The Amazing Technicolor Yeshiva Highlites: Musical, Models, Mind-boggling Discovery Program
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rpt@wyhs.net
Friday, March 12, 2010 26 Adar 5770
Shabbat HaChodesh Parshat Vayak'hel-Pekudei Candle Lighting at 6:10 PM
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Chesed Requirement: A Contradiction in Terms?
Though they are a regular feature of high school graduation
requirements today, a generation ago Community Service Requirements did not
exist in most high schools.
A national debate has begun about this trend. Does it make
sense to require something which, by its nature, is voluntary?
On one hand, we believe that Judaism does require us to do
things that others view as optional. Prayer, fidelity to a spouse, and treating
our parents with respect (for example) aren't elective. On the other hand, as
we say every morning after birkat HaTorah, chasadim are dvarim
sh'ain lahem shiur (community service does not have a minimum or maximum
amount).
The responsibility of parents and teachers is to explain why
certain modes of behavior are appropriate, and to expect and require children
to deport themselves in that fashion. As adults, they will exercise their bechirah chafshit (free choice), but
as children living under our roofs, we require our children to eat right, go to
bed at a certain time, clean up after themselves, etc. This is doubly true for
religious responsibilities such as chesed.
Helping others doesn't put more money in your bank account,
help you advance your career, put you in better physical shape, or give you
more time with your family. It actually takes away precious time when you could
be doing any of these.
Helping others does give your life a sense of meaning, make
you appreciate what you have, give you a sense of community, and make you feel
good. It makes you a better person.
WYHS created the position of Chesed Coordinator to
help students learn this important value. Mrs. Andron's role is to help
students identify community service opportunities that speak to them (and to
nudge them to avail themselves of these opportunities). She plays such an
important role in our school that, in anticipation of her aliyah this
coming summer, she has been training her successor throughout this year. We are
indebted to her for making chesed part of the woof and warp of our
school.
Though chesed is something that we have to do on our
own time, WYHS runs an annual chesed program during school hours to
expose the students to a community service opportunity that they might not have
come across on their own. We believe that participation in these programs is as
or more important than the class time that it preempts.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Perry Tirschwell
Head of School
The Coming Week
Sunday 3/14 Super Sunday
9:00-5:30pm
Zinman Hall No Mishmar Sun-Mon, 3/14-5
Sophomore &
Junior Trips Fri 3/19
Juniors Daven @Sunset @The Beach 6:50am
Good & Welfare
Mazel Tov Atara Aroll ('05) engaged to
Effie Kleinberg of Toronto
Shoshana Webberly ('05) engaged to Aryeh
Sova of Chicago
Hillel Wolf ('05) engaged to Chana
Adatto of Seattle
Rabbi Mordechai Turoff ('01)-
the 1st WYHS Grad to Receive YU Smicha
Gavriel & Kayla (Kowal
'06) Krauss on the birth of Aryeh David
Mr. & Mrs. Rami Ovadia on
the birth of a David Ezra Ovadia
Chaim Seligman ('07) on
enlisting in Tzahal
Refuah Shleima Simcha Chaya bat Luna Ruchama bat Dina Malka
Condolences Mrs. Robyn Struhl on the loss of her father
News Brief
Never Forget The Seniors Hear From Holocaust Survivor Ernest Michel
By Ezra Kurtz ('12)
STAFF WRITER
Riveting. Inspirational. Chilling.
These were the adjectives used
by the senior class who were privileged to hear Mr. Ernest Michel speak
about his experience during the Holocaust.
Tragically, Mr. Michel lost
his entire family during the Nazi genocide, yet through determination
and a bit of luck he was able to escape during a Death March towards the
end of the war. Soon after, he moved to America and has been sharing
his stirring and emotional story ever since.
While his story was
originally intended as a testament to the horrific events, Mr. Michel
noted that it was foremost a warning about the dangerous ideology of
anti-Semitism that exists even today. He urged students not to take for
granted the world they live in, and to recognize the dangers of this
detrimental philosophy that has the ability to permeate even the most cultured of nations.
