JEC February 2017 - Web

A Publication of the Jewish Educational Center | February 2017 | Shvat 5777
Learn Torah. Love Torah. Live Torah.
Est. 1941 | 5702
Volume I | Issue 2
RTMA Leads New
Robotics Program
SEE PAGE 13
Bruriah Students
Observe Live
Kidney Transplant
SEE PAGE 28
Lower School
Students Deliver
Chesed with Love
SEE PAGE 9
JEC Builds Community
SEE PAGE 14
Philanthropist Paula
Gottesman Visits JEC
Federation and Prizmah
Leadership Join Delegation
I
n a first of its kind event, Philanthropist Paula
Gottesman spent hours visiting the Jewish Educational
Center to experience the academic excellence
and educational leadership of its schools.
Accompanying Mrs. Gottesman on the visit were national
leaders dedicated
to advancing Jewish
continued on p.3
JEC Remembers
Sam Halpern z’l
T
hree years
have elapsed
since the passing
of Mr. Sam
Halpern, Shemaryahu
ben Mordechai Dov,
z’l, yet echoes of children’s
voices singing birkat
hamazon in the JEC
lunchroom during his
levaya reverberate today.
Mr. Halpern’s levaya
was held at the Jewish Educational Center, a school that
he and his brother Arie, z’l were instrumental in building
and supporting. On Monday, November 28, as his
third yartzheit was observed, the JEC remembered and
honored Mr. Sam Halpern
with a full day of learning continued on p.3
New Tuition Affordability
Program Delights Parents,
Attracts Students
O
ver one thousand people flocked to the
Jewish Educational Center on January 2nd
(4 Teves) to honor HaRav Pinchas Mordechai
Teitz zt’l on his 21st yahrtzeit. Rav
Teitz was a renowned talmid chacham who changed
the landscape of world Jewry through his visionary
leadership and fidelity to halacha.
Almuni, students, parents and members of the
Jewish community came out to hear Rav Elazar Mayer
Teitz and Rabbi Binyomin Blau speak about Rav P.M.
Teitz who founded the Jewish Educational Center as a
model for Yeshiva education in New Jersey.
At the time, more than 75 years ago, there were no
Jewish day schools in the state and Rav Teitz set the
course. Within a few short years, the JEC grew to add its mesivta for
C
urrent and prospective parents are
welcoming the JEC’s new tuition affordability
program with excitement
and relief. The program, which reduces
costs and takes the guesswork out of the scholarship
process was approved by the JEC Board of
Trustees in January and is already being cited as
a leading cause for an increase in applications.
“We provide an outstanding Jewish and general
education,” said Board of Trustees President,
Dr. Steve Singfer. “This program will enable more
students and families to benefit from our 75 years
of educational excellence and innovation.”
The new tuition affordability initiative is expected
to benefit scores of families.
“This revolutionary program caps tuition at a
fixed percentage of a family’s income,” explained
JEC’s Executive Vice President, Rabbi Pinchas
Shapiro. “No matter how high tuition rates rise,
or how many children a family sends to the JEC
Lower School, RTMA and Bruriah, that family’s
tuition remains capped at a fixed percentage.”
Under the program, families earning between
$150,000 and $275,000 annually will have their
tuition capped at a fixed percentage of their adjusted
gross income regardless of family size or
student grade. Families earning below $150,000
annually will receive scholarships through the
school’s traditional financial aid process, where
the JEC currently provides millions of dollars a
year in tuition relief.
“This is by far the most generous, well-defined
and clear program out there,” said Rabbi Shapiro.
“Middle income families no longer have to fear
rising tuition rates. And one child or five, the percentage
stays the same.”
To help guide parents through the process and
to demystify the entire world of financial aid and
scholarship, the JEC has also released a clear, concise
and comprehensive compendium for the entire
program. The guide, which is available on
the JEC website, takes the form of an FAQ outlining
questions using real-life scenarios and providing
answers for parents curious about program
details.
“Parents often have so many questions,” explained
JEC Executive Director, Mr. Steve Karp.
“This answers them in a simple, easy to use document.
Parents,
who sometimes continued on p.3
Founder and Gadol B’Yisrael
Rav Pinchas Mordechai Teitz,
zt’l Remembered at Yom Iyun
continued on p.11

זצ״ל HARAV PINCHAS M. TEITZ
Founder
RABBI PINCHAS SHAPIRO
Executive Vice President
HARAV ELAZAR M. TEITZ
Rav and Dean
STEVEN KARP
Executive Director
DR. STEVEN SINGFER
President
LAWRENCE DIENER
MARVIN ROSENZWEIG
Vice Presidents
BERNARD HALL
Treasurer
ORA SHEINSON
Secretary
DR. ELLIOTH FISHKIN
ELIEZER FLINT
RANDI HERSHKOWITZ
DANIELLA HOFFER
DAVID KAHANE
*MARTIN KNECHT
BRIAN NESS
ROANNA PASCHER
DR. HARRIS SALTZBURG
Board of Trustees
BRYAN BIER
MARJORIE BLENDEN
*ERWIN FISCH
WILLIAM GOLDFISCHER
DAVID HALPERN
ELI KRAMER
CHARLES KUSHNER
MURRAY KUSHNER
LARRY PANTIRER
LEO STAHL
AARON STIER
MARK WEISSBERG
LEONARD WILF
MARK WILF
ZYGMUNT WILF
RABBI NATHAN ZEMEL
Council of Governors
*Past President
ROBERT HART
Controller
ADINA ABRAMOV
Chief Marketing Officer
JEC LOWER SCHOOL
RABBI UZI BEER
Principal
DR. GOLDIE GROSSMAN
MRS. FAIGY LEITER
Assistant Principals
MRS. RIVKAH ISAACS
Early Childhood Director
RAV TEITZ MESIVTA ACADEMY
RABBI AMI NEUMAN
Principal
RABBI NOACH SAUBER
Assistant Principal
RABBI SHARIR YABLONSKY
Associate Principal
Middle School
BRURIAH
RABBI JOSEPH ORATZ
Principal
MRS. SHLOMIS PEIKES
Associate Principal
MRS. SHERRY KRUPKA
Assistant Principal
MRS. ZEHAVA GREENWALD
Junior High Coordinator
2 FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777

JEWISH EDUCATIONAL CENTER
Philanthropist
Paula Gottesman
Visits JEC
continued from p.1
education,
including
the new
heads of
Prizmah and
the powerhouse
innovators behind the Jewish Federation
of Metrowest’s Day School Initiative.
“The delegation was amazed by what they
saw,” said JEC Executive Vice President Rabbi
Pinchas Shapiro. “They simply walked
the halls and experienced all of the incredible
things the students, faculty and administrators
do every day.
“We have the best there is and everyone
recognized our outstanding people and programs,”
he said. “Weeks later and they are
still talking about it.”
The tour included visits to the RTMA
STEM lab where Mrs. Gottesman and the
others were captivated by the creativity,
collaboration and innovation taking
place. Students enthusiastically discussed
their work, explaining their projects and displaying
various prototypes.
The delegation also watched and listened
as the JEC’s youngest students sat in
their classroom and sang familiar children’s
songs translated into Hebrew.
At Bruriah, Mrs. Gottesman was led by
an impressive group of students who showcased
their school in action and discussed
matters of Torah, science, and history. During
lunch, which was hosted in the beautiful
Bruriah library, Mrs. Gottesman and the other
participants were surrounded by students
and JEC leadership in a capstone discussion
about Jewish education and the uniqueness
of the JEC and its three divisions.
The tour was part of the 10-year anniversary
celebration of the Greater MetroWest’s
Day School Partnership and was an
important opportunity for the JEC to open
its doors and present its students, faculty
and programs to national leaders in Jewish
education.
JEC Remembers
Sam Halpern z’l
continued from p.1
dedicated to
his memory.
All three
JEC divisions
– the JEC Lower School, Rav Teitz Mesivta
Academy and Bruriah High School featured
special presentations about Mr. Halpern, his
miraculous survival of the Holocaust, his
tremendous passion for Jewish education,
steadfast support of the State of Israel, and
everlasting contribution to the JEC.
In the Lower School, Principal Rabbi Uzi
Beer spoke to the entire student body over
the loudspeaker as the day commenced,
setting a tone for the duration of Torah
study that day. “Mr.
Halpern was somebody
so instrumental
in our lives and
our school’s existence,”
he said. “He
is someone who
cared about every
person, about every
child and their learning,
and the Torah
they experience. He
cared about the future,
and saw that future
in every one of
the students in this
school.”
At RTMA, immediately
following
shacharit, Principal
Rabbi Ami Neuman
framed the day. “Mr.
Halpern and his family are among the Legacy
Families here at the JEC,” he said. “Families
who have provided in many different ways
the sustenance and ongoing endurance of our
school and we all have a tremendous amount
of hakaras hatov to him and his family.”
Rabbi Neuman introduced Mr. Ben Hoffer,
an RTMA alumnus and close associate
of the Halpern family who had been invited
to speak about Mr. Sam Halpern. Mr. Hoffer
shared personal anecdotes and memories of
Mr. Halpern, moving students with his emotion
and sincerity. His words inspired students
with stories of Mr. Halpern’s example of
survival through the Holocaust, perseverance
and ultimate success. Mr. Hoffer challenged
students to take lessons from Mr. Halpern’s
life and strive toward their own greatest potential.
At Bruriah, Principal Rabbi Joseph Oratz
spoke about Mr. Halpern’s passion for the
land, state and people of Israel and shared
how those values mirror those key to the JEC
mission. “I just got back from visiting the
girls in Eretz Yisrael who are learning there
for the year,” he said. “And it is truly a fulfillment
of a dream for them to spend a year
learning in Israel, and I know that it was a
dream of Sam’s as well to dedicate our lives
to building up Eretz Yisrael.”
Students in all three divisions were taken
by the presentations and day of reflection
and learning. They appreciated the opportunity
to learn
about the names
behind the dedication
banners and
signs that they pass
every day on buildings
and walls on
the JEC campuses.
Many were extremely
inspired by
what they discovered.
Rabbi Chaim
Marcus, Mashgiach
Ruchani of RT-
MA, Halacha faculty
at Bruriah, Rav
of Congregation Israel
of Springfield,
NJ and JEC parent
summed up why
Sam’s legacy is so
powerful.
“The Zohar HaKadosh tells us that the
yahrzeit of a person is the day to really
connect to the life of a person and to connect
to the teachings of a person,” he explained.
When I think of Sam, I think of a
life of tzedaka u’mishpat, a life of Torah and
mitzvos, a life of keeping a faith, a fidelity
to the mesora of his father, to the mesora of
parents and grandparents, of having a fire
of chassidus, of Tzertchov, of having a real
passion, a bren for yiddishkeit. But yet at the
same time being open to working on really
contemporary challenges that the Jewish
people were facing - of Medinat Yisrael, of really
everything that Am Yisrael was facing going
into the 20th century. Sam taught without
teaching, by living his values so strongly
in such a real way.”
New Tuition
Affordability
Program Delights
Parents, Attracts
Students
continued from p.1
might be embarrassed
to ask, no
longer have
to call and
speak to
someone just
to get basic information.”
The guide is a living document that will be updated
to include new information as different
questions or scenarios arise. “This adds a new
level of consistency and transparency that is so
important to everyone,” said Mr. Karp.
Just days old, the program, which has several
requirements and exceptions, has already
garnered wide recognition in the world of Jewish
education, with national leaders and Federation
experts praising its scope and breadth.
More importantly, the program will provide
needed relief to many families and is responsible
for an increase in prospective enrollment for
the 2017-2018 academic year.
“We already have far more applications
than we will be providing spots,” said RTMA
Principal, Rabbi Ami Neuman. “And once
word of this spreads further, that number will
go up even more.”
At Bruriah, new student applications and
mid-high school transfer requests are at recent
record highs, with the numbers rising daily.
The JEC Lower School, already experiencing
a resurgence, has seen interest from prospective
families increase to the point where adding
classes is being contemplated for the 2017-
2018 academic year.
FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777 3

4 FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777

JEWISH EDUCATIONAL CENTER
Rosenbaum
of West Or-
W
hen RTMA took the call
from NJ Blood Services
notifying them of a severe
blood shortage, the school
was quick to spring into action. Every
year RTMA and Bruriah host public
blood drives, but this year the urgency
of the call compelled students to work
harder than ever.
S
tudents in RTMA now learn
effective Israel advocacy
from one of the world’s
foremost experts in the
field. Paul Friedman, the High School
Coordinator for Stand with Us, an organization
dedicated to educating
people about Israel, leads monthly
meetings for RTMA students.
At a recent presentation to the entire
RTMA student body, Mr. Friedman
showed videos and conducted
a series of role-playing exercises to,
to demonstrate the prevalent media
bias against Israel.
“Students left the session with new
ears,” said Rabbi Yisroel Rich, RT-
Est. 1955 | 5716
Saving Lives, One
Pint at a Time
RTMA Blood Drive Nets Record Donations
“There is a shortage in NJ and as Jews
it’s important for us to step up,” said
Mendy Fine, a senior from Staten Island,
NY
“It’s a big mitzvah,” said Rabbi
Chaim Marcus, Mashgiach Ruchani
of RTMA. “And it’s a beautiful way to
teach the
boys to be continued on p.15
RTMA Invests in Israel Advocacy
MA’s Director of Student Life. “They
are now sensitized to the often subtle
anti-Israel messaging and nuance
that exist in the media.”
Yair Sohn of Elizabeth, NJ interned
for Mr. Friedman last summer and is
now responsible for leading RTMA’s
Israel Advocacy group.
“I brought Paul Friedman to the
school because I knew that there are
a lot of people who are interested
and that will carry into college,” he
explained. “We had an assembly for
the whole school and now we have a
committee that allows Mr. Friedman
to go
more in continued on p.15
B
reaking the traditional
model of parent-teacher
conferences, RTMA students
stood in for their
parents, meeting with every one of
their teachers in the first of its kind
Student-Teacher conferences.
One hundred percent of students
turned out for the conferences
to talk about the year to date,
review grades and collaborate on
strategies for increasing academic
success.
“It really gave the boys a chance
to take control and responsibility
of their own work,” said RTMA Gemara
Rebbe, Rabbi Moishe Kramer,
“and it gave faculty an opportunity
to express our expectations of students
while hearing what students
expect from us as their teachers.”
“It was truly an amazing and valuable
experience,” he said. “One
of the best innovations in education
I have seen.”
Students were equally enthused. RTMA
Junior, Yitzi Hershkowitz of West Orange,
NJ felt empowered by the conferences. “It
A
miniature chanukiah, designed
by students and built using one
of RTMA’s 3D printers was on
display this Chanukah in the
RTMA STEM Lab. The chanukiah’s impressive
design housed wiring and computer
coding that caused the lights to illuminate
in a precisely timed sequence.
“Everyone had to create their own code
to cause the LEDs to light up one at a
time and in sequence for the eight days
of Chanukah,” explained sophomore JJ
#AboveTheCode
In Revolutionary Move,
Students Replace Parents at
Conferences with Teachers
gave me the opportunity for deep conversations
with my teachers,” he explained. “I
got to hear
from them di-
continued on p.15
Ingenuity and Innovation
in RTMA STEM Lab
continued on p.13
FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777 5

