Warriors' Week in Review

Dear Parents,

What a fantastic week it has been at MDYHS!  It is a pleasure for me to share a glimpse of some of the programs and events of the past few days with you.

On Monday night, the creative talents of our incomparable student artists shone forth at the Annual MDYHS Art Exhibit, designed and supervised by our own Mrs. Barbara Dweck.  The entire Atrium was converted into an art gallery, where more than 150 exhibits of paintings and drawings all created by our students were displayed.  The styles represented included realism, surrealism, pointilism, and abstract art.  Parents, relatives, faculty, and friends all joined the artists to view and appreciate the amazing talents of our students.  There were more than a few requests from visitors to purchase some of the paintings!  (Please see the attached photos of this beautiful event).  Metropolitan Museum of Art and MoMA - look out - your next exhibits are coming from the budding MDYHS artists!

Creative genius at MDYHS is not limited to the students alone.  The current edition of WNYC's School Book (http://www.schoolbook.org/2013/03/07/anxiety-attack-conquering-the-fear-of-math/) highlights a study authored by our very own English Department Chairperson, Mrs. Rachel Harari.  Writing together with Dr. Rose Vukovic, Mrs. Harari explores Anxiety Attack: Conquering the Fear of Math.  The study has already received high acclaim, and - being written by an English teacher about Math - it demonstrates the great spirit of interdisciplinary studies so prevalent at MDYHS.  In that same spirit, our amazing EdTech Director, Rabbi Michael Bitton - who works closely with our faculty across all disciplines, training them in the use of the flipped classroom format and in the use of podcasts and webinars in everyday classes - was just awarded a generous grant by the AviChai Foundation.  Rabbi Bitton will be using the grant to participate in the International Society of Technology in Education's 2013 Conference, to be held in June in San Antonio, Texas.  This means even more cutting edge EdTech for our MDYHS students in the coming year!

And while on the subject of outstanding achievements by members of the MDYHS family, I am pleased to report that 11th grader Yoni Hadar was informed this week that his science project has advanced to the Final Round of the 2013 New York City Science and Engineering Fair.  This year's competition will be held on Tuesday at the American Museum of Natural History.  Working under the tutelage of our Intel Science Director Mr. Steven Kaye, Yoni devised a Balloon Tunnel Flood Protection Plan, to save New York City's subways and tunnels in the event of a catastrophe such as Hurricane Sandy.  We wish Yoni great success in Tuesday's competition, and we wish New York City great success when they adapt Yoni's ingenious plan!

All of these great accomplishments on the part of the students and faculty bode wonderfully for our students' success in their future.  To help guide them on this path, our Department of College Guidance & Career Counseling Services, led by Mrs. Debbie Solomon and ably assisted by Mr. Steven Harris, Mr. Daniel Zide, Mrs. Natalie Greenberg, and Ms. Tova Werner, designed and hosted the annual College Kickoff Fair for juniors, this past Wednesday.  At the fair, students visited booths representing 16 colleges to which our students in the past have applied, including NYU, Macaulay Honors College, Baruch College, FIT, Hofstra University, Pace University, and more.  Each booth had fact sheets about the college - including admissions criteria, popular majors, deadlines, and important contact information.  And in a related note, 30 students in our 11th grade class are participating in the MDYHS-Princeton Review ACT Diagnostic Program.  In this program, students will be advised - based upon their learning and testing styles - on which test they can expect to score higher, the SAT or the ACT college admissions exam.  The path to a great college experience begins in the MDYHS classrooms and Atrium!

And that path continues in the college admissions that our seniors have earned.  I am proud to extend warm wishes of Mabrouk to the following seniors on their college admissions and merit-based awards notifications this week:

Frieda Arzt - Brooklyn College
Albert Ayal - New York City College of Technology
Eliot Cohen - Dean's Scholar at Baruch College
Esther Cohen - Baruch College, Hunter College, Queens College, City College of New York, Lehman College
Linda Dayan - Dean's Scholar at Baruch College
Judah Djmal - Dean's Scholar at Baruch College
Esther Hanon - Dean's Scholar at Baruch College
Joseph Kassin - University Scholar at Baruch College
Molly Maleh - Hunter College
Michael Mamiye - Macaulay Honors College at Baruch, Babson College
Albert Manopla - Dean's Scholar at Baruch College
Mosie Schrem - Macaulay Honors College at Baruch, Babson College
Sammy Shamah - Dean's Scholar at Baruch College
Rebecca Tawil - Hunter College
Albert Zalta - Dean's Scholar at Baruch College

The Macaulay Honors College is a highly selective and extremely prestigious program within the City University of New York; only a handful of students are selected for this honor.  The University Scholar award - of which only 20 are granted in total - and the Dean's Scholar award - of which only 100 are granted in total - include a special Honors program, free tuition for all four years of college, a laptop for the student, and a $1,300 stipend to study abroad.  All of these accomplishments by our students are truly outstanding!

