Graphic by Ariella Mayer ('23)

This week we celebrated Rosh Chodesh Shevat. The mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh is actually mentioned in this week’s parsha! Right before makkat bechorot, Hashem commands B'nei Yisrael regarding sanctifying the new moon. What is the meaning behind the mitzvah, and why is it placed here just prior to B'nei Yisrael leaving Mitzrayim? Some suggest that the meaning behind the mitzvah is that both individually and nationally we have our ups and downs. We are at times floating on the clouds in a world illuminated by a full moon, while other times we are navigating through the lowest of the lows with no light visible on the horizon. The cycle of the moon reminds us that even when we are at the darkest moments, soon the moon will reflect the light of the sun again. So too in our moments of individual and national failure, we know there is hope that things will turn around. This is communicated to B'nei Yisrael as they leave Mitzrayim to convey that despite the years of slavery, Hashem is redeeming us. Similarly, in the future when we go through difficult times (like exile), Hashem will redeem us again as He has in the past. We have to continuously look for ways to better ourselves to make ourselves worthy of redemption. Seniors Chana Schandelson and Rebecca Henner do this by spending their free time learning with middle and high-school girls at Midreshet BRS. We are privileged to attend a Modern Orthdox Jewish Day School where Torah learning regularly occurs; however, as students move on from KYHS to college, Torah learning is now in each student’s hand. Ms. Michelle Harris, Director of College Guidance, helps our students find the perfect place for them to continue to grow and make themselves worthy of redemption post high school. And, in honor of Tu B’Shevat this month, this week’s Naomi’s Nosh column features instructions for a delicious fruit salad that tastes like Gan Eden! The students and faculty members in our school work hard to get us one step closer to geulah!  Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Horowitz

Rosh Chodesh Munchies for KYHS Mensches  KYHS Students and Faculty Celebrate Rosh Chodesh With Yummy Scrumptious Doughnuts

Graphic by Rivka Reich ('24) and Shoshana Weinstock ('24)  This Monday we ushered in the new month of Shevat. Rosh Chodesh was celebrated with a festive davening, including Hallel and Musaf. We also celebrated with delicious Krispy Kreme doughnuts for breakfast. Freshman Yonah Greenberg remarked that, “it is always exciting to welcome in the new month with a treat to make the day feel special!” In Shevat we celebrate the new year for trees and Tu B’Shevat, which is less than two weeks from now. Most importantly, Rosh Chodesh Shevat means that the excitement of Purim is right around the corner! Article by Elisha Horowitz ('25)

Email Notification from Mrs. Michelle Harris  Get to Know New KYHS College Guidance Counselor Mrs. Michelle Harris

Graphic by Abby Rosenthal ('23) It is Ms. Harris’s first year at KYHS. She works as a college guidance counselor, helping the senior class apply to college, offering admissions advice, and staying on top of all the intricate details that go into the college application process. The senior class is greatly indebted to her for her help. I spoke to Mrs. Harris to learn more about her and her life before joining the KYHS College Guidance team.  Shayla: Hi and welcome. Can you give us some background on your upbringing and schooling? Ms. Harris: Pleasure to be here. I love Katz Yeshiva! Well, I was born in Brooklyn and went to school at HANC. After that I attended public school and took a job as a hairdresser. Later on, I joined a new NYC specialized high school and loved working there. I stayed at HSAS for 17 years. During the pandemic, I decided to move to Florida. So here I am, officially since July 13, 2021, and so glad to be here. Shayla: What inspired you to become a college guidance counselor? Ms. Harris: I was thrown into college guidance very suddenly and was quite nervous since I did not go to college directly out of high school. However, I embraced this position immediately. I find it inspiring to watch individuals grow and take the next steps in life. College counseling is a conduit to one's career. Watching and assisting students with their personal growth in such a positive realm is rewarding and fun. I find such inspiration from listening to the students speak about their life experiences, desires, and goals. Shayla: What is your favorite thing about KYHS?  Ms. Harris: There is an essence of “kindness” at KYHS. The faculty are so nice and there is a great sense of collegiality. It is clear the students are deeply cared for, and that is a team I want to be part of. While coming to a beautiful school building each day is a blessing, my mother always told me: “it’s not where you are, it is who you are with.” That is what makes KYHS – not the building, but its inhabitants: great kids, great teachers, great administrators, and the warmest support staff. Shayla: If you could give students one piece of advice about high school, what would it be? Ms. Harris: I have a few. The school is like a store and the student is the consumer. Make sure you take full advantage of all that is offered – seek out every opportunity you can. It's not about getting into college, it's about being in college. Don't give your power to any one college, they are fortunate to have YOU. The student creates his/her future, through commitment, dedication, and desire. Not the college.” Shayla: What book have you read recently and would recommend and why? Ms. Harris: I loved Everything Will Be Okay–Life Lessons for Young Women (From a Former Young Woman) by Dana Perino. My next-door neighbor lent me this book and I loved it. I admire Dana Perino. She is poised, smart, elegant and fair in her delivery and discourse. Though this book is tailored for a young woman just starting off in a career, I found it so helpful when starting my new job at KYHS. The book was full of wonderful tips and pointers and there is always more to learn. One sage piece of advice that stood out to me from the book was, “listen more than I talk, speak gently when I do, and learn to flow with the river rather than always pushing against it.” Thank you Ms.Harris for this interview. Your answers were very thoughtful. You are a great addition to KYHS!  Article by Shayla Saida ('22)

