February 10, 2017
14 Sh'vat 5777  

School Logo
  

 
     Parshat Beshalach
Candle Lighting at 5:52 PM
 
A Two Way Street
 
As Bnei Yisrael battle Amalek, the Torah tells us that when Moshe lifted his arms, the Jewish people were victorious, but when he lowered his arms, Amalek would prevail. Chazal explain that Moshe's uplifted arms were not magical; rather, when Bnei Yisrael looked toward the heavens as Moshe's upraised arms directed them, they were victorious, but when they did not focus on God, when Moshe's hands were not raised, then Amalek prevailed.

The Sefat Emet asks a very simple question: why wouldn't Moshe just keep his hands raised so that Bnei Yisrael would consistently focus their attention on God? Why would Moshe ever lower his arms? The Sefat Emet offers a beautiful interpretation. It wasn't simply that Moshe lifted his arms and that Bnei Yisrael followed his lead. Rather, when Bnei Yisrael looked toward God, Moshe followed their lead and was strengthened to lift his arms. In other words, the relationship between the leader and his people is a two-way street. Moshe leads Bnei Yisrael and Bnei Yisrael also inspire Moshe to a greater sense of leadership.

This symbiotic bond and cooperative relationship between the leadership and laity is a critical lesson for all communities. In school, we aim to teach and inspire our students while we are inspired ourselves by our students' enthusiasm and creativity. The virtuous cycle is the model toward which we all strive. May we all continue to work together and be inspired by each other.

Shabbat Shalom.
Sincerely,
Rabbi Jonathan Kroll
Head of School
Upcoming Events
Sat. 11  
Tu Beshevat

Feb. 12-14  
Model UN

Thur. 16  
Junior Chesed Outing
Good and Welfare 
Births
Alyssa (Cohen '09 )
and Nachum Caplan on the birth of a baby girl.  

Marriages
Yael Skurowitz ('14)
to Isaac Bernstein 
 
Elana Kaminetsky ('12) to Yosef Penner and to KYHS Executive Director Shimmie and Beth Kaminetsky 

Condolences
To Chayi Cohen on the passing of her father Menachem Naumberg
 
KYHS Featured in The Florida Jewish Home
Two
Coming Attractions
Sneak Peak of New Campus for Donors to Capital Campaign and Legacy Society Members Gives A Glimpse of Future of KYHS
Graphic by Daniel Gross ('19) and Josh Bernten ('20)

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Curriculum Integration
History and Tanach Classes Combine to Connect Lessons from U.S. History and the Torah 
Graphic by Alec Gelman ('17) and Yosef Linzer ('18)
Article by Max Wiederhorn ('18)

For the past few months the junior class worked on an enriching curriculum integration project. The project's purpose was to help juniors connect ideas and concepts from American history and the Tanach, as General Studies Principal Rabbi Chaim Lanner stated, "The goal of the curriculum integration initiative is to develop expansive thinkers and holistic learners who view all school subjects as interlocking pieces of the same intellectual puzzle."

Juniors were tasked with taking the position of a former U.S. president and ran against a Jewish leader from the Tanach in a mock-election. Then, the students created a campaign poster in the name of their candidate and filmed a short video breaking down the views of their candidate compared to their opponent. Many juniors voiced their approval of the project including, Yosef Linzer who remarked, "Curriculum Integration was truly a special learning experience."
Two
S.A.V.E.
Senior Active Volunteering Experience is Back for the Class of 2017
Graphic by Justin Isaacs ('19) and Akiva Groman ('19)
Article by Highlites Staff
This week 12th graders continued a program which was inaugurated last year in which they will be giving back to the community in a meaningful way.  Seniors and faculty alike felt that with the beginning of  the third trimester of their final year at KYHS, seniors would benefit greatly from engaging in a more active experiential mode of learning. Therefore KYHS unveiled the S.A.V.E. (Senior Active Volunteer Experience) initiative. By redesigning the Wednesday afternoon schedule, seniors now finish their classes at 2:15 and then proceed to their volunteer sites.

Seniors began their work on Wednesday volunteering at Brauser Maimonides Academy, Broward Outreach Center, Chai Lifeline, Florence Fuller Child Development Center, Heartland Nursing and Rehab, Katz Hillel Day School, and Whitehall Nursing and Rehab. Some of the students, whose volunteer jobs begin next week, made hundreds of sandwiches which were given to the Jacobson Food Pantry and to victims of domestic abuse. We look forward to another successful and meaningful year of SAVE!
Two
Teacher Profile
Get To Know Mrs. Ellen Chait, Science Dept. Chair
Graphic by Sydney Freedman ('20) and Liora Mayer ('20) and Emily Dennis ('20)

Highlites Staff:Where are you from?
Mrs. Ellen Chait:  I was born in Kingston, New York.  Although that is not as exciting as saying I grew up in Woodstock, New York.

HS: What are your main hobbies?
MEC: My hobbies are cooking gourmet meals, painting, writing and reading.

HS: What/who is your source of inspiration to teach?
MEC:I went to school at the University of Miami as a pre-med student. As a lark I took an elective on children's literature and Maurice Sendak was our guest speaker. I was fascinated by his take on the importance of making learning a lifelong habit.....we should never stop learning.  Also my 4th grade teacher Mrs. Dunn.

HS: What do you like most about your field of expertise?
MEC: I love the fact that all the sciences seem to naturally blend into each other and one explains the other and explains the next.  It builds on information year after year.  Science is an elegant subject.

HS:Tell us something that nobody knows about you.
MEC: I have been in the eye of two hurricanes.... hurricane Andrew in south Dade, and hurricane Wilma, just after we moved into our house in Boca Raton.  Seeing the eye wall heading in our direction was both frightening and awe inspiring!  I think I'm done now!
Two
Scholastic Writing and Art Competitions
Students Bring Home Coveted Scholastic Keys in National Writing and Art Competition
 
Two 
This Week In Pictures 

Graphic by Maurice Bensmihen ('17) and Eitan Gelman ('20) 
 

The Yeshiva Highlites Staff