6 FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777

JEWISH EDUCATIONAL CENTER
A
select group of Bruriah Juniors in
Mr. Joel Glazer’s history class received
a personalized tour of the
National Museum of American
Jewish History (NMAJH) in Philadelphia so
they could learn how to curate a museum of
their own in Bruriah. An annual event, the
Junior history class designs and curates their
own Holocaust museum.
Under the guidance of this year’s curator,
Ariel Ezra of Elizabeth, NJ, the junior hallways
of Bruriah will soon be transformed into a
Holocaust museum, replete with newspaper
headlines, original works, and installations.
Special Projects Coordinator Rachelli
Est. 1963 | 5724
Learning from the Experts
Bruriah Juniors Plan Holocaust Museum
with Guidance from Prominent Curators
Benoff of Bergenfield, NJ is responsible for
making sure every piece in the exhibit is installed
and ready for display when the museum
officially opens. Benoff said of the visit,
“Going to the museum was a really unique
experience that showed me how to turn information
into something engaging.”
After an in-depth and thorough tour of the
NMAJH given through the lens of curating,
Dr. Josh Perelman, Chief Curator and Director
of Exhibitions & Collections, spent 40 minutes
answering questions about how to prioritize
tasks, manage time, and determine the
amount of
space to continued on p.16
I
n keeping with Bruriah’s record of innovation
in the classroom, juniors are
now benefitting from the new ALEKS
system that is revolutionizing the way
they learn math.
ALEKS, the web-based artificial-intelligent
assessment learning system developed specifically
for math and several scientific disciplines,
uses adaptive questioning to quickly
and accurately assess student knowledge
and mastery of a subject. The program then
provides tailored instruction to fill gaps and
advance student skills. As students progress
through a course, ALEKS reassesses critical
skills to ensure retention.
Bruriah first introduced ALEKS to one track
of math for last year’s juniors and expanded
the program to include three tracks this year.
#Make Your Mark
Individualized Lessons
Revolutionize Math
for Bruriah Juniors
ALEKS sessions begin like traditional
classes with a teacher providing regular instruction.
The lesson is then turned over to
ALEKS, which students access through individual
Chromebooks, for problem-solving and
drills. This system allows for differentiated
learning through the customization of lessons
and challenges for each student.
“The beauty of the program,” said Bruriah
math teacher Mrs. Shuli Fuchs, “is that it is
entirely customized for each student. It can
provide support for the concretization of skills
that one student might be struggling with,
while for another provides enrichment that
allows them to move ahead at a faster, more
advanced pace.”
Students
experiencing continued on p.16
iCan: Small Action, Big Impact
Bruriah Junior High Mother-Daughter Event Explores the Power of One
Alumnae Return to Volleyball
as Coaches and Role Models
U
sing athletics to develop
well-rounded students
is nothing new at Bruriah.
Now, two graduates
have returned to coach this year’s Bruriah
Lightning volleyball team, and
their leadership is yielding success on
and off the court.
Aviva Jacobs of Teaneck, NJ, class of
2015, and Rebecca Van Bemmelen, also
of Teaneck, class of 2011, played for the
Lighting during their time as students
at Bruriah and have now returned to
their alma mater to help the next generation
of student athletes develop as
competitors and people.
While the team is experiencing the
best start to a season in over four years,
their coaches are cast in a far broader
light than just athletics.
“They are really our role models,”
said 11th grader Rivki Hook of Bergenfield,
NJ. “It is inspiring to see what we
can all achieve at Bruriah and once we
graduate.”
Aviva Jacobs attributes much of her
own growth to years in Bruriah athletics.
“Being on a team gives girls countless
opportunities to shine in ways outside
of the usual academic realm; not
only in
athlet- continued on p.16
I
n a world of global and social networking,
it is often difficult to find meaning
and purpose in our seemingly insignificant
actions. The recent Bruriah Junior
High Mother-Daughter Learn-In however,
served to remind students of the power of we
possess as individuals.
Under the banner iCan: Small Action, Big
Impact, the program offered an opportunity
to explore the concept of believing in yourself,
and realizing that one’s actions, even small
ones, can lead to powerful results.
In anticipation of the program, students
began their preparations several weeks
ago. Committees were formed and students
worked hard to plan, create, and produce under
the supervision of Ms. Bracha Leah Bernstein.
Three separate dances were performed
by the girls, all portraying elements of the
theme, including one breathtaking “shadow
dance” that
was performed continued on p.16
FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777 7

2,500 Good Deeds as
RTMA Chaps a Mitzvah
O
n Tuesday, November 22nd,
RTMA students celebrated the
completion of their ten-day
“Chap a Mitzvah” campaign for
which students committed to act conscientiously
in doing additional mitzvot. Tallying
their positive acts on a board posted in the
hallway, students recorded 2,500 mitzvot
done with thoughtful intent.
“We are always involved in the fulfillment of
mitzvot,” said Director of Student Life Rabbi
Yisroel Rich. “This campaign reminds us to
not just ‘do’ them, but to be deliberate about
everything we do in our Avodas Hashem.”
The campaign reminded students of the
importance of thinking about daily mitzvot
and encouraged them to strive for more. “Being
part of the excitement of achieving 2,500
mitzvot was great,” said Freshman Avi Stern
of Springfield, NJ. “I felt even more of a purpose
in my fulfillment of these mitzvot. I
can’t wait to see what we are going to take
on next.”
Inspired by Mordechai Shapiro’s hit song,
“Chap a Mitzvah,” which speaks about
the ability to grab opportunities to serve
Hashem, each time a student completed a
mitzvah with conscious intent, they would
record it by marking it on the “Chap a Mitzvah”
scoreboard. Students could be seen
throughout the day constantly checking to
RAV TEITZ MESIVTA ACADEMY
see their progress and inspiring one another
to complete more.
“This campaign set a tone for the entire
student body and created an environment
where students were being thoughtful and
deliberate about their every action,” said
RTMA Principal, Rabbi Ami Neuman. In just
10 days, our talmidim easily surpassed the
goal of 2,500 mitzvot.”
The 2,500th mitzvah was conducted in the
main hallway opposite where the sign stood
with the recitation and learning of a mishna
in Eruvin by junior Nachi Loew of Highland
Park, NJ. As the mishna was completed, the
school erupted in cheers and the exuberant
singing of the campaign’s theme song.
“The pride the boys felt in achieving this
milestone was incredible,” said Rabbi Neuman.
“We teach halacha, study gemara,
and pour over tanach, and here the students
were able to own their destiny, actualize their
learning, and find meaning in their every action.
It is really something beautiful.”
The siyum hamitzvot was celebrated at a
school-wide seudat mitzvah, where students
entered the room to a raucous rendition the
campaign’s theme song and danced with
emotion, pride and a desire to do more.
“The feeling in the room created a sense of
pride, pride in the school, pride in each other,
and pride in doing mitzvot,” said sophomore
Sammy Simcha of Highland Park, NJ,
who was noticeably moved by the magnitude
of the siyum.
Rabbi Chaim Marcus, Mashgiach Ruchani,
spoke at the siyum and congratulated the
boys on their accomplishments. He mesmerized
the crowd with stories that highlighted
the value of the mitzvot we do. Reflecting
on the event, he said, “Participating
in this amazing program, dedicated to teaching
the students the importance of constant
commitment to growth in mitzvot, was truly
inspiring.”
Perfect Torah Bowl Record
Rolls On With New Wins
R
TMA’s Torah Bowl team is blazing
a path toward the league championship
with recent back to back
wins and a perfect record thus far
in the season. Besides collegial competition,
Torah Bowl affords students a unique
opportunity to hone their Torah knowledge
and have it ready for immediate recall.
Sophomore Shlomo Luchins of Highland
Park, NJ is no stranger to Torah Bowl, with
over four years of experience. “I like learning
another Sefer of Chumash every year,”
replied Shlomo. “This is a really good way to
know every Sefer and its Rashis very well.”
Gideon Hagler, Junior from Elizabeth, NJ
concurred. “This is an incredible opportunity
for extra learning,” he said. “When you
RTMA STEM Leads Region
with New Robotics Program
R
ecognized nationally for its advanced
STEM program, RTMA has
been chosen by the Center for Initiatives
in Jewish Education (CIJE) to
participate in a first of its kind robotics challenge.
Students will work with specially crafted
robotics equipment to design, engineer,
build, wire, and program robots to meet defined
challenges and resolve specific problems.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for our
students,” said RTMA Science Chair and
STEM Director Mrs. Robyn Brewer. “The
expansion of our program to this important
area keeps us on the cutting edge.
“Robotics really is the convergence of
multiple disciplines,” she explained. “It is
where problem solving, mathematics, coding,
construction, and even art combine to
make tools that improve our world.”
The CIJE program will provide students
with a monthly challenge. Meeting these
challenges will call for a variety of skills
and team activities. In completing each
month’s challenge, students will be developing
their skills and defining roles within
the team. This will culminate in a day-long
challenge at the end of the year that will pit
the four schools CIJE chose to participate in
the program against one another in a final
competition. In addition to RTMA, CIJE selected
Frisch, HAFTR and HANC as the only
other schools participating in their first ever
robotics challenge.
“One of the beauties of our STEM program
is that students learn through failure,” said
RTMA Principal Rabbi Ami Neuman. “We
learn through trial and error and become
study Torah because choose to, not because
you have to, it feels great and I remember the
material much more.”
Rabbi Ami Neuman, Principal of RTMA
appreciates these sentiments. “Our team
reflects our students’ desire to grow in their
limmud HaTorah,” he said. “And the knowledge
they acquire is something they will carry
with them their whole lives.”
As the team carries itself with dignified
honor, they earn additional respect from
the entire school. “One of the finest aspects
of my job is watching students spend extra
time immersed in intense preparation for
the Torah Bowl competitions,” shared Rabbi
Yisroel Rich, RTMA’s Director of Student
Life. “It is truly a sight to behold.”
stronger as a result.”
This year, RTMA extended its STEM program
to develop special programming, with
a grant from CIJE, to expose middle school
students to advanced STEM classes. With
those expansions, RTMA also enhanced its
offerings for upperclassmen providing more
advanced programing for juniors and seniors.
“Through our STEM program, students
engage in the engineering process and the
learning through experimentation,” explained
Rabbi Neuman. “Our boys expand
their skills and horizons as they go through a
high school program built on creation, iteration
and production.”
“We are really advancing in our program,”
said sophomore JJ Rosenblum of West Orange,
NJ. “Thanks to Mrs. Brewer, our STEM
lab is really prepared for us to compete at the
highest levels.We have two 3D printers, “a
CNC machine, a vinyl cutter - and for sure we
are one of the best equipped high school labs
in the entire country.”
8 FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777

JEWISH EDUCATIONAL CENTER
Warm Hearts,
Voices and Tummies
Inaugural Friday Tisch Feeds Mind, Body and Spirit
T
he sight of JEC Lower
School principal
Rabbi Uzi Beer racing
through the halls with
a crockpot and oven mits is not
something students are used to
seeing.
“We are going to have a tisch
tomorrow,” he explained excitedly
as he continued to speedwalk
towards the school kitchen,
“and I’m making the cholent!”
Rabbi Beer delivered on his
promise, and the aromas wafting
through the building the following
day piqued the curiosity
and appetites of both students and faculty
alike.
The tisch was the first in a series of
monthly gatherings for the 4th through
6th grades, generally set for the Fridays
before Shabbat Mevorchim. Besides cholent,
the tisch includes divrei Torah, inspiring
stories and lots of joyful singing.
“I really liked the singing all together,”
said 5th grader Yakir Adams of Hillside,
T
o help students learn and
love the Hebrew language
more, the JEC Lower School
is embarking on an ambitious
program to immerse students
in conversational Hebrew.
“Acquiring a language is only truly
accomplished through an immersive
experience,” said Lower School
Principal Rabbi Uzi Beer. “By experiencing
Ivrit and hearing it on
a regular basis, students will feel
comfortable conversing in the language
of our people.”
When children read from a book or
Est. 1941 | 5702
NJ. “And I really liked Rabbi Beer’s cholent
too,” he said with a smile.
“It was one of the best cholents I ever
had,” agreed 4B student Shuey Strong,
also of Hillside, NJ. “Are you going to print
this?” he asked. “Make sure you write that
I still think my sister Eliana’s is better.”
Rabbi Chaim Marcus, Mashgiach Ruchani
of
RTMA Rav continued on p.17
Hebrew Immersion Key to
Early Language Acquisition
memorize the laws of grammar they
generally do not gain the confidence
to comfortably speak a language
conversationally. With Hebrew immersion,
teachers find creative ways
to engage their students in modern
conversational Hebrew where they
learn the language naturally, as
they did with their native tongue.
Beginning in the Early Childhood
division, students are familiarized
with Hebrew terms through the Chalav
U’Dvash Hebrew immersion program
devel- continued on p.17
J
EC Lower School students joined
millions of their peers from over
180 countries around the world in
an Hour of Code. The initiative,
aimed at increasing awareness for the
importance of computer education in
schools, encourages students to engage
in hour-long computer tutorials.
“This is so cool,” exclaimed Sima Shifra
Cohen of Hillside, NJ, a student in the
T
he concept of kol Yisrael areivim zeh
l’zeh (all of Israel is responsible for
one another) is a dynamic aspect
of the JEC experience, and is woven
into the curriculum and demonstrated
through daily interactions.
Leading up to Chanukah, all three divisions
personified this key principle by conducting
various drives to benefit children both in New
Jersey and in Israel.
Bruriah’s Bears for Bergenfield raised bears
that were shipped to Israel for distribution
to sick children
in a Kfar Saba continued on p.17
#Proud2beJEC
Lower School Sparks
with Hour of Code
third grade, as she adjusted her audio
headset.
Students were given the opportunity to
select tutorials ranging from music-based
to building blocks, interactive games, customized
adventures, web design, video reporting,
art and animation.
“It’s an experience that extends the curriculum
in
new ways,” continued on p.17
Students Bring Chanukah
Smiles to Others
FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777 9

