Yeshivah of Flatbush Bulletin Vol. LXXXVII No. 1

‫הישיבה דפלטבוש‬
Yeshivah of Flatbush
Bulletin
VOLUME LXXXVII
Number 1
February 2014
adar I, 5774
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President’s
Message
Blueprint for Excellence
Change Within and Without
reat schools, like great businesses, continuously adapt and
innovate. The Yeshivah of Flatbush
has an 87-year tradition of redefining
what a great school can be.
G
The Yeshivah has always strived to be
the leading Jewish day school. While
maintaining our strong heritage, we
are committed to continuous change
and self-evaluation in order to remain
the trendsetting institution in Jewish
education.
Our Blueprint for Excellence
Campaign for Joel Braverman High
School is about change both within
and without.
There is a school wide emphasis,
with over $2,000,000 invested in
fresh programming and personnel,
on an individualized approach to
education:
• Honors Science and Math are
now available to all students, even
those not in the Honors classes.
2
• Class size has been substantially
decreased. Each grade now
has seven smaller sections instead
of six. The typical high school elective has between 10 and 19 students. All freshmen English classes
are capped at 15 students, to allow
Yeshivah of Flatbush has a strong history
of teacher support for students.
teacher and student to concentrate
on writing even more.
• Individualized guidance is provided to every sophomore to ascertain his or her passion. Students are
then personally paired with mentors who will work with them over
the next two years to pursue their
passion — and create a project that
will be submitted with their college
application to make the application
“pop.”
• The College Guidance
Department offers to our students
five full-time counselors, plus the
former Dean of Barnard as a coach.
Moreover, Options for College
worked with our students during
the summer in both Brooklyn and
Deal to perfect their essays and
applications. The results of all of
this attention have been extremely
strong: in a highly challenging
year on the admissions front for all
yeshiva high schools, our students
have been admitted to Princeton,
Columbia, Barnard, Penn, NYU,
Cooper Union, Michigan and many
other selective schools. To continue
this momentum, we have engaged
a renowned firm to conduct a national search for a new Director of
College Guidance.
• Multiple new electives have been
offered, in robotics, engineering,
advanced engineering, graphic
design, advanced graphic design,
marketing, business ethics,
photography, Portuguese, and
many other and myriad offerings.
• Over 50 enthusiastic and
profoundly capable teachers
and principals have recently
joined our faculty; together with
our extraordinarily dedicated and
talented veteran faculty, they are
shaping the Yeshivah’s culture and
curriculum of tomorrow. The
picture of the English department
faculty at left only hints at the
vitality our professionals bring to
our students daily!
The Blueprint for Excellence
Campaign is about far more than
the look and physical profile of our
school; it is about what we can do
for each and every student, day in
and day out.
New science labs allow us to inspire
a new generation of engineers, scientists and doctors. The new Khezrie
Auditorium allows us to stoke the
creative fires of budding young
artists, musicians and actors.
A new fabrication lab permits the
aspiring architects, fashion designers
and graphic designers to dream,
create, and flourish.
Multiple small learning spaces
allow for mentors to work with
students in one-on-one settings.
Please join with us and help us
continue to be the sacred place
where Jewish education does its
thinking. Help us celebrate the next
87 years of reimagining educational
excellence. Together we can make
the difference.
Mark Goldstein
President
Yeshivah of Flatbush
JBHS Khezrie Auditorium
he JBHS Khezrie Auditorium was a masterpiece
of art even before all of our students gathered there.
But look at how our talented students brought the stage
to life for their recently-performed all-Hebrew version of
Les Miserables!
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3
Joel Braverman
High School
College counselor Rabbi Yitzchak Rosenblum
advises a student about college choices.
ever did “four years for the rest
of your life” resonate more with
our seniors than during the college
application process, under the deft
coaching of our College Guidance
Department.
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College guidance starts in freshman
year, where students are already
beginning to focus on individual
aspirations and personal plans. YOF
places a strong focus on nurturing
and developing each student’s talents
and interests, inside and outside our
classrooms.
