Koleinu

Siyyum 5770 - A Beautiful Morning of Celebration

SAR High School celebrated its first school-wide siyyum of Mishanyot and Tanakh on Friday, May 21st. It was truly a beautiful morning. To prepare for the siyyum each gemara class studied a tractate or tractates of mishnayot. The students volunteered to learn perakim of Tanakh. The response of the student body was fabulous and there was great enthusiasm surrounding the event.

On May 21st, the day immediately following Shavuot, all students shared a gala breakfast of french toast, eggs, rolls and spreads together in the gym. Music was playing and there was a very festive atmosphere in the room. Ms. Goldscheider introduced the program by speaking about the importance of each individual's role in making the siyyum happen. She spoke about how each individual brought their own kavanah to their learning and each person's role being critical to make the siyyum.

Max Kane, student government president, then addressed the student body. He spoke powerfully about the way the students and faculty approached the siyyum. "I think the fact that you could have logged on to that wiki 3 days before Shavous, when this was all supposed to be done

by, to find no perakim left behind, speaks wonders for the student and faculty body of this school. Not many institutions, not many groups of people can accomplish this, but we did. But we didn't only do it; we did it with joy, with pride and with class. We jumped at the opportunity to learn torah l'shma, and that's a beautiful thing and for that I commend each and every one of you and want to say yasher koach."

Each individual dedicated their learning either in honor, in memory, or for the refuah of someone they knew. At the siyyum , 9th grader Harry Scheiner shared beautiful memories of his grandfather, Eric Scheiner, z"l. Harry spoke about how his grandfather rebuilt his family after the Shoah, the very special relationship he had with him and how his grandfather continues to inspire him today.

As part of the program, Rav Gordin, Rosh Beit Midrash and the Judaic Studies fellows were recognized and thanked for the Torah learning they shared with SAR. Rav Gordin, who will be returning to Israel after serving as Rosh Beit Midrash for the last three years, was thanked by Rabbi Kroll. Rabbi Kroll said how much he would miss, "his neighbor, his friend and his role model." Different students thanked the fellows who had spent so much time learning with them this year. A student or groups of students were called up to introduce each fellow. The presentations were heartfelt and demonstrated the very important role that the fellows program plays in the life of the school. The fellows were then presented with gifts from SAR to thank them for all their efforts this past year.
The entire student body and faculty concluded together both the Tanakh and Mishnayot. Lisa Schlaff

Ms. Schlaff ended the book of Divrei Hayamim and spoke about why Divrei Hayamim ends as it does with Koresh allowing Bnei Yisrael to return to Eretz Yisrael and rebuild the Beit Hamikdash, yet not actually telling us whether that did indeed occur (we only know the rest of the story from other sifrei Tanakh).

Divrei Hayamim, as it ends the Tanakh, makes the point that the Tanakh is neither a history book nor a book of literature. It is the Torah; it is the story of the Jewish people. It is not supposed to have an ending the way a regular book does. We are supposed to continue learning it always.
Rabbi Harcsztark then concluded the last mishna in Masechet Uktzin. The mishna ends with the words ה' עז לעמו יתן ה' יברך את עמו בשלום. The Torah, said Rabbi Harcsztark, is what Hashem gave us as a means to our survival throughout history. It is a means of binding Am Yisrael together from the four corners of the earth.

Rabbi Harcsztark ended with the charge, "I want you to implant in your minds and to your hearts, to think about it and to incorporate it into your being. The big picture of what binds am Yisrael from the four corners of the earth and what has bound am Yisrael over the course of history- Talmud Torah. What we have accomplished as a community over the last couple of weeks, is a symbolic microcosm, small scale fulfillment of that idea. May we find strength from each other from the Torah that we learn, may we incorporate this lesson into our hearts and minds so we may continue to learn Torah and strengthen am Yisrael for the rest of our lives."

