Enjoy Kushner Connections Weekly Newsletter

January 4, 2024/ 22nd of Tevet 5784/ Parsha Shemot

Candle Lighting: 4:25 PM

Early Childhood/Lower School

LS Guidance Counselor Ms. Klahr read 2nd grade a book called, "I can’t believe you said that" by Julia Cook. The lesson was focused on how to use a “social filter”. They learned to stop and think before speaking and giving feedback to their friends. Throughout the story, the boy learns how to analyze social situations before he speaks and choose appropriate words to use, or maybe not to say anything at all. At the end of the story, he is given a situation where he uses his “social filter” to make a different comment to his friend and it is more upbeat and positive instead of hurtful and negative. The students learned about a think bubble – to think before you say something; is it nice? Is it something that might hurt someone’s feelings? Later they practiced different situations that may arise in the classroom and stressed that words, especially unkind words, can have an impact on others, and tied it back to the “heart project” they are working on.

In preparation for the New Year, EC4 talked about their resolutions and goals. The children took this seriously and came up with some lofty 2024 goals! To make this into a cute new Winter bulletin board, each child marble painted black paper with white and silver and topped it off with some iridescent glitter and cut it into a circle to look like a winter wonderland snow globe. Teachers took a picture of them making a "screaming face", while wearing their coats and gloves, pretending like they are swirling around inside the globe!

First grade began their unit on members of the family in Ivrit. The students then made stick puppets of each of their family members. They used these puppets for an interactive and hands-on lesson using a new song they learned in Ivrit all about members of their family. Click here or the image to watch the video.

Middle School

The eighth-grade students have researched many of the significant Civil War battles. The students have learned the military and historical significance of these battles, who the Civil War’s field generals and commanders were, where these battles occurred, how the Union and Confederates soldiers fought against each other, how these battles impacted the Civil War’s progress, and who won each conflict. The students wrote their battle summaries on Google Maps at the geographic location where each of the battles occurred. In the finished product, they can then click on each town on Google Maps and read the summary they put together of the battle.

In chumash, students are learning sefer devarim. Each student created a map of the 40 years the jews spent in the dessert from mitzrayim, getting the torah in chorev, spending 38 years in or around Kadeish Barnea and finally going around Edom, Amon and Moav. They traced and recreated the route to help them visualize and reinforce their learning.

JKHA parent Dr Michelle Neier has worked extensively in the medical field and with children. She spoke to 8th graders this week about her career in genetics and enabled them to learn more about their own bodies and health.

High School

For the first SEED speaker of 2024 RKYHS welcomed Avi Mayer, Editor-in-Chief of the Jerusalem Post. Mr. Mayer spoke about his post at the helm of the most-widely read English newspaper in Israel, shared insights about the current media landscape, and the pressures of reporting swiftly and accurately in a time of war. He described the current media landscape for reporting about Israel and in particular since October 7, the responsibility of the media, maintaining journalistic integrity, and the difference between opinion vs fact when reporting. Mayer offered advice on how to be an educated consumer of news when they are constantly inundated with news from news outlets and social media and expressed to students how to speak up against information that they read that isn't factual.

Congratulations to the RKYHS Chess Team on their win today. The team displayed much skill and strategy as they soundly defeated Hillel 14-0.

The RKYHS Homeless Awareness Club traveled to Newark for their monthly visit to help those experiencing homelessness. They spent time at Urban Renewal, Newark's largest homeless shelter, handing out clothing and food to those in need, and spending time with those experiencing homelessness.

Considering the many challenges that face today's adolescents, it is vitally important that students are equipped with the tools and knowledge to help them navigate the complex world of relationships. As such, RKYHS runs an ongoing, important program to prepare our students, the Life Values and Intimacy Education program, designed by Dr. Yocheved Debow. Dr. Debow is a noted educator who holds a doctorate from Bar Ilan University's School of Education. Her research focuses on sexuality and intimacy education in the Modern Orthodox community, for which she received a President's Award and a Schupf Fellowship. The 11th and 12th grade students are divided by gender and meet for sessions several times a year, including the most recent session that was held for 12th grade girls this week, where candid, informative, and frank discussions allow students to approach these topics in a safe environment.

RKYHS allows students to take initiative and create opportunities. A group of students began a Rollerskating Club this year as a way to improve their skills on skates and have an opportunity to socialize and expend energy. The club enjoyed their first outing of the year at the Florham Park Roller Rink where each student took to the rink on rollerblades and rollerskates.

SPORTS

The RKYHS Golf Team is taking part in winter golf training at the Florham Park Golf Club to get ready for the season.

Congrats to our wrestling team on a great performance at the wrestling tournament in the 39th Annual Mustang Zoo wrestling tournament in Brick, NJ. The tournament was comprised of wrestlers from public school teams all across NJ. The RKYHS wrestlers had a remarkable showing with a nice handful of wins and placements. Sam Tennenberg finished in FIRST place in his weight class bracket, winning 3 matches in a row. All students had hard fought matches against tough opponents.

ALUMNI

Mazel Tov to Keren Kaynan (JKHA ‘12) on her engagement to Jacob Feiler!

DIVREI TORAH

Click here to view this week's Kushner Comments

Click here for a printable version of the Kushner Comments

Click here to read this week's JLC The Schmooze

KPAC

PARNAS HAYOM

January 5 - 24 Tevet

Was dedicated by

Nili and Andrew Yolin

in memory of

Dr. Neal Yolin

ניסן בן שמואל

beloved father of Andrew Yolin

and beloved grandfather of Koby (12th grade), Nava (9th grade)

and Jonah (7th grade) Yolin

in commemoration of his first yahrzeit.

January 4 - 23 Tevet

Was dedicated by

The Rappaport Family

In loving memory of Esther Friedman

Beloved great grandmother, grandmother, mother & friend.

Great Grandmother to Shayne Rappaport (10th Grade)

January 3 - 22 Tevet

Was dedicated by

Yaffa and Larry Liebman

in memory of

Rabbi Morton Kronenberg

Mordechai Yosef Ben Azriel Zelig

beloved father of Yaffa Liebman

Nathan Liebman

Nachum Ben Shmuel Eliyahu

and

Doris Liebman

Devorah bat Chaim Shalom Hacohen

beloved parents of Larry Liebman

and beloved grandparents of Sheri Rotenberg (JKHA '02/RKYHS '06), Mitchell Liebman (JKHA '06/RKYHS '10), and Jonathan Liebman (JKHA '07/RKYHS '11).

January 2 - 21 Tevet

Was dedicated by

Julie Ann and Dr. Mark Miller

in memory of

Faith Saltz Cohen z"l

beloved mother of Julie Ann Miller and Moira Saltz Siegel

and grandmother of Rachel (JKHA '04/RKYHS '08) Miller Cooper, Andrew (JKHA '07/RKYHS '11), Jerry (JKHA '10/RKYHS '14) and Ashley (JKHA '13/RKYHS '17) Miller and Jonah Siegel (RKYHS '23)

in commemoration of her yahrtzeit.

Click Here to Read This Week's Parnas Hayom Dedications

Click Here to Donate

We Invite You to Dedicate Our Children's Torah Learning at JKHA/RKYHS

If you are interested in sponsoring a Day of Learning, contact Aly Greenstein: agreenstein@jkha.org or (862) 437-8001

COMMUNITY