Shavuot 5786 Continued on next page... Following lunch at Berliner Field, where all tournament games were played, Rambam faced Valley Torah in another nail-biter. Despite a hard-fought effort, the Ravens ultimately fell short. After some downtime back at the hotel, the team returned to Columbus Torah Academy for another delicious dinner. At 8:00pm, the excitement continued back at the hotel with a concert by the one and only Eitan Katz. The night also featured raffles for prizes, including an iPad, a drone, and AirPods, along with a hot dog and salami barbecue for everyone. As the guitar played and the music filled the room, all 26 teams sang together as one. As competitive as the games had been, everyone came together for an unforgettable night of achdus and celebration. On Monday morning, after davening once again at Congregation Beth Jacob, the teams heard from Peter Kurz, the general manager of Israel’s national baseball team, who spoke about his new book, Where Traditions Meet. AfT his past week, the Rambam Baseball Team traveled to compete in the “Columbus Torah Academy Baseball Tournament,” featuring 26 Yeshiva high school baseball teams from across the country. The Rambam Ravens’ journey began last Motzei Shabbos at 11:00pm in the Mesivta parking lot, where the team loaded up the vans and set off on a 10-hour drive to Columbus, Ohio. At around 6:00am Sunday morning, the team stopped in Pittsburgh for a quick breakfast at a kosher Dunkin’ Donuts. Then, as Rambam Men do, they attended the 7:15am Rosh Chodesh Shacharis minyan at Poale Tzedek, where many Rambam talmidim received kibbudim. After davening and a quick stop at a local kosher grocery store, the team hit the road once again. By 11:30am, the Ravens arrived at Columbus Torah Academy. After some wiffleball in the gym and lunch with all 26 teams, complete with tournament swag, the team headed to the Marriott Hotel, where all the teams stayed throughout the trip. Later that evening came game one: Rambam vs. Maimonides. Although the Ravens lost, the team played competitively throughout and kept the game close. After dinner back at Columbus Torah Academy, the team returned to the hotel for a well-needed night’s sleep. The next morning began with Shacharis at Congregation Beth Jacob, where all 26 teams davened together as one Am Yisrael. Following davening, the teams heard words of Torah from Rabbi Jon Green of Yeshiva University. Then came game two against JEC. Senior Ephraim Twersky dominated both on the mound and at the plate, while freshman Eli Pfeifer delivered a huge two-run RBI single, leading Rambam to victory. In celebration of his performance, the entire water cooler was dumped on Ephraim. 3 er breakfast, the Ravens packed up and checked out of the hotel, with special thanks to the Marriott for hosting the tournament teams throughout the trip. Then came Rambam’s final game against Kushner, another exciting and tightly contested matchup. After the game concluded, the team loaded back into the vans and began the long drive home to New York. At around 9:00pm, the team arrived back at the Mesivta parking lot, and just like that, the tournament had come to an end. Congratulations to SAR on winning the tournament. Throughout the long drives, late nights, and intense games, the team bonded and created memories that will last a lifetime. A huge thank you goes to Dwight for driving through the night and transporting the team throughout Columbus to games, davening, and meals. Gratitude must also be expressed to Coaches Mr. Josh Goldenberg and Mr. Adam Farber for driving players, transporting equipment, and leading the team throughout an incredible season and tournament. Special recognition goes to Ethan Farber, the starting catcher and one of the driving forces behind the team, for his leadership and constant positive presence both on and off the field. Thank you as well to the players: Natan Aryeh, Yaakov Englard, Ethan Farber, Hillel Feder, Jacob Gordon, Max Grossman, Zev Jearolmen, Elan Klein, Akiva Leider, Aidan Mayer, Eli Pfeifer, Yitzy Rappoport, Dovid Schimmel, and Ephraim Twersky. Every player gave it their all, and the tournament would not have been possible without them. Finally, thank you to the administration of Rambam Mesivta for allowing the team to have such an amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience. Students participated in five unique committees, debating a wide variety of issues including abortion, the war in Yemen, artificial intelligence, and more. What makes Model UN different from other forms of speech and debate is its emphasis on collaboration and real-world practicality, while still leaving room for the occasional silly bit. To succeed, delegates must work together, carefully balancing domestic interests with compromise and diplomacy. Students represented either Cyprus or Iran and took special care in drafting their UN resolutions, keeping in mind not only their country’s stance, but also committee budget constraints, the jurisdiction and authority of the United Nations, and the importance of national sovereignty. The debates were not limited to prepared topics, however, because this conference also featured crises. A fictional Hantavirus outbreak spread throughout the MUN, infecting victims through their feet. Delegates were forced to craft creative and often hilarious solutions for containing the virus. Some proposed wearing stilts to keep the economy functioning while avoiding contagion, while others argued it was a biological weapon created by the West and demanded retaliation. To make matters even more chaotic, rhyming was one of the “symptoms” of the MUN Hantavirus, forcing delegates to debate in rhyme. Due to their creative solutions, strong preparation, and outstanding speaking, Yosef Harris (12th grade) and Avichai Yosipov (12th grade) both earned honorable mentions in the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and Security Council (SC), respectively. Congratulations to them and the rest of the team for their hard work and dedication throughout the session. May 2026 Aiden Mayer (Senior) RAMBAM WINS HONORABLE MENTIONS AT MODEL UN TOURNAMENT T his past Tuesday, the Rambam MUN team competed in the Yeshiva League Model United Nations competition at the Young Israel of Woodmere.