Parshat Pekudei

Candle Lighting:

5:31 PM

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Art Department!

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Rosh Chodesh Adar Bet

3/7

March of Dimes

3/7

Choir Competition

3/7

Ulpana Program Ends

3/8

11th Grade Trip

3/9

12th Grade NY"See" Trip

3/10

SATS

3/13

Hockey @ NSHA

3/8 7:00 PM

JV Soccer v. Maayanot

@ Home

3/10 7:30 PM

JV Soccer Practice

3/3 5:20-7:20 PM

Tennis Practice

3/4 1:00-2:00 PM

Sound of Music Practice

3/6 10:00 AM-2:00 PM

Varsity Soccer Practice

3/7 5:20-7:20 PM

JV Basketball Practice

3/9 5:20-7:20 PM

Sound of Music Practice

3/10 5:15-8:00 PM

To view photos from the Maccabeats concert,

 click below:

To view photo

galleries from

recent events,

like Color War,

click here!

Mazel tov to Michal Goldberg ('13) on the birth of her sister!

Mazel tov to

Mrs. Karen Lavner and Michael Lavner on the birth of a son!

Mazel tov to

Briana Stretch ('05)

on her engagement to

Jonathan Katz!

 Mazel tov to

Chava Richmond ('05)

on her engagement to

Shmuel Burger!

Shoshana Hoffman

3/3

Miriam Bursky-Tammam

3/3

Ruth Rohde

3/4

Esther Seidman

3/6

Aviya London

3/7

Golda Aharon

3/8

Leora Abramov

3/9

Esther Borukhov

3/11

Esther Katayev

3/11

Lila Bleich

3/12

Julia Landsberg

3/13

Chana Setareh Shenas

3/13

Dear Parents and Students,

The thrilling news of awards, the excitement of a grade-wide excursion, the Dolan DNA Learning Center - all represent those high moments we experienced this week at YUHSG. The sophomore grade bonded together ice-skating and visiting the Planetarium at the Museum of Natural History, the AP Bio class explored the Dolan DNA labs of LIJ, and we celebrated a series of extraordinary awards coming in quick succession. At Model Congress, Jane Komsky and Lila Bleich brought home 1st place delegate gavels and Aliza Arbesfeld and Rivka Abbe received honorable mentions as well. Bracha Lamm and Tami Berman won the March of Dimes Epigenetics essays and many notable awards were given to our college bound seniors. The thrill of winning is exciting, intoxicating and the result of a lot of hard work. The daily and often mundane efforts leading up to these "highs" form the foundation upon which these heights are achieved.

This week we read Parshat Pikudei, which ,as the culminating parsha of Sefer Shemot, is one of eight parshiot dealing with the building of the Mishkan. According to Rav Kook each sefer in the Torah has its own theme and central message. While the dedication of the Mishkan appears in three different sefarim (Shemot, Vayikra and Bamidbar) the account in each sefer needs to be viewed from the telos of the sefer in its entirety. What is the unique orientation of Sefer Shemot and how is this reflected in Parshat Pikudei as its capstone?
According to Rav Kook, Sefer Shemot is understood as the autobiography of Am Yisrael, and describes a series of encounters with Hashem that combine to shape the nation and launch its divine mission. Without question, there are peaks and valleys in this national journey. However, the recurring theme is the moments of holiness and sacred experiences of Bnei Yisrael emerging as God's Chosen People. Beginning with the miracles of Yitziat Mitzrayim, and followed by Matan Torah the sefer concludes with the meticulously recorded efforts to build the Mishkan. This detailed account focuses on what the people brought forward, and how their contributions and efforts, skills and talents and personal sacrifices combined to build a sacred edifice. The Mishkan epitomizes the people's laborious efforts to bring divinity into the nation's daily life.

Sefer Shemot begins with Moshe facilitating the birth of a nation and concludes as Bnei Yisrael is actively engaged in their role as a messenger of Hashem's mission. Here we follow the transition of a people from survivors of slavery to active agents of divinity. In the construction of the Mishkan resides the ultimate reminder that we have the mandate to dedicate our efforts towards building a daily presence of Hashem in our lives. It is our steady and mundane efforts that support those grand achievements, not only in our academic lives but in our spiritual lives as well.

Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom,
Mrs. CB Neugroschl
Head of School

A group of ambitious young researchers - all of whom are current 10th grade members of the YUHSG Science Institute, and are completing their course in Research Methodology with Mr. Jason Williams - are now eagerly anticipating a summer spent on the frontiers of science! They will be taking part in the 2011 YUHSG/AECOM Summer Internship Program, and we wish them every success. 

Briana Freedman has been placed with Dr. Genevieve Scott Neal-Perry, of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Women's Health, and the Department of Neuroscience. Nili Greenberg and Michal Auerbach have been placed with Dr. Gil Atzmon, Department of Endocrinology and Department of Genetics. Yael Mayer will be working in the lab of Dr. Allan Wolkoff, Associate Chair for Research, Department of Medicine and Department of Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, while Yael Steinberg will be working with Dr. Howard Trachtman, of the Department of Pediatric Nephrology at Schneider Children's Hospital.

Science Department Chairperson Mrs. Ruth Fried has to RSVP to a rather remarkable invitation. The Transplantation Society, headquartered in Montreal, Canada, is dedicated to providing "the focus for global leadership in transplantation" - in science, clinical practice, practical education, and ethics. In May, the Society will be hosting the first "Global Forum" on school education about organ donation and transplantation," with an emphasis on educating middle and high school students. One of the scheduled workshops is "Education in the Context of Different Religions." A panel of experts from the educational worlds of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism will be discussing the various religious viewpoints on issues pertaining to student education, and Mrs. Fried has been invited to represent and present the Jewish perspective.

