So, which was reality and which was “ונהפוך הוא”? Was Jewish life prior to Haman’s decree the true Jewish reality, or was Jewish life following the decree true Jewish reality? It certainly seems from the Purim story that once the Jews embraced life in the post-Haman decree as reality, realizing that their life before the decree was fleeting and ephemeral, that they were then, and only then, worthy of the great Purim salvation.

Perhaps that is our job as well during this time, to embrace the instability, connect to the tale of Jewish history that preceded us, and realize that it’s our connection to Hashem through tefillah and teshuva that will bring us to the ultimate “ונהפוך הוא” – the return of the hostages, peace in Eretz Yisrael, and, yes, just like the final chapter of the Purim story – the rebuilding of the Beit Hamikdash.

To help concretize this idea, Rav Melech Biderman shared the following wonderful insight in the Megillah. It is unbelievable to see the way in which Haman tells Achashvierosh how to rule his empire. Time and again, Haman dictates Achashvierosh’s actions. The essence of ונהפוך הוא, explains Rav Biderman, is that the Jew on Purim is actually able to tell The King (Hashem) what He needs to do in this world, akin to the way Haman was able to do with Achashvierosh. It seems heretical, but that is exactly what ונהפוך הוא is. On Purim, we “control” the King, and we can dictate to Hashem what He needs to do in His world. The one condition, however, explains Rav Biderman, is that you need to want your tefillah to come true more than Haman wanted his desire – to destroy the Jews – to come true. May this in fact be the case. May our yearning for the return of the hostages, peace in Eretz Yisrael, and the full גאולה, truly surpass the wishes and hopes of our enemies.

Shabbat Shalom,



Rabbi David Wilensky

Parents, you should have received in the mail Kohelet parking placards to keep in your cars when you come to campus - drop off and pick up or for an event. If you have not yet received a placard or need an extra one, please email Miriam Morley. For security purposes, it is important that you display the placard in your car when you drive onto our campus.

Teacher Look-a-Like Day saw our KYLS and KYMS students dressing up like their teachers and some of our teachers dressing up like their students. It was a fun day all around!

KYHS organized and hosted the third annual KoHack event, which is the only North American Yeshiva High School Coding Hackathon. Students from seven different schools spent two days collaborating and competing to address a problem using creative coding and design skills.

During a break in the action, the KoHack participants enjoyed a lecture titled “Adventure Capitalism” that was delivered by Kohelet parent and business leader Amir Goldman.

The event culminated with great final presentations in front of our judges. Mazal tov to the top three teams as determined by the judges: Fasman Yeshiva High School, Torah Academy of Bergen County, and Berman Hebrew Academy. Congratulations to one of our own Kohelet teams, which won an honorable mention for their outstanding presentation!

Thank you to the PTSO for organizing a JRA chesed day in memory of Lianna Saiman, z"l. Thank you as well to all the Kohelet families that joined us at JRA and helped pack boxes filled with food for people in need.

Pre-Purim fun at Kohelet Yeshiva!