Friday, February 7, 2014
7 Adar Alef 5774
Parshat Tetzaveh
Candle Lighting at 5:50 PM


 Building Holiness

  

At this morning's kumzits we focused on the State of Israel. When I spoke to the students, I shared a thought of Rav Kook that highlights a spiritual aspect of the modern State of Israel. Rav Kook faced relentless criticism from many of his peers for embracing so much of the secular Zionist movement and partnering with Jews who did not subscribe to his religious practice and some who were even hostile to it. Rav Kook explained his approach by describing the process through which the Beit Ha'mikdash was built. The kodesh ha'kodashim was the holiest part of the Beit Ha'mikdash. Only one person on one day per year was allowed to enter it. As the Beit Ha'mikdash was being built though, Rav Kook explained, construction workers, carpenters and various craftsmen walked through the entire beit hamikdash, each contributing to the construction in their own way. How could these workers casually traverse the ground that only the Kohen Gadol would be allowed to enter on Yom Kippur? The Gemara explains: בונין בחול ואחר כך מקדישין- The process of building is done by everyone and once completed it is considered to be holy.  Rav Kook explained that every Jew contributes in their own way to the redemption of the Jewish people and to the building of our land. That unity is what leads toward a vision of kedusha, of holiness. I want to thank Rabbi Hochman and all of our WIPAC students for creating a wonderful Israel Education Week.  We learned so much about Israel's past, present and future and we are all energized to keep learning more.

 

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Jonathan Kroll  

Head of School 

 

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Coming Attractions

Sun. Feb 9   

Wed Feb 12   
Good & Welfare

Thank You

 

To Alli Zak for buying food for the faculty meeting and the Rosh Chodesh Adar program

 

To the Amsalem, Attias, Gelman, Genet, Harris, Katz, Kay, Markowitz & Perez families whose generous sponsorship made it possible for the entire school to attend the Boys Soccer Team Regional Game this past Tuesday

 
Condolences

To Gary Krasna on the loss of his father Dr. Alvin Krasna
 
To Suzi Green on the loss of her father Henry Bauchner
  
Graphic by Simcha Stadlan ('16)
Interview by Mollie Markowitz ('14)

MM: How was Israel Education Week organized this year?  

 

Rabbi Avi Hochman: Every day had a specific theme relating to Israel, every day there were different videos playing on the screens in hallways, and various programs throughout the week to educate our students.

 

David Ostrofsky ('14): This year IEW was organized thematically each day. From threats Israel faces to IDF support, each day was met with great excitement from the student population. 

 

MM: Why were these specific themes chosen for IEW? 

 

RAVH: These themes cover the many facets of Israel. We wanted to cover as much in one week as possible. There are so many things that we need to learn about Israel, between the themes and the creative education filled bulletin boards we packed it in! 

 

Elyse Tripp ('14): We really tried to encompass the different aspects of our connection to Israel in ways that we can educate our students. 

 

DO:  We chose these specific themes for IEW because we believe that they encompass the vast spectrum of Israel education that our students deserve.  

 

MM: What were your goals for IEW this year? 

 

RAVH: We wanted to educate our students with basic knowledge of our homeland, and give them the ability and the confidence to know the TRUE facts about Israel. College campuses around the world and rallies calling for the expulsion of Jews from France are a wake-up call for each and every one of us. We need to educate ourselves so that we can educate others about the TRUTH regarding the state of Israel.  

 

ET: Our goal for Israel Week, as for WIPAC as a whole, is for our students to gain fundamental knowledge about Israel and skills in order to advocate for her. 

 

DO: Our goal this year for IEW was to not only educate WYHS's students about Israel and it challenges, but also to enhance our school's pride for our homeland. 

 

 

MM: Have the events of this week lived up to your expectations? 

 

RAVH: More than expected! Its hard trying to stick a lot of information into a small window of time! My hats go off to our great WIPAC committee and to David and Elyse for putting in 110% and making this a success. 