Our teachers' personal histories and unique perspectives can sometimes provide our students with rare and invaluable insights, and add unexpected drama and nuance to the educational experience. In the 9th grade French I class, for example, Mme Nussbaum has been drawing on a wealth of information from her own family background and personal reminiscences to illuminate the history and traditions of the Jewish community of Morocco. And we are pleased to welcome back Mr. Mohamed Badr, who has been providing our students with a riveting eyewitness account of the recent historic events in Egypt. He addressed the entire student body about the build-up of political tensions and anti-government feeling in the country over the years, as well as his own participation in a protest rally, and the contrast between the media coverage of events and what was really happening on the ground.

"Mr. Speaker... the honorees at Model Congress!" We applaud our two Best Delegate winners, seniors Jane Komsky (Education) and Lila Bleich (Transportation), and our two Honorable Mentions, sophomore Rivka Abbe and junior Aliza Arbesfeld.

Community service plays a vital role in our students' lives here at Central, and our students, in turn, play a vital role in the community! Their talents and abilities often propel them into positions of leadership and responsibility - both in and out of the school setting.

In observance of February as "North American Inclusion Month," junior Mimi Boim and seniors Shoshana Hoffman and Mollie Jutkowitz recently attended a YACHAD leadership Shabbaton in Washington, D.C. After a weekend of preparation, they and the rest of the YACHAD delegation went from office to office on Capitol Hill, lobbying representatives about the concerns of people with disabilities, and the issues that matter to YACHAD.

Fellow 11th grader Adina Adler, a member of the NCSY Long Island regional board, was chosen by New York NCSY to be part of a March 1st delegation to Albany. The 35 participants from both Yeshiva day schools and public schools were selected as potential young leaders in the Jewish community. The students spent the day meeting with State Senators Jack Martin and Dean Skelos, and observing the debate surrounding the controversial teacher seniority bill currently on the table. The delegation also heard from the OU's Deputy Director of Public Policy Howie Beigelman, who is responsible for the OU's advocacy before state and local governments. "He told us what it's like to be a lobbyist, and that contrary to what we think, we as teenagers do have a voice."

For junior Rivka Cohen, finding that voice has been the focus of an intensive two-year (11th-12th grade) Israel advocacy program. She is one of a "select group" of high school students taking part in "Write On For Israel," a project of The Jewish Week (funded by the AVI CHAI Foundation) that "empowers" students to advocate for Israel on the college campus, through journalism, broadcasting and public speaking. She has been attending a series of seminars (that will continue into next year), and recently returned from a week-long trip to Israel. The itinerary included meetings with prominent authors and journalists (including Jerusalem Post Editor-in-Chief David Horovitz), as well as lessons in public speaking, visits to Sderot, Efrat and Gush Etzion, briefings from top military commanders and the senior legal advisor at the Foreign Ministry. She learned about minorities in Israel at a Druze village, and met with Ethiopian and Sudanese students who've been welcomed to Israel, and whose personal experience defies the accusation of apartheid. " I urge all 10th graders interested in this type of program to apply and they should feel free to ask me any questions about the program."

Congratulations to freshman Tamar Berman, 2nd place winner in the junior division of the March of Dimes Nelson Rosenthal Convocation Essay Contest on Epigenetics, and to 11th grader Bracha Lamm, who won first place (and a $400 award!) in the senior division. For Bracha, this marks a return trip to the podium, because, as Mrs. Fried points out, "what's amazing, and statistically improbable," is that she won first place in the essay contest when she was a freshman, as well!

We yield the floor to our guest correspondents, sophomores Jennifer van Amerongen and Renee Wietschner, who share their impressions of a spirited and memorable 10th grade event:

"This past Shabbat the sophomores had their grade Shabbaton in the warm community of Kew Gardens Hills. To begin the weekend's theme of "Simcha L'Artzecha," they stopped off to do a chesed project at a local rehabilitation center, where they sang songs for Shabbat and Purim and also handed out personal Purim cards. On Friday night, the girls sang along to Kabbalat Shabbat at Etz Chaim. Later that night Rabbi Rosenberg (father of our very own Hudy Rosenberg) gave an inspiring dvar Torah with a great mashal from Harry Potter! The sophomores ended off the night with a ruach-filled tisch (led by Jennifer van Amerongen and Miriam Bursky-Tammam). Shabbat day was also inspiring and fun! There was a session about making aliyah, which the girls discussed with faculty members and their new classmates, the girls from the Ulpana program. Shabbat came to a close with a delicious Seudah Shlishit and beautiful singing, which continued for another 20 minutes after Shabbat was over! After Shabbat, they shared some laughs while watching the comedy improv show, which featured contributions from Renee Wietschner, Jennifer van Amerongen, Esther Katayev, and Ruchie Gross. The Shabbaton was a hit, thanks to the Sophomore Grade Representatives, and Mrs. Arieh, Ms. Borenstein, Denah Emerson, and Mrs. Shani Malitsky."

(And from Mrs. Neugroschl, a special 'thank you' as well to Mrs. Biderman, Mrs. Calm, Rabbi Lew, Dr. Petrushka, Dr. Koenigsberg and Mrs. Winter, who joined us together with their families, and to "our surprise visitor on Friday night," Mrs. Lynda Smith). 

The stars of the show at this week's NCSY Project Frumway? Designer (and winner!)Ruchie Gross and supermodel Tali Golubtchik (sporting the winning design). Audience member Mrs. Abigail Freundlich pronounced Ruchie's outfit "youthful and fresh, as well as tzanua," and said that Tali did a "fantastic job" modeling it."