Volume 35 Issue 6

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The Lion’s Tale

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Volume 35 Issue 6

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May 30, 2018

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CESJDS

the lion’s tale

All up In Smoke Despite health risks, teens are drawn to JVVling PG 6-7

Finals policy changes, pg. 03

Zimriyah competition debate, pg. 05

Family members who serve, pg. 08

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News Briefs June 7 Spring Concert Musical groups including Shir Madness, the middle school choir and middle school and high school bands will perform in a 7:30 p.m. concert at JDS. Yearbook Distribution After school, the yearbook staff will distribute yearbooks to students who ordered them. If there are remaining books after pre-order, they will be sold on site.

Sports Awards Banquet In honor of the conclusion of spring sports, teams gather from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. to celebrate their seasons and recognize prominent players.

June 8 Last day of school High school students finish classes for the 2017-2018 school year on a C day.

June 11-15 Finals Week High school students will take final exams the week following June 8, the last day of classes.

English and history finals will be on Monday and Tuesday, followed by a study day, and then science and math finals on Thursday and Friday.

compiled by amelia davidson and izzy may

Beyond the stress

New club promotes dialogue about mental health irit skulnik reporter In the past several months, CESJDS students have partnered with the administration to pioneer a Mental Health Awareness Club that aims to end the stigma regarding mental illness. They strive to create a safe space for students suffering from various mental afflictions. Dean of Students Roslyn Landy and high school guidance counselors Rachel Soifer and Melissa Gartner invited students to help form the club following the Umtter suicide prevention initiative at JDS earlier this year.

The club organized programs to take place over the course of the semester, including creating a magazine. The magazine is called “One in Five” and will be made up of anonymous student writing, artwork and questions for an advice column.

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, the club has special programs during lunch every Tuesday in the month of May. On May 1, there was a program about breaking barriers and overcoming challenges, and on May 8 there was a workshop focused on differentiating between facts and rumors regarding mental health.

Other programs for this month included a Dialectical Behavior

Therapy run by junior Shira Finke on joined the club because she and Sophomore Ally Knapp was May 15, where club members talked her peers have struggled with their also inspired to get involved with about several strategies to improve mental health and she wants to help the club because she agrees with thought processes in an effort to re- spread awareness. the club’s message to end the stigma duce negative thinking and anxiety.

“I really want to be able to have surrounding mental health.

Sophomore Davida Goldman it not be such a taboo topic to talk “Early on this year, some peoran a program which centered about. It should be something that ple got together and decided it was around reframing negative thoughts people recognize and are aware of, something important to do at this and focusing on positive attitudes and are not afraid to hear about or to school, and then the club formed and on May 22. At Goldman’s program, discuss,” Goldman said. it just took off from there,” Knapp students learned how to said. counteract and prevent While the negative thoughts with club has many positive self-talk techprograms run“It is our responsibility to help prepare our niques. ning this spring, students to understand the challenges peoLandy recognizKnapp and Goldes the importance of man would like to ple face, to recognize the signs in themspreading awareness see it grow in the selves and others and to learn about ways about mental health in coming years with to help themselves or others.” schools. She is very supan increase in atportive of the club and tendance to proattends the meetings grams.

- dean of students roslyn landy nearly every week.

“I hope that “Even if students do the Mental Health not currently know anyAwareness Club one with a mental health is able to spread issue now, they will certainly meet Goldman has contributed to our message of tolerance,” Goldman someone in college or later who past programming and raised aware- said. “I hope that we can continue faces challenges related to mental ness about this club and its mission to plan programs and maybe help illness,” Landy said. “It is our respon- by making flyers and talking to peo- people through some hard times sibility to help prepare our students ple about the club. that they’re going through, and help to understand the challenges people Goldman also contributed to students and teachers be able to deal face, to recognize the signs in them- the idea of handing out ribbons rep- with mental illness and just overall selves and others and to learn about resenting various mental illnesses mental health and well being.” ways to help themselves or others.” when JDS held an assembly where Goldman also thinks the club students spoke about their experiand its mission are important. She ence with anxiety on January 18.

20%

8%

18.1%

of youth have anxiety disorders

of American adults live with anxiety disorders

Follow The Lion’s Tale on Instagram @jdslionstale for exclusive content

of youth ages 13-18 live with a mental health condition

Statistics courtesy of the National Alliance on Mental Illness

Finals weight reduced to

photo by kate sosland Junior Natalie Buckwold starts preparing for this year's final exams using a review binder. This year's final exams will count for less than previously.

sara sporkin contributing editor

In a departure from past policy, final exams for CESJDS’ 20172018 school year will be worth ten percent of the grade for the year. In

previous years, finals were worth 14 percent of the year’s grade.

According to High School Principal and Associate Head of School Dr. Marc Lindner, the old policy was based on a school year with a trimester, as opposed to a quarter system.

The new change fits better with the current semester schedule.

Lindner said that another component of the decision was recent conversations about students’ stress.

Junior Tamar Eisen thinks that the change will make the finals season less stressful. Since finals have less of an effect on her overall year grade, she feels like she can now be less concerned about her grade on the actual exam.

“I can actually be a little less stressed about what grade I need to get and focus more on what content I need to be studying,” Eisen said.

Eisen also said that she does not think it is fair to give one test that can greatly impact a year grade

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in general. She said students work hard all year for a grade and having a bad day during the final should not impact the final grade too much.

According to English department chair Thomas Worden, however, final exam grades rarely make a difference in year grades.

“The changes are so incremental that you have to do really well and be borderline, or do really, really poorly and be borderline, for it to matter,” Worden said. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve entered final exams and within a couple of hundreds or tenths of a percentage point, the grade remains the same.”

Worden said that English department will not alter the way they create the final exam this year.