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By senior year, students have completed a demanding course load and
engaged in a wide range of activities
to prepare them for college. Our College Guidance Department tailors its
Many graduates have close ties to and remain a large part of
YOF, including as parents, faculty, and donors. They are strong
advocates for our school, with fond memories of and deep ties
to YOF and to how our school community has shaped and
influenced them in life, faith, and career. They tell us how
YOF’s emphasis on reaching one’s potential in learning and
achievement results in a strong life and work ethic that leads
to professional, religious and personal success.
Our Expanded
College Guidance
Department
Holds the Key
To Success
approach to each student’s interests
and helps navigate the college application process. We offer our students
— as well as parents — extensive
support, and have college advisors at
the ready, even during the summer,
in Brooklyn and in Deal, helping with
essay writing, research, course planning, and managing applications and
deadlines. The English department
works with students in their junior
year for college essay preparation.
“I achieved my goal of being accepted into the University of Michigan,
thanks to the tireless efforts, both on
and off hours of my college guidance
counselor, who constantly sent me
up-to-date reminders throughout
the application process,” said
senior Joshua Sitt.
The expanded College Guidance
Department works as a team to help
students find their niche, showcase
their talents, and effectively plan
their college application strategies.
An impressive list of the colleges
to which our students have already
been admitted can be found on the
front cover of this Bulletin.
The College Guidance team is
led by Associate Principal Sari
Bacon and includes Josh Gombo,
Helen Kuznicki, Lee Levine, Rachel
Natov, Rabbi Yitzchak Rosenblum
and Debbie Solomon. The team is
delighted to have the opportunity
to work with YOF College Guidance
Consultant Dorothy Denburg, who
most recently served as Dean
of Barnard College.
NEWS
BITES
Parent Book Society
Events
Chinese Auction
Rabbi Linfield’s new Parent
Book Society book club invites
parents of K–12 students to
join four discussions this year
— some with authors —
on different titles. Watch
for upcoming events!
Thanks to everyone for
making the YOF Chinese
Auction 2014 “Direction”
a success! A Smart car was
one of the many exciting
items auctioned off.
Parent Choices Program Helps
Make Sense of the Adolescent Journey
I
n early December, High School
parents attended an exciting and
enlightening program to help them
navigate adolescent development.
Psychologists Dr. Norman Blumenthal
and Dr. Shlomo Zimmerman captivated the audience with information
about what to expect from teens; how
to make sense of what is normal and
what isn’t; and tips for bridging the
gap between parents and teens.
This discussion was followed by a
panel of our own experts, made up of
students from the Choices Commission, a group of juniors and seniors
who try to influence their peers to
refrain from involvement in dangerous
teen situations. Lauren Levi, Lital BenZikry, and Victor Dweck shed light on
teen perspectives and offered parents
clear, feasible ideas for how to best
communicate with their children.
The night concluded with an
informative question-and-answer
session, during which parents delved
further into the topics presented.
The Guidance Department, led by
Director of Guidance Dr. Etty Mizrahi,
faculty member Eva Bernfeld, and
the Parent Choices Committee look
forward to continued school-home
collaboration and to creating future
parent programs.
Class of 2003 Reunion
n Dec. 14, 2013, the Joel Braverman
High School class of 2003 gathered
here for their 10th Anniversary Reunion.
Despite the messy snowstorm that day, a
great turnout of dedicated alumni enjoyed
reconnecting with each other and with YOF.
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5
Academics
A strong commitment to academics sustains
a Yeshivah of Flatbush education. We develop
well-rounded, passionate learners, driven
to master complex ideas, satisfy intellectual
curiosity, and better the world.
At each grade level, writing classes are
intensified and skills are reinforced.
Small groups allow students individualized
attention as they improve their writing skills.
Intensive Practice Makes
for Expert Writing Habits
“Don’t tell me the moon is
shining; show me the glint
of light on broken glass”
—Anton Chekhov
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he English Department has
always been dedicated to
improving the writing skills of our
students. The best way to foster improvement is for our students to write
— and write more — in small and
intimate class settings. In class,
students are walked through all
components of the writing process,
and final drafts are graded by rubric
so that each student can focus on
areas that need work when penning
a second draft. While syntax and
diction are important areas of correc-
T
tion, we also help our writers
understand the conversation and
relationship between writer and
reader. Audience, purpose, and
voice are stressed in every piece
of writing so that students are
prepared for both academic and
real-world writing.
