Graphic by Esti Distenfeld ('26)

Upcoming Events:

Parent Student Teacher Conferences

Nov. 18th - 19th

Good & Welfare:

Faculty Mazel Tovs

A special mazel tov to Mrs. Chana Marcus and her husband Rabbi Dovie Marcus on the birth of their son!

Births

Gila (Allswang ‘11) and Michael Silverstein on the birth of a baby girl, Yonina Baila

Ayala (Broide ‘17) and Jake Mannis on the birth of a baby boy, Yakir Ilan

Ayelet (Petrover ‘12) and David Rand on the birth of a baby boy, Boaz Leo

Noah (‘10) and Debbie (Epstein ‘10) Lasko on the birth of a baby boy, Carter Graham

Sahar (Zaghi ‘06) and Zack Wertheimer on the birth of a baby girl

Marriages

Shira Wax (‘18) to Seth Silverman from New Milford, NJ

Shira Ben -Shimon (‘20) to Rafael Abecassis from Toronto, CA.

Rina Cohen (‘16) to Josh Eisenmann from Mission Hills, KS

Gavi Ciment (‘19) to Alyssa Hackel from Woodmere, NY

Condolences

Claudia Cohen and Zachary Cohen (‘06), on the passing of their beloved mother and grandmother, Beverly Mislove

Jillian Galitzer, on the passing of her beloved father, Abba Borowich

In this week's Parsha Vayeira, Avraham Avinu was sitting at the entrance of his tent after his bris milah, talking to Hashem, when he saw three travelers in the distance. He immediately stopped his conversation with Hashem to run after the men in order to invite them into his tent for a meal. How could he simply put on hold his conversation with Hashem, the Creator of the universe, for anything? We know that Avraham was an exceedingly diligent man. So, there must be a reason why he was sure that this was the correct thing to do in this scenario.

What Avraham is teaching us is the importance of kindness.  How we treat people is of the utmost importance to Hashem. Our connection with God is based not only on the time we spend alone with him, but even more on performing His will. The Ramchal teaches us, in his book Derech Hashem, that our purpose in this world is to emulate Hashem in order to achieve the highest level of holiness. What is Hashem if not abundantly kind? So, when Avraham saw those travelers, he immediately jumped up to invite them in.  In doing so, he would become even closer to Hashem than he would have been by simply talking to him. He knew that this is what Hashem wanted for him. These small acts not only bring us closer to Hashem, but to Am Yisrael as well. How often can a day be started on the right foot by a parent’s or friend’s kind word or gesture. A compliment to a stranger could stay with them their whole life. Even just a smile, when passing someone in the hallway, could brighten their day and yours.

It is such a privilege to receive Hashem's kindness, but it is an even bigger privilege to have the ability to spread it to others. Remember to be kind!

Shabbat Shalom,

Shalom Beneda (‘26)

 Pre-Med Kickoff

The Pre-Med Insipration Club has its first meeting

Graphic by Technical Staff

On Tuesday, the new Pre-Med Inspiration Club met for the first time. Talia Leubitz (‘25) and Michal Peckman (‘25) created this club to help inspire future healthcare providers. This club aims to influence students to pursue a career in medicine in order to help others. What better way to kick off the club then to hear from Mrs. Portal, whose young daughter, Yael, was in a medically-induced coma for four months. She shared how her faith in Hashem coupled with medical interventions helped save Yael’s life. Mrs. Portal stressed the importance of community and having a solid support system in place. She shared that Healing Hearts and Chai Lifeline were integral in providing support and comfort when they needed it most. 

Club co-leader Talia Leubitz shares, “With a large turnout of around 30 students, the feedback was positive and many students shared how inspired they were and how much they enjoyed the speaker and that they can’t wait for the next meeting.” The club’s future plans include bringing in additional speakers who can share their journeys and organizing Chesed opportunities that combine community service with medical inspiration. By connecting students with both the human side of medicine and hands-on opportunities to help, the Pre-Med Inspiration Club is creating a unique space for students driven by a calling to care for others. 

The Pre-Med Inspiration Club's kickoff brought students together through inspiring stories and a commitment to community service, setting the stage for a future generation of compassionate healthcare providers.

Article by Ava Leubitz ('28)

 KYHS Goes to Orlando for the Boys' Shabbaton

Graphic by Ezra Dimont ('25)

Last Shabbat was the annual KYHS Boy’s Shabbaton in Orlando. On Friday morning, all the boys loaded into buses and drove up to Orlando. Before they arrived at the hotel, the boys stopped at a beautiful park in the area to play some ball, eat lunch, and have a great time. From there, everyone got back to the buses and made their way to the hotel. 

As Shabbat began, Mr. Shimmie Kaminetsky led a beautiful Kabbalat Shabbat davening, followed by a delicious Friday night meal. As per KYHS tradition, after the meal, all the boys gathered in the center of the dining room for singing and to hear divrei torah. Afterwards, the boys gathered for special chavruta learning. Each underclassman was paired with an upperclassman to spend some time learning together. Following the learning, Rabbi Stohl delivered some words of inspiration to wrap up the program. 

