Cultivating b’not Yisrael who are expressive communicators is integral to Hadar Bet Yaakov’s vision of our next generation’s leaders. HBY emphasizes public speaking and debate throughout the curriculum with STEM students regularly assigned presentations, English students engaging in literature debates as well as formal public speaking classes, and HBY Speakers and Debate Club.
This past Wednesday, Hadar Bet Yaakov hosted a TED Talk event with other New York area girls’ high schools. The topic was “It’s All About Habits” and the multitude of perspectives was plentiful. One student likened habits to the small structures that “make-up” who we are and ended it with “makeup” props, another outlined how habits are established and reinforced, and other students relayed emotionally charged personal examples that showed the underside of bad habits and the difficult challenges that follow.
Mrs. Shalvah Schottenfeld led Hadar Bet Yaakov’s girls as the HBY Speakers coach, proudly introducing the event, the judges, and keeping the three-minute time for all speakers. Judges Mrs. Judith Kramer, a veteran New York Public Schools ELA teacher; Mrs. Rochel Sirote, NY DOE speech therapist; and Mrs. Sari Aminov, acclaimed and beloved public speaker, came together on Wednesday night to judge and rank all 17 speakers. It wasn’t an easy job because all girls spoke intelligently, delineating main points, specifying details, and engaging their audience with emotion.
General Studies principal Mrs. Friedman welcomed everyone by focusing on how the power of speech distinguishes human beings with the tools to not simply convey the perfunctory and mundane but rather the means of communicating the concepts, ideas, and emotions that reflect humanity’s highest reach. All contestants used their public speaking skills to showcase their unique perspectives and individual takes on habits and made their schools proud.
Hadar Bet Yaakov looks forward to a March competition in Brooklyn as well as setting up a storytelling event with other local schools for spring.