Clubs Archives - The 91Ӱ�� School

91Ӱ�� Choir, Sports Management Takes Trip to Citi Field

Yaelle — Thu, 11 May 2023 15:53:46 +0000

The 91Ӱ�� Cougar Chorus, led by Mrs. Randi Wartelsky, along with Sports Management Track, 91Ӱ�� News Network and Cougar Nation Network headed to Citi Field last Thursday for an unforgettable afternoon.

Before the game, the 91Ӱ�� delegation got to go to the Mets’ press conference room and meet with Ben Zauzmer, vice president and assistant general manager, Baseball Analytics, who discussed the role of analytics in building a winning franchise. He noted that everything learned in school you actually will use in your future. He discussed how, in his case, he used math tools like calculus, trigonometry and regression models in statistics on a daily basis to help build the best team. The students then heard from Ethan Wilson, senior director of Communications, who described the role of writing in fashioning compelling stories for the fans in the print press, to the various media outlets and on social media.

Finally, the 91Ӱ�� Cougar Chorus sang the national anthem at the opening of the game! They then got to watch an exciting back-and-forth game, culminating with Maariv during the seventh inning stretch. In the end, the Mets pulled through for the win! What a great night for the Cougars!

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91Ӱ�� JV Debate Team Wins First Place

Yaelle — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 16:07:22 +0000

Yeshivat 91Ӱ�� took home the award for First Place Junior Varsity Team for 2023 at last Wednesday’s debate awards dinner at Paramus High School. The evening honored the JV and varsity teams from the eight league members—Pascack Hills, Pascack Valley, Ramapo Indian Hills, Northern Highlands, Glen Rock, Ramsey, Paramus and 91Ӱ��. 91Ӱ��’s debate teams feasted on kosher Chinese food, watched the highest ranked two teams of partners debate against one another and then settled in for the awards.

In addition to the JV team award, 91Ӱ�� came home with several individual awards, out of a field of around 120 students for each level of competition. Senior Shoshana Schwarz won the Ethel Gamble Award, presented to a debater who can win handily and lose graciously, the very best representative of the league, as voted by the coaches; senior Sarit Greenwood ‘23 won the Coaches’ Award for dedication to her team; sophomore Mussia Poltorak won Fourth Place JV Speaker; and freshman Tess Peiper won Thirrd Place JV Speaker. In addition, Shoshana Schwarz won 10th Place Varsity Speaker. Congratulations to the debaters and thanks to 91Ӱ�� debate coach Ms. Nina Cohen for her dedication to the team!

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91Ӱ�� Stock Charting and Trading Club Visits Wall Street

Yaelle — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 16:13:04 +0000

Students in Yeshivat 91Ӱ��’s Stock Charting and Trading Club went to Wall Street last Tuesday, where they got a phenomenal tour of the New York Stock Exchange trading floor. During the trip, which was organized by club leader Miles Graubard and co-leader Mark Eisenberger, the club had the opportunity to hear from CNBC’s Brad Rubin, director of CNBC’s NY Operations, and Jay Woods, chief market strategist for DriveWealth Institutional. Both speakers shared stories about the history and development of the New York Stock Exchange as well as insights into current events happening this week. They also highlighted the unique relationship CNBC and the media has with the stock market, and students were able to watch a live showing of Squawk on the Street from the trading floor.

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Annual 91Ӱ�� Club Fair Highlights Over 125 Clubs

Yaelle — Thu, 22 Sep 2022 14:42:48 +0000

Yeshivat 91Ӱ��’s annual Club Fair, on September 14, highlighted over 125 co-curricular opportunities, spanning the realms of Torah, arts and music, athletics, communal service, competitions, activism, publications, science and engineering and special interests.

If athletics captures your heart (and feet!), there are over 13 clubs to choose from (distinct from athletic teams), ranging from crew to ski racing, golf and lacrosse, Dance Team, Skate Club—and more. Cougar Nation Network, another club, streams sports commentary during games.

Interested in the natural world and conservation? Check out the Zoological Society, the Ocean Preservation Club or Environmental Club. Or, learn how Torah and tending crops intersect, as part of the 91Ӱ�� Farm. A creative soul with many talents? There are over 14 clubs just within the realm of arts and music—including fiber arts/knitting, interior design, drama, choir, filmmaking, performance ensemble and photography.

