It’s starting to feel real for JKHA 8th graders. On their last day as JKHA students they gathered for an awards ceremony and a special breakfast where they received their yearbooks and enjoyed inscribing messages to all their classmates. Advancement here they come!

Mazal tov to the RKYHS Class of 2025! With a picture perfect night on our outdoor recreation facilities, we celebrated our oldest students as they became our newest alumni. We are so proud of their achievements and accomplishments, and can’t wait to see how they soar as they move on from RKYHS. We will miss you RKYHS Class of 2025!

On the morning of RKYHS Graduation for 12th grade our youngest students in EC3 held their end of year performance. We are so proud of our little learners and can’t wait to watch them as they learn and grow!!

Amazing job today by EC4 at their end of year performance! We loved seeing how much they’ve grown throughout the year! Kindergarten here they come!!

The RKYHS Class of 2025 took one final walk through the halls of JKHA today as Early Childhood and Lower School students lined the hallways for a “clap out” to cheer them on as they walked past. Their celebratory stroll through the halls of Lower School allowed them to reflect on just how far they’ve come as they prepare to leave RKYHS and move on to the next stage in their lives. #RKYHSClassof25

JKHA 6th graders learned all about Shavuot with an interdisciplinary program, "Live at Har Sinai!" Students became news aficionados on Matan Torah as they learned Torah, wrote scripts, performed roles, filmed videos, and screened their videos in a watch party for the whole grade - complete with ice cream of course!

Celebrating our RKYHS sports teams and student athletes! ⚽️🏀⚾️🥎 🏐🏒🏃🤼 #gocobras🐍

Camp Moshava was the perfect setting for the eleventh grade Israel Studies Seminar this week! Over the course of the 2-day program, the students learned about Zionism and the history of the State of Israel, laying the groundwork for their Jewish History curriculum next year. 🏕️ 🌲🇮🇱

Fourth grade took to the stage today for their Yosef play, telling the story of Yosef through Hebrew verse and song - their final JKHA Lower School performance! At the conclusion of their impressive performance, we were pleased to present each student with their own copy of tehillim to use as they grow through the years. Thank you @kpac_kushneracademy for your generosity in providing the copies of tehillim.

Morah Nechama’s 8th grade class has been learning all about the Bigdei Kehunah, the special clothing of the Kohanim and the Kohen Gadol. Every few students were assigned a garment and used the different materials for each. For the Choshen Mishpat, students used an embroidery machine. For the Avneit and Ketonet, students sewed pieces of cloth together to create an amazing masterpiece. Some students found the Pesukim for each peice of clothing. We are all so excited to see the final product come together!

JKHA and RKYHS were thrilled to march up Fifth Ave in the Celebrate Israel Parade, displaying our love for Israel and Jewish pride for all to see! #amyisraelchai 🇮🇱🇮🇱 @jcrcny_israeldayonfifth

All of JKHA joined together for a “klal together” torah and chesed lag baomer program in Rabbi Akiva’s memory - centered around his eternal message - ״ואהבת לרעך כמוך ״ You should love your neighbor as you love yourself. In the morning, the older Middle School students paired with the younger Lower School students to learn about Rabbi Akiva’s life and teachings in a chavruta format. Later the groups reunited for a special chesed activity. From decorating teddy bears for patients at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center and writing cards for patients through Chai Lifeline to packaging tea lights and cards for residents at Daughters of Israel and packaging Shabbat in a Box for those in the hospital and more, it was a true merger of the Lower School’s messaging of Middot Matter along with the Middle School’s mantra of Kushner CARES!!

What a great night celebrating the seniors on the RKYHS Boys Varsity Baseball Team before their game this week! The team then took home a 5-1 win! ⚾️

Exciting playoff win for the RKYHS Boys Varsity Soccer Team - semifinals here they come!!! ⚽️ 🥅 let’s cobras!!🐍

EC4 completed their unit in animal habitats. Each week they learned about one habitat that corresponded with their letter of the week. They finished the whole alphabet and celebrated with a special Animal Day today. Dressed in an animal costume they were treated to a live animal show!

