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It’s All About the Talmidim 21,000 Join Darchei Torah Evening of Celebration

What is it that drives Yeshiva Darchei Torah? What drives its rabbeim? What drives its teachers and administrators?

The answer is, and always has been, the talmidim. From Beis Medrash and mesivta to preschool, talmidim have always been the motivation at Yeshiva Darchei Torah. Talmidim are what inspire the staff to make every day at yeshiva better than the last. They are what spurred the hanhala through the pandemic to ensure that there was nearly-uninterrupted limud haTorah and education. They motivated efforts to transform the campus into a safe space for everyone to return to in-person learning. And the talmidim are what inspired the Yeshiva to create this year’s Evening of Celebration, a dinner event unlike any before.

The livestream event was the culmination of months of planning, composing, singing, writing, and filming. It combined the efforts of staff, hanhala, rabbeim, teachers, and, of course, the talmidim.

The evening began with a pre-program message of inspiration from Rav Shlomo Avigdor Altusky, Rosh Yeshiva, who offered his unique insights on understanding and growing from the unusual events in the world today.

The program then commenced with words from the dinner’s emcee, Elisha Brecher, co-chairman of the Yeshiva’s board of directors, who soon relinquished the microphone to Shmuel Feintuch, an eighth grade talmid – because it was only fitting that a student lead the evening; a celebration of him and his fellow talmidim.

Following Shmuel, viewers heard from honorees, rabbeim, and teachers. They got to sit in on a personal conversation between the Rosh HaYeshiva, Rav Yaakov Bender, and a talmid and see the love and devotion that Rav Bender pours into each student. At two separate junctures, Maran Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky, Rosh HaYeshiva of the Yeshiva Philadelphia, appeared, offering divrei bracha and chizuk during the presentation.

A documentary, Rising to the Occasion: from Challenge to Triumph, retold the moving story of the Yeshiva’s multi-faceted response to the pandemic through the actual words of parents who wrote messages of gratitude to the hanhala throughout these challenging months.

What was perhaps the most memorable portion of the evening was the premier of two new music videos featuring talmidim. First, there was a stunning performance of Abie Rotenberg’s “Lulei Sorascha.” The Yeshiva Darchei Torah fifth grade choir was joined by three talented generations: talmidim, fathers, and grandfathers, as well as alumni and rabbeim, both vocally and on musical instruments.

Interspersed throughout the program were video presentations about the evening’s awardees: Mr. and Mrs. Dovy and Devory Freund of Brooklyn, the guests of honor; Mr. and Mrs. Steven and Shira Stein of Woodmere, the parents of the year; Mr. and Mrs. Shlomo and Deborah Katz of Lawrence, avodas hakodesh award; and Mr. and Mrs. Andrew and Stephani Serotta of Houston, national leadership award. All are current parents in the Yeshiva; Mr. Katz was also himself an early talmid of the elementary school.

A touching tribute to Mrs. Shoshana Strickman, a”h, the wife of lower elementary school menahel, Rav Shmuel Strickman, was shown. As expressed in the presentation, Mrs. Strickman is sorely missed by her wonderful family, the extended Darchei Torah family, and the countless people who considered her their best friend. A brief tribute was also presented in memory of Leiby Minzer, a”h, an alumnus of the Yeshiva who passed away one year ago.

The evening closed with the performance of a new song, composed by Joey Newcomb and performed by him alongside Benny Friedman and the Yeshiva Darchei Torah fifth grade choir. The premiere of this song was a spectacle of sound, light, and dancing—a beautiful end to the evening.

By the end of the event, there had been at least 21,000 live participants, with an additional 11,000 (and counting) views since then. Each and every viewer witnessed the truth of that evening’s theme—that it’s all about the talmidim.

If you haven’t yet seen Yeshiva Darchei Torah’s Evening of Celebration, you can still view it in its entirety at www.Darchei.org/live or by requesting a disc from the Yeshiva office at 718.868.2300 ext. 301 or dinner@darchei.org.

