December 23, 2016
23 Kislev 5777  


  

 
     Parshat Vayeshev
Candle Lighting at 5:17 PM
 
The Actual and the Potential
 
What do we consider more important: the potential or the actual? Many of us are familiar with the famous dispute between Beit Shamai and Beit Hillel about the number of candles we light each night of Chanukah. Beit Shamai claims that we should light eight candles on the first night and then one less each successive night, whereas Beit Hillel claims that we light one on the first night and add one each successive night. Rav Shlomo Yosef Zevin notes that this is one of many disputes between them in which Beit Hillel focuses on the actual and Beit Shamai on the potential. Beit Hillel says that we should light one candle on day one since there has actually been only one day of light from the oil that was found. Beit Shamai, on the other hand, says that we should light eight candles on day one since the oil possessed the potential of being lit for eight days.

We follow Beit Hillel, which means that we emphasize actual results over talk about potential. Often the phrase, "has a lot of potential" is in reality a thinly-veiled critique of one's actual performance. However, although Beit Shamai's approach is not the accepted opinion, there is still a lesson to be learned about the importance of potential. The ability to imagine a better world and to be a visionary demands that we see not only the actual but the potential as well. In life at school, it is critical to focus on both the actual and the potential. We care about our students' actual performance and we believe in their potential for growth and development.

I'd like to wish everyone a Chanukah Sameach. Thank you to the Highlites team for putting together this terrific edition and for seeing their creative potential and making it "actual."  

Shabbat Shalom and Chanukah Sameach!

Sincerely,
Rabbi Jonathan Kroll
Head of School
Upcoming Events
Mon. Dec. 26
Yom Iyun: Parent-Child Learning
BJV Vs Faculty Basketball Game 
 
Tue. Dec. 27 
Chanukah: Dunk Tank and Dunkin' Breakfast

Wed. Dec. 28  
Chanukah Kahoot and Trivia Challenge

Thu. Dec. 29  
Chanukah Breakfasts at Teacher Homes

Fri. Dec. 30 
No Classes - Chanukah/New Year's Break
Good and Welfare 
Engagements
Shira Wolkowicz ('10) to Gav Blum from West Hempstead.

Aliza Wallerstein ('09) to Yaacov Sakowitz from North Miami Beach

Marriages  
Yaron Jacobovitz ('04) to Erica Jankelovitz

Births
Rachel (Dolgow '04) and Joseph Belleli on the birth of a baby girl.

Jessica (Struhl '04) and Dov Quint on the birth of a baby boy. Mazel Tov to the grandparents Teddy & Linda Struhl.
 
Julie (Rosenberg '08) and Jared Schulman on the birth of a baby girl.
 
Condolences
Moshe Applebaum on the passing of his father Rabbi Martin Applebaum
 
Ray Cleeman on the passing of his father Paul Cleeman
 
Michael Bock on the passing of his mother Leah Bock
 
Two
Winter Sports By the Numbers 
Graphic by Justin Isaacs ('19) and Akiva Stadlan ('19)
Two 
Freshman Shabbaton 
Chesed Day, Followed by Shabbaton and Saturday Night Activity Unites Class of 2020 
  
Graphic by Liora Mayer ('20) and Sydney Freedman ('20) 
Article by Tehila Zaghi ('20) and Yoni Kurtz ('20)
 
In one word, the Freshman Shabbaton could be described as breathtaking. We kicked off the Shabbaton with a chesed event at Feeding South Florida, where students sorted and packaged food for those in need. At the end of three bustling hours of running to and from assembly lines, the freshman class packaged and sorted over 18,000 pounds of food for the less-fortunate.

Friday night started off with a beautiful davening at The Skylake Synagogue in North Miami Beach, and it only got better from there with exciting games including a hilarious Newlyweds-styled game, and a KYHS themed Apples to Apples game. The students then heard inspiring divrei Torah  from both their teachers and peers, and capped off the night with a  ruach-filled kumsitz.  

On a wet and rainy Shabbat morning, we enjoyed a lavish breakfast in the Presidential neighborhood hosted by the Attias family, then braved the stormy conditions to get to shul.  Following yet another meaningful davening, which included laining from our very own KYHS freshmen Jonah Gabor, Mordechai Shekhter and Aaron Gross, the students enjoyed a satisfying lunch. And of course, KYHS staff did not allow for any dull moments, as they led mind bending and hysterical activities throughout the afternoon. When the rain finally stopped, the students trekked back to the Attias home, where we were welcomed with a level of hachnasat orchim that could only be described as remarkable. The students partook in Seudah Shlishit and some bonding time and sang out Shabbat with yet another ruach-filled kumsitz, and havdallah.  

As if Shabbat wasn't enough, the freshmen then headed off to Ninja Lounge, where we enjoyed a night of thunderous trampoline-powered dunks, trampoline dodgeball games, American Ninja Warrior training courses, and of course, pizza.  Through the many exciting, meaningful and challenging experiences, the Freshman Shabbaton transformed us from 85 individual students to one class forged together by the powerful bonds of achdut.
Two 
College 101 
College Guidance Department Kicks Off the College Process for the Class of 2018   
Graphic by Ariel Schneider ('17)  
Article by Max Wiederhorn ('18) 

On Monday evening juniors and parents attended an informative and enlightening introductory session with Mrs. Roberts entitled College 101.  Each student was given a binder with information about college admissions, college testing, and the application process.  Mrs. Roberts highlighted many important details and issues to consider when selecting a college, and reviewed the application process and many guidelines juniors should follow.  She emphasized the importance of good grades and co-curricular activities. Mrs. Roberts reminded us that we should take this process very seriously and spend time thinking about what we are looking for in a college.  
 
Obviously, Jewish life on campus will be a major factor in most of our decisions.  Mrs. Seidenfeld explained to us the online resource, Naviance, and how it can help us to learn more about ourselves as applicants.  One thing that was made clear is that the admissions process will be grueling and stressful - but we will have the KYHS college guidance team helping us every step of the way.
Two 
This Week in Pictures  

Graphic by Shirin Khambalia ('17)
Two 
 
 

Publications
 
 
 
 

The Yeshiva Highlites Staff