Westchester Hebrew High School Home

WHHS was privileged to have to Oren Or Biton and Dror Zicherman as guest speakers as part of El-Ami Honor Day. Each former IDF soldier was injured during their respective service. They each presented videos that showed the mission that they were on and how they were injured. However, their focus was not on the circumstances that caused their respective physical injuries, but on the undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder that almost destroyed their lives.

On this Veteran’s Day, WHHS was privileged to hear from Jonathan Gross. His bio is hard to believe: he is a former US Army Captain who served multiple tours of duty in Iraq, an attorney who taught law at West Point, a husband and father who is a Modern Orthodox Jew, and his current position, a paramedic. Captain Gross related the unexplainable series of events, or what he refers to as “miracles" that led to his journey of faith. These included being granted permission to spend the high holidays in Atlanta, while he was stationed on the Tennessee-Kentucky border awaiting deployment, relying on the advice of a Christian chaplain while serving in the desert of Kuwait, who helped him create a sukkah using a box and a miraculous bush that he saw in the middle of nowhere, and his narrow escape from a rocket explosion on Chanukah. We salute Captain Gross and the rest of the brave men and women who have served or are now serving our country.

We had a school-wide program on vaping given by Judith Mezey, who is the head of community services for Student Assistance Services, a Westchester based substance abuse prevention agency. Using the game Jeopardy as a format, WHHS students competed against one another as they tested their knowledge of vaping generally, vaping products, and the distinction and risk differences between inhaling nicotine or drugs and ingesting them. This program followed a parent program which Ms. Mezey conducted earlier for WHHS parents.

Our 2019 Open House provided prospective WHHS families with an opportunity to learn about life at WHHS. Our over-arching theme was the opportunities that a small high school provides. Thanks to our student speakers, our guests learned firsthand that every student at our school has the ability to join athletic and academic teams and clubs, from the start of freshman year. In the academic presentations, they heard about our multiple tracts and the fluidity to move up or down in any subject at any time, even during the current school year. If you were unable to join us for the Open House, please contact the Admissions’ Office at admissions@whhsny.org to schedule your personal visit.

Students in the WHHS Scholars Program learned what is really means to “work on Wall Street.” They first attended a presentation led by a former Wall Street executive, with experience in information technology, compliance, and subsequently day trading. Her informative lecture addressed the diverseness of jobs in the financial sector, as well as the qualities, skills, and education they require. Students were advised to start becoming more cognizant of their own social media footprints, and to consider their personal strengths and weaknesses as they contemplate career options. The presentation was followed by a walking tour, where students heard about the origins of Wall Street, while standing in front of the historic Stock Exchange building and in view of George Washington’s statute at Federal Hall. And, of course, they stopped to see both the “bull” and “lady” statues, now permanent fixtures in this historic New York City area.