CYHSB Weekly 11/19/21

November 19, 2021

CYHSB WEEKLY Cooper Yeshiva High School for Boys

Volume 16, Issue 4 Thanksgiving Halacha: Is the Celebration Mutur?

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Drip Club: More Than Just a Fashion Statement Page 4 Android’s Updated Operating System Page 5

Rayne Exelbierd speaking to the high school. Photo: Jessica Baum

Crazy Crosswords Page 6

This week’s CYHSB Weekly is sponsored by Dr.’s Norman and Wesley Galen in honor of the CYHSB Weekly Sta .

Motivational Speaker Shares Wise Words With CYHSB Students Ranaan Vanderwalde (’25) This past Friday, the CYHSB and the GMSG had the privilege of having a guest speaker come and talk to us about the idea of kindness. The name of our guest speaker was Rayna Rose Exelbierd. Rayna Rose Exelbierd went to the MHA for a few years of elementary school. When she went to college, she experienced anti-Semitism and decided to become a motivational speaker to speak out against anti-Semitism.

Now Ms. Exelbierd speaks about many more topics. She inspires students to become nicer, more kind people and to make them

believe in themselves. She has spoken to and mentored a quarter of a million students around the continent. When she spoke to our school, she talked about the topic of kindness and introduced a book that she recently published.

Shortly after davening on Friday morning, it was announced that we would have a guest speaker. Students from the CYHSB and the GMSG gathered in the Beit Midrash. Everyone found their seats in preparation for Ms. Exelbierd to come in.

When she walked in, she first Continued next page started talking aboutonher shoes.

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Cooper Yeshiva High School for Boys

Cooper Yeshiva High School for Boys

November 19, 2021

Motivation Cont.

started talking about her shoes. She was wearing one black shoe and one white shoe. She said that she was wearing two different color shoes because she wanted to be unique and different from everyone else. She then went on to talk about her background and why she was at the school. She discussed the idea of kindness with the students and then transitioned herself to talk about her book.

A couple of years ago, Rayna Rose Exelbierd’s father sadly passed away. While she was mourning her father, she wrote a poem outlining all the teachings that her father taught her throughout the years. A little over a year ago, she found her old poem and realized she could turn the poem into a picture book. She called up her friend, who is an artist, to illustrate her book. Then suddenly, the book became a reality.

The name of the book is The Girl Who Said Hello to Everyone. The book is a true story of Ms. Exelbierd’s life. It goes through her journey between cities, her daily activities, and, most importantly, her ability to be kind to everyone. This doesn’t just mean to be kind to people you know, it also means to be kind to strangers you have never met before. She also highlighted the lesson was that you should strike up a conversation with anyone. By doing this, you will get to know them. The book says, “If you take time to speak to others, you will learn humans are more similar than different from each other!” At the end of the book, she returns to

Rayna Exelbierd reading her book to the high school. Photo: Jessica Baum

Memphis when she receives the news that her father died. But when she gets back, she realizes something very meaningful, and it’s that her father has left a lasting impact on everyone he interacted with through his own kindness and conversation. The Girl Who Said Hello to Everyone gives us life lessons on how to act around others and how to improve relationships.

When describing the event, Rafi Somer, a CYHSB Sophomore, said, “It got everyone inspired to do an act of kindness.” In fact, after the event, other students gave similar comments saying the speaker was motivational. Ethan VanderWalde, a CYHSB freshman, said, “Ms. Exelbierd’s visit to the school was enlightening and inspired us all.” It is clear that all students in attendance came away with thoughts on how they can do their next act of

kindness. In her book, Ms. Exelbierd focuses on communication and discussions with others as a key attribute of kindness. She emphasized that “whatever you do, always strive to make people feel good.” Whether it will be helping a friend that is stuck on a homework assignment or being nice to your sibling, the students learned that there are many ways that one can be sure to do a kind act today.

After the event, the students were given signed books from Ms. Exelbierd. She left the students with a meaningful, everlasting message of kindness. It is only fitting to leave off with the quote that was written in the books the students received: “Never forget you’re just a hello away from new friends and adventures.”

Check Out our new digital weekly at issuu.com/ MrsAshleyBrown!!

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AP Students Cont.

Thanksgiving Halacha: Is the Celebration Mutur?

Shahar Cahana (’22) noted that he does not explicitly say stemming from bechukoseihem.

