NYHS 2023 Annual Report

WELCOME TO OUR 2023 ANNUAL REPORT

Dear NYHS family,

Welcome to our 2023 annual report. I’m Rabbi Yehuda Gabay, and I’m honored to join NYHS as the new Head of School to continue the vital work of my predecessors. My family and I are excited and grateful to be a part of Seattle’s Jewish community and the NYHS Family.

NYHS is dedicated to providing a comprehensive, enriching education that empowers students spiritually and academically, and guides them in developing the core values of Character, Community, and Courage. These 3 Cs (as they are affectionately known) are the bedrock of NYHS’s educational philosophy. They guide everything we do.

None of this would be possible without you, our valued donors. Your unwavering dedication and support make it possible for us to provide the rich dual curriculum education students deserve. Thanks to your ongoing support, we can invest in our exceptional faculty, enhance our academic programs, and continue our tireless efforts of transmitting our Torah values, love for Israel, and the communal responsibility to provide the resources necessary for our students to thrive.

With heartfelt appreciation,

Rabbi Yehuda Gabay Head of School

Dear NYHS family,

As a parent of both an NYHS student and graduate, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of an NYHS education. I am excited to serve as the new president of the NYHS Board of Directors.

The dedication and expertise of our faculty create an environment where students thrive academically and personally. The curriculum is thoughtfully designed to foster critical thinking, creativity, and a love for lifelong learning. Our school’s emphasis on character development and community ensures that our students excel academically and grow into compassionate, responsible individuals.

None of this would be possible without the support of our generous donors. Your contributions, both large and small, play a vital role in helping our school achieve its best. Donors enable us to enhance our programs, modernize our resources, and keep a Jewish high school education accessible to all. Your commitment to education and belief in our mission is a testament to the incredible partnership between NYHS and the community it serves.

Thank you for all that you do for our students,

Rachel Rosenfeld President NYHS Board of Directors

Rabbi Yehuda Gabay Head of School

NYHS Board of Directors President Rachel Rosenfeld with her son, Micha Rosenfeld (Class of 2023)

Education Through a Jewish Lens

Differentiated education, respectful discourse, and an emphasis on community and service are among the ways NYHS focuses high school through a Jewish lens.

LIKE EVERY HIGH SCHOOL, NYHS intersects with students at a crucial time in their lives — that vital transition from teenager to young adult. The increasing influence of teachers and peers is a hallmark of these years as students begin taking their first steps toward adulthood.

NYHS plays a critical role in this transition. We are the only accredited dual curriculum Jewish high school in the Pacific Northwest, and our focus is on the development, well-being, and personal growth of each student, not just their academic success.

Our high school experience is designed to engage teens intellectually, spiritually, experientially, socially, and emotionally, so they cultivate a strong sense of who they are as individuals and as an active part of a larger community. They graduate prepared to take the next steps along their unique journey with their Jewish identity and values as a guiding light.

Focusing the Jewish Lens

An education through a Jewish lens goes well beyond academic achievement. Jewish values and ethics are baked into both the Judaic and secular curricula. The focus isn’t what university or Israel gap year program a student gets into, but who this person will become.

“The voices of previous generations come alive in a Jewish classroom. The school is a link from the past to the present, and the students are our link to the future,” said Rabbi Samuel Klein, Director of Jewish Engagement at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, which supports tuition assistance at NYHS. “The apex of Jewish learning is where the teacher so nurtures a student’s curiosity that the student asks

AJA Spring Flag Football Classic | NYHS Flag Football Debuts | Atlanta, GA | March 2023

Class of 2022 Chesed trip New Orleans, LA | April, 2022s

Class of 2023 March of the Living | Poland & Israel | April 2023

Steve Glouberman Z”L Basketball Tournament | Los Angeles, CA November 2021

CIJE Innovation Day Conference | NYHS Wins Best Investment Award | Chicago, IL May 2023

questions the teacher hasn’t yet thought of.”

