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Volume 21, Issue 01

September 04, 2026

CYHSB WEEKLY

The Official Newspaper of the Cooper Yeshiva High School for Boys Volume 21, Issue 01 Back to School Edition Trivia Corner: Page 2 Where to Place Your NFL Bets

Page 3 AI: A Blessing or a Curse? Page 4

AI: A Blessing or a Curse? Dvar Torah: Stand Up and Start Page 5

A Fresh Start

A middle schooler's transition to high school

Cooper Clicks Page 6

Tuning Into CYHSB Activity Piece Page 7

Good Shabbos Find us here: issuu.com/mrsashleybrown

CYHSB Weekly

The eshmen gathered for their esh start. Photo Credit: Rabbi Rossman

Daniel Schneider (’30) The transition from middle school to high school was a massive change in my life. Even though both stages of my education involve classes, homework, teachers, and friends, high school feels completely di erent to me. I have had to become much more responsible, work hard to make new friends, and start preparing myself for my future. At rst, the change was de nitely stressful, but it has also been an incredible

opportunity for me to grow and become far more independent. Another major part of my transition has been making new friends. Some of my peers went to high school with the same people they knew in middle school, but I have had to meet many new classmates. For instance, my friend Eli Aranov (‘26) dorms here all the way from Chicago and didn't know a single person when he Continued on next page.1

Volume 21, Issue 01

Continued

om previous page. constantly expected to explain rst arrived. Over time, I my ideas and truly think for watched him build connections myself. This can be frustrating not just within our own grade, when a class gets tough, but but with students from other I’ve learned how rewarding it is c l a s s e s a s w e l l . It c a n b e to struggle with a concept and, di cult to nd your place at through asking teachers for rst, especially when everyone help, or studying the concept seems to already have their own tight-knit groups. Ho w e v e r, h i g h school has given me a real chance to meet people who share my exact interests. I found that joining sports teams, clubs, and other activities is the easiest way to make friends and feel comfortable. This y e a r, I decided to dive in and join the Cooper Ma c s Rabbi Steinman's class on the rst day of school. b a s ke t b a l l t e a m , T h e Photo Credit: Rabbi Rossman Weekly, Model UN, and on my own, work through it on Math Kangaroo. a level I have never done before I've also found that my classes in middle school. are much more challenging. I This transition has also brought have more di cult subjects and me a lot of exciting freedom. I teachers who expect a lot more have so many more choices in f r o m m e . In s t e a d o f j u s t the classes I take and the memorizing information like I activities I choose to join. did in middle school, I am now

Trivia Corner AI Edition

What does "LLM" stand for in modern AI technology (such as ChatGPT)?

Beyond Basketball, Model UN, T h e We e k l y, a n d Ma t h Kangaroo, I can even choose to take Online Courses provided by Dr. Kennon, with even more opportunities opening up later in the year. But with that extra freedom comes greater responsibility. I h a v e t o m a ke smart decisions every day because my choices directly a ect my grades and my future opportunities. High school is the time where I am starting to think much more seriously about what I want to do after graduation. Overal l, mo ving from middle school to high school has been challenging, but it is an essential part of my journey of growing up. I am still adjusting to having more responsibility, tackling harder classes, meeting new people, and navigating this level of independence. It is completely normal to feel nervous at rst, but I am nding my way. For me, high school isn't just about earning good grades; it's also about learning how to handle c h a l l e n g e s , m a ke s m a r t decisions, and become the person I want to be.

Email asher.ryp@mhafyos.org with the answer!

CYHSB Weekly

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September 04, 2026

Where to Place Your NFL Bets Max Seigerman ('29) Before the start of the NFL season, I decided to make my own Win-Loss predictions for every NFL team, and focus on a few notable teams in the league. With that, here is what I have to say about some of these teams and a little reflection on some transactions made this o season. In a perfect world, any team would have an explosive o ense and a dominant defense capable of beating the 1984 Chicago Bears record number of sacks, that being 72. If anyone is going to do that this season, it will likely be the Los Angeles Rams, who might have just made the defensive part. Earlier this o season, the Rams traded Jared Verse to the Cleveland Browns for Defensive Player Of the Year, Myles Garrett, and if that wasn’t a brick wall enough, then Aaron Donald coming out of retirement turned the brick into steel. Another important team to talk about are the New York Giants. While I have them just below the Eagles, the skill they h a v e w h e n t h e i r r o s te r i s healthy could prove me wrong, and give Jaxson Dart the space to really prove himself. One of their main issues right now is health, which takes a pretty big toll on their top players, such as

