Lion's Tale Volume 42, Issue 3

THE LION’S TALE

Educators and parents work to assist growing number of students with ADHD

The Lion’s Tale Staff

Editors-in-Chief

Stella Muzin & Lily Rulnick

Managing Editor, Copy

Aliza Bellas

Managing Editor, Web

Ari Kittrie

In-Depth Editor

Gigi Gordon

News Editors

Penelope Terl & Eliana Wolf

Features Editors

Vivi Ducker & Ruby Kotok

Opinion Editors

Maiya Blumenthal & Sophie Schwartz

Sports Editors

Tali Loeffler & Mia Forseter

Production Assistants

Eliana Abrams & Anna Polon

Reporters

Gila Safra, Jordana Dauber, Isaiah

Segal-Geetter, Leora Blumenthal, Lindsey Shapiro, Jonah Mellen, Jonah Mitre, Aviv Stein, Sophia Leinwand & Adam Salomon

Staff Adviser

Jessica Nassau

Adviser Emerita

Susan Zuckerman

Which editor came to production from her sister’s Bat Mitzvah? 2. Which editor won a Hispanic Heritage award from Congressman Raskin?

3. Which editor was in the top 1% of Taylor Swift’s listeners in 2024 on Spotify?

Which editor’s favorite grocery store is Trader Joe’s?

Which editors are on the girls varsity basketball team?

Which editor craved pad thai during production?

dear readers,

We have officially begun our final days at CESJDS. We began our year as Editors-in-Chief thinking we would have only slightly more work than we had as section editors. Turns out, we were wrong. However, we don’t regret it for a second.

The completion of our time as Editors-in-Chief is bittersweet. While we are relieved to no longer have the stress or additional workload, this has been one of the most rewarding experiences of our lives. The Lion’s Tale has been such a foundational part of our high school experiences, and we will forever be grateful for all the publication has given us.

Throughout this past year, we have been driven by our passion for journalism and to develop this newspaper into the best it could be. Not only have we made substantial changes to the design of our print additions, but we also gave the website a massive refresh. We revamped the front page to make it more legible on a phone screen, and integrated more photos.

These changes were not only supported by our own hard work, but also the work of our entire staff. This year’s staff has shown such passion and dedication to the Lion’s Tale, and we are so

excited to see all that they continue to do after we graduate.

Our ability to run the Lion’s Tale this year was a result of our school’s press rights protocol and adviser Jessica Nassau. We feel so lucky to have gotten to work with her over these past couple of years, and we will cherish our relationships with her forever.

Although we feel proud of the job we have done on Lion’s Tale, we also acknowledge the impact our positions have had on us. We have spent countless late nights in the Pub Hub when we should have been studying for tests and frequently found ourselves editing articles instead of writing essays.

The highlight of our experience has been being told by you in the hallways which articles you enjoyed, and reading (most) comments on our website. To our readers, thank you.

We hope you all have enjoyed these past 12 months as much as we have, and we have faith that the new staff will continue to provide exciting and new coverage. Lily and Stella are officially leaving the Pub Hub.

Sincerely,

Editors-in-Chief

Editorial and Ethics Policy

The Best of lionstale.org

news

Science fair photo gallery

Gila Safra, Reporter

STEM day recap

Sophia Leinwand, Reporter

opinion

Jews and American holidays

Lindsay Shapiro, Reporter

Features

Musical pit band

Emmanual Sarantos, Guest Writer

Spotlight on Heather Udell

Sophia Leinwand, Reporter

a&e

“Wicked” musical

Gigi Gordon, In-Depth Editor

“Basquiat x Bansky” exhibit

Liat Netter, Guest Writer

sports

Dance team performance

Evie May, Guest Writer

Winter track meet

David Loeffler, Guest Writer

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, 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. All other contents copyright of The Lion’s Tale. All rights reserved. Submissions may be emailed to jdslionstale@gmail.com, mailed to The Lion’s Tale or brought to room 320.

The Lion’s Tale news magazine and website is funded by The Simon Hirshman Endowment for the Upper School Newspaper and The Kuttner-Levenson Endowment for the Upper School Cul-

tural Arts and Student Publications.

AI is not permitted for any generation of content or brainstorming, including but not limited to the following: writing articles or headlines, spread designs, photography, audio or video. The only AI usage permitted by The Lion’s Tale is for the purpose of transcribing interviews.

The staff will adhere to the ethics policies of The Society of Professional Journalists and the National ScholasticPress Association. The adviser will be held to the Journalism Education Association’s Adviser Code of Ethics.

delayed aid

FAFSA form’s postponed release date poses a threat to the college application process for the second year in a row

Sophie Schwartz OpinionEditor

For the second year in a row, student and parent access to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) was delayed nationwide. The U.S. Department of Education announced on Aug. 7 that the form would be available to students two months after the intended Oct. 1 release date, but, it was actually released a few days earlier, on Nov. 24.

FAFSA is a method used to determine a family’s ability to pay for college and calculate their federal aid eligibility. The federal government collects information about the family’s financial status through financial aid forms and income tax returns.

In 2021, the FAFSA Simplification Act aimed to make the form simpler, encouraging more people to fill it out. This act moved the release date of FAFSA up from the previous date of January or February to Oct. 1 of 2023. However, the new formula to calculate student contributions caused delays, failing to meet the Oct. 1, November and December release targets due to necessary changes to the software.

“What happened is they couldn’t get it to work on time,” Director of College Guidance Sue Rexford said. “It wasn’t that it was a bad idea. It’s just that they couldn’t execute it on time.”

Ultimately, Congress mandated that the form be released by the end of Dec. 2023. But, when FAFSA did go up, it had to be shut down the next day for maintenance issues that continued throughout the rest of the school year. This resulted in students and parents experiencing log-in errors and having issues with their data being processed properly.

When students had to commit to colleges in May 2024, many still hadn’t received financial aid packages. Low-income students who rely on federal financial aid were forced to not commit to college and take a year off or attend community college.

“It’s a global issue,” Rexford said. “It has created an unfairness in lower-income students being able to apply to college. I think one of the biggest negatives in all of this, is that it’s [disadvantageous] to people who are already at a disadvantage.”

“ For us, it was a very long and, I would say, challenging experience. I hope this year is going to be better.”

-JDS parent Fabian Werbin

For Rabbi Fabian Werbin, parent to senior Cati Werbin and Ari Werbin (‘24), the FAFSA process was difficult. After many delays, at the end of Dec. 2023, the family could fill out the FAFSA application, but every time they tried to verify the account they created it said that it was invalid. When they tried to create a new account, the system told them that the account already existed.

“I was very scared that I wouldn’t get financial aid at all,” Ari said. “Also, this is the first time that any one of my family’s ever gone to college [in the United States], so we have no we had no idea what the FAFSA even was.

of CESJDS seniors intend on completing the FAFSA form this year

Information from a poll of 32 of 79 seniors

So the fact that we were having so many difficulties with this, we were just panicking for months.”

After four months of being unable to log into his account, Ari decided to call the FAFSA information center. According to Ari, he called numerous times and spent hours on the phone, but each time they said that a lot of people were experiencing this issue and there was nothing they could do about it. Finally, a representative was able to help fix the issue by deleting his existing account so that he could make a new one.

“For us, it was a very long and, I would say, challenging experience,” Fabian said. “I hope this year is going to be better.”

According to Rexford, this impact was also felt by financial aid workers at colleges. They could not do their jobs because they did not have the proper information from FAFSA to send financial aid packages. When they did receive the information, staff faced long hours trying to get packages out to students, according to an article from Higher Ed Dive.

This year, FAFSA has been running better, and families like the Werbins hope that this will continue. Similarly, Rexford is optimistic that last year’s challenges will remain behind them.

“My hope this year is that people forget what happened last year, because it was such a disaster, and that everything will run smoothly,” Rexford said. “The colleges will be able to process financial aid offers as quickly as possible, so that students will have all the facts and information they need to make informed decisions.”

of CESJDS seniors said that the delay will impact their college decision

Upper School joins BluePoint Alert Solutions

new lockdown system

Jonah Mitre Reporter

Starting this school year, CESJDS begun using BluePoint Alert Solutions’ Police Alert System for lockdown procedures, a system to facilitate the activation and police notification of lockdowns.

The BluePoint Rapid Emergency Response System is an all-in-one communication system that can be used for police or medical alerts. The Police Alert System allows students or faculty to initiate a lockdown using blue pull stations that will be installed throughout the school, similar to the appearance of a familiar red fire alarm pull station.

These pull stations will immediately notify authorities, activate blue strobe lights and play a pre-recorded audio message from High School Principal and Head of Upper School Campus Dr. Lisa Vardi over the school’s Public Announcement system (PA). Select faculty will also be able to activate a lockdown through small, wearable devices.

JDS began implementing the BluePoint Police Alert System at the start of 2024, after being advised by the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington.

“Because of what’s going on in the United States, the rise of antisemitism that we’ve seen and different Jewish institutions [that] have been targeted, there is a call for a more quick and efficient system to be put in place,” Vardi said.

According to research by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), antisemitic incidents across the U.S. increased by over 200% between Oct. 7, 2023 and Sep. 24, 2024 compared to the previous year. Of the over 10,000 incidents within this period, at least 1,200 occurred on college campuses and over 2,000 were targeted towards Jewish institutions.

Before this system, every step of the lockdown process st the upper school would have had to be done manually. Administration had to be notified, then a 911 call had to be placed and then someone would notify the rest of the school through the PA system.

The BluePoint Police Alert System does all of these steps simultaneously and autonomously.

A set list of contacts are also notified directly and can send further information to authorities via text and email.

“It makes things much smoother, faster,” Security Manager Herbie Epstein said. “No one has to worry about getting over the PA system; this does all of it. That way, someone can concentrate on what they need to do: locking down. And the goal is we’re going to implement a lot more pull stations throughout both campuses… So then, as a student, if you saw an active shooter, you could pull that system. It’s easy to do.”

According to Epstein, with recent funding, the school plans to provide select faculty with the wearable devices and install the rest of the pull stations and strobe lights throughout both campuses within the next few months. Members of the faculty that will receive the wearable devices and how they will be used are being considered as the school expands the system. There is currently one pull station located near Upper School Administrative Assistant Heather Udell in the front office, next to the system’s control panel.

“When we pull that, we know exactly what’s going to happen,” Udell said. “We know who’s going to respond. So, that gives me relief. I’m happy that we have a way [of] handling things, and it’s been spelled out very plainly and clearly with the staff.”

sophomore Avigayil Lerman

“I feel safe at JDS because I really think our security team knows us all and when we walk in, they always say hi and they seem like they very much want to protect us.”

“ARE WE SAFE AT SCHOOL?” WHAT THE LIONS THINK: junior Ami epstein

“I feel safe because we have a good security department, great guys who protect the school, we have police out front all day and we have bulletproof windows that don’t open. So, the building itself is very secure.”

eighth grader Selina Bricker

“I do feel safe because I know that I’m surrounded by a lot of people who love me, a great Jewish community and all of my friends at school.”