“The Jewish methodology of questioning and challenging helps create critical thinkers,” said Steve Kaufman, a long-time social studies teacher who retired in June 2023 after 30 years at NYHS. “Ultimately, education isn’t about grades. It’s about whether you can rise to the challenge. I think the combination of challenge and support NYHS gives to teenagers is fabulous, particularly at a time when they’re forming their identity.”

Small School. Broad Vistas.

Our modern Orthodox school on Mercer Island may be small, but we bring together students from a wide

variety of Jewish backgrounds and denominations and from different parts of the Greater Seattle area.

“NYHS plays a very important role in our community,” said alumni parent Melissa Rivkin, who is also Director of Day School Strategy at Samis, a charitable foundation dedicated to the continuity of the Jewish people. “We grow stronger when we come together with people who aren’t just like us. Students at NYHS learn how to build community on campus and that translates into what they do in college and beyond.”

Known as the little school that can, NYHS takes its small-school experience to the wider Jewish world. Students have had the opportunity to travel to Los Angeles to participate in basketball tournaments, and to Atlanta for a flag football tournament with teams from Jewish schools around the country. They also engage in community service projects that address topical needs. In 2022, for example, a group of NYHS seniors traveled to Romania to help care for Jewish orphans who were refugees from Odessa, Ukraine.

Activities that emphasize “learning beyond the bell” are key to the NYHS experience. Some opportunities illuminate possible paths forward from today’s studies to tomorrow’s vocations. Students participate in national STEM competitions and have traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in AIPAC and lobby their legislators.

Other opportunities help strengthen the links students have to their Jewish heritage and history. Seniors in the classes of 2019 and 2023 participated in March of the Living, an intensive two-week trip to Poland and Israel. They joined teens from more than 50 countries to learn about the Jewish community that once flourished in Europe, the tragedy of the Holocaust, and the State of Israel. The experience wasn’t available to seniors in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so NYHS provided other meaningful experiences that reflected our Jewish values.

“Being able to connect with people across the country and throughout the world through programs like these helps teens gain perspective on their lives at home and envision what their next steps could be,” said educator Jason Feld, whose tenure as NYHS Head of School concluded at the end of the 2023 school year.

Our focus is on the development, well-being, and personal growth of each student, not just their academic success.

NCSY Relief Trip NYHS Class of 2023 Help Ukrainian Orphan Refugees Neptun, Romania | May 2022

L’dor Va Dor

“Research shows that attending Jewish day school — particularly Jewish high school — is the strongest predictor of future involvement in the Jewish community,” said Connie Kanter, alumni parent and CEO of Samis. “It’s the best investment we can make in securing a Jewish tomorrow.”

Rabbi Klein notes two relationships are the primary carriers of a culture: one is the parent-child relationship; the other is the teacher-student relationship.

“Creating pathways to Jewish life is one of the Federation’s key objectives,” he said. “Supporting NYHS is one of the ways we help foster a community that has the confidence and the competence to ‘do Jewish’ at home.”

The benefits of having children in Jewish day school reverberate to the entire family. Schools like NYHS are intentional about building community beyond the classroom, and the calendar revolves around Jewish holidays, events, and activities.

Partners Make it Possible

NYHS is grateful for partners like Samis, the J-Z Greenberg Foundation, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, whose consistent, meaningful support helps underwrite the operating costs of the school.

“Jack Greenberg, Z”L, loved NYHS and felt that supporting students was his greatest investment,” said Louis Treiger, a trustee of the J-Z Greenberg Educational Foundation. “He saw the peril independent schools faced when relying too heavily on annual fundraising and tuition. The legacy of his gift is that NYHS faculty and administrators can spend more time developing academic and experiential programs for students and less time seeking support.”

In addition to providing funding for need-based tuition assistance, and professional development, special needs education and Israel trips, Samis recently introduced the Day School Affordability (DSA) Initiative. This program enables participating schools like NYHS to offer significant tuition relief for families who earn well above the typical threshold for financial aid.

