SKAppenings
Parshat Emor
14 Iyar 5769
May 8, 2009
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A Message from Mrs. Spirn
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So much has happened here in school since we have returned
from Pesach vacation!
Together, we have commemorated Yom Hashoah and mourned the
loss and murder of 6 million Jews, Hashem yinkom damam. We have experienced the sadness of Yom
Hazikaron and been inspired by the moving words and courage of Rabbi Seth
Mandell, father of Koby a"h. We have had
the opportunity to reflect on the Heroes of Israel, thanks to the touching
Power Point presentation prepared by our Seniors. On Yom Haatzmaut, we had the opportunity to
participate in a creative, fun-filled and informative Israel Fair prepared by
our Juniors, and then we joyously danced with each other and the flag of Israel
at our annual chagiga. These weeks have
been filled with much emotion and a deep appreciation to Hashem for the
miracles, sacrifices and blessings which surround the State of Israel during
the 61 years of its existence.
Today was the last day of formal classes for our Senior class
and I would like to wish mazal tov to Yehudit Aidelson, Keter Shem Tov awardee,
Valedictorian Samantha Selesny, Salutatorians Shaindy Schiffmiller and Sarah
Schnoll, and Senior Night speakers Julie Stahler, Rhonda Steinmetz and Naomi
Weiss. We are proud of your
accomplishments, girls, and look forward to hearing you all speak at Senior
Night and Graduation. It's hard to
believe that the Class of 2009 will be graduating in the weeks ahead!
We are in the midst of AP exams and wish all of our students
hatzlacha in successfully completing their studying and exams. We hope your performance reflects your
efforts over the year and know that you have put so much into preparing for
these exams.
We were so excited to welcome the Class of 2013 this past
Sunday at their Yom Chaverut! Next
year's 9th grade class is comprised of 84 students from over 10
elementary schools. We had a blast and
anticipate the Class of 2013 becoming an important part of our SKA family.
Come join us on Wednesday evening for our first after-school
MACS event!
Happy Mother's Day to our moms who deserve so much
recognition for all they do for our SKA students and their siblings! Here's to a restful and meaningful Shabbos!
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Yom Haatzmaut at SKA
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 On Wednesday, April 20th, the hallways of SKA were filled with girls dressed in blue and white. The Zionistic feelings and excitement were tangible. After saying Hallel and hearing bios about fallen Israeli soldiers, the whole school, separated by grade, was able to experience an incredible program which the eleventh graders put together under the supervision of Mrs. Antman. Each girl received a passport with a personal photo inside and questions that would assist them with the scavenger hunt regarding our land. The girls gathered in the bowling alley where they were told the rules of the scavenger hunt and "boarded" the flight EL AL. The students went through "passport control" and entered the auditorium, walking around to the 14 booths to discover interesting and previously unknown information about Eretz Yisrael, picking up little souvenirs on the way. The tour ended in Room 110 where the students experienced Israel through Nefesh Be'nefesh slide shows, videos and a live webcam of the Kotel. A Chagigah followed with live music and great dancing. The students ended outside in a big circle with the Israeli flag in the center, singing songs and having a little kumsitz as the sun peeped out through the grey clouds.
Written by: Naomi Weiss
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| Yom HaZikaron with Rabbi Mandel |
 On Tuesday, April 28th, 12th grade members of the Honor Society along with Mrs. Leibtag and Mrs. Butler commemorated Yom Ha Zikaron. They chose seven heroes, who gave the ultimate sacrifice of their lives for the State of Israel. The lives of Nachshon Wachsman, Shalhevet Pass, Chana Senesh, Yoni Netanyahu, Eli Cohen, Naava Applebaum, and Koby Mandel were presented in a beautiful and inspiring slide show. After the presentations, SKA was honored with the presence of Rabbi Seth Mandel. He spoke about the life and tragic death of his beloved son, Koby. Rabbi Mandel emphasized how he and his wife, Sherry took this heartbreak and reversed it into something positive. Among the programs developed by the Koby Mandel Foundation are a camp for relatives of terror victims, a respite for mothers, and a program for brothers and sisters. Many of the students were deeply moved thinking about the losses of these young, innocent souls. They were also struck by the courage, warmth and strength demonstrated by Rabbi Mandel. May the memories of these kedoshim serve as a source of inspiration for all of us. Written by: Mrs. Leibtag
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Commemorating Yom HaShoah |
This year in SKA we commemorated Yom Hashoa in a very meaningful way. The day started off with a moment of silence triggered by a siren to memorialize the 6 million souls that perished in the Holocaust. The students then went immediately to the auditorium for a very moving program. The SKA choir sang beautiful songs of hope and Mrs. Kaminetsky shared some very inspiring words about the Holocaust. A video of a survivor was shown depicting the horror of her experience during the Holocaust and impressing upon the students the responsibility to keep the memory of those lost forever in our minds. In that vein, Mrs. Spirn shared a personal story about her mother who had survived the war.
