OCSA celebrates Jewish Heritage Month
Imagine closing off a city street while thirty or forty students from a Santa Ana school dance the hora in the middle of the day. At the same time much of the student body is enjoying falafel, shawarma, and hummus.
For the second year in a row, the Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) celebrated Jewish Heritage Month, thanks to the efforts of the school’s Jewish Student Union. The group, which was formed in 2018, holds meetings twice a month. There are parties and holiday celebrations, as well as educational programs. Holocaust survivors visiting the campus have drawn huge attendance, according to organizers. This year’s Jewish Heritage Month activities included the celebration on May 1 and a Holocaust survivor on May 3.
Jewish Student Union officers say they enjoy seeing people from different cultures having fun and learning about Jewish history and culture. While the group does not dabble in politics, attendance has fallen off since October 7. The school has a sizeable Jewish population, but other students attend Jewish Student Union events.
Founded in 1987, OCSA prepares students for higher education and a profession in the arts. It serves a diverse student body of approximately 2,300 students in grades 7 to 12 from more than 100 cities throughout California. Accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), OCSA, a charter school, offers pre-professional arts training in a variety of conservatories and an academic curriculum.
