I am pleased to announce that the registration of our incoming freshman class is just about complete! We look forward to welcoming 85 young women from BBY, BYQ, HALB, HAFTR, HANC, Har Torah, Ohr Haim, TAG, and YCQ to Yom Chaverut in May and the halls of SKA in September, iy"h. Hakarat Hatov to Rabbi Zak who put his neshama into the interviewing and visitation process. Special thanks to our 9th grade students and G.O. Board who welcomed the dozens of applicants who observed classes and spent quality time at our school. Witnessing the enthusiasm of our new students, I feel confident that next year's freshmen will be a formidable, "ruachdik" presence in our school.

Mazal Tov to our Mock Trial Team who are advancing to the next level of competition and to our Torah Bowl Team who were victorious at their recent meet! Way to go, girls!

Mishenichnas Adar Marbin B'simcha! It was elating to dance with our students on "Erev Rosh Chodesh" and see the shtick and costumes worn by students and teachers on Rosh Chodesh. How do I know this simcha and fun will carry us to Purim?

Mazal Tov to all of our honorees at this years HALB dinner!

Here's to a meaningful and restful Shabbos!
A "Gutten Chodesh"!

The SKA Mock Trial team has been victorious once again! Led by coaches Mark Sokolow and Jeffrey Lewisohn and student-captains Daniella Isaacson and Elkie Spitzer, the team of Yael Rubin, Shira Markovits, Gila Lerman, Orlie Shalev, Michal Wagner, Shoshi Schoenfeld, Tzippy Weisenfeld, Yakira Fuchs, Lauren Bayer, and Leora Hefter made it into the Nassau County Quarter-Finals. To get there, they played against Hicksville, MacArthur High School, Our Lady of Mercy, and Lawrence-Woodmere Academy. There are only eight schools left in the competition, including four yeshiva high schools. This Wednesday they will play plaintiff against Ateres Yaakov (aka, South Shore). We wish them luck in the round of eight!!

On Thursday, the Sophomores learned about "Koach Hatzibur" and the importance of remaining an individual and fighting against peer pressure. With the help of Dr. Seuss and his Sneeches, the Twilight Zone, and a skit put on by several sophomores themselves, we saw how one could be influenced by friends, family, and society.

The Sneeches video was poetic (in a rhyming sense) and yet evocative. Dr. Seuss portrayed a very important lesson through the Sneeches; it is impossible for everyone to be the same and still maintain civility. Instead, everyone should sustain his or her own individuality and keep her own stars just as the Sneeches had discovered by the end of the video.

In the Twilight Zone video, we watched the struggle of a girl who refused to transform herself to become just like everyone else. It was a very powerful episode and it showed us how easily one can be swayed to follow the crowd, without being true to one's self.

The skits put on by the sophomores helped us associate what we learned today to our lives. In the skit, two Indian girls (Jamie Beitler and Orly English) just transferred into a new school with no friends but each other. With some laughs, we all saw the positive and the negative effects of being influenced by our friends.

Afterwards, we all got into three separate circles, in which we had group discussions with Mrs. Haber, Ms. Blisko, and Rabbi Zak. We heard remarkable stories and read an interesting interview about a Japanese woman who had a hard time being Japanese and Jewish and still made friends in school.

We already knew about the koach of the tzibur and how important it is for everyone to remain united, but yesterday we learned how we can retain our uniqueness and our own separate personalities. Everyone has their own separate strengths and weaknesses, and we learned that it is all of these separate colors and textures that together are woven to become a masterpiece. Our Sophomore Class is a masterpiece!

On Monday, March 7th, the Senior Class continued on their mission to conquer one of the hardest 'avairot'- Lashon Hara. The grade has been working hard at eliminating such speech with the help of our grade level advisors who have been working closely along with us. We boarded the buses and made our way over to the Far Rockaway home of HaRav and Rebbetzin Jaeger, where we were so warmly welcomed. The Rebbetzin told us that the reason she requested our presence at her home rather than coming to our school, was because " if I come to your school I am just another speaker, but when you come to my home I can really talk to you and impact you." As we left, we soon realized the truth of her statement.

When she began, she made eye contact with each and every one of us, and as she continued it felt as if she were talking directly to each individual. She spoke to us about the power of speech, "koach shel dibur", and slowly tied all her thoughts together into one huge important message. She compared the religious mind to the physical body. The heart pumps and keeps us alive. It keeps the blood flowing within us, but after running through the body it soon returns to its source. So too, with speech/dibur. Anything that comes out of one's mouth will make its rounds and then be returned, whether it was used to hurt or help someone.

Rebbetzin Jaeger was an inspiration and is now a role model to us all. She opened up her home, her wisdom and her soul to each and everyone of us. Because of her moving presentation, our mission to conquer 'Lashon Hara' has been taken to the next step, as we are all so much more motivated to closely watch and guard our actions and speech.

In another exciting event, last Monday, Grade Advisors Mrs. Feinberg and Mrs. Yudin took the Seniors on a trip to the Yeshiva University Annual Seforim Sale. Besides the wonderful bonding experience of purchasing seforim together, the students were treated to a shiur by one of YU's Maggidei Shiur, Rabbi Daniel Feldman.

Both trips rounded out another two weeks of exciting trips, built around limud HaTorah!

After weeks of preparation, SKA's Torah Bowl Team finally played its third round. They played against North Shore (twice), HAFTR and HANC and won three out of the four games. The games were exciting and close. Many thanks to Mrs. Menchel, the Torah Bowl Coach, and to Captains Batya M. Hertzberg and Daniella D. Friedman. Mazal Tov to the entire team and good luck in the upcoming match!

The spirit of Adar continues through the halls of SKA. The month began with the G.O. decorating the bowling alley, and the music of AZAMRA DJ ENTERTAINMENT. The music and "Shtick" that Jeff Neckanoff brought to SKA was fun and spirited. On Friday morning, the halls were colorful and festive. Many students dressed up in costumes and even some of the teachers came in with their best "student attire." Click on the link below to see more of the pictures!!

To celebrate the month of Adar, the ninth graders joined together for "Black and White Night" at Debbie Stahler's house! We all had a great Motzai Shabbos, and were so excited to welcome back Mrs. Gross from her maternity break. Thanks to Debbie and her whole family for generously hosting this fantastic event. It was so much fun to see all the different "black and white" costumes that girls wore. Mrs. Kaminetsky, Mrs. Leibtag and Mrs. Gross enhanced our evening through their fun spirits and creative games. We even had a surprise visit from our dear principal, Mrs. Spirn! The night continued as we frosted our very own black and white cookies, and ate them as we sat down to watch some great "I Love Lucy" episodes, in black and white! At the end of the night, no one wanted to part, but we said our good-byes to the "Black and White" Night, anticipating the next days in school, where we would talk of our entertaining time together. It was a Saturday night to remember, where bonds were strengthened, and the month of Adar was ushered in.

Welcome to Rabbi Armin H. Friedman, Principal Emeritus of HALB. We look forward to celebrating with him and his fellow honorees and the entire HALB family on the occasion of our 50th Anniversary at the dinner on Motzai Shabbos!

Mazal Tov to all!