Written by: Shira Stavsky and Elana Schreier
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Yom Chaverut |
Welcome to the Class of 2013! We were excited that most of our 84 incoming 9th graders were able to join us this past Sunday for our annual Yom Chaverut. Our future students had the opportunity to meet one another and begin bonding during interactive workshops and games that were designed for fun and friendship!
We look forward to the Class of 2013 becoming an important part of our SKA family! We know everyone went home with a sense of excitement that they have already become part of something very special! Here's to a great four years! |
Torah Bowl Team Going to the Championships
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Last Thursday, the Torah Bowl Team went to HAFTR for the playoffs. They played two games against HANC and won both making them a regional finalist. And now onto the championship on May 18th! GO SKA!! Great Job and yashar koach to Mrs. Menchel and the captains Daniella Stein and Jenny Moskowitz for all their hard work!
Written by: Yehudit Aidelson
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Rabbi Shalom Hammer Speaks at SKA
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This past week, the students of SKA were fortunate to hear from Rabbi Hammer, a Rabbi of Israel's Tzahal. Rabbi Hammer spoke to the girls about the current situation in Eretz Yisrael and how everything that's been going on there is all part of Hashem's grand plan. Each seemingly negative event has a reason, and is just one component of Hashem's bigger plan. The girls truly enjoyed Rabbi Hammer's account of the current situation in Israel, Operation Cast Lead in Gaza and his views on terrorism. May his words of chizuk serve as an inspiration for all of us.
Written by: Erica Leibman
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Rabbi Willig Speaks at SKA
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Rabbi Rav Mordechai Willig, Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshiva University, spoke to the senior girls about "The Importance of Prenuptial Agreements, giving some history about how this institution came about. Mrs. Rachel Pill spoke to the seniors about marriage and relationships. Rabbi Willig and Mrs. Pill were "guest speakers" as part of the Jewish Family Life Class for the twelfth graders. We express our hakarat hatov to both of them for taking time in their busy schedules to join us.
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| Shalom Task Force Addresses Seniors |
Last week, representatives from Shalom Task Force came to speak to the seniors. The representatives explained the purpose and the importance of the program, discussing very useful dating tips and warning signs of abuse in a future spouse. The girls learned so much about themselves and about what they are looking for in a husband. They now have an awareness regarding the issue of spousal abuse.
Written by: Liron Eiger and Jordana Wernick
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Hockey Team
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Last Tuesday, the newly formed SKA Hockey Team had an away game at North Shore. Although the Sonics left defeated 3-2, they played an awesome game! Congrats to Rebecca Bari for scoring both goals for SKA and thanks to Coach Shani Marks.
Written by: Elana Schreier
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Softball Team
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The SKA Softball Team is off to a great start. The season was kicked off with a nice win against HANC. In the next game against HAFTR, the Sonics put up a good fight and although they did not win, in the last inning, they bumped up the score from 14-6 to 14-13. the next game was even more exciting as they beat Central, coming back in the last inning from 5-3 to win 9-5. Due to the rain and cancellation of a Flatbush double header, the team once again played Central. Although they lost, both the hitting and fielding by the team were great. Once again, the rain interfered and cancelled the next HAFTR game, but the Sonics look forward to getting back on the field and playing HANC next week. Fans welcome!
