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From the Desk of Mr. Shimmie Kaminetsky
A
Crowning Achievement
The Keter Society is a group of
dedicated benefactors who are deeply committed to ensuring the continued
excellence of WYHS.These generous
families make a significant four-year philanthropic commitment to our school.
The mishnah in Pirkei
Avot (4:17) states that there are three crowns - the Crown of Torah, the
Crown of Priesthood, and the Crown of Kingship. The Crown of a Good Name, the mishna
states, surpasses them all.We
have named each level of The Keter Society after one of these crowns.Keter Shem Tov members commit $36,000 per
year; Keter Kehuna members commit $18,000 per year; Keter Malchut members
commit $10,000 per year and Keter Torah members commit $6,000 per year.
Over the coming year we plan to
prepare a sign at the entrance to the school recognizing the families who have
joined the Keter Society.In
addition, members of The Keter Society receive a complimentary full page ad in a
special section of our Annual Journal and two tickets to attend the Journal
Dinner.We are also planning a
reception for our Keter Society members later this school year.
Special thanks to the current members
of our Keter Society including: Jay & Ellen Adler, Phil & Lisa Baratz,
Abbey & Helene Berkowitz, Howard & Carol Bienenfeld, Michael &
Darlene Bokor, Ben J. & Dorit Genet, David & Monica Genet, Stanley
& Ana Haar, Jeffrey & Jodi Harris, Moshe & Shari Hirth, Gary &
Judi Krasna, Jon & Ellen Lasko, Sam & Arlene Lasko, Bruce & Cindy
Nimhauser, Barry & Dana Schechter, Zorik & Ellen Spektor and Ted &
Linda Struhl.
Please make a commitment now,
during the Yamim Noraim season, to join our Keter Society.Our school counts on raising a
significant amount of money over the course of the year to help us balance our
budget.With your help, we can do
that and much more.Please email
me (msk@wyhs.net) if you can join or if you
have any questions.
I would like to extend my
personal best wishes to all of you for a G'mar Chatima Tova and Chag
Sameach.May our prayers this
Yom Kippur be answered and may we all be inscribed and sealed for a year of happiness,
health, and prosperity.
Mr. Shimmie Kaminetsky
Executive Director
Letters to the Editor
Do you have any comments or suggestions regarding this edition of Yeshiva Highlites?
Feedback will be featured in upcoming editions of the Highlites.
The Weeks Ahead
Tonight Upperclassmen Boys Dinner @Rebbeim & MAD Tisch @ the Tirschwells
Monday 9/28 Yom Kippur- No School
Tuesday 9/29 9:30am start with davening
Thursday 10/1- Monday 10/12 Succot Break No School
Good & Welfare
Mazel Tov Ahuva Fein on her engagement to Avi Press of Tampa
Noam Salamon ('01) on his article in RJJ Journal of Contemporary Halacha Vol. LVIII
Rabbi Elie Berkowitz on becoming a shoel umeishiv at Ohr Yesrushalayim
Dr. Steven & Judy Schultz on the bris of Eitan Lev Chaim
Refuah Shleima Simcha bat Luna
Dovid Menachem Chaim Halevi ben Esther Bayla
Condolences Avi Tansman on the loss of his mother
News Brief
A Night of Salad and Singing
The Girls' Kinnus Teshuvah
By Leora Litwin ('12)
On Thursday night, the 10th-12th grade girls had their annual Kinnus
Teshuvah program.
The students were invited over to their Judaic
teachers' homes for some shmoozing, dinner, and meaningful bonding
outside of school. Following the delicious meal, everyone met up in the
Mizrahi family's house, home of Michael ('10), Briana ('10) and
Gabrielle ('10), for a beautiful and powerful kumsitz. Students
and teachers with their arms around each other singing their hearts
out was truly an amazing sight.
Student Council president Daniella
Lieberman ('10) and Mrs. Amy Horowitz delivered inspirational Divrei Torah
focusing on this year's theme: 'Who am I?' Their impacting words really
led to deep thinking and introspection about who we are and who we want
to be.
Thank you so much to the Mizrahi family and to all the Judaic teachers
for graciously opening up their homes for this truly moving and
memorable evening.
