Yavneh Eighth Graders Assist Yad Leah

Yavneh Eighth Graders Assist Yad Leah

Yavneh Academy’s eighth grade class packed clothing for Beit El families at the Yad Leah Volunteer Center on June 6.

Hundreds Participate in First Annual Yavneh Challah Bake

Hundreds Participate in First Annual Yavneh Challah Bake

Sometimes the most wonderful and inspirational ideas come from children. Such was the case when the young Geisler, Goro and Smilow girls came up with the idea for a school-wide challah bake upon their return from a similar community-wide event a few months ago. The girls, students at Yavneh Academy, “wanted to make one like it happen for Yavneh, so their friends could all experience a night like the one they did,” according to Leyna Goro. And that’s what they accomplished, when 322 women and girls participated in the first annual Yavneh challah bake, benefiting Tomchei Shabbos and Project Shabbat, held at the Marriott at Glenpointe on May 25.

Before the mothers and daughters returned home from that original challah bake, the Yavneh one, says Goro, “began to take shape. Yavneh is a second home to our daughters, and it truly showed in this request. How could we refuse? We decided to email our principal, Rabbi Knapp. He made time for us right away, following up with a larger meeting with us and other administrators. Rabbi Knapp, Rabbi Penn, Joel Kirschner and Barbara Rubin each played a key role in helping us execute our plan. They helped us secure the event location and assisted us with logistics and guidance along the way, such as developing as online interface for signup.”

Many other people and companies were involved in the event’s success. Beth Geisler said that “our amazing volunteers came to help measure the ingredients and put them into individual containers.” Additionally, Amazing Savings donated hundreds of pans for the event, and Best Glatt, Grand & Essex, and Dash Printing provided discounted prices on other supplies. Goro remarked that “all were eager to help, and understood that each dollar saved meant more for the worthy causes.”

The standout volunteers were Yavneh’s eighth graders. Rebecca Adler, Zoey Buchsbayew, Kira Elbaum, Sadie Engelsohn, Tamar Fineberg, Miriam Fisch, Kayla Goldberger, Hope Goldstein, Navah Klayn, Gittel Levin, Michal Meisels, Efrat Putterman, Zoe Raykher, Shira Sedek and Kayla Waitman, “were all hands on deck,” according to Barbara Smilow. They “took initiative setting up the tables and alleviated so much of our stress. As Rabbi Knapp put it in one of his emails to us, ‘They are truly extraordinary…such shining examples of young community members and volunteers.’” Adds Goro, “We couldn’t have asked for a more helpful, enthusiastic group. They are truly a credit to Yavneh Academy and a wonderful representation of its fine students.”

Many local businesses also supported the event, by donating prizes for a raffle. Geisler adds that “volunteers contacted stores and restaurants to ask if they wanted to contribute. We are grateful to the many businesses that were eager to support Tomchei Shabbos and Project Shabbat.” Raffle tickets were available for sale when people arrived at the Marriott. The eighth graders manned both the registration table and raffle sales. According to Smilow, “It is because of them that we were able to make over $1,000 solely from raffle sales!”

After registering and purchasing raffle tickets, participants found their seats at the carefully appointed tables, decorated in Yavneh’s school colors of red and white. Rabbi Knapp greeted the crowd. He thanked the organizers, saying “What a special night. You came forward with this idea and here we are tonight due to you. We all owe you a big collective thank you.”

Barbara Rubin, the associate principal of general studies in Yavneh’s middle school, then spoke about the origins of Project Shabbat. It began a few years ago, when a teacher, Jordana Boruchov, wanted to go to the mall to bring a taste of Shabbos to the many Israelis who work there. On Thursdays, rotating groups of eighth graders bake challah and make potato kugel and noodle kugel. The students then go to the Garden State Plaza where, according to Mrs. Rubin, “we visit Israeli after Israeli and bring them a taste of home and Shabbat. Project Shabbat is a kiruv program. Many [of our recipients] have begun to put on tefillin and light candles. They have joined us for Yom Ha’atzmaut. This taste of Shabbos has warmed the hearts of many Israelis.”

