From: Rabbi Perry Tirschwell <rpt@wyhs.net>
Subject: Yeshiva Highlites: Starting Sivan with SLAB, Seniors Salute & Singing
Reply: rpt@wyhs.net

Friday, May 14, 2010
45th Day of the Omer
Parshat Bamidbar
Candle Lighting at 7:41 PM
 
Click on the images above to jump to the corresponding article
What's On Your Bumper Sticker?

World-renowned adolescent expert Dr. David Pelcovitz says that every family has its bumper sticker- a message it gives its children about what is most important in life.
 
"Ivy League or Bust," "Israel is Our Homeland," "Blood Is Thicker Than Water," "Make It Big," "Be What You Want to Be (as long as that includes medical or law school!)," "Give Back to the Community," and "Be on the Cutting Edge" are prime examples.  
 
Though one can certainly communicate multiple life lessons to progeny, there is a lot of truth to this insight. There are subliminal (and sometimes overt) messages that we send to our children about what we feel is really important in life.
 
We all want to make our parents proud. Though we might not admit it at any age, we care more about their opinion than anyone else's. What is truly important to them is important to us, albeit in a different format for a different age or different situation. A family's bumper sticker is very powerful.
 
Parents should not live vicariously through their children. Children who chose careers and spouses only to make their parents happy will likely end up being unhappy as adults. Every child should lead his/her own life. Parents should inculcate values in their children, not make life direction decisions for them.
 
My bumper sticker is "Be Observant Jews." That of course means mitzvot bein adam lmakom and bein adam l'chavero.It impacts what goes into your mouth, what comes out of your mouth, and how you allocate your precious time and resources.I believe that my children know that they must choose professions,  spouses and communities which they love, but they must make sure that they are in line with our this overarching mission.
 
Take a good hard look in the mirror.
What's on your family's bumper sticker?



The next and final regular edition of the Yeshiva Highlites
 will appear on Friday, May 28.



Shabbat Shalom,


Rabbi Perry Tirschwell
Head of School

Coming Attractions

Tues May 18

Erev Shavuot
12:00pm Dismissal

Wed-Thurs May 19-20
Shavuot
No Classes

Fri May 21
Chumash (g) Gemara (b)
Final Exam 12:00pm

Mon May 24
Annual Journal Dinner

Mon-Fri May 24-28
Regular Classes

Wed May 26

Sports Banquet

Last Blood Drive
 of the year

Fri May 28
Chesed Hours Due
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Wed June 2
Graduation


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Zorik & Ellen Spektor
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Ted & Linda Struhl

Norman & Estelle Wald
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Good & Welfare
Mazel Tov!
Meghann (Colten '02) and Ben Schwartz on the birth of their 2nd daughter

Yoni Gold ('04) on his engagement to Alise Dobkin of Chicago

Arianna (Halbstein '05) and Koby Sabghir on the birth of a girl
 
Condolences
Custodian Terry Narine on the loss of his father

Night Seder
The Season Finale
 

By Adam Poliak ('11)

STAFF WRITER


After a reevaluation of the weekly Mishmar program, the administration struck gold with its new-found format. Two years after the initiation of Night Seder, the decision was made to make participation in the program entirely voluntary, unlike in previous years when additional incentives were offered. This past Wednesday, the members of Night Seder concluded the year with intense learning and inspirational divrei Torah.

The enormous success of this innovative program was evinced by the numerous students who studied Gemara, Halachah, Tanach, or machshavah every Wednesday throughout the year. Moreover, the addition of mid-week cholent to the students' diets made this year's Night Seder all the more sensational.     









News Brief
AP Physics Class
Amps it Up



By Hadassah Tirschwell ('11)
AP PHYSICS STUDENT

Ohm my gosh!

In an electrically-charged week that started off with the Advanced Placement Physics exam, the students of Mr. Wayne Kraft's AP Physics class tested their resistance in a series of labs. 

Using oscilloscopes, ammeters, and voltmeters, the class measured the current, voltage, and resistance of various resistors, capacitors, and light emitting diodes in multiple configurations and even tested their own resistance levels. The results of the experiments paralleled the predictions made by the students based on the concepts and equations they learned in class. 

The exciting labs certainly had all of the students proclaiming, "now that was a watt of fun!"


slabFeature Story
A SLAB-tastic Yom Yerushalayim
The Annual Student Leadership Awards Banquet

siyum

Click on the image above to watch the incredible SLAB video, The SLAB Life


By David Hopen ('12)
STAFF WRITER


WYHS buzzed with activity this past Wednesday as students participated in an abundance of events. To mark the celebration of Yom Yerushalyim, students wrote letters to President Obama, urging the preservation and indivisibility of the epicenter of our faith- Jerusalem. Accordingly, students loaded their plates with a special Israeli lunch in the festively decorated lunchroom, which was teeming with seemingly endless platters of falafel.

The school then filtered into the ballroom for the annual Student Leadership Awards Banquet to watch a special video presentation that highlighted students' involvement in the school. The video, which followed four students behind the scenes in search of fulfilling all the unique and entertaining opportunities WYHS offers, highlighted the various groups and extracurricular activities available.

