September 2, 2016
29 Menachem Av 5776  


  

 
     Parshat Reeh
Candle Lighting at 7:20 PM
 
Building on the Past, Creating New Experiences of our Own
 

School is off to a great start. The energy pulsing through our crowded hallways is palpable and invigorating! Whether you're a freshman beginning your high school career or a veteran high school student forging ahead, the start of school provides a fresh opportunity for charting your own path as you emerge into adulthood.  When we start a new year, how do we most effectively move forward while building upon the lessons and experiences of our past?

The Baal Shem Tov notes that there is an odd formulation that we recite at the beginning of Shemoneh Esreh -- we refer to Hashem as אלוקינו ואלוקי אבותינו -- our God and the God of our fathers. Why do we refer to Him with the double language of "our God" and "The God of our fathers?"The Baal Shem Tov explains that it is critical for us to realize that we have to develop both our own personal relationship with God -- אלוקינו -- and integrate that with the rich tradition of our אבות and how they each related to God -- ואלוקי אבותינו. We aren't only doing what we do because of our forefathers, we are also doing it because we love it and we realize that we will one day be our children's forefathers.

Thank you to our incredible Highlites staff for putting together such a terrific new edition for the new school year. Thank you to the new leadership of Alec Gelman ('17) as editor-in-chief under the guidance of Rabbi Danny Kroll.

As we start the school year, let's build on the rich traditions of those who came before us. Let us also make our experience in Katz Yeshiva High School of South Florida our own. I am looking forward to an incredible year of growth and learning!

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Jonathan Kroll
Head of School
Upcoming Events
Mon. Sept. 5
Labor Day - No Classes
 
Tue. Sept. 6
Meet the Teacher Night - 7:30-9:30PM

Wed. Sept. 7
First Night Seder
Two
81 New Faces 
Class of 2020 Ready to Make Their Mark at KYHS
Graphic by Ariel Schneider ('17) and Noa Markovitz ('19)

Two
Go to the Head of the Class
Meet the New Faculty Members of KYHS          
Graphic by Akiva Stadlan ('19) and Sydney Freedman ('20)
Two 
Doctor's Orders
KYHS Roles Out New Computer Science Course and Robotics Club Headed by Dr. Wolf
 
Graphic by Justin Isaacs ('19)
Interview by Matthew Samilow ('19)
 
Matthew A. Samilow: Why did the KYHS administration and science department decide to introduce a computer science program for the first time this year?
 
Dr. Yosef Wolf: The school administration determined that in order to offer YHS students the most rigorous STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) curriculum possible a computer science program was required. Today, students and professionals in many traditional scientific disciplines, like chemistry and biology, are using computer modeling in their work. Providing students with a foundational understanding of computer modeling and coding will give students the skills they need to be able to compete in the twenty-first century.
 
MAS: As I understand, there are two distinct computer science courses currently being offered, an Advanced Placement (AP) course and an elective course. Please explain the difference between these two course.
 
DYW: The AP Computer Science course is intended to resemble a typical introductory college course in computer science. The course is Java based and follows the curriculum framework set forth by the College Board. The elective class is much more varied, as there is far more diversity in terms of student interest and experience in computer science. The elective is more of an introduction or "taste" of computer science, while the AP class is a college-level course.
 
MAS: KYHS has also just launched a new robotics team, of which you a the faculty advisor. Please explain what this team is going to do in its inaugural year.
 
DYW: First and foremost, we are going to try to compete in competitions. There were two different competitions that we were deciding between, FIRST and Vex Robotics. For a variety of factors, we felt that Vex was a more tenable option as, unfortunately, most robotics competitions are held on Saturday, although we are actively trying to change this. Essentially, this is our first year and we are trying to lay the groundwork for a successful and prosperous team that will improve each year.
Two 
Humans of KYHS
Graphic by Maurice Bensmihen ('17)
Two 
College 201
Seniors Prepare for the College Application Process
Graphic by Alec Gelman ('17)
Article by Matthew A. Samilow ('17)
 