The freshman English classes have
no more than 15 students, allowing
for writing workshops, small group
work, weekly assignments, one-onone conferencing, and author’s chair.
In sophomore year, an additional
period has been added to continue
writing workshops — in addition to
intense SAT and ACT writing skills.
In junior year, writing is intensified and
two periods a week are dedicated to
small writing classes. The junior writing curriculum focuses on all varieties
of essay writing skills and culminates
in a workshop perfecting the college
essay. Senior year centers on college
readiness, having our students write
a 10-page paper which they orally
defend to their classmates. We are
proud of our students and delight in
their daily improvements!
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A Special Visit
EKO Commission
The Special Children’s Center in Lakewood,
NJ, received a fun-filled visit from 50 of our
student volunteers and Dean of Students
Rabbi Naftali Besser. The Center is a positive place where children with mental and
physical disabilities can find enjoyment. Our
group decorated cookies, practiced yoga,
sang, and played games with the children.
This fall, Rabbi Moses Haber
and a group of 25 student
volunteers helped beautify
Prospect Park by raking leaves,
yanking roots, and removing
rubbish. They look forward to
helping their local environment
in other ways this spring.
History Day Serves as
a Passport to the Past
n December 18, 2013, the
Jewish History and Social
Studies Departments presented
History Day: Coming to America, a
meaningful and insightful program for
seniors and juniors. The program put
students into the shoes of all those
who have experienced the challenges
of immigration. Included in the
program was the Flatbush premiere
of the movie The Syrian Jewish
Community: Our Journey Through
History, Episode 2, Coming to
America, created by Joseph Sitt and
produced by Marlene Mamiye. The
film depicts the lives of Syrian Jews
who came to America in the 1900s
and settled in the Lower East Side. In preparation for History Day, seniors
visited Congregation Shearith Israel.
The Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, the Lower East Side Tenement
Museum, and two Lower East Side
synagogues: the Museum at Eldridge
Street and the Bialystoker Synagogue.
Students began their History Day
experience at JBHS by passing
through “customs” into the Khezrie
Auditorium, holding their schoolissued passports. After being sworn
in as citizens, students proceeded to
the first of three engaging sessions
discussing the difficulties immigrants
— both past and present — face, as
well as the contributions immigrants
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have made in shaping America. Following the second session, everyone
was invited to the lunchroom, which
had been transformed by Rochelle
Dweck, Shifra Hanon, and Ami Sasson into the Lower East Side market,
including the Shuk with delicious
Creative design of passport-styled
cookies helped students immerse
themselves in history.
fruits and snacks to enjoy. Stations
were set up with fare from local vendors — and Rabbi Dr. David Eliach
even shared his secret pickle recipe!
Students returned to the auditorium
for the closing assembly with renewed appreciation for our ancestors
and our country. The JBHS choir,
directed by Brian Gelfand, performed
two songs that reflected the immigrant journey. The program concluded with the National Anthem, which
was sung with a greater appreciation
for the liberties and freedoms we
enjoy. Thanks to all the faculty and
presenters who made this day such
a success. Special thanks to Ami
and Ralph Sasson for sponsoring the
lunch for History Day in memory of
Susan Sasson A”H.
Taking on the roles of immigrants, students gained an
appreciation of the challenges their ancestors faced.
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Science &
Technology
We believe that technology boosts
learning and success. That’s why we embed
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering
and Math) initiatives into our academic
program, and provide many opportunities
for students to pursue their interests.
Second Annual STEM Trip
Students Become Tech Experts
F
or the second annual Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) trip to Israel on
January 14–23, fifteen students accompanied Associate Principal Sari Bacon
on one of the most unique travel, educational, and exciting experiences that
can be offered to high school students.
