By: Shira Goodman, grade 12 student
UO Writer’s Craft students wrote informal essays on various topics. Shira chose to write about her pride in being an Ulpana student.
Ulpanat Orot is a Religious Zionist Jewish private high school for girls. It’s a part of the Bnei Akiva Schools of Toronto and has a brother school called Yeshivat Or Chaim. It is located at 45 Canyon Ave; it’s in a central location for most of the girls attending, most of whom live north of Steeles or further south in the Bathurst and Sheppard area. The school is filled to the brim with amazing and attentive teachers who educate their students in interactive and interesting ways. Ulpanat Orot is a small school, enabling teachers to devote more time to each individual student. I’ve been attending Orot since grade nine, and I’ve been more than impressed. Every need has been tended to and I’m extremely happy where I am. Despite all this, the real reasons why I believe that Ulpanat Orot is the best school in Toronto for girls are that it is the epitome of a Religious Zionist school, because of its cohesive nature of Torah and General studies, and that it is an extremely fun and welcoming place to be a part of.
The real reasons why I believe that Ulpanat Orot is the best school in Toronto for girls are that it is the epitome of a Religious Zionist school, because of its cohesive nature of Torah and General studies, and that it is an extremely fun and welcoming place to be a part of.
There are many different high school options for Jewish boys and girls in Toronto. I believe that Ulpanat Orot is the best school because it offers a middle option. There is no set mould of the level of observance an Ulpana girl needs to follow. Throughout the school there are students with various levels of Orthodox, yet everyone is accepted for how they feel towards Judaism. I feel that Ulpana hasn’t selected one way to believe in Judaism, rather it gives you the tools and knowledge to make your own decisions on how you wish to live your life as a Jew. For example, we are a Bnei Akiva School of Toronto. The Bnei Akiva organization preaches love for Israel through a very Zionistic outlook. Although the school is Zionist, if someone isn’t as passionate about Israel as the next person, that’s okay – the school won’t penalize you for believing differently than they do. Ulpanat Orot gives its students the freedom to choose, which I greatly respect, and appreciate.
Most Jewish high schools in Toronto either mainly focus on General Studies or Hebrew studies. When deciding on a school, you need to weigh out your priorities important – being in a religious environment and learning more about your beliefs, or working on your general studies skills and knowledge to further prepare yourself for a post-secondary education. Students at UO don’t have to choose, Ulpana is a perfect mix of both. Ulpana strives to equalize the focus on both religious and general studies. There are an equal number of classes for both curriculums and the school advocates for an equal level of importance for both. This benefit of Ulpanat Orot was a cardinal influence in my choice of school, and shouldn’t be taken for granted.
The final reason why I believe Ulpanat Orot is the best school in Toronto for girls is because it’s an extremely fun and welcoming environment to be a part of. When you walk into the Ulpanat Orot building, you’re instantly surrounded by cool, coloured walls, comfortable couches, and an abundant amount of smiling faces. Everyone knows everyone and you feel so comfortable to do as you wish. You’re surrounded by loving and caring people all day and the school atmosphere is just incredible. There are so many fun activities constantly happening – dress up days, tisches, dance parties, colour war and shabbatonim. There are also countless extra-curriculars available to join. Personally I am apart of Bnei Akiva, Model United Nations and mock trial. Even though school isn’t supposed to be all about the fun aspects, I believe that the fun parts of Ulpanat Orot really make the school what it is.
I believe that Ulpanat Orot is the best school in Toronto for girls because it is the only school for Religious Zionist orthodox girls, it focuses on general studies and Hebrew studies equally, and it is also an extremely fun and welcoming environment to be a part of. In terms of religious values, Ulpanat Orot focuses on spiritual growth in an open, inclusive manner. They do not force anyone to believe anything they do not wish to and they are open and accepting to all different outlooks people may have. Ulpanat Orot is also the only school that is equally balanced with their general studies and Hebrew studies. They preach the importance of both to the same extent and expect their students to thrive in all courses, regardless of it being a Hebrew or English class. Ulpanat Orot is also a fun place to be. The constant activities and programs really make the school a more enjoyable place to be learning in and it helps the students relieve themselves from the heavy course load. Ultimately, I can think of no better place to prepare the next generation of Religious Zionist girls to live productive, Jewish lives than Ulpanat Orot High School for girls.