It’s a playoff win for the RKYHS Girls Varsity Soccer Team! Onto the next round they go!! ⚽️ #letsgocobras🐍

What a start to the playoffs for JKHA! Congrats to the JKHA Middle School Girls Hockey Team on their win tonight! Congrats to the JKHA Middle School Boys Soccer Tean on their win tonight. Next round of playoffs here they come!! #GoCobras!! ⚽️🥅🏒 @cobra_ms_athletics

Second graders spent weeks on their biographies - researching, taking notes and turning those notes into written biographies. In addition to the reports, students gave an oral presentation to the class. The students were excited to share all of their knowledge in many creative ways such as acting in a video, creating a poster with a timeline, picture and important facts, dressing up or presenting through Powerpoint.

The fifth grade students have been working for weeks on the TREP$ entrepreneurship education project, learning financial literacy and life skills as they build a business of their own creation. Students created their own original product, learned how to pitch a product, how to market a product, how to secure investors, measure revenue and expenses, design branding, and more. They also incorporated the concept of tzedakah and how it relates to their entrepreneurship. They learned about advertising with school Educational Technologist Mrs Rubin where they determined techniques advertisers use to sell products and messages of advertising, then utilized principles of design to create their own ads on Canva that were displayed all around school. They sold their products in the TREP$ Marketplace this week!

Twenty four RKYHS student groups presented their original RKYHS SRTI (Scientific Research Training Institute) research to representatives of the New Jersey Academy of Sciences in a symposium of work. NJAS selected eight projects to advance and be presented at its annual symposium for high school students across the state at Kean University. Abstracts were presented in genetics, engineering, health and medicine, cell and molecular biology, plant biology, aquatic ecosystems, mathematics and computer science. Among the presentations were the development of a custom-designed 3D tissue printer to print human tissue, molecular screening systems for infections and to determine the efficacy of certain chemotherapies, a buoy that detects toxic algae blooms in bodies of water, bioremediation of oil spills using engineered bacteria, a compact urban wind system for scalable clean energy generation, glasses that incorporate a display to combat memory loss, automated real time identification and quantification of pollen (which has been previously published in a scientific journal and presented at a national conference by our students), and more. The RKYHS SRTI (Scientific Research Training Institute) immerses students in authentic, cutting-edge research with a hands-on, inquiry-driven approach that mirrors university and industry research environments.

The RKYHS Girls Varsity Hockey team finished off the regular season with a big win! Let’s go Cobras! 🏒 🥅

Jewish pride and love for Eretz Yisrael emanated throughout JKHA/RKYHS as we celebrated Yom Haatzmaut! It was a jam-packed day that balanced meaningful celebrations with abundant joy to mark Israel’s 77th birthday.

The JKHA/RKYHS Annual Dinner is just 2 weeks away on Tuesday, May 20! We can’t wait to celebrate our school and our most deserving roster of honorees. Don’t delay - sign up today! Www.jkha.org/dinner

Chag Atzmaut Sameach! JKHA had a blast celebrating Israel’s 77th birthday!!

Unbelievable daglanut performance by the 8th grade girls at this morning’s full school Yom Haatzmaut tekes!!

Thank you KPAC for the delicious Yom Haatzmaut barbecue! Thank you to all of the parent and grandparent volunteers!

JKHA Middle School students learned about the meaning of Yom Hazikaron and had the privilege of welcoming Jonah Eisenberg (JKHA ‘16/RKYHS ‘20), who shared with students about his friend and IDF Commander Eitan Dishon z”l as well as other members of his unit who paid the ultimate price defending the Land of Israel. We thank Jonah for adding a personal element to the programming and enabling us to perpetuate their memories. All year Middle School has introduced a mishpat hashavua, a colloquial Hebrew sentence or phrase that they’re encouraged to use in their every day lives. Each week has been a different motto of someone who was killed in Israel since 10/7, similar to the stickers and posters that are hanging and plastered throughout Israel. In conjunction with this week’s sentence, “Remember me, I’m alive,” student groups each took one of the mottos they’ve learned during the year and designed an artistic depiction, honoring their chosen soldier’s memory and bringing them back to life.