•S
tudents met with Start-Up
Nation entrepreneurs, the
developers of various technologies,
and had myriad opportunities
for hands-on experience.
This trip, which is an extension of the high school’s increased offerings of STEM
courses, is open primarily to incoming sophomores and juniors (but students in
other grades are considered as well). Here were some highlights:
• Students enjoyed jeeping in
the Galil, visiting the Blind
Museum, and meeting with
journalist Josh Hasten to learn
about advocacy for Israel.
• Students visited the Technion —
Israel Institute of Technology in
Haifa, where they were introduced
to opportunities offered at the
university (including those through
its new partnership with Cornell).
• Students went on a rare school visit
to Elbit, a company that manufactures
A multi-stop trip to Israel gave students
a taste of varied aspects of technology.
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and integrates high-performance
defense systems for the IDF. •S
tudents visited and interacted
with companies such as Skytran
and Presentense, as well as
the JVP Media Center, for an
interactive look at fusing technology,
creativity, and entrepreneurship. • Students joined the Yeshivah
of Flatbush Chesed Mission in
Jerusalem for Shabbat and
took part in a special Motzei
Shabbat Chesed program.
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Chesed Mission
STEM in Action
The Chesed Mission, led by Dean of Students
Rabbi Naftali Besser, is comprised of students
who have dedicated their winter break to
visiting orphanages, hospitals, and charitable
institutions in Israel. They also spend time
with Israeli soldiers, and link up with the
STEM trip participants for Shabbat.
Shlomo Vizgan, father of STEM
student Gabriel in Monique Benun’s
class, spoke to the students about
how his company provides security
to businesses. Following his talk,
Mr. Vizgan assisted students with
their STEM projects.
Kids Jump for Flipped Learning
T
his year, YOF sophomores are
experiencing a new method
of learning, the “flipped classroom.”
Through this project, overseen by
Assistant Principal Rabbi Joseph
Beyda, learning normally done inside
the classroom is delivered outside the
classroom through the use of technology. This is how it works: teachers
invite students to a 3-to-5-minute
lecture viewed on their personal
iPads before class. In this way, students come to class already prepped
for the day’s topic and set to begin
the discussion with ideas they have
been working on ahead of time. The
instructor, in turn, can differentiate
the discussion sessions and
other collaborative work based
upon student interest and abilities.
“We now accomplish more in two
periods a week than we used to
in three periods a week, due to
teacher creativity,” says Rabbi
Beyda. Teachers have said that
they are able to teach a much
greater breadth of material because
students have prior access to the
class topic. The students will often
watch the clips several times
before coming to class, allowing
them ample time to develop questions and reflect on the lecture.
At present, the flipped learning
program has been implemented
in Jewish studies classes given by
Rabbi Prag, Rabbi Blumenthal,
Rabbi Benlulu, Rabbi Zuckerman,
and Mrs. Hanau. However, “as more
students have access to iPads and
we refine our use of the technique,
we anticipate that this will be used
in other areas,” adds Rabbi Beyda.
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Student
Choice
Pathfinders Program
Paves the Way for
Student Professionals
athfinders is an internship
program offering students the
opportunity to discuss individual
interests, develop personal goals,
and find particular talents. Beginning
in 9th grade, Pathfinders counselors
work with each student to match his
or her skills with companies and
organizations. With the help of
Shifra Hanon, the College Guidance
department and several faculty
members, what follows is a sampling
of the wonderful and challenging
places where our students are
currently working:
P
Quantum Networks, LLC
Students work with tech entrepreneur
Ari Zoldan on developing topics and
finding trends in the technology, wireless, mobile, and social media sectors.
To thrive in an academic environment, it is
important for individuals to be passionate and
engaged. We consistently strive to provide
our students with opportunities to direct their
own path of learning.
In Areyvut’s Mitzvah Clown
Program, 32 students are being
trained in how best to bring
smiles, laughter, and joy
to the ill and elderly.
2014 MIT
THINK Scholars
Program
Students applying
for this program
submit a proposal
in science and
engineering, involving anything from
green technologies and mechanical
devices to software applications.
Coney Island Hospital A student
is working in medical research.