“We want to remove tuition as a barrier to getting a great Jewish education so that every Jewish family can choose Jewish day school,” said Rivkin. “We’re already seeing a bump in enrollment citywide, and we hope it keeps growing. The more Jewish teens who get an NYHS education, the better our Jewish world will be.” ■

“Experiential learning lets students apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to the real world.”

Class of 2022 Chesed Trip in New Orleans

NYHS at the AJA Flag Football Classic

“Research shows that attending Jewish day school – particularly Jewish high school – is the strongest predictor of future involvement in the Jewish community. It’s the best investment we can make in securing a Jewish tomorrow.”

— Connie Kanter, CEO, Samis

Yom Ha’atzmaut

Taking Courage, Character, and Community Beyond the Bell

Experiences outside the classroom give students the opportunity to integrate the intellectual into the everyday — and vice versa.

ROBUST AND ENRICHING activities are nothing new in the world of Modern Orthodox Jewish high schools. But how these experiences reinforce what is learned in the classroom is part of what makes NYHS unique. This “Beyond the Bell” approach enriches our students’ lives, strengthens our

learning community, and has a ripple effect across our larger Seattle Jewish community.

Beyond the Bell thinking was on full display one afternoon in October 2022 as a story unfolded at a local kosher eatery before the eyes of two NYHS students who happened to be reporters for The Mane Idea , the NYHS online

https://nyhsmaneidea.com

student newspaper. The students were working on homework over pizza when a Mashgiach (a kashrut supervisor) for the organization that provided the restaurant’s kashrut supervision declared that the food was not kosher and the restaurant was closed. The students jumped on the scoop and quickly contacted their advisor for help on how to best

report this dramatic, but sensitive, developing story.

“Their journalistic instincts really impressed me. Teenagers have a lot on their minds, yet these two reporters noticed the importance of the situation,” recalls Emily Alhadeff, The Mane Idea advisor.

Their ability to recognize the implications of what was happening, and the skills they used to report it, showcased what they were learning in their journalism elective class.

“Breaking this story was especially exciting for the students because Mercer Island is one of their beats,” explained Alhadeff. “Though initially it was hard to find a source who would go on the record, Hanna Klinghoffer’s (Class of 2024) persistence paid off. The restaurant went on the record, and the community got the facts.”

This situation was an example of how NYHS’ core values of Courage, Character, and Community, play out in real-life settings.

“Not only did these kids dig deep into their budding journalistic skill set to report a tricky story, but they also got an important lesson in how effective journalism can help combat lashon hara (malicious gossip),” noted Alhadeff. “There had been a lot of rumors about this situation in the community. The story published in The Mane Idea presented the facts in an unbiased manner and a lot of the community’s questions were answered.”

Fast forward six months to April 2023 at the Columbia School of Journalism in New York City. NYHS was able to send editors and reporters from the Mane Idea to the the Jewish Scholastic Press Association (JSPA) Conference. It was the first time NYHS participated in JPA, and they swept the awards, including the grand prize!

“Our trip made them more serious. They realized what they are capable of, and how their work could serve the larger Jewish community whether they pursue careers in

journalism or not,” said Alhadeff. “Gathering accurate information, fact-checking and just summoning the courage to ask a tough question are skills everyone needs for life.”

Skills for Life

Indeed, these are the hallmarks of the community engagement, responsible citizenship, and integrity that NYHS fosters in our students. We recognize that the learning that takes place outside the classroom matters as much as the learning within — especially for teens. Co-curriculars — whether the student newspaper, the Shabbatons or team sports — help students mature as individuals and bond as a cohort. These opportunities to explore new interests or deepen existing ones enable students to hone skills that will serve them long after they graduate.

