During the season of שבועות, a very famous comment of רש"י comes to mind. On the פסוק in שמות which reads "וַיִּחַן-שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶגֶד הָהָר," Rashi deals with a grammatical incongruity. Every other verb in that פסוק is phrased in the plural, but this phrase uses the singular וַיִּחַן. Why does the תורה refer to the camping of the entire Jewish people in the singular form? רש"י writes, based on the words of חז"ל in the מכילתא, that at this time the Jewish people were כאיש אחד בלב אחד, they were unified as if they were one person. The concept of בני ישראל being "one person" has some very interesting and somewhat conflicting implications.
First, recognizing that we are, in a sense, merely different pieces of the same individual person changes the way that we treat and interact with other Jews. The תלמוד ירושלמי explains the prohibition against revenge as follows:
היך עבידא הוה מקטע קופד ומחת סכינא לידוי תחזור ותמחי לידיה
This משל compares revenge to a person who is cutting food. What if you were to accidentally cut your other hand? Would it make sense for your hand to grab the knife and stab the other hand back in retaliation? Of course that is ludicrous! If both hands are part of the same body, then it doesn't make sense to seek revenge. Recognizing that we are איש אחד changes the dynamics of our interactions with others.
On the other hand, being איש אחד has an interesting corollary that seems to be almost the opposite. While each part of the human body is connected, it is also unique and serves its own purpose. Each member of the Jewish people is connected to every other Jew, and yet is special, serving a purpose that no other person serves. The Vilna Gaon, in his commentary on ספר משלי, writes:
יש בישראל...ראשי העדה, ועיני העדה, ופה העדה, וגוף העדה, ולב העדה, ורגלי העדה...
Some people serve as the head of the Jewish people, some as the mouth, some as the heart, etc. Each person contributes to the Jewish people, and the world as a whole, based on his or her individual traits and strengths. It is in truly being איש אחד that we both connect to those around us and find our own individual voice within כלל ישראל.
This duality is such an important part of the worldview of WYHS. What is true of the Jewish people at large is true of the school in particular. WYHS has always sought to foster each student's individual abilities, but also to maintain a deep connection between us, with each of us as part of a greater unit. No matter where we find ourselves, WYHS will always appreciate our individuality while continuing to view us as a part of the school family.