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April 27, 2018
12th of Iyyar, 5778
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Parshat Achrei Mot-Kedoshim
Candle Lighting at 7:33 PM
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Building Blocks of Kedusha
The Gemara raises the question of how the construction workers were able to build the Beit Hamikdash without violating the prohibition of deriving personal benefit from holy property. Wouldn't the workers inevitably sit in the shade of the large stones they chiseled? Wouldn't they inevitably lean on the construction materials when they needed a break? The gemara answers that בונים בחול ואחר כך מקדישים. Initially, the building process was just a regular construction job and only afterward, once construction was complete, did the Beit Hamikdash acquire its consecrated status; this explains how the workers were able to benefit personally from the mundane materials during the construction process. Rav Kook uses this idea of בונים בחול ואחר כך מקדישים as a blueprint for building the State of Israel as well. He explained that the State of Israel needs to be built first and then afterward it is our job to make sure that it is holy. This is the blueprint of Religious Zionism.
This spirit of support for the State of Israel was on display last week when we all celebrated Yom Haatzamut together with so many other South Florida Jewish students at the big event at Marlins Park, which you can read about below. Our students were filled with unbridled enthusiasm as they sang and danced in celebration of Israel's 70th birthday.
Similarly, this past Sunday we celebrated another version of בונים בחול ואחר כך מקדישים as we celebrated at the KYHS annual dinner. This year we honored President Lisa and Phil Baratz and Athletic Director Rachel Yudewitz, as well as those who contributed to the capital campaign which made our incredible new facility a reality. Just as Rav Kook pointed out regarding the nascent State of Israel, so too regarding our school. Our building is magnificent, but it is just a building. The learning and growth that take place in our building are what make this a holy place. Thank you to Lisa and Phil Baratz for their support and leadership and thank you to Rachel Yudewitz for her support of all of our students and for raising our athletic program to the next level.
Rabbi Jonathan Kroll
Head of School
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Upcoming Events
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Thu. May. 3
Last day of Senior Classes
Fri-Sat. May. 4-5
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Good and Welfare
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Births
Ilana Borzak ('05) and Mateo Aceves on the birth of their son, Jay Zelig.
Jeremy ('05) and Chani Gelbart on the birth of their son, Jacob.
Meghann (Colton '02) and Ben Schwartz on the birth of their son, Moshe Yitzchak.
Engagements
Adam Poliak ('11) to Gracie Milstein from New York, NY
Ariella Davis ('09) to Lior Sameah from Herzeliya, Israel
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Lisa And Phil Baratz And Rachel Yudewitz Honored At Annual Journal Dinner
Article by
Chani Kaminetsky ('20)
This past Sunday evening, KYHS held its Annual Journal Dinner honoring Lisa and Phil Baratz, and Rachel Yudewitz. The evening began with a delicious buffet dinner shared with friends, family, and faculty.
Following dinner, Shimmie Kaminetsky welcomed everyone and thanked the many people who worked so hard on putting together the beautiful evening. He then presented a bittersweet farewell gift to Shira Englander, beloved Program Director. Mr. Kaminetsky also acknowledged the many donors to the Capital Campaign and recognized them for their generosity in making the dream of our new campus a reality.
The program continued with video tributes to our honorees from friends, students, school administration and family members. Following award presentations, each of the honorees spoke, sharing meaningful remarks and thank you's. A beautiful dessert buffet followed in The Weinbaum Rotunda.
This year's dinner was extremely special as it took place in our very own new building. Everyone was able to take a tour of the building led by Zack Ben-Ezra, Sivan Mussaffi, and myself. Those seeing the school for the first time were truly shocked and in awe of how incredible our building is.
Thank you to all who made this incredible dinner possible and mazal tov to the honorees!