On Tuesday night, the entire senior class gathered in the social hall of the Boca Raton Synagogue for College 201, a presentation on the "nuts and bolts" of applying to college.
Mrs. Marcy Roberts, KYHS's director of college guidance, meticulously explained explained the steps students must take to apply to college, from requesting transcripts to writing essays. Mrs. Roberts noted that while college applications can be a stressful task, the workload is manageable as long as students follow deadlines and work gradually.
Here are a few key tips from College 201:
  1. Deadlines matter in college guidance. Students should be aware of the deadlines for teacher recommendations, transcript requests, standardized-testing, etc.
  2. A personal essay should be, well, personal. The truth is that nobody can write a more personal essay about you than you.
  3. Make sure you are aware of requirements of every college you're applying to. This includes the number of recommendations required to score reporting policies (i.e. score choice).
  4. Standardized test scores, such as the SAT and ACT, must be sent to colleges in an official score report from the testing agency, even if you are already self-reporting scores.
  5. Lastly, do not hesitate to ask questions, college guidance exists for a reason!
Two 
Good and Welfare 

Births
Moshe ('06) & Rivka Genet on the birth of a boy
Yossi & Ilana (Weberman '07) Bendel on the birth of a boy
Isaac & Sarah (Kaminetsky '04) Jonas on the birth of a girl, Claire Eliana
Holly (Hampton '09) & Eliezer Seidenfeld on the birth of Hannah Belle
Engagements
Megan Wasserstrom ('13) to Lee Schwartz
Bracha Brauser ('13) to Shua Katz
Rebecca Bensimon ('14) to David Dadoun
Yael Skurowitz ('14) to Isaac Bernstein
Jessica Friedman ('08) to Elchanan Lamda
Josh Goldberg  ('06) to Shaina Weinstein
Danielle Wolkowicz ('09) to Noah Pollack
Gil Goldstein ('12) to Yardena Samson

Marriages
Danny Krasna ('04) to Hudi Grunwald
Doron David ('09) to Jennifer Shamsian
Sara Shabtai ('10) to David Schiminow
Michael Feit ('10) to Lindsey Rose
Leora Litwin ('12) to Dave Moskovich
Jordana Kaminetsky ('07) to Simon Bernstein
Becky Shachter ('12) to Jonathan Odinsky
Chana Leah Batt ('12) to Nachum Gruszczynski
Shalva Ginsparg ('11) to Eli Muschel
Daniella Greer ('09) to Elie Jacobs
Sasan Peimani ('08) to Yael Lalehzarzadeh


Condolences
To Ilan, Shanee, Noa and Ziv Markovitz on the passing of Sharon Markovitz
To Aaron Itzkowitz on the passing of his father Naftoli Itzkowitz
To Judy Schultz on the passing of her father Irving Moskowitz
To Richard Singer on the passing of his mother Mary Singer
To Alan Linker on the passing of his father Lou Linker
To Jonathan Turk on the passing of his mother Arleen Turk, grandmother of KYHS Faculty Member Mrs. Chava Epstein
To Salomon Maikhor on the passing of his brother Joseph Maijor
To Ari Blaine on the passing of his father Rabbi Dr. Allan Blaine
To Reena Makover on the passing of her father Rabbi Tobias Rothenberg
To Ben Henschel on the passing of his mother Barbara Henschel
To Avi & David Ben-Zikry on the passing of their sister Esther bat Simhah
To Aaron Moses on the passing of his mother Rachel Moses bat Zohara
To Shelley Senfeld on the passing of her father Norman Senfeld
To Tammy Bugay, David Dennis, Jay Dennis, Michael Dennis, Wendy Gelman and Heather Sered on the passing of their father Dr. Joel Dennis
To Ms. Jill Lustig on the passing of her mother
Special Event
Please come out and support AMIT CHILDREN with guest speaker Mrs. Amy Horowitz  "Wake Up Sleepy Head!  It's Time to Pray", Sunday, September 11 at 7:30PM the home of Sarah & Steven Jacoby in Hollywood (4401 North Hills Drive)

The Yeshiva Highlites Staff