For an American Jew, one of the real pleasures of living in Israel for an extended time is the opportunity to experience a society where the rhythms of the week and the year are Jewish. The first time you plan a trip around your Sukkot vacation, or rush to finish your Friday grocery shopping before the store closes for Shabbat, you sense how the rhythms of Jewish life, so challenging to maintain here, are simply taken for granted in Israel.

One of the most memorable periods in Israeli life is the two-day sequence of Yom Hazikaron, the nation’s Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers, and Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day. The power of these two days, and the transition between them, is extraordinary.

Rebecca Harary, US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Assemblywoman Rhoda Jacob and Chancellor Joel Klein

Rebecca Harary, Vice President and a founder of Imagine Academy for Autism, was invited by New York State Assemblywoman Rhoda S. Jacobs to join her recently, as US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein announced details about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and how it will help NYC schools.

Based on its preliminary analysis, NYC estimates that it will receive approximately $950 million, including $525 million in State and Fiscal Stabilization Grants in each of the next two years. The schools are also entitled to receive over $300 million from an expansion of Title I funds for high-needs students and approximately $100 million from the expansion of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act funding and more than $25 million in education technology funds. The Mayor was confident that this aid would make a difficult budget situation tolerable for all schools.

Jeff Epstein, Alyssa Ezon, Fran Berley, Sarah Schneider, Daniel Levi, Andrew Gilson, Sian Goldofski, Tom Cohn, Seth Deneoff and Ike Newman

Back in September, a group of Hillel Yeshiva High School students met to discuss the 2009 New Jersey Mock Trial Competition case. The competition is open to all high schools in the state. The program gives students the opportunity to learn about New Jersey’s laws. It also allows students to participate in actual court room situations where they assume the roles of lawyers, witnesses, and members of the jury.

This year’s case involved a record company suing a high school student for stealing copyrighted songs off the Internet. The record company also accused the student of giving away these songs without compensating the company. Each participating school must present both sides of the case, including witnesses and jury members.

Six-year-old Chanie often seems to be in a daze, bumping into furniture and stumbling on grass, as if she doesn’t quite see where she’s going. Chanie also does not appear to hear ordinary sounds, disregarding oncoming noises that would cause anyone else her age to stop and listen. Moreover, she tends to act lethargic, taking a long time to carry out many basic movements and mostly avoiding participation in classroom activities. Yet paradoxically, she sometimes displays exuberant energy, volunteering to push the grocery cart and pull her older sister in a wagon. Chanie’s parents have no idea how to handle their daughter’s contradictory and often counterproductive behavior.

What brought an apparently random group of 40 high school seniors and college-age individuals together for a weekend? It wasn’t just the skiing and snowboarding, but the desire to take an active role in leading and bettering our community.

A leadership weekend, organized by Deal’s Young Magen David (YMD) in conjunction with the Center’s Leaders in Training (LIT) program, took place recently in the Poconos. Joey Mizrahi (better known as “Stick”) coordinated and ran the weekend with the help of Louis Jerome, Harry Tawil and Mariel Kassin. The weekend involved skiing, snowboarding, skeet shooting, snow tubing and just plain hanging out.

Two new teaching fellowships offered by the Institute for University-School Partnership at Yeshiva University’s Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration aim to increase the number of qualified Jewish educators by enabling recent graduates to combine their studies with placements in schools.

There is never a shortage of fun, creative and exciting events that capture the minds and hearts of the students at Gesher Yehuda. But perhaps the most anticipated month of the year is Adar, when the festivities surrounding Purim take the excitement to a whole new level. From Purim masquerades to school-wide contests to mishloach manot packages to song-filled presentations, every day of this special month gives the students of Gesher Yehuda the opportunity to express themselves in unique and creative ways.

To most students, high school seems like an overload of homework and an endless amount of classroom lectures. To others, like the boys of Yeshivat Shaare Torah, high school is an opportunity to learn not only from teachers, but to give back and learn from peers as well.

Yeshivat Shaare Torah, located on Avenue P in Flatbush, initiated a chavrusa (study partner) program where high school boys pair up with OHEL Bait Ezra residents.

Joseph Benun with Dean Moshe Sokol (left) and Dean Lawrence Bellman, from Touro College’s Lander College for Men

High School Junior a Winner in Touro Entrepreneur of the Year Contest
Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School junior Joseph Benun finished in second place in Touro College’s Gryfe-Levy Student Entrepreneur of the Year Contest. As part of the contest, students from metropolitan yeshivahs prepared detailed business plans for an original product or service.

A unique event was held recently for executive directors and fundraising professionals at Caraville Glatt in Brooklyn.  The purpose of the event was to offer schools and nonprofit organizations solutions that can be implemented right now to improve their fundraising results. The event featured valuable information, tips and real-world examples to help fundraisers make their programs more productive.

Well known and respected presenters helped attract a diverse group of participants. Michael Rothschild, Director of the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation, opened the proceedings with a short account of how his organization has successfully used different marketing techniques to achieve its goals.

The highlights of the afternoon included presentations by Rabbi Herschel Leiner, president of H. Leiner & Co. and a founding partner in Eastgate Management Service Corp; and Yitzchok Saftlas, president of Bottom Line Marketing Group.

Joy Feinberg (center), who starred as Queen Aggravaine, with Isaac Dayan, who gave a convincing portrayal of Prince Dauntless in the 7th grade play

The winter season at Yeshivah of Flatbush was filled with drama. That is, the good, entertaining kind of drama that accompanies the annual school plays.

The Joel Braverman High School senior class production of Fiddler on the Roof was held on a Saturday night. A packed audience of family, friends, alumni and the senior class, supported their fellow classmates. The play, directed by Marius Zilberstein and senior Stephanie Lifshutz, starred Tzachi Posner as the philosophical village milkman Tevye and Amanda Levitt as his wife Golda. Sara Reiss, who played Yenta the nosy matchmaker, had the audience roaring with laughter from her perfect Yiddish accent. By the laughter and applause throughout the play, it was apparent that Fiddler on the Roof was a huge success, which is a direct result of the long hours spent during practices and dress rehearsals, and the huge amount of effort from the entire cast and crew.

Rochelle and David Beyda

Rochelle and David Beyda recently opened their hearts and home to benefit Imagine Academy for Autism. The Bake Sale and Chinese Auction were dedicated in loving memory of Joseph D. Beyda A’’H. Imagine Academy is a special needs school that is dedicated to helping children with autism spectrum disorder reach their fullest potential socially, emotionally and academically, thereby improving their lives and the lives of their families.

The event began with a poignant speech by Rabbi Joseph Beyda on the importance of spending quality time with our children and family as well as its impact on our community.

The concert

Congregation Shaare Shalom recently held its annual Purim party. Thanks to the hard work of many members of the congregation, it was a smashing success!