LORD OF THE FLIES - by Elizabeth Restivo

Ms. Restivo’s 9th grade English students were transformed into screenwriters, actors, and directors when they performed parts of the novel LORD OF THE FLIES. Each student group chose a chapter in the book to adapt for “the screen" - writing a screenplay, casting the parts, rehearsing their actors, and finally filming the final performances. Special thanks to the Science Dept.’s Mr. Henderson for lending the students his real conch shell as a prop -  and supplying one of the most famous symbols in American literature.  Kudos to our Rosenblatt High School's future filmmakers! 

Abraham Waserstein Receives 'Voice of Democracy' Award from Veterans of Foreign Wars

Congratulations to Abraham Waserstein, a sophomore at Claire and Emanuel G. Rosenblatt High School,  for being the recipient of a first place in the area and second place in the district "Voice of Democracy" award in the Veterans of Foreign Wars Audio Essay Competition.  

Lena Stein Wins Award in RAVSAK’s Innovative Judaic Art Contest

Rosenblatt High School is thrilled to announce that the artwork of their own 11th grader Lena Stein been selected for special recognition in the RAVSAK Judaic Art Contest.  More than 650 students at 30 day schools across North America used their creativity and passion for text study to create original works of photography, sculpture, mixed media, drawing and painting for RAVSAK’s annual Judaic Art Contest. Now in its fourth year, the RAVSAK Judaic Art Contest provides elementary, middle and high school students the ability to delve into Jewish sources and create works of art that grow out of their study. This year’s theme, “Journey,” was based on the 2014 curriculum produced by our partner, the Global Day of Jewish Learning.

With the guidance of Art teacher Anita Schwartz students from Rosenblatt High School explored Jewish texts about Abraham’s journey as a starting point for creating artwork that interpreted the journeys that Jews throughout history have taken.  Through their art, students creatively interpreted the texts in new ways and wrote artist statements that allowed them explore the meaning of Jewish journeys in their lives.   

This year the artwork was judged by nine distinguished artistsincluding Bill Aron, a photographer and chronicler of Jewish communities, Ellen Alt, a mixed-media artist and art educator,Vivien Ressler, a multi-disciplinary artist, and Pam Stein, an artist, art advocate, and editor.

Lena Stein was recognized with:  First place in painting and drawing

Winners have their artwork highlighted on the RAVSAK website and in the prestigious journal HaYidion.  

RAVSAK is the membership network of more than 130 Jewish day schools across North American and beyond.  The Judaic Art Contest is one of RAVSAK’s student programs, which seek to blend Jewish learning, creativity, and fun through projects that link students, teachers and schools.

“The RAVSAK Judaic Art Contest not only helps students develop their artistic expression, but reinforces the links between creativity and Jewish tradition. By interpreting texts and creating visually stunning works that relate the words and narratives to their own experience and understanding, participants gain a meaningful appreciation for Judaism and develop a deeper sense of Jewish literacy,” said Dr. Marc N. Kramer, Executive Director of RAVSAK.

"I have so many hardworking, talented students. It is such a joy when one of them is recognized. Lena is so deserving of the award. Her hard work and dedication to painting is getting her the recognition that she merits," said Mrs. Schwartz.

Browse winning images, artistic statements, and the bios of our judges at:

www.ravsak.org/mazel-tov-2015-winners

JUMP - by Rabbi Zians

The NCSY Jewish Unity Mentoring Program (JUMP) is the premiere leadership program for Jewish & Community day school students across North America with over 25 schools participating. Each team of eight 10th and 11th grade students are empowered to become the next generation of Jewish leaders committed to serving their community through the execution of a diverse array of challenges over the course of four months.  A two day conference in NY served as the launch of the JUMP Competition.  Participants had the opportunity to hear from prominent and influential communal leaders, and experienced hands on leadership training and skill building development, while networking with leadership-motivated peers from other communities.

Each JUMP team was challenged to create, plan, and execute a series of three projects in different thematic areas, as well as one fundraising project in their schools and communities over the course of several months. Upon their completion, JUMP teams will submit executive summaries of their events to New York and four JUMP teams will be chosen  to return to New York in March for the JUMP Boardroom where they will present their accomplishments to a panel of distinguished judges, and a JUMP Champion will be crowned.

For the Israel Advocacy project, the NCSY DKJA JUMP Team held the schools first annual IDF appreciation day. The JUMP team began by bringing in a high ranking officer from the IDF to address the entire Donna Klein High School and then later to speak to the entire DKJA student body.  Students, grades 3-12, participated in writing letters to the IDF soldiers thanking them for their constant courage, support, and protection.  Students were able to learn about the IDF and hear first hand accounts of what was happening in our Home Land.

