HANC High School Girls’ Winter Extreme trip kicked off on Wednesday, February 4. The girls began our trip with a lively glow-in-the-dark dodgeball game followed by a wonderful dinner. After this, we boarded buses to travel to the hotel in New Jersey.
The evening was absolutely spectacular. Students and faculty joined in game shows with DJ and game show host Digital Dov. We then competed in lively Lip Sync battles, which was followed by a spirited chagigah and a heartfelt kumsitz.
The following morning began with Shacharis, breakfast, and a meaningful presentation by Rabbi Benzion Klatzko, founder of Shabbat.com. Rabbi Klatzko emphasized the ability of every person, no matter his or her circumstance, to make a positive impact on the community and the world.
We then headed to an escape room challenge, where we were divided into teams to see who could crack the puzzles first and escape the room. After a pizza lunch, we donned our warmest jackets and winter gear and went snowtubing, reaching exhilarating speeds as we zoomed down the hill. Our last stop on our trip was Teaneck for supper before returning home.
Meanwhile, the boys began their trip closer to home. On Thursday, they took a trip to the Five Towns to hear a series of shiurim at Congregation Aish Kodesh in Woodmere. With an opening by Rabbi Ginzberg, the boys then heard from the renowned Rabbi Moshe Weinberger, founder of the very shul they were sitting in, and father-in-law of our very own Rabbi Yisroel Simcha Weingot. Afterwards, Rabbi Feiner, Rav of the White Shul, inspired the audience with words of Torah.
After their moving, Torah-filled morning, the boys headed to the American Dream mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The trip continued at the Prudential Center in Newark for a New York Islanders vs. New Jersey Devils game.
All in all, the HANC High School winter retreat was nothing short of amazing, and we’re super grateful to our hard-working administration and student life faculty for going above and beyond with coordination and planning to help turn this trip from just an itinerary on paper into lasting memories for all the students.
By Abigail Saldin ’26