Photos by Vivi Ducker, LT

middle school developments

Division implements new changes this year

Judaics

Anna Polon Reporter

Seventh grade students wishing to be challenged in the Jewish text area were given the option to take Talmud in classes with eighth grade students. In the past, sixth and seventh grade students took Toshba (Rabbinics) as their Jewish Text requirement and eighth grade students chose between Talmud and Jewish Identities. Seventh grade student Eliana Zuckerman is among the students electing to take Talmud with eighth grade students.

“I like the opportunity because outside of electives there's not any mixed grade classes," Zuckerman said. "I think it's a really good opportunity for the grades to be combined and it's really nice to be able to extend a little more on the laws and be learning some other interesting things."

Additionally, the new Zman Kodesh Iyyunim (‘study’) program started in the second quarter. Twice a week, middle schoolers choose which Iyyun to attend. Iyyunim explore topics such as Jewish cuisine from around the world and a “boot camp” on leading the congregation in prayer.

“The purpose of that [Iyyunim] is to offer choice for students and also to highlight faculty passion and strength in that spiritual space,” Middle School Principal Cassandra Batson said.

ORGANIZATION

WHAT DO THE LIONS THINK?

"I wish that I had had that opportunity [to take Talmud in 7th grade] because that’s something I wanted to do."

"I didn't really have a lot of knowledge on the

so it was

Starting last year, the middle school ran a similar program to the high school’s grade government called Knesset. Two students from each advisory are elected by their advisory to represent their group during Knesset meetings where representatives give feedback to the faculty. Previously run by Batson and Middle School Assistant Principal Janet Ozur Bass, Knesset is now run by middle school English teachers David Carrington and Samuel Sullivan as the principals’ schedules did not allow for adequate time for Knesset to meet.

“The Knesset system is good, but I feel like there should be more opportunities for other students to bring in their ideas,” sixth grade student Naomi Pevzner said. Planners are mandatory for hall passes, another addition that started last year. Designed specifically for the JDS middle school, this year’s planners contain the school schedule, letter day schedules and doodle pages. Before leaving class, students must write down their departure time and destination in their planner to be signed by their teacher. While some students are frustrated at the system for hall passes, Pevzner and other sixth-grade students appreciate the planners but feel they aren’t used much.

SCHEDULING

Sixth and seventh grade students used to have Academic Flex Block (AFB) but now on Tuesdays and Thursdays they have clubs ranging from a quiet space to study or read to sports. Additionally, the switch was made from Morning Check-In (MCI) to biweekly advisory. MCI used to be a short daily period after Zman Kodesh for teachers to give announcements, but Batson said the reality was students were on computers. Advisory is a more structured replacement with no computers. Also, the Innovation Minimester – a period between semesters where students create and present passion projects – went from eight to six days long. The middle school classes have been changed from 45 to 50 minutes with five minutes taken off from breaks. Batson said that high school teachers felt that students were less prepared for high school than they used to be when classes were longer.

“Breaks are really helpful in making students more able to learn throughout the day,” Baronofsky said. “And when we have less AFB, it means we have less time to work on our schoolwork in school, and have less time to retake tests or get feedback from teachers.”

it was too long last year.

3. As part of a minimester seminar, a Torah scribe talks to students about the process of writing a Torah.

1. Eighth grade student Gilah EvansDredze presents her minimester project.

2. Seventh grade student Noam Fradkin takes apart a computer for his minimester project. Fradkin is excited about a shorter minimester as he felt

Photos by Suzie Thompson, used with permission.

Photo by Mia Forseter, LT.

Eliana Zuckerman, 7th grade

Talmud

really nice being able to learn that skill."

Photo by Jason Zuckerman

Jake Forseter, 8th grade

Photo by Mia Forseter

heading into the classroom

Jonah Mellen Reporter

Head of School Rabbi Mitchel Malkus will take over Jewish History Department Chair Dr. Daniel Rosenthal's (‘00) period eight Arab-Israeli Conflict ADV class as Rosenthal is leaving after ten years of teaching. Rosenthal is taking a job at the American Jewish Council (AJC) and is leaving CESJDS at the end of the semester.

Rosenthal’s new role will be Assistant Director of Academic Affairs and was offered the job at the end of the summer. Rosenthal is starting during the second semester, as he did not want to make the administration look for replacements on short notice.

“[This new job is] a brand new challenge for me,” Rosenthal said. "It'll be one where I can take all of my experience, and apply it to a totally new context.”

The administration chose to cover Rosenthal’s classes internally with other Jewish History teachers covering most classes, so Malkus took the uncovered Arab-Israeli Conflict period. After 12 years as Head of School, this will be Malkus’ first time teaching a class at JDS.

The class covers Israel's history from World War II’s end to today with a variety of discussions, lectures, projects and guest speakers, intended to help students develop an understanding of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the different perspectives associated with it. The curriculum has also changed since Oct. 7 to accommodate the current war.

“The number one thing I'm excited about is just getting the chance to share with the students the materials,” Malkus said. “Beyond that just having the time to get away from the other things that I do and being in the classroom feels like it's going to be really wonderful.”

Malkus has previously worked with "Collaborative for Applied

Rabbi Mitchel Malkus teaches Arab-Israeli Conflict class following departure of Jewish History Department Chair

Q&A with Head of School

Rabbi Mitchel Malkus

studies in Jewish Education" and has written articles on Israel Education for publications such as The Forward and the Israel Forever Blog. Additionally, Malkus previously taught Talmud and Jewish Philosophy at Solomon Schechter Jewish Day School of Manhattan for two years.

As Head of School, Malkus has deal with Israel, as he sends out emails and helps to make sure JDS maintains Zionist values. Malkus’ role in teaching the Arab-Israeli Conflict is different as he doesn’t have to express his own views as directly.

“I'm going to be teaching from an educational perspective and introducing material, and that is different from the role that I take as Head of School,” Malkus said. “To me, it's less of a challenge and more an exciting thing to really be able to come to material with an open mind and really present it in a dispassionate way.”

Students who have taken the course previously say it helps them understand the facts and discuss the conflict.

“[The class] was very well done in the sense that we learned both sides of the perspective, and didn't say necessarily one person was right, one person was wrong, but we learned multiple per spectives,” senior Ezra Raskin said.

Each year, Rosen thal works to build the curriculum to accomodate evolving nature of the con flict and current events in Israel.

“Teaching has been a really rewarding expe rience,” Rosenthal said. “Emotionally, it's a very hard class to teach when you care about the State of Israel. It's emotionally taxing to deal with a lot of really big issues and ques tions.”

Q: Q:

What makes a great teacher?

"Someone who is true to their authenticity and genuinely open to learning from their students.

What was your favorite class in high school?

"It is so hard to pick just one, but I love Shwarma."

What is your favorite Middle Eastern dish? :A

"I took a course called American Studies which was an interdisciplinary class of English and history." :A Q: Q:

What was the first class you taught?

"About 30 years ago, I taught Talmud and Jewish Philosophy at the Schechter High School in Manhattan."

Why do you enjoy teaching Jewish History?

"Jewish History for me is a powerful locus of decisionmaking and understanding current Jewish communities and why and how Jews live today and practice Judaism." :A :A :A

Revolution

The night before a test, as I begin to study one final time, I open ChatGPT and ask it to quiz me on the material. ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence (AI) program by OpenAI that produces information from provided context. Not only does ChatGPT help me visualize possible test questions, but it also helps jog my memory as I introduce material to the software. It is an honest, responsible and convenient way for me to study.

The world is always evolving and advancing, and as humans, we must continue to keep up with it. This includes AI. There is no denying that AI has risks, but when used responsibly, it can be a tool, assisting us through daily tasks and obstacles. AI has countless benefits that can be put to good use.

According to the Harvard Business Review, AI can be beneficial in three main ways: reducing cognitive load, enhancing one’s ability to handle open-ended tasks and helping one learn and improve by receiving answers to questions. AI can assist workers in their lives by performing minor tasks to ease stress.

For instance, AI has proven to be extremely helpful in the medical field. According to Wilson Law, 250,000 deaths are caused annually in the U.S. due to human medical errors. This number can be decreased with the help of AI. As stated by Harvard Medical School, AI reduces human error by assisting in precise diagnosis and can take over small tasks, allowing doctors to allocate time to more important matters. AI has an accuracy rate of over 80%, according to Stanford University. Additionally, AI has unlimited availability. Unlike humans, AI will never get tired, catch a cold or have a conflicting schedule. This means that whenever anyone needs to consult a form of AI, it will always be within reach, especially during times of emergency.

ChatGPT has made its way into school settings and workplaces in the past couple of years. For example, in Chemistry class

BY THE

NUMBERS

77%

54% of devices currently in use have AI of employed respondents are worried AI will take their jobs of parents think AI could positively impact their children’s education

52%

we have been assigned to memorize the periodic table. I found myself struggling to remember the order of the elements, so I decided to create mnemonic devices to help. I turned to ChatGPT and it quickly provided me with a variety of options. This was an efficient way for me to further my studying while maintaining academic integrity.

Furthermore, according to the American Psychological Association, ChatGPT fosters critical thinking skills, as it can act as an interactive partner with whom you can have meaningful discussions or debates. ChatGPT can also encourage logical and analytical thinking, as it helps the user further understand the material, rather than simply memorizing facts, by generating customized learning methods and strategies.

Many people resent AI for its lack of ethics and creativity, as well as its potential to increase human laziness. In order to steer clear of any negative outcomes, it is crucial to focus on its benefits, which greatly outweigh the harms. As individuals, we must utilize it responsibly to pave the way to a more promising future.

Information from National University

Sophia Leinwand Reporter

or Risk? Con

What is real in this world anymore? There are machines having conversations with humans over social media, robots writing essays and artificial intelligence (AI) systems building the next generation of technology. The digital age brought the biggest revolution in human history causing the structures that have inhabited society for millennia to be uprooted. Human intelligence and creativity are actively being challenged, and AI is to blame. The increased use of AI is going to lead to a breakdown of society.

With many resources such as ChatGPT at our fingertips, it is nearly impossible to resist the temptations of AI. However, it is important to realize that human creativity is still paramount and it is vital that people, especially teenagers, tap into their critical thinking skills to further the progress of human society.

For high school students, understanding how to interact with material such as primary sources or skill-building worksheets engagingly is extremely important to develop skills for life after high school. AI hinders the ability to think deeply about important assignments. For example, it is a mindless task to insert information into an AI generator.

Stanford Medicine says that the brain is not fully developed until age 25, so if high school students are reliant on AI to analyze and think for them, then students are setting themselves up for failure in the professional world. If students under 25 are not able to fully develop critical thinking skills, they will be at a significant disadvantage in their future workplace.

“What human beings do that AI can never do well is the human relation piece,” High School Assistant Principal Aileen Goldstein said. “No matter what you can do with a computer, you still have to interact with one another, and that means engaging with ideas with somebody else, being able to have a dialogue back and forth, being able to debate [and] being able to parse what somebody’s saying and really analyze and think about it and apply it [in] unique [and] different ways.”

At CESJDS, the use of AI without permission is a violation

Artificial

“What human beings do that AI can never do well is the human relation piece.”

- High School Assistant Principal Aileen Goldstein

of academic integrity. The policy details that “failure to disclose use of AI is a violation of the CESJDS Academic Integrity Policy.” This creates ethical concerns about what students are claiming as “their work” and how their AI shortcuts verge on cheating in school when not cited.