News Brief
Let the Drama Begin
Tryouts for the Girls Musical
By Tarynn Katz ('10)
This year's auditions for the girls musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat
were a great success. The talent of all the girls in the room -- both
the seasoned drama veterans and the newcomers -- was very impressive.
In true WYHS spirit, everyone was helping each other out, despite the
fact that many girls were trying out for the same role. This musical is
sure to be exciting and energetic and may turn out to be the best
production WYHS has had yet!
Featurette
Saving Lives is in Our Blood
WYHS's First Blood Drive of the Year
By Joshua Stadlan ('11)
While
many of us have been praying for a happy, sweet, and prosperous new
year, others have had more fundamental prayers on their minds-
to live for another year.
This past
Wednesday, thirty-five WYHS students acted to ensure that over one-hundred people wouldn't have to question whether they'd survive another year.
Donating a pint of blood each to the South Florida Community Blood
Center for hospital- and kidney dialysis patients, the brave WYHS 'life'
donors were pleased with themselves; not because they had received cool
T-shirts and had missed a few minutes of class, but because they had
done one of the greatest acts of chesed,
loving-kindness: aiding the sick. Still, they were doing even more
than they were aware of-- for each unit of blood they donated, the
Community Blood Center made contributions to our scholarship assistance
fund.
All the donors agreed that donating blood was worth the
slight pain. After all, nobody fainted this time, though some donors
felt a bit queasy. Anyway, most regained their strength afterward by snacking on well-deserved cookies and bagels.
Of course,
the long line of eagerly waiting donors in front of the blood mobile
wouldn't have been possible if not for the diligent work of Director of Chesed and
Tzedakah Mrs. Heather Andron, and the committee chairs Rebecca Fuchs ('10) and Michael Feit ('10).
In Focus
Alumni in the Limelight
By the Highlites Staff
This past summer featured two WYHS alumni being published in acclaimed
literary works. Dov Lieber ('06) had a summer internship combining both
Zionism and intellectual skills: writing for the Jerusalem Post online
newspaper. Throughout the summer, he had an impressive sixteen articles
published.
Noam Salamon ('01) wrote an article entitled "Concierge" Medicine and Halacha, which was published in the Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society, a renowned book that discusses modern innovations in the context of halacha.
The proceeds of the sale will go towards funding the WYHS photography and videography program.
Multimedia
Picture of the Week
Pictured: Rabbi Tirschwell showing off his new workout routine in a Teshuvah Drashah to the boys about a unique type of exercise (Selichot) that may improve our spiritual health.
Culture WYHS Art Class
As cultured individuals, WYHS students express themselves through art, writing, and thought. This section of the Yeshiva Highlites will serve as a showcase of select student works, from poetry to art pieces, as featured this week.
Ancient Civilizations
Ariel Haar ('13), Greek Vase
AP Studio Art
Samara Dennis ('11), A Study of Positive & Negative Space
SpiritualityD'var Torah
Listen Up!
Parshat Ha'Azinu
By Racheli Mizrahi ('11)
This week's parshah, Parshat Haazinu begins with the
words: "Haazinu hashamayim ve'adaberah," meaning, "Listen, O heavens, and I
will speak."
When hearing these words, a person may wonder why the
word "listen" would appear before "speak". Obviously, in order for one to
listen, another must first speak; so why doesn't Hashem begin by saying, "I
will speak and you will listen"?
This single pasuk is here to teach us an incredible
life lesson. We must first be open to hearing before another can speak. Therefore,
Hashem asks us to truly listen before He can tell us what we need to hear.
In life, one can choose what he wants to hear around
him, and what he wishes to ignore. We have the wonderful gift of selective
hearing. The lesson of this parshah is to truly open ourselves up and be able to
hear what we need to hear, although it may be difficult at times. For example, a
mother may tell her child to clean his room. Is the child really going to clean
the room? This depends on his willingness to listen to his mother. This same
phenomenon occurs between us and Hashem.
Hashem wants to bestow upon us so much
good, but must wait until we take the first step, listening.
This week's parshah teaches us that
if we are ready to grow this coming year, we must be open to this change.
Only then will Hashem really make it happen. We must remember that Hashem always wants what is best for us and truly wants us to grow.
With Yom Kippur rapidly approaching, may we learn to
not just hear what we want to hear, but the truth that we need to hear. With
this concept in mind, may we take the first step to bettering ourselves this
coming year.
From the Desk of 