On Shabbat day, after a nice davening, all the boys split off into their session groups, the choice of classes given by rebbeim and teachers. Shabbaton sessions are a fantastic way to learn with a teacher in a more intimate setting, with a smaller number of other kids than a regular class. Afterwards, another delicious meal was served, followed by more singing. 

That evening, the group gathered again for Mincha and seudah shlishit, an annual highlight of the Shabbaton. Seudah shlishit and Havdalah are the final opportunities on the Shabbaton to be inspired by singing and words of Torah. 

On Sunday, after Shacharit and breakfast, the Shabbaton continued at Universal theme park, where the boys had the privilege of spending their day going on rides and hanging out with their friends. 

The theme of this year's Shabbaton was overcoming difficulty and pushing through adversity. All throughout Shabbat the learning was focused on this topic. For example, the chavruta learning on Friday night was about the way that setbacks and failure are the catalysts for growth. This theme made a strong impression on the students who attended. All in all, the Shabbaton was both a fun weekend with friends and also a powerful religious experience. 

Article by Elisha Horowitz ('25)

 KYHS Girls' Basketball Team Heads to L.A.

Graphic by Serena Fialkoff ('27)

The girls varsity basketball team recently wrapped up an exhilarating trip to the Globerman Tournament in Los Angeles, California. It was an epic beginning to their competitive season. Playing against teams from around the country, the team showcased resilience and teamwork throughout the tournament. 

Eliyah Levy (‘25) reflects fondly on the experience: "Every person on the team played an important role, which allowed us to become one big family." Although they came home 0-3, it was an unforgettable learning experience. 

Reese Zombek (‘26) found meaning in the experience beyond the basketball court, explaining that, "This tournament gave us the opportunity to bond with our team and make new connections with girls from other teams. Despite the competition, it was a great opportunity to come together as one big Jewish family, especially in these hard times.” The tournament was more than just about basketball; it was a chance for the teams to connect on a more meaningful level during Shabbat, when they shared meals and sang with different teams, forging new friendships. The Friday night dinner concluded with an unforgettable kumzits.

The tournament served as a reminder that, beyond the competition, sports have the power to unite communities and build lasting relationships. The KYHS girls basketball team learned that success goes beyond the scoreboard – it's about the bonds formed, lessons learned, and the sense of unity that transcends the game. With renewed motivation and strengthened connections, the team returned home eager to apply their newfound skills and unity to the rest of their season, carrying forward the lessons learned in Los Angeles.

Article by Kayla Hoffman ('25)

The Great Daylight Savings Debate

Graphic by Mikaela Gottheil ('26) and Yael Billet ('25)

Last Sunday, November 3, we gained an hour with daylight savings. This tradition started in 1916 and has continued for over 100 years. While many like gaining the extra hour, some do not. We will hear from senior Merav Berger and freshman Ari Lobato. This diverse duo will demonstrate the duality of the situation.

Ari Lobato (‘28)- “I am so happy with daylight savings! I love being able to walk around in my community and see the decorated palm trees at this time of the year, and because of daylight savings the temperature outside makes it a much more enjoyable experience.”

Merav Berger (‘25)- “I get that Ari, but from someone who lives in Hollywood it’s very annoying because when I get home it’s already so dark outside.”

Ari- “Yes, but as someone who walks home from school the lower temperature makes the walk easier.”

Merav- “That’s true. When I play tennis outside, the weather is much nicer, but the darkness outside makes me sad. I like when it's light outside because the sunshine makes me happy.”

Ari- “I agree that the light outside is good for mental health, but I think it's nice to wake up with the light in the morning. It’s a better start to the day.”

Thank you to Merav and Ari for sharing your insights on daylight savings. We can agree to disagree and should learn to love it, because that is the reality!

Article by Emma Seghi ('25)

Congratulations to the KYHS Model Congress team on their epic performance this past Tuesday night! Eden Pardau ('26) came in 6th place and not far ahead were Eitan Landau ('25) and Akiva Tokayer ('27) in 4th. Jack Galbut ('26) impressively came in 3rd. And finally, our very own Ari Mergui ('25) came in 2nd at this national competition! Congratulations to the whole team and the Faculty Advisor, Kyla Crowther; you guys rocked it!

Open Positions for Highlites!!!!

Writer

• Develop engaging content on school events, student life, trending topics, and more
• Refine your writing skills with the help of experienced editors
• Build a portfolio of published work
• Write in the comfort of your home! 

Graphic Designer

• Create eye-catching layouts, illustrations, and visuals to accompany articles
• Gain experience using design software and tools
• Collaborate with writers to bring stories to life visually
• Graphics takes place after school on Thursdays!!!!! 

Contact gasher25@yeshivahs.org or jreich25@yeshivahs.org to join!