In addition to the integrity issues that AI poses, the increase in reliance on technology and AI in the past few years has affected the developement of teens. According to Goldstein, due to many external factors, the school has had to amend their social-emotional learning to teach high school students social skills that teachers didn’t have to teach before the increase of reliance on technology.

“It’s the same challenge as phones and any other technology you can have in your hand, which is, ‘how do I learn to relate to people?’” Goldstein said.

There are undoubtedly benefits to AI, such as in healthcare and vehicle safety, but let us take a step back and examine the risks of blindly accepting AI into our lives. We must take the opportunity to critically examine how to ensure that the human race retains control over society and thrives with creativity and human ingenuity.

Eliana Wolf News Editor

- senior columnsLET THEM TALK

Stella Muzin Editor-in-Chief

Like many high school students, I have spent the past four years obsessed with what people say about me. Is it praise? Criticism? It took time, but ultimately I realized I needed to shut out the chatter and listen to myself.

Being talked about, whether good or bad, hurts. I remember on the last day of my junior year, one of my teachers was telling students about their first impression of each of us. When the teacher got to me, they said, “To be honest, I didn’t hear good things about you,” followed by, “but you proved them all wrong, and I’ve enjoyed having you in class.”

Whether this was meant as an insult or compliment is irrelevant – it made me feel horrible. I always work towards being a positive presence in different spaces, and hearing people’s negative perceptions of me hurt.

Similarly, I have experienced many instances of being a topic of gossip among peers. There have been times when my actions were immature, mean and deserving of criticism, but hearing how stories were misconstrued often negatively impacted my self-image.

I specifically remember one instance during sophomore year. A discussion about me on a group chat was led by a peer who I didn’t always get along with, and after seeing screenshots, I

remember feeling defeated and disgusted by myself and wanting to change.

For a lot of high school, I let gossip define me. I tried to make my actions bolder than their talk, deliberately acting in a way that wasn’t authentic. I tried to make my peers realize that what they thought about me wasn’t true. However, building a false persona was exhausting.

In May of my sophomore year, I discovered how insignificant this gossip really was. I was up late at a friend’s house, feeling anxious after overhearing girls talking about me that day. Instead of defending them or blowing off my concerns, one of my friends said something that changed my perspective: that what these girls were saying was irrelevant, as I wasn’t even friends with them. By senior year, I finally realized that it is okay if people don’t like me; they don’t have to! I’ve accepted that not everyone will understand my personality, and that the people who deserve to know me will. More than that, I have learned to stop entertaining gossip and to just let them talk. As I leave CESJDS, I depart with true friends who don’t care whether I’m being talked about. I depart with the knowledge that no matter what people are saying about me, I like myself, and that counts more than anything else.

Photos from Freed Photography and Stella Muzin, LT.

With Lily and Stella Elphaba

2. CatS or 1. 3. or DOgs Cholent Brisket or Web Print 5. 4. 6. Winter SUmmer or Beach Mountains or Pencil Pen or 8. 7. 9.

love

or that this >Hate

Lily Rulnick Editor-in-Chief

The war in Israel has been emotional for so many of us. There have been numerous occasions where I have felt incredibly hopeless, scared and confused. There have been days when the hatred in our world was so palpable I felt like I was suffocating.

Then, one day, I came across an Israel-related Instagram post with six simple words: “Our love is stronger than their hate.”

For so long, I let the loud, cruel voices I was seeing online consume my thoughts. This quote, however, helped me reframe the narrative and alleviate a lot of the hopelessness that I was experiencing. Yes, their hate could be loud, but our love for Israel and Judaism could be even louder.

One Monday, after another weekend had brought more news of antisemitic attacks, I remember walking into the eighth grade Zman Kodesh where I am an Ozeret feeling deflated about the state of the world. My weekend had been filled with fear about living as a Jew in a world that seemed to hate me simply because of my religion.

However, as my rowdy eighth grade students settled down and began Shacharit, the fear in my chest started to dissolve. I realized that this was the epitome of letting our Jewish pride be louder than any hate. As a class, we banged on the table and spiritedly sang Ahava Rabah and closed our eyes to chant the Shema together.

As a people, we Jews have faced so much adversity. But we’re still here, reciting the Ashrei at 8:10 in the morning. We must continue to recite these prayers that have connected us to fellow Jews as well as our ancestors as loudly as we can.

This new philosophy gave me a way to take action in a seemingly uncontrollable situation. I could spread love. I could continue to practice Judaism and demonstrate pride for my religion. Finally, I was able to find a way to claw myself out of the darkness and focus on the immense light that this community brings me.

Outside of my Jewish life, I’ve tried to incorporate this ideology into how I approach everyday situations. It’s easy to get wrapped up in negativity. It’s natural to give more energy to those who spill our cup rather than fill it. But if you make a conscious effort to focus on the good in your life, the world will seem a lot less scary.

I’m not going to lie; it’s not easy. Even as a generally positive person, I’ve had to practice focusing my energy on the good, and I still struggle. In reality, this happens. Nobody’s perfect, and it’s impossible to be positive all the time. It is important, however, to allow ourselves to embrace the bad without getting stuck in the negative emotions that come with it. We must remember the legitimacy of the good.

Photos from Freed Photography and Lily Rulnick, LT.

Photos by Cati Werbin, LT.

- senior columns -

It’s no biggie

Aliza Bellas ManagingEditor,Copy

This past April, during the peak of junior year stress, an immediate family member of mine was diagnosed with an alarming medical condition. Between long drives to the hospital and constantly worrying about my loved one’s health, my world simply felt like it was falling apart.

While my friends and peers were worrying about their latest “B” on an English 11 ADV essay, a drop in their GPA or acceptances to their dream universities, my mind was elsewhere. Everything that used to worry me felt so insignificant in the grand scheme.

Though this experience has been painful to endure, it has taught me an immeasurably valuable lesson: stop sweating the little things.

Everything feels so important at this stage in life. It is developmentally appropriate to be worried about grades, relationship drama and the fact that you

Bursting the bubble

People often ask me, “How could that person think and act like that?” or “Why would that person vote for that candidate?”

Throughout my life, I’ve come across people from plenty of diverse backgrounds. Though they may range in economic or citizenship status, they are similar in one regard: unique experiences that influence both their beliefs and actions.

In today’s political environment, many people choose to live in echo chambers – they live in realities in which they only surround themselves with people who think similarly to them and media that produce customized information to appeal to them.

This trend is extremely harmful to our society as it creates an environment that fosters ignorance. The lack of openness toward others pushes people to an attitude of hostility with their fellow Americans.

While in high school, I have had opportunities to meet all kinds of people in my work on various political campaigns and as an intern at the League of United Latin American Citizens. By taking the time to metaphorically walk in their footsteps, I was able to understand their unique viewpoints and appreciate their diverse perspectives.

As the Class of 2025 graduates and leaves the ‘JDS bubble,’ my advice is to take the time to understand people’s experiences that are different from your own.

The literature we read and the videos we view are a good way to gain a glimpse of other people’s experiences. But set down the books and screens, and meet real people who are different from you. It’s the only way to defeat division in this country.

accidentally stalked someone’s TikTok without turning off profile views. But the next time you begin drowning yourself in anxiety concerning something so miniscule, I’ll ask you to ground yourself.

Consider how what just happened is going to affect you in the long-term. So many of the little things we agonize over are completely irrelevant in the big picture. Remind yourself of that.

Let me be clear: I’m not trying to diminish the importance of academics or discourage you from pursuing extracurricular opportunities. I am only asking you to prioritize and adjust your emotional attachment to these things accordingly.

Give yourself a break. I promise, when you look back, you’ll realize everything was just no biggie.

Ari Kittrie ManagingEditor,Web

All front facing photos taken by Freed Photography.

Being nice is overrated

Gigi Gordon In-DepthEditor

“Do I look good in this?” We’ve all had someone ask us this and we don’t know what to do because their outfit is not great. The options are simple. Lie and spare their feelings or be honest. I used to avoid answering these questions until I realized that there is only one correct option: be honest.

Once during peer review I was admittedly tearing my partner’s essay apart and when it was time to switch back I was worried I upset them. They were fine but I, on the other hand, was irritated. I opened my essay and found a singular “good job” comment per paragraph.

I was annoyed, because even though my partner was nice to me, they were not honest. We need the truth to help us work on ourselves just like we need it to help us work on our essays. The drawback to honesty is that it does upset people

Confrontation is Key

I am not a mind reader. Although I try my best to empathize with others and be aware of my surroundings, the most effective way for me to truly understand someone is through their words.

Confrontation, in my opinion, is one of the most powerful ways to gain insight into yourself and others. Sure, confrontation can be scary. It is difficult to express your thoughts honestly and open up about your emotions. However, this fosters healthy communication, an essential skill you’ll rely on throughout your life.

If someone upsets me, I let them know. How can I expect them to change if they don’t realize their actions affected me?

I encourage others to do the same. I want people to point out my mistakes and tell me when I’m at fault so that I can take the steps to improve it. After all, we can’t learn if we don’t know where we’ve gone wrong.

I will admit, confronting others is not an easy task; it takes plenty of courage. I used to be terrified to stand up for myself, often keeping my feelings to myself and hoping others would eventually realize when their words had hurt me. It wasn’t until someone confronted me about a way in which I hurt them that I realized the importance of speaking up.

Don’t be afraid to tell people what you really think. If they don’t like what they hear, or are not willing to listen and understand you, then they may not be the right person to surround yourself with. Those who truly value and respect you will take the time to listen and validate your feelings, which will help create a safe environment where you can share comfortably and grow together.

sometimes. What I have come to realize is that unsolicited honesty is just judgment, and that is what hurts people. This is the reason why it would be impossible to be honest at every opportunity. It took me most of high school to find the line between honesty and judgment, and the reality is that I am still working on it. I can’t really tell you how you find that line, but what I can tell you is that you will not get there by being nice to everyone. Being nice is not how to get to fully know people, and you cannot be honest with a person you do not really know.

I am not telling anyone to be mean, but what I am saying is that when faced with the choice of being mean or nice, just be honest instead.

Baby photos taken by Aliza Bellas, Gigi Gordon, Ari Kittrie and Cati Werbin, LT.

Cati Werbin Arts and Entertainment Editor

ShiftinG THE FOCUS

When Elizabeth Davis, mother of CESJDS senior Sammy Davis-Jacobs, was informed by her son’s second grade teacher that he was having difficulty focusing in class, she didn’t hesitate to take him to his pediatrician to get tested for Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). As she had suspected, he was diagnosed with the developmental disorder and prescribed daily medication a week later.

The experience of being diagnosed and medicated from an early age has become increasingly common. According to a Center for Disease Control (CDC) national survey of parents, an estimated seven million (11.4% of) children aged 3–17 years in the U.S. were diagnosed with ADHD in 2022, which marked a 16.6% increase since 2016. Over 50% of these children were being treated through medication.

With such a large percentage of minors recently being diagnosed with ADHD, many questions arise. Should children be diagnosed so young? Is medication the right choice for every child? What should schools do to address this large issue?

