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The Weekly Newsletter of
Weinbaum
Yeshiva High School
Parshat Kedoshim
Friday, May 2nd, 2008
Shabbat begins in Boca @ 7:35
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From the desk
of
Rabbi Perry
Tirschwell
People are beginning to question if it is realistic to
expect Holocaust and Israel be at the core of today's
teenagers' Jewish identity. As the events of sixty
years ago fade smaller and smaller into our collective
rear view mirrors, they ask- should Yoms
Hashoah, Hazikaron & Haatzmaut be celebrated in
a different fashion? Can we expect the religion
of "Never Again" and "Israel the underdog" to be at the
core of a generation
which remembers little, if nothing, before the year
2000?
The logic behind Rabbi Soloveitchik's previously
unfathomable position that the Holocaust should
be
commemorated on Tisha B'av and not on a
separate Yom Hashoah is beginning to
become understandable. When the survivors (and
anyone who knew them) will be gone, one can
imagine that the Holocaust will stand out from the list
of horrific, merciless mass murders of our people at
the hands of Nebucanezer, Titus, Crusaders,
Chimelnicki, and Torquemada only because we have
film footage and tangible relics of it.
The State of Israel is now a prosperous, western
country, whose army is not invicible, and whose
leadership is plagued with embarrassing, sordid
scandals. It is battle weary of fighting its neighbors
and it wants to see people bent on its destruction as
potential peace partners. As chametz became
available on Pesach in restaurants in Jewish
Jerusalem and a gay pride parade marches annually
through its streets, it is understandable why people
question if this is the beginning of the redemption for
which we feverently pray.
I believe that Holocaust and
Israel have an important role to play in our children's
education. It is our responsibility to teach our
children
that anti Semitism is an unavoidable part of our
destiny (halacha Eisav sonei Yaakov), and the
Holocaust enables us to do this in an incomparably
powerful way. We are unusually fortunate that our
personal ancestors survived two thousand years of
persecutions, and that does give us a solemn
mandate to live as Jews.
Eretz Yisrael has
been at the center of the Jew's identity, and our
ability
to visit, study and live there with relative ease is a true
privilege. A modern society that speaks Hebrew
peppered with Rabbinic idioms, whose year revolves
around the Jewish holidays, and whose army
assumes the responsibility of defending Jews
anywhere offers something that America can never
offer.
The Holocaust and Israel have a tremendous
ability to
inspire our children to greater commitment to
their
heritage. They are not a religion unto themselves, but
important tools in our arsenal to inspire the next
generation of Jewish teenagers to lead Jewish lives.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Perry
Tirschwell
Click
on the images below
to
link to these
nine websites
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Upcoming Events
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Rosh Chodesh
Iyar
Mon. - Tues., May 5-6
Yom Hazikaron Program
Wednesday, May 7
South Palm Beach County
Yom
Haatzmaut Celebration
@Mizner Park
Wednesday, May 7 @ 6:00pm
Yom Haatzmaut Program
Thursday, May 8
Freshmen
Shabbaton
Fri. - Sat., May
16-17
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Good & Welfare
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Mazel tov to
Andre Jacobovitz ('02) on his engagement to
Shalhevet Roth of Pittsburgh
Yael (Weiss '04) Orlinsky on being named
Judaic
Studies Valedictorian of Stern College
Condolences to
Mrs. Gail Kasztl on the loss of her brother
Mrs. Debbie Heber & Rabbi Howard Seif on
the loss of their father
Rabbi Howard Shub on the loss of his mother
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Click on the Picture for an
Incredible
Slideshow
Never Forget
A Stirring Yom HaShoah
Program
By LeeLee Borzak ('10)
As high school students in the 21st century,
the unfathomable horrors of the Holocaust are
sometimes difficult to grasp. However, WYHS'
unbelievable Yom HaShoah-Holocaust
memorial day-presentation offered different ways to
view this time of terror and allowed each student to
truly connect to this time in Jewish history.
