As TABC students gathered to discuss secrets of success on Book Day this Thursday focusing on Malcolm Gladwell's work "Outliers", highly successful alumni joined to enrich the students' perspectives on the varied paths to success.  Rabbi Ben Skydell '95 addressed success in the rabbinate and Jewish education, Yonatan Pomrenze '96 described his journey as a producer for CNN, Yitz Rosenberg '99 described his path to success in finance  and shared with the students ten things he wishes he had learned before he started working, Dov Rosenblatt '99 and Ami Kozak '04 described (via skype from Los Angeles) their path as musicians, Chaim Kagedan '00 told of his success in law, Aaron Safier '01 described his ventures in finance, Gabe Gilbert '03 and MB Klyman '03 described their success in marketing healthy eating and exercise, Chaim Strauss '07 explained his path to success in bio engineering and Tzvi Solomon '09 explained how students should begin in high school to forge their path to success. 

The induction ceremony was followed by refreshments sponsored by TAPA for the honorees, their parents and grandparents.  Thank you to Cindy Forgash and Teri Normand for all of your help.

On Sunday, February 26th, twenty teams from private schools, public schools and Yeshivot participated in the New York City Regional of the National History Bowl and Bee competition.  Attending students took part in both the History Bee (for individual students) and the History Bowl (for school teams). In the Junior Varsity team competition, the Torah Academy team (Nathanael Viner, Avraham Kahan, Ephraim Helfgot, Yoav Zolty, Daniel Rothstein) dominated winning each of its five matches by over 100 points each.  After the five rounds the TABC junior varsity was crowned champions again.  The TABC junior varsity has won the New York City championship three of the last four years and in the fourth year they finished second.   The varsity team was able to make the playoff round, but lost in the playoff round on the last question of the final round. 

In the individual History Bee competition, TABC did exceptionally well.  In the junior varsity History Bee, Torah Academy once again dominated with four of its students qualifying for the playoff round of the individual tournament.  Nathanael Vinar and 

Ephraim Helfgot both made the finals of the playoffs finishing respectively in second and third place in the competition.  On the varsity side Yosef Kahan qualified for the playoff round, but did not make the finals.

Now the team is preparing to compete in the National competition with nine of the team members having qualified to compete in the National tournament in either History Bee or U.S. History Bee.  Of course both our varsity and junior varsity teams qualified for the national tournament.

   

Ms. Burstein's 10H2 English class participated in a two-part Socratic seminar  on Wednesday  and  Friday . During the seminar, students took turns assuming the roles of speaker, listener, and observer. Four students at a time sat in the center of a circle (deemed the "fishbowl"), while the rest of the class observed and took notes on the conversations. The discussions centered around Mary Shelly's  Frankenstein.   Students considered ethical questions on topics such as great scientific knowledge and advancement, a parent's responsibility (or lack of responsibility) for a child's actions, and the effects of loneliness on an individual who is secluded from society. The students demonstrated impressive analytic skills and developed deep insights as they conversed with and listened to one another.

TABC Matmidim and their rebbe, Rabbi Malitzky spent a recent afternoon at YU.
After eating a delicious lunch at the famed Golan and perusing the large collection of seforim and books at the YU Seforim Sale, students had the privilege of hearing two amazing shiurim from great Torah personalities.

First, students heard a Chumash shiur from Rav Aharon Ciment, a rebbe in YU and Rav of Congregation Arzei Darom in Teaneck. Rav Ciment spoke about hard work and the need to toil and exert effort in areas of learning and in our interpersonal relationships.

After davening Mincha in the YU Beit Midrash, the highlight of the trip was words of inspiration from Rav Yitzchak Cohen who energized us all!