The graduating class of TanenbaumCHAT, a Jewish high school in Toronto, comprises 196 students who haven’t actually set foot in their school building for most of the school year. Contrast their experience with those of Grade 12 students at Vancouver’s King David High School: there, 58 British Columbians have been attending in-person classes all year, albeit with masks on.

The COVID pandemic has upended high school students’ final years, no matter what part of the country you look at. Yet their experiences have still varied wildly. From grad ceremonies to prom, yearbooks to final exams, grad students in 2021 had an unforgettable year—for all the wrong reasons.

On today’s episode, we invite groups of students from both schools to reflect on the tumultuous year that was, compare lockdown life between Ontario and B.C., and predict how the pandemic will change their futures.

What we talked about:

• Visit TanenbaumCHAT’s website at tanenbaumchat.org
• Visit King David High School’s website at kdhs.org
• Learn about Holocaust Survivor Day at holocaustsurvivorday.com
• Read: “Marc Garneau to visit Israel, West Bank to further peace” (thecjn.ca)

The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.