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Friday, January 7, 2011
2 Sh'vat 5771 |  | Parshat Bo
Candle Lighting at 5:26 PM |
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TLC: The Secret to
Shalom in the Home
When
Bruce Springsteen wrote a song entitled "57 Channels (And Nothin' On),"
we couldn't imagine the myriad of options we have today on our TVs and
computers.
We
now have channels devoted to the most particular interests-Animal
Planet, Biography, Cartoon Network, Game Show Channel, The Weather
Channel, etc. Even Oprah has her own channel!
This
week's Highlites theme is inspired by today's fantastic
presentation by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach. Rabbi Boteach has a show titled
"Shalom in the Home" on the TLC Channel. The Highlites articles on the
Baby Bash, the Cell Phone Contest, JV Girls Basketball, Midterm Study
Tips, and the Senior Night Out are all takeoffs on shows on The TLC Channel.
"TLC"
originally stood for "The Learning Channel," an appropriate title for a
station focusing on education. Now this channel gears its shows
to reality-drama, fashion, interior design and similar shows.
There are those who feel that the same fate has befallen Modern Orthodox education. Color war, chagigot, kumsitzes, shabbatonim, inspirational speakers, and trips are the proofs of what the critics call "Edutainment." These voices call for a return to the basics- the no-nonsense good ole days.
I believe that the TLC- the "Tender Loving Care"-
that is conveyed through all of these informal educational programs is
the key to "Shalom in Our Home". The excitement and message about the
importance of family at yesterday's Rosh Chodesh Chagigah in honor of Rabbi & Mrs. Schochet's baby were real and palpable.
There is no contradiction between challenging academics and inspiring programs.
It is true that time is finite. However, in 40.5 hours a week of school
(plus homework and extracurricular activities) , we can squeeze in
enough time for both!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Perry Tirschwell
Head of School
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Coming Attractions
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Wed Jan 12
Study Day- No Classes
Thurs- Fri
Jan 13-14
Midterm Exams
Sun Jan 16
No Mishmar
Mon Jan 17
Midterms
Tues Jan 18
Study Day- No Classes
Wed Jan 19
Midterms
Thurs-Sun Jan 20-31
Winter Break
Fri Feb 4
Highlites Returns!
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Mazel Tov
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Mazel tov to Caren Abitbol ('04) on her engagement to Doni Waintraub of Teaneck
Mazel tov to Hellen (Esquenazi '05) and David Falah on the birth of their daughter Talia
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Refuah Shleimah
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David Shimon Baruch ben Rachel
Penina Bat Chana
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Condolences
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Billy Berman on the loss of his father
Norman Turoff on the loss of his mother
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 Tips Corner
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Written By The Dean of Awesomeness Ms. Sardano Graphic By Amir Tsarfati ('13)
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News Brief
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iPad Incentivizes Students to Surrender Mobile Phones
Written By Ezra Kurtz ('12)
Graphic By Jason Mark ('14)
Wednesday minchas
are usually best remembered for their Israel Updates or environmental
facts of the week presented after prayer. Students usually leave the Beit Midrash
in deeply intellectual discussion over how to prevent global warming,
or perhaps debating their opinions on the Mideast peace process.
However, this Wednesday brought a stark contrast to every other mincha thus far experienced by WYHS students.
The standard ambience of post-mincha
announcements shifted dramatically with a video that began as
pedestrian as can be. It opened up with a scene many students experience
twice a day; a car driving down a highway. Yet the calm was shattered
and students cringed as suddenly a ghastly car wreck appeared on the
screen. It soon became evident that this crash, which resulted in the
death of the teenage driver, was caused by the driver choosing to send and receive text messages while driving.
As
the students sat in stunned silence following the heart wrenching
video, Assistant Director of Student Activities Rabbi Allan Houben
solemnly addressed them. He told students of a new program that was
being initiated, in which students would receive one raffle ticket to win an iPad for every day in school they went without using their cell phones.
Rabbi
Houben explained that the purpose of this program was to show students
that if they could go an entire school day without their mobile
phones, than certainly they could manage the short drive to and from school without them.
Since its inception on Thursday, the program has been a resounding success, with over 130 phones collected, and countless more students made aware of the distraction texting while driving can cause.
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Feature Story
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Sh'vat and the Schochets
Rosh Chodesh Celebrated with Baby Bash
Written By Aaron Zimmerman ('13)Graphic By Justin Stauber ('11) On Thursday morning, the excitement at the Baby Bash to welcome Avraham Shlomo Schochet was irrepressible. WYHS students gathered for a sumptuous breakfast outside followed by vehement singing and dancing indoors.
After the upbeat celebrating, students settled down to listen to Rabbi
Horowitz's heartfelt and eloquent speech about his coworkers and dear
friends, the Schochets. Rabbi Moshe Schochet also spoke to enlighten students about his newest boy's name and how grateful he and his wife were for the school's, students' and faculty's unparalleled support and caring.
