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Chanukah Day 4 - No Sessions
Monday, December 2
Chanukah Day 5 - No Sessions
Tuesday, December 3
Chanukah Day 6 - Rosh Chodesh Teves - 5:15 Dismissal
YUHSB Chanukah Chagigah featuring Eitan Katz and Rav Moshe Weinberger - Weisberg Commons
Pearls of Wisdom meeting - during lunch - Library
Passaic Night Seder - 8:30-9:15 - Agudah of Passaic Monsey Night Seder - 8:30-9:30 - Ohaiv Shalom
Chanukah Day 7 - Rosh Chodesh Teves - 5:15 Dismissal
YU Admissions interviews - Sign up with Mr. Sragow if you do not yet have a time slot
Chaburos with Rav Schachter and Rav Twersky meet after davening in the Beis Medrash
Bergen County Night Seder - 9:00-10:00 - Beth Abraham
Thursday, December 5 Chanukah Day 8 - Zos Chanukah YU Admissions interviews - Sign up with Mr. Sragow if you do not have a time slot Leadership Institute breakfast for all members - Room 203 Library Squad/Book Film Club meeting - during lunch - Library MTA Chorus practice - during lunch - Room 404 MTA Band practice - 5th period - in the Band Room Mishmar - 7:00 Dismissal West Hempstead Night Seder - 9:15 - Anshei Shalom Friday, December 6 Teaneck/Bergenfield Shacharis and Shiur - 8:50 - Bnai Yeshurun Motzei Shabbos, December 6 Basketball Doubleheader at JEC - JV at 8:00 - Varsity at 9:15 Sunday, December 7 YUPAC Lobbying Mission to Washington |
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Shabbaton 5774 - Thursday and Friday
by Chen Sapir ('14)
Click here for a video recap from our incredible Shabbaton
 Click here for more pictures from Thursday and Friday
The annual MTA yeshiva-wide Shabbaton got underway with our arrival at the Raleigh Hotel, in South Fallsburg, NY, at approximately 9:00 on Thursday night, November 21. We immediately davened Maariv and then listened to Rabbi Green's introduction to the weekend. After this, we proceeded to the dining room, where we enjoyed a combined talent show, bingo games, and all around fun hosted by Rabbi Green and Mr. Gillers. Congratulations to all the winners! Following that activity, we received our room assignments and after heading there to unpack, we returned to the dining room to be treated to a wonderful late night barbecue. The freshmen concluded the evening with some chilling and bonding time with Mr. Gillers, while the rest of the school either went to a kumzits with Rabbi Cohen and his guitar, played mini hockey (thank you to Alter Gross for supplying the necessary materials!) , or just hung out until it was time to go sleep.
 The next morning, after Shacharis, breakfast, and learning sessions, there were again many options. One was an exciting hike through a nearby state park, led by Mr. Gillers and Rabbi Cohen. Another was a football tournament, organized by Rabbi Pearl. There was also an option to go to a nearby bowling alley, and an option to stay at the hotel and spend time making use of their facilities, which included swimming, basketball, and ping pong. After a delicious lunch, the football playoffs took place, with a team captained by Shuey "Champ" Jacoby and led by senior stalwarts Raff Hizami and Jesse Schwalb, finally capturing the title. Everybody truly enjoyed their Friday and looked forward to the start of Shabbos.
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Shabbaton 5774 - Shabbos
by Ephraim Tepler ('14)
Shabbos started with an amazing "Carlebach style" Kabbalas Shabbos, led by our very own Rabbi Axelrod. After a brief welcome and introduction to Shabbos by Rabbi Taubes, an inspiring Sichah by Rabbi Shulman and Maariv, we sat down in the dining room to a wonderful dinner and heard some incredible Divrei Torah from current MTA students. After dinner, each student attended a Shiur with his Rebbe which focused upon 'miracles', the theme of the Shabbaton. Then, the grades split up into two groups, 9-10 and 11-12, for parallel versions of an exciting new event, "The Newlywed Game" which matched various MTA "couples" in a highly entertaining contest to see who really knows whom the best. In both games, the winner was an MTA Rebbe with one of his talmidim! This event was followed by a tisch led by Rabbi Mendelson and Rabbi Cohen, where we heard inspiring stories and sang numerous stirring niggunim. Finally, after some more "chill" time, we went to sleep.
Davening the next day was led entirely by students, with Seniors Yitzi Lindenbaum and Josh Birnbaum leading Shacharis and Musaf, respectively, and laining by Freshman Rafi Felder and Junior Yisrael Loewy. A drashah by Rabbi Schiller directed us to constantly work to accomplish whatever we can, to the best of our abilities, regardless of how many times we may fail along the way. Following davening we had a Kiddush, some time to shmooze with our Rebbeim, and then a chaburah with the advisors from YU who joined us for the weekend, again focusing on the theme of the Shabbaton. After lunch, we had a break from the formal schedule, during which we could attend a Shiur about Chanukah given by Rabbi Taubes, join Mr. and Mrs. Levitt for some games, or just enjoy nap time.
Seudah Sehlishis, which followed Minchah, included a very meaningful slow shirah, in which everyone participated by singing moving niggunim, and an inspiring message from Rabbi Green as Shabbos ended. After Maariv, we packed up our belongings and were then treated to a Melaveh Malkah with musicians and lots of enthusiastic dancing. Following the dancing, we heard the four grades' banner presentations and watched the grade videos, the conclusion of the "Spirit Week" activities. Before boarding the buses home, we all received MTA sunglasses and stress balls, truly the highlight of the Shabbaton!
All in all, the weekend was an incredible experience for everybody, and we hope that it will be even more successful next year.
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On the Importance of Hakaras HaTov
by Daniel Jaroslawicz ('14)
On Tuesday morning, the whole school gathered into Lamport Auditorium for a very special pre-Chanukah program. First, we heard from Mr. Chezky Ort, father of Dovid Ort '14, who spoke about his daughter Sari, OB"M, on the occasion of her first Yahrtzeit, and showed how even after her death at age 12, she is still continuing to inspire so many throughout the world.
Then, we heard a shiur from Rabbi Zecharia Wallerstein, a noted educator and speaker, about the importance of Hakaras HaTov. He spoke about how the miracle of Chanukah came about only because the Chashmonaim first made an effort to connect with Hashem on their own, by diligently cleaning and repairing the Mikdash, and then Hashem responded by providing them with the miracle of the oil, which they could appreciate so much more because of the effort they themselves had put in. He challenged us to purify ourselves by doing whatever we can on our own in the best possible way during the holiday of Chanukah, as this is the perfect time to take our own steps and then see and appreciate how Hashem responds by helping us when we need it.
Rabbi Green then challenged each of us to find one thing, even one small thing, to work on during the next two weeks L'Ilui Nishmas Sari, and sheets with various suggestions were distributed, so that everyone could sign up for something. A pizza lunch at the end of Chanukah, sponsored by the Ort family, will be provided to all students who commit and successfully complete one of the programs presented. It is hoped that we can all use Chanukah to improve ourselves and appreciate both Hashem and each other a little more in our lives.
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Check out pictures from Spirit Week here.
Check back next week for full coverage from the amazing events of Spirit Week.
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Mazel Tov!!!
| Mazel Tov to longtime MTA office administrator Mrs. Florence Littwin and her husband Steve, upon the celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary.
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12/1
Adam Harar
12/2
David Pando
12/3
Yisroel Chaim Sabel
12/4
CJ Glicksman
12/5
Yisroel Loewy
12/6
Raphi Felder
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