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Students Let Loose Their Inner Thespians In First Annual Monologue Competition
Graphic by Highlites Staff
Article by
Ariella Gross ('21)
To win or not to win, that was the question. Last Monday, students and teachers gathered in the Beit Midrash for the first annual monologue competition, the beginning of many co-curricular events to be organized by the English department. Students performed famous monologues from various literary works, ranging from Shakespeare to Rabbi Kroll's d'var torah from this year's Shabbaton. "I personally love reading and had a blast at the monologue competition. Even though I didn't win, it was still cool to watch others perform. The school should totally have events like this more often!" contestant, Ellie Nagler ('21), remarked. Congratulations to Meir Lazar (1st), Talia Stauber (2nd), and Chen Ohana (3rd) on their hard work and amazing performances!
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Remembering the Fallen, Saving the Wounded
Students Watch Film Featuring Wounded Soldiers, The Challenges They Face, And How They Move On
Graphic by Akiva Splaver ('18)
Article by Meital Fixler ('19)
Last Wednesday, students and teachers commemorated Yom Hazikaron by wearing green and watching an eye-opening movie called
When the Smoke Clears
, highlighting individual stories of injured soldiers whose lives were altered forever in an effort to protect the land of Israel. People often overlook injured soldiers on Yom Hazikaron, focusing solely on those who have lost their lives, but this year, students were encouraged to memorialize those that perished and salute those that worked to overcome the traumas of war as well. Following the movie, students left the beit midrash in awe, with a greater appreciation for our חיילים. The soldiers who spoke in the movie inspired students to remain hopeful and grateful, as they were able to combat horrible tragedies, such as seeing their friends die in battle, and create an organization called "Brothers for Life," that established a sympathetic community for wounded soldiers. Students were also given the opportunity to learn about fallen soldiers and perform an act of kindness in their honor. The Yom Hazikaron program truly left a strong impression on students, preparing them to celebrate Yom Haatzmaut with a proper acknowledgment of the sacrifices made to establish the State of Israel.
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Students Celebrate Yom Ha'atzmaut At Marlins Park With Other Schools
Graphic by Liora Mayer ('19)
Article by
Jacqueline Zimmerman '19
ssss As a proudly Zionist school, KYHS was solely filled with celebratory enthusiasm on Yom Haatzmaut. Last Thursday, eleven schools gathered together at Marlins Park in Miami to celebrate Israel's 70th birthday. Despite a range in religious background and location, the schools all proudly joined as they marched around the Marlins' home field. Over 3,000 students and faculty members commemorated this milestone by singing, dancing, waving Israeli flags, and cheering for our beloved country. Students had the privilege of hearing Lior Hayat, the Israeli Consul -General of Miami's opening remarks, followed by a speech from the Mayors of Miami and Bal-Harbour. With a tremendous amount of ruach, IDF soldiers sang Israeli music and brought out even more celebration in the crowd. Participating in this event allowed KYHS students to feel like part of an Israeli-style Yom Haatzmaut, despite the multitude of miles in between South Florida and Israel, making it an incredibly memorable experience. Thank you to the Falic Family Foundation, The Israeli Consulate, Oren Katta, and Samantha Lehrman for making this program possible. Your generosity and commitment to Israel will forever remain greatly appreciated.
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KYHS Brings Israel To School With Shuk, Israeli Flags, And Decorations
Graphic by Shmuel Gross ('19)
Article by
Al Dimont ('20)
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How well does our school know Israel? Well, if eating 70 pitas while learning 70 facts about 70 years of Israel's history is indicative of anything, it must be that KYHS students' knowledge is prolific. Last week, the entire student body participated in Israel Education Week in honor of Yom Haatzmaut and Yom Hazikaron. On Monday morning, students came in to find the walls decorated with facts about Israel. Students walked around the building hunting for each of the facts in order to learn more about our holy land. In total, there were 70 facts pasted about Israel, ranging from geography to politics. For example, some facts educated students about early Zionist movements, while others explained Israeli foreign affairs. In addition to the facts hanging on the walls, undulating Israeli flags were strung near ceilings and across air vents. During lunch one day, students were invited to an Israeli "shuk" where they had the option of buying Israeli snacks, like Bissli or Bamba. By the end of lunch, most of the snacks were gone, proving the program's success. Next to the snack table, students rushed to make their own pita from flour, oil, water, and spices. After they finished flattening, students put their pitas on a hot, round plate to cook. The joy in the bakers' eyes when they took their first bites into their fresh pitas was visible. Aaron Gross ('20) commented, "I really enjoyed being able to experience the shuk market. The snacks, pitas, and flags made me feel as if I was in the Israel more than any other place around the world." For the next few days the whole building smelled of freshly baked bread, reminding students of their home away from home.
