MESSAGE from the HEAD OF SCHOOL
Welcome to YULA High School!
Excitement is in the air as we begin this new chapter in partnership with you. YULA strives to provide a safe and nurturing environment filled with opportuniCes for each student to meet their individual needs and reach their unique potenCal. Our mission is to imbue all students with a strong foundaCon that holds a deep passion for Torah study, refined middot tovot, and love of Medinat Yisrael.
As your son begins this important journey into high school, we recognize that you may be feeling a lot of different emoCons ranging from excitement and enthusiasm, to anxiety and uncertainty. To help ensure a smooth transiCon into high school, we have created a parent toolkit to serve as a guide to understanding what to expect when your son begins YULA. This toolkit was created based on valuable feedback and discussions with parents like you, and it is our sincere hope that this serves as the opening of what will be an ongoing dialogue and partnership between all of us.
Please use the parent toolkit for assistance regarding who to contact in each department, academic requirements, and important informaCon on extra curricular opportuniCes at YULA. AddiConally, the toolkit provides a realisCc sense of the Cme commitments required in our various programs, so you and your son can make an informed decision on parCcipaCng in a manner that allows for academic success.
Thank you for the opportunity and privilege to be part of educaCng, inspiring, and helping your son blossom and reach his unique potenCal at YULA. As always, if you have any quesCons, feedback, or suggesCons, feel free to contact me directly at asufrin@yula.org.
Bi’veracha,
RABBI ARYE SUFRIN HEAD of SCHOOL
MISSION STATEMENT
YULA HIGH SCHOOL is a Modern Orthodox Yeshiva High School, dedicated to culCvaCng an unwavering commitment to halacha, Torah values, outstanding academic achievement, and exemplary moral conduct.
THE THREE PILLARS
YULA’s mission and underlying principle, laid out in the Three Pillars of a YULA EducaCon, is that we stress the PRIMACY & RELEVANCY OF TORAH, an UNCOMPROMISING GENERAL STUDIES curriculum, and CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT at the highest level. As a proud Yeshiva high school, our aim is to insCll within our students a passion for Torah learning, refined middot tovot, and love for Medinat Yisrael.
THE THREE PILLARS of a YULA Education
1) THE PRIMACY & RELEVANCY of TORAH STUDY
2) UNCOMPROMISING GENERAL STUDIES
3) CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
YULA HIGH SCHOOL will graduate students who:
• Possesses Ahavat HaShem and have built personal relaConships with Hashem through Torah study, Tefilah, and reflecCon.
• Can see the relevancy of Torah in their lives and are proud to be part of our Mesorah.
• Exhibit self-respect and respect for others as they collaborate and communicate effecCvely.
• Live the values of Torah U’Maddah and strive for academic excellence and intellectual curiosity in both Judaic and General Studies.
• Have developed their poten?al as Bnei Torah and prepared for their unique roles in their personal and professional lives and the Jewish and global community.
• Appreciate different paths of Avodat Hashem, grounded in Shmirat HaMitzvot and Chessed.
• Stress the importance of Middot, Tzniut and Derech Eretz.
• Display a love of Am Yisrael, Eretz Yisrael, and Medinat Yisrael.
• Live by the American democra?c ideals of freedom, jusCce, and human dignity.
• Are confident, self-disciplined, and independent as leaders ready to engage in our rapidly changing world.
