YSZ Girls High School Finals Through The Lens Of Parshat Shemot: Growth Begins At Home

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Yeshiva Sha’arei Zion Girls High School approached finals season not simply as a period of testing, but as an opportunity for growth, resilience, and perspective. This mindset aligns powerfully with the opening messages of Parshat Shemot, which reminds us that the foundations of strength, faith, and leadership are often formed quietly—within the home, and under pressure.

Sefer Shemot begins with families entering Mitzrayim, facing uncertainty and hardship. The Torah introduces us to moments of immense challenge, yet highlights individuals who respond not with
fear, but with responsibility and courage. The midwives, Yocheved and Miriam, act mitoch yirat Shamayim, choosing what is right despite external pressure. Their strength did not come from ease, but from inner clarity and values shaped over time.

Stress, like the challenges in Shemot, is a natural part of growth. Everyone experiences it differently. At YSZ Girls High School, students are encouraged not to view stress as something to eliminate, but as something to understand and channel productively. Challenges are inevitable; learning how to respond to them is where true development happens.

Mrs. Rina Zerykier, menahelet, encouraged students to reframe their experience of stress during finals. Rather than resisting it or trying to force calm, she guided the girls to shift their perspective: stress can be a signal of engagement and effort. When approached thoughtfully, it becomes motivation. “This is challenging—and I can rise to it,” is a mindset that builds confidence and perseverance.

This idea echoes Moshe’s concern at the burning bush, when he worries, hen lo ya’aminu li—what if the people will not believe? Chazal explain that this doubt underestimated the deep-rooted emunah of klal Yisrael. We are ma’aminim bnei ma’aminim—believers, the children of believers. That inherited strength allows us to face uncertainty with trust and resolve, even before outcomes are clear.

As part of finals week, Grade Day offered students the opportunity to reflect on their progress, connect with teachers, and receive meaningful feedback from peers. This process encouraged self-awareness and ownership, reinforcing that success is not measured solely by results, but by effort, growth, and learning from challenge.

Just as Parshat Shemot teaches that redemption begins in the home—with values, faith, and responsibility—finals season at YSZ Girls High School becomes a moment to strengthen inner tools that extend far beyond the classroom. By approaching stress with perspective and intention, students learn skills that will serve them throughout life.

Through faith, effort, and support, growth continues—one step, one challenge, and one success at a time.