As we embark into the 21st century, Magen David Celia Esses High School is forging the path for our youth. In a competitive global world, MDY students are offered a unique opportunity to develop their leadership skills. From advanced individualized academic programs to a vast array of extra-curricula activities, MDY is committed to each student’s dream guiding them, so it will surely become a reality.
Through a series of strategic partnerships with several local colleges, acclaimed academic accreditation, a variety of A/P courses, exceptional faculty and specialized programs, every student is able to explore and develop their extraordinary talents. At MDY it is about the individual experiencing the world while ensuring that they learn the middah of hesed that has preserved our precious community’s values and traditions.
As Rabbi Alouf eloquently stated, “we must learn about ourselves before we can learn about others.” At MDY High School, the students are taught by well-known community rabbis that teach our minhageem. Understanding their past, present and future, will help students absorb the world around them while making Judaic studies relevant to their everyday lives.
Recently, students and faculty attended MDY High School’s Open House. With standing room only, Mr. Altabe, MDY’s principal, delivered the school’s mission with clarity and precision as well as several student ambassadors. Simply explained, “MDY’s educational philosophy is built upon educating each child according to his/her way.” Unlocking each and every student’s potential according to his or her needs is our methodology.
More than a dozen students, stood before the audience describing their passions, goals and achievements. From a counselor at Camp Koby (a camp in Israel for children who lost family to terrorism), to MDY’s strategic partnership with the Fashion Institute of Technology, students explained their accomplishments. Another student described his Intel Science Research project applying theoretical concepts of science class to real world experiences. He applied and received a $500 grant to help him study the air quality in various classrooms at Magen David High School and how it affects work habits. MDY is supporting academic excellence with everyday practice.
Because of a strong alliance with Brooklyn College, students boasted earning up to 24 college credits before graduating. They are offered the opportunity to complete almost a full year of college while still in High School—completing many core courses required at Brooklyn College. Each student will be given the chance to carve out his/her strength and accomplishments through a variety of academic individualized programs.
MDY’s successes are genuine; over the past four years, three students were able to gain admission to the highly competitive seven year Medical program at Sophie Davis School of Medicine located at CCNY, where only 70 students are accepted each year. Abe Hidary, an alumnus, spoke about his acceptance to the well-recognized and renowned Stern School of Business at New York University. NYU receives thousands of applicants with only a handful of acceptances; however, every Magen David Yeshivah student that applied was accepted. Mr. Hidary described how MDY prepared him for college turning his dreams into a reality.
Several alumni from Barnard to Baruch College were featured and interviewed on a film shown at the Open House as directed by David Betesh a 12th grade student of MDY’s High School. Since third grade, David’s passion has been to become a successful film director. MDY is helping him fulfill his dreams; David interned at the prestigious University of Southern California this summer where Ron Howard and Steven Spielberg studied.
The extra curricula activities are abundant and spearheaded by Andrew Lebowitz. The clubs give students the chance to express themselves: Israel club, AUDGE (Awareness that Unites Different Groups Everywhere), Bookclub, and Mock Trial just to mention a few. As one student explained, “the activities enabled me to explore my leadership skills as I just returned from Eimatai Leadership Conference, a program run by Yeshiva University throughout the United States—MDY allowed us to create a club dealing with Jewish unity.”
Many students develop important communication skills from these activities that often benefit other community organizations. Abie Chera, currently our president of Student Government and captain of the Varsity Hockey Team, also serves on the steering committee of Sephardic Bikur Holim Youth. We are committed to fostering future leaders for our community and our children.
MDY also offers a variety of athletic programs like hockey, basketball, and softball leagues that are extremely competitive and well recognized in the New York City area.
Showing their passion for the State of Israel through their persistent rallying in New York City, MDY High School students are petitioning the IRC to visit our captured Israeli soldiers. With great success, these future leaders are making a difference in the global world, offering opportunity and achievement one student at a time.
