CYHSB Weekly 01/14/22

Cooper Yeshiva High School for Boys

January 14, 2022

CYHSB WEEKLY Cooper Yeshiva High School for Boys

Volume 16, Issue 7 The Macs’ Plan to Comeback From Its Losing Streak Page 3 Parshat Beshalach: RunIns With Amalek and Egypt Page 4

The nal deadlines for co ege applications are fast approaching. Source: theho yspirit.org

Tzitzit Club Takes a Huge Step Towards the Jewish Future Page 5 Calvin and Hobbes Page 6

This week’s CYHSB Weekly is sponsored by the CYHSB Weekly sta in honor of Zev and Avi Bosin for getting us the paper we needed to print last week’s Weekly.

Applications: Preparing for Our Next Chapter in Life Nadav Weiss (’22) At the CYHSB, seniors focus the first half of the year on our next chapters in life. We apply to college and yeshivot, two of the biggest decisions that we are ever going to make. The ramifications of our choices are huge, and the lengthy and tedious processes mount pressure on us. Deciding which institution to attend next year is certainly an interesting experience that allows every senior to explore their goals and focuses.

The yeshiva application consists of only a few easy components. First, we had to select which yeshivot we would like to submit the application to.

Next, we filled out a basic questionnaire that involved health, education, and family details. Finally, we received a few references from various rebbeim at the high school and completed a short essay. Senior Zev Bosin said that “The yeshiva essay was easy to fill out, but the decision of what yeshiva to

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Cooper Yeshiva High School for Boys

choose to apply to was and is the difficult part.” As yeshivot came throughout the year to personally present to us, the struggle to choose which one to go to became the most difficult part of the yeshiva application process. In the end, almost every senior found a few different yeshivot to apply to that suit our personal goals and fit our interests.

Senior Nadav Goldkin decided that instead of going to yeshiva, he wanted to enlist in the IDF. Regarding his choice, he said, “The army has always been something I have wanted to do. Going to Israel has been an easy decision, and I want to have an amazing experience in Israel that differs from others.”

The college application process is one enormous questionnaire with various writing components and essays. Similarly to applying to yeshivot, the hardest part about applying to college was deciding which colleges to apply to. Since every senior has different aspirations and goals, we all had different methods of deciding.

CYHSB senior Coby Goldblatt said, “The way I chose colleges was by seeing what percentage was Jewish and what the surrounding community looks like. I also chose based on how well it fit my needs as a student coming from a small southern school and trying to transition into a much bigger school.”

On the application, there are the basic general questions regarding family matters, education background, and extracurricular activities. Once that is completed, each college asks separate but often similar questions. Sometimes each college will ask for a writing component other than your essay,

January 14, 2022

Yeshiva applications are also fast approaching. Source: yeshivaapplication.org

and these vary in difficulty. One of the hardest parts of the college application process is the primary college essay. We are given different topics that we can talk about, and we get to pick one to write about. With only a max of 650 words, fitting all of our thoughts into such a small window is tremendously challenging. This exercise offered a chance to reflect on what part of our life story we want to communicate to our admissions officers and application readers.

Once everything is turned in, including references and our transcript, we submit our application to each of our college options. After this point, much of the stress regarding the deadlines resolves, but new fears regarding the outcome of our applications set in. After submitting his college applications, CYHSB senior Ben Siegel said, “The burden was over. I was at the end of the road, and looking back, I felt satisfied and complete.” Ben’s message applied

to all of the seniors, and as we each turned in our applications, we felt a sigh of relief.

Besides interviews and the submission of supplementary application materials, all that is left regarding yeshiva and college applications are the letters of approval. Until then, all we can do is wait. This process has been different for all of us but in some ways the same. We have all worked hard to plan the next chapter in life, and we all can’t wait to see what that entails for us. Although the countless choices that we had to make regarding where to attend were difficult, leaving each other to go on our own paths will also be challenging. In the end, we will all end up at fantastic yeshivot and colleges on our path towards spiritual and personal growth, and that is what really matters.

Check out the CYHSB’s Instagram @weekly2k21!!

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Cooper Yeshiva High School for Boys

January 14, 2022

AP Macs’ Students Cont.

The Plan to Comeback From Its Losing Streak

Ben Siegel (’22) 1-0, then 2-0, then 3-0, and even 4-0, the Macs could not be beaten! The 2021-2022 basketball season had an exciting start. Whether at home games or road games, every player was destined to win and hopefully make the playoffs. As the team’s record grew to a whopping 4-0 win to loss rate, each player’s spirit and playmaking began to progress. Every game brought in more fans to support the team. Suddenly, the team fell apart, and the Macs had to devise a way to make a comeback.