BRURIAH HIGH SCHOOL
Big Sister Program Provides Leadership Training for JHB Students
A
lot can be accomplished in a
minute, and Bruriah Junior High
students proved that when they
visited Lower School first graders
for a special Chanukah program.
The junior high leadership training initiative
brought Bruriah’s junior high students
to the Lower School where they were paired
up with their younger counterparts for various
exercises and programs.
“The enthusiasm was palpable when the
junior high girls entered the room,” said Miss
Rena Witkin, a resource room faculty member
and Bruriah alumna, class of 2012, who led
the program for Bruriah. “The first graders
A
n international diplomatic alliance
on the eve of a major war
is a complex and tenuous construct.
Webs of personal relationships,
longstanding feuds, and newfound
partnerships obscure paths leading away
from conflict. The difference between success
and failure, which for many could mean
life and death, often resides in just a few brief
decisions.
This is the life of a diplomat and this is the
experience students in Mr. Joel Glazer’s 11th
grade history class gain when engaging in a
weeks-long game of Diplomacy.
The game, first released in in 1959, simulates
the strategic environment in Europe
around the time of World War I. As in life, the
objective of the game is to survive the war and
emerge a strong state. For students, learning
springs to life as they become the world’s
great decision-makers at a critical inflexion
point in world history.
Mr. Joel Glazer, Bruriah’s veteran history
teacher, described his first encounter with
the game while attending graduate school
as a student. “Even back then,” he said, “I
thought to myself that this would be a great
way to teach high school lessons about this
important history. It is a way to not just teach
students the material but make it palatable
for them,” he explained.
Classes are divided into seven teams, each
were excited to meet their new ‘big sisters.’”
The older students led teams in a series
of timed projects that included Boggle
and Scrabble-like word games, mathematical
riddles and crafts. Each project
or game had to be completed in a short
sixty seconds in a competition modeled
after the gameshow Minute to Win It.
With time ticking, the energy in the room
was electric. “This is really fun,” said Aryeh
Shapiro of Hillside, NJ. “I wonder who’s going
to win!”
Bruriah’s Eliana Strong, also of Hillside,
NJ was equally engaged. “I think it’s
great that we get to connect with a younger
Living the Art of Diplomacy
assigned a major early twentieth-century
European power: Germany, France, Russia,
Turkey, Austria-Hungary, Italy, or England.
Students, under the leadership of their
team general, spend hours researching their
assignments and better understanding each
nation’s strategic strengths and weaknesses.
Once a clear view of the present reality is
firmly in hand, teams formulate their game
strategies and begin negotiating alliances
with one another, just as diplomats would
do in the real world. And like the real world,
these agreements take the form of non-aggression
pacts, mutual protection alliances,
coordinated attacks, and other strategic partnerships
that are tested and retested throughout
the game.
“The true learning experience is found in
the days of negotiation, which taught us the
delicate balance of friendship and manipulation
that is political diplomacy,” said one
participant.
Students are exposed to the firm realities
facing countries in a time of crisis. In the
game, Russia begins with a strategic advantage
in that it is more heavily supplied nation.
However, Russia faces the present danger
of exposure on three fronts. By contrast,
England is protected by surrounding ocean,
but any attempt by England to conquer new
territory could leave mainland England open
to invasion.
grade,” she said while catching her breath
between rounds.
While the younger children were encouraged
to work on their own as much as possible,
the older girls were there to guide and
assist them.
“I learned how to do it all by myself,” said
Rafi Wolk of Hillside, NJ as he showed off
his pipecleaner chanukiah made in under
a minute. “Sarah [Rosenwald of Elizabeth,
NJ] was really nice and she showed me
how,” he said.
For some of the older girls, this was their
first experience as a ‘big sister.’ “I loved the
experience of being a big sister,” said 8th
Days of research and negotiations culminate
in four tense days of gameplay. Students,
bedecked in team colors and observing
grade-mates put their carefully formulated
and well planned strategies into practice, the
tension is palpable. Orders are checked and
rechecked as moves are second-guessed, enemies’
actions must be analyzed while alliances
hold and crumble. Eventually, a victor
emerges and the winner is declared.
“Before I played the game, I thought I understood
the complexities of war,” said Bruriah
Junior Ariel Ezra of Elizabeth, NJ. “But
after researching, strategizing and negotiating
for days, I understand that war is not
just a series of battles, but a lot decisions that
grader Gabriella Roth of Elizabeth, NJ, who
is the youngest in her family.
Gabriella recalled her time in the JEC’s
first grade, as did her former teachers. “I
love that the 8th grade girls came back to
the classrooms where their JEC experience
began,” exclaimed Mrs. Randi Biel, one of
the first grade teachers. “They are really
role models.”
First grade teacher Mrs. Pam Derby
agreed. “It’s wonderful for the younger
students to witness the older ones in action
and look up to them, thinking that this
might be something that they too will do
one day.”
need to be made and diplomacy that needs
to be conducted. Behind all of the battlefield
action, there are people making decision that
dictate the outcome of history.”
The setting for the game reflects realities at
the time. The outcome and winner however
are determined by the strength of each team’s
strategies and their ability to navigate the real-world
diplomacy among their peers.
Ultimately, each class emerges with a new
understanding of the complexity of pre-War
political alliances and the art of diplomacy. “It
is one of the highlights of the year,” concluded
Mr. Glazer. “Students who graduated ten
or even twenty years ago still come up to me
when I see them and talk about the game.”
10 FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777

JEWISH EDUCATIONAL CENTER
Founder and Gadol
B’Yisrael Rav Pinchas
Mordechai Teitz, zt’l
Remembered at Yom Iyun
continued from p.1
boys. An innovator who strongly defended
a Jewish girl’s right to an advanced Torah
education, Rav Teitz sought to provide it for as
many women as possible and founded the Bruriah
High School for Girls.
Now, decades later, orthodox Jewry in New
Jersey is flourishing with dozens of yeshivot
throughout the state.
Rav Teitz believed in engaging the world
through the prism of Torah, and embraced
modernity as a vehicle for advancing a Torah
agenda and disseminating its learning. In addition
to founding the JEC and helping others
establish other places of learning, Rav Teitz pioneered
the first Torah-oriented radio show, his
weekly Daf Hashavuah, which drew an incredible
250,000 listeners.
He was a dreamer and an innovator who
served as the Chief Rabbi of Elizabeth and masterfully
developed the city to include all of the
religious amenities and services that the Jewish
community continues to benefit from and
build upon today. Many communities throughout
North America looked to Rav Teitz’ model
as an example to emulate.
Rav Teitz looked beyond Elizabeth and North
America, and led the effort to deliver yiddishkeit to
Jews trapped behind the Iron Curtain during the
Cold War. He made over twenty trips to the Soviet
Union during those perilous years bringing siddurim,
matzot, Torah publications and even arba
minim for Succot to Jews trapped in Soviet Russia.
To commemorate his yahrtzeit on Monday,
the JEC Lower School, RTMA and Bruriah held
a system-wide Yom Iyun that included presentations
from Rav Elazar Mayer Teitz and Rabbi
Binyomin Blau.
Rabbi E.M. Teitz is the current Rav HaIr of Elizabeth
and Dean of the JEC. He is also the son
of Rav Pinchas Mordechai Teitz, zt’l. Rav Teitz
led a school-wide siyum on Mesechet Brachot
at an RTMA father-son learn-in and spoke
in both high schools about his father’s vision
and legacy.
A JEC graduate, Rabbi Binyomin Blau is the late
Rav’s grandson and current Rosh Yeshiva of the
Fuchs Mizrachi School and Rav of the Green Road
Synagogue, both in Cleveland, Ohio. Rabbi Blau
received a warm welcome from those who remember
him as a beloved Rav in the Elizabeth community
and Rebbe at both RTMA and Bruriah.
In a moving tribute to his grandfather, Rabbi
Blau painted a sweeping mosaic of his accomplishments,
traits and enduring lessons. Rabbi
Blau also delivered an engaging shiur to Bruriah
students, faculty and parents on Finding the
Right Path in Avodas Hashem.
The Rav Teitz Mesivta Academy, which bears
the late Rav Teitz’ name, held a special Yom Iyun
with fathers, grandfathers and brothers joining
students of the mesivta in learning towards a siyum
on Mesechet Brachot. The session culminated
in the siyum on the masechta followed by
singing, dancing and a gala breakfast.
At Bruriah, mothers joined their daughters
and faculty at a Yom Iyun Learn-In during which
they heard from both Rav E. M. Teitz and Rabbi
Blau, and then participated in break-out sessions
where they explored Torah in different classes.
Rabbi Uzi Beer, Principal of the JEC Lower
School presented Memories of the Rav in two
separate age-appropriate sessions. Rabbi Beer
engaged students with participatory and project-based
learning exercises that brought to life
the Rav’s work from his earliest days in America
when he assumed the rabbinical leadership of
Elizabeth, through his building of the community,
activism on behalf of Soviet Jewry, and pioneering
of Torah broadcasts on the radio. Students were
mesmerized by the message and walked away
with a newfound understanding and pride in
their school that boasts such a rich history.
Students across all three divisions were inspired
by the day and bolstered by the closing
message that Rabbi Beer expressed to his students
that, “the Torah that is being learned within
the walls of the JEC ensures that the Torah of
Rav Teitz zt’l, and indeed his legacy, lives on.”
FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777 11

A
s part of a strategic effort to inform,
educate and help prevent
bullying, the JEC Lower School recently
conducted two interactive
programs.
Renowned psychologist Dr. Norman Blumenthal
of Ohel addressed parents in an
evening program that gave parents the opportunity
to hear Dr. Blumenthal address the
critical topic of bullying in a comprehensive
yet approachable way.
“People were thrilled to see the JEC proactively
addressing the subject of bullying and
conflict,” said Dr. Rebecca Mischel, Director
of Guidance for the JEC Lower School. “Parents
were impressed with Dr. Blumenthal’s
expertise and appreciated his guidance on
T
aking the issue out of the shadows,
the JEC Lower School conducted a
forum for parents and sessions for
students to learn about the prevalence
and dangers of child abuse.
“Unfortunately, in today’s world, it is not
enough to sit back and assume one’s children
will be safe,” said Dr. Rebecca Mischel,
the JEC Lower School’s Director of Guidance.
“Parents need to be proactive in educating
themselves and their children to ensure
their safety.”
To help guide parents through this process,
Dr. Mischel arranged for a presentation
of the Magen Yeladim program from Project
S.A.R.A.H. that gives parents the tools and
framework to address challenging topics
with their children in a comfortable and effective
way.
Presenting the program on behalf of Project
S.A.R.A.H. was RTMA Alumnus, Rabbi Michael
Bleicher who is Rabbi of the Elmora Hills
Minyan in Elizabeth, NJ, and a Clinician and
THE JEC LOWER SCHOOL
Addressing Bullying with Education and Modeling
this important topic.”
Dr. Blumenthal presented the subject of
bullying from multiple angles. One focus
was how to recognize the differences between
bullying and natural conflict or occasional
fighting, and
the importance of distinguishing
between
normal and unhealthy
behaviors. He also
addressed the need
to equip children and
peer groups with the
emotional and psychological
tools necessary
to deal with these
challenges, as well as
defined times when intervention
is necessary.
While parents were
learning from experts,
students were also provided
the opportunity
Shedding Light on Child Abuse
Outreach Coordinator for Project S.A.R.A.H.
During his presentation, Rabbi Bleicher
explained that the goal is to, “Provide the
community with the resources necessary to
help safeguard our children from all types of
abuse.”
“Educating our children about personal
safety is always a timely lesson. Just as we remind
them to look both ways before crossing
the street and to buckle up every time they get
in the car, it is crucial that we educate them and
reinforce the components of personal safety
on a regular basis as well,” he explained.
to learn about the subject. Mr. Tom of Mobile
ED Productions, presented an informative,
empowering, and entertaining presentation
about bullying in grade-appropriate sessions.
The student program was sponsored by
the Lower School PTA, which according to its
president, Mrs. Tara Speyer, felt that it was an
important investment. “Although bullying is
a rare occurrence in our school, it is important
to educate our children to combat bullying,”
she said.
One important message for students was
the idea that the peer group could help prevent
bullying by standing up to bullying and
making it an unacceptable and unwelcome
form of behavior. “It is essential that we
teach our students to become upstanders
and not bystanders,” said Lower School Principal
Rabbi Uzi Beer.
His informative lecture included an overview
of the ABC’s of safety at home and at camp,
the six stages of predatory grooming, tips on
how to make sure that shul is a safe place for
children, and steps on how to ensure a child’s
safety when they are in the care of a babysitter.
For students, volunteers from Project
S.A.R.A.H and JFS were engaged to run
age-appropriate sessions with each class in
grades K through 5. Through lessons and
modeling, students learned how keep themselves
safe in a variety of situations and how
to report questionable behaviors.
During the presentation, Mr. Tom had students
model proper behavior. He challenged
them to identify bullying behaviors, prevent
escalation, and even report to faculty and
responsible adults when appropriate. Students
left equipped with a series of useful
visual cues and acronyms to help them recall
the lessons which concluded with a gameshow
activity.
“We learned that when you bully someone,
it is like crushing a piece of paper,” said 3rd
grader Shoshana Pinsker. “We can still try to
smooth out the paper by saying we are sorry,
but it still leaves a mark,” she explained.
“We want to make sure that we maintain
a healthy and safe environment,” explained
Dr. Goldie Grossman, Lower School Assistant
Principal. “Which comes through empowering
students with education and knowledge.”
“They told us what to do in case of an emergency,”
said 3rd grader Elie Krause of Hillside,
NJ. “My parents already taught me that but it’s
important for all the other kids to know.”
“All sessions were developmentally appropriate,
interactive, and engaging,” said Dr.
Mischel. “And the students learned a tremendous
amount in a fun and dynamic way.”
12 FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777

RAV TEITZ MESIVTA ACADEMY
JEWISH EDUCATIONAL CENTER
JEC Alumni Come Out In
Force To Rooftop Event
F
rigid temperatures did little to
keep away the fifty plus alumni
who braved the elements to
attend a recent rooftop reunion
in New York City. The gathering brought
together alumni from the JEC, RTMA and
Bruriah. Attendees represented four decades
of graduates with mini reunions replete
with hugs and boisterous laughter
breaking out throughout the evening.
A BBQ-themed buffet and cocktail station
were the only things to distract guests
from enjoying the panoramic view of the
Manhattan skyline.
“This is wonderful,” exclaimed Rabbi
Shraga Schofield, longtime rebbe at the
RTMA, as he warmly greeted former students.
“And the view out here is gorgeous!”
The event was co-chaired by Sammy
Rosenzweig, RTMA ‘08 and Shira Teichman
(nee Erlich), Bruriah ‘07 and was hosted
by Michael Cellar, RTMA ‘08. The trio
worked hard to ensure that no detail was
left out at the classy, elegant affair.
Doron Greenspan, RTMA ‘07 and current
JEC parent spoke of the importance of supporting
the JEC’s student scholarship fund
and shared how the education provided
by the JEC, RTMA and Bruriah go far beyond
the classroom and that relationships
forged last a lifetime.
The JEC’s Alumni Network provides valuable
opportunities for career and social networking
through diverse programs, including
reunions. Stay tuned for information
about events. If you have an idea for a reunion,
event or alumni initiative, contact alumni@thejec.org
or call 908-355-4850, ext. 6248.
Ingenuity and
Innovation in
RTMA STEM Lab
continued from p.5
ange, NJ.
Rosenbaum
sees
this project
as part of a
progression
in the development of his robotics
skills.
“You first have to start off somewhere,”
he said. “This is the basis for
us to learn how to code, which will
eventually allow us to develop more
complicated and advanced projects.”
Department Chair, Mrs. Robyn Brewer
agreed. “This project uses really basic
coding. Once they understand how to
use this, it is ‘hello world!’”
Juniors, who have more advanced
coding skills, were challenged to build
their own computers. Over a dozen
boys turned out to participate in the after
school project and peer learning was
a critical part of the experience.
“It wasn’t just about building, it
was a teaching exercise,” said junior
Avi Szczupakiewicz of Staten Island,
who was the lead student on the project.
“Many students who came were
freshmen and sophomores. My job was
to teach them how this work is done, so
that they will be able to do this when we
move on.”
Eric Almberg, an electrical engineer
who works with Mrs. Brewer explained
the impetus for the project. “We needed
a computer that would run our CNC machine.
In order to design the files necessary
to operate the CNC machine, we
needed something more powerful than
what we had in the lab.
“Instead of buying one, it was a
no-brainer to build one ourselves and
learn something in the process.”
For Mrs. Brewer this type of innovation
and creativity is at the root of
students’ project based learning in the
lab. “The guys were fabulous,” she
explained. “They did it all, from researching
what was needed, to sourcing
the appropriate components, ensuring
that they were all compatible, and then
building the computer in a way that was
customized for our specific needs.
“They optimized our resources, and
ultimately created a top-notch solution.
They did it all and it only took two
nights,” she said. “And besides,” she
added with her patented grin, “it was
far more economical than buying one
off the shelf.”
Like many students, Avi sees a bright
future in engineering. “It feels great
to build something with a purpose,”
he said. “This is real engineering, and
thanks to our STEM program I see this
in my future as an engineer.”
Record-Breaking Support for
the JEC on Giving Tuesday
O
n Giving Tuesday over one hundred
members of the JEC family
expressed
their support for
the JEC’s Scholarship
Fund. Thanks
to the support of
the JEC’s growing
network of supporters,
$60,000 was raised in just a few
days and matched dollar-for-dollar, yielding
a total of $120,000.
“We are incredibly grateful to each and
every donor who supported this special initiative,”
said Steve
Karp, Executive
Director. “Every
year, the JEC helps
hundreds of students
afford a top
tier Jewish education.
Those
children are in school only because of
the generosity of those who donate to our
Scholarship Fund.”
FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777 13

