by LeeLee Borzak ('10)

The first color war activity in the morning was Torah study. The teachers prepared inspirational shiurim on the concepts of Yirah and Ahava, the names of the teams. It was a great way to really learn about what each team stood for.

A crazy “Simon Says” competition got everyone up and active before they began sports. From conga lines to jumping jacks, the atmosphere was filled with laughter as each teammate carefully followed the instructions given by “Simon.” Both Ms. Sardano and Rabbi Houben were very imaginative as they gave unique directions as the role of “Simon.” After there was only one person standing, and one team was declared victorious, both teams boarded a bus to play sports.

Track and field, soccer, basketball, volleyball and football were only some of the activities at Loggers Run park. Everyone played at least one sport. Whenever you were not playing, you cheered. Though intense ruach could be felt at each game, there was still a friendly competitiveness throughout the sporting events. It was a great opportunity for both individuals and teams to show their athletic abilities and team spirit.

by Danielle Wolkowicz (’09)

One of the most anticipated events in all of color war is the “Amazing Race” – an activity that combines intellect, athletics, and chocolate pudding. With over twenty two different events, team members were assigned various tasks, such as hula hooping, pie throwing, shooting basketballs, and completing a surprisingly challenging Sesame Street puzzle.

The race was extremely close throughout, and the teams were kept in suspense until the very last moment.

Color War is an opportunity for students’ artistic and musical talents to shine. This year’s Color War banners were especially stunning, representing their respective team’s theme through Torah by using the prism of art. Teams combined their artistic abilities with their knowledge of verses or sayings in the Torah to create beautiful pieces of art that will hang proudly in our halls for years to come.

Battle of the Bands is an exciting segment of Color War that features bands formed just hours before performing. Through hard work and amazing talent, they were able to perform a complete song. These two live concerts were not only a thrilling part of the competition but added to the charged atmosphere of the day.

The team theme songs are a major part of Color War. Requiring team unity and creativity, the theme songs are sung by every member of each team, and feature original and poignant lyrics sung to popular songs. Ahava’s chorus “Realize, Hashem’s love is pure and true, ahavat Hashem elokeinu al tasir mimenu, he will never part from you” and Yirah’s refrain of “”Yirah’s everything you want, Yirah’s everything you need, Yirah’s everything inside of you that you need to succeed” resonated with the true meanings of each team’s name.

It was a beautiful moment watching each team singing their hearts out for their team.

The newest segment of Color War, the photo competitions, featured the photographic skills of students. They presented the best pictures of the day. Visually stunning, touching, and sometimes hilarious, these pictures summed up the entire day in a visual medium through an entertaining competition.

Coinciding with Color War was WYHS’ highly anticipated annual Chanukah Chagigah. After a delicious dinner and much dancing, the students gathered together as teams for the last time to watch the final Color War slideshow. Produced by Technical Director Claudia Cohen, these pictures chronicled the events of Color War, from the first moments of breakout to moments just before the Chagigah. All watching were able to relive the intense and packed events of Color War.

After much anticipation, the Color War winner was announced—Team Yirah! However, each student’s ruach and hard work made each and every one of them winners.