Lion's Tale Volume 41, Issue 2

LT the lion’stale tale w lion’s

CESJDS 2023 // Volume Volume40 41 Issue Issue 42 CESJDS //October March 2023 CESJDS / October 2023 / Volume 41 Issue 2

Small class sizes give students an academic edge

Not behind us yet Long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on students

Community reacts to Israel war pg. 4 Meet new music director pg. 17 Athletics booster club pg. 25 Senior events pg. 6 High school relationships pg. 10-11 Axe throwing pg. 20

inside the issue Editors-in-Chief Kaylah Goldrich Lena Nadaner

Managing Editor, Copy Ellie Fischman

In-Depth Editor, Director of Social Media Ella Waldman

In-Depth Editor, Director of Staff Development Lilli Libowitz

News Editors

Simon Albert Adin Halbfinger

Features Editors Jonah Beinart Lily Rulnick

Opinion Editors Aliza Bellas Ari Kittrie

Sports Editors

Gigi Gordon Aaron Waldman Ari Werbin

Arts and Entertainment Editors Stella Muzin Cati Werbin

Illustrators Libby Hurwitz Taylor Polonsky

Editor Interns

Maiya Blumental Mia Forseter Ruby Kotok In the 41n1 “All Eyes On Identity” article, we referred to the Lower School’s “DEIJ curriculum” in the first paragraph. Lower School Principal Rabbi Bellas and Head of School Rabbi Malkus responded in an email: “Lessons on gender identity are not part of a DEIJ curriculum; they are one lesson in the scope and sequence of counseling lessons taught by our school counselors over the course of a year, which are all focused on community building and social-emotional learning and development.” We also wrote in the article, “In previous years, the school sent students whose parents chose to opt-out of these lessons to Wonders Learning.” Bellas and Malkus wrote: “By using the word “years,” a reader may be led to believe that Wonders was a planned offering of alternate programming over the course of multiple years. Neither of these are true.” See lionstale.org for the full email.

Reporters

Ellie Levine, Sasha Karasik, Matthew Steindecker, Julia Rich, Ari Blumenthal, Eitan Rattner, Ruby Kotok, Penelope Terl, Talia Loeffler, Gila Safra, Tyler Portnoy, Sadaf Zadeh, Maiya Blumenthal, Eliana Wolf, Sophie Schwartz, Mia Forseter, Maya Greenblum, Vivi Ducker

Staff Adviser

Jessica Nassau

Adviser Emerita

Susan Zuckerman

News

04 CESJDS responds to war in Israel 05 Grade government format changes 06 SAT goes digital 07 Updates to reading curriculum

Administration modifies rules and positions

College Board adopts new online testing strategy for standardized testing LatinX club proposes new additions to the English 11 book selection

Opinion

08 Stand with Israel 10 Grading gone wrong 11 Don’t forget the first

New policies actually harm students’ grades

The Lion’s Tale has its First Amendment Rights guaranteed, the rest of the student body deserves the same

In-Depth

12 Not behind us yet

U.S. beginning to understand long-term effects of pandemic on students

Features

16 Middle school matters 17 A change in tune 18 Turning passion into action 19 Israeli influence

Government established for grades six through eight

JDS starts year with new musical director

Places to volunteer in the DMV area School welcomes new shinshinit

Arts and Entertainment

20 Fala-full of flavor 21 Real romance?

22 Activities to fall for 23 Fall food favorites

New Israeli restaurant has a good vibe and great food

Students debate the quality of Colleen Hoover novels

The best places to experience autumn at its peak Four desserts that will leave your mouth watering

Sports

24 Calling all coaches 25 From student to staff 26 Boosting school spirit 27 Super skater

New leadership joins high school fall teams

Alumna returns as athletic trainer and teacher

New organization founded to promote school sports Freshman competes in synchronized figure skating

Cover photo illustration by Ella Waldman, LT

2 October 2023

Dear Readers,

As our community reels from news coming out of Israel, we want to offer our support and prayers to everyone impacted by the violence. As we state in our editorial, we strongly stand with Israel in their fight against Hamas. In the spirit of responsible journalism, we pivoted from our original plans for this issue so we could give the war the attention it needs. The war broke out two days before production week, and we changed four pages since then to accurately and responsibly report on current global and community events.

We want to offer our deepest appreciation and gratitude to our writers and editors for recognizing our responsibility as journalists to cover this issue that impacts our community so heavily. We thank them for changing course despite the workload. Whether it be throwing out outdated pieces, writing new articles, completely changing their spreads and embracing new responsibilities, our staff really stepped up.

At the earliest opportunity, we published a news article on lionstale.org detailing how the school community reacted and was impacted by the war in

Israel. Although short notice, we felt it was important to get this up in a timely manner and also publish it in this print issue. Our editorial was also initially posted on the website, as we believed it necessary to showcase our support.

In times like these, we can be completely overcome with grief.

Channeling our energy into covering this tragedy felt important, and we feel strongly about continuing our coverage for our community, both here at JDS and the community we are connected to in Israel. We hope you enjoy this edition and that your family and friends are safe.

Sincerely,

Editors-in-Chief

Photo by Olivia Cohen, used with permission

Editorial and Ethics Policy As the student newspaper of the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, The Lion’s Tale is a public forum for student opinion and expression. All content is determined by students. Its purpose is to inform the CESJDS community and to express the views of its staff and readers.

The staff has made every effort to ensure the accuracy and objectivity of its news.

Signed columns reflect the opinion of the writer; staff editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of The Lion’s Tale editorial board. The Lion’s Tale staff

welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns, all of which must be signed.

The staff reserves the right to refuse any material and may edit letters or columns for length, clarity, libel, obscenity and/ or disruptiveness. 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 is funded by The Simon Hirshman Endowment for the

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

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

The Lion’s Tale Magazine 3

- news -

Cesjds responds to war in israel A

Simon Albert and Adin Halbfinger News Editors t around 6:30 a.m. local time on Saturday, Oct. 7, Israelis woke up to the sound of sirens blaring in the streets. Thousands of missiles, launched from Gaza, rained down on cities in southern and central Israel, destroying entire kibbutzim and residential areas.

Meanwhile, terrorists from Gaza entered Israel by land, air and sea in an action called “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.”

According to AP News, since the war began, Hamas has murdered over 1,200 civillians and soldiers, at least 22 of them American citizens. Thousands have been wounded and over 150 people have been kidnapped by Hamas terrorists.

Despite the 6,000 mile geographical difference, the situation in Israel is deeply personal for many CESJDS students. According to Head of School Rabbi Mitchel Malkus’s email to the school community about the war, there are 56 students who have family members serving the State of Israel at the Israeli Embassy. Many others have family members and friends who live in Israel who face the devastation of these attacks.

“My grandparents were hiding in their safe room for about 12 hours without food and water until they were rescued by Israeli

forces,” Israeli senior Shiri Cohen said. “There were about nine terrorists in their Kibbutz who were shooting people regardless of who they were. My father’s childhood friend was murdered, and that person’s brother and mother were kidnapped and brought into the Gaza Strip. Entire families, including the mother, father, children and elderly were all murdered. And this was all happening in my grandparents’ kibbutz like many others.”

In his email to the school community, Malkus said that he is in contact with local security agencies, the Israeli Embassy’s security department and the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington security desk to ensure that the school is aware of any potential security threats that may result from the war. Director of Security and Transportation Shay Halevi says that there are no specific threats to the school or the community at this point.

JDS is committed to supporting families, faculty and the State of Israel in this difficult time. Students were asked to wear blue and white to school on Monday, Oct. 9, to show their unity and support for Israel. Before Zman Kodesh, the entire building gathered in the gym for a few prayers and concluded with the singing of Israel’s national anthem, Hatikva.

Additionally, the Center for Health

Hamas militants invaded Israel on Oct. 7, beginning the largest war ever between the two. Graphic by Maiya Blumenthal, LT.

BY THE NUMBERS 1,200+ people killed by Hamas

150+

people kidnapped

2,600+ people injured

22

Americans missing

56

students whose families serve at the Israeli Embassy Information from AP News

Israeli soldier stands guard on the side of a highway in Israel. Photo by Kira Farkas, used with permission

and Wellness was open all day in case students were in need of additional emotional support.

During lunch and CT, Jewish History Department Chair Dan Rosenthal led an optional information session for students about the war in Israel. The session was widely attended by both students and faculty members.

“I really liked hearing everyone’s questions about it,” senior Daniel Schlactus said. “People were being really thoughtful about it, and we had a very meaningful conversation.”

Almost a dozen JDS alumni are currently in Israel on gap year programs. Among them is Matan Silverberg (‘23), who is learning at Yeshivat Orayta in the old city of Jerusalem, one of the cities targeted by the rockets.

“A siren went off during davening, everyone went to the bomb shelter, and it was definitely scary,” Silverberg said. “Davening continued without any more hiccups, and we had absolutely no idea about the severity of it because no one was on their phones for Shabbat.”

Silverberg says he is safe in the Old City, believing it to be one of the safest areas in the country during the war due to its proximity to the holy sites. As he stays at Yeshivat Orayta, praying for Israel’s continued success, Silverberg hopes that his community back home in America will continue to support those who need it.

“I was really blessed to get a lot of texts from people, which made me feel great,” Silverberg said. “It’s important that this wave of support be continued, and that people keep checking in on their friends and family in Israel.” *All information last updated on Oct. 11

4 October 2023

grade government format Changes

Administration modifies rules and positions Adin Halbfinger News Editor In addition to changes to the grading system, the dress code and the school handbook, CESJDS also changed the format of high school grade government this year. The biggest change is the size of each grade’s government. There will no longer be a Secretary, Grade Representatives to the Student Council or Secretaries of Special Events, Community Service and Fundraising positions. Instead, each grade’s government will consist of two presidents, two vice-presidents and one treasurer.

