On May 12, thousands of students connected online and in their classrooms to mark World ORT Day, the annual celebration of World ORT’s global education network. The theme of this year’s event was ‘connection.’ In advance of the day itself, students exchanged postcard messages, providing a flavor of life in different parts of the world. Schools across the network were paired so that youngsters in Ukraine and Israel, Panama and Italy, Brazil and Russia, and more could connect and share a feeling of togetherness. Youngsters in countries including Argentina, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Israel, and France joined a quiz, digital postcard exchange, and special lessons as part of world ORT Day 2021.
Dan Green, World ORT Director-General, and CEO said: “Many of the students joined the sessions remotely from home due to severe COVID restrictions in their countries. Our Israeli students took part amid the ongoing rocket attacks. “With so much uncertainly around the world, it was vital that we continued with the yearly festival of activities to ensure our students had an opportunity to interact with their peers in dozens of countries.
“One of the greatest strengths of our network is our togetherness, cooperation, and connectivity. We have felt that shine through during the pandemic, and World ORT Day was a fantastic way to celebrate those values together. I hope next year we will be able to celebrate with our dedicated teachers, students, and friends in person.”
Daria Kurlaeva, an 8th grade student at the Moscow ORT Technology School, said: “It was so interesting to prepare for the quiz – I learned many new and interesting things. The game was cool, very interesting, and exciting. What was most unbelievable was to see students from all over the world on our screen. I’m really grateful to every person who gave my friends and me the opportunity to participate.”
Students also produced Instagram Reels, short films on the social media platform, showing the value of connection in their local communities in order to convey a spirit of Tikkun Olam, one of World ORT’s key values.
World ORT supporters worldwide, including in the United States, Canada, and Britain, also joined a series of talks from regional leaders who described their connection to ORT and the impact the organization has had in their lives.
Sessions took place in Russian, Spanish, and English, with hundreds of people joining to hear from Mikhail Libkin, Director of ORT Russia and a graduate of an ORT school in Moscow. He spoke about his life growing up in the 1990s in the former Soviet Union. Amelie Esquenazi, World ORT coordinator in Latin America, described her family’s escape from Eastern Europe during the Holocaust and her upbringing in Mexico.
Following the events, Conrad Giles, World ORT President, said: “I’m filled with such pride. We take great pride in our ability to provide education, and seeing these activities today further energizes us.”