SKAppenings
Parshat Acharei Mot-Kidoshim
9 Iyar 5770
April 23, 2010 |
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A Message from Mrs. Spirn
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We cried...we mourned...we grieved...and then we rejoiced!
We commemorated Yom Ha'Shoah and were mesmerized by the heroic efforts of
the Bielski brothers and the 1,200 Jews they saved in the largest Jewish
resistance movement during the Holocaust. We were moved by the
survivors' courage, their determination to live and their ability to support one
another during such devastation.
Yom HaZikaron was a day of reflection and mourning for those who have lost
their lives on behalf of our beloved State of Israel - through armed defense and
as victims of terror. We were inspired by the words of SKA graduate Elana
Sokolow-Rosman '01 and her father Mark Sokolow as they described the challenges
and chizuk they experienced after a 2001 terror attack in Yerushalayim impacted
their entire family.
We were thoughtful while reciting Hallel on Yom HaAtzmaut and shepped
nachas when our Juniors and Seniors taught Torah of HaRav Soloveitchik z'l to
our school in workshop settings. We evaluated the "knocks" described in Kol
Dodi Dofeik and related them to the challenges of Medinat Yisrael.
And then we danced and danced and danced as one - with our Israeli flag as
our symbol of HaShem's miracles , His love of Am Yisrael and His gift of Eretz
Yisrael to be loved and cherished by many generations of Jews to come, iy"h. We
were proud to espouse our religious Zionism with joy and strength.
May we be zocheh to recognize and experience the miracles of HaShem and to
celebrate together the joys and responsibilities of having our own
Homeland!
Shabbat Shalom! |
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Yom Haatzmaut Celebration!
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Yom Ha'azma'ut was a very moving and enjoyable experience at SKA, with a program focused on G-d's miracles in creating and sustaining the Land of Israel. The presentations began with an inspiring video segment of a writer going on a journey to Israel to investigate whether miracles truly happened. The girls watched as he interviewed soldiers and survivors, and listened as they told amazing stories of how they were saved while defending our land. One scene dramatized seven armies attackingIsrael at one time, and yet Israel was not defeated. Five soldiers were shown being attacked while protecting Mt. Zion; after running out of bullets, they were saved by a mysterious shape in the sky. Three underground fighters during the War of Independence should have been captured while setting up an ambush, and yet they weren't caught. The students then attended workshops in which Eleventh and Twelfth Grade volunteers presented an inspiring slideshow depicting the ideas in Rav Soloveitchik's book, Kol Dodi Dofek. Rav Soloveitchik identifies six knocks which are intended to awaken the Jewish people to Hashem's intervention in our history. The presenters also showed the students a clip from Nefesh B'Nefesh, the North American Aliya movement, which greatly inspired the girls. Then came the ruach! The SKA student body and faculty danced and sang in celebration of the miracle of Israel which G-d bestowed upon us. Indoors and outdoors, waving the Israeli flag, everyone supported Israel as one. It was an extremely exciting and inspiring day for all! A special thanks to Rabbi Zak and his team for coordinating such a wonderful day! Also, thank you to Mrs. Feinberg, Mrs. Kaminetsky, and the volunteer presenters for putting together an informative and enjoyable slideshow presentation.
Written by: Reva Black |
Yom Hazikaron- Remembering the Fallen Israeli Soldiers and Victims of Terror
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Monday, April 19th, was Yom Hazikaron, the day commemorating the loss of thousands of Israeli soldiers and victims of terror, who gave up their lives protecting the Jewish people and the land of Israel. The students of SKA participated in a beautiful program in honor of this meaningful day and in memory of all those who have fallen. The program began with a video about Roi Klein, an Israeli soldier who jumped on a grenade in order to save the lives of his comrades. This video taught the audience what it means to be a hero, and it truly paved the way for the rest of the program. The students and faculty then heard from Mark Sokolow and his daughter, Elena (an SKA graduate) who shared their experiences as victims of Palestinian terror in 2002. After their striking and meaningful speech, the girls watched a montage in memory of the soldiers who were killed during the Second Lebanon War. Finally, the program ended with the singing of Hatikva, the recitation of perakim of tehillim, and tefilot for the IDF and the State of Israel.