Future business moguls also have a place at 91Ӱ��. The Investment Club, Real Estate Club, Crypto NFT Club, Business Club, Women in Finance and several other new clubs regularly deliver practical information as well as incredible guest speakers. Students who enjoy the thrill of competition and thinking on your feet, can try out for Mock Trial, Model UN, Debate, or College Bowl, or join Chess Club, Math League and more.

91Ӱ�� also has a thriving community of serious extracurricular Torah learners. In addition to Thursday night mishmar, there is regular Night Seder, Nach Yomi, Chidon HaTanach, Torah Bowl and a weekly parsha publication, Be’er Shavua, which is now being distributed in most of the community shuls where 91Ӱ�� students daven. In addition to Be’er Shavua, 91Ӱ�� boasts nine other student publications—Paw Print (news), Science Journal, Israel Journal, Kalliope (literary arts), Yearbook, Torah Journal, 91Ӱ�� News Network and and Foreign Language Journal—plus 12 clubs in the fields of science and engineering, including (but not limited to) a multi-level robotics program, Hackathon Team, Coding Club, anatomy and physiology, bio research and others.

If students just want to chill and hang out with friends? 91Ӱ�� has you covered as well, with Ping Pong, LEGO Club, The Breakfast Club and many more special interest clubs.

“Clubs allow our students to cultivate meaningful relationships through micro-communities of students who share a passion and/or interest,” said Rabbi Joshua Schulman, 91Ӱ�� club coordinator and member of the school’s Talmud department. “Student leaders are empowered to build their dream clubs leaning on and taking advantage of the guidance and expertise of our talented faculty members. Every year I am amazed at the creativity and enthusiasm generated by our remarkable students looking to create meaningful and engaging moments for and with one another.”

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91Ӱ�� FTC Robotics Team Heads to State Championship

Yaelle — Thu, 06 May 2021 17:56:29 +0000

The CouGears, Yeshivat 91Ӱ��’s FTC (First Tech Challenge) Robotics team, is proud to have earned a spot in the NJ State Championship this June, after ranking 11th out of almost 40 teams in the Northern Leagues regional championship held virtually on April 22. There, the team earned a second place award in the Control Award category, which recognizes excellence in coding. The team put together an informative five-minute presentation for the judges and answered a variety of questions in a series of panel interviews over the course of several days.

Only about 30 teams out of several hundred in New Jersey make the state tournament each year. “We are certainly a David among Goliaths, as we are going up against teams that meet for many more hours than we have available with our dual curriculum,” said the team’s faculty coach, Travis Merritt. “I could not be more proud of the work that these students have accomplished.”

Abi Langer ’21 and Eliana Bane ’22 served as senior and junior captains, respectively, guiding and motivating the team through many challenging moments. “After months of hard work and long hours, our little robot, The Shot, successfully accomplished its goal of intaking orange foam disks and spewing them out into a 3ft high goal,” said Langer. “I couldn’t contain my excitement at our whopping point average across 6 matches of 142.2 points. In September, the robot was nothing more than an idea and a jumble of metal and plastic parts, but after many designs and redesigns and re-redesigns our little Shotty did it and we could not be more proud.”

Over the course of the year, the team adapted to an ever changing set of circumstances but persevered through it all to produce a highly effective and reliable robot. To practice, the CouGears worked on their robot in many different locations within 91Ӱ��, and took their field apart and put it back together more times than they could count. The robot is now ready for its fourth iteration as Team #15762 prepares for 91Ӱ��’s first state tournament in school history.

The team extended their thanks to Dr. Shawn Langer, 91Ӱ�� Engineering Program Director Rifkie Silverman and The Gottesman Fund for their critical contributions to the program.

In addition to Langer and Bane, the CouGears FTC team includes Jonathan Katz (programming captain), Ilan Davidovsky (mechanical captain), Eytan Abramowitz (driver and doc specialist), Isaac Badner, Isabelle Bersson, Aaron Goldgewert, Oran Goodman, Joshua Kaplan, Nate Mohl, Jude Shankman, Eitan Traurig and Eitan Weinberg.

