YULA’s Boys and Girls Division Open Houses, which took place in the first two weeks of November, were huge successes. With a recordnumber of attendees, each division’s Open House events were split into two nights to accommodate social distancing guidelines. According to YULA Head of School Rabbi Arye Sufrin, who spoke at the event, “Open House is more than a recruiting event. It’s an opportunity for YULA to celebrate our students who are developing into genuine B’nai and B’not Torah.”

The Levkowitz Leadership Center at the Boys Division and the Rubin Auditorium at the Girls Division were the centers of attraction at each event. There, student ambassadors for YULA operated information stands for various student-led organizations, including Mock Trial, Model UN, YIAC (YULA’s Israel Advocacy Club), and Model Congress.

The Innovation Labs and Schlesinger Steam Studio were transformed into technological havens. At the former, a Virtual Reality stand allowed visitors to visit space through a pair of goggles. At the Girls Division Steam Lab, visitors had the opportunity to demo YULA’s steam tech.

At Open House at the Boys Division, students introduced their own startup companies to prospective YULA families. Moshe Darvish (‘22) introduced his photography business MD Productions; Aidan Stephen (‘22) showcased his political debate startup app, YapPolitics;and Arshia Kohanteb (‘22) and Jeremy Wizenfeld (‘22) presented their student scheduling app, Planner Peak. “We were thankful for the opportunities to both share our ideas and receive feedback from prospective parents and students,” Wizenfeld said.

At the Girls Division, Drama and Theater students performed a sneak peek of their rendition of “Hamilton,” which premiered in December. According to Girls Division Head of Recruitment and Admission Samira Miller, “Open House is about giving prospective students and parents a glimpse into why YULA is so special. The class sessions, leadership fair, and student Q&A showcase our amazing teachers and students and how talented they are.”

The Open House events would not have been possible if it were not for the enthusiasm of YULA students and faculty. According to Boys Division Dean of Students Rabbi Shimon Abramczik, their collective effort allowed prospective families “to see firsthand all of the potential opportunities for a student at YULA.”