February 22, 2019                           17  Adar I 5779

TABC's Legal Holiday Shiurim series continued on Monday with a President's Day shiur by Rabbi Daniel Fridman. The shiur focused on the diverse range of attitudes in rabbinic literature to representatives of government, concerning the balance between the respect required for government officials, חלקו כבוד למלכות, with a rejection of naiveté regarding agendas which governments may have, הוו זהירים ברשות.  Second, the shiur developed the obligation of praying for the government as relating to one of three imperatives:  the need to avoid the chaos of the state of nature, a general sense that the welfare of the government will protect the Jewish people, or, most ambitiously, the notion that in praying for the government, we ultimately are praying for all of humanity, those whom the government represents.  The shiur concluded with a discussion of the responsibilities of leadership, the need to shape and mold the environment around oneself, whether one is in a formal position of authority or in a position to impact, in expanding concentric circles, one's family, one's community, and then, the entire world.  We are proud to consistently have a nice crowd join us for optional learning on days off from school.

TABC congratulates Benjy  Meiner  '19, Avraham Kahan '19, and Mikey Schwartz '20 for successfully completing the Jerusalem Science Contest curriculum this year. The students studied a curriculum on Molecular Biology, along with the Torah considerations governing the ethics of such study. The contest included 7 exams and a research paper spaced out over the course of the year.  Mikey Schwartz placed 3rd in the country in the contest, and Avraham Kahan   placed 4th, both high enough to win trips to both Chicago next week (to present their research) and Israel in late May as their awards. We wish them both much success on each of the trips!

This was TABC at its best.  Nearly eighty members of the TABC family - administrators, rebbeim, faculty, alumni and current students - banded together to learn Mishnayot in memory and honor of Saul Friedman '97 who died in tragic circumstances in late December.  Special kudos to those who learned many perakim in memory of Saul. In particular, junior Ephraim Helfgot, who learned all of Masechet Keilim and Masechet Ohalot, deserves special commendation. These masechtot comprise the 48 most challenging Perakim in all of Shas Mishnayot!

The Siyum of all of Shas Mishnayot was held on Tuesday, February 5, the first day of Rosh Chodesh Adar I.  All of Saul's siblings and their spouses gathered for this event. Saul's brother Dov, Rabbi Adler and Rabbi Ezra Frazer '97 each spoke and noted that the spirit of brotherhood which permeated the building in 1997 is retained even today, despite TABC being a dramatically larger school at this point.  Rabbi Jachter, who spearheaded and organized this event, made the siyum.

The family was incredibly moved by the tremendous outpouring of support from the dozens and dozens of students who gathered for the siyum to honor Saul.  They felt enormously supported knowing that the entire TABC community, most of whom never met Saul z"l, banded together to show their late brother such great honor.  As more and more students piled into to the auxiliary lunchroom where the siyum was held, Saul's family became more and more visibly moved by what was for them an unexpected outpouring of support.  

Rabbi Jachter felt it was well worth all the effort since it provided the family much needed comfort and support at this difficult time and elevated Saul's neshama.  This was a profound expression of the deep sense of brotherhood fostered at TABC. Deeply caring for each other and making an emotional investment to help others during their time of difficulty is a mark of a strong sense of brotherhood that transcends age and grade levels at TABC.  The feeling is shared by alumni and current students alike as evidenced by the vigorous response to appeals to participate in the siyum. This siyum was truly TABC at its best.

Avi Dahan, father of Elior '19 and Jacob '21 spoke to the Y12 shuir about his personal journey and the importance of having a growth oriented mindset. He also spoke about the importance of Emunah and seeing Hashem in our daily lives. He told very captivating stories of how Hashem made miracles occur in his lifetime. The students were very engaged and he was a great role model for them!

TABC Wrestling at Wittenberg Tournament

The TABC Storm laid it all out on the mat earning 4th place out of 12 teams at this year's Henry Wittenberg Invitational Tournament. Special recognition goes to junior Mikey Schwartz and senior Ben Antosofsky who finished first in their weight classes at 120 and 138 respectively. Senior Gabe Greenberg took runner up in the 152 slot, and senior Asher Powers and sophomore Gedaliah Akselrod finished 3rd in the 195 and 220 divisions. Max Schechter (senior co-captain) won the prestigious Aryeh "Captain Lou" Zinkin Yeshiva Wrestling Award.  Sponsored by the Zinkin family, this award grants $1,800 to one Wittenberg participant each year who has travelled a similar road as Aryeh - defying the odds to pursue their Torah identity while demonstrating a commitment to the advancement of the Jewish community. TABC is proud of its student athletes and their middot on and off the court.

TABC Brings Two Wins in One Night

Thursday night was a great night for the STORM!

JV Hockey topped DRS 5-1 to advance to the championship!	JV Basketball beat Ramaz 63-39 to advance to the quarterfinals!

Join us to cheer on the STORM in these upcoming games!