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Tu B’Shvat at Shulamith ECC

Walk into the Shulamith ECC building and you will feel like you are surrounded by trees. Greens and browns dominate in the display of the children’s unique Tu B’Shvat artwork. Beautiful wood sculptures, tree paintings, and bark rubbings reflect the children’s remarkable learning in every area of the curriculum.

Since Shulamith ECC is dedicated to educating children based on current brain research and best practices, all of the learning the children experience is handson, meaningful, and fun! The children began their explorations with a visit to the local trees, sketched and examined them from root to crown, while eagerly discussing the functions and names of each part of a tree. Our young scientists even compared the width of the trees by seeing how many children were needed to hug each one. They were amazed to learn that in Eretz Yisrael, trees are already beginning to bloom even though our local trees in Woodmere are still in the middle of their long winter sleep.

The children also studied the Shivat Haminim in the best way possible – by exploring and discovering. They had opportunities to feel, smell, and taste each one. Wheat stalks yielded wheat berries that were ground into flour, and barley was seasoned and cooked into a delicious dish. Children cut open grapes with special kid-safe knives, and figs and dates were sampled. Rimonim (pomegranates) yielded hundreds of yummy seeds that were sorted into cups of ten and then carefully counted. Of course, the children learned the names of each one of the minim in Ivrit as they worked with them.

The children of Shulamith ECC learned to appreciate the beautiful world that Hashem gives us, full of trees and delicious fruit. Happy Tu B’Shvat to all!

Save the Date: January 31, 2021 Shuvu kicks off Mission: Siyum with an exciting virtual event

For three decades, Shuvu has helped Jewish children from non-religious homes return to the path of Torah and Yiddishkeit.

In celebration of their upcoming 30th anniversary, Shuvu students and alumni in Eretz Yisroel have embarked incredible mission. Children who once entered a classroom not even knowing how to say Shema Yisroel are now committing to learn Kol Hatorah Kulah!

Mission:Siyum is an innovative 6-week learning program that will provide men, women and children in the U.S. and the UK with the opportunity to support the Shuvu students in their undertaking. Every part of Tanach and Shas will be learned by both an American partner and a Shuvu student, leading to a grand joint Siyum, on Sunday, March 14, 2021.

On January 31, Shuvu will be hosting an exciting virtual event to officially kick off Mission: Siyum.

The exciting kickoff event will feature musical entertainment from Joey Newcomb, a renowned musical performer and a long-time supporter of Shuvu. Rabbi Ari Schonfeld, famous for his popular “Night Seder America” program, will be hosting a Torah trivia game called, “That’s my Psak!” with special guest participants.

In addition, Rabbi Ephraim Eliyahu Shapiro will be sharing inspirational words of chizuk, while HaRav Reuven Feinstein, HaRav Yisroel Meir Lau, and HaRav Elya Brudny will all share divrei bracha.

The event will also give Shuvu students a chance to share their stories and explain what the learning experience means to them, and will explain Mission: Siyum to viewers and explain how they can get involved.

Watch the Mission: Siyum kickoff event on January 31! Livestreaming will begin at 8PM EST on missionsiyum.org, matzav.com, and on Yeshiva World News.

Shuvu was founded by Moreinu Horav Avrohom Pam, zt”l, three decades ago on the simple belief: every Jew should have the education and support to connect to their heritage and thrive in Eretz Yisroel. In 77 schools with over 15,000 students and their family members, Torah is being passed to the next generation with love and purity.

Join and choose a segment of Torah to learn – be part of this historic movement! To find out how you can get involved, go to missionsiyum.org.

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Mrs. Krinsky’s sixth grade class at YOSS Mechina won the essay writing contest from Achieve 3000. The web-based Literacy Program sponsored an ice cream and brownies party for the class

CIJE Comes to HAFTR

Rabbi Baruch Noy, Director of STEM and Educational Technology at HAFTR, was an instrumental part of creating the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CIJE) Vex Robotics League, catering to the unique demands of Jewish day schools. Since the competition was created, it has expanded from four schools to over twenty across the tri-state area. HAFTR was the host of last year’s inter school competition. While this year’s event could not be held on the same scale with multiple schools competing in one location, the competition still took place, with CIJE staff visiting each school for an onsite event.

