THE GUIDE TO RKYHS GUIDE TO THE RAE KUSHNER YESHIVA HIGH SCHOOL R K TABLE OF CONTENTS Y H TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................... I RKYHS ADMINISTRATION ............................................................................... II S RKYHS FACULTY............................................................................................... 1 MISSION STATEMENT AND CORE VALUES ................................................... 2 GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT ............................................................................... 4 6 ........................ לימודי יהדות / ACADEMIC OVERVIEW - JUDAIC STUDIES 6................................... יסודות המחשבה / FOUNDATIONS OF JEWISH THOUGHT 6.............................................................................................................. עברית / IVRIT 7......................................................... שיעורי בחירה / JUDAIC STUDIES ELECTIVES 8.......................................................................................................... משנה / MISHNA 8....................................................................................... סדרת הרצאות חוץ / SEED 9........................................................................................................ תלמוד / TALMUD 10 ........................................................................................................ תנ’’ך / TANACH 11 ...................................................................................................... תפילה / TEFILLA 12 ......................................................................................................... תקוה / TIKVAH 12 ........................................ תכנית ישיבה אוניברסיטה / YU LEARNING INITIATIVE 13 ...................... לימודי השואה / ARIE AND EVA HALPERN HOLOCAUST STUDIES ACADEMIC OVERVIEW - GENERAL STUDIES ............................................. 14 ART ............................................................................................................................ 14 COMPUTER SCIENCE .............................................................................................. 15 ENGLISH ................................................................................................................... 16 HISTORY ................................................................................................................... 18 MATHEMATICS .........................................................................................................20 SCIENCE ...................................................................................................................21 SOCIAL SCIENCES ...................................................................................................23 WORLD LANGUAGES ...............................................................................................24 PHYSICAL EDUCATION ............................................................................................25 DRIVER EDUCATION .................................................................................................25 CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES ....................................................................... 26 STUDENT ACTIVITIES ..................................................................................... 30 CHUGIM ........................................................................................................... 31 RKYHS TECHNOLOGICAL FACILITIES ......................................................... 34 RKYHS SOCIETIES .......................................................................................... 35 TORAH LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES ........................................................... 35 THE LEARNING LAB ....................................................................................... 37 SAMPLE STUDENT SCHEDULE ..................................................................... 38 i a message from our HEAD OF SCHOOL Dear Prospective Students and Parents, I am honored to present to you The Guide to Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School. This guide includes details of all aspects of student life, including our school philosophy and core values, course offerings, learning opportunities, co-curricular activities, chugim, and RKYHS societies. We inspire our students to strive for excellence in all areas and invite you to explore the many facets of an RKYHS education. Our curriculum reflects the values of our school community and is enriched by a wide variety of subjects taught by content experts. Our instructional methods and flexible scheduling provide ample opportunity for students to learn on levels that best meet their needs. RKYHS is