Yom Hazikaron was commemorated at RKYHS with programming that enabled students to comprehend the gravity of the day. Faculty and students memorialized fallen members of the IDF as well as victims of terror. Emotional videos and poignant musical tributes by Rabbi Chamudot and Rabbi Schlusselberg, accompanied by personal reflections from Rabbi Chamudot, evoked the magnitude of sadness and mourning that envelopes Yom Hazikaron as we remember all those that made the ultimate sacrifice for the Land of Israel. At the conclusion of the moving program, RKYHS students learned together in the merit of all those who have been killed and murdered

Over the past few weeks, Middle School students were challenged to read books from a selected list. All students who read at least three books were invited to participate in the “Battle of the Books.” Teams of students answered questions about the details of the book and were required to know the titles and authors. Everyone enjoyed pizza lunch in a friendly competition, with all teams displaying vast comprehension and recall of everything they read.

RKYHS and JKHA’s 8th grade were privileged to host a book launch for “The Eternal Conversation” a new compilation of work from Rabbi Sacks that articulates his most concise conceptions of Judaism, applicable to diverse individuals and communities. The book was brought into existence through the leadership and guidance of the grandchildren of Barbara and Richard Rosenfield z”l and is dedicated in their grandparents’ memory. Their grandchild Michael Lefkovits (JKHA ‘08/RKYHS ‘12), who was instrumental in the creation of this book along with his cousins Jacob Friedman and Scott Rosenfield, provided the genesis of putting this book together, as well as shared the beautiful dedication included in it from the Lefkovits, Friedman and Rosenfield families. As a way to provide more insight into the life and legacy of Rabbi Sacks, everyone in attendance for the book launch heard personal and general reflections from Rabbi Gideon Black, CEO of Tri-State NCSY. As Yom HaZikaron approaches, the book launch was also marked by hearing from Sergeant Avner Vilian, who shared the story of the incredible heroism of his friends Amichai Rubin and Shiloh Rauchberger z”l who fell on October 7th while saving many lives. Every student as well as faculty received a copy of “The Eternal Conversation.” We know that our students will be inspired by the timeless wisdom in its pages from Rabbi Sacks as they deepen their commitment to Torah, Israel and the Jewish people.

RKYHS Spring sports teams came back from vacation ready to play! Congrats to the RKYHS Boys Varsity Baseball Team on their win vs JEC. Congrats to the RKYHS Girls Varsity Soccer Team on their win vs Ramaz. Congrats to the RKYHS Girls Varsity Tennis Team on their win vs HANC Congrats to the RKYHS JV Soccer Team on their win vs YDE. Let’s go Cobras!! 🐍 ⚽️ ⚾️ 🎾

The Middle School community gathered together to commemorate Yom HaShoah. Eighth graders were empowered to take a leadership role, as all 8th graders take a weekly seminar class about life before, during and after the Holocaust, called Witness Seminar. Eighth graders prepared ideas to share, both about their own experiences in learning about the Holocaust in Witness Seminar as well as by sharing excerpts of poetry, diaries, and stories written by children in Terezin, from the compilation text I Never Saw Another Butterfly. The program stressed the importance of remembering and guarding the stories of survivors. All Middle School students received a yahrzeit candle with the name of a specific person who perished in the Holocaust on it. On the candle, there is a QR code to be scanned, which told them about that particular person’s life, keeping their memory alive.

Thank you David Solomon and Yoav Tzivoni for sharing your inspirational stories of heroism as reservists in the IDF and for imparting important messages of unity for our RKYHS students.

Across all Middle School grades, students engaged with our famous Moadim L'STEAMcha interdisciplinary program, exploring salt water in particular.

