PORTLAND, Maine — As the world watches the devastation unfold in Israel, one community in Portland is holding Israel close to their hearts.
School leaders at Levey Day School, the only Jewish day school north of Boston, said it has been a trying week as they try to process the war in Israel with their young students.
"They have questions about their own safety. They have questions about whether or not one day they will be able to visit Israel," Cantor Melissa Adleman said.
Head of School Jeffrey Tremblay said faculty are working to keep young students from exposure to anything that might be overwhelming.
"We wanted to keep just the baseline of facts very clear. Keep our answers short and at the minimum and give parents the tools and the resources to be able to talk to their children at home," Tremblay said.
The school's focus is to give students a nurturing space to discuss the events unfolding.
"I feel now, 48 hours later, that we definitely have a lot of healing and strength and really excellent conversations happening throughout the grades and also from older kids to younger kids and vice versa," Adleman said. "It's really made the difference."
Tremblay said faculty discussed how they would approach discussions with students before classes resumed Tuesday after the holiday weekend.
Police have increased patrols in the neighborhood throughout the day, Tremblay said, amid an increase in antisemitic incidents around the world.
"We are answering this evil with a lot of good," Adleman said.
"Good" you can even see on school pavement. Tremblay stumbled upon a chalk drawing students created during recess on Tuesday. He said it depicts just how students are shining their light in this dark time, playing "an integral part in repairing the world."
"After the rain and after the darkness, the sun shines again and produces a rainbow," Tremblay said. "I think that's been the story of this week."