by Aryeh Klein ('14)

On Tuesday night, a secret operation was conducted in the shadowy hallways of MTA. The Israeli members of the Makor Chaim Exchange Program, in the cover of the darkness, snuck into the library with seemingly nefarious intentions. When the MTA student body came in the next morning, they found the entire library decorated with banners and chains, celebrating the coming of Purim.  

Later that morning, the ninth grade gathered with the Makor Chaim fellows, as well as alumni of the program, for a special event. The freshman were split into small groups and each had the opportunity to learn a little about Purim from an Israeli, and to gain a little bit of the Israeli Makor Chaim spirit. The program was an excellent success, and we applaud our Israeli guests for their tremendous devotion to their adopted school, MTA. 

 From Faces @ YU 

Dr. Harold Fluss YUHS '74, YC '77 and Dr. Sharon Kaplowitz '75 YUHS have made a generous donation to Yeshiva University High School for Boys. This gift will fund two annual graduation awards in memory of their beloved parents: The Hersh and Fannie Fluss Memorial Award for Excellence in Nach and the Hersh and Fannie Fluss Memorial Award for Excellence in Hebrew Literature.  These awards will first be presented in June 2013. Each year, up to two students each in Nach and in Hebrew Literature will be selected for their overall accomplishments or improvement to receive these awards.

Mr. And Mrs. Fluss were born in Poland.  Mr. Fluss grew up in Rozwadow and Mrs. Fluss (nee Kinderman) in Oswiecim, later known as Auschwitz. Since Rozwadow was in the area of Poland under Russian control, Mr. Fluss and his family were exiled to Siberia. Mrs. Fluss survived a series of German work camps until she was liberated. They met at a Displaced Persons camp in Germany, were married in 1949, and immigrated to the United States in 1951. They settled in Brooklyn before moving to Inwood, right near the Washington Heights community. Mr. Fluss worked as a bookkeeper in the Garment Center and eventually as a nursing home administrator. Mrs. Fluss was a homemaker, and when her children were older, worked as the supervisor of housekeeping in the nursing home. "Our parents were very dedicated to one another and had a very solid, loving marriage," said Dr. Fluss.

Dr. Fluss and Dr. Kaplowitz wanted to create an association between their alma mater and their parents a"h. Most importantly, they want to establish the awards for Jewish learning, particularly Nach and Hebrew Literature.

"Our father was a lifelong student of both subjects," noted Dr. Fluss. "He learned when he was a young child in cheder, where the breadth of a Jewish education was more expansive than today. Children didn't only learn gemarah, but also Nach, Hebrew literature and poetry, as Zionism was in the air at the time. After he immigrated to America, our father took every opportunity to learn and always had a sefer in his hands."

by Avi Weschler ('14) 

This past Wednesday night, our College Guidance department, under the leadership of Mr. Murray Sragow, coordinated the annual "Financial Aid Night" for Junior and Senior parents. Mr. Robert Friedman, the University Director of Student Finance, was invited to come speak about the pressing issue of financial aid. Mr. Friedman is a well-known and respected expert in the field, often called upon to demystify the college financial aid process. He is also an expert in obtaining financial aid for Israel study, which can be of critical importance to those anticipating learning in Israel after high school. He was able to shed light on the topic of financial aid, thereby making the strenuous college process just a little bit easier for everyone who attended. Special thanks to Mr. Friedman for taking the time to speak with us. Be sure to check out the presentation slides. 

• 
  Philadelphia experienced our Yeshivat Makor Chaim student exchange students last weekend. The visiting students, along with the MTA students who participated in this year's program, were hosted in Lower Merion, PA by Dr. and Mrs. David and Lisa Stein, parents of Steven ('15). On Sunday and Monday, the boys had the opportunity to explore Philadelphia. More pictures of the trip available on Flickr. 


• MTA students raised over $3,400 dollars this past week for the Od Yosef Chai matanos l'evyonim campaign. The P"tach program raised an additional $2,800.   


• Wondershare generously donated a number of copies of their video editing software, both for PC's and Macs, to our film club. The students look forward to using the software to enhance their upcoming videos.

• On Tuesday afternoon, Dr. Jess Olson, Associate Director of YU's Center for Israel Studies at Yeshiva University and author of Nathan Birnbaum and Jewish Modernity: Architect of  Zionism, Yiddishism and Orthodoxy addressed all Honors College students, discussing religion and government in three contexts: the USA, Israel and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He spoke about trends in history and about how governments can deal with religious minorities.  

2013 EINSTEIN-MONTEFIORE SUMMER HIGH SCHOOL RESEARCH PROGRAM

Application is now open. More information available on the Einstein website. 

Eligibility:

Completed applications and letter of recommendation must be received by April 1, 2013. Completed applications should be emailed with "E-M HS Program" in the subject line.