May 22, 2015
4th of Sivan 5775

  

 Parshat Bamidbar
Candle Lighting at 7:46 PM
 
The Opportunity to Grow

 

As the year comes to a close and Shavuot approaches, there's a festive, celebratory feeling in the air. A wonderful year of growth and learning is coming to an end and we find ourselves feeling happy. Besides the anticipation of imminent "freedom", why exactly are we feeling so happy and celebratory?

  

The midrash on Shir Hashirim points out that we have the custom to celebrate the completion of the Torah based on an episode in the life of Shlomo Hamelech. God offered to grant Shlomo any request, and instead of material wealth Shlomo asked for a "wise heart." Appreciating the thoughtful request, God granted Shlomo wisdom and threw in the material wealth as well. Shlomo responded by going to the Beit Hamikdash and celebrating. The midrash explains that because of Shlomo's celebration, we have a custom to celebrate when completing the Torah. This doesn't seem to make sense!  Shlomo wasn't celebrating the completion of the Torah; he was celebrating the wisdom that God gave him! Why does the midrash connect Shlomo's joy at acquiring wisdom with our celebration when we complete the Torah? Rabbi Soloveitchik explained that our reason for celebrating the completion of the Torah on Simchat Torah or the completion of a masechet when making a siyum or the completion of a school year is not that we are happy to be done. Rather, we celebrate because of the wisdom we have gained from that learning experience. We are proud of what we have learned and accomplished, and we are eager to apply that wisdom to other experiences.

  

As the school year comes to a close, it's remarkable to look back on all of the learning and educational opportunities we have experienced. Whether in the formal education, the informal education, the arts, the athletics, or the mishmars and night seders that make up each student's life here at WYHS, we are grateful for the opportunity to grow. Thank you to the Highlites staff for making everyone aware of all of the wonderful things going on at our school. I especially want to thank graduating seniors Cherie Landa and Noah Light for all of the creative expertise that they have brought to the Highlites. 

  

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Shavuot Sameach,
Rabbi Jonathan Kroll
Head of School
Good and Welfare
Engagements
Samara Dennis ('11) to David Goldrich

 

Births  

Brian ('04) and Anna Lieber on the birth of twin daughters

 

Upcoming Events
Sun-Mon, May 24-25
Shavuot

Tues. May 26
Journal Dinner

Wed. May 27
Student Leadership Award Banquet

Last Day of Classes
Spectacular Performance
WYHS Students Perform the Comedy
"The Man Who Came to Dinner"

Graphic by Cherie Landa ('15)
Article by Elisheva Phillips ('15)

Being in this last WYHS comedy was a great way to end my high school experience. I was able to strengthen my friendships and create new ones by bonding over the craziness and epic-ness of the show. The Man Who Came To Dinner was hysterically funny and all the people involved made it so much more enjoyable. I will truly miss the WYHS drama family and I wish them the best of luck in the future!
Honoring our Athletes 
Sports Banquet Celebrates the Dedicated Storm Players
 
Graphic by Jonah Rose ('17)
Article by Jessica Griff ('15)

Participating on a sports team is a challenge. One must balance an intense class schedule with grueling practices and games. Some days, that could mean returning home at 10pm only to be welcomed by plenty of homework. Why, then, do multitudes of students try out and make this lofty commitment to be part of a team? Jordy Lasko ('15) answers quite simply, "When it is something you love and enjoy, you find a way to make it work." Every WYHS athlete has this same determination. Being part of a team is genuine fun. One has the opportunity to play the sport he loves alongside his classmates�-turned-teammates. The camaraderie and unity on a team is palpable. On every team, grade level does not matter. Everyone is simply an athlete, improving him or herself for the betterment of the team. That is personally my favorite part of being on sports teams. 

At the sports banquet, students are honored for their admirable role as athletes. The banquet is an entire evening devoted to thanking and awarding coaches and players who made the decision to be part of something greater than just themselves. 

We started the evening with a delicious dinner accompanied by coaches and team captains addressing the crowd with sentiments about the past season and wishes for the future. We then segued into the actual award ceremony. Parents, family members, teachers, and friends joined in the main shul, where everyone watched video presentations highlighting the different teams. Honors such as MVP, MIP, Leadership Award, and Spirit Award were handed out to those athletes who excelled on and off the field. The night concluded with dessert, and I left with a sweet taste in my mouth not only literally but also metaphorically. Although this was my final sports banquet and I was supposed to be sad, I looked at the teams and saw so much potential for the upcoming seasons. I no longer wear a jersey representing WYHS, yet I will always feel connected to my team, Team WYHS.