Successful college admissions depend upon the student's grade point average, SAT or ACT scores, clubs and activities, and college essay.  In order to mentor the students toward excellence in the essay, our Writing Center Director, Ms. Katie Chabbott, will be meeting with each 11th grade English class to discuss the college essay format, topics that are assigned on the common application to college, and structures of a great reflective work.  She will then meet with each student in the 11th grade individually to review his or her initial idea for the essay, and together they will brainstorm on how to turn that idea into a full fledged written piece.  After 2 weeks, each student will send an initial draft of his or her essay to Ms. Chabbott, and they will then meet again individually for comments and suggestions.  The final draft of each essay will be reviewed by Ms. Chabbott together with Mrs. Solomon.  We expect that the entire 11th grade will complete this process from beginning to end by the first week in June.  This careful and thorough guidance and mentoring is an absolutely wonderful recipe for excellence and success!

As we face the upcoming holiday of Pesah, our classes have been energized by the unique Holiday Curriculum Program designed and supervised by our own Rabbi Joey Haber.  In this program - which makes the holiday truly come alive to the students - each class reviews and discusses a specially prepared source booklet on the halakhot of the holiday, along with discussions on insights into the Haggadah.  The Hebrew Language classes as well explore the meaning and style of the Haggadah text, and the boys hear a special gemara shiur from our Rosh Yeshivah, Rabbi Harold Sutton.  I know that each of you will enjoy listening to your child as he or she joins in the discussion and the songs at the Seder table, enhancing the spirit of the holiday and continuing the beautiful chain of mesorah of thousands of years.

This past Wednesday, our older boys' classes had the rare privilege of hearing from Rabbi Max Sutton, in a program arranged by Rabbi Joey Haber and assisted by Rabbi David Elnadav.  Rabbi Sutton, who was born and raised in our own community in Brooklyn, is currently the Av Bet Din of Hakham Ovadia Yosef's Hoshen Mishpat Bet Din in Jerusalem.  Rabbi Sutton presented actual business and finance cases to the students, and reviewed the judgements for each case.  What a wonderful way for the students to see the beauty and relevance of halakhah in areas that they study daily at MDYHS. (Please see the attached photo from this inspiring presentation).

And speaking of the beauty and relevance of Torah, our students and faculty are getting together tonight at the MDY elementary school for Friday Night Lights, a special Oneg Shabbat program, run by the executive council of the SGO, Yoni Hadar, Rosie Mosseri, Zachary Mosseri, and Renee Cohen, under the direction of Mrs. Ariella Falack.  The students and faculty will be praying together, enjoying a delicious Shabbat meal, singing, hearing divrei Torah, and participating in games and entertainment presented by Rabbi Ikey Tawil, Rabbi Richard Tobias and Ms Rachel Harari.  What a beautiful way for the students and their teachers to bond, and to get into the Pesah spirit together!

As the school year proceeds, our student teams continue to achieve wonderfully in their various competitions.  On Wednesday, a delegation of students led by our Director of Student Activities, Rabbi Benzion Scheinfeld, participated in this year's Model Congress in Lawrence, NY.  Eli Azrak, Renee Cohen, Yoni Hadar, and Linoy Vaknin had prepared their own legislative bills for presentation at the Congress, including a bill legislating American support for Israel should it attack the Iranian nuclear program, and a bill legislating school loan reductions in exchange for student volunteer work to aid victims of Hurricane Sandy.  All of our students' bills were passed by votes of the Congress!  Our delegation gained a real sense of civic responsibility and awareness of the legislative process as they heard the opening remarks of NY State Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder, and as they discussed, debated, and voted on student-initiated legislation.  (Please see the attached photo from this wonderful program).  Washington DC - get ready - the MDYHS politicians are coming!  And - the MDYHS College Bowl Teams, supervised by Mrs. Shuli Sharvit, and led by Captain Nissim Hazkour, defeated the teams of Yeshiva of Flatbush and SAR, as our students expertly answered questions on math, science, current events, geography, fine arts, and theater.  At the same time, our Torah Bowl Team, supervised by Rabbi Jack Savdie, defeated the team of RAMAZ in the playoffs by a score of 18-6.  The high scorers were Joseph Kassin, Jack Nasar, and David Savdie.  Finally, our Boys Varsity Basketball Team, under the leadership of coach Ikey Dweck, completed their great season in the Sarachek Basketball Tournament, with victories over the team of the Beren Academy of Houston, Texas by a score of 55-53, and over the team of DRS High School by a score of 54-40.  We are so proud of all of our students' accomplishments!

