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Names, Not Numbers© (NNN) has been a very important and meaningful program for students in many schools and certainly it has been the case here at Bnos Malka Academy. What starts out as just a “cool” thing to do (learning how to use professional cameras, lighting, microphones, and editing software), slowly evolves into a much more significant and, at times life-altering, undertaking. In the past week, the eighth grade students at BMA have interviewed Holocaust survivors and begun filming this year’s documentary.

Yeshiva Har Torah’s Annual Harry Friedman Parent-Child Day of Learning took place this past week. The event, dedicated in memory of Mr. Harry Friedman a”h, offered an opportunity for parents to join their Middle School children at the school’s Beit Midrash for a meaningful and impactful day of learning. After davening and eating breakfast, parents and students learned together from a source booklet prepared by the school’s Rosh HaYeshiva, Rabbi Gary Menchel, and then listened to a shiur presented by Rabbi Menchel.

The fifth-grade boys at Yeshiva Sha’arei Zion recently wrapped up their own thrilling Lemonade War inspired by the completion of the novel The Lemonade War! Embracing the adage, “When life gives you lemons...you make a lemonade war!” the students formed teams of three, each concocting their own unique lemonade recipes and crafting eye-catching boards to entice fellow students and teachers to become their customers. The event exemplified how learning extends beyond the pages of a book, allowing students to apply their knowledge in a practical and meaningful way.

At MTA, the Model United Nations team is more than just learning how to debate, caucus, and cooperate with delegates from other schools to pass resolutions. Each year, MTA takes the opportunity to learn all we can about the UN and its committees and agencies, as well as the country MTA represents. As part of that effort, the team pays a visit to the UN, as well as arranges a briefing with the UN Mission of the country that MTA will be representing in Yeshiva University National Model United Nations (YUNMUN) in February.

On Wednesday, December 27, the students of Shevach High School were privileged to hear from Rabbi Menachem Nissel, acclaimed author and speaker and m’chaneich in Eretz Yisrael. His new book, about his rebbe, Rav Moshe Shapira, has just been published by Feldheim. It is an insight into the teaching of a great gadol who was Rabbi Nissel’s own rebbe and mentor.

This past Sunday, December 31, men 40 and above came streaming into 284 Mott Avenue, the home of the newly located Rambam Mesivta.  They came to participate in the Annual Learn-a-Thon, the Rambam learning experience that began in 1992 and has a long-standing history. Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman, Rosh Mesivta, jokingly said that the day is Erev 19 Teves and we should remember to say Tachnun at Mincha. On a more serious but personal note, he mentioned it was a nachas day for him as a former individual who sat in front of him as a talmid in 1997 was the day’s guest speaker. He introduced Rabbi Ruben Gober, currently a rebbe at YBT in Far Rockaway, who spoke aptly about hakaras hatov. It soon became clear that Rabbi Friedman referring to Rabbi Gober as a star was about more than being an integral part of the championship team of the past, but rather a clear reference to his Talmudic prowess and powerful presentation.