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On Thursday night, November 21, the third and fourth graders of the Bnos Malka Academy gathered for an inspirational mother-daughter evening entitled “A night to focus on the lessons we can learn from Sarah Imeinu.” The girls prepared for this program by learning about Sarah Imeinu and about the special mitzvah of Hafrashas Challah.

The seniors involved in Names, Not Numbers© reached a critical stage of their project this week: filming their interviews with Holocaust survivors. Students greeted the survivors at the door and escorted them to the library, where they were interviewed by four or five seniors.

Yeshiva Tiferes Moshe talmidim enjoyed our third annual Ki Heim Chayeinu Sukkos vacation learning and davening program barbecue!

Yeshivat Kol Yaakov is connecting with local seniors in the Grand Rehabilitation & Nursing at Great Neck. Classes are visiting seniors every three to four weeks to do a “Read with Me” activity that has younger students joining hands with seniors as they read either a selection or a book together. Last week, for Veterans Day, Miss Abdolazadeh had her class write “thank you letters” to veterans, which they then read aloud and delivered to the veteran residents at Grand Rehabilitation & Nursing. The veterans received their thank you letters with heartfelt thanks after the students’ presentation. Boys then split into groups and joined smaller groups of residents to read and discuss an excerpt from the novel they’re reading as a class: Because of Winn Dixie. Kol Yaakov boys asked the seniors what they thought of the dog in the novel and if they agreed with the main character’s choice to take him home.

Last week, Civic Spirit club members traveled to the New York Historical Society (NYHS). They heard a lecture, given by Richard Brookhiser, about his new book, Give Me Liberty: The History of America’s Exceptional Idea, which traces American history through 13 essential documents. He told fascinating stories relating to women’s voting rights, Emma Lazarus and the Statue of Liberty, FDR’s Arsenal of Democracy speech, and free speech. The students were also joined by Civic Spirit Director Lindsay Bressman.

MTA Freshman families had a great time getting to know each other at the yeshivah’s Freshman Family Brunch on Sunday, November 17. The MTA community includes families from communities across the tri-state area, and this event is the perfect way for both parents and talmidim to get to know each other over brunch and a competitive game of panoply. It is one of many events hosted by MTA throughout the year for families to meet one another as well as spend time with their sons and rebbeim.