A Special Farewell for Our Travelers

RMBA’s 11th and 12th graders received a heartfelt Israel sendoff on Friday. The school community gathered to wish them a safe and meaningful journey while recognizing how much they will be missed. Lower School students presented thoughtful gifts that included handmade keychains featuring the Tefillat Haderech, bracelets, bookmarks, travel journals, and bottles of sand and water to help them carry a piece of Israel home. Parents offered a blessing under a large talit, surrounding their children with love and support. The celebration ended with singing, dancing, and bright smiles, creating a truly special moment for all.

Israel Trip Update

Over the first three days of the Israel Trip, RMBA’s juniors and seniors have made the school incredibly proud. From the airport to the plane and throughout their travels, strangers have repeatedly commented on how well-behaved, kind, composed, and impressive the students are, true ambassadors of Robert M. Beren Academy. After landing in Israel, the group headed straight to Caesarea and then north to Neve Michael, a center for youth at risk operating under the auspices of the Welfare Ministry. There, students learned about the organization’s critical work and volunteered with the children before continuing on to the Golan for an overnight stay in Keshet.

Day two included a visit to Ein Keshatot, a beautifully reconstructed ancient Jewish village from the Talmudic period featuring a restored synagogue and natural spring, followed by Tel Saki, a Yom Kippur War memorial site where students heard a powerful story of courage and survival. They then enjoyed a hands-on visit to the De Karina chocolate factory near Kibbutz Ein Zivan, where they made their own chocolate, and were surprised with a change in itinerary, an unforgettable evening in Tel Aviv at the Ishay Ribo concert with the Israel Philharmonic. While in Tel Aviv, the group also visited Hostage Square, where they spent time reflecting, bearing witness, and davening.

On day three, the group split up: some boys visited Yeshivat Hakotel (their first stop on the gap-year yeshiva tour), some girls visited MMY, while other students spent the morning packing food for those in need and touring the inspiring Shalva Center. In the afternoon, the entire group reunited to take in one of the best views of the Kotel and daven Mincha on the Aish rooftop, followed by time to explore Mamilla, Ben Yehuda Street, and the Shuk Machane Yehuda (Market). It has been a meaningful, busy, and fun-filled start to the trip, and we can't wait to share more in the next Beren Buzz!

Torah, Trials, and Thoughtful Debate

This week, 8th grade students in Rabbi Ouzzan's class participated in a spirited mock trial! Ori served as the judge, Avishua represented the claimant Eli, and Perry advocated for the defendant Eta. The case centered on the defendant taking water from the household without asking. Guided by the Torah’s teaching that borrowing without permission is akin to stealing, unless used for a Mitzvah, students presented their arguments and deliberated carefully. The final verdict sided with the claimant, affirming that taking the water without permission was wrong.

Alumni Dinner in Israel



This week, 25 RMBA/Hebrew Academy alumni joined our 11th and 12th graders in Jerusalem for a meaningful reunion at Grill Bar. Together, they shared nostalgic memories, discussed ways to give back, and explored how to stay connected to our school community from abroad. The night was made even more special by surprise and exciting visits from former Judaic Studies teacher Rabbi Dov Lieberman, who taught many of these students, as well as former shlichim Rafi and Stacey Engelhart, who stopped by to say hello. It was truly heartwarming for everyone to reunite with such familiar faces. We are excited to make this gathering an annual tradition in Israel and are so grateful to everyone who traveled from across the country to be with us in Jerusalem.

Expanding Torah Learning: National All Mishnah Junior



For the second consecutive year, RMBA’s sixth-grade students are participating in the National All Mishnah Junior learning initiative, joining over 2,000 middle schoolers nationwide. Facilitated locally by Rabbi Asher Block under the auspices of the Orthodox Union, students will study additional Mishnayot to further deepen their commitment to Torah learning.

Budgeting, Brainpower, & Big Ideas

Mr. Trevino's Financial Literacy class put their financial skills to the test! Students created full financial plans for new projects, from parking garages to luxury apartments and coffee shops. They mapped out financing, marketing, projected profits, and more, then presented their ideas to the class. Every presentation sparked lively questions and feedback, with classmates and teacher fully engaged, some even jumping out of their seats to ask. It was a day of creativity, strategy, and serious money moves.

Siyum Celebration 



This week, Rabbi Ouzzan’s 7th Grade Gemara class marked the completion of their introduction to Gemara with a special Siyum party. Their hard work paid off, and the students enjoyed celebrating this meaningful milestone together.

