Rosh Chodesh Kislev 5774 Rikkudim

On Monday, November 4th/1 Kislev, in honor of Rosh Chodesh Kislev, the Yeshivah of Flatbush students participated in a fun-filled kumsitz/rikkudim program. For the first time ever, we also had about 60 amazing guests from three different organizations: Ohel Childrens Home - Bais Ezra Rehab, Ivdu - Yachad and Imagine academy. After watching a short slideshow of pictures from our previous Yachad event, our students and special guests had an amazing time singing and dancing together. Rikkudim is truly a time where the Yeshivah of Flatbush family comes together as one for a greater purpose. This experience is one of the things that make Flatbush so special. We are so happy to have spent this time with our guests and to have celebrated our Rosh Chodesh Kislev, a time of happiness, in such a positive and meaningful way. ~Lauren Berkovits

Spanish Heritage Day 2013

On Thursday October 24th, the Yeshivah of Flatbush held its second annual Spanish Heritage and Culture day. Freshmen and Sophomores came down to the lounge during their Spanish period to learn all about Spanish heritage and culture through special activities, games, foods, and songs. With the help of the spanish department, Señoras Birman, Ovadia and Shterenzer, AP Spanish students as well as Spanish 3 students, the lounge was draped in festive Spanish decorations with everything from banners to flags to piñatas. Delicious foods such as tacos, gazpacho, and home made dulce de leche (caramel) was served. We played creative Spanish games such as simón dice (simon says), pin the tail on the donkey, and hielo (freeze dance) as well. Spanish puzzles and word games were displayed on the tables for students to play as well. Students and faculty had a wonderful time and learned more about "el mundo de español". ~Lauren Berkovits

Falcon's Nest Notes: Day 4 in Memphis, TN - Championship Sunday

The Flatbush Falcons, Cooper Invitational Tournament Tier II Champions

Following a formula that seems to have been put in place back on Friday, the Flatbush Falcons played their opponents to a near stand-off, taking a meager 2 point half-time lead into the locker room. After the break, they methodically extended that lead over the final 16 minutes to take home the Cooper Invitational Tournament Tier II Championship home to Brooklyn.

The Falcons get a pre-game pep-talk from Dr. Ed Weiner

Mayer Khamkatchi battles under the boards

After a pre-game pep talk from Dr. Ed Weiner (Ed, a native New Yorker, was a basketball All American at the University of Tennessee (UT) in 1955. He was a two-time All-Southeast Conference (SEC) selection and led the U.S. Maccabiah Team to a gold medal in the 1953 Israel Maccabiah Games. Dr. Weiner was selected by the Philadelphia Warriors with the 27th overall pick in the 1955 NBA draft.) the game was underway.

Joey Dayon flies to the basket against two RASG defenders

Murray Mizrahi powers the ball to the basket

True to form, the Falcons took an early lead on a smooth 3-point basket from Senior point guard Joey Dayon. But it was a lead the team could not hold on to as poor offensive decisions and uncharacteristically slow weakside defense let the Warriors from Rabbi Alexander S. Gross of Miami Beach, Florida launch a number of uncontested 3’s of their own, staking them to 12-9 lead over the Falcons at the first quarter mark.

Victor Silverman sets to knock down a key free throw

Joey Dweck sets to drill a jumper

In the second quarter, fouls would begin to play a big role in the outcome of the game, as the constant in-your-face defense employed by Flatbush began to frustrate the Warriors from Miami. They began to collect fouls at an alarming rate, forcing them to insert their reserves. Similarly, Flatbush suffered the foul bug as well, with team leader Dayon and Center Mayer Kamkhatchi picking up two fouls each early in the second quarter. Stepping up to fill the void were Victor Silverman and Joey Dweck, providing the perfect compliment to the near-dominant inside play of Power Forward Murray Mizrahi. Along with two key jumpers from Senior Guard Nathan Haddad, Silverman and Dweck each knocked down a jumper a piece in the quarter to stem the tide, ease the pressure and re-establish control for the Falcons.

Murray Mizrahi converts the basket while drawing the foul

The Flatbush Falcons' pressure defense

In what is now an established pattern, a rejuvenated Flatbush team took the court for the second half, and amped up the pressure. With the bigs boxing out and the guards turning over their counterparts, the Falcons extended the lead to a 7 point 3rd quarter lead. At that point, the duo of Nathan Haddad and Joey Dayon took over. With expert ball control, crisp passing and strong drives to the basket, the guards found their way to the foul line, shooting a solid 9 of 10 combined from the line down the stretch. With the clock winding down, Buddy Setton netted the final basket, closing out the scoring as the Falcons streamed on the court in celebration of their hard-earned 66-47 victory.