Although final grades will now be less important when calculating year grades, Lindner still sees value in teaching students to take major tests, especially for preparation for exams in college. He does not fore-

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see JDS getting rid of final exams altogether. He is open to discussions about which classes and grades take finals.

“Personally I would not be in favor of eliminating final exams,” Lindner said. “I believe that they really do have value for students in taking them.”

Worden also thinks that final exams are helpful for students. Finals are often a way for him to see if a student is ready for college.

“As far as a learning experience, I think it’s really a good thing to do to wrap everything up and to test those skills one more time,” Worden said. “More often than not, those cumulative experiences really tell me whether a student has been able to make it to the next level. It’s really important as part of the learning experience.”

Administration reevaluates Zman Kodesh program rebecca weiss contributing editor In preparation for the 20182019 school year, the CESJDS administration surveyed students, faculty and parents about the current Zman Kodesh program. They will be using the survey results to adjust the Zman Kodesh offerings for the future.

The survey was sent out by Director of Jewish Life Stephanie Hoffman on Friday, April 13. It explored the various Zman Kodesh options and asked students about changes that they would wish to see for the program.

“As part of reviewing and enhancing the program, we are surveying parents, students, and faculty to gain a better understand[ing] of how you experience Zman Kodesh, and about your thoughts on this aspect of our program,” Hoffman wrote in the email.

The survey has inspired discussions across the school, prompting suggestions from a simple improvement in student participation to more radical ideas like turning Zman Kodesh into a graded class that students could fail.

“The big question right now that the survey is trying to answer is: are the options that we are offering and the way that we are approaching that, meeting the needs of our current families and students?”

Hoffman said.

Hoffman said there should not be any assumptions made about potential changes in Zman Kodesh. Head of School Rabbi Mitchel Malkus, High School Principal and Associate Head of School Dr. Marc Lindner, Middle School Principal Dr. Eliana Lipsky and Hoffman created the survey and will analyze the results together. Once they meet, they will have a better understanding of

how much change will be necessary and will determine the timeline of the project.

“We are hoping to see a broader picture from the whole community of what are the perceptions of what’s happening and also what are some of the hopes of what would happen in this time period so that we can understand the needs and meet the needs of our family and students,” Hoffman said.

Hebrew teacher and Zman Kodesh leader Ortal Wikoff thinks Zman Kodesh can be improved by providing more options. She thinks that there needs to be a shift in morale. For instance, students need to take Zman Kodesh more seriously.

Wikoff suggested that students be graded in Zman Kodesh as a pass or fail course.

“I think it’s good to try to change Zman Kodesh,” Wikoff said. “They want to hear us. It’s a good way to

share people’s opinions.”

Sophomore and Zman Kodesh Ozeret Amelia Rich agrees that an attitude change is important. She said she noticed that “what you get out is what you put in,” especially for some students in her middle school minyan.

The hope is to reform Zman Kodesh to be more meaningful, according to Hoffman. The feedback in the survey will provide necessary information to reflect on the community’s needs.

“We want this time to be sacred for each and every individual,” Hoffman said.

Data compiled by administration from a CESJDS survey sent out to students and parents, with 200 reponses.

Community opinion by the numbers

63.5%

of students and parents believe that the current Zman Kodesh offerings “meet their needs as a student/family.”

61.5%

rated their satisfaction with the current Zman Kodesh offerings at a 3 or below out of five.

41.5%

rated the opportunities for introspection within the Zman Kodesh program at a 4 or a 5.

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editors-in-chief aliza rabinovitz, kate sosland managing editor, copy addie bard design editor jessie lehman news editors amelia davidson, izzy may opinion editor ben robinson in-depth editor sara sporkin features editors sabrina bramson, rebecca weiss sports editor devira friedman style editor shira godin multimedia editor lily daroff editorial cartoonists beyla bass reporters ethan chanin, josh diewald, jesse edberg, daphne kaplan, ilana kaplan, alex landy, nate miller, sophia miller, oren minsk, matthew rabinowitz, sally rogal, irit skulnik, corrine zlotnitzky staff adviser jessica nassau adviser emerita susan zuckerman Editorial and Ethics Policy As the student newspaper of the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, The Lion’s Tale is a public forum for student opinion and expression. All content is determined by students. 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.

Signed columns reflect the opinion of the writer; staff editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of The Lion’s Tale editorial board. The Lion’s Tale staff welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns, all of which must be signed. The staff reserves the right to refuse any material and may edit letters or columns for length, clarity, libel, obscenity and/or disruptiveness.

Students must stand to make the most of our brains Human bodies ascend to their physical peaks during adolescence, the same time the mind becomes more sophisticated and refined. As a critical stage of human development, the teenage years should be among the most active periods in a person's life.

Yet today’s average teenager is as sedentary as a 60-year-old, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Though evolution designed humans to stand up, growing students spend hours a day sitting at desks during class. Ironically, long periods on chairs impedes the mind’s overall executive functioning—especially its ability to focus. With mounting evidence showing that our minds work best when we’re on our feet, it is time to abandon unnatural lifestyles and create a more active, engaging and effective learning environment.

Sitting shuts off certain leg, core and back muscles used to stand and walk, which decreases overall blood flow in the body and to the brain. A common way of sitting is with a curved back and slumped shoulders, a position that shrinks the chest cavity and limits how much oxygen fills the lungs with each breath. The comparatively low

The staff will adhere to the ethics policies of The Society of Professional Journalists and the National Scholastic Press Association.

The adviser will be held to the Journalism Education Association’s Adviser Code of Ethics.

cover design and photo by jessie lehman back cover photos by sally rogal, design by sally rogal, sophia miller and shira godin

art by beyla bass

class if they cannot concentrate.

