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On Friday, September 13, the 7^th grade boys, along with Rabbi Olshan, Rabbi Dworetsky, and Dr. Levey, gathered in the Middle School Beit Midrash for a “get to know your classmates” activity. The boys first started off with some snacks, which included delicious rugalach and croissants. Following snacks, each 7^th grade boy was asked to randomly select five M&Ms. We went around the room and each student introduced himself and then answered a question based on the color of the M&M (for example: Blue = Favorite Food, Yellow = Favorite Book or Movie, Red = Telling the Group Something About His Family).

On Monday, September 23, MTA hosted the first Yeshiva League Debate Meet of the year. The event attracted 40 students from five high schools, who debated the topic of whether educational institutions should prohibit student usage of cell phones during school hours. The topic was extremely controversial and passionately argued upon by both sides. The MTA Debate Team members skillfully presented their respective points, and performed well in their debates. Congratulations to team member Eli Canter (’22), who won the Third Place Overall Speaker award.

On Tuesday, September 24, Central Junior and Senior students were privileged to hear from Rabbanit Racheli Fraenkel, Dean of Students at Nishmat, and mother of Naftali Fraenkel z”l, who was killed by terrorists in Israel in 2014, along with Eyal Yifrach and Gilad Shaar z”l. Mrs. Fraenkel spoke to the students about t’filah – the variety of Jewish approaches to it, the importance of being present in t’filah, even for only a moment, and her own experience with t’filah in tragedy. Her words of Torah and personal story were an inspiring moment in the lead-up to Rosh HaShanah.

This past week, the Yeshiva of Central Queens launched its Fifth Grade Midos program to help students understand the importance of developing positive character traits. Through this program, the students will learn the impact that midos tovos will have on them as individuals and on their communities and all of klal Yisrael. Run by Dr. Sarah Asher and Mrs. Elana Joffe of the school social work department, along with the fifth-grade teachers, students will participate in activities to help them develop empathy, a character trait that will carry them through their education and help them develop into strong, healthy adults.

The Central senior grade traveled to the Museum of Jewish Heritage last Thursday with Mrs. Tova Rosenberg, Names, Not Numbers founder, and Rabbi Joshua Strulowitz, Names, Not Numbers coordinator. The seniors were led by Dr. Paul Radensky, senior educator at the museum, who began with an overview of the Holocaust, and then guided a tour of the New York premiere of the world-famous Auschwitz exhibition, the most comprehensive exhibition to date about the history of Auschwitz. Dr. Radensky ended the day with an exploration of the life and work of Rabbi Efraim Oshry, a Holocaust survivor who wrote and buried his responsa during the Holocaust.

The beginning of each school year at Central brings with it a highly anticipated and exciting event: the Central Club Fair! This year’s fair showcased a wide variety of after-school activities, including academic clubs like Mock Trial and Model Congress, publications like newspaper and Literary Journal, performing arts clubs like Band and Dance, and other weekly activities including peer study hall, Environmental Club, and Photography Club. The cafe buzzed with excitement as student leaders displayed informative posters and manned their booths, introducing themselves to interested peers, and offering sample materials and sign-up sheets. The room was filled with a lively energy as students shared the topics and causes they are so passionate about with one another. The extra-curricular year at Central is off to a vibrant start!