Yavneh Academy of Dallas
November 2009 * Tishrei/Kislev 5770 | |
|
|
|
|
| A message from Don O'Quinn ~ Head of School |
|
 A Season of Thanksgiving!
The year seems to be slipping by as sand through our fingers. Seniors have been working busily on college applications, and we already have acceptance. We have applied an unusually large number of seniors for early action and early decision, that that we will be getting acceptances earlier this year than usual. The juniors are working away at AP English with Mrs. Beilue, AP U.S. History with Dr. Cloward, and AP Calculus with Mrs. Thomas and Rabbi Grebenau. We have started new soccer teams for both the boys and girls; we have introduced electronic research into the ninth and tenth grade curricula with the new data bases that we have installed; and we have introduced study skills and organizational skills training during the supervised study periods that were begun this year. Thanks to Kayley Romick '13, we have started a new music group and Rachel Siegel '13 is working to introduce debate at the ninth and tenth grade levels. We are introducing a new integrated software system, and staff is beginning to train on the system this year. We currently have 116 students, we are already receiving inquiries for the spring, and we have begun the enrollment process for next year. We are very excited to welcome the seniors at Levine Academy this morning and those from Akiba in just a couple of weeks. We have initiated the annual fundraising campaign and you will soon be receiving solicitations. As we have given over $500,000 in tuition assistance and merit scholarships, we hope that you will please be generous. We need donations to offset that amount and we are very much appreciative of the several generous gifts we've received thusfar. Our Judaic Studies program continues to teach our children how to live their lives, how to be, how to grow, and how to care, beyond the beginning of each day, beyond this moment, beyond their own circle. As you'll read below, in the last month (as in most months they are involved at Yavneh), they affected, and they were affected by, those in our community. It's good to be busy and it's good to see so many students each day, growing into their own adult world. Thank you for sharing your most valuable treasures with Yavneh. On Thanksgiving weekend (scroll down for more information), we'll be thankful to see our alumni; those recently graduated, those who will bring their brides and grooms, and those arriving with their newborns and toddlers (future YavnehKids of course!).
Very best wishes for a happy and blessed holiday season.
|
|
|
|
Faculty Feature ~
Raphael "Raffi" Rozensweig - Judaic Studies
|
 A day school graduate himself, an alum of Yeshiva University High School for Boys; the Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy, Raffi believes it is this time of life that is important that students have the same opportunity.
"A day school environment is about identifying with who you are as a Jew," said Raffi. "The traditions and identity as a Jew. There's a tremendous amount to learn, always something new, and in a day school like Yavneh, your Jewish'ness' is always a part of you."
After graduating from MSTA, Raffi studied at Yeshivat Har Etzion in Israel before returning to YU, from where he graduated in 2007. Before returning to YU to get his Masters Degree, and participating as a Legacy Heritage Teacher Fellow in YU's Institute for University-School Partnership's, which has brought him to Yavneh for a two-year program, Raffi worked in the communications departments of both YU and Lubicom Marketing & Consulting.
"I enjoyed what I was doing but I knew there was something else," he said. "I had always enjoyed teaching in informal education, working at camps, and being with kids. Once in the work force, I realized how much I really missed that."
The new husband of Ilana, they married just last May, and son of Rose and Carl, and brother to Simone and Paul, Raffi is a native of Syracuse, New York. He enjoys reading non-fiction, bike riding, playing basketball, and hiking.
For Raffi, coming to Dallas has been a great decision. "The people here are very friendly and welcoming," he said. "It's much slower paced than in New York and the apartments are much larger!"
At Yavneh, Raffi teaches Chumash and Jewish History to students in all four grades. As part of his fellowship, he is also teaching a class of eighth grade Chumash and Parsha at Akiba. "I was very impressed with Yavneh when I first came to visit," said Raffi. "The kids here are mature and responsible. To Yavneh's credit, they give the kids a lot of responsibility and the kids, who seem to really want to learn, own that.
"I enjoy Mr. Rosenzweig's class because he takes lessons from the Torah and relates them to real life situations," said Carly Bierman '12. "It helps you understand what the Jews were feeling."
"I'm glad the kids are relating because the greatest challenge is making the learning relevant and applicable to them. If I can do that, I believe I'll be successful."
"There isn't any topic we can't discuss and the insights are important," said Raffi. "I hope that the education the students receive here at Yavneh will be engrained in them, something they can dedicate their lives to. By choosing a career in teaching, I feel that I'm both getting and giving in each class."
|
Yavneh, Class of 2010 ~
Nicole Danilewitz
|
 "I decided to attend Yavneh due to its reputation of being a good school academically and socially while enhancing one's sense of Judaism," said Nicole, a graduate of the Levine Academy.
"At Yavneh, anything seems possible and every day is an adventure. The students and faculty are unique. Every person at Yavneh epitomizes what Yavneh stands for as a school; each person is Jewish, caring, entertaining, and compelling."
"I enjoy every class at Yavneh because each class is unique and offers something different. Yavneh maintains a balance in curriculum by implementing the general studies into every Judaics course," said Nicole. "As students here, we learn how to balance our courses and to learn organizational skills that we will use in everyday life. That will make us more successful."
"I met Nicole in my first year at Yavneh and I could not have had a better introduction to our student body," said social studies, French, and Spanish teacher Gloria Boyd. "The first Sunday after school started, she called me to verify that she was studying the correct material for her first big test in geography. It was a delightful surprise to find a freshman so motivated."