I
t was a demonstration of strength
and solidarity as teams of volunteers
representing the Jewish Educational
Center converged at two
calling centers for the Jewish Federation
of Greater MetroWest’s annual “BigGive”
fundraiser, formerly known as Super Sunday,
which raises money for the Federation’s
critical programming.
“We always look forward to and appreciate
the strong turn-out that JEC encourages
for the BigGive,” said Stanley Stone,
Executive Director of the Jewish Community
Foundation of Greater MetroWest
NJ. “The JEC has been a model in its
recruitment efforts by always being one
of the first to get the word out about the
BigGive.”
Indeed, members of the JEC are also
among the first to turn out for the community
telethon, and this year was no exception.
Led by JEC Executive Director Steve
Karp, a JEC team travelled to Scotch Plains
to participate in the drive and occupied an
impressive row of seats during the morning’s
earliest shift.
The school’s efforts did not go unnoticed
and even Federation CEO Dov Ben-Shimon
praised the JEC effort. “I’m grateful
for the active participation of JEC members
in the BigGive,” he said. “The JEC is
a critical part of our community and we’re
proud of its achievements and leadership.
The BigGive with JEC is a great statement
to our shared values and future.”
JEWISH EDUCATIONAL CENTER
JEC Supports Broader Jewish Community
The feeling is mutual. “We look forward
to this event every year,” said Steve Karp.
“It’s a great time to reconnect with peers
and community members spanning our
entire catchment area. As a partner and
beneficiary agency of Federation, we appreciate
the opportunity to give back and
help play a role in the Federation’s continued
strength and success.”
JEC parent and board member Brian
Ness of Hillside, NJ lead the school’s
charge at the Federation’s second calling
site in West Orange, NJ.
“It is always great to see the power of the
Jewish people working together to support
local causes and share an everlasting love
for the Land of Israel,” he said.
Besides leading his team, Ness also
brought along a number of his children
for a lesson in chinuch and tzedakah. “It
is important for Arielle and I to show our
children the importance of having an impact
throughout the Jewish community,”
he said. “There are many organizations
that benefit Jewish causes. Partnering
with the Jewish Federation of Greater
MetroWest allows us to benefit from their
broad network.”
Jessica Mehlman, Chief Planning Officer
for the Jewish Federation of Greater
MetroWest, explained that the Federation
is proud of its partnership with the Jewish
Educational Center. “Through mutual
support and respect, we care for those
in need, build community and save the
lives of individuals around the world,”
she said. “At the BigGive, we know we
can count on the JEC membership to come
out and help raise the precious dollars we
need to support our community. Thank
you!”
JEC Hosts Nachum Segal LIVE
N
achum Segal is no stranger to
the Jewish Educational Center
and it was fitting that one of his
final broadcasts over regular
radio would be delivered live from the JEC.
Just days before Segal’s popular morning
radio show JM in the AM would convert
to an internet-only broadcast, the JEC
rolled out the red carpet to welcome the
show. This marked the fourth time in as
many years that the JEC hosted the famed
Jewish radio host.
The three hour production celebrated
the best of the JEC and featured students,
faculty, parents and administrators.
Nachum was impressed as he entered
the Wilf Gymnasium, home to the RTMA
Thunder sports teams, where the broadcast
was held. “Now that is really something,”
he said as he marveled at the size
of the gym as well as the newly installed
regulation floors and state of the art scoreboards.
Reactions to the show’s upbeat presentation
was overwhelming. One alumna-turned
parent emailed the school
shortly after the show aired. “Shalom,”
she wrote. “I just wanted to drop a note to
tell you how awesome it was hearing you
this morning. I got such a sense of nostalgia
hearing about what is currently going
on in school.”
“I have such hakarat hatov and the best
feelings whenever the JEC is spoken about
and felt so much pride in the institution
today specifically,” she continued. “I will
never be able to put into words how special
your school is to me.”
To listen to the show online in its entirety,
please visit the JEC website.
14 FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777

RAV TEITZ MESIVTA ACADEMY
In Revolutionary
Move, Students
Replace Parents
at Conferences
with Teachers
rectly about
what I needed
to do to
improve. It
made me
feel more
continued from p.5 responsible
for what is going on than when I hear
about it from my parents.”
RTMA Invests in
Israel Advocacy
continued from p.5
depth about
Israel advocacy.”
“Since Israel
is the
Jewish State it is the Jewish people’s
job to stand up for it,” he concluded.
Rabbi Rich is proud of Yair’s initi-
For RTMA Principal, Rabbi Ami Neuman,
this is all part of the school’s new
vision. “Living Above the Code means
being committed to excellence through
reflection, engagement and growth,”
he said. “These conferences give us all,
students, faculty and administration the
opportunity to engage in this process in a
meaningful and purposeful way.”
ative. “We empower our students to
help make their ideas come alive,” he
said. “This is an opportunity for students
who are especially committed and passionate
about Israel to learn from an expert
in the field.”
The committee already held its first
meeting, and Friedman taught participating
students what he calls the ARM technique,
and acronym for Acknowledge, Refrain
and Message. Using multimedia to
demonstrate examples of the technique in
action, he challenged students to employ
ARM against him.
“There is a real media bias that exists,
especially on college campuses” explained
Rabbi Rich. “At RTMA we believe
that we must proactively prepare our students
how to respond.”
RTMA Principal, Rabbi Ami Neuman,
sees the committee as a natural extension
of the school’s mission. “This is another
opportunity for our students to engage
in global citizenship and advocacy,” he
said. “As Jews, Israel is part of the fabric
of everything we do.”
Saving Lives, One
Pint at a Time
continued from p.5
involved in
community
and responsible
for
those around us.”
Along with Juniors Shaya Fishman of
Staten Island, NY and Avi Braun of Deal,
NJ, Mendy publicized the drive through
community bulletins, shuls, social media
and local organizations. Their combined
efforts yielded record donations.
Eignafor Melendez of Elizabeth, NJ,
heard about the Drive through her local
church and said, “It seems like they really
have caring people in this school to have
organized all of this for other people.”
JEC parents and community members
were out in full force. Ilana Adams, a
JEC Lower School mother from Hillside,
NJ donated saying, “I’m appreciative that
we are doing this in my kids’ school. As
a community it is important to recognize
and participate in this important life-saving
mitzvah.”
Avi Schiffman of Springfield, NJ, RTMA
class of ‘08 said that he has been participating
in the RTMA blood drives for
years. “I like giving,” he said. “This is my
way of helping other people. I went to the
JEC and this is my home. This drive shows
what RTMA is all about.”
While the majority of donors made
standard blood donations, Rabbi Neuman,
the Principal of RTMA took it a step further
and was one of twelve donors to provide
double the quantity of red blood cells via
the state-of-the-art ALYX machines.
“I feel great,” he said as he glanced
across the room at students hooked up
for blood donations and in line to register.
“Today shows that our boys are willing
to give of themselves, quite literally,
for others. I feel fortunate to be a part of
a student and faculty group that gives so
much to others.
“The greatest part of the drive,” offered
Mendy Fine, “was to see the guys being
there for each other. The students who
were waiting to be called for donating
were going over to those already in the
process of giving and offering words of
encouragement and positivity. It was a
beautiful thing to see such achdus.”
Stacey Traschetti, the attending Unit
Manager for NJ Blood Services was complimentary
of Mendy and the other student
organizers.
“They were very organized and a pleasure
to work with,” she said.
By the evening’s close, the drive netted
“an impressive seventy-eight blood products
from a total of seventy donors. That’s
up from fifty-seven donors and fifty-six
blood products last year,” she reported.
FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777 15

Learning from
the Experts
continued from p.7
dedicate to different exhibits.
As part of the learning experience,
the Bruriah Holocaust museum
is assembled from scratch
every year. There are no remnants from previous
museums to build on and none will be left
from this year for future juniors.
A magnificent actualization of this year’s visionary
curator, the coming museum includes
extensive exhibits that cover periods prior to
World War II to the creation of the State of Israel
and Jewish life thereafter.
Like every curator before her, Ezra has to be
clear about what she envisions the museum to
be and how to direct her enormous staff to make
it a reality. When asked what she learned from
the morning at NMAJH, Ezra said, “Visiting the
museum provided me with a visual of how a historical
museum looks and how to create a natural
flow connecting the exhibits.”
Students and other visitors to the museum are
taken on tours by docents trained in specific areas
of the museum. This year’s docents are Miriam
Brickman of West Orange, NJ, Jennifer Gerstle
of Livingston, NJ, Chana Rosenbluth of Teaneck,
NJ, and Michal Winkler of Staten Island, NY.
The 1.5 Project (see article on page 28) was
added to the museum several years ago to collect
1.5 million pennies, or $15,000, to remember
the 1.5 million children who were murdered during
the Holocaust. The money raised will continue
to be donated to CRIB Efrat, Beit Elazraki
Alumnae Return to
Volleyball Doubling as
Coaches and Role Models
continued from p.7 ic skills, but
more importantly,
in midot and in relating to others.”
“As a Bruriah volleyball and softball alumna,
I have experienced how beneficial being
part of a team and belonging to a group
is,” she continued. “It shapes who you are,
changes your perspective, creates unique
and lasting relationships, and expands your
BRURIAH HIGH SCHOOL
Children’s Home and the JEC Scholarship Fund.
Mikayla Elk, of East Brunswick, NJ is the project
coordinator for 1.5 and said this about her
visit to NMAJH, “At the museum I observed
how to attract people to a specific component
of the museum, in my case, the effort to raise
1.5 million pennies, to represent the 1.5 million
children who were murdered during the Holocaust.”
The entire museum is the brainchild of veteran
history teacher Mr. Joel Glazer, who conceived
of the idea after meeting with the thenprime
minister of Israel Ariel Sharon in 2005. In
response to Sharon’s question, “Does anyone
have any questions?” Mr. Glazer asked Sharon
how he could deal with the way the media outlets
portray Israel. Sharon replied, “We’re responsible
to keep you safe, you’re responsible
for getting out the truth.”
Notable visitors to past museums include Mr.
Edward Mosberg, a survivor of the Holocaust
who recently donated to the JEC a Torah that
was recovered from the Holocaust and that he
had restored, Paul Radensky, Ph.D., manager of
education programs for the Museum of Jewish
Heritage in Battery Park, NY, and Ruth Lichtenstein,
publisher of Hamodia and editor of “Witness
to History.”
character as a person.”
Junior Arielle Miodownik of Highland
Park, NJ agreed. “A positive attitude on the
court is very important, as is good sportsmanship.
Bruriah is known for that, and
believe it or not, we cheer even when our opponents
do well.”
“The greatest joy,” explained Coach
Jacobs, “is to see a girl who has been pushing
herself to succeed, then gain confidence
from her contribution to the team, a play well
done, or a compliment from a fellow player,
and then watching her share that positive
feeling with others.”
This year’s team is diverse,
with eleven students
from freshmen
to seniors, representing
the full spectrum of
Bruriah’s student population.
“On the volleyball
court,” said Coach
Jacobs, “our regional,
social and personal
differences simply fall
away. We get to know
each other as players
Individualized Lessons
Revolutionize Math
for Bruriah Juniors
continued from p.7 the system
recognize the
value. “In a normal class, you have to
go with whatever the teacher is doing,” explained
Batya Feman of Teaneck, NJ. “This
system allows everyone to work at their own
pace.”
ALEKS, or Assessment and Learning in
Knowledge Spaces, is described by its development
company McGraw-Hill as providing
the advantages of one-on-one instruction,
24/7 from virtually any computer for a fraction
of the cost.” Bruriah’s Associate Principal,
Mrs. Shlomis Peikes agreed, “It is almost
like having a second teacher in the room.”
In fact, the system is so advanced, that the
multiplier effect might be far greater. “I can really
teach myself,” said junior Michali Mandel
of Passaic, NJ. “It is like an electronic textbook
iCan: Small
Action, Big Impact
continued from p.7
and as people. And we become a team.”
The camaraderie on the team helps
younger students better acclimate to high
school. “On our team, everyone has an
equal opportunity to succeed,” said Rivki
Hook. :”It is not just about seniors and juniors.
Even the freshies have a shot.”
Besides the players, other students have
an opportunity to learn and grow as part of
the team. Bruriah Sophomore Shira Rosenblum
of Clifton, NJ and a team manager explained
that, “being a team manager allows
me to feel part of the team while helping improve
my organizational skills.”
As alumnae and coaches, Aviva and Rebecca
view all of this as the benefits of a
that helps me learn in the best way for me.”
Students also complete their math homework
using ALEKS, which they access from
any internet-ready device. It is just like
doing regular math drills at home, “Except
you don’t have to schlep the textbook
home,” quipped Miri Nash, a junior also
from Passaic, NJ, with a smile. “It really is
helpful and gives us opportunities to constantly
improve.”
After students complete their assignments,
faculty is able to log in and monitor
student progress. “The system allows us to
track how girls are doing and hone in on any
specific areas of challenge they might face,”
said Mrs. Fuchs.
“Once a student masters a concept,” she
explained, “ALEKS continues with subsequent
problems to ensure that they don’t forget
what they have learned and incorporates
former problems with new material. When a
student earns a high grade, we know for certain
that they have really achieved it.”
entirely
behind a
screen.
A multimedia
presentation
“I CAN BE” ran on a loop to visually
inspire students and their mothers over the
course of the morning.
As a concrete ‘takeaway,’ students decorated
mirrors, a reminder of their own power as
individuals. Inspired by the theme, groups
of students developed lists of realistic action
items they could take that would ‘make a difference.’
Some examples included, bringing
tissue boxes to school for others to use, calling
grandparents more often, and trying to
smile at others even when angry and sad.
The morning concluded with the taking
of a group picture by the decorative “I CAN
BE... IN THE JHB” wall.
“One of the things that I love best about the
annual Mother-Daughter Learn-In,” she said,
“is that it provides all of us with the opportunity
to take a step back from our daily routine
and spend time together learning and growing.
It reminds us of the ‘bigger picture’ of life
and what’s really important, and leaves us all
feeling inspired and invigorated.”
focus attention on helping students grow
as players and people. “Together, we learn
from each other’s values and ideas,” she
said Coach Jacobs. “As a result, we become
better and stronger people.”
16 FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777