The changes are a result of summer discussions between High School Principal and Upper School Campus Head Dr. Lisa Vardi, Assistant High School Principal Aileen Goldstein, Dean of Students Roslyn Landy and Dean of Experiential, Leadership and Service Learning Tori Ball, who heard feedback from students saying grade governments were too large and inefficient.

“Over the summer, we talked about student government and its goals,” Vardi said. “We identified two main goals of student government: to give voice to the student body and to serve as leaders and role models.”

Another change to grade government is the elections. Now, all candidates must deliver campaign speeches, even if they run unopposed, while in previous years only presidential candidates in contested elections were given this opportunity.

“Maybe in the past, this didn’t happen because of time constraints,” Vardi said. “But in a representative democracy, which is what this is, you should hear from your peers.”

The new changes will not apply to the senior class because they had their final elections last year.

Freshman elections will take place in November, and sophomore elections have been postponed until Oct. 18 as a consequence for their behavior during a presentation on microaggressions. The junior class was the first to experience the new changes on Sept. 18.

Juniors’ campaign speeches were limited to two minutes in length and had to be “positive and forward-thinking,” according to Vardi. Candidates shared their speeches with Vardi, Landy and sophomore dean Brett Kugler, who suggested edits over Google Docs in the week before the elections, cutting sections that violated the aforementioned “positive and forward-thinking” guideline.

“In 10th and 11th grade we basically said, ‘This is disparaging. This is not positive.’ And then we helped edit,” Vardi said.

Faculty members have always reviewed speeches, though junior presidential candidate Dalia Epstein believes that more edits were made this year than in prior years. Some student candidates believe that Vardi and the administration overstepped in their implementation of the “positive and forward-thinking” rule, infringing on the democratic nature of the election.

“I get why [Vardi] is trying to have us write appropriate speeches,” Epstein said. “But I think the things she cut in our speech were in no way negative.”

For example, Epstein wanted to tell a joke that referenced a sweet sixteen party thrown by another junior, but it was cut because not everyone in the grade attended the party. According to Epstein, everyone in the grade was invited, therefore the joke had no exclusionary or negative ramifications.

However, some candidates recognized that their speeches breached the guidelines laid out before the elections and accepted Vardi’s edits. One such student is Jonah Berman, who ran unopposed for junior class treasurer.

“It was reasonable,” Berman said. “[Vardi] is just trying to set some guidelines.”

Vardi, Landy and Kugler stand by their edits. Vardi believes that she did not infringe on the fairness of the election by requiring students to cut their campaign speeches and said that in certain instances, there need to be restrictions.

“Free speech does not mean

you can say whatever you want,” Vardi said.

She says that having watched the way national politicians have begun “mud-slinging” in recent years, it is important to her for students to run their campaigns in a positive manner, without libel or negative speech.

“One of the goals of the school is to teach students to participate as thoughtful informed citizens in our vibrant American democracy,” Vardi said. “As an educational institution, we have an obligation to model what that means.”

The Lion’s Tale Magazine 5

- news -

Sat goes digital Ellie Fischman Managing Editor, Copy Rather than SAT testing rooms being riddled with no. 2 pencils and bubble sheets, they will soon be filled with laptops. Beginning in March of 2024, the SAT will have a fully digital format.

“There’s a lot of moving pieces to it,” Director of College Counseling Susan Rexford said. “The understanding is that the test is going to be more accessible in terms of the kinds of questions they’re asking… but I need to see it go through one cycle before I understand what that impact is going to be.”

Starting in March, students will take the SAT on a digital software program called Blue Book.

This software uses skip logic, meaning that the difficulty of questions will depend on a student’s performance. If a student gets questions of a certain difficulty right, then the test will move on to more difficult questions. If a student answers questions incorrectly, then the test will move to less difficult questions. The digital SAT will also be shorter, taking roughly two hours instead of the current three hours.

The digital SAT format weighs SAT questions depending on their difficulty. An algorithm will then

College board adopts online strategy for standardized testing

determine a student’s score on the same 400-1600 point scale as is currently in use. The grade will depend on both the accuracy of answers and the difficulty of the questions the student received.

Rexford is concerned that Blue Book will not be able to process vast influxes of responses on nationwide test dates. However, this was not an issue during the Oct. 10 PSAT Students can take the digital SAT on any type of laptop other than a Chromebook. For many students, this means taking the SAT on their personal computer, and students who use a Chromebook or do not have a laptop can request a loaner computer through the College Board.

The College Board also has plans for accommodations on the digital test like extended time and screen readers. If those accommodations will not be effective for a student with extenuating circumstances, they may contact customer service to request a paper test.

To prepare for the digital PSAT and SAT, the College Counseling Department used advisory sessions to train students on using the Blue Book software.

“Being online is going to be stressful or not stressful depending on how tech savvy a student

BY THE NUMBERS 1800+

schools didn’t require standardized testing for 2022 admissions year

2

hours of testing instead of the previous 3

80%

of students found the digital SAT less stressful

Information taken from nytimes.com and CNN

is,” Rexford said. “But they’re going to find that one positive… that the students will be in rooms of 10 or fewer people in them, and somehow that seems a lot less stressful than being in the gym with rows and rows and rows of people with proctors roaming up and down the whole time.”

Junior Boaz Dauber took the digital PSAT. For Dauber, the digital PSAT was easier than the paper version he took last year because it was a shorter test and had a builtin calculator for the math sections.

“I’m used to doing all my work online, so it’s a format that I’m used to…,” Dauber said. “So it felt more like that, more than this strange filling in circles on paper that it was like last year.”

Junior Skye Feinstein plans to take the digital SAT later this year, and they expect it to be easier to earn higher scores in the digital format. However, they worry that if it is easier to earn a high score, the expectations of top schools will increase.

“It’s adding to this thing of school being about getting a number and nothing other than perfection being okay,” Feinstein said.

Rexford has a different perspective when it comes to the broader implications of the digital SAT. She thinks it is too early to tell whether the online format will make the SAT easier or more accessible to students. Rexford views the SAT’s changes as a response to the diminishing relevance of standardized testing as more schools become test optional and test blind.

“If you ask the College Board or the ACT, they measure college readiness, but do you think [the SAT] measures college readiness or is it like a torture chamber?”

Rexford said. “I don’t think that any assessment that you take over a four-hour period in a controlled environment that’s full of stress and anxiety is going to be an accurate measure of what you know.”

Illustration by Libby Hurwitz, LT

6 October 2023

New updates to reading curriculum

Latinx club proposes new additions to the English 11 book selection Jonah Beinart Features Editor In early June, five representatives from the Latinx club brought a proposal to the administration to adjust the existing English 11 curriculum titled “American Voices” to include works from Latinx authors.

The proposal, which was written by those students, included suggestions of books and short stories as potential additions.

As of now, the curriculum includes works that represent many minorities in the United States, such as Black Americans, members of the LGBTQ+ community and war veterans. According to the proposal, Latinx representation was missing from the overall narrative of the “American Voice.”

Senior and Co-Vice President of the Latinx club Jonathan Gould was one of the students that contributed to writing the proposal and presenting it to the administration.

Gould values his Hispanic heritage and wants it to be represented in the new curriculum.

“Hispanic immigrants are a very large part of this country and our culture, so we thought, ‘is the American voice really complete without that perspective?’” Gould said.

Gould, along with other members of the club and Dr. Silvia Kurlat Ares, their faculty adviser, presented their proposal to High School Principal and Upper School Campus Head Dr. Lisa Vardi and English Department Chair Dr. Thomas Worden. After being informed of the proposal, Vardi welcomed the criticism and allowed the students to present their arguments directly to the administration.

“They made such a compelling case as to how important it is for their identity formation and to be seen in the curriculum,” Vardi said.

“They encouraged us and brought to our attention the deficit that we might have had and helped to advocate for change, and I think that’s incredible.”

The administration and the English department acknowledged the lack of a Latinx voice in the 11th grade curriculum, but the real challenge, according to Worden, was adding new content into the already limited school year with a myriad of books, short stories and plays.

“Curriculum development is really, really hard,” Worden said. “Story after story I encountered, I thought, ‘I could teach this in college, but not in [high school].’ For one reason or another, most content isn’t going to work.”

As of now, one new short story called “Night at Nonna’s” by Ana Castillo has been integrated into the curriculum. Although the change is a first step in the right direction, Worden is on the lookout for new pieces of content that will have a better fit in 11th grade English courses.

“It takes a tremendous amount of courage for them to be able to frame their concerns in a way that people could hear and respond to,” Worden said. “All parties came to the table and did a really good job delivering the message and receiving it, and I was really impressed.”

Gould reflected on the experiences of drafting a proposal and presenting it positively.

“I feel accomplished and a sense of pride for both the work that I put in but also for the club,” Gould said. “It’s empowering to know that I’ve had an impact at such a high level on the school and our community.”

Books proposed by Latinx club

Last years’ Latinx club members with faculty sponsor Dr. Silvia Kurlat Ares.

Photo by Abby Chesman, LT and Dimensions Yearbook

The Lion’s Tale magazine 7

STAND WITH ISRAEL

- opinion -

CESJDS students represent American Jewry by standing together to support Israel. Photo

by Aliza Bellas, LT.

I

srael is in a state of war.

With every passing second, there are high-rise buildings burning to the ground, citizens desperately seeking information about their missing family members and a rapidly increasing death toll. The screams and pleas for help from Israeli citizens echo worldwide, and it is undeniable that Israel is in grave danger. Now, more than ever, Diaspora Jewry is obligated to stand with Israel.

On Oct. 7, the Palestinian militant organization Hamas invaded Israel from the Gaza Strip, barbarically pillaging Israeli border towns. Since then, Hamas has launched more than 5,000 rockets into Israel, killed over 1,000 people and taken more than 100 people hostage in Gaza.

