Graphic by Ariella Mayer ('23)
Too many times I’ve had conversations with students who tell me they want to be inspired, students trying to convince me of their passion to be more committed, yet lacking that external inspiration. My response has never changed.

In this week’s parsha we are given the instructions for building the Mishkan. The Torah describes that God wants the Mishkan so He can dwell inside this beautiful edifice. Yet the language of the pasuk is “ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם” – make for me a Temple so I can dwell within you. The pasuk should conclude “ושכנתי בתוכו” – I will dwell in it. Why instead does it say בתוכם – in you? 

We need to stop looking all around for inspiration and remember that the inspiration lives inside each one of us. If you want to be inspired, stop looking around for this mysterious inspiration; look inside and find it within yourself! The Mishkan is a beautiful building meant to help us find Hashem’s presence in this world, but ultimately He doesn’t reside in a building. Hashem dwells inside each and every one of us.

We just came back from an amazing week and a half of winter vacation, a time designed to find that inner sanctuary and recharge our batteries in order to come back to school with more passion and vigor. And what a return it was!
This past week we had an amazing Rosh Chodesh chagigah to help us feel the joy of Chodesh Adar, as well as a creative “Anything But a Backpack” day, encouraging students to find creative ways to transport their books for a day. 
In the sports arena it was a very exciting week with the boy’s soccer team winning in the district semifinals on Tuesday, followed by the championship game on Thursday. The girls soccer and basketball team also both participated in their district games. 

This week has been filled with so much ruach and festivity, and it is our job to search for and find Hashem in our everyday lives amidst all the fun.



Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Grajower
Where Did You Spend Yeshiva Week?
To Find Out Where You Went For Yeshiva Week Take the Quiz Below
Graphic by Rivka Reich ('24)

The students at Katz Yeshiva High School came to school with a bounce in their steps this past Monday morning. The weather was perfectly brisk and chilly as everyone entered school with sweaters and smiles. The energy in the building was relaxed and breezy. Some students spent the winter break lounging on their couch, visiting Mickey and Minnie in Orlando, swishing through the steep ski slopes of Colorado, or sailing on a Caribbean cruise. After all the stress of taking end-of-quarter tests, the students finally enjoyed a much-needed vacation to recharge their brains. 

Winter break is not all about traveling; many students look forward to reconnecting with their family members or friends from out of town during the break. Many prefer to have a “stay-cation”, since we live in a vacation area. To many, making memories with loved ones within their comfort zone is the ideal break. Since the pandemic hit, families have been separated for many months and winter break is an opportunity for relatives to visit again. 

Studies show that students are more motivated to complete assignments if they know a break from school is coming up. This concept is similar to shemita, the halacha that all of the land must rest during the seventh year in order to cultivate more produce for the next harvest. God gave the land time to rest while still giving us nourishment. We can make the connection that even the Torah encourages a rest period. Therefore, we know we benefit from a rest period from which we come back with an energized attitude to learn. Winter break is a time to expand your creativity and develop ideas freely since we have the whole day to use without the pressure of school work. It is not easy to go back to school after having so much free time, but we will slowly ease back into the flow of school and another vacation will come soon enough! 

Article by Gabriella Asher ('25)
Chap a Chagigah
Students Celebrate An Amazing Rosh Chodesh Adar Alef
Graphic by Rebecca Adler ('23) and Orly Dimont ('23)

This Tuesday and Wednesday, we celebrated Rosh Chodesh Adar Aleph, beginning on Tuesday with “Anything But a Backpack Day.” Shopping carts, suitcases, and remote-controlled cars carrying textbooks filled the hallways. Students and teachers were even spotted carrying their books in microwaves, pulling binders on boogie boards, and pushing mop buckets! Anything But a Backpack Day was a great way to get into the “v'nahafoch hu” spirit of Adar!

On Wednesday, KYHS had a Rosh Chodesh chagigah. Our Beit Midrash was filled with exciting music and dancing. The best part, however, may have been the Purim-themed raffle prizes! Students had the chance to win twizzlers symbolizing the gallows on which Haman hung, in addition to many other fun and clever prizes.

To cap off the excitement, at the end of the chagigah Rabbi Wolk announced that the entire school would be gathering to watch the boys soccer team compete in their final district game on Thursday! Our KYHS Rosh Chodesh celebration was a perfect way to kick off the fun and festive Adar months!


Article by Elisha Horowitz ('25)
Color Run Fun!
Students Participate in an Extravagant Color Run and Raise Money for Shalva
Graphic by Shoshana Weinstock ('24)

On January 14th, KYHS students got the chance to participate in our very own Shalva Color Run! Shalva is a Jewish non-profit organization dedicated to helping and providing services for families and children in Israel with disabilities. For the fundraising event, students had the option to run or walk a short distance around the campus, where they were met with teachers armed with various colored powders.

Teachers had the pleasure of throwing the colored powder at students as they jogged by, making it a unique, energetic, and messy event. The running route ended at the school’s field where music, dancing, and more colored powder awaited the students.

“The color run was both inspiring and exciting to participate in! I enjoy running, so it felt great to do something I like while advocating for a great cause” explained Meira Salit (‘24), who was the first student to finish the color run.

