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Sunday, December 9, 2012
Warriors' Week in Review
Dear Parents,
What an amazing week it has been at MDYHS – it was very difficult for me to choose from among the many exciting programs and events to share with you in this letter. I know you will enjoy this glimpse of these past few days at school.
On Tuesday the department of College Guidance & Career Counseling Services, under the direction of Mrs. Debbie Solomon, hosted a Career Breakfast for seniors. Fourteen different professionals representing the following careers enjoyed breakfast “power meetings” with our seniors: dentistry, education, engineering, finance, graphic design, interior design, law, medicine, physical therapy, politics, real estate, retail sales, and technology. Each representative discussed his or her respective field, its challenges, and the requirements at college necessary to succeed in that area. Students rotated tables, such that they were able to meet with 3 representatives of their choice. (Please see the attached photos from this wonderful breakfast program). The future captains of industry and leading professionals are getting their head starts at MDYHS!
And while on the subject of career paths, students of the Small Business Management college credit course, led by our own Dr. Abe Tawil, went on a special visit to Google Headquarters yesterday, as part of a delegation consisting of Baruch College and MDYHS students. Our group had the opportunity to see the different branches of Google in action, and learned the important lessons of balancing individual creative expression with teamwork, and freedom from constraint with effective time management. Students came back from the trip enthused and excited about how they could use these lessons in their future career paths. (Please see the attached photo from this great trip).
Getting to these successful career paths requires preparation and diligent work. Toward that end, MDYHS infuses SAT prep work within our classes throughout high school. One wonderful example of this is a project designed by our talented English Department chairperson, Mrs. Rachel Harari, where students are taught Latin roots of English words, and then the students create original display works demonstrating how these roots branch off into so many “SAT words.” (Please see the attached photo of some of the students’ original work on this project). On a related note, Mrs. Debbie Solomon has begun a series of visits to the 10th grade classes to discuss tips for SAT preparation and strategies for college admissions in general. And on Wednesday evening I had the pleasure of visiting an MDYHS SAT prep course given by Ms. Sara Haleva, who was working with our students on strengthening their verbal skills. All of this hard work pays off – this week alone I received emails from 3 different MDYHS parents – unsolicited – telling me how proud they were that their children had received scores of 1400 or higher on their latest SAT. Beautifully done!Our sophomores have recently been studying Latin American literature in their English classes, and department chairs Mrs. Rachel Harari (English) and Mrs. Leah Cymet (Spanish), seized upon the opportunity to coordinate in presenting a bilingual unit to the students. Working on the short story “The Interminable Life” by Isabel Allende, the 10th graders did reports both in English and in Spanish, exploring the themes of this meaningful piece of literature. (Please see the attached photo of their beautiful work).
And in the spirit of interdisciplinary programming, our English classes across the grades had the fantastic opportunity to experience acting workshops led by Ms. Jocelyn Greene, founder and director of the Child’s Play School of Theater. The purpose of the workshops was to expose the students to acting techniques and help them appreciate the character development and story line that are so much a part of literature. Students met with me after the workshops asking when the next one will take place – we have already invited Ms. Greene to continue the program in coordination with the English department.
On a more somber theme, Rabbi Elinatan Bitton led his 11th grade Jewish History class on a trip to the Museum of Jewish Heritage on Monday. The students have been learning about the Holocaust, and now had the chance to study and view artifacts concerning Germany’s rise to power before World War II and the deportation of Jews to ghettos and concentration camps. After the visit, Jack Azrak, who was so moved, spoke about how the museum helped him feel the pain that the Jews went through during this terrible time. The museum docent told Rabbi Bitton how impressed she was with the MDYHS group. (Please see the attached photo from this meaningful visit).
Continuing on the theme of taking things to heart, our sophomore girls, under the direction of their wonderful Grade Dean Mrs. Esther Muller, have been getting together on Thursday evenings to bake hallot at Mrs. Muller’s house. In groups of 6 girls at a time, the students recite the berakhah and separate hallah, and Mrs. Muller instructs them on braiding the dough. Along with our own Ms. Sally Mishanieh, Ms. Audrey Nasar, and Mrs. Shara Netkin, the students and teachers talk, bond together, and bake cookies while waiting for the dough to rise. All the girls receive a special “hafrashat hallah birkon” and they – along with the teachers – say that it is one of the highlights of their week! (Please see the attached photo from this beautiful program).
As this coming week is Hannukah, MDYHS is about to be transformed with our legendary annual Shiriyah! I look forward to writing all about it to you next week, b'ezrat HaShem. As always, please accept my warmest wishes for a Shabbat Shalom and for a great week ahead! Happy Hannukah to you and your family!
Sincerely yours,
Rabbi Saul Zucker
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Warriors' Week in Review
Dear Parents,
What an amazing week it has been at MDYHS - filled with exciting programs and events. It is an honor for me to share a glimpse of some of them with you.