Teachers should actively encourage students to stand up during class time, even if teachers are reluctant at first. While certain people in fact work better while sitting down, many students sit out of mere habit and not necessity.

Prompting from teachers could help students realize whether a change in body orientation indeed benefits them or not. Teachers can smoothly incorporate movement into learning time with standing class discussions or stretch breaks during individual work.

However, perhaps the best way to get students’ blood flowing often is to introduce standing desks. The middle school has about one per classroom and they are very popular among students. New desks are not cheap, though, so CEJDS would need

to weigh the benefits and costs of implementing them in high school.

The high school could borrow desks from the middle school, place them in the back rows of a few classrooms and use feedback from students and teachers to inform future purchases.

Standing upright was one of the first traits to distinguish humans from other primates; our highly complex brains evolved later on.

Though modern convention has made many accustomed to sitting, humans are still built to stand. If JDS abandons the confines of chairs in favor of more engaging learning spaces, the result will be an environment conducive to academic success and human growth.

-The Lion’s Tale

Arab-Israeli Conflict class should be required

Submissions may be emailed to jdslionstale@gmail.com, mailed to The Lion’s Tale or brought to room 328.

The Lion’s Tale is funded by The Simon Hirshman Endowment for the Upper School Newspaper and The Kuttner-Levenson Endowment for the Upper School Cultural Arts and Student Publications, and community advertisements. The Lion’s Tale reserves the right to refuse advertisement for any reason.

oxygen levels in the blood when seated, compounded by less blood reaching the brain, denies the mind of resources it needs to function optimally.

Studies compiled by the National Academies Press reveal that physical activity used as a break from class work improves the overall attention, working memory and academic performance of students.

However, simply standing during class brings similar boosts to cognitive abilities. A study in the International Journal of Health Promotion and Education links standing desks to increased academic engagement and on-task behaviors in students; they are seldom distractions.

Standing and stretching during class has also been shown to increase perceived energy levels and vigor and perhaps reduce food cravings.

If encouraged to stand instead of sit, students may more easily reach their academic potentials.

The opportunity to expend energy during class is perhaps most valuable for students with ADD and ADHD. For many with the attention disorders or symptoms of them, extensive sitting exacerbates struggles they already have focusing in class.

Those whose bodies crave movement may walk the hallways during

ilana kaplan reporter Whether we realize it or not, going to a Jewish school inherently isolates many of us from exposure to negative and hateful speech surrounding Israel. When we leave the confines of the school, both before and after graduation, we must learn to effectively advocate our beliefs through informed and constructive debate rather than speaking from a place of ignorance.

The History of the Arab-Israeli Conflict course teaches these skills,

along with an understanding of the conflict and its nuances, free from bias. This, among other reasons, is why I strongly believe that Arab-Israeli Conflict should be a required course for all CESJDS high school students.

According to Aaron Bregman, the current teacher of the course, the class trains students to speak their mind “along with evidence” rather than “stating an opinion with no basis of argument.” This not only enhances student’s abilities to debate their ideas surrounding Israel, but also prepares them to feel confident in advocating for their beliefs in a variety of situations.

A primary reason for going to a jewish day school is to receive a Jewish education, but a Jewish history curriculum that cuts off before the 21st century does not

suffice. As Jews, we have a duty to educate ourselves on Jewish homeland of Israel beyond its historical narrative. If we continue to end the curriculum before critical events in Israel’s existence such as the first Intifada, is it even accurate to say that our school teaches the history of Israel?

Beside effectively laying the historic groundwork for conflict in the Middle East, Arab-Israeli Conflict gives students a contemporary understanding of the conflict. For example, Bregman often provides newspaper articles that connect history to current events, something very rare to find in most history curriculums.

One of the most valuable aspects of the class is that it encourages students to develop their own opinions surrounding the conflict. Many assignments are

framed around developing sound arguments and challenging others, such as writing an Op-Ed in response to governmental decisions or simulations to work towards solving peace in the Middle East.

These assignments offer students opportunities to perfect articulating their arguments far beyond the parameters of any another class.

“It’s not just projecting your voice, but being able to stop your voice and listening to other points of views as well,” Bregman said.

According to Dean of Students Roslyn Landy, many alumni push for Arab-Israeli Conflict to be a required course. While it may be challenging to fit with other required high school courses, it is clear that the benefits of making the course required are enough to justify adding an additional scheduling component.

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Zimriyah lets students celebrate Israel's independence through a competition; however, many believe it distracts from the purpose of Yom HaAtzmaut.

Should Zimriyah continue to be a competition?

Yes

Yes, it should be

No, it should not be

No

sabrina bramson contributing editor Every year, I wind up being one of the classic Zimriyah choreographers who stresses until the last minute about every last detail of my grade’s performance. Some might call me a “Zimzilla,” but the angst leading up to one day a year ends up being worth it. In the end, seeing my grade come together as one unit is what Zimriyah is all about.

The competitiveness of Zimriyah is what motivates me and other Zimriyah planners to push our grade to go all out and to create the hand motions and dance for our grade’s performance. Without it, I worry that there would be no motivation for students to attend or participate.

The spirit and energy that brings each grade’s performance alive is driven by the prospect of winning and the pride it brings.

While this does take some attention away from Yom HaAtzmaut, the day’s focus is brought back to Israel beautifully with a schoolwide song and dance party at the end

of Zimriyah.

Part of what makes Zimriyah valuable is that it allows us to take advantage of our freedom to express our Jewish culture and pride. All students ultimately recognize that Yom HaAtzmaut is a day for Israel.

