Goods and Services Auction Prizes 2013

On Monday, December 16 the Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School Tzedakah Commission hosted its annual Goods and Services auction to raise money for the annual Chesed Mission to Israel. Below is a list of the prizes and their winners.

Goods and Services Auction Prizes 2013

Cooking For A Cause 12/11/13

On Wednesday night, December 11th students had an opportunity to cook for less fortunate families in a Yeshivah of Flatbush program known as "Cooking for a Cause." Each week the students cook something different and the food is donated to a Chesed organization. This week the students made forty trays of breaded chicken cutlets, thirty pounds of meat lasagna, and six dozen chocolate crinkle cookies for the Sephardic Bikur Holim food pantry. Thank you to master chefs, Mrs. Amy Sasson and Mrs. Ravit Mosseri for leading and sponsoring the event. All participants had an amazing fun Chesed experience!!

Cooking for a Cause allows students to learn how to prepare a variety of entrees, dinners, and desserts while participating in a Chesed event. All of the food prepared in these events are sent to needy families who can then enjoy delicious homemade dinners. For more information about this commission, read this previous post: http://www.myflatbushlife.com/2011/10/helping-against-hunger.html

Falcon's Nest Notes: Hip “Hop” Hooray! Dance Team Sizzles in New Jersey over the Weekend at Rikudiah Dance Competition

The Flatbush Falcon Dance Team gets ready to compete at Kushner on Saturday, 12/7/13

Last Saturday night, the Yeshivah of Flatbush Dance Team took to the road to defend its Yeshiva Schools Dance championship of Spring 2013. Competing against 6 other teams from the Yeshiva League, the Falcon dancers brought spirit and electricity to the stage at host Rae Kushner Yeshiva HS in an effort to show that the 2013-14 team is every bit as fomidable as the team from last season. The girls gave a stellar showing.

Recapping the event is Senior Co-Captain Nina Esses:

This past Saturday night, our school competed in the Rikudiah Dance Competition at Kushner Yeshiva High School. After months of hard work, late practices and dedication, we were super excited to showcase our talent. Walking through the huge Kushner doors, I felt a rush of nerves pass through me! Our team quickly ran to the gym to warm-up and rehearse one last time before the actual competition.

When the show was finally ready to begin, I could feel the excitement building in the team, and it was overwhelming! We patiently watched the other teams perform, and thought to ourselves, “we have this one in the bag.” When the announcer finally called out “Flatbush,” we all anxiously jumped up out of our seats and took our spots on the stage. With lots of energy, we felt like we totally nailed our dance and were confident we would place. The minutes sitting and waiting for the judges to report our score were the longest few minutes of my life! We sat on the floor in a circle, cutching each others’ hands, waiting for the announcement of the third place team. When the word “Flatbush” left the announcer’s lips, our team was silent. In fact, the entire room was basically still. It felt like a rain storm sunndly opened up on what had been a beautiful, sunny day. We could not understand why we placed third; we were expecting at least a second place finish.

Although we left the competition with a sad and disappointed feeling, we each knew in our hearts that we gave it our all and that we did a great job. We will not let the outcome of this competition spoil our determination to win the next time out. We will learn from our mistakes, and better ourselves for the next performance. The Flatbush Dance team will be back and even better in the Spring!

Nest Notes: The Dance Team competition was the first of the 2013-14 season. The Falcon Dancers are looking forward to at least one more competition in the Sping, and hope for possibly a third before the school year is out. In accordance with yeshiva competition rules, performances are only open to female spectators.

The Flatbush Dance Team members are Seniors Nina Esses and Helen Shalam; Juniors Helen Menashe, Sara Shalam, Sarah Kairey and Claudine Elkharrat; Sophomores Rose Mishaan, Esther Cohen, Barbara Schwartzbard, Ruth Gindi and Freida Zeitoune; the lone Freshman on the team is Esther Shalam. The team is coached by Mrs. Barbara Cohen and Ms. Adele Greenberg.

