Freshman Welcome Week Class of 2017

Here is a video to recap the amazing Freshman Week we had during the first couple of days of school to acclimate the Class of 2017 to their new school, Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School:

Students Experience the Behind the Scenes at New York Fashion Week

Flatbush students at the Fashion Show: Ellen Haddad, Renee Sutton, Paulette Jerome,
Susan Benun, Diana Mamiye, Claudine Hadef, Nancy Mizrahi, and Florence Dweck

I had the experience of volunteering in a fashion show during New York Fashion Week alongside other Flatbush students. We had the opportunity to help set up Douglas Hannant's runway at the fashion show. We got to help organize everything before the show. It was an amazing experience to see what goes on back stage in the real world. In the end we all watched it come together. The fashion show was beautiful, Hannant did a great job. It was so great knowing that we were a part of it! We explored our interest in fashion up-close and personal in a real world setting. We owe a big thank you to Mrs. Hanon for giving us this opportunity through the Pathfinders Program!
~Ellen Haddad

Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School Pathfinders Program: 
Beginning in 9th grade, the Pathfinders counselors work with each student to discuss their interests and develop their goals. Students are then given a wide range of opportunities of places where they can volunteer, intern and explore their unique academic pursuits and career ideas. Through the Yeshivah of Flatbush Pathfinders Program, we encourage our students to discover and expand their special talents and abilities and explore career options for the future. Whether a student is actively engaged during the school year or in the summer, we are confident that each Yeshivah of Flatbush student will find a path to success.

Students Learn About the Environment by their Local Lake

       Sophomores, Danielle Ashkenazie, Evelyn Tawil, and Sarah Torgueman accompanied by their teachers Mrs. Hanon and Mrs. Benun participated in an environmental project in Elberon, New Jersey on a Sunday morning during the summer. Faith Teitelbaum a resident of New Jersey, who is also a part of the environmental commission in New Jersey, led this project. The group’s morning began by the Ross Lake of Whale Pond Brook in Elberon. This lake has been hidden and filthy for years with many branches and silt. A small island was discovered to be in the center of the lake after many branches were recently cleared from the lake.
       On the tiny island, there is a small picnic house that was built years ago by a man named P. Stanford Ross. He owned about thirty acres of land around that picnic house in the late 1800s. Ross was a contractor and was also part of the Essex County Park Commission, which made him very knowledgeable and interested in making parks. He built the picnic house and dammed Whale Pond Brook. Today, Ross’s estate contains many houses and properties that surround his dammed lake.
       While the group was at Ross Lake, they also learned to identify poison ivy and other flora. Faith taught them that all of the rain water and fertilizer that is drained through the storm drains in that area, pours into Ross Lake, which pours into Takanasee Lake in Long Branch, New Jersey, which pours into the Atlantic Ocean. She also taught them, by showing them a diagram, that it would be extremely effective if many people in the Whale Pond Brook area would make rain gardens. A rain garden is a small garden that is made up of plants that absorb plenty of water. The purpose of a rain garden is to regulate storm water run-off. If many people would make rain gardens, then the pollutants that are usually carried into nearby lakes would be absorbed. The pollutants would not reach nearby lakes, which would save many organisms living in or near the lakes as well as prevent the pollutants from evaporating with the lake water into the atmosphere. Faith told the group that one rain garden wouldn’t help, but many would really make a difference.
       After they were informed about Ross Lake, they headed to Takanasee Lake in Long Branch. When they arrived they saw remains from a thick cemented wall that was torn apart by Hurricane Sandy. The group was fascinated when they saw a wooden-built dam that allowed the water from Takanasee Lake to flow into the ocean. They observed as the lake water mixed with the ocean water at the weir. It is very important for the lakes’ water to be poured into the ocean because the water would otherwise be backed up into Takanasee Lake.
       Although the group didn’t get to clean the lake or the beach that day, they became aware of many important ideas that tied into their knowledge of biology. The young women look forward to helping their local environment of New Jersey with the knowledge they obtained from their Sunday morning with Faith. One of the students, Danielle Ashkenazie, recently participated in the Long Branch Clearwater Festival, where she had a chance to meet with Congressman Frank Pallone and discussed her environmental concerns with him. These students were able to develop their interests in and learn more about the environment through the Yeshivah of Flatbush Pathfinders Program.
~Thank you to Sarah Torgueman and Danielle Ashkenazie for their contributions to this post.

