Yeshiva Highlites Thanksgiving Special: Rallies, Parties, Open House and a Night Out
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rpt@wyhs.net
Wednesday, November 25, 2009 8 Kislev 5770
Parshat Vayeitzei Candle Lighting at 5:10 PM
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Why Our Rebbeim
Frequently Host Students In Their Homes
It's hard to imagine that there is another school that
runs a program like Mesibas at the Rebbes (pronounce "mesibas" and
"rebbes" is if they rhyme). Last week, all 242 students were treated (simultaneously)
to a Rosh Chodesh breakfast banquet at a faculty member's home, some
accompanied by class football games.
This wasn't the first time students had eaten at teachers'
homes this year. Over the course of four nights during the High Holiday season,
each student was invited by a rebbe or morah for dinner with their family. Most
students have already been to a teacher's home one for an additional random
Shabbat meal. What's this about?
When WYHS recruits Judaic teachers, we look for more than
pedagogic skill, erudition, and a keen understanding of teenagers. A desire to interact with students outside
the classroom, in a non-school setting, is a prerequisite as well.
Teachers like these have to have very special spouses. While their neighbors are socializing with
their friends over a Shabbat meal, they are helping serve and entertain 15-18
year olds who they don't even teach. When you factor in time for shopping and
cooking, this can take a significant bite out of the week.
Why go to all this trouble? First and foremost, it's about relationship building. Secondly, one can learn as much or more about a Torah
lifestyle from seeing a husband and wife interact with each otherand with their
children as from a Chumash shiur. Students
may forget most of the information they learn in the classroom However, these seudot are
etched on their minds forever.
We owe our faculty a debt of gratitude for their
extraordinary dedication to share their homes and weekends with talmidim and
talmidot.
Happy Thanksgiving & Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Perry Tirschwell
Head of School
Next Week
Drug Prevention Program for Parents Wednesday, Dec 2 7:30pm
GVB Tournament @SAR Thurs-Sun, Dec.3 - 6
Boys Night Seder Shabbaton Tues Dec 4- 5
Good & Welfare
Great News
Yocheved (Fox '06) and Josh Gordon on the birth of Ahron Roey
Aryeh Rotenberg ('01) engaged to Atara Schmutter formerly of Hillcrest
Refuah Shleima
Rachel Masha bat Leah
Simcha Chaya bat Luna
Nachum Chaim ben Yehudit Rivka
Dovid Menachem Chaim Halevi ben Esther Bayla
News Brief
Bonding Over Bagels WYHS Annual Mesibas @ the Rebbes
By Andrew Wald ('12)
STAFF WRITER
Last week on Tuesday, the students of WYHS attended the annual "Mesibas at the Rebbes" in celebration of Rosh Chodesh Kislev. Following the extended Rosh Chodesh davening, each class went to its Rabbi or teacher's house to eat a
delicious breakfast and to bond with the teacher and fellow classmates.
After the bagels, doughnuts, french toast, and egg omelets, a few of the boys' classes played football on the lawn, re-energizing everyone in time for the next class.
As this year's freshmen become more and more accustomed to high school, WYHS began to prepare for next year's freshmen as they hosted another very successful Open House this past Sunday.
Parents and prospective students flooded into the beit midrash to hear words of Torah from Chana Brauser ('10) and an a powerful message from Principal Mrs. Ora-Lee Kanner, followed by a video about the various programs that are run throughout the year. They then proceeded to the classrooms, where they learned about the challenging academic experience and the spiritually-uplifting atmosphere of the school. Afterwards, the eighth-graders excitedly exited the edifice to examine and experience the exemplary extra-curriculars and elective classes, from basketball to Spanish to Art to to Student Council to videography.
Kudos to Admissions Director Melissa Pereira, Director of Student Activities Shira Englander, and Assistant Director of Student Activities Rabbi Allan Houben for organizing the program, and to the many Student Ambassadors, Student Council members, and others who helped out with the program. We look forward to seeing the prospective students visit throughout the year!
News Brief
Stormin' It Up Boys Varsity Basketball
By Adam Poliak ('11)
STAFF WRITER
Coming off of a less than spectacular performance last year at Yeshiva University's annual Saracheck High School Basketball tournament, the boys Varsity Basketball team is inspired to have itsbest season ever. This year's team is led by senior co-captains Lior Goldstein and Zack Baratz, accompanied by returning players Arie Grunberg ('10), Elie Genet ('11), Adam Poliak ('11), and Alex Stein ('11). The team is expecting spectacular play from newcomers Ari Shachter ('10), Gilad Bengio ('11), Matthew Jacoby ('11), Elliot Danis ('12), and Eram Zaghi ('12).
Just last night, the boys Varsity Basketball team was able to secure its first regular season win against rival Trinity Christian Academy, with highest scorer Genet's 13 points, Baratz's 10 points, Goldstein's stellar defense, and a strong performance from the rest of the team.