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Beni Romm ’21 Talks Tanach

Yaelle — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 17:52:48 +0000

The night before Yom Ha’atzmaut, Beni Romm, a Yeshivat 91Ӱ�� senior from White Plains, went to sleep before the sun, at 7:30 p.m. Romm, the first place winner of the 2020 Dr. Shimshon Issacheroff Chidon HaTanach USA, needed to be ready to represent America at the International Chidon HaTanach, scheduled for 4:00 a.m. EST (11:00 a.m. Israeli time). By 2:30 a.m., his tech connection was up and running. In an ordinary year, Romm and fellow competitors, from around the world, would have spent a week touring Israel and bonding. However, COVID-19 meant that only Israelis would be on stage at Jerusalem’s Binyanei Ha’Umah; everyone else was virtual. By the time most of America woke up, Romm had climbed to the top three in the notoriously difficult competition, with Israeli contestants gaining the other top slots.

For Romm, the experience of studying Tanach has been an immersive one, suffused with religious meaning. “The study of any literature allows one to appreciate the mind of its author,” explained Romm. “When one immerses himself in a particular canon of literature, he finds his thoughts shaped by and expressed in terms of the literature he is studying. This takes on religious significance when that literature is Tanach, and one realizes that his own mind is being brought into greater alignment with the Perfect Mind, the ultimate Author of the Tanach.”

Romm’s favorite part of Tanach? “Kohelet, by virtue of the fact that it’s in Tanach at all,” he said. “It raises many of the sentiments extolled as the pinnacle of wisdom by today’s ‘New Atheists’ (an apt demonstration of its own aphorism, ‘Ein chadash tachat hashemesh,’ There is nothing new under the sun). By canonizing it, the (proto-)rabbis acknowledged that such musings, while poignant, are not the end of wisdom and man’s search for spiritual fulfillment, but only its beginning. ‘Sof davar hakol nishma, et ha-Elokim yera ve’et mitzvotav shemor’” “The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole man.”

Romm also learned about what it takes to advance in the Chidon, striving for the seemingly impossible. “In general, long term, your brain is capable of so much more than you think it is,” said Romm. “Your memory and your mind is a muscle, just like anything else. And if you work it with discipline, you can learn far more than you thought capable.” Romm also thanked his Chidon coach, 91Ӱ�� Hebrew Department Chair and 2016 International Adult Chidon HaTanach Champion Rabbi Yair Shahak, “for his dedication to helping me prepare for the International Chidon. His coaching and advice have been invaluable.”

One of Shahak’s goals was to give Romm strategies to remember the tiniest details, and know as much as possible. “He studied day and night,” said Shahak, noting that Romm has a natural affinity for spotting connections in the text. “One of the things that struck me about Beni is how much he relies on and utilizes simple logic based on linguistic and historical sources to be able to identify answers. For example, he correctly identified that metziltayim (cymbals) only appears during Bayit Sheini, so any quote with that word will only appear in Ezra, Nehemiah or Divrei Hayamim. Or, for example, knowing the history and geography of empires—that also played into his success. To say that it’s been a joy learning with him is an understatement.”

Over the course of high school, Romm said that his Jewish education “has really come from both sides of the faculty: Judaic and secular studies. This is a really unique aspect of 91Ӱ��.” Outside the classroom, he founded a Chidon Club at 91Ӱ�� and recruited a large membership. Earlier this year, 17 91Ӱ�� students advanced past the preliminary exam to the national round of the Chidon this May. When asked what advice he would give to new participants, Romm cited Mishlei 23:1: כי תצא ללחום את מושל בין תבין את אשר לפניך, “When you go out to fight against the ruler, you have to understand very well what’s in front of you,” said Romm.

“This holds true for every goal in life,” he explained. “You really have to understand what target you’re trying to achieve. With that in mind you can work towards that goal and be successful. My goal was really to master the material and win, and in that way I was able to gain a greater mastery of the material than if I were learning ‘lishma.’”

Yet, Romm is certainly no stranger to learning for its own sake. Now that the Chidon is over, he has set new goals: learn the remaining parts of Nevi’im Achronim to the same level which he prepared for the Chidon (“functionally equivalent to memorization”), sharpen his existing leining knowledge and complete shnayim mikra with the Septuagint with Koine Greek—with the aspiration of learning Greek so that he can study Second Temple and Mishnaic Judaism in college.

His work for the Chidon helped with it all. “As you’re learning you’re immediately, automatically connecting in your head all the places where similar words appear in Tanach,” he said, “as if you have a concordance in the back of your mind, and that’s a very useful tool to have.”

