“We were the first class in HA history that had the honour of being able to spend the first three months of our academic year in Yerushalayim on a program called Lehava." That first year was incredibly special. In June 1967, the Grade 7 (Grade 7 was considered elementary in those days) students graduated as the very first class of the Hebrew Academy Elementary School, less than two weeks after the Six Day War. The tension of war and the excitement over Israel’s victory permeated Hebrew Academy. There was no denying HA’s strong Religious Zionist identity which was celebrated at that very first graduation and has continued for over 50 years. “I remember how strongly Israel, Zionism and Ivrit B'Ivrit figured prominently at the Hebrew Academy,” remembered Cindy (Filler) Siev, ‘77. “I am eternally grateful. There are few American Jews who are fluent in Hebrew like I am. It's a gift. I might add that 40% of my graduating class made Aliyah. Success stories!” Among HA’s graduates who made Aliyah is Benji (Binyamin) Margo, ‘93. “I’m appreciative to Hebrew Academy for providing a wonderful foundation of Torat Eretz Yisrael, wonderful friends and a warm and safe environment in which to develop,” he said. “That foundation played a part in my move to Israel. Until recently I served in the IDF Homefront Command.” Aviva Engel, ‘95, remembers her Grade 10 trip to Israel in 1993 with particular fondness. “We were the first class in HA history that had the honour of being able to spend the first three months of our academic year in Yerushalayim on a program called Lehava. Our involvement as a class really solidified our connection to each other, to the land of Israel and to the people of Israel, and that’s something I’ll always cherish.” Medinat Yisrael, the schoolyard, and, of course, the excellent HA education turned Hebrew Academy into the chosen school for Montreal’s Modern Orthodox community, east and west alike. There was, however, another prominent feature of HA that alumni fondly recall: “That student lounge! With the Yellow Brick Road album cover painted on one wall,” recalled Kim Edelstein, ‘80. “Seriously - we had the Dirty Dancing down way before Dirty Dancing was a thing. Of course we were all girls. Santos the janitor was also a painter and one day we came in and the whole wall was painted Yellow Brick Road. It was fabulous. And we used to dance in there at lunch and recess and whenever. Disco dancing in the student lounge – recreating the moves from Saturday Night Fever with the girls from Class of ‘80. We were pretty good too! Channeling our inner John Travoltas!” Valerie Teroux, ‘78, also loved the Yellow Brick Road. “One of the coolest memories of HA was of our very hip janitor (whose name totally escapes me!) painting the album cover of Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" on one of the walls of our basement (read Dungeon!) student hangout in the Ducharme 8