Lower School
Sparks with
Dr. Goldie
G r o s s -
man, Lower
School
Hour of Code
continued from p.9 Assistant
Principal. “It requires concentration,
problem solving skills, forming hypotheses,
trouble shooting – it’s really intensive
intellectually and it is engaging as well.
The kids love it!”
Warm Hearts,
Voices and
Tummies
of Congregation
Israel of
Springfield,
was invited
as the inau-
continued from p.9
gural keynote and students were mesmerized
by his words of inspiration.
“Rabbi Marcus’ unique energy and passion
for yiddishkeit really engaged the children,”
said Assistant Lower School Principal
Dr. Goldie Grossman. “The story he shared
about Shabbat Mekita - the beauty and
sweetness of Shabbos, was age-appropriate
and the kids really got it. It really captured
the spirit of what we are trying to achieve.”
THE JEC LOWER SCHOOL
She added that the energy in the room
was real, and infectious. “The expressions
on the children’s faces were priceless,”
she said. “There is nothing like the
thrill of achievement.”
5th grader Zeev Ben-Baruch summed
up his experience and enthusiastically
offered, “The best part was that we got to
use all of the parts in our brains to help
us get to the next level.”
“Rabbi Marcus, the cholent, the niggunim,”
reflected faculty member Rabbi David
Pietruszka who attended the tisch, “it all
made for such an uplifting experience.
Hebrew
Immersion Key to
Early Language
Acquisition
continued from p.9
oped by the Jewish
Agency. Concurrently, a
progressively advancing
curriculum builds upon
student progress through
the Lower School.
Morah Batsheva, as she
is fondly known, runs Chalav
U’Dvash and meets
with each class twice a
week, teaching Hebrew through an array
of songs, dramatizations and special
activities. Supported by her speaking
Students Bring
Chanukah Smiles
hospital
and RTMA
raised hundreds
of
to Others
continued from p.9 toys, filling
an entire office, that were distributed to
needy Jewish children through Ohel.
The JEC Lower School had engaged in a
food drive for the JFS Kosher Food Pantry
earlier in the month, and
When third grader Kayla Stern of Hillside,
NJ considered that some children may
not receive toys for Chanukah, she took her
tzedaka money and purchased gifts specifically
for that purpose. Inspired by Kayla’s
generosity, the JEC initiated a school-wide
toy drive to benefit local families in need.
“I just wanted to help people,” she said
shyly when asked about why she started the
project. “I wanted to make sure that all of the
children get toys this Chanukah.”
In just two weeks, dozens of brand new,
quality toys were collected. The toys were
then donated to local families through Kulanu
Yachad and JFS.
According to Steve Karp, JEC Executive
Director, “representatives of both organizations
were very impressed by the generous
efforts of JEC students, their families and
faculty.”
Students in 3G went to JFS to personally
deliver the toys. Tom Beck, executive director
of the agency held the door open for the
girls as they streamed in, each clutching as
puppet named Bentzi, Morah Batsheva
conducts her classes entirely in Hebrew,
which she says is the best way for students
to learn.
“Through our program, we learn to
experience the excitement of Medinat
Yisrael and Israeli culture,” she said. “I
hope to share my love for our home country
with all of the children.”
“Ivrit is the language of our heritage
and the language of our future,” agreed
Rabbi Beer. “It connects us to the Torah
and our family in Israel and throughout
the Diaspora.”
many toys as they possible. The students
were invited to sit in the boardroom where
Mr. Beck spoke with them about the impact
of their donation.
“On Chanukah, nobody wants to feel left
out,” he said. “This mitzvah is unbelievable.”
Grateful for the audience with the JFS
director, students peppered Mr. Beck with
questions.
“What if kids want to give other kids a
gift but they don’t have enough?” asked Ora
Schwartz of Hillside, NJ.
“What if people get something they don’t
want or can’t use?” asked Nava Weitz, also
of Hillside, NJ.
And “do you get a lot of donations?”
posed yet another classmate, Daniella
Gluck of Hillside, NJ as well.
Mr. Beck addressed each query and then
explained that all the toys are purposely left
unwrapped so that children in need may
choose what they like.
“It’s so special,” exclaimed Rabbi Uzi Beer,
principal of the JEC Lower School, who accompanied
the students. “We want people
who benefit from tzedakah to feel good about
it, like they are going to an actual toy store.”
Speaking to the JEC students, Mr. Beck
added that, “Although you will never meet
the children who are receiving these toys we
will let them know that other children were
the ones who brought them.”
“Thank you,” he concluded. “You are going
to help a lot of children this Chanukah!”
FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777 17

CHANUKAH 5777
The JEC Lower School
E
arly Childhood kiddies had
a great time at their chidon
program. Each class received
a wrapped present with a riddle.
Each time students successfully
answered a riddle, they were able to unwrap
one layer, revealing another. By
the time all of the riddles were answered,
each class revealed and received an exciting
Chanukah present! After the
chidon, each child had the opportunity
to make a healthy
edible Menorah. The Early
Childhood kiddies also had
fun over Chanukah with a
drum workshop and a musical
IQ session that helped
them experience the holiday
through multiple senses.
Over the course of Chanukah,
older students in the Lower School participated
in a variety of games and activities
designed to enhance their appreciation
for the holiday including jenga, dreidlepalooza,
yediot klaliot and a lego challenge.
Chanukah reminded everyone why we are so
The annual Chanukah Chagigah was
undoubtedly the highlight of Lower
School Chanukah festivities to which
parents, grandparents and siblings were
all invited. Fifth grade’s Ozzy Weis of
Hillside, NJ kicked off the evening with
a beautiful recitation of the Chanukah
brachot as Lower School Principal, Rabbi
Uzi Beer lit the Chanukiah.
Led by the ever-talented Lower
School Music Teacher, Mrs.
Chana Solomon, the Lower
School choir entertained
with lively Chanukah
songs as families enjoyed
a delectable dinner from
Springfield’s Rye Deli.
Bubblemania amazed with
incredible feats as donuts featuring
the Lower School colors
were distributed for all to enjoy. Special
thanks were offered to the wonderful
volunteers of the Lower School PTA for
putting together an incredible program
and the team of the volunteers, teachers
and staff who assisted.
#Proud2beJEC
18 FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777

RTMA
T
he boys at the Rav Teitz Mesivta dents of the Edith Stein Assisted Living
Academy dedicated part of their Center. Students even took requests
Chanukah to giving back to others,
spending an entire day en-
songs that residents remembered from
from the residents, singing classic Jewish
gaging in chesed activities.
their youth. Seniors spent their time
Freshmen visited Zichron
at the Masbia Soup Kitchen. “I
Dovid, a chesed center run
by RTMA parent Dr. Joe
Rozehzadeh. Dr. Rozehzadeh
explained all the benefits
that Zichron Dovid
offers to help those in need
while students packed food
boxes for distribution. Sophomores
visited residents of Daughters
of Israel. “We had such nice conversations
with the residents,” said Yair
Kimmel of Hillside, NJ. “I’m not sure
who benefited more - us or them.”
Juniors danced and sang as they
brought Chanukah cheer to the resi-
felt a real sense of fulfillment
preparing food for those in
need,” said Matthew Kraizler
of Highland Park, NJ .
Students packed over 250
meals, repackaged frozen
chicken, and cut hundreds
of vegetables.
RTMA’s Chanukah Chagigah
was an unforgettable highlight of the
chag as students and their rebbeim sang
and danced, fueled by inspiring Divrei
Torah and an array of sufganiot and
breakfast treats. A student run game of
Family Feud kept everyone entertained.
The entire week demonstrated how RTMA remains #AboveTheCode
Bruriah
Through the Sale and the entire Chanukah
week, Bruriah proudly encouraged everyone to
T
he Bruriah Junior High celebrated
Chanukah with a special
outing to a rollerblading
rink and pizza shop. As students
circled the rink, their teachers
donned skates and led an on-rink Chanukah
charade that had everyone entertained.
As the Bruriah group set to
leave, an employee of the rink expressed
appreciation for Bruriah saying that all
of the girls were so nice and respectful
to each other and to the employees. A
Kiddush Hashem on Chanukah!
To begin the special Chanukah programming,
the Bruriah High School held
a Yom Iyun on “Ayin Ro-eh,” “the eye
that sees,” that left a powerful impression
on students and faculty
alike. The day began with
a multimedia presentation
designed by students that
used the concept of the
‘selfie’ to demonstrate how
students care about the way
others see them. With characteristic
inspiration, Rabbi
Chaim Marcus brought a Torah perspective
to the topic that was steeped in
an array of sources.
Afterwards, students rotated between
specially designed workshops that facilitated
further exploration of the topic of
how Hashem sees us. In one demonstration,
students participated in designing
social media profiles for themselves
through the eyes of Hashem.
The morning culminated with a moving
presentation from a panel of students
and faculty who shared deeply personal
stories of inspiration. The theme was
guided by the notion that the mere memory
of someone’s face or the echo of their
words can prevent one from taking the
wrong action, just as Yosef was able to
resist temptation because the image of
his father Yaakov appeared before him.
Reaching into the depths of their own
emotions, each presenter explained how
the image of one person, or the memory
of their words helped set them on
the proper course. They described how
these moments of silent encouragement
gave them strength to overcome great
challenges. The audience of students,
faculty and administration was awed
and inspired.
Later in the week, Bruriah’s Chanukah
Chagigah brought out the ruach
and energy that exemplifies
the Bruriah spirit as even
the faculty and staff joined
students in dancing and
singing the morning away
to the latest in Jewish music.
The morning included
a gym set up with inflatable
games and obstacle courses.
The week’s activities culminated
with Bruriah’s famous Privilege Sale.
The auctioning of special activities and
prizes in exchange for tzedaka brings
out the best in Bruriah with students
pouring thousands of dollars of their
ma’asser money into the event. From
extra recess, to dinner with a favorite
faculty member, to a shabbos with Rabbi
and Mrs. Oratz, the Privilege Sale is full
of prizes and privileges that students
wait all year to bid on. All told, students
raised and contributed over $12,000 during
Privilege Sale to help benefit important
tzedakas.
#Make Your Mark
FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777 19

20 FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777

FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777 21

Experiential Learning Brings Academics to Life
O
n RTMA’s field learning day , textbooks
came to life as students left
their classrooms for an impactful
day of field-based learning. Divided
into three groups, students from all
grades visited different educational sites tied
to their advanced academic curricula.
“It was a great opportunity for our students
to partake in experiential learning,” said
RTMA Principal, Rabbi Ami Neuman. “These
trips further our students’ overall academic
growth and helps bring relevance and meaning
to what they are learning, which enables
them to identify with and take ownership
over the subject matter.”
Freshmen, studying biology, observed firsthand
how pollution affects the environment
by visiting the Great Swamp Watershed Association
to participate in a study of benthic
macroinvertebrate (Editors Note: “Benthos,”
as they are affectionately known in the scientific
community, are small animals living
among stones, logs, sediments and aquatic
plants on the bottom of streams, rivers and
lakes. They are large enough to see with the
naked eye, small enough to be cute, and have
no backbone).
Entering the cold, swampy water to collect
samples, students brought their science
books to life. “By testing the effect abiotic
factors had on the biodiversity of the health
of the river stream, students witnessed the
harmful effects of pollution on our environment,”
explained Mrs. Robyn Brewer, Chair
of the RTMA Science Department.
Complimenting their history classes, sophomores
and juniors visited the New Jersey
Vietnam Memorial. Students toured the Memorial
guided by Vietnam War Veterans who
shared personal stories about their time fighting
in Vietnam. As history came to life before
them, students were captivated by the veterans
and the Memorial. The realization that
these veterans were only a year older than the
students during their battles in Vietnam had
a profound effect on students.
“Hearing the veterans describe their experiences
as eighteen year olds really made
me feel blessed,” said Junior Aryeh Marcus of
Springfield, NJ. “These men were only a year
or two older than all of us and they were fighting
a horrific war in a distant jungle,” he said.
Sophomores will be using their trip to the
Vietnam Memorial and what they learned
from the veterans to compare those experiences
with observations gleaned from their
in-class study of the American Revolutionary
War. Juniors will be leveraging the experiences
to evaluate the impact the Vietnam
War had on politics, the economy, and on
cultural, social and diplomatic institutions.
Seniors spent the day at the Museum of
Jewish Heritage in downtown Manhattan
studying World War II. The Holocaust Yom
Iyun brought students to the museum’s Holocaust
exhibit and had them participate in a
workshop on the images of the Jewish resistance
during the war.
Students heard live testimony from Holocaust
survivor Bronia Brandman who
Students Celebrate Siyum Mishnayot
A
t RTMA students create learning
opportunities from even the fewest
of spare moments. Over the
past two months, twenty-three
students celebrated the completion of two
Mesechtas of Mishna - Shabbos and Eruvin,
which they have studied by learning two
mishnayot each day.
“It was amazing to be part of such a great
initiative,” said junior Nachi Loew of Highland
Park, NJ, who brought the idea of the
mishnayot initiative to the school.
“The most exciting part about this siyum,”
said RTMA Assistant Principal Rabbi
Noach Sauber, “is that this was a student-led
initiative. One student brought us
RAV TEITZ MESIVTA ACADEMY
the idea and the rest ran with it. That is
living a purposeful and meaningful Jewish
life and I couldn’t be more proud.”
The boys are currently engaged in
Mesechet Pesachim, which they look forward
to completing with a celebratory siyum.
spoke of her experiences. She was just eight
years old when the war broke out, fled and
eventually was captured and brought to
Auschwitz. There, she was twice sent to
death by the notorious Dr. Mengele and managed
to survive. Students were moved by the
intensity of her story.
During the tour, students also confronted
some of the difficult Torah-related matters
Jews confronted throughout their travails.
One harrowing question included an
incident when a man asked a shailah of a Rav
at that time - what to do as he discovered that
he could save his son’s life, but was unsure if
it would be halachically permitted to do so as
it would place another boy in his son’s spot
marked for death.
“I left the museum with a new understanding
of the heart-wrenching halachik issues
that the Jews of the Holocaust-era faced,”
said Jason Silverstein a senior from Elizabeth,
NJ.
“Enriching students’ educational experiences
sets us apart,” said Rabbi Neuman.
“All three of these trips demonstrate
that bridging the gap between the textbook
and real life is a critical component of learning
and developing as a person.”
22 FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777