Pesach learning brought out the creativity in fourth grades. They created games based on the simanei haseder. They worked with Mrs Rubin in Technology to design cards in Canva and had to create a game utilizing the cards. Some made charades, others Candyland, Racko, Jeopardy even Catan, among others. So much creativity in their finished products and the students enjoyed playing with their creations with first graders!

To prepare for Pesach, JKHA Lower School students participated in the exciting competitive model Seder, Pesach-Palooza! Each grade dressed in a different color, competing in singing, art, trivia, matzah-breaking, and skits. Students sang together and created a day of unity around the mitzvot of Seder night.

Congrats to the RKYHS Girls Varsity Hockey team on their win vs Maayanot this week!

Celebrating our seniors on the RKYHS Varsity Girls Indoor soccer team! The team capped off the night with a 7-0 win! #classof2025 ⚽️🥅

We are immensely proud of our RKYHS students who presented their groundbreaking published work on real-time airborne pollen identification at the 2025 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) and World Allergy Organization (WAO) joint meeting in San Diego. Their innovative research earned them a spot at this prestigious event with two accepted papers, highlighting the growing national reputation of the RKYHS Scientific Research Training Institute (SRTI) program, which is redefining how young minds engage in science through authentic scientific research, learning science by doing science. Their findings could could be a game changer for allergy sufferers, and help individuals manage their conditions more effectively. Their innovative system integrates DNA sequencing and microscopy-based image recognition within an artificial intelligence/ machine-learning framework. Yashar koach to the RKYHS-SRTI researchers, Melanie Huppert, Jonah Klein, Aidan Korish, Naomi Rosenbluth and recent grad Gal Usi (RKYHS ‘24) who performed the research while at RKYHS. The group was accompanied by RKYHS Science Chair and SRTI Director Dr Steven Stein, and SRTI Program Coordinator Rebecca Weisberg (JKHA ‘14/RKYHS ‘18).

Elana Kaplan, an educator from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, presented to our 5th-grade students on Ancient Egypt, focusing on artifacts from the museum’s Ancient Egyptian collection - connecting and linked the presentation to their social studies curriculum, to Sefer Shemot, and Pesach. Students participated in an interactive virtual tour of the museum, which serves as a valuable preparation for their upcoming trip in June. As part of the experience, students worked with clay to create their own Ancient Egyptian artifacts, with the option to inscribe them using hieroglyphics. Ms Kaplan will also serve as their tour guide during the museum visit in June.

Second and and third graders had the special experience of taking a trip to the Jewish Children's Museum in Brooklyn. They baked matzahs while learning about how to make and bake matzah from the beginning stages to the timing, and more. They also played a Jewish-themed game show and got to experience the exhibits at the Children's Museum.

The JKHA seventh grade headed out to explore historical Philadelphia. From the Ben Franklin Institute, learning about the beginnings of American Jewish history at Temple Mikveh Israel, the oldest synagogue in America, and visiting the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, to seeing “Freedom Rising” at the National Constitution Center the trip enhanced their classroom learning of American history.

Thank you to Rav Doron Perez, head of @worldmizrachi for coming to RKYHS and for your inspirational and moving words about the pain and privilege of the Jewish people, especially as we head into Pesach. We will carry your son Daniel Perez’s h”yd legacy forward with us.

RKYHS students in the SOAR (Seminar on Antisemitism and Racism) program visited their fellow SOAR participants from St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark at their school. Our RKYHS students enjoyed experiencing the school’s morning convocation meeting and feeling the energy of the weekly full school gathering. They also learned about the Building Bridges program that the school takes part in, and had the opportunity to cheer on their SBP friends as the girls played a volleyball game against NJ State Troopers as part of the Building Bridges program. The visit also included a tour of their historic school and discussion around current and timely topics. The students all enjoy these in person opportunities outside of their weekly zoom session.