Romm believes that his ability to lein was indispensable in helping him learn and memorize as much as he did. He noted that boys are usually taught this skill in preparation for their bar mitzvah, while girls are not. This, to his mind, perpetuates a systemic inequality, to use contemporary terminology, when it comes to memorizing the text of the Torah and Nevi’im. “I think that this is not an ideal situation, because the Torah should be open equally to everyone,” said Romm. “We should not be putting pedagogical barriers in front of women when it comes to gaining mastery of Tanach.

“If I were to approach this problem, I would recommend that the community reconceptualize what the role of leining is—the learning of how to read and chant the Torah trop—and how it’s taught,” he explained. “Currently in the community, leining is associated with the public reading of Torah and Haftarah in the synagogue, but historically this was never the purpose of the leining. Cantillation exists not just in the parts that are read aloud in the synagogue but in all of Tanach, because it’s there to serve as both punctuation and an aid to memorization. Therefore, the skill of leining is not a skill in kriat Torah, but talmud Torah. Such that in order for there to be equality in the acquisition of skills in this area, Jewish schools should allocate class time to teaching the ta’amei mikra and how to lein.”

Romm is graduating from 91Ӱ�� this year, and plans to major in mechanical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania following study at Yeshivat Har Etzion. He described the experience of briefly meeting people from Israel and around the world through the virtual Chidon programming as one of the highlights of the Chidon experience. “I hope to meet as many as I can next year in Israel,” he said.

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91Ӱ�� CouGears Robotics Team Completes First Match

Yaelle — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 19:16:55 +0000

Robotics at Yeshivat 91Ӱ�� is having a year like none other, with over 50 students attending weekly meetings and forming 11 different teams. The highest level team, the FTC (First Tech Challenge) 91Ӱ�� CouGears team #15762, now in its third year, competes against public and private schools from across the state of New Jersey and recently had its first match of the year.

Navigating COVID-19 has been a unique experience for the team, as they have had to find appropriate space to build the robot and conduct practice matches while safely social distancing. But, as always, the team is proud of its ability to adapt and problem solve. After all, problem solving is the main skill practiced by the team as they design a robot to perform at a high level. After building three different robots this season, the team successfully iterated their design to perform well in scoring points for the team.

“We have grown and developed as a team, each year better and more improved from the last,” said CouGears team member Nate Mohl ‘22. “Our team has worked very hard since September, brainstorming, building and coding a working robot. We saw all of our hard work, long hours and dedication pay off.”

The 91Ӱ�� CouGears held their first official match of the season on February 24. In matches, different schools’ robots compete and score points against each other by shooting rings into goals and moving objects around the playing field. The programming team develops code to move the robot autonomously for a portion of the match and drivers use remote controls to operate the robot the remainder of the time. The CouGears say they look forward to fine tuning their robot even further over the coming weeks, before the next live-streamed match.

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Yeshivat 91Ӱ�� Pioneers Two New Clubs

Yaelle — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 19:18:15 +0000

Student engagement at 91Ӱ�� is flourishing even during COVID-19. Yeshivat 91Ӱ��’s roster of over 100 co-curricular activities continues to expand, and club leaders continue to spearhead incredible programs weekly and biweekly, providing students with exciting, safe opportunities to socialize, hone real-world skills and learn cool new things. Over the past month alone, three new clubs have been added.

Students interested in getting a cutting-edge window into the 21st century professional world can check out the new Future in Tech Club, founded by Eliana Bane. This club aims to broaden the audience base and application of technology in different fields by showing students that technology is apparent in every career. The club’s first speaker was Elisabeth Schwartz, head of information technology for Phathom Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company that transforms the treatments for gastrointestinal disorders. She discussed her previous coding, engineering and business experience, the role she plays in Phathom Pharmaceuticals and how her job connects technology, business and medicine.

For those with their eye on Wall Street, the new Venture Capital Club, founded by Isaac Brainson and Will Trump, takes an in-depth look at what venture capital is, how private equity firms work and examines the most successful venture capitalists through slideshows, Youtube videos and guest speakers. One of the first speakers was David Brainson, who manages a family investment office and was able to share his expertise in the venture capital world and what others do around him. Plans are also underway for club members to take part in pitching their own private company ideas.

In addition, 91Ӱ��’s new Psychology Club—independent from the school’s psychology elective offerings—had a Zoom discussion last Wednesday with Dr. Joshua Ackerman from the University of Michigan about the psychology behind decision making.

