The Humanities Department at the Yeshiva University High School for Girls (Central) aims to convey the crucial importance of clear, strong writing, deep reading, and making connections across disciplines – but with an eye toward creativity and fun. (In fact, you may just spot the English Department standing in as the three witches from Macbeth during classes.)

The benefits are being felt in and out of the classroom as Central launches the second year of the Adira Rose Koffsky a”h Humanities Scholars Program, named in honor of 2022 Central alumna Adira Koffsky. Program advisor and Humanities Department Chair Mrs. Rena Boord spoke to both the social and intellectual growth of students in the intensive. Recently, Scholars have focused on developing their creative writing skills during after-school sessions. “They’re learning new writing techniques, like stream-of-consciousness,” Mrs. Boord said. “They’re learning to put their ideas into a limited, concise word count. They’re responding to these new challenges – and they encourage each other’s writings throughout. They’ve become a cohesive, supportive bunch, all across the grades.”

The writing concentration recently culminated with all students submitting their work to the national Scholastic Arts and Writing Competition. On Monday, December 23, Dr. Shaina Trapedo, Assistant Professor of English at the Stern College for Women and a resident scholar at Yeshiva University’s Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought, is coming to address the Scholars. On February 16, the Scholars will attend the program to commemorate Adira’s yahrzeit, where Dr. Erica Brown, Vice Provost for Values and Leadership at YU and the founding director of its Sacks-Herenstein Center, will address the room.

The celebrations of writing extend into curriculum: freshmen English sections, taught by Ms. Chevi Friedman, have been discussing Chaim Potok’s classic novel The Chosen. The classes will be designing one-pagers, or projects that synthesize language and visual iconography in order to interpret a piece of writing, on The Chosen. “Their one-pagers will be focused on symbolism and theme. We’ve had some great discussions about symbolism while reading this book,” Ms. Friedman said.

The focus on the Jewish-American canon is continued in Ms. Friedman’s senior English class, which recently read Potok’s novel Davita’s Harp and will soon read short stories from writers including Abraham Cahan, Anzia Yezierska, and Isaac Bashevis Singer. “Just to look at the Jewish American experience from different perspectives is incredibly valuable,” Ms. Friedman continued.

Ms. Friedman’s sophomore British Literature class was also the site of a performance from Macbeth’s Three Witches, starring Ms. Friedman, Mrs. Boord, and Ms. Kayla Whitaker, a lesson that stood out to sophomore Sarah Wagman: “It was funny and helped me better understand what was going on in the play,” she said.

Ms. Whitaker’s junior American Literature class has been discussing poetry, ranging from Walt Whitman to Gwendolyn Brooks, as well as poetic devices, including vowels as sound frequencies and consonant categories. Her AP English Literature section is currently discussing “The Metamorphosis” and “Death of a Salesman,” using both analytical and creative writing to deepen their understanding of critical lenses in analysis. “The writing process is a thinking process,” Ms. Whitaker said. “That applies to critical essays – but it also applies to poems where students have to use alliteration, or fricative or plosive consonants, to describe brushing their teeth.”

Central’s History division is equally dynamic. Mrs. Amy Katz, who teaches freshman and sophomore classes in World History I and II, is framing the subject matter in creative terms. “The ninth grade begins the year by discussing ancient civilizations. Then each student is required to create her own civilization, using whatever resources she likes,” Mrs. Katz said. “She can write a diary, or create a game illustrating her ideas.”

The same active principles apply outside the classroom. The Civic Spirit Club, helmed by Mrs. Katz, took the election year by storm with political action, writing letters to government officials, requesting continued support for Israel. The club organized an Election Day program discussing how elections work, and hosted activities honoring Veterans Day. “The students were really motivated to honor the day,” Mrs. Katz said.

“After we read John McCrae’s poem, “In Flanders Fields,” they even purchased poppy pins to distribute to faculty and students so everyone could observe.

Another Humanities extracurricular activity shaping future professionals: Central’s Mock Trial Team. Coached by Mrs. Saritte Wolkenstein – who, in addition to being a Central faculty member, is also an attorney and a professor at Touro College – the Mock Trial experience is a formative one for team members. “We just got our year’s case last week, and we are preparing for our first competition at the Queens County Courthouse in early February,” Mrs. Wolkenstein said. Preparing for this event is rigorous but rewarding. “It’s a competition with a professional atmosphere,” Mrs. Wolkenstein continued. “We’ll compete in an actual courtroom with an actual judge. There are professional standards in terms of dress, conduct, and how competitors address one another – the Standards of Civility to which we adhere are based on the actual Standards of Civility for the New York State Unified Court System.”

Mrs. Wolkenstein’s professional background also informs her college-level Government and Politics course and her Economics course, both of which are pivotal parts of Central’s new YU Residency Program, which offers college credits to students who will be attending YU after graduation. Mrs. Katz commented on how productive it has been to consolidate the English and History divisions into one department: “We’ve worked closely together to create shared language and skills and common goals that will benefit all students across subject areas,” she said.

On Monday, January 13, Mrs. Boord will be honored with this year’s Ethel Dworetsky Morrow z”l Inspired Teaching Faculty Award at the YUHSG School Dinner at the Sephardic Temple in Cedarhurst.