Many consider this to be Israel’s largest intelligence failure since the Yom Kippur War in 1973. According to the New York Times, Israel was “blindsided” by the invasion and “did not pick up on the elaborate preparations” that Hamas needed to carry out the attack.

Israel has already taken action and began aerial strikes on early Oct 10. However with every action they take, there is a threat of continuing to escalate the war, killing Palestinian civilians and damaging other complex relation-

ships. Before the war, Israel was in the process of negotiating peace with Saudi Arabia. But if too many Palestinian civilians are to die in this war, Saudi Arabia will be hesitant to continue pursuing peace.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke out on the day of the invasion to inform the public of the plan for the future.

“This war will be long but Israel will win,” Netanyahu said.

Countries around the world have already begun speaking out in support of the Israeli government. United States President Joe Biden condemned these acts of terrorism and said the United States is ready to “offer all appropriate means of support to the Israeli government.”

While government support is an important step, all Diaspora Jewry is responsible to stand with Israel during these trying times.

Although Judicial Reforms might have been our most pressing issue a few days ago, we must put aside our differences in support of Israel’s safety. While re-posting on social media and spreading awareness is important, now is the time for definitive action to be taken.

Every day, citizens in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are bravely fighting in support of their country. Now more than ever,

8 October 2023

How CESJDS stands with israel

Lower School students write to IDF soldiers to express their support and send love to the Land of Israel.

Jewish History Department Chair Dan Rosenthal facilitates a discussion for High School students to update them on the war in Israel and educate on current events.

Photos from @CESJDSConnect Instagram, used with permission.

they face the danger of rocketfire, kidnapping and the fear of their country disappearing before their eyes. It is our obligation to stand with them and show we are fighting alongside them to achieve true and long lasting safety in the Jewish homeland.

If you are looking for a way to show your support, work with credible organizations who have effectively aided Israel in the past.

For example, the American Jewish Committee has a proven track-record with assisting Israel in fostering peace. We encourage you to utilize their virtual resources, educate yourself, donate to their ‘Stand With Israel’ campaign and explore other ways to get involved.

This war is not going to be short-lived. We can’t view this as an Instagram trend that will fade away within the week; we urge you to stay updated on the events as they continue. Israel is deserving of Diaspora Jewry’s consistent support of their efforts to fend off baseless hatred and murderous terrorism. We, as the Lion’s Tale, are calling you all to action; as Jews we are obligated to protect one another and our state.

How are you feeling about the war in Israel?

“Israel is a small country that feels like a big family. We are part of this family, although we are far away. Our hearts bleed with them. Everyone knows someone who died, was kidnapped or injured in the horrible massacre. It is so painful... They lost everything – their relatives, their pets, their houses, their neighbors and their souls got scarred forever. We must support these people and help them to recover and build their lives from that terrible time.”

-Israel Engagement Coordinator and High School Hebrew Teacher Anat Kaufman

Note: The editorial was posted on Oct. 10 on lionstale.org and last edited at 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 10, 2023. Events are constantly changing in Israel, and we encourage you to update yourselves with new information.

“Deep down inside I kind of ache...I find that it’s [the war in Israel] just a horrific thing. For me here in America, I’m looking at the news, and I just want Israel to win so badly. But still somehow in the U.S., people side with these terrorists. So, that’s what hurts me a lot especially. I really hope we can get some good things out of this war and solve some issues.”

-Sophomore Hadriel Dayanim

-The Lion’s tale

The Lion’s Tale Magazine 9

- opinion -

grading gone wrong

Hear us out: amplify

New policies harm students’ ability to learn

Ruby Kotok Reporter This school year, the CESJDS high school administration introduced a new grading system. With new policies such as no grade penalty for late work, classwork and homework often ungraded and much more lenient retake rules, students are confused and worried about what these changes mean for their high school career.

Although created with good intentions, the policy inhibits students’ motivation and doesn’t prepare us for college.

The system diminishes the amount of effort students put in. When homework and classwork were graded, students had incentive to master content.

This encouraged learning for students who were less motivated otherwise.

These policies are also unclear to students, leaving more stress as they try to navigate this new system. The assignments that are graded and available to be retaken vary by department. There is no explicit “absolute” regarding such rules, and this uncertainty is worrying for students.

The new policy is believed by administration to reduce an emphasis on grades and have students focus on learning.

They say that since homework isn’t graded, students won’t feel like they’re wasting their time practicing content they already know. This way, they can focus on the content they haven’t yet learned, without stressing over other work.

However, the new system actually causes students to worry more about grades. The few

assignments that are graded now hold a greater weight and therefore have a larger impact on grades. Essentially, the system is backfiring. Since summative assessments have such a large impact, students end up stressing more over those assignments while paying little mind to non-graded homework.

The elimination of a late penalty also causes a dip in student motivation. The policy is such that rather than asking for extensions when needed as was the policy in prior years, students can turn in summative assignments late, free from penalty. This policy fosters poor time management, as it gives students the opportunity to consistently turn in work late.

In college and the professional world, there are deadlines, and professors and employers won’t allow work to be submitted late without a penalty. The late policy does not adequately prepare students for this reality, and it leaves students with harmful habits that could inhibit their future academic performance.

It’s unfair to expect us to succeed with a system that isn’t designed for us. I understand the principle: grading should reflect learning. But the new policies don’t accomplish that goal. Instead, they eliminate many students’ motivation, cause students to stress more on summatives and foster poor learning and working habits.

Students should learn how to properly manage their time and find intrinsic motivation, but by high school, it is much too late to do this with such a drastic change. These beneficial work habits will come in time, perhaps naturally or with a little extra help, but expecting students to immediately adopt them and succeed is an unreasonable expectation.

Stella Muzin and Ari Kittrie A&E Editor and Opinion Editor One way CESJDS encourages student voices is through student government. But recently, the JDS administration has failed to uphold this assurance by making candidates cut parts of their speeches that fairly criticized or discussed topics such as the new grading policy and the senior prank.

On Sept. 20, the class of 2025 had elections for their grade government. Prior to the election, candidates were required to submit their speeches to the administration for review. This was the first time in our duration at JDS that this rule has been implemented, and the administration cut large portions of candidates’ speeches. Many students felt these cuts were unfair and that their speeches did not warrant the harsh edits that were made.

10 October 2023

y student voices don’t Forget the first

The Lion’s Tale has its First Amendment Rights guaranteed, we think the rest of the student body deserves the same As editors on the Lion’s Tale and candidates in the election, these cuts were shocking.

In our Journalism 1 class, we learned about the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment, as well as JDS’ strong support of the freedom of the press under its Press Rights Protocol. But shouldn’t JDS’ support of the First Amendment apply to freedom of speech as well?

Junior Ari Kittrie, who was running for Vice President, centered his speech around concerns over the new school policies this year.

“As you know, there have been many new changes in school policies. These changes have unfortunately caused some angst,” Kittrie’s original speech said. “But, like I did last year as Vice President, I will work with the administration to represent the student perspective.”

The administration asked him to take out this part of his

Photo Illustration by Aliza

Bellas and Stella Muzin, LT

speech because the topic was too “negative.” This type of censure is disappointing for a school that does so much to promote student voices through its journalism program.

Considering how often the new grading policies are discussed between students, it’s unfair for the administration to stop candidates from discussing them altogether. It undermines the entire point of grade elected officials, whose role is to be representatives of the students.

It might have been fine if the administration had sat down with candidates to make these changes, but because they made mandatory suggestions and comments on google documents, candidates had no option as to whether they should accept the edits or decline them. The speeches ceased to be the candidates’ as the administration edited the speeches for themselves.

For juniors Stella Muzin and Adam Bachrach, also candidates for Vice President, any discussion of the senior prank in their speech was removed, even though the senior prank was a central point in their speech. Cutting out these aspects of both candidates’ speech was unfair and prohibited candidates from sharing their ideas for the grade.

As students who believe strongly in our First Amendment rights, we find it inappropriate for our school to censor our ideas and vision for our grade. It would be one thing if we were using inappropriate

Photo Illustration

by Abby Chesman,

language or insulting other stu- LT and Dimensions dents, language which would not Yearbook be protected by the First Amendment, but there is no reason that the school should stop us from expressing our ideas.

Although Muzin, Bachrach and Kittrie ran against each other in the Vice Presidential elec1964 - New tion, we both noticed this unfair York Times v. censorship and believed it was more important to prevent this in Sullivan A case involving future elections than to win. public officials Junior Yedidya Milner-Gillers, who was running for presithat limited their dent, disagrees with the school’s ability to sue cutting of their speeches. publications for “I found it interesting that the defamation. school didn’t have the students’ platform on their own terms but rather a platform on the school’s 1969 - Tinker v. terms,” Milner-Gillers said.

Des Moines “There wasn’t much room for Upheld the right individuality.” for U.S. public JDS, a proclaimed pluralistic school students community, encourages students to express to be aware of their differing themselves opinions, but the handling of through protest. grade government elections this year reflected the opposite.

Students shouldn’t be voting for their grade delegates based on 2021 the censored versions of candiMahanoy Area dates opinions, but rather on the School District candidates’ actual opinions. v. B.L. We understand that the Johnson administration has the right to Ruled that censor offensive language and students can’t hate speech from any candidate’s be held liable for speech. However, we believe that their language the fair criticisms and topics outside of school brought up by some of the candigrounds. dates were unnecessarily struck down. This is especially importInformation from the ant when the purpose of the grade Supreme Court government is to create change in our school environment.

