Reflections on high school graduation from the COVID Class of 2021

An unforgettable year—for all the wrong reasons.
King David High School's graduating class of 2021. (Jocelyne Halle Photography)

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:

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.

Author

Support Our Mission: Make a Difference!

The Canadian Jewish News is now a Registered Journalism Organization (RJO) as defined by the Canada Revenue Agency. To help support the valuable work we’re doing, we’re asking for individual monthly donations of at least $10. In exchange, you’ll receive tax receipts, a thank-you gift of our quarterly magazine delivered to your door, and our gratitude for helping continue our mission. If you have any questions about the donating process, please write to [email protected].

Support the Media that Speaks to You

Jewish Canadians deserve more than social media rumours, adversarial action alerts, and reporting with biases that are often undisclosed. The Canadian Jewish News proudly offers independent national coverage on issues that impact our audience each day, as a conduit for conversations that bridge generations. 

It’s an outlet you can count on—but we’re also counting on you.

Please support Jewish journalism that’s creative, innovative, and dedicated to breaking new ground to serve your community, while building on media traditions of the past 65 years. As a Registered Journalism Organization, contributions of any size are eligible for a charitable tax receipt.