Volume 54, Issue 7 (April 2020) - The Rampage

The Rampage The Newspaper of the Ramaz Upper School

New York • Volume 54 • Issue 7 • April 2020 • Nissan 5780 • the-rampage.org

COVID-19 Attacks Ramaz: the Challenge to Create a New Normal Rebecca Massel ’21

closely integrated populations between the SAR and Ramaz communities, fear spread into the Ramaz community. Some students had siblings in self-quarantine.

Some families did not go to shul on Purim. Some high schoolers did not come to school on the Wednesday after Purim, as they were afraid to catch the virus.

What happens when you wake up one morning to find yourself trapped in a horrific science fiction movie? What happens when, seemingly overnight, your biggest problem goes from your history test tomorrow to worrying whether walking outside will put your life in jeopardy?

As COVID-19 took hold in New York City, the Ramaz school buildings officially closed on March 11. The next day, the Upper School opened up again… online. Students and teachers quickly adjusted to their new virtual classrooms. In less than a week, school was back in session, complete with assemblies, tests, Tefilla, and extracurricular clubs.

Coronavirus started in Fall 2019 in Wuhan, China, possibly from bats in a food market.

Although little is known about the virus, it is related to the SARS Cough 2 Virus, an epidemic that was present 15 years ago. It is known to spread without direct contact and is very dangerous, especially for the elderly or those with compromised health. The virus rapidly spread around the world, and at the beginning of March, it reached the New York Jewish community. SAR was the first school to close after an SAR parent was infected and battled as one of the earliest cases of the virus. Because of the

The question of when to close school was challenging. Head of School Mr. Jonathan Cannon consulted with many other Jewish high schools about their plans. The schools fell into two categories: those with actual cases of coronavirus and those that were sim-

ply monitoring the situation. The original guidelines from the New York City and New York State Health Departments were that schools with definite cases of coronavirus needed to close. As the NYS Health Department learned about the depth of the interconnectedness of the Jewish communities, they advised Ramaz to close even though there were no known cases of corona within Ramaz. A few days later, all New York public schools closed.

With regard to the new virtual approach to school, Mr. Cannon said, “Overall, there is the same concern for all Ramaz students.

We want to make sure that everyone puts their health first and then focuses on existing within this new world.” In the Lower School, there must be a focus on daily practice and routine. “This new reality is even more confusing for them,” explained Mr. Cannon. The Middle School follows the same basic theory, but Mr. Cannon feels these students need a variety of opportunities, especially the eighth graders whose Israel trip was canceled. The Upper School has always maintained a rigorous program, but at this time, Mr. Cannon acknowledges the school has to recognized that this situation is not normal. “This is an uncharted time,” he said.

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Clubs Despite Corona Julia Feit ’22

A typical day at Ramaz used to include academics balanced with innovative clubs and sports teams.

School would not be the same without the countless extracurriculars and clinics offered to students each day.

Navigating a new online learning system through Zoom poses difficulties for classes. As teachers and students are beginning to adapt to remote learning, classes have become smoother, and the technology has become more intuitive. However, transitioning interactive clubs, such as sports and dance teams, to an online format has proven very difficult to navigate. Spring sports seasons have been suspended indefinitely, and it remains unclear whether games will resume this year. Delays and glitches in the technology make it nearly impossible for clubs like choir and chamber choir to practice singing as a group. Numerous concerts, conferences, trips, and games have all been cancelled due to the novel coronavirus.

Adapting to life on a screen, clubs have continued to meet virtually despite challenges and modifications. Choir and chamber choir are meeting virtually each week and practicing in small breakout groups. Elizabeth Newman-Corré ’20, one of the choir presidents, explained, “It’s very different from what we usually do, obviously, because the Zoom technology isn’t quite good enough for forty people to sing simultaneously. We meet for about the same time in total, but the voice parts separate into breakout rooms, and Mr. Henkin works for fifteen to twenty minutes with each group.” It is difficult to sing in sync on Zoom because of lags, so it’s difficult to sing as a group; therefore, people must alternate singing individually. The new method of singing through Zoom is unfortunately very time consuming for singers as they have to listen to each member of their group perform for Mr. Henkin. Due to the coronavirus, the choir had to cancel numerous concerts, including a fundraiser for the organization Kolot. Most recently, Mr. Henkin assigned each vocal group selections from “Heaven” by Live and compiled the recordings on GarageBand to create the

Inside this issue...

full song. A group of choirs within the Yeshiva League is also planning to release a compilation of “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers. The creative collaboration and dedication of choir members has allowed the new method to continue entertaining families in isolation.

Unlike choir, Model Congress was unable to find an online solution to compete nationally. When the Penn Model Congress conference, scheduled to take place at the end of March, was cancelled, the team was suddenly done for the year. Practices throughout the year had been geared toward the Penn conference, and hours of team preparation were spent training for the competition. Josephine Schizer ’20, one captain of the Model Congress team, described the team’s frustration and disappointment. “It’s really sad because everyone on the team has worked really hard to prepare, and we were excited to go to the conference and see all of that pay off. For the seniors, this was the last shot at awards, and we were really hoping to win a delegation award this year. It’s also a really fun trip for the whole team together.” Most years, the Model Congress team only attends this one conference and prepares for it all year, but earlier this year, part of the team participated in the Princeton Model Congress conference as well. Schizer added, “I’m glad that we at least had the chance to go to one conference this year even though we’re missing the Penn conference.” It’s unfortunate that the Model Congress team members were unable to see the fruits of their labor, but right now the team is focusing on planning tryouts for next year’s team, which usually occur in April or May.

Hockey, one of the most popular sports at Ramaz, is suffering the consequences of the coronavirus.

The girls’ hockey team, last year’s semifinalists, started off their season with a 10-2 win against SKA. This year, they hoped to make the championships. With numerous games cancelled throughout the month of March, the season has been suspended indefinitely. Hannah Doft ’20 explained, “The seniors have been waiting for this season since we were all freshmen. We actually thought this was the year we had a really good shot at winning the champi-

onship.” The athletics department plans to reevaluate the situation after Pesach break and will determine the status of the season. Teammates are encouraged to stay active throughout the break and practice skills at home in hopes of a return. The boys’ hockey team began the season with a power ranking in eighth and entered the Yeshiva League

tournament as underdogs. After beating Frisch, Kushner, and Northshore in the playoffs, the Ramaz team secured its place in the championship against DRS. Originally scheduled to take place on March 15, the championship has been postponed until further notice. EJ Singer ’22, goalie of the Ramaz Varsity hockey team, asserted, “After being on a good winning streak, I hope this time off does not impact the quality of our championship game.”

He added, “I know the boys are working hard at home and will secure the win for the Rams.”

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Elie Tahari At Ramaz.........................................................................................................................page 2 Coronavirus Interview.........................................................................................................................page 7

Ramaz Instagram Guide.....................................................................................................................page 12

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The Rampage

New Minyanim End; Zoom Saves the Day Charles Spielfogel ’22

“See different” is this year’s theme at Ramaz.

Members of the Ramaz community utilize this mission statement as they take initiative to implement new minyanim at Ramaz. Grade-wide student-led Ashkenaz minyanim are standard for students. In addition, Ramaz offers a Sephardic minyan for all four grades. In the spirit of seeing different, many students decided to stray from the normal Ashkenaz minyan and create their own. The school has implemented various minyanim for students to attend: singing minyan, women’s tefillah, Manu’s explanatory minyan, the mincha minyan on the third floor, and the Nusach Sefard minyan.

It is known that members of the Sephardic minyan have strong customs and beliefs. Would they be willing to try new minyanim? According to Ella Rabbanni ’21, “I think it’s great for everyone to try out different minyanim because it shows how many different ways there are to express your spirituality.” Furthermore, all of the new minyanim typically daven in the Ashkenazi nusach. This could lead Sefardim to try something that is different than how they are accustomed to davening.

According to Rabbi Stochel, “These new minyanim were implemented as a response to student feedback.” Rabbi Stochel continued by saying, “Although we feel that grade solidarity and bonding via davening as a grade is important, we are still pleased to offer other options to students for tefilah on a limited basis.”

For students who enjoy a more lively davening, the singing minyan is the right place for them. It is a minyan for all grades that occurs once a week. Unlike the traditional grade minyans, in singing minyan more parts of the davening are dedicated to communal singing.

Women's tefillah gives women the opportunity to get more involved in davening. According to Arielle Levy ’21,

“I appreciate women's tefillah because it allows me to feel represented. It gives me a voice whereas the traditional minyan does not.” Women can take leadership roles in the service. Though this minyan has been going on for a couple of years, it has begun to meet more regularly this year.