As always, please accept my warmest wishes for a Shabbat Shalom and for a great week ahead!

Sincerely yours,

Rabbi Saul Zucker

SGO's Friday Night Lights

Warriors' Week in Review

Dear Parents,

What a fantastic week it has been at MDYHS! It is a privilege for me to share a glimpse of some of the exciting programs and events of the past few days with you.

On Tuesday, under the direction of our own Dr. Abe Tawil, students in the 10th grade Entrepreneurship Classes participated in a special live webinar on Finance Jobs: What Do They Mean? designed and hosted by Baruch College's Executives on Campus. This seminar is usually reserved for college and graduate students only - and MDYHS was asked to participate by special invitation. Our students heard from - and had the chance to interact with - Jeff Bauml, senior vice president of R J O'Brien Futures Clearing Merchant, and from Stephen Bookbinder of Dow Jones & Company. The opportunity to network with industry professionals and to learn from them is a wonderful introduction to the world of business and finance, and our eager students left the webinar with new strategies and insights on how to advance their success in career paths.

Success in the future also depends upon great leadership skills. Today, six of our sophomores (Jack Avidan, Gitta Cohen, Ricky Cohen, Charles Dana, Frieda Gindi, and Esther Haser) along with six students of the eighth grade who have been selected as MDYHS Scholars for the upcoming school year (Alice Hedaya, Luiza Kameo, Lawrence Kurtz, Morris Mamiye, Audrey Sardar, and Neil Shweky) are participating in the Youth Bridge of NY Leaders to Leaders Youth Summit. Guided by Rabbi Richard Tobias and Mrs. Joyce Saad, our delegation is participating in case study Sessions with 6 entrepreneurial leaders, and in a series of mini-sessions on organizational skills, including time management, budget, teamwork, marketing, and the development of a campaign. The objective of the summit is for the student delegations to form a network of youth leaders, and to design and implement a diversity campaign within the community. The next generation of MDYHS leaders is well on its way!

And speaking of great leaders, four of our student leaders from the 11th and 12th grades - Hannah Cohen, Yoni Hadar, Esther Hanon, and Aaron Harari - traveled to the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington DC, from Sunday through Tuesday. Under the leadership of Ms. Audrey Nasar, our delegation met with Ambassador Michael Oren (please see the attached photo), and heard a host of panel sessions that included Vice President Joe Biden, Senators John McCain, Charles Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Robert Menendez, Congressman Eric Cantor, diplomat and author Dennis Ross, and former Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Our students attended special lobbying training sessions, and even took some time to experience the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra as well as the sites of Washington DC. This rich cultural experience and leadership training will help to ensure that the future - in the hands of MDYHS stars, b'ezrat HaShem - is a bright one. (Please see the attached photos from this amazing trip).

One does not develop into a star leader without the skill of great oratory. To that end, our senior Public Speaking Class, taught by Mrs. Laurie Michaels, began its series of student Informative Speeches this week. The students were tasked with constructing and delivering a powerful public speech in front of their peers, and they excelled - in topics as diverse as the effects of the media on society, the Israel-Arab conflict, drinking and driving, and eating disorders. The benefits of oratory skills include heightened self-confidence, and poise during interviews, and our students are learning this lesson so well.

I was thrilled to meet recently with the past Associate Dean of the NYU Stern School of Business, Dr. Susan Greenbaum, to discuss plans for enhancing our excellent record of college admissions even further. Dr. Greenbaum will be leading a seminar workshop for our College Guidance & Career Counseling Services Department in April, where the team will discuss challenges and problem-solving strategies using models of best practices. In addition, Dr. Greenbaum will design and lead two Parent Workshops, one for parents of entering 9th and 10th grades in early May, and one for parents of entering 11th and 12th grade in mid-May. These workshops will engage and educate parents about the entirety of the college admissions process, and what it takes to promote highly successful outcomes. We welcome Dr. Greenbaum to the MDYHS team!

