Senior Memories Class of 2014

Evening of the Arts 2014

The 4th annual Evening of the Arts was a resounding success. The audience got to enjoy an eclectic mix of performing, visual, and graphic arts. (not to mention refreshments!!) This celebration of the Arts Department here at Flatbush is a wonderful opportunity for both the talented student and the equally talented-- but often less seen Arts Faculty —to strut their stuff, all to the delight of the overflow audience.

The musical numbers ranged from pop to standards to classical music, there were scenes from iconic Broadway plays and interpretations of original student poems, as well as an art gallery of interesting and evocative student work. Coordinated by Ms. Ruchie Winker and MCed by Ms. Shelley Kaplowitz, this was an evening Flatbush will long remember—certainly at least until the 5th Annual edition, next year.

Junior Scavenger Hunt & BBQ

For the first time in years, the Student Senior Council finally took a stand against rainy weather for the annual Junior Day. Instead of the usual "Day in the Park" students enjoyed a surprising Grand Central Scavenger Hunt. Juniors arrived to school that morning for late minyan and received customized Junior Picnic t-shirts before getting on the train to Grand Central Station.

Once finally at the station each team set out to check off one zany task after the next. They took pictures with babies, police men, a disguised Mr. David Galpert, and even started flash mobs. Juniors were sent to the four corners of the station from the Whispering Hall to the Apple Store, and from the tennis courts to the Campbell Apartment. At 12noon sharp the students once again convened at the main hall and hopped back on the train where they sat back and clapped along as street performers did their thing.

They arrived back at school and were greeted with an expansive BBQ. While Daniel Dweck and Oren Moskowitz manned the grill and Ms. Bloom and Ms. Kaplowitz manned the food stations, students enjoyed everything from hot dogs and hamburgers, to veggie burgers, salad, and watermelon. They lounged around the Beit Midrash, took advantage of the outdoor seating, interacting with fellow students and teachers and generally enjoyed the ends of Junior Picnic. The day was a smashing success all thanks to Mr. Galpert and the Student Council 2015 -Good Luck next year! ~Merle Cohen

Celebrate Israel Parade: 2014

On June 1st Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School, as well as the Middle Division, participated in the annual Celebrate Israel Parade. This is an incredibly huge event in which more than 250 schools and institutions participate. This year, the general theme honored the 50th anniversary of the parade. As it is our tradition we made a special presentation with the sub theme "50 blessings for the State of Israel on the 50th Parade." Our preparation is always a year long journey and an educational experience.Our t-shirt is designed by our own students in the graphic design class under the supervision of Ms. T Berkowitz. The always accurate historical background as well as the beautiful psukim portrayed are chosen by Dr. L. Gerber. The preparation of our visual presentation is carried out with outstanding creativity by Mr. J. Novetsky and the students in his different art classes. Our majestic Color Guard is prepared by Mr. N. Sanders. The banners with psukim are created and painted by Ms. Dvora Greenfeld.

Many students are empowered to be commissioners of the different marching components from the creation of the dance for the Dance Troupe, the music that will accompany our school while marching, and more.
Last but not least, everything is coordinated by Ms. Elana Birman.

Flatbush Engineering Students Visit Google Offices

On May 22, Ms. Benun and Ms. Wernick accompanied Yeshivah of Flatbush engineering students to Google headquarters in Manhattan. After a tour of the offices and the building space (that used to be the Port Authority of New York) former Flatbush graduates who now work for Google, Ari Gilder and Jonathan Heinberg, hosted a Q & A session on educational, business, creative and personal achievements and factors that resulted in their landing jobs with one of the world’s most coveted employers.

All were fortunate to have access to the professional advice of Ari and Jonathan regarding students’ future engineering projects and programming aspirations. Thank you to Ms Wernick for arranging the trip.