A new minyan, initiated by Manhattan NCSY Director Manu Hass, is the explanatory minyan. The purposes of this minyan is to give more of an explanation about the tefillah. “I think that [the explanatory minyan] would be better because it would allow me to feel more connected to davening instead of Ashkenaz minyan where we just mumble the words,” said Isaac Silverman ’21. However, he said, “Usually new minyanim are announced on schoology in a single post that just gets lost in all other updates.

I think these new minyanim should be publicized more like clubs with signs that draw more attention to them.”

More students would be drawn to the interactive minyanim if the leaders publicized them more.

A new addition this year is the new mincha minyan that meets on the third floor everyday. A member of this minyan, Aryeh Teller ’20 said “This new minyan gives me and other serious daveners an opportunity to pray in a positive environment that admires participation, singing, intent, and unity. I hope the minyan is only the start of greater things to come.” This minyan is for serious daveners and was started by Matthew Gross, a Yeshiva University student interning at Ramaz to gain experience in education. Currently, there isn’t a mechitza in the room, and only men daven with the minyan. “We have no problem with a mechitza or girls coming,” said Gross, “just we don’t literally have a mechitza and it hasn’t come up yet.”

However, some female students feel excluded by the lack of mechitza. “I would say that it seems unfair to assume that there are only guys who want to take mincha seriously, and that there aren’t girls who want to participate in a meaningful mincha as well,” said a female student.

Lastly, students this year put together a Nusach

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Sephard minyan. This includes Sepharad tunes, which is how a majority of the Chassidim pray. Raffi Sobell ’23 said, “I prefer this minyan because there is less talking.

We mainly daven like normal Ashkenazim except for an extra portion in tachanun called viduy and a few other words here and there.”

What all these minyanim have in common is that students feel more connected to tefillah when they can daven according to their preference.

As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, Ramaz closed its doors, and most of these speciality miyanim are no longer taking place. However, the school acted quickly and implemented an optional davening over Zoom.

Though it does not count as a minyan, some students feel more comfortable davening in the presence of other students as opposed to in complete solitude. Jake Slochowsky ’21 said, “I like the Zoom davening because davening all together is much stronger, and it makes the tefillah more powerful.”

According to Rabbi Slomnicki, the goal of the Zoom minyan was “having a place that kids and adults could feel a sense of community when they davened even if not technically a minyan.” He continued by saying, “I find it energizing to know that there is a zman tefillah and seeing others davening gives people chizuk.”

Although most of the specialty minyanim are no longer meeting, women’s tefillah is also trying to implement occasional Zoom davenings. “What I really like about women’s tefillah over zoom is it gives me a sense of community and strength during this difficult time,” said Beth Kahn ’20. The explanatory minyan will also be having a meeting over Zoom.

Even though students are no longer able to have different minyanim in the building, during this pandemic, Ramaz is adapting to Zoom minyanim to enable students to come together in different ways.

Virtual Embrace of the Talmud Samantha Sinensky ’21

When the hallways are still quiet and the lounges empty, before the Ramaz rush-hour with mass tap-ins and students dashing to various davening locations, a small learning group can be found congregated in the second floor Beit Knesset. Beginning at 7:40 am, the Gemara Yomi program, led by Rabbi Weiser, gathers students to learn a portion of Gemara lishma to kickstart the day. The class offers meaningful conversation, a welcoming environment, and hot chocolate.

The origins of this program can be traced to a student initiative following the Siyum HaShas celebration in January. Eager students approached Rabbi Weiser, asking if they could launch a Gemara learning program at Ramaz. It was decided that a blat (one double sided page of Talmud text), the daily portion covered each day in Daf Yomi, was too much material to learn in a 15 minute class. Instead, a smaller chunk of text is covered each morning. Since January third, a total of 22 pages have been covered by the learning group (and 150 packets of hot chocolate consumed!).

Students are impressed with the amount of text they are learning, “Every time you finish a page, you feel

pride in what you’ve accomplished, and that’s a great way to start the day” said Ron Alweiss ’22.

Each morning the group gathers and learns bekiut, a learning method aimed at covering material, with less focus on questions. Conversely, the Ramaz Talmud curriculum teaches b’iyun, spending an extensive period of time learning about a certain topic in depth. Brayden Serphos ’22 enjoys this learning group and considers it to be “more fulfilling [than class] because it is something I choose to do instead of being forced to do it. It really feels like a chevruta with friends instead of a class.” In anticipation for Purim, the learning began with masechet megillah, which discusses the Purim story and the various mitzvot associated with the holiday. They are currently learning straight through and plan on completing the entire masechet.

The Gemara Yomi program fosters an environment that welcomes Talmud students of all levels and skill sets. “Everyone is asking thoughtful questions, following, and focused; everyone wants to be here and gain from this. It is a pleasure watching the students interact and absorb what we are learning,” said Rabbi Weiser. Continuous exposure to Talmud learning also strengthens the attendees’ reading skills and analysis of the text. “They are processing how the Gemara de-

Update: AM Testing Assembly Isaac silverman ’21

At the beginning of this semester a new testing policy began. Students were informed by their grade deans that certain subjects (History, World Languages, Hebrew, Biology, and Physics) would now admit tests during an AM Assembly period. This way, the entire student body would take a test at the same time. Prior to the initiation of the policy, scheduling tests in these subjects had been difficult as not all students in a grade had that class on the same day in the week. This led to students in different tracks taking the same test for the same class on different days, leaving the test calendar a total mess and engendering much uncertainty over when a certain section had their test scheduled. Also, students with extra time always used up time from other classes to finish their test. With this new AM-Assembly testing system in place, all of these problems were intended to go away.

A faculty meeting was conducted to discuss

the outcome so far. A majority of faculty had been delighted by the outcome. However, a few suggestions were made by faculty based on some minor upsets the system met. Several of these suggestions had been acquired through teacher-student discussion about how their tests went. Many students felt that with this system, an extra sense of stress was placed on them. In addition, students noted that the way the tests were conducted made them feel like finals. In addition, there

velops sentences, they have acquired vocabulary, and [they] learn why they [commentators] are interpreting pesukim the way they do. I don’t think these are the same kids that started two months ago,” said Rabbi Weiser. This enrichment is providing students with the tools to excel in Talmud class and learning, and how to better approach new material. For some, this program is the highlight of their day, offering rigorous learning in a relaxed environment. Serphos said, “It’s truly a great way to start the day. It makes me excited to come to school and see Rabbi Weiser and my friends. We learn Gemara and schmooze a bit before davening.”

were issues of volume control in the hallways while students with extra time were still testing. According to Ms. Krupka, “For the most part, the administration was hearing good things” at this meeting.

After around three tests had been conducted in this style, the plan was to send out a student survey according to Ms. Krupka. In this survey students would list their opinion of how the system was working so far. However, due to the school shutting down for Coronavirus, a third AM Assembly test was never administered and subsequently that survey was never sent out. Thus the administration never officially reevaluated the system to decide if this trial run would continue into the next school year. But in the likelihood that we do return this year, this system, as per now, is expected to continue. However, if students do not return this semester, Ms. Krupka believes that “we will continue with this experiment next year,” and we can expect “a large chunk of subjects” to take part in this experiment, in addition to the subjects already participating.

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The Rampage

Elie Tahari Brings Fashion To Ramaz Gabby Ostad ’21

The newly-founded Persian Culture Club was honored to welcome world-renowned Persian Israeli Fashion Designer Elie Tahari on January 29. The meeting was well attended by faculty and students alike. “The room was packed with students and teachers,” said Adam Horowitz ’21. “People did not just come for him, but also for his knowledge and insight.” Tahari’s welcoming demeanor and warm persona made everyone excited for the event. He greeted each student at the door, but that was only the beginning of the interactions that would be held between him and the audience.

Elie Tahari was born in Israel, but at a young age moved to Iran, where his family was originally from. He later returned to Israel and then spent a short time in Europe before moving to the United States in 1971 with only 100 dollars in his pocket. After a string of odd jobs in the US, Tahari found himself doing electrical work in a fashion boutique. This exposure to the fashion industry led Tahari to create the iconic tube top. Tahari soon became a well-known name in the fashion world. His brand, Elie Tahari, has since developed into a high fashion brand, with more than 600 stores in over 40 countries. According to Horowitz, “Having the opportunity to hear someone’s experience who had to create their life from nothing and how that has influenced the way he lives his day to day life was intriguing.”

