Volume 28 Issue 3

Vol. 28 Issue 3

Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Rockville, MD.

January 21, 2011

Inside Thefts prompt new precautions

by Arielle Panitch Senior Reporter

NEWS Tallying Tardies

The first trimester report cards inaccurately listed the number of tardies to school due to a an issue with the school’s new data management system. See Page 2

LION’S BLEND Students in Love

A look into relationships at JDS and how students try to make them work. Inter-grade dating can be complicated.

See Page 6

IN DEPTH Facebook

An exploration of the social networking giant, and its effect on students and teachers. See Page 8

CHADASHOT Carmel Fundraiser

Club Israel and the Upper School are having a month-long fundraiser to plant 1,000 trees after the deadly Carmel forest fire.

See Page 10

FEATURES Blogging

A blogging epidemic has reached JDS. Students write blogs on issues raging from Mideast politics to art.

See Page 14

SPORTS Wrestling Grows

With a new coach, bigger roster and better practice facility, the wrestling team is optimistic about the upcoming season. The team is already 2-1. See Page 15

INDEX News

2-3

Op Ed

4-5

Lion’s Blend 6-7 In Depth

8-9

Chadashot 10-12 Features

13-14

Sports

15-16

More than $500 and property was stolen on Jan 6, prompting tighter security precautions, including locking the locker room during PE class.

During a boys varsity basketball home game against St. John’s Catholic Prep school, a total of about $500 was stolen from members of the team. During games, both teams have designated rooms where the players leave their belongings.

When the CESJDS players entered their room after the game, they discovered that their wallets were empty.

Junior Alex Halpern said he had $50 stolen from him. The team and he were initially shocked and angered by the theft.

“During halftime, when we came back into the room, we saw a guy in there who asked us where the St. John’s room was and then left, but we didn’t suspect anything of him then,” Halpern said. “But after looking at the video tapes, Dr. Kay saw that [there was] only [one] person to leave the room during that period.”

The Lion’s Tale was not permitted to view the video tapes. According to Principal Michael Kay, the boys varsity basketball game’s thief has not yet been caught.

“We’re still deciding how to proceed. [The investigation] is still ongoing,” Kay said. Although the administration has not yet filed a police report on the theft, they have already taken some

steps toward catching the thief.

“We have spoken with the members of the team to see if they were aware of anything, we have looked at the school’s surveillance videos, we have spoken with the security guards, and we have been in touch with the administration of the school of the team we were playing against,” Kay said.

Three eighth-graders’ shirts were stolen during PE the same day. Eighth-grader Zoe Orenstein and many of her peers now lock their belongings during PE. “Everybody thinks something happened,” Orenstein said. “But nobody wants to point any fingers. If it’s returned, then it’s returned, and no one will ask any questions ... and I think that’s pretty good considering the circumstances.”

Kay said he does not think people should become overwhelmingly worried because of the thefts, but he also suggests that students be cautious with their valuables.

“One of the beautiful things about our school community is that it’s a community of values and it’s a community of trust ... it’s a positive feeling to be part of a community like that where you know that you can trust the people around you,” Kay said. “That said, it’s still important for individuals to take precautions [regarding] their property.”

Kay also said he recognizes that the thefts have shaken some students’ trust within CESJDS. “Unfortunately, a single action by a single person can breach that trust and security, so we can never stop being vigilant or stop being careful,” Kay said.

Promposal fever

Two teachers depart mid-year

by Josh Boxerman Managing Editor Editor’s Note: As the publishers of a private school newspaper, the CESJDS administration has chosen to exercise its legal ability to prior review the content of this article and the staff editorial.

In a set of events deemed “unusual” by Upper School Principal Michael Kay, two teachers departed the school in December. The administration announced the departure of Hebrew teacher Esther Kalter in a Dec. 2 e-mail to parents, and the departure of Math teacher and boys varsity basketball head coach Matthew Feldman in a Dec. 22 e-mail.

Kay declined to comment on what caused Feldman to depart.

“It is the practice of the school not to discuss specifics on personnel matters,” Kay said. “This practice, which is common among employers, exists in order to protect the privacy and wellbeing of members of the school community and everybody involved.”

Feldman’s dual role as teacher and basketball coach made replacing him complicated. Feldman’s seventh, eighth, and ninth grade math classes were taken over by new math teacher Joshua Rapps, whose hiring was announced in an e-mail to parents on Dec. 29.

Feldman’s departure caused a domino effect in the boys basketball program. With Veron Buckle moving up to the varsity from junior varsity, former middle school blue team head coach Corey Burns became the junior varsity coach, and middle school gold team head coach Steven Forestieri began to coach both middle school teams, with assistance from Burns.

photo by Shira Singelenberg

will you...? Senior Michael Azhdam “promposes” to senior Laura Serfaty. Azhdam stood on a table in the senior alcove and read Serfaty a poem he had composed. With much of the senior class watching, Azhdam decided to pop the question. Serfaty answered “yes.” Many other seniors promposed unique and romantic ways. See Page 2.

“I think the teams have made a nice transition,” Riley said. “We have a great group of senior leaders on our team. There’s 11 seniors on the varsity team, so they’ve done a great job of coming together, and Coach Buckle has done a great job and Coach Burns and Coach Forestieri have done a great job transitioning.”

“The relationship was great. I had these guys for three years, so it really wasn’t a transition,” Buckle said. “The transition was more losing a voice that we’d been hearing, so that was really all the transition. We’re still transitioning, but we’re getting down to what we need to do to be successful.”

Senior and boys varsity basketball player Josh Rosenberg said that continuity was important to the team in Feldman’s absence.

“He was always there for us, he was opening the gym for us, and he had been there for us. So it was weird coming to school and not seeing him, and it was weird just being in the gym and he wasn’t there,” Rosenberg said. “It’s good that they hired within our team because the coach that they hired knew us. And so we didn’t have to start over, and he was there when we put in all the work.”

“Coach Buckle knows that we know what to do, and so he does give us a lot of control and he

gives us a lot of say,” Rosenberg said.

Rosenberg said that the team had not yet spoken to Feldman at length, but hoped to fully get back in touch with him soon.

“We look forward to having a good season.

We’re all ready to, and we’re gonna dedicate it to Coach [Feldman],” Rosenberg said.

Feldman’s math students expressed frustration with his departure.

“I was totally shocked. He was one of the best teachers I ever had. Shocked, and it wasn’t fun the next day. I was so sad and stuff after hearing about that,” freshman Jack Gruber said of finding out about Feldman’s departure in an e-mail.

“I was actually really sad, because he’s a really fun teacher, and I really miss him because he actually taught me a lot in geometry,” freshman Nathalie Mark said.

Parent Sharon Gruber said that she felt “disappointed.”

“I was sad because it was involving a teacher my son really enjoyed, who my son really liked.

He enjoyed his class, he felt inspired to learn math. And I was disappointed. And see DEPARTURES, page 3

N

ews

January 21, 2011

Page 2

It’s a bird, it’s a plane... it’s a promposal!

by Dani Marx News Editor

Senior Alexandra Smith walked to her locker after third period on Dec. 21.

To her surprise, it was covered in chocolates and daisies. When she opened her locker she found a clue leading her on a scavenger hunt throughout the day. The clues led Smith all around the school. She received clues from college counselors, teachers and administrators.

Finally, at the end of the day, senior Brandon Varone stood on a table in the alcove and asked her to be his date to prom.

“It was nothing I ever expected.

The thought that Brandon put in was so amazing,” Smith said.

“I enjoyed planning everything.

It took a lot of planning, but her saying yes and seeing her reaction made it worth it,” Varone said.

This year, Dean of Students Roslyn Landy sent out an e-mail to the senior class about prom proposals, or “promposals” that might interupt ckasses. All promposals done during classes had to be approved

by Landy or done in between class periods.

“I had e-mails from a couple of teachers who were concerned about prom proposals and their interfering with classes. Please know that

you are not permitted to leave or enter classes for prom proposals,” the e-mail stated.

“I love that most of the promposals were done in the hallways instead of during class because I got to see more of them,” junior Ilana Soumekhian said.

“They are exciting for everyone, not just seniors.”

The first of the promposals in school was senior Josh Dalva’s to senior Tamar Bardin.

“Being the first to ask in school was a challenge in its own, but I found the man inside, triumphed my fears and just did it,” Dalva said. “Thankful- prom? Senior Michael Weinberg asks senior Galit Krifcher to prom by designing a mock ly, she said yes.” yearbook cover for her. Promposals add to the excitement and anticipation of graduation.

Seniors strived to The sidebar at the right captures six recent promposal moments. be unique in their proposals to excite both their date and was both original and individual when Noah whipped out his pot for my date. I also wanted it to be that said ‘prom’ on it, I was totally their grade.

Senior Noah Berman asked se- as impressive as possible,” Berman surprised. It was so creative and his collaboration with Dr. Cunnior Ronni Getz by presenting a said.

“Towards the end of the class, ningham caught the whole class off vase that said “Prom?” on it during Dr. Cunningham switched to a guard,” senior Michael Weinberg his art history class.

“For promposals, excellence is completely new lesson on ancient said.

Prom will be held on Feb. 3. key. I wanted to do something that Greek pottery. I was confused, but

Photo courtesy of Galit Krifcher

Report cards reveal flaws in attendence records

by Daniel Liss News Editor

“Any time you move to a new record keeping system for student data, there are millions of data enThe first round of report cards try items that have to be moved this year inaccurately listed the over,” Rexford said. “I think what number of times that students were happened is that the wrong butlate to school. As a result, the adton got pushed to calculate tardies ministration has decided to hold and absences, off on plans to inso some stutroduce a section “I had 52 or 53 absences dents had for attendance on on my report card, and I some pretty transcripts. was here [at school] ev- big numbers According to under lateDirector of Col- ery day.” ness [on their lege Guidance Su— Jacob Myers report cards]. san Rexford, the Like 20, 15 or mistake on the report cards was 17 in some cases.” caused by a miscalculation in PowAccording to Dean of Students erSchool, the school’s data manageRoslyn Landy, these report cards ment system. represented a fluke in the attenRather than report the numdance system, and tardies from this ber of times students were late to trimester were never added to stuschool, the program listed the numdent transcripts. ber of times students were marked “We would not record the first tardy to minyan, clubs and each of trimester attendance information their nine classes cumulatively. sent with the report cards on stu-

A cappella performs for county executive

by Jacob Schaperow Copy Editor The a cappella choir performed at the inauguration reception of Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett on Dec. 6.

The choir sang “True Colors” and “Nachamu.”

The inauguration ceremony took place at Rockville High School. The choir got involved

through word-of-mouth.

“One of his [Leggett’s] administrators is an alumni’s parent, and they know about our choir and got in contact with us.

I think that’s the way it was,” junior Naomi Eyob said.

The choir has an upcoming performance at the Winter Concert at CESJDS on Jan. 27. ”It’s going to be awesome.

Everybody should come,” Eyob said.

dent transcripts because that infor- the report cards. But if this served mation was incorrect,” Landy said. as an awakening piece for students Still, the administration is inter- … that certainly would not be a bad ested in adding attendance to tran- thing.” scripts should they be able to fix the Seventh-grader Jacob Myers attendance system. was among the students affected by “When the [attendance] system mistakes in the attendance keeping is working properly, the attendance program. information found on the report “I had 52 or 53 absences on card will be the same as that record- my report card, and I was here [at ed on the transcript,” Landy said. school] every day,” Myers said. “The “This is not a new system of atten- school later sent us a corrected redance; it is the same system we have port card with zero absences.” been using for years. We are just Junior Daniel Neuberg said trying to do a much better job of re- that the current attendance system porting the information to parents.” could be improved.

“Absences and tardies are [statis“It is perfectly acceptable to be tics] that many high schools typi- marking students tardy, but when a cally report on transcripts,” Rex- student is clearly just two minutes ford said. “Not after the bell, absences and “I have heard from some there should be tardies by period, students that they had a grace period, but absence from [during] which school and tardy some lively conversa- the student tions at home, some- can arrive and to school.”

While the where along the lines of, know he won’t school did not be marked tar‘What do you mean you dy,” Neuberg intend to list student tardies cu- were tardy 14 times?’” said. “There are mulatively as it — Susan Rexford teachers who did in the first [often] look like round of report cards, Rexford they are just waiting to mark stunoted that the high numbers served dents tardy, and that kind of bothas a good reminder to students that ers me.” punctuality needs to be made a priAccording to Director of Inority. formation Technology David “I don’t know if there have been Ritzmann, the administration is any changes in the frequency of stu- constantly reevaluating the attendent tardies, but I have heard from dance system. some students that they had some “We can pull up general reports lively conversations at home, some- about school attendance, and there where along the lines of, ‘What are often discussions [within the do you mean you were tardy 14 administration] based on these times?’” Rexford said. “This truly reports about how to improve the was not our intent, to put the accu- schedule,” Ritzmann said. mulated tardies from every class on

photos courtesy of Rachel Milner, David Herman, Ronni Getz and Shira Singelenberg

Page 3

January 21, 2011

S

new

Clubs and activities represented in Moving Up program

by Brooke Friedman Senior Reporter CESJDS families, prospective families, and current JDS eighth grade students attended the Moving Up program to learn about high school, student clubs and e x t r a c u rricular activities on Dec. 15.

According to Director of Upper School Admissions Robin Shapiro, the purpose of this program was to introduce parents of eighth graders to high school.