For the most part, Mrs. Michal Schochet's pregnancy was a smooth one. She was able to teach in school for a good portion of her pregnancy,
and towards the end, Mrs. Leah osen substituted for her. When the 9
months were up, little Avraham was still MIA. Students constantly
approached the Schochets, as their overdue baby engendered some pretty interesting conversations. The Schochets intelligibly explained that a baby's birth, along with all other things in this world, is in the hands of Hashem. This certainly assuaged everyone's anxiety about when this new baby would finally join the WYHS family.
After
much anticipation, when Mrs. Schochet gave birth to a healthy newborn,
the excitement and support for the Schochets increased exponentially.
Rabbi Schochet thanked the many students who attended Avraham's shalom zachor and bris, both which occurred on students' free time. He also noted how amazing it was to think about how one baby can precipitate so much simcha, happiness, and unity for our school.
We welcome with outstretched arms Shlomo Schochet to the WYHS family and congratulate two very special teachers for a new milestone in their lives.
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Athletic Dept.
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Little Girls, Big Court
Take the Quiz Below to Find Out
Which Player you are Most Similar to
Written By Leora Litwin ('12)
Graphic By Jonah Katz ('11)
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Interview Dept.
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One Conversation
With WYHS Students
Personable Rabbi Shmuley Boteach Connects with
Students Through Pop Culture, Torah Messages
Written by Darren Jacoby ('13)
Graphic by Andy Agus ('13) and Joshua Stadlan ('11)
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach is a renowned speaker and author, respected and revered in both the Jewish and global communities. He has written eighteen books to date, and his works have been translated in seventeen different languages. Rabbi Boteach has been on national TV countless times and hosted his own TV show on TLC called Shalom in the Home where he helps all types of people with their most difficult and personal problems. Rabbi Boteach is a celebrity in his own right amongst Hollywood stars, and I had the privilege of being able to sit down and speak with him.
Darren Jacoby: Are you working on any new novels?
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach: Yes, in fact I have one coming out this Tuesday (January 11th), which is a compilation of my conversations with Michael Jackson, and explores relationships with children and honoring the child spirit. The book tries to teach adults the values that we treasure in children, like creativity, imagination and spirit.
DJ: What is different about South Florida's Jewish life now compared to how it was when you were growing up in?
RSB: When I lived here, Boca Raton was just starting up- since then it has exploded into an amazing, thriving center of Jewish life. I do believe however it still has more room to grow, by broadening its intellectual life.
DJ: What did you teach Michael Jackson as his rabbi that we can all use in our lives?
RSB: The main thing that everyone must understand is that happiness comes from existential purposefulness- not monetary and worldly pleasures.
DJ: What was the best part for you about all your experience on television?
RSB: Truly, the best part about television is being able to help people with their problems. Most people see television as an artificial source of entertainment, but when it truly helps people it's a great thing. One of my greatest experiences was helping a Christian women with nine children properly parent her family, and when we made progress it was extremely rewarding.
DJ: How was your experience at Oxford?
RSB: I was at Oxford for eleven years, and it was an extremely enriching and rewarding experience. There were a lot of bright students, who were curious and willing to debate anything and everything. I was 22 at the time, sent by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and extremely impressionable. I truly understood the statement in Pirkei Avot (Ethics of our Fathers) that you learn from your teachers, learn even more from your colleagues but learn the most from your students.
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Where Are They Now
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Alumna Returns to Speak About Life on Campus
Written By Matthew Wolkowicz('12)
Graphic By Jonah Katz('12)
Jordana Kaminetsky graduated from WYHS in 2007 and attended Shaalvim for Women in Israel. After spending a year in Shaalvim, she began Barnard College, where she is still in school today.
Ms. Kaminetsky is very active on campus in both Barnard and Jewish life. She is the President of the Barnard/Columbia Hillel,
which is the largest student group on campus. Furthermore, she is also
the coordinator of the Hillel Community Task Force, an organization
dealing with the involvement of students with Jewish Life.
Additionally, she is involved in secular organizations at Barnard and is a co-chair of the housing advisory and a member of MCAC, which is the Barnard activity counsel in charge of organizing fun programs.
When at WYHS, Ms. Kaminetsky was given a wide range of leadership positions, from senior class president to Highlites editor.
She believes that these positions as well as her overall experience at
WYHS gave her great leadership and organization training.
Ms. Kaminetsky returned to her roots last Thursday and was generous enough to give a speech during lunch to all interested WYHS students about her decision to attend Barnard and also regarding her overall experience at Barnard.
Ultimately, Jordana explained to her audience why Barnard is a perfect fit for her, as it is a wonderful secular college that easily bonds Jewish and secular values-making it incredibly easy to remain an observant Jew in college. Her advice to any students interested in Barnard is to pursue that decision because it is an incredible experience.
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Ashreinu
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Click on the image above to view this weeks Ashreinu.
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Photo Story
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The Great GetawaySeniors Sail the Ocean Blue
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Brainstorm
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This
edition of the Brainstorm features stories related to the Holocaust.
These include interviews with survivors, historical perspectives, and
its relevance today.
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