"Of course Nicole did exceptionally well, as she continued to do," said Ms. Boyd. "She is as always enthusiastic and a pleasure to teach; and she holds a special place in my memory."
At Yavneh, every day I feel surrounded by people who appreciate me for who I am. I feel at home and the best part about attending Yavneh is the community Yavneh provides. I know I will always be able to count on my classmates and that they will always support me in my decisions.
Applying to schools to major in nutrition and sociology, Nicole hopes to someday become a surgeon. With Uncle Tony as her mentor, and host to her for a summer internship, Nicole looks forward to making medical magic.
A native of St. Joseph, Michigan, Nicole, the older sister to Samantha '12 and Joel, moved to Dallas with her parents, Jackie and Dale, when she was just two-years-old. She is a member of Congregation Shearith Israel as well as BBYO's Kravitz BBG. Involved in many volunteer projects throughout the community, Nicole enjoys raising both money and awareness for local and worldwide causes.
Last summer, in addition to volunteering at Medical City Dallas, Nicole spent 16 days in Hungary where she attended Szarvas, an International Jewish Youth Camp in Hungary where she met and interacted with campers from Eastern Europe. "It was an amazing experience of international friendships and a wonderful way to see how Jewish teens from around the world live their lives," said Nicole who has stayed in touch with many of her new friends via Facebook. "We've stayed connected and it's neat that, while we're from so many places in the world, we're still teens and we have so much in common.
A member of the Yearbook Crew, Nicole also participates on Yavneh's mock trial team, the Health Occupations Association, HELP/Helping Others Live Peacefully, and she's on the tennis team. "I love being a part of every group that interests me."
Helping others, healing others, sharing her heart with others. Nicole will leave her mark.
|
Yavneh, Class of 2010 ~
Sahar David
|
 "I enjoy school, because it feels like I get up in the morning leave one family to go see another," said Sahar, a graduate of Akiba Academy who chose to attend Yavneh to further his Jewish education. "Thanks to our wonderful staff, our workload is balanced. The dual curriculum is necessary for Jewish teens who want to further their general knowledge and Judaic studies equally. It's not a burden but a gift."
Echoing the heartfelt thoughts of many Yavneh students, "the best part of Yavneh would have to be the family environment," said Sahar. "You can find much of what Yavneh has to offer elsewhere, but the feeling that you know everybody, and that you can have a different relationship with every single person is truly rare. My friends make everything worthwhile."
"Sahar is a very bright, intelligent young man," said his English teacher, Cindy Burke. "He will go far in whatever he attempts."
"Sahar, as he begins his senior year, is blossoming and coming into his own," said Assistant Principal and social studies teacher, Dr. Tim Cloward. "His academic performance is improving and we are discovering that he has immense creative talents."
"One of the stars of last year's The Miracle Worker, he also will have a major role in our upcoming production of The Dybbuk in February, and he is proving to be a very talented actor. Emerging as a very talented creative writer who has written seriously for some time, he is now sharing his work; publishing it in the Yavneh Literary Journal and performing at off-campus venues."
Sahar and his family, parents Rachel and Amos and his brothers Nadir, Bar, and Roy , moved to Dallas in 1999. A member of Yavneh's soccer and JV basketball teams, Sahar is a Vice President of the Dallas chapter of the National Council of Synagogue Youth, Sahar, a member of BBYO's Kaplan chapter, he also served as that chapter's sofer, secretary.
With music as his "love and release," in his "free" time, Sahar enjoys playing the guitar and drums, and writing music, and jammin' with his band "Deaf and Famous," a group of Yavneh students who mix hard rock and pop with a touch of Latin and Middle Eastern style.
As an Israeli citizen who was born in Haifa, Sahar is required, and most certainly looking forward, to serving in the Isareli Defense Force. Not certain of where or what he wants to study, Sahar is working through the "many things I want to be when I grow up. I am hoping that between college and the army, I will learn many life lessons and endure new experiences which will help me make this decision."
Whatever path he follows, Sahar will do so with a smile in his eyes, in his skip, and with one beat ahead of his song.
|
Yavneh, Class of 2010 ~
Noah Donnenfield
|
 "Noah is never without his smile. He is able to face challenge and adversity with a grin," said Rabbi Maury Grebenau, Judaic Studies and math teacher. "When Noah is passionate about something, he puts in a lot of effort. His coming to Yavneh in the middle of his high school career demonstrates his commitment to his Judaism and I know that Noah will go far.
"Noah made a huge impression on me from the first time that I met him," said Hebrew teacher Rachel Boim. "He is polite, friendly, always smiling and always willing to help, blending in at Yavneh quickly and easily. Noah is a true mensch and I enjoy teaching him."
Transferring to Yavneh from Highland Park High School in his junior year, Noah did so to learn more about Judaism. The son of the Schultz Rosenberg Campus Nurse, Susan, and brother of Reagan and Jonah, Noah is a member of Temple Emanu-El and that congregation's youth group, DAFTY (NFTY-TOR) and BBYO's Berger chapter. "I am the most proud of being associated with all these groups," said Noah, "because they have all opened new doors for me and have given me everlasting friendships."
"I enjoy attending Yavneh because the students at Yavneh are always hungry for knowledge and the student-to-teacher ratio is nice. Whenever I need help on an assignment or have a question, the teachers are always very eager to help me," said Noah. "I feel Yavneh is a community in a school setting, rather than a large public school that seems factory-like."
"While the dual-curriculum schedule can at times be very difficult, the ten-period day allows Yavneh students to receive secular as well as Judaic studies, something I believe makes me feel very well rounded at the end of each school day."