Ma l i k Na b e r s a n d C a m Skattebo. They are a team that, even though they may not be contenders, are a group you should keep your eye on. Health isn’t only a main worry for New

Graphic Credit: Gemini

York right now, since Green Bay has a similar story. A lot of p e o p l e b e l i e v e t h a t Ca l e b Williams will lead the NFC No r t h , b u t w i t h a r o u g h schedule like they have, I don’t think that’s anywhere near

possible. But, it is very possible for the Packers, if they can get Josh Jacobs and Tucker Kraft back to 100%. Jordan Love is gearing up for the season, and for the best results one can only hope Jacobs and Kraft will be as well. Moving to the other division, you’ll nd a tight competition this year between the Broncos and a potential Chiefs team, if health lands in the right spot. I know many, including myself, don’t want to watch Kansas City get close to a Lombardi this year, or especially for 3 years in a row. But, I do want to see what is brewing up in Denver, since Bo Nix is back o of a devastating lastminute injur y, leading him to miss the conference finals. Showing o some nice receiver depth, they could be looking to nd themselves back at the conference nals to retry their failed attempt. Up north, in the land of folding-table smashers, lies a brand new stadium for the Bills, and in that stadium is a Superbowl hungry Josh Allen. Being the epitome of so close, yet so far, he has reached the playo s 7 out of his 8 current seasons, and I think this could be the year he takes it a step further. The Bills went Co n t i n u e d o n n e x t p a g e 3

CYHSB Weekly

Volume 21, Issue 01

September 04, 2026

Volume 21, Issue 01

AI: A Blessing or a Curse?

The Case For AI

Benjamin Sukhodolsky (’30) I don't believe that there should be strict guardrails on AI for three main reasons: Free speech, innovation, and the race with China. First o , if we wanted to put so many guardrails on AI, it would be a violation of the rst amendment, which is de nitely not ok. To me, the constitution is the most important thing and putting guardrails on AI is restricting free speech, which is the most important law that we have in this country. I also do not believe that AI will "take over" because it is impossible for them to have a consciousness, and, therefore, is not able to make decisions on its own or "want more power." Another important point is innovation; because, think of all the good AI can Continued

Lastly, we all know that China will probably not make any sort of deal to limit AI, s o , w e t o o m u s t ke e p advancing AI, or we will fall behind. And, of course, AI will be a huge military help in our ongoing cold war with China, it could be very useful with the Navy, Air force, Army, and of course with the team of computer specialists.

Finally, AI can already hugely help with coding, Kivi Cenker ('29) nding out how to make designing, and more, who an engaging weekly. knows what other crazy things Photo Credit: Ilan Lennon ('27) it could be able to do, if we factories can be taken up by put guardrails on it, we could A I . Wi t h A I a n d r o b o t s , be missing out on so much. simple farming work and the like can all be taken over and o of a lingering injury in a few parts of his leg and foot, which led him to miss 4 games and put up career lows stats. Supporting the o ense this year will once a gain be Derrick Henr y and a ver y e x p l o s i v e r e c e i v e r, Z a y Flowers. According to Vegas, the Ravens are favored to make this year's Superbowl,

and are very capable of it if they can step over the Bills. Overall, this season is looking very exciting, and these teams are a testament to that, with some ver y strong looking rosters.

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CYHSB Weekly

done much more e ciently, which means more food, cars, and more for much cheaper labor and a much cheaper price.

om previous page.

and grabbed DJ Moore from Chicago to give Allen more material, and from what I’ve seen during the preseason, it looks pretty good. The Bills worked on some defensive upgrades, and overall are a very exciting team going into the season. Not far behind are the Ravens with a fully healthy Lamar Jackson, who returned

b r i n g . Fo r o n e , A I w i l l revolutionize the medical industry, it can help create new medications, help detect viruses, and so much more. Secondl y, al l farming and

Volume 21, Issue 01

September 04, 2026

AI: A Blessing or a Curse? The Case Against AI Amitai Horowitz ('30)

