The Official Newspaper of the Cooper Yeshiva High School for Boys
Volume 19, Issue 1
Middle to High School: A Freshman's Perspective
Page 3
Fantasy Football Predictions for the CYHSB Season
Page 4
ASBEE BBQ: A Delicious Return to Memphis Tradition
Page 5
The Story of Solika Hachuel
Page 6
Cooper Clicks
Page 7
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various regions across America while participating in Bnei Akiva's Mach Hach Baaretz with 450 other kids, we were split into 11 buses, each carrying 40 to 50 participants. We went to Hostage Square and were spoken to by a woman whose husband
familiar faces.
Upon arrival in Israel, the entire Mach Hach program went straight to the Kotel. Everyone was thrilled to be there, cheering, singing, and dancing. We spent our first Shabbos in Jerusalem. Cont'd on next page.
The boys on machhach on a water hike. Photo By: Benny Freiden
Cont'd fom previous page. This was where our buses first came together and started to meet each other. For every Shabbos, we would go to a scenic location right before sunset and sing Zemirot. We sang with the view of the Kotel in the background. This was the highlight of my week and I eagerly anticipated it every Shabbos
The following week, we started in Haifa, where we went on hikes and kayaked. After a few nights, we drove to Eilat but stopped in the middle to stay in the Bedouin tents. We got to ride the camels and enjoyed a cool night in the desert. We woke up at 4 am the next day to hike the Masada. It was a long hike but also inspiring as we davened on the top. We then began the long trip to Eilat but stopped at an army base on the way. We heard soldiers talk about their experiences during the war, and they also taught us some Krav Maga. We finally reached Eilat, where we stayed for 3 nights. We went snorkeling and boating and had a scavenger hunt by the beach walk. We also did another 4 am hike at Har Tzfachot. Fun fact: you can see Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia from the summit. We then traveled back north and spent Shabbos in Mitzpe Ramon. This Shabbos was calm and meaningful. We then went north to Tiverya, where we had a boat ride and visited Rabbi Akiva's grave.
We also went to Kfar Kedem, where we rode donkeys, and Aqua Kef, a water activity in the Dead Sea. We then returned to Jerusalem for Shabbat Mach Hach, a Shabbat with the whole program. On Thursday night, we had a surprise Ishay Ribo concert. Shabbos was fun and crazy and went by extremely fast. The
slow shira with the whole camp. We were in Jerusalem the whole week and had the chance to go to the Kotel tunnels and a mud cave. This Shabbos was an off-Shabbos, and I visited my greatgrandmother in Jerusalem and stayed at my friend's house, in Ra'anana. This was the first Shabbat where I felt like a part of the Israeli community, even though Ra'anana is very American. Next was adventure week - a week with different options on how you cna explore different aspects of Israel. There were options for the army, chesed, culture, sports, and Yam L'Yam. I chose the culture option, in which we ate a lot of food, went on many different tours, and enjoyed numerous museums. We then went back to our bus for our last Shabbos in
Shabbos, we had our final slow shira. We went to Ir David, enjoyed in a water tunnel, had a big feast, and then headed home.
Many of my fellow juniors also had an amazing experience as well. Akiva Levine, who attended NCSY Euro, said, “Euro was meaningful and an extremely fun experience. It allowed me to create meaningful relationships with individuals and gave me an incredible experience to tour four European countries and experience our Jewish homeland."
Jack Kampf, who attended NCSY Kollel, said, “Kollel has the perfect combination of serious learning, amazing sports, and awesome trips. Best. Summer. Ever.” Jack is right, going to Israel this past summer was truly my best summer ever.
Benny Freiden and Adam Leher, a student from frisch in teaneck NJ, riding a camel at the bedouin tents. Photo By: Benny Freiden
Middle to High School: A Freshman's Perspective
Yakir Rovner (’28)
I joined the CYHSB as a freshman on August 20, along with three other boys. On the very first day, many of the older boys approached me, telling me how excited I should be to be joining them in this amazing yeshiva. However, once we got into the actual school part and had class after class, I came to realize that (Hot Take Alert), while high school does offer a lot of new opportunities and difficult challenges, it really is not that much different from middle school. There’s about the same amount of work, although it is a little bit more difficult. Teachers aren’t really any stricter; in fact, if anything, they might even be more relaxed, perhaps because they expect that we can be more independent now that we are older. Everything is still blocked on our computers, and we can’t have our phones in school. A few of the big differences that I’ve noticed are that we are in a new, different hallway, which is a lot smaller than the ones we had previously. We have to change which room we are in depending on which subject we are learning. Our classes have also been lengthened by at least fifteen minutes each, which means we need to have a longer attention span. We don’t have a uniform anymore, just a strict dress code requiring us to wear a collared shirt and dress pants. One my fellow freshman said, “High school is way more chill than middle school; it’s just better.” I do happen to agree with this to some extent. While the longer class times can be draining, many of the teachers have given us short
breaks in the middle of their classes due to their length, which is much appreciated and definitely helped make the transition into our much longer classes easier. We have also been introduced to many new subjects in high school, including Chemistry, Geometry, and the Beit Midrash Program, along with new teachers to teach them. Many of the classes introduce concepts that are much more difficult for us freshmen to understand than what has been taught to us in previous years, which allows us to learn a lot more, much faster, and improve our skills for critical thinking. These classes aren’t just about memorizing the facts we are being taught anymore; they make us really understand what we are learning on a much deeper level and be able to apply it in real-life situations. The classes in high school are also mixed between grades. And split into honors and regular classes, which allows us to
form much larger social circles that span through the entire school with people we can have same-level conversations with instead of just through our small grade like it was in middle school. Just this past week, the high school held their Student Council elections, in which two of the freshmen ran, including myself, as I ran for the position of freshman representative, and Eitan Braverman, was in the running for school photographer. We made campaign videos and hung posters up all over the walls (with blue painter's tape only, of course). Even though it is still very early in the year, I have already noticed many differences along with many similarities between the high school I just entered and the middle school I just left, and I am very excited to continue through the year discovering more differences between high school and middle school.