“We want to educate our families on why photo courtesy of Jerry Eisner our high school is so special portraying pottery Ceramand unique.

We want, especially for students, ics teacher Gretchen Gobin glazto understand that high school is very different es a pot as she tells parents about then middle school even though they are in the the ceramics program at JDS.

same building,” Shapiro said.

Eighth-grader Rachel Evans said that this program was helpful because she got to learn more about what is offered to high school students.

“We got an overview of more of the classes and the electives and everything that was different,” Evans said.

Shapiro said that she was pleased with the turnout this year.

“We’ve always done a separate program for parents and students. This year we decided to combine them and then also open it [the program] to prospective parents and make it just an open house for everybody,” Shapiro said.

Student Council President Jamie Strassman represented the Student Council at the extracurricular showings of the program.

“We have a fair in the gym, and all the clubs were rep-

Symposia spur love of science

by Nathan Forman Senior Reporter Recently the science department sent eight students to go to two science lecture events. Senior Nathan Orenstein and juniors Ofer Kimchi and Sammy Yeroushalmi attended the winter lecture series of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute on Dec. 2-3 in Bethesda, MD. Also, senior Naomi Parr, juniors Ofer Kinchi, Nehama Nelson, Noah Zweben and David Dabrow attended the Junior Science and Hu manities Symposium on January 6-7 at Georgetown University.

This year’s Howard Hughes winter lecture series covered viruses. Dr. Jospeh L. DeRisi, Ph.D. spoke about his experience with the byzantine protein structures of viruses and the development of “ViroChips” which can be used to identify and discover new viruses in tested people. Dr. Eva Harris Ph.D., spoke about her experience studying and fighting with the dengue fever virus in Nicaragua.

“I thought that Dr. Harris was very charismatic,” senior Nathan Orenstein said.

However, junior Sammy Yerushalmi enjoyed

DEPARTURE, from page 1 that’s pretty much it. I didn’t know why it happened. All I can tell you is, you know, it’s midseason, but it was just a disappointment,” Sharon Gruber said.

Sharon Gruber also said that she approved of the school’s handling of the situation.

“I think that they did a pretty good job because they got a teacher right away,” Sharon Gruber said. “I think the administration at JDS truly, whenever there’s any potential problems, my hat’s off to them for always being communicative right away ... From a parent’s perspective, I really appreciate it.”

Her son disagreed.

“No offense to Dr. Kay, but I think he could have handled the transition better. I think he could have been more emotionally involved, not just be like, ‘OK,

hearing Dr. DeRisi’s speech. “I thought the ViroChip technology was really interesting,” Yerushalmi said.

“I just love it. I just love science.”

Junior Ofer Kimchi, who went to both the Howard Hughes Medical Institute winter lecture series and the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium said that he enjoyed the winter lecture series more than the symposium.

“The symposium was like ‘here’s something cool, and here’s another cool thing, and here’s another cool thing. The winter lecture series was like ‘here’s something cool, viruses, let’s go in depth and learn about it,” Kimchi said. “It seemed like the symposium was just trying to promote general interest in Science, while the winter lecture series was also promoting specific learning.”

However, senior Naomi Parr disagrees. “I thought the symposium was awesome.” I got to hold a human brain and perform laproscopic surgery.”

The symposium was constituted by lectures in the morning and lab physics in the afternoon. hands on learning The Junior Science and Humanities Symposium strived to promote general interest in Science. The symposium took place at Georgetown University.

this is your new teacher, deal with it.’ I got that vibe from him,” Jack Gruber said. “[Kay] didn’t really have to explain because we all sort of knew what happened ... He kind of just said, ‘This is your new teacher, due to the circumstances of what happened,’” Mark said.

Rapps, a longtime teacher and administrator at the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy, had been taking time off to pursue writing when a “friend and colleague,” Math Department Chair Dina Levitt called with news of the vacancy.

“I found that I still missed the classroom,” Rapps said. “The idea of a six-month fill-in position and getting to know another program of this caliber was appealing to me.”

Rapps said that he hoped to ensure that the transition between Feldman and himself was “as

smooth as possible.”

“The transition is tough midyear, and it seems like he was a well-liked, popular teacher,” he said. “The truth is what I did is just try to reassure the students that I appreciated that they had been successful the first four months of the year … some things will be the same, and I’m sure some things will be different.”

According to Hebrew Department Coordinator Yaffa Dagony and Kay’s e-mail to parents, Kalter left to take a job teaching Hebrew at the State Department.

“I would say it’s unusual for people to leave in the middle of the year because you usually leave at the end,” Dagony said. “We have this teaching cycle of ‘end in June and start in September,’ so I do not remember that somebody left in the middle if it wasn’t for very special reasons.”

resented by students, and they set up boards and displays to represent the clubs,” Strassman said.

During the program, freshman Cole Aronson represented his two clubs, Math Team and Business Club.

“I am President of the [Business Club], so it made sense that I would volunteer. And the second one [Math Team], the teacher asked me [to volunteer] because I am very enthusiastic about it,” Aronson said.

For next year, Shapiro thinks that the program should end earlier in the night.

“I think we might do something different with the students. I think it was a long evening for eighth graders being at school all day and sitting and hearing presentations,” Shapiro said.

Alumni weigh in on college admissions

photo by Alex keeping in touch Alumni Dafna Feith, Elie Eisenstadt andZissman Caryn Stark, lead the panel and took student questions. questions about their respective

by Samantha Wiener colleges and the admissions proSenior Reporter cess.

Recent CESJDS alumni parAlumna Caryn Stark ('09), a ticipated in panels discussing sophomore at the University of college admissions for upper Delaware, stressed the imporschool students from Jan. 5-7. tance of visiting colleges before "One of the best opportunities making your final decision. to learn about this process and In response to a question college life is to talk to someone about taking AP exams in junior who has already been through year at JDS, Alumnus Jeremy Liss it," the College Counseling De('09), a sophomore at Columbia partment stated in an e-mail to College, explained that students juniors about the event. need not feel pressured to take Eleven alumni attended each them. lunchtime panel. They intro“I did not take any APs and I duced themselves by stating their got into Columbia. Colleges do name, college, major and reason not expect students from JDS to for choosing their college. Stutake APs, and no one should feel dents then proceeded to ask the obligated to take them,” Liss said.

Kalter’s replacement, Hebrew teacher Ortal Wikoff, arrived on Dec. 16 and took over five of Kalter’s six classes. Dagony took over the sixth class for the remainder of the year.

Wikoff said that she had been a first and fourth grade teacher for two years at the Lower School.

For the last five years she has lived in Israel and California, and she moved back into the Rockville area this year.

“She had moved out of town and was moving back and by good fortune happened to be moving back at the same time that Mrs. Kalter was departing, and she was intending to resume working at the school,” Kay said. “So we interviewed her and saw her teach one lesson and were impressed, so in that sense the timing was quite fortunate.”

Kay and Dagony said that Wikoff was adjusting well to her

new position.

“It’s not very easy to come and teach at JDS in the middle of the year, but she has been a very quick learner,” Dagony said. “there are all these little challenges but I would say the general sense is that she is doing fine and loves what she is doing.”

“She has courses in different grade levels and different preparations and she didn’t have a long time to prepare, but I’ve been very impressed with her ability to keep the class moving and to really make sure that the students are advancing,” Kay said.

“It was an easy transition. I know how the school works and everything,” Wikoff said. “It’s much easier [to teach in the Upper School]… because it’s like adults.

You don’t need to teach them how to hold a pencil, and to teach them how to behave.”

O

pinion

January 21, 2011

Page 4

Entire community felt impact of Feldman departure JDS prides itself on being not only a school, but a tight-knit community. As a result, when something happens, it doesn’t only impact a certain section of the school. It impacts the entire community. In the recent events surrounding the sudden departure of math teacher and boys varsity basketball coach Matthew Feldman, the administration ignored this reality in its handling of the aftermath.

The Lion’s Tale editorial board recognizes the delicacy of the situation, and the pressures applied onto the administration from all sides. The school’s common-sense policy which stipulates that it does not comment on personnel matters is both reasonable and admirable because it comes out of a concern for the well-being of the former employee as well as concern for the legal standing of the school. As such, from a certain perspective, it is quite understandable that the administration would decline to speak publicly about Feldman’s departure.

However, the administration should have considered the implications of not speaking clearly. The administration’s approach to the students and parents affected by Feldman’s departure was often interpreted as an effort to minimize what had happened and to characterize it as almost a non-issue.

Consequently, some students interviewed by The Lion’s Tale felt that the administration did not care that

more than their academic careers had been interrupted.

At JDS, students tend to have extraordinarily close relationships with their teachers. While we do not believe that the administration had anything but the best interests of the students at heart, it is troubling to hear that the students directly impacted felt a lack of compassion. For example, the administration reached out personally to members of the varsity basketball team, an act that was universally appreciated. The same consideration should have been extended to Feldman’s math students.

Secondly, and again in keeping with the strategy of minimizing disruption within JDS, the administration chose to directly communicate only with members of the varsity basketball team and parents whose children were in Feldman’s classes. The rest of the school, including his actual students, was left to find out the information secondhand. Secondhand information, especially of the incomplete variety provided by the school, tends to lead to speculation, and speculation leads to rumors. Though administrators introduced new math teacher, Joshua Rapps, in each of his classes, a greater effort should have been made to make sure that seventh-, eighth- and ninth-graders were dealing with the sudden departure emotionally. Perhaps the guidance department could have been utilized.

Because of the administration’s attempts to minimize

discussion about Feldman’s departure, it became a taboo subject in the hallways and classrooms. However, it was the kind of taboo subject that people love to talk about. Incomplete information and disgruntled students led to rumors in which the names of students were tossed around as possible reasons surrounding Feldman’s departure. This then, was the final, unfortunate result of the departure of a teacher and coach: a disruption in the community where students became the subject of rumors.

While it is possible that telling every detail would not have solved the problem of this disruption, or even that it would have exacerbated it, we believe that the administration should have been more up-front about the departure. If school policy is to not give specifics, that is fine, but the administration should say so out loud or in writing, not only to parents but also to students, and not only in the pages of the following month’s issue of The Lion’s Tale. More importantly, a public repudiation of the rumors and the practice of spreading rumors would set a good example for students.

It is probable that there was no “right” way to handle this situation. Upper School Principal Michael Kay is correct to deem it “an unusual circumstance.” But steps could have been taken to ensure that the minimal amount of damage was done.

Something to “Wein” about

You can’t stump the Schwab

Teachers formally appreciated

The destructive senioritis epidemic

by Adam Weinberger

by Danny Schwaber

Editor in Chief

Editor in Chief

Recently, Dean of Students Roslyn Landy sent out yet another e-mail to the senior class. This one asked if any students would be interested in speaking to the faculty about their experiences at JDS. She invited us “to express [our] appreciation and to talk about how [our] CESJDS experience has influenced [our] plans for the future” at the weekly faculty meeting. I never respond to these unsolicited e-mail requests, but this time I decided to participate. I’ve spent five and a half years in the Upper School, so I figured I could spend two or three minutes thanking my teachers.

I didn’t know what I was going to say.

I was looking for something genuine and personal, not cliché. Typically, teachers only interact with students in the classroom, hallways, the odd e-mail and occasional lunch meeting. I wanted to let the faculty members know that they play a much larger and more significant role than that.

In my experience, the faculty has a major influence in our lives outside the building, and not just because of homework. I have heard my peers discuss the decisions of Dr. Frankenstein at the lunch table and debate the latest development in the Arab-Israeli conflict on Gmail. I have heard students reference Enlightenment theories of government in arguments and use calculus puns in their Facebook statuses. We talk about the debates we have had in class and the projects we are working on. We’re still teenagers, so we still might spend hours watching How I Met Your Mother, but we’ll Editors In chief Danny Schwaber Adam Weinberger Managing Editor Josh Boxerman Copy Editors Jacob Schaperow Jonathan Waksman News Editors Daniel Liss Dani Marx Sports Editors David Weinberg Zachary Wexler

also mix in the occasional news article.

At the meeting, the faculty seemed to really appreciate what all six of us senior speakers had to say. I have had numerous faculty members thank me and say we made it one of the most memorable faculty meetings they have ever had.

I ended my speech by talking about the sense of community I feel at JDS, which the faculty has helped instill in me. I forgot to mention how important I think the Judaic classes are in instilling this sense of community. Without them we are just another private school. Without classes such as Ethical Dilemmas, Life Cycles and Holocaust, I would never have been able to realize how I want to live a Jewish life.

I don’t want to speak for the whole student body; there are too many opinions.

But I do know that a lot of students would agree with my sentiments. I’m not going to tell you to walk into school tomorrow and thank all of your teachers for going above and beyond, for teaching extra classes without pay, for staying up until 2:00 a.m. just to grade all of your quizzes in time for a review session, but that would be nice.

Just pay attention. I felt like I was a seventh grader just yesterday, my ID hanging around my neck. Now look at me, button down shirt and khakis, shaking hands at a college admissions interview. Whether you like JDS or not, our school can you give unique opportunities. My advice: Respond to unsolicited e-mail requests.

In Depth Editors Ranana Dine Michael Greenberg Feature Editors Haley Cohen Meryl Kravitz Hadashot Editors Briana Felsen Eitan Sayag Lion’s Blend Editors Shira Becker Rebecca Rubin Graphics Editor Noah Zweben

This is my warning to all current and future JDS students: During their first semester, many seniors begin to suffer from a condition formally known as “senioritis.” It is a dreadful condition whose symptoms include lack of motivation, restlessness, indifference toward schoolwork and an overall sense of accomplishment for simply having passed through the first 12 years of school. This virus is highly contagious and once it gets to you, it is almost impossible to shake.

