SDJA celebrates Grandparents Day

San Diego Jewish Academy welcomed more than 200 grandparents, relatives and special friends, some of whom traveled from as far away as Mexico to attend the ninth annual Grandparents and Special Friends Day on Oct. 9.

Visitors had the opportunity to visit classrooms, enjoy student musical performances and get a taste of student life at SDJA.

The morning included an address by keynote speaker Shahar Azani, consul for culture, media and public diplomacy at the Israel Consulate in Los Angeles. Azani spoke about the correlation between Jewish Day School education and affinity for and identification with Israel.

He recognized the need for a Jewish educational institution and encouraged grandparents to continue to impart their legacy, traditions and Jewish heritage unto future generations.

SDJA guests gathered in the sukkah, the interim dwelling of Jewish ancestors during the harvest, with its roof open to the elements and trimmed with children’s art. The festival of Sukkot — Tabernacles, commemorating the 40-year period when the children of Israel wandered in the desert and lived in temporary shelters — is a time when guests gather in the sukkah as a symbol of inviting ancestors to share one’s dwelling, so it was the perfect time for students of San Diego Jewish Academy to host grandparents and special friends.