BEACHWOOD, Ohio — The war between Israel and Hamas has carried on, and schools across the state have been trying to figure out how to help students process the information.

The Fuchs Mizrachi School, an Orthodox Jewish school near Cleveland, is one of those schools. Rabbi Avery Joel, the head of the school, said they have been trying to educate their students while also letting them express their emotions.

What You Need To Know

  • The war between Israel and Hamas has impacted people across the globe

  • Talya Weiss, a teacher near Cleveland, is from Israel and her husband went to fight for the IDF 

  • Her three brothers and two brothers-in-law are also in the IDF 

  • She hopes when she returns to Israel next year that there is peace 

“So what we’ve tried to do in school is create space for those feelings and then also talk about how we can be supportive for each other here, for our community,” he said.

The school has students ranging from kindergarten through 12th grade. The way that the students have been able to express support has depended on their age, Joel explained.

“That might be making a picture and sending it to Israel for our youngest students. That might be something related to advocacy or fundraising as we talk about our older students,” he said.

Talya Weiss, a teacher at Fuchs Mizrachi School, has been impacted by the war. She is from Israel and her husband just recently left to fight in the Israel Defense Force.

“We are really overwhelmed by what is going on in Israel and we are worried and praying for everyone and for the safety of the world, not just for the Jewish nation,” she said.

Weiss is the mother of four kids and they have struggled with the situation. She said her son, who is in first grade, has mixed emotions about his dad fighting in Israel.

“He said, 'I’m happy cause my father, like Abba, defends Israel, defends our nation, is defending our nation and I’m sad because I’m worried.' And I said, 'yeah you’re right, I feel the same,'” she said.

Weiss’ two brothers and two brother-in-laws are also fighting in the IDF, and she said she feels a sense of pride that her family is fighting in the war. Weiss said her family is on their fourth year of living in the United States and that they plan to return to Israel next year.

“We wish, with God's help, everything will be okay and that peace and the shalom will be there,” she said. 

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