Enjoy Kushner Connections Weekly Newsletter

February 29, 2024/ 20th of Adar I, 5784/ Parsha Ki Tasa

Candle Lighting: 5:30 PM

Earlier this week renowned Israeli singer-songwriter Ishay Ribo performed live at JKHA/RKYHS! Since October 7, the world has looked to the music of Ishay Ribo to find comfort, as his music has buoyed us along and provided much needed chizuk. JKHA/RKYHS fourth through twelfth grade students had the incredible opportunity to hear him perform at a private concert at school. Click here to relive the uplifting energy, the ruach, and amazing spirit that filled the Zuckerman Family Gymnasium. It was the boost that we’ve all been looking for and that we all needed. The school and our students are grateful to the generous donors who made this special opportunity possible.

EARLY CHILDHOOD/LOWER SCHOOL

When learning about Leap Day, Rabbi Srolovitz posed the question to 1st - 4th grade students that "If HaShem gave you one extra day on this earth what are you supposed to do with it?" As a division, students used the extra day we've been given in the calendar this year, to focus not just on themselves but to be there for others as well. The Lower School classes completed all of sefer tehillim today, keeping in mind those that need our tefillot, with an extra emphasis on the soldiers in the IDF, the people in Israel, and the hostages. They gathered at the end of the day in the Klatt Beit Midrash to recite the last chapter of tehillim together, followed by the tefillot for Medinat Yisrael, the IDF, and the captives. Students raised their voices in song to conclude the program with the singing of Esah Einai from tehillim and Acheinu. Click here to hear them recite their tehilllim.

In addition to the division-wide tehillim that Lower School participated in to take advantage of their extra day in the calendar, Lower School classes were filled with Leap Day activities and learning about why there is a leap day. Several classes completed time capsules and letters that will be given back to them in 4 years at the next leap day. Second graders did special math activities - "leaping" by 5's, finding the correct math path for the frog, and more. They also read a story about a boy born on February 29 and how he figured out when to celebrate his birthday, and played a big game of leap frog!

First graders are getting ready for Purim. They made stick puppets of the main characters in Megillat Esther and used them in the new song they learnt as part of their iTal Am curriculum "Mi BaMegillah?" (who is in the megillah?). Click here to watch them sing their song!

Purim katan was marked in all sorts of fun ways. EC4 came dressed in all sorts of creative ways to define the word katan (small). Lower school teachers and admins got into the Adar spirit with a crazy hat swap. They exchanged and wore the most creative and fun hats throughout the day!

MIDDLE SCHOOL

JKHA 7th and 8th graders were honored to welcome survivors of October 7 and have the opportunity to hear their stories. The group of Israelis are in the area through the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest. Our students will take their stories with them along with their messages of resilience and strength, and showing support - as one of the survivors told the students “We are stronger together”

Fifth graders got a taste of a Shabbaton with a “Shabbat-in!” They spent Friday with a condensed shabbaton that began with challah and dessert baking, a Kabbalat Shabbat, followed by an activity with their 8th grade Middot Mentors, shabbat meal complete with chulent and kugel, dessert and oneg and concluding with a festive Havdalah and Melave malkah!

Students in Morah Nechama's math class had a blast reviewing what they've learned in class recently through a clever game of Clue. Students had to solve equations that were set up around Middle School to determine which of the "suspects" aka Middle School teachers, committed the crime and with what tool, just like in the game Clue.

HIGH SCHOOL

Our RKYHS team of STEM students made us proud at the CIJE Hackathon and AI Vehicle Challenge! They competed against 16 high schools and created amazing IoT (Internet of Things) devices that laid out a visionary strategy for a robot-monitored, IOT sensor-based protected greenhouses as a way of addressing the issue of crop and farm damage from war, terrorism, and climate change. Their presentations were first-rate as well as their AI/Robotic "Apple Picker" they entered in the AI/Vehicle Challenge that picked up the most apples at the competition. Their exemplary work was evident in their performance at this intensive day where they also acquired key skills in a hands-on, real time way.

Barbara Warter came to share her story with our students for SEED this week and imparted her message to them to “Do Happy.” By gracefully telling her story of what she's endured in her life losing her husband and special needs child and the initiatives she's established in their memories, she helped our students understand that life doesn’t have to be perfect to feel happiness. She inspired them to find and appreciate the blessings in their lives, and motivated them to take action. Students that are eligible then participated in swabbing to be entered in the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Registry.

A group of RKYHS female students attended the "Introduce a girl to STEM" event at the Picatinny Arsenal. The students had the opportunity to engage with STEM professionals in various fields, learn about cutting-edge technologies, and gain insights into various science & engineering disciplines.

Six students represented RKYHS at the Math Majors of America Tournament (MMATHS) High School competition that took place at Yale University. MMATHS is a national high school math competition with regional tournaments held once a year at four different universities across the country. Congratulations to RKYHS Sophomore Jonah Klein who placed as a semifinalist in the competition. JKHA/RKYHS alum Issac Mendelsohn (JKHA '16/RKYHS '20) and current Yale student, was one of the organizers of the MMATHS competition. After the competition, students were able to walk around and enjoy the beautiful Yale campus

The 12th grade girls had a blast spending shabbat together at the 12th grade girls Shabbaton. As the time in their senior year flies by they are savoring these opportunities to bond with their classmates outside of school.

JKHA 8th grade girls met this week for their Tefillah Leadership Cohort (TLC). Under the guidance of Rebbetzin Proops, Mashgicha Ruchanit of RKYHS, 11th and 12th grade girls from RKYHS join JKHA eighth grade girls' davening weekly, creating meaningful and relatable davening experiences for our students. In doing so they serve as both role models and peers, developing a framework for growth and connection to our 8th graders.

SPORTS