The Queen of Yavneh's Pollman Hall, Isabella Russell-Ides has returned to direct the Theatre program's spring presentation of The Importance of Being Ernest.  The curtain will rise on Thursday, March 31, at 7pm, in Pollman Hall.

"The very best part of my being at Yavneh is being with teenagers.  I love young people.  The most challenging?  Being with teenagers.  Truly, the most challenging aspect has been bringing a disciplined work ethic to the art presenting a play and, as we ready for our show," said Isabella of the third production she has directed at Yavneh.  "I am currently feeling very optimistic in this area.  This year there is a grace about what we are doing and I am relishing being a director."

"Isabella has brought so much to our theatre program and her dedication to theatre is inspiring and contagious," said Theatre member, Michelle Tanur '11.  "She is intensely creative and really appreciates student input.  This year we have set a good foundation for the production and we are quickly and efficiently moving forward toward our debut."

Yavneh students call the Theatre program important as a way of expression and a fun way to relieve the stress of daily life; allowing the members to step out of their comfort zone and be someone completely different than the norm.

"Isabella's passion for the art of theatre allows her to give 110% to our production and I do not think anyone else could be more perfect for this job," said Michelle who portrays "Gwendolyn Fairfax," in The Importance of Being Ernest.  "We tremendously appreciate all that she has done for the theatre department and for the cast morale; as she keeps us motivated and encourages good energy both on and off set.   We really want to thank her for that."

"What I like best of all is to bring a student to a level of excellence that they themselves did not know they could reach," said Isabella.  "I like to find hidden gifts, bring them out and give them a good run in the light of day." 

A philosophy graduate, with High Honors, of the University of California at Riverside, Isabella is a playwright, bringing her experience to our students as a first-hand practitioner.

Summer "break," provides little break and lots of activity for Isabella who enjoys marketing her new Mayan play, ¡CENOTE!; editing the memoir of her husband, Rod Russell-Ides, as well as gardening, yoga, biking.  The Mother of Rachel and Michelle (and husband Randy), Isabella is the proud Grandmother of Emerson, Daschel, Elliott, Allison, and Blake with whom she enjoys taking family 9-mile bike-a-thons around White Rock Lake.        

Isabella's 2011 Yavneh premiere of the Oscar Wilde classic, due later this spring, is a comedy of manners while satirizing the social conventions of the time.  "This particular play is universally admired for its wit and should be a lot of fun.  It is also a romance and presents the courtship practices of the time with particular attention to matters of class and wealth," said Isabella.  

"I am so impressed with this year's cast. They are a gifted lot and I expect them to bring off a stellar production. 

"There are certain teachers, however, who soared above the rest, who became a part of my consciousness," said Isabella, speaking of those who were her own mentors and role models.   

"What they had in common was a belief that learning itself was the great adventure and they all had a certain charisma --- an ability to cast a never-ending spell." 

Clearly, this ability was passed on and it is the gift to our own Yavneh students.

"Yavneh had been a successful experience for my entire family. Between the happy environment, the amazing teachers, classes, and the friends one can make, what is not to like," said Sam, who transferred to Yavneh, from Richardson High School, at the start of his sophomore year.  "The students are all happy and willing to hang out together, to help each other, and they get it. The teachers really seem to understand the kids, and they are, most completely, the most awesome teachers in human history."

"For the first two years, I couldn't get Sam to talk in my presence," said Assistant Principal, and Government teacher, Chad Baruch.  "Now I can't get him to stop! He always ends government class by asking about my family, and he comes up with the most interesting questions including my personal favorite, 'did you ever consider calling Kennedy (Coach Baruch's son), Ken?' Sam is an all around good kid and I will miss being amused by him."

"Yavneh has a longer school day than most, to allow for a good amount of time to dedicate to general studies," said Sam.  "Although the days are long, the teachers understand this, and with their commitment, we students are willing to put in our 'all.'"

Following graduation, Sam, the son of Tina and Leonard, and brother of Benjamin '05 and Sarah '08, will attend A&M's Dwight Look School of Engineering, ultimately building his own business software development company.  "I became enamored with computers when I was 11, and I like the idea that I don't have to rely on others to do a project.  If there's something I want to build, while everything has their limits, I can do it.  I like innovation and I want to bring new, better ideas."

"When Sam started in my class three years ago he was very quiet and he worked steadily," said Yavneh Mathematics' Chair, Veronica Thomas.  "During his junior year, he started communicating with me and I realized how talented he was mathematically.  I am sure that he will be very successful at achieving his goal of becoming a computer engineer.  He has the math skills, aptitude, and the desire to do well in that profession."

