Rosh Chodesh Adar & Senior Masquerade 5775

In honor of Rosh Chodesh Adar, the Seniors dressed up for the annual Senior Masquerade! During our morning Rikkudim program, the Seniors jumped in and danced in their fun and creative Purim costumes, raising the excitement and unity of the program. After, the Seniors took turns displaying their costumes to each other, and the faculty "judges" designated several awards, such as best group costume, most original costume, and teacher look-alike. The creativity presented was great, and the Seniors, as well as the rest of the school, had a great time dancing in the spirit of Adar and being entertained by their peers awesome and humorous costumes!

Chesed Mission Video 2015/5775

Rabbi Mechanic Inspires Students

On two separate occasions we had the privilege of hosting Rabbi Mechanic, who spoke to the Junior boys and girls. Rabbi Mechanic is a respected and successful lecturer who has dedicated his life to bringing Jews back to their Jewish roots. Rabbi Mechanic spoke about truth in Judaism and believing in the authenticity of the Torah. Rabbi Mechanic's humorous delivery combined with convincing arguments made the program very enjoyable and inspirational.

The Phoenix 2014-2015 Issue 5

Flatbush Students Participate in Yeshiva University National Model United Nations

On Sunday February 8, 2015, eleven students left for the Yeshivah University National Model United Nations competition. The opening ceremonies set the stage for the upcoming two days filled with fun, debate, and resolutions. The Secretary General, Aaron Portman, stressed the importance of voice and using words to influence change. In such a diverse world, it is important for people with different opinions and beliefs to learn the art of working together. As the eleven of us were split up into our various committee rooms, ranging from the committees of the World Food Program to the Security Council, representing either Jordan or Iraq, we were reminded that as the next generation of leaders in our communities and the country, it is incumbent upon us to use our power of speech in combination with our actions to create a better future for the Jewish people. 

Congratulations to Robert Harary for winning Best Delegate and Rashelle Gersh for winning Honorable Mention. A special thank you to Mr. Lazar, our faculty advisor, for spending so much time preparing us for the competition. ~Rashelle Gersh, Class of 2015

Chamber Choir Performs at Nashir Choral Festival

This past Wednesday, the Yeshivah of Flatbush Chamber Choir participated in the sixth annual Nashir Choral Festival hosted by SAR High School. Other yeshiva high schools represented were Golda Och Academy, Abraham Joshua Heschel High School , North Shore High School, and SAR High School. At this unique event, students are encouraged to meet new people, learn new singing techniques, enjoy different genres of music, and above all have fun. Although the day was icy and cold the YOF chamber choir, lead by their esteemed director Mr. Brian Gelfand, set out with high hopes and some nerves. The choir had been preparing for the performance for months as it is the only time to show other schools how good you are. When we first entered the school all of the students were given folders and name tags and gathered into the auditorium where they learned an original song by Nick Page, a professional musician. Students where then split up into groups and participated in three of four different sessions. One of the post popular was perhaps the Gospel Session. Students learned classic gospel songs and learned of its roots and meaning. Other sessions includes drumming, beat boxing 101, and a session led by Nick Page. As the day came to a close students were able to showcase their talents in a school wide concert. There were unforgettable performances from Heschel’s “Stop” and North Shore's “Jewsical” but our very own YOF Chamber Choir preformed “Uri Tzion” and “Bridge Over Troubles Water.” To end the show all the choirs rose and sang together. On behalf of YOF we’d like to thank SAR for the outstanding experience and hope to be there next year as well. ~Merle Cohen

Pathfinders Update: Students Attend Killer Heels Exhibit

Yesterday, January 29th, a few students had the opportunity to visit the Brooklyn Museum to see the "Killer Heels" Exhibit. It was so much more than what I expected it to be. We witnessed and learned about all kinds of shoes from different time periods and cultures. These shoes weren't like your everyday regular pair of shoes. These were shoes with flamboyant colors and exotic structures. We saw all kinds of shoes. From heels to boots to sandals and even slippers! It was a fabulous experience and I can't wait to see what else the Pathfinder's Program has in store!
~Nancy Torgueman

WordWright January Results

Four teams of students representing Yeshivah of Flatbush recently won high honors in this year's WordWright Challenge, a national competition for high school students requiring close reading and analysis of many different kinds of prose and poetry. Participating with 600 school teams from all across the country, the school's ninth and tenth graders both placed first in the nation in the year’s second meet, held in December. At the same time, the school’s eleventh graders placed fourth in the nation and its twelfth graders placed second in the nation.

Students at the school who won high individual honors in the meet included freshmen Danielle Duchan (who earned a perfect score), Michael Feldman, Claire Lessler, Natanel Ben Shabat, Carolyn Kassin, Sam Tourgeman, Nancy Ades, Joseph Aini, Daliah Ben-Ari, Fortune Manopla, and Jessica Vaysman; Sophomores David Azrak, Joey Berkowitz, and Deborah Coopersmith (all of whom earned perfect scores), Joe Ben-Haim, Jacques Mosseri, Rachel Tbeile, Avraham Tessone, Shlomo Husni, Isaac Farhi, Joshua Salama, and Hannah Waide; juniors Victoria Gindi, Yola Haber, and Dylan Sutton (all of whom earned perfect scores), Gabi Cohen, Allan Bailey, Lily Betesh, and Aida Franco; and seniors Melissa Duchan, Louis Franco, Sarah Levy, and Gabriel Rudy (all of whom earned perfect scores), Nessim Azizo, Jackie Fried, Rashelle Gersh, Asher Lifschitz, Naomi Shapiro and Michael Zalta. More than 60,000 students from across the country participated in the meet. The students were supervised by Ms. Shifra Hanon.