Moot Court 2014

This year was my first time participating in the Moot Court tournament and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Moot Court is an activity simulating actual court cases, which is held annually at Yeshivah of Flatbush. It was made up of a variety of fast paced cases and it was very interesting to see the different approaches taken by each group toward the same cases. I was the most awed at how invested each student was in their cases, and how hard and quickly they worked when prompted to do so. Even though most of the students were inexperienced with the working of a real court, they each caught on very quickly and made the most of the experience. It was great watching all of the different students interact with each other and seeing the originality of each group. While writing the cases, I could never have expected the ingenious thought processes each group would take or the lengths the students would go to win. It was a tough competition, but three students came out on top, Victor Zeitoune, Billy Dayan, and Sammy Dayan. ~Virginia Dweck, Commissioner

Pursue Your Passion Traveling Troupe Program Final Outing of '13-'14 School Year

On their last trip of the 2013-2014 school year, students part of The Traveling Troupe, sponsored by Victoria and Jack Aini, traveled to Seacrest Nursing Home, one of their favorite nursing homes. They celebrated the joy of music, dance, and drama performance with a wonderful audience of warm and eager elders and nursing home patients. The stirring performances on the trip were jovially moving for both the audience members and members of the the troupe. Congratulations to actors Michelle Harari, Merle Dweck and Danielle Ashkenazi; pianists Elaine Aini, Rachel Isayev and Leah Linfield; drummers Ikey Benzaken, Mosie Salame; violinist Evelyn Tawil; singers Michael Chakkalo, Aida Franco (who also tap danced) and Michael Zalta on sharing their talents in the an amazing act of Chesed. Special thanks to Rabbi and Mrs. Hanon for assisting with arrangements for the trip, Henny Shterenzer for accompanying the troupe, and to Michael Catton (travel troupe guitarist) and Joey Baum who took pictures and videos.

The traveling troupe is looking forward to extending it's programs into the summer with trips in deal, New Jersey. If you would like to get involved or know someone that does please contact Michael Zalta at (347) 513-6489 or Michaelzalta@gmail.com

Seniors 2014 Scavenger Hunt in Grand Central Station

On May 15th, the seniors went to Grand Central Station for a scavenger hunt made by Abie Tawil, Albert Zibak and Danielle Shalam. The seniors had to figure out the clues and send in pictures of their team with the items in the clues. Some of the clues included finding a tennis court, posing with a baby, fitting into a "freshie sized" door, and basically running around the entire terminal. There were 14 teams and although most of the teams were very close, the winning team included Joy Feinberg, Dana Nahoum, Eden Malka, Kayla Meshulam, Emily Apterbach, Michal Yefet, Raizy Cohen and Shira Cygler. It was a blast, uniting almost the whole senior grade. We would like to thank Rabbi Beyda, and Mrs. Zaltzman for being our teacher chaperones as well as Mr. Galpert organizing the event and allowing us to use him as one of our clues. ~Danielle Shalam

Lights Out Bowling With SGO 2015

With finals approaching the Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School SGO 2015 felt the students needed one more night to cut loose and release the stress that has been building up inside each student over the past few weeks. So we planned and ran our first trip: LIGHTS OUT BOWLING! The SGO, with the guidance of Mrs. Zerykier and Mrs. Marcus, planned the entire trip in under a week, as we were inaugurated just under a week ago. The trip was a great opportunity to hang out with friends, make new friends, bond with teachers and meet the new SGO. With Mr. Hofstetter, Mrs. Marcus, and Mrs. Schulman, the students who attended were set to have a phenomenal time. We bowled, sang and goofed around and we are glad to say the trip was a huge success! We had a blast and can't wait for the next trip! ~Victor Zeitoune, President, SGO '15

Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rishon Letzion Harav Yitzchak Yosef Visits Flatbush

The Yeshivah of Flatbush had the honor of hosting the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rishon Letzion Harav Maran Yitzchak Yosef. With cameras flashing and security watching, the renowned rabbi spoke about achdut and keeping up our yahdut. His speech, which was all in Hebrew, was about the connection that the luchot had from ben adam lechavero and ben adam lamakom, and how the structure of the kelim resembled its importance. He then connected that to us, the students of Yeshivah of Flatbush, in how our structure as Jews and our personalities within our neshamot resemble our duty in this world to continue along the path of a good Jew while holding on to the beneficial force of the Torah. He moved and inspired us all as one united group, and even threw a few jokes here and there. Giving a speech to the Yeshivah strengthened its standard as well as brought it to a higher level of spirituality. We hope that every student learns a lesson from that motivational speech, and that we should merit to see Maran Yitzchak Yosef another time in our school.

