Dear Parents,
What a great week it has been at MDYHS! I am proud and privileged to share some of the highlights with you.
The wonderful Senior Internship Program, designed and supervised by our own Mrs. Sabrina Maleh and ably assisted by Mr. Daniel Zide, is well underway. Students have completed their comprehensive resumes and cover letters, and have participated in mock interviews. Our seniors have been matched with employers in a host of fields, including Architecture, Art, Business, Computers/Technology, Education, Fashion, Law, Medicine, and Real Estate. The actual internship work will begin after Pesah, and the students are eager to begin making their mark on the world! But MDYHS internships are not limited to seniors alone. Mr. Zide, the newest member of our College Guidance & Career Counseling Services Department, is helping to coordinate summer internships for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors as well. In fact, some parents of next year's entering ninth grade have already scheduled a meeting with Mr. Zide to help with internships for their students this summer. What a way to get a great head start in building a college and career resume!
This week we have begun planning a host of elective course offerings for MDYHS next year. We are excited to be offering - among the many classes - courses in Astronomy and Forensics in the Science Department, Journalism and Literature & Film in the English Department, Political Science and Trial Law in the Social Studies Department, and Mandarin Chinese and Regents Spanish in the Foreign Language Department. This array of classes is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests, and to foster a host of different, valuable skills.
In the great spirit of interdisciplinary education, our 12th grade Art History class taught by Mrs. Natalie Greenberg, together with our 9th grade Global History class taught by Mr. Joe Naftaly, visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The seniors viewed much of the art that they have been studying throughout the year, and some students took turns lecturing in the galleries to the rest of the class about the sculptures they had studied. The freshmen viewed Egyptian, Greek, and Roman art work, and took copious notes on what they saw - to be used in an upcoming "compare and contrast" assignment. (Please see the attached photo from this trip). Our students' sophisticated expertise in high culture is indeed admirable!
While these students were visiting the museum, our Heritage delegation, led by Ms. Elyse Nadjar and Rabbi Elinatan Bitton, were returning from their amazing trip to Poland and Israel. The last leg of their mission, in Israel, saw our wonderful students living the true value of hessed. They spent time with children who lost a parent in the army, taking the children out for ice cream; they visited disabled children at Aleh, a facility that houses severely handicapped children all year round; they participated in a program at Bet Elazraki, an orphanage in Netanya; and they hosted a barbecue for the Israeli soldiers of Gedud 53 in memory of Ms. Nadjar's father, a"h. (Please see the attached photo from the Israel portion of the Heritage trip). Ms. Nadjar and Rabbi Bitton told me that they were literally moved to tears at the kindness and compassion that our wonderful students displayed - we are so proud of them! Our delegates will be presenting their experiences to their fellow classmates later in the spring.
And while some of our students were in Israel, a part of Israel came to the rest of our students here at MDYHS. We were honored and privileged to greet and host Rav Shemuel Eliyahu, Chief Rabbi of Sefat, and son of the former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rav Mordekhai Eliyahu, zs"l. Rav Eliyahu spoke to our 10th and 11th grade students about the uniqueness of the Jewish people, and the importance to show love and kindness to one another. Students told me that they were truly moved by the Chief Rabbi's inspiring words.
As we look ahead to the spring, I am pleased to mention that our Voluntary SAT Math Program, run by our talented Math Department Chair, Mr. Alan Rader, is in full swing. This voluntary program, begun in October, is a "lunch and learn" session once a week - where students hone their skills for the SAT math section. Mr. Rader teaches specific strategies, such as "plugging in" and "reverse solving" - designed to boost SAT scores. Working with the Princeton Review SAT Prep book and various custom-created handouts, students are given voluntary homework, and Mr. Rader reports that many students ask him for even more homework. Now that is really something special!
And speaking of great success in the SATs, I am pleased to extend warm wishes of Mabrouk to our senior Jack Anteby upon his acceptance to Drexel University, with the Dean's Scholarship Award of $18,000 per year for four years, and to Abie Saff upon his acceptance to Baruch College, where he has been invited to apply for the Dean's Scholars Program. We are so proud of your hard work and accomplishments!
Finally, this week saw the last regular season game for our Boys Varsity Basketball Team, under the great coaching of Ikey Dweck. The mighty Warriors faced the Frisch team, and were slightly behind for most of the game. By the end of the fourth quarter, with 4.7 seconds left in the game, MDYHS was trailing by one point, when Coach Dweck called a time-out. Morris Dweck got the ball, ran the length of the court, and hit a floater shot over two Frisch defenders right at the buzzer, to win the game 35-34. It was an phenomenal event! (Please see the attached video clip of the last seconds of the game). At this point, I can reveal that Morris has been providing pointers to the Knicks' Jeremy Lin throughout this past season. Congratulations to Joe Catton who was the high scorer of the MDYHS game, with 12 points. The boys now advance to the playoffs, with the first game against the team of Yeshiva of Flatbush on Wednesday evening, February 22nd, 7:45 pm, at MDY elementary school. I invite everyone to come and cheer on the Warriors. We can also look forward to playoff games in the weeks ahead for our Boys Varsity Hockey Team, our Girls Varsity Basketball Team, and our Girls Volleyball Team. This has been a truly winning season!
As always, please accept my warmest wishes for a Shabbat Shalom, for a pleasant and relaxing Presidents' Day weekend, and for a great week ahead!
Sincerely yours,
Rabbi Saul Zucker
What a great week it has been at MDYHS! I am proud and privileged to share some of the highlights with you.