On December 6th, 2021, a team the Macs have never played before entered the Margolin Hebrew Academy. Their players were taller, stronger, and appeared to have better skills than the Macs players. It was the first time the Cooper Macs had played Tipton Christian Academy.

entered the fourth quarter. The starters were gasping for air every play while Tipton Christian Academy continued to run by them. As the game entered the final two minutes, the Macs were trailing by eight. Zev Bosin hit a clutch corner three while being guarded by two defenders.

After a quick foul and two missed free throws by their opponents, the Macs drove down the court for the last time. I was passed the ball and made a three at the buzzer. The final score was 38-36, and the team’s incredible streak was now over. The Macs shook hands with their heads held down and returned to the bench exhausted, defeated, and breathless.

From that point on, the team ran out of momentum, and the losses began piling up. Game by game, the Macs were unable to secure a win; they would watch other teams celebrate while remaining in despair.

The JV team has a pregame meeting. Photo: Zev Bosin

The entire game was neck and neck.

Steal here, assist here, three here, and the Macs were taking the lead. It seemed that the team’s record being 5-0 was feasible. All of a sudden, the momentum was lost. The lead was cut to only two points as the game

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CYHSB Senior Zev Bosin said that “It has been tough. We hustle up and down the court, but all it comes to is the other team scoring on us.” He continued, “We need to come back with a fire.”

After the string of losses, the Macs’ record became 4-4, and the next opponent was known for their hostile and belligerent play style. In the 2019 basketball season, Lausanne Collegiate School was nationally ranked, and the ninth-best player in the country was on their team. That game resulted in the Macs losing by 80 and Lausanne’s highlight appearing on social media. It was a bloodbath. On Tuesday, January 4th, 2022, many players who previously played Lausanne a few years ago faced them again, this time as seniors with more experience. Lausanne instantly began making shot after shot in the Macs’ home gymnasium.

That night was another blowout, and the Cooper Macs had hit rock bottom.

Nadav Goldkin, the Cooper Macs’ captain, was most affected by the loss. He pondered what went wrong and how to overcome this loss. He gathered the entire team into a huddle and said, “When you hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up.” Everyone nodded in agreement, and the team seemed ready to bounce back. The entire team put their hands in and ended the night on a positive note.

Since then, every person on the team has been giving 110% effort during practice. The players’ work ethic is improving, and they are determined to win again. They decided to have no more losses, no more blowouts, no more discouraged teammates, and no more quitting. The season is just about halfway over, and the next games are crucial. Coach Ian Thomas has already begun tweaking the team’s defense and adding additional concepts to its offensive playbook.

He is working just as hard as the team players are in order to win. The positive energy during practice uplifts everyone’s spirit. The Macs will get through this rough patch to return to a strong season. It is time for the team to put its foot back on the gas and never take it off.

Cooper Yeshiva High School for Boys

January 14, 2022

AP StudentsBeshalach: Cont.

Parshat Run-Ins With Amalek and Egypt

Nadav Lowell (’25) Parshat Beshalach discusses the exodus from Egypt and how the pharaoh chases after the Jews.

Then, Moses splits the sea and drowns the pursuers from Mitzrayim. After this, B’nei Yisrael wandered through the desert. They became hungry and thirsty, so Hashem provided the manna, and He let Moses hit the rock for water.

Finally, the parsha ends with Amalek’s unprovoked attack on the nation.

Two famous symbols of the Jews’ time in the Midbar, or desert, are the two pillars. The pasuk says: “And G-d was going before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them on the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to illuminate for them to go by day and by night” (Exodus 13:21). The reasons behind these pillars are seemingly obvious; they are to help, guide, and sustain the Jewish people as they make their way through the desert to the land of Israel. Rabbi Shalom Noach Brezovsky looks at this on a deeper level. He writes that “by day” refers to the good times, or when things are looking up for the Jews. “By night” refers to when things aren’t going so well or when hardship comes to B’nei Yisrael.

We see evidence of this in the very same parsha. First, it is “night time,” and the Jews are suffering as slaves in Egypt. Then, Hashem brings them out of Mitzrayim and draws all of the Egyptian soldiers into the Red Sea. Later in the parsha, the Jews had been traveling in the desert and were hungry and thirsty; Hashem again helps them and provides them with manna to eat and water from the rock. We can see from these examples that even when things don’t look so good for

Moshe’s hands were held up by Yehoshua and Moshe’s nephew Hur. Source: Wikipedia

us, Hashem will always help and protect us.