ADMINISTRATION DIRECTORY
RABBI ARYE SUFRIN Head of School asufrin@yula.org
RABBI SHIMON ABRAMCZIK Principal of Judaic Studies sabramczik@yula.org
MS. YEHUDIS BENHAMOU Interim Principal of General Studies ybenhamou@yula.org
RABBI DANIEL TAMIR Director of Student Life dtamir@yula.org
MRS. ROCHEL GARGIR
Chief OperaCng Officer rgargir@yula.org
MR. SY LITWIN Director of Finance slitwin@yula.org
MRS. CHAVI GORMAN Director of First Impressions cgorman@yula.org
MRS. ZIVA ZEHARYA Academic Registrar zzeharya@yula.org
MRS. SARAH YASHAR AdministraCve Coordinator syashar@yula.org
MR. ZACH GOULSON
MS. RACHEL SHANDALOV
MS. ALEXANDRA NOVAK
Director of Admissions and MarkeCng zgoulson@yula.org
Assistant Principal College Guidance rshandalov@yula.org
Director of AthleCcs anovak@yula.org
RABBI DOV ROSENBLUTH Director of Guidance drosenbluth@yula.org
RABBI JOSH MASLOW Guidance Counselor jmaslow@yula.org
RABBI NISSAN AHOOBIM 9th Grade Student AcCviCes nahoobim@yula.org
9TH GRADE FACULTY DIRECTORY
SHLOMIT ABRAMS Hebrew Language sabrams@yula.org
RABBI MICHAEL ABRAHAM Navi mabraham@yula.org
RABBI SHIMON ABRAMCZIK Masmidim/Gemara sabramczik@yula.org
MRS. RIVKA AFRIAT Math rafriat@yula.org
RABBI NISSAN AHOOBIM Halacha/Gemara/Navi nahoobim@yula.org
RABBI DROR BAALHANESS Navi dbaalhaness@yula.org
MRS. LAYLA BAYRAMOVA Math lbayramova@yula.org
MS. PAM FELCHER English (Chair) pfelcher@yula.org
MR. BRIAN FRITCH History bfritch@yula.org
MRS. MIRIAM GREEN Math mgreen@yula.org
MR. JONATHAN HALL Science jhall@yula.org
RABBI ELIYAHU HELLER Contemporary Halacha eheller@yula.org
RABBI WILLY KLUGER Halacha/Gemara wkluger@yula.org
RABBI SRULI LITKOWSKI Chumash slitkowski@yula.org
MRS. CAROLINE MCKENZIE English cmckenzie@yula.org
MR. RAF MEGHNAGI Physical EducaCon rmeghnagi@yula.org
MR. DAVID PULITZER Science dpulitzer@yula.org
RABBI DOV ROSENBLUTH Chumash drosenbluth@yula.org
MR. JONATHAN SILBERMAN History (Chair) jsilberman@yula.org
MRS. YAEL STEKEL Math ystekel@yula.org
RABBI AVI STEWART Jewish Thought astewart@yula.org
RABBI DANIEL TAMIR Hebrew Language dtamir@yula.org
MR. TOM TIRELLI Science brelli@yula.org
MR. JAMES VEARLING Math jvearling@yula.org
DR. WILLIAM WALTON Math (Chair) wwalton@yula.org
MR. HUGH WEBBER English hwebber@yula.org
RABBI TZVI YOUNGER Beit Midrash eyounger@yula.org
MRS. ORLY ZARUR Hebrew Language ozarur@yula.org
MRS. ZIVA ZEHARYA Hebrew Language (Chair) zzeharya@yula.org
MR. GREGORY ZLOTIN History gzloCn@yula.org
WHOM TO CONTACT
ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT
ACADEMIC STUDENT SUPPORT
ATHLETICS
COLLEGE GUIDANCE
CHESSED
DISCIPLINE
FINANCIAL AID
ISRAEL GUIDANCE
OFFICE STAFF
PSAT, AP, SAT AND ACT EXAMS
SCHEDULE AND CLASS PLACEMENT, GENERAL STUDIES
SCHEDULE AND CLASS PLACEMENT, JUDAIC STUDIES
STUDENT DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH
TRANSCRIPTS
TUITION AND PAYMENTS
Mr. David Pulitzer dpulitzer@yula.org
Dr. MarCn Jauregui mjauregui@yula.org
Ms. Alexandra Novak anovak@yula.org
Ms. Rachel Shandalov
Mr. Mark Herrera rshandalov@yula.org mherrera@yula.olrg
Rabbi Nissan Ahoobim nahoobim@yula.org
Rabbi Shimon Abramczik
Ms. Yehudis Benhamou sabramczik@yula.org ybenhamou@yula.org
Mr. Sy Litwin
Mrs. Sarah Yashar slitwin@yula.org syashar@yula.org
Rabbi Shimon Abramczik
Rabbi Ari Bensoussan sabramczik@yula.org abensoussan@yula.org
Mrs. Chavi Gorman cgorman@yula.org
Ms. Rachel Shandalov rshandalov@yula.org
Ms. Yehudis Benhamou ybenhamou@yula.org
Rabbi Shimon Abramczik sabramczik@yula.org
Rabbi Shimon Abramczik
Rabbi Daniel Tamir sabramczik@yula.org dtamir@yula.org
Mrs. Ziva Zeharya zzeharya@yula.org
Mr. Sy Litwin slitwin@yula.org
If you have quesCons about the courses your son is taking or concerns about his academic performance, contact the teacher via YULA email. For the email addresses of all the 9th grade teachers, the chairs of each department, and YULA administrators, see page 8.
