YSZ HS for Girls Crowns The Light

It was early morning at the water’s edge, the first rays of dawn stretching across the Atlantic. The girls of Yeshiva Shaarei Zion High School for Girls stood shoulder to shoulder in the sand, their voices rising together in t’filah as the horizon dissolved into light. “והוא נוטה שמים ויוסד ארץ” — “He stretched the heavens and founded the earth.” It’s a verse we say every day in Aleinu, but that morning, as the sky and sea kissed at the edge of the world, it felt more real than ever.

And yet, as Mrs. Rina Zerykier, menahelet, reminded her students, that same breathtaking beauty raises one of the most painful spiritual questions of all: What about the times when we don’t feel Hashem? When we feel invisible — in the lunchroom, in life, or even in our t’filah?

The Torah calls that ache hester panim — when Hashem “hides His face.” It’s not a punishment but a profound part of the human experience. Ramban teaches that this distance often begins with us. When we live as though “אין אלקי בקרבי” — “Hashem is not within me” — we create the separation ourselves. But the prophet Hoshea offers us the way back: “קחו עמכם דברים ושובו אל ה׳… ונשלמה פרים שפתינו.” It begins with words — with the courage to turn back to Hashem and speak to Him honestly.

Mrs. Zerykier compared it to a parent and child. Sometimes a loving parent steps back during a tantrum, waiting patiently for the moment the child calms down and reaches out. And when that moment comes, the embrace is immediate. So too, Hashem promises us: “חזק ואמץ… ואנכי אהיה עמך” — “Be strong and courageous… for I will be with you.” As the girls prepared for Yom Kippur, she challenged them to take even one small kabbalah — a personal commitment — that invites the Shechinah back into their daily lives.

 

Crowning The King

If hester panim speaks to distance, the Torah reminds us of the beauty of closeness. It promises that if we walk in Hashem’s ways, we will be “לתהילה ולשם ולתפארת” — for praise, renown, and splendor. Our majesty, Ramban explains, is a reflection of Hashem’s own. When people see His light through us, we become royal.

The Ba’al HaTurim takes this further: every word of t’filah and praise we utter adds to the royal crown of Heaven. This is the essence of Rosh Hashanah itself. Malchuyot is the declaration that we want a world filled with Hashem’s majesty — a society that recognizes Him as King. Zichronot reminds us who we truly are: princes and princesses, beloved by the King, whose essence is not defined by our mistakes but by our divine heritage. And Shofrot is the piercing cry of the shofar, announcing not just the arrival of the King but the coronation of His royal family — us.

As the girls looked ahead to their school retreat, themed Hashem Ori v’Yish’i — “Hashem is my light and salvation” — they were reminded that coronation isn’t a solitary act. It happens when klal Yisrael gathers kulam agudah achat — as one people — and crowns Hashem together.

 

A School Year Crowned With Meaning

The messages of closeness and royalty weren’t just ideas shared in class — they infused the very start of the year at YSZ HS for Girls. Open School Night welcomed parents into the heart of the school, where they met teachers, explored their daughters’ studies, and heard words of inspiration from Mrs. Zerykier and Rabbi Meirov about the power of partnership in education.

Moments of connection carried beyond the classroom. A spontaneous afternoon in the park gave students a chance to laugh, walk, and bond with friends and teachers — the perfect backdrop for building unity. And in a moving act of hakarat hatov, the girls also celebrated the birthday of Sonya, the school’s beloved custodian, with cake, smiles, and heartfelt thanks — a reminder that gratitude is a cornerstone of greatness.

 

Living With The King

From sunrise Shacharit by the sea to shared cake in the hallway, every moment this Elul season at YSZ HS for Girls is shaping more than a school year — it’s shaping a generation. These young women are learning that even in times of hester panim, Hashem is near; that their prayers build crowns; and that their actions make the King proud.

Because the crown is real. And the King — our King — is waiting for us to reach out and wear it.

 Sunrise Reflections And Hidden Moments