Graphic by Highlites Staff

This week at KYHS was definitely characterized by a feeling of letting go—beginning with this week’s parsha, Shmot:

Amram remarried Yocheved after letting her go.

Yocheved hid Moshe for three months, then was forced to let him go.

Hashem remembered his promise to the Avot and didn’t let it go.

Pharaoh tortured the Jews in a kingdom of isolation and was asked to let them go.

Rav Joey Rosenfeld addressed our upperclassmen on Friday about the pursuit of perfection. As enticing as the idea of flawlessness is, he reminded us that to err is human, and as such, we have to let that fantasy go. Perhaps perfection was something we could have achieved in Gan Eden prior to the sin of Adam and Chava, but we are no longer living that reality. The past is in the past.

Mr. Micah Kaufman shared his moving story about his years living a life of chesed. He was always looking out for others. He gave of himself in all sorts of ways, including donating one of his kidneys. But then a car accident changed the trajectory of his life forever. Instead of letting go of chesed, though, Mr Kaufman told himself, “It's time to see what I can do—to test the limits and break through!” Ever since, he has been spreading the message of chesed to all who are willing to listen. His message really struck a chord with our seniors.

Saturday night brought us the annual KYHS vs. DKJA “white-out” soccer game, replete with fans cheering and screaming for our student athletes, who let it all go on the field. The game was close…until it wasn’t. The KYHS soccer team is on its way to another successful season. Can’t wait for the playoffs. Let the Storm rage on! 

Perched atop the weekly highlight reel was our feature musical presentation this past Monday night. A big shout out to Ms. Jill Lustig and the entire cast of Frozen for a brilliant performance. They even sold out the theater and had to turn away and slam the door on last-minute ticket seekers pleading, “Let me go!”

Next week, our students will begin winter break, eager to let the stress of the school year go. Some will stay home to welcome friends and family who are looking to enjoy the beautiful Florida weather. Others will fly to destinations with wintry weather and fluffy white snow. Personally, I’m looking forward to traveling a bit this vacation…the cold never bothered me anyway.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Lanner

A Musical Worth

Melting For

KYHS Female Stars Put On a Show Stopping Performance of Disney's FROZEN JR.

Graphic by Rivka Reich ('24)



The KYHS all-girls musical, Frozen, was performed this week on Monday night. The girls put on an impressive and praiseworthy performance with many spectacular songs (even ones that are not included in the movie), dances, and a variety of detailed and artistic costumes and wigs that were worn at different times throughout the show. Because this is a show that everyone was particularly excited to watch, the theater sold out! “It felt like watching the movie Frozen come to life,” said Leila Samuels (‘25).

Thanks to the tech crew, the show was highly sophisticated. For example, Elsa’s cape flew off of her into the air, her dress changed instantaneously on stage, and fog filled the stage, coming from a dry ice machine. Props were created in advance of the show, such as the door for “Do You Want to Build a Snowman”, which was beautifully painted by some of the backstage crew.

Being on stage and performing for friends, family, and faculty is a wild feeling. Looking out into the audience and finally putting on the performance that has been practiced and rehearsed for many long hours is an exhilarating experience. “I felt the support of the crowd, the cast was really a family, and the experience was just so magical," said Aliyah Harow (‘25), who played the role of Elsa. Thank you to Ms. Jill Lustig, Director, the backstage and tech crews, the cast itself and its abundance of talent, and to you, the audience, for making this one of the most memorable KYHS performances!

Click HERE to see pictures from the show!

Article by Amira Kahn ('25)

Winners in White

Storm Spirit Shines Through at Saturday Night Boys Soccer Game

Graphic by Ariella Mayer ('23)

Last Saturday night, KYHS held one of the most exciting events of the year – the annual Storm white-out game! Dressed in all white, KYHS students lined the sides of the JCC soccer field in support of the boys varsity soccer team as they faced the DKJA Eagles.

