A Unity Vigil in honor of the Israeli victims of the Hamas terror attack took place Oct. 30 at Beverly Hills High School (BHHS). Organized and hosted by the BHHS Jewish Club and the BHHS Israel Club, the somber, yet hopeful gathering took place outdoors beneath the fall sunshine at the school’s Media Center Patio.
Students, parents, faculty and religious leaders came together for the vigil. Local officials in attendance included Mayor Dr. Julian Gold, Councilmembers Lili Bosse and Sharona Nazarian, BHUSD Superintendent Dr. Michael Bregy, School Board President Noah Margo and School Board Member Mary Wells. Many addressed the crowd, as did several student representatives.
Memorable moments included the Beverly Hills High School orchestra’s rendering of Hatikvah, the national anthem of the State of Israel, as well as a performance in Hebrew by members of the BHHS Choir Team.
Bosse, whose parents were Holocaust survivors, recounted that she had learned Hebrew while a student at BHHS. She described herself in those days as someone who “never would have had the courage to stand up and speak publicly then.”
Now, she is one of the city’s most stirring speakers.
“People have come to me and said, ‘Don’t speak out.’ They’re afraid for me. I have had
threats, personal threats. I’ve had hate. You should see the things that people say. The more threats, the more hate, the louder I speak. The louder and stronger I become and we become,” Bosse said, to applause.
“So, what I do every day now is try and find the light,” she continued. “Some days are hard. But you are the light. You are the light that is going to absolutely drown out this darkness. Never again is now and we have to stay strong, no matter how tough it gets. We have to continue. Am Ysrael Chai!”