Upon entering the school, students
were simply awe-struck by what they saw. The walls
were covered in black, pictures of victims were hung
up, and anti-Semitic slogans were painted on the
walls to create the feeling of the Holocaust. It made an
impression on the students and set the tone for the
rest of the day. What really impacted students was the
word "Jew" written on the walls six million times to
represent the six million Jews murdered in the
Holocaust. It was simply overwhelming to see the
same word over and over which really helped
students comprehend the staggeringly high number
of lost lives. As explained eloquently by Vice President
of Torah Affairs, Avital Abir ('08), each one of those
victims was a walking, talking, breathing person with
his or her own personal life. Each row of the
word "Jew" could be viewed as a family or group of
friends lost in the Holocaust. To further the connection
with the victims, students were each given a card with
a victim's story on it. As students entered the ball
room, Student Council Presidents Julie Rosenberg
('08) and Anosh Zaghi ('08) recited names of those
who perished. Other members of the Student
Council told stories of those who suffered during the
Holocaust.
Every student lit a candle
in memory of those who perished during the
Holocaust and in hopes of continuing on their legacy.
Students had the opportunity to dedicate their candles
to specific members of their family by reciting their
names after lighting the candle, which made the
presentation
even more meaningful on an individual level.
Another destructive
aspect to the Holocaust was the pre-war attempts at
assimilation. Students viewed clips from the movie
Sunshine, which showed that even Jews
who "converted" were victims of the Holocaust. This
presentation made Yom HaShoah even more
thought-provoking.
Students were then honored to hear
from Mr. Rosov, a Jewish history scholar and a
beloved member
of the WYHS faculty. Mr. Rosov has been
teaching at WYHS for seven years and has spent his
entire adult life in education, primarily teaching about
the Holocaust, anti-Semitism, and the birth of the state
of Israel. He was one of fifteen people selected from
two hundred candidates to interview Holocaust
survivors in South Florida for Steven Spielberg's
Shoah Foundation. He taught students about the
dangers of anti-Semitism and the importance of
Jewish continuity. Our existence is a
continuation of those who were killed and we must be
activists in order to prevent such atrocities from
occurring again. To end the presentation, Executive
Director Shimmie Kaminetsky recited Kaddish and K-
el Maleh Rachamim in honor of the six million Jewish
lives lost.
Thank you so much to the Student
Council for dedicating their time to create a truly
intense, inspirational, and moving Yom
HaShoah and to Barry and Dana Schechter for
sponsoring this event in memory of Charles
Schechter (Yekutiel ben Yissocher Dov) and the
six million martyrs who perished in the shoah.
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WELCOME
BACK
CLASS
OF 2007!
Newest Alumni Return
for a Pre-Pesach
Visit
By Raquel Amram ('07)
On Wednesday before Pesach, the girls of
the
class of 2007 had the chance to come back home to
WYHS. The sounds of girls shrieking filled the
hallways as we greeted our former classmates. It was
as if we had never left (except for the unfamiliar
freshmen).
We were welcomed with open arms by our
teachers and like true WYHS hospitality, were
treated to a delicious Jon's Place lunch. We
discussed our first year out of high school and
compared our individual experiences. It felt like we
were still in WYHS! The teachers, who most of us
have kept in touch with, ate lunch with us and were
genuinely interested in catching up, illustrating the
close relationship teachers and alumni share at
WYHS.
Mrs. Kanner delivered a beautiful shiur
which
really enhanced our Sederim. Mrs. Kanner was
our role model when we were in high school and will
forever
continue to inspire us with her incredible words of
Torah. Her teaching is incomparable and it
was a
zechut to be able to hear her genius again.
Afterwards, we sat with the 12th grade girls in
a "question and answer" session and were treated to
Gelatto ice cream. They asked us questions about the
post-high school year in Israel: what to expect, and
most importantly, what to bring. Some asked specific
seminary questions, while others were more general.
It gave them the opportunity to ask questions to
people who know the answers first-hand and we were
glad to help.
Our visit to WYHS brought back our amazing
memories of our high school career and provided
us with a deeper appreciation of our excellent
education.
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GO STORM!