Another win in the books for the RKYHS Girls Varsity Soccer Team! Let’s go Cobras!! ⚽️

And the wins continue for our RKYHS Soccer Teams. Congrats to the RKYHS Boys Varsity Soccer team for another win this week! ⚽️ 🥅

For this week’s SEED speaker, RKYHS welcomed Lee Yaron, an award-winning Israeli journalist known for her investigative reporting, which has led to significant policy changes in Israel. Her new book, “10/7: 100 Human Stories”, explores the victims and communities affected by the 10/7 attacks, and she is the youngest-ever winner of the National Jewish Book Award’s Book of the Year. Thanks to the generosity of the Paul E. Singer Foundation, every student received a copy of Yaron’s book.

The RKYHS Boys Basketball teams welcomed the Elitzur Rechovot team from Israel to school. The teams enjoyed the off season scrimmage with their visitors, with Kushner securing the win!

To celebrate the completion of their unit of study on the events leading up to the American Revolution, and find out what all the fuss is about tea in relation to the Boston Tea Party, 7th grade students held a tea party. Students were very selective about which tea to drink and they sat and savored the smell and taste as any proper colonial British American would. To add to their learning they merged social studies and technology as they researched the historical context, organizing their findings with graphic organizers. Leveraging AI music generators like Suno, they translated their research into original songs, fostering critical thinking and historical comprehension, allowing students to express their learning through a genre of their choice.

What a winning week for the RKYHS Soccer teams! Congratulations to the RKYHS Boys Varsity Soccer Team RKYHS Boys JV Soccer Team RKYHS Girls Varsity Soccer Team Who all took home dominating wins this week! (2 game wins for the girls!) #GoCobras! ⚽️

A glimpse into Purim celebrations all around JKHA Early Childhood, Lower School and Middle School! From Middle School Maccabiah to Purim parades, chagigot, Purim project runway, and more the joy of Purim was felt throughout JKHA!

Lower School students became fashion designers for Project Runway - teacher edition!! Working in groups they designed fabulous Purim outfits for their teachers who later strutted down the runway showing off the creations with a panel of “expert” judges.

A highlight for the Early Childhood and Lower School Purim celebration was a “Masked Reader” contest. A takeoff of the Masked Singer, teachers and administrators disguised themselves in inflatable costumes and competed in an obstacle course and a special book read as students tried to guess who it was!

The RKYHS Girls Varsity Hockey team start their season off with a big win! Looking forward to an amazing season!! #gocobras🏒🥅

Eighth graders are learning about the building of the Beit Hamikdash in Sefer Melachim, and participated in a Project Based Learning unit where they learned about how our shuls are a Mikdash Me'at patterned in many ways after the Beit Hamikdash. They were then tasked to create their own shul. They came up with a name, mission statement, guidelines, and a commitment their shul will make to help bring the building of the Beit Hamikdash. They created logos for their shuls and designed a parochet for their Aron Kodesh using the Glowforge laser printer, and made video commercials encouraging people to attend their shuls. Students displayed their completed group projects for their grade and 7th grade. After the presentation, students were joined by a panel of RKYHS teachers who are affiliated with their community's shuls, who spoke about their roles in the community.

The Bnot Sherut have FILLED our hallways with the joy of Adar. Moriya and Linoy completely transformed the school into a circus as well as candyland featuring many Israeli and American treats! @bnot_sherut_jkha_2025

Fifth graders got a taste of a Shabbaton with a “Shabbat-in!” They spent Friday with a condensed shabbaton complete with challah, kugel and dessert baking, kabbalat shabbat, shabbat meal complete with chulent and kugel, and a festive Havdalah and Melave malkah!

Anyone who has been a part of Rabbi Greenberg’s classroom over the many decades has read the book “Go, My Son.” The engrossing personal memoir tells the story of a young yeshiva student Chaim Shapiro, as he endures through both war-torn Europe and Asiatic Russia in a story of survival, faith, and ingenuity. This year, one of the SINAI teachers saw how impactful the book is for our students, and decided to try to get in touch with the family of Chaim Shapiro. Through her tremendous efforts, the son of Chaim Shapiro, Avi Shapiro, joined our Middle School virtually to share his father’s legacy. Before Shapiro’s presentation, Rabbi Sukenik presented a framed artwork to Rabbi Greenberg, with a plaque recognizing the dedication to preserving and sharing Chaim Shapiro’s Holocaust legacy mi’dor l’dor.