Buddy Setton elevates and hits for 2!

Raymond Braha looks to pass in the low post

It is now time to return to Brooklyn, internalize the great experience that has been The Cooper both on and off the court, and build on this success as the team prepares to enter the MYHSAL regular season.

NEST NOTES: Nathan Haddad had a team-high 6 steals on the day. Murray Mizrahi had a personal season high of 14 points; Joey Dayon led all scorers with 18 points on the day (15 in the second half). For his efforts over the course of the entire weekend, Dayon was named Most Outstanding Player for the Tier II Championship. Senior Guard Michael Haddad was labeled an all-star by The Cooper Tournament selection committee and was named to the All-Tournament team. Pictures of the Falcons at the Tournament can be found by clicking here.

Joey Dayon
Tier II Tournament Most Outstanding Player

Michael Haddad
 Cooper Invitational Tournament All-Star

Open House 2013/5774

On Sunday, October 27th, 2013 Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School held its annual Open House. Eighth graders from different Yeshivas across the metropolitan area attended the event and were able to see the amazing opportunities Flatbush has to offer.

Many current Flatbush students and teachers came early to help set up and volunteer throughout the day. Eighth graders along with their parents were greeted by current students and parent ambassadors and signed in on iPads. They then enjoyed some refreshments before they had the opportunity to hear from administrators and teachers about the latest innovations inside and outside of the classroom that are happening at Flatbush. They then enjoyed watching our "Yeshivah of Flatbush is For Me" video, created by student Victor Dweck, before heading upstairs for two mini-lessons to learn about the rigorous academic program in both Judaic and Secular Studies. A question and answer session with administrators, parents, and students followed. The day ended with a great commission fair in the gym highlighting the numerous extracurricular activities Flatbush students take part in. Eight graders and their parents had the opportunity to experience the academic, extracurricular, and all the other great aspects of Flatbush.

Traveling Troupe Performs at Shore View Nursing Home

The talented students who are part of our Traveling Troupe recently performed at Shore View Nursing Home to uplift the spirits of the residents. Here is a brief glimpse into their amazing performance:

Falcon's Nest Notes: Day 3 in Memphis, TN

Nathan Haddad feeds a pass to Murray Mizrahi

After Havdalah (or many Havdalot, as the lobby hallway of the Doubletree Hotel was home to multiple Motzei Shabbat services), it was time to return to the basketball courts of the Memphis JCC and a Tier II semi-final meeting between the Yeshivah of Flatbush and the Fasman Yeshiva of Skokie, Illinois.

Joey Dayan elevates to the basket for 2

Nathan Haddad drives the lane

Finally back on court with the second game of the evening, the first half of play saw the usual feeling out process as the two squads battled to see how the officials would call the game. In a portent of what would prove to be a key element in the game, Flatbush opened up the scoring by tallying the first point of the game on a Joey Dayon free throw after getting fouled on a strong drive to the basket. As is becoming its style, the Falcons brought defensive pressure early and often, resulting in a plethora of turnovers. But, the team was not able to settle down on the offensive end and did not capitalize greatly on the turnovers. By the end of the first half, Flatbush could manage only a 3-point lead. However, the Falcons established a dominant inside presence. Center Mayer Kamkhatchi was a beast on the boards, complimented by the play of fellow big men Shawn Blinder, Murray Mizrahi and Victor Silverman who each made significant contributions to the teams play at both ends of the court.

Murray Mizrahi sets to hit one of his 5 key free throws of the night

The Flatbush Press

Another 3 from Michael Haddad

The second half saw an energized Flatbush backcourt slowly take control of the game. Behind constant relentless pressure, the defense turned over the Fasman Yeshiva 5, leading to break-away lay-ups for guards Nathan Haddad and Joey Dayon, while Michel Haddad found a consistent stroke from behind the 3-point arc (he would finish the game 5-6 from 3-point range) and extending the lead to 10 points by the end of the 3rd quarter. As well as the backcourt played, the key element in the team’s success came at the free-throw line, a place where the team had struggled mightily to this point. For the first time this season, the Falcons shot better than 75%, converting on 14 of 18 shots from the charity stripe. The trademark Flatbush press, precision passing on offense and dominant rebounding at both ends of the court allowed the Falcons to take control and cruise the rest of the way to a hard-earned 58-34 victory. 

