D A V I D L A U

HAFTR High School had the zechut to welcome Rabbi David Lau, the Chief Rabbi of Israel, on Friday, November 4, and hear his inspiring words of Torah Students greeted Rabbi Lau with song and dance as they escorted him to the entrance of the high school Surrounded by enthusiastic students who were eager to spend a few moments with him, Rabbi Lau made his way to the auditorium where the rest of the student body and faculty awaited his arrival.

After opening remarks from Rabbi Ira Wallach, Limudei Kodesh Coordinator at HAFTR High School, Rabbi Lau approached the podium to address the room. Each staff member and student sat in anticipation of what they would hear. Rabbi Lau shared an inspiring personal story to encourage and motivate HAFTR students to take advantage of their uniqueness through religious tradition Rabbi Lau told students of his childhood Rebbe, who instilled within him an appreciation of himself and the rabbinic dynasty he represents Rabbi Lau emphasized the importance and value each person holds, and reminded students that they are all part of a great dynasty, as well as the children of Avraham and Sarah. Rabbi Lau also spoke about the week's parsha, Lech Lecha, and taught an inspiring lesson that left everyone uplifted and reflective. Following the Rav’s words, students approached the podium to wish him a Shabbat Shalom. HAFTR High School was fortunate enough to have benefited from Rabbi Lau's wise words; this was a truly memorable experience that will remain with all of us for years to come

It was a bright sunny day, the perfect weather for HAFTR sophomores to head out on their class trip filled with adventure and memories. After early morning davening, students boarded the buses and made their way to the first stop: Adventure Park Long Island Ropes Course Looking out the window, you could see vividly bright and beautifully colored trees due to the changing season, and in the background, you could hear the sound of laughter and excitement of the students. The trip was phenomenal, one that will surely be remembered.

After a long ride, students arrived at the adventure park Eager to start this amazing experience, everyone gathered to watch the tutorial and safety protocols before quickly jumping into their harnesses and heading toward the many courses they could choose from Whether the difficult black diamond route, the back-to-back zipline path, or one of the easier options, there was a course for everyone. Obstacle to obstacle, course to course, every aspect of the day was exceptional as well as challenging. After a tiring afternoon, students enjoyed taking a short break to have a delicious pizza lunch. Eventually, our time at Adventure Park Long Island Ropes Course finished, but the day was far from over.

After another quick bus ride, the students stopped at Urban Air, a trampoline park. Before jumping in and scouting out the activities, students davened Mincha together Following davening, everyone signed in and headed toward their preferred activity Some headed towards the trampolines, and others to the arcade to test and compare their skills There were so many activities to choose from, whether they wanted to strap themselves into a harness and essentially fly through the air or go on another fantastic ropes course. There were bumper cars and foam pits, jungle gyms, and rock climbing. After what seemed like a never-ending day of fun, everyone sat down to dinner and chose from a selection of desserts before boarding the buses home. Overall the day was jam-packed and full of excitement and bonding. We are grateful for this fantastic trip and can’t wait for more experiences like this in the future