My name is Danny Schwaber, and I suffer from senioritis.

To paraphrase Abba Eban, a former Israeli diplomat, seniors “never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.” We have overlooked the opportunity we had to make something out of our final semester at JDS. We have overlooked the opportunity to take advantage of the little time we have left at this school.

Many students view senior year as a time where they can get away with doing the absolute minimum, their goal being to simply to get through this semester.

Our mentality should be completely the opposite.

Students must view this as a time to take full advantage of all the opportunities a JDS semester offers. We should take time to smell the roses and realize that this is time we will never have again.

Sorry for the corniness, but there is no other way to explain it. We have spent 12 years waiting to get here – now we should

Senior Reporters Emily Dworkin Nathan Forman Brooke Friedman Scott Goldstein Arielle Panitch Elana Schrager Josh Singer Samantha Wiener Staff Adviser Megan Fromm Adviser Emeritus Susan Zuckerman

Reporters Abigail Birnbaum Jonathan Block Jacob Dorn Penina Graubart Julia Schwalb Emily Shoyer Sydney Solomon Devin Yolles Photo Editor Alex Zissman

do more than try to get through it.

My classmates and I are soon to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Poland, Prague and Israel. This is an experience that every JDS student looks forward to for the second semester of senior year. This trip is one of the selling points of JDS. In many ways, it helps us overlook senior year’s first semester.

Seniors often gloss over the importance and value of senior year. It should not be a semester where students simply tread water nor should the school accept this outcome for its oldest class.

My time at JDS is done, but for future years, I urge the students, the school faculty and administration to strive to make JDS’ senior semester something special.

My math teacher Mr. Silberman put it perfectly: “We must be vigilant against the temptations of idiocy.”

With so much to look back upon and so much to look forward to, it is easy to fall victim to these temptations, and to succumb to senioritis. As a group, we should push one another to get the most out of the final semester we all worked so hard to reach.

Oh. And for those of you who are thinking this column has no point, blame it on senioritis.

The Lion’s Tale is a forum for student expression. Its purpose is to inform the CESJDS community and to express the views of its staff and readers. The staff has made every effort to ensure the accuracy and objectivity of its news.

Editorials reflect the opinion of a majority of the LT board. The Lion’s Tale encour­ages its readers to write letters to the editor and reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. All letters must be typed and signed. Letters may be e-mailed to jdslionstale@gmail.com.

Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School Annette M. & Theodore N. Lerner Family Upper School Campus 11710 Hunters Lane Rockville, MD 20852 phone: 301.881.1404 www.lionstale.org

January 21, 2011

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opinio

Noah Zweben

To the Editor Point/Counterpoint: Atheism article sparks community debate To the Editor: When I saw the article about Atheism in our school in the latest issue I was fascinated and genuinely excited to read it.

I, like many people I know, enjoy engaging in philosophical discussions such as those about the existence of God; so I was fascinated by this opportunity to really see the other side of the argument.

Unfortunately I found the article very underwhelming and in some cases offensive.

Reading some of the quotes it appeared to me that the outspoken Atheists in our school were not interested in stating their own beliefs but rather seemed to be using this article as an opportunity for mud-slinging.

One example is a quote that read “When you’re a kid you believe in the tooth fairy, but

grow out of it. But most people don’t grow out of God.” Comparing the concept of a master of the universe to a simple childhood fairy tale is a rude and uncalled for insult to people of faith.

Another quote: “The school taught me about creationism and how we humans are created by God. But it’s really something called evolution.”

I believe that the two go hand in hand; does that make me an idiot?

I can’t say that these people do not have the right to these beliefs about religious people (although I invite anyone who does to sit down and discuss it with me) but using the newspaper to fire insults at them, I think, is just as immature as you think believing in God is.

Ilan Rasooly senior

A greater emphasis on sex-ed To the Editor: I am writing this letter as a soon-to-be JDS graduate in order to address what I feel to be a significant gap in my JDS education: a lack of informative sexual education.

In eighth grade, my classmates and I were separated by gender in order to learn about human anatomy for a few weeks during P.E. In tenth grade, all Human Development classes were supposed to learn about birth control, sexually transmitted diseases, and safe sexual behavior; I cannot speak for the entire grade, but I do not feel that Human Development adequately educated me about any of those incredibly important and relevant subjects.

Since then, we have had no form of sexual education. There will be an optional workshop on sexual education for seniors in a few weeks, but I strongly believe that this is too little, too late.

Had I not had an internship at the National Abortion Rights Action League a few summers ago, I would currently be graduating from JDS with little to no knowledge of how STDs manifest themselves or how birth control works: I would have no grasp of real-life issues related to sexual health.

Because of my internship, numerous of my

peers have approached me, a seventeen year old, with questions about these subjects—a fact that I find to be both depressing and scary.

Studies have shown that comprehensive sexual education is effective at increasing the use of contraception and condoms, thereby reducing teenage pregnancy and the spread of STDs— sexual education truly matters.

By providing its students with accurate and practical sexual education, something that many students may not receive anywhere else, JDS can potentially help to facilitate safe sexual behavior among students for the rest of their lives.

Looking forward, I believe that the Human Development curriculum should be reevaluated in order to ensure that it includes comprehensive sexual education with lessons on STDs, birth control, and emergency contraception.

In addition, I believe that the school should seriously consider dividing students by gender in order to tailor lessons to situations that specifically pertain to them. It is the school’s responsibility to educate its students about reproductive health not just as we leave its hallowed halls, but throughout our time at JDS. Dina Lamdany senior

To the Editor: While I am certain Rabbi Slater meant no offense, I must voice my objection to his characterization of atheism as something students choose because it is “posh” and of the implication that atheists require their minds to be changed.

Atheism is not a popular position; on the contrary, I have seen JDS students bullied by their peers because of their willingness to identify themselves as atheists.

Atheism is not a position of indifference; it is a conscious, thoughtful choice. Atheism is not a negation of goodness and faith; as an atheist I put my faith in people

and discover a world of goodness and spirituality through those human connections.

And just as I would expect an atheist student or colleague to respect the beliefs of an Orthodox one—and not try to change those beliefs—so, too, would I expect an Orthodox colleague or student to respect the beliefs of the atheists in our pluralistic community and resist the urge to proselytize or to dismiss such personal, thoughtful choices as merely trendy.

Caroline Fitzpatrick English teacher

BVB player: team needs more fan support To the Editor: The Hebrew Academy game this year was awesome. There were a lot of fans, all painted blue and gold, all yelling at the top of their lungs. It was a great night for the basketball team and a great night for JDS as a whole. I think the fans had just as good a night as the players.

But do you, the school, really think they are a part of the basketball program? There are, at most, 20 fans that come to any game other than the HA game.

Do the kids who show up to one game think they are expressing school spirit? No. The basketball has had some struggles over the last couple of weeks, but we are still competing for a championship in the PVAC– something we all believe is attainable. We need the school’s support and help. We ask that as many fans as possible come to

games. We will continue to create Facebook events and we will hang out schedules in the hallways. In order for us to be successful, we are going to need everyone to help out.

We don’t expect many fans at away games. Nor do we expect many fans at games against really weak opponents.

But when we have big games against teams besides the Hebrew Academy, a little support would nice. It would be nice to see the student section somewhat full.

It makes a huge impact on our performance and just like the Hebrew Academy game – it’s a great time! We are looking forward to seeing you at our next home game.

Neville Brodie senior

ion’s blend

L Focusing in on teenage relationships

by Shira Becker Lion’s Blend Editor Last year, sophomores Mariah Finkelstein and Eli Shurberg were assigned to work on a history project. They started dating shortly after. Six months later they are still together.

According to Teenage Research Unlimited, “half of all teens report having been in a dating relationship, and nearly one-third of all teens said they have been in a serious relationship.”

“We consider ourselves to be in a serious relationship. We are really into each other,” Shurberg said to describe his relationship with Finkelstein.

Shurberg and Finkelstein said they have reached a level of complete trust.

“Trust is the whole basis of love.

You have to trust your partner and be sure that your partner trusts you in order to have a functioning, honest, pleasant relationship,” Finkelstein said.

Sophomore Olivia Farber and senior Max Kershner have been dating for 11 months. Farber considers being comfortable a key component of a good relationship.

“If you are comfortable around him when you are with your family, then I guess that also defines a close, successful relationship,” Farber said.

Farber and Kershner face challenges in their relationship. However, they are able to overcome them.

“The hardest part about dating is getting into fights, but if you have a strong relationship, then you can work through it,” Farber said.

When Kershner goes on the Israel trip, the pair will be separated for three months, posing a new challenge to their relationship.

“Israel is not going to be fun,

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January 21, 2011

but I can handle it. When I went to like JDS, two years is not that big be noncommittal, or in other nocamp for a month [Max and I] were of a deal because it is still possible strings relationships. Many of these away from each other. It was hard to have a lot of mutual friends girls begin falling for the guy and but we got through it,” Farber said. even when you are from different ask Simmons for advice on how to “Israel is only three months and I grades. Also, it’s sometimes better make him come around and be a am going to visit him over spring to be in a relationship with some- real boyfriend. break.” one from another grade so that you “These letters worry me. They Senior Neville Brodie thinks aren’t with the same people you signify a growing trend in girls’ that while in a relationship, it is have been with since kindergarten,” sexual lives where they are giving easy to forget what is important for Brooks said. themselves to guys on guys’ terms. the future.

They hook up first “It’s easy to get and ask later. The caught up in the girls are expected moment. When to ‘be cool’ about kids date from difnot formalizing ferent grades, they the relationship. often don’t like to They repress their think about Israel needs and feelings and college. High in order to mainschool only lasts tain the connecso long, and it’s tion, and they’re important not to letting guys call get too involved the shots about with someone when it gets serito avoid a major ous,” Simmons heartbreak,” Brosaid. die said.

Sophomore Like Farber Avi Felman does and Kershner, not think open there are a numrelationships are a ber of inter-grade problem. photo by Sara Barth relationships. Stu- Stuck like glue Kershner and Farber began dating in February “When I’ve dents vary in their 2010, and now face the challenge which many JDS couples face: how made it clear that opinions about to stay together during the Israel trip. this is not a relaage difference in tionship, and that teen relationships.

Another type of student rela- there are no strings attached, I exSenior Liel Carmel thinks that tionship is an open relationship, pect the girl not to get mad or anage difference has a huge bearing when students get romantically noyed if I decide to explore other on the maturity level within a rela- involved without any form of com- options,” Felman said. tionship. mitment.

Freshman Alyssa Rothfeld dis“In the context of marriage and Alumna Rachel Simmons (‘92), agrees and thinks that open relaeventually moving on through life, an educator with a specialty in tionships can be detrimental. “I I believe that if a 58-year-old wom- girls and teenage relationships, think [open relationships] are a an wants to marry a 60-year-old has many opinions regarding this bad idea because people start deman, that is fine. When a 15-year- issue. In a blog entitled “Is Hook- veloping feelings, and one person old is dating a 17-year-old, some ing Up Good for Girls?,” Simmons always ends up liking the other one may find it disturbing and call it wrote that she receives a lot of mail more. Feelings usually aren’t mufake because of age,” Carmel said. from girls in no-strings-attached tual, and someone gets hurt in the Senior Kevin Brooks disagrees relationships. In these letters, girls end,” Rothfeld said. and believes that age has no bear- describe themselves as being in JDS does not have official rules ing on a relationship. undefined relationships with a guy regarding student relationships.

“In a small-school community and in some cases, the guy may It does, however, take the impor-

tance of healthy relationships seriously and had the Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse speak to students this January.

“There is no policy or rule addressing relationships in school.

However, if an adult observes student behavior that is inappropriate in school, or in poor taste, the adult will ask the students to refrain from that behavior,” Dean of Students Roslyn Landy said.

Some students develop successful relationships that last past graduation day. This is the case for JDS alumni Jacob and Dorie Ravick.

Jacob and Dorie never dated while in high school, but attended sophomore prom together. They now have been married for a little over a year and have been together for almost three years. The couple began dating while Jacob was attending law school.

“We were really close friends [in high school]. We had a lot of classes together … and we had the same group of friends,” said Dorie.

“While I went to George Washington University and he went to the University of Maryland we attended each others formals in college together. I attended [Jacob’s] fraternity formal when I was a freshman, and we went to a law school formal together and that’s when we started dating.”

Jacob and Dorie feel that JDS has a significant connection to their relationship. This is why they decided to celebrate their wedding with a minyan in school last year.

“We are really fondly tied to the JDS community and we think it was a good foundation for our relationship. Our wedding in very many ways was a JDS reunion because we are still close with our JDS friends, one of our JDS friends even signed our ketubah (marriage document) which is really special to us,” Dorie said.

Feeling the Christmas spirit?

By Gabi Mendick Reporter Christmas was declared a federal holiday in 1870, and today some Jews in America have adopted parts of the Christmas celebration into their own family traditions.

Some research suggests that acculturation into American society has led to an enormous number of non-Christians, including Jews, adopting more aspects and traditions associated with the celebration of Christmas.

According to www.InterfaithFamily. com in the “December Holidays Survey,” the results revealed that, of those who raise their children exclusively Jewish, 48 percent participate in Christmas celebrations in their own homes.

