Yeshiva+Atlanta+Spring+Newsletter+2011

The Lions' Den News and Events from Around Yeshiva Atlanta

**“Hey People! Are you ready for the Maccabeats?”** //Ethan Rice, 8 year old fan//

Searching the internet for ‘Fun Jewish Music’ yields the **YU Maccabeats A Capella** group. Searching the ‘net for ‘Fun Jewish Schools’ yields **Yeshiva Atlanta High School**. And searching the internet for ‘Fun Jewish Shuls’ yields **Congregation Ariel** in Dunwoody, GA. Putting these together results in the **YA-Ariel Shabbaton and Concert featuring the Yeshiva University Maccabeats A Capella** group that was held in February of this year.

When we first broached the idea of a Maccabeats Shabbaton, many people asked the obvious question: “who are the Maccabeats and what is their connection to YA”? A simple look at these young men answers the question – Modern, Proudly Jewish, Fun, Studious – exactly the kind of people we want our own YA students and other Jewish teens to see and emulate.

With this in mind, the Shabbaton was ON! Working with Student Council, the YA Administration team and the staff at Congregation Ariel, the committee booked the Maccabeats for Shabbos weekend February 25.

AP Art student Rachel Valenta created the original poster to be displayed in the school and throughout the community. Together with a mass email and Facebook invitation, the concert tickets quickly began to sell and within 3 weeks, were nearly completely sold out and we began to wonder if the concert should be moved to a larger venue. While we did not want to disappoint potential fans by denying them a ticket, we did not want to lose sight of the original objective of a wonderful and meaningful Shabbat experience. We wondered if it were possible to have a meaningful Shabbos with 700 of our closest friends and family! A chat with Kim Goodfriend, JCC Theater Director, YA Parent and Congregation Ariel member, led to the perfect solution: move the concert across the street to the JCC! Working together as partners, we were able to accommodate a much larger concert crowd AND allow for a completely relaxing and meaningful Shabbaton with the Maccabeats.

The Maccabeats arrived Friday morning. Following a tasty lunch at Goodfriend’s Grill, the group was ready for a quick tour of Atlanta - a climb up Stone Mountain, and a visit to the Coke Museum at Centennial Park. This left just enough time for them to return to Zaban Park for a sound check, where a group of YA students presented them with YA water bottles and Frisbees. Afterwards, it was time to prepare for Shabbat. Meanwhile, nearly 70 YA students, teachers and their families were also arriving in Dunwoody and preparing for the Shabbaton.

Kaballat Shabbat services in the Kollel dome were led by YA students and the Maccabeats. The combination of prayer, melodies and fading daylight made for an incredibly moving service. Following services, the crowd of 200+ moved from the dome to the catering hall, and everyone enjoyed a delicious dinner catered by Goodfriend’s Grill, group entertainment as well as a D’var Torah from YA Student Rachel Broyde. Afterwards, the students enjoyed a special oneg with the Maccabeats.

Shabbos morning, our YA students shone as they participated in services by laining the Torah portion, reading the haftorah and accepting aliyot. Following delicious Shabbos meals, naps, and intense games of Bananagrams, the YA students returned to shul for a special afternoon gathering with the Maccabeats. Naturally, the Maccabeats participated in davening and sang throughout Shabbos, lending an air of uniqueness to the entire day.

Following the Seudah Shlishit, which included more Maccabeats singing and a D’var Torah by YA Student Cayley Stark, and then Havdolah, everyone headed over to the JCC for the concert. It is difficult to imagine the gym full of 1,000 seats, a 24’ stage and enough sound equipment to service a rock band; but it was all there, ready and waiting for us. To pass the time while everyone took their seats, a picture slide show played continuously. Created by YA parent Jeff Weener, the slide show showcased YA students and family as well as Congregation Ariel.

Introduced by Noam Buckman, the Maccabeats sang for nearly ninety minutes to a sell-out crowd of over 1,000 attendees. It was clear from the start that the crowd was thrilled by the music. The encore of their Channukkah hit, //Candelight//, brought every youngster and YA Student to the front of the stage.

All in all, the YA-Ariel-Maccabeats Shabbaton and Concert was a huge success. Everyone enjoyed a lovely and meaningful Shabbos experience and saw that it is indeed possible to be Jewish, observant AND fun.



**The new Organic Garden ** by Mrs. Debra Tenenbaum



Friday April 29 was a momentous day in the history of Yeshiva Atlanta's raised bed organic garden project!

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">It has been my focus with this year's Environmental Science class to involve each student in a way that would leave the class with some type of "hands on"experience.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">I had read about "Farmer D" (a Jewish organic farmer) in the Atlanta Jewish Times and decided to contact him about being a guest lecturer for our class. He wrote back and said that he would love to come, but his speaking fee turned out to be too high for our budget.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">A few months later I was telling this to a friend and she informed me that Lynn Oves ( a dear friend and former Brownie Scout leader with me) had Farmer D put raised bed organic gardens in her backyard. I called Lynn and invited her to come and talk to our class about her journey into the land of organic farming and environmental advocacy. The students were extremely engaged in her talk and asked her to return!

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">I told Lynn about my efforts to reach out to Farmer D and Lynn, being the "activist" she is, made some calls and the next thing weknew she stopped by the class one day and announced that Farmer D was donating 2 raised bed gardens and the organic soil to fill them !

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Friday afternoon, with Lynn leading the way, a huge delivery truck hauled in beds, the soil, 2 installers, and 20 herbs and vegetable plants. The installers instructed the students in how to place the beds, prepare them, level them and plant them!!! Students (many of whom are not even enrolled in the class ) enthusiastically hoed, weeded and shoveled. (Check out the pictures and more will follow!)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Lynn not only helped our vision come true, she also told other people about it and they actually sent her some money to help our cause!!!! The money we won in an online contest I entered and had planned to spend on these gardens can now be directed to other items. I am looking at a rain barrel collector (so that we can recycle rainwater to sustain our garden), and possibly building a compost bin, another goal I have for the class. These two projects will be ongoing with the incoming Environmental Science students.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">We will be setting up a schedule for watering and caring for the garden and have students take on the responsibility for maintaining it throughout the summer.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">As much as we learned about how to start an organic garden, we all learned on Friday about the power of "asking for help" and "surrounding yourself with people that are enrolled in your vision." I cannot sufficiently express my thanks to Lynn Oves for her unstoppable spirit, Farmer D and his dad, Stanley Joffe, for all they have generously donated to help make our dream a reality.

