The Official Newspaper of the Cooper Yeshiva High School for Boys
Benny Freiden
The greatest time of the year is here. Football is back and so are the Tennessee Titans! After going 3 season and the NFL, the Titans drafted Cam Ward with the and the future looks bright. He threw for 39 touchdowns and 4,313 yards in college at Miami last year. The Titans had very poor QB play last season and Ward looks to change that this season. The Titans upgraded
Dan Moore from Pittsburgh and Kevin Zeitler from Detroit. Peter Skronski and JC Latham both look a lot more comfortable as they grow. It will be important for the Continued on next page
Continued fom previous page offensive line to protect Ward. The defense was the only bright spot last year as they finished top 10 in the league. They signed some more standout players like Cody Barton from Denver, Dremont Jones from Seattle, and Xavier Woods from Carolina. I will now give my game by game and season predictions.
Game 1: At Denver Broncos - This game will be a big challenge for Ward as he faces a top defense in the league in a rowdy environment off the bat. The Broncos are a young team coming off a nice 10 win season and a playoff berth. However, I see some concerns in their offense. I think it's a sloppy low scoring game that comes down to the end. Give me the Titans winning 17-14.
Game 3: Vs Indianapolis Colts - Titans defense shines vs Daniel Jones, and Cam Ward plays his best game yet by
Game 5: At Arizona Cardinals - I don't think the Cardinals are so good, but Cam Ward has his worst game of the season. Cardinals win 21-13.
Game 2: Vs Los Angeles Rams - The Titans find themselves once again playing a top team in the NFL but this one is just a bit better. I think the veteran presence from LA is the difference in this game. Rams win 24-13.
throwing for 3 touchdowns. Titans win 24-10.
Game 4: At Houston Texans - Intense battle between the two teams but Titans fall short in a high scoring affair. Texans win 30-24.
Game 6: At Las Vegas Raiders - Titans take on the struggling Raiders. Raiders Rookie Running back Ashton Jeanty and Cam Ward will both have crazy games in the race for Offensive Rookie of the Year but Cam's team comes out on top. Titans win 27-14.
Game 7: Vs New England Patriots - The Patriots have improved heavily from last year and I expect them to have a solid season. However the Titans come out in front in this one. Titans 25-17.
Game 8: At Indianapolis Colts - The Colts are still bad. Titans win and sweep the season series. Titans 23-13.
Game 9: Vs Los Angeles Chargers - Justin Herbert and the Chargers offense is too much for Tennessee. Chargers win 31-15.
Game 10: Vs Houston Texans - The Titans get revenge on the Texans in a thriller. Calvin Ridley has his best game of the season against one of the top CB in the NFL in Derick Singletary. Titans win 24-22.
Game 11: Vs Seattle Seahawks - I think Sam Darnold has a repeat season from last year. Jaxon Smith Njigba lights up the Titans and the Seahawks win 18-10.
Game 12: Vs Jacksonville Jaguars - This is the Titans 4th consecutive home game and the home field advantage is really kicking in now. The second pick, Travis Hunter comes to town and doesn't do much. Titans win 21-10.
Game 13: At Cleveland Browns - Shedauer Sanders will be starting by now and the Browns will have the worst record in the NFL. Titans win 22-7.
Game 14: At San Francisco 49ers - The 49ers have a bounce back year from last season led by Brock Purdy. I think this will be a close one but the Niners prevail. 49ers 23-16.
Game 15: Vs Kansas City Chiefs - Mahomes and the boys come to town and will be atop the AFC. Not much else to say. Chiefs 25-10.
Game 16: Vs New Orleans Saints - The Saints will be the
worst team in the NFC and possibly NFL at this point. Titans Defense will feast on whoever their QB is in this game. Titans win 28-9.
Game 17: At Jacksonville Jaguars - The Titans head to Jacksonville in a primetime game with the division on the line. Unlike 2022, The Titans get the job done. Titans win 24-18.
The Titans will go 10-7 and win the AFC South.
