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March 23, 2018
6th of Nisan, 5778
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Candle Lighting at 7:15 PM
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The four sons are introduced to us in a peculiar way. The Haggadah states that the Torah presented four sons: one is the wise son, one is the wicked son, one is the simple son, and one is unable to ask. Why does the Haggadah use the word אחד, "one," when mentioning each son? Why not simply say that the Torah presents four sons: the wise, the wicked, the simple, and the one who is unable to ask? Rabbi Berel Wein offers a beautiful answer in his Haggadah: "They are not counted as being numbers one, two, three, and four. Rather, each one is an אחד, a singular, unique individual....Remembering that each child, each student, each individual human being is an ״אחד״ is a fundamental rule for success in raising a family, running a school, and maintaining harmonious social relationships."
I was amazed by the extraordinary performances of our students in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I also had a fantastic time last weekend with our boys' basketball team at the Sarachek tournament. It is always so exciting to see so many students participating in co-curricular activities that bring out the best in them. Whether engaged in STEM activities or the Geography Bee, our students are always honing their own personal and unique abilities. By giving students opportunities to shine in so many different ways, we aim to develop their strengths and talents so that they can each become an ״אחד״ who recognizes his or her potential. Best wishes to everyone for a chag kasher v'sameach.
Rabbi Jonathan Kroll
Head of School
Special Remarks from Dr. Wolf:
We recently read parshat Pekudei, where Rashi quotes masechet Berachot (55a) stating that Betzalel told Moshe, "It is common practice to first make a house and then to put furniture into it." 3,300 years later passionate KYHS students and I busily spent this past spring and summer planning, fundraising, and implementing the cornerstone of our multi-year vision for growing a nationally-competitive Jewish Day School STEM program: a 1,500 sq.ft. state-of-the-art MakerSpace with professional grade equipment and modular furniture. Few schools can boast such an open, industrial-style space filled with a 90W CO2 laser, three 3D printers, top-of-the-line PC desktops and laptops, a CNC mill, power tools, a virtual reality zone, a circuitry & soldering station, and an integrative art & design area.
Over the past four years we have seen incredible growth, starting with our first CIJE engineering elective taught to the freshman class of 2018 by Mrs. Chait. Since then we became one of the first Jewish Schools in the country to start a VEX robotics team, all the while offering AP and pre-AP computer science courses, winning an international Rube Goldberg Machine challenge sponsored by the Technion, receiving a grant to start an Artificial Intelligence program utilizing neural network machine learning to enhance Judaics studies, and hosting the first ever STEM Hackathon in a Jewish School.
Given all of this, I am pleased that for the very first time we have Highlites putting together a STEM edition! We hope that you enjoy the fruits of the hard work that our students have dedicated to ensure the creation of this inaugural release.
Shabbat Shalom,
Dr. Yosef Wolf
Director of STEM
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Good and Welfare
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Condolences
Mrs. Laurie Braverman on the passing of her beloved father, Mr. Melvin Epstein.
Mr. Joel Fuchs on the passing of his beloved father, Mr. Stanley Fuchs.
Dr. Ben Freedman on the passing of his beloved father, Rabbi Simcha Freeman.
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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Dedicated KYHS Thespians Present Incredibly Successful Spring Comedy
Article by Lexi Cohen ('19)
This past Tuesday, the KYHS drama department put on an amazing rendition of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". Starring Didi Malka as Charlie and Justin Isaacs as Willy Wonka, the show was a huge success! Under the guidance of Ms. Jill Lustig, the cast worked tirelessly to produce arguably the best comedy that KYHS has ever seen. Not only was the spring comedy hilarious, but for the first year, the co-ed production was a musical, featuring harmonies from the boys. Boys displayed their hidden musical talents, belting out beautiful songs, leaving the audience completely awed. In addition to the cast, students in the theater crew ensured that all the magic that occurred backstage went smoothly, including scene changes and prop placements. Mrs. Horowitz, a very satisfied audience member, said of the play, "It was absolutely wonderful. This year the comedy was light-hearted, humorous, and fun! I brought my children, who roared with laughter at every scene. Watching the boys sing was an unexpected delight, and I hope the future comedies are just as successful and enjoyable as this one was. I can't wait to see what next year will bring!"
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Engineering Experts
Technion Guest Speakers Speak to Students About Engineering and the Technion
Graphic by Highlites Sisterhood ('20)
Article by Adina Hirsch ('19)
Last month students had the privilege of hearing from two guest speakers from the Technion in Israel: Roana Schiopu and Nathaniel Drellich. After an introduction by the President of the South Palm Beach branch of the American Technion Society and KYHS parent Eric Stein, students learned directly about the research being conducted at the Israel Institute of Technology.
