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The Weekly Newsletter of
Weinbaum
Yeshiva High School
Parshat Terumah
Friday, February 8, 2008
Shabbat begins in Boca @ 5:50
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From the desk
of
Rabbi Perry
Tirschwell
How much leeway should a parent give a
teenager religiously? Should parents
attempt to
inspire their children to be exactly like
them? This
question is particularly pressing for parents
who did
not grow up in observant households- should
they let
their children find their own way to Torah
just like they
did?
Parents should concentrate on painting
yellow, not
white, lines on the highway. I believe it
is our
responsibility to share our worldview with our
children.
However, a parent has to distinguish
between what he/she prefers and what he/she
expects. For example, marrying
someone committed to creating a Jewish home is a
yellow line, but a
prospective spouse's background (Ashkenazic/
Sephardic/ Falashan, BT/FFB, rich/poor,
intact family/
divorced etc.) is a white line.
Every child has to make a decision about how
observant he or she wants to be (even the
son or
daughter of a rabbi). Those of us who work with
teenagers do so because it is during the teenage
years that many people figure out how
religious they
want to be. Others, make these decisions in
college. A significant group will not decide
until they have children.
A parent's yellow lines play an important
role
in that decision. G-d programmed children (even
when they grow up) to want to be like and
please their
parents. If a parent made Judaism pleasant and
positive, if a parent portrayed observance as
enriching
and ennobling, if a parent treated Torah like
the life
sustaining water, a
child will
most probably choose that path in life.
Every day, parents make decisions about which
battles to fight and which to ignore or
when to give
in.
When it comes to religious issues, I think it
is helpful
to contemplate what will contribute to
attaining the
long term prize- children and grandchildren
who are
committed Jews.
By the way, there are a few more copies of the
DVD of Guys and Dolls available for
purchase. Please e-mail Mrs. Liz Saddler
to purchase a copy.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Perry
Tirschwell
Click
on the images below
to
link to these
nine websites
10th Anniversary
Dinner Tribute Committee in
formation |
| Jay & Ellen Adler |
Alan & Mona Fisher |
Sam & Arlene Lasko |
| Jonathan & Idit Agus |
William & Susan Ganz |
Jon & Ellen Lasko |
| Phil & Lisa Baratz |
Ben J. & Dorit Genet |
David & Marissa Levenson |
| Menachem & Alyssa Baumgarten |
David & Monica Genet |
Gideon & Ruth Losinski |
| David & Deborah Benaim |
Neil & Rachel Greenbaum |
Jose & Fay Poliak |
| Abbey & Helene Berkowitz |
Stanley & Ana Haar |
Barry & Dana Schechter |
| Billy & Batzi Berman |
Jeffrey & Jodi Harris |
Ted & Linda Struhl |
| Howard & Carol Bienenfeld |
Samuel & Anita Heering |
David & Haya Tepper |
| Steve & Deena Borzak |
Gary & Judi Krasna |
Jonathan & Pam Turk |
| Doug & Claudia Cohen |
Harold & Lori Landa |
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Upcoming Events
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Girls Varsity B-ball
Tournament
This Saturday Night, Feb. 6 @ Midnight
Championship Game in Miami Beach
Prospective Student
BBQs
Sunday, Feb. 10 at 1:00pm
at homes of Rabbi
Tirschwell and Mrs. Kanner
Presidents Weekend - No
School
Sunday-Monday, Feb. 17-18
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Good & Welfare
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Mazel Tov
Sarah (Suri Hoenig '02) and Eric
Kinzbrunner on the birth of Eliyahu Eliezer
Shoshan (Kowal '02) and Shmaayah Levy
on
the birth of a son
Melissa Marder ('04) on her engagement
to Josh Glaser of Oceanside
Ziyona Rantz ('06) on her engagement to
Elazar Weiner, formerly of Chicago
Dina (Turetsky '04) and Jonathan
Dobkowski on their marriage
Chava Turk ('02) on earning her MA in
Secondary Math
Education
Yael (Weiss '04) and Yonaton Orlinsky
on their marriage
Refuah Shleima
Ann Berman
Peggy Levy
Brandon Rainbeau
Condolences
Mrs. Karen Albert on the loss of her
father
Mrs. Linda Mann on the loss of her father
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10th Year Anniversary Journal Dinner
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Tuesday, March 25 @ 6:00pm
Click Here
to Join the Tribute Committee
Click Here to
Download the Ad Blank
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WYHS' 10th
Anniversary
Alumni
Shabbaton
was a smashing
success!