Season Predictions: By Benny Freiden
Programming Without Limit: Inside Our Bold New Tech Club
Davi Baum (’27)
This year, I decided to launch something our school has never seen before: a Computer Programming Club. I wanted to create a space where we don’t just talk about technology, we build it, test it, and bring the wildest, most crazy ideas to life. To make it easier for everyone to join in, I even coded my own programming environment from scratch. It’s a custom tool designed for our club that helps beginners understand errors in plain English and gives advanced coders the freedom to dive deep.
My goal was to move away from traditional coding clubs that focus on boring, repetitive projects, since this often ruins the excitement of programming and holds students back. That’s why I chose to focus on building real projects instead. Imagine creating a program that automatically sends you a text when your favorite stock price drops, or building your own AI assistant that responds to your voice. Some of us are experimenting with chess bots that think mathematically, while others are designing drones that respond to voice commands. We’re even simulating rocket landings on virtual pads and exploring futuristic concepts like quantum computing. Every project is hands -on, practical, and something you can actually show to your friends and family.
We’re also stepping into the world of cybersecurity. In our lab, we’ll practice scanning networks to see what devices are connected, experiment with hiding files inside images and then uncovering them, and test how port scanning reveals weaknesses on servers. We’ll even build simple keyloggers and remote-access tools in a controlled environment so we can understand how they work, and, more importantly, how to defend against them. These projects give us the chance to think like both attackers and defenders while always focusing on safety, responsibility, and learning how to protect systems in the real world.
Ilustration by Davi Baum
The best part is that this club is for everyone. If you’ve never written a single line of code, you’re not behind, you’re exactly who this club is for. We explain everything in everyday language, then let you test it out right away. By the end of the year, you’ll know Python, C++, HTML, CSS, Rust, and maybe even a little assembly. You’ll have built apps, websites, bots, and even experimented with AI. For those who are more advanced, there’s room to push yourself further than ever before, tackling kernels, compilers, and real- time systems.
idea that lives in your head and making it real. Every week, we don’t just leave with notes or slides, we leave with something working. Something we built. And by the end of the year, every member will have a portfolio full of projects that prove what students can achieve when they take learning into their own hands. There’s also a real-world pipeline: club members will have the chance to take on paid projects through my software development company. You keep 100% of what you earn, no fees, no percentages. We’ll lend the brand, mentorship, and support so you can focus on building and getting paid.
Contact Davi Baum at david.baum461@gmail.com if your interested in signing up
What Do the Animals All Want From The Snake?
Chaggai Yorav (’28)
In this week’s parasha, Ki Tavo, we read about the blessings and the curses. In the section of the curses, the Torah lists some of the most severe sins: idolatry, dishonoring parents, forbidden relationships, and acts of deep injustice such as giving harmful advice, taking bribes, corrupting the judgment of the weak, or stealing someone’s inheritance in the Land of Israel.
Among these sins we also find the curse: “Cursed is he who strikes his fellow in secret.” Rashi explains this as referring to lashon hara, gossiping.
in this exclusive list of curses and warnings before entering the Land of Israel?
It seems that the answer is yes.
Even though the Torah often mentions lashon hara only indirectly, its impact is enormous; on the one who is
The Gemara also gives a parable. The verse says: “If the serpent bites without whispering, there is no advantage to the master of the tongue.” Reish Lakish explains: “In the future, the animals will ask the snake, ‘The lion kills and eats its prey. The wolf kills and eats its prey. But you, what benefit do you gain from killing people?’ The snake answers: ‘So too with the master of the tongue, there is no benefit.’”
At first glance, this seems surprising. We can easily understand why idolatry, immorality, or corruption appear in this list as they are among the worst violations in Judaism. But why is lashon hara here? There are so many Mitzvot and prohibitions in the Torah and lashon hara is usually only hinted at rather than spelled out explicitly. Besides, everyone stumbles into it from time to time. Is it really so severe that it deserves a place
spoken about, on the speaker, and on the entire Jewish people.
The Gemara in Ta’anit interprets the verse “The north wind brings forth rain; an angry countenance, a backbiting tongue” as follows: the north wind should bring rain, but lashon hara prevents it and when the rain is withheld, faces are angered and saddened. In other words, because of those who spread lashon hara even the rains, the lifeblood of the land in those days, are held back.
