The Phoenix 2016-2017 Issue 2

Spanish Heritage Day 2016

On Monday October 31st, Yeshivah of Flatbush celebrated our annual Spanish Heritage Day! Freshmen and Sophomores had the opportunity to play games, participate in activities, and listen to music, all in Spanish to highlight what they have learned in the classroom so far. Students and faculty enjoyed an array of Spanish foods including tacos, salsa, paella, and gazpacho soup. Thank you to Señora Birman, Señora Ovadia, and Señora Shterenzer for putting the event together with their Spanish 3 and AP Spanish students. ¡El día fue un éxito! (The day was a success) ~Marcelle Setton, Class of 2017

Q & A with Mr. Brian Walls of The Glass Castle

During the summer, the all students in the senior grade read Janette Walls's memoir, The Glass Castle. On Monday, October 10th Janette Walls's brother, Brian Walls came to speak with us and answer any questions we had. He said although the story in the book about his siblings childhood was almost precise and not exaggerated, each one of their siblings had a different view on how everything played out. He also explained how the way he grew up effected his view on life and how he raised his daughter. He concluded the assembly by thanking us and mentioning that all of our questions will really get him thinking. We appreciated Mr. Brian Walls coming to answer all of our questions, and we look forward to watching the upcoming movie of The Glass Castle coming out around Thanksgiving of 2017. ~Brenda Hefez, Class of 2017

Teshuvah Assembly 5777

This past Friday, during the Aseret Yemi Teshuvah, we had the privilege of hearing from Rabbi Saul J. Kassin, YOF alum and Rabbi of Congregation Magen David of West Deal, for our annual Teshuvah Assembly. Rabbi Kassin enlighten us with the power of teshuvah. He opened up with two short, inspiring stories and made us aware of the Jewish tradition that holds that even someone who sinned his whole life can do teshuvah on his last day. Rabbi Kassin expressed that we need to take advantage of the spiritual moments in our lives and make sure to come back to Hashem. Also, Rabbi Kassin brought up Ben Ish Chai's interpretation of the law of making a protection on a new roof. He explains that the word new in the pasuk can be interpreted as someone to start anew. The only way for someone to do teshuvah is to recognize his or her weaknesses. The fence around the roof is meant to keep ourselves in check and look inside ourselves.

The main takeaways from Rabbi Kassin's speech was that we have to remain focused on Hashem. We have to feel our Jewish identity, get emotional, and most importantly create a plan for the future to integrate measures into our lives in order to do this. We all walked out of the program feeling inspired to work on ourselves during  the Aseret Yemi Teshuvah and for the upcoming year. ~Marcelle Setton, Class of 2017

Financing College Presentation 2016

On Monday September 26, the College Guidance Department hosted Mr. Bob Friedman, Director of Student Finances at Yeshiva University, to speak with parents of seniors about how to apply for financial aid at colleges across the country. His informative presentation provided parents with a thorough understanding of the financial aid process and how to make college affordable.

AP Biology Classes Explore "Dinosaurs Among Us" Exhibit

This past Wednesday the Yeshivah of Flatbush AP Biology classes went on a trip to the American Museum of Natural History to explore the "Dinosaurs Among Us" exhibit. We learned about the evolutionary relationship between dinosaurs and modern-day birds. Then we explored the Hall of Human Origin to learn about the evolution of Homo sapiens. We also learned about biodiversity to further expand our understanding of the variation between species over time. Thank you Rabbi Lubner and Dr. Fruchter! We had a great time!
~Mary Jajati, Class of 2018

Class of 2017 Visit National 9/11 Memorial Museum

Last week the Class of 2017 visited the National 9/11 Memorial Museum. Each year the senior class visits Ground Zero and experiences the inspirational and moving tribute to the events that took place on September 11. 2001. In  school, we were introduced to the day by watching a recap of all the events that took place because we were too young to remember what had occurred. There was not a sound in the room while we watched a video about the event.  In the museum, we looked at artifacts and pictures and watched videos about the tragic event. The museum had everything from newspapers from the morning of the event to pieces of metal from the buildings' structures. Tears were in my eyes as I heard voicemail messages from the people who were on the planes to their loved ones during their final moments. One story that particularly touched me from a film in the museum was of a woman who made sure to hold her skirt down while jumping out of a building so that it wouldn't fly up. Her modesty amazes me. I couldn't believe the courage of the firemen and volunteers who continued going in to the buildings even when they were collapsing. We learned a lot of interesting things that we didn't know before. What happened on 9/11 and those who died will never be forgotten.

~Estelle Saad, Class of 2017

The Phoenix 2016-2017 Issue 1

Pathfinders Update: NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate

During the month of August this past summer, 33 Yeshivah of Flatbush students attended a bi-weekly class at NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate taught by professor Eric Stern (HS class of 2000). The course focused on giving students a deeper understanding of the real estate market. We learned everything from borrowing debt, development, to adding value to a project. The course included a site visit to a residential property in Soho, where we were given a tour by the property manager. We learned what it is like to manage a building and how to maximize profits. The course ended in a final project where students got together in teams to find a realistic, residential real estate deal. We then presented why this deal made sense in front of Professor Stern and other Schack deans and professors. We thank Professor Eric Stern, Ms. Hanon, and the rest of the Schack and Pathfinders teams for arranging this great course.  ~Joseph BenHaim, Class of 2017

Commission Fair 2016

This past Tuesday, the SGO held the annual Commission Fair.  The Commission Fair is an event that showcases all the extracurricular clubs, commissions, and academic teams offered in the school. Each commission made an explanatory and informative board or banner so that the students could easily learn about the commission and see what is most appealing to them. Many of our students partake in a variety of commissions and clubs to expand their interests and talents and make the most of their high school experience. Elliot Shamah, SGO president, said "this year's fair went exceptionally well. The presentations were just top notch.  I saw so many students signing up for different opportunities that ranged from Crochet Club to Mock Trail." ~SGO 2017