The values and beliefs instilled in children during their early years tend to stick with them, often time influencing their perspectives and decisions later in life. A popular saying in the proverbs states that if you teach a child the right thing to do, those lessons will stick with them as they grow. In the case of pioneering marine conservation in early education curriculum, it is of utmost importance to ensure that the core values of our joint efforts of marine conservation are incorporated into the early years of learning.
No child could be any happier than the students of Brachot Yeshiva on Wednesday, 18th March 2026, as the Brachot Yeshiva Primary and Secondary School officially renamed their computer lab after Rabbi Ed Rosenthal, the founder of Tikkun Hayam (Repair the Sea). Their joy could be felt, and their smiles were infectious as they chanted, “Welcome to Rabbi Ed Rosenthal Computer Lab, Shalom,” shortly after the official naming ceremony. The school, with over a hundred students, happens to be the only Jewish-owned school in the oil-rich state, located a few kilometers from Beth Ha’arachman Hebrew Community.
The naming of the computer lab, in relation to a man whose mission is fixated on the environmental stewardship of repairing the sea and water bodies, is what caught my interest. Since 2024, when Reverse Tashlich debuted in West Africa, I have followed subsequent cleanups and monitored its spread as more teams around the world embraced the concepts, which these young Brachot Yeshiva students have been part of from the onset. In 2025, the Bedikat Hamayim pre-Pesach global cleanup was introduced, which also saw a team from the school in action alongside members of Beth Ha’arachman.
However, this year, the school registered for the Bedikat HaMayim as an independent cleanup team due to increased interest in marine conservation principles, following two active years of taking part in the global cleanup exercise. Previously, only a handful of students participated alongside adults from the Jewish community, while the majority of students only heard stories about the periodic cleanup outings that took place along the Atlantic Ocean at the popular Ibeno Beach in Southern Nigeria. This year, a large group of students stormed the beachfront—a trip that lasted more than 90 minutes, setting off from the school for a coastal excursion, a lecture, and the cleanup exercise.
The events begun about three days ago with the naming of the computer lab after Rabbi Ed. The act was done in good faith so that the children would feel connected to the global community of environmental stewards that are working to make the ocean and the water bodies less polluted by debris, especially plastics. The computer lab, with just three sets of desktop computers serving over a hundred students, only facilitated lessons such as basic computer education, like typing and other simple computer application design programs. By upgrading the lab and making it internet-connected, students can see and observe the global spread of the marine conservation activities that they are embarking upon in their local surroundings. In addition to sourcing more information about marine conservation, they would be connected to this shared mission with the rest of the teams that are part of Repairing the World.
Joining the rest of the world to mark the second annual edition of Bedikat Hamayim, the students received a lecture given by Emmanuel Yerimyahu, leader of the Beth Ha’arachman community. Upon arriving at the beachfront, numbering over 60 students, the majority of them were astonished for the first time ever to see the mighty waters of the Atlantic stretching endlessly into the horizon, as far as the eyes could see. After taking a group photo in front of the ocean, there was a moment of playing and laughter as they dipped their feet into the shallow waves sweeping along the coastline. Thereafter, they were seated under a canopy and received lectures about the ocean and the dangers of plastics if allowed to enter the water. The lessons focused on the negative outcomes of things that plastics can do to aquatic life, as well as to humans in the long run, and why removing and preventing plastic waste from entering the water bodies saves and makes the world a better place.
Then, when it was time for action, a team of 12 students, including two adult supervisors, went into action, picking up plastic bottles that littered the sand in front of the ocean. The team were dressed in reflectors, wore helmets to protect themselves from the sun, and used nose masks while gathering about 500 bottles by the end of the day. The team transported the collected plastics and the empty soda bottles they had used as refreshments during the lectures back to the temporary plastic dump site in the Shehechayanu yard of the Beth Ha’arachman community.
Reactions from Benjamin Ben Avraham, one of the teachers in Brachot Yeshiva, captured the excitement in the students at the end of the day. He emphasized that the day, coinciding with World Water Day on March 22nd, drove home the message and heightened the significance of water safety, urging humans to actively participate in increasing marine conservation activities. Furthermore, concerning the Wi-Fi 4G device donation by the Avraham Ben Avraham Foundation during the naming of the Brachot Yeshiva computer lab, Benjamin made some additional appeal.
“Avraham has been a long-time member of the community and a strong supporter of the school, and we are grateful for the upgrade of the computer lab to being internet-connected. However, we appeal for some additional computer systems to cater to more students, as well as a work upgrade in the existing ones to make them browsing-compatible, as what we have now lacks that feature. Assistance will also be needed in the area of browsing data and petrol to run the lab, which is currently powered by a petrol generator, as there is no electricity connection in the school.”‘
In conclusion, this series of events not only honored the legacy of Rabbi Ed Rosenthal but also ignited a spark in the students, connecting them to a global movement of ocean stewardship. From the dedication of the computer lab to the hands-on cleanup at Ibeno Beach, these young minds have experienced firsthand the power of action and the importance of protecting our environment. With continued support and dedication, they are not just learning—they are leading the way toward a cleaner, more sustainable future.