Order in the Court

The Lion’s Tale Magazine 11

- in-depth Kaylah Goldrich Editor-in-Chief Ella Waldman In-Depth Editor Stella Muzin Arts and Entertainment Editor

Not behind us yet Long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on students

Photo by Abby Chesman, LT and Dimension Yearbook

12 October 2023

As society emerges from the pandemic, long-term impacts of distance learning are still emerging. The CESJDS community is no exception as students and teachers are actively facing the continuing challenges that started with the pandemic.

Educational Impacts Despite their best efforts, teachers found online instruction difficult and not a suitable learning environment. According to math teacher Karen Pang, not only was it hard to engage students in lessons, but she also struggled to ascertain whether or not they were actually comprehending the material.

“It was harder to get a sense of feeling from the class of what felt easier, what felt harder [or] when they were ready to move on,” Pang said. “People were far less likely to jump in and contribute a thought if they had to unmute themselves … A lot of people were just content to sort of sit muted and not actively participate.”

This disengagement, Pang believes, has partially contributed to the nationwide educational struggles that students of all ages around the country still face.

An analysis published in Harvard Magazine found that students’ math, reading and history scores from the past three years show a “significant decline in learning during the pandemic.” According to this study, titled “Post-COVID Learning Losses,” the average student lagged approximately half a year behind in math and a third of a year behind in reading in mid-2022.

“It was reported that students were not in the same place as they had been in previous years,” High School Principal and Upper School Campus Head Dr. Lisa Vardi said.

“During the COVID year, that year that they were out, I think faculty removed a lot of content or lessons… so also the skill building.

So faculty reported last year that students did not seem as prepared per se, as they had seen in previous years.”

This learning loss has forced teachers to adjust their lesson plans, specifically in regard to beginning-of-the-year reviews. In

her Algebra II classes, Pang usually teaches a short “unit zero” where she briefly reviews important concepts from past years. However, she explained that since online learning, she has been forced to slow that unit down and dedicate even more time to review.

Although the increased review has helped students catch up, it has also limited the amount of lessons Pang has been able to include in her curriculum.

“I hope it reverts back because there’s some curriculum that I’m not getting to,” Pang said.

“I’ve cut matrices from the Algebra II curriculum because we just never had time to get there.”

Not only have high school teachers had to adapt, but Lower School teachers have changed their curriculum as well. Second-grade general studies teacher Michal Friedman has noticed a gap in students’ handwriting abilities, for instance. She attributes this to distance learning where teachers were unable to “be on top of them [kids] to see how they were forming their letters.”

“For a year or two right after [the pandemic], we had to redo handwriting for them to help them remember how to write and make sure they’re forming their letters correctly because they were doing so much on the computer,” Friedman said.

Friedman has seen deficits in different skills each year after the pandemic. Two years ago, her second graders were in kindergarten during quarantine and therefore lacked handwriting skills.

This year, however, the students in second grade were toddlers at the height of the pandemic, so by the time they were in kindergarten, school was back in-person.

Instead of their handwriting skills being affected, Friedman has noticed a gap in their speech ability.

“I have to wonder if it’s because when they were learning sounds and everything, they were in masks, and their teachers were in masks, so they weren’t hearing the sounds as well,” Friedman said.

Do you think online learning impacted your attention span?

13.5% - No

16.2% - Maybe

70.3% - Yes

Do you think online learning positively impacted your college application/ acceptances?

16.2% - Yes

51.4% - No

32.4% - Maybe

Do you think online learning negatively impacted your college application/ acceptances?

27% - Maybe

37.8% - No

35.1% - Yes

Survey of 37 out of 89 seniors

The Lion’s Tale Magazine 13

- in-depth -

Online learning has impacted elementary student’s handwriting Information from Michal Friedman

Distanced learning effected student’s social development Information from teachhub.com

National math scores have decreased since the pandemic Information from The New York Times

Standardized Testing and College Educational impacts have ot just been limited to teachers’ lesson-planning. They have also greatly affected standardized testing nationwide.

The national average composite score on the ACT for the high school Class of 2022 was 19.8, the lowest average score in more than three decades, according to data released in 2022 by ACT. It is the first time since 1991 that the average composite score was below 20.

“The overall ACT score decline is hardly surprising given the unprecedented disruptions of education during the past two years and data showing similar trends in other testing programs,” Robert Schaeffer, Public Education Director of FairTest: the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, said in an interview with Inside Higher Ed. SAT test scores have also declined since the pandemic, as the national average score in 2022 was 1050, down 18 points from 2018. Broken down by section, the average score was 529 for the evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) section, down seven points from 2018, and 521 for the math, down 10 points from 2018.

Senior Reyut Wasserstein opted to take the ACT last year and believes that because of the pandemic, her score suffered, which aligns with national data.

69.4%

“The main thing I thought that COVID really disrupted was my lack of understanding of the math section [on the ACT],” Wasserstein said. “I took over 23 full tests before I actually took the real thing and every single one showed me that I totally missed out on geometry.”

At JDS, the ninth-grade math curriculum is dedicated to geometry which was predominantly on Zoom for Wasserstein.

Of the 37 out of 89 seniors surveyed, 40.5% said they believe online learning impacted their standardized test scores, with 37.8% believing their scores were lower than they could have been had the pandemic not occurred.

Along with standardized testing, the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed the college admissions landscape. Director of College Guidance Sue Rexford noted how during and immediately after the pandemic, colleges admitted too many students not knowing how many students would come to campus.

“The following year, which was two years ago, they did the same thing and over-enrolled,” Rexford said. “So now they are overcrowded, they have too many students on their campus because more students decided to come back to college than they thought would. You see it mostly in the residence halls; where they were doubles they have a lot of triples.”

Because of this, last year colleges “tightened up” their admissions, Rexford said. The strain over-crowding had on college facilities was untenable, so they became more cautious about enrollment than they were before COVID-19, Rexford said.

Social Impacts In addition to education, students, teachers and parents alike have noticed the social impact the pandemic had on students’ development. Pang said she noticed a lack of maturity among the class of 2025, considering they missed the bulk of their middle school experience.

“I taught 10th graders [class of 2025] last year, and I felt like a lot of them sort of behaved like misplaced ninth graders,” Pang said. “They didn’t have the maturity that I expected 10th graders to have or some of the skills I expected them to be good at.”

Many current high school students missed significant parts of their middle school experience, which are crucial moments for social development. Without this, many students felt lost coming back to school and are just now beginning to return to normalcy.

“I feel like I kind of learned social skills coming into ninth grade because we missed all of seventh and eighth grade,” junior Joseph Vaisman said.

of surveyed seniors felt online learning impacted them socially.

“It became harder to connect with people after being distant for a year.”

“I found myself able to be far more social and less reserved after COVID.” “It made my social anxiety worse and my vibes changed, so it was weird to come “Extremely difficult to make friends.” back to the same place.”

“I think our grade was robbed of one of the most important transition years in our development, and as a result, we all came out a bit [emotionally] stunted.”

14 October 2023

This wasn’t unique to high schools, as Silver Creek Middle School Resource Counselor Susan Levine noted.

“The year we came back to school, I actually had sixth graders, and we realized they had not been in school since they were in third grade, which is huge,” Levine said. “And it was really, really hard for them to get the right behaviors for learning. Teaching school behavior was our first focus at the very, very, very beginning about coming back to school.”

According to teachhub.com, one of the most important parts of middle school is learning the skills to interact with peers and teachers. Although many students engaged with each other via Zoom during the pandemic, they lacked important face-to-face interactions. For instance, the ability to read facial expressions and other social cues was likely underdeveloped for many students who missed those middle school years.

“Technically we were still talking to each other during COVID, but it was different because we didn’t really learn how to interact with each other when we didn’t have a specific reason to do so,” junior Dino Becker said. “So when a teacher puts you in a breakout room on Zoom you would have a specific thing to work on, but at in-person school, we also need to know how to interact with our classmates in the hallways and stuff like that.”

Post-pandemic, there was a rise in depression across the country, most notably in teenagers. According to the CDC, in 2021, four in every 10 teenagers were experiencing constant sadness or a form of depression. Increased depressive behavior likely leads to decreased social interactions.

Additionally, the CDC says that anxiety, especially social anxiety, spiked during the pandemic.

“I feel like the pandemic definitely made me more anxious in terms of interacting with my classmates,” junior Dalia Epstein said.

These problems also arose in middle school students.

“It [COVID-19] really increased levels of panic attacks, [being] unable to go to class, un-

National Average SAT Score Over the Past Five Years, 2018-2022 Graduating Class

Average Evidence -Based Reading and Writing Score

Average Math Score

Average Total Score

2018

536

531

1068

2019

531

528

1059

2020

528

523

1051

2021

533

528

1060

2022

529

521

1050

able to even sometimes come to school, sometimes get out of the parent’s car or get out of the counseling office like intense, debilitating anxiety,” Levine said.

In keeping with that, Levine said that Silver Creek Middle School guidance counselors had to send more students to the crisis center than ever before, and that more students than they had ever seen were hospitalized psychiatrically.

As JDS continues to return to in-person programming, it is important to remember the longterm impacts the pandemic has had on communities across the globe, not just the JDS community.

As schools continue to adjust to a post-pandemic world, it is crucial to be empathetic to those struggling after COVID-19. The future is still uncertain; COVID cases are currently on the rise and communities are still figuring out how to navigate post-COVID society.

“Not everything’s been negative…We’re finding ways to help kids find their resilience, and kids are finding it,” Levine said. “As we navigate a post-pandemic world, it’s important to acknowledge the setbacks the pandemic has caused society, and work together to heal and grow from them.”

Information from Best Colleges

Do you think online learning impacted you socially when you came back to school?

13.5% - Maybe

18.9% - No

67.6% - Yes

Survey of 37 out of 89 seniors

The Lion’s Tale Magazine 15

- features -

Middle school matters

Representative government established for grades six through eight Penelope Terl Reporter iddle schoolers now have the chance to participate in a leadership program of their own, called the Knesset. The new system is inspired by the Israeli government and started in early October.