Roana was born in Haifa and has played professional tennis from a young age. After serving in the IDF, she began utilizing her engineering background to advance medicine in hopes to improve the lives of everyday people. For her Masters thesis, Roana is currently working on a non-invasive treatment for cancer involving injecting medication through the bloodstream using therapeutic ultrasound.
Nathaniel grew up in Long Island, New York where he attended Rambam Mesivta. When he was 16, Nathaniel joined his family in making Aliyah, and soon after he enlisted as a paratrooper in the IDF. After completing his service, Nathaniel began undergraduate research in aerospace engineering that has primarily focused on network dynamic systems. This new technology allows robots to adjust to their correct formations without a central computer, with eventual application in improving self-driving cars and drones.
Students gained a great deal of knowledge from these speakers, learning that the undergraduate years of the Technion serve as a boot camp to mold oneself into an engineer. Roana and Nathaniel highlighted the advantage of receiving a degree in Israel rather than in America, since a bachelor's degree in Israel is usually sufficient enough to open a door in high-paying industries.
Tani Loskove exclaims, "Technion opened my eyes to the technological advances made possible by Israeli innovation. The ability to see STEM in depth in Israel is a unique opportunity only made possible by the Technion." KYHS is proud to have at least two current seniors, Michal Amar and Noah Bernten, committing to attending the Technion for their undergraduate studies. Michal Amar states, "
The presentation was both informative and entertaining. Seeing students and graduates that completed their education from the school I will be attending only makes me more excited to begin my studies!"
Roana and Nathaniel proved to be amazing role models for our students, and KYHS is grateful to the American Technion Society for providing such inspirational speakers.
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Students Gather For Fun and Exciting Engineering Challenges
Graphic by Akiva Splaver ('18)
Article by Al Dimont ('20)
Recently, 30 students from all four grades came together for a Sunday filled with STEM. The students were split up into teams, each given a goal to achieve an efficient way to distribute clean water to all of South Florida, with a prize of gift cards promised for the winning group. The teams also sent representatives to compete in mini-competitions throughout the day. The first challenges were specifically oriented to coding and online puzzles. Dr. Wolf said, "It is important for students to learn how to work together to solve a problem. Especially with regard to coding, which is becoming even more important in today's workforce." Students later participated in further contests to challenge their math and science knowledge. This included one game where students had to solve six challenging math problems without the use of any writing utensils or calculators. Batsheva Shekhter recounts, "The math may have been hard, but working together with others to figure it out was the important part. I am very happy I participated in today's Hackathon and Engineering Project day." After the students finished the coding, they created blueprints for their contraptions along with a slideshow to present them. At the end of the day, the projects were presented to all the other students, who were equally proud of their own designs. Winners were announced the very next day. Noah Bernten said, "I felt I learned a lot from today. All of the students who participated learned teamwork and problem-solving skills. I hope the school will transform this into a full-fledged STEM Shabbaton with additional schools participating next year."
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Interview With An Engineer
Aleksandra Shapiro Sits Down With STEM Star Noah Bernten to Talk About His STEM Experience
Graphic by Akiva Splaver ('18)
Interview by Aleksandra Shapiro ('21)
Aleksandra Shapiro
: What did you do throughout your years at KYHS relating to STEM?
Noah Bernten:
My STEM experience started my freshman year with the engineering elective. Mrs. Chait taught the engineering class for 2 years. The interesting curriculum came from an organization called CIJE, and at the end of each year we had our own version of a science fair. The CIJE organization funded our ideas and we were able to build them. After that, Dr. Wolf joined our STEM department and started a robotics league my junior year along with creating a Makerspace.
A.S:
Why did you choose Technion for college?
N.B:
In my sophomore year, CIJE planned an Israel trip for the engineering students over winter break. I went and got to see how Israel is startup nation. I learned that the Technion is a prestigious school for engineering. I found out they even have an English program that involved robotics, so I was hooked.
A.S:
What do you plan on doing in the years to come as your profession?
N.B:
I want to go to Technion and create connections to hopefully start or join a startup in the coming years. I don't plan to go further than a BS in mechanical engineering but only time will tell.
A.S:
What after school/ extracurricular activities did you do relating to stem and robotics?
N.B:
The STEM classes that the school offered me were two years of engineering, one year of computer science, four years of math and two years of AP Physics following my other science classes. After school events were two years of robotics and a STEM Hackathon that started this year.