The survey also asked interfaith families whose children are being raised Jewish why they do so, if they do celebrate Christmas. Seventy-four percent responded that it was out of “respect for the traditions of the non-Jewish parent’s extended family.”

In an article titled “A Merry Little Chanukah?” in The Jewish Exponent, Aaron Passman addresses Jews celebrating both Christmas and Hanukkah.

“With intermarriage now an estab- or family. lished part of American Jewish life, the Because Christmas is such an ingrained confluence of the two winter holidays con- part of American culture, the holiday has tinues to serve as a challenge for the fami- influenced Jews’ customs. lies involved, even among those who are In addition, while Christians have dischoosing to raise their children as Jews,” tinct traditions associated with the holiPassman said. day, there are also some burgeoning Jewish For students who customs. have non-Jewish fam- “I think that it’s offensive for Jews F o r ily members, Christexample, to celebrate the nonreligious as- Jews often mas may be observed to some extent or play pects of someone else’s holiday.” eat Chia more prevalent role – Ariel Lanes, sophomore nese food in their lives. and go to “We go to my the movies grandma’s house on my mom’s side, be- on Christmas. cause my mom converted. So, she grew “I think that it is a beautiful holiday, up Christian and that side of my family is like in the movies. It just seems so warm,” Christian. And we just have a nice lunch freshman Jane Macklin said. and open presents with my whole family,” While some JDS students see no harm sophomore Olivia Farber said. “I think it in participating in certain Christmas trais okay for Jews to celebrate Christmas. ditions, others feel differently.

It doesn’t mean that they are just going Some feel that Christmas is a religious to become non-Jewish. They are just cel- holiday, it is inappropriate or disrespectful ebrating an enjoyable holiday.” to celebrate what might be seen as secular Christmas is seen by many today as an parts of the tradition. aspect of secular American culture. Many “I think that it’s offensive for Jews members of the school community in- to celebrate the nonreligious aspects of corporate elements of Christmas celebra- someone else’s holiday,” sophomore Ariel tions in their own homes or with friends Lanes said. “If they want to completely cel-

ebrate the holiday, acknowledging all the religious parts, then it’s up to them.”

Others are uncomfortable with the notion of Jews celebrating a Christian holiday.

“I think that Christmas is a religious holiday, and you can’t just take out certain aspects of Christmas that you enjoy or think are fun. Jews need to start appreciating the holidays we celebrate and have Jewish pride. You don’t really see Christians celebrating Passover,” said sophomore Hannah Becker.

Although many Jews believe that celebrating Christmas is not harmful, there are also many who see it as very damaging.

“As Jews living in the Diaspora, we are subjected to an insidious pressure to conform to the majority,” Rabbi Levi Brackman wrote in an article, “Should Jews Celebrate Christmas?” on www.ynetnews. com.

“Giving into this pressure dilutes our unique identity. The fact is that one cannot simultaneously be a traditional Brit or American and a traditional Jew,” she wrote. “As minorities Jews have to make an extra effort to ensure a strong Jewish identity. If we do not reinforce our Jewishness it will inevitably start to fade.”

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January 21, 2011

D

lion’s blen

Wake up and smell the coffee

by Rebecca Rubin Lion’s Blend Editor

said this routine really helps her jump-start her day.

Other students use coffee to help them wake up in the morning, not only because it gives them energy, but also because it tastes good. “[The] majority of the time I have

Junior Naomi Eyob walks into school every morning with a travel mug in her hand filled with her favorite form of caffeine — coffee.

Eyob said she spends countless hours per night on homework and therefore drinks a cup of coffee every morning to cofmake up for her f e e lack of sleep. b e “Being a jucause nior, I have so I add much homeos u g a r work per night. and milk It’s hard to find to it which time to do evmakes it taste erything and more like cango to sleep dy rather than at a reasoncoffee,” junior able hour.

Rachel Cotton So I find said. that a cup Though many stuof coffee dents drink coffee evevery mornery morning, some stuing makes up illust dents don’t view drinking ratio n by for my lack of coffee as something they Rebe cca R ubin need in order to get through sleep,” Eyob said. She

Thinking back on all those years ... we were really good presidents!

their day.

“I tend to not drink coffee on the weekends because I get more sleep, and I don’t really feel much of a difference without coffee,” Cotton said.

However, there are many students who feel a significant difference when they don't get their caffeine in the morning. Many students who are regular coffee drinkers become accustomed to caffeine and need it in order to be energized.

“There are some mornings where I don’t drink coffee, and I really do feel a difference. I’m tired in my morning classes, I can’t concentrate, and I don’t have as much energy,” junior Jonathan Kader said.

According to www.sciencenews. com, teenagers who get more sleep and don’t spend the majority of their nights on Facebook and texting, tend to not feel the need to drink coffee the next morning.

Teenagers who spend their nights using technology tend to multitask and are not as productive, which leads to fewer hours of sleep.

Freshman Nisa Dalva does not spend the majority of her night using technology and tends to get plenty of sleep.

“Most nights I spend the major-

ity of my time doing homework, and I put aside an amount of time during my night to socialize with my friends ... so I really never drink coffee in the morning because I feel pretty rested,” Dalva said.

Like their students, teachers use caffeine when they do not get enough sleep. Math and psychology teacher Victoria Ball drinks energy drinks when she is sleepdeprived.

“Red Bull impacts me a moderate amount. That is to say, after drinking a Red Bull, I can feel a caffeine surge," Ball said. "5 Hour Energy Shots have a huge impact on me. Even if you sleep all of 47 minutes one night, you can drink a 5 Hour Energy Shot in the morning and feel as though you slept all night."

Unlike most coffee drinkers who drink a cup of coffee per day, Ball only drinks energy drinks when she feels she needs it. Ball said she does not feel much of an effect on her day when she doesn’t drink her energy drinks.

“I am by no means an energy drink 'addict,'" she said. "There are no side effects associated with not drinking one. I just use when necessary."

Although many students and

teachers find benefits from drinking coffee or another form of caffeine, there are many side effects that come along with consuming too much caffeine.

According to www.testcountry. org, a major side effect that comes with drinking caffeine is addiction. Drinking a cup of coffee, or another form of caffeine, every morning can have a negative result. For example, one’s body will begin to crave the boost of energy that caffeine gives.

Another major side effect that coffee has is dehydration. One would think that since coffee is a liquid, it would be hydrating.

However, because of caffeine’s diuretic properties, consumption of coffee or other caffeinated drinks can result in dehydration.

Many teachers and students don’t know about all the effects of drinking too much caffeine.

“I would love to learn more about how 5 Hour Energy Shots work—and whether I should be concerned about my use. I haven’t been able to find much information about how dangerous consumption of these shots is,” Ball said.

The presidential seal

by Tamar Bardin and Michael Weinberg Guests

Upon visiting the newly revamped CESJDS website, you will be bombarded with inspirational slogans attempting to describe why our school is just so unique. Our personal favorite, “A balanced education leads to confidence and success.” After 13 1/2 years filled with confidence and success, we feel equipped to unpack this bold statement. Here’s what we actually learned during our time at this great institution. By telling you all this, we hope to unfold the secrets to feeling confident and achieving success at JDS. Here are just a few of our many tricks:

DO

1. Have your entire grade wear black and white every Zimriah; you’ll be sure to win 2nd place.

2. Order a huge blow-up water-slide instead of a grade shabbaton. Worth it!

3. Befriend at least one, if not both librarians.

4. Make T-shirts for every trip, event, club, team and breath you experience while at JDS. It’s really cool when your entire wardrobe is devoted to JDS.

DON’T

1. Put a couch on top of the junior alcove.

2. Eat a hummus wrap whilst participating in a game of grade-wide assassin. If you must eat, keep it basic.

3. Throw snowballs at a classroom, even if you think it is empty. It is always a risky choice.

4. Stay up all hours of the night finishing homework. Quit procrastinating and get some sleep!

5. Leave laptops lying around or carts unlocked. Technology is our pride and glory.

If you follow these simple life lessons, you will leave JDS a confident and successful senior. But for now, you are the ones doing the reading and we are the ones doing the leaving. These 13 years have truly flown by.

It feels like just yesterday we were in kindergarden; baking challah on Fridays, celebrating Dr. Seuss with green eggs and jam, or just chillin’ on the playground. Savor the time you have at JDS, because in the real world you might just find green eggs and ham!

photo by Alex Zissman

We are going to miss being Co-Presidents of the class of 2011 here at JDS. We have been in charge for four years and feel that we have made a significant impact on our grade and the school as a whole. The entire Upper School is going to have to adjust to everyday life without the Class of 2011. We are a remarkable class and the two of us feel incredibly lucky to have been able to lead such an amazing group of people. But if you are worried about what is to become of this dynamic duo, stop right there. We will be spending the next four years together at college! Class presidents forever!

I

n depth

January 21, 2011

Page 8

In Depth Facebo

by Ranana Dine In Depth Editor

Facebook relationships

“On Facebook, there is one kind of relationship: friendship, and you have it with everybody.”

–Time Magazine On the massively popular website, Facebook, also the basis of the movie, “The Social Network,” everybody who a user connects with is automatically put under the title “friend.” But in high school, with social dynamics changing faster than a student can learn algebra, Facebook’s effect on socializing might not always be friendly.

According to a recent Lion’s Tale survey of 106 students, 93 percent of respondents said that they use Facebook. Since the website’s inception in 2003, it has grown so much that now one in every 12 people in the world has a Facebook account according to Time Magazine. With such a massive network of people, Facebook cannot help but have an effect on everything from one’s social life to the business world. But how has Facebook directly changed CESJDS? With so many JDS students logging on every day, Facebook has become a part of the JDS high school experience.

Facebook’s hook

Images courtesy of http://daaaveeeee.wordpress. com/2010/12/05/facebook-launches-new-profiles/ and http://www.xpertify.com/internet/facebook-launchesnew-profile-design/ Profile pictures courtesy of Facebook

Of the 93 percent of JDS students who reported that they use Facebook, 86 percent said that they use it every day. Facebook has a way of getting people to check its pages repeatedly, often more than once a day, for updates and news.

“I just keep the [Facebook] window open, and so every once in a while I just check it. And then I have my iPhone so if I get a notification,” junior Matan Kline said.

“If someone writes on my wall, it’s like they are trying to talk to me. … [I check Facebook] just to see what’s going on.”

Though most students check Facebook every day, that does not mean it always holds their interest.

“Compared to most people, I‘m not on that much. … It’s kind of boring, it’s just a way to talk to friends for a couple minutes a day, but I see most of my friends in school,” sophomore Madeline Paulson said.

Why is Facebook so attractive to students?

Some students say that they check Facebook to know what’s going on with their friends, other’s use it to keep in touch. According to Facebook founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s ability to let its users share information with their friends is the key to its success.

“People, if they can use a product of any category: photos, groups, music, TV, anything either by themselves or with their friends, I think most of the time people want to do those things with their friends,” Zuckerberg said in a recent interview on 60 Minutes on CBS. “It’s fun. It’s immediate. It allows kids to do what they would otherwise be doing naturally and to enhance it with all the features of technology at their fingertips. Kids can experiment with their likes and their dislikes and their relationships with others in a [often] safe, immediate and easy way,” guidance counselor Rachel Soifer said.

Communicating with friends via an online forum is a completely different experience than talking to someone face to face.

The rise of online chatting, messaging and other forms of communication via Facebook and other social media like Skype, Gmail (including Gchat and Google Buzz), Twitter, AIM and MySpace creates a new kind of relationship.

“I’d say some people I talk to differently on Facebook than in person. I wouldn’t say I have any relationship solely based on Facebook, but I have relationships that have been established on Facebook, and I definitely communicate with those people differently on Facebook than I would in person,” junior Ilana Braier said.

Many students use Facebook as a place to talk to their friends from school: a way to keep the conversation going even if the two friends have left the building for the day.

“I talk to my friends more over Facebook, it makes me closer to my friends because I have another way to communicate with them,” Paulson said. “It can help with friendships. But it can also be bad for friendships because there are so many things you can do to make someone look bad over Facebook, and it’s really easy. So it probably has made people a bit more cautious at the same time.”

Without being able to see the more subtle

book has led it to a place of importa social lives of many Upper School “It’s a different way of social just about everyone uses. It’s part t nience of it; all of your friends are Yeah, everyone uses it. … It’s alm part of high school. It’s almost a ment,” Kline said.

Facebook changing live

It is clear that Facebook is cha dynamics of high school and ev business and political world. But h Facebook gone in impacting the li students?

“It’s become just such a big part o age teenager’s life nowadays that it take over your life, but it definitel your life. It definitely makes it eas cialize. It changes your life because the way people nowadays sociali said.

Paulson disagreed.

“It helps with projects, with k touch with friends who I otherwise get to talk to much, or sometimes i find people I have no other way to it’s not like it’s had a huge impact o sonally. It just makes life simpler,” s “It has changed aspects of my lif to talk to some people that I proba have lost touch with if it had not Facebook, or I’m able to reestablis tions with people who I hav to in years,” Braier said.

Matan Kline “[Facebook’s] almost like a part of high school. It’s almost a requirement.” signals that come with conversation, like body language and eye contact, some parts of an online conversation can get lost in translation.

“When you’re interacting with someone on Facebook you’re doing it really just through text, there’s no emotion, you’re not actually talking to someone, you’re not seeing someone, you’re not seeing their reaction, you’re definitely not getting instant feedback. It’s a completely different form of communication,” Kline said.