**<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 170%; text-align: center;">Hunger Walk 2011 **



<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">This year more than twenty people affiliated with Yeshiva Atlanta joined the thousands participating in the Hunger Walk/Run on Sunday, March 13. The walk/run began at 2 PM under sunny skies, and the day remained gorgeous throughout.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Dalya Kilov was the only runner from the YA group. Walkers included Liat Hotz and her parents, Noam Gal and her family, Dr. Paul Oberman, Shira and Josh Weissmann, Rochelle Khandadash, Yifat Kadosh, Amanda Cinnamon, Becca and Anna Sirota, Oti Ribak, Sivan Bachar, Shai Weener, Sarah Harpaz, Adeena Ellison, Lily Jacobs, and Ellie David.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Most of the group completed the walk in just under an hour. They enjoyed chatting with one other along the way and watching the various performers on the side of the road, all while being cheered by fans along the path.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">The group raised a total of over $2,000 and have the Hunger Walk T-shirts to prove it! As the leading Day School fund raiser for the event, Yeshiva Atlanta was given the honor of selecting one specific recipient of $500 for hunger relief in Atlanta.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Aside from a wonderful time spent with friends, the more important result was the mitzvah of raising money raised to fight hunger in Atlanta!

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 170%; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">National Honor Society Initiation <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: 115%;">On May 3, the Yeshiva Atlanta chapter of the National Honor Society held its annual induction ceremony. Fourteen students were honored with lighting a candle representing their initiation into NHS.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: 115%;">Shira Weissmann and Liat Hotz, co-presidents of NHS, spoke about the numerous community service projects NHS members participated in during the course of the past year. Some of these included in-house tutoring, a furniture drive, two blood drives, cleaning up yards for senior citizens unable to do so on their own, volunteering at the Emory autism center, and a clothing drive.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: 115%;">The following students were inducted as new members to the NHS: Ethan Arbiser, Paula Baroff, Jake Belinky, Ben Brasch, Gabi Hoberman, Lily Jacobs, Rose Jacobs, Yifat Kadosh, Elan Miller, Lisa Roelofsen, Rebecca Sirota, Ethan Solomon, Avi Steinberg, and Diana Yashar.

**<span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 170%; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">The Spring Shabbaton **<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 170%; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">By: Carmelle Danneman

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">Bananagrams, nigguning, and fruit roll ups. What more could one ask for in a perfect Shabbaton? The annual lock-in Shabbaton at Yeshiva Atlanta, held this year April 1 – 2, was a great success once again. It began on Friday night when the students enjoyed a beautiful service led by our own Noam Buckman. After Kabbalat Shabbat, we devoured the delicious food that was provided by Elegant Essen caterers. During this meal, Liat Hotz gave an outstanding D’var Torah. After benching, which was led by the school’s Kohen, Chaim Moshe, the students split into discussion groups to enjoy cholent (made by Mrs. Paul, Mrs. Globus, and Mrs. Estreicher), delicious snacks, and some more singing. Once the Oneg groups faded, some people enjoyed games, while others went to sleep in designated areas.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Ms. Allen woke up the girls bright and early on Shabbos morning. She claims we got five extra minutes to sleep, but we were up at 8:45 am!! After Shacharit, students piled into the cafetorium to eat a lovely Kiddush of cheese balls, M&Ms, cookies, and of course, fruits and vegetables. After Musaf, some mind-blowing insights by Rabbi Paul, and lunch, students were getting quite anxious to be entertained. Before we knew it, someone called for a “wildebeest”. Mr. Rojek had arrived to do improv with the students! Re-enacting Rabbi Paul’s first crisis at Yeshiva Atlanta got the entire crowd laughing. A block of free time was next on the schedule. Games and sleeping were the hotspots once again. Around 5:00 PM, Mincha took place in the Bet Midrash and shortly after, **//more//** food was served to the obviously starving students.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">After getting into a big circle to sing zemiros, everyone enjoyed watching Azi Globus run back and forth in the circle between Levi Siegelman and Mrs. Globus. It was now time to cram in some more excitement to this fun-filled weekend! Grade council was put in charge of arranging activities for their classmates.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Shabbos was slowly coming to an end. Students entered the Bet Midrash for Maariv and Havdalah, dreading the last minutes of Shabbos. Everyone sang in unison to the famous tune while Rabbi Paul recited Havdalah for the school. The amazing lock-in Shabbaton concluded with clean up, barbecue, and a showing of the movie //Cool Runnings//. It was such a great Shabbaton - filled with onegs, games, and of course food.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 170%; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">Awards Banquet: A Parent’s Perspective <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 170%; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">By Beth Valenta



<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal;">This year I was fortunate to be able to help set-up for the Academic Awards Banquet which was held on April 13, 2011. The school was kind enough to invite me, and the others who helped, to stay and attend the Banquet. I jumped at the chance since the Awards Banquets of past years had always been a “black hole” that my daughter, Rachel, disappeared into once a year, and I couldn’t wait to find out what really happened!

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal;">I have to say it was a touching event that brought tears to my eyes! It was a treat to see all the kids decked out in their finery and best behavior and to see how excited they were by the opportunity to come and celebrate with their classmates. In this informal environment, I could see the easy interaction Yeshiva faculty and administration and students. It was obvious to see how much the various members of the faculty/administration really liked the students and how much the students really liked the faculty/administration of Yeshiva.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal;">The event was truly a credit to the parents of each student who attends Yeshiva Atlanta. The kids were enthusiastic about honoring their fellow students. As each student came up to accept their reward, they were enthusiastically applauded by their classmates. I could feel the positive vibes coming from the students – they were genuinely happy for their classmates’ success. Afterwards, as the students divided into groups to go to their “Post-Awards Banquet” parties, there was a conscious effort to ensure that everyone was included and that no one was left behind.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal;">The students may not know it now, but someday they will. They are truly fortunate be a part of the Yeshiva Atlanta community!

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 170%; text-align: center;">Chagiga 2011

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Once again this year, on March 6 and 7, the halls of Yeshiva Atlanta came alive for the annual Girls Committee Chagiga performance. This year, the girls wrote, directed and produced “Yeshiva School Musical”, a Jewish spin on the ever popular movie, “High School Musical.”