In true “venahafochu” spirit JKHA Middle Schoolers dressed up as their teachers today (and teachers dressed as students!)

A group of RKYHS students attended the ADL’s Never Is Now summit, the world’s largest annual summit on Antisemitism and hate. The students joined the thousands of people in attendance at this important all-day summit in NYC as they participated in special breakout sessions aimed at high school students on how to combat Antisemitism.

RKYHS was thrilled to welcomed Noa Tishby for this week’s SEED speaker. Tishby is an award-winning actress, producer, writer, and activist, and a powerhouse on social media, using her platforms to amplify important messages and engage with audiences worldwide. With her charisma and indomitable spirit, Tishby impressed lasting messages of strength, courage, resilience and pride upon the students. @noatishby

Congratulations to the JKHA Girls Hockey Team on their win vs TCA! #gocobras 🥅 🏒

Our first through fourth grade students had the opportunity to participate in an interactive performance with musicians from the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. The musicians described how music can show different emotions and feelings and illustrated those emotions while performing different pieces. They also described the different types of instruments found in an orchestra as they took them on a trip "around the world" performing different International music styles. Thank you to the UJA Benefit Concert Supporting Foundation and the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ for sponsoring the concert!

The RKYHS Model United Nations team returned today from the annual Yeshiva University National Model United Nations (YUNMUN) conference. YUNMUN is a student-run simulation of the workings of the real United Nations that gives students an opportunity to experience and learn about the complex landscape of international diplomacy. Our students were delegates representing Hungary and Russia in a number of committees. A special congratulations to 11th grader Nomi H on winning Honorable Mention for the DISEC committee.

With heavy hearts, we marked the return of the hostages’ remains to Israel today. We asked Middle School students to take on a mitzvah today in oded Liphshitz, Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas’ memory, specifically going out of their way to do a mitzvah for a small child today and a mitzvah for a mother. Students who chose to commit to these mitzvot then wrote their intended or completed mitzvot on strips of orange paper, which were then folded and put into a container to remind us all of how we can feel the darkness but also increase the light of the world.

Cobra Crust has arrived at RKYHS! School caterer Shimon Nissel has added pizza ovens to be able to create delicious and fresh pizzas to add to the already extensive food offerings available at RKYHS!

Congratulations to the RKYHS Boys Varsity Wrestling team on placing 4th overall in the entire country at the Wittenberg Tournament this weekend. A special recognition to the below students for placing on top in their weight classes: Ilan G- 1st place Matanel S - 2nd place Brian S- 2nd place Matthew K - 2nd place Jordan L - 2nd place Eitan K - 3rd place Erez E - 3rd place Aaron E - 3rd place Yashar koach to our alumni coaches as well!

Bravo to the cast and crew of SHREK! The JKHA and RKYHS Drama Club was excited to present their production of SHREK this week. The production brings together the entire Kushner community from Lower School through twelfth grade. The younger JKHA students focused on building theater skills and ensemble numbers. RKYHS students also assumed the roles of stage managers, sound engineers and set designers allowing them the opportunity to explore their interests in many different aspects of the stage and performing arts. Thank you to @freshtheatrearts for making this production such a success!!

It’s a playoff win for the RKYHS Boys Varsity Hockey team tonight! Onto the next round! #GoCobras

Congratulations to the RKYHS Chess Team on their win in their recent match! ♟️ ♟️

What an amazing Shabbat together for the 9th and 10th grade Shabbaton - filled with ruach, warmth, bonding, and fun!!