The HAFTR community was treated to an early glimpse of the robots our high school students had created during the Dinnerthon, when senior Tanchum Yonk explained the rules of the competition and exhibited his team’s robot in action.

On Monday, January 11, HAFTR High School students contended. Students designed their robots from scratch, positioning motors and components so the robots could lift the Vex balls and put them in the goals. Students also programmed the robots using original code. The collaboration among team members was in overdrive as the competition approached, and their dedication impressed all of their faculty advisors.

Mrs. Bohensky and Rabbi Noy expertly guided the robotics teams. As we await the final results of the competition, what we already know is that the HAFTR students enjoyed themselves and displayed school spirit with pride.

MTA Finishes First Semester Strong

It was an incredible first semester of learning, growth, friendship, and fun at MTA.

Talmidim finished the semester strong and celebrated their learning accomplishments. While the semester would normally culminate with each rebbe opening their home for a shiur Shabbaton, rebbeim created new opportunities to bond with their talmidim in yeshiva and help them prepare for finals. Rabbi Danto hosted a “Thursdayton” for his freshman talmidim, balancing intense chazzarah and fun. They spent multiple sedarim in the Beis Medrash engaging in uplifting chazzarah for their Gemara bechina. Each talmid had the chance to have a farher with Rabbi Danto to see how much they learned in Pesachim and how far they have come in their learning since the beginning of the year. Talmidim heard divrei chizuk from special guest Rav Gav Friedman, who joined them live from Israel via Zoom. They also took breaks between sedarim and had a blast playing roller hockey and enjoying amazing food, including lunch from Sender’s.

Rabbi Pearl and Rabbi Kerner bonded with their talmidim and helped them get ready for their Gemara finals at a Motzei Shabbos Melave Malka and chazzarah seder in yeshiva, while Rabbi Schenker and Rabbi Gopin held chazzarah sessions for their talmidim on Zoom.

“Each rebbe cares deeply about his talmidim and wants them to feel successful in their accomplishments,” said Associate Principal Rabbi Shimon Schenker. “Our rebbeim truly go above and beyond to form relationships with each talmid, and our talmidim know that they can count on their rebbeim to be there for them and to support them both in and out of the classroom.”

Each day of finals began with divrei chizuk and a shiur for each grade, because it’s always important to make time for Torah every day. Talmidim will also participate in the yeshiva’s Bein Ha’zmanim learning program, where they are encouraged to learn during each day of winter break. Every talmid who participates will be entered into a raffle for great prizes.

Following finals, each talmid received a special MTA sweatshirt, designed by members of Student Council, to commemorate the end of first semester and the beginning of what will surely be another amazing semester of learning and growth!

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SKA Robotics Teams Compete

The CIJE VEX Robotics League’s annual Robotics Competition was quite different this year because of the pandemic. Usually held in one spot with several schools competing, this year’s competition had schools competing against themselves!

Twelve Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls students in Mr. Andres Pabon’s Engineering Class divided into two teams on Monday, January 11, for the CIJE’s (Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education) Tech Robotics Traveling Roadshow Competition and competed with their student-produced Vex robots. Through this initiative, the students gained first-hand exposure to robotics, which consists of electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and computer science. This exercise teaches a creative approach to problem-solving as well as the opportunity to hone skills like collaboration, strategic thinking, and troubleshooting.

The goal of Monday’s competition: Take a ball and put it into the hoop. The SKA girls’ robots’ abilities and characteristics were tested against each others’, and it was a very close race to determine the winner.

Mazel tov to SKA Team 1 who were the winners of the fall 2020 competition!

Did you know? Dendrochronology is the dating and study of annual rings in trees.

