Graphic by Ariella Mayer ('23)

Noach and his family exit the ark. God calls over to Noach and gives him the good news: Noach and his family had front-row seats for the farewell performance. God would never again bring a flood like the one they had just experienced. And just to dispel any doubt regarding His credibility, Hashem says, “I have placed my rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the agreement between Me and the world” (Bereishit 9:13). The rainbow that we all see at the end of a heavy Florida storm reminds us that God has not forgotten his promise and will never wash us out again. Interestingly, I recall my elementary school science teacher having a different rationale for the existence of rainbows. It involved a conversation about reflection and refraction. The dispersion of sunlight in water droplets. Prisms and color spectrums. It was a very detailed scientific explanation for why rainbows appear in the sky, having nothing to do with Noach, a flood, or a promise. So which one is it? The Ramban (Bereishit 9:12) clarifies that these two explanations are not contradictory, but complementary. The rainbow as a natural meteorological phenomenon already existed in last week’s parsha, Parshat Bereishit, from the beginning of creation. The beautiful, multicolored post-storm marvel was always a part of the natural order. What was modified in this week’s parsha was the added significance that God attached to the rainbow after the flood. From this point forward, the rainbow was no longer just celestial eye candy, but a reminder to humankind of Hashem’s promise and benevolence.  Historically, the Ramban continues, a bow and arrow has always been a sign of war. When soldiers went to battle, they would hold the side of the bow facing away from their bodies, ready to shoot arrows at their adversary. Conversely, the sign of a ceasefire was when the aggressors would reverse the direction of the bow and arrow, indicating a laying down of their weapons. By turning the bow away from the opposing side, much like the upward direction of the rainbow, the message was clear: no more fighting.  The next time we look out our window after a storm and spot a rainbow in the sky, we’re not just going to observe a collection of kaleidoscopic water fractals. We’re going to see Hashem looking down on us from above, giving us a wink and telling us not to worry—He remembers. Good Shabbos, Rabbi Lanner

Juniors Take the "W" Rosh Chodesh Trivia Leads to the First Junior Victory of the Year

Graphic by Rebecca Adler ('23) and Olivia Kahane ('23) Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan was this past week and, in celebration, each grade’s hallway was decorated with their official grade color. Additionally, during first period on Monday, the entire school played a panoply trivia game led by Mrs. Hochner and Rabbi Wolk. They prerecorded the game so every class could participate from their respective classrooms, and they filled the game with trivia questions like “What’s that SkyLine” and “Guess the Staff Baby Picture.” “I thought the Rosh Chodesh activity was really fun,” Lizi Bugay (‘22) said. “I enjoyed figuring out the answers with my classmates and having a break from our math class. I especially liked the round where we had to guess the song and movie and thought that was the easiest round.” Mrs. Hochner explained that, with COVID making running programs more difficult, she was so happy we were able to have a program “apart but together.” She added, “We were so happy to be able to start the month with something fun, and I loved the energy in the building that morning, hearing everyone play in their respective classrooms. That, coupled with the decorations that I spent last week hanging up in each hallway, helped make it feel the way a KYHS Rosh Chodesh should feel.” The junior class won the panoply and gained points for their grade in the ongoing school wide Nafshenu competition.  Article by Carol Kornworcel ('21)

Zoom Vs. School Competing Over Lunch, the Most Important Period of the Day

Graphic by Orly Dimont ('23)

This week, we surveyed students regarding which lunch break is better: remote learners’ at-home experience or in-person lunches at school. With 58% of the vote, lunch at home was revealed to be more popular. Sophia Pearl, who is in school, and Zvi Landes, a remote learner, share their lunchtime experiences.  What do you usually do during your lunch time? Hang out with friends? Work? Play video games?  Sophia: I eat and hang out with my friends. I like to take a break from my work during lunch.  Zachary: I would usually be with my friends at school like last year; now it’s more flexible. I would say it’s usually a mix between work, college applications, and helping out around the house.  What do you find challenging about your lunch? How do you feel about being home without other students or being at school but socially distanced? What do you feel is missing in your lunch?  Sophia: It’s difficult for me to stay socially distanced from my friends since it is not the norm. However, I would much rather be in school with my friends than at home alone. Lunch is a great opportunity to speak to new people and create new relationships, especially at the beginning of the year.   Zachary: I definitely miss being with my friends, but otherwise I wouldn’t say anything is missing really.  Lunch is an integral part of the day for students. How has this change from the traditional cafeteria-style lunch to the unconventional lunch affected you?  Sophia: The difference between regular lunch and lunch under conditions of a pandemic has really affected me. Normally, during lunch, I would take time to play basketball but now I can’t. I also dislike the fact that I have to sit so far away from my friends; it’s so hard for me to interact with people from a distance.  Zachary: Lunch in the building used to be a good way to stretch my legs and walk around for a bit between the cafeteria, my locker, and other classes. Now it’s really up to me to move around regularly, so I try to do so during lunch. Usually, I take my dog outside and get some stuff done around the house. It’s good to take a break from staring at a screen for most of the day.  Why do you prefer your lunchtime location?  Sophia: I prefer lunch in school because it provides me the opportunity to socialize with friends. Meanwhile, at home, I am normally bored with nobody to talk to.  Zachary: Flexibility. I can really do anything I need to during that time.  Article by Mishael Sommers ('23)

New Faces, Different Places, Who is MTM? Researcher, Athlete, Historian, and So Much More

Graphic by Leeanne Mizrahi-Mann ('23)

Where are you from? I grew up in a small town called Cullman, AL. More recently, though, I've been living in Arlington, VA, just outside of Washington, DC. What do you like to do during your free time? Do you have any hobbies?  I have a lot of hobbies! Generally, though, in my free time, I like to go hiking, kayaking, and running. Before COVID, I was training for the Chicago Marathon, and I hope to still be able to do that next year! What is your biggest accomplishment?  My biggest accomplishment was probably winning the Fulbright Award to do research in Austria for a year. I was one of only three people to win the Austrian Fulbright that year. The application was a year-long process that involved interviews, a massive application, tests, etc. It was a huge achievement and an amazing experience! What inspired you to go into education?  I've always had a love of history since before high school, but I never felt like it was made very interesting for young people. It was just taught as a list of names and dates that you had to memorize on a timeline. So, I became a teacher because I felt like I could take my passion for history and make it interesting and (more importantly) relevant to students' everyday lives! What's your favorite time period in history and why? I've always loved the 19th century in Europe. It was such an amazingly dynamic time in European history, with new ideas emerging all the time! It's amazing to see how those ideas came about, and what consequences they had today, for good or for ill.  How has your experience been teaching on Zoom so far? What are the pros and cons? Teaching on Zoom is definitely challenging. The biggest con is that I don't get to see people in person, and that can make it a bit more difficult to make a connection. But the biggest pro is that we can all stay a bit more safe in the face of the pandemic. Nothing beats the ability to keep people from being sick. Also, for me, one big pro has been that I've been able to start teaching immediately before moving down to Boca Raton (which I will be doing very shortly). What is the most unique thing about KYHS that you've seen so far? I love how dedicated the students are! It's rare to find a school where everyone seems to be engaged and willing to learn, even if the subject isn't their favorite in the world. That is truly unique! Article By Molly Seghi ('22)

Guess Who? Can You Guess the Face Behind the Mask?

Graphic by Abby Rosenthal ('23) and Rivka Reich ('24)

Highlites Staff