High school sweethearts celebrate five decades together

Mark and Heidi Strohl's love story has stood the test of time. The couple, who met at Herzlia High School over 50 years ago, have been together since their teenage years.

"We knew each other from grade eight on. So it was kind of natural in grade ten that we got together," Mark reminisced.

Forty-four years of marriage and two kids later, their connection is undeniable.

"I had the most supportive husband. And I think when we got married at 23, it's very, very young. The fact that we grew together is because we supported each other in our lives," Heidi said proudly.

What's even more remarkable is that they're not the only married couple to come out of Herzlia's class of '74.

"There were 10 alumni couples. Four of us were actually within the same grade, and six were with other graduates of other years within Herzlia."

The couple recently celebrated its fiftieth high school reunion, and both were overcome with emotion.

Heidi explained, "It was an amazing feeling, everyone being in the same room together and looking at each other, by the way, not recognizing some people and recognizing how some people haven't changed a bit."

Lynn Moroz Gordon was part of the organizing committee and said the classmates didn't miss a beat.

"It was so special because, you know, again, it just elicits all these feelings that you had as a teen," she said. 

Mark agreed, saying, "Walking into the vestibule where everybody was coming in and getting their name tags. It reached the point where we couldn't get people to move into the main area because we were all talking and talking and talking and just reconnecting."

That nostalgia carried on throughout the evening, with the Herzlia graduates reflecting on what made their bond so special.

Gordon explained, "We knew each other's families. Our parents, each other's siblings. We shared the ups, the downs, everything because we were a small class."

A class of one hundred and thirteen students that are already planning its next reunion.

"I think everybody left saying, we have to do this again… We're very grateful to Herzlia for supporting us and wanting to do this reunion because it was important for us."

Even though a lot has changed over the years, Herzlia's high school sweetheart success rate continues.

"There's more and more couples that have met in Herzlia and are getting married," Heidi said.

They are proving that some bonds are unbreakable.