Last night, the Department of College Guidance & Career Counseling Services, under the direction of Mrs. Debbie Solomon and assisted by Mr. Steven Harris, Mr. Daniel Zide, and Ms. Tova Werner, hosted the annual MDYHS College Fair. Seventeen colleges and universities were represented, including such popular MDYHS choices as Barnard, Baruch, Brooklyn, FIT, Macaulay Honors, NYU, and Sophie Davis. We were honored to have two senior level admissions officers among the representatives - Ms. Marianne Boufall-Tynan, the Director of Enrollment Management of the entire Macaulay Honors College, and Mr. Christopher Wanyonyi, the Director of Admissions of the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Studies. Parents and students had the opportunity not only to learn about various college programs, admissions criteria, tuition assistance, and life on campus, but they also had the opportunity to establish relationships with some of the college officers who will be reading their applications and taking part in the admissions decisions. This is a great way for our students to get an "edge" in the college acceptance process. I was so proud to hear from the various representatives about how impressed they were with the students and parents that they met.
Magen David's involvement in our students' college experience does not stop at the students' acceptances to the colleges of their choice. We are pleased to offer our students ongoing career guidance during their college years as well. Our very own Dr. Abe Tawil has made himself available for mentoring and counseling our alumni, and many of our graduates have already seized this wonderful opportunity. I have seen the outpouring of gratitude in emails sent to Dr. Tawil for his invaluable assistance to our alumni. The foundation that has been set at MDYHS for our students' success continues well beyond our own hallways and classrooms.
And speaking of success, on Monday our entire senior class had the privilege of participating in the inaugural seminar Risk to Succeed led by Mr. Ricky Cohen, chairman and CEO of Conway, and sponsored by Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. While Risk to Succeed will be instituted at other schools in the tri-state area as well, MDYHS is the first school to host this wonderful program, which is designed to guide the students in factors and strategies necessary for success in career and in life. Students were spellbound as they listened and then participated in Mr. Cohen's workshops, which were built on themes explored by his recently published book - and which are designed as a series to continue throughout the year. The program ties in beautifully with the famed MDYHS Senior Internship Program. (Please see the attached photo from the seminar).
On a related note, our Principles of Investment class, led by Mr. Daniel Kamelhar, visited the NY Stock Exchange this week. Students learned about the history of the Exchange, its merger with Euronext, and the various markets including those of commodities and bonds. They then had the special privilege of seeing the market in action from the trading floor itself. Our future entrepreneurs and investors are well on their way! (Please see the attached photos from this amazing trip). While some MDYHS students were learning about futures, others were learning about pasts. The entire 9th grade, led by Mr. Joe Naftaly, Mrs. Joanne Auman, and Mrs. Natalie Greenberg, visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Guided by specific instructions and assignments - including an "art scavenger hunt" project - our students conducted a comparative study of artifacts from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. (Please see the attached photos from this stimulating visit). And from the future and the past, we move to the present, where Mrs. Stephanie Shamah brought her Literature Across Cultures classes to New York's Lower East Side. Before the trip, students were tasked with creating original T-shirts depicting artworks or sayings associated with New York. Wearing their own handiwork, students were led by a professional tour guide through the former "Five Points," the Jewish Lower East Side, Chinatown, and Little Italy. Our classes had the chance to appreciate the layers of ethnic history in New York, and thereby learn about themselves and other people. (Please see the attached photo from this wonderful tour).
Last night, Magen David's Student Government Organization (SGO), under the leadership of Yoni Hadar, arranged a "Thursday Night Learning & Cholent" event. Rabbi Reuven Jacobsohn and I had the joyous privilege of teaching the students a shiur on the topic of Hanukkah while they feasted on delicious cholent. The great bonding between teachers and students while they learned lishmah - not for an exam or an assignment, but for its own sake - is inspiring. One of the students put it best when he said, "This program is great - food for the stomach and food for the soul!"
And while on the topic of the beautiful neshamot of our students, I was so proud of the MDYHS student body as they sponsored "A Day of Relief" for young boys and girls in Israel who had experienced the trauma of missile attacks in their neighborhoods. In a program coordinated by our own Rabbi Nir Shalom and our Director of Hessed Programs Ms. Elyse Nadjar, more than 1,000 youth from southern Israeli cities came to a major mall in Israel to have fun - they were joined by volunteers and artists for a host of enjoyable programs, and the boys and girls were given gifts at the end of the day. The event was so inspiring that Israeli radio broadcast a story about it - and they mentioned MDYHS's role in the program! (Please listen to the attached audio clip from that radio broadcast). What a beautiful way to reach out and make a great difference in the lives of others!
Finally, I am pleased to report that our Girls Varsity Volleyball team, under the wonderful leadership of coaches Margie Mathews and Michele Cohen, defeated the team of Bruriah High School by a score of 2-0 in the opening match of the season. And our Boys Junior Varsity Basketball team, under the great leadership of coach Aaron Shasha, was victorious over the team of JEC by a score of 68-54. Jack Chehebar and Joseph Grazi were the high scorers with 19 points each. Go Warriors! Look for all the sports scores as well as other breaking news at MDYHS in the latest issue of our student newspaper, The Flame, which came out today.
As always, please accept my warmest wishes for a Shabbat Shalom and for a great week ahead!
Sincerely yours,
Rabbi Saul Zucker
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