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Amazing Shabbaton Slide Show (after the slides start, they change every 4 seconds
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What an unbelievable Shabbaton weekend this was! Everyone there - student or adult - had an amazing experience, was truly inspired, and had a tremendous amount of fun!

The theme of the Shabbaton was "It's Not Only About You," that is, selfishness vs. selflessness and how to be considerate of and respectful towards other people.

In the weeks preceding the Shabbaton, signs cropped up around the school that mentioned someone named "Yitz" - a mysterious person they were promised to meet over Shabbat in Orlando.

On Shabbat morning, students discovered that Yitz was the main character in a faculty skit, a boy who thought only of himself and was totally inconsiderate of those around him. The skit portrayed everyday situations common to teenagers, and forced students to think through their daily lives and wonder whether they, too, could do a better job thinking about others.

In keeping with the theme, teachers and students shared Divrei Torah (read one below) in addition to the learning sessions that took place on Shabbat afternoon. By the end of Shabbat, a new phrase could be heard buzzing throughout the room: "Don't be a Yitz!"

Everyone was inspired by the beautiful singing throughout the weekend, whether at the Friday night tisch, the post-tisch tisch, zemirot at the meals, or the incredible seudah shlishit at the end of Shabbat. No one failed to be moved by the sound of hundreds of voices singing songs together with all their hearts.

Of course, the Shabbaton was also a lot of fun! On Friday night, the students watched the latest game show Hollywood Squares WYHS Style. As always, it was hilarious to watch the teachers poke fun at each other and make fools of themselves as they answered WYHS-relevant trivia questions.

Saturday night's big bowling competition was also a big hit and was followed by pizza and ice cream back at the hotel. Finally, who wouldn't have a fantastic time riding the roller coasters at Islands of Adventure all day Sunday?

The Shabbaton was a huge success, with everyone returning home tired but happy on Sunday night, eager to develop film so that they could relive the weekend's greatest moments in school on Monday.

Of course, none of this could have happened without the tireless efforts and long hours put in by program director Rabbi Josh Spodek and assistant program director Rabbi Chaim Lanner, who created an amazing weekend that no one will ever forget!