Tahari spoke candidly about the successes and obstacles he has faced throughout his career. During the Q&A, Tahari answered questions ranging from his upbringing to the proudest moments of his career. He emphasized the role Judaism and its values have played in his life. One of the teachers who attended the club’s meeting, Ms. Landau, said, “I think it was extremely valuable for students to hear from someone who is successful in business and super creative, but also at the same time extremely proud of his Jewish heritage and his connections to Israel and Persian culture.” Tahari

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credits the United States of America for enabling him to reach such heights with his business, but he says that Israel is and always will be his true home. In 2014, he was honored with the Ellis Island Medal of Honor which pays homage to the immigrant experience and the contributions they have made to America. Recently Elie Tahari was a judge on Project Runway All-Stars.

Beyond learning about Tahari’s great accomplishments, for some, this event was a time for them to meet great fashion role models. Rina Marlowe ’20 expressed, “I have a true love for fashion. I have my own blog where I post outfit inspirations to share with others. I am inspired by Tahari’s work, and it was an honor to meet one of my fashion idols.”

Ramaz Students Featured in Jewish Cookbook Tammy Palagi ’21

The Feeding Women of the Bible cookbook is not a traditional cookbook; its healthy, plant-based recipes accompany the stories of 20 female biblical characters. The cookbook teaches about each character and her significance to Judaism and allows people from today’s age to connect to the narratives of these women by cooking similar cuisine. It crosses generations, all the while inspiring a healthy diet. In addition to providing healthy plant-based recipes, it also sparks reflection on the reader’s own life. Each Jewish woman cooking for her family can find herself in one of Judaism’s matriarchs through the age-old practice of women feeding their families.

Compiled by psychotherapist Kenden Alfond, 40 Jewish women helped to create this cookbook. The recipes were contributed by women whose ages range from elementary school students to great-grandmothers. Two Ramaz students, Josephine Schizer ’20 and Jacqueline Landy ’23, contributed to the cookbook. Schizer wrote the description of the Jewish matriarch Rivka and said, “It was cool to be a part of a project with so many different Jewish women and to see the finished product in print.” The cookbook also led Schizer to learn “more about Rivka and think more about her story than I had before which was really interesting for me.” Landy contributed the recipes for Rikva’s section and said of her experience, “It felt good to be a part of a Jewish cookbook that’s recipes are all

written by females.”

The book, released on March 10th, has been a success. It received a review from Publishers Weekly saying, “Alfond achieves her goal of creating a “multicultural/multiethnic Jewish community vegan cookbook, and provides great food for thought as well.” Check it out; it is available on Amazon!

Ramaz Choir Takes LA Isaac Silverman ’21 and Hannah Dubroff ’21

This past February, the Ramaz Choir took a trip to Los Angeles, California. Accompanied by Director Mr. Henkin as well as Ms. Bernfeld, Ms. Benus, Dr. Rotenberg, and Ramaz alumnae Thalia Sharon, the choir took on LA for a jam-packed six-day singing extravaganza. Over the course of the trip, the choir sang

for numerous audiences across Southern California at schools, shuls, community centers, and a lucky few even had the chance to sing on the plane. When the choir members weren’t singing they were participating in fun activities such as a Warner Brothers Studio tour, a trip to the Grove, Santa Monica Pier, and many other sight-seeing experiences. They then spent the weekend with local families who had graciously agreed to host them for Shabbat. Many members of the choir said that this trip brought the choir closer as a community and created many new friendships.

Mr. Henkin indicated that the initial discussions for this trip began over the summer, but because of funding issues the actual planning portion of the trip did not begin until December. Mr. Henkin was eager to take a long trip with the choir, and he felt that California was the perfect place to do this because a similar trip to Israel two years ago had been successful. “It's hard to pinpoint a single favorite event,” said Mr. Henkin, “but I think the Shabbat day performance

we did at the Young Israel of North Beverly Hills may have been the best.”

Out of the many events the choir performed, many members expressed their love for the perfomances at the Santa Monica Pier, on the tram ride at the Getty Museum, and at a community center for Holocaust survivors. Hailey Schreiber ’20 said, “It was so much fun to hang out with everyone, no matter the grade, and bond over something we all love. LA is amazing, but the friendships we made were really what made the trip such a great time.” Choir Co-President Kira Berman ’20 spoke about the new responsibilities that she had over the trip and said that she felt these responsibilities made the trip more fulfilling and meaningful.

Although every member had different favorite parts, the general consensus was that everyone enjoyed bonding with both the one another and hope to participate in another trip like this in the future.

Iced Coffee Station in the Lunchroom Rebecca Silber ’23

Spotted: Ramaz girls hovering en masse around a gleaming new addition to the lunch room.

No—it’s not an upgraded salad bar or panini maker.

This feature, of course, is the school’s new iced-coffee station. The station, complete with a variety of creamers and sugars, is located right near the juice machine and was installed earlier this month. The oversized dispenser is guaranteed to catch any student’s attention and maybe even cause them to consider replacing their daily peach iced tea purchase from the vending machine with an iced coffee. In a recent poll, 70% of students said that they enjoyed the iced coffee station whenever they had the opportunity to stop by the lunchroom.

However, the new lunchroom feature did not appear overnight. In fact, according to Caitlin Levine ’21, who implemented the idea, the entire process took an entire year and a half. When asked why she wanted to pursue this idea, Levine explained that “students with older siblings/friends were able to get coffee, but many students didn’t have access to coffee unless they got it in the morning before school.” Levine then sent out a survey to the student body in which the majority of voters supported Ramaz providing coffee. After getting elected to the G.O., Levine’s idea became reality when the administration agreed to get involved.

In particular, Levine explained that Ms. Krupka was “extremely helpful throughout the process and really made this happen.”

Overall, the new in-school station allows fellow coffee addicts to relieve themselves of the stress of

finding upperclassmen to get them coffee throughout the day. In addition, students can save money from a trip to Sant Ambroeus, the school’s closest go-to coffee bar where a cup sells for about $6.00. In-house iced coffee is certainly something that makes sense, and students are most definitely happy they can get their caffeine fix without leaving the building.

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The Rampage

A Win for Ramaz at YUNMUN Nicole Hirschkorn ’22

The Ramaz Model United Nations team returned to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Connecticut to participate in the 30th annual Yeshiva University National Model United Nations (YUNMUN) conference, ready to take on the challenges they would soon face in their committees.

Organized by the student body of YU for three decades, YUNMUN is a conference attended by over 400 students every year that allows them to learn public speaking, social, political, and diplomatic skills in a fast-paced and exciting environment that deals with modern problems. Yeshiva-day-school students from all over the country, from South Africa to Brazil, all attended the conference, which gave American students a chance to build relationships with international students.

“I really feel like [how the conference] emphasizes the importance of group collaboration,” said Eric Kalimi ’22. “It

makes us more aware of the social issues the world faces.”

Schools are assigned countries to represent their delegation, and each delegate is assigned his or her own committee, such as the Security Council (SC) or Human Rights Campaign (HRC). A representative of his or her own committee is then tasked with researching that committee’s topics thoroughly and presenting them to the committee from his or her country’s point of view.

This year, Ramaz represented the United States of America, which was a contributory member of every committee due to its prestigious status. At the conference, the U.S. played a major role in drafting and passing resolutions, which was key to solving crises facing the global community, such as the issue of nuclear weapons in the Middle East.

The event began with the opening ceremonies, where Secretary-General Moriyah Schick spoke about the importance of the issues that would be discussed in the committees. “Committees that convene in the UN that can defuse a crisis need to

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be able to have a form to talk it out—to gain perspective.

Issues like climate, health, education, and poverty. Issues that can be discussed and acted upon to improve life. We [Yeshiva University] believe in fixing the world.”

During the closing ceremonies, the Ramaz delegates anxiously awaited the results of their committees. Delegates would be judged on how well they spoke, worked with others, and created resolutions. From the team of 10 delegates, Gabby Ostad ’21 won the honorable mention for her committee, the first time the Ramaz Model UN team has won an award in four years.

“Breaking the Ramaz losing streak was as much a personal victory as it was a victory for our team and Ramaz,” said Ostad. “It was a reflection of the hard work we all put in throughout the year.”

Victorious, the team went back to the Ramaz building proud of themselves and their teammates, looking forward to next year’s conference.

Shushan Purim Fesitivities Caitlin Levine ’21

Ramaz greeted the month of Adar with many celebrations and lots of fun for everyone. The festivities began on February 26 with an awesome Chagigah for grades 9-12 featuring a dance party with music by DJZJ. The GO provided everyone with glow sticks, light up rings, and foam sticks. Next up was Tashen Tuesday which took place on Tuesday (of course), March 3. The GO distributed fresh Hamantaschen to the student body. “A hamentashen never tasted that good,” said Kira Jacobs ’21.

