The Official Newspaper of the Cooper Yeshiva High School for Boys
Volume 19, Issue 10
Trivia Corner: Country
Page 2
Macs Basketball Team at the Tanzman Tournament
Page 3
Cooper Yeshiva Football League: Predicting the Season
Page 4
Thou Shall Not Covet: Jealousy and Contentment
Page 6
Cooper Clicks: Rabbi
Safier Class
Page 7
To sponsor an issue and lend support to the next installment of the CYHSB Weekly, please reach out to Nadav.Lowell@mhafyos.org issuu.com/mrsashleybrown
The YUNMUN team prepares for the competition.
Photo: Mrs. Tsuna @cyhsb_weekly
Students Prepare for Yeshiva University Model UN Competition
Amit Zalman (’26)
Every year, our school is privileged to participate in the Yeshiva University Model United Nations (YUNMUN), an event that brings together students from across the country to engage in high-level diplomatic debates. With the competition fast approaching this coming February 23-25, our team has been diligently preparing to make a strong impression and bring home awards.
Starting in November, our team of dedicated students has been putting in significant effort to sharpen their debate skills, practicing mock debate sessions, and refining their ability to draft resolutions. This year’s boys’ team consists of Amit Zalman, Akiva Levine (’26), Jojo Ardestani (’25), Raanan Vanderwalde (’25), Nadav Lowell (’25), Ethan Vanderwalde (’25), and our newest member, Cont’d on next page.
Cont’d fom previous page. Ilan Lennon (’27). The seniors on the team have taken on the role of captain-mentors, ensuring that younger members receive guidance and support to succeed in their respective committees.
Raanan Vanderwalde, a seasoned member and cocaptain of the team, shared his perspective on the team’s collective growth: “Everybody on the team has something to contribute to our collective success. Whether that's a captain giving advice, returning students sharing their experiences, or new students bringing their fresh perspectives, together we help each other put in maximum effort.”
As passionate members of the team, we have devoted several hours each week to memorizing the order of procedures and familiarizing myself with the structure of both working papers and resolutions. With the guidance of the captains and experienced members, we are honing our skills to be as prepared as possible for the upcoming conference. Newcomer Ilan Lennon expressed his appreciation for the team’s
Trivia
Corner
Country Edition
supportive environment: “Being a new member of the Model UN team can often be stressful; however, our captains and other experienced members support and guide the team to being successful.”
This year, we have been assigned to represent Indonesia and Germany, with each student selecting one country to represent in their respective committees. Delegates will strategize alliances, negotiate with other delegates, and navigate complex geopolitical challenges.
A mix of nations, YUNMUN alows our students to understand foreign nations such as Indonesia and Germany. Image: Nadav Lowel (’25)
doesn’t test confidence at tryouts; it builds it. By the end, even the quietest voices speak with the strongest of wills.”
Nadav Lowell, reflecting on his two years of leadership, interestingly emphasized the developmental aspect of YUNMUN: “YUNMUN is more than a competition it’s a sport of growth. YUNMUN
What country’s national anthem has no official lyrics and is known in English as ‘The Royal March’?
First one to email Yitzy.Ryp@mhafyos.org gets a shout out in the next issue!
Part of our preparation includes identifying which countries we can collaborate with and which may pose diplomatic challenges. Understanding these dynamics is essential to crafting strong arguments and positioning our delegation for success.
As the conference approaches, our team remains focused and determined. With countless hours of preparation behind us and a commitment to excellence, we are ready to take on YUNMUN 2025 with confidence and skill. Stay tuned for updates on our experience and achievements at the event!