Diagnostic process

According to the National Institute of Technology, ADHD presents differently in everyone. Thus, every diagnostic process is unique. Many professionals can

diagnose ADHD in adolescents, including pediatricians, psychologists and psychiatrists.

Unlike other disabilities, ADHD cannot be read on a brain scan or blood test. Patients seeking a diagnosis must have their symptoms carefully observed.

“We assess, evaluate and diagnose based on self-reports, observations, other reports, clinical history and family history, all these things,” clinical psychologist and alumnus Dr. Michael Reiter (’99) said. “And then we use the official manuals as a guide to help us determine if what that person’s presenting with fits into one of these domains, which then allows us to prescribe what the treatment would be, whether it’s therapy and/or medication.”

The diagnostic test can be long and extensive. It includes many different sections such as reading comprehension tests, computer vision comprehension tests, a section organizing shapes, an Intelligence Quotient test and meetings with a psychiatrist or another licensed professional.

In fifth grade, after a JDS teacher suggested he get tested for ADHD, alumnus Eli Gordon (’22) sat in a room for multiple hours, clicking a button on a screen whenever he heard it beep, he was being tested for an ADHD diagnosis he knew very little about.

“At first I was really upset, because it felt like I was different than everyone else, and I was gon-

na stand out, and I just felt like I had a disability,” Gordon said. “And I really was against all medications, and just honestly, doing anything to fix it, because I was just so upset when I heard.”

Concerns with diagnosing Testing for ADHD can be a controversial topic for families. Students like Gordon, who were diagnosed with ADHD at such a young age, often complain about the extensive length of the test. According to Gordon, the length of the test felt like it was designed to have him reach a spot where he simply could no longer focus on the task at hand, highlighting a symptom of ADHD.

“I obviously hated that it was so long because I don’t like sitting still and listening to a thing beep for hours and hours,” Gordon said. “But in order to really understand if somebody has ADHD or ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), I think it is definitely necessary.”

According to Lenore Layman, the Lower School Director of Educational Support Services, another concern that many families share when considering testing or medication for ADHD or other learning differences is the high costs. The price of ADHD testing can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars, according to MedicalNews Today.

“Private psychologists, because they spend a lot of time not just giving the test but analyzing

Photo Illustration by Gigi Gordon

Educators and parents work to assist growing number of students with ADHD

Vivi Ducker Features Editor Maiya Blumenthal Opinion Editor Sadaf Zadeh A&E Editor

it and writing it up, cost a lot of money,” Director of Upper School Educational Support Services Sue Zuckerman said. “And so there are places one can go that might take medical insurance.”

Public school system tests are usually cheaper than private practices, but according to Layman, the price difference between the public and private testing has an impact on the quality of the accuracy itself.

“We do work with some families to guide them to have testing through the public school system here and there’s some psychologists and other clinical settings that take some insurance plans,” Layman said. “But testing from some of those places that aren’t private, there can be a much longer wait, and sometimes the testing may not be as comprehensive.”

The label of a diagnosis

Even without the concerns of the length or price of the test, there are still parents against diagnosis in the first place. They do not want their child to be treated differently due to their disability, according to Layman.

For Gordon, diagnosis at first felt like something that would hold him back. Because he was only ten years old when he was diagnosed, he did not fully understand ADHD, how to accommodate his needs or manage his self-confidence.

“Just knowing that I was gonna have to work harder than everyone else just to be in line with them, I felt like I was just put at a disadvantage academically and then also socially,” Gordon said.

“It was something that I thought people would make fun of me for being, for example, like just being different.”

However, in hindsight, Gordon feels that getting this “label” early in life was helpful because he could learn how to deal with his ADHD well for

the rest of his life.

“I was always a little bit behind, and it’s not a bad thing to have ADHD, but I think understanding how to learn with it when you’re young helps you when you’re older,” Gordon said. “I feel like I’m still at the point where I have to work harder than everyone else because it took me a while to understand how my brain really works.”

Despite the initial hesitancy that students like Gordon have, according to Zuckerman, confirmed diagnoses and labels are ultimately necessary for making sure students get the accommodations and the attention they need to succeed.

“I don’t like using labels, but if that’s the way you’re going to get the services that you need, whether it be in college or here or from the SAT, then you have to have a diagnosis,” Zuckerman said.

Medication and the potential concerns with medicating

Medications for ADHD fall under two main categories: stimulants and non-stimulants, according to Cleveland Clinic. Each type of medication has one shared purpose, which is to increase the number of neurotransmitters in the brain and minimize symptoms of ADHD.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, stimulants, like medications such as Ritalin and Adderall, increase the levels of dopamine and norepinephrine, playing key roles in stress and attention span. Non-stimulants do the same but are rarer. They take longer to work and are usually only prescribed if stimulants are not addressing a patient’s symptoms well or are causing adverse side effects.

Although medication can be extremely effective, an aspect of medication that can cause concern for families is the cost. 30 capsules of 50 milligram extended-release Adderall is $293, ac

- in-depth -

cording to MedicalNewsToday.

“These medications are ridiculously expensive if you have to pay out of pocket or before you’ve met your deductible for the year,” Jacobs said. “I understand that we all have to meet our deductibles, but between the cost of the medication and the fact that so many of them are unavailable because of shortage issues since COVID, we’re constantly playing this game of ‘Can I get the meds, and at what price and how do I even access them?’”

Additionally, while Cleveland Clinic studies have shown that 80% of the time stimulants are effective in mitigating symptoms of ADHD, they come with side effects. These side effects, including loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping and increased levels of anxiety raise the question of whether ADHD medication is worth the risk.

Erin Gris, parent of senior Navah Gris, seventh grade student Avital Gris, and a child at a different school thinks these side effects should lead people to be more conscious of how young their child is when they begin taking medication.

“I think sometimes we need to give children time and space to just naturally go through their developmental stages, even if they are a little bit behind their classmates,” Gris said. “... Many little kids are [in] first grade, kindergarten and are medicated already. I just think, in my opinion, I think that’s just too young. We need to give the kids a little time to develop and grow into their abilities.”

Additionally, in some cases, the side effects of medication have a large impact on someone’s personality. Davis sees a contrast between Davis-Jacobs and his other family members with ADHD’s actions when they are taking and not taking their medication.

“When [they] are off their meds, they’re much more social, they’re much more creative and engaged, they eat normally,” Davis said. “It just tamps down the personality, the medications, for each of these family members. It makes them much more subdued, much more in control, which I guess is a good thing for impulse control and impulsivity and blurting. But it’s like somebody just kind of puts

a scrim in front of the screen. It’s just looking through this haze.”

For Gordon, this change in personality leads to a concern of a reliance on a medication that drastically changes behavior.

“I’m personally against [ADHD medication] because I feel like now in my life, in order to really focus, I need to take my medication,” Gordon said. “I just don’t think it’s good for kids to rely on any kind of substance to get things done. It’s like an addiction. I feel like when you put kids on Adderall or ADHD medicine early in their lives, they don’t know how to overcome it without the medication.”

Despite his grievances with medication, Gordon, along with many other people diagnosed with ADHD, continues to use it. Andrea Lee-Zucker, mother of senior Stella Muzin, has been taking ADHD medication since she was diagnosed in her 30s.

Though Lee-Zucker experienced symptoms such as difficulty sleeping and increased levels of anxiety that led her to take medication, after figuring out the right medicine to address her symptoms, she felt very good about her decision to take medication.

“I started medication, and it really changed my life,” Lee-Zucker said. “It used to be that I didn’t know where to start with anything. And you know, either I can hyper-focus, or I would just be kind of scattered and all over the place … [The medication] really helped me to focus and suddenly I was able to feel like I could take all this energy that was inside me and put it out in the world before.”

JDS’ approach

In addition to medication, many students diagnosed with ADHD must also address the behavioral aspects of the disorder. Because of this, many schools are required to offer accommodations to address the learning gap that ADHD can cause for students.

At JDS, the specific accommodations offered for students with documented learning disabilities are extended time for tests, quizzes and in-class essays, preferential seating and extra white space or enlarged print for tests and worksheets. Any student who seeks these accommodations must qualify through documenta-

MEET THE Team

Educational support staff in the Upper School

Sue Zuckerman

tion of their diagnosis.

Students with these accommodations must also take a Structured Study Hall (SSH) to address executive functioning skills, as executive dysfunction often goes hand in hand with ADHD, according to Zuckerman. Skills students work on in a SSH include practicing how to use a planner to spread out assignments, get assistance academically or learning test-taking and study strategies.

Upper School Learning Specialist

Marjorie Kane

Middle School Learning Specialist

Brett Kugler

Ricki Farber Tenth Grade Dean and High School Learning Specialist Director of Upper School Educational Support Services

Ronitte Libedinsky

High School Learning Specialist

“Students have a tool belt and they have all the tools, but I get to teach them how to use some of the tools that they didn’t know how to use,” High School Learning Specialist and tenth grade Dean Brett Kugler said. “I really find a tremendous sense of personal value in knowing that the work I’m doing is allowing students to go into the world feeling more prepared, more independent, more able to also work with a team and to see the value in balancing those skills.”

One of the primary differences between a typical study hall and SSH at JDS is the supervision that is provided for students. In SSH, one of the things that the faculty member who runs the class does is “check-ins” with students to ensure that they are staying on-task, as opposed to a regular study hall, where students are not provided with specific guidance.

“Structured study hall, I think, is a pretty good system,” senior Sunny Coxe said. “While there’s a lot that could be improved there, the fact that there is a study hall specifically for people who struggle with this kind of thing is generally a good thing, because it means that there’s a system to address it, even if there are things that could be changed.”

In addition to these modifications, JDS gives teachers an ESS plan, a summary of each student’s unique needs to help ensure that they are aware of the fact that a student’s additional need in order to succeed in class.

“Teachers know that I have ADHD, which is almost on its own an accommodation because they know that I have to be understood in different ways,” Davis-Jacobs said. “[They know] that sometimes I might need to take a break or I might need to go on a walk or I might need to get a breather from

the class when I’m off my meds or when I’m not able to focus.”

JDS’ assistance is helpful for many, as some students need some additional structure or time to complete tasks in an academic setting. For others, those accommodations do not feel appropriate.

One example of a student who sometimes finds the SSH “checkins” tedious is Davis-Jacobs.

“There were times when I felt that the check-ins were important and I’m looking back and I know that they were important, but sometimes in the moment, it just felt like too much,” Davis-Jacobs said. “When I had to get something done, it was like, ‘let’s go through your planner and let’s check it and let’s make sure it’s up to date’ but sometimes I’m hyper-focused, and I really want to get this one piece of work done, and it’s like an interruption and in normal study hall, you really don’t have that interruption.”

An additional accommodation at JDS is extended time, which allows students who require more focus to complete tasks to get the additional time necessary for them to succeed. However, according to Reiter (‘99), it doesn’t always play that role.

“I think extended time can be very helpful,” Reiter said. “But also extended time can sometimes give people more time to struggle with something.”

Along with Reiter, several students, like junior Lilah Waldman, believe there is more that can be done to help students at JDS who require additional attention.

“Having extended time is nice and it’s beneficial, but that’s not the only aspect of ADHD,” Waldman said. “For me, I procrastinate so hard, I turn in all my homework late and then I get really behind and get really stressed. So, having extended time is helpful for [things] like tests, but there’s so much more to ADHD that those accommodations don’t fit and don’t help for.”