Baseball Team Has
Record This Season
By Elie Baratz ('08)
This year, the Varsity baseball team
returned more players from the
previous year than ever before and were therefore
expecting great
things from this team. Last year's team was a little
disappointing having only won one game but showed
great signs for the future and those signs all seemed
to come together this season.
The beginning of the schedule was a tough one
as the team opened with three straight loses but
bounced back winning their next three games
including a trouncing of Berean Christian whom the
storm have never before been able to beat and wins
against Jewish rivals Hillel and Donna Klein. The rest
of the season was a bit disappointing until the
penultimate game of the year in which Zack Baratz
threw the schools second ever no hitter and first no-hit
shut out. The Storm won easily and with that win
doubled the school record for wins in a year by
winning four games. The year ended a little
abruptly as the district playoffs were held during
Pesach.
The team could, therefore, not participate and
possibly have a chance to finish off their best season
to date with a so far elusive district victory.
The improvements in this year's team were due
to Coach Errol Thomas' tireless efforts to teach the
game in the very limited time that he had to do so.
This work paid tremendous dividends throughout the
lineup as can be seen in the vast improvements both
in terms of hitting and fielding. Lior Goldstien was the
perfect leadoff hitter. His on base percentage
was among the leaders on the team, and his speed
allowed him to steal a number of bases and set up
scoring chances for the Storm. His center field play
was also great, and he was responsible for saving
many runs with his brilliant catches.
Yoel Goldberg and David Clements were sure
handed gloves in the field and were also able to
produce at the plate in a big way. Yoni Levenson,
Hillel Gittler and Moshe Hersher were a tremendous
help in those categories as well. Junior, Doron David,
was a huge asset to the team both at the plate and in
the field, but his biggest contribution was from the
mound - leading the best pitching staff the team has
ever had.
David Rand also stepped up big time in his
hitting, to being one of the teams most consistent
hitters.
Freshmen Mattew Jacoby, Yisroel Gold and Zack
Rabb have big things expected of them in the coming
years, as does utility player Matt Orlinsky. I would also
like to personally thank Ari Grumberg for pinch running
for me just about every time I managed to get on base
and adding very much needed speed to the team.
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Click on the Picture for an
Incredible
Slideshow
Mass Hair Cutting
& Matzah Baking
Chesed and Fun-filled Pre-Pesach Yom
Iyun
Girls Upsherin & Shiurim
By Keren Marks ('10)
On Monday April 14th, the week of
Pesach,
the students of WYHS were privileged to participate in
an inspiring and exciting Yom Iyun. The
purpose of the Yom Iyun was to prepare
students for the upcoming observance of
Pesach on
Saturday night of that same week. After breakfast, all
the girls assembled in the ballroom in anticipation of
the second annual upsherin in the history of
WYHS, where girls donate their hair to kids with
cancer.
Before the event began, Ellen Shemesh, the
Special Project Coordinator of Chai Lifeline, spoke to
the
girls about the importance of cutting their hair and the
amazing Mitzvah they do in bringing joy and happiness
to those children. Mrs. Shemesh was happy to
answer any questions the nervous girls had regarding
the amount of hair they had to cut (12 inches, in case
some of you are still unsure) and the general inquiries
about Chai Lifeline programs. Following the speech,
Hadassah Tirschwell, who was also donating her
hair,
gave a beautiful Dvar Torah regarding why we
at WYHS have an upsherin specifically before
Pesach and emphasized the amazing
Chesed
we do by such a seemingly simple Mitzvah.
Then, the anticipated cutting ceremony began and
Nava Gross, Hadassah Tirschwell, Melanie Miller,
Sara
Shabtai and Keren Marks stepped to the front of the
room, filled with both excitement and nervousness.
With the support and encouragement of the cheering
crowd, the girls bravely shed their locks. Afterwards,
the Judaic
female staff rotated in a round robin where each grade
of girls was privileged to learn a short idea from each
of their teachers. Thank you to Mrs. Schochet, Mrs.
Horowitz, Mrs. Grossman and Mrs. Jacob for providing
the girls with a new perspective on the story of the
Hagada.