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The play centered on the character of a new girl, Gabby, who comes to the school and is faced with a common challenge, to commit to one social group. She jumps right in and pushes the envelope in terms of conforming to the rigidity of social mores. She proves that she can create a new reality within the halls of Yeshiva High and become a part of **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">many ** groups. By “breaking free,” she empowers those around her to do the same. The school environment thus turns into one where social acceptance and camaraderie become the new social norm of Achdut.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That is what Chagiga brings to our students, a sense of Achdut. Chagiga is completely organized and put together by the students. The play is written, directed, produced and choreographed by the girls. The students design and paint all the scenery, decorate the room, and organize and prepare all of the food. There is an incredible amount of time and energy that goes into the evening!

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Despite the stress, one of one of the special things about the process of Chagiga is the way that the girls are able to step out of themselves and work together toward a common goal. It is not always easy, and is not without drama, but the girls are able to work through their challenges and come together to produce a beautiful evening for the women of our Yeshiva Atlanta family. That is the epitome of Achdut.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 170%; text-align: center;">**AIPAC Conference** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 170%; text-align: center;">**by Ethan A.** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: justify;">//AIPAC stands for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. This year Yeshiva Atlanta was proud to be represented at the AIPAC conference in Washington, DC, by two of our students, Ethan A. and Gary F., and recent graduates Amanda Cinnamon and Sarah Harpaz. In the article below, Ethan reflects on his experiences and how he would like to use the trip as a springboard for activism at Yeshiva Atlanta.//

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: justify;">At the AIPAC event there were over 10,000 people from around the world. I realized that not only Jews attend this event, but many Christians and African Americans as well. Because of this, I understood that we Zionist Jews are not alone in our fight.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: justify;">At this conference, I was fortunate enough to hear President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the former President of Spain, José María Aznar, and many more. Gary Friedlander and I were also very lucky to meet Congressman Tom Price from Georgia on Capital Hill.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: justify;">Overall, my favorite speech was Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech. The previous day, President Obama' had tried to justify his ealier claims that Israel should return to its 1967 borders. In his speech, Netanyahu emphasized that he too wants peace, but under no circumstances will Jerusalem will be split, nor will Israel return to its 1967 borders. Another statement the Prime Minister said that I thought was very uplifting was "Israel is not what is wrong with the Middle East. Israel is what is right about the Middle East." For both of these statements, the large crowd gave him a very, very long standing ovation.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Based on my experience at the AIPAC conference, I am inspired to start an AIPAC Club here at Yeshiva Atlanta. There were many other student delegations at the conference and I hope next year we'll have even more Yeshiva Atlanta representatives as well. I've also discussed my AIPAC experience with many classmates and they seem to be very enthusiastic about this idea. My goal for this club is to bring activists and lobbyists in to teach us how to lobby and advocate for our cause, Israel. Rabbi Adam Starr has offered to advise an advocacy group at Yeshiva Atlanta.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: justify;">I would also like us to become even more educated about why Israel is so important to the United States and vice versa. To do this, we must keep up with current Israeli events and American events pertaining to the Middle East, Foreign Policy, and other factors.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 170%;">**CoffeePalooza Returns And Builds Momentum!** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">By Levi Siegelman <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">After 5 years of a CoffeePalooza dry spell — with only girls at YA girls performing, at Chagiga — CoffeePalooza returned in 2010 with gusto. The school-wide talent show took place before an audience of about 120, with close to 30 students — 1/3 of the student body— performing. The YA spirit was kindled again like the Chanukah lights!

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">In addition to enjoying performing and discovering the hidden talents of fellow students, money was raised from ticket sales and concessions and a CoffeePalooza fund was born. We hope to be able to purchase sound and light equipment in the next year for future events.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">On April 6, 2011, Coffee Palooza was once again a big hit. We had 15 acts and 150 audience members enjoying the variety of skits and talent shared by the students and faculty alike.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Some of the Acts We Enjoyed** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Mrs. Berger started off the performance with //Hatikva// on the flute, closely followed by our hosts, Noam and Noam. Then “It’s a Jewish Life” was performed by several girls from Mrs. Freundlich’s Chumash class, along with several uneasily-convinced boys. Several of our boys (Akiva Halpern, Avi Steinberg, Avi Goodfriend, Rafi Ginsburg, and Yondi Kadosh) performed the popular song “Single Ladies,” choreographed by Sarah Harpaz.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">All faculty and staff members of YA came together to perform “The Organization of a CoffeePalooza” skit. This was closely followed by the only thing in the world that can go faster than the speed of light: Gary Friedlander’s drumsticks along with Daniel Shiff on guitar and Max Robins on base. We had some great instrumental talent, with Avraham Chaim Silverstein playing guitar, Elan Miller on guitar and Josh Rosenthal playing a number of songs on piano and guitar, along with his wonderful voice.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Coach and Dr. Oberman performed “The Copper Clappers”, who come from Cleveland and may catch Claude Cooper who stole the copper clappers. Other performances included Aaron Siegel and Jonathan Biran with their bodacious dance off. Mr. Rojek’s improv students jumped into the fun with Jake, (elbow) Jonathan, (spinach) and Aaron (toffee). Next the silent falling of the Torah after Hagbah with Zach, Levi, and Chad. Jonah and Mr. Rojek then got permission to beat themselves/each other up on stage with mixed martial arts.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">From the Far East, we watched the master of the art of balancing sticks, Levi Siegelman. Accompanied by Avraham Chaim Silverstein on guitar, and with two backup singers, Levi and Benny Elon, Coach Siegelman wrestled with a couple of songs being “His Own Grandpa”. “Step” (or as we like to call it “Stemp”) was back as a feature act, with Levi and his growing team of “steppers:” Anna Sirota, Becca Sirota, Yifat Kadosh, Chad Shapiro, Benny Elon, Oti Ribak, Noam Gal, and Jessica Nooriel.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">This year our refreshment concession not only included the always-popular pizza, but also sushi made by our own ambitious students. A percentage of the profits from the sushi where donated to Od Yosef Chai.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Many teachers were persuaded to offer extra credit to students who participated in CoffeePalooza. While this decision was a bit controversial among the students, if we get started much earlier next year and work out the kinks, it could be a great incentive all through the year.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">**My Hopes for the Future of CoffeePalooza:**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Save the date now: Coffee Paoolza 2012 will be on Wednesday night, March 21. Our hope is that, within the next couple years, CoffeePalooza’s fund will be able to purchase some much needed stage lights and sound equipment for the school.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">I envision CoffeePalooza becoming a great recruiting tool for YA, as it provides an opportunity for both boys and girls to showcase their talents on the stage, behind the scenes, and promoting the school & the show.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Much thanks to all those who helped make CoffeePalooza a success. Patty Robins with lighting and sound, Rabbi Rose as teacher advisor, Mr. Wolmer as last year’s teacher advisor, Joel Alpert who helped with strategic marketing, advertising, and stage managing, the teachers with their skits, and the students with theirs.