Fruit Salad, Yummy Yummy Naomi Takes Us Behind the Scenes and Teaches Us How to Make a Complicated Dish

Graphic by Rebecca Adler ('23) and Orly Dimont ('23) Shalom my kadosh friends! I have missed each of you immensely on this long hiatus. I missed you so much that I have decided to feed you fresh fruits. Today we are going to be making FRUIT SALAD YUMMY YUMMY in honor of the upcoming favorite holiday of all yidden, Tu B’Shevat!  Let’s get started right away, kinderlach. First you are going to go to Publix and buy the fruit. At first I felt like it was a given that you would need the fruit first before making a fruit salad, but then I realized some well meaning kinder may not know that first you need fruit in order to actually make the fruit salad (they get a pass because the masks fog their brains.) Once you have bought your fruit, you should head back home to your humble abode.  When you reach your bayis you are going to want to gingerly make balls out of the following fruits: watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew, the most chashuv melons around. Once those are shaped and ready to be put in the bowl, you should make sure that you have some handy dandy strawberries, blueberries, and strictly a Cutco knife to finish the recipe. No other knife will be permissible. Once you have grabbed your oh-so-sharp Cutco knife, you are going to want to cut your strawberries into pretty little star shapes just like the stars Hashem showed Avraham. Once cut into stars, you are ready to start making your bowl. The order of fruits into the bowl is very simple and quite obvious. First goes cantaloupe, then honeydew, the watermelon comes next, the strawberries come after that, and last and certainly least are the blueberries, God’s least favorite fruit. And there you have it! A stunning fruit salad with strawberry members of B’nei Yisrael.  I hope this fruit salad fills your stomachs for the beautiful Shabbos and exceeds your Tu B’Shevat expectations. If you wanna be like Naomi, chap a Naomi’s Nosh. And just remember, kids, Cutco knives are superior.  Article by Naomi Reichenberg ('22)

Ariella Asks  Ariella Greenberg (‘22) Interviews Chana Schandelson(‘22) and Rebecca Henner (‘22) about Their Cool New Jewish Endeavor