Giving Thanks to
Everyday Heroes
G
ayle and John, the two resident security
officers at the Bruriah campus
entered the Bruriah ballroom
to a standing ovation on the eve
of Thanksgiving, as nearly 400 students gave
thanks to these two unsung heroes who protect
students and staff alike every day.
The two guards were presented with a
calming water fountain to keep at their post
and the student council read the following
message:
Thanksgiving is a time to appreciate.
We have an incredible gift, which many
hundreds of years’ worth of Jews didn’t have
– security.
We have been granted to live in a time
where we most often than not, are not afraid
to walk outside, go to the mall, go to shul, go
to school.
We don’t need to be turning our heads to
watch our backs – we are privileged to live
and go about our business without a constant
fear.
Recently, though, we have unfortunately
been exposed to more and more dangers that
threaten the security of the world, the Jewish
community, and even locally.
Be’Ezrat Hashem, we won’t be affected by
any dangers, and we can only hope that we
will always be able to live with this privilege
of being safe.
So, in that effort we, Baruch Hashem, have
a new and improved department of security.
Our security staff watch and guard us from
the time we get off our buses in the morning
until the end of late night practices.
And so thanks to our staff’s care and concern,
Bruriah is, Baruch Hashem, always being
guarded to the highest degree.
Today, the day right before Thanksgiving,
we want to take this opportunity to say thank
you to our great security team.
We are dedicating today to our reliable and
friendly security staff – it’s Security Staff Appreciation
Day!
Reflecting on the presentation and ovation
John said, “After over 25 in this field, it
was so moving to be appreciated for what we
do. Thank you.”
Expanding Israel
Awareness and Advocacy
W
hen 8th graders Ahuva Becker
and Daphna Hagler observed
Bruriah High School’s
robust Israel
programming lead by AISAC,
the American Israel Student
Action Committee, they decided
to create a meaningful
initiative for the Bruriah Junior
High.
Daphna and Ahuva, close
friends from Elizabeth, NJ
who have been students at
the JEC since their earliest
years, approached Bruriah
Junior High Coordinator Mrs.
Zehava Greenwald with their idea to create a
junior high version of AISAC.
“We saw how AISAC was really raising
BRURIAH HIGH SCHOOL
Israel awareness and how much fun the
high school students were having,” said
Ahuva Becker. “Daphna and I wanted to
start something that would
strengthen the Junior High’s
connection to Israel.”
Under the banner of JAI-
SAC, the Junior American Israel
Student Action Committee,
the duo ran their first program
with an interactive game for
the entire Junior High that included
an exploration of facts
related to Israel. The program
also included the screening of
a powerful video depicting
the life of young Israeli soldiers serving in
the IDF and
a discussion continued on p.26
Flipped Instruction
Offers New Perspective
L
ong synonymous with academic
excellence and education innovation,
Bruriah is blazing a trail with
the introduction of Flipped Instruction
to its limudei kodesh curriculum.
Led by Junior High Coordinator Mrs. Zehava
Greenwald, Flipped Instruction takes
advantage of emerging technologies to
present new material to students at home
or on the road, allowing class time to be
spent on discussion, analysis, and collaboration.
Using her Chumash curriculum outlines
and goals, Mrs. Greenwald creates short,
substantive videos which the students
view and work with on their own as part
of their homework. “The primary advantage
of this model is that is frees up class
time to allow for greater interaction and
broader collaboration in school,” she explained.
“It also empowers students to
learn how to learn on their own.”
Unlike a traditional lecture where students
have to keep pace with a teacher,
writing notes and critically examining material
at the same time, Flipped Instruction
provides students with greater flexibility.
They have the ability to pause, rewind and
digest the lessons at their own pace, which
enhances comprehension and improves retention.
“We accomplish more this way,” shared
8th grader Atara Mandel of Elizabeth,
NJ. “By the time we get to school we are
able to participate in workshops and other
activities to advance our understanding because
we have already learned the material
at home.”
Innovation is part of the culture at Bruriah
and Mrs. Greenwald is leading the effort
for the Junior High. “We are always on
the lookout for new ideas, which may help
our students learn better,” she said. “This
method is like each student having a teacher
one on one from the comfort of their own
home, which they love.”
“It’s actually relaxing,” commented Atara.
“And I love the background music on
the videos!”
First trimester assessments point to excellent
retention and comprehension of
material by students. “The girls are so
motivated to learn this way,” said Mrs.
Greenwald. “They actually enjoy doing
homework. The enthusiasm they have for
learning Chumash makes all the time that
is put into making the videos worthwhile.
Some Bruriah parents got a taste of the innovative
lesson formula as Mrs. Greenwald
developed a customized video lesson for
them ahead of Meet the Teacher Night earlier
this year. The video was emailed to parents
to view as “homework” the day before
and when they arrived to Bruriah the following
evening, she modeled interactive sessions
with lesson analysis and group work,
much like she would in an actual class.
“I think the concept is very cool,” said
Dr. Sharon Konigsberg, mother of 7th grader
Ariella and Bruriah alumna class of
1998. “It’s a different take on homework
and I know that Ariella really loves it.”
The success of the program at Bruriah
may even soon be replicated in other
schools. The Kohelet Foundation, a
non-profit organization dedicated to advancing
Jewish education through the
promotion of innovative and scalable programs,
is looking at Mrs. Greenwald’s model.
She explained that the goal is to work
with others “to spread this concept and
encourage teacher collaboration so that we
can give our students the best Torah education
possible.”
FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777 23

24 FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777

Bringing Parsha to Life
P
rops and visuals
are always helpful
in conveying lesson
material, especially
in the youngest grades. So
when it came time to teach
students about Parashat
Noach, the JEC Lower School
brought in Eyes of the Wild to
provide a small taste of what
it might have been like in
Noach’s teiva.
Travis Gale, who runs the
program and brought in exotic
animals such as the wallaby, ferret and
chinchilla, had the children mesmerized
as he described what it takes to care for
the creatures. His visit offered the double
opportunity of exposing students to animals
they may have never seen before as
well as bringing the story of Noach to life.
No one was left out of the incredible
experience. Primer pupil, Esther Chaya
Students Restock
Local Food Pantry
D
ays after
Thanksgiving,
JEC students
helped restock
the shelves of the
JFS Kosher Food Pantry
with supplies collected
in school during the
JEC food drive. The JEC
was tapped to help bolster
the Pantry’s provisions
after Thanksgiving,
when supplies were depleted.
“JFS was inundated with kosher turkey
donations leading up to Thanksgiving,”
said Steve Karp, the JEC’s
Executive Director. “But as soon as
Thanksgiving ended, they were down
to nothing. Our students answered the
call and filled more than five boxes of
THE JEC LOWER SCHOOL
Spiewak of Elizabeth, NJ was in the hospital
and unable to participate in the
program. Her mother Mrs. Yael Spiewak,
shared how the class made her feel part of
the special day.
“The morah brought in her iPad from
home,” said Mrs. Spiewak, referring to
Morah Franki Shuman who teaches the
Primer class, “so that she could Facetime
my daughter and allow her to be part of
the program. The kids even took time to
do a virtual bikur cholim for her and they
really made her feel like part of the class.”
“It was nothing for me to bring in the
iPad,” said Morah Franki Shuman, “but
to make Esther Chaya happy – that meant
everything.”
Although unplanned, the essential lesson
of caring for one another extended far
beyond the animals for the primer class
that day.
provisions to replenish the kosher food
bank.”
Parents, students and faculty made donations
to the food drive and filled boxloads
of high quality food in relatively
short order. 5th graders, accompanied
by Mr. Karp
and Lower continued on p.27
Hachnasat Orchim Realized
in the JEC Lower School
R
eal world, practical lessons in
hachnasat orchim,” was how
JEC Lower School Assistant Principal
Mrs. Faigy Leiter described
the lesson plans that coincided with the
week of Parashat Vayera.
To illustrate the values of our forefather
Avraham Avinu as he greeted the three angels
who came to visit him, older students
welcomed younger students into their
classrooms.
To prepare, students cleaned their classrooms
and set them up to be as welcoming
as possible. They then prepared snacks
and entertainment for their guests. Skits
and performances were arranged so that
visiting students would feel welcome and
comfortable.
Learning Design
Through Lego
J
EC 4th, 5th and 6th graders are discovering
the beauties and intricacies
of ancient architecture through
a creative program that uses Lego to
experientially teach important principles
of design and construction.
The program provides students with the
resources to research ancient architectural
practices and styles and then recreate
them, using their own imagination and
advanced Lego sets. The Legos were gifted
to the JEC Lower School by board member
and former parent Dr. Harris Saltzburg.
“I used to build with both my son
and daughter,” he said. “When they were
young, sets like these were not available.”
Inspired by the Lower School’s 9-11
model tower built earlier this year and on
display in the Lower School hallway, Dr.
Saltzburg made the contribution because
both of his children developed a keen
“Our classroom was beautifully decorated,”
said 6th grader Chani Cohen of
Hillside, NJ, “and it was a lot of fun hosting
the younger students. I see my parents
welcoming guests to our home all of the
time.”
Classmate Riki Kaminer of Springfield,
NJ agreed. “We didn’t know what to expect
at first,” she said. “But it was exciting,
which was good because we put a lot
of effort into preparing.”
Lessons in how to be a good host and
gracious guest were actualized in these
experiential sessions. “Our students
learned the meaning of what it is to be a
host and a guest by seeing it in action,”
concluded Mrs. Leiter. “It was an enriching
experience for everyone.
sense and appreciation for architecture
early in life. “And, working with Lego
gives children a vehicle to express their
creativity,” he said.
For the program, which is held during
lunch, eight students were selected
at random from a pool of interested students.
Each month, a different group will
be selected. “It’s interesting to learn a lot
of facts about the buildings and bridges,”
said 4th grader Avital Schlissel of Union,
NJ who is one of the students participating
in the program. “Did you know that there
was a bowling alley in the White House?”
Students have constructed models
inspired by Ancient Rome and
Greece. “These sets provide more than
just blocks,” explained Dr. Saltzburg
“They provide all of the architectural elements
that they might need to create constructions
of their own design.”
“I love it because we get to spend time
with kids from other grades and classes
and build together as a team,” said 4th
grader Racheli Marcus of Springfield, NJ.
FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777 25

Expanding Israel
Awareness and
BRURIAH HIGH SCHOOL
afterwards.
The film
helped students
better
Advocacy
continued from p.23 identify with
the soldiers after seeing how young they
appeared. The girls recognized that those
tasked with defending the Jewish State are just
a few years older than the Junior High students.
The program ended with a moving kumsitz,
which created a unified spirit that
brought the entire division together, sitting
on the floor with arms linked.
Response to the program has been overwhelming
and Ahuva and Daphna are already
planning their next event.
At Bruriah, students are empowered
to create, innovate and advocate in many
ways. “We embrace our students’ ideas and
innovations,” said Mrs. Greenwald. “And we
try to provide them with the tools and support
to carry them out.”
Students Restock
Local Food Pantry
continued from p.25
THE JEC LOWER SCHOOL
School Assistant Principal
Mrs. Faigy Leiter, led the
delegation from JEC to deliver
the food items to the pantry.
“I felt like it was a really
big mitzvah,” said 5th grader
Chani Brown of Hillside, NJ. “I
felt bad for the people who
didn’t have food, but happy
that they had JFS.”
Students were amazed to see the Pan-
try for the first time and were impressed
with the organization of the foodstuffs
as well as care taken to protect the dignity
of every recipient.
“It is inspiring and humbling for our
students,” said Mr. Karp. “The students
got to learn what it is to give, and also
see what it means to receive. That is a
powerful experience that will remain
with them for life.”
he Rav Teitz Mesivta Academy recently
invited Fight the New Drug
(FTND), a secular organization
dedicated to educating the public
about the harmful effects of explicit and
inappropriate materials on the internet, to
spend the day meeting with RTMA students
and parents about this danger.
FTND’s presentations on the dangers
of internet pornography have been made
around the country to schools and colleges
including Yeshiva University. The program
focuses on the scientific evidence that viewing
explicit or inappropriate texts, images
and videos has profoundly negative physical,
psychological, social and emotional effects
on developing adolescents and adults.
“While we address the religious and
spiritual components, we felt an urgent need
RAV TEITZ MESIVTA ACADEMY
Confronting Effects of the Digital
Age with Respect and Sensitivity
T
to address the often overlooked effect this
has on the personal and relational development
of our kids,” said Dr. Akiva Perlman,
the Jewish Educational Center’s Director of
Guidance. “And we spent several months
seeking out the most appropriate program.”
FTND was chosen as a way to address the
issue in its totality and not treat it as a tangential
problem in students’ lives, according
to Dr. Perlman. “The struggle is human and
kids growing up today are surrounded by
challenges never before conceived. We see
the struggle and felt the need to enhance our
partnership with parents and students in
tackling this together.”
The program addressed three fundamental
issues: how pornography affects the brain, the
emotional heart and the world at large. According
to FTND, these are issues “That cross
all borders of religious beliefs, political agendas
and social backgrounds and may be considered
a public health issue, rather than a
moral, political or religious argument.”
FTND’s scientific data supported the conclusion
that internet pornography has similar
chemical effects on the brain as addictive
substances, leading to the addiction, compulsion,
depression, physical degeneration
and risky behavior of drugs. It also creates
unhealthy conceptions of relationships
preventing young adults from developing
meaningful connections with people and
has deleterious effects on society leading to
subjugation and physical abuse.
“The boys and many parents were shocked
by some of the statistics they saw,” said
RTMA Principal Rabbi Ami Neuman. “Students
and parents left their respective sessions
with a renewed commitment to – in the
words of the program – fight for real love and
meaningful relationships.”
RTMA Junior, Aryeh Marcus of Springfield,
NJ valued the manner in which RTMA
enabled students to confront this issue with
maturity, respect and trust. “I’m impressed
that the school took the initiative to tackle
the challenges of this New Drug and the digital
age,” he said.
One student who asked to remain anonymous
expressed that he sometimes feels as if
he has two sets of parents—one, his real biological
set, and the second, those who he consults
via the internet, or even the internet itself.
“The digital age is one that everyone is
grappling with,” said Dr. Perlman, the Jewish
Educational Center’s Director of Guidance.
“While it may be easier to understand
the frustrations of parents and educators, it
may be more challenging to understand the
lives of students who are being raised not only
by their parents but also by their devices.”
Parents left the program with a new
understanding of what their children are
facing, and armed with the data to better
comprehend the dangers and risks. “Understanding
the challenges our kids are facing
is critical to being able to help them,” said
Dr. Perlman. “When parents, students and
the school are aligned around shared values
and a common understanding, we increase
our chances of succeeding.”
“The messages we presented were sensitive,
appropriate and, I believe, effective,” he
concluded.
26 FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777