It is that time of year again when the Thanksgiving, but it is the general Later, in a 2nd teshuvah, R’ Moshe leaves are falling mentions that there from the trees, and is no issur of it starts to get a bechukoseihem, little colder and there is no outside. Along problem of having with this time of a Thanksgiving year comes the meal with turkey. long-awaited As long as a h o l i d a y person does not Thanksgiving, take it on where many themselves as an families sit down obligatory meal at the table and every year, it have a meal that should be fine. R’ usually involves Moshe’s grandson, turkey and simply R’ Mordechai enjoy having a Tendler, asked R’ good time and Moshe in regards being thankful for to the above two what they have. responses. We However, over the know that Rama years, many have Should Jews be celebrating Thanksgiving? CYHSB students express their opinions. says anything that asked through a has a logical halachic lens what exactly the assumption that it is to that which he explanation is not included in permissibility is regarding the nature is referring. R’ Hunter explains that bechukoseihem, like doctors that of this holiday. Is there a problem of the discussion of whether a meal wear white coats. Non-Jews may do sitting down and having a meal with with turkey is allowed or not is only it also, but so do Jews, because it Turkey every year if the non-Jews relevant if the holiday was a onehelps us recognize who the doctors do it as well? There is an issur of time thing. However, Thanksgiving are in a hospital. What about “Bchukoseihem,” of not following is something that repeats every Thanksgiving? There is not the ways of the gentiles. Is the single year. Especially since its date sufficient logic regarding why we Thanksgiving meal included in that is based on the Gregorian calendar, it eat turkey. Had those pilgrims not issur? is definitely forbidden according to slaughtered a turkey, perhaps Many poskim have tackled this R’ Hunter, and included in the issur someone else would have come and question in recent times, with three of bechukoseihemm, and following had a meal. There have been many prominent opinions being the most in the ways of the gentiles. times when people were hungry and widely known. R’ Herschel Shachter According to R’ Hutner, celebrating they found a meal, but we do not writes in Nefesh Harav that R’ Thanksgiving, which is based on the celebrate it like Thanksgiving. So R’ Soleveitchick held that it is allowed secular calendar, is an extension of Moshe concludes that he is Mesupak to have turkey on Thanksgiving. He Avodah Zarah. and that there may be a reason held that there was no problem in the There is, however, a 3rd opinion behind having a meal with turkey, mesorah of turkey, whether or not it that falls in between the two but simply not enough of a reason. was mutar to eat, and that it was not extremes. This opinion is held by R’ He is not sure if it fits in a problem of following the ways of Moshe Feinstein. He has three bechukoseihem, but to make it the gentiles. The Rav was famously responses that address this question. obligatory is not allowed. known for giving a shiur a bit earlier The first two seemingly contradict There are countless approaches to on Thanksgiving in order to go back each other, and the third teshuva is the Thanksgiving meal, and having a and have a Thanksgiving meal. explaining the “contradiction.” In meal is not necessarily a problem.

However, on the other end of the the first yeshiva he explains that a What comes out in the end, from this extreme is R’ Hutner, whose opinion meal on Thanksgiving is forbidden, holiday, is that we should be is expressed in a letter of his in Igros not because it is a religious holiday, thankful for what we have. Have a Ksavim. It should, however, be (which it isn’t), rather it is an issur good Shabbos.

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November 19, 2021

AP Students Cont.

Drip Club: More Than Just a Fashion Statement

Ezra Davidovics (’24) As one walks through the CYHSB halls, one might notice some flashes of white on people that feel almost out of place. These, of course, are people’s tzitzis strings, as there is a movement sweeping the school to wear tzitzis, or the drip, every day.

This all started when senior Zev Bosin started wearing tzitzis more often and encouraged other people to do the same. He started a small club, “the Drip Club,” and soon, it spread to the entire school.

behind the movement and club came from the desire to do mitzvot.

Bosin continued with how the club came about in practice, saying, “Now fast forward to the present.

For the past two years I stopped wearing tzitzit every day. I lost the excitement I had for wearing tzitzit and so did my fellow classmates.

One day I thought to myself why don’t I put on the tzitzit I have in my drawer. What’s the worst that could happen? I get to do a mitzvah. But then, I started wearing it for the rest

Yonah Lynn wearing a esh pair of tzitzis. Photo: Zev Bosin

Bosin described the motivation behind founding the club: “It all started during my freshman year when Rabbi Safier wouldn’t let us join the class unless we had tzitzit on. At the beginning, we wore the tzitzit outside our shirts just to not get kicked out of class. But then, it became a daily thing and we didn’t need Rabbi Safier to ask us to wear tzitzit; we just wore it.” It is incredible that the motivation

of the week. And people started to notice and began to wear tzitzit.

Soon, a small fast growing movement had begun to take place.

Two weeks into the club, I gave a speech where I told the students I wanted to start a club where we would celebrate the wearing of tzitzit.” The origin story of the club is fascinating, and much of the spiritual motivation can be attributed to Rabbi Safier.

Bosin mentioned how instrumental he was in founding the movement, saying, “He’s the inspiration. He instilled in me the idea to wear tzitzit every day, and I therefore followed his lead.”

Finally, Bosin shared why tzitzit was the mitzvah he decided to focus on, saying, “Wearing tzitzit is a mitzvah that is a fundamental part of a Jewish man’s life. Tzitzit is one of the easiest and also most difficult mitzvos in the Torah. On one hand we just have to wear a piece of clothing; on the other hand we have to go out of our way to put on this piece of clothing that may look different and feel scratchy.

Therefore, I decided to push for tzitzit since I want us to challenge ourselves to grow as Jews. What better way than to start with an incredible mitzvah.”

While the mitzvah of having strings on a four-cornered garment is deorysa, or explicitly written in the Torah, the mitzvah to wear them is d’rabbanan, or of rabbinic decree. The Torah says that when a person looks at the strings, they should be reminded of all of the mitzvos and also the ocean and sky.