Graphic by Matthew Eichenholz ('23) and Aaron Newman ('24) Seniors Rebecca Henner and Chana Schandelson are shaking up the BRS community with their leadership in the brand new Midreshet BRS program. Midreshet BRS is a program that was started by Mrs. Amy Horowitz and Mrs. Rina Lanner to encourage middle school and high school aged girls to come together to create an environment of spiritual growth and learning within the community. Every Tuesday night at 7:30, the girls meet in the BRS Sephardic Beit Midrash where snacks and sushi are served. The girls split up into chaburot based on different grades and each group learns a different topic and sefer. Rebecca runs a group for eighth grade girls and learns The Thinking Jewish Teenager’s Guide to Life. Chana runs a chaburah for tenth graders and together they learn Olam HaMiddot by Rav Moshe Don Kestenbaum. There are two sixth grade chaburot and a seventh grade chaburah as well, each led by junior and senior girls from other area high schools. So far there have been six weeks of learning, and God willing there will be many more to come in the future! When Rebecca and Chana heard about the creation of the new program, they knew it would be something they would love to be a part of. Both Chana and Rebecca are esteemed leaders of KYHS’s Night Seder program here at school on Wednesday nights, so they both knew that leading girls in learning is something that they are passionate about and enjoy doing. Rebecca, who learns with eighth graders, saw this as an opportunity to get to learn with younger girls who she does not ordinarily get a chance to connect with at school. Another aspect of the program that inspired the girls to get involved was the chance to give back to the BRS community. Chana recalls growing up in the BRS community seeing the liveliness and love for Torah and God from older community members. Being involved in the program has allowed her to give back to the community in a way that allows for her own growth while helping others along their journeys, as well.  Rebecca and Chana share how amazing it has been to make connections with the girls by learning together each week so far. It is incredible to see how much they know and to hear all of their amazing insights. Rebecca and Chana agree that it is important to learn with all different types of people, even those who are younger than you, because everyone has something interesting to add based on their own unique perspective and experiences. Rebecca shared how cool it is to learn with the eighth grade girls in particular, because they are at the stage in life where they are about to enter high school while Rebecca is almost done with high school, so Rebecca can share what she has learned throughout the last four years with them as they prepare to embark on their own high school journeys.  Being student leaders in Midreshet BRS has also allowed Rebecca and Chana to carve out more time for Torah learning in their lives. Being in an environment where each girl came to learn Torah purely lishmah is so inspiring, especially because some of the girls are so young and are already showing a sincere love and drive for Torah. The girls sometimes discuss their struggles during the chaburas and try to help one another by giving realistic advice. Midreshet BRS is an environment where everyone is accepted and supported!  Being involved in extracurriculars on top of a heavy workload can be difficult, but Rebecca and Chana shared that they think that high school is a really important time to get involved in your community, especially with the kids who look up to you in so many ways even if you don’t realize it. You have so many things to offer and there really isn’t time to do things like this after high school. When you get involved in the community, you make connections with people who you may not have otherwise gotten to know, which is something really special. Rebecca affirmed that even if you have a lot of work, it is important to set aside some time each week, even just an hour or so, where you do something to give back to the community. Chana added that since Torah is something that she truly values, she does not view this as stressful and rather sees it as a way to get involved in her community and give back as an opportunity to learn and create relationships.  Rebecca and Chana both offered pieces of advice for students who want to become more involved in their communities. Rebecca noted that, “often it may feel like as a teenager, you may not have such a presence in such a large community like ours in South Florida, but by becoming involved in these programs you can make an actual difference, even if it's on a small scale. It is so fulfilling to do these things because then you really feel like you are using your time in a beneficial and impactful way.” Chana encourages students: “Don’t be afraid to try new things! Baruch Hashem there are so many opportunities for everyone to be involved in! There is really something for everyone to do and don’t be shy! If you like to do something, join the club or find the program in shul that allows you to do that! If there isn't already a program for that, make one! Everyone is always looking for new things to do!”   There really is a club, program, and way to get involved for everyone! Chana and Rebecca are setting a beautiful example with their inspirational dedication to their community.  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) In today's world, positivity, kind acts, and helping others are trending. There is a focus on bettering the world around us throughout our lives in order to leave a lasting impact. Although this is a healthy culture to be living in, it can be consuming. Doing things for others is always a good thing, but not if it comes at your own expense. If you are not in the mental state to be there for yourself, then you cannot be expected to be there for someone else. In a conversation regarding this topic, Leah Chambers (‘23) said that, “you can't be a good person until you’re an actual person.” I loved this quote, as it perfectly explains this idea. We need to constantly be working on ourselves and figuring out who we are and what we stand for. Only once we find ourselves can we start focusing on bettering the world around us. It is not selfish to focus on yourself; in fact, quite the opposite. In the long run, finding yourself will allow you to be happy, which will result in you doing positive things and impacting the people around you. Find yourself and then help society find itself through kindness and good deeds.  Article by Jamie Berger ('23)

Highlites Staff