"At Yavneh, I received an amazing education and I made great friends.," said Sam.  "Everyone at Yavneh is so close, and the small, friendly atmosphere is fantastic. Everyone shares the same teachers, classes, and therefore, we all understand each other."

A Dallas native, Sam is a member of Congregation Shearith Israel, and an involved member of congregation's United Synagogue Youth, having served as that chapter's Programming Vice President. A three-year Captain of Yavneh's Mock Trial Team, Sam is also a founding member of the Yavneh Bulldog Soccer team.  "Soccer's always been my favorite to play and it's the world's sport.  Yavneh is growing and it's important for there to be more opportunities.  Thanks to Mr. O'Quinn's understanding, and receptive nature, we wanted a team, and he believed in and supported us.  We have a team!"

Sam has spent recent summers as an intern and paid part-timer for eLocamotive, a website design and custom software programming company, and on a USY Eastern Europe Israel Pilgrimage trip, through which he visited Berlin, Prague, Poland, and Israel.  "This was my first trip to Israel and it was the most amazing time.  The places we went to were incredible, full of history, lessons about current Europe as well as much about the Holocaust," said Sam.  "Every city we went to was beautiful and I have to say that Berlin was the least anti-Semitic country I've been to.  It had the most amazing Holocaust Memorial and all of the city center government buildings are made of glass. It felt like a statement of clarity - of 'here we are, we have nothing to hide, almost a transparency of the government."  

Self-described as one who has always been raised in a home of comedians, with nothing he likes more than to hear or crack a good joke, Sam's smile - the one he shares, and the one you know is in his spirit - as though he often knows the punchline to a joke he's not sharing, is a gift.

Sam, thanks for learning to open the package a little bit at a time!

A true Dallasite, and member of Congregation Shearith Israel, Mikki is the daughter of Tarron and Doron, and Jay and Mary Jo, and the oldest sister in a family that includes David, Michael, Hannah '13, and toddler twins, Aiden and Ethan. "Before my little brothers arrived, I wasn't a baby fan, thinking there wasn't much they could do. When I saw my brothers as they came out of the delivery room, my heart swelled to double its size and I really understood that babies ACTUALLY cry for a reason. That moment let me know that I definitely want kids."

"I have always felt very connected to Jewish people, so I knew I would make a lot of friends here," said Mikki, who transferred to Yavneh from Parish Episcopal School in her Junior year.  "I had heard great things about the education, about the open-minded students and faculty, both enthusiastic about their work. I knew that the graduates at the school attended prestigious colleges and I wanted to be a part of all of that."

"I knew quite a few Yavneh students, mainly from BBYO, but at first I was nervous since my Yavneh class had shared two years to know each other, before I arrived," said Mikki.  "Two years into their experience, making friends was a lot easier than I thought. The kids were open and happy that I chose to attend Yavneh.  Since the senior class has a small number of students, we really know a lot more about each other," said Mikki who, accepted to both the University of Kansas and Indiana University, is looking to a future in psychology or pharmaceutical research.  "I think the best part about attending Yavneh is the close, tight-knit community.  The people here are great; they are laid back and down to earth."

"Mikki is a sweet young lady and a hard-working student.  In Spanish III, She consistently looked to improve herself by up-grading her skills," said her teacher, Gloria Boyd.  "She is a delightful person to know, and I enjoyed teaching her.  I am sure that Mikki will be a great success."

Yavneh's teachers do not hesitate to challenge their students in the best way possible," said Mikki.  "They are open and available, and I respect that.  It's rare to find a school where a student can schedule an appointment to talk to the head of the school, and be in that very same day!"  

"Yavneh Academy received a gift when Mikki decided to join us at the beginning of her junior year.  Although many students might reject any changes in their academic environments late in their high school careers, Mikki took the challenges in stride and handled the transition beautifully," said English teacher, Phyllis Beilue.  "I particularly admire her adaptability.  On the day that she was to present her Antigone project to the class, the large urn that she had painted fell and broke as she was getting out of the car at school.  Rather than worry about what she could not help, she quickly came up with another plan for presenting her information."

"This trait will serve Mikki well in the future," said Mrs. Beilue.  "Mikki is competent, engaged, and responsible and she will enjoy success in the future."

During the school year a member of Yavneh's Hashinui Environmental Organization, and the school's HELP/Helping Everyone Live Peacefully Chesed club, Mikki has spent summers traveling to Nebraska, Georgia, and England, attending BBYO leadership camps, volunteering at the JCC's Camp Kulanu, and working in the office of her father, an allergist.