Written by: Leeza Hirt
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Yom Hashoah Commemoration
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This year at SKA, Yom Hashoah was explored in a whole new manner. The students, faculty and several SKA moms watched an edited version of Defiance, a movie which tells the remarkable story of the Bielski brothers' brigade. The Bielski brothers, although themselves fit and strong, took hundreds of Jewish escapees under their cover, no matter how healthy or old they seemed. If one had a skill to contribute to the Bielski camp, then he was included. Together, these hundreds of Jews built a "community" in the forest, and although they were forced to relocate several times, many of these people survived. The movie was a clear demonstration of brotherly love, within immediate family and amongst Am Yisrael. The father-in-law of Mrs. Chafetz, SKA Limudei Kodesh teacher, was a survivor of the Holocaust because of the Bielski movement. After viewing the movie, it was very touching to hear from her a story so close to home. The program concluded with the SKA choir and the lighting of six candles, commemorating the six million who perished. Candles were lit by Mrs. Spirn, Mrs. Feinberg, Mrs. Menchel, Mrs. Chafetz, Mrs. Antman, and Mrs. Isaacs (an SKA mom). Students also received copies of the annual Holocaust Journal and got to hear from Freshmen Sarah Kornblau and Miriam Pearl Klahr as they read their journal pieces aloud. Thank you to the entire administration for getting Defiance edited so that the students and faculty could be touched by its powerful story and message.
Written by: Erica Liebman |
Rabbi Flaum Addresses Seniors
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In honor of Yom Ha'azma'ut, Rabbi Flaum, a local prominent Rav and former SKA Rebbe, spoke to the Senior Class about religious Zionism. He quoted many rishonim and provided the girls with a clear understanding of the halachic basis for religious Zionism. A special thanks to Rabbi Flaum for taking time out of his busy schedule to come and speak to the girls!
Written by: Rebecca Ganz
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| Earth Day at SKA |  What a day! Mrs. Alter's AP Environmental Science class and Earth class celebrated Earth day on Thursday with festive food, dress, and activities. All of the students wore blue and green and ate cakes which modeled planet Earth. While the Earth class watched a movie about volcanoes, the AP class planted an apple tree on SKA's grounds. We look forward to enjoying those apples in a few years! Thank you to Mrs. Alter for really getting the girls in the spirit!
Written by: Jessica Wernick |
| Seniors Visit Woodmere Mikvah | The trip to the Woodmere Mikvah was a unique experience for the Seniors indeed! The Senior Class split up into two groups and were given a tour of the Woodmere Mikvah by Mrs. Spirn and the Mikvah's caretaker, Kayla. The girls explored the different rooms and got a taste of what it feels like to be a client at the Mikvah. Special thanks to Kayla and Mrs. Spirn for providing the girls with this opportunity and making them feel so comfortable about such a crucial component for Jewish women.
Written by: Jennifer Selevan |
Rabbi Willig Speaks at SKA
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Many Seniors will tell you that Senior Seminar is easily one of the most awaited classes in their weekly schedules. With all the informative and interactive Seminar sessions we've enjoyed throughout the year, it is not hard to see why. Now, as our classes are finally coming to an end, the Senior Seminars seem to be making that much more of an impact on us. On Wednesday, April 14th, one of the last sessions of the year, we were fortunate to hear from Rabbi Mordechai Willig about the halachot of prenuptial agreements. The session was instructive, interesting, and engaging as each Senior left the class feeling more informed and knowledgeable about the halachot. A special thank you to Rabbi Willig for taking the time to speak to the Seniors about this important issue!
What a privilege! The Junior Class was fortunate to hear from Rabbi Mordechai Willig, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva University and Rav of the Young Israel of Riverdale. Rabbi Willig's topic was "Sefira as continuity," and spoke about the girls' obligation of counting the omer, although it is a time-bound mitzvah. Thanks go to Rabbi Willig for coming out to speak on an erev Shabbos! It was wonderful to start Shabbos with new divrei Torah.
Written by: Leah Khukashvili
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| SKA Students Attend TLN | Many SKA students from all grades took the bus up to Stern College to participate in the final TLN (Torah Learning Network) program. The girls enjoyed a delicious dinner at Carlos and Gabby's, while simultaneously using the opportunity to catch up with friends from other schools. After dinner, the girls split up into groups to learn different sections of Megillas Rut in honor of the upcoming chag of Shavuos. The participants completed learned the entire megilla together! What a fantastic night - filled with learning and fun! We can't wait for next year when TLN starts up again!