COMMUNICATION WITH TEACHERS
Before you make contact, we strongly recommend that you check your son’s Schoology page for that class. You can access Schoology from the top of the YULA website or go tohfps://yula.org/schoology/ There you will find the syllabus for the course, recent assignments, test informaCon, and the grades for the class. The informaCon available through Schoology will help you ask the right quesCons.
You will receive a full tutorial on how to access and u?lize your son’s Powerschool Learning page at the Parent Technology Orienta?on for parents of incoming students.
If your communicaCon with your son’s teacher is not saCsfactory for any reason, please contact the following administrators with your concerns:
For Judaic Studies classes, please contact Rabbi Shimon Abramczik, Principal of Judaic Studies.
For General Studies classes, please contact Ms. Yehudis Benhamou, Principal of General Studies.
9TH GRADE COURSES
Students must be enrolled in a minimum of four (4) Torah classes and five (5) General Studies classes per semester/year.
Honors placement is determined by examinaCon or department approval.
Judaic Studies
Halacha
Friedman Family Masmidim
Talmud 9
Talmud 9 Baum Family AGT
Eleanor Goldin Z”L Beit Midrash Program
Talmud Survey 9 (Night Seder)
Biblical Literature 9 Prophets 9
Contemporary Halacha
General Studies
English 9
Honors English 9
Algebra 1
Geometry
Geometry Honors
Hebrew 9
Hebrew 9 Honors
Hebrew 9 NaCve
Biology
Biology Honors
World & Jewish History I World & Jewish History I Honors
Physical EducaCon
Advisory
Study Skills
IntroducCon to Health (1 semester - online course)
STEAM Studio
ElecCve: Principles of Engineering
STEAM AT YULA BOYS
SCHLESINGER STEAM AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTER
This is where students create new-era big ideas that will impact the world. YULA students are immersed in the cubng edge of emerging technologies. Their mission is to learn to create breakthroughs using science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM).
The curriculum brings in relaConships with top ranking insCtuCons such as UCLA, USC, and Cedars Sinai. This curriculum challenges students to reach a level of excellence, providing them with a conceptual and performance standard that they will apply to all future studies and professional undertakings.
ENGINEERING COURSES
All students take a STEAM or Engineering class in 9th grade that involves hands-on group projects in roboCcs and electronics.
ROBOTICS
YULA’s RoboCcs team encourages Freshman to be involved. The team has achieved unprecedented success compeCng against other schools in
Southern California, and has hosted meets for over 20 schools in recent years.
COMPETITIONS BEYOND ROBOTICS
YULA creates opportuniCes for students to challenge themselves by parCcipaCng in a variety of compeCCons ranging from essay contests and math challenges to the Intel Science Talent Search, Google Science Fair, and the YULA L’Chadash InnovaCon Challenge (YULA’s version of Shark Tank).
STEAM OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
We support students who want to expand their science knowledge through summer programs at universiCes like UCLA, USC, and the Technion in Israel.
FRESHMAN RETREAT
The Freshman Retreat will afford all students the opportunity to get to know one another and will help build the foundaCon for strong and lasCng friendships.
The retreat will include a variety of acCviCes that inspire, sCmulate and forge a strong sense of achdut and unity among the Class of 2027. The Freshman Retreat will take place on Wednesday, September 3, and will be an invaluable experience for all incoming 9th graders and YULA Staff; it is imperaCve that every student afends. The cost per student is $100. All checks should be made payable to YULA and handed in during Freshman OrientaCon on Monday, August 25. You will receive addiConal informaCon regarding the retreat at orientaCon. If you are unable to parCcipate in the retreat, or if you have any quesCons or concerns, please contact Rabbi Nissan Ahoobim at nahoobim@yula.org.