Mikki, an involved member of the Bnai Brith Youth Organization, has served as Regional Gizborit/Treasurer, as Gizborit and N'siah/President of her Judy Kravitz chapter, and she is a recipient of the Silver Star of Deborah Award, given to those who show outstanding commitment and exemplify the ideals and principles of BBYO.

"I went to Chapter Leadership Training Conference) and to International Leadership Training Conference for BBYO members aspiring to serve their council, or the region, and to improve them as a whole," said Mikki.  "I learned how to increase membership, plan effective programming, and learned new and innovative ideas that helped to improve our region."

Yavneh too, thanks to you Mikki, was improved, and is a better place to be,  

for your joining our Family!

"I enjoyed Yavneh from the start because of the warm family environment and the way the school is able to mix a thorough religious learning with a great secular education," said Sara Jane, whose family moved to Dallas, and to Yavneh, two years ago.

"The best part about Yavneh is definitely its family feel.  Since the school is so small, it's hard not to know everybody's name and the environment is very comfortable.  The students can connect with one another as well as with the teachers," said Sara Jane who came to Yavneh from Ma'ayanot High School for Girls, an Orthodox high school in New Jersey.  "The support from the teachers is important because, while the dual curriculum is tough, it is a challenge that I enjoy."

"I was so happy to meet Sara Jane when she transferred to Yavneh," said former Yavneh faculty member, Sharon Weinstein.  "I finally had someone in my classes who understood all the references I made to the Jewish world in New York and who didn't make fun of my accent. I understood exactly the challenge she faced by moving from New Jersey to Dallas and was so impressed by how she rose to that challenge. Sara Jane was an asset in her Judaics classes by having a wealth of information on Judaic topics and a desire to learn and participate actively in class discussions."

The daughter of Brian and Juliana, and sister to David '10, Emily, and Joe, Sara Jane will attend UT Dallas next year, with an Academic Excellence scholarship, in the hopes of pursuing a career in law. "I want to be a litigator," said Sara Jane, only the second Yavneh graduate to walk the commencement stage at age 16.  "I enjoy debating and I'd like to be part of the justice process."

"Sara Jane is an excellent Math student," said Veronica Thomas who has taught  Sara Jane's PreCalculus and AB Calculus courses.  "She has matured over the past year and she is very excited about Mathematics." 

Sara Jane's recent summers have been spent as a marketing intern at Secure Tech Systems, Inc. and traveling to visit friends and family in New York and New Jersey.  She has also worked as a counselor at Camp Chai at the JCC of Dallas where a memory highlight will always be, having learned Hannah Montana's "Hoe Down, Throw Down."

"Moving here in the middle of the year, I expected it to be a bit scary and more difficult, but I dove into my school and community and people welcomed me.  This really feels like home and I love it here!," said Sara Jane, who regularly attends Ohev Shalom where she runs a group for kindergarten through first grade girls every Shabbat.   

An active member of Dallas Yachad and National Council of Synagogue Youth (NCSY), Sara Jane is a member of Yavneh's HELP/Helping Everyone Live Peacefully Chesed chapter, she's performed in the 2010 Theatre program's "The Dybbuk," and, as Cecily in this month's "The Importance of Being Earnest."   

Sara is also a founding member of Yavneh's Lady Bulldog Soccer team.  "There is a limited number of girls on the team, so everyone gets equal and abundant playing time," said Sara Jane.  "I grew up playing the sport and I really do love our team.  Win or lose, we all know how to have a good time."

Yavneh scored a goal when the Goldenberg family came to town and Sara Jane,  

you are definitely an MVP!

"Coming to Yavneh allowed me to continue my Jewish education and learn in an environment with less distractions than a larger school," said Shelbi.  "Yavneh's very close-knit community that allows for more growth with the help of others."

"There is a very balanced system working at Yavneh. With our days shared between our Judaic and General Studies, there really isn't anything missing. The time that we spend learning Talmud and Chumash is in exchange for the time that we would be having other electives at any other school and the lessons we learn, are lessons for life," said Shelbi.  "For those of us who want to be involved in theater, journalism, and sports - the day gets longer but it's worth it for programs that are important to us."

"The relationships with Yavneh's teachers is special and, knowing us as well as they do, gives them the ability to call our bluffs," said Shelbi.  "They do not allow us to give anything less than our most, and they fight for us to do our best. Because they know us so well, they know just what that is."