**<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 170%; text-align: center;">Alumni Basketball **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: 115%;">On Thursday night, April 21, the current Yeshiva Lions varsity boys’ basketball team faced off against a team of alumni basketball stars from yesteryear. Coached by Avi Goodfriend (2012) in his finest suit and baseball hat, the team included Feivel Glaser (2011), Yondi Kadosh (2012), Ethan Solomon (2013), Ben Brasch (2013), Myles Ratner (2014), Josh Weissmann (2014), Elan Paul (2014), and Aaron Solomon (2014).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: 115%;">Although the alumni jumped to an early lead, and then trailed by only one point at the end of the first quarter, the varsity team stormed back to take a commanding 16 point lead as the older players started to lose their legs. While the alumni made a surge at the end to make the game respectable, the varsity team ended the game with a comfortable 12 point win.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: 115%;">To the credit of the alumni, they were able to win the “5th quarter” by 1 point, after the varsity team was gracious enough to agree to play “just 1 more quarter.”

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: 115%;">Many thanks to the parents, alumni, and current students who came to watch the game. And special thanks to the alumni who came back to play basketball—Daniel Vapne, Aaron Jagoda, Noah Stein, Dovid Weinreich, Matt Greenhalgh, Ricky Zisholz, Josh Pepper, Aaron Fisher and Jonathan Rosenthal.

**<span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 170%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">Boys’ Basketball tournament update **



<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">On March 23, 2011, the Yeshiva Lions packed their bags and flew to New York City to take part in the 20th annual Red Sarachek basketball tournament. This tournament featured 20 teams from across the USA and Canada. Teams were ranked according to school size, age of participants, and record.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Our First contest was against CHAT Kimmel, a large school from Toronto. They were seeded higher than us, and we hoped to pull off the first upset of the week. We took an early lead, but by the end of the game we found ourselves down by 7 with less than a minute to play. With 7 seconds left on the clock we tied the game and the crowd went crazy over this unlikely feat. However, with .3 seconds to go in the game, we were called for a reaching foul which lead to two free throws by our opponents. After the first shot missed, the second was made. Despite losing, it was a tense finish to an exciting game!

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">We won our next two games easily to capture the Championship for our tier. Ethan Solomon was the recipient of the MVP award, and Feivel Glaser was voted to the All-Tournament team. More important than our success, were the many friends we made during our time in New York. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Next year most of our players will be sophomores, and with that comes one more year of experience. We are looking forward with much anticipation to next season’s challenges.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">I am so proud of the way our young team performed this year. We are losing Feivel Glaser to graduation, and Elan Paul to Miami, where his parents are moving. These two students have played a major role in the success of our team this year. We want to thank them and wish them both much success in their future endeavors.

<span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 170%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: center;">**Boys’ Soccer**

<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;">The 2011 boys’ soccer team may not have had a winning season, but it was certainly a competitive season! The spirit of the team was evident in the way the games were played. It did not matter whether they were a number of goals down or ahead, the boys did not stop running.

<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;">An example of their never-say-die attitude was on show at the North Springs game, where they were down five goals to one down in the first half and yet in the second half only conceded one goal and scored another.

<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;">The most exciting game of the season was against AIS where “took no prisoners” and competed for every ball with courage and one hundred percent commitment. Even though the boys lost the game 2-1, they were always in the game and scored a stunning goal. The unanimous claim from the boys was that the season was too short and they wished they could have continued playing.

<span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 170%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: center;">**Girls’ Soccer**

<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;">The 2011 soccer season coincided with Chagiga performance preparations and the commitment of the girls was epitomized by their readiness to fit soccer practice into their already full schedules.

<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;">There were a number of new faces on the team, including some who were new to the game of soccer, and even though practice was shared with the boys and coaching time was limited, we saw a great improvement in both skill and fitness levels. The season was short and was further curtailed by a very wet March. Despite these challenge, the team competed with a great deal of enthusiasm and heart.

<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;">The girls were involved in close and exciting games except for two, one of which they won with ease and the other losing significantly, but against a very strong and aggressive opposition team.

<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;">A strong indicator of how much the girls enjoyed the season was encapsulated in their desire to try and squeeze more games into the schedule and their constant complaint that the season was much too short.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 170%; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">**Yeshiva Sports Awards night**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: 115%;">On the night of April 12 students, parents, and faculty assembled at the school cafeteria for an evening of acknowledgement for our student athletes’ successes.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: 115%;">It was a festive occasion! The tables were set in school colors, and the stage was filled with trophies and plaques waiting to be awarded to this year’s recipients.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: 115%;">After Coach Marcellino’s customary speech about the criteria for winning, and how we should honor those who are acknowledged, he called upon the adults who volunteer their time and efforts for the success of our program to come forward. They were all given kudos for a job well done.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: 115%;">The four athlete awards given that night were Most Valuable Player, The Coach’s Award, The Most Improved Award, and The Hustle Award. The following were this year’s well-deserved winners.