Applying primarily to universities in Texas, Noah is considering a year in Israel first. Hoping to study journalism at either UT or Missouri, Noah's main goal is to "be successful and enjoy what I do."
"The best part about attending Yavneh is the setting of the school; the landscape, prayers, teachers, and small classes," said Noah. "The toughest part is being able to balance your extra-curricular activities." It may be tough but Noah has managed to include Yavneh's JV basketball team, the Bulldog Print, Students Against Terrorism's Points-for-Peace Basketball Tournament, on his "to do" list.
"The clubs, sports teams, and organizations on campus allow us to become much closer with each other," said Noah. "I find it to be very difficult to go through a week where I don't do something with a Yavneh friend."
A Dallas sports fan, with equal regard for the Cowboys, Mavericks, Rangers, and Stars, Noah works at the J where he has spent the summer as a Camp Chai counselor. In 2009, he took his training to Greene Family Camp where he worked as a CIT.
For six years, Noah has been a member of Boy Scout Troop 35, soon to complete his Eagle Scout with a project through the JFS Food Bank.
Be prepared. It is a motto to live by and, for Noah, Yavneh has helped prepare him to be the Jewish young man, and member of the greater community, that he will be.
|
Yavneh, Class of 2010 ~
Joseph "Sefi" Elbaz
|
 "Sefi has a very strong personality and I think that he adapted well to Yavneh," said math teacher Veronica Thomas. "As he was very comfortable with his classmates, and he is very competitive, he will definitely add 'flavor' to his college of choice."
"I chose to attend Yavneh because it was a Modern Orthodox Jewish school that offered outstanding secular studies and many extra-curricular activities," said Sefi. "I love attending Yavneh because of the relaxed atmosphere where everyone is friends. The students and faculty are the most welcoming and friendly people I've ever met and they make Yavneh the amazing place it is."
"Yavneh's faculty handles the secular and Judaic split masterfully, teaching us everything we need to succeed in secular studies while teaching you the essentials in Judaic classes," said Sefi. "My favorite part of attending Yavneh is knowing that I'm always surrounded by friends and you can talk to your teachers openly and everyone is so friendly and willing to help."
"The faculty at Yavneh is outstanding; they always plan wildly successful activities that bring the school together and they always create a welcoming atmosphere where everyone has fun," said Sefi. "I play basketball with the rabbis and we have a great relationship where we can talk openly about anything and Mr O' Quinn, who will go out his way to help anyone, is an incredible person who manages to make physics interesting."
"Sefi is an intelligent young man who has brought a lot of Jewish spirit to Yavneh," said Head of School Don O'Quinn. "I think he'll leave us as a mainstay of our Judaics program."
The son of Albert and Ayala, and brother to Adi, Sefi attends Congregation Shaarei Tefilla and Young Israel.
A Yavneh Bulldog soccer and JV basketball player, Sefi enjoys vacationing in Israel with his family, spending time with friends, watching movies, and playing football.
Ready to sharpen his pre-med study skills, on the way to becoming a plastic surgeon, Sefi is a native of Toronto, Canada, who moved to Dallas from New Jersey at the start of his junior year.
A future artist with a scalpel, Sefi is set to create and recreate.
|
Yavneh News & Review
photo thanks~ Emily Rosenfield '12 (Physics Derby) and Rachel Siegel '13 (Dallas Academy)
|
BABYHELP ~~
Children of
all ages, helping children was the inspiration for the October 23 visit to the
Schultz Rosenberg Campus' Akiba and Yavneh academies by Viviana Bendersky,
Director of the American Joint Distribution Committee's Baby Help program
in Argentina. Akiba and Yavneh students welcomed Mrs. Bendersky
along with program co-founders and dedicated benefactors Leslie and Howard
Schultz as well as students from the Levine Academy.
Baby Help, started after the 2002 economic crises
in Argentina that left banks closed, jobs lost, and
no one to help the more than 200,000 Jews in the area. "The welfare lists
multiplied by 10 in a very short time and there was no one to help," said
Mrs. Bendersky. "Huge numbers, thousands of people needed food and
clothing, it was a frightful time."
"Leslie,
my daughter Jaynie and her husband Ron and I went to Argentina to see the situation and to assess how
we might help," said Howard Schultz. "There were a thousand or
more babies, ages three and under and pregnant mothers, with no diapers, no
milk, no nutrition. We knew right away we had to do something and so Baby Help
was created. Things have gotten better over the past six years but there's
still so much to do, so many people to help."
The Schultz
grandchildren, including Ben (Akiba '08, Yavneh '12), Dahlia (Akiba '10), and
Gaby (Akiba '16) spoke of their involvement, through visits to Argentina and
their own fund raising efforts, are carrying the torch, their grandparents have
so brightly lit. "To witness first hand, the work our grandparents
are doing was just amazing," said Ben. "I couldn't imagine how
many people needed help, it was just astonishing to me."
 Baby Help,
started in 2003 at the height of the Argentinean economic crisis,
provides assistance to babies and children up to five years of age and
pregnant women living below the poverty line. The program supplies baby
formula, fortified milk, nutritional supplements, and other food aid, as well
as vitamins, medicines, vaccines, diapers, and various pieces of baby
equipment. Parents also benefit from a variety of supportive activities
and counseling programs, and the families participate in life cycle
celebrations, holiday programs, and hands-on lessons in Jewish
living. Twelve children this year were sponsored to attend Jewish day
schools, akin to Akiba and Yavneh in a move that "saves our future,"
said Mrs. Bendersky who also spoke of the connection that the children have to
the seniors of their community through an intergenerational component of the
initiative.