Pathfinders Update: Learning About the Inner-Workings of a Real Court House

Students Joey Dweck, Joshua Sitt, Morris Bijou, and Michael Shalom interning at Supreme Court

This past month the Yeshivah of Flatbush Pathfinders Program gave four seniors an invaluable opportunity to experience shadowing a Supreme Court Justice over a month's time. Seniors, Joshua Sitt, Joey Dweck, Michael Shalom and myself were given the opportunity to sit at the table with Justice David Schmidt of the New York Supreme Court and learn hands-on the day-to-day cases that the judge handles. We gained novel knowledge pertaining to the legal world that we never would have been able to find anywhere else. This experience gave us the ability to realize how real life cases are carried out and settled. Each case brought something new to the table and to witness the judge's thought process in solving each issue was just surreal.

It was truly eye-opening and we owe great thanks to Judge Schmidt as well as to Mrs. Hanon who works diligently to create these amazing experiences for Yeshivah of Flatbush students. ~Morris Bijou

Flatbush students working with Judge Schmidt in his Chambers

Falcon's Nest Notes: No School Like the Old School at the SGO Chanukah Fair

As part of the Yeshivah of Flatbush High School’s Chanukah celebration, the staff took the court to take on members of the Junior and Senior classes in the traditional teacher vs. student basketball battle. And a battle it was! The teachers came to play, and did not disappoint. Rabbi Avi Harari rained three’s from the sky, drawing nothing but the bottom of the net; Mr. Urim cleaned the glass, spreading a few elbows on the way (Junior basketballer Mayer Kamkhatchi commented that this didn’t happen to him during regular varsity competition!) despite the students pleas to Referee Junior Joey Cohen which went unheeded – by the staff team, that is; our esteemed Athletic Director drained an Old School sky hook (shades of another old New York ballplayer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) on a sweet feed from Rabbi Beyda; Rabbi Benlulu was everywhere on defense pressuring the student guards all over the half-court.

Oh, the final score? Well, does it really Matter? Who’s counting? OK, the young guns prevailed behind the skilled shooting of Buddy Setton, Murray Mizrahi and Mike Shalom, all extending the range; and the exquisite ball handling skills of Senior Joey Dayon who showed off why the Yeshiva League is well aware of his talents. The student team was rounded out by solid play from Victor Silverman, Raymond Braha, Moe Maleh, and Michael Srour. But, it was a good time had by all.

The girls' teacher student basketball game (for the first time ever) at the SGO Chanukah Fair was also so much fun. Both the students and teachers playing and the students watching and cheering from the bleachers had such a blast. Teachers were so kind in volunteering to step outside their comfort zones and play some students who are on the girls' varsity and junior varsity teams. Even if a teacher had never played basketball before, they were willing to come and join in on the fun because they were so into the spirit of Chanukah and wanted to make this program the best it could be. The game started off with students scoring basket after basket, but after a while of teachers playing together, they were able to hold the students off and score a few shots of their own! The teachers and students playing and watching were so engaged in the competitive game and cheered and applauded at every shot scored, the whole way through. At the end, we even mixed up teachers and students to be on the same team so that everyone could have a fair chance.

It was so nice to see teachers and students interact in a more laid-back manner because we don't get the opportunity to do this together during classes. There were so many students and teachers that played and we thank you so much for your positive enthusiasm.

Special thanks to our outstanding teacher players Dr. Fruchter, Señora Shterenzer, Mrs. Goldberg, Mrs. Wielgus, Mrs. Zimmerman, Mrs. Lillian Rishty, Mrs. Benun and even Dr. Gerber and Mrs. Yaari for taking a shot! Student players included Lauren Berkovits, Alison Kassin, Robyn Dweck, Jen Maleh, Jacqueline Baum, Victoria Gindi, Sylvia Franco, Fatima Sharaby, Margo Kamin, Esther Harari, Sarah Horowitz, Atara Anderson, Susan Barnathan, Estelle Saad, Leah Katash, Devorah Coopersmith, and so many more. This event was a huge hit and kept so many students entertained. Thank you to all teachers and students for participating! We hope you had as much fun as we did!

