On a beautiful day in early September, new members of Peace by Piece, representing Weber, WD Mohammed, and Marist Schools, gathered for their opening meeting at East Lake Park.

The Weber School's 2022-2023 sports season was filled with thrilling moments and impressive achievements. From exhilarating victories to inspiring displays of teamwork, athletes across various sports showcased their talent and dedication. For photos from the year, click here.

Kol Hakavod to Leah May Kogon and Romy Ress, who participated in the 2022-2023 Student Visionaries of the Year, benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. During their seven-week campaign, they learned leadership development skills, project management, how to effectively lead a team, and how to lead successful corporate sponsorship meetings. One of their largest fundraising opportunities, volunteering at the annual Dr. Scofflaws F*** Cancer event, saw Leah May and Romy raise $15,000! By the end of the seven-week campaign, they, with the help of their Weber teammates, raised a total of $87,000, which resulted in placing 5th out of 32 teams around Atlanta. They would like to thank their Weber teammates and their advisor Britton Ryan without whom they could not have accomplished what they did.

We celebrated our seniors and their hard work this week with a special Senior Spirit Week, including the annual Senior Siyum. Thank you to The Weber Parents Group for hosting a week of senior celebratory activities for the Class of 2023, including a coffee and hot chocolate bar, ice cream truck, annual Trivia Bowl, and Senior Brunch. The Senior Siyum recognized the achievements of the Class of 2023's Valedictorian Amelia Heller, Salutatorian and Presidential Scholar Nominee Dov Karlin, his selection for Influential Teacher Award, Linda Parmet, Star Student Barri Seitz, and Star Teacher Holly Chesser. A special thank you to Alumni Parent Michelle Young for the beautiful Parent tribute video for the Class of 2023.

 

Start checking Weber’s Instagram in the coming weeks for our senior spotlights!

Kol Hakavod to the following Weber students on their winning submissions to the Center for Israel Education’s Israel@75 International Student Competition.

The following students were recognized as honorable mentions: Rany Granath, Hannah Reznik, Layla Rothberg, and Tahel Shantzer.

 

Congratulations to Weber Juniors and Weber Seniors for being recognized at this year’s La Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (Spanish National Honor Society) Induction and Graduation Cord Ceremony. The junior and senior new inductees: Joey Bardack, Eva Beresin, Emily Berman, Sophie Cohen, Rachel Denneen, Gavi Diamant, Johanna Epstein, Sarah Ginsberg, Ava Kate Goldberg, Rany Granath, Molly Grosswald, Ava Halpert, Heather Hutmacher, Ryan Kardon, Harry Kitey, Avery Lipman, Emma Meyers, Justin Miller, Reese Oberkfell, Miriam Raggs, Shayna Robins, Sam Rosenthal, Barri Seitz, Dawson Sherman, Jamie Silberman, and Ryan Straw. Weber seniors graduating with a cord: Eva Beresin, Emily Berman, Sarah Ginsberg, Sophie Greenfield, Molly Grosswald, Ben Lefkovits, Lilly Levy, Caleb Ouanounou, Miriam Raggs, Barri Seitz, Irene Sharon, and Dawson Sherman.

 

A huge Felicidades to Ryan Kardon, who will serve as next year's Spanish National Honor Society President.

After the establishment of the State of Israel, several holidays were added to the Jewish calendar and are observed as national holidays in Israel: Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day), and Yom Haatzmaut (Independence Day). The Weber School has various learning opportunities and events for students and parents to commemorate these special holidays.

 

This week, a cohort of seniors who attended the Abe Besser Israel Poland Experience led our school-wide Yom Hashoah Commemoration Ceremony. In addition to a commemorative candle lighting and time for solemn reflection, the program included a special musical performance and the acknowledgment of the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the story of recently deceased Ukrainian Holocaust survivor Vanda Semyonovna Obiedkova, and the story of Abe Besser, a Holocaust survivor, and Hilbert Margol, a Holocaust liberator.

 

April 25th, we will honor and remember all of Israel's fallen soldiers with a special Yom Hazikaron address by Anat Sultan-Dadon, Consul General of Israel to the Southeastern United States, thoughts from a special guest who will share the story of their own fallen soldier, and a musical performance.

The following day marks Israel's Day of Independence, Yom Haatzmaut. Weber will celebrate Israel's 75th Anniversary one day later, on April 27, with a diverse set of workshops focused on Israeli education led by Weber faculty and distinguished visiting guests. A celebratory Israeli-inspired lunch with Israeli music will close out the day’s events.

 

We look forward to continuing our commitment to recognizing and commemorating these important Israeli holidays with these exciting school-wide programs, guest speakers, music, special foods, and the feeling of our wonderful Weber community.

The Weber School announced that it is receiving a $10 million grant from The Marcus Foundation to support the construction of a state-of-the-art Athletic Complex on its campus. On the recommendation of The Marcus Foundation, the complex will be named for Eitan Force, a beloved member of The Weber School Class of 2023 who passed away last fall.
 
The new athletic complex, opening in the fall of 2024, will feature a competition gymnasium with a full-size basketball and volleyball court with seating for up to 600 spectators, two full-size practice gym spaces, three locker rooms, classrooms, faculty offices, and enhanced wellness center to include fitness, conditioning, and weightlifting areas. When used for larger, community events, the gymnasium will seat up to 1,100 visitors. Outdoors, a new six lane track will complement newly installed eco-friendly lighting for baseball, soccer, and flag football fields. The layout of this complex will enable Weber to host larger-scale regional competitions, large school events, its annual graduation, and programs in collaboration with organizational partners throughout the Atlanta Jewish community.
 
Additionally, The Marcus Foundation’s grant will enable Weber to meet the needs of its rapidly increasing enrollment through the addition of new classrooms and expanded dining and multi-purpose facilities to accommodate up to 400 students.  

 

Students from Weber’s Band Program traveled to Asheville, NC, for an innovative three-day music immersion trip. Led by Music Program Director Drew Cohen and with help from Weber teacher (and cymbal player extraordinaire) Jessica Doble, students had the opportunity to learn from and play with local musicians and visit some of the city's iconic musical sites.

The trip, the first of its kind for the music program, kicked off with a workshop at the Asheville Jewish Community Center, where students collaborated and played with Queens-based musical duo a glassy ruckus (Jesse Greenberg and Naeemah Maddox), who performed pieces inspired by Yiddish animal folk tales. The day ended with a visit to the Moogseum, a museum that brings synthesizer pioneer Bob Moog's legacy to life with interactive timelines, exhibits, and experiences.

The following day, students immersed themselves in African Drumming and Songwriting workshops at LEAF Global Arts Experience, where students had the opportunity to work with West African drummer Adama Dembele and songwriter Melissa McKinney. Reflecting on his experience, senior Dawson Sherman said, "Our time at LEAF was instrumental in expanding my creative mindset and breaking down mental barriers. It allowed me to open up my creative process to others, sharing ideas more freely without fear of judgment. The people we collaborated with were incredibly down-to-earth and easy to work with."

Recently, Weber Hebrew students were fortunate to hear from several inspirational guest speakers who shared their personal stories. Batia Ben Aroia, a child Holocaust survivor from Bulgaria, Shai Fredo, an Ethiopian-Israeli film and theater actor, and Charlotte Kurchak, a senior educator at StandWithUs.

Congratulations to Junior Reese Oberkfell, whose writing and photography work was honored in the 2023 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards regional competition!