The commandment to wipe out Amalek was also an interesting point from this parsha. This comes towards the end of the parsha after B’nei Yisrael successfully defeated Amalek (with G-d’s help). What Amalek did was a terrible thing; the Jews were fresh out of Egypt, and they attacked them. Not only did Amalek attack them, but they attacked the rear where the tired, sick, and weaker people were. The Jews came from Egypt, which not only enslaved, mass murdered, and disrespected the Jewish people, but also threw the newborn Jewish sons into the Nile. Interestingly, there are two civilizations: one that has been terrible to B’nei Yisrael for centuries and one that has attacked us once. Yet, G-d commands us to wipe out the seemingly less terrible nation, Amalek.

The difference between what these two nations did is that one of them attacked us physically, and the other assaulted us spiritually. While the Egyptians did do terrible things to B’nei Yisrael and prevented them from praying to an extent, it wasn’t the same as what Amalek did. When B’nei Yisrael left Mitzrayim after the plagues, many nations were worried about attacking them. They feared that Hashem would smite them as He did to the Egyptian people. But now, Amalek comes out and attacks us, showing that they do not care about G-d in any way. Even though Amalek was defeated, the battle still made the Jewish people more susceptible to subsequent attacks from other nations. Due to this assault on not only us but on Hashem too, Hashem decreed that they must be wiped out.

I wish you all a tremendous rest of your Shabbat and hope y’all have a good week.

CYFL Stats Coming Soon to the Weekly!!

CYHSB Weekly

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Cooper Yeshiva High School for Boys

January 14, 2022

Tzitzit Club Takes a Huge Step Towards the Jewish Future Zev Bosin (’22) The school has been shining bright over the past few weeks. Students are smiling; rabbis are beaming.

This excitement is due to the 50 new pairs of tzitzit that were donated to the school.

Guys were ready for a change in their daily lives; they wanted something more. Four weeks ago, I was approached by Rafi Goldkin, an incredible talmid chacham that has a strong love for mitzvahs and Shabbos. Goldkin requested that I find a way to supply the students with their own pairs of tzitzit. While Goldkin had his own perfectly usable pair of tzitzit, he was sympathetic towards the majority of the students that were wearing old, dirty pairs that the school had lying around from years past. I told Goldkin that I was already looking for companies that could sell tzitzit to the CYHSB, but the search was looking as though it would bear no fruit.

It may seem confusing why buying tzitzit would be so difficult, but believe me, before my search, I believed the same thing. I was looking for a specific kind of tzitzit: undershirt cotton tzitzit, not the regular mesh tzitzit, which have their own halachic ramifications.

While the most appropriate tzitzit to wear are wool, it was not in the cards for our school without serious funding. Therefore, I looked for the second-best option: cotton tzitzit.

However, even 50 pairs of cotton tzitzit would not be cheap.

To make sure I was purchasing the appropriate type of tzitzit, I spoke to my rabbis at the school, the Memphis Kollel, and even rabbis from out of town. We had a serious problem that caused our search to become difficult: we needed undershirt tzitzit. Purchasing regular overshirt tzitzit is not against halacha; the only problem is that

CYHSB Weekly

Students pose with their new tzitzit. Photo: Rabbi Harris

people often remove their overshirt tzitzit after their job or school and forget to put them back on. I personally faced this challenge and knew the other students must have as well. Therefore, I sought to find undershirt tzitzit for my fellow classmates.

I learned a few valuable lessons in my search for the tzitzit. The first is that asking a rabbi is an important first step in any halachic situation. I headed to Rabbi Safier and proposed my dilemma to him; I could not buy overshirt tzitzit since the students would take them off right after school, totally defeating the purpose of buying them in the first place. The second thing I learned is that there are almost always unforeseen challenges that one cannot predict. Rabbi Safier informed me that “You can’t just buy cotton undershirt tzitzit, since most of them are machine-woven.”

My brain did a somersault; what did he mean by machine-woven? He told me that I was about to embark on a tzitzit adventure. He gave me

the number for a Rabbi Berkowitz in Baltimore and sent me on my way.

Rabbi Berkowitz raised more valid challenges to my already detailed problem. He said that the reason for needing completely handwoven tzitzit is that tzitzit need to be made with the intention to be used for the mitzvah, and rabbis question how a machine can have intent. It is much faster if one was to start the tying of the strings and the machine was to finish the job.

Rabbi Berkowitz explained that completely handwoven undershirt tzitzit were incredibly hard to come by and were very expensive. I thanked him for his time and began to call manufacturers.

The manufacturers had their own problems with my request for 50 pairs of completely handwoven undershirt tzitzit. They said it was impossible! The first problem was that no one makes completely handwoven undershirt tzitzit.