The 7th Grade Girls Davening group has begun! This tefila opportunity is a supportive space for students to daven at their own pace outside of the minyan, allowing for a more focused and personal tefillah experience. Each session, which meets weekly, begins with words of chizzuk related to tefillah, helping students connect more meaningfully to their prayers. In this smaller setting, they can grow in their kavanah and confidence, surrounded by their peers.

It has been an inspiring and meaningful few days in Boston for JKHA/RKYHS Administrators who have been taking part in the prizmahcjds conference. The school representatives have been learning from field experts, hearing from fantastic speakers, and collaborating with innovative thinkers on topics related to Jewish Day School education, as they joined colleagues from Jewish Day Schools across North America.

A group of Middle School students attended Civic Spirit Day at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn this week. The JKHA students joined 100 other middle schoolers from around the tri-state area for a day of interactive and engaging activities, exploring the theme “Justice for All.” Over the course of the day, they heard from several different people who work in various parts of our judicial branch and legal system. They also had the unique opportunity to attend a naturalization ceremony for new citizens. The day ended with a mock trial, with students playing all the roles in the case!

Across JKHA and RKYHS today we celebrated the release of more hostages. Among them was Agam Berger, who according to reports has been braiding the hair of girls in captivity. The braids have become a symbol of strength, love and resilience. Today, JKHA/RKYHS joined a movement of celebration and support across the world in braiding girls’ hair, tied with a yellow ribbon to call for the return of the remainder of the hostages. Through all of the many plaited heads, adorned with yellow ribbons one could feel the sentiment of unity and gratitude for all of the hostages who have been released to-date, alongside the hope and longing for the safety and return of all the remaining hostages. #bringthemallhomenow🎗️ #BraidsForAgam

For the first SEED speaker of the semester, RKYHS students heard from Dr. Richard Joel. former President of Yeshiva University and former International Director of Hillel. Joel spoke to students about focusing on who they are, and finding their place in the world. As students begin a new semester, he offered advice for living in this complicated world, to use the light and the tools they’ve been given and to use them for good to impact themselves and their communities

In JKHA Middle School, a Mishpat HaShavua, a Hebrew sentence of the week, is introduced every week. This colloquial Hebrew sentence or phrase is introduced to students right after davening at the beginning of the week. The sentences and phrases often reflect current events or sayings relevant to the students. This year, each week has been focused on a different motto of someone who was killed in Israel since 10/7, similar to the stickers and posters that are hanging and plastered throughout Israel to honor their memory. This week’s sentence, taking a break from the mottos, is “V’shavu Bnot L’Gevulan - and the girls shall return to their borders.” A sign with this week’s phrase is proudly hanging in Middle School with the faces of the newly released female hostages. We look forward to hearing more good news and being able to add more and more faces to the display. #bringthemallhomenow🎗️

A group of RKYHS Students volunteered today with the AFYA Foundation to assist with LA wildfire relief. The students assisted in sorting through the vast array of personal hygiene items collected, before they are airlifted to the area.

Amazing finish for the RKYHS Boys Varsity Basketball Team, going ahead with seconds to go, taking home the win vs GOA! And congratulations to the RKYHS Girls Varsity Basketball Team on their win vs GOA in tonight’s double header! #gocobras🐍 🏀

Third grade science has been working hard on learning about forces - gravitational, magnetic and balancing forces. As a culmination of their knowledge they created their capstone project - Paper Roller Coasters. So much creativity and skill went into their finished products!

It was a bittersweet night as we paid tribute to our graduating seniors on the RKYHS Boys Varsity Hockey Team who played their last home game. The seniors were honored for the contributions, leadership and prowess they have shown in the rink over their Kushner hockey years. #RKYHSClassof2025

In conjunction with their iTalam unit in first grade, students are working on the unit "Ma yesh B'beit Hasefer" (what can be found in school). Each child received a Hebrew word card of things they can find in school, and then the class left on a tour of the school, labeling each item they found in Hebrew. The children also wrote sentences on the topic in Hebrew in the classroom.