"Shelbi Karlebach is a go-getter.  When she gets started on a project she is like a pit bull - get out of the way and watch her work!," said Assistant Principal, Humanities and Creative Writing teacher,  

Dr. Tim Cloward.  "She is spirited, full of energy and enthusiasm, and her passion for life is evident in everything she does.  She is definitely a one-of-a-kind."

"Our entire class gets along amazing, we are a close knit group, and we rarely have drama - something that is impressive and rare for high schoolers," said Shelbi.  "I can honestly say that everyone in our grade feels a friendship with one another on at least the most basic level, and I feel it's like that with everyone at Yavneh."

"Shelbi can organize a team and make an event happen," said Head of School, Don O'Quinn who Shelbi calls "the rock that supports Yavneh." "For four years she has worked hard to make ours, a better, greener world.  Hashinui has planted over 300 trees in Israel in projects to reclaim desert land and most recently to replant areas devastated by the Carmel fires. Shelbi is always a pleasure to work with because she consistently thinks of others before herself."

An Akiba Academy graduate and Dallas-born, Shelbi is the daughter of Sharon and David, the younger sister of Dalton.  A member of Congregation Shearith Israel, Shelbi is very involved in her synagogues Zohar USY as well as the Wadel chapter of BBYO, for which she served as MIT "Mom" and Shlicha/Religious Educator.

A member of Yavneh's Spirit Club, her heart has been deeply connected to the school's Hashinui/Environmental organization since she was a freshman, and for which she has been president for the past two years.  Making a difference on campus, is just the beginning.  "The example we set on campus is the importance of our message," said Shelbi.  "Primary is the education of living eco-freindly, and we can begin with how we live here at Yavneh and then take that out to our community.  Shelbi is a former Lady Bulldog Soccer and Volleyball team member, and has worked at Quigley's Clayhouse and Akiba's Camp Mazal for two summers.

Shelbi, who was accepted to Mizzou, Adelphi University and the University of Arkansas, will pack up and head to the University of Missouri in the fall, excited about studying archeology.  "I've always been interested in history and while on the Teen Tour to Israel with Congregation Shearith Israel a few years ago, we participated on a dig in Cessarea.  I stood in history - I felt it, I loved it, and I realized then that was what I wanted to study."

Shelbi, we dig you, and know you will plow and shovel until you find the treasures of life -  

know always, that you are one!

NATIONAL EATING DISORDER  

AWARENESS WEEK~~  

Yavneh's Liora Dickter '12 led the school's participation in National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, February 20 to 26, arranging for seniors to meet with Dr. Mandy Golman, Program Director at The Elisa Project, to discuss the transition from high school and home, to college life, food, exercise, and self-image issues.  Yavneh participated in the Elisa Project's  "Change the Way You See - Not the Way You Look," clothing drive, to benefit Dallas Shared Ministries, and Liora was featured in ESTEEM, at Saks Galleria - a celebration of positive body image which encourages people to love themselves while striving to be healthy.

"More people suffer from eating disorders than from breast cancer," said Liora who decorated the halls with messages of positive body image and spirit, and arranged lunches that included a cookie cake, and vegis - care of  Katie Lerer '13, for all.  "Accept your body, eat a cookie! It's all about positive strength."

Liora wrote messages of positivity, on ripped pieces of a pair of jeans belonging to a dear friend who has long suffered from an eating disorder.  "'Be comfortable in your own jeans' was the double message I wanted to send," she said. 

"I felt very honored to support Liora during NEDA week. Spreading awareness about eating disorders and body image to the Yavneh community is something she had a very strong drive for. It's a topic that we both felt passionate about," said Sarah Warmbrodt, a member of Yavneh's Physical Education staff.  "I felt as if this was a successful event to inform and provide resources for the students and Liora worked very hard to make it a success.

"During that week, our PE classes focused on how serious eating disorders are and how to create a positive self-concept for ourselves," said Ms. Warmbrodt.  "Hopefully, through Liora's strong determination to inform students  at Yavneh, someone currently facing body image issues, or one with a friend doing so, may have been helped."

"People need to know, to be educated, and to know they can reach out.  The NEDA week motto this year was 'It's time to talk about it.' Someone will be there to listen," said Liora, who encourages people to visit the blog at operationbeautiful.com  "Believe in yourself." 

INVISIBLE CHILDREN ~~

For every student that heard Invisible Children's presentation last year, the return of the organization's representatives was much anticipated. Invisible Children's "faces" did not simply repeat and recount the same messages, instead, they screened their newest film, "Tony," which offers a stunning, moving and shocking view of life in Uganda from a completely different perspective.