Second, even if someone could make a pair, they would not be able

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to make 50. I talked to many manufacturers and small businesses, but no one could help me. I talked to Rabbi Nachover, and he said, “I have a guy in Monsey, they call him the Tzitzit Guy, he can make them for you.” Even the Tzitzit Guy let me down. At one point, I really believed that I would never find a way to provide my fellow talmidim with tzitzit, until my advisor put me in contact with Eliezer Cohen.

My advisor, Eli Sklar, with whom I learn Masechet Megillah every week, mentioned during our weekly chavrusa that he knew a guy at Camp HASC, a camp for children with disabilities, who gives out tzitzit to whoever needs pairs. I was intrigued.

Was Eliezer Cohen going to be the school’s savior?

Eli put me in contact with Eliezer, and I gave him a call. Eliezer listened to what I had to say and the fact that I needed a very specific type

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of tzitzit. He said, “done!” I responded, “What do you mean ‘done?’ He replied that he would make me the 50 pairs. I asked him how much it would cost; it did not matter to me since I would find the money if I had to, from donations or out of my own pocket. I would do whatever it took to give my fellow talmidim the ability to make the bracha on tzitzit. Eliezer responded with the two words I never saw coming: “It’s free.” I sat for a second dumbfounded; he could not be serious. I responded, saying, “That is very nice, but we could never accept.”

He told me he was booking them right now, no returns. I was ecstatic. I hid my excitement from my peers for a few days and made the announcement on Thursday of the following week.

Students sat at the edge of their seats, awaiting my news regarding the tzitzit. I exclaimed to the room: “50 pairs of tzitzit have been ordered and

will be here shortly.” The room erupted.

Now, an onlooker may not be so confused when they spot the bachurim of our fine establishment walking around with a new sense of courage.

Every talmid in our school now realizes that every single day, they have the privilege to perform one of G-d’s incredible mitzvahs with their own beautiful pair of tzitzit. Still, we at the Yeshiva of the South are not satisfied with performing only one incredible mitzvah and promise to challenge ourselves to do as many as we can to strengthen our connection with the One up above.

Calvin and Hobbes

CALVIN AND HOBBES © Watterson. Reprinted with permission of ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION. All rights reserved.

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Cooper Yeshiva High School for Boys

January 14, 2022

Crazy Crosswords

Can you gure out the names?

The rst one to send in a completed puzzle to nadav.weiss@mhafyos.org will receive a shoutout!

Note: All answers can be found in the articles themselves.

Last Week’s Solution

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Cooper Yeshiva High School for Boys

January 14, 2022

Sponsor an Issue A sponsorship is a great way to honor the memory of a loved one, celebrate an accomplishment, or just show appreciation to the CYHSB Weekly. We reach hundreds of people each week, helping to get your announcement out for just $20.

CYHSB Weekly Staff Editor-in-Chief Michael Baum | michael.baum@mhafyos.org

Assistant Editor Zev Bosin | zev.bosin@mhafyos.org

Layout Editor Ezra Wiener | ezra.wiener@mhafyos.org

Editors Benjamin Siegel | benjamin.siegel@mhafyos.org Shahar Cahana | shahar.cahana@mhafyos.org Avi Klein| avi.klein@mhafyos.org

Complaint Manager Zevi Kirshtein| zevi.kirshtein@mhafyos.org

CYHSB Weekly Staff Coby Goldblatt | coby.goldblatt@mhafyos.org Nadav Goldkin | nadav.goldkin@mhafyos.org Noam Cahana | noam.cahana@mhafyos.org Aidan Kahane | aidan.kahane@mhafyos.org Gavi Peiser | gavi.peiser@mhafyos.org Ezra Davidovics | ezra.davidovics@mhafyos.org Yosef Vanderwalde | yosef.vanderwalde@mhafyos.org Ra Somer | ra .somer@mhafyos.org Ethan Vanderwalde | ethan.vanderwalde@mhafyos.org Raanan Vanderwalde | raanan.vanderwalde@mhafyos.org Nadav Lowell | nadav.lowell@mhafyos.org Jojo Ardestani | jonathan.ardestani@mhafyos.org Nathan Greenbaum | nathan.greenbaum@mhafyos.org Nadav Weiss | nadav.weiss@mhafyos.org

From the Editor: Lately, students have had many opportunities for personal reflection and growth. The privilege of receiving a generous donation of tzitzit and the string of basketball losses have caused students to look within themselves to find inspiration to improve.

Seniors have also had to reflect as they consider which institutions they could see themselves spending the next few years of their lives at. These important choices could shape several important aspects of our lives, so having proper, individualized guidance has been crucial. We are lucky to have Mrs. Tsuna, teachers, and rebbeim giving students incredible advice for life beyond high school.

- Michael Baum

Administrative Advisors

Rabbi Baruch Harris & Mrs. Ashley Brown

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