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November 30, 2018
22nd of Kislev, 5779
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Candle Lighting at 5:10 PM
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Seeing the Good in Others
In this week's parsha, Yaakov sends Yosef to check up on his brothers who are out shepherding. Yaakov's instructions are: לך נא ראה את שלום אחיך, which is generally translated as, "Go now and see how your brothers fare." But Reb Simcha Bunim of Pshischa reads it differently: "Go now and see the שלימות of your brothers." Yaakov instructed Yosef to look for the positive attributes of his brothers, not the negative ones. That's the key to developing deep relationships. If, instead of focusing on that which frustrates us about a friend, we are able to focus on that which we love about them, then our friendships will be so much more fulfilling and our lives can be so much more joyous.
May we all merit the ability to see the שלימות of all of our brothers and sisters.
Thank you to the entire Hollywood community for hosting the Hollywood Family Shabbaton this Shabbat. We are all looking forward to an uplifting Shabbat filled with ruach, camaraderie and שלימות.
Thank you to the Highlites staff for another great issue.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Jonathan Kroll
Head of School
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Upcoming Events
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Hollywood Shabbaton
First Night of Chanukah
8:00-9:30 Teachers Inservice
9:30 Late Davening
Chanukah Vacation-no classes
Chanukah Vacation-no classes
Dec. 12
Special Highlites Chanukah Edition
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Good and Welfare
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Births
Tzvi ('04) and Lauren Schwartzbaum on the birth of their daughter, Rachel.
Engagements
Stephanie Trachtenberg ('07) to Michael Rosen from Boynton Beach.
Maya Borzak ('16) to Yakir Greenberg from Israel.
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Remembering Mrs. Grajower
KYHS and Hillel Students Gather For Shloshim Ceremony and Siyum
Graphic by Akiva Stadlan ('19)
Article by Al Dimont ('20)
This past Monday, we celebrated the life of the great teacher, mother, and wife, Mrs. Dannie Grajower. In memory of Mrs. Grajower, teachers, parents, and students of both Katz Hillel Day School and Katz Yeshiva High School learned all 929 chapters of Tanach. Said best by Rabbi Wolk, "
Mrs.
Grajower
loved Tanach -- both learning and teaching it. As a fitting tribute, KYHS is partnering with the KHDS Middle School to learn the entire Tanach
."
Early Monday morning, over 600 students crammed into the Beit Midrash to hear from a few of the many students and teachers greatly impacted by Mrs. Grajower. Shira Bar-Chaim ('21) discussed the lessons she learned in humility and the love of Tanach she gained from Mrs. Grajower. Naomi Reichenberg ('22) spoke next, recalling funny and meaningful memories the two shared. Naomi mentioned how it was always natural to laugh and joke with Mrs. Grajower. This, she explained, made Mrs. Grajower the most relatable and honest teacher she encountered. Morah Hadassah of Katz Hillel Day School recalled that when Mrs. Grajower first tried out for a position at KHDS, she was instantly granted a teaching position due to her knowledge and spark; Morah Hadassah also recalled how Mrs. Grajower made every report card comment personal. Lastly, Rabbi Grajower spoke about his wife and her views on making the world a better place. His heartfelt gratitude to the community and beautiful words about Mrs. Grajower were deeply felt by all in attendance.
In all, the student body felt this was a meaningful way to honor Mrs. Grajower. Sharing stories allows her memory to live on forever. I personally feel that Mrs. Grajower had a large impact on my life. Being her student taught me the joys of learning Tanach. Even outside of class, Mrs. Grajower was there as a friend, her humorous personality filling every room with smiles.
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Students Undergo Mild Discomfort, Give Blood To Save Lives
Graphic by Sydney Freedman ('20), Sivan Mussaffi ('20), and Aerin Tripp ('22)
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KYHS Girls Rock At Playing Soccer, Rip Up The Field With Awesomeness
Graphic by Highlites Staff
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Rabbi Kimche Delivers Inspiring JED Talk About His Struggle With Cancer And Strong Emuna
G
raphic by Avi Linzer ('19) and Justin Isaacs ('19)
Article by Adina Hirsch ('19)
God gives everyone their own challenges that He knows they are capable of overcoming. This lesson remained poignant as seniors heard Rabbi Dovid Kimche share his personal story of overcoming cancer in last week's senior JED talk. Rabbi Kimche began by explaining his life circumstances at the time he was diagnosed with cancer. Learning in Israel for his smicha
while living with his wife and newborn child, being diagnosed with cancer, could not have come as more of a surprise. Rabbi Kimche and his family moved to England while he was receiving treatment. Throughout his rounds of chemotherapy,
Rabbi Kimche's unwavering emunah in Hashem helped him overcome his illness. He explained how to be supportive to others going through cancer based on what types of support he felt were most helpful and harmful to him. According to Rabbi Kimche, "As a friend to someone going through serious illness, your job is to be positive and supportive." Jacob Schulman ('19) remarked, "It's inspiring to see our Rabbi overcome his life challenge of cancer and excel from this experience. Hearing about Rabbi Kimche's challenges allowed me to gain a greater sense of admiration for the person who he is."
