Quick Study: Highlights from around the school Our Alumni

University awards

➤ Offered to only 50 students a year, the Queen’s Chancellor’s Scholarship, which is valued at $36,000, is awarded annually to students who are entering an undergraduate program at Queen’s University and who demonstrate superior academic ability, proven leadership qualities, and creative and original thinking. Shira Reznik and Samuel (Jack) Elkind, both class of 2022, received the highly coveted scholarship, making it the first year ever that two TanenbaumCHAT students received this prestigious award.

Other awards

➤ Following a rigorous application process, Elnatan Kelman (then Grade 11) was selected to be a Bronfman Fellow, the only Canadian among the 26 students from across North America who were chosen. The Bronfman Fellowship seeks students who are highly connected to Judaism and are passionate about engaging in deep dialogue and intellectual exploration.

➤ During the 2021/22 school year, Koby Gottlieb (then Grade 12), was the sole recipient of the Gerda Frieberg Teen Philanthropy Award, presented by the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto. The award highlights Toronto teens who are highly involved in inspiring tzedakah, tikkun olam and leadership. Koby was selected for his extensive work with the Jewish Teen Board, the Diller Teen Fellowship Program and the Jewish Engagement Committee. He was cited for his unwavering commitment to combatting antisemitism on social ➤ Sohara Marcovitch ’22, received the Dr. Iris May Marsh Memorial Award for students entering Queen’s University. This award is given to five students nationwide who have exemplified involvement in the school and community. The award has a total value of $48,000, enabling students to attend post-secondary education on a “full-ride” scholarship.

media while working closely with the support of the Israeli Ministry of Strategic Affairs.

Celebrating graduation

After a hiatus of two years, a graduation day trip was reinstated for the Class of 2022 with students spending the day in Niagara Falls. They returned to TanenbaumCHAT for a barbecue served by the Parent Engagement Committee, and other festivities. A week later we were able to gather, celebrate and send our newest alumni off into the world at a traditional in-person Graduation Ceremony. (For more on the Class of 2022, see page 11).

Golden Bagels 2022

Pandemic-inspired virtual Golden Bagels were great, but nothing compared to attending the 16th iteration live in our Meyer/Finkelstein Gymnasium, with the smell of delicious bagels wafting through the air. The event celebrates our TanenbaumCHAT school community with various awards as well as tributes to retiring teachers. This year, special guest messages came from actors Phil Lewis and Kate Flannery.

That’s the Spirit Week!

TanenbaumCHAT is notorious for Spirit Days, but how about executing a five-day-long Spirit Week? To compensate for lost time during the pandemic, the TanenbaumCHAT Spirit Committee designed a week-long extravaganza. The roster included Monochromatic Monday, Socks & Slides Tuesday, University Merch Wednesday, Throwback Thursday and Friday Pride Day.

Honouring indigenous lives

On May 27, 2022, in memory of the lives lost and families affected by the tragedy of our country’s residential school system, the TanenbaumCHAT Indigenous Peoples Committee spearheaded an awareness-raising initiative. On the one-year anniversary of the discovery of the 215 unmarked graves at Kamloops Residential School, students attended a Zoom presentation with Belinda Wandering Spirit and raised money by selling donuts for the charitable organization Indspire which invests in the education of Canadian Indigenous Youth.

Performing live!

In May 2022, TanenbaumCHAT performed the musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. The (figurative) curtain rose on a packed TanenbaumCHAT Meyer/Finkelstein Gymnasium. Filled with comedic jokes and audience participation, this wonderful event marked the welcome return of in-person school events.

For the first time since 2019, in June the TanenbaumCHAT Music Department held a live Music Night concert at the Meridian Arts Centre in North York in front of an enthusiastic and engaged audience. More than 150 students participated under the direction of teachers Jaclyn Klimitz ’03 and John Malarczyk.

TanenbaumCHAT’s Dance Fashion Show returned in May, 2022. The TanenbaumCHAT community came together to watch the student dancers, choreographers, fashion designers and models show off their creations in a “Super Bowl Halftime Show.”

Athletics live!

In May, our Athletic Department was thrilled to welcome games back to our Meyer/Finkelstein Gymnasium. Many sports teams competed, including our basketball, volleyball and softball teams, among others. Go Tigers! In July 2022, more than 20 TanenbaumCHAT students (and many alumni) traveled to Israel to represent Canada in the 21st Maccabiah Games. For more on this story, see page 14.

Marking important days

The TanenbaumCHAT school community came together for a livestreamed ceremony to honour Yom

Hashoah ve Hagevurah – Holocaust

Remembrance Day. In an event broadcast to classrooms live from our Matlow Black Box Theatre, in speeches, poetry and song, students and faculty commemorated the six million Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust. In recognition of Yom Hazikaron – Israel Remembrance Day, the TanenbaumCHAT Israel Engagement and Yom Hazikaron committees organized a moving ceremony and an accompanying exhibition to commemorate the Israeli victims of violence and terrorism. TanenbaumCHAT celebrated Israel’s 74th birthday with a carnival in honour of Yom Ha'atzmaut – Israel Independence Day. Festivities included inflatable rides, a petting zoo and the perennial favourite, food!

Step inside

May saw TanenbaumCHAT reopen our doors to visitors as we hosted the families of our incoming Grade 9 students. The energy and enthusiasm from the families was palpable as our Student Ambassadors showed off the school. Current Grade 9 and 10 families, who had yet to set foot inside the school because of pandemic restrictions, also had the opportunity to tour the school and experience the magic of TanenbaumCHAT firsthand.

Together again for a new school year

With so many events reinstated in full, the 2022/23 return to school was much closer to “business as usual” – and truly joyful! Students were in the building for summer school, and the first two weeks of September were packed with gatherings: Grade 9 Orientation, Opening Assembly and a Carnival, our massive Clubs and Committees Fair, and even a social evening for more than 300 Grade 9 parents. Beyond the confines of 200 Wilmington, our Athletic Council spent three days hiking, bonding and building team spirit in the Algonquin wilderness.

Grade 9 Orientation

Opening Carnival

Clubs and Committees Fair

Holiday highs

We celebrated the High Holidays with apples and honey, lulav and etrog distribution and class visits to the sukkah. We also revived our annual Yom Iyun study day for which we invite community rabbis from across the religious spectrum to visit and engage students in some post-Rosh Hashana and pre-Yom Kippur learning. We were thrilled that more than 25 rabbis responded to the call.

ON STAFF

Bruchim HaBa’im & Lehitra’ot

In September 2022, we welcomed Shira and Ehud Meirman (pictured right with sons Aharon and Uri). Shira joined our school as our new Israel Engagement Officer (schlicha) while Ehud, who spent the last four years at Derech Avot high school in Efrat, joined the ranks of our Jewish Studies educators, teaching Talmud and Tanach.

Farewell & Todah Rabah

In June, we bade a fond farewell to the following staff members who retired or moved onto other opportunities. We thank them for their many years of service to our community and wish them much luck!

Marilyn Arkin (18 years) David Aronson (30 years) Rachelle Block (25 years) Alex Gropper (50 years)

Mahra Hart (22 years) Helen Mahler (20 years) Yirmiya Milevsky (9 years) Israel Engagement Officers (shlichim) Lee Kestecher-Solomon and Ariel Solomon (pictured below) served at the school from 2019-2022, helping educate students about Israel and imparting their own brand of ruach to our community. We wish them luck in their future endeavours.