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From: Rabbi Perry Tirschwell <rpt@wyhs.net>
Subject: Another First for Yeshiva Highlites- Hebrew!
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Another First for Yeshiva Highlites- Hebrew!
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Inspiring& Challenging
Teenagers Since 1998


Parshat Vayera
Friday, Nov. 14, 2008

rpt


Is the Year in Israel for Everyone?



by Rabbi Perry Tirschwell

I don't believe that there's a single person left in Israel in November, because it seems that they're all in our building! Each year there are more post-secondary programs which present our seniors with new and exciting options for their gap year before university. Over 90% of our students choose to dedicate a year to spiritual, personal, and Zionistic growth upon graduation.

Are there students who shouldn't go to Israel for the year? I believe strongly that the rule is that everyone should go, but there are some exceptions.

I'd like to list the arguments against the Year in Israel, address each one, and share my opinion regarding who they do and do not apply to;

  • Flipping Out- It's true that religious inspiration is the central mission of yeshivot. We are careful about which schools we allow to visit WYHS. Schools that discourage college or encourage disregard of parents don't make it through our door. WYHS grads have returned more respectful of their parents with a greater understanding of themselves.

  • Liquor & Drugs- It's true that the drinking age is 18 in Israel. However, trust me- liquor and drugs are not available to any college student in the US, but they are pervasive on college campuses. Yeshivot and seminaries are proactive about their students' physical and mental health, and they have no fraternity or sorority houses where the booze is flowing.

  • Won't My Child Lose a Year? - If your child attends YU, Stern or Touro, they'll get a full year of credit. Other colleges now recommend a gap year, as the students enter college more focused academically. They are certainly less likely to fall prey to the illegal & illicit temptations on campus.

  • My Child Isn't Interested Religiously- A child has to be inspired to be inspired, or interested in being interested. If not, it's a mistake. You don't want to say that they have gone to the mountain and there's nothing there (b/c they really weren't looking for it).

  • Psychological & Emotional Issues that have yet to be resolved. Everything comes out in the wash in Israel. Though there are capable mental health professionals in Israel, children who are grappling with anorexia or addictions should work them out before going 5,000 miles from home.

    The 2009-2010 School Calendar is posted on Edline. Just hit the right arrows until you see the month in which you're interested. Thank you to the student council, which helped devise this year's midterm exam schedule, which is also posted on Edline.

    Shabbat Shalom,

    Rabbi Perry Tirschwell


  • MUST See TV!

    Israel Visits Galore!
    Click here for the Schedule

    Attention 8th Graders
    Open House for Parents & Students
    Sunday, 11/23 9:30am-12:30pm

    WYHS Golf Tournament
    @ Grande Oaks Golf Club
    Monday, November 24



    ...News Flash...

    We're So Proud!

    Sheri Adler ('02) on her marriage to Didi Saiman

    The Pearl Family on Eidel's Bat Mitzvah

    Good Luck, Alums!

    Mordechai Turoff, ('01), Esther Birnbaum ('03), Danny Krasna ('04) & Josh Levy ('04), took the LSAT last month

    Our Condolences

    Sara Gottleib & Ann Lamet on the loss of their mother

    Our Prayers Are With

    Eliyahu ben Zahava Webberly

    Yehoshua Tzvi ben Sarah Weiss

    Chana bat Devorah




     

    by Josh Stadlan ('11)

    "HAND OVER THE CAMERA, NOW!" commanded the Sudanese government troops. They had foiled his plan to share with the world graphic testimony to the ongoing genocide occurring in Darfur. Already threatened, beaten, and shot, Adam had no choice but to give up the camera.

    However, Adam decided that he wasn't yet ready to accept defeat. He stealthily removed the media card containing all of his photographs and slipped it into his pocket before handing over the digital camera.
    ~~~
    Growing up in Nyala, a primitive village in Darfur, Adam Abakar had a simple but peaceful childhood, though he challenged himself with learning English by memorizing an Arabic-English dictionary.

    After attending college at Khartoum, Sudan's capital, Adam returned to Darfur. To his horror, he could hardly recognize the area.

    The corrupt Sudanese government had begun bombing villages from military helicopters and afterwards dispatching the Janjaweed to plunder the town and murder the remaining civilians.

    Adam, unable to remain passive, joined the African Union, a U.N.-like peacekeeping organization, as an interpreter and genocide investigator. However, he wasn't satisfied with the African Union, since they didn't protect the Darfurians or even publish the information that they had collected.