Arista: National Honor Society Induction Exercises 2014

On Friday, May 30th Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School honored students for their academic excellence in the annual Arista: National Honors Society Induction Exercises. The Arista program is a great way for us to recognize the hard work and effort our students put in over their years of high school to succeed academically.

Lunchtime Concert 2014

There are many wonderful and creative activities in the Yeshivah of Flatbush. One of which being the lunchtime concert which is ran by Mrs. Lilia Mauskop, Mrs. Erica Shaposhnik, and Mrs. Winkler. The students who perform in this concert are very musically talented and work very hard to make the audience enjoy the music. Once you step into the music room and the performers start playing it feels as if you are in a serene and peaceful place. The lunchtime Concert is truly one of the great things about the Yeshivah of Flatbush and hopefully it will succeed and continue on for as long as possible. ~ Ethan Isayev

Senior Trip 2014: Days 3 & 4

Live report from the "Last Day" of the Yeshivah of Flatbush 2014 Senior Trip:

Date: Friday, June 13, 2014

Time: 6:51am

Location: Somewhere in Virginia

We are on the same coach bus that we have been sitting on since 6:30am Thursday morning. All that I can say is that we are all tired from sitting all day/ night. Being on this bus for 12+ hours definitely created some great memories though; between taking pictures in each state that we pass, having relay races at each pit stop, and sharing the little electronics that have not died yet and breaking out into our last kumzitz as a grade.

So how exactly did we get to this point?

It all started yesterday, Thursday, at 6:00am. We woke up and headed for whitewater rafting in Tennessee. It was pouring rain and we were all dreading going out on the river. However, once we got to the river side the rain stopped and the sun began to shine. The experience whitewater rafting was so amazing! It was probably one of the best parts of our senior trip. Once all of us showered and dried off, we were expecting to go back to Atlanta for a late lunch and the head straight for the airport.

They say when we plan, G-d laughs. Hashem certainly had other plans for us. One of our two flights home were canceled. The flight that was not canceled flew back to New York with more than 30 students and faculty. The canceled flight with 100 students and faculty had to find another back to New York to make it in time for Shabbat and graduation on Sunday. We decided that the fastest route home would be to drive from Atlanta to New York. We stopped by a supermarket, bought a bunch of food for our road trip and headed back for Brooklyn.

So now you all know how we got to this point on a random highway in Virginia. Even though our trip took some unexpected turns it was truly an unforgettable experience that we will remember for the rest of our lives.
~Francine Shamosh, Senior Council

Hoops for Hatzolah Basketball Tournament

Winning Team

On Lag B'Omer, Sunday, May 18th, the Tzedakah Commission hosted their last event for the year. We hosted a Hoops for Hatzolah basketball tournament. We were so happy to see how excited students were to spend the day playing ball with friends while raising money for a worthy cause. The winning team was made up of Jacob Silvera, Mark Esses, Isaac Misrachi, and Sammy Maya. It's been a pleasure and great honor to work in the Tzedakah Comission for the past 4 years helping to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity. I have been so fortunate to be able to work with the most amazing students over these last few years. Finally I would like to thank the heart, soul, and brain of the commission, Señora Ovadia. If it weren't for her the commission would be nothing. I woukd like to wish her best of luck in the future. Next year's head commissioners will be Jack Sasson and David Idy. Hazlacha Rabba to them and the rest of the commission. ~Victor Dweck, Former Commissioner

