It was the 70’s – what more is there to say? Cell phones, Instagram and Facebook were not even a figment of our imagination. Twelve years, five different principals, eight Stanley Cups, the Cold War, fears of nuclear disaster, Rene Lévesque, a trilingual curriculum, the Bee Gees, ABBA and Stevie Wonder – to name just a few – were all experienced and engaged within the walls of our beloved Hebrew Academy of Montreal. My earliest memory is of Mrs. Rosenzweig, our wonderful Kindergarten teacher. I graduated 12 years later in 1980 with pretty much the same bunch of classmates I had in preschool. To this day the relationships I forged then remain an important part of my life. Looking back, I mostly remember the laughs and the people I laughed with. The class of 1980 was a rambunctious group especially during our adolescent years (7th-11th grade). In those days we identified more with the Sweathogs than the Brady Bunch and we believed we were invincible. Our foolishness was outdone by the heroic commitment of those who assumed the responsibility to afford us a sense of direction in life. It was the teachers and rabbis who never gave up on us that make those years memorable. Who can forget Mrs. Rappaport, Mrs. Laufer, Marcy Fewkes, Cooki Levy, Mrs. Bogante, Mrs. Hauer, the Har- Shefers or Madame Gauthier? They taught us to love learning and to dream big. They exemplified honesty and taught us that respect is earned. Their example inspired in us a sense of responsibility to ourselves, our family, our community and Remembering 50 Years of Hebrew Academy: with the Heart by Rabbi Yamin Levy, ‘80 Oops - someone was in trouble! 12