When Life Happens, We Make It Picture-Perfect: Inside the Lens of the Yearbook Team

Dear Kehillah,

Creating a yearbook is more than snapping photos and writing captions—it’s about capturing the joyful chaos of a school year. As copy editor of Kehillah’s yearbook this year, I’ve seen firsthand how much passion and dedication goes into every page. With our release date nearing – Wednesday, June 4 – I’m excited to share a glimpse into our creative process.

The Creative Process: From Concept to Creation

Our journey begins in August when the school year kicks off with Kinnus, sparking brainstorming sessions and design meetings. Each Monday at lunch, the editorial team gathers to discuss upcoming events, assign photographers, and review writing assignments. These meetings aren’t just about logistics — they're about learning, growing, and honing our skills. We create lessons for our staff on grammar, layout design, and storytelling that help shape our work.

Fridays are our favorite — team bonding days. One standout moment was our “Delicious Design Day,” where we used snacks to map out layouts and rewarded ourselves by devouring the treats afterward. These icebreakers allow the staff to bond, forming a collaborative work environment.

Clockwise from top-left: first two photos by Max Wasserstein (12th-grader); all other photos by Digital Media Teacher Ms. Karla Chouhan.

Meet the Yearbook Staff

Our team is a blend of creative minds, each contributing something special:

• Specialized Editor Micah Nassi (12th-grader): Keeps us on track and encourages fresh, innovative ideas. He loves being able to help the staff bring their ideas to life on the page. 
• Marketing, Communications, and Events Coordinator Vivian Solomon (11th-grader): Brings unmatched energy, organizing celebrations and keeping morale high with tea breaks. She finds getting to maintain a leadership role so rewarding, and that passion carries through to the events she plans. 
• Production Editor Max Wasserstein (12th-grader): Makes even the toughest design sessions fun with his creative teaching methods.
• Photography Editor Tomi Doff (11th-grader): Captures the essence of school life through the lens. He enjoys getting to take more photos and be responsible for the photography catalog this year.

As a copy editor, my role is all about refining the stories that define our year. I review drafts submitted by writers and check for clarity, grammar, and consistency in tone. I meet with our team to discuss ways to enhance their stories, whether it's through new interviews or restructuring a narrative for better flow. After edits, I collaborate with the production editor to ensure the text complements the layout, making each spread visually compelling.

Our staff — Inara Baker-Malone (12th-grader), Sam Kelenson (10th-grader), Genevieve Shimshowitz (10th-grader), and Jacob Yoon (10th-grader) — are the glue that holds it all together. As a team, we cover sports games, write articles, and design layouts, often sacrificing weekends to perfect our work. For example, on Saturday, September 28, our yearbook team attended NorCal Media Day, which gave us fresh inspiration through workshops on digital publications, layout design, feature writing, and photography.

Challenges and Triumphs

Creating a yearbook comes with its challenges. Our team includes members from three different grade levels, but we work hard to gather stories that represent the entire school community, including students from all grades and faculty. Since we don’t have any 9th-grade team members, we’ve learned to prioritize stories outside our immediate circles to ensure everyone’s experiences are represented. Maintaining a consistent voice and cohesive design requires focus and strong communication among the entire yearbook staff.

Student-assigned deadlines have tested our time management skills, but collaboration and shared effort keep us going.

Looking Ahead

With the developing completion of spreads, we’re excited to see our hard work materialize and share it with you all. The yearbook reveal is coming soon, and we can’t wait to share what we’ve created with the entire school.

This year’s edition promises to be a lasting keepsake, celebrating the memories and moments that make our Kehillah experience perfect, even when “scrap happens.”

Sincerely,

Aiden Ali (10th-grader)

Copy Editor

Yearbook