 * || __M.V.P.__ || __Coach’s__ || __Hustle__ || __Most Improved__ ||
 * Baseball || Chad Shapiro || Rafi Ginsberg || Elan Paul || Ari Solomon ||
 * Volleyball || Sarah Harpaz || Cayleigh Alhadeff || Jessica Nooriel || Becca Sirota ||
 * Basketball || Feivel Glaser || Yondi Kadosh || Myles Ratner || Ethan Solomon ||
 * Basketball || Shira Weissmann || Liat Hotz || Becca Sirota || Alexa Ratner ||
 * Wrestling || Avi Steinberg || Akiva Halpern || Avi Buckman || Levi Siegelman ||
 * Soccer || Yondi Kadosh || Avi Buckman || Elan Miller || Avrami Blaut ||
 * Soccer || Liat Hotz || Lisa Roelofson || Yifat Kadosh || Shoshie Kaplan ||

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: 115%;">The evening culminated with the announcement of the **Student Athlete of the Year award**. This year’s recipients were Shira Weissmann and Avi Buckman. The coach ended the evening by reminding all the participants that in order to be recognized next year, they should start preparing right now! All of the coaches are looking forward to a most successful 2011-12 school year.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 170%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">**Alumni Updates**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Aaron Jagoda** (2009) attended Lasell College in Boston this past year, earning playing time on the basketball team. This year he is transferring to the University of Maryland. He enjoyed competing in this year's alumni basketball game and looks forward to crushing the YA team next year. Email at aaronjagodaiverson@yahoo.com

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">**Esther (Clark) Widroff** (2008) was married on January 23, 2010 to Mottie Widroff of Flatbush. She is living in Flatbush and will be graduating from The Lander College for Women this coming January with a degree in Political Science. She is planning to attain a Master's degree in International Relations and Public Administration.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Shuki Merlis** (2004) and wife Abigail moved back to Atlanta this past July. Shuki recently started working at Turner Broadcasting while his wife is pursuing a Masters in Occupational Therapy at Brenau University. Email at shukimerlis@gmail.com

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Tal Ovadia** (2004) and wife Jessi gave birth to a beautiful and healthy boy Erez Shimon Ovadia on the second night of Pesach, April 19, 2011. The family plans to move back to Atlanta in July. Tal will work at a local accounting firm and Jessi will be attending Emory for a Masters in Public Health. Email at ovadia.tal@gmail.com

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">** Sarah Rabin ** (2002) has been accepted to the Universityof Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine for the Class of 2015. She is currently in school at Mount Sinai School of Medicine for a Masters degree in Public Health - Epidemiology, graduating in May 2011, and will be attending UGA in the fall of 2011.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">** Darren Tobin ** (2001) is getting married May 29, 2011, in Toledo, Ohio, to Lana Silverman. Rabbi Mark Kunis, Darren’s stepfather, will officiate. They will live in Atlanta after the wedding. Darren graduated from UGA in 2005 and UGA Law School in 2008. He is a plaintiff’s attorney specializing in defective products and recalled pharmaceutical drugs. His fiancée Lana is a physical therapist who works with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta in Sandy Springs. Email at <span class="gI" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> dmtobin@gmail.com

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Adira Netzel Abramson** (1993) made Aliyah with her family (husband, Dov, and sons, Yair, Uri and Avichai) during the summer of 2010.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">**Rivka Netzel Monheit** (1992) and Eli Monheit announce the birth of their daughter, Tirza Sara Monheit, on December 17, 2010. Tirza also has a big brother, Ari Monheit (now 3.5 years old). Tirza is named in memory of Rivka's older sister, Tirza Peninah Netzel. While at Yeshiva, the Girls' Committee organized a Learn-a-thon in memory of Tirza Netzel and sold Jewish books to raise funds for Yeshiva's library in memory of Tirza Netzel.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">to Shanee Ovadia ('06) on her marriage to Josh Kirschenbaum of Plainview, NY
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 170%;">MAZAL TOV **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> to Miriam Kessler ('07) on her marriage to Nathaniel Saslafsky

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> to Daniela (Spector '04) and Zev Gontownik on the birth of a daughter, Ava

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 170%; text-align: center;">**GRADUATION 2011: REHEARSAL AND SENIOR DINNER** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Part of the graduation tradition at Yeshiva Atlanta is having a graduation rehearsal, cap and gown portraits, and a senior dinner the day before graduation. This gives the seniors a chance to get used to wearing their caps and gowns and to master such skills as walking in to "Pomp and Circumstance," when to sit and when to stand during the ceremony, how to not fidget unbecomingly, and what to do with those mysterious tassels. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">The rehearsal is followed by a dinner for the seniors and their parents. A delicious meal catered by Elegant Essen was enjoyed before the start of the formal program. The program began with an insightful D'var Torah by Avi Buckman (Class of 2011) and a moving PowerPoint presentation filled with images of our graduating class from childhood through adolescence (many thanks to Akiva Halpern for putting the presentation together). Evie Weinreich, the President of the Board, shared her memories of members of our senior class from when they were in her 1st grade class at GHA! And Rabbi Paul shared some heartfelt words of wisdom with the assembled seniors.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">The highlight of the senior dinner, of course, were the seniors themselves. All 29 members of the class of 2011 eagerly took turns reflecting on their four years at YA, and thanking their parents and YA faculty and administration for the challenges, growth, and fun during their time at YA. It was a terrific warm up for graduation itself. Speaking of...

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 170%;">**GRADUATION**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Graduation was held in the auditorium at the Greenfield Hebrew Academy and a large crowd came out to celebrate with our graduates. The ceremony was memorable in many ways. After greetings from Mr. Robert Arogeti of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and remarks from Board President Evie Weinreich (more formal than her first grade recollections of the night before), we were treated to an uplifting and motivating D'var Torah by Rabbi Michael J. Broyde, the founding Rabbi of Young Israel of Toco Hills and professor of law at Emory University. Perhaps the most heartwarming moment of Rabbi Broyde's speech was when he gave his graduating daughter Rachel a hug and kiss (and implied that she should now forgive him for missing her kindergarten graduation ceremony). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">We also had the pleasure of hearing two excellent student speeches: Shira Weissmann's salutatorian remarks focused on the extended metaphor of how our lives are gardens and why we should cultivate them carefully; Noam Buckman's valedictorian address focused on the theme of inertia, and how his own experiences with change allowed him to better understand this scientific concept in a social, moral, and spiritual way.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Perhaps the most powerful moments of the evening centered on Head of School Rabbi Paul, and on an longtime anonymous YA donor. It was a particularly emotional graduation for Rabbi Paul, as the graduating class of 2011 is both dear to him and marks the last graduating class of his time as headmaster at YA. His headmaster's address moved the crowd, and during the diploma ceremony his comments regarding each senior (based on feedback from YA faculty, but carefully crafted by Rabbi Paul) truly encompassed the very essence of each graduate. This part of the ceremony truly showcased how communal and close we are at YA, and how well we get to know each and every student.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">At the end of graduation, Rabbi Paul introduced Mr. Sammy Grant, a dear friend of long time YA supporter Mr. Alan Brill, who passed away this year. In his tribute to Mr. Brill, Mr. Grant explained how hardworking, successful, and yet humble a man Mr. Brill was, and how important it was to him to support Jewish education even though he desired no recognition for his contributions. In honor of Mr. Brill’s support, and in the spirit of his memory, Rabbi Paul inaugurated The Quiet Hero Award, a new honor that will go to a deserving YA student every year. The first Quiet Hero Award went to David Yashar, who has gone out of his way to sacrifice his time and energy help his family in a time of need.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">The evening closed with warm wishes for Rabbi Paul from the senior class grade representatives (Avrami Blaut, Sivan Bachar, and Adeena Ellison) who thanked him for how he has enriched their lives before formally presenting the Yeshiva Atlanta Graduating Class of 2011. Afterward, community members celebrated at the graduation reception. It was an outstanding and thoroughly enjoyable evening. Mazel Tov to the graduates and their families!