Changing high school

By creating a new way for students to relate and talk to one another, Facebook has begun to change the social dynamics of high school.

“So often now when you meet new people, you hear someone say, ‘Oh, this is my last name, Facebook me.’ It allows for people to keep in touch and to keep new friends that they make,” Braier said.

Facebook is also a major mode of communication for many youth groups and extracurricular activities, making it harder for people to opt out of the social cyberspace world.

“On BBYO, it definitely is a big help because that’s where people post various things about events and other stuff, and so there I feel like I’m missing some information, and I have to get the information from another source,” freshman Robert Ost, who does not use Facebook, said.

The fact that so many students use Face-

Weighing the varia

Along with Facebook a social networks comes a sl always obvious side effects. Th to send information out to of contacts all at once is a tool. For example, Kline u book last year to advertise his fathe The Talent Children Project, in ord awareness and collect donations.

“It [the project’s Facebook page of the details of about the charity, a a description of The Talent Childre gives a link to donate. Because you a great potential to reach people advertise it and reach out and spre ness without nearly as much effort needed to previously,” Kline said.

The ability of a Facebook user “happy birthday,” a “get well soon a virtual “poke” is one way to reac friend on Facebook. Sometimes ju ple “Hey, what’s up? We haven’t t while,” can help two friends reconn “I think the impact of good deed ones are amplified stronger via and I’ve seen where small commen and positive attention can really h son feel good about themselves,” So One thing to keep in mind is th of tone and body language over an online chat can make it an easie confront people or avoid hard conv “I think for most people [Faceb easy way to opt out of saying som doing something to a person fac Paulson said.

“On a personal level the fact tha see the person, you can’t see their means that you can be a lot less e that you can be a lot meaner. I think lows you to ignore how [what you affects that person,” Kline said.

January 21, 2011

Page 9

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Stats: 106 Students Surveyed

93%

have a Facebook

86%

use it every day

19%

use other social networks

75%

use Facebook for schoolwork

76%

are friends with teacher profiles

Forts on the Facebook battleground

by Michael Greenberg In Depth Editor The popular networking site is known as a largescale promoter of human connectedness. But could it be achieving the opposite? What if Facebook has become a simulated shield — a place where people can confront others from the comfort of their keyboards while avoiding difficult, in-person encounters?

CESJDS alumna Rachel Simmons (‘92), author of the bestselling book, “Odd Girl Out,” said in a recent interview with Lion’s Tale that she has noticed the usage of Facebook for confrontations and that she finds this practice problematic.

“People use Facebook to deal with con-

flict because they might not otherwise know how to,” she said. “Using Facebook to deal with your conflicts is really using social media as a crutch to communicate.

You can do that, but at the end of the day, technology is not a substitute for authentic relationships, and you can’t rely on [it] forever.”

Issues with Facebook confrontations can include misunderstanding of tones and levels of sarcasm, artificial conflict escalation, uncharacteristic behavior, and inability to escape school drama at home.

In addition to worsening individual situations, using Facebook for confrontations can also have broader societal implications, according to Simmons.

“We don’t have the same rituals and etiquette that used to exist around communication,” she said. “Young people are not developing the muscles they need to communicate in challenging situations,

and that will affect them as they get older.”

Some students agreed.

“I do not believe that Facebook is a replacement for human contact and conversation,” senior Julie Carmen said. While Carmen has not personally experienced or engaged in any Facebook confrontations, others have.

“I don’t normally confront people in person,” junior Sarah Rubinstein said. “If a friend of mine is not treating me right or if they’re acting weird towards me, then I’ll just go home and wait for them to go on Facebook.”

Rubinstein said that although Facebook confrontations sometimes create a new set of problems, she also sees their virtue.

For example, Rubinstein points to the fact that Facebook was used to reconcile a large feud among several of her friends — a conflict which, admittedly, had been severely escalated by Facebook.

Facebook and JDS are in a relationship

by Scott Goldstein Senior Reporter Though Facebook has a notorious reputation for being the ultimate distraction, three out of four students say that they use Facebook as a tool to actually help them accomplish their schoolwork.

Whether they plan out a school project in a thread or post questions on their teachers’ profiles, students use Facebook in a variety of ways for academic purposes.

On the first day of school last year, junior Alex Halpern was surprised to see an unusual assignment on the whiteboard. By the end of the night, Halpern was supposed to “friend” math teacher John Watkins-Chow on Facebook and join a group for his class.

“If we had questions, we posted them [in the group discussion page],” Halpern said. “It was easier than sending an e-mail because [often] the whole class had the same question.”

Watkins-Chow, too, found the group helpful, especially for time-sensitive matters.

“It’s mostly used as a way for me to send a message to all my students because it’s a faster, more reliable way than e-mail,” Watkins-Chow said. “If I decide to cancel a quiz, and I want everyone to know. . . . My sense is that students will check their Facebook accounts multiple times per day.”

Physical education teacher Tamsyn Ryan-McLaren also has a Facebook page that she uses for class. While in previous years she used it to communicate with students to talk about a private issue or to share a cool link, this year she has begun to use it for schoolwork.

“This semester I’ve started using it for assignments for the first time, and I like it,” Ryan-McLaren said. “It’s less of a formal way of evaluating students, but I still get to see that students are processing things and thinking through them.”

However, some students believe that Facebook should not be used for school. Junior Tamar Gasko said she believes that Facebook should be simply for socializing.

“I don’t want to mix [my] professional and social life,” Gasko said. “Facebook is for social purposes, and while it’s okay for friends, it’s not for school purposes.”

Both Ryan-McLaren and Watkins-Chow said they have had

students who have decided not to add them as friends on Facebook and that they never force a student to interact with them on the website.

As much as Facebook has become a tool to help students get work done, it is still a popular way to procrastinate.

“Facebook is amazing because you can procrastinate. It is one of the greatest procrastination tools ever created,” junior Matan Kline said.

Just as students connect with their teachers over Facebook, the school uses Facebook to connect with students, particularly alumni.

Associate Director of Campaign and Alumni Relations Jaime Neaman runs an alumni relations Facebook page. It has recently grown from 400 members to 650.

“It’s very clear that people want a presence on Facebook and that people want to share and connect with each other,” Neaman said.

“So it’s important that we give them a venue to do it.”

Though the school itself and almost all of its students use Facebook, the school’s administration has set no guidelines for Facebook use. However, that does not mean that the school has no interest in student interactions on Facebook.

“The guidelines for Facebook are the same as for face to face [interactions]. ... Any bullying or harassment is not acceptable” said Dean of Students Roslyn Landy. “The bottom line is that we will not tolerate one person hurting another.”

Worry over cyber-bullying issues led the guidance department to hold an advisory in late December with the freshman class about online social conduct. There, the guidance counselors introduced “www.athinline.org,” a resource for anyone worrying or curious about cyber bullying.

“We’re a 24/7 school, so what kids write and do on Facebook is held accountable in school even if it happens outside of school,” guidance counselor Rachel Soifer said. “I want everyone to be careful with each other. I really want to say that. We have to take care of one another and understand that our words matter like our deeds do, and before we click send, think, ‘Will any good come of this?’ And try to save our most meaningful, emotional conversations for face to face.”

Facebook is firmly cemented in CESJDS life for better or for worse.

“We live in a technological world. Ignoring this reality is counterproductive,” Ryan-McLaren said. “It’s not going away.”

Additional reporting by Emily Dworkin

Tamar Gasko

“Facebook is for social purposes, and while it’s okay for friends, it’s not for school purposes.”

January 21, 2011

Page 10

Club Israel supports recovery from Carmel Fire Month-long fundraiser aims to plant 1,000 trees in Israel with the JNF

by Sydney Solomon Reporter

Throughout the month of Shevat, in order to raise money to restore the Carmel forest, the middle school Knesset will be selling Shevat-o-grams, which are personalized notes to friends. The freshmen will host a The worst fire in Israel’s history roared across Haifa Coffee House and the sophomores will have a bake sale. and the Carmel forest from Dec. 2 through Dec. 5, deThe juniors will donate the money they raise from sellstroying more than 5 million trees. Israel lost much of ing donuts for two weeks, and the seniors will have muits only natural forest, which is home to several endansicians playing for a few mornings at the entrance of the gered species. school with an open guitar case for donations.

When Club Israel heard of the recent Carmel fire trag“Abby and I always love making music together,” senior edy, its members quickly decided to plan a school-wide Ronni Getz said about performing with senior Abigail Litfundraiser. man. “And what better way to share our music than to raise “Our goal is to raise at least $5,000 in order to plant a money to benefit Israel?” new grove of trees in the Carmel forest,” sophomore Club This past weekend, following performances of the “25th Israel member Katie Hamelburg said. “It is so important Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” the actors appealed to that we help make the Carmel forest flourish again.” the audience to support this cause. They collected $1,024.77 Club Israel is working with grade governments on varifor the cause. ous fundraisers throughout the month of Shevat.

In addition, every morning Club Israel is running a stand “We really [tried] to get the whole community involved,” in the main hallway and will accept donations there. When Club Israel adviser Aileen Goldstein said. contributors donate money, they can write their names on colThis month’s Rosh Chodesh assembly was dedicated to the ored paper leaves and put them on a cardboard tree named Carmel fire. They related the assembly’s theme to this month’s Ilan. holiday of Tu BiShevat, the Jewish new year for the trees.

To keep students up to date, for every $250 raised, part of “We thought it was important to raise awareness of the deIlan’s trunk will be colored in. Also, there is a link on the school struction caused by the fire,” senior Club Israel member Miriwebsite that shows how much money has been raised. am Duffy said.

“The more people donate, the more the tree will grow and that During the assembly, Duffy and junior Eitan Sayag spoke symbolizes the reforestation of planting trees,” Duffy said . about the devastating effects of the fire and showed a slideshow Ilan’s trunk is already filled up past the halfway mark, and his depicting the destruction the fire left behind. Adi David also branches are already blooming with leaves. spoke about how important the Carmel forest was to her and to “I think it is so great that we are taking an active role in helping all of Israel. David is one of the many Israeli Shlichot sent by The photo by Alex Zissman Israel,” Hamelburg said. “Israel is important, and I love that Jewish Agency to represent Israel in local communities.

“The assembly was really meaningful,” sophomore Es- growing tall Ilan, the tree, begins to bloom with the people care so much about the fire and are eager to help.”

The club had already raised $3,614.62 by Jan. 19. Go to telle Ostroff said. “I didn’t realize how big of an impact help of donations from the CESJDS students, faculty and parents. Students hope to raise $5,000 to plant 1,000 trees. www.support.jnf.org/goto/cesjds to donate. the fire had on Israel.”

What happened?

• The Carmel forest is the only natural forest in Israel.

• The fire started on the first day of Hanukkah and lasted four days.

• More than 12,500 acres of land were burned, amounting to more than 5 million trees. photo by Alex Zissman

singing for a cause Seniors Abigail Litman and Ronni Getz perform before school to help raise funds to rebuild the Carmel Forest in Israel after the fire.

• 44 people died from the fire.

• Greece, Turkey, Egypt, the U.S., and other countries sent teams to aid in the fire fight.

photo by Alex Zissman

showing support Senior Olivia Tomares gives money while walking into school to help aid the restoration of the Carmel Forest in Israel.

image courtesy of www.jnf.org

January 21, 2011

Page 11

Who is a Jew? Defining a Jew in our community

by Eitan Sayag Chadashot Editor The question, ‘Who is a Jew?’ has stirred controversy in the Jewish community for centuries.

Whether it is a debate concerning marriage, aliyot and minyanim, immigration to Israel or even teaching Torah, the answer has important implications for individuals’ rights and responsibilities.

As a pluralistic school, CESJDS, accommodates many different definitions of a Jew. “The traditional halachic view, as I understand it, is that Judaism is passed down through matrilineal descent,” Jewish Text, Thought and Practice teacher Matthew Lipman said. “If the mother is Jewish, then the child is Jewish.”

Junior Brendan Pell converted to Judaism when he was five years old because his mother was not Jewish. He converted with the Conservative movement and considers himself Jewish. The Orthodox movement in the United States does not typically recognize conversions by the Conservative, Reform or other more liberal movements.

“Maybe I wasn’t born Jewish,” Pell said. “But really in my opinion … if you consider yourself a Jew, then that makes you a Jew because [Judaism is] a belief.”

Rabbi David Bienenstock, leader of the mechitza minyan, said he assumes students in his minyan are Jewish and does not ask their background, unless he has “good reason to think otherwise.”

“There have been situations where I have found that people who were in the minyan were not, from my perspective, halachically Jewish,” Bienenstock said. “We avoid the issue by speaking respectfully and in a personal conversation with that student, they understand why [they cannot go up for an aliyah].”

Senior Greg Weiss, who prays in the drisha minyan, recognizes that he is not halachically Jewish because his maternal grandmother was not and neither he nor his mother converted to Judaism. “ I f really reli-

gious people don’t want me doing [an aliyah], I think that’s understandable,” Weiss said. “As long as I have the ability to do it somewhere else within the school.”

Currently, there is not a school policy defining a Jew. “Each minyan may have its own approach on that question, and that’s the area where it does get a little bit tricky,” Principal Michael Kay said. “Our primary goal is certainly to maintain the validity and the authenticity of the particular halachic perspective of any given minyan but to do so in a way that is maximally sensitive.”

