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December 10, 2009 - Image 53

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Detroit Jewish News, 2009-12-10

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

50th Gathering

Beth Jacob convention brings North American students closer together.

Shulamis Rubinfeld

Special to the Jewish News

0

nce every five years, Southfield-based Yeshiva Beth Yehudah is privileged
to host an international convention of students from girls' high schools
that share the Bais Yaakov (Beth Jacob) philosophy developed by the late
Sara Schenirer. This event took place the weekend of Nov. 19-22.
Nearly 500 student delegates, representing more than 60 schools, joined with
the more than 100 Beth Jacob School for Girls students for this spectacular event.
Nearly 75 principals and chaperones also attended.
The local Beth Jacob high school students began preparing during the summer;
they were divided into various committees, planning the myriad details under the
coordination of the principals and teachers.
The entire building in Oak Park was decorated beautifully. Enormous murals,
creative art pieces, banners and impressive signs adorned every available space
downstairs, while each of the high school classrooms was devoted to a specific type
of mitzvah (commandment). Every class creatively depicted its group of mitzvos,
using a variety of materials in an original manner.
The Yeshiva's own student talents were showcased in a wel-
come ensemble performed on Thursday evening as well as in
an original musical production presented on Saturday night.
Through dance, choir and drama, the students masterfully
portrayed the message that how we speak reflects who we are.
One of the visiting principals commented, "This is the best
convention I've attended in a long time. What a talented group
of students you have."
Besides the artistic and creative strengths developed, the
students gained invaluable experience in organizational skills,
fundraising, teamwork and flexibility; they put together kits,
developed a newspaper and arranged housing, transportation,
menus, lunches, table arrangements and decorations.
The program also included opportunities for the girls to
bond, form new friendships and experience the warmth

50th Gathering on page 54

Seeing
Similarities

Teamwork, talents
blend for success.

Kayla Mayerfeld

Special to the Jewish News

I was the first to sit down in the station assigned to
my team that Sunday. The Chidon (Bible contest) was
about to begin. Organized by our teacher Mrs. [Susan]
Levitin, the Chidon has been part of the Beth Jacob

Top: Girls participating in the Beth Jacob convention welcome old and new friends. Above left: Miriam
Goldman, 17, of Oak Park readies table decorations. Above right: Shira Lorkis, 15, of Oak Park, Roche! Erman,
17, of Toronto, Devorah Callous, 16, of Montreal, and Blumy Abrams, 15, of Oak Park work as a team.

convention in Detroit for years.
The other teammates arrived, one by one. The
last one filled in her name on the sign-in sheet and
noticed my name at the top. She asked, "Are you
Adina's sister?" I told her I was and she smiled. "Oh,
then you're my second cousin!"
Happenings like this were common at the convention.
Almost 500 students arrived on Nov.19, mostly by
bus, from about 60 different schools like ours around
North America. The first day, screams of reunited
friends rang through the halls all evening. Some girls
wandered around looking at all the artwork in the
building. Art and the play we did Saturday night, both
were great learning experiences.
We learned a lot about working with each other
("Come back tonight from 7-10"), working with our

teachers ("Can we please have the period off to work
on our classroom?") and working with our principals
("Can we have the rest of the day off for a run-
through?"). The results of all that hard work made
everything worth it in the end.
Six girls stayed at my house. It was fascinating
meeting people from different backgrounds who
seemed so different, but by the time convention was
over, I realized we are really so similar. And actually,
these differences are just what make us all unique.
Like during the Chidon, when teamwork was essential;
each of our unique talents blended together to create
one amazing convention.

Kayla Mayerfeld of Oak Park, 15, is a freshman at Beth Jacob

School for Girls in Oak Park.

December 10 2009

53

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