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Seniors Join March Of The Living In Emotional Journey Through Poland And Israel
Graphic by Noa Markovitz ('19)
Interview by Eli Litwin ('18)
March of the Living Interview With Ariela Bengio
What was the most powerful/meaningful part of the March of the Living for you?
I have to say that I had two such moments. One instance was when I was standing in front of a mass grave of Jewish children with Mrs. Kanner and several KYHS girls, and we were singing Hamalach Hagoel to kids whose parents stopped singing it for them, to kids who stopped hearing its nightly recitation too early in their lives. The second most powerful part of my journey was experiencing Majdanek, a Nazi concentration and death camp. The camp's existence felt so real in contrast to other camps which felt more like museums. I especially found that my first-hand experience in the crematoria, hearing R' Broide say kaddish, was particularly moving.
How was the transition going from Poland to Israel?
I've always been a huge lover of Israel and have always been involved in Israel clubs, programs, and advocacy. After going to Poland and then traveling straight to Israel, I have a newfound appreciation for Israel, greater than I have ever had in the past. After hearing about how many countries and places turned their backs on the Jews during the Holocaust, many of those countries not even fulfilling their allotted immigrant quotas, and being totally disgusted, I am exceedingly proud that we have our own country and are able to defend ourselves, the Jewish nation.
Did you appreciate going on a pluralistic program/all affiliations?
Being on a pluralistic program showed me the unity of our religion despite an individual's practice. I was with many people whose entire knowledge and sphere of Judaism amounted to one day of Yom Kippur, that's it. Shabbat, kashrut, Torah reading, was foreign to them. Although it is unfortunate that we were united as a result of a shared, dark past, I appreciated experiencing the March of the Living with them; the Holocaust is tragedy that all Jews feel. Additionally, I enjoyed their fervor and questions regarding my practices as an Orthodox Jew. I felt that in some way I was able to give them a better glimpse into Orthodox Judaism that, hopefully, left them with a lasting, positive impression.
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Girls Who Code Club Attends Startup Conference In Miami
Graphic by Avi Linzer ('19)
Article by
Adina Hirsch ('19)
Even in today's day and age, female high school students are significantly less likely to pursue a college major or career in STEM than their male peers (15% vs. 44%). In order to combat these overwhelming statistics,
this past Tuesday, the Girls who Code club, lead by Michal Amar ('18) and Batsheva Shekhter ('20),
attended the
eMerge Americas Startup Conference in Miami. The Girls who Code club began the conference by watching hundreds of startups pitch their innovative ideas. There were different stages with prestigious members of the tech world such as CEO of Venmo, Comcast and, Visa, who spoke about their respective companies. During the conference, the club mainly attended speeches at the Women in Technology stage, hearing from strong, successful women making an impact in the tech world. Following the speeches, the girls had the opportunity to meet many female journalists, entrepreneurs, and CEOs of companies. The women spoke about the necessity for more girls to pursue careers in the STEM field. Batsheva Shekhter reflected on her experience at the conference, noting, "It was very interesting to see entrepreneurs incorporating technology into practically every industry to create helpful innovations. We were able to meet inspirational women in high corporate positions in tech companies who empowered the entire club." Attending the eMerge Americas Startup Conference conveyed the idea that women can rise up in the tech world, further encouraging club members to pursue their STEM talents. KYHS can't wait to see these girls go full STEAM ahead into the future!
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The Yeshiva Highlites Staff
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