A huge number of fans came to show their support for the team, holding signs and encouraging the KYHS players to win, showing everyone the tremendous pride and spirit that KYHS has for its sports teams. The fans carried the Storm to a 4-1 victory, with seniors Caleb Berman (‘23)  and Zeke Baitner (‘23) both scoring twice. Cheers erupted after each goal. As sophomore Gavi Gross (‘25) said, “seeing the fans cheering for us gave us the support needed to push to a win.”

With the passionate support from the white-out crowd, a win was unquestionable. As sophomore Gilad Aron (‘25) put it, “with all the fans cheering from the sidelines we knew we couldn’t disappoint them.” The fans proved to the players that their fellow students have their backs, lifting the team to their solid win. The white-out game was a fantastic opportunity to display Storm spirit while enjoying an exciting night game with friends and school staff.

Article by Elisha Horowitz ('25)

Inspiring Words of Wisdom and Yiddishkeit

Students Get the Privilege to Hear from Esteemed Guests

Graphic by Josh Haik ('24)

In the past two weeks, two dynamic speakers, Rav Joey Rosenfeld and Rav David Yosef, came to Katz Yeshiva High School to offer the 11th and 12th graders an in-depth view of Judaism and advice on how they can practice it in their day-to-day lives. 

Rav Joey Rosenfeld is a psychotherapist who focuses on the connection between philosophy, spirituality, and psychology. Last Thursday, Rav Joey discussed with the students his thoughts about Judaism as it links to his profession. He taught the students that they have to be able to accept themselves and understand that good and bad things will inevitably happen to them. From there they can learn to be present, which entails leading a conscious life and appreciating every gift that comes with each breath they take. This led into his next idea, which was that people need these qualities in order to be proud of themselves and their Jewish identity.

On Wednesday, the junior and senior boys had the tremendous opportunity to hear from Rav David Yosef, the son of Chacham Ovadia Yosef zt”l. Rav Yosef spoke about how we are given both a body and a soul and must understand and use each of their importances in life. The conclusion he shared was that we must give the same respect to our body as we do to Torah, making sure to take care of ourselves. Overall, the experience of hearing from a Torah giant was so inspiring. Yonatan Rockland (‘23) said, “being able to hear from a gadol from the Sephardic community was an amazing experience.” Many of the senior boys decided to wear extra “kavodic” clothing to show respect to the Rav, creating an amazing atmosphere to listen to such great Torah. Overall, having the honor of hearing from Rav Yosef was a great experience and taught important life lessons to many.



Both of these guest speakers taught lessons to the juniors and seniors that they will carry with them throughout their lives and Torah learning experiences. 

Article by Joshua Reich ('26) and Zachy Gross ('23)

JED Talk: Building a World of Chesed

Micah Kaufman Shared His Inspiring Journey and Message With KYHS Seniors

Graphic by Rebecca Adler ('23)

This past Friday, seniors had the unbelievable opportunity to hear from speaker Micah Kaufman. Micah Kaufman is truly a man of chesed, always the first to jump up and help when someone is in need. It comes as no surprise that he decided to donate a kidney. He got tested and ultimately was a match for an elderly woman. Many people are hesitant to donate to an older person but Micah felt, “if I can give this lady a few more years of nachas, it’s worth it.” After his surgery and recovery process, the chesed didn’t stop there. Micah took it upon himself to visit other people in the hospital who donated a kidney as well.

In December 2019, Micah was on his way to visit a patient when he was involved in a terrible car accident. The friend that he was with unfortunately passed away and left Micah in critical condition and in a coma for a few weeks. Despite all odds, Micha fought for his life back. Step by step he continued to make progress towards recovery. Micah was released from the hospital but still to this day is in the middle of his recovery journey. Micah expressed that during this tough time, the thing he struggled with most was not being able to do chesed.

Micah, now well enough to travel, came to KYHS to speak. He shared his unbelievable story with the seniors, focusing on his important message that chesed can be done anywhere. He encouraged us that even when it might seem impossible, it is still possible to help someone. Inspired by Micah, Mia Kogan ‘23 commented, “It inspired me to always want to do chesed, even when things get hard.” We thank Micah for coming to speak to us and share his inspirational words.

Article by Atara Keehn ('23)