The tzitzit reminds us of all of the mitzvos as there is some hint in the way that they are tied to the number 613. Tzitzit should remind us of the sky and the sea by having techeiles, which some people wear. Most people think that techeiles is still lost to us, so there is a need to wear plain white strings.

Hopefully, this movement will continue throughout the year and beyond. It would also be good if more mitzvos movements would start, and CYHSB students and others will continue doing more mitzvos.

Check out the CYHSB’s Instagram @weekly2k21!!

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November 19, 2021

Android’s Freshly Updated Operating System Jojo Ardestani (’25) Android fans around the world have been waiting for a new operating system update for over a year since Android 11 debuted on September 8, 2020. Their wait was finally over when Android released the longawaited Android 12 along with One UI 4, which has come out for most android devices. This update brings giant changes to the software of Android phones to increase accessibility and privacy. This welltimed release comes just in time for Black Friday on November 26.

For those who don’t know, One UI 4 is the Samsung-specific skin of Android 12. This means it is a modified version of Android’s open-source operating system that offers more customizable features than the “plain” Android operating system. It is now available for the Galaxy S21, S21 Plus, and S21 Ultra as of November 15. One of the first noticeable improvements of One UI 4 and Android 12 is the changes in the notification panel.

Some of the main changes are the customizability of the brightness control and quick access buttons; the user can now change them to any color the user wants and the default colors that match the user’s background.

In addition, there were new handy quick access buttons added to the notification panel that many felt were needed. Android users now have the ultra dim mode along with the institution of greater camera and microphone permission requirements. Users will be prompted when applications request to access their microphone or camera. The new camera and microphone permission allows the user to turn on and off access to these parts for every app that uses them. It also puts indicators when either of these parts is being accessed for enhanced privacy. For example, if a social media app is using one’s camera, it would alert

Android 12 is exciting and fresh, as it introduces several new features.

Source: theverge.com

the user in case they are unaware of this. This comes as big-tech companies such as Meta’s arguably invasive privacy guidelines and policies are being scrutinized.

Aside from the notification panel, Android 12 and One Ui 4 has redesigned the camera app layout making pictures much easier to adjust. The Android camera app was initially faulty, and it was incredibly difficult to format pictures. Since the redesigning of the app, the user has the ability to easily arrange and array pictures in the layout they desire. It has also brought more photo editing tools such as object erasers, more light adjustment settings, and more filters. This is a huge addition to the app, which allows Android users to fully understand how to edit pictures without the hassle of having to hire a professional.

Yet another interesting feature that they added was custom emoticons with over 17,000 different combinations to make the Android experience more interactive for their younger audience. All of these improvements bring so much customization that allows for each

user to have their own completely unique experience.

Additionally, there have been many changes to the keyboard. It now has a new fresh layout that is much more organized than before, featuring a more intuitive location of GIFs, shortcuts, and emoticons.

The keyboard was reconstructed for everyone to feel comfortable while using it. The new keyboard design allows Android users the ability to connect more intimately through the addition of more emoticons and GIFs. These changes to the Android software are conducive to the recent trend towards increased accessibility and connectivity in software. The new updates and additions to the software make it easier than ever for a person without technical experience to become familiar with their technology. Android, over the years, has constantly been reconstructing their software in such a way so that one day soon, they will be widely recognized as the most efficient and accessible devices on the open market. Many would argue that Apple devices are more accessible than the average Android Continued on phone; next page

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Technology Cont.

than the average Android phone; nevertheless, when looking at the recent updates to the Android software, it would be difficult for anyone that Android did not have the

November 19, 2021

most accessible devices when compared to the recent Apple phones.

The new edition of Android software for smartphones marks the beginning of a new era in which harmonious hardware and software integration is achieved with the

consumer’s biometric data privacy and accessibility in mind. The fresh operating system is truly exciting and is a great example of what quality software products can be made from open-source technology.

Crazy Crosswords Last Week’s Solution

Can you guess the CYHSBers?

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

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Cooper Yeshiva High School for Boys

November 19, 2021

A Look Back at This Week

Rabbi Gersten with the Cat in the Hat and Baby Shark at the Fall Festival. Photo: JJ Stein

Rabbi Wende cooking cha ah with his class. Photo: Zev Bosi

Aidan Kahane shooting a 3 at this week’s game. Photo: Ra Summer

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Yosef Vanderwalde going in for a lay up at this week’s game. Photo: Ra Summer

Cooper Yeshiva High School for Boys

November 19, 2021

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

From the Editor: As Thanksgiving approaches, we have much to be thankful for.

As Rayna Exelbierd described, one of the most important ways

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 Ranaan Vanderwalde | ranaan.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

to show appreciation is through kindness. We can also make an effort to express gratitude to the Borei Olam through our mitzvot, such as by wearing tzitzit. I hope that this Thanksgiving will offer an opportunity for us all to improve both our mitzvot bein adam la'Makom and la'chaveiro.

-Michael Baum

Administrative Advisors

Rabbi Baruch Harris & Mrs. Ashley Brown

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