Additionally, Zimriyah is a time to come together as a grade when each grade is typically separated by different classes and various extracurricular activities. Many grades have sleepovers for the dancers the night before, allowing students to bond with their peers with whom they might not have been close previously. Similarly, the spirit that comes alive in each student on the day of Zimriyah allows them to take the celebration to heart and appreciate the other members of their grade that contribute to their grade’s performance.

Some students at CESJDS don’t particularly enjoy Zimriyah, but I do not think it is because of the competitive aspect. There often winds up being brief feuding afterwards between the winning and losing grades, but not enough to put a complete end to what Zimriyah has been for the past 19 years.

While competition may cause tension between grades, each grade comes together to try their hardest to win. Winning has become a symbol to the rest of the school that one grade is the most cohesive and spirited.

The best moment of the whole year for me occurs right after Zimriyah when watching the video of the grade’s performance. Seeing everyone work as one unit makes all of the hard work worth it, whether or not we win.

tali kuperberg guest writer Too much competition and drama are taking away from what should be the Zimriyah’s real purpose: to celebrate Israel’s independence. Zimriyah began as a creative activity used to get students excited about Yom HaAtzmaut, but it has turned into a distraction that causes divisions between grades.

The sophomores’ surprising win over the juniors during this year’s competition caused a rift between the two grades that became exceedingly heated very quickly. While most of the juniors claimed to have not cared about who won, some were reasonably upset by the loss. Following Zimriyah, altercations between the grades broke out as the sophomores celebrated their win.

Varying degrees of inter-grade drama often result from Zimriyah, and it shows that the emotions of the competition inherently distract from celebrating Israel. Zimriyah is the main thing on people’s minds during Yom HaAtzmaut, even for those who do not care

about it. And when emotions get too high, we all need to remember that Zimriyah is just supposed to be a fun competition and we should be focused on celebrating Israel, and not on the winners of the competition.

When Hebrew teacher Yaffa Dagony created Zimriyah in 1994, it wasn’t even a competition. Students from each grade would perform a song with a very simple dance.

Academic Dean Aileen Goldstein experienced the first Zimriyah as a sophomore at JDS, but when she returned to the school after college to teach, Zimriyah had changed drastically.

“Anytime you make something a competition, there is always another element to it, that heightens it and makes it really fun and really compelling. But it’s also really stressful and really hard when you are trying to have a big celebration,” Goldstein said.

While the competitive side of Zimriyah may motivate some students to celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut, others take it too seriously and the day becomes all about winning, and they forget what the holiday is really about. And if they lose the competition, some students may start thinking of Zimriyah in a very negative light.

I suggest taking away the competitive aspect of Zimriyah and rather have just a song and dance performance from each like it used to be. If the school makes this decision, it would really allow for people to remember what the day is really about, celebrating the amazing country of Israel.

1994

1999

3

1400

year Zimriyah was established

year Zimriyah became a competition

hours average class spent practicing for 2018 Zimriyah

dollars spent on 2018 Zimriyah

Statistics courtesy of Dean of Students Roslyn Landy and Director of Jewish life Stephanie Hoffman

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Despite health risks, teens are draw kate sosland and addie bard editor-in-chief and managing editor, copy Prom night at CESJDS was cut short for two seniors, a sign that the vaping phenomenon sweeping the nation has hit close to home. While this was the only recorded incident regarding a JDS student vaping, the administration had been aware of the nationwide vaping and Juuling trend, according to High School Principal and Associate Head of School Dr. Marc Lindner.

The administration sent out an email to parents on March 18 addressing the rise of vaping amongst high school students. The email warned parents about the dangers of this drug and acknowledged that it can affect JDS students too. In addition to the letter, administration is planning on facilitating programs to educate students about the health risks of vaping.

A national phenomenon A vape, also known as a Juul, is an electronic cigarette device that looks like a flash-drive. A vape is filled with liquid that can have varying percentages of nicotine, marijuana or flavoring in it.

According to the New York Times, nicotine in e-cigarettes is inhaled in vapor form rather than in tar form, which is a chemical substance formed when tobacco is burned. Tar can stick to the lungs, causing cancer, but because there is no tar in vapor, it does not have the same effect However, vapes still contain propylene glycol and glycerol, addictive chemicals that can potentially form cancer-forming compounds. Another chemical commonly in vapes, diace-

tyl, can cause popcorn lung, which restricts airflow.

Vapes are expensive, too. They can cost between $30 and $80 and the juice pods, the substance that fills the e-cigarettes, sell for approximately $20 for a 30 milliliter bottle, which can last for around a month or longer for average smokers. Despite the high cost, vaping is significantly cheaper than smoking cigarettes; the price of the 30 milliliter bottle would be equal to $1.32 per pack of cigarettes. The average prices of cigarettes in the United States is about six dollars, making vaping more economical for smokers.

As cigarette use among teenagers has declined, e-cigarette rates have increased. Former United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy reported that the number of high school students who vape increased by 900 percent from 2011 to 2015. The Department of Health and Human Services reported that seven percent of high school students smoked cigarettes in the month prior to a 2015 study, a figure that has been decreasing from 28 percent since 1997.

JDS’ response The administration is aware that JDS students are not immune to this phenomenon. Even though there has only been one recorded incident involving JDS students, the administration became aware of vaping from many conversations with other educational institutions around the country.

According to an anonymous survey of 142 JDS high school students, eight percent claimed they have tried Juuling. Of those, 39.1 percent of students started vaping their junior year, 17.4 percent began

in sophomore year, 39.1 in freshman year and 4.3 percent began in middle school.

Of the students who own vapes, just over sixty percent say that “someone older” purchased it for them, 5.9 percent online, and 29.4 percent from an in-person store.

JDS is a self-proclaimed 24/7 school, meaning that what goes on in students’ lives outside of school is important to administration and they will get involved “to a certain extent” according to Lindner. Upon finding out about illegal or harmful activity done by students outside of school, Lindner said that his first step is to contact the parents to help students move in a more “healthful” direction.