Senior Trip 2014: Day 2

Today was an amazing, fun-filled day. This was the second day of the Yeshivah of Flatbush 2014 Senior Trip in Atlanta, GA. We woke up refreshed and energized to start a jam-packed day. After having minyan and a delicious breakfast, we embarked on our journey to Six Flags. There, we all split up into small groups and ventured through the park. The risk-takers and adrenaline junkies had a blast by going on insane roller coasters such as, "The Daredevil," “Goliath," "Batman," and many other thrillers. But whether or not one enjoyed the high-speed rides, everyone managed to have a fantastic time. Some seniors even managed to walk out with life size stuffed animals in their hands!

Afterwards, we had a quick lunch outside the park and managed to finish only seconds before a downpour of rain. Our next stop was Atlanta Cyclorama, a Civil War museum exploring the Battle of Atlanta. We were able to gain a healthy dose of education by checking out the museum and listening to our very informative tour guide, “Young Abe". We were able to “ride” on the Cyclorama itself which was an enormous, 360 degree painting that depicts the historic battle that took place in Atlanta. The Cyclorama would slowly rotate in order to reveal the entire painting to us. 

After the Cyclorama, we went to Congregation Beth Jacob for Mincha and Aravit. In the break between prayers, we had the honor of listening to Rabbi Chaim Neiditch, director of Atlanta NCSY. He spoke about staying Jewish in the "real world" after high school. 

Next, the Comedy group, “Laughing Matters,” met us at Emory University’s Hillel, where they put on an interactive show for us. The hilarious trio, Marc, Ryan and Tommy, put on quite a show for us. Select seniors were able to be part of their act. Whether it was Barbara Harari not being able to breathe due to her uncontrollable laughter on stage (Happy Birthday Barbara), Mark Guindi and Joy Feinberg’s made up movie titles, or Gus Kennedy not understanding the meaning behind the trio’s gibberish. Everyone was able to wear a huge smile throughout the entire performance. What a blast the second day of senior trip was!  ~Jeffrey Nussbaum

May & Bernard Blumenthal Scholars Program 2014

On Wednesday, May 21, 2014 / 20 Iyar 5774, the annual dinner was held to celebrate the achievements of our students in the latest cohort.of the May & Bernard Blumenthal Scholars Program. Seven elite participants presented the research papers and projects on which they had been working throughout the year, spanning the topics of science, math, writing, art and business, culminating in this inspiring and enjoyable evening. Dinner guests included the students' family members, the high school administration, faculty members, student mentors and members of the Blumenthal family, who have sponsored and dedicated the program in memory of their parents and grandparents, May and Bernard Blumenthal, a"h. The dinner program, organized by Mrs. Shifra Hanon, was spectacular and the evening offered a wonderful opportunity for students to showcase their unique talents, interests and creativity. The program coordinator is Mr. Brian Katz. We look forward to future manifestations of this successful program.

Senior Trip 2014: Day 1

Our first day of the Yeshivah of Flatbush 2014 Senior Trip started with a bright and early wake up to meet at LaGuardia Airport at 4AM. Although we were all half sleeping we arrived at the airport with enthusiasm and excitement for our flight. After going through security we prayed together and then headed straight onto the plane. Two hours later we arrived in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Our first stop in Atlanta was a scavenger hunt in Centennial Olympic Park . We split up into teams to compete against each other. The scavenger hunt was very organized and a lot of fun. We had to do things like find the world headquarters of CNN building, which is also in the same area (and answer trivia questions about it). We also had to get into the Coca-Cola factory and do some taste tests. Although it was very close, team #15 (Ezra Idy, Jack Terzi, Ben Fried, Moe Chabot, Emily Apterbach, Joy Feinberg and Kalya Meshulam) won. Following the scavenger hunt we all gathered under the pavilion to eat lunch.

