Purim is a time of joy and celebration, and nowhere is this more evident than at the annual DRS Purim Chagigah. The event welcomes students, parents, and community members for an evening of fun, excitement, and inspiration. 

The night began with Megillah reading led by Rabbi Kaminetsky in DRS's beautiful Beit Medrash. The reading was followed by a delicious Pizza and desserts Melave Malka in the gym, and a siyum made by students who completed Masechtos this year. It was inspiring to see high school students accept this great project upon themselves in honor of the holiday and celebrate the fact that the Jews at that time willingly re-accepted the Torah.

As the night progressed, DRS students and Rabbeim, decked out in Purim costume, danced for hours to the lively music of Neshoma Orchestra. The energy in the room was infectious, and everyone was swept up in the excitement of the celebration.

Following the dancing, everyone enjoyed the annual Student-created comedy videos, and a comedy performance of "DRS-NEWS" by some of the DRS Rabbeim. The night faded away as the student body burst into laughter.

The annual DRS Purim Chagigah is a highlight of the year, and it's not hard to see why. The event brings together the entire community in a spirit of joy and celebration, and everyone leaves feeling uplifted and inspired.

Last month, DRS had the honor of organizing a mission to Israel. Accompanied by Rabbi Kaminetsky, Rabbi Farber, and Rabbi Rosenbum, a group of 32 students embarked on a journey to Israel with the aim of both offering and receiving inspiration.

hey volunteered at a farm, listened to insights from a former Israeli ambassador at the Bring Them Home headquarters, visited wounded soldiers at Ichilov Hospital, heard from Rav Doron Perez, whose son, Daniel, was killed on October 7th, and met with HaRav HaGaon Rav Asher Weiss at his home in Ramot.

Other activities included bowling with children whose fathers have served in miluim, a tour of the towns of Sderot and Netiv Ha’asarah, where terrorists infiltrated and killed citiens of the community.

The mission participated in collecting, organizing, and distributing produce to soldiers, displaced families, and preparing a lavish BBQ for chayalim on an Army base.

The final morning in Israel began with an unforgettable experience at Crave where they packed sandwiches and brought them to an army base, and then journeyed to Har Herzl to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.



The final destination involved hosting a Bar Mitzvah celebration for eight boys who had been displaced from their homes amid the ongoing circumstances. This presented a unique chance to bring joy to boys who had missed out on their Bar Mitzvah experiences, and to uplift the spirits of their families with warmth and happiness.

In a thrilling match at the FRISCH School, the varsity hockey team secured a 2-0 victory over TABC to claim the championship title. MVP Goalie Daniel Austein's stellar performance was instrumental in the win. Coach Larry Gross deserves praise for his leadership. Though the JV team lost to SAR in the finals, their impressive season is commendable. Congratulations to both teams on their achievements!

We are proud of DRS Freshman Jacob Torczyner, who has qualified for the Chidon Ha'Tanach finals! The final competition will take place at SAR High School on Sunday, May 19th. The national finals of the Dr. Shimshon Isseroff USA Chidon Ha'Tanach are set to be a momentous occasion, gathering nearly 275 contestants from over 90 schools and clubs across the country. This prestigious event will challenge participants' knowledge of Tanach!

Two weeks ago, DRS held its Annual Nidivei Lev Service Society Induction Ceremony. This special ceremony recognizes those DRS students that have shown exemplary service to their community and school through extraordinary acts of chessed and kindness. The ceremony honored members of the Senior class who have served their school and larger community with great distinction. The ceremony was attended by the entire student body, as well as faculty and parents. What made the program truly unique was that the students were given awards by the directors and founders of many of the organizations that were the beneficiaries of the great chessed.

The keynote speaker was Rabbi Yechezkel Freundlich, Rabbi of Congregation Beth Sholom in Lawrence. Rabbi Freundlich shared incredible stories of chessed that he witnessed on a recent mission to Israel that he took with his kehilla, emphasizing the importance of zerizus and caring for others when embarking on acts of kindness.

The following students were recognized for their incredible contribution: Bezalel England was honored for his volunteer work with the Woodmere Fire Department Juniors Department. Benny Kloc, Eliyahu Friedman, Gavriel Ostreicher and Ariel Gross were applauded for their steadfast commitment to Chabad's Friendship Circle program. The New York Blood Center acknowledged the hard work and tremendous efforts that Ethan Mittan offers to their program. Avraham Schreck and Eitan Schaffer were mentioned for their work in publishing DRS's weekly Torah publication, the D'Varim HaYozim Min HaLev. Yachad awarded Isaac Haskell for his many years of commitment on behalf of their organization. Lev Leytzan, a Medical Clowning program, lauded the dedication of Akiva Fink to their incredible program. iShine presented an award to Nadav Chelst and Zachary Rabe for their volunteer work. Shalom Task Force celebrated the contributions of Eliyahu for their participation in helping spread awareness of the organization. Kids of Courage was honored to give an award to Joe Gamerman for his commitment to the program. Shlomo Alter and Daniel Steinman's's work in orchestrating and running the school's broadcast operation, DRS Live, was recognized. Finally, Aron Cohen's devotion to R' Nerya Cohen's Kehilla was commended. Ohel honored Joe Weisfeld, Jack Weisfeld, Tzviki Rosner, David Bennun for their commitment to the organization.

DRS Menahel Rabbi Kaminetsky noted that all of the participants and guests were profoundly moved by the event: "Having been the beneficiaries of our students' chessed programs here today has shown all of our students that when they give of themselves, they can absolutely change another person's life." Rabbi Kaminetsky began the program by thanking Director of Chessed Initiatives, Rabbi Kivi Naiman, who coordinates all of the Chessed activities that happen in DRS. Rabbi Naiman noted that "this program is important not only because it gives recognition to those have who have devoted their energy to helping others, but it also serves as an inspiration for our younger students to hopefully follow in the footsteps of these student leaders in giving back to the community.