Sometimes, the consequences

process of planning these programs.

JDS maintains communication with other schools through the counseling department in addition to annual meetings with other independent heads of school in order to keep up with local happenings. At the Parents Council meeting for Deans of Students in April, vaping was the hot topic of discussion among the educators, according to Landy.

“Vaping is a major problem facing adolescents today and I would be neglectful if I did not have concerns that it is impacting our community,” Landy said.

Impact on teenagers Junior Max Stravitz was invited

by Landy to represent JDS students at the Parents Council of Washington Student Leaders meeting on Feb. 6.

According to Stra“Kids are risk takers. They like to do vitz, parents want what they find exciting and someto learn from other thing that is illegal and their brains schools and hear the students’ perspecare not developed and that’s what tives. The meeting, they think is cool and exciting and fun among other topics, without knowing the consequences,” discussed the recent upward trend in va- dean of students roslyn landy ping, especially for students.

“In a school setting, people can go into of harmful activity outside of school stalls in the bathroom and vape and can be more severe. A couple years no one would know,” Stravitz said. ago, the police came to a party host- “They feel a little less afraid to do ed by JDS students and the involved it than other things that would be people were suspended. Dean of more obvious.”

Of the 137 students who anStudents Roslyn Landy takes precautionary measures and will call swered the survey question “Have parents ahead of time if she is made you ever seen anybody vaping on campus?” 45.3 percent answered aware of any expected parties.

To educate students about the “yes.” Teenagers vape for a variety of harmful effects of vaping, Landy and reasons, according to Lindner. These the guidance counselors are arrang- reasons include peer pressure, use ing workshops. They are still in the of drugs for emotional compensa-

n Smoke

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wn to Juuling tion and the ease of concealing vapes. Of the students who said they vape, 29.4 do so to calm down, 35.3 percent because their friends vape, and 35.5 percent for other reasons.

Lindner emphasized that some of these factors have drawn teenagers to drugs for decades. Additionally, vapes do not look like cigarettes, allowing students to vape discreetly.

Landy believes vaping taps into the adventurous mindset of some teenagers.

“Adolescents are by nature risk takers. They gravitate to exciting and sometimes illegal activities. The adolescent brain is not fully developed and they see these activities as cool and exciting without recognizing the consequences,” Landy said.

Although she warns students about vaping, Landy still recognizes that students do Juul.

Scott,* a student at JDS, vapes a few times a day. He was first exposed to vaping this past summer when his friends asked him to Juul with them; he tried it and got “hooked.” Though there are times when he wishes he did not vape because he understands that it is not good for him, he said he does not feel addicted.

“I have had times when I stopped [vaping], I could, [it’s] not like I need [to vape] every second, but I thought it was better to have [a vape] than not,” Scott said.

Part of the reason Scott believes vaping is so prominent for young people today is social media and celebrities influence on it. Teenagers will see a rapper on Instagram with their Juul, and it will make them think that Juuling is the cool thing to do, according to Scott.

A vape is “nice to have” for Scott in stressful situations, he said. He has a learning disability and has struggled with depression and anxiety in

the past. He said that vaping helps him alleviate stress. He acknowledges that vaping is not the best method to calm down, but it “sometimes gets the job done.”

According to Scott, vaping has different effects than drugs and does not make a person high. The buzz he feels only lasts around two minutes, and even if he vapes a lot, it does not last longer than five minutes for him.

“You just get this head rush that is very relaxing; it is like you’re high, but you’re not,” Scott said.

Regarding JDS’ vaping culture, Scott believes it is much lower than public school students. His friends’ public schools have special smoke detectors for vaping due to the higher popularity. Within his social circle at JDS, Scott finds that while a lot of his peers have tried Juuling, not as many own the e-cigarette. However, he would not recommend teenagers start vaping.

“If I had the power to decide if someone would get involved or start vaping, I would 100 percent go against it because it’s not something to be proud of or good for anyone’s well-being,” Scott said.

*Name has been changed to respect the student’s privacy

45.3%

of JDS students said they have seen someone vaping at school Of those who vape,

64.7%

of JDS students said someone older than themself bought the vape

Of those who vape,

29.4%

of JDS students said they do so to calm down Of those who vape,

35.3%

of JDS students said they do so because their friends vape

silhouette art by ally knapp, smoke art by jessie lehman

Statistics from an anonymous Lion’s Tale survey of 142 CESJDS high school students

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the lion’s tale

photo courtesy of hadas dubrawsky Left: Junior Abby Elson and her family celebrate her father’s retirement from the navy. They attended his retirement ceremony in October 2017. Right: Junior Hadas Dubrawsky and her brother are ecstatic after Dubrawsky’s brother completed a 77 kilometer march before receiving his beret. Dubrawsky and the rest of her family drove to Jerusalem to walk the last three kilometers with her brother.

photo courtesy of abby elson

Families in uniform community supports RELATIVES OF SOLDIERS daphne kaplan reporter While junior Abby Elson watched her father’s Naval retirement ceremony, tears came to her eyes as she recognized the magnitude of her father’s commitment.

Many faculty members and relatives of students serve or have served in various positions of the military. Some served in the Israeli Defense Forces, while others, such as Elson's father, served in the U.S. military.

The Elson family has lived in Annapolis, Md., San Diego and Rockville, Md. over the course of Elson’s life. To move so often is not unusual for military families. According to the Professional Counselor, an online social work resource, the average military family will move between six to nine times, moving every two to three years on average.

From the moment Elson was born until October 2017, the end of her father’s service as the Navy-Marine Corps Chief of Chaplains, she

has been surrounded by the military.

