The sounds of pins falling, billiard balls hitting each other, and tickets pouring out of the arcade machines mixed with the sounds of new students meeting faculty at the Hillel annual bowling event was the perfect background for an entertaining day filled with smiling students and teachers. In a stress-free environment, new students and teachers began forming bonds that will last a lifetime. 

To keep the Hillel tradition and to welcome some eighty new middle school and high school students, Hillel held a special event on August 12th for students ranging from 6th to 12th grade. All of the students, both new and veterans with a couple of years in the Hillel family, met at the Athletics Center to get their name tags, buddy up, and take a ride to a completely rented-out bowling alley in Gulf Stream, Strike 10. As the students were heading to play bowling, many of them were amazed due to the scenery that South Florida offered. On the way, Leo, a new 11th grader said, “Wow, Florida is such a beautiful place with so much greenery. You don’t see this kind of scenery in New York, where I was born, or in California where I just moved from.” Upon arrival, students got into the correct bowling attire, the notorious, super-stylish bowling shoes, and jumped right into the action. 

First, the students formed their own groups and filled the bowling lanes. A couple of strikes later, the pizza arrived to fill their grumbling stomachs after about an hour of enthusiastic bowling. However, the lunch break was cut short when Oded Karavani, the head of student life, took the microphone to announce that he had a bag full of tokens for the arcade games. The students immediately ran to the other side of the building with their minds fixed on the prizes they could win with their tickets. Of course, Oded hit the jackpot winning hundreds of tickets and a couple of students had the same luck winning more tickets than they could hold. 

By the time the yellow bus had parked outside, Oded was left token-less and students were returning their shoes with their hands filled with prizes and candy that they had devoted about another hour to obtain. Eitan Ressler, a new-coming 9th grader said, “It was a fun experience and a great way to spend my Friday. I met some of the coaches and Mr. Thompson, the Dean of Students. This event also gave me the chance to meet new students that will be in my grade and see some of the school before the first official day.” The students filed out the door and took a group picture to commemorate the amazing time we had before getting back on the bus. Oded Karavani remarked, “It’s super awesome to see kids who were strangers become friends after just a couple of hours! It’s very comforting to come on campus on the first day of school as a new student and already have someone to sit next to at lunch.”

Upon arriving back at the Athletic Center, some lucky students were able to win some exclusive Scheck Hillel merchandise in a raffle to show off to their new classmates. Roy Blatt, a 9th grader that was buddied to a new student explained, “The bowling event was amazing. It seemed like the ideal start for the incoming students. It knit us together and demonstrated just how well-connected Hillel’s students are. The freshmen joked about and laughed as if they had been attending the school their entire lives. We came together because of this event, and I think it was wonderful.” Overall, the day was a success as all the students left smiling from ear to ear.