Rabbi Harcsztark then recited the kaddish to complete the siyyum celebration. There was a beautiful feeling of pride and ahavat haTorah in the room as the words of the kaddish were recited.
We look forward to continuing this tradition in 5771 and building on this most special event.

Junior Lunch and Learn

Over the last couple of months the Juniors have enjoyed a special program. As part of the religious guidance program in the 11th grade, the Juniors have had the opportunity to think about important Jewish issues during optional lunch and learn sessions offered on the Junior floor. Topics have included "If you were G-d" taught by Rabbi Spierer, "How Mitzvot Make Me More Free" with Mr. Fleischer, "The Virtue of Doubt, What I learned about religion from Two Catholic Nuns" with Dr. Schwartz, "P. Diddy and My Grandfather, the Ultimate Love Story," with Ms. Mann, "Naomi- The female Iyov?: What Judaism has to say about Life's Most Difficult Questions" with Ms. Goldscheider, and "When is it ok to lie?" with Ms. Schlaff.

The response of the students has been fantastic as the rooms have been full with high level discussion. It is wonderful to have many students engaging important Jewish questions during their free time. Rabbi Harcsztark led the last discussion of the year this week entitled, "Judaism, Capitalism and Social Justice." We look forward to continuing the program as the current Juniors begin their Senior year next year.

Dr. Robert Marion, Chief Pediatrician of the Separated Aguirre Twins, Speaks to 9th Graders About Conjoined Twinning

On Friday, May 28, in conjunction with the Reproduction unit we just completed in biology class, the 9th grade students were addressed by Dr. Robert Marion. Dr. Marion is chief pediatrician of the conjoined Aguirre twins who were separated in a landmark operation done at Montefiore Hospital 5 years ago.

Dr. Marion spoke to the students about conjoined twinning in general, including in his presentation an explanation of the origin of the term "Siamese twins", and the particular challenge of this separation. Originally the Aguirre boys were thought to have been joined at the skull alone, but about 10 hours into the operation it was discovered that the boys' brains were actually fused in a 2-inch square section. The students were amazed to hear a quote from the surgeon, Dr. Goodrich, in which he explained that although the twins were able to speak only a few words at the time of the operation, the fact that their brains were fused, suggested that the boys had been communicating silently to each other without words through this connection in their brains. Specifically, Dr Goodrich said, "These two kids have been communicating with each other. I would love to know what information they were transmitting back and forth."
Dr. Marion described to the students, using a power point presentation, the carefully planned series of surgeries that were carried out to accomplish the separation without brain damage to either boy, the physiological problems that existed in the boys due to a shared blood supply, and how doctors tackled each of the problems that had to be solved.

Referring back to miracles described in the Tanach, Dr. Marion explained to the students how this separation and other recent medical advances are modern day miracles.

Dr. Marion is Chief of the Divisions of Genetics and Developmental Medicine at Children's Hospital at Montefiore and at Blythdale Children's Hospital in Westchester. He is Professor of Pediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynocology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He has written seven books, including the most recent Genetic Rounds, published in October 2009. He has won honors for his teaching of medical students and was named to New York Magazine's 'Best Doctors in New York' list for 10 years in a row.

We are most grateful to Dr. Marion for agreeing to address our students.
Tobie Brandriss
Bob Goodman

V'Ata Banim Shiru Boys Choir Competition

On Wednesday May 26th, the boys of the SAR Choir traveled to Congregation Beth Sholom of Lawrence to participate in the first ever V'Ata Banim Shiru boys choir competition to benefit the Koby Mandell Foundation. SAR joined the choirs of Rambam, MTA, and DRS as well as Eitan Katz and the YU Maccabeats to put on a first rate concert. Each school performed two songs, one slow hebrew and one fast hebrew song which was followed by comments by guest judges including the world famous, Yerachmiel Begun. And although we would have preferred a different outcome (DRS took first place) a good time was had by all for a good cause.