The constant relocation that is a part of being a military family has caused Elson to learn how to adjust to new environments quickly.

While Elson had to cope with frequent moves, she also appreciates the “chance to stand out … and get to experience something that not that many others get to experience.”

She takes pride in the resilience and easy-going nature that she developed after having to rebuild her life every few years.

Despite enjoying military ceremonies and other related events unique to relatives of members of the military, Elson worried about her father during his service for a variety of reasons. When she moved to Rockville before eighth grade, she had trouble with the transition. Elson saw that her peers were already settled into the environment, while she had to adjust to her new surroundings. While CESJDS provided a supportive community for Elson, she still felt as though there were some things about her life that the other

students didn’t quite relate to.

“The hardest part of being a military child is that no one truly understands what we’ve been through,” Elson said.

Elson shares her emotions with high school guidance counselor Melissa Gartner, who provides a safe space. Gartner has been able to recognize many of Elson’s struggles and has supported her in various ways, such as attending Elson’s father’s retirement ceremony. Gartner went to the ceremony in order to understand the process, learn what other students experience while having a relative in the military and gain insight into how to properly assist fellow students who may be struggling.

One way that JDS strives to acknowledge the service of teachers and relatives of students in the U.S. military is through the annual Veteran’s Day assembly. High School Principal and Associate Head of School Dr. Marc Lindner believes that this assembly strives to include all students, family members and faculty who have served in the armed forces.

“For Veteran’s Day, I have been pleased for the last two years that we have recognized the families, we’ve had a program, and we’ve tried to include as many people as possible in the reading of names of people who have been in the military,” Lindner said. “We are committed to being as flexible as possible if there is anything that a family member may need to do that would be related to their family member’s service, such as attending an outside event or ceremony.”

Similarly, JDS holds a ceremony for Yom Hazikaron in order to honor those who have served in the IDF. This ceremony is particularly emotional for junior Hadas Dubrawsky as her brother, alumnus Isaac Dubrawsky (‘15), recently served in the IDF, and she too aspires to serve in the IDF. However, the prospect of death for Dubrawsky with regards to her brother and herself in the future is something with which she struggles.

“After the ceremony, I am always sobbing; it is always that explanation

that that could be me. It is extremely hard to imagine,” Dubrawsky said.

“On one hand, I deal with the fact that I am more than willing to give up my life in order to protect a place that is my home, but on the other hand, it is also, how do you [theoretically] continue after you lose someone so close to you?”

Isaac’s service ended a few months ago, but during his time, he occasionally saw combat close up.

Dubrawsky did not worry about Isaac’s safety all the time; however, she was concerned when there were several stabbings in the West Bank aimed at Israeli soldiers.

Dubrawsky said, “He would call and tell us that he is fine, but at the same time, you don’t want to see a loved one in a dangerous situation.

There is always a little bit of extra stress in the back of my mind.”

Students turned teachers

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09

New program to the area encourages expansion of Jewish learning amelia davidson contributing editor As summer approaches and most students wind down their Judaic learning for the year, sophomores Josh Diewald and Josh Siegel have embarked on an entirely new form of Jewish study. This time, however, they are the teachers.

The two are participants in the Student to Student project, an initiative new to the D.C. area that brings Jewish teens into public schools to teach them about Judaism. Topics discussed include Jewish life cycle events, the Hebrew language, Israel and the Holocaust.

The Student to Student project was started in 1992 by the Jewish Community Relations Council in St. Louis. Since then, according to the St. Louis JCRC, it has reached thousands of St. Louis students. The program’s website states that its goals are to “impart information, foster understanding and counter stereotypes.”

In late 2017, the program received a $15,000 grant, and the JCRC decided to use this money to expand

to other cities. Ariel Troy, a freshman synagogue outreach and online adat Washington University in St. Lou- vertising. The JCRC hopes to expand is and a Berman Hebrew Academy this program further next school alumna, had been in touch with the year.

According to Associate Director St. Louis JCRC throughout her senior year to implement a similar program of the JCRC of Greater Washington in D.C. area. The JCRC went on to and the mother of Josh Siegel Guila select D.C. as one of the cities for ex- Siegel, the JCRC of Greater Washpansion, along with Indianapolis and ington was enthusiastic about implementing this program because it Des Moines, Iowa.

“There is a big Jewish popula- has proven to be a successful way to tion in the Montgomery County and D.C. area, but that doesn’t “I wanted to help kids in the area mean that people in to have dialogue about faith.” the area are educated about what Judaism - berman hebrew academy really is,” Troy said. “I wanted to help kids in alumna ariel troy the area to have dialogue about faith.”

The JCRC of Greater Washington has worked closely with the St. Lou- raise awareness about Judaism.

“While the JCRC has worked is JCRC to implement the Student to Student program in the area. Cur- for many years with MCPS adminrently, there are eight Jewish partici- istrators, principals and faculty to pants, three from Jewish day schools ensure safe and respectful learning and the rest from public schools, all environments for all students, inof whom were recruited through cluding Jewish students, we realized

we needed to introduce a program to reach students directly,” Guila said.

“Peer-to-peer education has proven over time to be a highly successful method of influencing, teaching and changing attitudes among teens.”

Josh Siegel became involved with the program after finding out about it from his mother. He is enthusiastic about the program, and thinks that it is especially important in this political climate to teach students about Israel and the Holocaust.

“Antisemitism has been on the rise, especially among youth, and there has been a lot of anti-Israel bias, and a lot of that just comes from lack of education,” Josh Siegel said.

“So the main goal is just education and while we can’t change all of that, it’s important to do it one little step at a time.”

