Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) visited Yeshiva Talmud Torah Darchei Chaim on Monday to judge its end-of-the-year spelling bee competition featuring students from grades 4-8. Hikind, who over the past year has visited numerous yeshivas to judge spelling bees, geography and science fairs, left thoroughly impressed with the students’ spelling ability.

“These students really left me in awe over how well they could spell,” said Assemblyman Hikind, reflecting on the spelling bee. “It was unbelievable. After I had gone through the prepared list of spelling words, I began asking words that weren’t even on the list because there were so many students still in the competition; they were just that good.”

The visit to Talmud Torah Darchei Chaim comes a day after a community-wide Yeshiva Educational Expo, in which several yeshivas—Krasna, Ohr Moshe, Vien, Spinka and Mevakshai Hashem—gathered to celebrate the hard work and dedication of countless yeshiva students on their secular studies projects.

“Anytime a yeshiva participates in an event like this, where we test the student’s ability to spell, or we challenge them to create a geography or science project, everyone walks away a winner,” Hikind said. “I’m so proud of the efforts that went into studying for the spelling bee. I applaud the rebbes and administrators for ensuring that the students came to the competition very well prepared.”

(YWN Desk – NYC)