The elections were broken up by students’ Morning CheckIn (MCI) groups. MCI is a class that occurs every morning in the middle school where students check in with teachers. Each MCI elected one representative, and all representatives regularly meet with Middle School Principal Cassandra Batson and Middle School Assistant Principal Rabbi Janet Ozur Bass to discuss changes they wish to see implemented.

This is different from high school grade governments whose representatives are elected by and represent the entire grade. Ozur Bass believes the MCI representative system will allow for smaller groups to have representation and make their voices heard.

“I ran because I wanted to be able to just make an impact because I’ve noticed a lot of my

M

friends [having the same concerns] about certain things in the middle school and I wanted to see if I can change some of that,” eighth grade representative Caitlyn Levitan said.

Elected students will step into leadership roles that were previously unavailable in middle school and will serve as a link between their MCI and the administration.

This will help middle schoolers develop leadership skills they can use in high school and beyond.

“It’s always been a goal of ours to further develop leadership and really help students find different ways to be leaders in the community, and this is one more way we wanted to extend it,” Ozur Bass said. “We do a lot of leadership work in the eighth grade, and we wanted to extend it to the seventh and sixth [grades] so that we’re creating a culture [of stepping into leadership positions].”

Batson and Ozur Bass will give students in the Knesset information to share with their MCI group.

The students will then gather feedback from their MCI group to present at the next meeting.

“The vision is to give students a platform to contribute their feedback, their thoughts [about]

Ratio of Students to Reps 80:4

for the sixth grade

68:5

for the seventh grade

44:3

for the eighth grade

MIDDLE SCHOOL KNESSET

Representatives elected early Oct.

Representatives meet regularly with Batson and Ozur Bass

12 middle school members

ISRAELI KNESSET Created to give students a platform for feedback

Students pass on information to their MCI

what’s happening in the middle school [and] foster leadership among peers,” Batson said.

The administration hopes that introducing elections and school government systems earlier than before will provide students with leadership opportunities before they are in high school and will prepare them for future grade elections.

“There’s no substitute for experience,” social studies teacher Matthew Jacobson said. “So as these kids get the experience of being in student government, when they’re ready to make that step up in ninth grade, they’re going to have that extra year under their belt to know what’s expected of them.”

The Knesset is one of the changes Batson has made since becoming middle school principal this summer. This is a part of her mission to further embrace the idea of kehillah throughout the middle school.

“As I wrap my head around learning [my] new job, [I think,] where are the different places I can learn? Who can I learn from?”

Batson said. “I thought, I need to learn from the students because we’re here to support them.”

120 members

Works in committees and Plenum (supreme authority of the house) Named after the Knesset Hagedolah in the 5th cent.

B.C.E.

Debates framework of legislation

Convened for the first time on Feb. 14, 1949

Photo from Creative Commons Information from Jewish Virtual Library

16 October 2023

A CHANGE IN TUNE JDS starts the year with new musical director Maiya Blumenthal News Intern When Upper School Vocal Music Teacher and Musical Director Sammy Grob performed the role of The Baker in “Into the Woods JR” in middle school, he didn’t know that he would act in the same play in college, this time as Cinderella’s Prince. He just can’t seem to shake the play. He’s now the co-director of CESJDS’ upcoming fall production.

Grob chose to work at JDS because, despite going to Jewish school through eighth grade, he felt less connected to Judaism in recent years and believed that working at a Jewish school would be a good way to reconnect.

“I grew up Reform, and I never heard of a pluralistic Jewish community before,” Grob said. “I was interested in reconnecting with my Judaism.”

Though Grob is new to the JDS staff, music and theater education are very familiar to him. Last year, Grob worked as a substitute music and theater teacher at a middle and high school in Brooklyn, directed an adult community chorus, created and directed musicals for people with developmental disabilities, interned for the American Composers Orchestra and held different workshops and residencies, all at the same time.

Grob has a number of responsibilities in his new position. He teaches middle school choir and theater and will teach eighthgrade Rikuz in the spring. He also co-directs the high school musical with Director of Arts Education David Solomon and oversees the high school choirs, Shir Madness and Choral, with high school math teacher and choir director Karen Pang.

Serena Gill, senior and member of Shir Madness and the high school musical, appreciates

Grob’s enthusiasm in promoting the musical programs.

“Mr. Grob actively introduced a musical to the entire school at Kabbalat Shabbat, which I thought was really special because it brings it into the mainstream,” Gill said. “He also visited the grade-wide meetings.

He explained what his job is, and he advertised both of the choir groups, so I think so far he’s been a good addition.”

In his classes, Grob hopes to develop an organized teaching style where he can focus on individual student needs by challenging them in different equitable ways, which is especially important as his classes are mixed between grades.

Gill is excited for Grob to bring stability and further organization to the music program as over the past few years there have been many leadership changes.

While Grob has already made changes, like the establishment of the choir Choral, and plans to make more, he appreciates the school’s traditions.

“I love how integrated [music] is into the daily life of the school; I love the Kab Shab performances,” Grob said. “I love that Mr. Prince especially adapts and arranges music to fit the ensemble. You’ll have a group with a trumpet player, cellist, electric guitarist and drums, which is not usually a combo you have, but he makes it work.”

Solomon is particularly excited to work on “Into the Woods” with Grob.

“Our goal is to provide a fantastic experience for the stu-

“

I love how integrated [music] is into the daily life of the school”

FUN FACTS ABOUT GROB Favorite Musical

-Upper School Vocal Music Teacher and Musical Director Sammy Grob

dents,” Solomon said. “Also to put on a show that students are going to remember for the rest of their lives, that the audience will remember for a long time and everybody leaves and thinks of what a fun experience they had with this show.”

Music has been an important and valued part of Grob’s life for a long time, and he is excited to continue working in the music world and give back his talent.

“It brought me a lot of joy growing up doing music, learning it, performing it [and] studying it,” Grob said. “I think that arts education in general is one of the few spaces in education where you can make a lot of mistakes and there is no correct answer...There’s always room for somebody in music education and theater education.”

Photo from Creative Commons

Favorite Song

Game to Lose Photo from Rounder Records

Favorite Book

One Hundred Years Of Solitude Photo taken by Mia Forseter, LT

Favorite Instrument To Play

Open Clip Art Library

Photo taken by Abby Chesman, Dimensions

The Lion’s Tale Magazine 17

- features -

Turning passion into action

Places to volunteer in the DMV area Sophie Schwartz Reporter Tikkun Olam, repairing the world, is a core Jewish value that provides a way to give back to your community, support underprivileged people and explore your interests. With CESJDS’ new community service policy, which requires that this year’s freshmen receive 40 volunteer hours from one place, here are a few opportunities to consider.

Imadi: Every week for two Imadi hours, seniors Anna Leinwand and Nava Feldman spend time with a boy in the D.C. area who has a chronic illness. Leinwand and Feldman do this work as a part of Imadi, a Jewish organization where teens in the area volunteer with children who have chronic illnesses and genetic conditions and are therefore limited in their social interactions.

“I really like it because the kid who we volunteer with, we are his friends, and it’s really nice to be able to see the progress in the relationship that we’ve made,” Feldman said.

While the main goal of Imadi is for teens to be supporting children, Leinwand and Feldman also talk to their child’s mom, whose social life is also impacted by her son’s illness. This connection

More Volunteering Faves: Small Things Matter -Senior Daniel Simon

Bikes for the World -Junior Evan Gorodetzky

Friendship Circle -Junior Sam Verschleisser

with the boy and his parents has allowed them to create a relationship with the entire family.

“We are a support system,” Leinwand said. “It’s nice to be able to support the whole family, not only the boy.”

Synagogue: While Imadi alSynagogue lows students to meet children from different communities, there are also volunteer opportunities in students’ own communities.

One way is leading youth groups at your synagogue.

Every Saturday, senior Libby Hurwitz runs programming at her synagogue, Beth Shalom, for children in third to fifth grade. She teaches them about the weekly Torah portion, and they pray and play games to create a meaningful experience for kids while they are at synagogue.

While Hurwitz finds it challenging to get the children to listen, she understands the impact that youth groups had on her when she was their age.

“I remember doing groups when I was their age…,” Hurwitz said. “I remember how big of a deal it was for me and how I’d look forward to it every Shabbos. My friends were there and it was just a wonderful experience. So I want to try to create that same environment.”

Hurwitz would recommend leading youth programs to other people; however, she believes that certain skills are necessary in order to be successful. Whether it is treating them as mature preteens or being flexible, understanding how to work with kids is crucial.

“You have to stay calm, stay cool and just realize that they’re kids and your job is to help them,” Hurwitz said.

Phoenix Computers: Computers For those interested in science and technology, Phoenix Computers provides the opportunity to incorporate that into your volunteering.

Phoenix Computers is a non-profit organization that fixes donated computers and sells them at significantly marked-down prices to low income families.

Their mission is to “bridge the dig-

Photo from Imadi Instagram, used with permission.

Imadi participants engage in an “Operation” style game

CESJDS’ new service policy Students in the Class of 2027 and on must volunteer at one organization for at least 40 hours A service proposal must be written once a specific organization is selected

ital divide.”

Over the summer, sophomore Ben Amdur volunteered at Phoenix Computers. His responsibilities included wiping hard drives, upgrading computer components and fixing batteries or screens.

“It’s definitely interesting to people who are fascinated with computers and tech, since you build them and take them apart,” Amdur said. “… It’s meaningful because you provide access to computers to people who wouldn’t necessarily have them.”

While you do not need prior experience to volunteer there, Amdur recommends having a general understanding of computers and their components. However, it is a requirement that you are 16 or older.