“Extracurriculars help teens build leadership skills and confidence, and expose them to experiences that they won’t get in the classroom,” says Marcy Park, Language Arts teacher, who also coaches cross-country and is faculty advisor to both the Yearbook and Student Council. “We want our students to develop their moral character and integrity. These types of activities help make that possible.” ■

Making Mensches

NYHS empowers our students to become creative critical thinkers who take ownership of their identity and destiny. No matter who they are or where they are from, NYHS students develop a strong sense of themselves and their potential through our three core values:

Character Community

Dynamic. Rigorous. Engaging. The NYHS experience goes beyond top-notch academics, transformative experiences and social-emotional coaching. Through the 3Cs, our graduates are ready to become tomorrow’s Jewish leaders regardless of their path. ■

Class of 2022 Camping Trip

Where NYHS Students Are From

Zip Codes

More About Us

NYHS is the only accredited dual curriculum Jewish high school in the Pacific Northwest.

Our students come from 15 different feeder schools and live in 12 different zip codes.

NYHS offers honors courses, AP courses, and courses that provide college credit from the University of Washington.

30% of the NYHS Class of 2023 were Washington State Honors Award Recipients. These scholars represent the top 10% of graduating seniors in Washington state.

100% of NYHS graduates attend college of university.

40% of NYHS students receive tuition support thanks to the Samis Day School Affordability Initiative.

Another 25% of NYHS students receive traditional financial aid.

Over half of our NYHS students have a Sephardic background or attend a Sephardic synagogue.

In 2024, NYHS will celebrate 50 years of educating high school students and creating the Jewish leaders of tomorrow. ■

Where Are They Now?

Alumni reflect on how NYHS helped shaped their lives.

“NYHS’ small, tight-knit environment helped me develop a lot of confidence and individuality. I had the opportunity to dip my toe into a wide variety of subjects and extracurriculars. At YU, I also have room to cultivate my interests. NYHS prepared me for college by helping me develop the independence to pursue my learning goals and try new things.”

“NYHS was a place of friendship that stoked my curiosity and analytical thinking about social and Jewish issues. It gave me a grounding that allowed me to flourish academically and professionally. The honor of serving as NYHS Board President gave me the chance to give back to our Seattle Jewish community by ensuring the continuity of Jewish high school education.”

“Thanks to my NYHS education I entered the world as an educated Jew able to engage comfortably with Jewish communities around the world, confident in the choices I made about my Jewish practice, and equipped with the skills to succeed in college and beyond. I chose a path in Jewish education to help teens develop a solid foundation in Judaic and secular knowledge. I am excited to return to NYHS this year and be a part of making this type of education possible for young Jews in the Seattle area today and for years to come.”

— Deirdre Schreiber, (right) NYHS Class of 2005, Principal NYHS

Aaron Sandorffy, NYHS Class of 1989, Immediate Past President, NYHS BOD

— Naomi Klinghoffer, NYHS Class of 2021, pre-nursing student at Yeshiva University

“I have very fond memories of my time at NYHS. Just being part of the school community, my teachers, the Shabbatons we would go on, the projects we did. And I get to relive it a little every day because I actually teach in the class that I sat in as a student.”

— Ariella DeFunis, NYHS Class of 1999, NYHS Math & STEM teacher

“I attribute my success in college to the extensive writing work we did at NYHS. I am grateful for my teachers who helped lay a solid foundation for the work I did this year.”

— Anna Jacoby, NYHS Class of 2022, University of Michigan Class of 2026, Recipient of the William J. Branstrom Freshman Prize 2023

We Want To Hear From You!

Drop us a line at twiens@nyhs.org and let us know what you are up to. ■

Powered by Community

Our donors make it possible for NYHS to offer educational and extracurricular experiences typically found at larger schools.

HOW

CAN NYHS INTEGRATE

the benefits of a small high school with the wellrounded opportunities typically found at a bigger one?

Well, much of it is thanks to the generosity and commitment of our donors. Whether funding travel for service trips or providing transportation and uniforms for the sports teams, our community makes sure the NYHS experience is engaging and comprehensive.

“In the Jewish tradition, supporting education isn’t just a familial responsibility, it’s a communal one,” said Aaron Sandorffy, immediate past president of the NYHS’ board. “We’re grateful to have such a committed community.”

