Graphic by Ariella Mayer ('23)

Living in times when so much has been written about the woes of teenage loneliness, marginalization, and depression, it is therapeutic and uplifting to read the story of Purim. Purim celebrates the triumph of a young woman who rises above her alienation and loneliness and effectively  unites a people described as scattered and divided.

Esther, the descendant of Binyamin, reflects and lives the life of  “levado” (solitude), the very trait that was emblematic of her ancestors.  An orphan, brutally uprooted from her home, compelled to silently suffer the indignity of her tribulations in solitude, forced to face her fears alone, is then charged with the responsibility to save her people. Rather than yield to depression, become overwhelmed by the challenge, or withdraw inwardly, Esther realizes that only through the cohesion and unification of her people can salvation be attained. 

She thus rises above her pain and personal suffering and brazenly reaches out to engage her people, instructing Mordechai: “Lech k’nos et kol hayehudim”. Imagine the fortitude! Imagine the courage! Imagine her bravery! 

This selfless act enabled her to inspire the entirety of the Jewish people to transmute from a people who were עם מפוזר ומפורד to a united nation prepared to rally together and defeat their enemies.

This message of Esther comes to life on a daily basis at KYHS, but it most palpably reverberates in our halls in the month of Adar, as we all leave our personal struggles and individual challenges behind and join with our entire school dancing, singing, and celebrating together. 

May we all enjoy a Happy Chodesh Adar and a Purim Sameach! 

Shabbat Shalom,

Mrs. Kanner

Don't Overcharge and Never Ever Underpay!

Rabbi Shapiro Chooses the Right Words to Share a Meaningful Message with KYHS

Graphic by Abby Rosenthal ('23) and Aaron Newman ('24)



This past Thursday, the KYHS student body had the immense privilege to hear from the esteemed Rabbi Ephraim Eliyahu Shapiro. He had flown in from London just that morning, but still generously came in and spoke to our school. The Rabbi was introduced by our very own Zachy Dennis (‘23), who has the privilege of being close with the great Rav, who lives in North Miami Beach. Rabbi Shapiro began his speech by explaining a specific aspect of lashon hara. I know what you’re all thinking: “Lashon hara? Again? When do we talk about anything else?” That was my attitude in the beginning as well, but Rabbi Shapiro spoke with clarity, passion, and accessibility. 

He began by addressing the specific type of lashon hara known as ona’at devarim. This prohibition originally stems from the monetary law of ona’at mamon, the rule being that you cannot overcharge a customer, and you cannot underpay an employee. So too with ona’at devarim: you cannot “overcharge a customer”. If it doesn’t need to be said, why say it? We don’t realize the immense impact our words can have on other people. The careless little words of gossip that pass through our lips may enter the ears of another and be devastating, even life-changing. 

The Rav brought in a story of two girls on a bus gossipping about their recently engaged friend — a woman who is perfectly average, nothing special about her, engaged to what seems like the most perfect man. They finish up their conversation and the bus rolls to a stop. A woman then taps them on the shoulders and thanks them for talking about this pairing, for she is the mother of the boy and she now knows better than to approve of this engagement with a girl who has nothing special about her. The two girls sit there dumbfounded, horrified at what their careless gossip has done. They have ruined their friend’s life for good, all because of their need to gossip. The lady gets up and starts walking off the bus before calling over her shoulder: “I’m not actually the mother of this chatan, but I easily could’ve been.” This story sent chills down my spine. 

After that story, Rabbi Shapiro moved on to the next topic: never ever underpaying an employee. The Rabbi acknowledged that we are constantly telling stories and impressing the importance of not speaking lashon hara about others, but we often overlook the equally incredible importance of not speaking up when needed. A friend is being bullied, someone is being wrongly accused…and we should be stepping up and saying something. The greatest thing someone can do for someone else is just to be there supporting them in a time of need. Even just friendly company, sitting next to them (even in silence, despite the awkwardness you may feel) can be the greatest gift you give someone: the silent, nurturing message of “I am here for you”.

Rabbi Shapiro told us an incredible story of a boy in school. He was hearing one of his classmates leyn, and it was the most painful, stuttering affair. Everyone was making fun of the kid and in that moment the boy listening knew he had to do something to steer the attention away from this boy being made fun of. He was called up for hagbah, and did a reverse hagbah– something only done on Simchat Torah, and that day was certainly not Simchat Torah. Suddenly, the class’s attention was stolen and directed towards the boy who basically messed up his hagbah. He caught the attention of the kid who stuttered through leyning and sent him a silent message with his eyes: “You are not alone, I am here for you. We have both messed up together, and we will make it through this teasing together.” 

