וַיִּשְׁמַע יִתְרוֹ כֹהֵן מִדְיָן חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אֱ-לֹהִים לְמֹשֶׁה וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ כִּי הוֹצִיא ה׳ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָיִם:
וישמע יתרו. מה שמועה שמע ובא, קריעת ים סוף ומלחמת עמלק (זבחים קטז.):
The Parsha opens by telling us of Yisro coming to join his son-in-law, Moshe, and Bnei Yisrael in their travels in the desert. The passuk tells us that Yisro “heard” about Bnei Yisrael and all that had happened to them, and decided to join. Rashi asks what exactly did he “hear”? He answers that he heard about the miraculous splitting of the Yam Suf and the subsequent attack from Amalek.
Rashi, at a second glance, is puzzling indeed. Rashi’s opening question: “what did he hear?” is difficult to understand. The passuk itself tells us what he heard! The passuk explicitly says that it was “all the miracles which Hashem had performed for Bnei Yisrael”. What is Rashi asking? How are we to make sense of this.
The Slominer Rebbe in his Nesivos Shalom has a masterful piece, which, in addition to shedding light on this puzzling Rashi provides us with a timeless lesson. He says that a closer reading of Rashi will reveal a whole new story. Rashi, in fact, asks: “What did he hear which
made him come
?” What was the catalyst for Yisro? We are told that the news of the Egyptian downfall spread far and wide. Everyone knew about it. Rashi wants to know what made Yisro not just hear the news, but act on it too?
This now leads us to the second half of Rashi. Yisro heard about the splitting of the sea and the war with Amalek. What was so compelling about these two events which kick-started Yisro to join leave his life behind and join the Jews? The Nesivos Shalom explains that Yisro saw that after a wildly miraculous event such as the splitting of the sea there could still be some people who would deny Hashem and be blind to his special relationship with Bnei Yisrael. Amalek actually attacked them, after hearing about all of this! This level of willful blindness, willful evil, jerked Yisro into action. He feared that if he did not act he too could get the clarity of his vision distorted. He saw the truth and was scared not to act right away. This is what ultimately got him to come and join the Jewish People.
There are a number of lessons to be learned here. But one I think is most relevant for all of us: when one sees things with a certain clarity - for what they truly are - we must act to ensure that this truth becomes part of us and part of our lives. Over time, life has its way of clouding our views and convictions. Yisro teaches us how to ensure we live our lives true to our convictions.
Shabbat Shalom,
Mrs. Yona Kimche
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Model UN, Model Students
KYHS Delegates Storm YU's Model UN Conference, Taking Home a Record 4 Awards
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Pictured from left to right: Adin Blumofe ('21), Mayrav Saketkhou ('20), Eilat Berger ('22), and Yoni Kurtz ('20)
This week, KYHS’s Model UN delegation headed to Stamford, Connecticut for the 30th annual Yeshiva University National Model United Nations, more commonly known as YUNMUN, led by faculty advisor Dr. Isaacson and chaperone Claudia Cohen. Students from Jewish day schools across the country gathered at the conference to discuss pressing world issues that the United Nations deals with, ranging from the climate refugee crisis to natural disaster relief to the use of electronic cigarettes. Model UN is an amazing way to improve on crucial skills like public speaking and researching, while meeting amazing students from all over. Junior Judah Berman remarked, “YUNMUN was an incredible experience which improved my leadership, public speaking, and critical thinking. You learn to cooperate and work with others to achieve a greater goal. It’s also a lot of fun.” At the conference, students broke up into their respective committees including Security Council, International Criminal Court, or World Health Organization, to discuss and pass resolutions about the topics facing each committee. Sophomore Eilat Berger noted, “Model UN was such an amazing experience that I would recommend to anyone. Going for the first time, I was very nervous, but I quickly realized what a fun and educational environment it is!” KYHS made quite a name for itself, with four of our students winning honorable mention awards. YUNMUN was an incredibly educational and exciting experience, and we are already counting down until next year!
Article by Zohara Lam ('23)
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YUNMEMES
Enjoy Some YUNFUN Created by This Year's
YUNMUN Delegates
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Graphic by Abby Rosenthal ('23)
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Speedy Beatie
Record-Breaking Beatie Deutsch Tells Inspiring Story of Her Running Journey
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Graphic by Highlites Chevra
On Monday, the entire school was fortunate to hear from Beatie Deutsch, also known as Speedy Beatie. She is an Orthodox Israeli mom who qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, achieving her qualifying time in the Teveria marathon.
