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April 13, 2018
28th of Nisan, 5778
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Candle Lighting at 7:25 PM
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Israel is designated as a land that flows with milk and honey. Although the honey may actually refer to date honey, Chazal also understand the verse as referring to bees' honey. Although the honey they produce is kosher, bees themselves are not kosher. Couldn't the Torah have chosen a more "kosher feature" of the Land of Israel to describe its beauty? Why focus on the honey? What's so special about honey? Perhaps we can suggest that bees' honey teaches us a very important lesson about Judaism. Although bees themselves are not kosher and although a bee can sting, bees do produce honey, which is kosher and sweet.
As Jews we are meant to take the mundane world and sanctify it. We are instructed to take that which may be imperfect or unholy, that which may sting, and make it holy and sweet. KYHS students have recently begun to learn the science and art of beekeeping. You can read more about that below. I hope that we will all learn the lessons that bees can teach us as we strive to infuse the world with holiness and sweetness. Thank you to the Highlites staff for another superb edition.
Rabbi Jonathan Kroll
Head of School
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Good and Welfare
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Births
Ilana (Kaminetsky '12) and Yosef Pener on the birth of their daughter, Miriam Leah and to proud grandparents KYHS Executive Director Mr. Shimmie and Beth Kaminetsky.
Sofia (Peimani '09) and Emanuel Haghighat on the birth of their son, Moshe David.
Oren ('07) and Mushky Hizkiya on the birth of their son, Maimon Yosef.
Sarah (Buzaglo '06) and David Attias on the birth of their son, Ezra Eliyahu.
Marriages
Daniella Lieberman ('10) to David Neifled from London, England.
Faculty Mazel Tovs
Mrs. Rachey (Berkowitz '07) and Rabbi Ari Mirzoeff on the birth of their son, Moshe Chaim.
Condolences
Mrs
. Pamela Turk, Founding President of KYHS, and to Mrs. Chava (Turk '02) Epstein, KYHS Faculty Member, on the passing of their beloved father and grandfather, Mr. Jerome Dave.
Mrs. Shari Hirth on the passing of her beloved father, Mr. Charles Samowtiz.
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Students Learn About Other Aspects of the Holocaust, Human Courage and Righteousness, on Yom Hashoah
Article by Adina Hirsch ('19)
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While the Holocaust embodies the epitome of humanity's evil, it also shines light on the extent of humanity's courage and heroism. This year, the Yom HaShoah program at KYHS provided students with a new perspective on the Holocaust that commemorated the humanity and bravery displayed by the Jews and the Righteous Gentiles, rather than focusing on inhumane atrocities.
sssssssThe day began with class discussions about those awarded the Righteous Among the Nations status. Students were surprised to learn that Yad Vashem awarded more than 26,000 people this distinguished honor.
sssssssFollowing class discussions, students gathered to hear opening remarks from Mrs. Naomi Gross and Dr. Marlene Warshawki Yahalom, Yad Vashem's North American Education Coordinator. Mrs. Gross explained why sharing her grandparents' Holocaust survival story remains so important to her. Dr. Yahalom spoke about the role of Yad Vashem and introduced the BESA exhibit, an informative exhibit about Albania's Righteous Among the Nations.
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Thanks to Rinat Tzubeli ('18), this year's featured Holocaust speaker, Hana Gaon, shared her personal story of survival. Mrs. Gaon explained how her prosperous life in Sarajevo was turned upside down with the start of the Holocaust. When her father was sent to a concentration camp, her mother took their family's safety into her own hands, arranging - with the help of a Muslim friend - for Hana and herself to forge documents and escape to Mostah. Soon after, Hana and her mother were caught and sent to a detention camp for two years, where, Hana noted, the morale was always hopeful. Hana then got pneumonia and went with her mother to a hospital in Yugoslavia. There, a woman hid Hana and her mother and one night the woman's husband took them with partisans on a two-month journey through the mountains. Throughout this treacherous journey, food was scarce and travel was only permitted at night. Finally, Hana and her mother arrived in Italy where they went on a transport to the United States. Hana and her mother would not have survived the atrocities of the Holocaust without their immense courage and without the heroism of righteous non-Jews.
sssssssIn the spirit of honoring the Righteous among the Nations, students watched an abridged version of "The Zookeeper's Wife," a movie which recognizes the immense bravery of Antonina Zabinski and Dr. Jan Zabinski. Throughout the war, the Zabinskis successfully saved over 300 Jewish people at the Warsaw Zoo. Students were overwhelmed with emotion and were in awe over the incredible amount of selflessness and courage portrayed by the Zabinskis.
ssssssThe program concluded with an emotional candle lighting ceremony in memory of the over 6 million victims of the Holocaust, lead by Holocaust survivors who are residents of the Forest Trace Senior Living Center.
sssssssThank you to the Gross family for sponsoring this powerful event and thank you to Yad Vashem for loaning us the BESA exhibit. Students at this year's Yom HaShoah program truly gained a new understanding of the Holocaust.