By Rebecca (Levin '05) Mayer
An incredible part of one's high school
experience at WYHS is the opportunity to build
relationships with teachers. Teachers do more
than teach, they open their hearts (and many times
even their homes) to students. One might think that
this bond may dwindle as time flies by after high
school, but this past Shabbat showed that the
bonds forged at WYHS are unbreakable.
With anticipation and excitement, over 60 alumni
and faculty members met in Fair Lawn, New Jersey to
share
another Shabbat together with their WYHS
family.
The shabbaton was a smashing success.
The
food was
good but the company was better. For many it was a
much needed trip down memory lane.
Between awe-inspiring divrei Torah to classic
WYHS shabbaton games, everyone had a
fantastic time.
Thank you to Rabbi Josh Spodek (who coordinated
the entire weekend), Mrs. Shira Englander (who
arranged the housing and the flights), Mr. Shimmie
Kaminetsky (who arranged the food and the rides),
Mrs. Grossman (who created the game show with
Mrs. Greer), Rabbi and Mrs. Horowitz, Mrs. Kanner
and
Rabbis Sugerman and Tirschwell for planning the
event, recruiting alumni and coming to New
Jersey for Shabbat. We greatly appreciate the
school
making its alumni such a high priority.
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Yeshiva
University
MODEL UN XVIII
WYHS Alum is Secretary
General
By Chana Brauser ('10)
At the beginning of this week, fifteen students
ranging from sophomores to seniors were privileged
to attend Yeshiva University's National Model United
Nations, or YUNMUN.
While some were "experienced delegates" and
others were attending for the first time, the entire
group had a truly enlightening and exciting
experience. The conference took place at the
beautiful Sheraton hotel in Stamford, Connecticut.
(Incidentally, the hotel was also being used as a
filming location for a movie, and the appearance of all
the movie cameras was an excellent break for the
delegates.)
The delegates spent three days passionately
defending and arguing sensitive topics pertinent
to their committees. The topics included nuclear war
in Iran,
women's rights, and world hunger. Following many
hours of frenzied placard-raising (each delegate was
given a placard with their country's name printed on it)
and heated debates, all the delegates were treated to
an awards ceremony, in which three members of
each committee were given awards.
Congratulations to Martha Baumgarten, a member
of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on
receiving an honorable mention for her efforts.
Although the team spent almost as much time in the
airport as they did at the hotel (about 7 hours, to be
specific), the overall reaction to the trip was a sense of
accomplishment, a deepened awareness of pressing
world issues, and pledges to keep in touch with
dozens of new friends.
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Boys Varsity
Basketball
Surprise
Ending to a
Great Season
By Elie Baratz ('08)
The boys varsity basketball team, after
playing a few weaker teams in a row, faced off
against some tough competitors. Despite the fact that
the Storm was
not able to come away with wins in these games, the
team
played great basketball, losing by only single
digits to teams that had previously beaten them by
many
more or had beaten teams that had destroyed the
Storm.
After being given a by in the first round of the
playoffs, this past week the team played their first
playoff game. Before the game started,
sharpshooters Matt Orlinsky and Ronnie
Rosenbaum won the first-round of the three point
shooting contest, and are both looking forward
to winning the in the finals on Saturday night.
The Storm went in to the game heavy favorites, but
did not play like it at first, holding only a small lead
going into halftime. The Storm came out of halftime
determined to blow the game
open in the second half. The game stayed close
for a while but eventually, poor shooting and some
missed
calls, plus Boca Christian's playing the game of their
lives led to possibly the biggest upset in WYHS
history.
The loss means that the team won't be given the
chance to avenge their tough loss to Grandview Prep
in last year's district championship, and means that
they will miss out on the regional semi-finals.
Despite the tough loss, the team hopes to regroup
and use it as inspiration to win the Sarachek
tournament in New York in March.
