| July 31, 2024
Dear Alumni and Friends,
Summer is in full swing, and our Yeshivas HaKayitz summer camp is buzzing with energy and excitement! The boys are having a fantastic time, with sports, activities, and awesome trips like Bear Paw Adventure Park, Dave & Buster's, Altitude, and more! Check out the fun in the pictures below!
Scroll down to our news section to read about our new Menahel, Rabbi Aaron Leibtag, and reflections of Rabbi Moishe Schecter and Mr. David Passman as they retire after a quarter of a century of teaching in FYHS.
Also, mark your calendars for August 6th for the FYHS student-produced "Names, Not Numbers" movie premiere at the Holiday Inn North Shore—you won't want to miss this moving event. RSVP below and visit our new Names, Not Numbers website to learn more about this incredible initiative, get to know this years' featured survivors, and watch previous years' movies.
All the best,
Rabbi Shmuel L. Schuman CEO, HTC | | Yeshivas HaKayitz Pictures | | | | HTC Welcomes Rabbi Aaron Leibtag as New Principal of Fasman Yeshiva High School | | Hebrew Theological College/Beis HaMidrash LaTorah is pleased to announce the hire of Rabbi Aaron Leibtag as the new principal of its Rabbi Oscar Z. Fasman Yeshiva High School, beginning with the 2024-25 school year. Rabbi Leibtag will succeed Rabbi Dovid Kupchik, who is leaving at the end of the school year for a position with Yeshiva of Flatbush in New York.
Click here to read more | | | | Rabbi Moishe Schecter Reflects on 25 Years at the Yeshiva | | Following a 25-year tenure at FYHS, Rabbi Moishe Schecter is retiring from his role as a rebbe, leaving behind a legacy of dedication and profound impact on generations of students. Born and raised in Montreal, Canada, Rabbi Schecter pursued his studies in South Fallsburg, New York, and Brisk in Eretz Yisroel, and later spent...
Click here to read more | | | | Mr. David Passman Celebrates the Culmination of 25 Years at FYHS | | "When anybody looks back at their teachers, the ones that stand out were the ones that loved teaching."
As the academic year comes to a close, these words from long-time FYHS teacher Mr. David Passman encapsulate the passion and dedication he has brought to his students for the past 25 years. As he retires this year, we look...
Click here to read more | | Our Students: Past and Present | | HTC is proud of our students, past and present! Take a look at this month's spotlighted Yeshivas HaKayitz Counselor and alumnus. | | | Alumnus Name: Eitan Drapkin
Class: FYHS 2016
Where do you live: I live in Yerushalayim
Tell us about your family: I have one sister married living in yerushalayim, one sister in college in yerushalayim, and one sister in Chicago.
Profession: I am Studying Electrical Engineering at Machon Lev.
Where are you serving in the IDF and in which Unit: I am Serving in Gaza in reserves as part of Golani's combat engineering battalion.
What gives you chizuk during your army service: Knowing that I'm doing my part at such an important point in Jewish history gives me all the fuel I need to keep going. Along with a good Romanian salami!
Share a few fond memories of your time at the Yeshiva: The Yeshiva Bowl weekend, sporting events when the whole school showed up, and any class with Rabbi Weiss. | |  | | Kayitz Staff Member: Eliezer Loeb Class: FYHS Class of 2023
Yeshiva: Mercaz HaTorah Kayitz Involvement: 2024 Teen Kollel Counselor, staff Member for 3 summers, camper for 5 summer.
Favorite Memory from FYHS: The Baruch Levine Shabbaton.
Favorite Memory from Kayitz this summer: Definitely the Teen Kollel CIT Overnighter.
Favorite memory as a camper: In my second year as a camper, when I was going into 7th grade, I loved color war.
Best part of the Yeshiva: Everyone probably says this but just the overall environment is incredible.
Best Part about Being a Kayitz Counselor: Getting to be Mashpiah on the guys. It's really rewarding.
| | | | The Power of Speech By Rabbi Donny Schwartz
As we look back at Sefer BeMidbar as a whole, we can detect a message that it is trying to impart. The personalities we encounter are able to find their unique contribution to the Klal and their place in the Torah. On the positive side we have Bnos Tzlafchad, who, after claiming "Why should we lose out?", were able to have an impact on the laws of inheritance, and Pinchas, who was able to earn the covenant of the Kehunah through taking action. On the negative side... | | | | Avenging the Honor of God By Rabbi Moshe Binyamin Friedman
In this week's parashah, Hashem commands Moshe to go to war and attack the Midianites to take justice and avenge what they had done. However, when Moshe retells the commandment to the Jewish people, he rephrases it as " 'נִקְמַת ה", taking vengeance for Hashem. In order to understand this dialogue, we have to clarify a few points: Why does Moshe express Hashem's commandment differently to the Jewish People? Furthermore, how does this act of vengeance... | | | Join The Yeshiva Network! | |  | | In an exciting move to strengthen connections within its vast alumni community, HTC has officially launched "The Yeshiva Network," an innovative platform designed to foster professional networking, mentoring, and communal engagement among its alumni.
Since its launch, "The Yeshiva Network" has rapidly grown to over 260 members, with alumni from a range of fields all in one place. The platform offers specialized groups catering to industries including accounting, legal, healthcare, Jewish education, and medical professions, allowing for targeted networking and knowledge sharing. It also provides a place to stay in touch with fellow alumni, opportunities for mentorship, career networking, job opportunities, and events.
One of the newest features of "The Yeshiva Network" is its extensive archive of Yeshiva yearbooks, spanning decades! This treasure trove of memories allows alumni to reminisce about their time at HTC, reconnect with classmates, and witness the Yeshiva's evolution over the years.
Not yet a member? Signing up in less than two minutes. By joining "The Yeshiva Network," you become part of an everlasting support system aimed at enriching both your professional and personal life. Embrace this opportunity to reconnect, network, and grow. Welcome to the future of alumni engagement at HTC. | | Update from Just One Chesed | | In mid-April, 60 high school boys from eight yeshivas and schools across Chicago and the Midwest gathered in HTC's Rothner Family Gymnasium for our Achdus 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament. Participating schools included Yeshiva of Minneapolis, Kesser Yonah, Ner Naftali, Fasman Yeshiva High School (FYHS), Ida Crown Jewish Academy (ICJA), New Trier, Lubavitch Mesivta, and Mesivta of Greater St. Louis (MTI). This lively event was not just about sportsmanship and competition; the funds raised went to support Just One Chesed in Israel, an organization dedicated to aiding our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisrael. | | | Check out this MUST WATCH video below to see our collective impact! | | Our Alumni Serving in Israel | | Please have our alumni in your tefillos. Some of our past talmidim are currently in Gaza and up north fighting on behalf of Am Yisrael. | | Spotlight on Alumni Serving in the IDF | | | | |