"The
bond between the children and the seniors brings love which brings
strength," said Mrs. Bendersky. "L'dor v'dor, from generation
to generation. We need financial support but it is also the support of
the heart that keeps this program a success."
To make a
donation to Baby Help, contact Gaby Schultz who has made the project her Bat Mitzvah service, at gaby@schultzproperties.com
PHYSICS DERBY ~~
It was a race to the finish but
freshman Rachel Rudberg was the overall winner of the Freshman
and Sophomore physics students raced their cars, judged for artistic and
creative design as well as performance of speed and range, in the 2009 Pinewood
Derby.
The Derby project allows students to explore the laws of motion, and
specifically the concepts of velocity, acceleration, elapse time, friction, air
resistance, potential and kinetic energy, and center of mass.
"Car entries ranged from boxy
minimalist to racy sleek shapes and they had a great deal of fun during
the races," said Physics teacher, Joram Wolanow.
"Once the
demonstration was complete, they moved on to create a demolition derby,
crashing their cars into others 'parked' at the end of the ramp.'"
MIX-IT-UP DAY ~~
 Uniting Students of Dallas board members Ilan Attar, Leigh Bonner, A.J. Burk, Samantha Danilewitz, Jori Epstein, Jake Greif, Elan Kogutt, Benji Liener, Ethan Prescott, Ethan Prescott, Mina Pulitzer, and Adam Sallmander, led the fourth annual Mix-It-Up Day with speakers Max Glauben, a Holocaust survivor, Carrington Coleman attorney, John Martin, and Justice Carolyn Wright.
Students from Yavneh, Garland High School, and Highland Park High School, participated in workshops, listened to the speakers, shared lunch, and screened "They Had A Dream Too: Young Leaders of the Civil Rights Movement," produced by the Texas Young Lawyers Association.
 Max Glauben, just 10-years-old when WWII broke out, lost his parents and brother during the war. At 13, he was sent on a boxcar to Majdanek and then to Budzyn, Mielec, Wieliczka and Flossenburg before being liberated, by a Jewish soldier, while on a death march to Dachau. He later served in the U.S. Army and ultimately made Dallas his home.
"Hundreds of years of culture were erased. How many lawyers, musicians, negotiators of peace, healers of the world, songwriters, parents and children were killed," said Mr. Glauben who has traveled with Yavneh seniors on four of the last five March of the Living Tours.
John Martin, who from 1962 to 1964, was an attorney with the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice, knew he didn't want to be a "behind the desk" kind of attorney. "There were, and there are, good people in the South," said Mr. Martin. "They had lived through it all."
 "The long hot summer, when a thousand or better college students descended on the state of Mississippi to do voting schools and three were killed," said Mr. Martin, as featured in the "They Had A Dream Too" video. "They paid with their lives."
Fifth District Court of Appeals Justice Carolyn Wright is a fourth generation Texan who was born in Houston but as a member of a military family, was raised in the U.S. and the Far East. A member of the judiciary for 20 years, Justice Wright is the first African American woman to win a multi-county election.
"On no day am I called on to rule justice on the basis of race or religion, it's about the facts and the law of the situation," said Justice Wright who decides matters that are appealed from trial courts in seven North Texas counties. "We must create an atmosphere where we all feel, and know, that we will receive justice."
"My life is so much richer for the diverse experiences I've encountered and I believe the same is true for our country and for the world," said Justice Wright who has received numerous awards including the American Jewish Congress' "Woman of Spirit" Award.
 "We can find all sorts of reasons to look beyond, to choose the measures of who we will allow into our inner circle. At the same time, it's interesting to note that all religions share the principle of the 'Golden Rule.'"
"Diversity is the sum of the many ways we are alike and different and it's almost become a catch phrase," said Justice Wright's sister, Dr. Pat Wright, a Senior Policy Analyst with the National Education Association, who joined her sister at Mix-It-Up. "It's important to have this day to help people understand. You must learn to fully appreciate and embrace. Something very special has happened for each of you today and you must share it with others around you."
"This is a great event because it brings together students from so many different backgrounds in a setting where they get to know each other and appreciate both what makes them alike and what makes them different," said Chad Baruch, Yavneh Assistant Principal, and USD Sponsor. "The speakers were wonderful, each with exceptional personal stories to tell."
"To meet kids from different schools, and different backgrounds, and to have the chance to interact and learn about these issues is a great experience and I appreciate that Yavneh's students put this together," said Andrew Scudder, a senior from Highland Park.
"I enjoyed the tour of the campus, it's an incredible school, and the stories that of the tradition of the students, the significance of the Torah and how Yavneh students have so much to learn in their day."
"The 'family-ness' of Yavneh is beautiful, I've never seen such closeness in a school," said Garland High School junior, Alen Samuel. "Rather than study others in a classroom unit, Yavneh's Mix-It-Up gives a new perspective and lets us see different views of others."
"Beware of the hatred in the world," said Mr. Glauben. "There is a future and you are it."