The program was capped off with a tribute to Mrs. Andron, whom we will miss dearly next year when she and her family make Aliyah. On behalf of a bitter-sweet student body, Mrs. Kanner recognized the incredible dedication to the school Mrs. Andron has shown, as well as the atmosphere of chesed which she enthusiastically promoted. Finally, Student Council election packets were handed out as students reflected on ways to get involved, realizing that there's never a boring day at WYHS.








bloodFeaturette

The Shock Factor
The SLAB Life: Behind the Scenes



senior News Story

Seniors' Salutations
Almost-Alumni Honor Teachers at Senior Dinner


By Matthew Wolkowicz ('12)
STAFF WRITER

This past Thursday night, the senior class dined with all of the teachers who have taught them throughout their high school careers. The seniors showed abundant appreciation towards their mentors by presenting them with a commemorative plaque that consisted of a class photo surrounded by everyone's signatures. Next, each student expressed their personal gratitude toward specific teachers whom they felt have left lasting impressions on their lives.

While the seniors were overjoyed to be spending time with their classmates and teachers, they were also faced with the somber reality that this may be the last time they are all together. However, they also realized that WYHS has provided them with more than just an education--it has helped them form friendships that will last a lifetime. 

yaakovMusic

Rosh Chodesh with Yaakov Chesed
Friday Concert @ WYHS





By Zack Raab ('10
)

MUSIC CORRESPONDENT

WYHS had the special privilege of having the up-and-coming Jewish band Yaakov Chesed perform for the students at the Rosh Chodesh Sivan Chagigah. They immediately got the students of WYHS on their feet and dancing to their contemporary Jewish rock tunes. The name of their band is derived from a line in the prayer of Uva Letzion  that we say every morning in davening. They combine "teeten emet l'Yaakov, chesed l'Avraham" and try to spread the message of Yaakov's emet (truth) and Avraham's chesed to everyone that listens to their music.

Thank you to Director of Programming Shira Englander for organizing this amazing concert. It was truly a great chagigah to top off all of the amazing chagigot that we had this year, as well as a great final chagigah for all of the graduating seniors!


bloodlannerIn Focus

He's Got Some Explaining to Do
Rabbi Lanner's Explanatory Tefilah Service


By Andrew Wald ('12)


Suddenly everyone's excited to daven, thanks to Rabbi Chaim Lanner.  Besides educating students in the classroom in the areas of Gemara and Chumash, he is also teaching them about tefillah.  Rabbi Lanner now runs a new type of minyan that each student can attend once a week.  I have been fortunate enough to experience this nontraditional  yet engaging service about which I discussed with the Rabbi himself.
 
Andrew Wald: What is the goal of this minyan?
Rabbi Chaim Lanner:It is a minyan in which  we try to increase both students understanding and appreciation of davening- specifically, what they are saying and why they say it.
 
AW: What are the struggles that people have with davening?  How can one fix these problems and enhance their davening?
RCL: In every synagogue, you'll find many people talking or doing things besides davening.  As humans, many people have a hard time davening because they cannot understand the words or they think that their prayers will not be answered.  In addition, it is natural for people to enjoy talking their friends more than offering a prayer to a G-d they cannot see. It is important for everyone to think about why he or she has difficulties davening and how they can be fixed.  I guarantee you it will greatly improve their tefilah.  
 
AW: Why did you come up with this innovative idea?
RCL: It was the result of a Judaic Faculty meeting that took place in Mrs. Kanner's home on a motzei Shabbat. The faculty of WYHS is constantly trying to figure out how to do more for our students. We saw davening as an opportunity for improvement, so we jumped at it. I volunteered to run the minyan because I knew it would force me to do serious research on davening, which would inevitably enhance my own tefilah.   
 
AW: What has its impact been like on the students?
RCL: I think it may be too premature to determine if there has been any significant effect just yet, but right now I'm merely looking to plant seeds and one day the trees will grow.  However, I do believe that the davening we do after talking about tefilah is much better than on a normal day.
 
AW: How has the new minyan affected you personally?
RCL: I am very confident when I say that I have gained more from this minyan than any student has. As insightful as any of my comments are, they pale in comparison to many of the penetrating questions and thoughts that the students have shared with me, both during and after the minyan.

 

The Yeshiva Highlites Staff
Joshua Stadlan ('11)
Editor in Chief
LeeLee Borzak ('10)
Senior Editor & Sports Liaison

David Spektor ('10)
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Michael Feit ('10)
Head of Photo Editing
Paul Hess ('11)
Creative Editor
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Graphic Designer




Ilana Ben-Ezra ('10)
Chief of Staff
David Petrover ('10)
Technical Editor
Jonah Katz ('11)
Graphic Designer
Binyamin Feit ('12)
Video Engineer
Aaron Rose ('13)
Graphic Designer
Jeffrey Herr ('13)
Programmer
Dani Louis ('12)
Photographer


Staff Writers

      Simcha Adelman ('12)
     David Hopen ('12)
     Elana Kaminetsky ('12)         
     Ezra Kurtz ('12)
      Jacob Levenson ('11)
      Leora Litwin ('12)


Rashel Maikhor ('12)
Adam Poliak ('11)
Sarah Struhl ('12)
Andrew Wald ('12)
Mathew Wolkowicz ('12)




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Rabbi Allan Houben    Faculty Advisor
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