For the Poverty project, the NCSY DKJA JUMP Team held a condiment drive. We collected condiments as this is a luxury to many who are living in poverty. We collected over 100 condiment bottles at the Claire and Emanuel G. Rosenblatt High School. We also made and delivered custom Hanukah baskets with basic necessities such as towels, soap, and sheets for some of the Jewish elderly living in our Boca Raton community.  

For our Texting & Driving project, we are holding courses during high school mentor groups about the dangers of texting and driving.  Everyone will know that they are empowered to make a difference and stop the unnecessary dangers of texting and driving that so many are guilty of.  Students came to realize that a few seconds of texting is definitely not worth the potential disaster that can follow as a result.

For our fundraiser, we held a screening of the new family comedy, Paddington, to benefit Florence Fuller Child Development Centers; an organization that provides high-quality early education programs thats fills a niche for economically struggling parents who have limited options for making the most of their children’s immense learning potential while giving them a foundation for success in school and in life. We actually sold out three times! We had a 95 seat theatre, we sold out, then we moved to a 125 seat theatre, we sold out, and then we moved to a 146 seat theatre with people sitting in the front row! We raised over $2,500 for Florence Fuller. We would like to extend a special thank you to our sponsors; Marshall Fleischman, Anita Rudo, Fortuna & Rafael Menda, Leslie Fleischman, the Moed Family, Stuart & Doris Zeuner, the Reise Family, the Maizes Family, and the Zeuner Family.  The NCSY DKJA JUMP Team is proud and honored to have been able to help support such an integral organization within our community!

Leadership Week - by Morah Miriam

As the leader, so the generation; as the generation, so the leader.

 (Talmud Yerushalmi) Arachim 17a

This week our school celebrates Leadership Week. Our 10^th grade is celebrating our Biblical Leaders since the beginning of the scholastic year.

We reviewed Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” and began our “Bible Tour” with Moshe Rabeinu, our Biblical and universal leader par excellence. We explored, analyzed and compared Moshe Rabeinu’s actions, finding the ones that are applied in the Seven Habits, and discovered that Moshe had it all figured out from the beginning. (Of course Hashem played an important role in it too. Remember, He instructed Moshe and most of our leaders). Moshe, the son of a slave, a humble shepherd with a speech impediment, became the greatest leader of all. Moshe was Proactive, Began with the End in Mind, Put First Things First and Synergized.  

Joshua succeeded Moshe, leading the new generation into the Promised Land and settling the tribes into their inheritance territory. Again here in the Book of Joshua, we found the great qualities and habits in our leader Yehoshua. 

From the Book of Joshua, we traveled to the Book of Judges. We learned how the people of Israel, the third generation after the Exodus from Egypt, living among the Canaanites struggled, to stay faithful to Hashem. During more than 200 years, they were trapped in a cycle of “sin” – worshiping idols,“punishment”- God sends enemies, “repentance” -  the people of Israel pray to God for help, and“salvation” - God sends a Judge-leader to save the people. Over and over again the cycle repeated itself.   

Here, the students showed their own leadership taking charge and teaching the class about the lives and leadership of five different Shoftim - Judges of Israel: Deborah, Gideon-Yerubbaal, Abimelech, Yiphtach and Samson.   

Their preparation showed mastery of the material to be presented. Students used for their lessons the latest technology learned, presenting it with confidence to the class and making me the proudest teacher in the room. Yashar Koach, and may you go from strength to strength, leaders of the future!

We are looking forward learning more about our next leaders: Samuel the Prophet, and the Kings: Saul, David and Solomon.

Donna Klein Jewish Academy Board, Head of School Announce Rabbi Marshall Lesack As High School Principal - by Jane Neubauer Black