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 170%; text-align: center;">**Graduation Speech: Rabbi Paul**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Good evening and thank you for the honor of having the opportunity to share my thoughts with you tonight. As one graduates, it is important to reflect on successfully reaching this significant milestone. The purpose of this is not only to appreciate the goals we have achieved, as well as those who have helped us achieve these goals. Analyzing our successes and goals can also help us gain valuable insights into what replicable behaviors we can use to ensure future success.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">What is the definition of success in life? And what should our goal be throughout life? I believe that success means leaving every situation we encounter with others better than when we began that encounter. As a class, I can personally attest that you are leaving Yeshiva Atlanta better off than when you entered its halls. Or, more precisely, better than when you entered its HALL. For this I thank you.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">The most basic level of making a situation better is following the directive of the Hippocratic Oath: Do no harm. We must strive to, at the very least, avoid making a negative impact on our environment. However, this is usually insufficient. Since, as my Talmud students know, lack of a negative is not the same as a positive. Therefore, the ultimate measure of success is making a positive impact on those we encounter throughout life.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Sometimes we fall short of our goal to make things better by offering a legitimate excuse for not doing so. “I was too busy…, it wasn’t my responsibility…, they were mean to me…, etc.” As my basketball coach in high school said to us when we try to make excuses for our grades falling during a busy athletic season, “Gentlemen, excuses are fine, but excuses do not produce results.” I would like to add to this that excuses DO produce regrets.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Tonight is Pesach Sheni. There were those who had a legitimate excuse for not bringing the korban Pesach the first time the opportunity presented itself. Hashem gave these people a second chance to seize the opportunity to make up for what they had previously missed out on. Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach often pointed out that we see from here, that Hashem gives people second chances, but expects them to make the most of that second opportunity.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">As Jews, one of the most powerful ways we are able to positively impact others is with words of Torah. The Talmud states, “One shouldn’t take leave of a friend without a parting word of Halacha.” The Lubavitcher Rebbe in Sefer //Ha Yom Yo//m explained the parting words should be the kind of Torah teaching that transforms the listener. This transformation is achieved through acts of goodness and helping others physically as well as spiritually.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">At this time, I would like to focus on a Halacha that transformed my perspective about the concept of Tzedakah. There is a debate in the Shulchan Aruch as to whether one should publicize the names of philanthropic donors. On the one hand, if we publish donors’ names it may encourage others to emulate their example. On the other hand, anonymous gifts are viewed as one of the loftiest levels of charitable giving.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Why is giving charity, quietly and without recognition, an ideal for of Tzedakah? I believe quiet, anonymous giving of charity protects the dignity of those receiving charity, as well as preserving the humility of those giving charity.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Dr. Albert Bandura of Stanford University, the father of Social Learning Theory, maintains people learn more from what we do than from what we say. I believe this is what Professor Avraham Joshua Heschel meant when he said we need more text people than we need textbooks. Although I strive to personify being a role model of what values our school stands for, I do so inconsistently at times and fall short of modeling the ideal representation of who we want our young people to strive to emulate. I also realize that imperfect yet persistent dedication to growth is actually a very valid model of behavior to show young people.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">How is it possible to learn from the examples of others if we don’t actually witness their behavior? I think by studying someone’s life we can glimpse the greatness of that person. Telling someone’s story can teach us things that we never would have known about otherwise. This approach is actually a school of thought on studying history called “The Great Man Theory,” <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">which was in vogue in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. I think this is why I personally enjoy reading biographies.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">I would therefore like to conclude my marks by calling on an individual who can share with us some recollections about a quiet and modest person who gave generously and in almost complete anonymity to many Jewish organizations in our community, including our school. Mr. Sammy Grant was a close friend of the man I am referring to, Mr. Alan Brill, of blessed memory. I would now like to call upon Mr. Grant to share a few words with us about this extraordinary individual’s legacy.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">As one of my last official actions as Headmaster of Yeshiva Atlanta, I would like to present the inaugural “Quiet Hero” Award as a token of appreciation for the example of modest kindness displayed by Mr. Brill throughout his life.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">I think the following words describe both Mr. Brill, as well as the recipient of this Keynote Award tonight. Dr. M. Scott Peck writes in his classic work //The Road Less Traveled,// “spiritually evolved people are people of great power, although the world may behold them as quite ordinary people, since more often than not they will exercise their power in quiet or even hidden ways.” This year’s recipient of YA’s Quiet Hero Award is David Yashar.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">I would like to thank the community for a wonderful last five years in Atlanta, and I hope we all go from chayil el chayil, from strength to strength in the future.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 170%; text-align: center;">**Salutatorian address: Shira W.