Kay said that he doesn’t know of any issues during his time as principal that have arisen from the question of who is a Jew. However, recently there have been many high profile cases around the world.

Last December, the British Supreme Court ruled in a highly publicized case on the question of ‘who photo by Alex Zissman

wrapping up tefillot Junior Brendan Pell puts his tefillin away after davening in Sephardic minyan. Pell converted to Judaism when he was five years old.

Juniors begin dialogue with black teens

photo courtesy of www.oudc.org

by Michael Greenberg In Depth Editor This July, juniors Naomi Eyob, Emily Dworkin and Micah Nelson will embark on a journey to the birthplace of the civil rights movement.

The three-week trip, run by Operation Understanding D.C., will take participants through Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, among other states.

According to the website, the goal of OUDC, which is made up of black and Jewish students, is to spur dialogue between the two communities and to “promote respect, understanding and cooperation” between them.

In addition to the trip, OUDC will also host events for its participants every two weeks throughout the 2011 calendar year.

Nelson decided to apply because she thought it would be a unique experience.

“You’re representing the Jewish community, and you’re among Jewish teens, but you’re also not in an entirely Jewish surrounding, and I thought that was really cool,” she said. “I also thought it was really interesting that they would choose African Americans and Jews because a lot of times people put Muslims and Jews together ... so it kind of was a little bit surprising for it to be African Americans.”

Nelson said that she is especially looking forward to meeting and getting to know the

other participants and learning about their culture and history. Nelson said she will be able to share her experiences of being at a Jewish school and summer camp and that everything she has learned “from Rabbinics, to Bible, to Modern Israel ... will come into play at some point.”

Eyob, who was also recently accepted into the OUDC Class of 2011, is looking forward to becoming more learned on civil rights history during the summer journey. She will be able to see landmarks such as a black church that was bombed, a once whites-only lunch counter where a sit-in protest occurred and the balcony where Martin Luther King was assassinated.

She will also be able to learn from guest speakers who were important players in the movement.

Eyob’s parents are both black Jews from Eritrea, which makes her very different from some of the other African Americans in the program whose ancestors came to America centuries ago. “I think it would be cool to see what their opinions are and if they vary from mine or if they are the same,” Eyob said.

“All of my life I’ve been learning about my Judaism, and I want to learn and view things from a different aspect and a different side,” she said.

is a Jew?’ A British family sued the Jewish Free School (JFS) in London because the school, which is run by the British Orthodox movement, refused entry to a student on the grounds that his mother was not a Jew. The secular Supreme Court ruled that it was racial discrimination and forced the JFS to accept the student.

“I don’t think that [the ruling] has implications in terms of law or practice,” Kay said. “I think probably the most valuable element of that [ruling] for us is the discussion that it provoked–meaning the fact that that decision was handed down created a context for us in this school to have a lot of conversation about exactly this issue, which got people to think very deeply about their own Jewishness, about their own Jewish identity and about the nature of the Jewish community.”

This summer, a bill was proposed in the Israeli Knesset to give the Chief Rabbinate in Israel more control over conversion in the State. This caused a major controversy between the bill’s supporters in Israel and members of the more liberal Jewish movements in the United States.

The Chief Rabbinate only recognizes Orthodox conversions to Judaism, and many American Jews feared that this bill would harm

their status as Jews in Israel. The vote on the bill has been delayed indefinitely.

Bienenstock addresses the question of ‘who is a Jew?’ and the issues connected to the question in the Life Cycle course he teaches.

“We talk about who, from the halachic point of view, is Jewish and who is not,” Bienenstock said.

“I think it’s important that students in this school have the opportunity to discuss this in a nonthreatening way … I think they need a forum to discuss it. They hear not just my perspective on it … I present it both from other perspectives, too.”

The topic is a very sensitive issue for some students.

“If someone said to me, ‘You’re a convert, that means you’re not a real Jew,’” Pell said, “then that’s when I would get offended, and that’s when I would feel uncomfortable, and I would say that is not a pluralistic idea.”

Though the question of ‘Who is a Jew?’ remains complicated and contentious, it is not going to disappear. Bienenstock, Kay and Lipman all agree that discussing the question facilitates a pluralistic Jewish school’s goal to help each student form their own opinions based on concrete knowledge and personal experiences.

Progressive or regressive?

by Briana Felsen Chadashot Editor Almost every week in our Jewish institutions you can hear the same refrain, “where are all the Jews?”

Nowhere is this refrain louder than in Conservative congregations throughout the Washington, D.C. area. Published reports indicate that the number of Conservative congregations in the United States has dropped from 800 to 650 in the last 10 years. Even the simplest Google search reveals how Conservative congregations throughout the country are seeking members, mergers or are being forced to limit the services provided to their communities.

According to the National Jewish Population Survey, more than 43 percent of Jewish households belonged to the Conservative movement in the late 1980s. That number dropped to 33 percent in 2000 and continues to decline. Several articles have noted that Conservative Judaism has had difficulty expressing its core ideology and conveying its core values to the masses.

It seems to me that Conservative Judaism claims that it works to instill halacha throughout its community, but the most significant population leaving Conservative congregations are the families whose youngest child just became Bar or Bat Mitzvah. For that population it appears that Conservative congregations lose their purpose after Bar or Bat Mitzvah. After the Bar or Bat Mitzvah year, Jewish education—and, for many, Jewish community—ends.

While one may view the steady decline

of Conservative congregations as an institutional failure, Conservative Jewish camps and youth group programs have grown and flourished. Conservative rabbis note that the generation graduating from these programs brings a new energy to the movement.

It is unclear whether this new energy represents an oncoming resurgence in Conservative institutions or is an effort to better define Conservative ideology for the current population.

I would argue that it is the traditional idea of “membership” that is to blame for the apparent decline in Conservative Judaism. The apparent growth in Reform Judaism has been traced to recent changes in religious practice which makes Reform ritual look very similar to Conservative practice. The Reform movement has begun to incorporate more Hebrew in its services and the movement has been drifting toward more traditional prayers.

As a fairly active Jew in the Conservative community, I noticed that some modern Orthodox programs have heavily borrowed ideas first championed by Conservative experimenters.

However, the Reform and Orthodox movements have different concepts of community “membership” which can vary in the areas of finance, obligation and outreach.

We at JDS may be experiencing the same institutional issues as the Conservative movement. Some argue that the decrease in enrollment is a result of an inability to convey ideology and values. Some see the decrease in enrollment as a function of exclusivity caused by finances. Others may argue that those who continue in the school are more committed and will breathe new energy into our JDS community.

January 21, 2011

Page 12

Sophomores explore their Jewish identity

by Arielle Panitch Senior Reporter The Family History project, for which sophomores investigate and present their families’ immigrations to America, has become a pillar of the Jewish History curriculum.

This year, Jewish History teacher Cynthia Peterman, expanded the project into a study of Jewish identity.

“I had 55 students who did this project, and when I sat down to grade them I realized that there had been a huge change in the population that we have in the school now from when we first started doing the family history project years ago,” Peterman said.

She explained that in the

past many of her students were fourth or fifth generation immigrants from Eastern Europe. This year many of her students’ families immigrated more recently, and that some of her students were even immigrants themselves.

“I wanted to come up with a way for these 55 students to talk to each other about what it means to be Jewish, and there was no way to bring everybody together in one setting that I thought would be constructive. Too many people, too many voices,” Peterman said. “But I wanted those voices to still talk to each other.”

The sophomore honors Jewish History classes worked to craft a survey

that would assess the Jewish identities of their peers.

Students explored various Jewish surveys for inspiration before coming up with their own questions to ask.

After much discussion and thought, the questions were compiled into a Google Survey. 72 sophomores took the survey.

Students looked at the results the following week.

“I thought it was interesting to see how I compared to other people in the grade,” sophomore Shira Winston said.

Sophomore Reuben Cohen felt that the survey portrayed the religious diversity at CESJDS and was an opportunity for students to share views on Judaism

art by Noah Zweben

survey says Five of the 72 sophomores surveyed said the Torah was least important to them when ranked on a scale of one to five, one being least important and five most important. Responses of “five” and “three” were equal, with 22 students each. Seventeen students responded “four” and six students responded “two.”

Seventh graders welcome Shabbat with a monthly Oneg

by Abigail Birnbaum Reporter A new program was initiated this year which allows seventh graders to celebrate Shabbat together. Each month, six to eight different activities are held as part of the new seventh-grade Oneg Shabbat program. Students request three activities that they want to participate in, and they are guaranteed to get one of their choices.

The activities vary each month, but usually include challah baking and art activities.

The program was created by Assistant Middle School Director Ilana Lipman, Middle School Director Joan Vander Walde and Director of Programs and Jewish Life Miriam Stein as a way to infuse Jewish life into the middle school.

“We want students to feel a sense of connection to Shabbat and the idea that we can connect to Shabbat in many different ways,” Lipman said.

The program seems to be a success so far and students enjoy the opportunity.

“I think it’s fun because if I don’t have classes with someone, it gives us a chance to celebrate Shabbat because I usually don’t do it all the time,” seventh-grader Alexandra Wolff said.“And I get to hang out with friends.”

The most recent program was held on Jan. 14.

“I think the project was a good way for people to express their plurality,” he said.

“Because a lot of the time we are just being taught different opinions, but now we were doing a project that is really relevant to our lives, and it was an opportunity for people to share things about themselves.”

After reviewing the results, students were asked to write up mock allocations to various Jewish causes as though they were the Jewish Federation. Students analyzed the results and were forced to make decisions as to what would benefit the Jewish community most.

“There is an actual value that comes out of exploring who we are,” Peterman said.

“It’s important because then you take that information and what do you do with it?” Peterman said.

Winston found the allocations assignment unconnected to the rest of the project.

“I think that it was a fun assignment and it was interesting, but I’m not sure how much it really had to do with what the survey was trying to show,” she said.

Peterman said she feels that, overall, the project was a success and plans to continue it in years to come.

“It generated excitement, not only for the classes, but in the school community at large,” she said.

I think minyan is a vital part of my Jewish education

graph by Eitan Sayag

49 of the 72 sophomores surveyed agreed with the statement “I think minyan is a vital part of my Jewish education.”

Do you attend Jewish educational programs other than JDS?

graph by Eitan Sayag

More than half the sophomores surveyed said they attend, or sometimes attend Jewish education programs outside of JDS.

Eighth graders distribute B’nai Mitzvah funds to charities The Class of 2015 distributed $9,390 to various organizations nominated by students in the grade. The student sponsors presented their charities and explained the importance of donating to them. The project was for the fifth annual B’nai Mitzvah Tzedakah Project. Below is a list of the organizations which received funds, the amounts they received and the student sponsors.

Student Sponsor

Organization

Amount Donated

Zoe Orenstein Jonathan Weinberg R’ay Fodor, Jack Goldberg and Shoshana Levenson Jeremy Kaplan Rebecca Cohen and Leah Fogel Micah Cowan

Operation Embrace Charity: Water Hope for Henry

$2,298 $2,102 $1,713

LUNGevity Foundation Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation CCFA–Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America Hallie Cohen and Rachel Child Life at the Johns Silverman Hopkins Medical Center Daniel Kessler Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind David Kulp Celiac Disease Program at CNMC Sarah Schecker Black Rock Center for the Arts

$1,174 $658 $393 $363 $253 $233 $203

Page 13

January 21, 2011

Sevies speak up

by Meryl Kravitz Features Editor

Rachel Papirmeister

I’m not intimidated by upperclassmen - at first it was awkward but that soon went away. I am friends with people in other grades. I met them because my mom is a math tutor who tutors a lot of students I know in other grades.

My friends in other grades are family friends.

There is much more independence here and I really like it.

I’m friends with a couple upperclassmen, but I wish the Upper School could get closer. My favorite part in the Upper School is the freedom and having a study hall.

photo by Alex Zissman

Daniel Levy

Joshua Paretsky

I feel included, especially with my grade and kind of with the older grades. It’s not 100 percent community but a little bit. I’m intimidated by the really tall kids. I never talk to them. I wasn’t scared to come to the Upper School, but it’s a lot different then the Lower School. There is a lot more freedom. Everything is how I expected it, though.

The best part about the Upper School is freedom because we did not have that in the Lower School. School isn’t harder in the Upper School, the Lower School prepared me well. I like the Upper School better because I feel a lot older. But on the other hand we feel a lot shorter because everyone is taller. photo by Alex Zissman

People in my grade and other grades wave to me in the hallways. I have friends in other grades. I’m not too intimidated by the older grades. I don’t feel intimidated.

I got lost in the hallways a lot ... ended up in the girls bathroom a few times. I have friends in older grades because my sister is in 10th. The most fun thing about the Upper School is open gym. We just play basketball and go crazy. I really like Ms. Berman and Mr. Westerman.

Alexandra Wolff

I talk to my brother and his friends more than I talk to my friends because they are always near me. I am intimidated by him because him and his friends always talk to me in the hallway. I talk to a lot of the older grades, but usually I have to talk to them, they won’t talk to me first. I met everyone through my brother.

As I become older I will probably become closer with the older grades. In the Lower School, the community was much different. I was friends with kids in other grades. But since we were the oldest they were intimidated by us and now we’re intimidated by the older kids.

photo by Alex Zissman photo by Alex Zissman

Families stay strong despite divorces

by Haley Cohen Features Editor These days, it is nearly impossible not to know somebody who is divorced. Statistics show that in 2010, about 50 percent of marriages in the United States ended in divorce. This means that a large percentage of American children witness the breakup of their parents.