Chesed Mission 2015/5775: Day 8

With heavy hearts, we boarded the bus to Yad Lakashish, our first stop on the last day of this year's Chesed Mission. As we arrived many of us were astonished, Yad Lakashish is an organization that provides the elderly with purpose in life. They are given a job and in return they give the elders money and food. We had a chance to walk around the facility and see the elders at work painting silk, pottery and beads. We also had a chance to talk to them and distribute make-up to the women, and scarves to the men. At the end of our tour we visited the gift shop to purchase the works of the elders. It was amazing to see what people would do to help the elders who would normally be home sitting doing nothing.

After that, we headed towards Kever Rachel. As we sang the song Kol Berama, Rabbi Besser explained to us the meaning and context of the song. We learned about Rachel Emainu, how she was such a tzadekket and was always thinking of others before herself. When we arrived at Kever Rachel we each said a few perakim of Tehilim. As we left, I felt an atmosphere of chesed, and holiness.

Next we went to an army base that houses over 50 different units, this base served as a training center. We went to the search and rescue unit, where we watched two videos about the unit. We observed a demonstration of a rescue, where we saw the steps the soldiers take in order to save a person's life.

Then we boarded the buses and headed to Ben Yehudah street for some shopping and food before we sadly had to pack up to go back to America. We walked around and went to different shops to buy souvenirs for our friends and family.

Following this we went to the kotel for a final "goodbye". We prayed Arvit with tears in our eyes and went back to the hotel where we saw a slideshow of all the pictures from this Chesed Mission.

This trip was an amazing experience! It was my first time in Israel and I'm so happy I experienced it through this trip. We all went outside our comfort zones, learned how to forget our differences and unite through acts of chesed. Even though most of us are sad that the trip is over, we shouldn't be sad but we should use this experience as an inspiration. As most of know, chesed starts at home, and with all our experience we can definitely teach others and have an impact on society.
~Clarice Soffer

Chesed Mission 2015/5775: Day 7

We started off the 7th day of the Chesed Mission at the Emunah Ethiopian Day Care Center, one of the many Emunah day care centers located throughout Israel. This specific day care helps immigrant families who are struggling to adapt to Israeli society. We enjoyed the beautiful, sunny weather by interacting with the young children outside in their playground, blowing bubbles and playing ball. The children were so excited to play with us; the smiles and laughter flooded the area. It was evident that the day care staff appreciated our effort and support for their jobs, and the children definitely loved playing with us.

Next, we went to Keren Or, a unique school for children with visual impairments as well as other multiple disabilities. Many of the children were completely blind and could not communicate with us, but nonetheless, we had a great time singing and dancing with them. The few children who were able to get up, dance, and even sing for us, definitely warmed our hearts. The music filled the ears of the children and our effort to interact with them didn't go unappreciated, even though the children couldn't say so themselves. The strong, stellar staff at Keren Or made sure we knew how much it meant to the children that we visited them as well as how much they themselves feel validated by our visit.

At the Tel HaShomer Hospital, we were given the special opportunity to meet many inspirational people. First, we met with Avner Shapira, survivor of a recent firebomb attack and father of Ayala, who was more severely wounded in the attack. He answered our questions about the attack itself, his and his daughter's conditions, and their courage and will to move forward. He inspired me with his confidence that Israel is the safest place for him to be, regardless of the treacherous attack. The thought that someone who experienced such difficulty was able to persevere forced me to believe I can overcome all the comparably minute problems I face. After Avner, we heard from three IDF soldiers who served this past summer in Operation Protective Edge. They explained to us their positions in the army and answered our questions about the operation. When asked about their feelings when going in to the operation and the army in general, the soldiers simply answered that it had to be done; they have no choice. This idea made me believe that sometimes, there is no way out of situations, they must be dealt with. It seemed that this strong attitude is what keeps the soldiers going during times of danger. We truly benefitted from their words; their courage and humility inspired me to think more about possessing a strong, positive attitude. Finally, we handed out gifts to the children in various wings of the hospital. Many covered the general area, few went to the oncology unit, and I, along with some others, went to the eating disorders unit. Meeting girls my age who had spent the last year in the hospital inspired me to appreciate something I take for granted everyday, my ability to eat. I spoke to one girl who will be released tomorrow after 11 months of being in the hospital, to which I rejoiced. I could tell she was so grateful to finally feels well again. She explained to me the daily schedule and the schooling system, as well as the job of certain people that make sure she eats and doesn't burn too many calories. The resentment in her voice was quite depressing, but it touched me that she was so open with me and happy that she could finally leave.

We ended the day by going to an amazing facility led by an awe-inspiring leader. Beit Elezraki, an Emunah home for children "at risk" with over 250 children and with a warm, loving staff. This home was established in order to break the cycle of distress. After a short presentation by the home's director, a man who has literally dedicated all his life to this organization, we watched some of the children perform for us. Their energy was infectious. We ate a beautiful dinner with them and were able to interact and get to know the children. The caring atmosphere in the home truly makes the children who they are; they were so fun to be around. After that, we spent hours dancing with the children, which was simply awesome. The fun and the unity felt in the room was astonishing to me, considering their original background. The dedication of the founder and the loving, fun nature of the children allowed me to further appreciate my own family and made me realize how I could use the values I fortunately learned in my household to help others. We had a blast! ~Rebecca Zami