While each of these three opportunities teach skills that are essential to that specific job, Hurwitz believes that volunteering also offers more general life skills.

“I think volunteering is very important, because it teaches you life skills that you would not otherwise learn in the classroom,” Hurwitz said. “… Learning how to communicate with kids is very different, so learning how to be able to be diverse in different ways [that] you’re able to communicate with within your community is really, really important.”

18 October 2023

Israeli Influence JDS welcomes new shinshinit

Daon attends a program with the Israeli Scouts. Photo used with permission from Daon.

Lena Nadaner and Simon Albert Editor-in-Chief and News Editor Seniors jump up and down to “Golden Boy” by Nadav Guedj as they follow the Israeli dance moves of Agam Daon during a Hebrew class. Daon was sent by the Jewish Agency of Israel to be CESJDS’ Shinshinit for the year.

She recently graduated from high school and is doing one year of volunteering in the U.S. before she heads to the army. Her goal, to promote Israeli spirit, was achieved in this Hebrew class, as seniors let their worries about school work and college applications go to enjoy the music.

Shinshinim is a play on the words Shnat Sheirut, meaning a year of service. The volunteers are 18-year old Israeli leaders who defer their army service for one year to volunteer in communities around the world. They go through a thorough selection process to ensure they are the best candidates for the job.

“I can be the friend from Israel,” Daon said. “There’s a lot of people that think … bad things [about Israel] that they see in the newspaper or on T.V. or on social media … and I want to show my side of Israel and how I see Israel.”

Over the course of the school year, Daon will do informal activities with students to promote Is-

raeli spirit. Because she is close in age to many of the high school students, Daon thinks she will be able to connect with them easily.

“I am really excited [to] meet new friends, to be meaningful for people here,” Daon said.

Anat Kaufman, High School Israel Engagement Coordinator and Hebrew teacher, is excited to see Daon be involved with the students and stressed the importance of her being here.

“I think she will bring with her a lot of Israeli spirit, and I know she has a lot of enthusiasm to meet Jewish American teenagers and kids of all ages,” Kaufman said. “It will be good for her as much as it will be good for our students, and in the future, it will be good for Israel.”

Daon’s duties take her to the Upper School campus on Mondays and Fridays, and she will be at the Lower School campus on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

“You like T.V. shows; she likes the same ones,” Kaufman said.

“You like Taylor Swift; she also likes Taylor Swift. So you can talk with her and use your Hebrew and understand what it’s like to be Israeli.”

Before coming to the United States, Daon was in the Israeli Scouts for nine years, serving as a

counselor for three years for fifth and sixth-grade girls, including kids with special needs. This past year, she was Head of Staff for seventh graders.

At JDS, Daon is in a unique position to engage students in Israeli spirit in and out of the classroom without teaching them, according to Kaufman.

“It was very important to me to influence the Jewish American youth and to do one year of service, [to bring] the spirit of Israel to school, to Jewish people in the diaspora and to donate to my community,” Daon said.

“

It was very important to me to influence the Jewish American youth, [to bring] the spirit of Israel to school.

- Agam Daon

Daon says goodbye to her parents at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.

Photo used with permission from Daon.

The Lion’s Tale Magazine 19

- arts & entertainment Coming Soon Love Island Games

The first season of ‘Love Island Games’ is coming to Peacock on Nov. 1, and viewers of the Love Island series are excited. The show will bring together Islanders from the various Love Island series across the globe, and offer them another shot at love.

The Marvels

A new movie based on the Marvel comics is coming to the big screen on Nov. 10.

The movie will follow comic characters Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel in their superhero activities and will be the 33rd movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Wish

Disney is coming out with a new animated film this November which follows 17-yearold Asha as she tries to save her kingdom from evil. The film is a musical, giving it an additionally fun and entertaining aspect, and is set to come to theaters on Nov. 22.

All the Light We Cannot See “All the Light We Cannot See” is a popular novel by Anthony Doerr that is being turned into a Netflix series. The novel takes place during WWII and follows a blind French girl and a young German soldier whose paths cross during the war. The series will be on Netflix on Nov. 2.

Fala-full of flavor

New Israeli restaurant has a good vibe and great food Vivi Ducker Reporter or an area with such a vibrant Jewish community, it seems that there’s no decent place to find good falafel in Montgomery County. Newly opened Dalia’s Falafel in downtown Bethesda finally solves this problem.

Former CESJDS student Ben Assaraf and his partners opened Dalia’s Falafel this past August, centrally located right across the street from Bethesda Elementary School. Everything at Dalia’s Falafel is made from Assaraf’s family recipes, but is not certified Kosher.

Assaraf was a student at JDS from kindergarten through seventh grade.

“I come from an Israeli family that cooks with a lot of flavor.” Assaraf said, “Growing up, anyone that would come over and eat my mom’s food would go nuts. I always knew that my family has recipes that a lot of people go crazy for.”

Dalia’s recipes, Dalia being Assaraf’s mother, do an amazing job at making Israeli comfort food for the masses.

Their current menu consists of “make-your-own” rice bowls, salad bowls and pita sandwiches. They have protein options of beef kabob and falafel, along with all of the typical topping options for a great falafel. They are also planning to expand their menu in the near future.

In my trip to Dalia’s, I

F

Dalia’s Falafel is served in pitas and bowls. Photo by Vivi Ducker.

ordered one rice falafel bowl, one pita sandwich and a side of french fries.

I first tried the falafel pita sandwich ($11) which was truly amazing. Dalia’s recipe makes the falafel green and tasty. They make the falafels into ovular patties rather than perfect balls, ensuring that you get a perfect balance of falafel, pita and toppings in each bite.

“I think what sets us apart from other Mediterranean restaurants is just how much we put into everything we do,” Assaraf says. “My mom taught me how to make sure that it’s always consistent and you never skip any steps. You have to make sure that you’re putting the spices into it and making the inside super green.”

This entire sandwich was delicious. The pita was perfectly toasted and fluffy, and all of the toppings paired together nicely.

The mouthwatering sandwich left me wanting more.

I also tried one of the rice bowls which was equally tasty ($12). This was a great alternative to pita and was good for sharing because of the large portion size. The bowl also allows you to craft your perfect bite with all of the ingredients and flavors.

Even the side of fries that I ordered was exceptional ($4).

They were thick cut, crispy and paired perfectly with the rest of

“

I always knew that my family has recipes that a lot of people go crazy for.”

- owner Ben Assaraf

the food.

Aside from its central location with lots of parking, another bonus of Dalia’s Falafel is their student and teacher combo discount. Students or teachers who show ID can get fries, an entree and a drink for only $14.

Even without this amazing special, Dalia’s is very reasonably priced and an adorable lunch spot. Their quaint storefront with pleasant and comfortable outdoor seating is very appealing for anyone in the mood for authentic falafel and Mediterranean food.

“I know for a fact that anyone that would ever come over would be so happy to eat my mom’s food,” Assaraf says. “It’s just nice to have her name on the door and do something for her because she’s done so much for my family.”

20 October 2023

Real Romance?

Students debate the quality of Colleen Hoover books

PRO

Gigi Gordon Sports Editor Two years ago, when I was bored and looking for something to do, I picked up the book “It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover.

Ever since then, Hoover has become one of my favorite authors.

Hoover mostly writes romance novels, and her target audience is young adults. In the summer of 2021, “It Ends With Us” went viral on TikTok for good reason. The book focuses on the issue of abusive vs. healthy relationships and is incredibly entertaining. There are many exciting twists and the ending is unique. This book has a lot of

CON

Nini Panner Multimedia Editor I have never in my five semesters on The Lion’s Tale newspaper staff ever made a claim so controversial, especially to the entire Upper School community: Colleen Hoover is overrated.

Let me get one thing out of the way. Colleen Hoover is talented. There’s absolutely no doubt that she’s an author with great potential. However, Hoover’s writing is over hyped, especially given its lack of diversity. In 24 books, Hoover has written no main characters who are queer, people of color or disabled. What

good information on abusive relationships and how women can deal with them.

Although it’s her most well known book, “It Ends With Us” is not Hoover’s only popular book.

Hoover has written a total of 24 books, all of which are enticing and entertaining. They make for fun, light reads filled with bubbly characters and many lighthearted moments.

One of my favorite books

by Hoover is “Verity,” which is a bit unconventional. The book follows an aspiring female writer, Lowen, who gets hired to ghostwrite for a famous author named Verity Crawford. “Verity” is a

unique book in both how it is written and the way it switches between the past and present.

The unexpected twists and cliffhangers makes it an engaging book that I couldn’t put down.

A common argument against Hoover’s books is the lack of literature in comparison to the smut aspects of the book.

However, all of Hoover’s books are meant to be read casually for entertainment rather than educational purposes. While they focus on important topics, the goal of the books is to entertain and engage the audience, which is something that Hoover has repeatedly achieved.

sort of message does this send to Hoover’s young readers?

Hoover’s most problematic book, and her most popular, “It Ends With Us,” romanticizes the degradation of women. The storyline follows Lily Bloom and her tumultuous relationship with male love interests, especially Ryle Kinkaid, a character written as a charming and dreamy man who is truly an emotionally and physically abusive partner. His actions in the relationship are far from romantic, such as pushing Lily down a flight of stairs, choking her and borderline stalking.

Lily later marries Ryle, showing Hoover’s readers it is

okay to stay with and commit to an abusive partner. This is a severely damaging model to shape the views of her largely female teenage audience.

These themes are present throughout Hoover’s million-dollar franchise, reinforcing stereotypes about women and suggesting we cannot stand independently. Our students and the other largely young female audience that makes up her readers should not participate in the glorification of this toxic behavior. Colleen Hoover should be aware of her platform and the impact that she can have on young audiences.