While the Chagigah and Tashen Tuesday were definitely a big hit, the highlight of Ramaz’s Purim celebrations this year was the Purim carnival. On March 11, students came to school in costume. A lot of effort went into the costumes, and many were very elaborate. Students worked hard to win the costume contest, scheduled to take place at the Purim spiel. Each grade received a 40 minute time period to enjoy

SFAC Recap Caitlin Levine ’21

The fourth and fifth Student Faculty Administration Committee (SFAC) meetings took place on February 12, in person, and March 18, over Zoom.

Communication with Teachers: The committee reviewed the sections in Preludes which address the expectations about communication between faculty, students, and the administration. The committee established that teachers should use Schoology as much as they can for homework and should send more email notifications. Students should not get assignments after 6pm, as they may not have the necessary materials to complete the assignment. A question raised was when an assignment should be due if assigned during a free period. Is it fair for the assignment to be due at the end of the period? A member clarified that students are not allowed to use personal devices to check email during class, so students can’t be expected to see their emails during that time.

Bathroom Policy: The next topic discussed was the lack of an official bathroom policy at Ramaz. One member expressed that halachically, it may be a problem that we don’t have a policy since the Shulchan Aruch siman 4, states that it is wrong to delay using the bathroom. Since it seems that each teacher determines his or her own policy, the school should ensure that students feel comfortable leaving class to use the bathroom. Many teachers who allow students to use the bathroom during class force students to leave their phones in the classroom. One member said that students should be allowed to leave with their phones, suggesting that if a student wants to leave the classroom to talk, that student probably wouldn’t have paid

the carnival. At the carnival there was a raffle with prizes donated by teachers. Money from the tickets went to charity. Some popular prizes were dinner with Dr Jucovy, going to a Mets game with Dr. Milowitz, getting froyo with Ms. Rahimzada, and a gym class outside with Ms. Cohen. Additionally, Mr. Deutch offered to bake someone a pie, and Rabbi Stavsky offered a chavruta session. The gym was filled with music and bouncy rides. The auditorium featured the famous bull popular video games, and of course, lots of snacks.

The day was scheduled to end with a Purim spiel, planned by the GO At the assembly; the GO was supposed to present their video, have the students participate in a Kahoot, facilitate the costume contest, and announce the raffle winners However, much to students’ dismay, the administration canceled the assembly at the last minute in order to speak to each grade individually about the (then-uncertain) possibility of online school given the coronavirus pandemic. Many students were upset

that the big event of the day was canceled and felt that the spiel could still have taken place, even with the addition of a five-minute announcement at the start about online schooling.

In the end, the GO conducted the costume contest and raffles virtually and released their video on Instagram and YouTube.

Aaron Zanger, dressed as “Basic Ramaz Girl,” won the costume contest, and the Marks, dressed as Mystery Incorporated, came in second.

All in all, the month of Adar and the Purim celebration at Ramaz was still a success and a highlight of the year for many students. Hopefully, next year it will be even better!

attention in class anyway, so it’s better for the classroom atmosphere if that student isn’t present. Others agree that it is smart to allow students to use the bathroom, but the phone should remain in class. One member stated that the policy of one student leaving at a time is a good one, but some disagreed, saying this hurts students who actually need to use the bathroom when other students delay unnecessarily. Given that there is no uniform policy at Ramaz, if a student is having a problem with a specific teacher’s bathroom policy, he or she should consult with that particular teacher.

missed material? A member stated that if students want to be treated like adults, there is a sense of responsibility that comes with that; students should ask classmates for notes and be responsible for making up what they missed. If a student expends the effort to understand the material, and he or she is unsuccessful, then teachers should make themselves available to answer questions rather than to reteach the material; teachers do not have enough time to meet with every student.

Use of Gym: The committee raised the question of when students can access the gym and aimed to help form policies for gym use and supervision. One member pointed out that the 10th graders, and other grades as well, lost a period of gym class this year due to a scheduling change to accommodate another tech class. Students also mentioned that the number of students placed in each gym class differs widely; it’s difficult to play sports when some gym classes have 22 students while others have 8.

SFAC also discussed the availability of the gym to students during free periods. Currently, students can’t use the gym during a free period unless there is an adult present. One member pointed out that there is an adult covering the gym during periods 6-8, but it might be possible to have available faculty members cover other periods as well. A committee member reassured students that the issues of fewer gym classes and unevenly-sized classes will be dealt with better next year.

Student Absences The next agenda issue was to define the teacher’s responsibilities when a student misses class. If a student is absent, is it the teacher’s responsibility to re-teach that student the

Teacher Absences What do students do when teachers do not show up to class?

Is there a uniform set of expectations for this type of situation? One faculty member mentioned that there were times she covered for other teachers, but the students did not show up because they heard that the teacher was not present. She expressed that there should be a policy that students have to show up to class, whether their usual teacher is present or not. Students should assume that they have to go, but, when possible, teachers should tell their class beforehand if they plan to be absent. Several students cited the “ten-minute rule” as a rule that is already in place at Ramaz. If a teacher is not present after ten minutes, the students are free to leave. The question was raised as to whether those ten minutes begin after the second bell. Also, a faculty member clarified that this ten-minute rule only applies if the teacher did not forewarn the students that he or she plans to be late. Another faculty member voiced that, rather than leave, students should go to the office if a teacher does not arrive after ten minutes. One student mentioned that the teachers should post on Schoology if they plan to miss class. Most agreed that this is a smart plan. A faculty member added that teachers shouldn’t cover classes at the end of the day.

Continued Online

April 2020/Nissan 5780

The Rampage

Coronavirus and the College Process Rebecca Massel ’21 and Charles Spielfogel ’21

Applying to college is uncharted territory for every high schooler. But for this year’s juniors and seniors, the college process has become like traveling through an unmapped sea. As COVID-19 has spread throughout the country, colleges have closed their doors and begun to change their policies. High school seniors can no longer visit college campuses, and their AP exams have been shortened to accommodate for online classes. Juniors are facing a different college acceptance experience than any year in the past. Since the future of this semester is unknown, colleges are currently in the process of planning a new admissions process.

Seniors are definitely feeling the repercussions of colleges closing. Although regular decision acceptances came out on time, seniors still have to make decisions about which school they will attend. This decision is usually made by visiting the campuses with admitted students programs. Ms. Davis, Associate Director of College Guidance, said, “These are often key programs that allow students to meet other admitted students and current students, see dorm rooms, and generally get a more in-depth view of the program than

COVID News 5

Coronavirus News

the typical college visit.” Colleges are offering virtual tours online, though they are not the same as seeing a campus in person. Seniors are feeling the impact of the lack of tours. Sophia Kremer ’20 said, “I was planning on visiting schools in the spring and over Pesach break, but now it is going to be much harder to pick a college.”

The exams for Advanced Placement (AP) classes have also taken a major turn from what has been done in the past. The College Board sent a survey asking for student opinions on how to handle the AP exams during the pandemic. In response to the survey, the College Board changed AP exams to be 45-minute online tests. Also, a lot of material was taken off the exams. Elizabeth Newman-Corre ’20 said, “I appreciate that the College Board is trying to help out, given the circumstances.” However, other students are wary of the new testing policy. Kremer explained, “I am nervous because the test is shorter, so each question will be worth more points. It will be harder to do well.”

Throughout this year, juniors have rigorously been preparing for their standardized tests, the SAT or ACT exams. Due to the spread of the coronavirus, the March SAT and April ACT were canceled. Students

hope to be able to take their tests in the summer or fall, before early admission applications are due. College advisors usually advise students not to take the SAT or ACT in June because they conflict with finals. Given the circumstance, however, the college advisors sent out an email to juniors recommending that students take the test in June, despite finals. Ramaz has been quick to try and reduce stress by canceling the junior final the Monday after the June ACT. According to Ms. Krupka, “In the past, we have not had a large section of the junior grade taking the ACT in the middle of finals, so this year, we thought it was necessary to change the finals schedule.” However, juniors are still concerned that the June ACT and SAT may not even be available.

As a result of the missed standardized tests and confusion about the current online school, the college admissions process may look different for juniors than Continued Page 8

Comfort During Uncomfortable Times: KJ Goes Virtual Rebecca Massel ’21

For many Jews, the center of life is their shul. From a bris, to a bar mitzvah, to a yartzeit, almost every Jewish milestone is celebrated within the four walls of a synagogue. But over the last month, Jews across the religious spectrum have proven that Judaism cannot be defined by a building. Rather, the center of Jewish life is the people and the connections between them, regardless of how physically far apart they may be.