Next, we headed to Treetop Quest Ropes Course we were tested both physically and mentally. We were split into three groups and experienced all of the three activities available. One site was high up in the air with many different obstacles all above a safety net. Obstacles like a tight rope, walking on logs, taking a small zipline and so much more. This site was very action packed and we all left with grins from ear to ear after the huge slide down. At another site, we tested our physical strengths by completing an intense ropes course in the trees. This was our chance to put all what we have learned in the previous site to the test. This site was much more challenging and we had to learn how to finagle our "tweezels" to make sure we were secure. We were all harnessed and taught about the safety rules and after the practices, we each needed to choose what level we thought we were are able to handle. Everyone had a great time no matter what level they chose.  The third site, was all about teamwork. We each had to work on trust skills and work together to accomplish larger tasks. We then enjoyed cookies, chips and water. We ate, socialized and prayed Mincha there.

After the rope courses, we headed to dinner at the Marcus Hillel Center at Emory University. We were served chicken, beef, salad, vegetables, and more. One can feel the cozy atmosphere, which the Jewish students at Emory University enjoy with couches, a pool table, a basketball arcade. We hung out there for a while and everyone relaxed for a bit.

After praying Arbit, our last stop for the night was the Stone Mountain Laser Light Show. It was an amazing show composed of laser lights, music, and fire works projected on a mountain. The content of the laser show explained the history of Atlanta, Georgia in a fun and exciting way. The music got us dancing, leaving everyone in a good mood resulting in an awesome bus ride to the hotel with pumping music. The show was the cherry on top of an amazing day. Can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store! ~Joyce Hazan

Senior Event 2014

Senior Event. Senior Dinner. Senior Dessert.... What ever you chose to call it, it was certainly one of the best nights of our high school career in which we celebrated our four years at Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School.

The night started off with a few great speeches from Rabbi Beyda, Mr. Galpert, Senior Council, and Sammy Tbeile. After that, Victor Dweck and Chana Sitt presented their presentations, which they created for this special night. This included hysterical videos of "Frozen" and "Do you Want to Build a Snowman" Flatbush style and "What Flatbush Seniors Say." They then presented the Farcon and Farista awards to those who deserved them. These hysterical presentations made us all feel lighthearted and happy.

After that, the yearbook dedication was presented to one of the faculty members. On edge, we all found out that our yearbook was dedicated to Ms. Hapler! The yearbook committee couldn't have chosen a better person to dedicate the yearbook to. Ms. Halper puts her all into her work and loves each and everyone one of her students, in and out of the classroom. She's like a mother to us all. Not only did this surprise bring Ms. Halper and her children to tears, but it even brought some of the students to tears as well. To top it all off, we finally went downstairs and received our yearbooks (and mugs)! We immediately scrambled around asking everyone in sight to sign out yearbooks. The night was so delightful and no one wanted to leave. They literally had to kick us out! That night was certainly one for the books and one that we will never forget!! ~Francine Shamosh, Senior Council 2014

SGO 2015: Integrity Campaign

As finals are approaching the Yeshivah of Flatbush SGO 2015 decided to encourage students to maintain their honesty during finals. We believe that if you are honest you will achieve greatness. The pledge is a promise that every student makes upon walking into the doors of school that they are honest, trustworthy, and hold themselves to the highest standard of integrity. We created our integrity wall to create a trust between all the students and teachers at school. Our wall is made up of a 7 foot tall poster with the pledge and about 30 inspiring quotes around it. We hope all the students stay true to the pledge throughout finals and throughout the year! ~SGO 2015

Falcon's Nest Notes: Athletic Reflections; Falcons Gather to Celebrate the 2013-14 Season

Gathering in the new YOFHS auditorium, the many student-athletes of Yeshivah of Flatbush who took to the field, court or track as Flatbush Falcons and their coaches celebrated the successes and reflected on the experiences of the 2013-14 fall and spring athletic seasons. With first-year Athletic Director Eric Amkraut guiding the evening, each of the 23 competitive athletic programs fielded by the school presented their roster and their individual team award winners. Mr. Amkraut opened the evening highlighting the many successes of the season, with a particular focus on the various occasions where our athletes stepped out of their competitive “comfort zones.” Starting with the Girls basketball team’s taking on a club team from Westbury, Long Island to the Boys Basketball Team taking on some of the nation’s best Yeshiva programs in tournament competition in Memphis, TN to the Baseball team doing the same for the first time ever in similar competition in Columbus, OH, our student-athletes expanded both their competitive and communal horizons. They grew immensely both in a humanistic way and athletically from the experiences.

