Today’s medical environment has become highly technological in nature. Everyday we hear about new systems, scanners and other devices, often costing millions of dollars, which will diagnose everything and “solve all problems”. Unfortunately, the reality is often otherwise and we are left holding the bill of ever increasing medical care.
Congregation Magen David of West Deal shines like a precious gem amongst the synagogues of the Syrian Community. Under the spiritual and religious guidance of Rabbi Ezra Labaton, Magen David has promoted the ideals and values of tselem eloqim and tikkun olam—respecting the inherent dignity of each and every human being and attending to the needs of those around us. These ideals and values influence everything we do at Magen David. If one were to refer to Pirkei Avot’s articulation of the three fundamental pillars that support the world—Torah, avodah and gemilut hasadim—one would immediately recognize the areas to which Magen David applies these ideals and values.
This year Hillel Yeshiva’s Bat Mitzvah Program surpassed the goals that the 6th grade girls had set for themselves. The girls were preparing for their Bat Mitzvahs by learning the precept of olam hesed yibaneh: loving kindness will build the world. With just a single phone call from the Sephardic Bikur Holim Food Pantry, an idea germinated into a vital and rewarding hesed project. The Food Pantry was in need of kosher salt, so the girls engineered a colossal fundraising enterprise that raised $10,000.
With over 280 participants and 17 parent facilitators, Parent-Child Book Club month this May was a grand culmination of parents, students and educators working toward the leisurely pursuit of reading.
From the intensely heartbreaking to the wildly magnificent, the selected books reflected a wide range of human and superhuman experience. Imagine magical candy that could bestow the gift of flight, an accursed china rabbit dressed in fine silk suits and carrying a gold pocket watch, and a 12-year-old boy turned millionaire in one year’s time! The suspension of disbelief is the perfect antidote to our daily stresses and can be found in the award-winning book selections of May’s Parent-Child Book Club.
The 2nd Annual Entrepreneur-ship Contest took place at Magen David Yeshivah High School recently. The contest was coordinated by instructors Mr. Joseph Naftaly and Mr. Daniel Kamelhar, who conduct the entrepreneurship classes for 10th graders. This class enables students to get an early start on business careers by preparing them to take on the challenges of an ever-changing economy.
Students from the 10th grade entrepreneurship classes were divided into groups; each group was directed to use their creativity to develop a business plan that they thought would be a success. In the business plan the students were required to explain why they felt their product would sell and how they intended to contend with their competition. In addition, students had to evaluate the financial aspects of their enterprise including variable costs, fixed costs and operating costs.
Last month, Hillel Yeshiva’s juniors and seniors experienced a “Rude Awakening.” Rude Awakening is a program that was started 15 years ago by a Middletown police officer, Cpl. James Roese. The program is designed to educate young adults about the dangers of drinking and driving. According to Roese, “The goal is to give students a vivid mental image of what happens when alcohol and drugs are mixed with driving a vehicle; we hope to empower every student to make safe choices this prom season.”
Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz, a second generation Holocaust survivor, presented awards to the top prize winners of the Ninth Annual Holocaust Memorial Art, Essay and Poetry contest during the Holocaust Memorial Committee’s annual memorial ceremony in Sheepshead Bay’s Holocaust Memorial Park, recently. The contest attracted over 600 entries from throughout southern Brooklyn and included submissions from elementary, middle and high schools. Public schools and parochial schools, as well as yeshivahs, were represented among the winners as is indicated by the diverse ethnicities of the entrants and winners.
The smell of summer is in the air, and that Barkai spirit is everywhere! It’s going to be a Barkai summer, and what better way to bask in the beautiful, salty, Jersey air than being a part of the Young Guns Tournament. Young Guns, headed by Joey Barnathan, will be the first ever elementary school tournament, featuring a special NBA guest (TBA). The games will commence on the corner of Park and Ocean Avenues on July 12th—but the hype has already started. With a list of hundreds (and counting) of children participanting, there is much to look forward to!
Magen David Yeshivah spent a beautiful spring day enjoying Lag Ba’Omer. With plenty of activities planned for every age level, the day was a huge success!
What could be hotter than watching dozens of competing chefs grilling, cooking and baking in the summer sun? Maybe being the person who has to judge their creations. In any case, August 11th promises to be an exciting night: Barkai Yeshiva’s Top Bun competition!
Top Bun, the annual fundraiser for Barkai Yeshivah, is a very unique event which is unparalleled in our community, where dozens of teams compete for titles of best food dishes. The event will take place at the home of Ricky and Jamie Cohen. Last year’s event was attended by over 1,000 community members who all had a great time while showing their support for Barkai Yeshivah.
Adelegation of 13 young athletes from the JCC of Greater Monmouth County in Deal participated in the 2009 Jr. Maccabi Games recently in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The swim team brought home 11 medals, including four gold, six silver and one bronze.
“Coming from the Jersey Shore, it is very fitting that our swim team be top-notch. As representatives of our JCC, our athletes demonstrated superb athletic ability and excellent sportsmanship in all their events,” said Shlomo Weiss, JCC’s Health and PE Director. “Our team enjoyed the camaraderie with Jewish athletes from all over the northeast, once again making the annual games a memorable experience for all.”
Kol Israel Congregation recently held a barbeque in celebration of Lag La’omer. Over 50 men gathered for delicious food, followed by a night of learning.
On a recent Sunday, the National Council of Young Israel Basketball League’s season came to a successful close with an exciting and competitive Championship Tripleheader. The day featured championship games in the Junior Division (6th 7th and 8th graders), Intermediate Division (9th and 10th graders) and Senior Division (11th and 12th graders). Under the direction of Commissioners Irv Bader and Judah Rhine, the synagogue-based National Council of Young Israel Basketball League is comprised of 23 teams from the tri-state area. The season runs from January through May.
The opening game of the day was the Junior Division Championship featuring Flatbush Park and the Shaare Zion Wildcats. The game was extremely competitive during the first half, with Shaare Zion leading at halftime by a score of 30-22. Flatbush Park stayed close for the first part of the third quarter when Shaare Zion pulled away and won by a score of 66-44. Leading the way for Shaare Zion was Jeffrey Pardo with 24 points and for Flatbush Park, Don Ben-Ami with 23 points.
The serenity and peaceful nature of the summertime gives us all a chance to take a step back and relax for a few months. With that in mind, Magen David Yeshivah’s PTA has coordinated efficacious and productive summer events that are uplifting and enjoyable at all levels.
As we look forward to the summer, we look back on a successful school year, which benefited our children tremendously. Thanks to dedicated committee members, each event became memorable. So many events catered to the children on all age levels.