This issue has raised concerns for some prospective JDS parents. As Jewish families search for schools that provide accommodations that their child needs while getting a well-rounded Jewish education, some prosepective JDS families find themselves faced with the choice between

having their children educated in a Jewish environment or educated in an environment where they will be best adapted to.

Gris is one parent who had to make this decision. When seeking out a school for her daughter, Gris struggled to find a Jewish school that could provide the accommodations she felt her child needed to succeed academically.

Ultimately, Gris decided to send her daughter to a secular private school that would be able to suit her daughter’s needs as a student. Regardless, her frustrations still lie in the fact that her daughter would not get the Jewish education due to the fact that she would not be in an environment where she felt she would be supported enough to be successful.

“I think what I would really like to see is a deeper understanding and a deeper training for all staff to understand and recognize ADHD behaviors and understand that they come from a learning disability, or they come from ADHD,” Gris said.

Jewish education is constantly evolving to help various groups in order to be as inclusive as possible. This includes adapting to learning disabilities like ADHD to provide a Jewish education that students can thrive in.

“I really firmly believe that Jewish educators can get there, and we are getting there very slowly,” Gris said. “But I do think

By the Numbers

7 million children between 3 and 17 diagnosed with ADHD in 2022

16.6 percent increase in ADHD diagnoses since 2016

50 percent of children diagnosed are treated with medication

Data from the CDC

there needs to be a lot more time, energy and money put towards how to keep children in a Jewish environment and teach them in a way that you know they can learn, [and that] would be my hope.”

Moving forward

Beyond symptomatic accommodations that schools and medications offer for ADHD, according to Lee-Zucker, there is more to be done in addressing the challenges people with ADHD face. Lee-Zucker believes that, while students like Gordon have fears of feeling different because they have ADHD, their learning disability shouldn’t make a student different from their peers.

“It’s sometimes challenging that the world seems to be built for a certain type of person,” Lee-Zucker said. “. .. People with ADHD are a gift to the world, and there are new things that we can learn from the way that people think. I hope for places to be able to make space for different ways of being, and not to try to force people into a certain box, because there’s so much that we can learn from having diverse perspectives and personalities and learning types.”

Photo illustration by Stella Muzin, LT

Riding The Surge

Jewish life grows post Oct. 7

Tali Loeffler SportsEditor

Almost 300,000 people stood together on the Washington National Mall as Jews from across the country pray together for the return of hostages held captive by Hamas. It was Nov. 14, 2023, only a month after the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, and this was the largest rally of Jewish people in U.S. history.

According to a study done by the Jewish Federations of North America, over 40% of American Jews have become more involved with some form of Judaism since Oct. 7. Rabbis and Jewish educators have referred to this phenomenon as “the surge”: an increase in Jewish life and the rediscovery of Jewish identity after Oct. 7.

Junior Ella Arking has felt a stronger connection to Judaism post-Oct. 7. While she was an Orthodox Jew before the attack, she now engages in more practices, and Judaism has become a bigger part of her life.

“I can be proud of that [my Judaism] and really incorporate that more in my life, because it’s really nice that I have the opportunity to come to school every day and pray and go to shul every Shabbat, whereas some people, it’s scary for them to do that, going to shul is risking their life,” Arking said. “I think in general that’s why a lot of people are gravitating more towards Jewish institutions and becoming more Jewish as well, because it was a really scary event that made people realize, ‘Oh, I’m also a Jew.’”

In particular, “the surge” has manifested itself in Jewish insti-

tutions. This includes more en rollment in Jewish community centers, synagogues and Jewish day schools. Jewish education group, Primzah, reported that more than a third of Jewish day schools in North America saw increased inquiries from par ents at some point after Oct. 7. Hillel International, a non-prof it organization for Jewish life on college campuses, has had a 17% increase in participation over the past year, according to the New York Times.

Rabbi Ben Berger, Senior Vice President of Jewish Educa tion, Community and Culture at Hillel International and parent of senior Tovah Berger, has seen the increase in Jewish life on campus firsthand. Especially during the months directly after Oct. 2023, Berger saw more people attending programs at Hillel such as vig ils, services and educational classes.

In the largest pro Israel rally in U.S. history, almost 300,000 people gathered together on the Washington National Mall. Photo by Mia Forseter, LT.

40% of American Jews are more involved in Jewish life

3,000 people converted to Reform Judaism

talk to and learn from each other.

“The surge” has also been extremely influential on social media, with many influencers and famous Jewish people speaking about the Israel-Hamas war and the increase in antisemitism in the U.S.. One such influencer, Tiktok-and-Instagramer Ellie Zeiler, decided to move to Israel and enroll in a seminary.

“People are looking for people who are like them,” Berger said. “ ... We worked hard to get campuses to really provide experiences that would be open and welcoming, and help students find Hillel early on, and there was a lot of concerted effort to take ad vantage of the surge.”

Berger has found that stu dents are particularly interested in the Jewish and Israel educa tional classes that Hillel offers. In these cohort learning groups, stu dents come together to study and discuss issues relating to Israel and the Jewish people. Addition ally, more students have grown interested in ‘bridge-building programs,’ which bring together Jews and non-Jews on campus to

17% Hillel participation increase

“I think we are seeing some of [celebrities speaking out about Judaism], whether it manifests as religious or not depends, but we are definitely seeing that type [of] response that people really just want a deep connection with their people right now,” Berger

Reconnection to religious identity has been a core part of “the surge.” According to the Jewish Chronicle, synagogues across the country have seen an increase in member participation. The Reform Movement had around 3,000 people interested in conversion this year, according to the New York Times.

30% increase in Sefaria users

the New York Times

In the CESJDS community, this year there was an increase of students in prayer options for Zman Kodesh (ZK). 52% of students enrolled in a davening ZK compared to the 44% from last year. Jewish Life Chair and math teacher Robbie Shorr attributes this increase to an increased drive to connect, which may have been influenced by the events of Oct. 7.

“I think people across the board in the high school … are more willing to have vulnerable talks about spirituality, regardless of their own personal, traditional preferences,” Shorr said.

BACK TO THEIR ROOTS

Mia Forseter SportsEditor

Every Saturday, junior Eitan Rattner attends four hours of school at Holy Child, the Argentinian school in Washington, D.C.. There, he learns social studies, language and literature.

Holy Child is an extension of the Argentinian education system, and Rattner attends to learn more about his family’s culture. When he graduates Holy Child in spring 2025, he will receive a diploma from the Argentinian Department of Education.

“[The school] is something that I found very special ... because it teaches me a lot more about where I come from and it allows me to have a space where I can relate and be with other people who share my identity,” Rattner said.

Nearly every U.S. citizen is a descendant of immigrants in some way. In 2023, 27% of U.S. citizens were first or second generation immigrants, according to the Migration Policy Institute.

The CESJDS Admissions Department reports that members of the JDS community speak over 10 languages in their homes, including Hebrew, French, Spanish and Farsi. The Rattners are one of these families, speaking exclusively Spanish at home.

Both of Rattner’s parents are immigrants, having moved to the U.S. from Argentina in Sept. 2001. The family maintains their Argentinian culture in the house through foods and customs. However, Micaela Carmio, Rattner’s mother, notices differences in her kids’ lives from her childhood.

For example, she was hesitant to send her oldest child to sleepaway camp, since children do not leave home until after college in Argentina. But after seeing how the experience benefited her daughter, she sent her younger children as well.

“I don’t find a difficulty for them having a different culture than me, because I see them having a very significant Argentine culture embedded [in] their every-

day life,” Carmio said. “I think it’s more of an advantage for them to be more open to cultural differences.”

Senior Skye Feinstein also experiences dual culture. Feinstein’s mother is from Scotland, and after traveling for 20 years as an on-site reporter for Reuters, she ended up in the U.S., where she started a family. As a result, Feinstein grew up on Celtic fairy tales and often uses Scottish phrases.

The biggest difference Feinstein sees having an immigrant parent is the long-distance relationships with family members.

“I’m really close with my Scottish family,” Feinstein said. “But I think honestly the major difference between me and other people’s families is that it’s less about when I do get to visit them and more about when I don’t get to visit them … For some people, your family is a block away, and for us, it’s a plane away.”

It is also common for students and faculty to have Israeli parents. Athletic trainer Romi Nachman’s (‘18) parents moved to the U.S. from Israel in the mid-’90s. After Nachman graduated from JDS, she had to decide whether to attend college

or join the Israeli Defense Forces like her entire family had. Nachman said that the sacrifices her father made to move to the U.S. influenced her decision, and she ended up going to college to get an education before making a decision about the military.

An important connection to Israeli culture for Nachman is remembrance days, something she says she had more of a connection to than her peers, as she considers herself Israeli. According to the Pew Research Center, a majority of second generation immigrants most often identify themselves by their family’s country of origin.

“A big thing that I have always thought about as a child of immigrants, is balancing the difference between being an Israeli and being an American,” Nachman said. “ ... Obviously I’m physically living in America, and have to do all the things that a citizen has to do. But in my heart, I feel more present in Israel because the majority of my family lives in Israel.” Immigrant families

Photo by Sadaf Zadeh, LT.

“The first time I know my name - Elana Ernst, “Seeds” so loud that they have been mistaken for thunder, for God’s heartbeat” from nothing but voices I will learn that I come from vibrations

Voice to VERSE

Lindsey Shapiro Reporter

As she stood in front of 3,000 people at The Anthem in D.C., sophomore Elana Ernst read the first few words from her poem “Wounds Like These” about her feelings surrounding the ongoing war in Israel.

Writing poetry is a way for Ernst to manage her emotions and deal with challenges that come up in her life. She does this by writing things that she feels unable to express any other way.

While Elana wrote some poetry for fun before the COVID-19 pandemic, her passion for poetry blossomed during National Poetry Writing Month in April 2020, when she participated in a challenge to write a poem every day.

“That was the first time that I was not just like, ‘Oh, I feel like writing a poem,’” Ernst said. “It was, ‘Okay, I’m gonna sit down and write a poem.’”

In 2022, Ernst was named the Montgomery County Youth Poet Laureate (YPL), which is an ambassador of poetry who is focused on justice and excels in both writing and reading works. This title led Elana to perform her poems at the Warner Theater, teachers’ galas, mentorship programs and at the Mar-

vin Gaye Memorial concert at the Kennedy Center.

While writing became a bigger part of her life during COVID-19, Elana has had a passion for storytelling since she was young.

“We didn’t know she had it in her,” Elana’s father Jeff Ernst said. “When we first read her stuff we were like ‘Wow, that’s really amazing.’”

Over the years, Elana received multiple Scholastic Art and Writing awards at the regional level, including three gold medals, two silver medals and one bronze medal. She also earned a silver medal at the national level.

Through her position as Montgomery County’s YPL, Elana met Patrick Washington, Poetry Director of the organization Words, Beats and Life. Washington helped Elana edit her poems and attain more performance opportunities throughout her year as YPL and beyond.

Washington was one of five judges who selected Elana to be the YPL after reading a description of her community work and extracurricular activities, some samples of her work and watching a video of her reciting one of her poems.