Because of the current Coronavirus pandemic, shuls around the tri-state area have closed their doors to stop the spread of the disease. From Reform to Charaidi, all Jews are feeling the weight of this decision. According to Josephine Schizer ’20, “Shuls feel like places that are always open and welcoming. Around the world, every Saturday, you just have to walk and you will find Shabbat. The idea that shuls are closed makes this cir-

Online Testing Emily Mullakandov ’21

Due to this COVID-19 pandemic, Ramaz is just one of the many schools to shut down in response to the outbreak and administer classes online. Despite the sudden halt to our regular lives, school must continue. For many schools, that means maintaining a regular test schedule. Ramaz in particular takes great pride in its rigorous curriculum, and having online tests even in the midst of a global pandemic reflect Ramaz’s value of education. The students and administration are trying to find a system that satisfies both students and teachers.

To get a better sense of this new system, who better to ask than those affected most, the students.

Whether it’s because they have too much work at home and are already overwhelmed with their classes or because they dislike the way the tests are being administered, the majority of students, especially in the junior grade, oppose this system. Batya Levy ’21 believes that “the online testing is difficult because we [the students] have grown to be dependent on our teachers to be in the room to take any questions we may have.” Ralph Nakash ’21 says, “I personally think that the online testing is a bad idea, having to focus on

cumstance feel even more serious and sad.”

According to Rabbi Steinmetz, Senior Rabbi of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun (KJ), KJ was the first shul to close. The community shul was founded in 1872 and nobody can remember another time in history when it was not open. The closing of a shul that has been around for 148 years displays the gravity of the situation. One sophomore said, “I have gone to KJ my whole life and I only realized the severity of the situation when it closed.”

The decision to close KJ was difficult, yet necessary. The shul decided that it would close when Ramaz did. Rabbi Steinmetz said, “We saw a threat coming and decided we need to close.” As a shul dedicated to Jewish activism, KJ felt responsible to spread the message that social distancing can save lives. Rabbi Steinmetz said, “Jewish activism means being at the forefront and recognizing what the priorities need to be for the community. Today, true activism means protecting the Jewish community by preventing the spread of this disease.” Based on the guidelines of the CDC, KJ wrote on its website that “it is clear that our building will remain closed for the foreseeable future.”

But, closing KJ’s doors does not mean it stopped supporting its congregants. Instead, KJ used every means available to support the community online. Every morning, congregants have the

the Zoom session during the test is extremely hard.

The classes aside from the tests are very long, and because of this, we aren’t able to focus well. Therefore it’s much harder taking the tests online.” Both agree that taking the tests online is much more difficult than when we are at school with our teachers. Ziv Bolton ’22 says, “I think it works better when the teacher makes the tests open-note examinations.” Opennote testing seems like a positive alternative, but the environment takes a toll on how one does as well. This process is all very new to our school, and administrators are trying to find the best way to make it work for students to test how well each student is retaining the online curriculum. Rabbi Slomnicki said, “This is all very new to us. Departments and teachers are all experimenting with what can work given the circumstances. We all recognize that some experiments are successful and some aren’t. More time will allow us to try new techniques and see which ones work best for each department.”

Just as students are adjusting to learning online and taking tests online, teachers are also attempting to help students to still learn efficiently and be tested comfortably from home. Dr. Herzog said about her test,“Overall, I believe that the history exam

opportunity to zoom in to “Prayers, Psalms, and Pesach”, where they can pray Shacharit, daven for the sick, and hear a brief insight related to Pesach. At lunchtime, people join in to chat with their community over food. And, congregants daven Micha and Maariv together online. On Sunday, March 29, one twelve-year-old boy even held his Hanachat Tefillin during a Shacharit zoom session. In addition to these programs, four or five lectures, classes, and activities are offered daily. KJ also offers a mental health series to support anxious families and elders. WhatsApp groups share short messages or Divrei Torah. Rabbi Steinmetz writes inspirational blog posts daily.

There are also zoom programs for KJ’s youth. For example, children can bake along with their friends online or listen to bedtime stories. KJ rabbis are also available (as they always are) to speak to KJ congregants or Ramaz students and assure them during this time of uncertainty. Rabbi Steinmetz said, “We are lucky to be living in this era of technology. Nowadays, we don’t only have a telephone; we also have email, Zoom, Facebook, and Instagram.”

Congregants have responded positively. It does take a while for members to adjust to the new system. But Rabbi Steinmetz assures the community, “Zoom is unfamiliar technology and those who Continued page 6

went well. There were many students pleased that they were able to type up their exams instead of writing their answers by hand; however, many students did not like the timer on the exam. I think in the future we can tweak test-taking online, but this is definitely a useful alternative method to administer exams.” Dr. Bernstein, who also administered a test online, tried his best to adjust the test, given the circumstances. Dr. Bernstein said, “I decided to abandon multiple-choice and DBQ prompts and instead use short answer questions that require more detail [because the exam was open notes]. In terms of whether this test lowered or raised students’ grades, he said that the “difference is not substantial.”

The administration in response is trying their best to accommodate most of the students' complaints by taking surveys and asking for feedback. Many students are comparing Ramaz’s system to other schools’ pass/fail test system or no testing at all while at home.

This will take some time adjusting for students and for teachers. The administration is testing the waters and will continue to do so until they find a system that resonates well with students and spurs the most positive feedback.

COVID News 6

Ramaz Takes COVID-19 Continued from page 1

According to Mr. Cannon, one of the hardest decisions he made was “the decision of how best to bring in distance learning.” He explained, “We knew it was asking a lot from the faculty and would add a lot of stress.” Many Ramaz teachers have young children at home and other responsibilities, aside from online teaching. As an independent school, Ramaz does not have a minimum number of days requirement like the public schools. Teachers could have given asynchronous independent work instead of zoom class time. Rabbi Stochel and Mr. Cannon discussed distance learning with many other schools.

They swapped ideas with both Jewish and non-Jewish schools from around the continent, including schools in California, Florida, and Canada. Additionally, the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS), in which Ramaz participates, is holding ongoing conferences to keep schools updated with new ideas and policies.

By the beginning of March, Ramaz initiated preparations. Ms. Krupka organized a schedule with three to five hours of classes daily.

“The goal was to make the day manageable, yet not overreach.

We wanted a balance between normalcy and sensitivity,” she said.

The school wanted to give students the chance to sleep in, but also be able to learn productively.

Originally, the school planned to use Schoology conferencing, but wary that the platform would not meet all of their needs, the administration switched to Zoom, a remote video conferencing service. Rabbi Stochel said, “Zoom has a higher capacity and more functionality.”

After SAR closed, Ramaz teachers participated in a Zoom-training session to get familiar with the online interface. According to Rabbi Stavsky, “There were a number of opportunities provided to the faculty to learn and experiment with the technology.”

Once online classes started, the teachers continued to hold faculty meetings and department meetings.

Outside of official meetings, many teachers turned to their peers for help with this new way of teaching. Ms. Senders said, “In addition to talking with the Tanach Department, I am learning [about Zoom and distance learning] from my colleagues at other schools.”

As with any new experience, Ms. Krupka said, “There is a learning curve with online classes.”

Ramping up online teaching has offered challenges.

During the first week, “intruders” from other schools entered Ramaz Zoom classes, made inappropriate comments, and distracted the class. The administration quickly ended this “outrageous behavior” by creating waiting rooms. Teachers can now see who requests to join the class and manually add their students only.

Even students, who already spent hours each night on FaceTime with one another, have had an adjustment to online classes. According to Aaron Green ’23, “Online learning is challenging, especially during that first week. It was hard to adjust.” Students do appreciate the hard work of their teachers. Elizabeth Newman-Corre ’20 said, “My teachers are handling the situation really well; they are understanding and

The Rampage

helpful.”

A challenge felt by both students and teachers is a lack of engagement. Students find it awkward to speak up online. Samantha Sinensky ’21 said, “It’s not as comfortable to ask questions online like it is in person.” Jessica Moskowitz ’22 agreed. She added, “It’s much easier to get distracted at home, so it’s harder to engage in the classroom.” Ms. Senders explained her experience with a lack of student participation, “Usually when I walk into a classroom, I have the flexibility of feeding off the energy of the room. It is much easier to engage students in person than it is online.” Rabbi Stochel added, “Interpersonal contact that a teacher can establish can be lost online. For example, it is hard for teachers to circulate, check-in with students, and respond to questions.”

