Chanukah Archives - The 91Ӱ�� School

Yeshivat 91Ӱ�� Celebrates Chanukah

Yaelle — Tue, 31 Dec 2019 03:04:07 +0000

Yeshivat 91Ӱ�� celebrated Chanukah this past week with school-wide davening and menorah lighting—including special performances by the 91Ӱ�� Cougar Chorus—contributing to the Bergen County Chanukah Toy Drive, volunteering with Friendship Circle Camp and raising money through Kahal, 91Ӱ��’s student tzedaka organization. This year’s fundraiser will benefit Project S.A.R.A.H. and Magen David Adom. In addition, engineering students and fab lab-goers created chanukiyot and artwork that lit up and adorned the 91Ӱ�� hallways.

Yeshivat 91Ӱ�� celebrated Zot Chanukah, the eighth and final day of the festival, with its fantastic annual chagiga: 91Ӱ�� on Fire! The chagiga featured music, dancing, games and a silent auction. The 91Ӱ�� students were joined by participants from Friendship Circle Winter Camp, which provides a safe and fun camp experience for Jewish special needs students during their winter break from public school. Friendship Circle Winter Camp is physically based at Yeshivat 91Ӱ��, and 91Ӱ�� juniors and seniors volunteered with the campers throughout the week.

Earlier in the week, Yeshivat 91Ӱ�� welcomed over 200 grandparents for its second annual Grandparents and Special Friends Day on December 26. The grandparents learned with their grandchildren b’chavruta in the beit midrash, attended a class together and stayed for the school-wide menorah lighting for the fifth night of Chanukah! The day was a fantastic opportunity for intergenerational learning, as well as for all the bubbies and zaidies, omas and opas, grandmas and grandpas, and savtas and sabas to see firsthand where their grandchildren learn every day! The event was coordinated by 91Ӱ��’s Director of Development Joey Small and Alumni Coordinator Cheryl Leiser.

Within the classroom, students had the opportunity to delve into special topics of interest within the Modern Orthodox world. Freshman Gemara classes had a week-long unit over Chanukah about the integration of Torah u’Madda, a concept at the heart of modern Orthodox philosophy. Utilizing sources from the Gemara, rishonim and acharonim, the unit dealt with the primacy of learning Torah, the value of secular knowledge in its own right and from the practical perspective of getting a job. The unit served as an introduction to other topics that will be touched on this year from a Torah perspective, including literature and its limits, evolution and Judaism’s approach to Christianity and Islam. Chanukah served as an auspicious time to complete the unit, as the holiday highlights the tension that can arise between the religious and secular realms.

Meanwhile, select junior and senior Chumash classes listened to Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik’s 1978 dvar Torah on Parshat Beha’alotcha, a Torah portion which begins with Aharon Kohen Gadol’s commandment to light the menorah in the Mishkan. The students had the opportunity to hear the Rav’s voice for the first time, and learn his approach to the unity of the stories in this parsha. They were tasked with identifying one thing that surprised them, two things they already knew and three things that they learned from the shiur.

Throughout the week of Chanukah, Yeshivat 91Ӱ��’s Judaic Studies sections enjoyed Chanukah parties at the homes of 91Ӱ�� faculty members. Everyone had a blast with food, friends, kumzitzes, divrei Torah and getting to know their teachers’ families!

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A Look Back at Chanukah @ 91Ӱ��

Yaelle — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 14:50:29 +0000

Faculty-hosted Chanukah parties, the Kahal tzedakah drive and Chanukah toy drive, 91Ӱ�� on Fire, donuts, donuts and more donuts – the programming at 91Ӱ�� for Chanukah this year was fun, meaningful, and beautifully captured the spirit of our school and community.

While the lights of Chanukah may have flickered out for this year, the glow of a beautiful week of achdut, celebration and spirituality lingers on.

Check out the video below for some highlights of Chanukah at 91Ӱ��:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBEfWCaF3ew&feature=youtu.be

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Tamir Goodman, the “Jewish Jordan,” Visits 91Ӱ�� for Chanukah

Yaelle — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 16:30:38 +0000

Tamir Goodman, the “Jewish Jordan,” came to speak to our freshmen today about the challenges and triumphs of forging a career as a professional basketball player while maintaining observant Judaism.

Tamir grew up in Baltimore and played basketball in high school, where he was ranked the country’s 25th top high school basketball player (and officially dubbed the “Jewish Jordan”). he received a full athletic scholarship to the University of Maryland, but turned it down because the university held practices and games on Friday nights and Saturdays. He accepted an offer to play for Towson University and found success there, but he experienced abusive behavior from a newly-hired basketball coach, who was not as accommodating to his religious needs as the previous coach had been. Despite this, Tamir persevered and signed to play with Maccabi Tel Aviv, and his dream of one day making aliyah came true. He went on to serve in the IDF, as well.

He eventually signed with Maccabi Haifa, but the injuries he sustained over the years forced him to officially retire from professional basketball in 2009. Since then, he has been able to reinvent himself and became a sought-after motivational speaker and coach. he runs basketball camps and clinics with Omri Capsi, the only Israeli athlete playing in the NBA. he also founded a company, Sport Strings Tzitzit, which produces compression-fit, moisture-wicking tzitzit. Tamir currently lives in Yerushalayim with his wife and their four children.

Tamir’s dedication to his faith before his sport, at which he excelled, inspired his teammates, coaches, and fans around the world. His words about finding the light amid the challenges- and persevering to find success when life doesn’t work out the way you plan – was a perfect way to inspire our own students during this festival of lights.

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AP Art History Class Visits the Met

Yaelle — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 14:23:16 +0000

On Wednesday December 2nd, Mr. Kastner’s AP Art History class visited The Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan. Mr. Kastner, a licensed New York City tour guide, led the students on a 3-hour tour featuring the art of Africa, Oceania and the Americas, Egypt, Rome and Greece (very Chanukah-appropriate!).

Students had a great time witnessing some of the art they’ve been learning about in real life, up close and personal – a privilege Mr. Kastner said few art history students around the world get to have – and also got in a very thorough and interactive study session before an art history exam at school the following day.

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