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From the desk of
Rabbi Perry
Tirschwell
What makes our annual School Shabbaton
arguably the most memorable highlight of
the school year? Why do so much time and resources
go into a "weekend in Orlando"?
WYHS might be a great school, but it's still
school. As one of our students commented to a
new friend this summer, "I'd rather go to school on
Sunday than stay home if there were no
tests".
Making Shabbat a day which is more than a
bunch of "don'ts" and a day to catch up on sleep is a
challenge we all face. Anyone who has participated
in a shabbaton or a Jewish camp knows the
incomparable power of singing and dancing
with hundreds of peers.
The laughter at hilarious programs and rides creates
a special bond between students and staff.
This bond helps the lessons that the students
learn throughout the year to penetrate their hearts
because they know that the teachers that delivered
them are their friends in addition to their
teachers.
I want to thank Rabbi Spodek and the Judaic
faculty for the late nights they have already
logged writing creative
programs about Respect- the focus of this
shabbaton.
Students who have not yet signed up must do so
immediately-it's only two weeks away!
I look forward to seeing the parents this Tuesday
evening when both the second round of Parent
Teacher Conferences and The College
Finance Seminar will take place. We enjoyed the
first conferences this past Monday night.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Perry Tirschwell
Principal
| WYHS Gets Out the Vote |
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The halls of WYHS were buzzing this week with talk
of Tuesday's presidential election. On Monday
afternoon, after a regular morning of classes and a
schoolwide lunch period, students took part in an
Election Debate, presented and run by the
eleventh grade AP U.S. History class.
The two presidential candidates were each
represented by four students, who presented the
key campaign issues from the perspective of
their candidate. Students in the audience asked
questions to which the "candidates" had to respond.
In addition to presenting the opposing viewpoints,
students from each side of the political spectrum
distributed buttons and stickers and other
campaign paraphernalia.The debate
raised many important issues in the minds of the
students at WYHS, and much of the talk both in
and out of class on Tuesday was election related.
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Boys Soccer Team Wins Playoff!
Basketball and Girls Soccer Teams Form |
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The boys varsity soccer team ended their season
on a high note, victorious over the David Posnack
Hebrew Day School 2-1 last Saturday night in
their
last regular game of the season!The soccer
team went on to play in the districts
on Monday, and beat their opponents 3-2 in
double overtime, with sophomore Jason
Mann scoring the winning goal! The win on Monday
allowed them to advance to the second round of
playoffs on Tuesday, where they were ultimately
eliminated.Congratulations to the boys
soccer team on a fantastic winning season
and on reaching the second round of playoffs!
The girls varsity soccer team has been hard
at
work preparing for their season to begin.
Congratulations to all the girls who made the team
and good luck in the first game of the year on
Tuesday, November 9 against Lake Worth Christian.
In anticipation of the start of the basketball
season,
tryouts for all three Storm basketball teams were
held this week on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.
Congratulations to all those who made it through the
rigorous tryouts and especially to those who made
the teams!
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| A Week You Don't Want to Miss! |
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This Sunday,
November 7 at 7:00 p.m., bestselling author
Naomi Ragen will be speaking at the South Palm
Beach County Federation, in Zinman Hall, to benefit
WYHS. Tickets are $25 and $45, and sponsorships
are available. All sponsors will be invited to a private
dessert reception after the lecture. Please click
here
to order tickets, or you can purchase your tickets at
the Zinman Hall box office from 3:30 p.m. on Sunday
right up until the event begins.
This Saturday night, November 6, will be the
Sophomore Night Out for all tenth graders.
Students will meet for dinner at 7:30 p.m. at Sara's
Restaurant in Hollywood. From there, the boys will
play laser tag while the girls go ice skating.
There will be buses between Boca and Hollywood
only, leaving Boca at 7:00 p.m. and returning at
approximately 11:00 p.m.The time has come
for school pictures! Ninth, tenth, and
eleventh
graders will have their pictures taken on Monday,
November 8, and seniors will take their pictures on
Wednesday, November 10. Order forms for portrait
packages are available at school. These forms must
be returned with payment on the day the pictures
are taken. There will be a retake day for any
student in grades 9-11 who cannot attend school on
Monday, November 8.Parent Teacher
Conferences will continue on
Tuesday, November 9 (L-Z). That day
will follow a regular Tuesday
schedule. Also on Tuesday evening, all WYHS
parents are invited to attend
a College Financial Aid meeting at 8:00 p.m.
in the BRS ballroom.
