Upcoming Events:



Thanksgiving Break

Nov. 27

Good & Welfare:

Births:

Nathaniel & Ilana (Rindsberg ‘17) Diamond on the birth of a baby boy

Ethan (‘17) and Lauren Lasko on the birth of a baby boy

Shaindie (Cohen ‘19) and Dovi Ettedgui on the birth of a baby girl, Anya Chaya

Marriages:

Kayla Gross ('15) to Gabriel Dardik

Condolences to:

Josh Yablon on the passing of his beloved father, Asher Judah Yablon

Dr. Jonathan Winograd on the passing of his beloved father, Rabbi Elliot Winograd

Ilanit Samuels on the passing of her beloved father, Dr. Arthur G. Shapiro

Parshat Toldot could be renamed Origin Story. In it, we are given a close look at the early years of Yaakov and Eisav, well before they develop into their future selves. This parsha gives us insight into their personalities and the choices they make. 

Most notably, Yaakov buys the birthright from Eisav. On the surface, this seems like a simple transaction, but Rashi notes that this exchange is about a lot more than food. It is about responsibility and spiritual legacy. While Eisav wants none of it, Yaakov does everything in his power to take it on. This deal, therefore, is very telling. 

More interestingly, neither of them become who they are all at once. There’s no single moment when everything changes. Instead, there are a series of small choices that eventually lead them towards their destinies. This is the key to an origin story.

This past weekend on the Girls Shabbaton, teachers shared pieces of their own (and others’) stories. They opened up about specific moments in their lives that shaped and inspired them. None of those journeys began with something huge. They were all from something small, like a brief conversation or a seemingly insignificant choice. 

That is exactly what we see in Toldot. Your story may not trace back to something dramatic, but to a decision you make on a random Wednesday night. The way you decide to daven mincha, or how you greet a friend in the hallway, or when you took on an extra mitzvah or chesed. Those small choices become habits, and those habits become your character. Eventually, those turn into your story.

Your origin story is being written each day and you get to choose what kind of person you’re becoming. You get to decide which mitzvot will define you, which values you carry with pride, and which moments will shape your future.

The Shabbaton wasn’t a getaway, but a starting point. It was an opportunity to think about the stories our students want to write and the legacies they want to build. 

May we all have the strength to make choices that reflect our best selves, and to build an origin story we’ll be proud of years from now.

Good Shabbos,

Rabbi Wolk



Girls' Shabbaton

The Girls Spend a Weekend in Orlando for the Annual Shabbaton

Graphic by Serena Fialkoff ('27)

This past weekend, the KYHS girls traveled to Orlando for their annual KYHS Girls Shabbaton. From the moment we stepped onto the buses on Friday morning to the moment we returned home on Sunday night, the weekend was filled with ruach, laughter, and fun. Waiting for us in our Orlando hotel rooms were personalized Shabbat-o-Grams paired with delicious candy. After styling our hair and putting on beautiful dresses, everyone gathered in the lobby for pictures, ready for an uplifting Shabbat.

This year’s theme, “Origin Story,” was felt throughout the weekend in the inspiring Divrei Torah shared by our teachers. As the sun set, we davened a beautiful, ruach-filled Kabbalat Shabbat led by Mrs. Horowitz that set the tone for the rest of the night. After kiddush, plates were quickly piled high with roasted chicken and potato kugel, among other delectable Shabbat foods. Freshmen and sophomores then had an opportunity to learn with the upperclassmen about the powerful role of women in the parsha. Next, we had an energetic tisch where we all stood up on chairs and sang out our favorite songs before embarking on an exciting scavenger hunt. Students had to crack clues they gathered from teachers scattered throughout the hotel to receive the prize…socks!

Shabbat day was full of meaningful moments and captivating activities. After davening Shacharit, students eagerly answered parsha questions to earn candy. Students then went to their respective sessions, where teachers shared their own unique origin stories or about an origin story important to them. It was fascinating to hear teachers’ stories and it gave students a look into the teachers’ lives beyond the classroom. Lunch was amazing, not only because of the yummy food, but because of the deep conversations that students had with friends and teachers. When reflecting on the weekend, Ava Leubitz (‘28) said,“On the Shabbaton, I had a great time with my friends. It was fun, and there was a lot of meaning to it too.”