Colleen Hoover fast facts 1. Hoover

lives in Texas

2. Hoover’s

most popular novel is ‘It Ends With Us’

3. Hoover’s

Instagram has two million followers

4. Hoover

has published 26 books

5. Hoover’s fan base is called “The Cohort”

6. 3.4 million

copies of ‘It Ends With Us’ sold since Dec. 2022

7. Hoover’s

first book, ‘Slammed’ was self published in 2012 Information from publishersweekly.com, aarp.org and forbes.com

BEST SELLERS

How long some of Hoovers’ books were on the New York Times best sellers list.

Information from nytimes. com as of October 9, 2023

109 weeks

69 weeks

50 weeks

126 weeks Photos by Stella Muzin

The Lion’s Tale Magazine 21

- arts and entertainment -

activities to fall for

The best places to experience autumn at its peak Lily Rulnick Features Editor

Homestead Farm

If autumn were a place, it would be Homestead Farm, located in Poolesville, Maryland. The minute you pull into the parking lot, you are hit with a fall overload. Activities at Homestead range from pumpkin and apple picking to hay rides to visiting the animals at the farm’s petting zoo. As if it couldn’t get any better, Homestead’s Country Kitchen is full of with autumn snacks like caramel apples and pie slices. Admission to the farm is $3 per person in addition to the price of the pumpkins and apples picked (or goodies bought in their wonderful market).

Photo by Lily Rulnick, LT

Photo by Lily Rulnick, LT

Butler’s Orchard

Though Butler’s Orchard is known for its great pumpkin patch, it offers so much more than picking pumpkins. Visitors can try the corn maze, play lawn games, go down the giant slides and a lot more (all while eating the most delicious apple cider donuts I’ve ever had). Though admission prices are a little steeper here than at Homestead (tickets range from $10 to $17), it is definitely worth the price, since the amount of activities is endless. The Pumpkin Festival ends Oct. 29, so make sure to head up to Germantown before October ends. Pictured above: Junior Shalvah Lazarus petting baby goat.

Markoff’s Haunted Forrest For some, fall means spooky season. If this is the case for you, check out Markoff’s Haunted Forest. Markoff’s, located in Dickerson, Maryland, takes you on trails that travel through a forest decorated to the brim with scary decorations and infested with people hired to scare you. Before the trails, there are several food stalls stalked with thematic and traditional fair foods. I recommend going with a group of friends, as the intense anxiety levels create the ultimate bonding experience.

Tickets for the trail are $30, $25 for the spooky town at Markoff’s and $45 for both.

Photo from markoffshauntedforrest.com

22 October 2023

fall food favorites Four desserts that will leave your mouth watering Cati Werbin Arts and Entertainment Editor

When fall comes around each year, so do the aromas of cinnamon, pumpkin spice and crisp apples. There is no better way of embracing these flavors than to incorporate them into the kitchen. Here are some simple fall recipe ideas for when you are craving the taste of autumn.

Local Hikes

Photo by Lily Rulnick, LT

One of the best ways to enjoy the fall foliage is to simply be among the trees, and there is no better way to do that than to take a hike. Though there are several beautiful hikes in the DMV area that will provide premium autumn exposure, my favorite has to be the C&O Canal Towpath. The Towpath, which runs parallel to the Potomac River, is surrounded by lush trees, creating the perfect autumn atmosphere. Additionally, experiencing this hike during fall is unique because the lack of leaves on the trees enables a perfect view of the Potomac, which adds to the serene experience. The Towpath, along with other hikes in the area, are a perfect way to enjoy the season without spending any money.

Montgomery County Map

All of these fall activities are located within reasonable distance from school in Montgomery County.

Visit these spots for the best fall experience during this season.

Butler’s Orchard Markoff’s

Homeastead Farm

C&O Canal Towpath

Pumpkin Bread Pumpkin bread is a classic fall comfort food, with its warm flavors and fluffy texture. You likely have most of the ingredients at home, and it is easy to make as it does not have any complicated ingredients or steps. Plus, while in the oven, pumpkin bread will leave your house smelling delicious.

Apple Crumb Cake This simple recipe is a fall staple, as it incorporates tastes from the fall apple season. Apple crumb cake only requires baking ingredients you can find in your kitchen, such as flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, butter and eggs, as well as cinnamon and apples.

The best apples I recommend for this cake are granny smith and honey crisp, but any type works just fine. Every time I bake this cake, it only lasts an hour around my family because it is just so good.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Another pumpkin spice recipe that does its job in bringing the fall feeling are pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Take your average chocolate chip cookie recipe, mix in some pumpkin puree along with some extra spices and you are left with gooey, cozy and delicious cookies. These cookies only take 30 minutes to make and are great to share with friends and family during the fall season.

Cinnamon Rolls Every time fall and Thanksgiving roll around, it has become a tradition for me to bake cinnamon rolls. Though cinnamon rolls are a bit hard to make and can also be time consuming, the final product is worth it, as you are left with a pillowey heaven of cinnamon topped with sweet frosting. When making cinnamon rolls, it is best to make the dough and let it proof overnight so that the rolls come out extra fluffy after baking. If you want an easier alternative, Pillsbury has a drop and bake option which you can buy in stores and keep in your fridge until you are ready to bake them. I enjoy making cinnamon rolls late at night after a stressful day, and then being able to dig into a warm and gooey roll for breakfast the next morning.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins One of my favorite baked goods that I love to eat for breakfast before school during the fall are pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. These delicious, sweet and fluffy muffins are like cupcakes except you can eat them at any time of the day.

You can also supplement the pumpkin for banana, vanilla or chocolate. Usually when I bake muffins I end up with a batch of over a dozen which is perfect for sharing with friends and family.

Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, Photo by Lily Rulnick, LT

The Lion’s Tale Magazine 23

- sports -

Calling all coaches New leadership joins high school fall teams Maya Greenblum Reporter ot many coaches seek global influence in the interest of their team’s success, but alumnus and CESJDS boys varsity soccer head coach Gadi Vogel (‘18) did. During a two week trip to his birthplace, Uruguay, this past summer, Vogel dedicated each day to observing the country’s largest-professional soccer team, Club Atlético Peñarol, in an effort to commit to his long-lived passion.

After accepting the coaching offer last May, Vogel took it upon himself to learn coaching strategies in preparation for the fall sports season and elected to make this an international expedition.

Vogel attended the U14, U15 and U18 teams’ weekday practices and watched an in-league private scrimmage, all with the intention of bringing his learnings back to the JDS team. Despite this experience, Vogel still finds himself adjusting to being on the coaching side of things.

“It’s interesting seeing how I can relate to the players more since I’m only five or six years older than them,” Vogel said. “It’s a positive dynamic - when it has to be serious, it’s serious, and they understand how the game has to go.”

n

Boys varsity soccer assistant coach Daryl Lucas, who is Vogel’s close friend of nearly 12 years, is coaching alongside Vogel this season. Unlike Vogel, Lucas has ample coaching experience. Lucas played Division Three soccer at Penn State Harrisburg which inspired him to begin coaching and led to his position as coach at Top Rank Academy for the U8 and U15 teams. Over time, Lucas has formulated strategies for forming stronger connections with his players.

“It’s like a two-way street,” Lucas said. “If you show the players empathy and show them that you actually care, it’s much easier for them to listen to you and actually trust you as a coach.”

The new girls varsity volleyball coach Paul Finver also emphasizes building relationships with players. Finver instituted positivity as a key value for his players, and bases this in his experience as coach for several recreational teams and as assistant coach for a Rockville club team “Champions of Tomorrow.” Finver believes that volleyball challenges players to consistently execute their hits each point, encouraging his players to communicate with each other.

“It’s the ultimate team sport in terms of working together,” Fin-

Vogel and Lucas coach an after school practice. The pair have been friends since childhood. Photo by Abby Chessman, LT and Dimensions Yearbook.

“

If you believe in yourself and you go into a game with the ideology of ‘I am good enough, I’m strong enough,’ we... have the team to come out on top.”

-Junior Varsity Volleyball Coach Shayna Held

ver said. “Everybody on the court has to be ready to contribute and be in a good position to be able to have things flow smoothly.”

Although the girls varsity volleyball team has been playing in the PVAC conference for years, the girls JV volleyball team is kicking off their first year playing in the conference with new coach Shayna Held. She is coaching volleyball at the Upper School using her experience playing intramural volleyball in college and is teaching physical education at the Lower School currently.

“Interestingly enough, I would say I’m not a good player of the sport. But I almost feel as though that’s advantageous to coaching in the field because I’m a learner,” Held said. “I’m able to provide the cues that I need to without just expecting people to be able to do things on command.”

Even though each new coach varies in backgrounds and involvement in the JDS community, they all share one common goal: winning.

“The energy of coaching a sport… there’s nothing quite like it,” Held said. “I’m living vicariously through my players as they’re having their moments… and that’s been really a joy to watch.”

Photo by Eli Gale, used with permission.

24 October 2023

from student to staff

DAY IN THE LIFE

Alumna returns as athletic trainer and teacher Gila Safra Reporter On the first day of school, athletic trainer and Kinesiology and Emergency Care teacher Romi Nachman (‘18) walked into CESJDS, and it felt like she never left.

Nachman attended JDS from kindergarten through 12th grade and participated in the sports medicine program. After continuing her athletic training education at Towson University and working as an athletic trainer at Rockville High School for a year, she is back at JDS. When former Athletic Trainer and Assistant Athletic Director Tori Simonetti resigned last year, she reached out to Nachman in hopes that Nachman could be her replacement. Nachman was also connected with Director of Athletics and Physical Education Becky Silberman from her time at JDS. “She understands the JDS culture, which I think people… who didn’t go here don’t understand that. She played sports here… so she understands the way we run,” Silberman said. “She loves the community, [and] she’s in the community, and so it’s an easy transition for her.”