Salute to Israel Parade

The Salute to Israel Parade was a huge success. Proudly representing SAR we marched together with SAR Academy up Madison Avenue. The art department under the direction of Mr. David Friedman put together a beautiful series of banners that led SAR. The t-shirt design was created by 10th grader Sarice Scher. We were all very proud of the way that SAR students represented our school during the parade. We were also very proud that a good number of SAR students volunteered to help out at the Match for Matt Bone Marrow drive. Immediately following the parade a group of SAR students, who had been trained earlier in the week, helped run the bone barrow drive which added close to 2000 new people to the Gift of Life bone marrow registry.

Junior BBQ
Jr. BBQ

A fun day was had by all in the Junior grade, several weeks ago, at a BBQ that took place during lunch. The kids had a great time eating and hanging in the field behind the school, forgetting about stress and schoolwork. Teachers also enjoyed eating the hot dogs and hamburgers cooked by the grill squad. It was a great opportunity for everyone to kick back and enjoy some grade bonding at the end of Junior year. We all look forward to having other opportunities to chill as Seniors next year.

Take the Freshman Out to the Ball Game
On Monday night, May 10th, the freshmen class took a fun excursion to Citi Field to watch the Mets play the Washington Nationals. The event was organized by grade representatives Max Altholtz and Rani Kubersky who wanted to facilitate some end of the year bonding for the grade. Although it was a freezing day and the forecast predicted rain, the 9th graders all voted to stick with the plans and go to the game. We definitely were COLD, but we also had a great time.

"A Journey Through Jewish Worlds: Highlights from the Braginsky Collections of Hebrew Manuscripts and Printed Books"

On May 25th, Rabbi Harcsztark took his tenth grade Gemara class to the "A Journey Through Jewish Worlds: Highlights from the Braginsky Collections of Hebrew Manuscripts and Printed Books" exhibit at the Yeshiva University Museum in Manhattan. Rene Braginsky has been collecting manuscripts for the past three decades, and has the most hand-written and decorated pieces in private ownership. In honor of his sixtieth birthday, he decided to display a small portion of his collection to the public. At the exhibit, the students were shown many types of Megillot, Ketubot, and other printed manuscripts from over the past nine centuries throughout Europe. Their tour guide Sharon Mintz, mother of classmate Ariel Mintz, drew the student's attention to the intricate designs on each piece and how the level of details differed between Sephardim and Ashkenazim. She also reflected on the "journey" of each of these pieces, and how the secular world, where the document was written, influenced the piece's designs and translations. One of the most interesting manuscripts was a hand-written book of Kaballah, written by Vilna Gaon. The students were inspired and awed by the antiquity of these documents, and were eager to compare the similarity of these manuscripts to those we use today.
-Adina Israel

11th Grade Economics Class visits the face paced world of New York Finance

On Thursday May 13, the 11th Grade Economics class traveled into Manhattan to see how what they learn in theory plays out in practice. The day started with a trip to the office of Gregory Zuckerman, writer for the Wall Street Journal, and author of The Greatest Trade Ever. Mr. Zuckerman related to us what it is like to work for the Wall Street Journal, write a non-fiction book and the hard work that comes with both. He also told us what it is like to be an observant Jew working at the Wall Street Journal and recounted several anecdotes to highlight this point.

Next the class went to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York where they were taken to the underground gold vault which houses billions of dollars of other countries' gold. Students learned how the Fed Reserve system functions and what role the New York Fed plays within it.

Lunch was uptown at Kosher Deluxe. The owner, Josh Schwartz, told us about how he became a restaurant owner and what goes into running one. During Q&A, he interestingly told the class that there is limited competition between his business and Kosher Delight, another kosher restaurant in New York, as there are plenty of customers for each midtown restaurant.

The day finished with a trip to the investment banking offices of Thomas Weisel Partners, where we heard from SAR parent Steven Levy about his job as an investment banker. Mr. Levy explained the various branches of investment banking and discussed his company's upcoming merger. Mr. Levy spoke about the challenges that come with being a Jewish investment banker, including Shabbat and wearing a Kippah in the workplace.