On January 25, at 7:30pm, Yavneh will host the United Students of Dallas Dinner to benefit the Texas Access to Justice Foundation. The evening will feature keynote speaker Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson of the Texas Supreme Court along with presentations by State Bar of Texas President Roland Johnson and Texas Young Lawyers Association President Cori Harbour. For information or to rsvp, email info@yavnehdallas.org
 SUKKOT CELEBRATIONS ~~
The students of Yavneh, with hearts
like the citron, ethics to stand strong like the palm, eyes like the myrtle
with which to study Torah, and lips like the willow with which to speak words
of loving kindness, spent the days of Chol Hamoed servicing the community,
hiking through fresh air, and enjoying many of Dallas' cultural sites.
COMMUNITY CHESED ~ Visits to the Buckner International and
Shoes for Orphan Souls project, the Dallas Day School
Early Childhood Intervention Low Vision Clinic, and Legacy at Willow Bend, by
Yavneh students brought joy to those served and heartfelt respect to our
students.
 "Knowing we were able to do a service
for total strangers gives me a feeling unlike any other. In just a few hours,
we were given the chance to help keep children just like us safe from illness
by sanitizing their learning areas," said Rachel Siegel '13 who helped clean up
the DallasDay School. "Whether expressed
through a supervisors 'thanks' or the giggly smile of one of the preschoolers,
I truly felt like the people at DallasDay School appreciated our help."
"Through this project, I realized that
I am lucky enough to come to a beautiful campus every day," said Rachel. "If I
could help another child attend school in a safer and cleaner environment, I
would know that I would have the opportunity to do something good. Yavneh gives
us those opportunities to impact the lives of others, and I can't wait to
embark on our next project."
 "It's nice of you to come here and
visit, we love having the company," said Legacy resident, 97-year-old Buddy
Cohen who led the exercise program on the day of the visit. "All of the smiling faces keep us moving
along.
COMMUNITY CULTURE ~~
 At the Dallas
Heritage Village at Old City Park, students met "Leah Blum" who was making
rugalach and coffee on her wood burning stove of the early 1900's. The
Blum House, and its family, is a compilation of the many Jewish families who
lived in Dallas in the early 1900's.
"The Jewish population was significant at the
time and its members had a huge impact on our city, and that has only continued
through the years," said Diana "Leah Blum" Hart. "From Alex Sanger and the Fair brothers, to
Sam Klein and Simon David and so many more, these families brought commerce and
railroads, and even the area's first professional baseball team, the Brown
Stockings, to town. By the turn of the
century there were more than 100 Jewish merchants on Elm Street alone." Preparing for the holiday, Yavneh students Justine Berman '12,
Adina Mandelcorn '12, and Jasmine Sidisin '12, helped Mrs. Blum by decorating
the family's sukkah!.
 A lunch break
at the Intown Chabad on Routh Street, with Rabbi Zvi Drizin as our host, gave
the students pizza in the sukkah and a jam session with Rabbi Drizin, our own
Rabbi Grebenau, and student, Leora Mitzner '11, strumming away!
 Throughout
the week, more culture, more soul, more fun as the students also visited the
Dallas Museum of Art, the Nasher Museum, and Whiterock Lake where they
participated in the tradition of tashlich, "casting" away the sins of 5769, and at our own Beit Midrash where the
hakafot for Shemini Atzeret were marched, the willows were beaten.
The New Year on board, Yavneh's students are ready for community,
caring, learning, and more.
|
Todah Raba; Support of Yavneh Academy
|
 DR. GOLDFINE & FAMILY MAKE A "BANNER" GIFT TO YAVNEH
Toda Rabah twice over to longtime Yavneh Science teacher and head of the Science department, Dr. Steven Goldfine, his wife Deborah Deitsch-Perez, and their family.
With much heart and ruach, the couple designed and donated Yavneh's banners, hanging, one above the elevator on the second floor of our classroom building and the other in the Student Conference Room on the first floor.
The banners are grand in design and moreso in the spirit with which they were donated.
FINKELSTEIN FAMILY BOOK DONATION  Katie, Jack, and Lexie Stone, great-great nieces and nephew of Maynard Finkelstein - and we hope future Yavneh students
When poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote "no man can be called friendless who has G-d and the companionship of good books," she very well might have been describing those at Yavneh Academy who benefit from the donations of those in the community. Close to 1000 volumes of historical, Judaic, and other genre were donated to the school by the family of Maynard Joel Finkelstein, z"l.
"My Uncle, a retired civil engineer with the U.S. Air Force, was a voracious reader," said Bill Finkelstein who arranged the donation. "When he passed away his home was filled with books, his garage with boxes and boxes of them. With the variety of material we just believed that Yavneh was the perfect home for them."
 "The gift of these books will last a lifetime for our students, those studying in our halls today, and those who will study at Yavneh in 30 years," said Don O'Quinn, Yavneh's Head of School. "We very much appreciate that the Finkelstein family found Yavneh's library a home for the treasures of their Uncle, and we know that our students will learn and grow from their content."
"Generous donations, such as this one from the Finkelstein family, enhance our collection, providing timeless classics, works of literature, and Judaic materials," said Yavneh Librarian, Sherry Haun. "These gifts contribute to the overall literacy education of our students and provide a superior general and Judaic selection for the YavnehAcademy family."
"Almost every time I visited my Uncle he'd have a recommendation and hand me one or more books I just 'had' to read," said Mr. Finkelstein. "Many of the first books of my own library were gifts from my Uncle and we are proud to be able to pass those gifts on to the students in our community."
 SCHULTZ LEGACY GIFT
Yavneh Academy is pleased to receive a $2million gift from the Howard and Leslie Schultz family, an award made through the Dallas Jewish Community Foundation Create a Jewish Legacy (CJL) initiative.