There are other co-curriculars that have started or grown this year. Intramural boys football league is back, masked and ready to let students channel their energy into athletic competition and camaraderie. The 91Ӱ�� Bulletin, a one-page wonder of a news briefing, has published consistently every week, including a hit Purim edition. History Bowl is back and better than ever, with two teams recently competing in the National History Bowl’s Winter League.

“We are so proud that our students continue to hone their skills as young leaders, while pursuing their passion and sharing these opportunities with their peers,” said 91Ӱ�� Principal Rabbi Eli Ciner. “As a faculty and administration, we are eager to support any student who comes to us with an idea for a new club or co-curricular activity.”

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91Ӱ�� Sports Management Club Welcomes Former MLB Pitcher

Yaelle — Thu, 20 Feb 2020 16:00:25 +0000

Plenty of people are interested in the world of sports, but it’s not every day that you get to hang out with a professional athlete and hear the inside scoop about the game from their perspective. Yet, that’s exactly what happened at a recent meeting of Yeshivat 91Ӱ��’s Sports Management Club. On February 18, students had the amazing opportunity to hear from former New York Mets pitcher and sports analyst Nelson Figueroa, who gave his life story as well as a long, insightful Q&A.

Figueroa spoke about his career, and how despite injuries he persevered and attained his goals. He emphasized the importance of hard work and not giving up when things don’t go your way. The Q&A covered several different areas, including hot topics in sports (from cheating and steroid scandals, to proposed rule changes by the league), baseball knowledge and analytics (like what makes some pitchers better than others and how to address different athletes’ specific challenges), as well as the ways to get involved in sports even if you’re not an athlete. Figueroa also spoke about how he began volunteering for Chai Lifeline and Camp Simcha.

91Ӱ��’s Sports Management Club was founded this year by sophomore Jack Greenfield, with the support of the 91Ӱ�� administration. “The club is geared towards students who love sports and are interested in learning about the business side of sports, since they are unlikely to be playing professionally,” said Greenfield. “I have reached out to people in many different sports-related jobs, and the response has been really positive.” This year, the club has presentations from around 10 speakers who all work in the sports industry.

“It was very exciting to meet a former professional baseball player, and to hear about his current role as an analyst/commentator,” said Greenfield about Figueroa’s visit. “Along with his presentation, he was able to answer any current baseball-related questions from the students, giving opinions from both a player’s point of view and an analyst’s. He also gave some advice to those who want to get in the business through the MLB and minor league baseball organizations. The advice that is offered by these presenters is very valuable as we start thinking about our college years and beyond.”

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91Ӱ�� Drama Society Produces ‘A Few Good Men’

Yaelle — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 16:42:38 +0000

The Yeshivat 91Ӱ�� Drama Society put on a gripping production of Aaron Sorkin’s “A Few Good Men” on April 7 and 8. Set in Guantanamo Bay in the 1980s, the play follows two marines on trial in a military court for the murder of a weaker soldier in their own unit. The heroes of the play are military lawyers, U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Joanne Galloway (played by Molly Lopkin) and U.S. Navy Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee (played by Shifra Dimbert). Galloway and Kaffee realize that the case is more complicated than first meets the eye, and despite past failures (for Galloway) and a penchant for plea bargains (for Kaffee), refuse to let the case drop before uncovering the truth about a superior officer’s role in the crime.

91Ӱ�� Drama Society Director Danny Hoffman said he chose the play because it provides many interesting ideas for the students to think about and discuss. This is Hoffman’s second year directing the 91Ӱ�� spring production, taking over from Rabbi Dr. John Krug, who continues to serve in a mentorship role.

The production starred actors Daniella Atiya, Max Burgida, Addie Coates, Mia Cohen, Shifra Dimbert, JJ Feit, Dalia Goldstein, Maayan Keigher, Kayla Kramer, Lily Levine, Jemma Lifschitz, Molly Lopkin, Tzvi Mershon, Sophie Ostrove, Dylan Speiser, Tamara Sragow and Tzipora Lifschitz. Orly Hahn and Kaylie Jacobs served as associate directors, with Hannah Finkelshteyn as production designer, Jarret Lazarus and Daphna Cohen as assistant stage managers and Margalit Ramirez on tech.

Photos of the production courtesy of Jonathan Sarasohn.

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