On Sunday, November 3, the Yeshiva University High School for Girls (Central) hosted its annual Open House. The 2024 edition was a whirlwind of fun, warmth, and learning, as Central’s faculty and students shared the wildcat experience with the wider community. The morning gave the Central team a chance to demonstrate the unique value of Central, a small school that offers big opportunities for its students – including entry into the Yeshiva University family.
After registration and a reception in the lobby, families convened in the gymnasium for the opening program, where YU Vice President Mr. Andrew (Avi) Lauer of Yeshiva University welcomed the crowd, as did Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz, the Abraham Arbesfeld Torah Dean of YU’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary.
They were followed by Central students of the past and present: proud alumnae Mrs. Aliza Gewirtz (’06), Central’s Dean of Students, and Central’s Associate Principal, Ms. Leah Moskovich (’07), who were able to highlight Central’s blend of warmth and academic rigor as both graduates and educators.
“In my role, I am privileged to get to know each and every student and her family, and act as an advocate, cheerleader, and supporter throughout the four years of high school,” Mrs. Gewirtz reflected. “For me, the highlight of the school year is the full-circle moment I experience each June at senior graduation. As the students walk across the stage to accept their diplomas, memories from their Central story play out in my mind. This moment – where an unsure ninth grader develops into a senior who is confident, secure, educated, and excited to bring all that she has learned and all that she is into the world – is the ultimate nachas, and representation of the one-of-a-kind Central experience that is unique to each precious student.”
Sophomore Jamie Blass (’27) also addressed the room in order to give the student perspective. After introductions, prospective eighth graders moved on to the Student Life Panel in the cafe, followed by the Only at Central gallery walk, while parents attended the Parent Legacy Program in the gym, followed by parent session options. Options included: a tour of the building, guided by faculty ambassadors, a session on academic opportunities, a parent-led panel discussion about student life at Central, and lastly, a session about the various levels of support offered throughout the four years at Central.
The session led by Mr. Lauer highlighted the special opportunities and benefits at YU available to students at Central – including the new YU Residency Credit Program, in which seniors taking 12 hours of college courses on Central’s campus can gain a semester of residency credit at the Stern College for Women, and the YU Honors Pathways Program, which offers freshmen who maintain GPA and school portfolio expectations can be automatically accepted into the Stern Honors Program during her senior year at Central.
Eighth-grade applicants will get an additional opportunity to spend time at the Holliswood campus when they come for their interview, tour the building with friends, and talk to students and teachers as they get another taste of life at YUHSG.