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Sara's Scoop: "Smart?" Phones
Phones and Other Screens: Blessing and a Curse in the Classroom
Graphic by Shmuel Gross ('19) and Benjamin Keehn
Article by Sara Deichman ('19)
In the wise words of Rebbe Sugerman, "We have become addicted to two things: our devices and coffee." For today's teens, mundane activities such as walking around are simply not enjoyable if not done while glaring at a screen. Though teachers occasionally scoff at a student's tendency to capture every memorable moment with a Snapchat, they themselves will often admit to compulsive email checking or texting. Nevertheless, our classrooms are filled with not only an iPad for every student and teacher, but apple televisions attached to the walls. This school year, cell phones have been forced into backpacks and the hanging "shoe bag" on the wall of every classroom interior. This begs the question:
what impact do cellphones have on the classroom environment?
As with all technology, there are many risks in bringing smartphones into the classroom. Social media and other attention-requiring applications can have serious repercussions. Psychologist Danielle Einstein explains, "Smartphone use is associated with the current epidemic of anxiety and depression" (TheConversation.com). She expounds on how
a spike in smartphone use is proportional to a spike in test-anxiety
, which leads to lower test scores in students across the globe. With the school's control of the iPad, the freshman class cannot download apps without permission from the school and cannot communicate through iMessage on these devices. Technology director Claudia Cohen explains that this tactic ensures, "They aren't distracted. We don't want them playing
Fortnite
in class." This was implemented only this year, and the effects have been positive so far.
Ultimately, cell phones promote a constant state of urgency, whether it be to respond to a text within a minute or to pick up and answer the call. However, as we head into the future, I believe the issue of cellphones in the classroom should be reevaluated. In today's society, people of all ages fail to limit themselves with their technological devices, but as studies are done and negatives become as apparent as the positives, the use of technology will have more of a reason to be regulated. If students and teachers would be able to establish trust regarding cell phone usage for proper activities, both parties could benefit. Students who go through high school with the help of an iPad must learn how to effectively focus on their teacher despite distractions that exist. When a student recognizes that having an iPad does not justify a need for constant use during lectures, they learn that even though technology is readily available, it is not always the time or place. It has become clear through recent classroom renovations worldwide that technology in the classroom is instrumental for the future -- not only for new styles of learning and testing, but also for allowing students to experiment. Yes, students may get distracted by a new email on their ipads during class, but after their first failed test when they realize they had been distracted from valuable information, students will begin to understand both the wonders and dangers of technology and proceed to set limits for themselves. Now, as I compose this piece on my iPad, I am marveled, as always, by my ability to send my thoughts to a multitude of readers in but an instant. Don't worry though; I didn't write this during class!
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A Portrait of the Rosh Yeshiva
An Insight Into The Life Of The Best Head Of School
Graphic by Chana Schandelson ('22) and Penina Kahane ('22)
Article by Ariella Greenberg ('19)
Rabbi Jonathan Kroll was born in St. Louis, Missouri and grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated high school from the Ida Crown Jewish Academy and has always been a big fan of Chicago sports -- especially the Cubs! Rabbi Kroll never planned on becoming an educator, but after being an NCSY advisor and running a summer camp for kids in the former Soviet Union, it was clear to him that a career involving both Torah and children was the way to go. Serving as our beloved Head of School at KYHS is Rabbi Kroll's third job, and he has been a part of the KYHS faculty for six years. Previously, he worked at Yeshiva of Flatbush and SAR High School. Rabbi Kroll enjoys both teaching and working as an administrator, but he says that being in a classroom is definitely more fun! His favorite part of the KYHS environment is spending time with all of the students, and he particularly loves to learn Gemara and Jewish Philosophy. Although as a child Rabbi Kroll spent his summers as a camper at Camp Moshava Wild Rose, he now works at Camp Moshava IO. He enjoys his summers teaching there and not being in charge. Rabbi Kroll never fails to make the KYHS environment exciting, and students are so fortunate to learn all that he has to teach!
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Ask Adina
Hear Sage Advice From An Experienced Senior
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Hi Adina! I have been getting skirted a lot recently. I would prefer not to wear a maxi skirt all day. Do you have any advice?
-Skirted
I totally sympathize; getting skirted stinks. To quote Rachel Stern, the master skirter, the best way to avoid being skirted is to "
wear skirts that cover your knee." However, I understand that it is not as simple as that. Most skirts sold in stores are not acceptable for school, and even when you finally find a long enough skirt, it usually ends up shrinking in the wash and not covering the knees. I am attaching some links to skirts that are school-appropriate. I hope you find them helpful.
Make sure to check if your skirt is covering your knees when you leave your house in the morning!
Good luck! I hope I don't see you in a
maxi
this week ;)
Adina
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This Week in Pictures
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The Yeshiva Highlites Staff
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