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Yeshiva Har Torah has been running a myriad of special events and initiatives in the wake of the recent tragedies that are happening in Israel. This week, Yeshiva Har Torah hosted a series of rallies for all of their students to join together in song, prayer, speech, and other activities.

This past week, Seniors at MTA had the privilege of meeting with Emmy Award-winning reporter and investigative journalist Jonah Kaplan of CBS News. This meeting took place within the context of the award-winning Names, Not Numbers® project, created 20 years ago by Tova Rosenberg (this is MTA’s 18^th year). Jonah Kaplan met with the approximately 30 seniors who are taking part in this elective project to help them prepare for their interviews with Holocaust Survivors.

In an expression of love and care for the families and children of Israel, the students of the Bnos Malka Academy have undertaken a special project. In a desire to bring a smile to the faces of Israeli families displaced from their homes in the South, and to the families whose fathers or sons were called up to duty, our girls are sending the families fresh pizza pies.

The YCQ Junior High School (JHS) created an unprecedented moment of solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Israel. Over the past three weeks, since we learned about the horrors inflicted upon our people in Israel, the YCQ JHS has been turning our focus to Israel through t’filah, talmud Torah, chesed, political activism, and learning about the history of our homeland. We have also sent supplies to Israel and letters to soldiers, victims, and politicians. We have done everything but actually gone to Israel, which was not practical. So, what did we do? We brought Israel to YCQ!

Students at SINAI@YCQ who had recently written letters of gratitude to Israeli soldiers were thrilled to receive a response back from one of them, who thanked the students, sent a picture of the letters on display at the army base, and said the letters “give us a boost” and “we read [them] every day.” Meanwhile, junior high school students joined with their peers at the Yeshiva of Central Queens to show their own support for Israel in the schoolyard!

Strategic grouping facilitates teamwork and success. Students can brainstorm, collaborate, and communicate to achieve a common goal. Once new academic skills are taught, the best way to ensure that they are embedded, and students are comfortable and confident using them is through differentiated stations. This creates an environment that builds stamina and endurance, stepping away from the frontal piece and putting the spotlight on the mini-scholar.