The fun and educational morning was a great
way of preparing ourselves for Pesach and
gaining an
insight into the Seder night as well as
appreciating the
amazing opportunity Hashem gives us in our daily life
to perform such acts of kindness. Yeshar
Koach to our dear WYHS girls whose excitement
encouraged their friends to donated their hair for such
a great cause!
Boys Matza Factory & Divrei
Torah
By Joshua Stadlan ('11)
WYHS students aren't your average high schoolers;
they're farmers and bakers on the side!
As part of a pre-Pesach workshop, WYHS
hosted
Tzivos Hashem's complete model matzah factory.
Boys in all grades experienced a unique hands-on
lesson on the mitzvah and making of matzah, learning
all the steps, starting with the separation of grain from
the chaff. After excitedly answering Pesach questions
and reviewing matzah's halachic guidelines, the guys
got to work. With bakers' hats on their heads and flour
on their cheeks, the students threshed, winnowed,
blew, grinded, churned, sifted, poured, mixed,
kneaded, rolled, perforated, baked, and made a
l'chaim on grape juice, all under the required 18
minutes. Well, sort of. Although the matzah wasn't
exactly Kosher for Passover, everyone enjoyed
munching and crunching on their delicious chef-
d'oeuvre throughout the remainder of the
Pesach
program.
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Up Close and
Personal
with Mr. Chaim
Rosov
By Daniella Greer ('09)
This week on Yom Hashoah, the students
at
WYHS were privileged to hear from our extremely
beloved and sagacious teacher, Mr. Chaim Rosov
about the importance of Yom Hashoah. Mr.
Rosov,
who currenttly teaches Jewish History to the seniors,
had been chosen by acclaimed filmmaker Steven
Speilberg to interview survivors for the Shoah
foundation. I was more then honored to speak to Mr.
Rosov about his remarkable life experiences,
involvement with the Shoah Foundation, and
cherished
years teaching at WYHS.
What motivated you to get involved with the
project?
Mr. Rosov: My parents were of Polish and
Russian extraction and their parents and most of my
relatives remained in Russia and Poland when my
grandparents emmigrated to the United States at the
turn of the Century. During the Holocaust, only six
members of my family survived and I felt that I had the
obligation to those members of my family who
perished to tell their story through those members of
Klal Yisroel who were fortunate enough to
survive.
From all of the 100 survivors you spoke to, what
were some of the most powerful stories you heard?
Mr. Rosov: I videotaped a women who shared
the same barrack as Anne Frank and her sister before
their deaths, a man who fought and survived the
Warsaw Ghetto uprising, and a man who concealed
his Jewish identity from 1939-1943 and became an
officer in the Polish Army.
Does teaching about the Holocaust ever get
emotionally hard for you?
Mr. Rosov: It's a joy. Young people now don't
know much about the Holocaust; they only know a
general overview. I'm able to teach them about the
factors that led up to the Holocaust and convey to
them that the holocaust was no accident of history, but
rather a culmination of the unbridled hatred of various
European nations.
Out of all your years of teaching, what has been
your favorite memory?
Mr. Rosov: Seeing my alumni and hearing
from them how much they learned from me.
Additionally, I love to hear from my students what they
think they would have done if they were placed in
certain situations. One of my favorite things is getting
my students to think and then hearing from them what
they have derived from my lessons.
Because this is your final year here, how would
you sum up your whole teaching experience at
WYHS?
Mr. Rosov: I love the school and kids. I view all
my students as my grandchildren and I view the
school as if it's my family. My teaching job here has
been the joy of my life and the teachers here have
been the finest teachers I've ever
encountered.
What final message would you like to leave your
students with?
Mr. Rosov: Be vigilant, be active Jews, be
aware of issues that our people continue to face, and
take political action. Don't rely on others to fight for
Jewish causes-whether they be in the U.S., in Israel,
or throughout the world.
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" The Yom Hashoah program was
extremely powerful
and moving. It really
evoked
such
emotion in all of us.
It taught me that I have to
live
my
life in the best way
possible for the sake of
the six
million Jews whose lives
were cut short. "
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