Discuss, discuss, discuss. That’s America’s lifeblood— an essential part of our identity. Members of the Civic Spirit Club had the opportunity to attend Civic Spirit 2026 at the New-York Historical Society on the Upper West Side. As the country nears its 250th anniversary, members immersed themselves in learning about the struggles and achievements our nation has experienced. The club was invited to the New-York Historical Society by the amazing Yael Steiner at Civic Spirit. The event’s objective was to encourage healthy and open discourse with people from different backgrounds. The group included approximately nine schools, each with major differences—Jewish, Catholic, co-ed, secular, religious—all combined for this unique experience. Members were separated into six groups, with four to five subgroups of four to five members each. This allowed for a more personal connection with each participant, demonstrating that meaningful discourse is possible regardless of differing backgrounds. Another method used to encourage discussion was Human Bingo. Members were given bingo sheets with prompts such as “Birthday in March” or “Loves their pet,” encouraging them to speak up, tell their stories, and build new connections with others from different backgrounds. Each group was taken on a productive and thoughtprovoking tour of the NewYork Historical Society. The exhibits were paired with a series of questions and discussion points, such as: “Which artifact caused you to do a double take?” and “Do you have an heirloom passed down that shares a similar story?” One exhibit I found particularly interesting was a mosaic-style map of Manhattan presenting the melting pot that exists in the city. The piece showed Manhattan’s astonishing level of diversity, with many different colors and shades representing various cultures. (See attached picture for reference.) During the sponsored lunch, I had the privilege of sitting with the Co-Founder, Rabbi Robert S. Hurt. Rabbi Hurt emphasized his commitment to developing Civic Spirit across the nation. Speaking with members in my group and listening to each other’s backgrounds and experiences, he expressed how proud he was of the level of excellence present. The Rav left us with an incredible quote from Rav Kook: “Renew the old and sanctify the new.” In other words, do not disregard our past experiences while automatically embracing modernity—make sure that modernity is substantive. Following the four large-room exhibits, subgroups were given the opportunity to develop a presentation for the upcoming 250th anniversary. Approximately one hour was allocated for development, and roles such as facilitator, design specialist, note-taker, and advocates were assigned. The display of cohesion in groups that had only met a few hours earlier—yet came from widely different backgrounds—was remarkable. Brainstorming, teamwork, and creativity were on full display in each group. After the completion of the projects, members voted for their favorite presentations, and the top selections later presented on stage to the entire group. The winning project in my room was created by none other than our own Michael Groyer and Yoni Pfeifer, along with their team. Their concept was a salad bowl filled with multi-colored Post-it notes. Pink notes represented an American event that makes you feel patriotic, while yellow notes asked participants what being American means to them. The event concluded after the presentations of the most popular projects and the raffle for the winners of the Bingo competition, each of whom received $17.76. A group of Rambam students also had the opportunity to speak with Rabbi Charles Savenor and Rabbi Robert S. Hurt. Rabbi Hurt explained that Paul Revere was successful not simply because of his famous ride, but because he knew many people, belonged to numerous social clubs, loved telling his story, and understood how to reach others. He emphasized that building these connections is exactly the type of civic engagement he aims to cultivate. As both Rabbi Charles Savenor and Rabbi Robert S. Hurt are master orators, we also asked them for speaking tips and techniques. Rabbi Charles explained, “A speech is like a meal. If you eat too fast, you throw up.” Likewise, when speaking, you must pace yourself—move around, make eye contact, and speak with the audience rather than at them. Rabbi Hurt also reminded us of a phrase often written on the Aron Kodesh: דע לפני מי אתה עומד— “ Know before whom you stand.” He used this to emphasize the importance of understanding your audience. The Civic Spirit Club extends its deepest appreciation to Rambam Civic Spirit advisor Josh Goldenberg. A special thank you also goes to Yael Steiner at Civic Spirit for her unwavering support and guidance throughout our participation. Avichai Yosipov (Senior) Big Week for Rambam Chess against DRS! This past week, the prestigious Rambam Chess Team competed in two tournaments. First, on Sunday, several members headed to Yeshiva University for the 3rd annual YU Chess Tournament for Yeshiva high school students. After a very exciting day of chess, with each participant playing six matches, the dust finally settled. Senior Avi Pearlman and sophomore Aaron Grimm tied for fourth place out of 17 competitors, each scoring 4/6. After the tournament, the students had the opportunity to play against a National Master from YU, Bryan Weisz. Most players lost quickly, but Avi Pearlman managed to defeat him in an extremely close game. The group then davened Mincha and headed back to Rambam, more than ready for the next competition. On Monday, DRS came to Rambam for the final regularseason match. If Rambam scored at least 5 out of 14 possible points, they would clinch a spot in the championships for the fourth year in a row. The team did not disappoint. After all the games concluded, Rambam came out on top with a score of 9.5–4.5. Special shoutout to Aaron Grimm and Ethan Farber for winning both of their games. The entire school is now eagerly awaiting the championships in April, where the chess team will try to bring glory to the school and win it all. Kavi Pearlman (Senior)