Mayer Kamhatchi grabs a rebound

Buddy Setton goes strong for the hoop

Bobby Soffer goes in for a lay-up

The Boys from Flatbush had an extra hour to enjoy the victory (the clocks move back one hour Sunday night) before taking the court Sunday morning where they will play for a Tier II Championship against the Rabbi Alexander S. Gross Warriors of Miami Beach, Florida. Rest up, and GO FALCONS!

The Cooper Flatbush Kippa

Joey Dayon keeps thing loose before the game

NEST NOTES: The Falcons were led in scoring by Michael Haddad and Joey Dayon who poured in 19 points each. Mayer Kamkhatchi gathered in a team-high 15 rebounds. Murray Mizrahi was 5-6 from the free throw line. RASG lost a close game to North Shore Hebrew Academy on the tournaments opening day; North Shore will play for the Tier I Championship tomorrow against Yeshiva University of Los Angeles (YULA).

Falcon's Nest Notes: Shabbat in Memphis, TN

If one thinks “The Cooper” is all about basketball, then one would miss the real greatness of the event. What lies at the heart of this annual gathering of yeshiva basketball talent is what it really means to be a member of a larger Jewish community. This is what comes to the forefront on Shabbat in Memphis; 16 teams, 16 different communities, coming together as one to celebrate Shabbat in the center of the heartland of America.

It is easy for us in Brooklyn, NY, the cradle of Jewish America, to find a synagogue to go to for tefilah, to find a home to go to for Shabbat dinner. But to see a community in Middle America, where the numbers of the Jewish community is representative of the Jewish presence in the national population (roughly .2%), open its doors – literally – to our 200+ players, coaches and staff is to see the true power of Jewish community!

After davening with a nearby congregation, local families stepped forward, collecting their assigned guests for the evening. The Flatbush contingent was divided into 3 groups, was warmly welcomed into each respective home and represented the Flatbush community with honor, respect and pride (not surprisingly, one host family consisted not only of transplanted New Yorkers, but was also home to a proud Flatbush graduate!).

After dinner, all The Cooper participants gathered in the main auditorium of the Cooper Yeshiva for an Oneg Shabbat consisting of cakes, snacks, drinks and the anticipated appearance of Tamir Goodman. Known internationally as “The Jewish Jordan,” Tamir represents the realization of the dream of each and every player in attendance – an Orthodox, Shabbat-observant Jew who achieved basketball success on the Division I college level (at Towson State) and later professionally in Europe, earning respect not only for his commitment to basketball but also for his commitment to Judaism. How impressive was Tamir? In a room not really conducive to public speaking, you could literally hear a pin drop! Before sending the teams home, more raffles were held, with Flatbush again taking home prizes; a hometown jersey going to Senior leader Joey Dayon and, in a big surprise, one awarded to Flatbush’s own Athletic Director Eric Amkraut! (It can be seen in the Flatbush Athletic Office upon the team’s return to Brooklyn)

Yom Shabbat was more of the same; The Cooper and the Memphis community coming together, sharing experiences, respecting customs and learning together. In a Sephardic minyan, Flatbush members shared leadership and participatory roles in tefilah and Torah. At lunch, players mingled further, ate together and again shared more learning and more customs. Example: after a zamir of the Ashkenaz tradition, Rabbi Lubetski of the Memphis community invited a member of the Flatbush Falcons to lead the group in a song of the Sephardic tradition. Up stepped Mayer Kamkhatchi, who stood up on his chair and led the hall in a spirited “Baruch Kevodo,” which was received with spirit and enthusiasm! As part of the program, members of 3 attending teams stood up to deliver Divrei Torah prepared in advance of the tournament. Representing Flatbush, Junior Raymond Braha delivered an expert Drash on Parshat Toledot, delving into the meaning behind the depiction of the way the Torah describes the love Yitzchak had for Eisav and the love Rivkah demonstrated for Ya’akov. Chazak U'Baruch to Raymond for his inspired teaching! (And, following, another raffle and, again, another Flatbush winner – this time for Assistant Coach Leor Friedman!)