The seminary and yeshiva visits keep on
coming! This week, visits will be made by Lev
HaTorah (boys) and Machon Gold, Tiferet, and
Michlelet Esther (girls). Please check the updated
schedule by clicking on the Quick Link above.
The WYHS Open House for prospective parents
and
students in all grades will be held on Sunday,
November 14 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the
school. This is your chance to meet and hear from
members of the administration and faculty,
experience model classes, and get a taste of life at
WYHS. For more information, please
click
here to
contact the admissions office.
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| Coming Attractions |
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The WYHS School
Shabbaton will take place in Orlando, from
Friday, November 19 through Sunday, November 21.
Students will leave from school on Friday at noon and
will return late Sunday night after a full day at the
Islands of Adventure theme park!
Applications are due immediately, so make
sure to return your completed application to the
WYHS office ASAP!
School will begin late at 12:00 p.m. on
Monday, November 22, the morning after the
Shabbaton.
The second lecture in the three part parenting
series
will be held on Tuesday, November 23 at 8:00 p.m.
at
the Young Israel of Hollywood. Adolescence expert
Dr. Rona Novick will
speak about how to help teenagers deal with
competition, exclusion, and relationships. All parents
are encouraged to attend this seminar. Attendance
at one of the three parenting lectures is mandatory
for all WYHS parents.Erev Thanksgiving,
Wednesday, November 24, will follow a Friday
schedule with an early dismissal and Wednesday
bell times.
The Junior Night Out has been moved to
Wednesday, November 24,
beginning
immediately after school. Students will
enjoy an afternoon of laser tag, followed by a
barbecue dinner for the entire grade at the home of
Daniel Poliak in Hollywood. The program will be over
by 8:00 p.m. Students are responsible for their own
transportation to and from the event.
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Israel Is Always On Our Minds |
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On Tuesday mornings, the entire student
body prays together in order to to focus as a
school
on the situation in Israel.It can't be a
coincidence that there are 150 chapters in the Book
of Psalms (Tehillim) and 151 students at
WYHS! Each student is assigned a particular
chapter of Tehillim as we recite
the entire book of Psalms as a prayer for a
peaceful week in Israel.Prior
to this inspiring completion of Tehillim, one of
the
seniors gives an Israel
Update- a brief description of Israeli current
events
with a focus on how and why these events are
relevant to an American Jewish
teenager.This
week's Israel Update, delivered by senior Ilana
Borzak, was very powerful. Ilana's eloquent words
made the news meaningful
to her peers, demonstrating why the Israel updates
are such an important part of the WYHS week. We
have shared Ilana's below.
Is 16 Years Old the Problem?
by
Ilana Borzak,
senior
I could focus on the election
and its repercussions for Israel, but I want to speak
about a bombing that happened this week.
A 16 year old suicide bomber killed 3 people
in a crowded market in Tel Aviv: Tatiana
Ackerman, 32, from Tel Aviv,
Shmuel Levy, 65, from Jaffa, and Leah Levine, 64,
from Givatayim. More than 30 were injured,
including four in serious condition. The Popular Front
for the Liberation of Palestine, a secular Arab terror
gang (not an Islamic group), claimed
responsibility.
When the
16 year old al-Far's parents were asked about the
attack, his mother replied by saying that Arab
terrorist leaders "should have sent an adult who
understands the meaning of his deeds" because
"it's
immoral to send someone so young."
His mother didn't say that it's
immoral to murder innocent lives, but that it's immoral
to choose someone so young to do it.
Unfortunately, this mother was not thinking about
the other tens of lives her son altered
forever.
I chose to report on this piece of Israeli news
because of the relevance to our lives as highschool
students. Can you imagine if your friend went to a
market one day and got blown up by someone his
own age? How about on the flip side: Can you
imagine if a different friend went into a busy market
place as a suicide bomber and killed 3 people? How
would you react if this friend's mother didn't condemn
your friend's fatal actions, rather just said that they
should've just chosen someone more aware. Think
about it. This kid, Amar al-Far, is our age!
It's the
sad reality of what our brothers and sisters in Israel
are going through and is just one reason why the
people there should be on our minds and in our
hearts.
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GOOD and WELFARE
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| Refuah Shleima to board member Bernie Oppenheim
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