Teachers are working to overcome this challenge. Dr. Herzog explained her solution, “One way I am trying to overcome the difficulty [of limited student engagement] is by using a number of teaching methods in each lesson. I will try to give students some visual material, some auditory (listening and watching a video clip) and some writing (typing

answers on shared Google docs) so that all types of learners will feel engaged.”

Students have differing views about the hourlong class format. For some students, it is difficult to concentrate. Daniella Norman ’21 said, “An hour is really a long time, and it’s hard to stay focused and take notes.” Other students, however, prefer the hourlong classes because it means taking only four classes a day. Ms. Krupka explained that an hour gives time for everyone to get online and set up. It gives wiggle room for technical difficulties, like poor connections, throughout the class. In addition, the added length gives teachers a chance to try different techniques of engaging students, like using breakout rooms.

Ms. Krupka sent out a student survey after one week of Zoom classes to get student’s feedback.

She wants to work with students in order to find the best solutions, given the uncomfortable circumstances.

Ramaz’s discovery of Zoom will have lasting implications beyond the coronavirus quarantine.

According to Ms. Krupka, snow days will forever be changed. She said, “We plan to use Zoom again in the future.” Rabbi Stavsky agreed, saying, “It opens up great opportunities for learning during snow days, at least as an option for groups of students who want to spend some time learning together.”

Ramaz, unlike many other tri-state area schools, has decided to maintain its rigorous academic program, despite the rapidly-spreading virus.

April 2020/Nissan 5780

Ramaz has continued to test students either online or by having students submit pictures of handwritten tests. Some students appreciate that Ramaz continues to keep their intense curriculum. Moskowitz said, “I think that having tests are good because it forces me to take notes and pay attention in class.” At the same time, other students are upset that Ramaz has not slowed the pace of classes. One junior said, “This is not a snow day where that one day we can’t get into the building. The world is facing a crisis, and Ramaz needs to understand that.” In response to similar criticism, Rabbi Stochel said, “Assessments are not just about getting a grade on your report card. It is also about showing mastery of knowledge. We do not see it as a penalty, rather as a natural way of showing mastery of knowledge and growth.” As of now, Ramaz has also decided not to grade this semester using a pass/fail system. Rabbi Stochel explained, “Ramaz is serious about learning, and our students take pride in their grades. We want the grades to reflect their hard work.”

The Ramaz administration is also doing its best to continue its vibrant student life. Within two weeks of online school, Ramaz has held two full-school assemblies, as well as advisory meetings.

Teachers have utilized Schoology to post friendly messages, funny videos of the Ramaz faculty, crossword puzzles, and exercise classes.

The Ramaz administration does recognize that the current situation adds a lot of stress for students. Rabbi Slomnicki said, “Usually, Ramaz students face a lot of pressure. But, now students do not know how to channel these pressures because there are a lot of unknowns. We do not yet know the answers to most of their questions, which can lead to more stress.” Students also miss seeing their friends every day. Being isolated at home adds more stress to an already anxious situation.

In order to relieve some of this stress, Mr. Cannon held a community meeting called “Navigating the Uncertainty of Coronavirus.” There were three components of the meeting: Mr. Cannon spoke about Ramaz’s future plans; Dr. Phil Wilner ’75, Ramaz Chairman of the Board and Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for New York-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health Center, spoke about the anxiety and stress that this new pandemic brings; Dr. John Moore, a Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, spoke about the importance of social distancing, quarantining, and flattening the curve.

Mr. Cannon decided to hold the meeting as part of ongoing communication with the Ramaz community. “It is important for people to see us virtually and know that we are working hard,” said Mr. Cannon.

“We also want to spread the message that social distancing is critical. We did not just close the school to stop spreading coronavirus in the building, rather we all need to participate to stop the spread of coronavirus in the community.”

In conclusion, Mr. Cannon advises students not to catastrophize, but at the same time, he said, “It is really important to follow the guidance of medical experts in order to protect the most vulnerable in our community.”

The world’s current situation is new and terrifying. The Ramaz community is working together to create a new normal for everyone.

Our prayers for a speedy recovery are with anyone who is suffering during this time.

KJ Online Continued from page 5 have downloaded it have remarked how easy it is to learn.”

KJ has been offering a plethora of pre-Pesach programming. Rabbi Steinmetz remarked that it is important for the shul to help everyone prepare, even from a distance. Many congregants are accustomed to traveling for the holiday, so this year, some are panicked: they have never made Pesach in their homes

before. The rabbis are doing everything they can to ease the transition into the chag. Over the past few weeks, KJ has been teaching people how to clean their homes and lead a seder.

During this time of crisis, Rabbi Steinmetz advises teenagers: “You got this,” he said, “When challenges come in life, there are times that you can feel overwhelmed, sad, or anxious, but it is important to remember that you can rise up and become better.”

Rabbi Steinmetz quoted Rabbi Samson Rafael Hirsch,

who said that the word nisayon (challenge) is very similar to the word nisa (to be raised up). When Avraham was told to sacrifice his son in Akedat Yitzchak, he became stronger and better. Here too, we need to do our best to rise up and become stronger.

For a full list of KJ’s online programs: https://www. ckj.org/kjvirtual

April 2020/Nissan 5780

The Rampage

COVID Features 7

Features

A Tale of Three Rabbis Caitlin Levine ’21

On March 11, 2020, Head of School Mr. Jonathan Cannon sent out a school-wide email to all Ramaz parents, faculty, staff, and students explaining that school would be closed on Thursday and Friday, March 12 and 13. At that time, no confirmed cases of Coronavirus were reported within the Ramaz community, but Mr. Cannon felt his decision was justified given the increasing number of people reporting exposure to the virus and the “interconnectivity of Jewish day schools.” On Saturday night, March 14, Mr. Cannon announced the first confirmed case of Coronavirus within the Ramaz community, Rabbi Dov Pianko.

On March 16 and March 17, Mr. Cannon announced that Rabbi Aviad Bodner and Rabbi Eli Slomnicki also tested positive for COVID-19. Luckily, the community’s three beloved rabbis are now feeling much better and have recovered from their illnesses. They have each volunteered to share their corona story with The Rampage to help educate our readers on a personal level about the varied presentations of this enigmatic virus.

Rabbi Pianko: Rabbi Pianko believes that his viral symptoms began on Friday, March 6 when he developed a non-alarming cough. He stayed home from Ramaz on Monday, March 9, Erev Purim, but then felt better the following day, so he returned to work on the 11th. In the subsequent days, Rabbi Pianko exhibited chills, fatigue, loss of appetite, changes in his taste buds, and slight congestion. Over the course of several days, these symptoms subsided, but his cough persisted, and even worsened, as the week progressed. By the end of the week, his cough interfered with his sleep.

Rabbi Pianko decided to get tested, not because of his own symptoms, but because his roommate tested positive. Rabbi Pianko’s symptoms actually began four days before his roommate returned from a trip, so it is unclear to him whether their illnesses are related. Nonetheless, six days after Rabbi Pianko began to feel ill, on March 12, he was tested for the coronavirus at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. Rabbi Pianko revealed that the testing process took fourteen hours. Before testing him for corona, the emergency room tested Rabbi Pianko for the flu and for pneumonia. He also had a chest x-ray performed. The doctors did not want to give him a corona test, but in the end they decided to do so.

The doctors did not want Rabbi Pianko to go home on public transportation, so they told him to assume he had tested positive. Hence, he was brought home in an ambulance and instructed to call 911 if his symptoms wors-

ened. The emergency room did not take his information correctly and could not find his number, but did have his parents’ address. They sent the police to his parents’ house to inform them that he tested positive. Rabbi Pianko’s parents conveyed the message to him after Shabbat.

Rabbi Pianko stated that his illness was much lighter than his roommate’s. While his roommate was vomiting and sickly looking, Rabbi Pianko did not share these symptoms. He explained that the flu, during which he could not get out of bed, was a much worse sickness for him than COVID-19 was.

The decision to alert others about his positive test was an easy one for Rabbi Pianko. He immediately notified Mr. Cannon. Rabbi Pianko admitted that he did not remember exactly whom he spoke to each day, and therefore, he thought it was important to release his name to the whole school. He understood that perhaps some people prefer not to be as open, since they fear that a stigma will come along with a positive test and worry about being blamed for spreading the virus. However, Rabbi Pianko wasn’t worried about this stigma, and he felt it was more important to warn people.

Thankfully Rabbi Pianko now feels much better and is back to his usual energetic self.