Dedicated to YavnehAcademy almost since its inception, the Schultz family, whose name, spirit, and commitment are engraved on the gates of Yavneh's Schultz Rosenberg Campus, and in the hearts of all who walk our halls, have only begun their connection to the school. Ben Romaner '12, the son of Jaynie Schultz and Ron Romaner is only the first of the couple's grandchildren to attend Yavneh.
"Leslie and I are both very motivated by the world that the Create a Legacy program allows and it's very timely now," said Howard Schultz. "As we made a review of our wills and bequests, as we do on occasion, we knew we wanted to give this gift. The question was just when, and now was the time."
"I've visited Yavneh many times through the years, always impressed with the quality of students that I meet," said Mr. Schultz. "Now, watching Ben in his sophomore year, I'm thrilled with what he's learning, how he's growing, and the experiences he is sharing. I look forward to that for my other grandchildren and for as many children in the community as possible."
"That my grandparents give the gifts they do inspires me and I appreciate how important they think Jewish education is. Through them, so many, including me, have the opportunity to make our daily education, so much about our heritage," said Ben. "My grandfather has taught me that if you live big, you better give big and that if you give big, he doesn't care how I live."
The Create a Jewish Legacy initiative has raised $21million in its first six months with gifts including the Schultz's gift to Yavneh, another by the family to AkibaAcademy, and a $15million gift to the CJL by Carol and Steve Aaron. Half of the donation is scheduled to serve the school's endowment while the remaining monies have been pledged as a bequest. Yavneh's monies will be used for scholarships, general operating purposes, and other purposes determined by Yavneh's board of directors.
"The regimen for every Yavneh student is 10 periods each day plus prayers to begin the day and prayers to end the day," said Don O'Quinn, YavnehAcademy's Head of School. "Our athletes begin practice at 6am, with workouts on Sundays as well, and our extra-curricular activities, in which 90 percent of our students participate, are held outside of the standard eight to five school day. Somehow, our students still find time to accumulate thousands of hours of community service and to raise many thousands of dollars for charity."
"That Howard and Leslie Schultz believe that Yavneh represents a good investment is the highest form of recognition that our students and the faculty that enables their achievements could receive," said Mr. O'Quinn. "Yavneh will always strive to instill in its students the spirit of achievement, charity, and concern that is the defining characteristic of the Schultz family, and it will never forget their vote of confidence." |
|
Shabbat Shalom ~
Yavneh guests share davening and d'vrei Torah
|
October 23 ~
RABBI ISRAEL LASHAK ~
National Council of Synagogue Youth
October 30 ~
RABBI YEHUDA HOROWITZ Outreach Director -
Chabad of Plano/Collin County |
Bulldog Notes ~ Yavneh Sports Update
|
|
BASKETBALL
LADIES BASKETBALL
NOVEMBER -
16 ~~ vs. Cambridge @ AWAY, 6pm
17 ~~ vs. Dallas Academy @ AWAY, 6pm
19 ~~ vs. Hill Country @ AWAY, 6:30pm
23 ~~ vs. Sunset High School @ HOME, 6pm
24 ~~ vs. Thomas Jefferson High School @ AWAY, 6:30pm
27 ~~ BULLDOGS VS. ALUMNI @ HOME
30 ~~ vs. McKinney Christian @ AWAY, 6pm
DECEMBER -
1 ~~ vs. Shelton @ AWAY, 6pm
7 ~~ vs. Thomas Jefferson High School @ HOME, 6pm
8 ~~ vs. Balch Springs Christian @ HOME, 6pm
MENS' BASKETBALL
NOVEMBER -
16 ~~ vs. Cambridge @ AWAY, 7:30pm
17 ~~ vs. Dallas Academy @ AWAY, 7:30pm
19 ~~ vs. Hill Country @ AWAY, 7:45pm
23 ~~ Sunset High School @ HOME, 7:30pm
24 ~~ Thomas Jefferson High School @ AWAY, 7:30pm
27 ~~ BULLDOGS VS. ALUMNI @ HOME, 10:30am
30 ~~ McKinney Christian @ AWAY, 7:30pm
JV SCHEDULE -
16 ~~ vs. Cambridge @ AWAY, 4:30pm
DECEMBER -
1 ~~ Shelton @ AWAY, 7:30pm
3 ~~ North Dallas High School @ HOME, 7pm
5 ~~ Hill Country @ HOME, 8pm
7 ~~ Thomas Jefferson High School @ HOME, 7:30pm
8 ~~ Balch Springs Christian @ HOME, 7:30pm
JV SCHEDULE -
2 ~~ vs. Denton Selwyn @ AWAY, 6pm
SOCCER
LADIES' SOCCER
NOVEMBER - all games played at Hobby Field
12115 E. Northwest Hwy Dallas, TX 75218
12 ~~ vs. Lady Knights @ 8:30pm (make-up game)
15 ~~ vs Neza Coyotes @ 5pm
MENS' SOCCER
NOVEMBER - all games played at Hobby Field
12115 E. Northwest Hwy Dallas, TX 75218
12 ~~ vs Texas Tornadoes @ 6:30pm (make-up game)
15 ~~ vs Wildcats @ 1pm
Click here for sports information: YAVNEH ATHLETICS
|
Yom Huledet Sameach, Well Wishes, and Mazal Tov!
|
NOVEMBER
1 Melissa Diamond 2 Jake Greif 4 Lourdes Linzey 7 Jillian Herstein 11 Zach Prengler
12 Mark Cheirif 16 Veronica Thomas 19 Joshua Lynn 23 Gabby Steinbrecher
29 Sarah Rohan and 30 Abbie Denemark & Marsha Evans
MAZAL TOV TO:
~~ to YavnehMom
Carol Agronin (Asriel '09, Dalit '12), who was recently awarded the CFO of the
Year Award (in the non-profit category) in her role as CFO for the Jewish
Community Center.