And while on the subject of college admissions, I am so proud and happy to extend warm wishes of Mabrouk to the following seniors on their recent admissions and merit-based scholarship awards:

Michael Mamiye - SUNY Binghamton
Ally Menasche - New York City College of Technology, College of Staten Island
Carol Missry - College of Staten Island
Carol Mizrahi - Baruch College
Rosie Mosseri - Baruch College
Marc Saadia - NYU - Poly, with a Poly Promise Scholarship of $6,750 per year for four years, for a total of $27,000, Northeastern University
Barry Sitt - Hunter College, City College of New York
Abraham Tobias - University of Maryland, with a Presidential Scholarship of $5,000 per year for four years, for a total of $20,000

Success in college and beyond requires a strong anchor - one that is rooted in the mind and heart, one that gives the student strength and pride in his or her heritage and Torah values. In that regard I was moved beyond words from my experience at last weekend's Freshmen-Sophomore Seminar Shabbaton, under the leadership of our Director of Student Activities, Rabbi Benzion Scheinfeld. The sight of students sharing moments with their friends and their teachers all together as one - eating the Shabbat meals together, singing in beautiful harmony as Rabbi Ikey Tawil and Rabbi Scheinfeld led the "circle singing" - was so touching and inspirational. The powerful speeches by Mrs. Shira Berkowitz and Mrs. Jackie Bitton, and the learning sessions led by a host of our faculty - all stimulated passionate discussion and interaction between teachers and students. I take those images with me, and from them I know that the future of the community is ensured - because the anchor is so strong.

And that anchor was reinforced further this week when our senior boys, led by Rabbi Isaac Escava and Rabbi Joey Haber, went to visit Rav Reuven Feinstein, a world renowned Torah leader. Our 12th graders heard words of guidance and hizuk from this great Rosh Yeshivah, as he spoke to them about Trust in HaShem. (Please see the attached photo from this inspiring visit). Our boys finished their trip with a lively game of paintball followed by a delicious meal at Shnitzel Restaurant. While the 12th grade boys were enjoying these activities, our 12th grade girls were gathering with their mothers and grandmothers for our annual Mother-Daughter Brunch. The program began with a devar Torah given by Mrs. Aura Sutton, and was followed by a wonderful speech from Gloria Sitt, who spoke about the importance of appreciating all that our mothers do for us. Sally Shrem then presented a video filled with personal messages from our young ladies to their mothers. Finally Ms. Linda Benun led interactive workshops where mothers and daughters acted out a given scenario - but with each playing the role of the other, and the entire audience participated in a game prepared by Rachel Naftali and Frieda Sabbagh, entitled How Well Do You Know Your Daughter? (Please see the attached photos from this memorable program). What a great and fun way to share the loving bond of mesorah from generation to generation!

Our week was rounded out with beautiful hessed activities led by our students: on Tuesday morning, four of our students - Leon Betesh, Lisa Chakkalo, Benny Mann, and Gloria Terzi - went with Rabbi Scheinfeld to the WFMU radio station in Jersey City to help in their annual telethon for the Jewish Moments in the Morning radio program. And while there, our students were interviewed live on the air! (Please see the attached photo from this radio session). Check out their wonderful radio interview at http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/49700 (click the link "Listen to this Show: MP3 - 128K; the students are on at the 2:30 time slot in the program). Our future radio stars sound fantastic! And on that same day, our students conducted the 2nd MDYHS Blood Drive for this year, under the guidance of Ms. Elyse Nadjar. Student leaders Benny Mann, Gabrielle Sabbagh, and David Zami coordinated this event at which 63 units of blood were donated - enough to save the lives of 186 people. (Please see the attached photo from this fantastic program). What a great display of kindness and concern on the part of our students!

Finally, we are so proud of our Girls Torah Bowl Team - led by Rabbi Jack Savdie - for their great victory over the team of Shulamith High School in the playoffs. Kudos to Gloria Safdieh for her high score. And on the subject of high scores, on Wednesday the entire school celebrated the winning seasons of the Boys Varsity Basketball Team and the Girls Volleyball Team with a spirited Pep Rally organized by the SGO. (Please see the attached photos from this wonderful rally). The lively cheering raised the roof as our teams were introduced and celebrated. I know you join me in wishing great success to our mighty Boys Varsity Basketball Team, under the superb leadership of coach Ikey Dweck, as they compete in the 22nd Annual Red Sarachek Basketball Tournament at Yeshiva University - starting today and ending on Monday. Our first game is scheduled for this afternoon at 12:30 pm against the YULA Panthers. All games can be viewed live via webcast at www.macslive.com. Go Warriors!

