Years ago, I identified myself as an Arab Jew. As a descendant of four Syrian Jewish grandparents for whom Arabic was their first language, it seemed to fit. Even my parents spoke Arabic as their first language. While I never spoke the language, I could count, say angry words, love words and of course, “food,” in Arabic. Yet I was uncomfortable with the term because it seemed politically incorrect.

A few years ago, I saw the term being used by David Shasha, who writes an online newsletter. We got into a heated debate about the term and later I got into a discussion with Dr. Zvi Zohar of Bar Ilan University about the same issue. I wasn’t entirely convinced until I started to do some research of my own.

Sephardic Passover cuisine is rich and delicious—and since it’s traditional, we often make the same dishes year after year. This year, freshen up your menu with a few new recipes.

In what has become a tradition, a group of approximately 50 students, faculty and parents from The Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School, led by Rabbi Naftali Besser, recently visited Aleh’s Jerusalem Center.

The group first received a short orientation from the Aleh staff about the center, its goals and the children. They then split up into small groups, joining the children in various winter games and even a birthday celebration.

Vicki Gindi, Loren Hakim, Iris Massry, Michelle Zekaria, Violet Galapo, Dr. Ruth Katz, Ruchie Czermak, Ellen Sutton and Terri Cohen

More and more families, especially those living in Brooklyn and Manhattan, are choosing to make Deal their new home, and choosing Hillel Yeshiva as their new school.

It’s easy to understand why. Day-to-day life in Deal is easy. It’s beautiful. It’s safe. It’s fun. Equally important, the Deal atmosphere provides families with a sense of purpose and a nurturing environment in which to live. The close-knit community fosters spiritual growth for families, and the relationships that are born within the community are so strong, that “family” is a word that extends to friends and neighbors.

Hillel juniors kicking off Seminar

Where is the best place for students and teachers to bond in an environment outside of the classroom? For the students and faculty of Hillel Yeshiva High School, the answer to this question is clearly the annual Seminar.

This year’s Seminar was held in East Hanover, New Jersey and was jam-packed with fun, inspirational and educational activities from snow tubing to singing, watching a Hollywood hypnotist to learning, davening and dancing.

Bullying. It may be a common problem for children both in school and at camp, but it’s still heartbreaking every time I see it happen. Take  Joseph, for instance. Joseph refuses to go to Yeshivah. He lies in bed, complaining of an imaginary stomach ache. His mother, of course, knows what the real problem is. Joseph can’t bear to face Sammy, a classmate who is making her son miserable. Ever since the school year began, he’s been teasing and taunting  Joseph at any given opportunity. And while  Joseph handled it bravely for as long as he could, his resistance finally wore down. He refuses to face his tormentor again.

Morah Itta’s 1st grade class

Sending a child to 1st grade can be an anxiety provoking experience, not only for the child but for the parents as well.  Only a few months later, as we watch our child perform in his or her siddur play, those feelings are replaced by an overwhelming sense of appreciation.

Recently, under the direction of our fabulous teachers, Morah Itta Landau, Morah Devorah Grosz and Morah Rochel Fogel, our 1st graders performed in a unique extravaganza that they had been practicing for weeks.

Andrew Gilson, Daniel Levi, Sarah Schneider, Ike Newman, Dr. Ben Leibowitz and Sofi Gadelov

Which college is the right one for me? What grades do I need for college? Should I enroll in an SAT preparation course? Will tutoring be helpful? What do SAT scores mean? Do I need extra curricular activities? Do I need AP courses? Do I need honors courses? Should I take Bio or American History? What if I am not a great math student? How do I navigate the four years ahead of me?

These and many other questions come to mind as a child enters high school. At Hillel Yeshiva High School, we care greatly about the success of each of our students. In order to reach their maximum potential, we have created a guidance system that is sensitive to the needs of every student. From the first day of school in the 9th grade until we see the students in the processional at graduation, we carefully monitor each student’s progress.

On an icy Monday recently, nearly 100 of our community’s parents, faculty and students assembled in the auditorium of Magen David Yeshivah. This year the entire 6th grade of MDY was presented with an opportunity to exhibit their ideas about hesed thanks to a program founded by Mrs. Julie Dweck in memory of her beloved husband, Mr. Haim Dweck A”H. Along with her children and grandchildren, the family wanted to fund a program that would not only benefit the youth through education, but connect with others through acts of kindness as well.