"It was truly a holy moment, and I felt privileged to witness it"

Photo: Avraham Elba

It’s a picture that tells a thousand words; all you need is some background information. Thankfully, the teacher of this Arie Crown Hebrew Day School class provided one. The parents of the three boys in the photo received the following note along with the picture:

Right before recess today, one of your son’s classmates abruptly left school because his grandfather became extremely ill. When the recess bell rang, my students retrieved their coats from their lockers and ran outside.

All my students — except for the three boys in this photo. Instead of grabbing their coats, they grabbed their siddurim and recited Tehillim for the duration of recess, stopping only to confer on which chapter to recite and what name they should use because they didn’t know their friend’s grandfather’s name.

Your sons were so sincere and focused. It was truly a holy moment, and I felt privileged to witness it.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 958)