**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">The first week of freshman year, I sat with a fellow student in the lunch room, awaiting the arrival of our Biology class. The bell rang, and no one showed up. Eventually we realized something was amiss. We were lost. Yes, we got lost in a two-hallway school, in a school where you would think there is no possible way to get lost. Nevertheless, it happened. We ended up in the lunch room. Turns out, the Biology room was at the end of the other hallway. Whoops. But we soon learned our way around the school, with a bit of help, of course. Directions, as you may have noticed, have never been my strong suit, so my parents handed me a multitude of maps. “Study these. Please!” they would say. I looked at the maps, attempted to memorize street names, and some general locations. It worked for a while, until I had to go to some place new. And then the process would start all over again. Through these experiences, I learned that in life one must do more than memorize how to get from point A to point B; rather, one must have the flexibility and confidence to try new things and the ability to adjust in order to move forward.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">I don’t believe in “lost causes.” I know that I will not be directionally-challenged forever. Each person can better him or herself at anything with hard work and determination. And the betterment of ourselves stems from the constructive development of our character and attributes. To quote Shakespeare, “Our bodies are our gardens, to…which our wills are gardeners.” In other words, we each are structured for direction and growth—the garden’s soil, seeds, and fertilizer represent our traits and potential for growth and maturity. The design and layout of the garden represents the map, or the vision of desired results, while the gardener embodies our mindset and determination to grow the seeds we were given—to make the unique garden that becomes each distinctive individual. Everyone is born with innate talents and skills, or keeping with the metaphor, with hundreds of seeds, yet to be grown. And each garden has its own individual design that is simultaneously developed as the seeds grow.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Some of these seeds will produce cucumbers, apples, and oranges, while others will produce weeds and unwanted crab grass. But only we have the ability to grow these beneficial seeds—with our will, hard work, perseverance, conviction, and much more, and the neglect of such has potential to result in the cultivation of the harmful, unwanted plants—and to detrimentally redirect the garden’s design. We cannot know from the beginning of our lives which seeds we are given, but hard work and determination in discovering and developing our traits is what will lead to the nurturing of the rich qualities that we want to grow.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">The biblical name “Adam” reflects this same idea. The Maharal questions Adam’s name. He asks: why is Adam named after the “Adama” rather than after his neshama (or the soul), the seemingly more vital part of a human being given by God? Shakespeare and the Maharal’s ideas coincide quite nicely in answering this question, both saying that the human is like a garden, stemming from the “adama,” or ground. So by naming “Adam” after the “adama” reflects that man needs the “adama” to grow. Without the ground, there is nowhere to plant the seeds; so too, without the body, there is no one to develop the potential traits and character.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">The Maharal sees the “neshama” as man’s greatest seed—the spirituality an individual has the potential to grow, and we, as Jewish people, were set up to advance in our spirituality through physical means—instructed to us in the Torah. Adam represents man’s capacity for growth—we have such great potential, and our challenge in life is to actualize it and give it a direction to succeed in.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">So we need someone, something to harness this potential and turn it into the greatness that it can become.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">That is where Yeshiva Atlanta comes into play. Yeshiva has helped me discover more about myself in four years than I had in a lifetime before high school.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Its friendly environment fosters a confidence among us, its students, to truly be ourselves, and it offers what is needed to trigger the growth which allows us to reveal the potential hidden in us all. Leadership roles allow for us to discover latent traits; a student may find she is imaginative for constructing a new tutoring program at the school; she is inspiring for bringing even more excitement and enthusiasm to Chagiga; or he is confident in getting up to speak before a crowd of people. With the constructive atmosphere the students create, Yeshiva maintains a home in which we can discover our seeds and design our gardens.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">It allows for us to acquire a successful growth mindset. We understand that if we were able to learn so much about ourselves at Yeshiva in just four years, then we have so much more to discover throughout our lives. We realize that we have potential for greatness, and that is what is important. Not reaching our peak during high school, but learning to understand that we have the ability to reach it. That does not mean that we know what we want to major in (sorry mom and dad!), or who we want to marry, or what we want to give to the world, but it means that we know our potential. We know the good and the bad that we can produce, and Yeshiva has given us the guide book to planting.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">We can leave high school feeling secure in our future abilities, having knowledge of making the most of what we have been innately given and of a path to direct this knowledge. And although I still have trouble finding the entrance to my Grandma and Grandpa’s condo every time and although I can never seem to make it to Target and Trader Joes without getting turned around, at least I know that I am not totally directionally-challenged. I feel confident in designing my own garden—using my unique traits and individuality that has been shaped here at Yeshiva through the leadership roles, through my classmates and friends, through the faculty, and through the constant support of my family.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Back in 9th grade, my friend and I needed to end up in the lunch room in order to find the biology room, for it is through our mistake that we learned our way. We all have our potential, but it is the way we handle the weeds that creates the design of the garden. We can allow the weeds to cover up the paths, or we can harness them in and have them aid in the creation of our lives’ trails leading towards our future success. Thank you so much Yeshiva Atlanta for giving your students, and in particular the Class of 2011, the tools necessary for growing and designing each of our lives’ individual and unique gardens. Thank you.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 170%; text-align: center;">**Valedictorian Address: Noam B.**



