Two delegations of 11th grade students from Raanana's Ostrovsky and Aviv High  Schools have returned from a week long mission in Poland.  High schools organize a trip to Poland every year, as part of the city's long standing tradition.  The Aviv delegation was the school's sixth group to visit Poland.  Metrowest and Amit Renanim are scheduled to leave for their mission to Poland shortly.

For the first time, members of the Aviv delegation met with Helena Gosak, a ninety year old righteous Gentle, who hid a Jewish family of 5 in a pig pen on her land, thus saving their lives.  Helena hosted the delegation in her yard, and the students presented her with Aviv's emblem and a clock decorated with pictures of the Christian holy places.

As part of the mission, the teenagers visited many sites including: the Warsaw Jewish cemetery, the Yanosh Korchak House, the Lopohova forest, the cities of Tikochin, Lodz and the Auschwitz Birkenau and Maidanek Concentration Camps, where they organized moving ceremonies.

The Ostrovsky students met with high school students from Lublin.  The relationship with the Polish Youth began two years ago to foster a common bond between the two nations.  Ostrovsky students even hosted a group of students from Lublin in the past and have maintained warm ties with them.

Mayor Nahum Hofree:  "Raanana's education system encourages youth to take part in the trip to Poland, which is designed to foster the students' connection to the history of the Jewish people, through an experiential and powerful journey.  This mission is of the utmost educational value which will accompany the students throughout their adult lives."