Macs Basketball Team at the Tanzman Tournament
Benny Freiden (’26) & Jack Kampf (’26)
The Cooper Macs traveled to Detroit, Michigan, for the Tanzman Tournament this past weekend. There were six teams in the competition: Ohr Chaim from Toronto, Cooper from Memphis, Farber from Detroit, CTA from Columbus, FUCHs Mizrachi from Cleveland, and DAT from Denver. The first day began at 3 a.m, with a three-hour drive to Nashville. We davened shacharis at Sherith Israel in Nashville, then headed to the airport. We arrived in Detroit after a busy day of traveling and went straight to a restaurant called Kravings. From there, we played our first game of the tournament. We were taking on the Farber Fire and wanted to beat them to start the tournament off strong. Unfortunately, we couldn’t
only trailed by eleven at halftime, but our exhaustion got the best of us, and we fell short in game one. The next day, we played in the early game against CTA. We played our best game of the tournament in a blowout win over CTA. We then went home to get ready for shabbos. Shabbos meals and davening were held at the Young Israel of Oak Park, and it was a beautiful shabbos. They had a rule that only three kids per team could sit at a table, allowing us to make new friends and connections from different
the whole parsha, and Ethan Vanderwalde (’25) led mincha. We played in the first game slot Saturday night in a muchanticipated matchup against Ohr Chaim. Nathan Greenbaum (MHA ’21), who formerly attended the CYHSB, now plays on Ohr Chaim, and we knew it would be a fun game. We were neck- to-neck for the most part, and we were even winning for most of the second half. With two minutes left and us down by two, Nathan fired a three to put Ohr Chaim up by five and secure a win for Ohr Chaim. It was a bittersweet moment. The next day, we would play in a rematch with Ohr Chaim in the thirdplace match. It was a great scoring game for us, but the Macs were out of steam and ultimately fell short. We are so thankful to our coaches, Kobi Pinto and David Winestone, as well as the entire Detroit community for hosting a fantastic event.
The Macs go in for a huddle. Photo: JJ Stein (’25)
The team reunites with former Maccabee Nathan Greenbaum (MHA ’21)
Photo: JJ Stein (’25)
Cooper Yeshiva Football League: Predicting the Season
Ethan VanderWalde (’25)
Fans young and old have been waiting for this moment since the start of this school year. Many hours have been spent wondering who will emerge victorious this season, and what will the teams look like? Well, I can tell you that the wait is finally over. The Cooper Yeshiva Football League (CYFL) is back in full swing as it enters its fourth week, and the competition is better than ever. This year there are five teams competing, allowing for two games a week, with one team on a bye. In this article I will introduce each team, analyze their strengths and weaknesses, and ultimately predict who will have the honor of being this year’s CYFL champions.
The first team I will look at is Wanan’s Goats. With veteran captain and CYFL commissioner Raanan VanderWalde (’25) at their head, Wanan’s Goats are sure to have a more organized and steady style of play. Star quarterback Gavi Lichter (’27) will find plenty of options with wide receivers Yehuda (’27) and Dotan Weiss (’27) (not brothers), and they can employ plenty of play-action sets with Yakir Rovner (’28) as running back. On defense, a combination of quick flaggrabbing and aggressiveness will work in their favor. However, while this team has an abundance of skill and passion,
they are on the slower end, and might have some trouble catching up to faster teams.
The Goldkids are led by captain Rafi Goldkin (’25), who has never lost a game of CYFL in all four seasons he’s played. Will this year be the downfall of his streak? Probably not. Rafi is joined by quarterback Benny Frieden ( ’26 ) and wide receiver Ra fi Davidovics ( ’26 ) , both of whom have played and succeeded in CYFL for the past three years. They also have experienced players Jojo Ardestani ( ’25 ) and Yitzy Ryp (’25) on the team. This makes them the oldest and most experienced team in the CYFL. Goldkin and Frieden can switch off in the roles of quarterback and wide receiver, and Goldkin’s explosive running speed and quick thinking is a major challenge for every team they play. Out of any other team, this one has the best chance of winning the championship, and
Flinkenstein (’25) moonwalks on air while Rafi Goldkin (’25) goes in for a hug.
Photo: JJ Stein (’25)
might even win every game along the way.
Lowell’s Lightning, captained by Nadav Lowell (’25), is a dynamic and aggressive team. They have strategic playmaker Jonah Siegel (’27) as their quarterback, as well as wide receiver Ilan Lennon (’27), who is a force to be reckoned with on both offense and defense. Baruch Finkelman (’25) and Avigdor
Gedaliah
Zweihorn (’27) fill out the roster as good pass options, and are reliable flag -grabbers on defense. This team has a lot of potential as a defensive/ defensive force, but will need to prove themselves in the game, and until then I would rank them below other teams.
Flink’s Flamingos have a stacked roster this year, complete with captain and prowide receiver Gedaliah Flinkenstein (’25), quarterback Eli Weisfogel (’27), and shifty playmaker Daniel Kahane (’27).
They also have Eitan Braverman (’28) and Chaggai Yorav (’28) to assist with offensive and defensive plays. Flink’s Flamingos are a top contender in this year’s CYFL, and although they had a lackluster start to the season–with an 0-2 record–I wouldn’t count them out just yet.