Written by: Esther Klapholz |
Spanish Poetry Contest
| Several Ninth and Tenth Grade Spanish students had the opportunity to go to Hofstra University on Wednesday with Senora Perlmutter for a foreign language contest. The girls had to memorize poems in Spanish and deliver them with emotion and feeling to the audience. The girls competed with several other schools and greatly enjoyed this unique experience! Congratulations to Chayala Teigman on winning third place, to Mikki Weinstein and Rivka Fiber on winning second place, and to Tamar Kwestel on winning first place! Thank you to all those who participated: Miriam Pearl Klahr, Mikki Weinstein, Leeza Hirt, Chayla Teigman, Dana Frenkel, Rivka Fiber, Tamar Kwestel, Chana Krasner, Meira Davidowitz, and Dana Weinstein. A special thank you to Senora for accompanying the girls to Hofstra!
Written by: Dana Weinstein |
SKA Hosts Debate Ivitational
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Boys? In SKA? No way...
Yes way! On Wednesday night, April 14th, SKA hosted the first ever debate invitational. For over two hours, students from SKA, DRS, Rambam, Flatbush, MTA, and Westchester debated the issue of a Federal Security Agency for public transportation. Words like TSA, federal grants, and safety echoed throughout the hallways as teams argued the resolve. Congratulations to all those who won their debates and kudos to SKA for winning third place in the competition! It was definitely a night to remember and we look forward to hosting many more debates in the future!
Written by: Rachel Lunzer |
| Torah Bowl Semifinal Meet | Congratulations to SKA's Torah Bowl Team upon winning the semifinals and making it to the championship. The Torah Bowl Team, with the coaching of Mrs. Menchel, has earned the title for the Long Island region! We wish them hatzlacha rabbah on their upcoming final game on April 29!
Written by: Deena Miller |
| Science Olympiad | | Congratulations to the SKA Science Olympiad Team on placing 6th out of eleven teams in the program at SAR High School in Riverdale. The fifteen girls, from grades 10-12, under the guidance of Mrs. Berger and Rabbi David, worked hard on the twelve events. Thank you to the girls who participated and to their coaches/chaperones!
Written by: Deena Miller |
| Tennis Tournament! | |
A new opportunity this year for the SKA tennis stars - an inter-school tournament! The SKA Tennis Team played HAFTR and Central at Point Set in Oceanside and the girls certainly played well. Thank you to their coach, Mrs. Helene Meyers, for guiding the girls and for helping to coordinate such a fantastic event!
Written by: Vikki Rosenfeld
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Sports Update
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Congratulations to the Softball Team for a great start to their season! They beat both HANC and HAFTR and will continue to play ball for the next several weeks! We look forward to hearing good news from our Varsity Volleyball Team as they continue to practice hard for their upcoming championship game against Shulamith. It's also a pleasure to watch our second-year Hockey Team as they continue to make us proud on the "rink!" Congratulations on their win last night against Westchester!
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G.O. Corner
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What a fun way to spend Rosh Chodesh! In honor of Rosh Chodesh Iyar, the G.O. provided students and teachers with cinnamon rolls. Why, you might ask? Iyar à E.R. What does E.R. stand for? Eat Rolls! The G.O. is hard at work preparing for the grand finale to end this incredible year... get excited!
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Rabbi Friedman on the birth of a grandon
Dr. Kimmel on the birth of a baby boy
Mindy Koren '06 on her engagement to Gabby Orner
Riki Schwalb '04 on her engagement to Yehuda Westreich
Jordana Wittman '08 on her engagement Neil Mussman
Deena Rendel '04 on her marriage to Scott Shulman
Ayala Salamon '00 on her marriage to Josh Regal
Batsheva Schwartz '07 on her marriage to Josh Zaslow
Mindel Zomber '07 on her marriage
Daniella Dobe Friedman Tatelbaum '05 on the birth of a boy
Zehava Machnikoff Atlas '00 on the birth of a girl
Elana Beck Stahler '02 on the birth
of a girl named Chana
Zehava Rubel '04 on her acceptance to medical
school
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SKAppenings Staff
Writing Editors:
Erica Liebman
Shayna Nordlicht
Michal Schulman
Elana Schreier
Esti Chesner
Tova Hammer
Technology Editors:
Mrs. Estie Bryk
Ariela Bortz
Shoshana Kaminetsky
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