Flatbush Students Attend Ambassadors Against BDS Conference at the United Nations

On Tuesday, May 31st, the first ever Ambassadors Against BDS conference was held at the United Nations. Six Yeshivah of Flatbush students from the Israel Advocacy commission attended, including new commissioners Ben Wade and Amanda Heskiel, former commissioner Morris Shalom, along with Max Shemtob, Naomi Sanders, Deborah Coopersmith, and our chaperone Mrs. Sara Idy. The purpose of the event was to gather pro Israel Zionists to condemn the international anti Zionist and anti semitic movement, Boycott Divestment and Sanction (BDS). The event consisted of three sessions with speakers, including Israeli emissary to the UN Danny Danon, President of the World Jewish Congress Ron S. Lauder, CEO of the Anti Deformation League (ADL) Jonathan Greenblatt, SodaStream CEO David Birnbaum, Vice President of the Supreme Court of Israel Justice Elyakim Rubenstein, and Chief Counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) Jay Sekulow, who commissioner Ben Wade had the privilege of meeting. The event attracted 1500 people, 1200 more than was expected to attend. This was only the first of many events condemning BDS, and more are likely to follow as a result of the record turnout.

Flatbush Students Partake in National Stock Market Challenge

Yeshivah of Flatbush students finished 6th out of over 117 teams nationwide in the national Stock Market Challenge. Our Virtual Enterprise class, worked all year to create, manage and market their virtual business Tcorporation, a financial management and advisement company. As part of the experience the students competed as a team in the Virtual Enterprise Stock Market Challenge which ran from November to May.

The team was provided with a hundred thousand virtual dollars and students were tasked with analyzing real life companies, and with preparing and presenting PowerPoint presentations that summarized their research and projections. The class worked as a collaborative group and voted each Wednesday, based on presentations and analysis of financial news and market trends, which companies to keep, short sell, sell or purchase.

In addition to studying how to follow the stock market, students learned about the importance of quarterly reports, earnings statements and dividend yields. The experience culminated in a class discussion and written summary about what each student learned. As a member of the team Meyer Tawil stated “I learned about the impact of financial news on the stock market that an investor has to be patient, research a company and make intelligent well informed decisions.” The class acquired a great deal of knowledge about the stock market, experience analyzing data and how to work together in a collaborative team and they deeply enjoyed the experience.

Real Estate Club Visits Thor Equities

Last month, a few members of the Yeshivah of Flatbush Real Estate Club visited Mr. Joe Sitt, CEO and founder of New York real estate firm Thor Equities. Mr. Sitt is an icon in his field, and the opportunity to have two hours of his time was something that we couldn't turn down. Although he is best known for his tremendous success in real estate, Mr. Sitt is a man of knowledge in all aspects of life. He delivered a number of sincere messages that were more than just real estate tips; he gave us life lessons. Mr. Sitt stressed the value of 'building a brand for yourself' and how important it was to think beyond our comfort zones if we wanted to be successful. Another underlying message in all of Mr. Sitt's anecdotes was that the key to success is to live life as a learning experience and to continue soaking in knowledge whenever possible. We are greatly appreciative for the opportunity to meet with Mr. Sitt and we know that his messages will guide us toward success in our future endeavors. 

~Joseph BenHaim, Class of 2017

Reading Championship Winners 2016

Real Estate Club Visits Wharton Properties

Last month, a group of 20 members of the Yeshivah of Flatbush Real Estate Club visited real estate mogul and  YOF alumnus Jeff Sutton, chief executive of Wharton Properties. Mr. Sutton gave us a tour of midtown Manhattan and allowed us to make stops at many of the prestigious locations at which he has done business. At each location he explained to us how he went about each deal and explained the value of each deal in a first-hand exciting manner. One thing that Mr. Sutton specifically focused on was 'thinking outside of the box.' Each lesson was preceded by an anecdote that explained how the use of that ideal worked in the real world. Mr. Sutton really went above and beyond in all aspects and we know that we'll gain tremendously from the opportunity. ~Joseph BenHaim, Class of 2017

Cooking For A Cause: Grand Challah Bake 2016

For the last Cooking for a Cause of the year, Yeshivah of Flatbush held a grand challah bake. The event was sponsored by Cookie and David Fishel in honor of their daughter Katie's graduation as well as Renee Gindi in honor of Mrs. Shaindy Goldberg. Mrs. Yvette Beyda and Mrs. Esther Paskie demonstrated to students how to do Hafrashat Challah and how to braid the challah. Mrs. Rochelle Dweck provided the recipes for the various toppings.

Cooking for a Cause gives students the opportunity to learn how to prepare a variety of entrees, dinners, and desserts while participating in a Chesed event. All of the food prepared in these events are sent to needy families who can then enjoy delicious homemade dinners.

Real Estate Club Visits Hidrock Properties

On May 25th, students in the Yeshivah of Flatbush Real Estate Club along with Mrs. Hanon got to experience what it's like to truly run a real estate firm. We visited Hidrock Properties and received an exclusive introduction to the market by the company President Abie Hidary and his two brothers, Steven and Eddie J. Hidary. The three brothers gave us insight on a few projects of theirs and their company, which was founded by their father Jack almost 30 years ago. They shone light on the reality of the market and provided everlasting advice on how to succeed in the market while retaining our values and background. After visiting their office in Trump Tower in the Financial District of Manhattan, we were taken to the construction site of a hotel that the firm owned. The currently in-progress Marriott Courtyard Hotel faced a magnificent view of the World Trade Center and inside was filled with beautifully designed rooms. The construction site gave us a real hands on experience in the complexity of the market and how many layers of industries it requires. This trip was a truly unforgettable learning opportunity and we are all so grateful to obtain it. ~Morris Mamiye, Class of 2017

Stephanie Dweck Wins Second Place in National Writing Contest

Stephanie Dweck and Maya

Congratulations to Stephanie Dweck (HS '16) on winning first place in the local and second place in the national Better Together Legacy Heritage Fund Better 2 Write contest! Stephanie, a member of this year's Witness Theater program, shared her experience working with survivors and being part of this intergenerational program. In her essay she discussed the lessons she learned from Maya, a Holocaust Survivor, that she became very close with during her year in Witness Theater. As a result of her first place win, Stephanie will receive a scholarship towards her year in Israel, where she will be studying at Midreshet Lindenbaum. For placing second in the national contest, Yeshivah of Flatbush will receive money towards the support of our programming. Better Together is a program part of a nationally known and respected foundation. We are very proud of Stephanie and all of her accomplishments.