Beyond the Books

Co-curriculars — the activities and learning experiences that happen outside the classroom — play a pivotal role in the growth and well-being of teens. Whether it’s athletics, the arts, community service, or the student newspaper, co-curriculars are more than just fun. They provide avenues for skill development and self-discovery by allowing students to explore existing interests and try new ones.

“Some students shine both in the classroom and outside of it, but others are more interested and passionate about non-academic things,” said Marcy Park, a Language Arts teacher who coaches the NYHS cross country team and serves as the faculty advisor for the yearbook and student council. “Extra curriculars

Becca Benezra (Class of 2024)

give these students a way to show their talents. They also allow teachers, staff and the community a chance to see them not just as students, but as athletes, as artists, and as leaders.”

Skills for Life

“Extracurricular activities help students grow into the best version of themselves,” said Dr. Jane Becker, parent of several NYHS alumni, including Yoel Kintzer, NYHS Class of 2022 and co-captain of the Boys Basketball team whose historic season culminated in a 5th place finish at the 2022 Washington State Tournament in Spokane.

“Basketball is a big part of Yoel’s identity and being on the NYHS team was huge for him. He saw what it was like to have the school and the community behind him,” she said. “And he learned how to be a leader who shows up even when things weren’t going well.”

In his senior year, Yoel really wanted NYHS to participate in the annual Glouberman Tournament, a four-day tournament in Los Angeles that brings together boys and girls basketball teams from Jewish high schools around the country. He rallied the team

and the administrators, talked to the parents and helped raise the money to fund the trip.

And then, right before the tournament, he sustained an injury and couldn’t play.

“Yoel was beyond disappointed. He could have brooded in his room and we would have understood. Instead, he made the decision to go with the team to L.A. and cheer them on,” recalled his mom. “That’s when I knew he had internalized Jewish values around community and being there for others. You don’t get to see a kid show up like that in a classroom.”

Community Fuels Historic Run

Community support comes in many forms — financial support, of course, but also gifts of time and talent. Rallying to make sure the Boys Basketball team was able to participate in the 2022 Washington State Tournament was one of the times when people rolled up their sleeves and helped out in every way.

“It was the first time the Boys team from NYHS earned a spot at the tournament,” recalled outgoing Head of School Jason Feld. “We had to figure out what was needed — and fast.”

In short order, parents and donors crowd-sourced money for transportation, a week’s worth of kosher meals, and accommodations for the team, the coaches and the parent chaperones. When the plans for a Shabbaton in Spokane unexpectedly fell through, a cohort of community members from Seattle pulled together a trunk load of kosher rotisserie chickens,

Elizabeth Gabbay (Class of 2026)

Chesed Club Challah Baking

challah – and a Sefer Torah – and brought it to them.

Follow the Leaders

Donor support demonstrates to NYHS student what it means to be part of a community — and to be committed to the success and well-being of others. Giving back is baked into the NYHS experience. Through individual efforts and school-based activities, NYHS students find their role in tikkun olam. Recent senior class service trips included traveling to Romania to help care for Jewish orphans from Ukraine and helping rebuild hurricane-damaged homes in one of New Orleans’ under-resourced neighborhoods.

NYHS’ student-led Chesed Club has one-time and ongoing campaigns that address needs closer to home. They organized a challah-

bake to raise money for Jewish Family Services. Last winter the club organized a clothing drive to support refugees from Ukraine and others in need of warm winter clothing. In May 2023, the club sponsored a blood drive in the school parking lot with Blood Works Northwest. They honor our community’s elders at the Kline Galland home, putting together cards and goody bags for Chanukah and Mishloach Manot for Purim. Students from NYHS also participate in tikkun olam efforts organized by other organizations, including beach clean-up at Magnuson Park with Repair the Sea Tikkun HaYam’s Reverse Taslich program, and building homes in West Seattle during Habitat for Humanity’s Interfaith Day.