FRESHMAN RETREAT PACKING LIST
Suggested:
Extra Snacks (All meals will be provided)
Not Suggested: Valuables or distracCons (iPad, Digital Camera, etc.)
SUMMER SCHEDULE
OrientaCon for Freshman and the Student Council BBQ is scheduled for Monday, August 25, 2025 (9:30 AM - 4:00 PM) and the first day of classes will be Wednesday, August 27, 2025 (regular start Cme 7:45 AM). Student schedules will be distributed at OrientaCon.
New Parent Tech OrientaCon will be Monday, August 25, 2025. Please note that all orientaCon programs are vital for providing criCcal informaCon for the upcoming school year and are therefore required.
ATHLETICS at YULA BOYS
Many popular extracurricular acCviCes at YULA fall under the umbrella of the YULA Panthers AthleCcs Program. We field teams in baseball, basketball, soccer, fencing, tennis, golf, cross country, track and field, flag football, and volleyball. Before each season, we hold a compeCCve round of tryouts and do our best to make sure everyone who wants to be a student-athlete is able to parCcipate.
YULA is a member of the California InterscholasCc FederaCon (CIF) Southern SecCon and competes in the Liberty League. Our athleCc program adheres to its Code of Ethics, and the YULA High School Boys Division establishes its own academic eligibility rules. Please review the AthleCc Parent-Student Handbook for further details on academic eligibility.
While AthleCcs are an important part of the YULA experience, parents and students alike need to appreciate the Cme commitment involved and respect the balance between AthleCcs and the strenuous academic schedule. The chart below breaks down each sport by season. Students can compete in up to 3 sports a year, with a maximum of 1 sport per season.
PracCces are usually held arer school or on Sundays and run about two hours long. CompeCCons are usually towards the end of the school day or arer school and involve travel Cme to and from the venues. Although every effort is made to limit the conflict between sports and academics, student-athletes do miss some class Cme. All student-athletes are responsible for obtaining notes, assignments, and making up any exams they miss.
We look forward to seeing the growth, leadership and responsibility our young boys will garner arer being a student-athlete at YULA, traits which go well beyond their 4 years in high school.
CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Co-Curricular Ac?vi?es Available to 9th Graders and Respec?ve Time Commitments
• YULAMUN – As a delegate to the YULA Model United NaCons compeCCon, students represent a country in a number of mock United NaCons sessions. Students afend weekly training sessions for two months and conduct research on their own.
• DRAMA – Tryouts are in the fall, rehearsals are 2 to 3 Cmes a week for 1.5 hours each. As the play approaches, pracCces are every night and oren much longer. The total commitment lasts between 3 to 4 months.
• ISRAEL ADVOCACY CLUB – A student group whose main goal is to advocate on behalf of Israel by providing students with the advocacy tools they need to influence members of the US Congress. MeeCngs are once every two weeks for two hours and sporadically for events.
• PANTHER POST – YULA’s student-produced newspaper has posiCons available doing layout and wriCng (2 arCcles per semester).
• LIKUTEI OHR - A weekly Torah newslefer, this pamphlet is composed mainly of student arCcles. Once a month, students are expected to contribute a Dvar Torah relaCng to an upcoming Parsha.
• ROBOTICS - Students design, build and program a robot to compete in an event with other schools. The approach is totally hands-on, and meeCngs are twice a week, two to three hours per meeCng.
• MOCK TRIAL – Mock Trial is run by students and coached by real aforneys. Students audiCon and are then cast as lawyers or witnesses. PracCces are 1.5 hours, 2 Cmes a week, for 10 weeks, and there are 2 trials at the end of the semester.
• HARVARD MODEL CONGRESS - HMC is the premier government simulaCon conference for high school students, which culminates in an annual conference in Boston, where our students compete with dozens of schools from around the country.
• PANTHER STREAMING NETWORK - PSN is our in-house studentproduced sports broadcasCng network.
