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Fun, Adrenaline, Teamwork, Creativity, Excitement – those are just some of the words that come to mind when thinking about the Cupcake Wars event that took place at HAFTR Middle School this past Motza’ei Shabbos. Seventh and Eighth Grade girls were divided into teams and competed to decorate cupcakes that were beautifully and creatively designed, working under significant time constraints. Challenges included designing cupcakes representing HAFTR Middle School as well as different chagim. Students then presented their cupcakes to a panel of judges consisting of Mr. Joshua Gold, Mrs. Einat Rabinovich, and Mr. Daniel Strook.

On Wednesday, January 4, parents gathered in the Yeshiva Primary ballroom to celebrate the Chumash party of their children. This was the first in-person Chumash celebration since Covid. In Hebrew classes, the students are arranged by levels. Most of them came to Yeshiva Primary over the past couple of years from public school.

Bnos Malka Academy celebrated two special milestones this week, the first graders receiving their siddurim and the second graders their chumashim. One parent, beaming with pride, remarked, “This is my oldest child, and seeing the excitement in her eyes holding her own siddur was very special.” Executive Director Michael Salzbank explained, “The siddur, perhaps more than any other sefer, will be the vehicle our girls will connect with HaKadosh Baruch Hu. Our hope, during a girl’s years at Bnos Malka, is to build upon today’s enthusiasm and nurture a deeper appreciation for t’filah.”

Yeshiva Sha’arei Zion has launched Parnas HaYom for the 2023/5783 school year! The yeshivah kickstarted the initiative with a beautiful yahrzeit breakfast sponsored by the Samekhov and Borochov households. Family members joined the sixth through eighth grade boys in a delightful breakfast that included divrei Torah from Rabbi Ben Mordechai, menahel, and Yaakov Tzion Rubinov, a YSZ eighth grade talmid. It was a true kiddush Hashem and an inspiration for the boys and guests.

For MLK Day, James Hodges, activist, and Myrnissa Stone, Director of Habitat for Humanity of Long Island, spoke to HALB students about the work they do with the local Jewish Community Centers. Teachers, administrators, and these special guests spent the day teaching students about the importance of treating everyone equally and with kavod.

Fostering a love of reading begins at a young age, and what better way to accomplish this than by listening to stories being read. Third grade students at the Bnos Malka Academy are part of a reading program where, once a month, they visit the preschool students and read stories to them.