“Her youth and her energy was very infectious,” Washing-

Sophomore expresses herself through poetry

ton said. “She had a real powerful drive and a love of words and a social conscience that really belied her age.”

In May 2022, after the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, Elana called Washington, upset, and said she wanted to do something about it. With his help, Elana compiled and edited a poem addressed to the leaders of the United States titled “America, Are You Listening?” Washington said he was very moved by this action from such a young person.

“That’s a perfect example of the type of young person that she is,” Washington said. “She saw a need, she was touched by it and made sure that she reached out and touched others.”

Elana also has role models who inspired her to capture the positive things as well as the struggles in the world. One of these inspirations is poet Sarah Kay, who Elana thinks is able to translate universal experiences and beautiful things into poetry very well.

“When I was younger, I would look at other writers in their work and be like, I could never do that,” Elana said. “And I don’t know if I’m doing that now, but I think writing is kind of like an instrument, which is something people don’t realize. And if you practice and work on it a lot, it really makes a big difference.”

teaching Customs

Student to Student program promotes interfaith understanding

Ruby Kotok Features Editor

Students at Elizabeth Seton High School, a private allgirls school, had heard about Judaism and Israel, and maybe attended a B’nai Mitzvah or two. But to some of them, many Jewish terms were unfamiliar. Yet, after senior Rafi Siegel and three other Jewish teens spoke to their class about their experience as Jews, especially in a post-Oct. 7 world, Siegel said he was able to connect with his audience well.

This presentation was a part of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) Student to Student program, which invites students to speak about their Jewish experiences at high schools around the DMV.

“[The students] were surprised that we came in and said, ‘We have a very, very strong connection to Israel, and this is why we have a strong connection to Israel, and it doesn’t mean we support everything that happens [actions of the Israeli government],’” Siegel said. “I think that made a difference for them.”

Siegel is a group leader, and is working alongside 121 other Jewish teens in the area. The program aims to combat antisemitism by facilitating conversations and establishing personal connections between teens, according to Mandy Book,

Assistant Director of Education Programs and Services at the JCRC of Greater Washington.

Working in groups of four, representatives speak to classes at public and private schools using materials assembled by the Be the Narrative organization, which launched in 2022 to elevate the Student to Student program nationally. Topics range from Jewish life cycle events to common practices. Junior Ella Arking said that participating in the program has helped prepare her for interactions she might have beyond high school.

“I don’t really have a lot of interaction with non-Jews,” Arking said. “I found that [it was] difficult to explain Judaism … So throughout the presentation, I actually had to learn how to use other words to describe words [Jewish terms] that are in my daily life, because the students don’t understand.”

While Arking is a modern Orthodox Jew, she is grouped with students from a range of backgrounds who have different ways of practicing.

“No two Jews are the same, and no two observances are exactly the same. Every family, synagogue and community does things a little bit differently,” Book said. “And even within those groups, each individual does it a little differently according to their belief on their practice, so we end up with a really

diverse group of presenters.”

Along with religion and culture, representatives also cover antisemitism, the Holocaust and Israel. Since the program is non-political, teens refrain from giving any political stances. Instead, they focus mainly on the faith-based connection between Israel and Judaism, as well as pieces about their own connection with the land.

“Our students are so gratified when they are able to feel heard and understood, when they’re able to share something that’s really meaningful to them and find a willing and listening ear in someone who is interested in caring about their life and wants to know more,” Book said. “It’s such a positive experience in both directions.”

Siegel said that the opportunity to share his personal experiences as a Jewish teen with a connection to Israel was the most important to him.

“These kids could have all these things on the slideshow told to them by a teacher in their class, but instead, they get to hear it from Jewish teens, from kids their age,” Siegel said. “… So I do think that the face-to-face interaction of seeing students who are just like them, who are the same age as them, who are their peers, telling them about what it means to be Jewish, has a very strong impact.”

Ask the Lions: Senior Ezra Raskin

“I like presenting about Judaism in a diverse context.” What do you like about Student to Student?

“I appreciate the opportunity to teach nonJews about Judaism.”

Junior Maya Greenblum

Junior Maya Greenblum educates students on wedding customs and traditions in Judaism.

Junior Mia Forseter explains the history of Israel and Zionism to nonJewish students.

Students at Walter Johnson High School learn about Judaism from CESJDS Students.

Photo by Eliana Abrams, LT.

Photo from Maya Greenblum, used with permission

Patriotic parents

Children of Jewish military veterans

Jackson Gill Guest Writer

During his 21 years of service in the U.S. Navy, Dr. Jeffrey Blair, a retired United States Navy Commander and Medical Corps Officer and father to freshman Ephraim Blair, served as a flight surgeon, responsible for looking after pilots. Jeffrey struggled to uphold his Jewish practice during his service, particularly holiday observance and kashrut. However, one year, Jeffrey challenged himself to change that.

“I wanted to have a Seder, and I had brought lots of stuff from home: canned gefilte fish and that sort of thing,” Jeffery said. “I had everything set up, so we were pretty much good to go … I couldn’t have a warrant to grape juice though, just regulations.”

Military families in the U.S. are quite common. According to the National Library of Medicine, 40% of U.S. military members have children. However, the obstacles they face do not deter millions from making the commitment to their country and families.

On top of observance, Jewish members of the military face antisemitism. In 2021, the Anti-Defamation League saw a 75% increase in reports of military antisemitism even though only 0.3% of the U.S. military is Jewish. Since then, the number has only risen, according to Aleph Military, an organization dedicated to assisting Jewish members of the U.S. military.

“I mean, with my last name Blair, [my Judaism] kind of glosses over, but it’s more the fact that people just don’t understand,” Jeffrey said. “I had a commanding officer who said to me, ‘Why can’t other Jews be like you?’ So I’d say it’s a lack of education above all else.”

JEWS in the US Military

20,000 Jewish active duty soldiers currently in the US military 12 Jewish women in the first graduating class of the US Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps in 1942 1862 Jacob Frankel becomes first Jewish military chaplain in the US military Information from

Times of Israel and Jewish Virtual Library

Despite these challenges, military family life has many elements that align with Jewish values. Ephraim feels a strong connection between his father’s service, his parental approach and Judaism, describing his family dynamic as structured and “no-nonsense.”

“I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s strict,” Ephraim said. “But it’s always very important to follow the rules.”

Influenced by his father, Ephraim believes that people have a responsibility to do their best and persevere. He encourages other children in the military community to stay resilient while their parents are deployed. Although Jeffrey went on fewer deployments than most, he was stationed in Iraq for several months.

“Don’t get too upset if they’re away, and just work, work hard.” Ephraim said. “Don’t slack off because your parent is gone sometimes. You have to take on responsibility, and it’s your duty to work hard.”

Ephraim isn’t the only student with a military parent at JDS; senior Soleil Eschenlauer’s parents have also had military

careers. Her mother is a U.S. Army veteran and her father is in active-duty hospital administration. Eschenlauer’s family values are a big part of her identity and she sees herself following in her parents’ footsteps.

“We’re very patriotic people,” Eschenlauer said. “We really support the U.S., and I personally want to go into the military … I’ve always wanted to go to a military school.”

Although Eschenlauer is enthusiastic about the military, she also understands the pitfalls that come with enlisting. In many instances, long deployments call for a full-family move. Although she is originally from Maryland, Eschenlauer’s family has moved all over the U.S. and internationally, so Eschenlauer now believes herself to be “used to the [moving] process.”

Despite the challenges of service, Jeffrey feels his experiences shaped him into who he is and is confident that he chose the right path by enlisting.

“There are challenges, for yourself and the family,” Jeffery said. “But overall, I have no regrets.”

A flyer of a Hanukkah service at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait including Dr. Jeffrey Blair (Fifth from the right). Photo used with permissions from Ephraim Blair.

a new trail

Freshman girl participates in Boy Scouts of America troop

Evie May Guest Writer

After the organization Boy Scouts of America (BSA) became gender inclusive on Feb. 1, 2019, freshman Megan Poretsky, along with 176,234 other girls, decided to take the opportunity and join BSA.

The Boy Scouts program is very different from Girl Scouts, causing a wave of young girls to join once they were allowed. In Girl Scouts, members are not expected to learn or know the same skills taught in the BSA, such as cycling, shooting and camping. Instead, they learn different skills, like money management, goal setting and decision-making.

“I never found that spark with Girl Scouts,” Megan said. “I never found something that really made me want to be active and want to have a leadership role.”

BSA provides Poretsky with the outdoor experience and skills she originally wanted to gain from the program. Jeff Poretsky, Megan’s father and Chair of Troop 614, offered to put Megan in a separate allgirls, orthodox BSA troop.

“I’ve been waiting for years for the United States of America to catch up with the rest of the world with scouting being for all youth,” Jeff said.

Although Megan is not a founding member of her troop,

she is a patrol leader. This means she plans events, creates the calendar and leads some of the meetings and events.

“She is the youth leader, she’s in charge,” Troop Leader Jeffery Cohen said. “She sets the calendar with the help of the other scouts, and I just follow along and make sure that those things happen.”

Megan’s troop is scout-run, meaning that the adult’s role is only to supervise. This teaches empowerment, leadership and independence skills that members can take with them throughout their lives. Scouts learn how to lead a hike and how to interact with other people in unique situations.

Megan’s troop consists of four girls including herself. Although small, the group’s size allows them to get tasks done efficiently, and work to understand each other.

“I really like how tightknit the whole community is,” Meghan said. “We all communicate really well with each other, and we’ve all really become like our own family.”

In the early days of the troop, the biggest challenge they faced was that none of the girls knew anything about scouting. Many of them had previously done Girl Scouts, but did not know the depth of BSA scouting.

“The closest [to understanding scouting] was my

Megan’s favorite scouting activities

#1: Forestburg Scout Reservation summer camp

#2: Klondike winter camping event

#3: Annual rifle shooting event

#4: Troop ice skating event

#5: Troop bike rides

child, who had older brothers who had been in various scouting programs,” Cohen said.

However, the troop did not let that stop them. They continued with recruitment, traditions and other activities that make scouting life fun for members.

The biggest challenge that they currently face is that there is a male leader for an all-girls troop. To address this, the girls hear from women in and outside of their communities who talk about things unlike what the BSA talks about with their boy troops such as women’s empowerment and health.

“There are some topics that need to be covered with girls that may be less appropriate and perhaps more uncomfortable to have an adult male talking with the girls about for those times,” Cohen said. “I have reached out to either some of the female adults involved with this group or females in the greater community to come in and talk to them.”

Megan is very fond of the friendships she has made throughout her experience in scouting with BSA. The friendships she made are one of the factors that have made her come so far in her scouting journey.

“I think I chose an all-girls group because I wanted a group of girls that I can really trust,” Megan said.

Members of Boy Scouts of America salute as the American flag is raised. Photo used with permission from Megan Poretsky.

- arts and entertaiment -

THE PERFECT SLICE

Italian restaurant near school impresses

As I entered No Regrets Pizza, the smell of fresh dough and sauce coupled with the sight of comfortable looking seating and pizza themed decor signaled that I was in for a treat.