CHESSED OPPORTUNITIES
In the fall, 9th grade students will have the opportunity to hear from various organizaCons and choose the chessed opportuniCes that they wish to parCcipate in. Rabbi Ahoobim is responsible for running the Chessed Fair.
ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDE:
• YACHAD - Yachad is an organizaCon that deals with the inclusion of those with and without special needs. Weekly events bring together high school students, teenagers, and adults with special needs. Time Commitment: 1-2 hours per event, with 1-2 events each week.
• ETTA – Efa serves people with intellectual and developmental disabiliCes, and their families. They host Shabbatons and events every few weeks.
• CHAI LIFELINE – Two programs: Big Brother program, one hour per week; Volunteering at events, two to three hours per month.
• TOMCHEI SHABBOS – Student volunteers help package and deliver boxes of food for families every week; one hour per week.
• CEDARS SINAI – Volunteer opportuniCes as clinical or clerical interns at Cedars-Sinai. Two hour shirs, once a week.
• FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE – Matches students with children with special needs for social programming; one hour per week (includes opportunity for weekly basketball games with the parCcipants).
SKILLS for your HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT
• Time Management: YULA is a dual curriculum school. Learning how to work in advance of assignment, project, and test deadlines is a necessary skill to develop. Students need to prioriCze their workload and create a Cme management plan to ensure that work is not ler unCl the last minute. Each student may have a different system. Some choose to keep weekly planners (hard copy) that have the hours of the week printed out. Others use a digital version such as the Calendar app on their laptops; oren they can sync this schedule with their personal devices. Although the system can differ by student, a parent should be able to check-in and see that an overview of “study hours” and a plan to complete assignments is kept. Having an awareness of the Cme needed to complete different coursework is essenCal to academic success.
• Organiza?on: Materials management is an important part of staying organized at YULA. Please help your son buy all of his textbooks and reading books before the start of the fall semester. Too oren, students wait for an assigned book to be delivered while missing important class discussion. Check that the books you order match the ISBN# given by the teacher. When the wrong version of a book is purchased, the student cannot follow along with classroom discussions because page numbers and translaCons do not match. Students should have systems for keeping notes and class papers. In technology class, your son will learn how to set up files on his laptop to separate class notes; however, he will also need folders for papers given out in class and assignments that are handed back. Helping your son keep track of all these materials, at least at the start of the school year, will be instrumental in helping him stay organized.
• Assigned Readings: Reading from texts is a necessary part of the high school curriculum. Students need to know how to extract important informaCon from reading selecCons. An important step towards having your son understand and remember what he reads should include sebng aside quality study Cme in a quiet space. HighlighCng topic, main idea, and supporCng details while reading is recommended to facilitate reading comprehension. Finally, prepare index cards to memorize key terms and definiCons (these can be created online as well with quizlet.com). Index cards promote repeCCon and, ulCmately, memorizaCon of new concepts.
• Study Time: Study Cme should be “pure” and free of all distracCons. Students need to be able to devote themselves to studying without
social media, phone calls, texCng, and other distracCons. We have discovered that when students turn on their computers to study or sit down to review notes or text, they are oren distracted by social media, e-mails, texts, and phone calls from friends. Quite oren, they are not aware of how much Cme is wasted and count this Cme as “study Cme.” Parents can help make their sons mindful that it is best for focus and Cme management to refrain from looking at social media and other distracCons during work Cme.
• School Resources: YULA has an educaConal support team to support students with learning differences. Please contact Dr. MarCn Jauregui mjauregui@yula.org, our Director of Academic Student Support, for more informaCon.
TIME
TIPS: 12
ORGANIZATIONAL AND
TIME
MANAGEMENT TIPS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
(Parents, please share the following with your son)
Your success in high school can be greatly improved by being organized and using your Cme wisely. Staying organized can help ease the burden of a busy schedule. While you probably do not have a lot of control over when your classes are scheduled, you do have control over the rest of your Cme. Here are some important Cps to remember:
1. Use your school planner to stay organized - Fill in things you must do (classes, work, pracCce, etc. that you can't change). Write down appointments and class assignments. Make a daily checklist. Set prioriCes. Do the most important tasks first.
2. Set achievable goals - When you set goals that are unrealisCc, it sets you up for failure. You want to aim to set goals that are difficult, yet are achievable.