The snake symbolizes the evil inclination and in particular, lashon hara. Just as the snake causes harm without gaining anything, so too does one who speaks lashon hara. They harm others with no real benefit to themselves. That is precisely what the Torah so deeply despises, doing harm in the world for no reason at all.
This is why the Torah includes lashon hara in the list of curses and why it brings so much harm to the world.
May we all merit strengthening our character traits, especially in guarding our speech, and focus on bringing more goodness into the world Hashem has given us.
Shabbat Shalom!
What do they want??? Source: Chatgpt, Image by Chagai yorav
From Middle School to High School: The Journey Begins
Zacharia Levine (’29)
A couple weeks ago, I became a freshman at the Cooper Yeshivah High School for boys. For me, high school is both new and old. It is old because nearly all of my middle school classmates are here with me. New because everything from the structure to the atmosphere is different; it’s serious, intense, and exciting.
As I walked into the building for the first time, I could tell right away that high school was not the same as middle school.The hallways were louder, the pace felt faster, and everything seemed to matter a little more. Even though I was surrounded by a lot of the same faces wherever I looked, there was a noticeably different feel to everything. We weren't middle schoolers anymore.
We’re in high school now, a place where the expectations are greater, the roles are larger, and there are so many more opportunities. The very first thing that comes to mind is academics. School is more difficult and the teachers expect more from us. In middle school, a lot of the work was review or memorization, but in high school, it feels like we're learning things that will really matter later on. Starting the day off with davening and then switching between Judaic and secular studies reminds me that school doesn’t necessarily need
very dedicated to our success. They want us to push ourselves to think and to prepare us for what is to come. It's a little scary but reassuring. Another aspect of the CYHSB that I am excited about is extracurriculars.
There is more to high school than the classroom, from sports to clubs to student leadership activities. In middle school, extracurricular activities were the kind of thing that you did if you felt like it, but here they are actually a part of high school. I'm most excited for basketball but I'm also excited about Model UN and Robotics. These extracurriculars give us a chance to discover what we enjoy doing and learn something while doing it!
has also been great so far. Since we all went to the same middle school, I didn’t have to completely start over learning names and making new friends. Being in high school has already started to change the way we act and interact. Friendships feel like they are developing in new ways and there are opportunities to connect with people we didn’t talk to as much before. As freshmen, we are learning how to balance some of our new freedoms with greater responsibilities. The best part is that we are experiencing it together as a grade. From small details like navigating new routines to adjusting to a busier schedule, this has made the transition feel exciting.
Freshmen Matty Ardestani and Max Seigerman canoeing on the spring river. Photo: Rabbi Rossman
We also had the annual canoe trip which I had a lot f fun on. I’m looking forward to as well as being able to participate in NCSY. Even the ability to go get a snack or drink from the vending machine in the student lounge is something special. They are small things but they are part of what makes the high school experience fun and different. High school is not without
Cooper Clicks
problems though. There is more homework and much higher expectations. There is stress that comes from knowing that what we are doing today will be crucial at some point in the future, whether it will be to prepare us for higher grades, college, grad school, or even life itself. But I think that those problems are what challenge us to grow up, learn more, and discover who we can become.
Looking back over my first week at the CYHSB, I am excited and motivated for what lies ahead. I am going to have my highs and lows along the way but I also recognize that this is just the start of an amazing journey. It's my privilege to be a student at the CYHSB and I am excited to
Top Right: Zev Valeriano ('28) floats downstream. What? We're canoeing?
Middle Right: Gavi Lichter ('27) about to beat up the air.
Bottom Right: The moment before disaster.
Bottom Lef: The CYHSB fleet.
Photos: Daniel Kahane ('27)
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Welcome to a new year of the CYHSB Weekly! In this issue, you’ll find all kinds of articles from a freshman's point of view to an insight into the new clubs in the school. Together, these pieces highlight the energy, creativity, and growth happening across our school.We’re grateful to our writers and readers for making this publication possible, and we look forward to bringing you more voices and stories