blessed with a talented administration and faculty members who demonstrate care and respect for all of our students, and are committed to fulfilling our educational goals. Consistent with our school mission, we set high standards for all students to enhance their commitment to Torah study, strive for educational excellence, and strengthen the foundation of their community. Our role as educators is to help students identify, embrace and appreciate the core values of Judaism, while simultaneously integrating the ideas of Western culture. We are confident that our nurturing environment, inspirational teachers, commitment to Torah principles and academic excellence will help our students reach their full potential. Best wishes, Rabbi Eliezer Rubin RKYHS ADMINISTRATION RABBI ELIEZER RUBIN, Head of School MR. HOWARD PLOTSKER RABBI DAVID CHAMUDOT Associate Principal Sgan Rosh HaYeshiva, Tanach Department Chair RABBI MOTTI MILLER Assistant Principal/Mashgiach Ruchani/ MR. GARY BERGER Director of Guidance and Talmud Department Chair Student Services MS. DAVIDA STADTMAUER DR. ROSEMARY STEINBAUM R Dean of Academic Affairs Dean of Instruction K RABBI STEVEN HIRSCHEY MS. SANDRA BLANK Y Dean of Students Director of Admissions H S ii R K RAE KUSHNER YESHIVA HIGH SCHOOL FACULTY Y Art Physical Education H Ms. Sandra Blank, Department Chair Mr. Jason Neuhof S Ms. Debbie Buechler Ms. Kacie Neurouter Computers Science Dr. Rosalyn Grad, Department Chair Rabbi Yaakov Mintz, Department Chair English Ms. Henny Bochner Ms. Diane Bohs, Department Chair Mr. Adam Klein Ms. Glynis Corso Mr. Howard Malitz Ms. Norma Mintz Ms. Tova Miller Ms. Sarah Williams Dr. Steven Stein Mr. Jeffrey Tabachnick Guidance Mr. Gary Berger, Director Spanish Ms. Gladys Graham Ms. Edit Masuelli, Department Chair Ms. Sarah Guttmann Ms. Gail Hausdorff Rabbi Steven Hirschey, Boys’ Israel Advisor Student Activities Rabbi Richard Kirsch Mr. Josh Gottesman Ms. Chana Baila Krupka, Girls’ Israel Advisor Support Services Ms. Hilary Levin, Registrar Ms. Franine Glajchen Ms. Michele Levine, College Guidance Ms. Alyson Greenstein Mr. Logan Singman, Student Services Counselor Ms. Frada Stone Talmud Rabbi Motti Miller, Department Chair Hebrew Rabbi David Chamudot Ms. Edit Masuelli, Department Chair Rabbi Yaacov Feit Ms. Michal Ben-Guy Rabbi Steven Hirschey Ms. Pnina Kaplan Rabbi Shimshon Jacob Ms. Etti Langman Rabbi Richard Kirsch Ms. Yaffa Malashock Rabbi Yaakov Mintz History Rabbi Jamie Pearlberg Mr. Justin Bryant, Department Chair Rabbi David Schlusselberg Rabbi Shimshon Jacob Rabbi Dovid Sukenik Rabbi Dr. Sacha Pecaric Tanach Mr. Jeffrey Reiss Rabbi David Chamudot, Department Chair Learning Lab Ms. Devora Dawidowicz Ms. Davida Stadtmauer, Director Ms. Chana Baila Krupka Ms. Rachel Cole Ms. Norma Mintz Rabbi Jamie Pearlberg Rabbi Jamie Pearlberg Mr. Jeffrey Reiss Rabbi Eliezer Rubin Mr. Logan Singman Rabbi David Schlusselberg Ms. Frada Stone Ms. Sharon Weinstein Rabbi Dovid Sukenik YU Fellows Math Mr. Bryan Chustckie Ms. Ellen Kirson, Department Chair Mr. Efrayim Clair Ms. Rachel Cole Ms. Tova Miller Ms. Amy Condo Ms. Deborah Hunter Ms. Frada Stone 1 MISSION STATEMENT As a Modern Orthodox co-educational yeshiva, JKHA/RKYHS seeks to inspire students to live lives of Torah and mitzvot; to embrace secular knowledge and American democratic values; to love and serve the Jewish People; and to forge a lifelong bond with the Land and State of Israel. We aim to empower students to achieve personal excellence by teaching them how to learn, and by encouraging them to analyze, to create, and to pursue new intellectual challenges. We lead students to recognize that because we were all created in the image of God, we must treat everyone with respect and loving-kindness. We help students form strong, healthy identities, and we prepare them to take responsibility for themselves and their communities. SCHOOL WIDE THEME 2013-2014 ”והצנע לכת עם אלוקיך“ “You shall comport with modesty before your God” The pasuk is a call for modesty and humility before God. It is an opportunity to embrace the presence of God in every aspect of our lives. This phrase reminds us to act with kedusha (holiness) through what Jewish theologian Michael Fishbane calls “sacred attunements”. It is the intention, that we heighten our consciousness and awareness of God in our lives, by comporting ourselves modestly in dress, language, in all daily activities, and acting with humility, as we pursue the vast knowledge contained in Hashem’s universe in general, and his Torah in particular. Students who attend Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School share and give life to our Mission Statement and core values. They and their families are dedicated to Torah and R scholarship, they feel most fulfilled when practicingmitzvot and midot, and they actively embrace their obligations