Hebrew Play 5774: Les Miserables

Full Cast of Les Miserables 

On December 4th and 5th the students at the Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School put on a spectacular production of Les Miserables in Hebrew as part of our annual Chanukah Hebrew play production. From the acting and singing to the costumes and props, this show was one of high caliber and professionalism. The acting was done by current students but there were multiple alumni who also helped out with the production. The students portrayed their characters with passion and intensity and audience members found themselves at the edge of their seats, hanging on every note. The intricate harmonies and powerful music moved many to tears as they were whisked into the streets of France, circa 1820. The set, ingeniously designed by Rebecca Grazi-Siev (HS '06) and created by Vivi Rosernberg (HS '12) was made solely of wooden chairs and tables that moved around to create the many different scenes in the show. Costumes were hand sewn by Math teacher, Mrs. Beth Levin and were stunningly reminiscent of the real broadway costumes. David Geleibter (HS '07) joined as the stage manager, assisting before, during, and after the show with anything that was needed, from muddying the prisoners' shirts to teaching the revolutionary students how to hold their rifles. Mr. Joel Hessel led the orchestra in an original arrangement of the show's overture and Mr. Brian Gelfand directed the choir in joining in two of the major ensemble numbers. Danny Shatzkes (HS '98) never took his hands off the piano keys in his flawless musical accompaniment, all of which he played by ear!! Sally Shatzkes (HS '99), the show's director, did not leave out a single detail. She began the production process with auditions in June and was able to direct the famous three-hour musical in one hour ....and in Hebrew! She said, "the cast inspired me every day to raise my expectations and they kept meeting those expectations day after day until I found myself directing a show so professional that it could have been produced in a performing arts high school." The students in the cast will never forget this show. For them it was the opportunity of a lifetime in which they became part of something larger than themselves. Their performance was the ultimate proof that hard work and dedication can transform a group of talented individuals into an unstoppable creative team. A performer, Junior,  Michael Zalta said, "Super gratifying. I got to learn so much about myself at the same time that I saw people so happy to see me grow and do well."

Please enjoy the full video of the production and pictures below:   

Flatbush Poetry Slam 2013!

Senior, Victor Dweck Performing During the Poetry Slam

The Yeshivah of Flatbush poetry slam club held its second annual poetry slam right here in Flatbush on November 21st! About 10 schools participated, which included over 70 performances. The set up for the slam was different than any other, because usually the participants are split up into different groups and are judged separately until the finals. After the last slam at Rambam, senior Aliza Kantarowitz and her faculty advisor, Ms. Robinson collaborated and came up with the idea that the slammers should not be separated, but rather perform together the whole time. This way everyone could hear everyone else's poetry. It was invigorating to sit in about three full hours of poetry. It was, and probably will be, the biggest slam held where all participants performed in the same room.

Out of the 10 schools, two Flatbush students won awards: Aliza Kantarowitz and Joy Feinberg. The awards were both menorahs and poetry books. Only 8 awards were given and two of them went to Flatbush students so congratulations to them!

All together the slam was a success and the word is definitely spreading around the school about the amazing Jewish Poetry Slam world. See below for pictures and for a recording of all of the Flatbush participants. 

~Aliza Kantarowitz

Falcon's Nest Notes: At Home Away from Home

Joey Dayon prepares for an earlier road game

The Sephardic Community Center on Ocean Parkway and Avenue S is about 10 blocks West of Yeshivah of Flatbush, but for many of our student-athletes, the basketball courts at The Center are like a second home. It is probable that some of our players have logged more hours on the main court of the Sephardic Center than on our own High School gym floor.  It also explains why there is a real comfort level for the Falcons when playing “road” games at the Sephardic Center, a place where the Flatbush faithful were well represented in the stands.  And, it showed in the results, where the Boys from Flatbush rode and early lead and held off a game YDE squad 61-52 Tuesday night.

Michael Shalom amps up
the intensity on defense

Behind a balanced scoring attack, Flatbush again took advantage of its greatest asset, an energetic and very deep bench. Again, the Falcons got quality play from both Mayer Kamkhatchi and Shawn Blinder, who with support from Murray Mizrahi and Victor Silverman controlled the area under the basket on both ends of the floor.  The backcourt trio of Joey Dayon, Nathan Haddad and Michael Haddad set the scoring pace (they tallied 13, 10 and 8 points respectively), and were backed up with quality play from Sam Silverman and Bobby Soffer running a very steady point. But, the key performance of the night may have been turned in by reserve Co-Captain Michael Shalom. In the second half, with reserve guard Aaron Harari already unavailable due to an injury suffered at the end of the previous practice, Sam Silverman went down with an injury of his own. It was then that Coach Borenstein called on Shalom who came off the bench and virtually shut down young Beyda of YDE, their star player and clearly one of the top performers in the MYHSAL this season, and the best chance YDE had for mounting an upset of the favored Falcons. Shalom rose to the occasion, and the rest of the Falcon hoopsters fed off his energy, closing out their opponents down the stretch for the hard-fought 9-point win.