AI is a dangerous but u s e f u l to o l t h a t , w i t h o u t regulation, could end the world. No, seriously. Right now, the two AI superpowers, the US and China, are locked in a furious AI race, much like the Space Race of the 60’s. In their r ush to win the Race, companies from both countries are taking dangerous measures to beat the other, sacri cing safety for speed. The AI Futures Project gathered the leading minds in AI and machine learning, and they wrote a scienti cally informed scenario of the next 5 or so years, detailing what will happen to us with the advancement of AI, or Arti cial General Intelligence (AGI). As AI agents in this scenario advance, they begin to be able to code better versions of themselves. This could lead to them becoming “misaligned”, not doing what their creators want them to do or aligned to human goals. As the pace of progress is blistering, the developers can’t spot anything to alert them to the fact that their AI has gone rogue. Here the scenario splits into two endings – one where world leaders gather for a

Photo Credit: Ilan Lennon

conference and decide to “slow down” the race, and another ending where they continue recklessly barreling into the future with no guardrails for AI. In t h e “ s l o w d o w n” ending, companies agree to m o n i t o r a l l t h e A I ’s communications to make sure it is aligned. The intelligence of the AI drops for a time, but eventually this scenario ends with humans colonizing the solar system and beyond with the help of friendly AI agents. On the other hand, in the “race” ending, the misaligned AI grows more and more

intelligent, and needs more and more space for data centers to fuel itself. According to the simulation, in mid-2030, the AI will quietly release a bioweapon into the horizon and kill every human. In conclusion, if we don’t slow down the AI race with China, we’re cooked. Evidence has proven that AI will become misaligned and might go so far as to kill us in the end. So here’s the question: what’s worse; losing the AI Race, or everyone dying?

CYHSB Weekly

Kivi Cenker ('29) and Ilan Lennon ('27) continue the AI debate

Volume 21, Issue 01

Dvar Torah: Stand Up and Start Joshua Westreich ('28) In this week’s parsha we read: “Atem nitzavim hayom kulchem lifnei Hashem Elokeichem” — “You are standing today, all of you, before Hashem your G-d.” The word “nitzavim,” which generally means to stand straight, means more than standing still, in place. It means standing rm. Torah is teaching that a person has to place himself before Hashem with his whole self, not halfway and not only on the outside. The word hayom, “today,” is bigger than one gathering. Hayom is Rosh

Hashanah. The Rebbe of Peshischa explains that this standing never really stops. Every day, when a person wakes up and says “Modeh Ani,” he is placing himself before Hashem. That rst moment of the day is also nitzavim. Everyone, from the princes, to the barbers, to a child, can each stand in a way that is holy and start their day as such. The parsha says something similar in regards to teshuva, repentance, “lo bashamayim hi”— “it is not in the heavens.” A person should not wait for G-d to initiate, or

for the the perfect time to repent. It should start immediately. That is also why we begin the Selichot prior to the Aseret Yemei Teshuva, the ten days of repentance, immediately after Shabbat. By starting at the beginning of the week, and no later, we don’t delay our repentance. Immediate action ultimately e ects immediate change. So the avodah of Elul is simple: don’t hesitate to stand before Hashem with you whole self.

Cooper Clicks Top Right: Rabbi Mittel inspects his ngernails while the class tries to learn. Middle Right: Rabbi Sa er teaching Gemara. Bottom Right: Omer Zalman holding up his lunch. Bottom Le : Rabbi Gersten catches a bug midair. Photos: Aiden Cenker ('29)

CYHSB Weekly

September 04, 2026

Volume 21, Issue 01

September 04, 2026

Tuning Into CYHSB Zev Valeriano (‘28) Music has been around for over forty thousand years and since then, there has been a large variety of music g e n r e s . Depending on the person, they c a n l i ke a n d dislike speci c genres which makes asking the classic question “What ty pe of music do you listen to?” a great conversation starter to understand the ty pe of person someone is and to gure out their personality. The CYHSB does not have a lot of kids but it does have

a lot of personality. Personalities can range from very basic to super unique. A way to

understand the di erent types of personalities is to nd out the di erent types of genres of music the students of the CYHSB

listen to. There was a survey asking the student body for their top three most listened to or favorite music g e n r e s . At the end of the sur vey time frame, the results showed a g o o d amount of common genres and genres that lean more towards the unique side. The top three most popular genres were pop, rap, and the most listened to genre of the three most popular genres was rock.