Rabbi Bodner: Rabbi Bodner’s first symptoms—a runny nose and a fever of around 102—began the day before Rabbi Pianko’s started. He experienced a fever for three days, chills, and body aches all over. In the evenings, his fever would go down, and then it would rise in the morning. He also had chest pain, coughing, and general weakness. After three days, his fever went down.

Rabbi Bodner never got tested. When sick, he went to the hospital but was dismissed without testing. His wife, however, who had the same symptoms with the addition of a lack of smell and taste, went to the urgent care center on 104th and Broadway and was tested. This is likely because she explained that she had a newborn baby and because she went for testing about six days after he did, at which point awareness about the virus and availability of tests had increased. Rabbi Bodner stated that unlike his previous flu symptoms, his corona symptoms lingered, and it took him about two and a half weeks to fully recover.

Rabbi Bodner explained that his wife did not receive her positive test results until a week after she was tested, almost two weeks after he first presented with symptoms. At that point, it was less important to notify people of his illness, but he did so because as a rabbi of a shul and a teacher in a school, he is involved in so many social circles. He wanted people to take their symptoms seriously.

He was nervous about the elderly and those with compro-

mised health who may have been exposed and were suffering with viral symptoms.

Rabbi Bodner understands why some people prefer to keep their corona status private, as it may have ramifications to how they are treated after the virus subsides.

According to the CDC guidelines, one is free to go about their business three days after symptoms subside. However, others may be afraid to be in contact with someone who had corona, even after that time frame. For example, the super in Rabbi Bodner’s building still does not allow him to do his laundry in the building.

Although home and in quarantine, Rabbi Bodner explained that he is still very busy. He and his wife have three children, all under the age of three, to care for. He also is busy with his shul obligations of giving classes and checking on congregants. Thankfully, Rabbi Bodner has the strength to continue his obligations and is now feeling fully recovered.

Rabbi Slomnicki: Rabbi Slomnicki began feeling ill on March 10, around 5 days after Rabbi Pianko and Rabbi Bodner. His symptoms began with a headache and chills, but he never had a fever. His symptoms did not change; they only intensified.

Two days after onset he felt “knocked out.” Although he was never tested for the flu, Rabbi Slomnicki did think he had the flu earlier in the year, and stated that his flu symptoms were worse than his corona symptoms. With the flu, he was in bed for a full 48 hours. However, with corona, Rabbi Slomnicki did not feel as ill and really only got tested because his wife urged him to after being in contact with others who tested positive. He was tested at an urgent care center in Roslyn Heights and obtained his results five days later. Rabbi Slomnicki’s wife also caught the virus and had similar symptoms to his with the addition of losing her sense of smell and taste. Rabbi Slomnicki stated that overall, his symptoms, including a slight cough, were mild, and describes his illness as “corona light.”

While Rabbi Slomnicki tried to think of the names of people he came closest in contact with, he said it was obvious to him that he wanted to release his name to his school and shul communities. He explained that it was the least he could do to help the people around him.

Despite experiencing symptoms from the virus, Rabbi Slomnicki kept busy at home. He has four children who need help with their online schooling and had to take care of housework. On Shabbat, he enjoyed the break from technology and was able to spend time davening and reading with his children. Rabbi Slomnicki now feels well and fully recuperated.

Mental Health of the Ramaz Community Rachel Freilich ’22

As the Coronavirus outbreak turned into a pandemic in mid-March, the future of the Spring semester at Ramaz became part of the great unknown. When Upper School students finally found out that they would be off from school for an indeterminate period of time, the excitement reached a high. Since many other schools had already been cancelled and transitioned to online learning, Ramaz students wanted to be like the rest and have Zoom school. Little did the students know that this unplanned “vacation” would mostly impact them in a much more negative way.

While students sit home in their sweat clothes and pajamas to attend online classes and occasionally draw or read, boredom levels increase and the initial excitement of a slew of “snow days” plummeted. The question changed from, “When is school going to close?” to “When are we coming back already?” After this quarantine, students will never again wish for a school closure.

Many students have developed bad habits that have adversely affected their mental health. Students have been waking up between 8:30 and 9:30 in the morning and most are going to bed well after midnight. Additionally, students have become more apathetic towards learning and are forced to come up with stimulating activities to occupy their many hours of unstructured time. In between Zoom sessions, students are watching hours of television, reading, playing video games and taking the occasional socially-distanced walks outdoors. The new fad Tik Tok is sure to keep many busy during these difficult times, as they scroll continuously for hours and don’t realize how much time is passing (and wasted!). The outlier of positivity remains, as some Ramaz students are connecting virtually with disabled children and the home-

bound elderly to allow these populations a respite from their boredom.

What people seem to be overlooking is how staring at a screen for months straight is going to affect our eyesight and our brain function. In a recent survey, numerous students stated that the most difficult part of home schooling is staring at a screen all day.

Julia Feit ’23 said, “I’m worried that by the end of this all, I’ll be more than just bored. Staring at a screen all day is definitely going to be difficult to overcome after this all goes away.”

Of course, health and safety are of utmost importance during this time of uncharted territory for us all and we understand why we are not able to socialize and attend school like we used to until this pandemic is under control. We are praying for those who are ill and know that this will be a time that we will unfortunately never forget.

COVID Features 8

The Rampage

Quarantine Recipe:

Quarantine Games:

Homemade Brownie With Chocolate Chip Cookie Center

Dr. Gaylord's Recommendations Charles Spielfogel ’21

Gabby Ostad ’21

Games with Good Online Implementations: 1. Codenames (https://www.horsepaste.com) 2. Jaipur (https://en.boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=jaipur) 3. Sushi Go (https://en.boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=sushigo)

Ingredients: 4 oz chocolate bar 6 oz butter (or butter substitute) 1 ¼ cups sugar (I prefer white) 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract ¾ cups flour (I use all-purpose flour) ¼ cup cocoa powder (I use Hershey's) 1 teaspoon salt (Store-bought) cookie dough

Games to Play Over Zoom: 4. Welcome To...

5. On Tour 6. Railroad Ink Games to Play Solo: 7. Friday 8. Deep Space D6 9. Wingspan

Clubs Despite Corona Continued from page 1

Physics Club has adapted and transitioned rather smoothly to the Zoom remote learning system and continues to meet online each Thursday for an hour. The club had been working on a double pendulum in person, which will likely be delayed and will be continued next year. Captain Akiva Shlomovich ’21 noted, “I wouldn’t say that we are more or less effective, I think it’s just a new style of communicating. Online meetings have made presentations a bit easier with the screen sharing option, but overall it’s pretty much the same.” The complications arise when scheduling and coordinating meetings that require a different Zoom link each time. Shlomovich explained, “I still send out emails and Schoology notifications, but ironically, I feel as though people are checking those less.” The

April 2020/ Nissan 5780

Steps and Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut and melt 4 oz of chocolate 3. You can melt your chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler (boil water in a pot, and put a glass bowl with the chocolate over it and stir to make sure the chocolate is melting and not burnt.)

4. Melt 6 oz of butter. Once melted, whisk it together with 1 ¼ cups of sugar.

5. Add 2 eggs and two teaspoons of vanilla extract to the bowl with sugar and butter and continue to whisk.

6. Add the chocolate that you melted to the bowl with the sugar and butter.

7. Add ¾ cups of flour, ¼ cup of cocoa powder, and 1 teaspoon of salt to the bowl with the chocolate. Then begin to fold all the ingredients together.

8. Place the brownie mixture into a tin. Take any amount of cookie dough and flatten the cookie.

Place the flattened cookie into the center of the brownie mixture that is in the tin. (To be honest, I don’t make the cookie dough from scratch. I use the Pillsbury frozen cookie dough that you should be able to find at any supermarket).

9. I take a handful, but if you prefer to have more cookie in your dish, add as you desire.

10. Bake the tin in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. bombardment of Schoology posts and emails from people throughout the school day often make it more difficult for students to locate the correct link for each class and arrive on time. Most students agree that in-school, interactive learning and club meetings are ideal.

A variety of clubs have been affected by the closure of school and have adapted to the unique circumstances. Persian Culture Club, a recent addition to the Ramaz collection of clubs, was initiated right before Chanukah. The club has had meetings more frequently since social isolation, but for shorter periods of time. Gabby Ostad ’21, explained, “The club has always been a place where all members interact with one another. I feel this environment persists on Zoom.” Business Investment Club (BIC) has also adapted to online meetings. Most recently, the club hosted Jake Doft who presented about investing

during the pandemic. The focus of the meeting was related to coronavirus and the club has made efforts to relate current events to business investments.