~~ to Alex Horn '07 who was elected to
the Texas A&M Student Senate and who was appointed Caucus Chairman.
|
Mark it with a red pen ~ Calendar notes
|
YAVNEH'S CALENDAR
NOVEMBER
18 ~~ COLLEGE PLANNING MEETING FOR JUNIORS & THEIR PARENTS
7pm in the Yavneh Library - Juniors and their parents are invited to meet with Yavneh's College Counselor, Allyn Schmuker, to learn more about the college application process.
20 ~~ PLAN Test - 9am to noon - Freshmen & Sophomores ONLY
The PLAN Test (a "pre ACT assessment) is similar to the PSAT. Freshmen and sophomores are to arrive at school at the usual time for breakfast and davening and they are to then report to assigned classrooms at 9am for the test. The test will finish by noon after which students will have lunch and continue with their 6th period classes. Juniors and seniors are not required to attend the morning sessions, but must arrive prior to the beginning of 6th period.
27 to 28 ~~ YAVNEH ALUMNI REUNION WEEKEND
27 - Alumni Breakfast & Basketball Games
28 - Kiddush honoring Alumni at Congregation Shaare Tefillah
Alumni & Spouses Evening GetTogether
(See Alumni Section below for more info)
JANUARY
25 ~~ United Students of Dallas Dinner in Pollman Hall @ 7:30pm - Save the Date!
Yavneh's Uniting Students of Dallas announces its 2010 dinner to benefit the Texas Access to Justice Foundation, featuring keynote speaker Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson of the Texas Supreme Court, along with presentations by State Bar of Texas President Roland Johnson and Texas Young Lawyers Association President Cori Harbour. Please plan to join us, and help our students raise money to provide legal representation to indigent Texans!
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
COMMUNITY KOLLEL OF DALLAS
For information or to RSVP for all Kollel programming, call 214.295.3525 or email kollelofdallas@sbcglobal.net
NOVEMBER
11 through December 4 ~~ JCC BOOKFAIR 2009
November 11 ~ Rabbi Ed Feinstein -
"Capturing the Moon"
November 15 ~ Janis Abrahms Spring -
"Life with POP: Lessons on Caring for an Aging Parent"
November 18 - Tina Wasserman -
"Entree to Judaism" (Chaired by YavnehMom, Lizzy Rosenberg Greif)
December 9 - Deborah Copaken Kogan
"Hell is Other Parents: And Other Tales of Parental Combustion"
December 14 - Sadia Shepard
"The Girl from Foreign: A Memoir" ONE COMMUNITY, ONE BOOK!
For more information, or to rsvp to any/all events, call 214.239.7128
or email rweisscrane@jccdallas.org
14 ~~ ELON GOLD'S "HALF JEWISH, HALF VERY JEWISH"
Sponsored by the Jewish Community Center at the Lakewood Theatre at 8:30pm. Tickets on sale; click here: ELON GOLD - "Half Jewish, Half Very Jewish"
18 ~~ JCRC PRESENTS "ACHEIVING JUSTICE: DNA AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM" -- 7:30pm at Temple Shalom (Free of charge)
Yavneh's Coach Chad Baruch chairs this evening with Dallas' District Attorney, Craig Watkins, and Texas Innocence Network, Deputy Director Cassandra Jeu.
22 ~~ JEWS OF THE AMERICAN SONGBOOK III featuring Mark Kreditor
Yavneh AlumDad and Board member Mark Kreditor brings the music of the American Jewish songwriters to stage at Congregation Beth Torah with an appetizer buffet, show, and then dessert reception, all beginning at 6:15pm. Tickets on sale now, click here: www.congregationbethtorah.org
|
College Cues ~ Acceptances, Visits, Scholarship Information, and more
|
CLASS OF 2010 COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES
Kol Hakavod to the following students who have received college acceptances. Updated information is in bold. Seniors, be sure to send notice of your acceptances to info@yavnehdallas.org so that we can share your news!
Joshua Karnett ~ Indiana University, University of Kansas
Libby Panipinto ~ Indiana University, Tulane University, University of Kansas
NOVEMBER 18 ~~ COLLEGE PLANNING * JUNIORS & THEIR PARENTS
7pm in the Yavneh Library - Juniors and their parents are invited to meet with
Yavneh's College Counselor, Allyn Schmucker, to learn more about the
college application process.
High School Aerospace Scholars is an interactive, online learning experience highlighted by a six-day residential summer experience at NASA Johnson Space Center. Selected students explore math, science, engineering and computer science concepts with engineers and scientists at JSC. This program is sponsored by NASA and funded by the State of Texas, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and Rotary NASA, at not cost to participants. Juniors can apply now at http://aerospacescholars/jsc.nasa.gov The deadline is 11/13/09.
