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From:   Rabbi Perry Tirschwell <rpt@wyhs.net>
Subject:   Yeshiva High-lites 11.11.05
Reply:   rpt@wyhs.net


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Yeshiva High-lites 11.11.05
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The Weekly Newsletter of Weinbaum Yeshiva High School
Friday, November 11, 2005 / Erev Shabbat Parshat Lech Lecha 5766
Shabbat begins in Boca Raton at 5:14 p.m.

From the desk of
Rabbi Perry Tirschwell

After years of Jewish day school education, why is it so important to spend a year in Israel studying Torah before a WYHS graduate starts university? Why is this trend nearly universal? I believe that there are a number of reasons.

  • 1. First time living away from home- when students leave the watchful eye of their parents and enter college, attendance in class is most likely optional, their schedules are much more flexible, and fellow students are experimenting (often dangerously) with their new found freedom. The first time high school grads are on their own should be in an environment that, while not treating them as children, inspires the young persons to maximize their time and make moral decisions.
  • 2. True Love of Israel- For the younger generation, Israel is seen through the eyes of CNN- a “imperialist colonial power”- not the post holocaust miracle that has enabled Jews worldwide to walk proud. Even those of our children who have had the opportunity to visit Israel multiple times, have only experienced Israel as tourists. Words can not fully describe the feeling of being part of a Jewish nation (not just religion) that one who experiences on Yom Hazikaron, Yom Yerushalayim, or the funeral of a young soldier feels.
  • 3. Personal religious commitment- Every child, even one who grows up in a rabbinic home, will make his or her own choice as to how observant to be. Being in a yeshiva or seminary in Israel, removed from the influences of American mass media culture, and provided with the inspirational experiences that only Israel can provide, enables a child to make an educated decision.
  • Alumni, parents, friends and seniors who will be 18 by June 30, 2006 can vote in the 35th Zionist World Congress elections. Click here to stand up and be counted as a religious Zionist, to help Israeli Torah institutions receive the funding they so desperately need.

    Thank you to the Hillel Day School of Boca Raton, which has opened its sports facilities to us while our regular facilities are recovering from the hurricane.

    Thank you for the positive feedback regarding our on-line Parent Teacher Conference scheduling system. Conferences this past Monday night went extremely smoothly, and the conferences this coming Tuesday will no doubt go as well.

    Refuah shleima to Mrs. Ravit Shalit.

    Shabbat Shalom

    Rabbi Perry Tirschwell

    Principal

    Israel Here We Come!
    Seniors Receive Expert Guidance

    by Rabbi Benjy Horowitz
    Director of Israel Guidance

    The season for Israel yeshiva and seminary visits is here! Throughout the course of the next few months, representatives from the various post-high school programs in Israel will visit WYHS to inform our seniors about their options for next year. These visits also give the students an opportunity to ask questions about everything ranging from tiyulim and class schedules to dorm life and cafeteria food.

    The Israel guidance department at WYHS is here to help the students process all this information and narrow down their choices to the few yeshivot or seminaries most appropriate for them. Mrs. Kanner and I meet with each girl and boy, respectively, to advise them on their options. They are also available to meet with any parents who would like more information on the year in Israel programs.

    New programs in Israel are sprouting every year, so both Mrs. Kanner and I travel to Israel annually to see these new schools in action, as well as to visit the old favorites, to stay as current as possible.

    While it’s difficult to make a decision about where to study 6000 miles away, there is a right place for everyone, and it’s our mission to help each student find his or her place.

    click on the logo below to read

    My Year in the
    Holy Land

    by Amanda Ruben ('05)

    This year, I have the tremendous opportunity to study in Israel. I realize that every move I make is infused with spirituality and inspiration. School outings aren’t just fun activities, but experiences that bring the Torah to life. One chesed trip involved picking squash for the mitzvah of pe'ah, reserving a portion of one's field for the needy, which is not a mitzvah most of us have the opportunity to perform. This Elul was the most powerful pre- chagim experience I've ever had and it thoroughly prepared me for the yamim noraim.

    This Yom Kippur was very special to me. During all of tefillah, one could feel the kavana in the room which was heightened by the intensity of all around me. What struck me most was the singing of “leshana haba'ah b'Yerushalayim” at the end of the day. I remembered singing the words last year and really believing them because I knew I would be studying in Israel. However, the reality is now that I’m here in seminary, I've never felt further away from the real Yerushalayim. The key word people tend to forget is “hab'nuya-- next year in Jerusalem REBUILT.”