 

DO: Absolutely! The response we got has been astounding. From decorating the bulletin boards on Saturday night to the daily Israel trivia questions, IEW has exceeded all of my expectations. 

 

 
MM: How was IEW this year different from last year? 

 

RAVH: It is amazing that this is our third year doing this and yet it is different every year. We had different educational bulletin boards, different information taught in the Hebrew classes, and a lot more student involvement!!!!

 

ET: This year, we had a new focus on the IDF that we've never had before. 

 

DO: This year we added an IDF-pride day where all students are encouraged to wear "army green" to show their support! 

 

MM: What did you enjoy most this week? 

 

RAVH: I enjoyed seeing the enthusiasm, passion, and love from so many students regarding learning more about Israel. I was also impressed by how much it pained some of them that they didn't know some basic facts! I loved watching how engaged, curious, and involved all the students were!

 

ET: I really enjoyed all the bulletin boards that our committee worked so hard to create and put together. They transformed our school into the perfect environment for learning about Israel. 

 

DO: I enjoyed the movie "Uranium" the most this week. I believe it had a great impact on our students and properly showed them the threats we face today.

 

MM: What is some important information that you shared with the student body?  

 

RAVH: (1) The realization that in campuses around this country students are trying to paint an ugly picture about Israel. 

(2) How to respond to accusations against Israel using the ARM method.

(3) How Iran is a serious threat for the world at large and not just Israel.

 

ET: We taught the students how to debunk myths about Israel and how to respond to anti-Israel claims. 

 

DO: Through our ARM program we provided the right tools for our student body to adequately defend the state of Israel in a debate setting, whether on college campuses or beyond.  

 

MM: What do you hope will occur as a result of IEW? Specifically, what do you believe the students will have gained from this week and will use in the future?  

 

RAVH: I hope they realize that education is half the battle. The more they know, the more they can confidently support the State of Israel. I hope they find an aspect(s) regarding Israel that speaks to them and go learn more about it. That both the spiritual and physical aspects of Israel are crucial to its survival and it is our job to learn as much as we can and do our part to keep it strong and safe!   

 

Click here to watch the Israel Education Week videos!  

 ADAR-fest
WYHS Welcomes Eighth Graders and a New Month 

Graphic by Cherie Landa ('15)

This past Monday, WYHS welcomed prospective students to partake in a fun and exciting carnival in honor of Rosh Chodesh Adar. Eighth grade students from various middle schools throughout South Florida, including BMA, HDS, and Rohr, came together and enjoyed the fun activities and great learning. We all had a blast! Everything was delightful and portrayed the joyful spirit of Chodesh Adar. When we arrived, Rabbi Kroll taught the eighth grade boys about the ten difficult challenges that Avraham faced. Next, we went outside to play in the bounce-houses, slides, and, my favorite, the dunk tank. Finally, we went inside to eat a delicious lunch of pizza and salad. By the end, the experience showed the students that WYHS has it all! 

 

- Benny Attias, Brauser Maimonides Academy (8th Grade)

 

As an eighth grader at Hillel Day School, I wasn't sure what to expect when my grade visited WYHS. When my class arrived on Monday, the school was filled with excitement. The fun-filled day began with an amazing carnival, where we met new friends and celebrated the new month of Adar. Following the carnival, Mrs. Kanner treated the girls to an inspiring shiur, and a delicious lunch followed. Not only were all the teachers at WYHS welcoming, but the entire student body was exceedingly friendly. I'm truly looking forward to my next four years and the endless opportunities at WHYS.

 

- Isabella Berkley, Hillel Day School of Boca Raton (8th Grade)


Just For Kicks  
Boys' Soccer Regionals By the Numbers 

Graphic by Eric Ditchek ('14)
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

Graphic by Eric Ditchek ('14)
This Week in Pictures...
Graphic by Aaron Senfeld ('17)