RAV TEITZ MESIVTA ACADEMY
Thunder Delivers Ruach at HAFTR Tournament
W
hen sixteen yeshivot came
together at HAFTR in Lawrence,
NY for the weekend-long
Satran-Basketball
Tournament, the RTMA Thunder emerged
as All-Stars on and off the court.
“RTMA students led the tefillos, zemiros
and even the leining over shabbos,”
said Rabbi Yisroel Rich, RTMA’s Director
of Student Life. “The boys from the other
schools looked to RTMA students as the
leaders the entire Shabbos.”
After an intense weekend of basketball,
Juniors Gideon Hagler of Elizabeth, NJ and
Yitzchok Kapetas of Brooklyn, NY were
named All-Stars. “It was rewarding after all
the hard work I put in,” said Gideon, “both
throughout the season and specifically at
the tournament. That felt really good.”
Rabb Rich concurred, “In one weekend
these boys went from leading the zemiros
at the Shabbos seuda to leading their team
RTMA Eighth Grader Named
All-Star in Inter-School
Basketball Tournament
E
ighth grader Elazar Milstein of Hillside,
NJ stood at center court and
was named tournament All-Star
for his dominant performance in
the sixteen-team Swish for Sderot basketball
competition.
“I had butterflies in my stomach when they
called my name,” said Milstein. “It was really
an honor to earn this recognition for RTMA.”
The tournament, held to raise money and
awareness for the hard-hit southern Israeli
city of Sderot, which has been bombarded
with missile fire in recent years, included the
participation of the RTMA JJV Thunder and
other JJV teams from around the area.
“Although our team did not win the tournament,
our boys played with the heart,
character and middot that all our teams are
known for,” said RTMA Director of Student
Life Rabbi Yisroel Rich. “I am so proud of our
boys and Elazar really stood out.”
To recognize the Thunder’s participation
in the tournament, Carol and Judah Rhine
of American Friends of Sderot, presented the
entire RTMA Middle School with a special
mezuzah cover crafted from shrapnel recovered
after a missile headed for Sderot was
shot down by Israel’s Iron Dome system.
“One of the most astounding facts that Mr.
Rhine shared with us,” wrote eighth graders
Benny Gluck of Hillside, NJ and Ikey Rozehzadeh
of West Orange, NJ, “was that at the
top of the yeshiva in Sderot there is a menorah
that was also made from retrieved Kassam
rockets.”
The gifted mezuzah will be installed outside
RTMA Director of Student Life Rabbi Yisroel
Rich’s office “As a constant reminder of the
safety that Hashem provides and our unbreakable
bond with the people of Israel,” he said.
in scoring on the court.”
The tournament was held in memory of
Scott Satran, a HAFTR alumnus and athlete,
class of ’84, who passed away at the
age of 20 after battling cancer for several
years.
His brother Robbie believes that Scott
would have loved to watch the teams
play. “To him the most important thing
was people,” he said. “This event brings
together high school athletes from all
over. He would have loved it. He would
have loved the idea of meeting new people,
of playing ball with them, and of becoming
friends with them.”
Gideon felt the same way. “Getting to
know kids from other schools and connecting
with them over Shabbos off the
court, and then playing them on the court
was incredible. It was a cool experience
for all of our schools to come together. It
was really special.”
For These Boys, Optional
Learning Is a Must
P
ractically the whole class
comes to the learning programs,”
said eighth grader
Benny Gluck of Hillside, NJ in
reference to an array of optional learning
opportunities.
The multi-pronged initiative aims to
increase the amount and level of extra
Torah learning throughout the week
and includes Wednesday Night Seder,
Friday Hilchot Shabbat chaburah replete
with hot potato kugel and cholent, and
the Torah cash incentive, which gives
students opportunities to earn “cash,”
which may be used to win auctions for
prizes and privileges.
“The boys make a choice to join in
learning during these optional programs,”
said Rabbi Sharir Yablonsky,
Associate Principal, RTMA Middle
School. “When they make that choice,
the learning that is accomplished is
done with commitment and diligence. It
is very impressive.”
The Night Seder program is held every
Wednesday evening after school and
creates an energetic buzz throughout
the building.
“The Kol Torah was audible and the
energy was tangible,” reported Rabbi
Raphael Karlin, RTMA Rebbe in describing
the scene he encountered at Night
Seder. “The boys absolutely love it.”
Gluck agreed. “It is a good opportunity
to learn with my friends and choose
what we learn,” he said. “I can use the
time to prepare
for To- continued on p.31
FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777 27

Students Observe Live
Kidney Transplant
T
he Anatomy and Physiology students
in Mrs. Peikes’s 11th and
12th grades witnessed the gift of
life shared between two people
as they observed the surgical team remove
a donor kidney, prepare it for transplantation,
take it to an adjacent operating
room, and sew it into a recipient. The
donor and recipient are siblings.
The students watched from the theater
in Liberty Science Center, Jersey City NJ,
as Dr. Stuart Geffner and his staff performed
the surgery live at Saint Barnabas
Health Care System in Livingston, NJ.. The
students watched in wonder as the donated
kidney was attached to the patient’s
blood supply and became pink.
To better understand what they were
seeing, students handled laparoscopic
instruments and trocar portals that are
used to hold incisions open during surgery.
They also learned about anatomy,
risk factors for kidney disease, careers in
nephrology research and medicine, and
even the importance of organ donation
with representatives from the Sharing
Network.
Following the surgery, students explored
Liberty Science Center.
B
ruriah students have embarked on
a mission to raise 1.5 million pennies
to commemorate the 1.5 million
Jewish children who perished
in the Holocaust. The money is being raised
to benefit Jewish children in need by contributing
to orphan care and
education scholarships.
“The 1.5 million children
killed in the Holocaust never
got the chance to reach their
full potential,” said Bruriah
Junior, Mikayla Elk of East
Brunswick, NJ who is chairing
the campaign. “We
want to enable those Jewish
children in need to thrive and fulfill theirs.”
“Our goal is to give as many children as possible
a chance to live healthy and happy lives
and to never forget those children who never
had that chance,” she said.
The program was inspired by the Paper
Clips documentary released in September
2004 about the Holocaust remembrance
program in the Whitewell Middle School in
Whitewell, Tennessee, where students collected
1.5 million paper-clips to commemorate
children killed in the Holocaust.
The Bruriah effort is open to the entire
school and the greater-JEC
community. As the purpose
of the campaign is to raise
funds and awareness, students
are seeking the broadest
possible participation.
“They say that one person
can change the world,”
said Mikayla. “But that is not
enough. The people who
join in and help contribute are the ones making
the significant changes. Doing this alone
will take many years, but with your help we
aim to achieve our goal by the end of this
school year.”
To participate, please contact Bruriah High
School at 908-355-4850, bruriah@thejec.org.
Renowned Rosh Yeshiva Cites Emotional Wellbeing
as Key to Healthy Spiritual Development in Students
B
ruriah sophomores converged
on Bergenfield, NJ for an activity-filled
Shabbat of religious and
social-emotional exploration during
their annual Shabbaton held this year on
Shabbat Parshat Lech L’cha.
“The class shabbaton is a wonderful opportunity
to spend meaningful time together
with the entire grade,” said Elisheva Hirsch of
BRURIAH HIGH SCHOOL
T
here are many components that
may be attributed to the healthy
and positive spiritual development
in students, but none are as crucial
as their emotional wellbeing. That was the
premise of a talk presented to Bruriah faculty
during a recent Professional Development
Day by guest speaker Rav Elya Brudny, the
renowned Rosh Yeshiva of the Mir Yeshiva in
Brooklyn, NY.
Rav Brudny’s presentation was the third
module of a day that began with interactive
Professional Learning Community meetings
of teachers (PLCs), and curriculum development
sessions.
“The goal of Rav Brudny’s presentation is
to help us clarify the intersection of Hashkafa,
Halacha, and mental health in the course of
our work with students,” explained Dr. Shoshana
Friedman, Bruriah’s Director of Guidance
during her remarks ahead of the Rosh
Yeshiva’s talk.
“To date, I have had many conversations
with teachers about delicate issues…and I believe
we can all benefit from a Torah perspective
from a Rav who has much experience with
these kinds of situations.”
Teachers were encouraged to submit questions
for the Rav in advance of the presentation
and take advantage of the opportunity to
discuss topics that are not often engaged in a
public forum such as risky behaviors, compulsive
tendencies, and destructive or unhealthy
activities.
“This is consistent with our vision for more
collaborative relationships between the guidance
department and our teachers,” said
Bruriah Principal, Rabbi Joseph Oratz, “and
Raising Pennies and Awareness
for Holocaust Victims
the session with Rav Brudny left many of us
in awe and speechless. Hearing from a Torah
leader about subject matter that is so sensitive
and so relevant made a significant impact on
all of us.”
The faculty widely agreed. “He was extremely
insightful and sensitive to the needs
of yeshiva students,” said Rav Zev Goldberg,
Bruriah Torah SheBa’al Peh faculty. “As
teachers, we face many different challenges,
both in terms of objective material we teach
and the more subjective experiences we deal
with. Rab Brudny was able to provide insights
into the subjective areas that relate to the emotional
health and wellbeing of our students.”
The Rav’s appearance will not likely be the
last and Rabbi Oratz reports that he hopes the
Rosh Yeshiva will return again later in the year
for a follow up session.
Passaic, NJ. “I have been looking forward to it
since school started.”
Students stayed with Bruriah families,
homes of current students and alumnae. Several
Bruriah seniors also joined the shabbaton
as chaperones.
“It was different being in this position,”
shared senior Tali Becker of Elizabeth, NJ. “It
really gave us perspective to see how much we
“The issues we discussed and others like
it are incredibly weighty,” explained Rabbi
Oratz. “And the Rosh Yeshiva feels very
strongly about letting us know how critical the
emotional wellbeing of our students is to their
religious growth.”
“Leaving Impressions” On Sophomore Shabbaton
changed and grew over the past two years.”
The theme of the Shabbos was “Leaving
Impressions” and students were challenged
to explore and identify how first impressions
are made.
“The teachers really put together a great
program,” said Elisheva. “It was interesting
to hear their
perspectives continued on p.31
28 FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777

Lesson in Faith and
Halacha as Checked
Mezuzahs Return to JEC
W
hen terror struck close to
home earlier this year, Mr.
Dror Frommer of Livingston,
NJ and father of RTMA Senior
Dov Frommer began an initiative to have
all JEC mezuzot checked. Now, after weeks
of work, 135 mezuzot were returned and are
back in place.
“The Jewish guard is the Mezuzah,”
he said when he first approached the
school with the idea to have them all
checked. “And I want to make sure that
everyone in the school is kept safe.”
Mr. Frommer spent days removing all of
the mezuzot with a rotating team of students
who watched, learned and assisted.
He then brought them to a reputable
sofer, and bore the large expense associated
with having them all checked.
“It was fun and I learned a lot about mezuzot
and how you put them on the door,” said
3rd grader Meir Landa of Hillside, NJ. “It was
exciting to be chosen to go with Mr. Frommer
when they were putting them back up.”
Prior to the mezuzot being affixed to each
doorframe, each class experienced a mini
lesson discussing what’s inside a mezuzah,
why do we have a mezuzah or why is it on
an angle. In addition to each classroom
having a checked mezuzah, each class
greatly appreciated and benefited from the
personal connection they have now made.
In an incredible twist, of the 135 mezuzot
checked and returned, only one was found
to be pasul. “I think that it is a testament to
the Rav and the school that only one of 135
was pasul,” declared Mr. Frommer.
Lower School
Launches New Video
T
he sun was shining as a buzzing
drone flew overhead, capturing
the excitement as students and
faculty walked into position to
form the Lower School logo. This exercise
in choreography and coordination was the
closing shot of the new JEC Lower School
video, which was launched in time for the
division’s recent Open House.
The video was developed to reflect the
warmth and regular experiences of life in
the Lower School. “It really shows what
goes on here during the day,” said Mrs.
Faigy Leiter, Assistant Principal.
The video captured the happy and warm
atmosphere. Depicted through images and
clips of life as lived by students in the Lower
School from carpool drop-offs to classroom
interactions, sports activities and
special events.
“The video was extremely powerful. It
was encouraging, inspiring, reassuring,
heartwarming and it brought several people
to tears,” reflected Lower School Principal
Rabbi Uzi Beer. “In addition to sharing
the excitement of the JEC Lower School, the
video was intended to strengthen the pride
we have for our school. Our students, parents
and faculty are all happy.”
After watching the video, it is clear why
students, faculty and parents are Proud-
2beJEC.
To watch the video online, please visit
Vimeo.com/TheJEC.
Professional Development an Investment in Our Children
THE JEC LOWER SCHOOL
W
hile the nation took to the polls
on November 8th, the faculty
of the JEC Lower School came
together for a day of professional
development.
“Our Professional Development Day
was an outstanding learning experience,”
said Dr. Goldie Grossman, Assistant Principal.
“Our collective vision of connecting
with, caring for, and validating every child
creates a culture that is warm and allows us
all to reach the next level.”
“The day was a huge success,” agreed
Rabbi Uzi Beer, Principal of the JEC Lower
School. “It was informative and inspiring for
the teachers to be part of a learning community
and it created a sense of pride.”
Topics were segmented by grade groupings
and included focus areas such as modalities
of learning, discipline, technology in
the classrooms, organization and time management,
classroom
design, and
communication.
Presentations
were led by faculty
who had previously
attended JEDCAMP,
which supports
the professional
development of educators
in a manner
that embraces
innovation and individualization. Those
trainings are usually held over the summer
vacation and Rabbi Beer led a robust group
of faculty this past summer.
Presenters included Mrs. Julie Ginns, Morah
Lani Krausz, Morah Heather Liebowitz,
Morah Miriam Raisman, Mrs. Malkie Singfer,
and Rabbi Sharir Yablonsky.
Rabbi Beer sees professional development
as a valuable investment in the faculty, the
future of the school and ultimately its students.
More recently, Faculty and administrators
participated in computer-based training
led by Marsha Thompson, on DIBELS Next,
which is a reading assessment program.
This professional development initiative is
just one of several brought to the school by
Ms. Minna H. Heilpern, JEC’s new Director of
Professional Development.
“Our teachers are the X-factor,” explained
Rabbi Beer. “They have the most connected
relationships with our students. Investing
in their growth and helping them strengthen
their craft will further develop their relationships
with their students and each other
and, will yield the best results all around.”
FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777 29

30 FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777

For These Boys,
Optional Learning
Is a Must
continued from p.27
rah Bowl or review my work from class.”
Participants are invited to enjoy
snacks during the program, including
apples, carrot and pretzels, which helps
fuel their enthusiasm for learning.
“The best way to describe the learning
is shtark,” said Rabbi Yablonsky. “It’s
very impressive.”
Each session concludes with another
exciting segment of Rabbi Yablonsky’s
ongoing saga The Rosh of Oyz, which was
inspired, he shared, by the Wizard of Oz.
Fathers and Sons Bond
at JEC-RTMA Nature Hike
RAV TEITZ MESIVTA ACADEMY
RTMA Senior Honored for Outstanding
Leadership and Volunteerism
J
onathan Burack, an RTMA senior
was recently honored with the prestigious
New Horizon Young Leadership
Award in recognition of his
outstanding communal volunteerism by
the Young Israel of Staten Island at their
50th Anniversary Dinner.
The award recognizes young community
members who distinguish themselves in
the areas of leadership and service. “Jonathan
works harder than anyone I know,”
said RTMA Junior Shye Leykin, also of
Staten Island, NY.
“He is gabbai rishon, Yachad Shabbaton
coordinator and youth leader,” said
Leykin. “He is highly involved in practically
every department in shul and the
broader community.”
Max Greenberg, a classmate of Burack
and fellow congregant at the Young Israel
of Staten Island agreed. “I cannot think of
someone more deserving,” he said. “Jonathan
helps with Hatzalah, with food pantry
and with the youth group. It’s about
going over and beyond without having to
be asked. That’s living AboveTheCode.”
“Leaving
Impressions”
On Sophomore
Shabbaton
continued from p.28
According to RTMA Principal, Rabbi Ami
Neuman, Leadership and volunteerism is
part of the cultural DNA of RTMA. “Our
students are always looking for and creating
service opportunities,” he said. “I
could not be prouder of Jonathan for earning
this recognition, and all of our other
boys who constantly make positive contributions
to our school and community.”
BRURIAH HIGH SCHOOL
I
t was a bright, sunny fall day as
over one hundred fathers and sons
converged on Hacklebarney State
Park for the first-ever JEC-RTMA
father and son hike. The hike, open to
students in grades 4-8 and their fathers
or special friends, was billed as a bonding
experience where parents and kids
could get out of the city and enjoy nature
together.
Participants were thrilled with the opportunity
and the relaxed smiles and easy
banter witnessed throughout the hike and
during the brunch that followed highlighted
the event’s success.
“It was awesome,” said sixth grader
Eitan Romanoff of Elizabeth, NJ. “We got
to spend great time with our dads. And I
would actually call it a Rebbe-Father-Son
Hike because we were all together and it
was amazing.”
For busy fathers who often do not get to
experience time with their children during
the work day, the hike was a welcome
break and chance to share a positive recreational
activity together. “It is important
for fathers and sons to spend time together
outside of their normal routines,”
said Associate Principal, RTMA Middle
School, Rabbi Sharir Yablonsky. “Welcoming
the convergence of the worlds
where a child can have a good time with
classmates, rebbeim and a parent is a very
special experience.
on impressions - the ones that
have been left upon them throughout
their lives as well as those that
they’ve left on others. It was also
great to interact with our teachers
in a totally different way than in school.”
Students considered how people create impressions,
and how those impressions inform
lasting opinions.
“By provoking this conversation, students
became aware of the enormous power that
impressions wield,” explained Mrs. Rivkie
Schwartz, faculty member and sophomore
grade advisor.
She outlined the schedule of programming
for the weekend that included panel discussions
with faculty who spoke and then turned
the floor over to students, and an interactive
session, where students were challenged to
identify their first impressions in hypothetical
situations and explore their roots and causes.
“As a moderator, I barely had to speak at all,”
she said. “It was all the girls themselves. One
student said something especially powerful
upon hearing one of her peers express an
opinion: ‘I don’t know if I agree with it, but I
respect it,’ she said, and that is a very powerful
lesson. I am really proud of our girls.”
Bruriah Principal, Rabbi Joseph Oratz
concluded that, “the only way for a person
to truly take control of the impression they
leave on another is to get in touch with their
authentic self and remove any mask they
may be wearing.”
The Shabbat program included beautiful
tefilot, meals shared together with zemirot,
divrei Torah and inspirational stories. The
shabbaton culminated with a surprise Motsai
Shabbat performance by world-renowned
mentalist David Blatt who captivated the
audience with illusions, mind-reading and
tricks that defied explanation.
In summing up the experience, Elisheva
concluded, “It was really cool and everyone
loved it.”
FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777 31