On behalf of all the athletes, I would like to thank Rachel Yudewitz for coordinating all of the teams throughout the year and putting together such a wonderful event.

Click here to watch team videos from the Sports Awards Banquet

Bonding and Team Building
11th Graders of WYHS and Donna Klein
Bond at FAU Ropes Course

Graphic by Tamar Ciment and Ariella Mamann ('16)
Article by Bailey Frohlich ('16)   
 
The junior class trip was all about bonding. Partnering with Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, the WYHS 11th graders got a chance to bond with each other and the Donna Klein 11th graders through the Outward Bound FAU Ropes Course and Challenge Course. We separated into integrated Donna Klein-Weinbaum groups and participated in a comprehensive program where we completed challenges to learn teamwork, communication, and decision making. My favorite challenge was an obstacle course in which my group needed to work together to make it across the course -- 
no individual could complete it without the help of every single other person in the group. After saying goodbye to our new Donna Klein friends, we hopped on buses and had our own grade BBQ in the park. While bonding over burgers and soccer is super fun, the trip culminated with us rising seniors making tie-dye senior t-shirts. Through this grade-bonding experience, the Class of 2016 is now ready to take the reign as the new seniors of WYHS!
 
Senior Seminar
12th Graders Close Out High School with Speciality Seminars   

Graphic by Ariel Schneider ('17)
Article by Kayla Gross ('15)

I think we all know that the end of senior year can be tricky�; students have been accepted into college, have one foot out the door, and are therefore not as motivated to learn in the traditional classroom environment. So, this year we participated in 20 senior seminars, informative and engaging sessions given by various speakers that were designed to prepare us for life after high school. We had fascinating seminars about important topics such as financial principles, Jewish life on campus, and red flags in dating. We even watched Schindler's List together and had students who went on March of the Living share their personal reflections and stories. One of my favorite seminars was "Modern Medicine and Halacha," given by Rabbi David Shabtai, where we discussed Tay� Sachs disease, a disease common in Ashkenazic Jews. It is a very serious topic and one that should be acknowledged by all of us, but not everyone has a chance to learn about it in a formal setting. That is what was so special about the senior seminars--they are not subjects generally discussed in regular classes, but they are immensely important and still a valuable part of our education. I loved the seminars. As we seniors approach graduation and near the next big stage of our lives, it is nice to know WYHS has truly prepared us for what is yet to come.
 
Freshman Shabbaton
Freshmen End the Year with a Weekend of Friends and Fun  

Graphic by Aaron Senfeld ('17)
Article by Eli Litwin ('17)

Several weeks ago, the freshmen class went on an amazing Shabbaton in Fort Lauderdale. The students had a partial day of classes on Friday and prior to heading to Fort Lauderdale they went on exciting trips; the boys experienced thrilling water sports at Ski Rixen, and the girls had a blast kayaking at Oleta River State Park. After each respective trip, the entire grade convened at a wonderful hotel by the beach in Fort Lauderdale. As Shabbos came in the entire grade walked to the Chabad of Fort Lauderdale for Friday night davening. Following davening, Shabbos dinner was filled with beautiful singing and immense ruach.  Following dinner and dessert the students played a raucous WYHS version of Apples to Apples.  On Shabbos morning everyone on the Shabbaton walked together to shul for a beautiful davening and it was amazing having multiple students participate in and lead different parts of the tefilla. After Shabbos lunch the students returned to the hotel. During the afternoon there were multiple activities available such as, board games and cards, but more importantly Shabbos afternoon was one of the many highlights of the shabbaton; it created a comfortable and playful bonding environment for all students and promoted the building of stronger relationships with fellow class members. Later, everyone returned to the shul for Mincha followed by inspiring Divrei Torah and games. A truly amazing seudat shlishit, singing, maariv, and havdalah, truly brought an amazing close to a magnificent Shabbaton.    
We'll Miss You
Goodbye to Our Dedicated Senior Highliters
 
Graphic by Shara Saketkhou ('16)

Cherie - 
Leading the technical staff, you have personally sculpted each member of Highlites (with the incentive of Cherie Points) into the creative wizards we are today. Every week when you walk into the cave, you make us smile with your witty sarcasm. Your artistic and photoshop abilities stun us each week as we've seen you grow both as a person and an artist. We know that you will continue to grow and be successful in Israel and at Maryland. We'll miss you Cherie! 
 
Noah - 
We want to start off by thanking you for spending countless hours, in and out of school, editing videos for Highlites. Being video editor, we don't show you enough appreciation as we should for your flawless productions. Every week you come to Highlites and execute your job with perfection. We wish you lots of luck at Emerson!  

This Week in Pictures

Graphic by Alex Factor and Ariella Mamann ('16)