November 4, 2016
3 Cheshvan 5777   


  

 
     Parshat Noach
Candle Lighting at 6:18 PM
 
Noach and the Chicago Cubs 
 
Over 100 years! It seemed like it would never happen! Year after year of dedication and commitment -- was it all for naught? And then one night the reign, er, rain began.

Chazal teach us that it took Noach 120 years to build the ark. Some understand the message of this midrash as emphasizing the stubbornness of Noach's neighbors. No matter how much Noach tried to persuade them to do teshuva, they scoffed at him or ignored him. Perhaps, though, the message of the midrash is to emphasize Noach's unwavering commitment. 120 years of building the ark, all the while being laughed at, is enough to make even a real believer entertain self-doubt and wonder if he just may be crazy. Noach, though, had a deep abiding belief in Hashem and kept his eye on the ultimate goal.

We long suffering fans of the Chicago Cubs know what it's like to be scoffed at, mocked for our faith, and considered perennial losers. Commitment to your sports team is not really a distraction from the real work of Avodat Hashem. Being committed and devoted to a sports team helps train you to develop a sense of mesirut nefesh, a sense of dedication that can be channeled toward the Jewish people and Hashem.

May the redemption of the Chicago Cubs pave the way for the ultimate redemption.

Shabbat Shalom.

Sincerely,
Rabbi Jonathan Kroll
Head of School
Upcoming Events
Sun. Nov. 13
Open House 
Good and Welfare

Engagements
Hadassah Tirschwell ('11) to Yisroel Frankel

Sarah Struhl ('12) to Jonathan Packer

Births
Noah ('10) and Debbie (Epstein '10) Lasko on the birth of a boy

Max ('09) and Elisheva Singer on the birth of a boy

Faculty Mazel Tovs
Mrs. Michal Zisquit and her husband Rabbi Noah Zisquit on the birth of their daughter, Morielle Hadarah

Condolences
Susu Danis on the passing of her father Isaac Silberberg
Peggy Linker on the passing of her mother Marietta Sperber
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Chazak
KYHS Band Rocks at First Rosh Chodesh Chagigah of the Year
Graphic by Aaron Senfeld ('17)
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Election Season at KYHS 
Renowned Political Science Professor Addresses 11th &       12th Graders    
Graphic by Ariel Schneider ('17) and Noa Markovitz ('19) 
Article by Jonathan Leff ('17) 
 
Last Tuesday we had the pleasure of hearing from Dr. David Luchins, renowned political science professor, political aide, and senior vice-president of the Orthodox Union. He began the address, of course, in the context of the upcoming election - cautioning us of the dangers of doubting the presidential electoral process; Luchins foresees allegations of a "rigged" election following a narrow Trump loss.

He then described what he believes to be the facilitating factors of Hillary Clinton's electoral success, namely a weak primary opponent in Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden and Michael Bloomberg's decisions not to run, and the unusual behavior of Donald Trump, while underscoring the insignificance of party loyalty in contemporary politics - a markedly anti-Trump perspective. Next, Dr. Luchins addressed the growing perception that, politically, Jews only care about Israel. He disregarded that notion, deeming Israel a "phony issue" in modern elections. Why? Because every president since Israel's creation, without exception, has done both good and bad things for the state, thus rendering the issue a mere "political football" used to pander to American-Jewish Zionistic sentiments.

The primary message of his address, however, lay in what he believes to be the Jewish community's duty in this election: it is a mistake, he argued, for Jews to openly endorse either candidate. Citing the reemergence of both left-wing and right-wing anti-Semitism, Dr. Luchins warned of the consequences of perceived Jewish influence in the election, a fear rooted in the troubling historical trend of Jewish political partisanship. He advocates that, as of now, public neutrality is the best course of action for American Jews.
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Goal Oriented
Soccer Teams Excited for the Kickoff of a New Season
   
Graphic by Sydney Freedman ('20)
Article by Matthew A. Samilow ('17)

Jeremy Jacob and Tamara Kahn (along with Tamar Tangier and Kyra Firestone) are the captains of the boys and girls soccer teams this year. I sat down with both of them to talk about soccer, their leadership roles, and the goals for the teams.

Matthew A. Samilow: How long have each of you been playing soccer in an organized fashion?

Jeremy Jacob: I started in sixth grade, playing for the Ben Gamla Charter School team.

Tamara Kahn: I started playing during third grade, and made the Brauser Maimonides Academy  middle school team in fifth grade.

MAS:What are your goals for the upcoming season?

TK: We want to reach the district championship, which would then qualify us for regionals. We have not it made it that far in a while, but I am hopeful that this could be the year.

JJ: We've been to regionals in the past, so I am definitely hoping that we make it that far. To not do so would be a bit of a disappointment.

MAS:You have both been on the team for the past three years.  How have your outlooks changed now that you are captains and is the experience of being on the team different this year?

JJ: Being the leader of the team is an entirely different role. In the past, I mostly had to worry about whether I was improving and being successful. Now, I have to be focused on the entire team's success and cohesiveness. It is a totally different role and I am excited to take it on.

TK: My fellow captains and I feel a greater sense of responsibility to promote team unity and ensure that each player is improving and enjoying the experience of playing a team sport.
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PSATs
9th-11th Graders Prepare for SATs and ACTs with Premlinary Exam
Graphic by Justin Isaacs ('19) and Akiva Groman ('19)
This Week in Pictures
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The Yeshiva Highlites Staff