Coming together through color war

It feels … it looks … it sounds … like Hanukkah Color War 2013! Let the games begin! The breakout of Color War on Nov. 27 was the perfect end to the eight straight weeks of school before the highly anticipated “Thanksgivvukah” break. Students knew that when they got back to school on Dec. 3 awesome activities would await.

The hallways were quite colorful with the freshmen wearing yellow, the sophomores in red, the juniors wearing green and the seniors in blue. Each of the four teams represented a different holy city in Israel: ninth grade - Jerusalem, 10th grade -Tiberius, 11th grade – Hebron and 12th –Tzfat. Each grade intricately painted a mural depicting the specific holy city assigned to them. Activities included a school-wide “Minute to Win It,” food eating contest, Judaic Studies blended learning, an all-out basketball tournament, college bowl and Torah bowl competitions, a chulent cook-off and a cake decorating competition.

The finale on Dec. 5 was especially entertaining. Each grade, while wearing the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway (HAFTR) Hanukkah Color War shirt in their team’s color, performed the song they composed and showed off their creative murals. It was clear that the students worked hard, but more importantly, that they worked together. After all the points were added up, the winner of was announced … congrats to the seniors!

Many thanks to the generals, seniors Joseph Greenstein and Lauren Pianko, juniors Gabby Schwartz and Abie Ringelheim, sophomores Lizzie Wallach and Jeremy Hershkowitz and freshmen Kelly Wietschner and Israel Lallouz.

Lt. generals, Tamar Siri and Jason Sulzberger (12), Alexandra Seelenfreund and Marc Generowicz (11), Leana Thurm and Sammy Mandel (10), and Alyssa Wengrofsky and Julian Sternberg (9); Captains Ariana Cushner and Allan Stern (12), Harlee Miller and Russell Charnoff (11), Dana Shamama and Judah Weinerman (10), and Perrin Rudensky and Noah Fruchter (9); and art captains Alex Feder and Tamara Heller (12), Yonina Keschner and Max Lent (11), Melissa Feder and Matthew Hoenig (10), and Maia Schlussel and Arielle Herman (9). Everyone did an amazing job to make the color war the best yet!

Color War could not have happened without General Studies Principal Naomi Lippman, Judaic Studies Principal Rabbi Gedaliah Oppen, Rabbi Steve Moskowitz, and Assistant Director of Student Life Andi Koppelman. The hours of dedication and the amount of time each of them allotted to provide HAFTR with a warm and welcoming atmosphere and to ensure the school has the perfect amount of learning and fun is greatly appreciated and clearly visible! Thanks for an amazing Hanukkah!