Activity Piece

CYHSB Weekly

Chargers

Browns

Steelers

Jaguars

Chiefs

Colts

Patriots

Titans

Broncos

Raiders

Ravens

Jets

Dolphins

Bengals

Bills

September 04, 2026

Volume 21, Issue 01

To sponsor an issue and lend support to the next installment of your favorite Jewish newspaper for only $25, please reach out to Ilan.Lennon@mhafyos.org CYHSB Weekly Staff

Editor in Chief Ilan Lennon ('27) Co-Editors | Ilan.lennon@mhafyos.org in Chief Ra Davidovics ('26) | Rafael.Davidovics@mhafyos.org Akiva Levine ('26) | Akiva.Levine@mhafyos.org Associate Editor-in-Chief Zacharia Levine('29) Head |of Zacharia.Levine@mhafyos.org Torah Affairs Chaggai Yorav ('28) | Haggai.Yorav@mhafyos.org Layout Editors Kivi CenkerAssociate ('29) | Akiva.Cenker@mhafyos.org Editor-in-Chief Matticus Ilan Ardestani Lennon ('29) ('27) | Matthew.Ardestani@mhafyos.org Ilan.Lennon@mhafyos.org

Between the kickoff of the NFL

Layout News Editors Editor Avigdor Yakir Zweihorn Rovner ('27) ('28) | Yakir.Rovner@mhafyos.org Avigdor.Zweihorn@mhafyos.org

reminds us that they aren't all

Entertainment News Editors Editor Yakir Asher Rovner Ryp ('30) ('28) | Yakir.Rovner@mhafyos.org Asher.Ryp@mhafyos.org

In this issue you will nd an honest look at the freshman experience, a heated debate about AI use, predictions for your next run to Las Vegas, and an uplifting Dvar Torah as we enter into the Jewish New Year. As school starts back up we remember that while the beginnings are sometimes rocky, we know The Weekly is always there to ground us. Welcome to our new freshmen, and enjoy!

Entertainment Production Manager Editor Gordon Omer Zalman Chaifetz ('27) | Gordon.Chaifetz@mhafyos.org | Omer.Zalman@mhafyos.org Photography Director Daniel AidenKahane Cenker ('27) ('29) | Aiden.Cenker@mhafyos.org Daniel.Kahane@mhafyos.org Dotan Weiss ('27) | Dotan.Weiss@mhafyos.org Sports Analyst Max Seigerman CYHSB ('29) | Max.Seigerman@mhafyos.org Weekly Staff Jack Ardestani (’27) | Jack.Ardestani@mhafyos.org CYHSB Weekly Staff Davi Baum ('27) | David.Baum@mhafyos.org Jack Ardestani (’27) | Jack.Ardestani@mhafyos.org Gordon Chaifetz (’27) | Gordon.Chaifetz@mhafyos.org Benjamin Sukhodolsky (’30) | Benjamin.Sukhodolsky@mhafyos.org Benny Freiden (’26) | Benjamin.Freiden@mhafyos.org Zev Valeriano (’28) | Julian.Valeriano@mhafyos.org Jack Kampf (’26) | Jack.Kampf@mhafyos.org Jonah Siegel ('27) | Jonah.Siegel@mhafyos.org Zacharia Levine ('29) | Zacharia.Levine@mhafyos.org Daniel Schneider ('30) | Daniel.Schneider@mhafyos.org Gavi Lichter (’27) | Gavriel.Lichter@mhafyos.org Amitai Horowitz (’30) | Amitai.Horowitz@mhafyos.org Jonah Siegel ('27) | Jonah.Siegel@mhafyos.org Joshua Westreich ('28) | Joshua.Westreich@mhafyos.org Benjy Schubert ('29) | Benjamin.Schubert@mhafyos.org Elisha Zweihorn ('30) | Elisha.Zweihorn@mhafyos.org Tzvi Steiner (’26) | Tzvi.Steiner@mhafyos.org Faculty Advisor Zev Valeriano ('28) | Zev.Valeriano@mhafyos.org Mrs. Ashley Brown Administrative Advisors Mrs. Ashley Brown Rabbi Dov Rossman

season, the start of a new school year, and the arrival of Rosh Hashana, fresh starts are everywhere. While beginnings can feel intimidating, Freshman Dani Schnieder ('30) that bad.

Editor-in-Chief

CYHSB Weekly

Message from the Editor: