A special thank you  to the seven very generous donors who offered us a chance to double the impact of our tzedakah by matching all donations to the Annual Fund up to $72,000 (4 x Chai)through June 30th!   

Donate online or call Melissa Rivkin at 206-551-9322 cell or 206-232-5272 ext 515 office. Checks, stock transfers and cash are also wonderful ways to donate!

Thank you! Your investment in our school and young people is a true investment in faces of the future!

Shabbat shalom! 

Host Families Needed 

 

Click here for FAQs regarding Host Families

 

Would you like to share your home and beautiful city with a high school student looking for a Jewish high school experience?

 

If you answered 'yes', consider hosting a student for the 2011-12 school year.  

 

 

We have a number of incoming students from out of state and country.  If you are interested in hosting a student and/or would like more information, please contact Ian Weiner at iweiner@nyhs.net or Rabbi Margolese at

rmargolese@nyhs.net. 

 

"Looking for complete happiness?  Share your extra kidney!" -Lea Hanan 1984 

We caught up with alumna and current NYHS parent, Lea Hanan on the one year anniversary of donating a kidney to her father.   Read her story below. 

This week marks my one year anniversary of sharing my extra kidney with my father, Albert Behar.  We celebrated the date together with the theme of "Gratitude and health." Our day began with a visit where it all began, The Organ Transplant Center at Swedish.  We came with cards of thanks for the staff, a bright smiley balloon and some homemade cookies in a bowl decorated with the words "Celebrate Health!"  We were greeted with open arms by my Transplant Coordinator and other staff members that were eager to celebrate with us. Our surgeons were both busy saving lives but we were promised that the staff would share our cookies and gratitude with them. It was quite a sight to behold. In fact one man in the waiting room said "I feel honored to witness such a beautiful moment in your lives."

Our day continued with a 2.2 mile walk at the Cedar River and a picnic river side.  We ended our day with a hike at Mayberry Park near my home.  My day continued with more walking for me, making it a total of ten miles for the day! I am committed to daily exercise, valuing the good health God has blessed me with.

During the past year I was contacted by two young women, one from the Netherlands and the other from Wales, both interested in kidney donation. I was able to work together with these two women, guiding them through email as they went through the kidney donation process.  I am so pleased to report that the woman from The Netherlands donated a kidney to her husband in November and the young woman from Wales gave her father a kidney this week!  In addition I was able to guide Ezra Bessaroth member Charlene Souriano as she gave a kidney to her husband, Greg Eisen recently.  All three of these women said that although they needed the medical guidance from physicians, my support was invaluable because I was able to answer all of their questions due to my experience.  If you know of anyone interested in sharing an extra kidney, send them my way!

I truly believe it was me that received the gift June 28th, 2010.  How incredible it is to be part of a modern day miracle, giving new life to my father who not only gave me life but enriches my life and the lives of my children every single day.  I carry with me a constant smile and feeling of complete gratitude for having the opportunity of such a life altering experience.  People ask me how I am feeling with only one kidney and I answer them truthfully...  "I have NEVER felt better!"

 Jessica Becker 2007 just graduated with honors (cum laude) from Chapman University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design with a minor in advertising and psychology.  She now lives in Venice, California and is actively persuing a job in her field.  She credits being able to take a full course load, volunteer, design apparel and logos in addition to working and interning in her field due to the rigorous and supportive academic program during her high school years at NYHS.  She is looking forward to being a part of the vibrant and active Jewish community of Los Angeles.


Josh Schwartz 2007 graduates from the UW with a degree in Political Science.  He will spend next year in Israel.

left to right: Jodi Schwartz 2008, Jamie Schwartz 2011 and Jessica Schwartz 2013

(Jodi is a junior at the UW and Jamie will enter after her year in Israel)

Zelle Rettman 2010 has had an exciting and active first year at college.  She spent a semester at Hebrew University before starting Brandeis this winter.

 

Zelle starts the conversation by telling us she loves school.  She also says that she loves NYHS and was worried that she could not find any college that would fit her better.  "But I figured that  I would  try."  She continues.   She chose Brandeis for a variety of reasons but location, education and active Jewish life were among the top.

 

"Brandeis has a large orthodox community and because the school has 4000 undergrads, it is very diverse.  I am able to both maintain my Jewish identity and grow religiously and branch out and have friends from all different backgrounds." 

 

She also said the kosher food is pretty good too and she spends up to 3 hours a night in the dining hall studying and schmoozing.

 

Zelle credits NYHS for preparing her for college.  "For example, in my Writing class, we do a lot of peer editing and I felt a lot more competent in my essay writing then most of my classmates and this was reflected in the feedback I received as well.  Going to college was not a difficult jump or transition like it could have been."

 

Zelle appreciates being able to choose her own classes.  This year, she took Computer Science, Psychology, Film, English Lit. and Yoga. 

" I enjoyed learning from all my teachers.  Like at NYHS, the teachers make it easy to build relationships with them if you make the effort. If you'd rather be another face in the crowd, that works too."

 

Zelle has not decided on a major yet.  Besides her academic classes, she is a photographer, columnist and layout designer for Hoot, the Brandeis newspaper.   She will also start as a STAR Peer Counselor next semester and is participating in training to help her be able to help students who come to her with their problems in everything from relationships to academic.  Zelle also played on the women's intramural basketball team, the Gefilta Swishers!

 

If that isn't enough, she also has a part time job at as a research assistant at the Cohen Center for Jewish Research where she is helping to compile data about every Jewish educational establishment in the US.  

This summer, Zelle is at the Brandeis Film School.

NYHS In the News

NYHS Food Auction in the MI Patch

Elie Aboulafia 2011 #2 in State Golf Championship in the MI Patch

Israel Walk in the Mercer Island Patch 

Israel Walk and Dine in the JT News 

For all things NCSY, visit www.seattlencsy.com 

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Check out www.jewishinseattle.org for up to date info. on all things Jewish happening!