Last week, DRS had the unique opportunity to host Einav Danino, the mother of Ori Danino, who is currently being held hostage in Gaza, and was taken from the site of the Nova Festival on October 7th. Einav brought forth inspiration that will resonate for a lifetime, speaking of her special son. Together, we shed tears, recited Einav's favorite chapters of Tehillim, and sang songs of prayer to the Ribono Shel Olam.

To bring in the joyous month of Adar Beis, DRS brought legendary musical group Simply Tzfat to bring some Pre-Purim Simcha to the Greenhouse! Beautiful festive dancing, capped off by a unifying kumzitz was a great way to set the tone for this special month in our calendar and prepare for Purim!

It's been a few months in the making, but the first phase of the DRS Recording Studio in the yeshiva's basement is up and running! Already the Wilchords, our resident school choir, is recording a special rendition of a DRS Tisch classic - Mimkomcha! With the help of Rabbi Elly Krimsky and Jewish Music personality and producer, Aryeh Kunstler, we are excited to hear the final product!

With three teams making the championships, DRS Student Activities department held a special pep rally for the yeshiva to help raise school spirit and show support for the players on the teams, celebrating their hard work this season! The rally featured speeches from faculty and students, raffles for DRS Apparel, a new "hype video" from Sophomore Shua Weisel, a Rebbe-JV Basketball Team Line Up Game, and a JV vs Varsity Hockey Shoot Out!

12 Talmidim in Rabbi Cooper's 11th Grade Shiur completed the "Megillah Challenge," finishing all of Maseches Megillah in the 30 days leading up to Purim! Rabbi Cooper hosted his shiur in his home for a special siyum to celebrate this beautiful accomplishment!

The students of Yeshiva DRS have once again demonstrated their excellence in scientific pursuits, securing a commendable 4th place overall in the recent Science Olympiad competition. The event showcased the students' dedication and talent across various disciplines, culminating in a series of notable achievements.

Out of the numerous competitions, Yeshiva DRS claimed 3rd place in four separate categories, showcasing their proficiency across a range of scientific domains. However, it was their exceptional performance in the tower competition that truly stood out, as they clinched the coveted 1st place title.

The triumph is a testament to the hard work and preparation put in by both students and faculty alike. Their commitment to scientific inquiry and academic excellence has once again brought honor to the school community.

Mazel Tov to Rabbi and Rebetzin Kaminetsky on the birth of a granddaughter to their children Yaakov ('15) and Chayale Kaminetsky!

Mazel Tov to Rabbi and Rebetzin Storch on the birth of a granddaughter to their children Rivka and Avi Finkelstein in Israel!

Mazel Tov to Adminstrative Assistant Debby Pearlman on the bar mitzvah of her grandson Natan Pearlman! Mazel Tov to Mrs. Lampert on the bar mitzvah of her son, Andy!

Jakob (‘16) and Nomi Deutsch on the birth of a baby girl!

Yoni (‘16) and Rachel Sacknovitz on the birth of a baby girl!

Daniel (‘13) and Miriam Stroh on the birth of a baby boy!

Jonah (‘14) and Chavi Zrihen on the birth of a baby boy!

Shimmy (‘14) and Eliana Savitsky on the birth of a baby boy!

Ari (‘15) and Hadasa Brandspiegel on the birth of a baby girl!

Rafi (‘05) and Tali Green on the birth of a baby boy!

Yoni (‘15) and Duby Goldberg on the birth of a baby boy!

Ian (‘12) and Leora Mark on the birth of a baby boy!

Avraham ('12) and Yael Spitz on the birth of a baby boy!

Michael (‘12) and Talia Fruchter on the birth of a baby boy!

Sammy (‘08) and Brooke Solomon on the birth of a baby girl!

Yaakov ('15) and Chayale Kaminetsky on the birth of a baby girl!

Ariel (‘09) and Eliana Abittan on the birth of a baby boy!

Shuie (‘10) and Esther Alter on the birth of a baby boy!

Hudi (‘17) and Rebecca Aronovitz on the birth of a baby boy!

Yonatan ('02) and Michal Frankel on the birth of a baby boy!

Jonathan ('10) and Becky Odinsky on the birth of a baby boy!

Doni (‘15) and Riva Herskowitz on the birth of a baby boy!

Chaim (‘16) and Gabrielle Ciment on the birth of a baby girl!

Josh (‘16) and Aviva Ritter on the birth of a baby girl!

Menachem Neiman (‘20) on his engagement to Gizzi Gestetner!

Brian Chernigoff (‘16) on his engagement to Haviva Tirschwell!

Jacob Goldsmith (‘16) on his engagement to Chaya Hoffman!

Allan Pinter (‘18) on his engagement to Layla Kahn!

Josh Fink (‘15) on his engagement to Arielle Small!

Hillel Golubtchik (‘20) on his engagement to Tiferet Mondrow!

Raphael Davoudi (‘16) on his engagement to Miryam Ibragimov!

Joe Greenberg ('18) on his engagement to Rivka Weiss!

Chanan Weinstein (‘20) on his engagement to Leah Novak!

Grant Fox (‘13) on his engagement to Rachel Tunkel!

Avichai Samouha (‘17) on his engagement to Kayla Homapour!

Moshe Steinberg (‘10) on his marriage to Talia Jubas!

Max Simanowitz (‘18) on his marriage to Chen Fishbein!

Avrumi Blisko (‘12) on his marriage to Rebecca Barack!

David Wertheimer (‘08) on his marriage to Daniella Bodoff!