During the school day, Nachman teaches two classes and preps for athletic activities. After school, she attends practices and games to monitor athletes with injuries and to make sure everyone is safe and healthy.

Another aspect of Nachman’s role at JDS is helping students get involved with the sports medicine program. She hopes to give students the opportunity to interact with athletes and shadow her at different sporting events.

She also wants to give students more hands-on experience, so they can practice parts of sports medicine independently.

“Seeing students taking an interest in athletic training and

in sports medicine is definitely something that I’m looking forward to...” Nachman said.

“They’ve always been really excited, and it’s very exciting to me because I’m really passionate about athletic training… [I] hope that students will be as excited as I was as a student.”

While Nachman has had a lot of experience working with athletes, she has never taught before.

Even though she said that learning a whole new profession was overwhelming and challenging, Nachman is excited about the new experience.

Senior Abby Greenberg is the co-president of the sports medicine club and is in Nachman’s emergency care and sports medicine class. Greenberg hopes to pursue sports medicine in college and beyond.

“If you were thinking about the fact that she’s not a teacher or that she’s never taught before, that’d be kind of surprising,” Greenberg said. “It really does seem like it comes naturally to her and she’s been doing a good job.”

Greenberg is looking forward to getting to know and learn from Nachman. She said she appreciates how approachable, welcoming and dedicated Nachman is to students.

Nachman is excited to come back to her alma mater to help her community and hopes to give students the same experience that she had.

“I really loved the idea, even from just being at JDS, [of] giving people the exposure to athletic training and to sports medicine, because I was provided that myself,” Nachman said. “I want to be the person that will inspire the next generation of athletic trainers.”

7 a.m.

Photo by Freed Photography

Morning movement Nachman emphasizes personal wellness in her routine, whether that be going to the gym or doing yoga.

9:30 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.

Teach

Nachman teaches Emergency Care and Kinesiology throughout the day.

2:45 - 3:45 p.m.

Prep for games Before sports games, Nachman checks in with coaches and students, treats students for their games and ensures all teams have supplies for away games.

4:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Attend games

Nachman said she prioritizes attending the games with the “most amount of contact,” such as soccer, as those games have the highest likelihood of injuries.

The Lion’s Tale Magazine 25

Boosting school spirit

- sports -

Booster club founders, Geoff Chesman (Left) and Danielle Jewler (Right) with Athletic Director Becky Silberman (Center) at the “Running on Faith” event, the official launch of the Athletic Booster Club. Photo by Shmulik Almany, used with permission.

New organization founded to promote school sports Tali Loeffler Reporter The new Athletic Booster Club kicked off their programimng with the fall sports season by emphasizing school spirit. Composed of parents, alumni and students, the club strives to encourage and amplify enthusiasm for CESJDS athletics.

Last spring, JDS parents Geoff Chesman (‘92) and Danielle Jeweler proposed the idea of the Athletic Booster Club to Director of Athletics and Physical Education Becky Silberman in an effort to create an environment that would increase the community’s support for school sports.

“We want to improve the general culture,” Silberman said.

“Mainly school spirit was their big thing. I think after witnessing some of the teams we play like [Berman] Hebrew Academy and other places who have everyone in the stands with gear and swag and they have all these fun things, stuff that we have never been doing.

They wanted to find a way to make that happen here.”

The club officially started last spring when members were involved in hosting the blue carpet event for “Running on Faith,” an ESPN documentary about the cross country team.

According to Chesman, the mission of the club is a three fold process. The goals are to elevate sports programs, facilities and teams, amplify and recognize achievements of various players

and teams and engage fans in order to increase the school’s spirit.

Club member and senior Sam Sharp plays a role in bringing athlete’s experience and senior perspective to the club.

“It’s a really good opportunity to motivate fans because a lot of the kids at our school are the best fans for most of our sporting events,” Sharp said. “Having an official booster committee will really help our fan representation and help our sports teams do better.”

The club started off the year strong with its fall athletic clothing sale. According to Silberman, over 100 people purchased clothing items from the sale. The club plans to repeat the sale for every sports season with sports specific athletic apparel.

They also planned the Lions spirit week, which encouraged students to dress in different colors each day of the week to support sports teams and show up to different games. During the week, the club sold concessions before and after home games, and handed out free JDS swag during games.

“It’ll affect the excitement around the game,” Silberman said.

“Some people might get nervous with more people, but I think most athletes like having people watch them.”

The club plans to sell concessions and do more swag giveaways.

According to Chesman, since the Berman Hebrew Academy basketball games are an important JDS

event, the club’s plan is to hold a pep rally as well as pre-game festivities and contests throughout the night.

The executive committee, the group of parents that run the club, plan to help co-sponsor a silent auction. The money will go to funds for the club. They are also working on developing relationships with sponsors.

“Any time you’ve got a nice new field or brand new gym or whatever it might be, I think you feel differently when you walk in,” Chesman said. “When you look good, you feel good, and I think that’s important.”

The club is also trying to create more equity within the athletic department by targeting all teams, not just the ones with the largest fan bases. By raising money and rallying spirit, the club hopes to be able to give attention and funds to all JDS sports teams.

“We’re still in a place where we’re trying to build more community,” Chesman said. “School spirit goes a long way to helping that and getting parents out and having them be social when they’re in games and cheering on the school. I think that goes a long way towards creating a more cohesive and tight knit community for the school, and I think that’s really our ultimate goal.”

Meet the boosters Geoff Chesman

Danielle Jewler

Job: Residential Realtor

Job: Sports Agent

Favorite sport: Basketball

Favorite Sport (play): Soccer

Hobbies: Traveling and

Favorite Sport (watch): Football

watching live music

Hobbies: Exercise and traveling

26 October 2023

Super Skater Sadaf Zadeh Reporter As freshman Ma’ayan Horwitz steps onto the ice with her teammates, she sees ten judges ready to dissect her every move. But rather than tensing under pressure, Ma’ayan stays calm by reminding herself that she is about to take part in something she loves, surrounded by the people she loves.

Since she began at the age of seven, Ma’ayan has found a passion in synchronized ice skating, a sport in which a group of people simultaneously skate. Before skating, Ma’ayan tried out a variety of sports including gymnastics and soccer, but ultimately settled on synchronized skating after being introduced to her current team, DC EDGE. Synchronized skating routines consist of songs along with dances that typically last about two and a half minutes. The skaters wear

Photo by Helene Horwitz, used with permission.

matching attire while competing on the ice together.

“I have this sort of commitment [for skating] that I don’t have for anything else,” Ma’ayan said.

“It’s not something that I would miss. It’s not something I can miss.

I need to wake up and go to practice. There are teammates that are depending on me.”

In order to prepare for competitions, Ma’ayan wakes up at 4:30 a.m. to practice from 5:30 to 6:30 a.m. with one of her fellow teammates. Along with individual practices, Ma’ayan also attends team practices on Saturdays from 5:30 to 9 a.m. to practice routines and to condition.

The time that Ma’ayan dedicates to skating significantly impacts her life outside of skating.

Ma’ayan not only misses lots of school to attend competitions, yet, the commitments she makes encourages her peers and teachers to support her by attending her competi-

tions.

For Ma’ayan, skating has given her the opportunity to learn skills that are applicable beyond the ice.

She has learned the importance of discipline, regimen and commitment, even if it can be difficult.

“We really appreciate how much she puts in and watching her work so hard and appreciate how it’s helped her be who she is,” Ma’ayan’s mother, Helene Horwitz said.

Along with putting in the daily effort to stay conditioned and ready to skate, Ma’ayan also ensures that she positively impacts her team, creating meaningful friendships and connections.

Ma’ayan arrives to practice everyday with a friendly, positive

Freshman participates in competitive figure skating

Horwitz and her team gather before they perform in order to mentally prepare themselves. Photo by Helene Horwitz, used with permission.

outlook and a hard-working attitude, according to her coach, Lyn Witt. Even under the tense conditions that come with competing, Witt said that Ma’ayan is a spirited skater who takes an active role on the team.

“Ma’ayan is a very supportive team member,” Witt said. “[The teammates] really care about each other’s feelings and know how to be good friends in a competitive environment because it can be hard sometimes” Although the sport can be difficult and an immense commitment, Ma’ayan can’t imagine her life without it. ”There’s always that point in the year where I’m like, do I really want to do this again next year, do I really want to continue?” Horwitz said. “And then there’s this other part of me that’s like, well, where would I be without skating?”

STEP BY STEP

Competition preparation

1st

Pack your bag

2nd

Run through the routine twice

3rd

Go to bed at curfew, 9 p.m.

4th

Wake up and practice for an hour and a half

5th

Compete

The Lion’s Tale Magazine 27

Fall Sp rts

Compiled By Gigi Gordon

Ready To Race: Cross country athletes warm up before running their practice loop. The team is hoping to win states again this year. Photo by Abby Chesman, LT and Dimensions Yearbook.

Volleyball Victories (top): Freshman Yarden Wilkenfeld throws the ball up to serve and junior Neely Shemony gets ready to return. This is the first year that the junior varsity volleyball team is in the PVAC conference, the varsity team has a record of 6-4 going into playoffs. Photos by Abby Chesman, LT and Dimensions Yearbook.

Eye On The Ball (bottom): Senior Julia Rich returns the ball in a match. The girls varsity tennis team has been very succesfull this year. Photo by Jordan Levy, Dimensions Yearbook.

Super Soccer: Both assuming important roles on the field, seniors Zoe Epstein and Sam Sharp are playing to win. Sharp is a new player on the boys varsity soccer team this year. The girls varsity soccer team is battling for a top spot in the PVAC. Photos by Abby Chesman, LT and Dimensions Yearbook (directly above). Jordan Levy, Dimensions Yearbook (directly right).