Shalhevet High School

Our final faculty meeting of the year, led by Principal Weslow, allowed the faculty to close out the school year with reflection, gratitude, and purpose. They began with general updates about finals and end of year logistics before introducing our faculty summer reading, ‘The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion’ by Jonathan Haidt, which connects to the work this team has done this year around the Just Community, society at large, and its connection to our students. The faculty then participated in a gratitude circle, sharing moments from the year that they will remember ten years from now and expressing appreciation to colleagues in the room. Afterward, was a delicious lunch, where Rabbi Block thanked our amazing Parent Association for hosting and for their ongoing support of our school and faculty throughout the year (including their very generous end-of-year gift to all faculty/staff). The brunch closed with powerful parting words, infused with Torah, about our shared work this year and the lasting impact we have on our students. We wish everyone a fun and restful summer, and we look forward to 2026-2027! ☀️

We’re excited to share this year’s edition of Shalhevet’s Literary Magazine! This year’s themes are Landscapes, Israel, and Connection.

In the words of Editor-in-Chief, Natalie Gul ‘27:

“Each theme gave contributors a chance to explore something meaningful to them, whether that was a personal feeling, the world around them, or what it means to be part of Am Yisrael. When it came to Israel, I knew I wanted it to feel different this year. After everything we’ve been through as a community and as a people, and with the hostages finally home, there was so much to celebrate. So, we wanted the Israel section to reflect that joy and pride through pieces that feel vibrant and full of life. They represent ‘Am Yisrael Chai’ and the sense of unity that connects our nation across the world.”

A big thank you to Natalie and the entire team of contributors - and especially their faculty advisors, Mr. Forrester and Mr. Weslow, for their support, dedication, and hours of engagement.

We hope you enjoy it!

Introducing בכורי שלהבת! Shalhevet is proud to announce the publication of a Sefer accompanying the graduation of the Class of 2026. This sefer includes original divrei Torah on all of Chumash written by members of this year’s seniors. An outgrowth of Shalhevet’s Nitzotzei Torah publication, our seniors invested time in learning, writing, designing, and editing to produce our first ever Shalhevet Sefer. This is a remarkable feat and we’re so proud of this class for graduating with an original Sefer in hand. A huge thanks to Sophie Bick Katz for spearheading this initiative while serving as Editor-in-Chief and to Lev Fishman and Emma Kotzen who spent hours upon hours with the design and layout. The Sefer is beautiful in content and design - do your best to check it out. Mazel Tov and Yasher Koach to our graduates!

Click the link below or in our bio to watch the Class of 2026 Graduation - the link goes live at 2:45 pm PDT! 🔥🎓

https://vimeo.com/event/5970441

Educators and parents love to dissect the Jewish high school experience. But how often are actual high school students included in those conversations? In the season finale of Shalhevet Unplugged, Rabbis Ari Schwarzberg and Yagil Tsaidi talk to Shalhevet seniors Sonya Katzin and Yakov Liberman about what it’s like to be a Jewish student today: the struggles, aspirations, unexpected experiences, and inside perspectives.

Click the link below or in our bio for a candid conversation about the four-year transformation from freshman to senior.

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Shalhevet Unplugged will take you inside the walls of Jewish education with unfiltered conversations about all things policy, problems, and possibilities. Are schools too fun? Does the phone ban work? Is the current Talmud Torah formula working? Think of this podcast as your “inside scoop” on Jewish schools today. Rabbis Schwarzberg and Tsaidi will host this podcast, with occasional guests to add more voices to the conversation. Tune in and let us know what you think - and if you have any ideas for future episodes!



https://open.spotify.com/episode/5ZM37UbZ4dmtuYedrWdHGI?si=a0dbdaebb0ba42e1

Championship Game – Ping Pong Madness Results 🏓

After an exciting and hard-fought tournament, the Ping Pong Madness Championship came down to a thrilling three-set showdown between Gavin Deutch ’27 and Josh Elkus ’27.

Championship Match Results:

Set 1: Gavin Deutch def. Josh Elkus, 21–17
Set 2: Josh Elkus def. Gavin Deutch, 21–10
Set 3: Gavin Deutch def. Josh Elkus, 21–19

Congratulations to Gavin Deutch ’27, our Ping Pong Madness Champion! Gavin demonstrated impressive skill, consistency, and next level aura while playing.

A special congratulations as well to Josh Elkus ’27 for an incredible performance. Josh competed with Marty Supreme level skill, great sportsmanship, heart, and talent from start to finish.

Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this tournament such a success. Keep your paddles ready and be on the lookout for the next Ping Pong Madness Tournament, which will begin after the High Holidays next school year! 🏓

Shalhevet held a special banquet recognizing our Boys Volleyball and Boys Tennis teams. Kol Hakavod to all players for all of their hard work and dedication throughout their season, and especially to those recognized below. With special thanks to Coach Natalie Ubosi and Coach Ilya Chasov.

Volleyball Awards
MVP - Solly Wintner
Most Improved - Menachem Nagel
Mensch - Eliyahu Tureff

Tennis Awards
MVP - Josh Elkus
Most Improved - Matan Fogle
Mensch - Alex-Weber Pelcovits

And a thank you to our seniors Zachary Schecter and Yuri Steuer for all of their leadership.

We look forward to even more success next year. Shkoyach!

Shalhevet came together today at an all-school assembly to celebrate an incredible year of Torah learning. We began with a Dvar Torah by Ari Eisen and ended with a Siyum on Masechet Makot by Jordan and Tyler Mathalon. Mazal Tov on a tremendous year of growth in Torah - and Kol Hakavod to our entire Judaic Studies Department on all of their hard work throughout the year.