3. Organize some key areas in your life - For example, your bedroom, study area, car, and locker. Organizing these key areas will improve your ability to stay on schedule and help you avoid the most frustraCng situaCons. You don’t want to be in a situaCon where you are looking for an assignment that is due, and you have no idea whether it’s in your locker piled high with papers, the car that hasn’t been cleaned in three months, or your bedroom that looks like a hurricane blew through it! Being unorganized will cause problems in nearly every area of your life, and developing the skill of organizaCon will immensely improve your ability to become successful at whatever you pursue.
4. Schedule the most difficult tasks for ?mes when you are alertGeometry, for example, may be hard enough when you're fresh. When you're Cred, it will be impossible!
5. Establish a regular ?me and place for study - UClize this space to study during the day if possible.
6. If you have a study hall during school, u?lize it - Focus on your assignments and to-do list in your planner.
7. Use daylight hours to study whenever possible - For most students, for every hour of study done in daylight hours, it will take one and a half hours
to do the same task at night. Study during the day especially during study halls.
8. Use flash cards, summary sheets, or your notes - In doing so, you can use short periods to study in your spare Cme while you're waiCng for class to start or for a friend to pick you up.
9. Take study breaks - Do not schedule a cram session the night before a test. Several short 50 minutes sessions are more effecCve than one long session.
10. Review your notes every day - You'll reinforce what you've learned, so you need less Cme to study. You'll also be ready if your teacher calls on you or gives a pop quiz.
11. Prepare and organize whatever possible the night before - A few examples would be to pack your book bag and lay out what you intend to wear the next day.
12. Get a good night's sleep - Running on empty makes your days seem longer and your tasks seem more difficult.
References: hfp://frank.mtsu.edu/~studskl/tmths.html hfp://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/college-success/116.html
COLLEGE COUNSELING OUTLINE
9th GRADE
• August: Ms. Shandalov and Mr. Herrera introduce the college counseling program at orientaCon.
• November: College Counseling Seminar I is an overview of the college process with parCcular afenCon paid to the importance of making good decisions regarding studies and involvement in the YULA community and/or outside of school.
10th GRADE
• March: College Counseling Seminar II: IntroducCon to SCOIR, a college search and applicaCon management tool.
• April/May: Academic advising regarding 11th grade course choices.
11th GRADE
• October: Students take the PSAT/NMSQT, the qualifying exam for the NaConal Merit program.
• December: Financial Aid Night - How to finance college tuiCon.
• Students take a pracCce ACT, the results of which are compared to their PSAT score to determine to which test they are best suited for.
• Feb - June: MeeCngs with students/parents throughout the semester.
12th GRADE
• August: College Bootcamp
• August - Dec: Assist students with compleCng their college applicaCons & essays.
• September: Senior-Parent College Night
• Sept - Nov: College reps visit to meet with interested Seniors.
• December: Financial Aid Night
GRADUATION REQUIREMENT WORKSHEET
ENGLISH
4 Years Required (4 credits)
HISTORY
4 Years Required (4 credits)
SCIENCE
3 Years Required (3 credits)
MATH
4 Years Required (4 credits)
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
2 Years Required (2 credits)
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
2 Years Required (2 credits)
STEAM
1 Year (1 credit)
HEALTH
English 9 or Honors English
World & Jewish History I or Honors
Biology or Honors Biology
Algebra or Geometry or Honors Geometry
Hebrew I or Honors or Na]ve
PE
STEAM Studio or Principles of Engineering
1 Semester (.5 credits) Health
ELECTIVES
4 Courses Required (4 credits)
Track your son’s progress by marking the boxes per grade level as he completes the courses. Grades are given by semester. You can also use this worksheet to plan his proposed course plan. Students must carry a minimum of five General Studies courses per semester.
• Elec]ve requirements are met by taking courses that exceed minimum subject area requirements or taking courses in non-required subjects. He must earn four credits to meet this requirement.
• UC eligibility requirements may differ from YULA. (One credit of Visual & Performing Arts is required.)
• Only courses with grades of C or higher are accepted to meet eligibility requirements for UC, CSU and most 4-year colleges/universi]es.