News Brief
Shteiging, Shabbat, and a Whole Lot of Singing Boys' Night Seder Shabbaton
By Adam Poliak ('11)
STAFF WRITER
This past Shabbat, participants of the Boys' weekly Night Seder
program attended their second Shabbaton of the year. Just as in the
previous Shabbaton, the boys ate scrumptious dinners at the homes of
different Rebbeim, sang for hours at the tisch at the Horowitz
home, and rejoined for Shabbat lunch at the Tirschwells' where they were
honored to have a sicha, discussion,with esteemed
Torah scholar Rabbi Rabinovici. With more boys attending Night Seder
than ever before, the Shabbaton was definitely a success.
The students would like to thank the Rebbeim for graciously opening
up their homes to them and for expertly guiding the learning at
Wednesday Night Seder every week.
Check Mate The Month-Long Chess Tournament at WYHS
Following a month of intense competition, the second-ever WYHS
chess tournament officially concluded last week with its
highly-anticipated championship game. Twenty-two students and one
faculty member of varying skill levels participated in the tournament,
improving their skills over three rounds that led up to a
mini-tournament among the top three players.
Justin Stauber ('11),
co-head of the Chess Club, emerged as the champion, but the challenge
was truly enjoyed by all. "The tournament was well organized and just a
good experience," commented the co-head of the Chess Club, Zack
Raab ('10). Alex Stein ('11), who came in second place, felt that "the tournament gave him something to look
forward to during the school day." Similarly, Adam Barel ('11) noted
that "it was a nice break from my day of classes that allowed me to
socialize with a different group of people."
The Chess Club plays just for fun every Thursday during lunch
in Room 107 and is open to everyone. In the future, the club hopes to
participate in inter-school games and to hold another tournament even
bigger and better than this past one.
It All Adds Up! 9th and 10th Grade Math Competition
By Elana Kaminetsky ('12) STAFF WRITER
This past week, the ninth and tenth grade honors math students competed
against fellow advanced mathematicians across the country through the
American Mathematics Contests 10B (AMC) multiple choice exam. Students
who receive a score in the top one percent will be invited to take the
28th annual American Invitational Mathematical Examination (AIME) later
in the year.
The test proved to be challenging and intellectually stimulating,
requiring an advanced understanding in many algebraic, statistical,
trigonometric, geometric, and theoretical concepts. Despite its
difficulty, all of the students felt accomplished and enthusiastically
discussed the different strategic methods they utilized for certain
questions.
We were really fortunate to have this unique opportunity to put our
skills to the test, and we appreciate all of our teachers' assistance
in preparation for the exam.
Feature Story
Go Go Go Joseph!
The Drama Department's Unbelievable Rendition of "Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat"
Click on the image above to see the spectacular production in pictures
By Joshua Stadlan ('11) EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
With professional choreography, thirty eight masterful
singers and actresses, a live ensemble, a children's choir, a full crew, exquisite
costumes, elaborate sets, detailed props, memorable musical numbers, and two nights
of sold-out performances, the girls' Broadway-caliber rendition
of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was more than just simply
remarkable--it was a musical of biblical proportions.
Principal Mrs. Ora Lee Kanner, in her opening
remarks, highlighted the essence of the play-that dreams do come true. Sure enough, the play's message predicted its
own dazzling success.
The play, a culmination of six months
of rehearsal under the instruction of beloved English teacher and thespian visionary
Mrs. Elizabeth Saddler, astounded the audience with its brilliance and
exuberance in what has been, by far, WYHS's biggest production yet.
Every scene, from when the actresses
first appeared behind the translucent screen to the nine-minute megamix curtain call, featured entertaining songs and lively dances, each in its own unique musical genre with
corresponding costumes. The audience teared
up over Chana Leah Batt's ('12) Western-style "One More Angel in Heaven," rocked
with Pharaoh-Elvis-Hadassah Tirschwell's ('11) "Song of the King," hummed to Daniella
Eson's ('11) French ballad "Those Canaan Days," bopped along to Ariana Genet's
('12) calypso "Benjamin-Oh No Not He," and danced to the chorus's extravagant disco
hit, "Go Go Go Joseph."
Between the dances, the phenomenal narrators
Tarynn Katz ('10) and Sarah Katz ('12), in addition to the fantastic Joseph/Aliza
Friedman ('10), drew the audience into the storyline with their outstanding performances. Photo-realistic
camels and a full flight of stairs graced the set, while the local day school
children's choir (managed by sophomore Rashel Maikhor) and five-piece band greatly enhanced every musical
number.