According to an article from the Journal of Marriage and the Family, “Children living with both biological parents are 20 to 35 percent more physically healthy than children [living in divorced] homes.”

Aside from physical effects, the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reported that “six years after a parental marriage breakup ... even after all that time, children tend to be ‘lonely, unhappy, anxious and insecure.’”

Junior Samuel Yeroushalmi has first-hand experience with the effects that divorce can have on children. Yeroushalmi’s parents divorced when he was in elementary

school.

“Because I was young, my parents didn’t tell me they were going to get a divorce. It just kind of happened. I don’t even know exactly when it happened,” he said.

Yeroushalmi says that overall, the effects of the divorce have not been as bad for him as the studies claim they can be.

“I don’t feel different from my friends whose parents are married, but maybe that’s because my parent’s divorce happened gradually and when I was young,” he said.

Yeroushalmi lives with his mom but visits his dad every Sunday.

One of the few negative effects Yeroushalmi mentioned is that “I can’t see friends on Sundays, because I visit my dad.” However, occasionally Yeroushalmi will bring a friend along when he sees his dad. Other times, he uses the day to catch up with his father, which is important for both of them because it only happens once a week.

Contrary to the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry report, Yer-

oushalmi finds that his parents’ splitting up has actually had some positive effects on him, psychologically.

“I’m much more independent now. I don’t feel like I need parenting anymore. In some ways, I feel like it’s better that they’re divorced, but it would be nice if they had some affection [toward each other],” he said.

Freshman Hannah Halpern’s parents also divorced when she was young.

“It was hard at first. My mom bought me a stuffed animal so I would think of her when I was at my dad’s house. Whenever I was at one of my parents’ houses, I always missed the other parent,” Halpern said.

As Halpern has gotten older, she says she has gotten used to traveling between the two houses. One thing that helped Halpern was the support of her older brother, alumnus Jeremy Halpern (’10).

“I would cry a lot, but [Jeremy] tried to be the tough older brother,” she said.

S

feature

Getting to know Gail Cater

by Meryl Kravitz and Haley Cohen Features Editors

photo by Alex Zissman

good morning! Junior Zachary Pinkham is welcomed by a friendly good morning and a smile as he shows security guard Gail Cater his ID. “Having her greet me every morning is a nice start to a day that may not live up to those expectations,” Pinkham said.

Do you feel like you’re part of the JDS community?

Yes, like part of the family. I am friendly with teachers and students.

How long have you been working at JDS?

I’ve been working here for one and a half years. This is my first school I’ve worked at.

What is your favorite part about your job?

My favorite part is when you kids come in through this door.

That actually is my favorite part —you kids. I enjoy the school.

I actually love working this post. I’m really not a people person but for some reason you all bring the good out in me!

What are your hobbies?

I hang with my four girls a lot. We go to the mall and go out of town a lot. I’m too old to party.

I love to watch movies. I love comedies and action. What actually got me watching movies was raising kids. My favorite TV shows are “The Game” and “One Tree Hill.” I have some students talk to me about “One Tree Hill.” I also love crime shows like “CSI” and “LA Law.”

However, once their parents started seeing other people, it was Halpern’s turn to comfort her older brother.

“He cared a lot more than I did.

He wasn’t happy they were dating other people. I just looked at it as more people to play with. But, [as Jeremy] got older, he realized making a big deal out of it wasn’t the way to go,” Halpern said.

Halpern does not agree with the studies that claim children of divorced parents suffer psychologically. “[We’re] not depressed. It can be hard, but it’s not like it’s always on my mind,” she said.

Junior Yoni Shair’s parents divorced when he was 13, so it was a bigger lifestyle change for him than it was for Yeroushalmi and Halpern, who were so young at the time.

“When it first happened, it was a big change and my parents would have to comfort me. But now it’s like I have a dad at my dad’s and a mom at my mom’s. They’re both still my parents,” Shair said. Aside from his parents’ comfort, another

thing that helped Shair was the fact that he has friends whose parents are also divorced.

Shair splits up the time he spends at his mom’s and dad’s house 50/50. One complaint that he has is “it used to be harder to get places if one of my parents wasn’t available to drive me. For most people, if one parent can’t drive, then the other parent will drive them. But, now that I have my own car, it isn’t an issue,” he said. For the most part, Shair thinks the divorce was a good thing and says “the house is quieter now, and I have more room.”

Yeroushalmi says he is no stranger to the stereotypes that surround children of divorced parents.

“There’s the idea that kids [who have parents that don’t live together] grow up with more hostility.

That is not true,” Yeroushalmi said.

“I don’t blame myself or feel guilty in any way. I don’t want people to feel sympathy for me. If you think divorced parents live unhappy lives, get that out of your head.”

F

eatures

January 21, 2011

Page 14

Standardized testing: Which test to take?

by Elana Schrager Senior Reporter “The reality that my actions would affect the matriculation process became much more real this year,” freshman Cole Aronson said. As a freshman, Aronson still has about nine months until he takes the The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), the first step in process of applying to college. “I’ve been studying for them since last summer,” Aronson said.

Students take the PSAT and PLAN tests for the first time as sophomores. Although the PSAT is designed for juniors, it serves as a practice test during the sophomore year.

For sophomores, the PSAT and PLAN are introductions to the standardized tests that play such an important role in college applications. Juniors taking the PSAT are eligible to receive a National Merit Scholarship by scoring in the top one percent.

The ACT and the SAT are not the same test. “If you ask Collegeboard and the ACT organization, they will tell you that the ACT is a measure of [how] you have performed in high school, and the SAT is more of a predictor of how you will perform in college,” Susan Rexford, the director of college guid-

ance, said.

“That said, the SAT is more of a logic and reasoning test. The ACT is much more fact based....I would recommend that students take the one on which they do better.”

PSAT and PLAN scores are returned in early December and the scores lead sophomores and juniors to choose whether to take both tests, or whether to choose one over the other. Some choose far in advance; others choose on the spur of the moment.

“I first took the SATs and then learned that the ACTs could be easier, so I went in and took it cold, and I did better on the ACTs,” senior Joshua Dalva said.

Some preparation options include preparing for the tests alone.

Junior Tamar Gasko bought an SAT prep book to study on her own. She is using her PSAT scores to help her figure out what she needs to study, in order to not waste time.

Other students prepare by enrolling in SAT prep classes. Some use the services of private tutors, who help them determine the best way to take the test based on the individual’s learning style.

Dalva started studying for the SATs about three months before he took them, in October of his junior year. He started working with a private tutor six or seven weeks before

Building friendships, community

by Samantha Wiener Senior Reporter

tially and currently has 188 registered volunteers.

The Friendship Circle offers a variety of activities.

Friends at Home is a weekly program that the Friendship Circle runs, in which volunteers spend an hour a week throughout the school year at the homes of their buddies. In most cases, two volunteers visit a participant’s home weekly, either after school or on weekends.

Sophomores Debi Smith and Tamar Eisen spend an hour with their buddy every Sunday morning.

“I love seeing him every week. It’s great seeing a smile on his face and how much he looks forward to seeing us.

It’s even a benefit for me and Tamar because of the personal experience we get with him,” Smith said.

In addition, Friendship Circle runs a group program, Torah Circle, which meets one Sunday a month for two hours. Typically there are 20

to 30 children who participate with at least one volunteer for each child.

In 1994, eight families Activities include art projjoined together to create an ects, music, and physical fitorganization dedicated to enness. hancing the lives of children Volunteers come from with special needs. This orgalocal schools including nization is now known as the CESJDS, Hebrew Academy, Friendship Circle.

Winston Churchill and Walt At the Friendship Circle, Whitman.

Jewish teenagers volunteer There are no prerequisites with children who have speto volunteer. Friendship Circial needs. The pairs particicle provides all the training pate in a variety of fun activinecessary. ties, ranging from creating Kaplan believes that anysnowmen made out of Rice one who wants to help can Krispie Treats to apple pickmake a difference. ing before Rosh Hashanah.

“You just have to be genuThe Friendship Circle ine and want to make a difoperates from 85 locations ference. Even someone that all over the world. There are thinks they won’t be good centers in Australia, Canada, ends up being good at it and China, France, Israel, South enjoying it. I see it [FriendAfrica and the USA. ship Circle] teach teens how The Potomac chapter of to be more compassionthe Friendship Circle opened ate and responsible. It’s also in 2006 under the guidance changing their view of chilof Rabbi Mendel Kaplan and dren with special needs,” Kahis wife, Chana Kaplan. This plan said. chapter has grown substanThe program is rewarding for the volunteers, participants, and their families.

“The most rewarding part is knowing that you made a person smile and let them have fun with everyone else,” eighthgrader Hannah Wexler said.

“I think Friendship Circle is changing the future for the Jewish community and general community at large in terms photo courtesy of Debi Smith of acceptance,” Kaplan A hands-on friendship Sophomores Debi Smith and Julia Schwalb help their buddy make art. “Friendship Circle is a great said. opportunity to interact with kids who have special needs. Just spending time with them and seeing smiles on their faces is the best feeling in the world,” Smith said.

the test. “I couldn’t do classroom setting because I would have been distracted and not payed attention, so private was good,” Dalva said.

With all the planning and stress that goes into taking the SATs and the ACTs, students often forget that there is more to college applications than standardized test scores.

“Because test questions are easy to quantify, students like to think that they matter more than they do. Your GPA, your transcript, and your curriculum are the most important pieces,” Rexford said.

As the juniors gear up to take their tests, and sophomores start thinking about preparation for next year, being flexible can help keep the standardized test taking process in perspective. “Don’t rule out taking the other test.

You should always try it, and you never know what you’ll get,” Dalva said.

photo by Meryl Kravitz

playing with words Juniors Scott Goldstein and Ofer Kimchi study for the SAT with vocabulary flash cards.

“Studying SAT vocabulary is kind of pointless because the ability to memorize words doesn’t measure intelligence, but you have to do it if you want a good score,” Kimchi said.

Something to blog about

by Danny Schwaber Editor in Chief

age,” Shevin-Coetzee said.

Student bloggers agree that blogging is an effective method of discussion in A blogging epidemic has hit CEStoday’s world and that it is important for JDS. Recently, a number of seniors and students to get involved in, someway or underclassmen have started Internet foanother. rums where they discuss topics such as “It is a very unique way of having disfeminism, Judaism, languages and the cussions, especially because it is so new, eccentricities of daily life. but it allows you to get at issues in a way Seniors Dov Block and Benjamin that wouldn’t necessarily be able to outCannon started a blog about the Middle side of the Internet. It is not as personal East conflict called “Table Talk: Discussas face-to-face debates... and you have ing the Middle East with Open Eyes.” time to think about what to put down “The whole point of the blog is to before it comes out,” Cannon said. promote disSenior Robyn cussion, an Pell, who keeps a open, honest written blog titled and respectful “ModernBanana,” discussion. We as well as a video thought, what blog or “vlog” better way to which can be found do that than at www.youtube. photo courtesy of www.thetabletalkblog.com to come to the com/user/rockyn‘table’ and talk A new form of expression Students have robynbobyn thinks the issues out,” started blogs as a way to get involved in today’s that blogging can world. Seniors Dov Block and Benjamin Block said. serve other purpos“We talk Cannon display this photo of an eye on their es besides expressabout issues blog “Table Talk: Discussing the Middle East ing opinion. that we think with Open Eyes.”

“I have some are important, but what we’re really friends who do art blogs and then link looking for is reader response, we want colleges to their blogs as part of their apto generate discussion about the issues plications,” Pell said. that we are bringing up,” Cannon said.

Although Lamdany thought it was an Another senior, Dina Lamdany, modimportant thing to get involved with, she erates a blog, “From the Rib: Thoughts felt as though there were better ways for on Progressive Jewish Feminism.” using her time.

“I try to talk about obviously Juda“I have come to realize that it is kind ism and feminism, but it is more about of a waste of my time for me to be writing where they overlap. It has become more a blog. I could be doing much more imof a high school student’s perspective on portant things, instead of writing about these issues,” Lamdany said. things that I barely know about, I could She was recently asked by the Jerube learning about them,” Lamdany said. salem Post to contribute to one of their Cannon and Block hope to encourage blogs, “Jewesses with Attitude.” others to join the “blogging community.”

Senior Michelle Shevin-Coetzee also “We both feel strongly that blogging has her own blog, called “Save Our Foris something that everyone should know eign Languages.” This blog focuses on about because I think it is the way of the the importance of foreign languages and future. Whether you are involved in it why they should be a priority. or not, I think that looking into it and “I try to cover how important it is to knowing what it is all about and underlearn foreign languages and how they standing it is an important thing,” Canshould be studied even from an early non said.

S Varsity wrestling recruits new members January 21, 2011

by Jonathan Block Senior Reporter Anyone who walked by the gym after school would have seen 20-25 boys gathered in the cafeteria, rolling out blue and gold mats over an area of about 12 by 32 feet in order to start what will be an intense practice.

This is the new and revitalized CESJDS wrestling team.

Led by team captain junior Daniel Neuberg and fellow returning experienced wrestlers sophomore Max Smith and junior Sam Cohen, the JDS wrestling team has gained a huge number of wrestlers and is preparing for what could potentially be their strongest season in many years.

“That’s a huge improvement. Last year there were maybe four solid kids who would consistently come to practice. This year everyone comes every day,” Cohen said. Cohen has been on the team since his freshman year.

