On Nov. 1, in honor of the early college application due date, the 2025 senior class watched the sunrise from the Central Park reservoir. 

Seniors met at the park entrance at 7 a.m., dressed in their most comfortable pajamas, and huddled together to watch the sunrise. They listened to “Here Comes The Sun” and other sunrise-related songs on a bluetooth speaker. They held a minyan and prayed Rosh Chodesh tefillah. Rabbi Noam Silverman and Jessica Gribetz joined the students, and they even brought Dunkin Donuts for a special treat. 

Grade representatives Noa Chorowsky, Shoham Zuker, and Eli Goldman planned the event, the first of its kind in Heschel history. However, they faced a few challenges such as scheduling and snacks. In an interview, Chorowsky said, “We originally planned to have a special breakfast at school on Nov. 1, and the senior sunrise would be a different day. Instead, the administration combined the two and brought donuts to the park.” They also wanted to plan the senior sunrise before daylight savings to avoid an extra early wake up time. 

The event was a success, as nearly the entire grade showed up. Senior Ezra Sapadin said, “It was nice, although I would prefer a senior sunset, so I don’t have to wake up early.” Perhaps his wishes will be heard in the future.