Joey Dayon with Athletic Director Eric Amkraut

The Flatbush coaches presented awards to their Most Outstanding Player and their Most Improved Player, as well as a Coach’s Award and a Sportsmanship Award for each team. Additionally, each team captain was recognized for their leadership efforts with a special Captain’s Award. During each individual team presentation, a photo montage from that team scrolled on the video screens in the auditorium, highlighting many of the top performances of the players. The program culminated with the awarding of the Most Outstanding Male and Most Outstanding Female Senior Student-Athlete awards. It was a difficult decision, with a number of qualified candidates amongst the boys and the girls who excelled in multiple sports over their four-year careers at Flatbush. In the end, the awards went to two players who not only were excellent performers, but also were great leaders, individuals who motivated their teammates to work together as a team, to continue to strive when the outlook looked bleak, to rise to the top in the most challenging of situations. This year’s winners were Alison Kassin for the girls, and Joey Dayon for the boys.

Alison Kassin with Athletic Director Eric Amkraut

It was a great evening of reflection and celebration, wishing good luck to the graduating senior student-athletes as they move on, and a look forward for the returning student-athletes who will again wear the maroon and gold for Flatbush and strive to “Rock the Nest” in 2014-15. GO FALCONS!

Nest Notes:

A special thank you goes to Senior Student-Athlete Victor Dweck and his “bucket list.” Through his goal of attending at least one event of each athletic team fielded by the school, and taking pictures at many of those contests, we were able to display pictures from each team in competition. Thank you also to Victor for putting together the team photo montages that ran during each team’s presentation. Kol HaKavod, Victor!

Senior Bake Sale 2014

On May 14th, the Senior grade organized a bake sale to raise money for their senior trip. The bake sale was held at the home of seniors, Michael and Nathan Haddad. This bake sale was special in that almost every student got involved in some way to help out. Some baked, some worked, and some just hung out at the house all day. Even teachers brought their home made goods to support the event.

At the same time, seniors also participated in producing their time capsule. One by one, students got interviewed on video. The questions were tough, but necessary for the future. The bake sale was definitely a success. Now, we all can't wait for our senior trip to come! Thank you to Celia Tawil for organizing the event.

Falcon's Nest Notes: Celebration Sunday; Runners Rejoice & Baseball Moves On

This past Sunday, Flatbush athletes did more than just Celebrate Israel in marching up 5th Avenue with their teachers and their fellow students. Before the parade, they took to the road and afterwards they took to the field. And with support and fanfare all around, the Falcon student-athletes had a fantastic day from start to finish!

Joe Balasiano, Michael Elkharrat & Elliot Levy
 after competing in the 4-mile
 Celebrate Israel Run in Central Park

Getting an early start to this Celebration Sunday, four members of the Flatbush Track team and their coach represented the school in the pre-parade Celebrate Israel Run in Central Park. Jack Sasson finished the 4-mile course in 29:00.00, right at his target pace (if not for the racer in front of him stopping right at the finish line, he would have easily been under his benchmark time). Coach Miriam Wielgus finished in the top ¼ of female runners in her age group; a very impressive showing indeed! Also running from Flatbush were Joe Balasiano, Michael Elkharrat and Elliot Levy. Of the experience Levy remarked, “it was really a lot of fun!” All made it to the marshalling area well in advance of Flatbush’s start-off time, and all still exuded energy as they joined along with their classmates and teachers in this 50th edition of the NYC parade in support of the State of Israel.

