Curriculum Modern Jewish Women March 2017 | Adar-Nissan 5777
College College Counseling Process
Community Alumna Abroad
Juda and Maria Diener Lower School | Samuel and Henrietta Scheck Middle School | Ben Lipson Upper School
LION’S SHARE
Welcome to Lion’s Share: Scheck Hillel Community School’s Grade 6-12 bulletin covering news about curriculum, college counseling and our community. Connect with the names, faces and initiatives that make Scheck Hillel a college preparatory school that develops global citizens with enduring Jewish identity and values. For more school information, please visit eHillel.org.
Curriculum
Across Oceans and Continents Through history, Jewish women have played critical roles in home and community. The scope of their contributions and the evolution of those roles was the subject of a curriculum designed by Scheck Hillel faculty as part of a grant from the Women’s Impact Initiative of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. Students in Honors Modern Jewish History class, taught by Yehudis Benhamou, and in Jewish Ethics, led by Rabbi Elie Ganz, examined text and stories - from Tanach to Talmud - to understand the shifting role of Jewish women in the context of culture and history. Concurrently, students traced these changes by telling the stories of their own “Modern Jewish Woman.” The result was an extraordinary installation in February, a living testimonial to the tenacity and courage of these brave leaders. Like true historians, students used investigative techniques to reconstruct timelines across oceans and continents, gathering artifacts and original documents and capturing voices on video. The experience left deep impressions on students. Jonathan Woldenberg (Grade 11) felt he grew closer to his grandmother, Sonia Gruenwurzel, through the project. “I gained an appreciation for everything she does for my family, and for that, I’m truly thankful.” Estrella Behar (Grade 11), pictured above, left, with grandmother Estrella Mitrani and dad Ricky Behar, feels fortunate to be able to freely express her Jewish values, an option her grandmother did not have. “With persecution and no Jewish institutions where she lived, she had to lead a secular life.” Judaic Studies faculty Malka Leah Braunschweiger and Rabbi Avi Greene were also part of the Federation grant; all four teachers attended the Legacy Heritage Summer Institute at Hebrew University in Jerusalem in summer 2016.
College Counseling
Students Reflect on College Admission Process
As the college admission process comes to a close for the Class of 2017, Lion’s Share asked students to convey thoughts about the college guidance program at Scheck Hillel. Maya Cohen, Marianne Kamhazi, Alejandro Klimberg, Matt Levine, Shanna Lewinsky and Ivan Lindenfeld weighed in: During what stages of the process was Scheck Hillel’s college guidance team particularly helpful? AK: The college guidance office helped me pinpoint the colleges that would be a good fit for me. MC: The office was particularly helpful in submitting transcripts and letters of recommendation to the schools. They made it a priority to submit the documents as soon as the request was received. IL: Filling out the Common App. Revising essays. Navigating through the whole process as a whole, carefully examining step by step. What was the best piece of advice you got from your counselors? MK: To keep working hard, be persistent and advocate for myself. MC: To take a risk with my application. There are thousands of students who
have the same (or higher) GPA as well as the same (or higher) SAT/ACT scores, but what stands out is who you are, which can be shown in your essay. AK: To apply to many schools. It is better to have many options than just a few. ML: To take a deep breath and calm down. I know that this sounds very cliché and simple, but with all the stress of the college process, that’s the best solution for a lot of one’s problems. IL: Don’t make any decisions until you are 100% sure. Everything happens for a reason, and you will have a great time wherever you go.
What advice would you give incoming seniors in terms of using the resources of the college guidance office? SL: My only advice is to use them! The college guidance office here is amazing, always there for you, and is your #1 fan in wanting you to follow your dreams. The college admission process is known to be very stressful, and once you get there you realize that it lives up to that name. IL: Don’t leave everything until the last minute. AK: Seniors should start their applications early and ask the guidance office to check them.
Community
Meet Nicole Assor, ‘14, London School of Economics Exchange Student Where do you live and what are you doing at the moment? I live in London, where I am currently doing an exchange year at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Describe a typical week in your exchange program. I attend classes, and am a member of the Jewish Society, where I attend weekly Friday night dinners and participate in talks around spirituality and social issues. I also attend a weekly networking event featuring Jewish speakers in various fields of work around London. What educational path did you follow? I attend Babson College full time and am currently pursuing a BS in Business Management with a concentration in Business Analytics (which is like statistics for business needs). I am a current
participant of the General Course, the LSE’s one-year study abroad program, which Babson supported. After this year, I will go back to Babson and complete my last year to graduate. What is most rewarding about what you do? What are the challenges? Although getting accustomed to a whole new country, culture, and university is difficult, it is all the more rewarding once everything settles down and you become part of your habitat. Only four months after my move to the UK, I feel as though I have adopted the culture into my own. What is one essential academic or life skill you honed at Scheck Hillel? Things aren’t handed to you, if you want to achieve or succeed at something you need to work for it because no one is going to do it for you. Hillel taught me to embrace my environment, become a leader, and work hard for success.