Owner Richard Weiner started baking and serving drinks as a teenager, and having never gone to culinary school, opened a pizza shop on the third floor of his house at the age of 17. Now, he has put $1.2 million into “No Regrets Pizza,” located on Nicholson Lane in North Bethesda. The name is a response to the number of people who told him he would regret it when he decided to open it.

Weiner said everything in his restaurant is homemade. The pizza dough sits for up to four days before being made into pizza in order to maximize the amount of sugars and carbohydrates the dough absorbs before being baked. Weiner said that everything in his restaurant is served fresh and “the pasta has never seen a fridge.”

crunch. I also got a caprese salad ($14) drizzled with a sweet balsamic dressing. Both of these dishes disappeared quickly and left me and my family eagerly awaiting the pizza we had ordered.

No Regrets Pizza has three types of pizza doughs: a rectangular fluffy yet crispy Roman pizza crust, a round and thin New York style pizza and a soft crusted but toasted Neapolitan pizza. During my visit to the restaurant, I tried all three types. However my favorite was by far the Roman style.

I started my meal with the Caesar salad ($13), topped with small homemade croutons that gave each bite a delicious

The first two pizzas that arrived at our table were white Roman style pizzas, meaning they had cheese but no sauce. The first, the mashed potato pizza ($21), had soft and warm mashed potatoes sandwiched between the dough and the cheese. The second, the mushroom pizza ($21), was topped with tasty and fresh mushrooms, whose softness complemented the slightly crunchy crust. The rectangular and fluffy dough was in perfect proportion to each flavorful topping and was deliciously paired with the crispy cheese melted on top.

The next two pizzas we ordered were two completely dif-

ferent styles, but looked equally as inviting. The first was a large New York margherita ($27), which was a more traditional pizza with red sauce and aged parmesan. The second was a simpler white artisanal/neapolitan pizza ($23) which had a perfect crust to cheese ratio, and was a favorite among my family members.

These pizzas are large enough to be shared by two people. While the prices are on the higher end, averaging around $10-$15 a person, the taste makes it all worth it.

We finished out the meal with an order of three cannolis ($6), which had a sweet mascarpone cheese filling inside of the curved and crunchy dough. As we packed up our leftover pizza, Weiner guided us on the best ways to reheat the pizza and told us a little bit about himself and his restaurant, including the origin of the restaurant name.

After enjoying two appetizers, four pizzas and a desert at No Regrets Pizza, I can confidently recommend the restaurant to any pizza or Italian food lover in need of a nice sit down or take out meal. I can’t wait to go back myself and discover more delicious food.

Jordana Dauber Reporter

Cannolis ($6)

Caprese Salad ($14)

Caesar Salad ($13)

Photos by Jordana Dauber, LT

No Regrets Pizza is located on 5454 Nicholson Ln., North Bethesda

BEST BEATS

Leora Blumenthal Reporter

“DieWithaSmile”

Top song releases from this year

“Die With A Smile,” released on August 16, marked a highly anticipated return for two big music stars: Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. This was Gaga’s first release in two years, and Mars’ first release in three, which made this collaboration generate a great amount of excitement.“Die With A Smile” also marks the first time this pair has collaborated, and the artists explained to ABC News that recording it was extremely spontaneous. They had been thinking about collaborating in the past, and since they were both working in Malibu, they felt it was the perfect opportunity.

The track explores themes of love and loss, with lyrics full of raw emotion. The main message of the song is about the strength of someone’s feelings for their loved one, even with the world hypothetically ending. The emotional depth of the song is heightened by the intense instrumentals, and is written by two of pop music’s most influential stars whose combined musical genius is bound to make you add this song to your playlist.

from brunomars.com

On May 24, Zach Bryan released his single “Pink Skies,” which quickly became popular for its exploration of grief and loss. Written as a tribute to his late mother, the song combines raw emotion with Bryan’s typical country-folk instrumental. The slow tempo and emotional lyrics make this song relaxing and heartwarming. After a long day, this song is sure to calm me down and is also a great song to sing along to.

Because of its popularity, this single skyrocketed to the top ten of Billboard’s Hot 100 only 15 days after its release. This song represents a more reflective side of Bryan’s songwriting, showcasing his ability to capture deep and relatable emotions in addition to his normal style.

“PinkSkie s ”

Photo from zachbryan.com

Catchy and upbeat, “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter always lifts my mood. Carpenter released this single on April 11 just in time for summer. “Espresso” was the first song released from her album “Short n’ Sweet,” which released in August. It quickly became a popular TikTok sound and was added to summer 2024 playlists everywhere. The song is all about being the object of someone’s addiction, similar to espresso. Like its message, the song is addictive and will not fail to get stuck in your head for days. The lyrics are both fun and clever as Carpenter plays around with espresso imagery to say that, like a cup of coffee, she will keep someone up at night. Carpenter’s signature blend of sassy charm and catchy melodies make this track sure to keep you hitting replay.

Photo from sabrinacarpenter.com

After Charli XCX released her album “brat” on June 7, social media flooded with lime green as many declared summer 2024 to be “brat summer.” The album cover evolved into an entire aesthetic; inspiring marketing campaigns, fashion trends and leading Collins Dictionary to declare “brat” the 2024 word of the year.

The album’s hit song, “Apple,” went viral as a result of a fan created TikTok dance. This song is not only fun to dance to, but deeply personal as it explores Charli XCX’s relationship with her parents and describes feelings of intergenerational trauma. The imagery of apples in this song is used to represent inherited traits, a hidden message masked behind cheerful instrumentals that make anyone want to dance.

This song, along with the entire album, truly dominated the media, from viral TikTok trends to endless meme references, making Charli XCX an undisputed member of the 2024 soundtrack.

from charlixcx.com

“Apple”

Photo

Photo

- arts & entertainment -

A snapshot of local farmers markets

FRESH PICKINGS

Pike and Rose

Eliana Abrams Reporter

With countless rows of produce and a live band, Pike Central Farm Market is worth a walk through. The market runs from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every Saturday year-round, with different stands sent from local farms and businesses. Containing a variety of options, it is perfect for purchasing fresh vegetables.

I sampled various apples from Spiral Path Farm and would recommend trying the sweet, crisp, Fuji apples. Near the end of the market was DMV Empanadas, a stand with nearly every flavor of empanada imaginable. I ordered both the Nutella ($4) and the spinach and cheese empanada ($4).

The spinach and cheese empanada was oozing with a creamy, cheesy mixture and perfectly satisfied my savory craving. The Nutella empanada was filled with

a mixture of Nutella, bananas and strawberries and had a perfect level of sweetness, without being too rich. The empanadas were very messy and hard to eat without spilling any filling, so I would definitely recommend picking up napkins.

Some other options at Pike Central Farm Market include Mastiha Taverna, a Greek bakery, Dumplings by Batik and Venezuelan food vendor Panoteca.

A unique part of Pike Cen tral Farm Market was the live music, which is there most weeks and consists of various bands. The band lifted the atmosphere of the market and contributed to a fun experience. Although the market is mainly filled with produce and has fewer snack op tions, it is definitely a great place to visit for fresh ingredients and a lively, enjoyable environment.

Kensington

While the Kensington Farmers Market is small, nestled into a parking lot by Kensington’s historic train station, its charm makes it a pleasant place to visit on a weekend morning. Open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday year-round, the market has short rows of stands filled with items from baked goods to different types of olives.

Most vendors, such as King Mushrooms and Old Smokey BBQ,

represent small businesses that travel to various farmers markets. The market had only a few produce options, which is not ideal for a market made to sell fresh goods.

Though there were not as many produce options as I anticipated, they still had options like mushrooms, tomatoes, apples and other various seasonal items.

As soon as I entered the market, the sweet smell of cinnamon lured me to The Crêpe Shoppe where I ordered The Churro ($8), a crepe filled with butter, cinnamon and sugar. They made the crepe right in front of me and handed it, steaming hot, to me with the cinnamon-sugar mixture oozing out of all sides. The thin, doughy layer of crepe mixed with the warm sweet filling made for a delicious treat that is definitely a must-buy at the market.

In addition to the churro-flavored crepes, they offer

other sweet options such as Classic Nutella, Lemon Delight and Sh’mores. On top of sweet crepe options half of the menu is composed of savory crepes such as Veggie Delight, Caprese and Spinach Breakfast Crepe.

Across from the crepe stand was Amazonica Coffee, where I ordered an iced pumpkin spice latte. For the steep price of $7.80, the latte lacked any strong pumpkin flavor and tasted like an average cup of coffee. Instead, I would have rather tried some of Great Harvest Bread’s enticing options, such as the chocolate babka or pumpkin swirl bread.

With only short rows of stands and minimal produce options, the market lacked the variety of options that makes for an optimal farmers market, but still offered a cozy atmosphere to enjoy a leisurely morning snack and support small local vendors.

All Photos by Eliana Abrams, LT.

Bethesda

The Bethesda Central Farm market was by far the best market for both walking around and enjoying a treat. Open from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every Sunday yearround, the market has a plethora of stalls and a wide range of fun food options.

One stall that stood out to me was The Brinary at Two Acre, which sold different flavors of pickles. Some notable flavors included maple bourbon, sweet and spicy and smokehouse. I bought a pint of roasted garlic pickles for $6.37 and was immediately hit with a wave of the spicy, salty flavor with the perfect crunch. This stand is a definite must-visit for any pickle lovers.

Next, I stopped at Grandma Vera’s Bakery, a Brazilian food trailer selling juice, baked goods, stew and various other kinds of Brazilian foods. I bought a Brazilian cheese ball for $1.50 and a

medium Morning Kick juice for $8. The ball had a crispy exterior that gave way to an airy center filled with cheese, which perfectly balanced the flavor. The juice was made with lemon, apple, orange and ginger, which added a spicy kick that made it refreshing. There were many other vendors I wanted to try, such as Rita’s Crepes and More, which has many different types of crepes, Rise bakery for gluten free baked goods, and Jarape Gourmet

Pops for unique flavors of popsicles. Directly next to that stand was a live band playing cheerful folk music that carried joy throughout the market. While there isn’t music every week, more often than not different bands perform. Bethesda Central Farm market is an essential visit for anyone who likes farmers markets or is just looking for a fun weekend activity.

- sports -

reigning

Girls varsity tennis earns a four-peat championship win

For the fourth year in a row, the girls varsity tennis team won the PVAC championship. After defeating Washington International School (WIS) in their final match of the season on Oct. 30, the Lions clinched the title and continued their reign as champions.

“There’s no group of girls I’d rather play on the court with and learn from and grow from. The fact that we managed to overcome the challenges of the season in order to win the championship was unbelievable.”

- Junior Maya Greenblum

Before their recent fouryear streak of championship successes, the last time the Lions won the girls varsity tennis championship was in 2012. Since 2021, the team has won the PVAC championship each year, the last three of which were led by head coach and health and exercise science teacher

Alexander Kirsch. In preparing for each championship, Kirsch emphasized the importance of both the physical and mental fitness.

“We talked a lot about your mentality, having a positive mindset and that you couldn’t think too big picture,” Kirsch said. “You couldn’t just win the whole two days in one point or within one game. You really had to focus on every point.”

The Lions lost to WIS twice during the regular season. Despite these losses, the team went on to beat them in championships, winning a singles match and both doubles matches.

