Reflections on Graduation

By Racheli Yaso, Director of Outreach at Yemin Orde Youth Village

Every year, graduation is emotional. But this year, it feels different.

Racheli (left) with 2024 graduate and his mother

Our kids didn’t ask for war to be the soundtrack of their graduation year. And yet, they are standing strong, because this country is theirs. They are the future of our society, the future of Israel.

Our kids have lived through years of instability, through war, through personal and national challenges. I’ve been lucky to know many of the 12th graders since their very first days here. I’ve seen them arrive shy and closed off. And now, I see them standing tall, laughing, leading, and offering advice to younger students.

There is something that happens in the final year here. It’s more than just becoming a senior, but rather something shifts inside. I believe it is the result of the responsibility they begin to carry. They join leadership programs, take part in Village-wide decisions, and begin to understand that this community is theirs to shape. As staff and educators we see this and try to give them as many opportunities and encouragement as we can to help them take their next step. 

I also must share how proud I am of the staff here at the Village, as this was a very difficult year for many of them. They endured personal challenges, partners called to military reserve duty, one lost a son, and another suffered a serious injury. Yet through everything, they still showed up for these kids every day. They leaned on one another in hard times and stepped up when needed. It was truly moving to witness and to be part of.

So, when we gather on June 19 for graduation, we will be celebrating more than the end of high school. We will be celebrating the strength it took for everyone to get here. Our kids didn’t ask for this war or the challenges in their lives. But they’re still standing.

I wish every leader in Israel could see them. Really see them. These are the young people who will lead us to a better future.

With pride,

Racheli