First mishmar of the year led by Rabbi Gelb and Rabbi Nissan! Photo
By: JJ Stein
Fantasy Football Predictions for the CYHSB Season
Gavi Lichter (’26)
The most exciting part of the football season, fantasy football, is starting again at the CYHSB. For those who do not know, fantasy football is when a group of friends gather together and draft the best of the best from the NFL. This year, 12 Cooper Yeshiva students drafted teams. Here are my predictions for who will make and win the playoffs.
The #1 seed will be Kampf’s Kickers, highlighted by Tyreek Hill, Cooper Kupp, and Rachaad White, who all have the upside to finish #1 overall at their respective positions.
The #2 seed will be Tzvi’s Touchdowns, whose team is loaded with talent all around, including Lamar Jackson, the MVP, Puka Nacua, the Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Ceedee Lamb, who is arguably the best wide receiver in the league.
The #3 seed will be Raanan’s Goats, complemented by possibly the best bench in the league, Patrick Mahomes, and Garrett Wilson, who is destined for a breakout year.
The #4 seed will be Lichter’s Linebackers, emphasized by Amon-Ra St. Brown, who was the most consistent player last year Anthony Richardson, who, before getting injured last year, was putting up numbers that would
have made him the QB2 overall in fantasy football.
At the #5 seed it’s Freiden’s Field-Goals. Last year, Freiden was the runner-up in the championship game. His team includes Kyler Murray and Justin Jefferson.
The #6 seed is Yosef’s Kings; his team has a stacked RB duo: Jonathan Taylor, who was the overall RB1 just a couple of years back, and Derrick Henry (the King), who has had RB1 upside for his entire career and is now on a powerhouse Ravens team. He also has proven superstar QB Josh Allen.
The #7 seed is Dotan’s Deep Ball. This team has the undisputed #1 player, Christian McCaff rey, and he also has a fantastic young tight end, Trey McBride. My only concern with this team is injuries, considering how hard it is to get a good bench.
The #8 and final team squeezing into the playoffs is Flink’s First Downs. This team is highlighted by AJ Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, and one of my favorite players to watch: CJ Stroud. Although this team doesn’t have great depth, I see their potential for a sneaky comeback.
For those of you who would like to make a fantasy football team but do not know what to do, these are my two favorite
strategies to use when drafting. First off, Hero RB. A lot of people who play have heard of Zero RB, which is when you wait to draft a running back until later rounds. But Hero RB is taking a running back in the first round and then waiting on your RB2 until later rounds. This allows you to get better value in quarterbacks and wide receivers while not having any weak spots in your team. Second, mobile QBs. Taking a quarterback who runs the ball is simply a cheat code. For those who do not know, passing yards and passing touchdowns are worth less than receiving or rushing yards and touchdowns. This is just to make quarterbacks and other position players be on the same plane. When a QB gets rushing yards or touchdowns, they are worth more points than a normal passing touchdown. To put it in perspective, a fifty-yard passing touchdown is six points in most leagues, while a rushing touchdown just by itself is six points. These are the main things to think about while drafting.
To sum up, fantasy football is a fun and exciting way to get into football and have a good time with friends and family. I look forward to watching how our school league plays out.
