The week began with celebration at the Yeshiva University High School for Girls (Central). On Monday, May 4, YUHSG held a Lag BaOmer hilula! The Lazarus family of West Hempstead hosted the Central community with singing, divrei Torah, a bonfire, and bonding among faculty, students, and alumnae. Rebbetzin Chaya Rochel Lieberman and singer Mrs. Sorah Shaffren were special guests at the event.
Lag BaOmer celebrations continued for the Wildcats the next day as students enjoyed sunshine and lunch outdoors at Cunningham Park. The park visit wasn’t the only significant nature outing this week: Accompanied by Science Institute Director and Science Department Chair Mrs. Ruth Fried, and Science Department faculty member and Lab Coordinator Mrs. Shulamith Biderman, the freshman class took a field trip to Alley Pond Park in Queens on Wednesday, May 6. This experiential learning excursion served as a bookend to the annual Alley Pond trip the class takes in October and included water testing for pH levels and discussions of the park’s ecology (with visits from rabbits and snakes to add real-world detail). During this past school year, the freshman class has focused on the CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) framework in Biology, and the Alley Pond trip was an out-of-classroom chance to exercise this framework in a real-world context.
The Adira Koffsky a”h Humanities Program is winding down at the conclusion of its third year. Since its pilot year in 2023-24, the Humanities Program has given Wildcats an opportunity to immerse themselves in an intensive curriculum that explores visual art, creative writing, theater, and music. This year’s tenth-grade coverage of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and eleventh- and twelfth-grade coverage of The Age of Innocence, as well as field trips to productions like Newsies and recent readings from A Room of One’s Own, galvanized Humanities Scholars to generate their own work and practice.
“Many of our students submitted artwork and creative writing to contests,” said the program’s faculty advisor, Humanities Department Chair and Director of College Guidance Mrs. Rena Boord. “We have big plans for next year. Applications will go out soon for students who love the arts, reading, and writing, and who are interested in joining for the next school year.” The program was established in memory of 2022 alumna Adira Rose Koffsky a”h, who was a beacon of the creative and performing arts while a student at YUHSG. For one of the last sessions of the year, Adira’s father, Mr. Mark Koffsky – a founding partner of Koffsky Schwalb LLC and a registered patent attorney – visited the group to discuss intellectual copyright and protecting one’s creative work.
And there’s more to come for the conclusion of the year at YUHSG! Yom Yerushalayim festivities and programming will be included in next week’s schedule. Also on the radar is the Central Boat Bash, which will see the school community take the day to bond and celebrate by sailing around New York City on Tuesday, May 26, with junior and senior class trips to follow. Lastly, the graduation of the YUHSG Class of 2026 will take place at the Queensborough Community College Performing Arts Center on Monday, June 8.