    A man of great courage and dedication to his people, Adam followed his own plan of action - he gathered pictorial evidence of the Sudanese involvement in the destruction and mass murder of the indigenous African tribes with his personal digital camera - an action that, when later discovered by the government, would earn him severe consequences.
    ~~~
    Thousands of miles to the west of Darfur, WYHS students assembled in the Beit Midrash, unaware that their understanding of humanity was about to change.

    Click here to continue...


     

    Click on the picture to play the game

    Click here for the answer


    No Need To Scavenge

    for a Good Time!


    Junior Night Out


    by Alix Greenberger ('10)

    Fully energized from a scrumptious BBQ, the juniors got off the bus at Town Center mall, split into groups of five, and were handed their lists of tasks for their scavenger hunt. Each team's challenge was to fulfill the charges listed on the sheet in an hour.

    Tasks such as handing a stranger ketchup in the food court and saluting shoppers as they exited Old Navy were all captured on camera to be reviewed by the judges. Other tasks included bringing bags from stores in the mall that matched descriptions such as "sorry, no clay, no cows" (Pottery Barn) and "closer to Rabbi Houben's age than Rabbi Horowitz's" (Forever 21). Everywhere you looked, there was a junior frantically scanning the mall directory, dazed and confused but having a great time.

    Thanks so much to class presidents Rachel Benaim ('10) and Michael Mizrahi ('10) and Director of Student Activites Shira Englander for a night out the class of 2010 will never forget.

    Click Here to Comment

     

    Untitled Document

    פנטרס!!

    הליל 92; החוצה הראשון של כיתה ט'

     

    מאת: אבינעם פונברג('12)

    בליל יום רביעי שעבר אנחנו התפללנ 493; ערבית ביחד, אכלנו ביחד, ואז ראינו את "המשחק" ; נגד שתי הרבנים שהיה מצחיק מאוד. אחרי המשחק הקטן הלכנו למשחק הגדול של הוקי בין הפלורי 491;ה פנטרס (Panthers) והטמ 08;ה בעי לאיטני 504;ג (Lightning). במשחק כולנו ישבנו ביחד ובגלל שכולם היו מריצים את פלוריד 492;, אנחנו דיברנו-- זה היה טוב בשבילנ 493; כדי להכיר את כולם. בסוף המשחק, הלכנו בחזרה אבל לא כקבוצו 514; שונות, אלא כמו כיתה אחת.



    by Avinoam Foonberg ('12)

    Our freshman night out began by davening Ma'ariv together and eating together, and then we got into the spirit of the night by watching a funny mini "pre-game" (basketball) between Rabbi Horowitz and Rabbi Schochet. After the mini game, we went to a real hockey game between the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning. During the game, we all sat together and cheered together for the Panthers, which gave us the chance to talk to each other and "break the ice." At the end of the game, we returned home -- not as a group of people, but as a class.

    Click Here to Comment

     

    Click here to see a bigger version


    The Funniest Rabbi EVER


    Last week, students were priviliged to hear from Rav Menachem Nissel, author of Rigshei Lev. Not only did he deliver a beautiful Dvar Torah about the importance of Tefillat HaDerech, he had the whole audience doubled over in laughter.


    Click Here to Comment

     

    The Official

    AIPAC TO-DO LIST

    1) Wear my preppy clothes!

    2 ) Learn all about Israel-US relations.
    "We paired up with someone and explained to each other why the US and Israel relationship is so important for both countries involved; this helped us prepare for our future argument on the subject, thus encouraging our activism."-- Keren Marks ('10)

    3) Be a student activist- lobby Congress, meet congressmen, and learn how to persuasively state a case

    4) Connect with hundreds of other high school students from around the country.
    "It was really nice meeting kids from all different schools and backgrounds that all share a common goal."-- Martha Baumgarten ('10)

    5) Attend leadership workshops which we get to choose about the topics that interest us.

    6) Represent WYHS in a respectable way
    "WYHS students conducted themselves as adults...They were passionate, articulate, and respectful and were overall Kidushei Hashem that represented your institution beautifully...Overall your group stood out for their poise, sincerity, and accessibility that is astounding considering their age and how many of their peers conducted themselves." --Nahum Zak, Regional Director of NCSY/NY


    Click Here to Comment

     

    Which sports team will be the most successful this season?

    Girls Soccer
    Boys JV Basketball
    Girls JV Basketball
    Boys Varsity Basketball
    Girls Varsity Basketball

    View Results

    poll

    poll



    "I think this is great! They look like they're having a

    great time. If my son was here he would fit right in.

    They don't do anything like this in New York."


    --Passerby visiting from NY commenting on the Junior Night Out


    Yeshiva Highlites Staff

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