Collaborative Gemara Learning

With the 11th and 12th graders away, the freshmen and sophomores are enjoying a special week of Gemara Chaburot (learning groups). Each day, a different teacher leads a unique learning session, giving students the chance to explore new ideas and approaches together. Teachers and students gather in small groups to learn, discuss, and reflect, creating a meaningful learning experience that brings the high school community even closer.

Lower School Student Council

Last week, RMBA revealed the winners of this year’s Lower School Student Council elections! After hearing heartfelt and inspiring speeches from all candidates, students made thoughtful decisions. On election day, the school buzzed with excitement, handshakes, and congratulations. Win or lose, each candidate showed remarkable character, cheering on their classmates and celebrating leadership, community, and collaboration.

Middle School Information Session



On Wednesday evening, RMBA hosted a Middle School Information Session for families interested in learning more about the school’s Middle School program. Attendees explored the academic curriculum, student life, and the many enriching experiences that make RMBA a vibrant and supportive place to learn and grow. Current students shared their own experiences, giving families a firsthand look at what Middle School life is like. Families also had the opportunity to ask questions about this next chapter, making the evening both engaging and highly informative.

Fun With Verb Tenses

Mr. Simon’s third-grade students have been exploring past, present, and future verb tenses. Each day, they practice using verb tenses correctly, and recently they composed three sentences using “walks,” “walked,” and “will walk.” The students enjoyed sharing their sentences with the class, making learning about verb tenses both engaging and fun.

Sneak Peak Into First Grade

RMBA hosted a First Grade Preview on Tuesday evening for parents of next year’s first graders. Families visited mini classes in the Montessori track, traditional track, and Hebrew and Judaics, giving them a chance to see teachers and students in their element. Parents also spoke with Lower School principals and asked questions about the year to come. The event offered a clear window into the dynamic and supportive learning experiences awaiting their children.

Small Visits, Big Gratitude

Last week, in honor of Veterans Day, Morah Clara’s EC3B students made two meaningful visits. They stopped by to see Mrs. Stephanie, whose son is serving in the Army, and then visited Mr. Gomez, a proud Air Force veteran. The children were excited to share their gratitude, making for heartfelt and memorable moments. This week, EC3B enjoyed sensory exploration through textures like cotton, foil, and sandpaper, along with scooping, pouring, and sorting in colorful lentil bins. Sound bottles, scented paints, and pumpkin play helped them explore opposites such as big and small or loud and quiet. In Judaic learning, these experiences connected to Parshat Toldot as they learned about Yaakov and Esav through touch, sound, and storytelling while practicing kindness and gratitude.

Exploring Parsha Through Play

Morah Sandy's EC3A students brought Parsha Toldot to life with hands-on activities and games. They used their fine motor skills to create a craft comparing Eisav and Yaakov, played a bean bag toss “Feed a Hungry Eisav” lentil soup game, and explored the moment when Yitzchak gave Yaakov the blessing by blindfolding themselves and guessing who they were blessing. It was a fun and engaging way for students to connect with the parsha.

Art, Letters, and Kindness

This week in EC4A, students had a blast with Miss Lily in the Art Center. Friends explored a sensory and fine motor activity, painting with tweezers and pom poms on paper plates to create silly turkeys. In addition, they focused on the letter “Hh” in their alphabet curriculum, decorating hearts on their letters and practicing tracing both uppercase and lowercase letters during a group lesson. During morning Circle Time, the class Tzedakah helper distributed pennies to classmates, reinforcing the importance of giving to those in need.

A Week of Pumpkins and Parsha



EC4B had an exciting and busy week of hands-on learning. The children began by exploring pumpkins in the science center, watching as Morah Aliyah opened them and discovered the seeds and different parts inside. Midweek, the class shifted to the parsha and learned the story of Yaakov and Aisav. They created puppets to highlight the differences between the brothers and discussed the feelings behind their choices and actions. To end the week on a sweet note, the class is preparing to bake pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies and looks forward to bringing them home on Friday.

Support RMBA Today!

RMBA is excited to announce a new Booster Club supporting the school’s athletic department. At today’s home games, the Booster Club will be selling pickles, hotdogs, cookies, popcorn, and more. Families and fans are invited to stop by, enjoy a snack, and cheer on RMBA athletics.

See the flyer for price and menu details.

Sibling Enrollment

Admissions season for the 2026–2027 school year is underway! If you have another child who you are interested in enrolling for the first time next school year, please fill out the application now. Siblings are given first priority to open spots as long as applications are in by December 15. If you have any questions regarding the new sibling application process, please reach out directly to our Admissions Coordinator, Jen Kopciel, at jkopciel@berenacademy.org.