In addition to raising money for both organizations, the Yavneh challah bake, according to Smilow, “enabled so many women and girls to get together to perform this beautiful mitzvah.” Ellin Orlinsky, who attended with her daughter, Grace, said that “there are three specific mitzvot just for women, and sharing this with my daughter and our school brings together two things that I love.” Ricki Scharf, who was there with her daughters, Ella and Hanna, added “I’m so happy I got to spend this time with my girls.” Vivi Septimus, a teacher at Yavneh, attended the event with her daughter Jillian, and together they baked challah for the first time. It was, said Septimus, “a wonderful way to spend time with my daughter while doing something I’ve never done before.”

The dough was mixed, braided and put into tins, ready to be baked at home. Nightfall marked the beginning of Lag B’Omer, whereupon Malky Giniger enthusiastically led the women and girls in simcha dancing. Says Smilow, “The night was filled with laughter, smiles and lasting memories. I truly hope that we get to do this again!”

By Robin Tare

Yavneh Academy Places Second in Statewide Law Competition

Yavneh Academy Places Second in Statewide Law Competition

On May 24, Yavneh Academy’s Law Fair presented its winning case at the New Jersey Law Center in New Brunswick. Out of the 68 entries in a statewide competition, Yavneh won second place for fifth grade. The students’ original case presented the issue of a student’s right to privacy and whether a school could read the student’s emails written on a school-issued iPad. Students wrote a courtroom script in which they portrayed both the lawyers and witnesses. They had the opportunity to perform in a real courtroom and see for themselves how the judicial system works. Yavneh participants were: Sienna Dube, Sophia Esses, Neima Herman, Rebecca Kieffer, Adele Novoseller, Paige Schwartz, and Natalie Wisotsky

Yavneh Academy Stock Market Team Takes Second Place

Yavneh Academy Stock Market Team Takes Second Place
Yavneh Academy’s seventh grade team won second place in the spring stock market game sponsored by the Sifma foundation. In ten weeks they turned $100,000 into $125,600. They received their awards at a luncheon at Pershing headquarters in Jersey City.

Yavneh Learns in Every Corner

Yavneh Learns in Every Corner

Yavneh takes advantage of its entire building for educational purposes. First grade students add things up as they ascend the stairs from their classrooms.

Yavneh Academy Presents Fifth Grade Poetry Slam

Yavneh Academy Presents Fifth Grade Poetry Slam

Yavneh Academy’s Fifth Grade Poetry Slam was an opportunity for children to both portray learning and to support each other. The event is the culmination of the fifth grade poetry unit in which they learned about various poetry forms under the guidance of their teachers, Ms. Alyse Malc, Mrs. Karen Tannenholtz, Mr. Jason David, Mrs. Tobi Abrahamson and associate teacher, Mrs. Fran Friedman. The students wrote original poems and collated them into a booklet. In advance of the Poetry Slam, 12 finalists were selected: Chani Herman, Ezra Silfen, Nava Lacher, Atara Ahdoot, Josh Wanatick, Nadiv Langer, Eliyahu Najman, Jude Shankman, Paige Schwartz, Avraham Hollander, Yael Lemonik, Rebecca Mantell.

Wearing red poet’s berets, the finalists recited their poems to an audience of their classmates and the three judges: Mrs. Rebecca Gordon, Mrs. Barbara Rubin and Mrs. Minna Heilpern.

Yavneh Academy Introduces Goldberg Academy

Yavneh Academy Introduces Goldberg Academy

Education is always evolving and Yavneh Academy is proud to be part of the change. Through countless 21^st century tools, including the iPad, worldwide internet access and apps for every discipline, the way students are learning has vastly grown in the past decade. Providing students with engaging, enriching and intuitive multimedia delivers great benefits. This thinking led Yavneh Academy to create Goldberg Academy:The One Stop Shop for All Things Math.

The program has been built as an accessory to Yavneh Academy’s seventh grade current in-class curriculum. Through its over 25 lessons and 6 courses (rapidly growing), Goldberg Academy is able to provide an additional asset to classroom learning in multiple topics. The lessons range from 12-17 minutes and many consist of additional practice materials, successfully utilizing the possibilities of multimedia. Over 50 percent of Yavneh Academy’s middle school students benefit from the interactive videos and materials, further enhancing their knowledge of current classroom topics. The project, led by veteran math instructor Howard Goldberg, in collaboration with Noah Schultz, along with Zachary Mankowitz and Seth Hanauer, started as a vague idea and has led to a tool utilized by a majority of middle school math classes. One can learn more about Goldberg Academy by signing on to goldbergacademy.org/JLNJ.