So far, the students in the D.C. area have led a trial workshop at Adat Shalom synagogue and a workshop at Walter Johnson High School on April 26. Josh Siegel describes the workshops led by the Jewish student-teachers as both “serious” and “fun,” as they discuss heavy topics

such as the Holocaust, but also engage in more lighthearted activities.

Josh Siegel hopes to get more students from Jewish day schools to participate as teachers. He believes that it is important to highlight cultural and daily Judaism, which he thinks can only be done with the involvement of Jewish teens from both public schools and Jewish day schools.

This desire to highlight the diversity of Judaism reflects the Student to Student program’s goal to raise awareness about Judaism among students who have never been exposed to the religion.

“Ultimately, our hope is that by challenging false stereotypes about Judaism and Jews among non-Jewish teens, and exposing those students to confident, articulate Jewish peers who are proud of their heritage, we can make a dent in the increasing prevalence of antisemitic incidents in our area schools,” Guila said.

types of activities because of the fulfilling and enriching educational opportunities they offer.

“I think it’s important for high school students to be involved with other high school students, especially politically, so that they can participate in the broader national political discourse and so they can grow up to be effective in advocating for their political beliefs,” Wieseltier said. “It’s especially important for us to engage in political discourse so that we can be critical of other people’s opinions and to also make our own opinions stronger by hearing others’ criticism.”

High School Principal and Associate Head of School Dr. Marc Lindner said he thinks many of the clubs, school field trips and academic courses at JDS are ways in which the school ensures an open political atmosphere in and out of school.

Lindner added that JDS urges students to respectfully partake in political debates with their peers and

to also accept opinions that that are not theirs.

“As a school, our position and our approach is that we support and even encourage students to be involved in civics, in government, in all the various forms that it can take,

including where it means that they have a particular viewpoint or perspective on those matters,” Lindner said.

Fostering opportunities for advocacy alex landy reporter Junior Macie Gelb walked the streets of D.C. in the 2016 Women's March, hoping to empower women across America.

For many CESJDS students, being engaged and involved in political events is commonplace. Students attend rallies, conventions, forms of protests and other politically-associated events during their JDS careers to voice their opinions and to be involved in national and global political discussions.

Gelb also participated in the March for Our Lives this past March, a student-led event that focused on inspiring a younger generation of student leaders. The march was planned following the Parkland, Fla. school shooting in February. The march was held in Washington, D.C. and surrounded divisive and consequential issues in the modern American political debate.

“I think that in today’s political climate it’s really important for people to keep fighting for what they believe in, especially since our country’s becoming so divided,” Gelb said.

“So, it’s important for me to express my beliefs and to also show support for other people whose beliefs I share.”

Over the course of the school year, clubs such as Junior State of America, Model U.N. and debate take place inside and out of the JDS doors, enabling students to partake in different political experiences regarding both domestic and foreign policy matters. These programs serve as platforms for some students to voice their opinions while joining national political debates and discussions.

Sophomore Matthew Wieseltier is on the high school debate team, holds the position of state assemblyman for JSA and is also captain of the Model U.N. team. Wieseltier said that he values political engagement with his peers and takes part in these

photo by rebecca weiss CESJDS students participate in a JSA political convention located at JDS. They discussed many current issues with other students from the area.

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Spring Sports Recap Boys Varsity Baseball Overall Record: 4-4 Playoff Results: lost in quarterfinals 4-3 against Hebrew Academy Girls Varsity Softball Overall Record: 7-3 Playoff Results: lost in semifinals 10-5 against Edmund Burke Boys Varsity Volleyball Overall Record: 1-4 Playoff Results: lost in quarterfinals against Paul VI Catholic High School Boys Varsity Tennis Overall Record: 4-2 Playoff Results: Second place overall in PVAC, 1st doubles finished first in PVAC Co-ed Varsity Track and Field Championship Results: Girls placed seventh overall, boys placed eighth

photos courtesy of dimensions yearbook staff English department chair and girls varsity softball coach Thomas Worden gives advice to players moments before they go up to bat. This year was Worden's first season as head coach.

Science teacher and boys varsity volleyball coach Ray Hodges congratulates players following their junior night win against Trinity. Hodges is one of eleven teachers who coached a school sports team this year.

Teachers balance coursework with coaching

CESJDS Sports Camps Lions Girls Basketball Camp will be held at the Lower School from June 18 to 22 Lions Volleyball Camp will be at the Upper School on June 18 to 22 in addition to June 25 to 29 There were also be a Lions Boy Basketball Camp located at the Lower School on June 18 to 22 and June 25 to 29

compiled by devira friedman

sophia miller reporter When the bell rings at 3:45 p.m., the school day is not over for English Department Chair and varsity softball coach Thomas Worden.

He grabs his bats and gloves and heads outside to the softball field to do throwing, fielding and batting drills with the CESJDS varsity softball team.

Along with the many responsibilities that come with being a teacher, such as writing lesson plans and grading tests, eleven teachers in the 2017-2018 school year opted to take on the extra responsibility of being a coach.

To become a coach, teachers are either sought out by the school’s athletic director or they reach out themselves. When a teacher first begins working at JDS, they are asked if they have any interest in coaching.

If a coaching position opens up, the athletic department will offer the position to any teacher interested in

ing able to get to know them beyond the classroom and see the differences in their behavior in school and on the field.

Freshman Sophie Shrock has science teacher Kelly Grosskurth as both a track and field coach and a biology teacher.

Like Worden, Shrock believes there are ben“I think it is good [to have your efits to having teacher as a coach] because you her teacher as spend a lot of time with that teacher her coach.

“I think it and you build a good relationship." is good [to have your teach- freshman sophie shrock er as a coach] because you spend a lot of the students. They are also able to time with that teacher and coach and make sure that the athletes are keep- you build a good relationship with them which helps both in class and ing up academically.