Come watch and support the STORM!
News Brief
PLANning for the Future Sophomores Take the Plan Exam
By Sarah Struhl ('12)
STAFF WRITER
After a morning filled with fun and bonding with our teachers and our
peers (Mesibas at the Rebbes), the 10th grade class settled down and dedicated their afternoon
to taking the PLAN exam.
The PLAN exam is a pre-ACT practice test, since it
covers the same subjects as the ACT--English, math, reading, and science--and also gives you an estimated ACT
score. As the ACT becomes increasingly popular
throughout the U.S., this test helps determine which type of test would
be better for each student: the ACT or the SAT. This exam also assists the students in pointing out their academic strengths,
as well as the subjects in which they need improvement.
We, the 10th grade students
of WYHS, are privileged to have taken this exam because it will
certainly help prepare us for the rigorous years of college application and preparation to come.
Feature Story
Stop Iran NOW
WYHS Rallies Against a Nuclear Iran
Ilana Ben-Ezra ('10) CHIEF OF STAFF
The
international community is finally realizing that Iran's
threats to destroy both Israel and the United States are more than just empty words; the Iranian nuclear reactors give them
credence. WYHS recognizes the need to
educate students about the horrific effects of a nuclear-armed
tyrannical regime on the Western democratic world and the need to help students
understand how they can get involved and make a difference in the fight to
prevent Iran from attaining its nuclear goal.
This past
Friday, WYHS hosted a Stop Iran Now Rally featuring Rabbi Avi Weiss,
a political activist and respected scholar, as the keynote speaker. At the rally, WYHS students did not stand
alone; the eighth grade class of Hillel Day School of Boca Raton and members of
the community joined the student body for the momentous event.
A compelling
brief video, put together by Michael Feit ('10), opened the rally and
helped convey the gravitas of the occasion and situation. Seeing vivid
images and video clips
displaying Iran's proximity
to Israel and the extent of Iran's current missile capability enabled
attendees to grasp the shocking reality of what exactly a nuclear Iran
could mean for the future of Israel, America, and the western
democratic
world.
The prevailing message of the rally, highlighted by the
speakers, was
that we, both adults and youth, cannot sit idly by as Iran strides
closer to its transparent goal of attaining nuclear warfare. Ilana
Ben-Ezra ('10), vice president of the AIPAC Committee, helped many
students realize that this issue is not a
foreign issue with no relevance to their lives, but an issue
that they should feel a connection to. Rabbi Efrem Goldberg, Senior
Rabbi of the Boca Raton Synagogue, addressed students and explained how
Mahman Ahmadinejad threatens both our past and our future. Reinforcing
the message, Rabbi Weiss sternly warned that if we do not take
action NOW, then we will all be responsible for allowing Iran to become
a
nuclear power. He stressed that we
cannot write Iran off as a crazed power because the last time a person
and their ideas were
dismissed as implausible and insane, over twelve million people were killed.
Never again.
Featurette
SophMar-io Kart The 10th Grade Night Out
Last week, the 10th graders got "karted away" at their go-karting
sophomore night out. The class of 2012 had a blast driving around the
track, racing each other or just flying solo. While they weren't on the
race track, the sophomores also played video games and refueled with pizza.
Thanks so much to class presidents David Hopen ('12) and Jessica Wolff ('12) for a high-speed, action packed sophomore night out!
Sports
Shooting, Scoring, and a Whole Lot of STORM
By LeeLee Borzak ('10) SENIOR EDITOR & SPORTS LIAISON
Although in the past "winning streak"
and "WYHS girls soccer" would not be placed in the same sentence, the
past few years at WYHS have witnessed very impressive girls soccer
seasons.
Specifically this year, the girls soccer team is having a
great season. Led by captains Rebecca Dresner ('10) and Rebecca Fuchs
('10), the girls soccer team has a solid 3-1-1 record. The
underclassmen this year have been major assets to the team, with Katie
Levy ('13) being the lead scorer and Hannah Baum ('13) as an important
offensive player. The seasoned soccer veterans are also critical to the
team's success, with Chana Goldberg's ('11) strong defense of the goal.
Just last night, the girls had an unbelievable 4-2 victory against
friendly rivals Hillel of North Miami Beach.
The team is improving
practice by practice and really coming together as a team for what is
shaping up to be an excellent season.
GO STORM!
Multimedia: Slideshows & Videos
Click on the images below to play this week's slideshows and videos.