Written by: Elana Haar
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| Tennis Team |
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This tennis season, SKA is playing remarkably well. They have been playing with tremendous effort and are in it to win it. So far they have an undefeated record and are seeking a championship spot. Thank you, Coach Helene Myers! Go SKA Sonics!!!
Written by: Vicki Rosenfeld
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Earth Science Trip
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Mrs. Alter's Earth Science Classes went on a trip this week to explore the Hurricaine Hunter Aircraft. As part of a program to help educate students in Long Island Zone One who are more at risk of severe flooding in the event of a Hurricaine, the students had a chance to learn about Hurricaines and to see the aircraft that fly into hurricaines to measure their severity and predict future ones. The trip was both educational and fun! Special thanks to Mrs. Alter for coordinating the trip!
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Rabbi JJ Schachter To Speak at SKA |
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| Lilmod Ule'Lamed |
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Our Lilmod Ule'lamed shiurim will continue this Tuesday, May 12th. Rabbi Yosef Zakutinsky, SKA's Director of Student Programs and Limudei Kodesh teacher will be speaking on the topic of "Dedication to Torah" in Room 109. His shiur will begin at 12:40 PM and will last for about 45-50 minutes. Rabbi Danny Eisenbach, SKA Mashgiach Ruchani, will continue teaching his shiurim on Chovot Halevavot (Duties of the Heart), a classic mussar sefer written by R' Bachya ben Joseph ibn Paquda. His classes will precede the Lilmod Ule'lamed shiur and will start at 12:00 PM on Tuesday. R' Eisenbach's shiur will conclude in time for those who would also like to attend Rabbi Zakutinsky's class. For those who will attend both shiurim, there will be a coffee break in between.
If you are interested in sponsoring a Lilmod Ule'lamed series or an individual shiur, please be in touch with Mrs. Spirn at hspirn@skahalb.org or at 516-374-7195, Ext 155.
We look forward to welcoming you again for Torah, inspiration and coffee!
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| SKA MACS Presents 15% Off at Annie Sez |
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MACS, the newly formed SKA Modesty Awareness Committee for Students, will have a kick off program at SKA on Wednesday, May 13th for the SKA girls.
As a follow-up to this event, there will be an SKA MACS evening at Annie Sez, located at 935-55 Rosedale Road (across from Temple Hillel ) on Wednesday night, May 13, 2009 , with 15% off on items throughout the store.
Annie Sez has recently updated their collection of clothes to include many fashions which are contemporary and also appropriate for young Jewish women. In addition, they will be bringing in new merchandise specifically for this event. In order to receive the discount, mothers must be accompanied by a current SKA student.
The SKA MACS evening will be from 6:00-8:45 pm. Come in and show them your MACS identification, which students will receive on Wednesday……and enjoy the SKA MACS sale!
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Judy Freund Hulkower '98 on the birth of twins
Mrs. Myrna Weinberger on the engagement of her daughter Shani
Odeliah Amar Weissmann '00 on the birth of her daughter
Orli English '07 on her engagement to Shlomo Glowitz
Michal Lebowitz '06 on her engagement to Noah Zisquit
Frumie Pelcovitz '07 on her engagement to Raphi Taubenfeld
Adina Snow '06 on her engagement to Sean Sinnreich
Shira Ganz '04 on her marriage to Uri Schechter
Ruth Levin '04 on her marriage to Aron Friedman
Shaindy Pollack '05 on her marriage
Racheli Daar Cohen '02 on the birth of a baby boy
Nina Gafni Fisher '03 on the birth of baby boy
Jenny Zitter Gerber '99 on the birth of a baby girl
Michal Klein Shiller '02 on the birth of a baby girl
Yael Wienerkur Schwechter '04 on the birth of a baby girl
Ayelet Lipstein Yablok '03 on the birth of a baby boy
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SKAppenings Staff
Writing Editors:
Liron Eiger
Rachel Klein
Erica Liebman
Shayna Nordlicht
Alex Spitz
Jordana Wernick
Technology Editors:
Mrs. Estie Bryk
Rachel Herzberg
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