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Sara's Scoop: Engineering a Future
Graphic by Highlites Staff
Article by Sara Deichman ('19)
From the first day of freshman year, when Dr. Wolf walked into the classroom cracking a joke and asking if we were ready for AP Pottery, I knew I was in for a ride. My laugh reverberated throughout the room and my excitement about the actual engineering course has continued through the years. Freshman year, alongside two of my friends, I learned how to code an Arduino and I created a project that alerts the user when unattended water is boiling. Looking back at my first engineering project, I am proud to have made an inventive design at such a young age. My classmate Avi Kroll explained, "I was able to take my ideas and actually go for it." We've only grown from that first year and now I am learning Computer Science, particularly Python, Javascript, HTML, and web design. As I go through my life, I am confident that taking these engineering courses has given me real life skills that will not only help me get into college, but help me throughout and afterwards, opening new doors for possible careers.
Being one of only a few girls who opted to take the engineering elective for all three years has given me a new appreciation for the value of my own personal skill set. While the misconception that STEM courses are geared towards males still remains prevalent, from a firsthand perspective I can honestly say that being a woman is STEM is not only possible, but empowering. Each year, the engineering course becomes more popular; there was even a waiting list for this year's freshman class. Dr. Wolf explains, "The STEM department has been aggressively attaining outside grants, with significant contributions from CIJE, to fund all of the new equipment needed to keep up with the student demand without additional cost to the student body." Even though STEM courses throughout KYHS continue to flourish, the percentage of girls in the engineering class has remained stagnant at a suboptimal enrollment. To help bolster excitement in the engineering elective, KYHS began a partnership with Katz Hillel Day School, where middle school students, boys and girls alike, have the opportunity to come to our state of the art MakerSpace every other week and explore their sense of agency. Throughout the entire year it has remained the most popular elective in the middle school. Whether it be through biomedical inventions or web design, STEM is truly the profession of the future, for both women and men, despite some preconceived notions. In the future, I hope more girls like me will recognize the ability of women in the STEM field and push our own society towards the future in the most direct fashion possible.
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Students Visit Israel to Learn About Tech and Engineering
Graphic by Noa Markovitz ('19) and Max Frohlich ('19)
Article by Shmuel Gross ('19)
Six sophomores recently joined 14 other Jewish students from schools nationwide on a unique trip to Israel to tour its technological institutions and organizations. Coordinated by the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CIJE) -- an organization which seeks to improve technology and programs for Jewish day schools -- the trip offered the opportunity to meet with some of Israel's leading startup founders, visit the country's top technological centers, and participate in design classes and other innovative workshops.
One of the major highlights was a visit to the Technion Campus, where students had the chance to code a robot and learn about different variations of coding. Another standout activity was meeting developers at Mobileye who shared exciting advancements in automatic car safety features that could help prevent collisions and save lives. Students also enjoyed a visit to the ancient aqueduct of Caesarea, where they learned about the aqueduct technology used by the Romans. Additionally, they learned about the application of automated drone technologies at Airobotics in Petach Tikva.
Students gained a greater understanding of engineering principles and incredible insights into powerful innovative technologies. "This trip inspired me to further advance my knowledge of day-to-day technology by giving me a greater appreciation for the technology we use," Yehuda Marcus ('20) remarked.
The trip also emphasized Israel's leading role in technological advancements to students. "The trip was distinctive from all other trips to Israel," said Josh Bernten ('20). "Meeting with entrepreneurs who have had real success in the high-tech world allows for a unique insight into Israel that cannot be found anywhere else. My experience on the trip has inspired me to become a part of the technological revolution." The students' trip heightened their appreciation for technology and innovation and they are appreciative to CIJE for allowing them to have this experience!
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Graphic by Justin Isaacs ('19)
Article by Eli Litwin ('18)
As a result of the increasing popularity in the fields of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), more schools have been creating special programs and curricula to cater to interested and eager students. Katz Yeshiva High School is proud to announce that next year, the incoming sophomore class has been offered the option of taking AP Computer Science A, taught in Java! Although other STEM initiatives have already been implemented in KYHS, such as the CIJE (Center for Jewish Initiatives in Jewish Education) engineering elective, VEX robotics team, and the brand new state-of-the-art MakerSpace, this new AP course is truly groundbreaking. Up until this point in time, sophomores have only been allowed to take one AP course: European history. Now, those that are interested will also be able to engage in AP Computer Science A. The implications of this new class are tremendous. The fields of computer science and technology are the future; KYHS is extremely delighted to be able to equip their interested students with this STEM course and initiative in order to grant them invaluable knowledge to be successful in the future.
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This Week in Pictures
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The Yeshiva Highlites Staff
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