ASBEE BBQ: A Delicious Return to Memphis Tradition
Jack Ardestani (’27)
The Memphis Jewish community offers many different events throughout the year, but none is more exciting than the ASBEE BBQ. This event had not been held since 2019 due to Covid-19 but made its comeback this year. Most of what makes this event so special was brought back, with the added change of it being held at Baron Hirsch for the first time ever. The main part of the event is a BBQ competition where different teams compete in the categories of brisket, ribs, beans, and chicken wings. There is also a competition for the best team name and best booth setup. Judges included some famous local people, such as former mayor Jim Strickland, as well as some professional food judges. Aside from the BBQ contest, there were also other events, such as a 3 on-3 basketball tournament, rides and face painting for kids, and a selection of food for the whole family. The basketball tournament was open to all competitors who formed teams with their friends; children, teenagers, and even adults all competed in this event. It was a great way to bond and have fun playing sports. There was also the pickle-eating competition, where you could watch to see who could eat a pickle the fastest. There were two groups: people 15 and over, and 15 and under. It was so much fun, and there was even a pickle-off (tie breaker) in the 15 and over group!
event that is open to all chefs from any state who would like to compete! This year, there were teams from Chicago all the way to Florida, as well as teams outside of the Jewish community. The teams vary widely, from professional competitive pitmasters to families and organizations from within our community who want to have a good time and bond with family, friends, and classmates.
I had the opportunity to be part of my family’s team, which we
preparing our fires and getting our ingredients together. Once the smokers got to the right temperature, we placed our brisket and ribs inside and put in temperature probes to monitor how quickly the food was cooking. We had to stay all night to keep the fire going and keep the meat at just the right temperature. We barely took any breaks on Sunday morning; aside from davening, we watched the brisket and began to cook the ribs (since this was our first time participating in the barbecue, we did not enter all of the competitions). We had to have everything done by the judging times, which were between 11 AM and 1 PM on Sunday.
Source: Jessica Baum
The BBQ festival is not just a community-wide event but also an
named “Meatallica.” Being on a team for the barbecue was hard work. On Thursday night, we selected our meat and prepped it to marinate. On Friday, we set up our booth and checked on the meat to make sure everything was ready. On motzei Shabbos, we went back to Baron Hirsch to begin cooking. Because some “low and slow” cooking methods take a long time, the cooking had to begin the night before the judging to be ready in time. At around 11 PM, we and other teams began
Some of the most fun that I had at the barbecue was going around and looking at all of the fferent booths and seeing what names and accessories they put up. Something else that was fun was when the booths had submitted their food to the judges, you could go around and try samples of all the food that was prepared. I did that while waiting for the judging to happen.
The Jewish Memphis Home won the Best Showmanship Award, winning 1st in both Best Booth and Best Team Name! The MHA won 1st in beans, and Bornblum won 1st in brisket. The overall grand champion was “Dead Meat,” the funeral home team. The local news station even came down and interviewed some of the teams! All in all, the ASBEE BBQ was a great way to really be involved in the community.
MHA wins three trophies at the ASBEE BBQ
The Story of Solika Hachuel
Rafi Goldkin (’25)
Rabbi Dovid Ozeri tells a remarkable story of mesirat nefesh (self- sacrifice). In 1492, during the Spanish Inquisition, many Jews sought refuge in Morocco, particularly in Fez, where they remained committed to their faith.
Fast forward to 1830, a Jewish family named Hachuel welcomed a daughter, Solika, who was known for her beauty and dedication to helping her Jewish community. One day, a high-ranking official noticed her and, captivated by her appearance, informed the Sultan. Upon seeing Solika, the Sultan desired to marry her. Despite knowing the consequences of refusing, Solika remained steadfast in her faith and declined the proposal.
The Beit Din of Fez intervened, suggesting that Solika could passively accept the marriage, likening her situation to that of Queen Esther, who married a non-Jew. Nevertheless, Solika refused, unwilling to compromise her religious beliefs. In response, the Sultan ordered her execution by having her dragged through the streets. Before her execution, Solika requested pins to secure her dress, ensuring her dignity would be maintained during the ordeal. Even when the pins came loose and the executioner paused, expecting her to relent, Solika's only request was for the pins to be fixed. She remained
Designed by: Omer Zalman
Chodesh Elul and the spiritual work of this month, we are reminded of the phrase "Ani L’dodi V’dodi Li" (I am for my beloved, and my beloved is for me), symbolizing our reciprocal relationship with Hashem. The gematria (numerical value) of "Elul" is the same as "binah" (understanding), emphasizing the deeper connection and purpose in our service to Hashem. The Mishnah in Avot teaches that when we nullify our will for Hashem’s, He fulfills our desires in return.
Each morning, we say Modeh Ani, thanking Hashem for returning our soul and trusting
such extreme sacrifice. Our challenge is to live each day with intention, using the gifts and abilities we have for the greater purpose we were created for.
A story is told of a veteran returning from war, who, despite losing his legs, expressed no regret. When consoled, he responded, “What purpose did my legs serve, if not to help others? That’s why G-d gave them to me.” Like the soldier, we should understand that our lives are meant to serve a higher purpose: dedication to ourselves and our community.
Another year, another start to the CYHSB Weekly. We want to thank all of our staff for joining us for another round of writing, publishing, and a bit of scrambling along the way. Our team plans to print every other week during the fi rst quarter of the school year, until everyone settles into their new positions, at which point we will resume our weekly printing schedule. Keep an eye on your inbox for our digital release copies, and check out our new and improved Instagram for daily content from the student body!