Tony, a young orphan in Uganda, was found by the Invisible Children founders while he was in school. The cameras followed Tony, whose mother died of HIV and who never knew his father, and together they built an unbreakable bond.  Tony is now a "roadie," or volunteer traveler, for Invisible Children, joining the team who came to speak at Yavneh.

Tony spoke of the friends he lost, including one Invisible Children roadie who was killed in a terrorist attack while visiting him, the family kidnapped by Uganda's LRA, and his dreams to graduate from his college in Uganda.  

Invisible Children, established by students in 2003, continues efforts to stop Joseph Kony's war and use of child soldiers, by establishing economic and educational initiatives including: Legacy Scholarships and a mentor program, the Schools for Schools program, MEND, Village Savings and Loans Associations, Conservation Cotton Initiative, the Bracelet Campaign.

"The program was awesome.  I hope IC will continue coming to Yavneh and our community and that they'll share the stories of those in Eastern Africa needing our help.  It's so important," said AJ Burk '11, who introduced the organization to Yavneh.  "I hope that the student will continue to share the knowledge they've gained from the IC roadies and guests like Tony."

"I couldn't believe the stories I heard last year and I wanted to be a part of making things better," said Jonah Silverthorn, a student at Renner Middle School who, so impacted by the 2010 Yavneh/Invisible Children program he attended, started a chapter of the organization at his own school.  "These kids, some were my age and younger and it seems that anything we can do to give them a break, we should.  I can't imagine being taken from my family - and I wanted to help."

That Tony, just one single person who has undergone such suffering in his years, could stand before a crowd on American high school students and speak with such clarity and purpose, was a lesson for us all.  A less to stand, a lesson to teach, a lesson to make a difference.

On April 25^th, Zoe Elewitz will be participating in Invisible Children's '25.' The goal is to speak out, by not speaking.  To support Zoe's efforts, visit:
http://25.invisiblechildren.com/member/ic-fundraising?fcid=9103 

NATAL ~ TRAUMA CENTER IN ISRAEL

Yavneh's Students Against Terrorism's Points for Peace tournament raised monies to support NATAL.  NATAL, Israel Trauma Center for Victims of Terror and War, was founded in 1998 with a mission to help Israeli citizens who suffer from psychological trauma resulting from terror, war, and military service.  A Hebrew acronym for Victims of National Psychotrauma, serves clients of all ages.  As NATAL representative, Judith Bar Hay Kovatch carried on her presentation in Yavneh's Beit Midrash, the first period bell began to chime.

At that moment, Ms. Bar Hay Kovatch's eyes widened, her speech paused, and she jumped suddenly. After realizing what the sudden noise was, she explained the cause of her slight panic.  "The bell," she said, "sounded exactly like the siren's that blare in her home town, Sderot, nearly every day." Ms. Bar Hay Kovatch said that even though the sound has become recurrent near her home bordering the Gaza strip, though it is one she has never gotten used to.

A trauma therapist at NATAL: Israel's Center for Victims of Trauma and War, working with the young and the old, the injured and the depressed, Ms. Bar Hay Kovatch helps bring those that have experienced the most ugly and cruel elements of war firsthand.

"We decided to make NATAL the beneficiary because the organization completely encompasses the mission statement of Points for Peace," said Leigh Bonner '11, President of Points for Peace.  "It strives to repair the lives of those affected by terrorism through various means of therapy, and the work that it has achieved is quite remarkable."

Ms. Bar Hay Kovatch told stories of the young boy who saw a Katusha rocket fly through his roof, the soldier who pulled six burning bodies out of an exploded tank, the girl who hid in her home out of fear of the outside.  Yavneh students, in just a short morning, walked away with a very-real image of what life is like for those who live under constant threat. 

MARCH BIRTHDAYS  

3  Millie Blumka  5 Sean Bold  7 Dr. Paula Harvey  11 Dorit Bracha  16  Kevin Sulski

23  Emily Rohan & Jasmine Sidisin  26  Yael Spirer   

30 Michaiah Gartner, Mina Pulitzer & Michael Tepliskiy  31 Jessie Cohen 

~~ Kelly Fathy Ceder '03 and her husband Aaron,  

big sister Meechal Yehudah and family on the

birth of baby Yehudah. 

 ~~ Jennifer Fathy '03 and her new husband, Eliyahu Namatiyof,

  and their families, on the occasion of their  

December 23 marriage in Jerusalem.

 OUR DEEPEST CONDOLENCES ~ 

MADDIE'S MITZVAH BLOOD DRIVE ~~ 

On February 21, Yavneh welcomed 65 people who signed up to donate, with 56 successful units of blood received.  Many of our students were first time donors, and even a couple of our parents had never given before! 

Madalyn White, the child for whom we direct our donations, has received close to 1000 pints of platelets in the last three-plus years.  Carter BloodCare, through whom we run our blood drive, is in need of more than 800 pints of blood EVERY DAY!  56 units from the Yavneh family is a huge "drop" in the bucket and we appreciate ALL of those who gave, who tried,  

and who came by for the moral support!

HELPING HANDS FOR THE HOMELESS ~~  

Helping Hands for the Homeless (HHH) will host its inaugural fundraising event on Sunday, April 10, beginning at 6pm.   Pollman Hall will host the evening with proceeds benefiting the children of Jonathan's Place, making summer camp memories possible.

Jonathan's Place is an emergency shelter for abused, abandoned and neglected children, age newborn to 17 years.  The only licensed emergency shelter in the area that serves children under the age of 10, Jonathan's Place provides food, clothing and education, as well as medical, dental and psychological concerns.

"It is very important to our program that we have the support of those in the community and, when our kids see that other kids are the source of that, it's really something very special.  The impact on the kids is that others are giving, and that others - even those their age, have their backs," said Doug Hood, Jonathan's Place Development & Communications Director.  "The help from the students at Yavneh shows our kids there are people who care and who want them to live to a better life."

"We chose to support Jonathan's Place his because it is the only shelter in Dallas housing boys up to age 10," said Gabby Steinbrecher '12, President and Co-Founder of HHH.   "At Jonathan's Place, children find love, warmth, and safety, much of which they have never experienced before."  Previous projects of HHH include volunteering at the North Texas Food Bank and The Bridge Soup Kitchen.

"We wanted to give underprivileged children a change at a better future," said Gabby, who created HHH after volunteering last summer, at Project Impact in Boston. "I volunteered with City Mission Society, I met many homeless people, and for the first time, I witnessed poverty first hand. HHH has three goals; homelessness prevention, homelessness awareness, and homelessness support.  With the help of our community, we will manage all three." 

Raffle tickets, on sale now, will reward with diamond jewelry, a box at a Mav's basketball game. Silent auction items include an autographed Cowboys' football and jersey, a Cowboys' Stadium tour for six, a $1000 Yavneh Academy tuition discount and more.

Entrance to the April 10 program is $15/advance and $18/at the door.  Raffle tickets are on sale now, one for $10, three for $25 or twelve for $100.  For reservations or more information, please call 214.295.3599 or email info@yavnehdallas.org

HELP - Helping Others Live Peacefully ~~

Members of Yavneh's HELP: Helping Everyone Live Peacefully Chesed program, 

led by Ilana Rosenzweig, recently made an afterschool visit to Dallas' Family Gateway.

In order for Family Gateway to continue to serve homeless children and their families, we rely on the community's support. In 2010, we received over 12,000 volunteer hours," said Shama Shams, Community Relations Manager for the organization which provides housing and comprehensive services to homeless families with children.  Family Gateway programs focus on the needs of children and their parents, empowering them to move from their current crisis back to self-sufficiency.  "Youth volunteers are essential in promoting our mission.  Many of our children have never been presented with the opportunity to be a kid.  For a day, for a few hours, our kids are able to make new friends and forget their worries.  They enjoy the crafts but mostly the one-on-one attention that they receive from the volunteers. It is also our hope that the youth volunteers leave our Center with a better appreciation of their own circumstance."

Yavneh's students played bingo, and decorated t-shirts and pillowcases with the children, gifts that were theirs to call their own.  "Interacting with the kids there was a great experience. It was a good feeling to have all the Yavneh students together, helping kids with interests not so different from us when we were that age.  They just want to laugh.  

I was talking about with my friends after the visit how crazy it is how disparate our lives are from the kids at Family Gateway. That is the life they were born into, and this is ours. The trip just made me reflect and I realized how important doing community service is. I think the kids were happy that we visited.

"Interacting with the kids was a great experience. It was a good feeling to have all the Yavneh students together, helping kids with interests not so different from us when we were that age," said Kelly Herson '13. "They just want to laugh. The trip just made me reflect and I realized how important doing community service is."

"I think it is a really great thing that at Yavneh there are so many opportunities to volunteer, and the HELP committee really expands on that," said Shea Miller '13.  "Everyone has a chance to help out and the different projects that we participate in, such as visiting the Chai House  

and Family Gateway, help build friendships with our peers and those around us."

ELIMINATING ETHIOPIAN POVERTY ~~  

"As students of Yavneh Academy, we are very blessed. However, this is not so for the people of Ethiopia who are living in extreme poverty. For many years I was one of those kids and now I want to help them out," said Mesfin Hodes '14.  Mesfin, adopted by Dr. Rick Hodes at the age of 12, has joined Yavneh's student body, and its spirit for giving back to the community - local, and global.  "By helping those living in extreme poverty we can enable them to experience the fullness of life that G-d offers. Join us and people all over the world as we seek to bring compassion and comfort to the world's poorest people. You can help save a child from a life of poverty."

Mesfin is collecting clothing, school supplies, and financial donations for the residents, young and old, of the Lemlem Orphanage as well as Mission of Charity, the orphanage he lived in as a young boy.  Returning home for the summer, Mesfin will be shipping the goods received, and delivering them along with food and other necessities.   

Donations of luggage, worn or new, would also be appreciated as a tool to transfer the donations.  "With help, we can work to eliminate poverty in one of Africa's poorest nations," said Mesfin.  "Some very special people reached out to me, and it's my turn to do the same."

Donations may be delivered to Yavneh Academy of Dallas (note: EEP).  For more information, email info@yavnehdallas.org

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

MARCH  

1 to April 30 ~~  JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE FOOD DRIVE  

                            The Feinstein Foundation will give a percentage match to agencies which  

                            participate.  Every food item and/or cash donation made to Jewish Family  

                            Service's Food Pantry counts!  Please help us - spread the word, organize a  

                            food drive in your neighborhood, school, congregation, team, or group!

                            It is through donations that we were able to feed more than 2600 people last

                            year and our numbers are increasing.  For more information,  

                            call Janine Pulman at 972.437.9950.

24 ~~                 RACE TO NOWHERE screening @ 6:30pm at Temple Emanu-El 

                           Temple Emanu-El & Dallas Youth Directors' Council presents! 

                            Tickets can be reserved online at http://rtntempleemanu-el.eventbrite.com 

APRIL

1 to 3 ~~      CONGREGATION BETH TORAH MARK SIEGEL SCHOLAR

                      Rabbi Charles Simon, Executive Director, the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs;

                      Contributor to the Art of Jewish Living series, authored by Dr. Ron Wolfson,  

                      A Guide to the Shabbat Morning Torah Service, The Ties That Bind and the  

                      Hearing Men's Voices; Author of Developing a Successful Volunteer Culture.

                      Presentations include "Creating a Volunteer Culture," "Intermarriage and the  

                      Conservative Movement: Where are we today and where are we headed," and   

                       "The Status of Jewish Men in the Conservative Movement." For information,  

                       call 972.489.1717 or email keruv@congregationbethtorah.org  

7 ~~   DEADLINE: YOM HASHOAH STATEWIDE ART, WRITING, VIDEO CONTEST

            2011 Theme - Holocaust Literature; Witness of the Past and Challenge for Today

http://www.dallasholocaustmuseum.org/index.php/education/for-students/

14 & 15 ~~  NACAC COLLEGE FAIR

The National Association for College Admission Counseling is pleased to invite you to the 2011 Dallas/Fort Worth National College Fair, which will be held at the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas - www.irvingconventioncenter.com

                     Thursday, April 14 @ 6:30 to 8:30pm       Friday, April 15 @am to 12pm

• Over 250 colleges and universities offering a wide variety of educational options in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom have registered.
• Students and parents can take advantage of a variety of counseling services relating to college admission and financial aid at the on-site College Advising Center.
• NEW! Lead Retrieval at this fair! YOU MUST REGISTER  in advance by visiting www.gotomyncf.com Once completed, you will need to print out your barcode and bring it to the fair. By doing this, you can maximize their time and speak to more college representatives. All your information will be scanned whenever you wish to give your information to a representative. You will no longer have to complete forms for each school.

BOYS SOCCER

 MARCH

                           Lynn University, Simmons College, University of Missouri, Wheelock College

                       Lynn University, University of Pittsburgh

Elan Kogutt ~~ University of Maryland, University of Texas/Austin, Yeshivat Orayta

Noa Waks ~~ University of Maryland, University of Miami,  

                         University of Texas/Austin  

Sarah Weiss ~~ SUNY/Binghamton, University of Maryland, University of Michigan,  

                           Northeastern University

Shimon Wolk ~~ Reishit Yerushalayim, Rutgers University, Yeshivat Shaare Mevaseret Tzion

~~ JONATHAN NETANYAHU LODGE # 3283 2011 SCHOLARSHIPS   

Since 1989, the Jonathan Netanyahu Lodge of B'nai B'rith is proud to announce the availability of scholarships valued from at least $250 to $500 each.  To be eligible for the scholarships, the applicant must be a high school senior and a member in good standing of the Dallas BBYO.The application will be judged on academic achievement, community service, extra-curricular activities, and financial need.   

