Middle School News

HIGH SCHOOL

CLASS OF 2020 UPDATE

The students in the Class of 2020, now proud HAFTR alumni, are still pioneering unprecedented new ways of doing things, including the Israel experience. Although they did not end their senior year the way they had envisioned it, many of the graduates still looked forward to their year in Israel. The yeshivot, seminaries, and programs have done everything they can to make this year happen for the students! The young men and women made their way to the Holy Land, and weathered their quarantines with flying colors. Some schools used their own facilities, and others rented alternative locations for the quarantine to make it more comfortable for the students. After the quarantine ended, students moved into their dorms and began forming friendships and experiencing the country for a few days before the lockdown, as almost every school was able to squeeze in their first tiyul. They have begun classes, and the feedback coming in is that they are loving the learning.

Rabbi Lewis Wienerkur, HAFTR High School Director of Israel Guidance, reached out to the graduates of the Class of 2020 in Israel before Rosh Hashana to give them a little perspective.

תושק, all beginnings are hard. As I’ ve told some of you, although this wil “ l I n a o m so t be pro the u R d o of sh you Hash a a ll. na תולח you תה hav ל e כ always imagined experiencing in Eretz Yisrael, just remember that our great-great-grandparents would have given anything to live as free men and women in Israel, even in quarantine for two weeks, and could not even have imagined the country we have today. Use this time to reflect on how far you have come. B’ ezrat Hashem, you will all learn a lot this month and this year.

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LEARNING UNDERWAY

ALUMNAE IN ISRAEL

RABBI HAMMER FRIENDS IN FLIGHT

ASERET YEMEI TESHUVA SHIUR

During the Aseret Yemei Teshuva, HAFTR High School was zoche to have Rabbi Shalom Hammer speak with the students. Rabbi Hammer, who has lived in Israel with his family for over 30 years, serves as a senior lecturer for the Jewish Identity Branch of the IDF and is the author of five books. Rabbi Hammer ’ s focus was hope and positivity, a theme throughout HAFTR High School this year. He discussed how hope and positivity can exhibit themselves in our tefilah, as well as other areas of Judaism. Rabbi Hammer tragically lost his daughter last year, and shared how he has been able to hope and find positivity again after such heartbreak. His message was that the Aseret Yemei Teshuva give us an opportunity to strengthen our connection with Hashem and reinvigorate our tefilot.

Supporting the growth and development of the whole child, maintaining a sense of community and togetherness, and positioning students to be their best selves both inside and outside the classroom are priorities for HAFTR High School.To ensure a smooth transition back to a traditional in-person learning environment, the High School guidance team has planned a range of support services to enhance the social and emotional well-being of HAFTR High School students.

The first week back, teachers and students discussed what social emotional learning is and how to use it to help achieve academic and personal success. They considered self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. Week two focused on giving students and teachers the space to get to know each other and build stronger classroom relationships by allowing teachers to explore commonalities with their students and using those shared interests to start conversations and connect. Week three provided students and teachers the time and space to reflect on their goals for the year and address their motivation to achieve those goals. The program as a whole stimulated students to speculate about the past, and what has motivated them to work hard and accomplish things that are difficult, as well as to give them strategies that can be implemented this year to help increase motivation.

VIRTUAL DEBATE

Despite COVID-19, HAFTR Debate has resumed in an exciting new form. On Wednesday evening, September 24, the HAFTR Debate Team participated in their first virtual competition, with students from Ramaz, DRS, HANC, Kellenberg Memorial, and Chaminade participating from home over video chat. While the format of the debate has changed, the style and complexity of the debates did not. There were three events that took place: Lincoln Douglas, Public Forum, and Extemporaneous debate.

Students debated an array of topics ranging from medicare for all, to voting, to the historical accuracy of art. There were two teams of winners for the Public Forum debate. With a 2-0 record were HAFTR juniors Lulu Morse and Hannah Goldenberg and HAFTR sophomores Deborah Becker and Meir Farkas. In Extemporaneous debate, first place HAFTR senior Daniel Singer came in with a 4-0 record, and with a 3-0 record, HAFTR juniors Jesse Muller and Luca Lemberger came in second place.

"The HAFTR Debate Team adjusted surprisingly well to the new online format,

" said Coach Alex Libkind. "With less than a month to prepare, students jumped right into the new topics and showcased their abilities. I am extremely proud of all the students who challenged themselves to push our team forward. We look forward to an amazing season in debate, speech, and model congress.

"The success of the tournament has left Coach Alex Libkind and the entire team optimistic about an amazing virtual season. Even though the circumstances are less than ideal, the team is happy that debate can still take place. In the coming weeks there will be virtual model congress tournaments, since virtual debate was such a success!