Community Magazine December 2003

14 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE s xc To the Editor: Victoria Matalon’s “NOT Back to School” raised several concerns crucial to the communi- ty’s high schools, and mentions efforts being made toward resolving them. Bnot Rachel is a high school for young women which has been addressing just these issues since its inception four years ago. Our holistic approach to accepting students recog- nizes that academic achievement is one of many aspects to consider, rather than a bench- mark of what that person is. The smaller class sizes ensure more accurate tracking of each stu- dent and her progress, and our strong extracur- ricular program fosters a healthy student/men- tor rapport, reinforcing ideas such as communi- ty responsibility and commitment to a Torah life. This is accomplished with a view of each student as an individual with particular needs, and has B”H met with much success, as is evi- dent in the school’s steady growth. Thank you for raising our collective con- science for a critical matter. M RS . J UDY H OROWITZ , P RINCIPAL B NOT R ACHEL H IGH S CHOOL Dear Community, I am lucky enough to be among those who learn Torah throughout the day in Yeshiva. Unfortunately, from time to time I hear of a statement said by an unlearned person that what I am doing is “not our way.” I can’t begin to express the amount of pride that I feel when I read Rabbi Sutton’s article each month about our fathers of Syria. How less than a hundred years ago, men with “familiar last names” gave up everything in order to do one thing–learn in Kollel day and night.I hope through these articles, more and more people will be acquainted with the truth of what our heritage was all about—Torah. I thank you for the significant Hizuk which I receive from this magazine. S INCERELY , D ANIEL S. Dear Community, Mrs. Imma Beck, well known lecturer and educator, has been in Los Angeles since August. Therefore she could not give Shiurim to women at Bnei Yosef Torah Center. On Wednesdays at 11:30 am. We miss Mrs. Beck greatly. We need more ladies classes in our neighborhood. Will you list Rabbi Eliyahu Brog’s Shiurim which are for men and women on Thursday night and Shabbat at the Bais Yisroel Torah Center at 1821 Ocean Parkway. We love your publication, we wish you Beracha V’hatzlacha. Y ISHAR K OACH , S HIFFRA S HAPIRO P.S. Could we obtain back issues of Community? Some months it is difficult to obtain a copy because of its great popularity! Editor’s note: Back issues are available for a nominal fee. Contact our office for more information. SEND YOUR LETTERS TO: Mail: Community Magazine 1616 Ocean Pkwy Brooklyn, NY 11223 Fax: 718-504-4246 email: letters@communitym.com Letters submitted become the property of Community Magazine and will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. Letters may be edited and revised for length, style and grammar before publication. E T T E R S