“You come to wrestling practice, you see a lot of kids working hard, learning. The fact that we’ve got 25 kids this year is amazing, the fact that we got Jordan Lipp as a coach is just amazing too,” said Neuberg, also a junior.

Jordan Lipp is a first year coach at JDS. Born in Beachwood, Ohio, he was an NCAA Division 1 wrestler at American University.

Lipp also brings in his own personal men-

Page 15

tors from his past to JDS practices to help improve wrestlers’ skills.

A major issue for the newly expanded team was practice space.

During the first half of the season, the team was running practices daily in the cafeteria with little space to roll out wrestling mats.

These cramped conditions resulted in injury for some of the wrestlers.

“As of now, we’ve already had, I think, three cases of concussed wrestlers and that bothers me extremely because that shouldn’t be happening in a sport like wrestling,” said Neuberg, “Yes, it’s a contact sport, and you’re going to get roughed around, but I think a lot of the reason that this has happened is that we’re crammed into two mats, sometimes three, in the cafeteria, where we don’t have adequate space to move around.”

Toward the end of 2010, the team began practicing in Upper School and Lower School gyms. No injuries have occurred during practices since then.

Coming off of a 5-5 team record last year, the team anticipates improvement this season, already 2-1 this season.

“Last season, we would have to just forfeit points simply because we didn’t have enough wrestlers,” Cohen said.

Teams earn points from individual matches. If they do not have someone available to wrestle in a certain weight class, they

sport

have to forfeit that match. quickly becoming one of the most popular This year, the team doesn’t plan on run- sports teams in the school. ning into the same problem again this sea“I think a wrestling room is something son, with a lot more wrestlers to work with you could see in a couple of years at this and develop. school,” Neuberg said.

“Something we have to get over is that a lot of these kids are new wrestlers. That’s not a bad thing, we encourage new wrestlers to come out, and we’ve taken some time to get them on their feet and now we’re like nearly a month into the season, and I think that a lot of these new wrestlers have really come out, and they’re starting to do really well,” Neuberg said.

A general photo by Alex Zissman consensus on the team is that head over heels Junior Scott Levengard is picked up by his opponent wrestling is from the McLean School as Levengard makes an attempt to win.

GJVB learns cohesion on and off the court Zachary Wexler Sports Editor The girls junior varsity basketball team currently has an overall record of 1-3.

Leading the charge is science teacher Nick Rich and physical education teacher Brian Westerman.

One loss came in overtime to rival Hebrew Academy, by one point. The girls accumulated a total of 33 team fouls.

With seven games left on the schedule before the playoffs, the girls are trying to leave their mark in the PVAC. Sophomore Elana Handelman believes that one of the team’s strengths is their motivation.

“We all have learned how to play with one another, and we feel comfortable giving each other advice,” Handelman said.

Having effective team chemistry is going to be the team’s key to moving forward, as the girls hope to go deep into the playoffs.

“We are more motivated and aggressive this year. You can see it in the way we play, we want to win,” sophomore Arielle Fontheim said.

“We have improved our defense. This year we better understand spacing and how to run a smooth defense,” sophomore Arielle Masica said. “This year, we are not giving up when we are losing. We give it our all until the game is over.”

If there were one aspect of the team that

sophomore Elana Handelman would choose to improve, it would be shooting.

“When it comes to actual skill I think our team could work on shooting. We work a lot on passing, dribbling and learning plays, but I think the one thing that we could work on is taking more shots in games,” Handelman said.

dribble dribble shoot Before she makes her move down the court, sophomore Arielle Fontheim looks for an open path.

photo by Alex Zissman

BJVB gets new coach followed by a new energy

photo by Alex Zissman

a leg up Sophomore Ethan Walfish warms up before a game. This is his second year on junior varsity basketball.

by Gabriella Mendick Reporter With only four returning players, the boys junior varsity basketball team’s strong determination to succeed has pushed it to step up to a new challenge.

The team is currently holding a record of 2-2.

Though many of this year’s players are new to the team, Coach Vernon Buckle does not approach their rookie status as a drawback.

“I really don’t see any disadvantages to our makeup. I mean, is there any disadvantage to getting a new car or new books or learning something new?” Buckle said.

The team spent the beginning of the season becoming familiar with the dynamic of their new composition.

Buckle has worked with the team for three years. He wants players to display their greatest strengths and improve on their weaknesses.

“We are starting to find our mold, and the kids are starting to learn their roles on this team. Individually they are learning what they can and cannot do on the court,” Buckle said.

With hardworking and determined players, the team has been able to succeed in becoming familiar with their new teammates and learning to play well with one another in a short time.

Returning players sophomores Ethan Walfish and Jonathan Galitzer are excited to work together as a team to achieve their goals.

“The kids just need to tighten up on their listening skills, patience and court awareness, and we will be a polished piece of work by the year’s end.”

— Vernon Buckle “Coming back this year, we have the same coach, but we’re not as tall as last year’s team, so this year we need to keep up the intensity on defense and generate fast-break offense,” Galitzer said.

The captains are motivated to lead their team in a season marked by development and advancement.

“I am going to try to lead the team by my play in games and be vocal in practices and teach other players,” Walfish said.

“I have very high expectations for this team because I know how good every player is, and if everyone plays to their potential, we can be a very successful team,” Walfish said The team has been improving every day.

“We still need improvement on our patience, but it is getting a lot better,” Buckle said.

Because close losses were due to technical fouls and poor free-throw shooting, the team is not too concerned with results and is confident that this will be another victorious season.

Last year’s BJVB team won in the finals, and this year the team hopes to repeat that success.

With a few key improvements and adjustments, they are sure they will be able to live up to their expectations.

“The kids just need to tighten up on their listening skills, patience and court awareness, and we will be a polished piece of work by the year’s end,” Buckle said.

Page 16

sports

January 21, 2011

BVB stretches its limits

by Josh Singer and Adam Weinberger Senior Reporter and Editor-in-Chief

The boys varsity basketball team has had to deal with a lot of adversity this season — a new coach midseason, overhauled line up and an injury bug. Despite the hardships, the the team boasts a 5-1 in conference record.

Former Head Coach Matthew Feldman left the team mid-season. Feldman had coached the team for two and a half seasons.

Former assistant coach Vernon Buckle has taken over the Head Coach role, with additional help from assistant coach senior Ilan Layman.

“I kept what Feldman had and just built on it,” Buckle said. “I think what I added was a little more creative, had a little more charisma, but again we’re still in the transition process, so we’re still in the battle of forming and shaping our identity without that voice that we had.”

“We have some big strong guys, all 190 or 200-plus pounds, and they have to learn how to use their bodies in a positive way,” Feldman said. Senior Elan Loya said practices have changed somewhat due to the change in coaches but that the players have tried to maintain some semblance of continuity.

“As far as the coach goes, we’ve just all decided that we need to stay within our own roles and not take on things that are greater than our abilities,” Loya said.

“We’re completely different team. We lost all of our starters from last year. It was very good lineup last year,” senior Barry Shapiro said.

Despite the loss of the starting lineup, Loya thinks the team been able to “jell” because they know each other so well.

“We’ve all been playing together for ten years. We know how each other play, we know how each other work. So it was pretty easy to adapt to each other’s play,” Loya said.

Many of these new faces are seeing even more playing due to a number of injuries. After being injured most of last season, Shapiro has injuries on his mind.

“Not everyone has been healthy all at one point,” he said. “When [the team] has been healthy, we’ve worked well together. We keep having to bring in different players in games due to injuries, and that makes it difficult to develop a sense of team chemistry.”

Senior Aryeh Kalender thought that although unfortunate, injuries are inevitable.

“There’s really nothing you can do about it. Everyone does a pretty good job of making sure they get back healthy as soon as possible,” Kalender said.

In the face of all these setbacks, the boys are 5-1 in conference, with a win over their archrival, the Hebrew Academy Cougars.

Their one loss came at the hands of the Covenant Life Cougars in the season opener. The Lions lost by 12, coming back from 25 point halftime deficit.

“It was good for us. It humbled us and made us take a step back and realize that while we aren’t going to dominate the league

don’t have as much experience as some of last year’s guys.”

“As of now I can tell that our team is on the top tier of our league as long as we play together as a team and play to our potential,” senior Kevin Brooks said. “But I still think we’re still working our way toward getting to that potential.”

Some players feel that fan support is a factor in helping the team reach its potential.

“The main idea is that we would like to have fans at every game, not just to the Hebrew Academy game,” Shapiro said. photo by Alex Zissman “But if they don’t coast to coast Junior Alex Halpern brings the come, we’ll manage. The fans do help ball up the court. Halpern will be one of only [though]. ” two returning players next year.

Kalender would also like to see more team. support but also unThat means if we all do what we need to derstands that students do have other comdo, that is what will get us the win,” Shap- mitments. iro said.

“We definitely don’t expect everyone to “I think having Josh Rosenberg (senior), come to every game. Obviously, it’s not the Alex Halpern (junior), Neville Brodie (se- same as previous years. It’s been a bit more nior) in practice every day beat up our start- hyped up. It’s been a bit more packed,” he ers and made our starters better,” Feldman said. “But at the same time we understand said. ”They gained experience from that, so that there a lot of other things that people it’s easy for them to step in, but some of them have to be doing.”

MSB has eventful season

Lady Lions ‘do work’

Boys blue brings record to 4-3

by Emily Shoyer Reporter More than halfway through the season, the girls varsity basketball team is working hard to achieve its goal of making the PVAC playoffs.

Coach Nick Rich said he has worked the team hard and plans to continue so they can be their best.

“They are a great group. They have a lot of potential at playoffs,” Rich said.

The team’s current record is 4-3, and they have had big wins agaisnt Grace Brethren, the Barrie School and Hebrew Academy.

Their win over Grace Brethren was particularly exciting for the team because it was the first time they had ever beaten the school.

“I think [the season is] going well because of the effort that everyone on the team has put in,” junior Paige Siegel said.

“I feel that more people are taking it seriously this year.”

Rich started off the season with a plan to make the team a family and make them work hard.

“They are starting to jell, they are starting to believe in themselves and in the system,” Rich said. “They are working really hard.”

Team Captain Tamar Bardin agrees.

“As a team, we are very close, and I think this has effected our playing more than anything,” she said.

The Hebrew Academy game put the girls’ skills to the test.

“We tried extremely hard that game,

and never lose a game like we’ve been lately, we have to amp up our preparation and excitement for even the league games,” Kalender said.

Practicing hard has provided the team with the opportunity to succeed this season. “ This year our main focus is everyone sticking to their own role on t h e

by Jacob Dorn Reporter

photo by Alex Zissman

going full force Senior Naomi Goldstein dribbles to the basket. and I think that because it was a home game it gave us even more of a rush to want to win,” Siegel said.

“And we will continue to work hard, and we will cotinue to win.”

“It was great to see the seniors walk away and end their careers with such a victory,” Rich said.

“After that game we saw our potential, and we never looked back. This team is becoming a family. They enjoy being together and they work well together.”

Before each game Rich and the team chant “do work.”

“We are ready to do work because we work hard, that’s what we do,” he said.

“I hope that we continue to improve, and ultimately bring home a banner,” Bardin said. “I’ve never won a championship of any sort at JDS, so now’s the time.”

A year expected to be eventful has proved surprisingly unique, with both the girls and boys basketball teams experiencing tumultuous seasons.

The boys basketball teams faced the departure of former middle school assistant and varsity basketball coach Matthew Feldman, and the resulting move of former middle school Head Coach Cory Burns to the junior varsity team.

Instead, both the blue and gold teams have been coached by Steven Forestieri.

The girls team had two new coaches this year. It is the first time coaching basketball for both Christina Landis, the blue team coach, and Benjamin Foote, the gold team coach.

Still, players have been charitable in their assessments of their coaches.

“I think she’s been a really good coach,” eighth-grade blue team member Sarah Schecker said of Landis. “Considering she’s never coached basketball before, she’s doing a really good job.”

Still, the two girls teams have had troubles: the blue team has an 0-7 record. Surprisingly successful has been the gold team, which has a 1-1 record.

The gold team’s victory came while visiting the Washington International School.

The game featured a standout performance by seventh grade point guard Daphne Lerner.

Lerner, team co-captain, who overcame a lategame injury and scored 12 points, the majority of the points in the team’s 22-21 victory.

“They were a good team, and I’m not really

sure how we won, but we did. ... we got a lot of steals and we played really good defense, so when they took shots, we like stuffedstuffed it,” Lerner said.

She also said that “we played good defense and offense, and, like, almost everybody who played either got a rebound or attempted to take a shot.”

The girls blue team sees three main areas to improve.

“We still need to work on rebounding and shooting,” said Schecker.

“I think we just need to take the games a little more seriously, and not all of our players are serious, that’s how I feel,” said eighthgrader Talia Gasko.

The boys blue team began with two wins in five games, before winning their first two games with Forestieri to bring their record to 4-3.

The change in coaches brought a bit of a more relaxed atmosphere.

“Coach Burns was a lot harder, and I mean, Coach F. is more of a, like a … fundamental coach, and then Coach Burns, like, expects you to know how to play the game,” said eighth-grade blue team player Alec Schrager.

Schrager later added that “we didn’t really scrimmage at all with Coach Burns, but we’ve been scrimmaging to just, like, get together.”

Forestieri said that he has tried to help the players’ sense of teamwork.

“That’s the biggest thing,” he said. “Getting them to work with one another and be on the same page, and have fun playing the game of basketball while focusing on being a team.”