Foreign workers' kids celebrate Purim in TA

Bialik-Rogozin school holds special Purim parade attended by Hapoel Tel Aviv basketball players, Mayor Ron Huldai

Boaz Fyler |Published: 03.18.11 , 13:15

Students at the Bialik-Rogozin school, which was featured in the Oscar-winning documentary "Strangers No More," had a rare opportunity to forget about the threat of deportation they face and lose themselves in Purim celebrations on Friday.

Accompanied by their teachers, the students marched along Tel Aviv's Herzl street waving signs and blowing whistles as part of the school's Purim parade. The most popular costumes were those of police officers, pirates and angels.

Esther Ikafa, 12, the school's unofficial spokesperson, said she was no longer excited about the Oscar win but simply happy to celebrate Purim like any other child. "Purim has finally arrived and we can dress up," she said.

Bialik-Rogozin students dress up for Purim parade (Photo: Yaron Brener)

Samet, an 11th grade student, dressed up together with her entire class as a chambermaid. She explained the students share a special relationship with their teacher, who dressed up together with the class. "The teachers are part of us," she said. "They're like our parents. We're all one big family, and unlike other schools we're together every day until 5 pm."

Melissa, a 12th grader originally from Bolivia, added: "We love coming to school. When I first came to Israel I went to a different school and felt like I didn't belong. But here, you get to know a lot of kids from different cultures and what binds us all together is the fact we're Israelis.

"Obviously, there are frictions here and there but I'm learning a lot about other cultures and this makes us better human beings."

Among the guests at the carnival were Hapoel Tel Aviv basketball players Adrian Uter and Matan Naor.

"I hope people are noticing what's going on here, I think if people in the government saw this wonderful parade it would open their hearts," Naor said. "I hope they make the right decisions."

Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai also joined in the celebrations. "It's a lovely day and a lovely parade," he said.

"This school has been getting a lot of attention lately and not always for the right reasons. But today, we all celebrate together in what is an Israeli and Tel Avivan tradition."