Rabbi Shapiro’s meaningful words left a big impact on our school, and we thank him so much for this special opportunity.

Article by Aliza Bokor ('23)

Katz at Katz!

Chodesh Adar is Welcomed With Incredible Ruach Led by the One and Only, Eitan Katz

Graphic by Shoshana Weinstock ('24)

This week, on the second day of Rosh Chodesh Adar, Katz Yeshiva High School hosted a live music concert by the talented musician, Eitan Katz. The excitement was palpable as the students gathered into the Beit Midrash for words of wisdom, dancing with friends and teachers, and phenomenal music. A big thank you to Rabbi Kimche for making this wonderful festivity happen! It was a great way to celebrate Rosh Chodesh Adar and start this month with happiness and ruach. 

To kick-off the concert, senior Naftali Keiffer (‘23) shared a brief d’var Torah about the importance of increasing happiness during the month of Adar. As soon as Eitan Katz took the stage, the crowd erupted in cheers and applause. To warm up the students' voices, Eitan Katz’s first song on his guitar that afternoon was the famous kumsitz classic, “Tov Lehodot Lashem”. The audience was captivated by his music and sang along to every word. After the first uplifting song, Eitan Katz had everyone on their feet clapping and dancing. The energy in the room was electric as he strummed his guitar and sang soulful and upbeat tunes. Towards the middle of the concert, Eitan Katz made a memorable speech that set an amazing tone for the rest of the month. The students then sang the song “L’maancha” where we all sang our hearts out as one Klal Yisroel. 

Eitan Katz’s passion and love for Jewish music was contagious, and as the concert came to an end the students begged for one more final song. Katz obliged, playing ‘Ki Karov’ that brought the house down. The concert was a huge success, leaving everyone feeling uplifted and inspired. It was a chagigah of incredible music, joyful singing, and fantastic energy. The students left with a smile on their faces, already looking forward to the next concert.

Article by Gabriella Asher ('25)

What's Up, Doc?

Seniors Hear From Dr. Ari Frenkel On the Importance of Public Health

Graphic by Josh Haik ('24)

This past week, the senior class had the privilege to hear from Dr. Ari Frenkel, an infectious disease physician. Skipping multiple grades and attending college at the age of sixteen, Dr. Frenkel spoke about his rise to success in public health and explained the implications of his job. With a plethora of fascinating statistics and quotes from role models like Albert Einstein, Dr. Frenkel was able to express the importance of learning about and tackling sicknesses.

With the fresh image of COVID in our minds, he related the experiences of the pandemic to other such moments in history. From the Spanish Influenza, which still affects us today, to the swine flu and the rise of COVID-19, Dr. Frenkel demonstrated that the most recent pandemic was not something unique, but has happened many times in the past. He also went on to explain the importance of vaccines and how mass vaccinations were able to stop the spread of polio amongst the population and eventually exterminate it completely.

Hannah Shapiro (‘23) remarked that, “the Jed Talk was very informative and I learned a lot about the historical background of the Covid pandemic and its implications for the future.” Thanks to Dr. Ari Frenkel and his fellow physicians, we can rest assured that there’s someone on the lookout for the next epidemic.  

Article by Elior Basson ('23)

Crash Course in US History: Presidents' Day

Learn More about the Beloved Long Weekend We Experience Every Year

Graphic by Ezra Dimont ('25)

This past Monday was Presidents’ Day, and besides being an awesome day off and an extra long weekend, who knows what Presidents’ Day actually is anyway? The origin of this day goes all the way back to the 1880’s when the birthday of a beloved former President George Washington (‘32) became a federal holiday. The reason why the holiday doesn’t fall out on Washington's actual birthday every year is because Congress passed a bill called the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill, which moved many federal holidays to Monday to help workers enjoy longer weekends. This received a lot of backlash because many people thought that holidays should be celebrated on the day that the events being commemorated actually happened. Congress rejected changing the name Washington's Birthday to the name Presidents’ Day, even though Presidents’ Day is a widely accepted name for the third Monday in February.

Sophomore Ariella Mayer (‘25) told me about her eventful Presidents’ Day weekend: “I went to Orlando for Presidents’ Day, and had a blast, minus the traffic because everyone wanted to spend their extra day in Disney. We checked out the outlet malls and there were amazing sales because of Presidents’ Day, and it was great!”

This year, a Texas-based company named Celestis decided to do something very interesting to commemorate Presidents’ Day: sending actual authenticated hairs from the heads of former presidents George Washington, John F. Kennedy, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Ronald Reagan up into space! If that doesn’t show their love for America I don’t know what will!

Article by Keren Lazar ('25)