosmos. With other individuals he wishes to improve it. Quietly he questions why God punishes Job. He prays prayers from Psalms.

Finally this period is in the past and his present is full of youthful hope. It is the 7th and 8th grade – the bridge between the past and the future. Doubts and challenging God lead to him to Kohelet and the youth prepares to face life with compromise and concessions. School becomes a preparatory training place. He learns to share and understand his friends, to accept different personalities. Some graduate with stronger and better preparation and other will not. School cannot help all pupils. The curriculum is strict, there is stress on knowledge and no reaching to the soul of the students and helping each of them discover his individual talents and powers.

However, school does contribute knowledge about nationalism, and national identity.

Happy is the student who can find his way through his identifying with his nation.

Aliza Polikevitz. 8th grade