On the morning of Oct. 7, Milken Community School held an all-school town hall meeting to mark the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
The school’s entire student body — from grades 6-12 — gathered in the gymnasium on the high school’s Bel Air campus, along with faculty, alumni and supporters of the school, for the occasion.
Sarah Shulkind, head of school at Milken Community School, spoke of the school’s commitment to promoting a love for Israel among its students. Since Oct. 7, Milken’s teens have shown their support for Israel by writing letters and sending supplies to Israeli soldiers and their families, creating art exhibits dedicated to the victims of Oct. 7 and participating in community events, including the March for Israel rally in Washington D.C. last November.
“The victims, families, soldiers and people of Israel are not alone,” Shulkind said.
During the program, students delivered moving tributes to the hostages; recited the “Hatikvah;” and performed a rendition of Israeli singer and “Eurovision” contestant Eden Golan’s Oct. 7-inspired anthem, “Hurricane.”
Richard Sandler, chair of the board at Milken Community School, was among the attendees. In an interview after the event, Sandler said it was events such as these that made him proud to be involved with the school’s leadership.
Along with the town hall, Milken—one of the largest Jewish day schools in the country—marked the anniversary of the attack by displaying student-created art exhibitions. Milken Senior Chloe Nikravesh, class of 2025, designed a table that had been set for Shabbat. On the table were 104 Shabbat candles, each pair representing a Shabbat that the hostages haven’t spent with their loved ones since being taken captive.
Milken eighth-grade student Sarah Falkov and ninth-grader Julia Refoua also created art exhibitions that were on display.
Additionally, a memorial gallery—partially inspired by the Nova music festival exhibit—was set up in the school’s auditorium. Inside the gallery, which honored the memory of the victims of Oct. 7, students viewed artwork, poetry and photography and were able to leave a note card sharing their sentiments of hope.
Three Magen David Adom (MDA) ambulances, donated by congregants of Wilshire Boulevard Temple (WBT), visited Los Angeles on Oct. 7, prior to their departure to Israel. These ambulances were three out of seven donated by the WBT community immediately following the horrendous attacks on Israel last year on Oct. 7.
The three ambulances drove throughout L.A., visiting all three WBT campuses for hundreds of children to explore and learn. The ambulances also stopped at the October 7th Memorial Square in Beverly Hills for a community gathering.
In the evening, approximately 300 community members attended an evening commemoration at WBT. The event featured songs and prayers as well as remarks by WBT Senior Rabbi Joel Nickerson; MDA Director of International Relations Yoni Yagodovsky; actress Ginnifer Goodwin; and WBT congregants.
“In such a challenging time for the Jewish people and for our brothers and sisters in Israel, it was important for us to mark the one year anniversary with opportunities for people to come together, find comfort in their connection to the Jewish community, and highlight the tangible ways we can show our support for Israelis who have suffered the consequences of the horrific attack on Oct. 7,” Nickerson said. “We also wanted to remind our community that despite the challenges we face, we never give up on hope and prayers for peace.”
The Sephardic Educational Center hosted a special Oct. 7 commemoration in Beverly Hills with a sneak preview of a soon-to-be-released film with witness testimonies, as well as songs and prayers for the hostages and soldiers.