While the play served as a debut for
many budding Broadway stars, it simultaneously marked the last performance for the
seasoned veterans. Senior actresses
Tarynn Katz, Aliza Friedman, Tamar Grunhaus, Esther Amram, Debbie Epstein, Daniella Lieberman, Sarah Shabtai, stage manager Shira Mayersdorf, "techies" Jackie Berger, Devora Gutman, and Rachel Danis will be greatly missed.
Thank you to Mrs. Saddler for her
extraordinary guidance, to all of the cast for their selfless dedication and
flawless performances, to Ana Flavia Zuim for her unbelievable musical direction, to Paola Dawson for her first-rate choreography, and to
the crew--the "techies"--for all of their behind-the-scenes work.
Having a Ball at WYHS's 2nd Annual Golf Tournament
By Shimmie Kaminetsky EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Our Second Annual Golf
Tournament took place on Monday, February 22 at the Grande Oaks
Golf Club in Fort Lauderdale. Although it rained throughout the night
and into the morning, the sixty six golfers who attended were treated to
a fantastic afternoon of golf, a delicious lunch, and a wonderful
dinner under beautiful skies.
When the golfers arrived, they received a gift bag filled with
snacks, a hat, a shirt, golf
balls, and an umbrella, courtesy of our sponsors. Following
lunch, the golf pro at Grande Oaks reviewed the procedures for the
tournament and the teams of four were off to eighteen holes of golf,
including several hole-in-one competitions, as well as several
additional contests including longest drive and closest to the pin.
The event concluded with a beautiful dinner catered by Lasko
Caterers and an awards ceremony. In addition to handing out the many
raffle prizes and awarding trophies to the winning teams and competition
winners, a presentation was made for tournament honoree, Abbey
Berkowitz in recognition of the Berkowitz family's long standing
commitment to WYHS.
Everyone who attended had a fantastic time and is looking forward
to next year's tournament. Thank you to tournament chairs Phil Baratz
and Gary Krasna and to the members of the golf tournament committee: Jay
Adler, Alan Berger, Usher Bryn, Doug Cohen, Sam Lasko, Ari Peal, and
Yitz Stern. Special thanks to our generous sponsors and to the many
volunteers who helped us over the course of the day.
Featurette
YUNMUN FUN! WYHS Participates in National Model UN Conference
By LeeLee Borzak ('10) SENIOR EDITOR
This year, eighteen WYHS students--the largest group so far--attended Yeshiva University's National Model United Nations (YUNMUN). Seasoned Model UN veterans and YUNMUN rookies made up the Model UN team which not only learned a lot, but also had fun.
In order to prepare for Model UN, students who represented either Spain, Ukraine, or the United Kingdom, intensely researched their countries and committees, learning
about the various, and sometimes complicated, actions and policies.
Once at the conference, students in their respective committees,
ranging from the International Labor Organization to the Security Council, eloquently spoke about their countries' view points and worked to solve real-life issues. Although it was Model UN, the issues that students faced in their committees occur today and are dealt with in the United Nations, among them nuclear proliferation, world hunger, genocide, and internet censorship.
Model UN gave each student the ideal opportunity to learn more about worldly issues and how to solve them. It really gave students a more global understanding of the world, and a more acute understanding of how to fix them.
Yasher Koach to the Model UN delegates Paul Hess ('11),
Chana Brauser ('10), Martha Baumgarten ('10), LeeLee Borzak ('10), Avi
Feldan('10), Shlomit Heering ('11), Ian Schiffman ('11), Ezra Kurtz
('12), Julie Harary ('11), Ronit Wallerstein ('11), Yitzchak Schultz
('10), Ilana Ben-Ezra ('10), Rebecca Dresner ('10), Shira Wolkowicz
('10), Justin Stauber ('11), and Sari Bronner ('10), and mazal tov to Joshua Stadlan ('11) and Hadassah Tirschwell ('11) on being named Best
Delegate in their respective committees.
A big thank you to Model
UN Faculty Advisor Mrs. Amy An for helping delegates throughout the
whole process, from leading weekly meetings to coming to the
conference.
In Focus
Discovery: Innovative Insight Aish Hatorah's Seminar at WYHS
By David Hopen ('12) STAFF WRITER
Last week, WYHS hosted esteemed speaker Rabbi Yaakov Salomon of Aish HaTorah's Discovery Program. Appealing
to the students' fundamental beliefs and engaging their
intrinsic ideology, the Discovery presentation sought to inspire and
strengthen religious convictions and address wavering doubts. The bright and
always inquiring students of WYHS received Aish HaTorah's renowned
program with diverse
and interesting reactions as enthralling discussions raged passionately
within the student body.