Law Office of Simon Goldenberg
Student interns assist in law office activities including debtor/creditor relations.
New York Supreme Court Four seniors
shadowed New York Supreme Court
Justice David Schmidt for one month.
Whale Pond Watershed Association
in Monmouth County Students are
working on coming up with ways to
deflect flooding by managing storm
water, one property at a time.
Culinary A student helps
write recipes on the website
www.beyondmyrecipes.com.
Traveling Troupe This warmhearted group of students
performs several times a month
for nursing home residents.
High School and Middle Division
Students Partner Up for Discussion
group of 14 High School
students shared their perspectives and intellectual breadth with
their Middle Division peers in a
discussion of the book, “The Wave,”
by Todd Strasser, for the Partners
in Reading program. The book
describes students being swept up
in a school-wide cult after a teacher’s
experiment goes wildly awry. A
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“It was a truly enriching experience.
We explored the need to belong to
something bigger than oneself,”
said senior Sammy Tbeile. The
group examined cults and why
people are attracted to them. The
program is coordinated by JBHS
Library Chair Rachail Kurtz and
librarian Brian Katz with Elementary
School librarian Lynne Grant.
A book discussion gave students insight
into conformity and the need to belong.
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Senior Night
Senior Night was held at
the ice rink at Bryant Park.
Students enjoyed dinner
together and reflected on
their high school experience.
A trip to Israel afforded YOF faculty a new way to examine Biblical texts.
Flatbush Faculty Members Get
Fresh Approach to Learning Tanakh
T
his past summer, YOF sent four
High School teachers to the
renowned Herzog College’s Yemei
Iyun B’ Tanakh (Bible Study Days)
in Alon Shevut, Gush Etzion, Israel.
“It was an amazing experience —
the Herzog approach to learning
Tanakh is so fresh and enlightening!”
said Tanakh Chairman Rabbi Avner
Taler regarding his experience.
The Herzog approach to learning
focuses on the peshat (literal text)
and looking at the big picture. It uses
comparative reading, exploring key
words, attention to singular and plural
language, understanding ideas through
context, and paying attention to the
morals and values in the text. The
approach puts the learners into the
text so they relate to the Tanakh using
human understanding. By looking at
the text in this way, the learner
can understand the Tanakh from
a 21st-century perspective.
had learned the text many times.
The teachers brought new life into
the text,” Rabbi Taler explained vividly.
The Tanakh conference brings together
thousands of people each year for an
intensive week of study. Participants
attended classes on Torah, Nevi’im
and Kethuvim and learned from top
academics and Rabbanim who are
leading Tanakh scholars and notable
writers. The YOF faculty was already
well-versed in the Herzog Institute’s
philosophy after Rabbi Amnon Bazak
of the Herzog Institute visited the Yeshivah last spring and gave the faculty
a taste of his approach to learning and
teaching Tanakh.
Rabbi Taler’s enthusiasm was echoed
by the other trip participants: JBHS
Talmud Chairman Rabbi Zelig Prag,
Rabbi Hanoch Gez and Mrs. Sarah
Rosenbaum. “I had read books
written by the teachers from Herzog,
so to meet them in person and
participate in their lectures was
inspiring,” said Mrs. Rosenbaum.
“Looking around the room, you could
see they were really enjoying what
they were learning even though they
Upon returning from their trip,
the Flatbush faculty implemented
changes that reflect their Tanakh
training in Israel. They are staying
in close contact with the Herzog
team and are working on how best
to adapt the Herzog philosophy
into the High School curriculum.
11
Around YOF
Lincoln Center’s Partnership
with Middle Division Offers
Rewarding Trips to Performances
incoln Center Education (LCE)
has played an integral role in the
Middle Division curriculum for over
two decades. Its motto — Developing
Skills of Imagination, Creativity, and
Innovation through Education and the
Arts — reflects our belief at YOF that
imagination and the arts play a vital
role in our students’ education.