Torah To Go Series: Sukkot 5774

Charlie Harary Speaks to Students During Teshuvah Program

On Thursday, students at Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School had the honor of hosting one of our alumni, Charlie Harary, who addressed the entire student body and spoke about Yom Kippur and our connection to G-d as part of our annual Teshuvah Program. Reflecting on his personal experience, Mr. Harary inspired students and left an impression that Hashem truly cares about every person. He motivated students to look at all events in their lives as an opportunity to make a difference as well as use these moments to better themselves. Mr. Harary also encouraged students to think of positive changes they wanted to make prior to Yom Kippur.

Torah To Go Series: Yom Kippur 5774

9/11 Commemoration Video

Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School faculty member, Rabbi Yitz Rosenblum, commemorates his brother and all the other people who tragically died on September 11, 2001 in this video.

Welcome Back to Flatbush!

Hands-on Leadership Experience: ILead 2013

Ilead

By Sammy Tbeile

            This past July I had the privilege of going on a program called Ilead with other students from Yeshivah of Flatbush and other schools. I’m sure you’re asking yourself the same question that I’ve heard countless times over the past 8 weeks; “So what’s Ilead?” There isn’t a simple answer - there are no two lines that can sum up our 5 incredible weeks in Israel. Hopefully, I can try to give you a bit of insight and maybe even an answer.

            We got off the plane and quickly realized that this wasn’t an ordinary trip to Israel as we grabbed the bags that contained everything packed for our first 48 hours of camping. Over these 48 hours we got to know each other, our Madrichim (counselors), learned how to build a tent, how to build a fire, some first aid, how to navigate, and failed miserably at a navigation mission. Yes, it was a busy two days but they were nothing compared to some of our later days.
            Don’t get the wrong idea though, Ilead wasn’t some form of twisted Jewish Survivor or Lost. Everything we did on Ilead had a purpose. When we went on hikes (sometimes at 3 o'clock in the morning) we learned about the beauty of the land, and saw an even more beautiful aspect in ourselves as everybody helped each other. The hikes were the ultimate lessons in teamwork. When we went to the Knesset we learned about the Israeli government and had our own debates on relevant Israeli issues. There, we realized the responsibility that leaders have. When we experienced Gadna (or Army Week) we learned about discipline and authority. When we experienced Survival Week (literally getting split up into groups of four in the desert with maps, compasses, and food) we learned not to doubt ourselves, how close we’ve become, and how much we’ve grown. When we went to Sderot for a weekend we were inspired by the families who lived there even though it was tough.

             Ilead was a great followup experience to a leadership course that many of the Yeshivah of Flatbush students took throughout Junior year with Mr. David Galpert, in which we analyzed different leadership styles and techniques through class discussions and Thomas J. Wren’s The Leader’s Companion. The goal of the course was to prepare us to be leaders throughout our senior year and beyond. So, I promised you an answer. Ilead is a program that created a beautiful family of 31 leaders who experienced Israel; broke out of their shells and bubbles; learned countless invaluable life, religious, and other skills; in hopes that they come back and take a leadership role in their schools and communities. So, don’t worry you’ll hear more from us as we incorporate everything we have learned on Ilead and at Yeshivah of Flatbush to improve our schools and communities!

Flatbush Students Spend Summer at the Technion

Jack Bibi (3rd from right) working on a scientific project at the Technion

This summer, two of our rising seniors, Jack Bibi and Jack Terzi, are taking part in an educational experience of a lifetime at the Technion Summer Start Up Camp For Yeshivah High School Students in Israel.

This is a four week program that explores high-tech business development and innovation in a fun and welcoming atmosphere and also emphasizes a personal and team building approach to identify one's creativity, motivation, and passion. This program is organized in conjunction with Jewish Journey (the company that will be coordinating our STEM Israel Trip in January). Students combine business innovation with scientific innovation by participating in academic and hands on workshops, classroom lectures, and by visiting Israeli high-tech firms. Throughout the program, students are divided into teams and work under the mentorship of Technion faculty and graduate students on identifying public needs and developing ideas into a product to solve them.

Yeshivah of Flatbush is proud to support our students' scientific interests and inquiries by promoting programs like these in the summer and throughout the whole school year. We know that both Bibi and Terzi will gain a lot from this program and we are looking forward to hearing all about it when they return. 

Jack Bibi and Jack Terzi enjoying the views of Israel from the Technion