Students
found the presentation meaningful as it provided an interesting, more evidence-based
view of G-d, which offered a new perspective to their beliefs, while answering many questions people felt about G-d's
existence. Many
felt it "expanded their view on Judaism from faith to a prescribed
knowledge, allowing one to seek facts that G-d is behind and paving the
way for spiritual growth," and thanked WYHS for such a stimulating and
ardently eye-opening experience. This intellectual and almost
scientific view on the Torah and G-d also raised some questions amongst
the students, as some thought that codes and numbers are not
necessarily the way to relate to the Torah.
Especially
intriguing and time appropriate, the concluding Purimfest presentation,
which connected the hanging of the 10 sons of Haman and the hanging of
the 10 Nazis at the Nuremberg Trials in 1946, was a powerful ending
that students particularly enjoyed and appreciated. While many of these
alluring proofs provide much intellectual debate and internal
pondering, Discovery focused on furthering our understanding of the
Torah and the existence of G-d, and truly engaged students and teachers
alike in meaningful conversations.
Thank you so much to the Tripp,
Zimmeman, Saketkhou, Haar, Dolgow, and Rose families for sponsoring
this thought-provoking, interesting, and meaningful seminar.
Highlites interviewer Matthew Wolkowicz ('10) caught up with Rabbi Yaakov Salomon and asked him about his work with Aish HaTorah, an organization that focuses on creative Jewish education and leadership training, and his thoughts on the Discovery seminar in general.
Matthew Wolkowicz: Where are you from?
Rabbi Yaakov
Salomon: I was born in
Manhattan but now I live in Brooklyn so I travel a lot speaking to audiences,
mainly about Discovery but also about various other subjects.
MW: How were you introduced to this program?
RYS: Twenty years ago, Rabbi Matty Breier
from Aish Hatorah spoke about Discovery. I listened to him and I was blown away. When he concluded, I went up to him and said five words "I want to be you."
So, the next day I started training to become a Discovery speaker.
MW:What
has made you decide to stay with Discovery for so long?
RYS: I've spoken over 100 times and I'm
still amazed every time.
MW: How is the information discovered and
gathered for Discovery?
RYS: Most of this program was put together
by two scientists in the 1800's, Tzvi Inbal and Rabbi Shalom Serebnick, and
since then, we've just expanded the program.
MW:What is your favorite or most interesting sect of the program?
RYS: Definitely "transmission," which is
about what happened at Mount Sinai, because it's the most compelling evidence
that G-d is the author of the Torah. In my opinion, the most important part of
Discovery and Jewish history is two words-national revelation, which is that
the Jews are the only nation that claim that our Torah was given to our entire
nation by G-d, this is expounded upon in the "transmission" section of the
program.
MW: How do you hope the audiences will
respond to this presentation?
RYS: I hope to get people to look into
Judaism more and for people to study it more; I hope it improves their
education. I think of Discovery as the trailer to the Torah, and I ask that
after this presentation the audience wants to see the whole movie.
MW: What is the audience's usual reaction
to this presentation?
RYS: There is always a tremendous positive
response. In fact, we took a survey of totally secular audiences a year after
Discovery had been presented to them and it showed that 14% of those audiences
now kept Shabbat and 60% of them were now more involved in Judaism.
MW: What did you think of the few students
who attempted to find flaws in your evidence?
RYS: I think they are people who are always
thinking about the information they are told; they like to be challenged almost
as much as they like to challenge others.
Fashion
Taking the Runway by Storm WYHS's 2nd Annual Fashion Show
Click on the image above to see pictures of the stylish event
WYHS' second annual fashion show was a perfect opportunity to show how
girls can dress modestly and fashionably. After a light dinner and a
beautiful singing performance by Daniella Litwin ('10) and Tarynn Katz
('10), the students-turned-models hit the runway, sporting outfits that
ranged from dressy to casual and everything in between. Thanks so much
to Director of Student Activities Mrs. Shira Englander, to Lizzy
Markovitch ('10), and to Alix Greenberger ('10) for coordinating the chic
evening of fashion and fun.
News Brief