Yavneh College Guidance ~~ For more information regarding scholarships, application deadline, and any other college related issues, read the Senior Times (emailed last week to all seniors and their parents) or check in with Allyn Schmucker, Yavneh's College Guidance Counselor at 214.295.3500 or email aschmucker@yavnehdallas.org
|
Yavneh's Magic & Mitzvah Makers ~
Students, Faculty, and Alumni Making a Difference for themselves and their community
|
Saginaw's Ride for Sense Corp Texas 4000 for Cancer ~ Charlie Saginaw '07, is one of 56 students who will ride from UT Austin, to Anchorage, Alaska in the Texas 4000 for Cancer. Please help Charlie raise the $4,500 he has pledged to this ride, monies to be donated to the MD Anderson Cancer Research Center. Email info@yavnehdallas.org to connect to Charlie with your pledge for support.
|
March of the Living ~
Support our students MOL Tour '10
|
 Birthday gifts? Anniversaries? Chanukah shopping? Make a mitzvah out of your giftgiving by having your gifts support the 2010 Yavneh March of the Living Tour. Shop at marchofthelivingdallas.org to connect to Amazon.com and a percentage of your purchase will help our kids!
Stay warm this winter!!! Snuggies have arrived and they are on sale for $25/each. Available in burgandy, navy, and leopard print!!! Call Debbie Koeppel at 214.796.9950 to place your order.
Be comfy at Bulldog sporting events by sitting on a Yavneh seat cusion. $60/each, with or without the Yavneh Bulldog logo. Email Mollie Mirsky at xomollieannexo@aol.com to place your order.
|
Alumni Association Info ~
|
SAVE THE DATE
SPREAD THE WORD!!!
November Yavneh's Alumni Reunion Weekend ~ November 27 & 28
Friday 11/27 @ 10:30am ~ Pancake Breakfast and Alumni Basketball Games
Saturday 11/28 ~ Kiddush honoring all Yavneh Alum @ Shaare Tefilla
Saturday 11/28 ~ Evening GetTogether for Alum & Spouses
More info and formal invitation is on the way! PLEASE be sure we have your correct email and mailing information by updating at info@yavnehdallas.org
|
Bulldog Print News ~
|
Extra, Extra, Read All About It!
 Help support Yavneh's student-run, nationally award-winning newspaper The Bulldog Print by buying ads and subscriptions or making a donation.
If you are interested in purchasing an ad for your business or service, contact Rebecca Lipinsky at 214.577.5820 or email rebeccalipinsky@yahoo.com
If you are interested in subscribing to The Bulldog Print for only $20 a year, contact thebulldogprint@gmail.com
Get all 5 issues!
|
Yavneh Yearbook '09-'10 ~ Order yours NOW!
|
Order your 2009-2010 Yearbook today!!!
Yearbooks are $60 until January 15 and
$70 from January 18 to March 12
Yearbooks will be delivered before school is out and include
the year's activities, sports, photo collages, class photos & senior specials,
"Best Of... Awards," clubs & teams, drama presentations, the Literary Cafe,
March of the Living, Graduation and so much more.
 Ads on sale now!!!
Dedicate a memory to your students and/or say "thanks" to our honoree, LuAnn Pitlik!
Ad deadline December 14!
Ads will be printed in black & white (b/w) and color (c).
* Business Card $ 36 (b/w) $ 46 (c)
* ¼ of a page $ 54 (b/w) $ 64 (c)
* ½ of a page $ 90 (b/w) $ 100 (c)
* Full Page $ 180 (b/w) $ 190 (c)
Design and send in your own ad, or submit copy and photos, to Yavneh Academy's Main Office or send via email to info@yavnehdallas.org
Please make payments to "Yavneh Academy," note Yearbook "ad" or "purchase"
in the memo, and Deb Silverthorn on the outside of your envelope.
For more information, please call 972.839.6916 or email info@yavnehdallas.org
|
Inklings from Israel
David Kravitz '09
|
Learning at Yeshivat Eretz HaTzvi is very similar to the Yavneh experience as my day begins with shacharit and breakfast at 7:25, followed by a gemora shiur and chavruta, learning. In the afternoons, I'm studying Halacha, Tanach, and Jewish philosophy a.nd in the evening, after maariv, there are two other courses of study. During my independent study I have been learning mishnayot, later prophets, and a variety of English books.
What makes Eretz HaTzvi similar to Yavneh are the fine balances of quality learning and free time and of discipline and freedom; additionally, the yeshiva has an awesome and amicable faculty.
The High Holy days were something else. To go outside during Rosh Hashana or Yom Kippur, I was amazed at how silent the streets were. The entire country literally stops and as soon as Yom Kippur was over, sukkahs started popping up everywhere. Practically every restaurant had a sukkah of its own. On Simchat Torah, our yeshiva joined the minyan at the nearby senior home for several of the hakafot and I got to carry a Sefer Torah up to the wards, for each of the patients to kiss.
I've just returned from a most incredible experience called Yam l'Yam, where I hiked for three days with my entire yeshiva from the Mediterranean Sea to the Sea of Galilee. Despite the brutality of the 75km (47 mile) hike; sore feet, sweaty backs, and practically crushed shoulders from carrying heavy bags, every single student made it to the end, and no one regretted the experience. I couldn't recommend it any more highly! When you are in Israel and have the chance, do Yam l'Yam!
Though I have been in Jerusalem most of the time, I have spent Shabbats in Sfat, Arad, Zichron Yakov, Modi'in, and Chashmonaim. If you have any questions or just want to hear from me, email me at kravitz7d@gmail.com
Hope to see you all soon!
| |
| Please send all news and updates for the Yavneh Academy of Dallas e-zine to: info@yavnehdallas.org
Deb Silverthorn
Director of Communications
Yavneh Academy of Dallas
12324 Merit Drive
Dallas, TX 75251
214.295.3500
|
|
|
|
|