Beatie shared her stories of the journey and achievements that got her to where she is today. She started as a mother who needed to find some means of exercise, so she dedicated herself to finishing a marathon. During her first marathon, when she finished much earlier than expected, Beatie discovered her unbelievable talent. After discovering this, she pursued running as a career, constantly getting faster, and ultimately qualifying for the Olympics.
We were all blown away by her exceptional race times and by the fact that an Orthodox mom who had no running experience just randomly started winning marathons!
She also discussed the role Judaism plays in her athletic career. Through her career, she showed that she can be a professional athlete while still keeping her religious values, showing us that it is possible to follow your dreams while being orthodox. She did not allow her running career to conflict with her religious values. Beatie continues to run in a skirt, even though taking it off would make her faster, and is willing to give up competing at the Olympics if the marathon takes place on Shabbos.
She inspired us to have faith in Hashem and demonstrated that Hashem is the reason she is where she is today. She discussed how it makes no sense for her to have broken her record at the Teveria marathon, and that her talks with Hashem while running are the reason for her faster times.
Beatie’s amazing story inspired us to want to find our own talent and pursue our dreams. She encouraged others to go out of their comfort zones and work hard to reach goals that may seem impossible. In all, Speedy Beatie left the room in awe and admiration of her unbelievable story.
Article by Zohara Lam ('23)
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JV Basketball, Varsity Middot
Yeshiva League Teams Swarm to KYHS for a
Thrilling Tournament
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Graphic by Ariella Mayer ('23) and Leeanne Mizrahi-Mann ('23)
This past week, KYHS hosted the annual boys Junior Varsity Basketball Tournament. Students from Frisch, SAR, North Shore, Ramaz, Yavneh, Shalhevet, and HAFTR all took a break from their studies to participate with us in this exciting event.
Although the opponents were fierce and the games were tough, we came out stronger and gave our best effort. Our athletes tirelessly competed throughout the three-day tournament, playing a total of five games. Our KYHS team won two of their games, one of which was a nail-biter against Shalhevet. Our JV team fought hard, claiming fourth place, but not due to a lack of effort or heart. In fact, we gained through our losses because they built our relationships and brought us closer together. In the end, SAR beat Ramaz, bringing this year's JV Basketball Tournament to a close.
At every chance, students made their way to the gym to support their classmates. Cheering, clapping, and positive remarks were constantly heard from the sidelines. An amazing sense of unity and pride filled our school.
Although proper sportsmanship was displayed, competitive energy also filled our shared halls. For some of us it felt unusual to see new faces in the school halls, rotunda, davening, or meals, but it didn’t stop us from being respectful hosts. For others, these faces were old neighbors, camp friends, or family, and the blending of our two worlds was exciting. In addition, Rabbi Kroll, beloved former head of school, came to visit, brightening our week! What a fun event KYHS had the privilege of hosting!
Article by Gavi Melnitsky ('23)
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Ariella's Angle:
Tu B'shvat Edition
Tu B'shvat Higia... So Read This Great Article
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Graphic by Liora Mayer ('20)
This past week, Jews around the world planted trees and ate fruit to celebrate Tu B'Shevat, which is the start of trees’ new year. This day marks the start of the fruit-bearing season that lasts until fall. Many organizations use Tu B’Shevat to raise awareness for environmental issues, notably the importance of maintaining forests and planting trees.
Forests are crucial for humans’ and animals’ survival. We need trees for a variety of reasons, including making wood and paper, but, most importantly, we inhale the oxygen they release. Animals rely on forests as well, and forests are home to 80% of the world’s species. In addition to the shelter they provide, forests also produce foods such as
fruit, nuts, berries, leaves, and honey that animals depend on for survival.
Additionally, forests help purify the air by absorbing carbon dioxide, thus reducing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. They also help prevent soil erosion and stabilize climate through evapotranspiration, which is the process of transferring water from land to the atmosphere.
Unfortunately, between 2019 and 2020, the Australian fires burned over 12.35 million acres of land, killed over 1.25 billion animals, and decimated forests. In order to help recover from this loss, many organizations have become more active in protecting our trees. Tu B’Shevat this past week serves as a reminder to appreciate our world, especially our trees and fruits, and ensure we fight to protect them.
Article by Ariella Gross ('21)
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Amazing Awards in Our School Community
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