For all the exciting news at MDYHS, please see the latest issue of our student newspaper The Flame, which is being distributed today. As always, please accept my warmest wishes for a Shabbat Shalom, a Hodesh Tov, and for a great week ahead!

Sincerely yours,

Rabbi Saul Zucker

SGO's Pep Rally for Varsity BBall and Volleyball

Tonights Game at MDY Elementary 8:00 Boys Varsity Basketball

Next Wednesday night Girls Volleyball Championship Game!!!

Warriors Week in Review

Dear Parents,

What an amazing week it has been at MDYHS!  It is an honor and a privilege for me to share a glimpse of some of the exciting programs and events of the past few days with you.

On Wednesday, our sophomores and juniors were presented with their Core & Elective Course Descriptions for the 2013-2014 school year.  Students will have the option to choose from among a host of AP courses (Biology, Calculus, Chemistry, English, Psychology, Spanish, Statistics, US Government, and US History),
as well as numerous CUNY Credit College Courses at MDYHS (Accounting, Art History, History of the Holocaust, Introduction to Business, Nutrition, Real Estate, and Zionism).  Students were excited to hear that they could very wellgraduate MDYHS with close to a full year of college credit already earned!  In addition, the menu of courses from which students can choose includes:

Arts courses such as Architecture, Graphic Design, Music Appreciation, Painting, Portfolio Development, Studio Art;
Business courses such as Marketing, Principles of Investment;
Communications courses such as Creative Writing, Introduction to Telecommunication, Mandarin Chinese, Public Speaking;
English survey courses such as Literature Across Cultures, Literature & Film, Monsters & Heroes;
Intel Research courses in the exact sciences and in the social sciences;
Jewish Ethics courses such as Jewish Bio-Medical Ethics, Jewish Business Ethics;
Science courses such as Forensics, Human Pathology;
Social Science courses such as Antisemitism in History, Leadership Models for the 21st Century, Trial Law.

When some of the parents saw the course lists, they called to ask if they could sign up as well!  The talented MDYHS student body is well on its way to developing their numerous, diverse interests and career paths.

Education at MDYHS is not merely about critical masses of knowledge; it is primarily about skills development.  Toward that end, parents are receiving a Skills Progress Report this week, delineating the level of their child's mastery of the 6 skills areas of Bloom's Taxonomy for each course that they take.  Bloom's Taxonomy is the map of skills used by virtually every college in the country.  Every Department Chairperson has outlined the specific map of skills related to Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating for his or her department's courses.  This way, the student and parent can see what skills need to be reinforced, and the teacher can look for trends within the class, and thereby refocus areas of the curriculum to strengthen those skills that need more work.  This special approach ensures that our students know not only the "what" of the course material, but also the "how" and the "why" of the course material - a depth of knowledge that will be invaluable in higher education, career, and life!

And speaking of skills development, this week we were proud to open our Writing Center, under the direction of Mrs. Katie Chabbott.  The Writing Center is open during all lunch periods for "drop in" assistance, and in addition, students can schedule appointments for extra help in their writing.  After Pesah, b'ezrat HaShem, Mrs. Chabbott will beworking with each junior individually on his or her college essay.  Our budding authors are receiving custom-designed mentoring and guidance in their craft.

While on the topic of preparation for college, our MDYHS SAT Workshop - under the supervision of expert SAT coach Mrs. Sara Haleva - free to MDYHS students - continues its standing-room-only sessions on Tuesday evenings.  This past week, students received precious tips in Math: Strategies & Averages, and in Reading Comprehension: Short Passages.  The next sessions, scheduled for March 12th, will focus on Writing: The Essay, and on Math: Geometry Review.