L
The arts are a natural medium for
the cultivation of children’s ability
to think perceptively, to enhance
observation, to question and analyze
situations, and, ultimately, to imagine, create, and innovate on their
own. All students, regardless of their
academic interests or abilities, can
discover enriching opportunities and
artistic outlets in the arts, experiences
that often promote self-esteem and
individuality.
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This year’s partnership with LCE has
been particularly rewarding for Grades
6 and 7. Led by professional teaching
artists in several workshops, students
in Grade 6 experimented with storytelling and transforming everyday
objects to prepare them to appreciate
Brian Sanders’ SKINK, a piece that
makes ingenious use of found objects
and clever inventions that bridge the
Students enjoyed many performances
on their trips to Lincoln Center.
gap between dance and physical theater. Grade 7 students were treated
to a unique re-telling of the classic
Superman story in an unforgettable
theatrical performance called Superman 2050, by Theater Unspeakable,
which combined elements of movement, dance, mime, and clowning.
Who knew that Superman could
“fly” convincingly while standing still
and that 8 actors could actively save
the world on an eight-foot square
platform? After the performances,
students eagerly posed their questions for these talented artists in Q&A
sessions, making the arts real and
accessible to them.
And finally, Grade 8 has much to
look forward to in the spring semester
when they will see a moving dramatic
performance entitled Sheila’s Day.
This play recreates the travails and
emotions of four black women living
in the Jim Crow South and apartheid
South Africa. What a stirring way to
make their Grade 8 social studies
classes come alive!
These unique experiences will
become more than fond memories.
As Nobel Prize winner Max Planck
said, “The creative scientist needs
an artistic imagination.”
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Chesed Olympics
The first Flatbush Varsity Chesed Olympics for
special athletes will be held on Sunday, March 9
from 1pm to 3pm in the JBHS gym. All High
School student athletes will be volunteering.
Meet Eric Amkraut,
Our New Athletics Director
OF hired Eric Amkraut this past
summer as our new Athletics
Director. His passion for all sports
shines through in his weekly note
in the Flatbush Flash, with game
highlights. Here is an update, straight
from Eric, on what is new in YOF
athletics:
sports creates a larger sense of
community. Additionally, I have been
extremely pleased to witness our
teams compete until the final whistle,
believing in the Yogi-ism that “it ain’t
over till it’s over!”
Y
Team spirit is fantastic! It is wonderful
to see parents and classmates coming out to support our teams at home
games, and cheering us on! Sports
and good sportsmanship are extremely important to our school. Not only do
sports encourage exercise and foster
leadership skills, but participation
furthers friendships, and builds character on and off the field. Sports also
promote school and individual pride.
I am more than impressed by the
dedication and conduct of our student
athletes. Of particular note has been
the full participation in basketballrelated Shabbaton-Tournament
events, where in addition to testing
themselves against their opponents
on the court, our high school students
equally shared in Torah learning and
showed how a connection through
This month, we are looking forward
to all of our JBHS fall sports teams —
girls volleyball, boys and girls basketball, and hockey — taking part in the
MYHSAL playoffs, and to our Middle
Division boys and girls basketball and
boys hockey teams competing.
March brings the return of boys
baseball and boys and girls tennis.
The high school is looking forward
to welcoming back girls softball and
to offering a competitive track and
field program to our students for
the first time.
It is an exciting time to show support
for our Flatbush Falcons!
I am more than impressed by the
dedication and conduct of our student
athletes and how a connection through
sports creates a larger sense of community.
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Elementary
School
From Early Childhood through
Middle Division, Yeshivah of
Flatbush Elementary School
provides a strong and nurturing
foundation for our children.
Guidance Department
Programs Tackle Stress
and Address Bullying
he YOF Elementary School
Guidance Department partnered
with the Middle Division Parent
Choices committee to engage
parents in a panel discussion titled
“Our Children’s Stress, Anxiety, and
Depression…Let’s Tackle it Together.”