Please see Mrs. Schmucker in the Counseling Office for an application.

In addition to a completed application and resume, please send a current high school transcript to:

B'nai B'rith Scholarship

C/o Scholarship Committee

1824 Hatherly Drive

Plano, TX 75023

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: MARCH 28, 2011

NACAC COLLEGE FAIR - APRIL 14 & 15

The National Association for College Admission Counseling is pleased to invite you to the 2011 Dallas/Fort Worth National College Fair, which will be held at the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas - www.irvingconventioncenter.com

                     Thursday, April 14 @ 6:30 to 8:30pm       Friday, April 15 @am to 12pm

• Over 250 colleges and universities offering a wide variety of educational options in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom have registered.
• Students and parents can take advantage of a variety of counseling services relating to college admission and financial aid at the on-site College Advising Center.
• NEW! Lead Retrieval at this fair! YOU MUST REGISTER  in advance by visiting www.gotomyncf.com Once completed, you will need to print out your barcode and bring it to the fair. By doing this, you can maximize their time and speak to more college representatives. All your information will be scanned whenever you wish to give your information to a representative. You will no longer have to complete forms for each school.

~~ SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

There are a variety of summer opportunities available for high school students. Visit  http://www.enrichmentalley.com/  This website is a database of summer programs, and is searchable by type of program, state, etc.  Each listing has a brief description of the program (including cost and application info), with a link to the program's webpage. 

~~ YAVNEH COLLEGE GUIDANCE

For more information regarding scholarships, application deadline, and any other college related issues, read the Senior Times or check in with Allyn Schmucker, Yavneh's College Guidance Counselor at 214.295.3500 or email

aschmucker@yavnehdallas.org 

~~ A lesson from my morning shiur at Yeshiva Reshit.

Miles Pulitzer, second from left, with fellow Yavneh alumni students, Micah Steinbrecher, Daniel Moskowitz, Mitchell Blumka, & Ethan Prescott, also spending the '10-'11 year in Israel.

In my morning class we learned a Gemara in Mabout Shlomo completing the Beit Hamigdash only a day before Yom Kippur.   Instead of the Jewish people observing the holiest day of the Jewish calender they celebrated the completion of the Temple.   

The Gemara continues to say, "And they were worried." This, referring to the Jewish people who were scared that celebrating anything on Yom Kippur would be completely inappropriate. This seems to be a legitimate concern yet the Gemara later refers to the Jewish people as "Haters of Israel," which is a commonly used name for the Jewish people when they are in the mist of unmoral behavior. Logically it makes sense that the Gemara would refer to the Jewish people in such a negative tone because is it possible their actions were against G-d's will.  The Gemara goes on, "All of you will benefit from the world to come."  

The obvious question arises: If there actions were indeed wrong why would a heavenly voice tell the Jewish people, "All of you will benefit from the world to come." What would make the people of Israel deserve this?

The simple answer would be that the Jews were not celebrating wholeheartedly.  

It is clear the Gemara says, "And they were worried." But does this alone make the Jewish people worthy?  I raised my hand and said the first thing that came to mind. "Maybe they wanted Yom Kippur," I said. Sure enough my Rabbi said, "Correct!" The real reason the people were worried was not because they did not believe Shlomo was right in commanding all of klala Yisrael to celebrate the finishing of the Temple but they worried because they felt they needed the day of cleansing.  

If this was to happen in present day almost every Jew around the world would be so happy not to have to observe Yom Kippur. We don't appreciate the chance to stand before G-d with all of our sins on the table.  To take this idea a step further, too many times in high school I looked for excuses to cut class and take the easy way out. Im sure the second every student heard about the upcoming snow storm in Dallas the first thought that came to mind was, "I wonder how much snow we need for school to be closed?" I found myself doing the same thing. Instead of embracing the privilege of an amazing high school education I looked at the fact that I was forced to attend school and learn.

This year I was blessed with the opportunity to take a gap year between Yavneh and college and because of it I am now able to truly appreciate learning both secularly and religiously.  

Just like the Jewish people wanted to take advantage of Yom Kippur I have begun to  

fully take advantage of previous and future learning.