In Vaad learning sessions, RKYHS students spend time out of the classroom engaged in informal small group Torah learning, led by our Judaic Studies teachers. The group of 11th grade boys who have been learning in a Vaad together every week since their freshman year with Rabbi Erps enjoyed a Chanukah party at the end of last week. Thank you to Dovid Aryeh Burack who participated in Rabbi Erps’ Vaad for three years while at RKYHS, for sponsoring the lunch!

RKYHS had the special privilege of welcoming Floyd Mayweather to school today. The well known boxing legend has been outspoken in his support of Israel and the Jewish people, particularly post-October 7, and has visited the country numerous times. Mayweather shared his message with students to stay positive and to stay humble. He stressed the importance of treating people with respect and of appreciating those around you, impressing upon them that we are stronger together than apart. His heartfelt remarks to the students today displayed his role as a champion both in and out of the ring.

What a night as we honored our seniors on the RKYHS Girls Varsity Basketball team for their contributions to the team throughout their time at RKYHS. They ended the night with a win for their final home RKYHS basketball game!

It was bittersweet as we celebrated the seniors on the RKYHS Boys Varsity Basketball team surrounded by their families as they played their last home game at RKYHS. The night brought a win to cap off their home game season!

All of JKHA and RKYHS gathered earlier this week on the grassy knoll at the front of the school campus for a communal menorah lighting, exuberantly fulfilling the mitzvah of pirsumei nisah. Waving our Israeli flags, and filled with joyous singing and dancing, we had our collective Jewish pride on full display for all to see. As Chanukah concludes, we pray that our tefillot together as a school community and throughout the days of Chanukah bring open miracles for all of am yisrael - bayamim hahem bazman hazeh!

So much creativity from the 4th grade on their culminating menorah project where they designed, constructed and wired their own menorahs including a switch. They held a special ceremony during Chanukah to “light” the menorahs with Lower School and families. The candle lighting was enhanced by a Chanukah performance from the Lower School choir.

With the end of Chanukah comes the last of the RKYHS class and grade Chanukah parties at the homes of their teachers. Students have enjoyed gathering at teachers’ houses to celebrate a Chanukah!

Early Childhood was treated to a special Chanukah program welcoming Rabbi Rosenblum of Living Legacy who gave a fascinating demonstration of how olive oil is made. The children were then able to squeeze their olives and explore the same special shemen used in the mikdash!

JKHA/RKYHS is deeply committed to providing an environment rooted in Torah values, unwavering support for the State of Israel, and serving as a cornerstone of Jewish education. We strive for academic excellence from nursery school through high school, ensuring our students will be lifelong learners, lead meaningful Jewish lives and be productive and engaged citizens. As we look toward 2025 we invite you to support our school. Every gift we receive strengthens the foundation for educating the Jewish leaders of tomorrow. https://www.jkha.org/about/donate-now

On this fifth day of Chanukah, all of JKHA and RKYHS headed outside to exuberantly fulfill the mitzvah of pirsumei nisah and publicly and symbolically light the menorah on South Orange Ave, displaying their Jewish pride for all to see!

We were so excited to welcome everyone for Middle School Parent Child Learning for a special Chanukah focused Moadim L’STEAMcha program. With Judaic studies faculty, families learned the significance of the dreidel. With science teachers they then linked the dreidel to a science lesson on the scientific exploration of rotation. The program concluded with a Chanukah kumsitz in the Naomi Rosenfeld Kehila Center.

It was an exciting Chanukah-themed scavenger hunt on day one. Early Childhood and Lower School went on a hunt for Chanukah items and Chanukah-related challenges to complete, and take their photo to mark the task.

What a fun Chanukah carnival! Fifth grade did an amazing job planning and executing the carnival for Early Childhood and Lower School!

Perfect winter weather timing for our first graders to head out on a “trip” to Antarctica. They’ve been learning about the climates, animals and what scientists do in Antarctica. To enhance their “visit” they utilized a science lesson and made snow! ❄️ ⛄️