<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">During my high school career, I always had a special affinity towards math and science. Especially with physics, I loved seeing how the formulas on the board could be related to the physical things in the world around us: how the Prius conserves energy or how the roller coaster makes vertical loops. However, there was one topic that for the life of me, I could never quite understand, and that was inertia. Now inertia is not one of those abstract concepts taught in the last year of college that only makes sense after years of backbreaking mathematics. Inertia is one of the most basic and fundamental concepts taught in high school physics, yet I could not grasp the concept.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">So what makes the concept of inertia so confusing? In the 17th century, Sir Isaac Newton coined the term inertia in his book, Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica, defining the term as: “The vis insita, or innate force of matter, is a power of resisting by which every body, as much as in it lies, endeavors to preserve its present state.”

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">In layman's terms, inertia is the innate resistance to change. It is a peculiar idea, that everything in this world resists any change to the state in which it resides. To add to the mystique and ambiguity of this concept, inertia can not be quantified. It can not be calculated, it does not even have any units of measure. Rather, it is this metaphysical, almost supernatural characteristic that we don’t normally associate to objects in this world. Unlike gravity or energy, we don’t normally observe inertia in nature. Roller coasters and cars are not animate objects, they should not have this ability to resist. We don’t hear cars telling us to stop pressing the pedal when we accelerate and yet we are taught that every single object, has an innate resistance to change.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Two years ago, I realized that the reason that I could not grasp the concept of inertia was that I had never really experienced change. I grew up most of my life in the same house, the same neighborhood, in the same state of Michigan. When I went to high school, I continued my studies with the same students that I went to school with in first grade. Even when I tried to spice up my life and go to camp in Canada, I was surrounded by many of the same kids I knew from elementary school. To me, change was a concept even more foreign than inertia.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Only once I left the confines of my sheltered life in Michigan and moved to Atlanta did I really experience the true meaning of change and inertia. I walked off the plane and entered a new world. A world with no snow, a world where Coca-Cola is the national beverage and “ya’ll” is grammatically correct. I walked into a brand new school, to a crowd of 100 strangers; I was the new 11th grader intruding on your world. I began struggling in classes that I never had problems with before. In English, I found that essays were structured differently than what I was taught. The teachers that used to be the backbone of my high school experience were gone, and I was left with teachers who knew nothing about me. Even the name of the classes at YA were foreign to me. I had to remember that Bible class was now called Chumash, Talmud class was now Gemarrah, and Minyan was now Davening. This initial sense of confusion and struggle was overwhelming at first, I lost grounding for the first few weeks. I experienced an innate resistance to change, an inertial instinct against my change in environment. And for a while I had no idea how I would ever overcome this inertia, how I would accustom myself to a whole new world.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">And the truth is, this has been a struggle for physicists for centuries, how do we overcome inertia? The same man that defined the term, the father of modern science Sir Isaac Netwon also proposed a solution to overcoming inertia. In a letter to physicist Robert Hooke, Newton wrote, “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” While this isn’t the answer most quoted in physics textbooks, I believe it is the most accurate. We are only able to overcome the hardest of changes by, “standing upon the shoulders of giants.” We are not able to overcome the change in our lives without being surrounded by people who can challenge you intellectually while complementing you socially.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">For me, I was able to cope with the foreignness of YA because I met incredibly accepting and friendly students as well as teachers who were understanding and helpful. In the English class that I was struggling in, I was able to approach both English teachers at school and each of them were able to give me guidance. When I sat in my English class, I saw that I was surrounded by about a dozen of the smartest girls and boys I had ever met. They pushed me to be the best writer I could be, they inspired me with their own writing and taught me how to be an excellent student. And this environment was not unique to English. In every class, I found myself sitting next to students who loved and excelled in their studies. I found myself learning more from my peers, the giants of the school, than the classes themselves.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Even this year, I saw students helping each other overcome the inertia of high school. When I would walk into the media center during H-period, I would see no less than six freshmen everyday, huddling over geometry textbooks helping each other with their homework. I would walk down the hallway and see senior girls sitting down with freshmen girls, helping them in their Judaics; while in the library, students were scribbling furiously in red ink, peer editing fellow students’ papers.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">And if Sir Isaac Newton was a rabbi of the Mishna, he would sound a whole lot like Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Perachya. In Chapter One of Pirkei Avot, Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Perachya states, “ עשה לך רב, וקנה לך חבר,” “Assume for yourself a teacher and acquire for yourself a friend.” I learned from my experience at YA that we can only achieve true tranquility in our state of change by following the wise words in Pirkei Avot, by assuming for ourselves teachers and acquiring friends who can help guide you into comfort, into a place that can become your home.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">After just a few weeks at Yeshiva Atlanta, I was overwhelmed by the sense of community and friendship that a school could offer. My fear of alienation was countered by the experience of students who would go out of their way to introduce themselves to me. From the shy ninth grader to the scary twelfth grader, I found that I connected with every student at our school, creating friendships that will last through my college years and beyond. These strong and countless friendships are what allowed me to overcome my emotional inertia.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">In particular, you, the Class of 2011, the 28 other students who adopted me into your grade as a brother allowed me to feel comfortable in the battlefield known as high school. Your openness to greet someone new and include him in your lives really touched me and taught me how the friends you acquire are the ones that really count. Yet I was not the only one in our class or even school who experienced this friendliness and acceptance at YA. When I joined Yeshiva Atlanta, my junior class was 1/6th newcomers. And yet, after just a a few weeks in, I honestly could not tell which students had known each other since first grade and which ones just met a week ago. Even this year, I was amazed to see how quickly transfer students and freshmen were able to become accustomed to Yeshiva, joining the YA family.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">It is the strong and countless friendships that allows us to overcome the change and obstacles in the future ahead of us. Whether it is at Yeshiva in Israel or at our university of choice in America, the friends that we surround ourselves with allow us to overcome our innate emotional inertia. Yeshiva Atlanta has taught us all how to acquire for ourselves friends, friends that shares the same religious and ethical values, helping us create a community that is conducive to growth both academically and spiritually.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Likewise, the unparalleled kindness in the teachers at Yeshiva Atlanta have made my years at Yeshiva not only emotionally comfortable but also academically comfortable. With the personal attention that I felt from every teacher, whether it be in a one-on-one class in math and chumash to the sixteen person English class, I felt that my teacher actually cared about me. The teachers at Yeshiva Atlanta do not limit their interaction to the designated 45 minute class periods. Teachers are constantly found talking philosophy with students in the library or playing bananagrams with a senior in the lounge. The teachers and administration at Yeshiva blur the line between teacher and mentor, helping us make decisions that will effect us for the rest of our lives.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">But I have to admit, support extends beyond the confines of the school walls. Without the constant support of our families, our parents, brothers, and sisters, we can not overcome the challenges in front of us. Without parents who taught me the value of an education, without parents who insisted on a Jewish and secular education, and without parents who understood what it meant to be a teenager, I would not be able to stand on this stage tonight. Without the constant support and advice from my brothers, as well as having one with me during my whole journey, I would not be the person I am today. And for that, I am very grateful to the giants in my family.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">As we move forward in our lives, we will constantly be changing our environment, facing new challenges, and experiencing new people. We will always experience the strong forces of inertia, our environments will always be changing. Curve balls will fly our way and bumps in the road will appear on our journey. Yet we must pool together, acquiring for ourselves friends and teachers to overcome this force. We must embrace the new and welcome the change. We must build on what has been broken and renew the old. As we move on to bigger and better things, whether it is entering high school, going to university, or even changing careers, we must understand that in order to adapt and succeed, we must surround ourselves with outstanding friends, teachers, and family, so that we can stand on the shoulders of giants and overcome the inertia in our lives.