Janet Chrem supports Israel & the NY Rangers as she marches up 5th Avenue with the rest of Yeshivah of Flatbush

After the parade, the Flatbush Varsity Baseball team was hoping for a celebration of another kind, that of victory on the ball field. In addition to the parade, Sunday marked the opening day of the MYHSAL Baseball Playoffs. Finishing the regular season with the 3-seed, the Falcons earned a home re-match with the SAR Sting. It would be a rubber match for the two teams, having split the regular season series with each team taking a 1-0 win on the others’ home field. In both of those contests, the Falcons just could not get the bats working.

Moe Maleh and Michael Tawil take the Falcons through pre-game drills

But, that was before Columbus; before the Falcons found their hitting groove. Before the Falcons were playing games before large crowds. And in keeping with the celebratory mode of the day, the Flatbush faithful were out in force, filling the stands to overflowing at Comer Field. The question: which team would show up – pre-Columbus that couldn’t hit worth a lick or post-Columbus that has been knocking the cover off the ball?

Archon Induction Exercises 2014

Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School held its annual Archon Induction Exercises on May 23, 2014 to honor students who have dedicated their time and effort to our school and community. During the program, select students were recognized for their exemplary service to the school and were specially awarded. Victor Dweck received the highest honor by receiving the Rabbi Dr. David Eliach Award for Distinguished School Service and Binyamin Abramowitz received the Donna Becker Memorial Award for Peer Tutoring for his dedication to helping his fellow students academically.

Victor Dweck, recipient of the Rabbi David Eliach Award
for Distinguished School Service

Mr. David Blumenthal was also recognized for his many years of commitment and dedication to our administration, faculty, and students. Mrs. Rina Zerykier was also recognized for her efforts in making Flatbush the special place that it is. Flatbush students always go above the call of duty to help their fellow students and their communities. The Archon Exercises are a great way to recognize and honor our students.

Challah Baking with Mrs. Zaltzman

A group of Yeshivah of Flatbush seniors went to Mrs. Zaltzman's house to learn how to bake Challah. They also learned about the special importance of the mitzvah of taking challah.

Trip to Special Children's Center: A Taste of The Mission

Last Sunday, Yeshivah of Flatbush students led by Rabbi Besser along with several families from the Adult Chessed Mission, took a trip to Special Children's Center in Lakewood, New Jersey. We had the opportunity to interact with some of the world's most adorable children. We sang and danced together and did sand-art and other projects. Everyone from ages two to sixty was beaming. From the minute we walked into the beautiful, colorful center we were greeted by smiles. We split up into different classrooms with children of all ages. My friends and I went to room one and met three children and quickly made new besties with these three year olds. The staff was excited we were there, and we were all thrilled to be a part. We took kids on pony rides and pet animals. They giggled as they touched the soft fur of the rabbits and heard the squawking of the giant goose. A special guest appearance kept us dancing like Miriam at the Red Sea. When I reluctantly left, I said that I wanted to come back everyday. What a fantastic morning with our new friends. The experience had been so fun, and seeing the children's faces light up made us all feel special. ~Raquel Shalam

Raquel Shalam and her new friend

Flatbush Engineering Students Attend 3rd Annual CIJE Young Engineers Conference

On May 21, 2014 the Yeshivah of Flatbush engineering students attended the third annual CIJE Young Engineers Conference. As a significant part of the CIJE-Tech Program, students are encouraged to experience creative and inventive thinking. Students integrate their skills in science, technology, engineering and math together with their creativity to invent a product that is the culmination of their journey in engineering class.

Throughout the year students learned the basics of electronics, robotics, computer program and manipulation of sensors. The students then took this knowledge and researched an area where they could improve upon an existing technology or develop a project that would bring about tikun olam.

We are so proud of the participants who worked in school (juniors and seniors) and after school hours (sophomores) developing their engineering skills and representing our school at the engineering symposium.
~Ms. Monique Benun, STEM teacher