The wonderful Senior Internship Program, designed and supervised by our own Mrs. Sabrina Maleh and ably assisted by Mr. Daniel Zide, is well underway. Students have completed their comprehensive resumes and cover letters, and have participated in mock interviews. Our seniors have been matched with employers in a host of fields, including Architecture, Art, Business, Computers/Technology, Education, Fashion, Law, Medicine, and Real Estate. The actual internship work will begin after Pesah, and the students are eager to begin making their mark on the world! But MDYHS internships are not limited to seniors alone. Mr. Zide, the newest member of our College Guidance & Career Counseling Services Department, is helping to coordinate summer internships for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors as well. In fact, some parents of next year's entering ninth grade have already scheduled a meeting with Mr. Zide to help with internships for their students this summer. What a way to get a great head start in building a college and career resume!
This week we have begun planning a host of elective course offerings for MDYHS next year. We are excited to be offering - among the many classes - courses in Astronomy and Forensics in the Science Department, Journalism and Literature & Film in the English Department, Political Science and Trial Law in the Social Studies Department, and Mandarin Chinese and Regents Spanish in the Foreign Language Department. This array of classes is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests, and to foster a host of different, valuable skills.
In the great spirit of interdisciplinary education, our 12th grade Art History class taught by Mrs. Natalie Greenberg, together with our 9th grade Global History class taught by Mr. Joe Naftaly, visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The seniors viewed much of the art that they have been studying throughout the year, and some students took turns lecturing in the galleries to the rest of the class about the sculptures they had studied. The freshmen viewed Egyptian, Greek, and Roman art work, and took copious notes on what they saw - to be used in an upcoming "compare and contrast" assignment. (Please see the attached photo from this trip). Our students' sophisticated expertise in high culture is indeed admirable!
While these students were visiting the museum, our Heritage delegation, led by Ms. Elyse Nadjar and Rabbi Elinatan Bitton, were returning from their amazing trip to Poland and Israel. The last leg of their mission, in Israel, saw our wonderful students living the true value of hessed. They spent time with children who lost a parent in the army, taking the children out for ice cream; they visited disabled children at Aleh, a facility that houses severely handicapped children all year round; they participated in a program at Bet Elazraki, an orphanage in Netanya; and they hosted a barbecue for the Israeli soldiers of Gedud 53 in memory of Ms. Nadjar's father, a"h. (Please see the attached photo from the Israel portion of the Heritage trip). Ms. Nadjar and Rabbi Bitton told me that they were literally moved to tears at the kindness and compassion that our wonderful students displayed - we are so proud of them! Our delegates will be presenting their experiences to their fellow classmates later in the spring.
And while some of our students were in Israel, a part of Israel came to the rest of our students here at MDYHS. We were honored and privileged to greet and host Rav Shemuel Eliyahu, Chief Rabbi of Sefat, and son of the former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rav Mordekhai Eliyahu, zs"l. Rav Eliyahu spoke to our 10th and 11th grade students about the uniqueness of the Jewish people, and the importance to show love and kindness to one another. Students told me that they were truly moved by the Chief Rabbi's inspiring words.
As we look ahead to the spring, I am pleased to mention that our Voluntary SAT Math Program, run by our talented Math Department Chair, Mr. Alan Rader, is in full swing. This voluntary program, begun in October, is a "lunch and learn" session once a week - where students hone their skills for the SAT math section. Mr. Rader teaches specific strategies, such as "plugging in" and "reverse solving" - designed to boost SAT scores. Working with the Princeton Review SAT Prep book and various custom-created handouts, students are given voluntary homework, and Mr. Rader reports that many students ask him for even more homework. Now that is really something special!
And speaking of great success in the SATs, I am pleased to extend warm wishes of Mabrouk to our senior Jack Anteby upon his acceptance to Drexel University, with the Dean's Scholarship Award of $18,000 per year for four years, and to Abie Saff upon his acceptance to Baruch College, where he has been invited to apply for the Dean's Scholars Program. We are so proud of your hard work and accomplishments!
Finally, this week saw the last regular season game for our Boys Varsity Basketball Team, under the great coaching of Ikey Dweck. The mighty Warriors faced the Frisch team, and were slightly behind for most of the game. By the end of the fourth quarter, with 4.7 seconds left in the game, MDYHS was trailing by one point, when Coach Dweck called a time-out. Morris Dweck got the ball, ran the length of the court, and hit a floater shot over two Frisch defenders right at the buzzer, to win the game 35-34. It was an phenomenal event! (Please see the attached video clip of the last seconds of the game). At this point, I can reveal that Morris has been providing pointers to the Knicks' Jeremy Lin throughout this past season. Congratulations to Joe Catton who was the high scorer of the MDYHS game, with 12 points. The boys now advance to the playoffs, with the first game against the team of Yeshiva of Flatbush on Wednesday evening, February 22nd, 7:45 pm, at MDY elementary school. I invite everyone to come and cheer on the Warriors. We can also look forward to playoff games in the weeks ahead for our Boys Varsity Hockey Team, our Girls Varsity Basketball Team, and our Girls Volleyball Team. This has been a truly winning season!
As always, please accept my warmest wishes for a Shabbat Shalom, for a pleasant and relaxing Presidents' Day weekend, and for a great week ahead!
Sincerely yours,
Rabbi Saul Zucker
Magen David High School
Rabbi Zucker's Letter - February 17, 2012