Panel leaders included Dr. Natasha
Crewdson, a psychologist specializing
in cognitive behavioral therapy;
Dr. Benji Stern, psychologist at
Magen David Yeshivah and a
psychology professor at Touro
College; and Mrs. Vicky Harari (wife
of our own Rabbi Raymond Harari),
a psychologist whose specialties
include cognitive behavioral therapy
with anxiety issues and trauma-related
therapy. The most pressing questions
from parents dealt with how to tackle
school-based anxiety, common
issues affecting students (pressure
to succeed, and excelling at multiple
T
activities), and how best to
balance time. The Parent Choices
Committee is comprised of a group
of parents who work with the
Guidance Department to educate
parents in dealing with and
targeting specific issues. The Guidance Department also
invited Mr. Travis Brown — aka
“Mr. Mojo” — to the school, where
he held a lively anti-bullying assembly.
During his talk, Mr. Mojo motivated
Middle Division students to act
kindly to each other, take a stand
against kids being picked on,
and take others’ feelings into
account. In late January, the
department was preparing to
welcome Dr. Yocheved Debow
to speak about her book, Talking
About Intimacy: A Guide for
Orthodox Jewish Parents.
Sefer Bereshit
o celebrate the conclusion of
Sefer Bereshit and the beginning of Sefer Shemot, kindergartners
had a Siyum. Each class showed
their extensive knowledge of the
parshiot when they shared a song
and presentation pertaining to a
specific parasha.
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Thanksgivukkah
In Early Childhood
his year’s Early Childhood’s
Thanksgiving powwow was
extra special as they celebrated not
only Thanksgiving but Chanukah. The
children learned that this hasn’t happened in over 100 years — and won’t
happen again for tens of thousands
of years! Wearing costumes fused
with elements from both holidays,
they spiritedly sang and danced to
Thanksgiving and Chanukah songs,
and enjoyed a Thanksgivukkah feast
in their classrooms featuring special
holiday snacks.
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Smithsonian Team
Set to Visit
Elementary School
iddle Division will be implementing the Smithsonian
Science Education Center STEM
curriculum in its classes. Three
faculty members — Ricki Zibitt, Dr.
Sherry Goltz, and Sandra Knoll —
have already received Smithsonian
training. Team members from the
Center will be visiting classrooms and
meeting with the Elementary School
principals to further develop this
exciting addition to our already
impressive roster of classes.
M
N E WS
BITES
First Grade Class
Learns Israeli Dancing
Lucky first graders in Mrs.
Stieglitz’s class had the fun
opportunity to spend time
with staff member Eve Franco
as she taught them holidaythemed Israeli folk dancing!
Fourth Grade
Chumash
Program
Centers on
the Learner
OF’s fourth grade classes
are enthusiastic chumash
learners! An innovative program,
guided by dedicated faculty and
coached by Chani Gratzman,
begins with colorful study activity
books linked with online videos
that reinforce the learning. Our
students love to go online and
watch, then come back to their
books with a better understanding
of each story.
Y
Each unit has tools for
translating the Biblical Hebrew
and Rashi’s commentary, so
students have support in front
of them in deciphering the texts.
“The children can reflect on and
then discuss the people and
issues in the story,” explains
Ms. Gratzman. The program
helps kids discover for themselves
meanings within the chumash.
Discussions are enhanced
by exercises that take advantage
of SMART Boards found in
each classroom. “Making the
analysis fun and interactive
makes kids look forward to the
next class,” added Ms. Gratzman.
Differentiated Learning in Lower
Division Creates Successful Learners
here’s something causing a
stir within our Lower Division
students: students in grades one
through five are engaging in small
reading groups specifically targeted
to their reading level, inspiring them
to seek book upon book, both
fiction and non-fiction, to satisfy
their new-found agility.
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This classroom reading set-up,
where children meet in small reading
groups — with a second teacher,
or often third teacher, added to each
classroom — is called Guided
Reading using Differentiated Learning.
Director of Curriculum Joyce Salame
has received positive feedback from
students, teachers and parents.
“One-on-one learning allows teachers
to become familiar with their children
and can help them target any areas
that need specific improvement,”
she explained.
The program began with assessing
each student for fluency and comprehension. Teachers have been trained
by child reading professionals how to
best teach a child the tools needed
to master the level he or she is at and
then to move up to the next higher
level. “Our teachers are getting the
highest quality of staff development
to help them innovate the program.
