Graphic by Ariella Mayer ('23)

Parshas Vayeira continues the trials and travels of Avraham Avinu, the founder of our Nation, and begins with Avraham recovering from his Bris Mila, the Covenant with Hashem. The Torah stresses that Avraham was an ‘'Elonei Mamrei', named after his good friend Mamrei. Who was Mamrei? The Medrash tells us that Avraham consulted a few of his gentile friends, prior to his undergoing his Bris Mila. Avraham understood well his mission as 'Av Hamon Goyim', to be a beacon of moral leadership to all people, and was concerned that if he underwent this procedure people would look at him as different, strange, other. Mamrei gave him sage advice - being an individual will not lead to people backing away; if you do it with pride, then people will respect and even come to admire you. 

His advice was true 4000 years ago, and his advice remains true today. People can sense embarrassment or insecurity a mile away; if you live your Judaism and support for Israel with pride, people will come to respect you and your Judaism. 

This past week at KYHS we saw a number of interesting events, in addition to our regular school week (if a bit interrupted by a hurricane scare). Last Friday, the seniors began their day in the best possible way - with a sunrise Minyan overlooking the Atlantic. There is no better way to daven Shacharit. Motsei Shabbos saw an energetic event for potential Masmidim boy recruits - pizza, Torah and basketball make for a great combination. Over Shabbos the Varsity Boys went to a unique Shabbaton in Auburn, in partnership with NCSY. Hosted by the college basketball team and their proud Jewish coach Bruce Pearl, religious teens from across the country came together for a weekend of inspiration and sport. The weekend was uplifting and inspirational, and everyone got to hear from Coach Pearl himself, and his love for Israel and his pride in being Jewish. Oh, and the basketball was fun, too. Coach Pearl's message was loud and clear: never hide or shy away from your Jewishness. 

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Kimche

They Shoot, They Score!

KYHS Boys' Basketball Team Storms AuburnU for Shabbaton and Tournament

Graphic by Aaron Newman ('24)



As the KYHS varsity boys basketball team kicked off this season, they headed to Alabama for the AuburnU Shabbaton Basketball Tournament. They competed with Jewish schools from across the country, including schools from New York, Maryland, and New Jersey. Additionally, the student athletes were able to visit Auburn University’s arena too. 

Throughout the tournament, they were able to meet many other players and share their experiences through the sport. Our team spent much of their time, on and off the court, demonstrating good midot, as well as their basketball skills during the tournament. 

They also had the unique opportunity to attend the first game of the Auburn Tigers season, proudly honoring Israel in their attendance. Players represented Athletes For Israel and wore shirts sponsored by NCSY. 

Senior Judah Frolich (‘23) said, “Playing basketball was incredibly fun even though we lost in the championship. Seeing the love and dedication Coach Pearl has for Israel and his job was amazing. The Shabbos experience was really impactful with the Auburn Hillel members joining us in addition to some of the Jewish players and staff from the Auburn team. It was an all around amazing trip.”

Although we did not win, we played our hardest in preparation for the upcoming season. We hope to continue on a positive note and strive for the gold this year. Our team is geared up and ready to play in our upcoming games as we anticipate a great year of success for the team. Come to cheer on our team on Monday and Wednesday at Hebrew Academy in Miami Beach for their first game with the full roster!

Article by Riley Spitz ('25)

Superb Senior Sunrise

KYHS Class of '23 Has an Incredibly Inspiring Experience Davening at the Beach

Graphic by Rivka Reich ('24) and Josh Haik ('24)

Last Friday, the seniors journeyed to the beach in order to carry on a beloved KYHS tradition, the Senior Sunrise Minyan. Seniors dressed in white and blue to intensify the meaningful atmosphere.

At the beach, they davened Shacharit while observing the beautiful sunrise, since sunrise is the optimal time to recite Shemoneh Esrei. The stunning feat of nature was truly inspirational and made everyone’s prayers that much more meaningful. Following Shacharit, there was a brief Kumsitz. In addition to the meaningful spiritual element, this was also a bonding experience for the whole grade.

After the proceedings on the beach, the girls proceeded to Mrs. Perl’s house while the boys moved on to Ami Harow’s house for breakfast and Divrei Torah from classmates and teachers. Gabriel Melnitsky (‘23) summed up the experience by remarking that “Senior Sunrise was a really uplifting event that was spiritually engaging and brought our grade closer together in our last year of high school".

Article by Hannah Shapiro ('23)

Mini Masmids Making Memories

8th Grade Boys Get the Chance to Learn and Play with KYHS Student Superstars

Graphic by Shoshana Weinstock ('24)

This past Motzei Shabbos the KYHS Masmidim program ran their first junior event of the year. The Junior Masmidim events are an exciting way for eighth grade boys to interact with the Masmidim members already in high school. During this particular event, the boys learned together with chavrusas while enjoying delicious pizza. Afterwards, Rabbi Stohl gave a powerful shiur to the entire group. As a fun activity, the eighth graders had the choice to play basketball with the masmidim or experience the KYHS STEM lab. As sophomore Avi Rosman (‘25) put it, “The whole event was a great way to build connections to the new students coming to KYHS.” As he said, the Junior Masmidim event enabled both the incoming and current masmidim students to meet and interact with each other, creating friendships that will last through high school.

Additionally, the event allowed incoming students to experience the ruach that is part of the masmidim track. KYHS Senior Zachy Dennis said, “The masmidim shiur creates a special ruach, and we were able to bring that ruach to incoming freshmen in a great way.” 

Overall, this past week's Junior Masmidim event was a great experience for both incoming and current KYHS students, sparking new friendships and allowing eighth graders to participate in the special Masmidim spirit. 

Article by Elisha Horowitz ('25)

Kahane's Kolumn

Change the Clocks, Change the Schedule

Graphic by Orly Dimont ('23)

Cooler weather, bright mornings, and a longer Motzei shabbos are all things I love about daylight savings, but there are downsides as well; a major one being the lack of time on Friday afternoons. With the 10 additional minutes it takes to get out of the hectic KYHS parking lot and the possibility of traffic on Friday afternoons, students living south of Boca do not get home until at least 3:00 or later. Our student body consists of about 50 percent of students who live in Hollywood or further south. 

In our Judiac studies classes this year, we learned about the importance of Hachana for shabbos, and the idea of pre-shabbat cleaning. The school is teaching one idea, yet implementing a dismissal time that contradicts this. With students getting home and having just over an hour to spare before Shabbat, it is impossible to help their parents prepare, shower, and be ready to welcome shabbat. 

In Olivia’s opinion, school should let out 1 hour earlier on Fridays. With school being dismissed at 1:10 instead of 2:10 on Fridays during the winter months, students from Hollywood, Aventura, Bal Harbor, and Miami can get home with time to spare and prepare for Shabbat. “It is crazy, I am walking through the door barely before shabbos, and do not have any time,” says senior Eitan Garzon, who lives in Aventura. While many students live in Boca, and do not have this issue - “I do not care because I live 7 minutes away,” remarked Josh Haik (‘24) when asked about this issue– it is difficult for 50% of the student body. Moreover, there are a number of teachers who live in Hollywood who also do not have enough time after school, especially as they must prepare their entire homes. 

After taking a survey of a random mix of students from different grades, 54% of the students polled said they would rather have a shorter lunch period and end school earlier, in order to make it home with time to spare. 

Article by Olivia Kahane ('23)