After lunch, the players and coaches gathered back in the school’s Beit Midrash to hear Yanni Hufnagel, Assistant Coach for the Vanderbilt University Commodores Men’s Basketball program. Players sat on the edges of their seats as Yanni had their rapt attention as he listed a Jewish who’s who in American basketball today, from college team managers to assistant coaches to head coaches; from NBA assistant coaches to head coaches to front office personnel. His message – your basketball dream is never out of reach if you are willing to work hard for it! To illustrate, he shared the tale of the mule in the well. In short, a mule is trapped in the bottom of a well and cannot get out. The farmer and his neighbors decide it best to bury the mule there and begin shoveling sand into the well. Rather than stand still and be buried in sand, with each shovelful the stubborn mule would shake off the sand and step up on the pile, eventually rising up and stepping out of the well – the moral being no matter how bleak things look, you can achieve your goals it you just “shake it off, and step up!”

Falcon's Nest Notes: Day 2 in Memphis, TN

Tip Off v. Weinbaum Yeshiva of Boca Raton, Florida

The Boys from Flatbush took the court for the second game of the day as the top seed in Tier II of the Cooper Invitational Basketball Tournament in Memphis Tennessee, but it took until the second half for the team to show the kind of inspired play that earned them the top ranking.

Mayer Kamkhatchi scores inside on a feed from Nathan Haddad

Michael Shalom drives the lane for 2

Bobby Soffer runs the offense late in the 2nd quarter

The first half was filled with sluggish play and fouls galore, with the Falcons already shooting the bonus in the 1st quarter. The lackluster play allowed the boys from the Weinbaum Yeshiva of Boca Raton, FL to hang tough the entire half. The Falcons showed an early presence down low with strong play from center’s Mayer Kamkhatchi and Shawn Blinder and continued powerful rebounding from Murray Mizrahi. But, with Flatbush’s starting backcourt in early serious foul trouble, and the team shooting a dreadful 6-16 from the foul line in the first half alone, it was only through the gritty play of reserve guard Bobby Soffer that the Falcons could consider themselves lucky to be down by only one at the break, 20-19.

Michael Haddad shoots and hits from 3 point land!

Allen Maleh crashes the board for a rebound

After half-time, the spectators on Court 1 of the Memphis JCC saw a different Flatbush team return for the second half. From the outset, the backcourt trio of Joey Dayon, Michael Haddad and his brother Nathan turned up the pressure another notch on the Weinberg Yeshiva Storm. Though the teams appeared to trade baskets for a time, the Storm began to wear down, turning the ball over under the relentless pressure and continuing to foul the Falcons at a rapid pace. With time winding down in the 3rd quarter, the Falcons shooters pushed the lead out to double digits with two consecutive possessions yielding 3-pointers from Michael Haddad and Sam Silverman. Not much later, the Storm appeared to dissipate after the intense front-court pressure of the Haddad brothers caused a turnover in front of the Falcon bench which a diving Michael fed to a cutting Nathan for a backbreaking lay-up from with Weinberg never recovered. Maintaining the pressure and controlling the boards the rest of the way, the Falcons cruised on to a 61-41 victory.

Buddy Setton ices the game

Sam Silverman sets and hits a free throw

With a break for Shabbat that will feature home hospitality for dinner and an Oneg Shabbat with guest speaker Tamir Goodman, the first orthodox observant player to play Division 1 college basketball (he played for Towson State in Maryland, and later had a brief career playing professionally in Israel), the Falcons now get some well-deserved rest and will prepare for a Tier II semi-final battle on Motzei Shabbat against the Fasman Yeshiva of Skokie, Illinois.

Post game at the tote board, Coach Avi Borenstein waits with his players to see who the falcons will get to play in the Tier II Semifinals; Athletic Director Eric Amkraut looks on with pride.

Falcon's Nest Notes: Day 1 in Memphis, TN

Coach Avi Borenstein with Falcon Reserves 

For the Yeshivah of Flatbush Varsity Boys Basketball Team, Day One of the Cooper Invitational Yeshiva Basketball Tournament in Memphis, Tennessee was a day of ups and downs and ups.