To end off the incredible Shabbat, we gathered for one final kumzits and listened to Mrs. Kimche’s inspirational story that beautifully tied back to the Shabbaton’s theme. The conclusion of Shabbat was marked by havdalah, full of singing but not the end of fun! We each changed into our grade’s assigned color for an energetic chagigah followed by an entertaining game of Let’s Make a Deal. The juniors and seniors then left on a mystery bus ride to the roller skating rink while the underclassmen competed in Minute to Win It.

The weekend wasn’t over. On Sunday morning, we packed up and loaded the buses for a fun-filled day at Magic Kingdom. Riding on roller coasters, meeting Disney characters, and taking pictures with friends by the castle was an action-packed day! We boarded the buses after an exhausting but thrilling day to head home to reflect on the Shabbaton. Despite a few hiccups with the photographer, two broken-down buses, and an accident on the turnpike, it was an incredible weekend for all! Thank you to Rabbi Wolk and the entire faculty for planning such an unforgettable weekend!

Article by Sarita Hirsch ('28)

Lakewood Shabbaton

Senior Boys Spend a Meaningful Weekend in Lakewood led by Rabbi Brodman

Graphic by Technical Staff

The most anticipated trip of senior year took place this past weekend. No, it was not a chessed mission, a grade shabbaton, or even the Senior Guatemala trip. It was Rabbi Brodman’s trip to Lakewood. Unfortunately, words can't truly describe how impactful and meaningful the trip was. We had fun and inspirational days filled with nonstop delicious food, and spent quality time with Rabbi Brodman which elevated the experience tremendously. Reb Aaron Epstein (aka Butch) hosts the seniors every year at his butchery and provides us with what feels like unlimited amounts of food. While in Lakewood, we met with some of the biggest rebbeim of our generation. For example, Rav Simcha Bunin Cohen Shlita and Rav Malkiel Kotler Shlita, the Rosh Yeshiva of BMG which currently has over 14,000 talmidim.

The trip lasted from Thursday to Sunday and included the best Shabbos imaginable. We ate Friday night dinner at Butch’s house with amazing singing and food that displayed his middah of Hachnassat Orchim. We could feel the warmth that he and the Rebetzin projected and loved our time around these holy people. Following dinner, we attended the shalom zachor of Butch’s new grandson! We davened at a beautiful minyan on Shabbat day in Rav Simcha Bunim Cohen’s shul, and had kiddush and lunch with Butch and his family. After an uplifting and musical havdalah, we went to Ari Stern’s house for an incredible melave malka and ended off the night playing basketball. We started Sunday by touring BMG and learning in their beit midrash, and ended the day at the famous American Dream mall. The seniors had the experience of a lifetime in Lakewood, and any future senior should capitalize on this opportunity and join the trip!

Article by Samuel Shapiro ('26)

Geography Bee

Graphic by Lexi Newman ('28)

Early Tuesday morning, the Geography Team, comprised of Akiva Tokayer (‘27), Ari Capland (‘27), Abe Levy (‘27), and myself (Sruli Muschel ‘26) set out with Mr. Sulzener and Mrs. Hochner to Miami in order to test our knowledge in the annual Geography Bee. Despite extremely heavy traffic leading to a two-hour drive, we narrowly made it to the competition and were seated at a table across from contestants from a fellow private school in the first of four “round-robin” rounds. These rounds, which would determine our starting position in the main tournament, were twenty minutes each, consisting of a wide range of difficult questions about history, science, and culture, all within the general category of geography. The questions could be about the most minute aspects of geography, such as: “What was the name of the wind that allowed European explorers to reach the New World in the 1400s?” or “What is the name of the African country that formerly went by the colonial name of Upper Volta?” These questions were meant to truly challenge our knowledge of geography, ensuring that only the most skilled teams progressed. After the round-robin rounds, of which we won two and lost two, we had a lunch break before moving on to the tournament. In these rounds, also twenty minutes each, winning meant progressing to the next round while losing meant elimination. While we won the first round, which was a step up from last year’s competition, we lost the second, going home to enjoy the rest of our day. In the end, we came to the competition to have fun, and we certainly did.

Article by Sruli Muschel ('26)