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To Bee or Not to Bee
Members of KYHS's New Bee Club Form Personal Relationships With Lots of Feisty Little Stingers
Graphic by Justin Isaacs ('19)
Article by Kayla Bensmihen ('19)
Just behind the gym lives a family of more than 20,000 members. Led by the queen Bee (no, not Beyonce), the bees gather in an apiary and live their lives as they would in a normal hive, collecting pollen and creating honey. Members of the KYHS Bee Club have the incredible opportunity to learn about bees in a way that wouldn't be possible in a normal classroom environment. Students aren't the only people excited for this club. Head of school Rabbi Kroll, exclaimed, "I'm really excited that our students will be exposed to apiary studies and learn the science of beekeeping. This is a great opportunity for students to learn hands-on about ecology and to also help produce honey for the community. Students are already buzzing with excitement. I'm grateful to Dr. Zorik and Ellen Spektor for making this happen and to our expert beekeeper, Dr. Leo Gosser."
Dr. Gosser, a beekeeper for many years, not only teaches the students about the different types of bees and pollen, but also retells stories of his personal experiences. Notably, Gosser once experienced the insurmountable pain of being stung 100 times in the span of one day. Definitely wouldn't want to BEE him! The bee club is so popular at KYHS that it even combats "senioritis". Zack Ben Ezra, a senior at KYHS and member of the bee club says, "Not only does the beekeeping club set KYHS uniquely apart from other schools, but it also teaches students an interesting skill and the important role bees play in the ecosystem." Whether you're used to being on the sports field, in the band, or in the art room, this club attracts all kinds of people with different interests. The ability to learn and understand how bees live and to have a close interaction with them makes this club one of the coolest at KYHS! So, are you ready to BEEcome a member?!
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Life Skills Club Brings Back Popular Self Defense Lesson For Second Year In A Row
Graphic by Akiva Stadlan ('19)
Article by Akiva Splaver ('18)
A common concern among high school students is the lack of practical life skills taught in the typical school curriculum. Attempting to solve this problem, I created the Life Skills Club, a place where students can grow and feel comfortable about transitioning into the adult world. This week, I brought in self defense trainer and former police officer, John Riddle, to show students basic maneuvers in self defense and techniques for keeping oneself safe. How often do we go outside alone in an unfamiliar place and feel unsafe? Unfortunately, pretty often, I'm sure. At the presentation, we practiced getting out of choke holds, zip ties, and duct tape, etc. The instructor, standing in the middle of a circle of KYHS students, had students repeatedly attempt to escape his crushing hold using the techniques he showed us. When they could escape, they were surprised to see how effective a little training can be. I hope to inspire students to take action to resolve issues they perceive, like I did with the Life Skills Club. The club meets periodically and is planning to bring in a tax expert in the coming weeks.
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One Nation, Different Destinations
KYHS Students Went Multiple Places For Pesach, As Demonstrated By This Great Graphic Below
Graphic by Akiva Stadlan ('19)
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Sophomores Practice Acing the ACT
Graphic by Josh Bernten ('20)
Article by Al Dimont ('20)
The KYHS tenth grade students had the special opportunity of taking a practice ACT.
This allowed students to get a feel for the test and helped them figure out if they want to take the ACT or the SAT as they anticipate college entrance exams. Mrs. Roberts, Director of College Guidance, explains, "The PreACT, coupled with the PSAT, exposes sophomores to standardized tests, their similarities and differences, in a familiar, risk-free setting so that they can plan ahead and better prepare for their future college admissions exams."
All tenth graders spent the morning taking the exam, bubbling questions pertaining to grammar, reading, math, and science. Students mentioned that they now feel much more prepared for the real test.
Akiva Rosenthal ('20) notes, "I feel like I finally understand how the ACT works. People speak about it but actually trying it out has really helped me."
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The Yeshiva Highlites Staff
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