    I am a mere forty-five minutes from the site of the past and future Temple, but the fact that we are in exile (galut), has never been more apparent to me. One lesson that was continually repeated throughout high school was that this galut is the hardest one the Jews have had to endure, since it is one of a spiritual nature. I have never been able to fully understand this lesson until now.

    Of course, I owe a lot of my ability to truly appreciate my experiences thus far to the high school. In addition to preparing me for my classes, WYHS has solidified my awe of and connection to Israel with the lessons I was taught in my four years by my amazing teachers and Rabbis. Every landmark, every body of water, every city, even every street name is reminiscent of my high school classes, whether from Chumash, Navi, or Jewish History. Everything I was taught has been coming alive with every step I take. I am extremely grateful to the high school for everything the faculty, staff, and students have given me and continue to give me.

    I look forward to the next eight months with great optimism, excitement, and gratitude. May this be a year of continued life lessons and growth for all of us.

    WYHS Prepares and Reviews the PSAT

    by Mr. Adam Dobrick
    Director of College Preparatory Studies

    Last week, Weinbaum Yeshiva High School administered the PSAT to over 130 of our Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior students. PSAT / NMSQT stands for Preliminary SAT / National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. It is a standardized test that provides first hand practice for the SAT. It also gives students a chance to compete for prestigious scholarship programs sponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). The PSAT / NMSQT measures critical reading skills, math problem-solving skills, and writing skills.

    By taking the PSAT, our students have the opportunity to receive feedback about their strengths and weaknesses on skills necessary for college study. They can use this information to help focus their preparation on areas that could benefit from additional practice. Their scores will show them how their performance on an admissions test might compare with that of others applying to college, while they become familiar with the kinds of questions they will later see on the SAT. Students who take the PSAT will also receive information from colleges through the College Board’s Student Search Service.

    The day before the exam, Director of College Guidance Dr. Steve Cohen gave each grade a PSAT prep class, explaining how to pace themselves, when to skip a question, and tips on taking multiple choice exams.

    About six weeks after the test, students will receive their results from this exam. Teachers will examine and review the tests with the students, since the school is actually allowed to retain the tests themselves. Our teachers will therefore be able to fully maximize this learning opportunity for our students. Test taking strategies and sample test items are used throughout the college preparatory curriculum at WYHS, ensuring that students are thoroughly prepared for the many standardized tests that highly competitive colleges require.

    Girls Storm win Championship

    CLICK HERE FOR A GREAT SLIDESHOW

    by Tamar Koenigsberg ('08)

    On Wednesday and Thursday, the varsity girls basketball team participated in a tournament hosted by RASG Hebrew Academy of Miami. Although Posnack forfeited Wednesday’s game which brought the Storm into the championships by default, Thursday night’s game was proof that we truly deserved our first place trophy! The entire team displayed tremendous teamwork and defeated the Hebrew Academy Warriors with a final score of 44- 36.

    At times the scores were neck and neck, but with dozens of fast breaks and steals, the Storm pulled ahead. Although everyone played well, juniors Alyssa Muckley and Leah Bensimon “stepped up” and were the top scorers of the game—Leah Bensimon scored 18, and Alyssa Muckley made a whopping 22 points, her own personal record.

    Despite an injury in the third quarter, Ilana Singer (’06) shone with her amazing steals and Sahar Zaghi (’06) led the team with her dribbling and passing. Additionally, Naomi Kastzl (’08), Jordana Kaminetsky (’07) and Yocheved Fox (’06) played amazing defense and shut down the Warriors offense.

    This victory was an awesome start to the girls basketball season and is hopefully a sign of even better things to come. Come support the Storm!

    It's Coming!
    WYHS Retreat this Wednesday!
    Open House 5766
    See the
    Womens Varsity
    Yeshiva Storm Play

    at the American Airlines Arena
    PLUS a Miami Heat Game
    Happy Birthday!


    email: rpt@wyhs.net
    phone: 561.417.7422

    Yeshiva High-lites Staff
    Shira Borzak (’07) Copy Editor
    Mrs. Claudia CohenDirector of Technology
    Jordana Kaminetsky (’07) Senior Editor
    Chava Rubin (’07) Chief of Correspondents
    Rabbi Josh SpodekEditor in Chief

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    Weinbaum Yeshiva High School | 7902 Montoya Circle | Boca Raton | FL | 33433