All of the hard work and preparation for college education certainly pays off.  I am proud to extend warm wishes ofMabrouk to the following seniors on their recent college admissions and merit-based scholarship awards:

Leon Betesh - Penn State University
Marie Betesh - Brooklyn College
Marlene Braha - Baruch College, Brooklyn College
Linda Dayan - Hunter College
Elliot Elo - Hofstra University, with a Dean's Scholarship of $11,000 per year for four years, for a total of $44,000
Marc Saadia - NYU
Sammy Shamah - Hofstra University, with a Presidential Scholarship of $22,000 per year for four years, for a total of $88,000
Barry Sitt - Baruch College, Brooklyn College, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, College of Staten Island
Albert Zalta - Baruch College, Brooklyn College, Hunter College, Queens College

Our students are not the only people at school advancing their knowledge and experience.  This week, representing MDYHS at the outstanding and informative NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) Annual Conferencein Philadelphia, PA, our very own Dr. Abe Tawil was pleased to see a strong emphasis on the cutting edge issues ofe-portfolios and the "Six Cs" (Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, Creative Problem-Solving, Cosmopolitanism, and Character).  These are two major areas that MDYHS has focused on extensively this year.  Under Dr. Tawil's direction, we are currently planning a presentation paper and lecture for next year's NAIS Annual Conference - MDYHS is leading the way in pedagogic technique and practice!

On Wednesday, MDYHS was notified that we were selected by the organization Facing History to participate in its special program designed to promote civic responsibility among students and cross-disciplinary work among teachers.  Under the direction of our Jewish History Department Chairperson Ms. Audrey Nasar, our faculty will design interactive, multidisciplinary lesson plans and school-wide special events, incorporating Facing History's extensive resources and professional development seminars.  The objective is to create a collaborative school culture, aligned curricula, and a sharing of "best practices."  MDYHS joins a network of prestigious private schools who work with Facing History - and we are the only school in the northeast chosen for this special opportunity.

At the same time, education at MDYHS includes more than academics - we address the students' hearts as well as their minds.  I was so proud to watch yesterday and today as Isaac Kassin and Marc Saadia presented assembly programs to our students in two shifts, introducing them to the World Youth Initiative, a wonderful organization founded by Isaac - and consisting entirely of students - who help to make the world a better place by passionately participating in hessed projects.  Our students have taken upon themselves the goal of "giving back and paying forward" by helping the needy of our own local community.  What a fantastic lesson they have learned and demonstrated!  This program was followed by an assembly designed by SAFE, under the leadership of our own Mrs. Shira Berkowitz.  Students heard from Mr. Joey Cabasso on the perils of addiction - Joey shared his own personal story of tragedy and triumph, and students left the program inspired and well armed for the challenges of the future.  (Please see the attached photo from this special assembly).

On Wednesday as well, our Art History class, under the leadership of Mrs. Natalie Greenberg, visited several art galleries in the Chelsea area of Manhattan.  Students studied exhibits of drawings, paintings, sculpture, and performance art.  The trip included a detailed discussion about the meaning of the artwork that the group saw.  (Please see the attached photo from this cultural trip).  Our artists and art critics are getting their early training at MDYHS.

Art can take various forms - sometimes, it is to be found in the written word.  On Tuesday, the MDYHS Book Club, under the direction of our librarian Mrs. Bruchie Weinstein, and joined by Mrs. Shuli Sharvit, met to discuss The Giver and Son, two dystopian novels by Lois Lowry.  Student leaders Hannah Cohen and Zachary Mosseri led a spirited discussion about the books' themes of the meaning of family, societal rules, and euthenasia.  The Book Club will tackle Ayn Rand's Anthem at their next meeting in April, b'ezrat HaShem.

And sometimes, art can even be found on the basketball court.  I am pleased to extend special congratulations toMorris Dweck on his amazing accomplishment of going over the 1,000 point mark during his basketball career at MDYHS!  Look for Morris' grace and determination as he and the mighty Warriors play in the League Championship playoffs, scheduled to begin on March 6th, and in the prestigious 2013 Red Sarachek Basketball Tournament, scheduled to begin on March 7th.  I am confident that the Warriors will bring home the glory to MDYHS!

This weekend, I have the extreme joy of joining the Freshmen-Sophomore Seminar Shabbaton, under the direction of Rabbi Benzion Scheinfeld, in Edison, NJ.  I look forward to sharing details of the ruah, dancing, learning sessions, special ahdut, and wonderful bonding between students and faculty in next week's letter.  In the meantime, as always, please accept my warmest wishes for a Shabbat Shalom and for a great week ahead!

Sincerely yours,

Rabbi Saul Zucker

Mother Daughter Brunch Video and Pictures

Brunch Committee:
Rosie Mosseri
Esty Sardar
Frieda Sabbagh
Rachel Naftali
Esther Cohen

Decorating Committee:
Alyce Shasha
Carol Missry
Frieda Arzt
Lauren Shalom
Laurie Mosseri