The students were able to see how what they learn in the classroom plays out in reality. We thank all our gracious hosts as well as Ms. Schneider for coordinating this trip and Rabbi Birnbaum for arranging the meeting with Josh Schwartz.
-Akiva Futter ('11)

Machshevet Yisrael Speaker Gilah Kletenik
Machshevet Spraker

Imagine you have just inherited $1 million from your deceased aunt who has requested that you spend all of the money on ONE social justice cause.

This was the challenge that Gilah Kletenik, a student in the Graduate Program for Women in Advanced Talmudic Study at Yeshiva University and a social justice activist, posed to the members of the Junior class as part of their unit on morality within the Machshevet Yisrael curriculum. The students discussed their opinions in pairs and shared their conclusions with the class. Many students felt that $1 million could make a significant impact on the problem of contaminated drinking water in Africa and that the money would be best spent there. Others thought disaster relief for hard hit regions like Haiti or New Orleans was a more pressing need. Others voted for donating the money to help Israeli victims of terror, the only specifically Jewish choice on the list. Ms. Kletenik, who spent time last summer building latrines in the impoverished African country Senegal, told the students that as she prepared for her trip, friends and family asked, "are there Jews in Senegal?" She shared her view in which sees her involvement in social justice causes such as poverty in Africa and modern-day slavery, as a Jewish value. Judaism demands that we care about human suffering around the world. During subsequent classes, the students had the opportunity to discuss the obligation of the Jewish community to non-sectarian causes verses their obligation to fellow Jews. They discussed the tension between these two values and the arguments for supporting both types of causes. No easy answers to these difficult questions emerged, but the students proved that they are up to the challenge of thinking seriously about their obligations to their own community as well as the broader community.

SAR and Frisch Compete in Latin Games
Latin Visit

On Monday, May 24th, the freshmen, sophomores, and juniors of SAR and Frisch, who take Latin as their foreign language, met at SAR to celebrate our Latin learning. The meeting began with the students of both schools mixing together in groups and then competing against the other groups of their grade. One category in the joint activity was called "parsha quiz." For the 9th grade, it consisted of the Ten Commandments in Latin, which the group had to put in order. The 10th and 11th grade groups had the first verses of 12 parshiyot in Latin, and the challenge was to figure out which parsha was which. The other category consisted of Harry Potter Latin trivia. The 9th and 10th grades had to identify the Latin roots in a list of spells, objects, and names, while the 11th grade answered questions based on the Latin version (translated by Peter Needham) of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The Frisch and SAR students had to work together and use their own knowledge to complete the sheets. This session also gave the students a chance to bond over common interests.

The next activity was a competition between SAR and Frisch. Each grade, for each school had three groups. Each group got a set of questions that spanned vocabulary, popular sayings, gods, and other areas. It was an opportunity for each group to work together and get to know their fellow classmates, as well as to see how much Latin they really knew. After the competition finished, the students mingled, talked, and ate pizza until the Frisch students had to return to their school and the SAR students back to class. Once the teachers had tallied all the responses, the results were announced. The joint SAR-Frisch team in each grade that had displayed the most knowledge of parsha and Harry Potter was declared the winner. In the competition between schools, the 9th grade teams ended only one point apart, the 10th grade Frisch team scored higher than the 10th grade SAR team, and the 11th grade SAR team scored higher than Frisch.

It is the general hope that next year a similar meeting will take place. The Latin students really enjoyed spending time with each other and getting to know one another. The students were also really able to see just how much they had learned in the course of one year and how much they have gained from Latin class. A special thanks to Dr. Jillian Davidson of Frisch and to Ms. Penso for setting up this wonderful meeting.
-- By Hannah Saal (9th grade)
Click this link to test yourself on some of the questions from the SAR-Frisch Latin event!