“The fact that we came back and flipped the narrative was incredible,” junior Maya Greenblum said. “I don’t think that people realize the story behind the championship and how we were able to get there, because it’s not ordinary, it’s extraordinary.”

Ultimately, the team went 7-3 in the regular season and won the championship with seven points. WIS scored six points, The Field School scored two and Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy scored no points, crowning JDS the champions. According to Greenblum, the challenges earlier in the season led the team to work harder in order to win the championship.

“There’s no group of girls

FINAL

2021

4-3

2022

4-5 wins-losses

2023

6-3 wins-losses

2024

8-3 wins-losses

I’d rather play on the court with and learn from and grow from,” Greenblum said. “The fact that we managed to overcome the challenges of the season in order to win the championship was unbelievable.”

The tennis team tends to be smaller compared to other JDS teams, and with only seven players, this year’s team was no exception. For the two seniors on the team, captains Lily Rulnick and Georgia Lindenauer, this win meant that they won the championship each year of their high school careers.

“Four years is a really long time,” Lindenauer said. “I think it says a lot about our team that we’ve been able to keep it up for my entire high school career … It says a lot about my personal growth, but also about the growth of the team and our ability to stick with it.”

Regardless of any challenges next season, Kirsch hopes to continue the winning streak in years to come.

“I think it’s just super notable, when you look at just how many accolades have been collected by our girls tennis team over the last three years and four years,” Kirsch said. “The girls have all improved, they’ve all come such a long way from when they started and should be proud.”

Penelope Terl News Editor

Photo by Abby Chesman, LT & Dimensions

Senior Captain Georgia Lindenauer bounces the ball before her serve.

Breaking the jinx

Aviv Stein Reporter

While spectators of a cross country race might only see the runners’ immediate pre-race routine, their preparation often begins much earlier. For senior Nathan Szubin, Kiplinger Senior Private School Cross Country Athlete of the Year, mental preparation for race day begins two days prior when he picks out his outfit and his dayof breakfast food.

According to Men’s Journal, many famous athletes do the same. Professionals like Serena Williams, Michael Jordan and Wade Boggs all had superstitions surrounding their games. These athletes believed that superstitions could improve their mental performance. For many athletes, these rituals help them feel comfortable and prepared before a

Like these athletes, Szubin has his own rituals. The night before race day, Szubin tries to get nine and a half hours of sleep, and in the morning he wakes up to “Eye of the Tiger”

“I have a black and blue T-shirt usually, from the 2023 [John’s] Hopkins Invitational,” Szubin

said. “I have my white Balega Hidden Comfort running socks and my recovery slides. For

breakfast, I have a bowl of cereal, and it has to be [in] the blue plastic bowl, Joe’s O’s, blueberries, two pieces of toast [and] a little bit of butter.”

While Szubin’s superstitions might appear to be very specific, they have become an obligatory ritual. Even though Szubin feels that these specific practices might not have a physical effect on his race performance, they put his mind at ease, which he said does affect his performance.

Oftentimes, superstitions do not have a proven effect on physical performance. Rather, they help athletes mentally prepare and feel like they have control over the game. In an article written by IMG Academy, the world’s leading sports education program, the boarding school stated that “Ritual gives an illusion of control.” This phrase can help explain why so many athletes have superstitions and why they are so serious about sticking to them.

Director of Athletics and varsity girls basketball coach Becky Silberman believes her various superstitions may contribute to her team winning or losing a basketball game.

“If I use a marker and we win, I keep using that marker, and regardless of how we play or whatever happens, as long as we win, I’ll keep that color marker,” Silberman said. “So if you see me with the same color [marker] from game to game, that’s why.”

Another student who is superstitious about his sport is sophomore Noah Sacks. Sacks is on the varsity baseball team and other baseball teams outside of school. Sacks’ superstitions help him feel mentally prepared for when he steps on the field. He said he is very intentional with what he eats before the game and what he does once he gets to the field.

“I wear the same undershirt for every game, and I never step on the [first and third base] line when I walk out to the field,” Sacks said. “I don’t eat before games, but if I do, I’ll have a granola bar or a banana. Sometimes if I eat too much [before a game], I won’t feel good, but everything else is purely mental.”

Szubin, Silberman and Sacks have different uses for their superstitions. Silberman, as a coach, utilizes her superstitions as a way to try to impact the game she is coaching because she believes that her superstitions could affect her team’s play as a whole.

As athletes, Szubin and Sacks derive more mental preparation through their superstitions. Their rituals are intended to boost their confidence on the field or race track and give themselves reassurance in their personal performance.

“Sometimes it’s just a comfort thing, but I don’t know how much it actually affects the game,” Sacks said. “But if I do [superstitions], it helps me feel more mentally prepared, especially for baseball which is mentally challenging, and I think it helps me play better.”

new kiDS Three freshman athletes

Adam Salomon, Reporter

Isaiah Segal-Geetter, Reporter

1

Selma Teichman

After playing middle school sports at CESJDS, Selma Teichman, girls varsity soccer freshman goalkeeper, recently finished her first season as a part of the varsity athletics program. Teichman had been playing soccer as only a hobby, however, when she turned 11, she decided to join a team in the Takoma Soccer League because she wanted to start playing more competitively. Teichman played goalie and defense for the varsity soccer team throughout the 2024 season. The team made it all the way to the PVAC championship match, losing to Washington International School in the finals. Junior Tali Loeffler, the team’s other goalie, got a concussion and was unable to play in the semifinal and championship games, leaving Teichman to step up and play goalie for the entirety of the final two games.

“It’s cool to be able to have a glimpse of what I’m going to be doing for the next three years.”

- Selma Teichman

“It was a cool experience to play the whole time, but it’s also kind of stressful because it’s the finals and semifinals,” Teichman said. Teichman enjoyed being a part of a JDS varsity team and plans to continue to participate in future seasons. She has already started with her second sport this year for JDS,

Photos by Gillian Krauthamer, Dimensions, Rachel Teichman and Adam Hirsh, used with permission.

on the block

kick off high school varsity careers

playing basketball on the girls junior varsity team. The group is small compared to the varsity team, however Teichman said that despite this, they are continuing to improve as the season progresses.

“Being able to play in varsity is a lot. It’s a different environment, and more fast speed than middle school,” Teichman said. “So it’s cool to be able to have a glimpse of what I’m going to be doing for the next three years.”

THEO FACTS

Pearlman placed 20th at the Maryland XC Private School State Championships

Pearlman was one of two freshmen to make the boys varsity basketball team this year

At the Memphis Yeshiva Basketball Invitational, Pearlman scored a total of 14 points

Nathan Yoskowitz

Varsity soccer captain freshman Nathan Yoskowitz just completed his first season on the boys varsity soccer team. With Yoskowitz’s help as the starting center midfielder, the team made it to the semifinals with a 3-2 record.

Yoskowitz had previously played on the Player Progression Academy (PPA) green premier, a travel team in the area. He also played on the JDS middle school team. Yoskowitz said he had lofty goals coming into the season and feels that he fulfilled them.

“I wanted to make the team,” Yoskowitz said. “I wanted to start.

Theo Pearlman

friends were doing it. My brother was also on the team, so he told me to do it.”

Freshman Theo Pearlman comes down to the final stretch of his race and sees the seconds counting up. 17:55. 17:56. 17:57. He dives across the line and sees what he was hoping for: 17:59.

Breaking 18 minutes in the 5K had been one of Pearlman’s goals since he first joined the cross country team. He is only the eighth freshman to run that fast in JDS history.

Pearlman said he originally joined cross country this year in order to get in shape for basketball season, but quickly found success in the sport, finishing as a member of the PVAC second team all conference.

“I didn’t think that [it would] go this well,” Pearlman said “I just decided to run because a lot of my

I wanted to play with the people here, some of the seniors that I was really looking forward to playing with, just having fun seeing what it was about, kind of easing my way into it.”

According to Yoskowitz, he tried to help the team in any way that he could, whether it be through bonding the team or helping out on the field. He recalls one of these instances as being during a game against the Sandy Spring Friends School.

“We had an away game where I had this really nice assist,” Yoskowitz said. “I played a really long

Fresh off a state championship winning season, Pearlman is hoping he has just as much success on the boys varsity basketball team. Pearlman said he enjoyed participating in the Memphis Invitational Yeshiva Tournament and developing bonds with the players he hopes to play with for the next few years. So far this season, he has consistently been the first man off the bench, mostly playing as point guard.

Pearlman especially wants to learn from those older than him. He hopes they will help him improve and develop into a more professional player, able to compete at a higher level.

“I’ve been seeing a lot of the guys on the team last year, and I’m just seeing how much they’ve learned last year on the team,” Pearlman said. “I just want to get to [the] level that they’re at.”

ball into our strikers. That was one of [my] best highlight[s] of the season.”

Yoskowitz became captain this season a role not usually given to a freshmen. He credits this to his ability to always be present on the team. From the start of the season, he always made sure to be a vocal member of the team.

“I think I was one of the best leaders vocally, and [I was always] just doing the simple things,” Yoskowitz said. “That showed the coaches my importance.”

Nathan Over The Years

Yoskowitz receives a medal after his Player Progression Academy (PPA) club team wins the state cup final.

In his first competitive game on his club team, Yoskowitz scores a hat trick.

Yoskowitz celebrates a friend’s birthday at Sofive Soccer Center.

Photos by Seth Yoskowitz, Karen Yoskowitz and Adam Hirsh, used with permission.

Teichman warms up for the Lions’ first game of the season against the Berman Cougars. Photo by Ella Longman, Dimensions.

Yoskowitz plays midfield at a 2024 JDS fall season game against Don Bosco.

Which Lion’s Tale senior are you?

Favorite Production snack?

A: Cava

B: BIBIBOP

C: Starbucks

D: Cookies

E: Quiche

F: Gluten Free Oreos

Favorite CESJDS tradition?

A: Gatsby Day

B: Kab Shab

C: Zimriyah

D: Hanukkah Heroes

E: Shabbaton

F: Senior Jerseys

Favorite JDS class?

A: Composition ADV

B: Genetics I ADV

C: English 11 ADV

D: Chemistry II ADV

E: Ethical Dilemmas ADV

F: Arab-Israeli Conflict ADV

Favorite candy?

A: Haribo Peaches

B: Oreos

C: Reese’s Cups

D: Trolli Sour Worms

E: Ms. Nassau’s lollipops

F: Swedish Fish

Favorite Jewish Holiday?

A: Purim

B: Rosh Hashanah

C: Hanukkah

D: Sukkot

E: Passover

F: Tisha B’Av

Favorite artist?

A: Sabrina Carpenter

B: Conan Gray

C: Drake

D: Adele

E: The Lumineers

F: J. Cole

Favorite TV Show?

A: “Gilmore Girls”

B: “The Big Bang Theory”

C: “Gossip Girl”

D: “One Tree Hill”

E: “Glee”

F: “House of Cards”

Favorite news source?

A: The Atlantic

B: The Lion’s Tale

C: Times of Israel

D: Times of India

E: New York Times

F: Politico Favorite movie?

A: “Anyone But You”

B: “Love Actually”

C: “La La Land”

D: “The Martian”

E: “Pitch Perfect”

F: “La Ley de Herodes” (“Herod’s Law”)