Sophomore Night Out the excitement of the racetrack caught on camera
The Threat is Real a glimpse of our Iran rally
The Open House Video a taste of the ruach at WYHS throughout the year
Girls Soccer see the STORM in action
Mesibas @ the Rebbes photos of good food and good fun
In Focus
A Chat with Rabbi Manis Friedman
By Matthew Wolkowicz ('12) STAFF WRITER
On
Wednesday, November 18th, prominent Chabad Lubavitch
philosopher and eloquent speaker Rabbi Manis Friedman spoke to
the students of WYHS. He opened with the classic Biblical story of
Adam and Eve eating from the tree of knowledge after G-d has
specifically forbade them to do so. He then continued to ask a series
of fundamental questions on this story-eventually revealing that
Adam and Eve are deserving of praise rather than insult for their
actions. He finished by illustrating that Adam and Eve ate from the
tree to attend to G-d's will, and have started a task that we must
now complete as a nation -- to bring holiness into this world, the world
of mortality.
I was
fortunate enough to sit down with Rabbi Friedman, after his brilliant
speech, and ask him a few questions about his background -- which he
was kind enough to discuss.
Matthew
Wolkowicz: What is the topic of your book, Doesn't Anyone Blush Anymore?, and what encouraged you to write
about that topic?
Rabbi
Friedman: I noticed that men and women weren't getting along
like they should, and that the cause was a loss of dignity and shame,
so I wrote the book to remind people of the dignity and shame they
should have-hence the title, Doesn't anyone blush anymore?.
MW:
I hear you have a cable television show, Torah Forum with Manis
Friedman. What is it like to host your own TV show?
RF:
It's very interesting; I am often approached by non-Jewish viewers
who are blown away by the show because it helps them understand Torah
easily.
MW:
What motivated you to open the Bais Chana Institute of Jewish
Studies, the world's first school of Jewish studies exclusively for
women?
RF: It was 1971 and a number of ba'al teshuva yeshivas were opening
for men, so I wanted to balance it out and open one for women.
MW:
Moment Magazine
recently featured your opinion on how the Jews should treat their
Arab enemies, and your words were seemingly taken out of context, which has sparked a significant
amount of controversy. What were you intending to say?
RF:
I was trying to explain that you don't encourage human shields by
telling people you're going to shoot the hostage, you're just going
to put the hostage in danger.
MW:Can you tell me about your experience bringing Bob Dylan to the
Rebbe?
RF:
Sorry, but famous names hate publicity.
MW:
Why did you specifically choose to speak to the student body about
the story of Adam and Eve?
RF:
It's not the answers that are important, it's about the
questions -- if you don't ask questions you don't fully understand
the Torah.
MW:Do you have a final message for the students of WYHS?
RF:
We have a very long mission which Adam and Chava
started, and we're not completely holy yet so we're still
employed.
Culture: WYHS Art Class
Elana Kaminetsky ('12), Still Life
Gilad Bengio ('11), Drawing Hands
Michael Krasna ('12), Cubism: Peyton Manning
Elie Genet ('11), Cubism: Thanksgiving Feast
SpiritualityD'var Torah
Stop Wasting My Time
Parshat Vayeitzei
By Rebecca Fuchs ('10) D'VAR TORAH COORDINATOR
In this week's parshah, Vayeitzei, Yaakov, after emerging from a prophetic dream,
vows to "tithe" all of Hashem's gifts. When one tithes, he is giving
away a certain percentage of what he has acquired. In the literal
interpretation, Yaakov is teaching us a great lesson in handling our
money. There is an important mitzvah of giving tzedakah, specifically
one-tenth of your earnings. In this parshah, Yaakov is promising to give
away one-tenth of all of his possessions to G-d. This leads to a serious question: What does the term "possessions"
refer to? What does Yaakovmean when he vows to give back to Hashem
"whatever" he has received?
One opinion is that Yaakovwas not only vowing to give away one-tenth
of his money, but even one-tenth of his sons, referring toLevi whose
tribe is used for the service of G-d. R' Moshe Feinstein adds that a Jew should not only tithe his monetary possessions, but his time as well.
Time is a highly important and unfortunately fleeting reality, and
therefore must be spent as wisely as possible. Time is the one thing
that can never be reclaimed, and just like everything else in
existence, every bit of time is an incredible gift from Hashem. The average person spends one-third of his time sleeping, probably one-tenth of his time eating, and a very high percentage simply watching
time escape his grasp. One can spend hours upon hours staring blankly
at a television screen, playing mindless games or immersing himself in
any other kind of wasteful activity. Yet every moment spent is a moment
that can never be relived. Time is quite precious and one can make
every moment count by using his time to accomplish, in some small way, an ultimate constructive goal. If one spends his time dedicated to a
higher purpose, every second can be made valuable.
How can one accomplish the feat of tithing his time? According to R'
Moshe, this can be done by contributing time to the service of worthy
causes. The most worthy cause in existence is the service of G-d, and by
focusing on such an incredible goal and striving to live every moment
working towards our greater goal, we can honestly say that we have used
our time wisely.
News Brief