Worden has enjoyed the expe- on the team,” Shrock said.

One of the downsides to having rience of being both a coach and a teacher, particularly because it has teachers coach is that they miss inallowed him to get a better sense of structional time when they have to his students as a whole. He likes be- travel for games. Often, teams have coaching for that sport.

According to Health and Exercise Science Department Chair Steven Forestieri, teachers are preferable for coaching jobs, rather than outside of school coaches, because they already have a relationship with

to leave school early and can miss up to two class periods. Coaches have to miss class and find a substitute, which can be challenging.

While balancing coaching and teaching can be difficult for some educators, their work eventually pays off.

“Coaching is a form of teaching," Forestieri said. "It is just a different platform that is used to educate and help students become better people and build character and character traits within them that are going to help them succeed in whatever they try to pursue in life."

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Get fit for credit

Students fulfill exercise requirement in many ways matthew rabinowitz reporter Between schoolwork, extracurriculars and standardized testing, finding the time to exercise can be challenging for high school students.

In order to fulfill the required one and a half sports credits before graduation, students get exercise in a number of different ways.

One way to fulfill the exercise requirement is by joining a school sports team. Spring and fall season sports teams each count for a quarter credit while winter teams each count for a half a credit because it's longer.

Outside of school, students can get their credit by joining a sports team, dance studio or a local gym. In order for that exercise to count towards their credit, however, both the activity instructor and the activity itself must be approved by the athletics department.

To get approval, students must fill out a form describing their activity. They then log their hours, which are signed by their instructor. A quarter credit is given for 25 logged hours per quarter.

Another way that students can get exercise is by using the school weight room. Although it is convenient, junior Nathan Rashti notices that it is not a popular choice for most.

“Eight [students] maximum [use the weight room]," Rashti said.

"People come and people go.”

Rashti has worked out in the weight room since his freshman year and generally tries to go four days a week. Although small, “it’s got the basics, which is all you really need,” Rashti said.

“You have a bench press, weights, you have a table machine.”

When the school workout room is unavailable, such as on the weekends and in the summer, Rashti goes to Planet Fitness. Rashti likes the gym because it has more modern equipment than the school weight room, however, membership is expensive and there is no student discount. The most basic membership at Planet Fitness, which includes fitness training access, costs $10 a month, while the more comprehensive membership is $22 a month.

According to physical education teacher Becky Silberman, people use

Sculpt, a cycling and yoga stuthe weight room for a variety of reasons. Some are there for after school dio, and spin, the term for indoor cycling programs such as SoulCycle, PE and others, like Rashti, are there are offered at a number of different simply to work out.

As a supervisor of the weight gyms and studios in the area. There room, Silberman makes sure that are also instructional apps so that students are using the equipment people can take spin classes indecorrectly and performing exercises pendently and on their own time.

Junior Shira Finke uses the app with the proper form. She also offers to help students create workouts.

Traditionally, high “You're burning calories, you're school students are letting out all of your energy and expected to utilize the school weight room. it's something that you can be This past year, howevmotivated to do." er, younger students have been taking ad- sophomore maya bellas vantage of the facilities.

“This year we’ve had a lot more middle schoolers, a lot of sixth graders Peloton with her stationary bicycle who’ve been coming, because during at her house. The app provides vidPE during the day we actually let eo guides, music and motivation for them in there and they really like it,” people so that they can get a challenging workout anytime. Apps like Silberman said.

While Silberman has noticed an Peloton can serve as an alternative increasing number of middle school to standard exercise and workouts students using the facilities, she has such as swimming or running.

“I don’t love running so much not seen as many high school girls.

She attributes this to exercise classes but I need to do cardio in some way, so this is kind of the way I choose to outside of school.

Planet Fitness

LA Fitness

$5 sign up fee

$99 initiation fee

$10/month

$29.95/month

YMCA $35/month

do it,” Finke said.

In addition to spin and and yoga, popular group exercise classes include Zumba, pilates and kickboxing. Sophomore Maya Bellas takes a Zumba class once a month in addition to her regular dance classes.

For Bellas, doing exercises such as running and lifting weights can be boring, so dancing and Zumba pique her interest because they are fun, they provide an opportunity to learn new things and they challenge her.

“You’re burning calories, you’re letting out all of your energy and ... it’s something that you can be motivated to do and [be] dedicated towards,” Bellas said.

Rashti also enjoys working out on his own, but for a different reason. He enjoys exercising because he can discipline himself instead of having a coach tell him what to do.

“The most important thing to me is that with working out you have so much more freedom to do what you want and set your own limits rather than working as a team,” Rashti said.

photo by devira friedman Junior Nathan Rashti works out at school four days a week. He utilizes the different machines in the weight room.

Gold's Gym $29.95/month

photo by devira friedman Rashti does pull ups in the weight room. He also attends Planet Fitness as an alternative workout option.

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the lion’s tale

Travel

city

Sunbathe

What are your Summer Plans?

Beach

Camp

Swim Catch 22 Recommended by math teacher Reuben Silberman

Camper

Counselor

Job

Adventure

Villian or Hero

Stem

The Arts

Internship

Thinker

Metro

Halsey

One of Us is Lying Recommended by Freshman Jane Trainor

Maker Taylor Swift

Where do you like to read?

Political

Red Rising Recommended by Excersise Science Teacher becky Silberman

The Selection Recommended by Sophomore Ahava Freeman

Villian

Hero

In bed

The Five People you Meet in Heaven Recommended by Science teacher Cassandra Ly

The Harry Potter Series Recommended by Sophomore Hadara Bilsky

Everything Everthing Recommended by Freshman Tess Mendelson

The Boys in the Boat Recommended by Seventh Grader Josh Garber