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Bagels, Breakfast, and
Babies
Double Adar
Ushered
in with a Double Celebration
By LeeLee Borzak ('10)
It is said that "Mishenichnas Adar Marbim
BeSimcha" -"with the beginning of the month of
Adar, rejoicing is increased." As seen through the
lively Rosh Chodesh Chagiga earlier this week,
WYHS held
true to these words as we celebrated both the
month of Adar and the births of two new WYHS faculty
babies.
Students and teachers entered the beautifully
decorated ballroom and were greeted by a delicious
bagel breakfast. Chazak supplied the music
and students supplied the dancing to create a
ruach-filled Rosh Chodesh
Chagigah.
One of the defining factors of WYHS is the
closeness between the students and teachers.
Whenever a teacher has a baby, the entire school
celebrates with a "Baby Bash." This Rosh
Chodesh, we celebrated the birth of Shoshana
Malka Schochet, daughter of Rabbi and Mrs.
Schochet, and Menachem Yehuda Grossman, son of
Mrs. Grossman. Welcome to the WYHS family!
Thanks so much to Program Directors Rabbi
Spodek
and Rabbi Houben, Vice President of Programming
Racheli Kaplan ('09) and the entire Rosh
Chodesh Committee for a wonderful Chagigah!
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Up Close and
Personal
with Mrs. Grossman &
Mrs. Schochet
By Daniella Greer ('09)
This past Wednesday, WYHS
held a Baby Bash in honor of the birth of a son to the
Grossman family and the birth of a daughter to the
Schochet family. I spoke to Mrs. Schochet and Mrs.
Grossman about teaching and how they each felt
celebrating the birth of a new child with the entire
school.
What aspect of teaching do you find most
rewarding?
Mrs. Grossman: The relationships I have
formed with my students.
Mrs. Schochet: Being there for my students,
keeping in touch with the alumni, and the close
connection I have with all of my students.
Throughout all your years teaching at WYHS,
what has been your proudest moment?
Mrs. Grossman: After the students leave, we
keep in touch with each other, and what makes me
the most proud is when a student will refer back to
something we learned together in High-School.
Mrs. Schochet: Being at my graduates'
weddings.
How was celebrating the new addition to your
family with the entire student body?
Mrs. Grossman: It was an extremely special
celebration for me. Just don't let my other children
know about it, because I didn't tell them and they
would have wanted to go.
Mrs. Schochet: It definitely completed the
simcha! My daughter was introduced to the students,
and she became part of the school.
After teaching Navi for so many years, what
lesson has impacted you the most that you would like
to share with the students?
Mrs. Grossman: No matter what Sefer I'm
about to start with a class, I always start with teaching
them a saying from Gemara Megillah, "Those
prophesies that were relevant were recorded, and
those that weren't, were not recorded." I teach them
this to show that all the ideas we learn are
relevant to our lives and we can find meaning in every
little topic we learn about in Navi.
Mrs. Schochet: When Dovid Hamelech said "I
have sinned", we learn that no matter what we may
have done or what sin we may have committed, we
are always able to return to Hashem.
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5 Number of
children of alumni at the Alumni
Sabbaton
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7 Number of years
represented at the Alumni
Shabbaton
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50 Number of cream
cheese balls used to smear friends' faces
on Rosh Chodesh Adar
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4 Number of
babies
born to faculty members this school
year
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"Thank you for such an
amazing
Shabbat!! I felt like I was
home
again!"
Raquel (Rachel Rivkah) Amram
('07)
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Yeshiva Highlites
Staff |
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| Danielle Wolkowicz
(’09) |
Editor-in-
Chief |
LeeLee Borzak (’10)
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Assistant
Editor |
Mrs. Claudia
Cohen |
Director of Technology
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Alana Dweck(’09)
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Photo Editor |
Daniella Greer(’09)
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Features Editor |
Josh Kaminetsky(’09)
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Layout Editor |
David Petrover(’10)
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Assistant Photo
Editor |
Aleeza Rubin(’09)
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Chief of
Correspondents |
David Spektor(’10)
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Assistant Photo
Editor |
| Rabbi Josh Spodek |
Staff Advisor |
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