The Boy’s Basketball program now places its focus on the JV squad, as the 18^th annual installment of the Hausdorff Tournament gets underway Thursday, 12/5 with two games on the evening in conjunction with the Yachad Chesed program. The tournament will conclude on Sunday, 12/8.  The Varsity Boys return to the court on Sunday, 12/15 for the first of four key road tests in 9 days, when they travel to Long Island to take on HAFTR (followed by games at North Shore, SAR and HANC).

Falcon's Nest Notes: A Tale of Two Teams

Center Merle Cohen taps the tip to Lauren Berkovits

Monday night, Flatbush Girls Basketball took on rival Ramaz in what could be considered a tale of two teams, and both of those two teams were the Flatbush Varsity Girls Basketball team. For one quarter, The Falcons looked like a juggernaut – intense, focused, unstoppable and not to be denied. With the return of key players Lauren Berkovits and Alison Kassin, the team looked totally rejuvenated. Behind stellar defense and crisp, controlled offense, the girls held powerhouse opponent Ramaz scoreless until less than :30 seconds remained on the clock, finishing the stanza with a 7-2 lead. Then the clock struck the proverbial 12:00 midnight, and the fancy carriage turned back into a pumpkin. It was as if a different team took the floor for the start of the second period. Ramaz hit a few quick baskets, including some fast breaks off of turnovers, and Flatbush could never get the momentum back. When the dust settled, the Falcons were on the wrong end of a 20-point final, looking up at Ramaz yet again 50-30. 

Senior Allison Kassin goes up for 2 early on in the 1st Quarter

The JV girls fared no better, battling toe-to-toe for one quarter, then slowly falling behind at a steady pace the rest of the way. One bright spot for the JV Girls was the play down the stretch of reserves Atara Anderson, Deborah Coopersmith and Judy Blanka, who gave quality minutes late in the game and kept the JV Rams from extending their lead any further.

Deborah Coopersmith plays defense against Ramaz

Atara Anderson looks to pass

Judy Blanka and Sarah Horowitz combine to block the shot

Nest Notes:
The Varsity Girls were paced by returning players Alison Kassin and Lauren Berkovits who scored 13 and 8 points respectively. The JV Girls were paced by Samantha Chabot, who led all Falcon scorers with 7 points on the night. The Girls are back in action Tuesday 12/10 when the Varsity welcomes Hillel to Brooklyn. This will be followed up the next night, 12/11, by a JV/Varsity doubleheader on the road at Central.

SGO Chanukah Fair 2013/5774

Yesterday, Tuesday December 3rd, the SGO put together an incredible Chanukah Fair for all high school students and faculty to celebrate the beautiful holiday of Chanukah together. Chanukah is a time that families come together to have fun and enjoy the holidays so we thought why not create that atmosphere here in our own Yeshivah of Flatbush family? The SGO worked so hard on this program in order to ensure that students had that time to bond with one another along with faculty and just have a good time without the pressures of school. Whether it was singing karaoke, baking challah, making donuts, decorating cupcakes, doing arts and crafts or playing student teacher basketball, both the students and faculty had an incredible time. It was so great to see all of the students and teachers interact in a more relaxed, out of class setting. Some other activities offered were board games (bananagrams, apples to apples, chess, headbanz, uno), video games such as guitar hero, mario smashbrothers, zumba, yoga, pingpong, and so much more. Thank you to Victor Zeitoune for helping coordinate this great event. A big thank you to our outstanding lunch ladies Chani, Chani and Esther for their beautiful and delicious lunch provided by the school, free of charge. We'd also like to thank the administration for being so supportive and especially to the students for being so involved and for truly making the most of this program, as it sets the tone for future SGO activities and events. Events like these foster the togetherness feeling of what it means to be a part of the Yeshivah of Flatbush Family.

We truly hope you enjoyed it! Have a very Happy Chanukah! ~Your SGO 2014
Lauren Berkovits, Jeffrey Nussbaum, Charles Chakkalo and Rachel Linfield