Lasting Impact

“The main benefit to a Jewish education is that students learn to live life through a Jewish lens, and to bring those attributes to the larger world,” said Dr. Becker. “It’s important for them, and also for those they meet throughout their lives. For example, seeing our Boys Basketball team play in Spokane may be the only touchpoint some of the people at the State tournament will ever have with the Jewish people. The NYHS players felt a responsibility to represent our people. Basketball was second. Living their Jewish identity was always first.” ■

NYHS made a historic run to the Washington State Tournament in 2022

“The main benefit to a Jewish education is that students learn to live life through a Jewish lens, and to bring those attributes to the larger world.”

— Jane Becker, alumni parent

Honoring Action

Bequest Funds Irwin Elyn Award in Perpetuity

Every year at graduation, NYHS presents the Irwin Elyn Z”L Et Laasot Award to the senior whose commitment to community service and overall chesed stands Et laasot means ‘a time for action’ and recipients often apply the award toward gap years in Israel or Jewish studies coursework in college.

Mark Elyn Z”L established this award more than 30 years ago to honor the memory of his brother Irwin Elyn Z”L, a religious, learned man who valued Jewish education and supporting young people.

A bass-baritone with a beautiful voice who grew up in Seattle’s Central District, Mark Elyn performed in some of Europe’s most storied opera houses throughout the 1960s before becoming a professor of music at the University of Illinois. In the mid-1990s, he held An Evening at the JCC to raise funds for the scholarship, singing opera, Jewish folk music, and show tunes to an enthusiastic packed house.

When he passed on in January 2023, he left a

bequest of $150,000 to NYHS to fund the Irwin Elyn Z”L Et Laasot Award in perpetuity.

“He was a truly amazing man who remained independent and interested in NYHS into his 90s. He loved getting updates from the students about how they used their scholarship and what they were up to,” remembered his cousin Louis Treiger. “Neither he nor Irwin had kids, and creating the award was Mark’s way of keeping his brother’s legacy alive.” ■

Mark Elyn Z”L created award to honor his brother.

Emma Almo accepts the 2023 Irwin Elyn Z”L Et Lassot Award.

In Their Words

Members of our community reflect on what they appreciate and enjoy about NYHS

“The teachers and staff show up for the kids in ways that are powerful. They come to the games, the track meets. They really see the kids for who they are”

— Dr. Jane Becker, Alumni Parent

“I love working with high school students because I get to see their growth from 9th through 12th grade. At NYHS, I get to work with students throughout their entire high school career. By the time they’re seniors, it’s pretty amazing to think back to what they were like as freshmen.”

— Marcy Park, Language Arts Faculty & Student Advisor

“At NYHS, we formed beautiful connections that carried us through four crazy, challenging, stressful, joyful years. These bonds strengthened us and helped us feel prepared to help repair the world. And we’ll know that we don’t have to do it alone.”

—

Ella Endres, NYHS Class of 2022

Jason Kintzer, Dr. Jane Becker and Yoel Kintzer (Class of 2022)

“Sometimes things are messy. You won’t always have everything planned, and comforts and conveniences will not always be available. At NYHS we learned that it is especially during these times that we must lead the way and do good. The very fabric of our communities and societies depends upon taking that plunge when it is most difficult.”

“Because I was in Jewish schools, I never got the feeling that there aren’t that many Jews in the world. I mean, I know that isn’t the case, but almost everyone around me was Jewish. Being part of a small community like NYHS made me feel loved and accepted. It was very comforting and warming.”

“I’m grateful for the leadership skills I learned at NYHS. The Jewish community at Bryn Mawr was smaller than I expected. Thanks to my experiences at NYHS, I helped create the kind of Jewish community I want to be part of. I’m comfortable taking initiative to make the changes I want to see on my campus and in my life.”

—Harrison Feld, Class of 2022

— Micah Rosenfeld, Valedictorian, NYHS Class of 2022

— Fay Koyfman, NYHS Class of 2019, Chemistry and Russia major Bryn Mawr College Class of 2023 ■

www.nyhs.org

leaders of tomorrow. We look forward to celebrating with you. Stay tuned for more info!

In 2024, NYHS will celebrate 50 years of educating high school students and creating the Jewish