Kids love the leveled books!” said
Lower Division General Studies
Principal Leonard Zeplin.
“What’s great is that kids are requesting non-fiction books that interest
them now that they are comfortable
with their true reading level. They
better understand informational texts,
and new books are added by request
to each classroom,” added Mrs.
Salame.
“Our ultimate goal is to have students
be great readers and to love and
enjoy it.” The teachers second Mrs.
Salame’s enthusiasm, and agree with
Elementary School Principal Rabbi
Lawrence Schwed when he says that
“I am happy that this differentiated
learning program with attention to
students’ individual reading levels has
come to fruition, for the benefit of all
of our students!”
15
Yeshivah of Flatbush
Yeshivah of Flatbush
919 East 10th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11230
Yeshivah of Flatbush
Elementary School
919 East 10th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11230
718-377-4466
Yeshivah of Flatbush
Joel Braverman
High School
1609 Avenue J
Brooklyn, NY 11230
718-377-1100
Mark Goldstein
Donor Spotlight
Stephanie and Jack Mosseri
has what it takes to give our children the
best possible education and surrounding
throughout the year,” Jack noted.
OF is pleased to spotlight
Stephanie and Jack Mosseri,
involved parents and generous donors.
Stephanie, with other Ladies Auxiliary
volunteers, has been devoting her time
to creating a new YOF cookbook that
is nearing completion. She, along with
other dedicated mothers, has helped
raise more than $90,000 from sponsors
so far. “I have a passion for cooking
and wanted to give back to YOF for
all the good years they gave to me
as a student,” said the 1996 High
School alumna.
Y
When asked about the importance
of donations to the Yeshivah, both
Jack and Stephanie agree that philanthropy should always start at home.
“Our Community schools are the homes
of our children and we want them to
have the best possible environment available. Our schools have challenges and
require tremendous cash flow to keep
them properly running. YOF is dependent on our donors to make sure YOF
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And, surroundings are important. Jack
and Stephanie donated the lovely
front garden of the Elementary School.
Jack himself is an enthusiastic gardener, and when he saw how plain the
school’s entry garden was, he and his
wife decided to do something about it.
“Your first impression of anything should
always be ‘WOW!’ Why shouldn’t your
first impression of pulling up to YOF be
the same? Now it is. I have a personal
interest in landscaping, so it was fun to
be a part of beautifying the front of the
elementary school. Now when you pull
up to the entrance you can feel proud
that on top of having the best education
and learning atmosphere, you now have
a beautiful school, too.”
The Mosseris have twin 8-year old girls,
Lillian and Sharon — who attend Magen
David Yeshivah — and a son, David,
who attends the fourth-grade honors
program. “I love how motivated and
challenged David continues to be in his
subjects. His elementary school teachers are superior and truly care about
his education. As parents giving their
child to your institution for eight hours
a day, it is imperative that we know our
child is getting love as well as learning,”
explained Jack. He added, “I personally
drive David to school every day, and he
is always excited to get out of the car
and run to class!”
President
Rabbi Seth Linfield
Executive Director
joel Braverman High school
Rabbi Dr. Raymond Harari
Head of School
Rabbi Ronald Levy
principal
Jill Sanders
associate principal /
director of admissions
Sari Bacon
associate principal
Rabbi Joseph Beyda
assISTANT principal
Rabbi Dr. David Eliach
Principal emeritus
YOF Elementary School
Rabbi Lawrence Schwed
Principal
Rabbi Dr. David Hertzberg
Middle division principal
Irwin Shlachter
Middle division
General studies principal
Leonard Zeplin
Lower division
General studies principal
Toba Goldberg
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Rivka Zaklikowski
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
TORAH STUDIES
Debbie Levine Greenbaum
early childhood director
Cheryl Weinberger
early childhood
Administrative director
YOF Bulletin staff
Michelle Olveira
EDITOR
Shelley Mendelow
DIRECTOR OF FAMILY AND
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Faith Edeson
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Red Rooster Group
Design
MJR Direct Mail, Inc.
Printing AND MAIling