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HALB Middle School’s culminating event of Names, Not Numbers©, a Holocaust education program developed by Tova Fish-Rosenberg and coordinated at HALB by Mrs. Rina Korman and overseen by Mrs. Marjorie Wein, took place virtually on Wednesday evening, June 10. Names, Not Numbers© is a copyrighted oral history film project and curriculum in which students learn about the Holocaust. It is project-based learning at its finest, with the goal of producing a movie based on the research of the students.

This week at the Yeshiva of Central Queens, the first virtual Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) Supperette was held to honor some staff members. This year, a special tribute was paid to Gary Schwartzman on his retirement. After more than 16 years at YCQ, enhancing the physical education program, including daily gym classes and team sports, Mr. Schwartzman will be retiring. Over a hundred parents and staff gathered on Zoom on Tuesday, June 2, to listen to a meaningful d’var Torah followed by words of gratitude towards the honorees for the dedication and devotion they have given over the years to YCQ. Assistant principal of general studies in the JHS, Mrs. Lauren Golubtchik will be pursuing a new career, leaving behind a legacy of years of commitment to her staff and students. Warm words of hakaras ha’tov were offered, as well, to the following honorees, Mrs. Liron Friedman, Director of Transportation; and teachers Mrs. Jessica Miles, Mrs. Michali Fuchs, Ms. Miriam Kavian, and Ms. Barbara Young.

“It was an amazing event, it really was.” These are the words of Dr. David Kanani, the Director of US ORT Operations and President of Bramson ORT, after a recent Jewish Day High School STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) competition, the culmination of a year’s worth of dedication and hard work from ninth and tenth grade STEM students at the Queens-based Ezra Academy and Yeshiva Tiferet Tzion (YTT).

Mazal tov to SKA students Breindy Berger and Ahuva Cohen who placed as finalists in Chidon HaTanach – The Dr. Shimshon Isseroff US National Bible Contest for Jewish Youth! As part of their independent learning for SKA’s innovative program, RISE (Reach with Independent Learning, Scholars, and Enriching Experiences), the girls studied Tanach throughout the year and achieved high grades on all sections of the exam.

As JHS classes came to an end and we head into the final week of the Yeshiva of Central Queens (YCQ) Digital Learning Environment, the students and staff begin to prepare for graduation and ending what was a “unique” and “interesting” school year. As parents begin their frantic search to make summer plans in a world very different from what we are used to, teachers and moros at YCQ have been spending the time personally delivering packages to their students, bringing smiles and a sense of normalcy to the end of the year. Virtual classes and activities have continued with a Healthy and Wise scavenger hunt; Class 2-207 learning shapes through building, using spaghetti and marshmallows; a banana bread baking competition in 2-205 and 2-206; and some first graders even received a special letter from their teachers in the mail.

Last week, Yeshiva Ketana of Queens’ sixth grade had the privilege of welcoming The City of Ember author Jeanne DuPrau into their Zoom classroom. She had originally planned to stay for a 15-minute question-and-answer session, but she ended up staying twice as long because of what she called the “super good” questions coming from the students. Among those questions were at least two questions she said she had never been asked before, and another question about a mistake both she and her editor never realized existed!