The Donna Klein Jewish Academy Board of Trustees and Head of School Helena Levine have
announced that, after a national search, Rabbi Marshall Lesack has been appointed principal of the Claire and Emanuel G. Rosenblatt High School at DKJA. Levine, the current head of school, held the position of principal of Rosenblatt High School for four years, until January 2015, when she became Head of School. Acting Principal Illana Joseph currently serves as the administrator at the high school (through June 2015) and will continue in that role until Lesack begins in July 2015.
     Lesack, an educator, consultant, administrator and community-minded leader, has nearly 20 years of experience working in Jewish education in a variety of settings: the classroom, summer camp, the synagogue and in the college environment.
     Lesack is a graduate of a pluralistic Jewish high school, Akiba Hebrew Academy (now the Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy) in Philadelphia, Pa. He earned his undergraduate degree from the honors program at Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Arts in history, received rabbinic ordination from The Jewish Theological Seminary of America and earned a Master of Arts in Jewish Education from the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education. As part of his master’s degree program, he taught Rabbinics and Tanakh at a New York area high school. Lesack also lived in Israel for four years, during which time he studied at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, as well as at several yeshivas (educational institutions that focus on Jewish areas of study).
     Lesack currently serves as the Director of Education at Congregation Shearith Israel in Atlanta, Ga., where he built a new education program for the community. His leadership included the development of all new curriculum, training new faculty, leading a new education committee and increasing enrollment by almost 50 percent in just over a two-year period.
     Lesack is a faculty member of the pluralistic Lisa F. Brill Institute for Jewish Learning and The Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning. He teaches courses and lectures regularly on Jewish texts and rituals, Jewish and Israeli history and the Arab-Israeli Conflict.
     Lesack also serves as an educational and organizational consultant and advisor to Jewish summer camps throughout North America, both independently and through the Foundation for Jewish Camp. His vast portfolio includes community outreach and camper recruitment; hiring, training and supervision of staff; and oversight of the camp’s many educational and programmatic areas and department heads, including the Judaic and Hebrew education departments.
     “I am really looking forward to joining DKJA at such an exciting time, and to working with the entire community, the parents, the faculty, and most importantly, the students,” said Lesack. “I am very familiar with the Boca Raton community, having served as the assistant director at Camp Ramah Darom, a large Jewish educational summer camp located in North Georgia, where many South Floridian youth spend their summers. My family and I are very excited to become a part of the DKJA community.”

Guest Speaker - Rabbi Lau

Hearing Rabbi Lau speak about the importance of unity among Jews was very inspiring for both our students and our faculty. Especially touching was the salient togetherness of the audience that was comprised of various schools and synagogues of the Boca Raton community.

Tu'Bishvat - by Daniel Dahoah (11th grade)

In honor of Tu'Bishvat, the students of Claire and Emanuel G. Rosentblatt High School  participated in engaging activities related to the Earth, trees and fruit. The Hebrew Honor Society members ran the event, organized and led all the activities, and they showed their responsibility and leadership. There were seven stations and seven groups, led by teachers, and the students rotated between the stations. The seven stations were: apple bobbing, making orange juice, making trees out of candy, taste testing different fruits, making carrot cake, making a 'tree' out of leaves and a Tu'Bishvat crossword puzzle.                                                                                                    The event was a huge success and the students enjoyed participating in all the activities. A special "Thank You" is due to our teachers: Mrs. Finegold, Mr. Laub, Ms. Restivo, Mrs. Taub, and Mr. Belotto, who led their groups through the different stations; Mr. Randell, for leading the cake baking station; and  the Hebrew teachers, Morah Zafrir and Morah Asseo-Brenner for over seeing the whole event.

My Discussion with Abe Foxman (the National Director of the Anti-Defamation League) - by Sydney Altschul (10th grade)

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending an intimate discussion led by the National Director of The Anti-Defamation League, Abraham H. Foxman. Before breifly touching upon what we discussed last night, I would like to start off saying what a kind, strong-minded, warm man he truly is.

Over dessert, I explained to Mr. Foxman the ADL program and No Place for Hate Club at Claire and Emanuel G. Rosenblatt High School. After hearing about our successful start, he was very impressed with all that we have accomplished - especially the fact that we reached over 400 likes on our Facebook page after only a few weeks of promotion. He encouraged us to continue in the pursuit of our goals and never give up on this mission. This raised the question of how to assess the impact of these programs in high schools and colleges around the world. Mr. Foxman stated that this is an operation in which it is hard to tell the impact or results we are getting. He says that he can do everything he is doing now, educating students, teachers, and parents, but it is what they do with that information that measures our success. He concluded this "question" by stating that if he and the rest of the ADL hadn't been doing what they are doing, "things would probably be a lot worse". In hearing this, I was reminded how truly amazing this organization is, why I love and support it, and what a difference we are creating in making this world a better place for ourselves, and for future generations.

This year marks Mr. Foxman's 50th anniversary working for the ADL, and he has announced his retirement for July. He will be remembered forever for his selfless effort to create peace in the world for all. I, along with the rest of  "peace-seekers," are and will be forever grateful for everything he has done. He is not afraid to stand up and speak his mind which is something we all should aspire to do.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat

This week, the whole cast of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat was hard at work rehearsing for the production on March 1st! The week started off with a very successful rehearsal on Sunday where the cast learned multiple dances. Throughout the week, the cast had a successful run through of the songs for the first act and has started perfecting some of their dances. The choreographer, Rosenblatt High School's Sami Lev, has been putting all of the cast to work in order to make sure this play looks absolutely fantastic! The soloists have been practicing their songs separately with Mr. Parker to perfect their solos as well! The entire cast is very excited to continue to work hard to put on the best play possible.