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PHOTO CREDIT: ISRAEL PESKOWITZ

HaRav Noach Isaac Oelbaum affixes the mezuzah with R Yaniv Meirov at the new CHAZAQ and Met Council Lev Aaron food pantry in Kew Gardens Hills, Queens

Global Shalom Movement

By: T. Schiller

We all have our opinions. If there’s one commodity that has flourished this year, this is it.

The tension in our shuls and neighborhoods is obvious to everyone. It’s been that way for the past few months, and from what I hear, it’s the same in many communities the world over. First it was Covid: mask or no mask, minyan or no minyan, indoor or outdoor minyan, open to outsiders or members only, who to invite to a simcha, vaccine or no vaccine. If things weren’t bad enough, as the election loomed, politics came into play, alienating families and the best of friends. The aftermath of the election only seemed to cement the animosity.

While I longed for the days when I could visit with friends and neighbors without fear of offending anyone with my opinions, I couldn’t fathom how things could possibly return to normal. When I recently saw an ad for the Shalom Challenge, I had no idea what it was, but anything to do with shalom certainly grabbed my attention and I decided to find out more.

Apparently, the Shalom Challenge is the timely brainchild of the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation. With so many people at odds, they decided to create a fresh framework to help Shalom go viral on a global scale. It’s completely free, and its purpose is solely to be marbeh shalom. The campaign is already raising awareness and gaining momentum even though it only officially launches on February 4, which was planned to coincide with the Yahrzeit of the Manchester Rosh Yeshiva, zt”l.

With one look at the Shalom Challenge home page, you know that this is something we haven’t seen before. The challenge is essentially a call to arms for Jews the world over to “Take Shalom Viral.” You can join as an individual, join a team, or create your own team. Whichever function you choose, you will inevitably be joining family, friends, and countless communities on a mutual quest to re-connect and get along better.

All buzz aside, though, the Shalom Challenge has a very practical and concrete side to it as well. According to Mr. Michael Rothschild, founder of the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation, “The Shalom Challenge is a four-week journey of wisdom and inspiration that will have an incredible impact on our relationships and our ability to respect the opinions of others.” When the program officially launches, participants will begin to receive short daily videos or messages via email or WhatsApp, and each week the focus will shift to a different aspect of shalom.

The team behind the Shalom Challenge obviously put a lot of thought into the program. They broke it down into key elements that address the most common impediments to Shalom and worked hard to make the content of the daily messages engaging, practical and most importantly inspiring.

The issue of shalom is complex, and it affects how we relate as distinct communities within Klal Yisroel, how we relate to our acquaintances and family, and how we relate to those who differ from us. All day we are faced with opportunities to decide how we feel about others, how we view them, how we treat them, and what we ultimately say.

Thousands of people simultaneously viewing the same message every day translates into thousands of acts of acceptance and good will. Multiply those impulses over the course of the four week Shalom Challenge, and we will have generated a tidal wave of shalom.

We’ve all seen how negative exposure can spark a worldwide movement and raise awareness. Imagine the power of a positive global push for Shalom.

There probably isn’t a person on this planet who hasn’t been impacted by the tragedies and chaotic events of the past year. Hashem says, “Ein kli machzik bracha l’Yisrael ela hashalom”- There is no greater vessel for bracha for Klal Yisrael than shalom. As we all unite in treating others with respect and acceptance through the Shalom Challenge, we will be creating an incredible layer of bracha and protection for Klal Yisrael.

We all need bracha in our lives, so please take a minute to sign up for the Shalom Challenge or create your own team and join the movement.

TREErific Activities

The children at YOSS ECC learned all about Tu B’Shvat and trees this week. They tasted, smelled and compared the Shivas Haminim. They discovered that so many different items come from a tree: wood, paper, cardboard, tables, shade and so much more. Some classes went outside and made tree-rubbings, while others painted trees on the easel. Other classes used branches dipped in paint to create tree paintings.

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