After completing the run, students danced with friends in clouds of colored smoke and cooled off with a slurpee truck to top it all off. It was truly a “ruach-filled” experience.

In addition to being a fun time with friends and faculty, the school community also successfully fundraised over $5,000 for Shalva! Co-Head of the Chessed Club and organizer of the event, Emma Schenker (‘22), remarked that, “the color run was an incredible event that raised so much money for Shalva thanks to our amazing community. We were also able to have a tremendous afternoon full of achdut and ruach!”

Thank you to everyone who donated and participated in the run!


Article by Zohara Lam ('23)
Divinely Dazzling Districts
Boys Soccer Team Makes it to the Districts and Stuns the KYHS Community  
Graphic by Abby Rosenthal ('23)

This week has been filled with high energy as the KYHS soccer teams competed in district tournaments. After playing their best and putting up a great fight, the girls team sadly was defeated. The boys team has been victorious in the first two games of the tournament this week.

In their first game, the boys won with a score of 3-0. Their second game against FAU High School ended a bit differently. The entire game was played without a single goal. Efforts were made to score, but throughout the whole ninety minutes neither team scored a single goal. The game ended with best-out-of-five penalty kicks. Varsity captain and goalie Eitan Wernick (‘22) said that, “being in the goal at that moment felt like I had ice in my veins.” Both teams missed at first before eventually scoring, bringing the score to 2-1, with FAU in the lead. This turned the pressure up, but our boys powered through and the penalty kicks ended up tied. This led to a one-point lead shootout. Eitan saved a goal, giving our team the room to shoot and score. Zeke Baitner (‘23) calmly approached the goal. It almost appeared as though he was tuning out the fact that the whole game relied on him. He hit a stunning shot, winning the game! The effort from the boys team is clearly demonstrated in their season-long record and district wins.

Congratulations to the boys on making it to the district championship and to the girls on a fantastic season!

Special thank you to the Baitner, Eisenberger, Frank, Kay and Wernick families for their generous sponsorship which enabled the entire school to attend the exciting game on Thursday.


Article by Kira Jacoby ('22)
Ariella Asks
Ariella Greenberg (‘22) Interviews Aliza Feldman (‘22) About Her Endeavor in Mental Health Awareness  
Graphic by Matthew Eichenholz ('23) and Eitan Kaminetzky ('25)


This week’s KYHS Superstar is the one and only Aliza Feldman. Between crocheting cute clothes and cooking up elaborate dishes, Aliza makes time for another one of her passions: advocating for mental health awareness. Aliza began her mental health advocacy journey in the summer of 2020. Amidst the pandemic, Aliza found herself stuck at home for the summer. She decided to take the opportunity and make the most out of her time by enrolling in an incredible program run by Project Proactive. Project Proactive is an organization that aims to break mental health stigmas, especially in the Jewish community.

The program was virtual and lasted two weeks, during which participants heard from a wide panel of experts in fields related to mental health and networking. They also participated in group workshops and leadership development seminars. At the end of the program, participants were broken up into groups to create a mental health initiative project of their own using the skills they had acquired throughout the program. On the last day of the program, each group presented their project to a panel of judges who determined which group would win five hundred dollars to start up the initiative.

Aliza and her group spent a long time brainstorming and trying to come up with a plan that every member agreed upon. Eventually, they came up with an idea that pleased everyone and they ended up winning the five hundred dollars to kick-start their website called Create and Connect! The purpose of the website is to serve as a platform for creative expression and to spread awareness of mental and emotional struggles that teens around the world are dealing with. On the website, anyone can submit artwork, writing, or music in order to express themselves while potentially educating and inspiring others. The website also includes resources for people who are actively struggling with their mental health.

Aliza recommends that anyone who is interested in being a part of a similarly inspiring and helpful initiative should reach out to others who are passionate about the same topic, because collaborating with others can help bring out unique ideas and expose you to new perspectives that you may not have thought of on your own. What Aliza has created to combat stigma around mental health is truly amazing! 


Article by Ariella Greenberg ('22)
Heard in the Halls by Jamie Berger ('23)
 Quote Jamie Berger, She May Quote
You Back
Graphic by Chana Schandelson ('22)

This week I’m going to do something a little different. I want to share an inspiring quote that I heard outside the halls of our school. We are always taught to stay humble. For most of us, that is something that we have been told for as long as we can remember. However, it seems to contradict another important concept that we are taught: the notion that we should be confident in ourselves and in our abilities. Sometimes the line between confidence and arrogance can become blurry.

Boca Raton Synagogue senior rabbi, Rabbi Efrem Goldberg, remarked that, “humility isn't about thinking less of yourself, it's about thinking of yourself less”.

It is an important concept that we should strive for. Although it is certainly very hard to achieve, the effort you put into this goal will greatly impact the person you become. Everyone should strive for humility while simultaneously enhancing the confidence we have in ourselves. If you truly think highly of yourself, then you won't feel a desire to prove it to others. The more you practice “thinking of yourself less”, the more it will become a habit, and humility will naturally characterize who you are as a person.


Article by Jamie Berger ('23)
Highlites Staff