Flatbush Falcons pray in airport before they depart to Memphis

After an early morning departure that involved the question of which would arrive first, the car conveying the last four members of the team or a taxi carrying teffilin as its lone passenger, the team arrived to a rain-drenched Memphis looking forward to experiencing “The Cooper.” A late afternoon matchup had the 10th seeded Falcons taking on the 7th seed jaguars from the New Community Jewish Day School of Los Angeles, California. The boys from Flatbush brought their unique brand of pressure defense from the get-go, and an early 3-pointer from Senior team leader Joey Dayon staked the Falcons to a lead they kept throughout the entire first half. What was most impressive about the play of the Falcons was the vastly improved rebounding at both ends of the court, led by Forwards Victor Silverman and Murray Mizrahi and Centers Shawn Blinder and Mayer Kamkhatchi. This was further complimented by some crisp interior passing to the team’s “bigs” that yielded much needed inside scoring balance to the outside shooting of Dayon and Michael Haddad. By the end of the half, the Flacons enjoyed a slim lead over the rival Jaguars.

Joey Dayon turns the corner and is fouled

The second half showed both how far the team has come in a few short weeks of play and how far it still has to go. After a slow start, the Falcons began stretching their lead late in the third quarter, nearly reaching double digits. But just as it looked like Flatbush might put their opponents away, the Jaguars slowly clawed their way back, taking the lead for the first time with 6 minutes remaining in the game. But Flatbush would not fold, and with less than 2 minutes to play, the Falcons reclaimed the lead. Foul shooting again came to the fore, and while the team showed much improvement in that area during the game, a missed free-throw left the Falcon lead at two. The Jags tied the game on their next possession. With the ball and under 30 seconds to play, the Falcons looked to hold the ball for the final shot of regulation, but an errant shot at the 22-second mark gave the ball back to the Jaguars, forcing Flatbush to play defense in the hopes of preserving the tie and going to overtime. But it was not to be. The jaguars hit a contested shot in the lane, leaving 10 seconds for the Falcons to try to hit the equalizer. With three seconds left, the ball found its way to Sam Silverman who drove the lane and elevated for a pull-up jumper. It looked to all as if he drew a foul, but none was called. Time expired with the Falcons on the losing end, dejected and disappointed by the outcome of 49-47, but having earned great respect from a team that routinely scores in the 80’s every game and keeping them in the 40’s.

Murray Mizrahi, pre-game warm-up

Joey Dweck, pre-game warm-up

Later in the evening, the team would begin to learn that Cooper is about more than just basketball. At a nearby synagogue, all the 16 teams taking part in the tournament gathered together for Ma’ariv, followed by dinner. While dining and rehashing the event s of the opening round, the participants listened to words of Torah presented by fellow competitors, were inspired by remarks from 2-time NBA Champion Mike Miller (now a member of the Memphis Grizzlies) who also entertained questions from a select few players (one of whom being Flatbush Falcon Mayer Kamkhatchi), were awarded signed basketballs (5 were raffled off, with one going to Flatbush’s own Allen Maleh!) and most importantly learned who their next round opponents would be. It was here that Flatbush was given a modicum of redemption as well as a wealth of respect. After reviewing the opening games, the winners all advanced to Tier I, but the losing teams moved to Tier II and were reseeded by the committee based on the day’s performances. Flatbush was awarded the top seed in Tier II, and will take to the court Friday morning, looking to bring home a championship from Memphis. GO FALCONS!

Michael Haddad plays tenacious Defense

Nest Notes: The Flatbush Girls Hoopsters swept a regular season-opening doubleheader from Kushner on Wednesday night, with the Varsity winning going away by a score of 44-37 and the JV pulling out a nail-biter winning 35-33. The varsity was led by Victoria Gindi and Rose Mishaan who scored 17 and 8 points respectively; the JV was led in scoring by Samantha Chabot who tallied 12 points and Sarah Horowitz who added 7 points.

Students Perform at Rambam's Poetry Slam

Fanya Donin, Ms. Robinson, Joy Feinberg, and Aliza Kantarowitz

Students from Yeshivah of Flatbush attended Rambam's fourth annual Jewish poetry slam competition, last week, on October 22, 2013. Each poet was required to write a poem that abided by two different themes. The first was a poem around a Billy Collins style poem and the second was a poem that was written in reaction to a series of paintings that were created by the Jewish Artist League. We had three student-poets, Aliza Kantarowiz, Fanya Donin, and Joy Feinberg attend the slam. We would like to specifically congratulate Aliza Kantarowitz who was awarded the Runner-Up to Poet of the Day. We look forward to hosting the next slam right here at Yeshivah of Flatbush on November 21st. Please see Aliza Kantarowitz or Ms. Robinson if you'd like to participate.

Aliza Kantarowitz performing at the Rambam Poetry Slam