RAV TEITZ MESIVTA ACADEMY
Record Numbers Turnout for Night Seder
R
TMA’s voluntary Night Seder
program had record attendance
throughout the first half of the
year with nearly one hundred students
regularly participating in the evening
learning.
“I love Night Seder,” said Senior Sammy
Katz of Staten Island, NY. “I have the
freedom to learn what I want and we can
still get the same guidance and assistance
from our rebbeim who are here to support
us.”
One of those rebbeim, Rabbi Moishe
Kramer can be seen smiling as he moves
L
earning in RTMA is bolstered
by special sessions that bring
students and teachers together
for one hour of open study and
review. Conducted around exam time,
these sessions give students the individualized
attention they need to close gaps
in their knowledge and further develop
the skills they need to succeed in learning.
Students took advantage of the sessions
during which Rebbeim circulated
among the tables. Advanced students
also could be found helping others and
one student drew an entire table with his
erudition and clear presentation.
“It was really helpful,” said Junior
Noam Hirschorn of Elizabeth, NJ. “It allowed
us to review the material and ask
our rebbeim and teachers about anything
that was troubling us. It was great going
into the exams fresh from studying.”
from table to table encouraging, engaging
and assisting students learning with intensity
and joy.
“I love it,” said Rabbi Kramer. “Night
Seder is an amazing time when boys enthusiastically
engage in textual analysis
and review shiur with each other.”
Students can be seen learning in pairs
b’chavrusa, studying or reviewing independently
and even joining together in
groups for in-depth discussion and analysis.
Students learn together with peers,
and often older and more advanced students
will learn with those who might
Rebbe and Talmid Chevrusahs
Foster Learning and Growth
The administration agreed. “During
the Gemara review, it was a real beis
medrash, something you would find in
a post high-school yeshiva,” said RTMA
Assistant Principal, Rabbi Noach Sauber.
“The entire student body was there,
all of the rebbeim were there, the chevrusahs
were learning - it was tremendous.”
A similar program was in place for math
where students could review in a studyhall
environment and faculty circulated
need a little extra help.
“Rav Moshe Feinstein famously said
that it is the responsibility of every talmid
to take time from their own learning to
to help assist students with their work.
“We are constantly looking for ways to
innovate and grow,” said Rabbi Ami Neuman.
“This helps us better understand
where are students are and helps our students
get ahead.”
help someone else with theirs,” said RTMA
Principal, Rabbi Ami Neuman. “Our boys
seize the opportunity to work with others
and help them advance. That is giving
and receiving. That is mutual growth.”
The voluntary nature of the program
is part of its value according to RTMA
Assistant Principal Rabbi Noach Sauber.
“Remember that this is all voluntary,”
he said. “These boys chose to participate
and learn extra Torah. The importance of
that cannot be overstated. They own this
learning. They have that zechus and it inspires
me in my own hasmada.”
32 FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777

S
ometimes a small idea is all it
takes to achieve something big,
and that is exactly how Bruriah
Senior Aliza Ochs of Clifton, NJ
helped raise over 160 teddy bears for sick
children in Israel.
“I wanted to start this campaign because
it was something the whole school
could get involved in,” she said. “Children
really appreciate these gifts and it helps
them realize that as Jews, we all love each
other and are here for one another.”
The drive was run by the G.O.’s chesed
committee, presided over by Ochs, and the
bears are being distributed to children at
Meir Hospital in Kfar Saba, Israel through
the organization Bears from Bergenfield.
BRURIAH HIGH SCHOOL
Chanukah Teddy Bear Drive
Benefits Sick Children in Israel
Bears from Bergenfield was founded
when Bergenfield resident Claire Ginsburg’s
son Sam was locally hospitalized
twelve years ago. “This was all his idea,”
she said. “He saw kids in the hospital
without stuffed animals and he started
asking people to donate gently used bears
for those children.”
She explained how a chance meeting
with Bruriah’s Community Service Liaison
Mrs. Ellen Azizollahoff at a local succah
party some years ago led to the school’s
involvement with her organization. “We
have a longstanding relationship,” she
said. “When I think of a go-to school, I
think of Bruriah.”
Mrs. Azizollahoff remembers the encounter
and said that while
students work on a
plethora of chesed activities
over the course
of high school, “There
is just something special
about teddy bears
that capture the imagination.
Everyone
knows how comforting
it is to hug one.”
According to Bruriah’s Director of Student
Life Mrs. Aliza Blumenthal, a lot
went into the campaign. “The drive took
on a life of its own and really extended
well beyond Bruriah, “she said. “It
became a community effort as students
brought in their own bears and encouraged
their friends and neighbors to donate
as well. It was heartwarming to
see the enthusiastic response. Everyone
wanted to be a part of it.”
Claire Ginsburg claimed that this year’s
collection was the largest from Bruriah on
record, with over 160 bears donated. Mrs.
Azizollahoff was especially proud of the
chesed committee’s efforts. “They felt
such a sense of accomplishment and empowerment,”
she said. “And it was exciting
to see them revel in their success in the
most positive way.”
Claire agreed. “Aliza is a dynamo,” she
said. “Not only did the girls collect bears
but they also raised the money for shipping
– imagine, chesed and tzedaka together!
That was a first!”
Bruriah’s Chesed Committee includes:
Aliza Ochs, Chesed VP; Rivka Barnett;
Avigayil Klipper; Rebecca Kornblum;
Haviva Tirschwell; and Rivky Terebelo.
Torah Bowl Season Opens with Back to Back Wins
B
ruriah Junior High had great
cause to celebrate back to back
Torah Bowl wins to open the
season.
The team, led by Coach Ms. Tzippy
Carl is competing against other yeshiva
junior highs throughout New Jersey and
New York and this year’s area of focus is
Sefer Devarim.
Most of the studying takes place at
home and participating students are extremely
motivated to prepare. Formal
practices are held in school once a week
and include quizzes crafted to simulate
actual competition questions.
Bruriah has a long track-record of Torah
Bowl victories and this year’s opening
matches, against Yeshiva of the Jersey
Shore and Kushner Academy twice
each proved the Bruriah’s continued
prowess.
“It’s such a good feeling to win Torah
Bowl,” exclaimed Daphna Hagler
of Elizabeth, NJ, an 8th grader on the
team.
The victories are sweet but it is not
only about winning. There is an added
benefit to participation.
“It’s always incredible for me to see
the amount of Torah knowledge girls on
the team master,” said Bruriah Junior
High Coordinator Mrs. Zehava Greenwald.
“Often, when I teach Chumash,
these students are familiar with a concept
or make a great inference based on
a Torah Bowl Rashi. How rewarding!”
FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777 33

RTMA Thunder Basketball Chanukah Party
O
n the 4th night of Chanukah
the RTMA Varsity, JV and
Middle School basketball
teams got together for a joint
Chanukah party at Livingston’s Jerusalem
Restaurant.
The gathering was the brainchild of
Head Coach Avi Borenstein, who also
generously sponsored the event, and
40 players, three coaches and an array
Students Rally for
Sick Schoolmate
W
hen illness unexpectedly
struck the heart of the RTMA
family, students responded
with care, love and strength,
coming together, determined to make a
positive difference.
Earlier this year, RTMA junior Shua Coan
of Passaic, NJ was diagnosed with a serious
illness. His friends rallied around him, galvanizing
support among the entire student
body. Students developed and launched
several initiatives to help their ailing friend,
his family, and others struggling with critical
disease.
#ShuaStrong was developed as a battle
cry throughout the school and it appears
on bracelets and t-shirts, which are being
sold to raise money for the cause. A tzedakah
drive to benefit Chai Lifeline in Shua’s
RAV TEITZ MESIVTA ACADEMY
of parents came together for an evening
of song, laughter, great food and team
spirit.
Sponsored and organized by the Head
Coach of the Varsity and JV teams, and
Head of Basketball at JEC/RTMA, Avi
Borenstein, and with generous support
from David Matthews the new proprietor
of the Jerusalem restaurant, whose
son Joe is a starting player on the RTMA
merit is underway. Recently, an anonymous
donor generously gifted prime tickets
to a Knicks basketball game so Shua could
have a night out with his friends and away
from the hospitals, doctors and illness that
have so occupied his time.
“He doesn’t get a lot of chances to see his
friends,” said classmate Shalom Dershowitz
of Hillside, NJ, who joined him at the
game. “He really enjoyed getting out and
having fun. He was so happy to have fun
and be a normal guy for a few hours and we
were grateful just to be with our friend and
see him smile.”
When Shua can’t get out, the boys go to
see him, with groups bringing their RTMA
spirit to the hospital, with fun, meaningful
and gag gifts that have included a huge teddy
bear that needed its own bed and a large
JV, the three
teams got together
for a fun
night of Chanukah
festivities.
“I did this,”
explained
Coach Borenstein,
“to
enhance the
feeling of family
among our
RTMA basketball
teams. It is
also important
to recognize
mid-season accomplishments and to
mix our older and younger students.”
The people invited are all players,
parents, admin, and students who support
the teams by playing or through
their technical support.”
The festivities kicked off with
the lighting of the chanukiah by Coach
Borenstein followed by tasty spread of
Jerusalem Restaurant delicacies made
especially for the group.
Conversation was animated among
the players, and was largely basket-ball
focused, ranging from RTMA
Thunder playoff possibilities, LeBron
and Steph, the football Giants, and
Westbrook’s performance. Of course
the most commonly asked question
was, “Can I get a slice of Pizza with the
cheese in the crust?”
Hershey kiss that certainly violated hospital
dietary rules.
“We even Face-Timed our principal and
rebbeim from the hospital,” said RTMA Junior
Yitzchok Kapetas of Brooklyn, NY. “I look
forward to visiting him again soon, im yirtzeh
Hashem. We hope he gets better soon.”
For a group experiencing trauma, the
“Fun, friendship, achdut, and sense
of belonging is what the night was all
about,” concluded Coach Borenstein.
boys are responding remarkably well according
to RTMA Principal, Rabbi Ami Neuman.
“The unity and love these boys have
for one another is stronger than any illness,”
he said. “Bonds like these are not manufactured.
They are forged by a shared experience.
I am inspired by their loyalty to each
other and their determination to do good.”
34 FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777

O
ver seventy students, staff and
parents gathered at the home
of Bruriah Senior and Sophomore
Fruma and Baila Landa
in Hillside, NJ for a night of learning and
inspiration in the year’s inaugural WINS
program.
A passionate storyteller, Ms. Chevi
Garfinkel, Bruriah’s Senior Machshava
teacher addressed the crowd, mesmerizing
participants with harrowing stories
of connecting to Hashem and helping
others despite the trial and travails
of life.
“I would hear Ms. Garfinkel speak anywhere.
WINS was a great vehicle to get
inspired by her. She is so passionate,”
enthused Mrs. Alyson Fournier, Bruriah
staff.
WINS, or ‘W’omen’s ‘I’nspiration ‘N’ight’S,’
was created by Bruriah Navi teacher,
Mrs. Amy Tropp five years ago as an
additional vehicle for growth for Bruriah
students.
“I attend WINS as a fulfilling way to
spend Motzai Shabbos,” said Sarena
Wiederkher, Junior from Teaneck and a
WINS committee member.
Anyone walking the halls of Bruriah
knows that the flyer with the yellow light
bulb suggests that something happening
BRURIAH HIGH SCHOOL
Everyone WINS with Special Learning Program
is a bright idea, and WINS most definitely
is. Women’s Inspiration NightS occur
on several different Saturday nights
throughout the school year at the homes
of students.
The speakers are drawn from a wide
pool of engaging, dynamic personalities
who are experts in their fields. Rabbi
Gedalia Jaffe, rabbi of Ahavas Yisrael of
Highland Park and Rabbi Zev Goldberg,
rabbi of Young Israel of Fort Lee have
spoken to standing room only audiences.
A typical WINS event ends with students
and staff enjoying each other’s
company over pizza and desserts.
“It’s a great way to learn socialize after
a nice Shabbos,” Rivka Barnett, a Bruriah
Senior from Teaneck.
Service Above Self
Lower School Third Graders Get a Lesson in Volunteerism
I
THE JEC LOWER SCHOOL
t’s not everyday that students in the
JEC Lower School’s third grade get
the opportunity to welcome guests
to their classroom, and even less
frequently do their guests come bearing
gifts. But that is exactly what happened
right before Chanukah as boys and girls
in the third grade were visited by representatives
of the local Rotary Club of Elizabeth,
NJ.
Mr. Bill Mealia and Mr. Jim Duffy, representing
the Rotary club of Elizabeth, NJ
visited with dictionaries in hand.
“We purchase 22,000 dictionaries every
year,” said Mr. Bill Mealia one of the representatives.
“And we distribute them to
third grade students in all of the public
and private schools in Elizabeth and Hillside,
NJ.”
Joined by his colleague, Mr. Jim Duffy,
Mr. Bill Mealia explained that the initiative
is part of a national campaign that
began in 1905 and that over one million
“Rotarians” in 163 countries around the
world participate in different programs.
“Service Above Self is our motto,” he
explained, and shared that his classroom
visits are all voluntary.
Third Grade Teacher, Mrs. Suzi Kaplan
explained, “It’s important for the students
to see how there are people who
take time out of their days to do things
like this for others.”
Her student, Evan Henner of Hillside,
NJ agreed, “It’s so nice that they do these
things!” he exclaimed.
Students were captivated almost as
much by what Mr. Bill Mealia had to say
as they were with the dictionaries that
Mr. Jim Duffy helped him distribute.
“It’s not just a dictionary,” Mrs. Kaplan
pointed out. “It has all kinds of charts
and periodic tables and is a wealth of all
kinds of information in one place.”
Student Benjy Kaminer of Springfield,
NJ was equally excited, by the supplemental
information included in the
books. “It even teaches you sign language,”
he said.
“See how excited they are?” asked Mrs.
Kaplan, nodding in the direction of the
students enjoying their new dictionaries.
FEBRUARY 2017 | SHVAT 5777 35