The last team, Vandy’s Venom, is the breakout team of the year, with a startling 2-0 record. This team is led by myself and CYFL 1st-pick wide receiver Jack Kampf (’26).
Quarterback Tzvi Bleier (’27) leads the league in touchdown passes, generating videos that have gone viral in the CYFL community. Accompanied by skilled receiver Akiva Levine (’26), and tight end Jack Ardestani (’27), this team has an amazing dynamic both on and off the field. Vandy’s Venom has been making waves in the league with their incredible playmaking abilities, and if any team has the chance to compete with the Goldkids, it’s this one.
Lowel ’s Lightning huddles up to secure the win in the second half.
Photo: JJ Stein (’25)
Ethan’s Rankings (% chance of winning Championship):
Thou Shall Not Covet: Jealousy and Contentment
Rafi Goldkin (’25)
When a lot of people read the commandment in Parshas Yisro not to be jealous of your friends and not to want what they have, a shock comes over us. How am I supposed to control what I am feeling? The Ibn Ezra acknowledges this and provides us with a parable.
Imagine a destitute man who lives o ff of the trash in his small village. One day, he sees the beautiful prince and princess passing by in their elegant carriage. Now surely, this peasant will not be jealous of the prince because he realizes that there is never a chance in the world a man like him could be with the princess.
The Gemara in Beitzah teaches us that a person's income is set for him on Rosh
One must consider the balance between contentment and jealousy. Image: ChatGPT
So too, says the Ibn Ezra, Hashem portions each person with their own belongings, each carefully measured. If a person accustoms himself to feeling that it is not rational to have what your friend has, then he will never be jealous. Hashem measures out what belongs to us exactly, and what belongs to our friends should never come into our property because it's not for us. As the Mishnah in Avos tells us, “Who is rich? One that is happy with his lot.”
Hashanah. Whatever we deserve to make this year and whatever we will be able to afford is decreed by Hashem. Therefore, trying to take from your friend is not going to help because if Hashem wants you to have the same, it will come to you without trickery. The Rambam, however, writes that just being jealous of your friend is not violating this transgression, but rather pressuring your friend into selling you something that he
did not want to sell is transgressing this violation. The Aruch Hashulchan explains that being jealous of a Torah scholar's knowledge is not violating this transgression and is actually something that can help you grow yourself. Rashi tells us that the verse “Don’t stray after your heart and after your eyes” is telling us that when we put our eyes on something, on somebody else's stuff, our heart begins to want it, and then our body acts and performs the transgression, i.e., of taking other people’s property. There were once two merchants that lived in a small village together. Each merchant sold the same produce and ran the same business. However, one of their businesses profited while the other deteriorated. Over time, the poor merchant became jealous of the affluent merchant. He decided that he would consult the town's Rav. The next day, he traveled to the Rav’s small house on the outskirts of the town and presented him with the question, “Why is it fair that I make nothing while the other merchant is so successful?”
The Rav handed the poor man a mirror and told him to stand beside the window. “What do you see when you look in the mirror?” asked the Rav. “Myself,” answered the merchant. “And what do you see when you look through the window?” “The trees and the
sky,” answered the merchant. The Rav went on, “They are both made of glass, but when you put silver behind the glass, it blinds you to the good outside and makes you only focus on yourself.” So too, we sometimes cover up our windows with silver so that it is
Cooper Clicks
Edition
impossible to be happy for other people. Instead, the silver makes us only see ourselves. Let us try this Shabbos to remove the silver and rejoice in other people's accomplishments as well.
Top Right: Benny Freiden (’26) sleeping off a tosfot.
Top Left: Rafi Goldkin (’25) forgot to chazer last night.
Bottom: Jack Kampf (’26) found a Ran (Talmudic Commentary).
As we enjoy the next issue of the CYHSB Weekly, it would be impossible to ignore the energy coursing through our school. From the YUNMUN team enhancing their diplomatic strategies to the MAC’s duking it out at Tanzman or the CYFL season heating up to full swing, this issue delves into the dedication and spirit of our student body and their wide range of extracurricular endeavors. Similarly to the spirit of competition in the Weekly, the dvar explores the balance between jealousy and contentment we learn from this the middot of not just hard work and accomplishment but also personal growth along the way. Our students will take this to heart, on and off the court, in the weeks to come.