In order to raise student spirits and keep students entertained and during a time of isolation, Library Movie Night, led by Mr. Deutsch, has continued virtually.

Students enjoy voting on a movie and watching together through Netflix Party. Netflix Party allows students to watch the same movie simultaneously, while commenting and chatting with viewers. Movie night coordinators even encourage students to bring their own popcorn!

Although the world around us is changing, Ramaz students have managed to maintain a sense of normalcy by pursuing their clubs.

policies and are interested in students succeeding in the academic environment their schools provide.” Colleges have shared with high schools that if this semester is graded pass/fail, they will more heavily consider junior and senior first semester grades. Colleges will also look into if schools offered catch-up classes, summer classes, or a more intense senior curriculum. Ms. Davis said, “To the extent we can continue to offer a rigorous curriculum and assessments, I think our students would benefit from letter grades this semester. Ramaz moved swiftly and successfully to institute distance learning and can still assign letter grades.” Ramaz teachers have been discussing alternatives to classic tests, so Ms. Davis feels that they are well equipped to grade students even without tests. The Ramaz College Guidance guarantees students that college will be made aware that Ramaz continued online at the same academic level for which Ramaz is known. Ms. Krupka said, “We assure students that we will describe to colleges that during the corona pandemic, the school kept up its rigorous academics.”

Aside from testing and GPAs, many colleges are known to choose students who are interested in the school. Colleges can tell who is genuinely interested in a school mainly using two techniques. First, in-person interactions with admissions officers at college nights or college fairs are crucial. Second, colleges track demonstrated interest by recording students who visited the college for a campus tour or information session. Now, however, students cannot go to visit campuses, and the Ramaz College Night is rescheduled, so students cannot meet college representatives. Colleges can only track demonstrated interest with online usage of the school’s website and Scoir page.

Ramaz plans to reschedule College Night for online in mid-May. The College Office is hopeful that students can interact with the schools through this format.

Additionally, Ramaz plans to host college representatives in the fall. One junior boy said, “I have already visited

some colleges, but I was hoping to learn about even more schools on college night. Hopefully, I can have a similar experience online.”

A major part of the admissions process is meetings with the Ramaz college advisors, both with other advisees and with parents. According to the college office, they plan to host these meetings via Zoom. Advisors want to be conscious of the amount of time students spend online each day and that college’s policies may change as the COVID-19 issue becomes more intense. In addition to junior meetings, each college advisor hosts a private meeting with each advisee and their families. The college office does not usually meet with families until the student takes at least one SAT/ACT. In the current situation, they will begin to host these meetings in May, probably via Zoom, for students who already took at least one test. For students whose first test will be in June, their meetings will be in person or via zoom in July, August, or early September.

The college office advises students to be productive with their time away from school. In an email to juniors, Ms. Messinger wrote, “Although many traditional extracurriculars have been postponed for the time being, that doesn’t mean there aren’t more creative ways for you to keep yourself busy and boost your college application.”

She suggested students spend time joining a club, starting an independent project, or giving back to their communities. Ms. Davis added that there might be new supplementary questions about how juniors used their free time.

But, she suggests that students do not write their common application about the corona epidemic “unless you are doing something extraordinary with this time or have a really unique take, you are likely to be one of thousands of students writing similarly about how difficult this time was.”

College & Corona Continued from page 5 in years past. Many colleges already told the Ramaz College Guidance office that they will not request SAT subject tests or will not penalize students for not submitting them. Additionally, there may be changes to the SAT or ACT requirements. As of fall 2019, some schools were considered “test-optional,” meaning they do not require a student to submit a SAT or ACT. These include George Washington, Brandeis, the University of Chicago, and Brown. The College Office predicts that because of the pandemic, more schools will become test-optional. Ms. Davis said, “Choosing to go test-optional largely depends on two things: whether the June tests are offered and/or whether a few brave trend-setting colleges go test-optional first as trend setters.”

During this unprecedented time, Ramaz teachers are still deciding how to grade their students. Some students and parents have suggested a pass/fail grading system for this semester because they fear that students might receive lower grades, bringing down their entire GPA. However, others are nervous about how colleges will view a pass/fail system. Michal Seinfeld ’21 said, “I think that Ramaz students put in a lot of work, so to just be given a pass means students will put in less effort. There is something rewarding about getting a letter grade. But, at the same time, [a pass/fail system] does take into account the circumstances.” Isaac Silverman ’21 feels that a pass/ fail system would not be best for students. He said, “I don’t support the system for two reasons. First, I would like all the work I put into a class to be seen on a higher level than someone who put little effort in and barely passed.

Second, if Ramaz is one of the only schools that continues actual grades, then we would look better to colleges than just a bunch of P’s on report cards.” According to Ms. Davis, “As a general rule, colleges respect the high schools’

April 2020/Nissan 5780

The Rampage

COVID Opinions 9

Coronavirus Opinions The Effect of COVID-19 on my Religious Community Clemi Roth ’22

Community is arguably one of the most important aspects of Judaism. We gather during times of celebration, for brit milot, b’nai mitzvah, and weddings.

These major life events are not the only times when the community comes together. We connect with each other for all life events. Shiva connects people during times of loss when the sense of community can provide comfort. We also come together for routine events, such as when we go to shul every Shabbat. In efforts to “flatten the curve” of coronavirus cases, most shuls have been closed.

As a group leader at Kehilath Jeshurun (KJ), I was not surprised to find out that shul would be closed.

In one of our previous leader meetings, we discussed how to address the virus with the kids and the likelihood of shul being closed. The annual Purim carnival was the first event to be canceled due to COVID-19.

On March 16, the shul sent out an email telling us that a few members of the community had been infected.

In order to limit the spread of COVID-19, the decision was made to close the entire school and shul. I have

to admit that initially, I was excited about this news.

KJ’s closure meant that I would not have to wake up on Shabbat at 8:30 to watch 40 three-year-old children for around four hours. I could sleep in for the first time in months.

Efforts were made to ensure that the feeling of community was not lost. Ramaz offered a Kabbalat Shabbat Zoom to connect with others before a Shabbat in solitude. KJ hosted a Zoom Havdalah.

On Shabbat “morning,” I woke up at 3:00pm (no, really) feeling very refreshed. I spent the day playing games with my family and relaxing. It felt as though one community closing strengthened another. I felt privileged to spend quality time with my family while protecting the greater community.

As Shabbat concluded, I decided to join the Camp Ramah in the Berkshires Havdalah service to unite with friends with whom I spend my summers.

My friends and I were so happy to connect with each other and with staff members. Simultaneously, the remainder of my family was watching the KJ Zoom Havdalah. They were entertained by the cantor’s young daughter dancing as he sang the Havdalah and played on his guitar. In fact, she is one of the kids in my group. I

was delighted to see her singing songs that I have taught her.

T h i s seemingly biblical plague is affecting every aspect of our lives including religious practices. One bright side of social distancing is the opportunity it gives people to connect with family and friends. Although at times it feels as though this virus has limited our abilities to connect with others, Shabbat suggests otherwise. While this strange new reality can be unsettling, I have found the efforts being made to maintain and regulate normal routines comforting.

Online Classes: Taxing or Relaxing?

Alex Paul ’23

In our technology-filled world, it is very hard to catch a break from our phones and computers. School is an escape from the constant noti-

fications and tapping away on our phones. Now that COVID-19 has caused an international pandemic, school is no longer stopping us from turning our devices off, as we are at home all day participating in online classes. How does it impact our daily lives?

In my opinion, online classes are definitely something to get used to. Though there is davening every day, mandatory classes start at 9:45 AM on regular weekdays. That’s seen as an upside to distance learning by most students, granting us the opportunity to get many extra hours of sleep, especially for those who normally commute. Moreover, “school” now ends at the seemingly early hour of 3:00 PM for most students, as opposed to 4:45. On the other hand, there are many negative things said about our new form of remote learning. For example, the sheer act of staring at a screen for at least 4 hours a day; plus the additional expected hours of homework and studying is extremely tiring. Personally, I have

felt exhausted at times after sitting in the same place for hours on end. Along with that, school granted us large amounts of time every day to socialize. Now that distanced learning has interfered in human interactions, socializing is sadly no longer an option.

Moreover, adjusting to Zoom for some teachers has been difficult, which affects the students’ learning. I have had some instances where teachers were talking while muted, not knowing that nobody was able to hear them until someone let them know in the chat. However, this is not to say that students have not had trouble with Zoom as well, all adding to the hardships of controlling online learning. In reality, it all comes down to personal preference.

Are you a technologically-oriented person who enjoys staying home, or are you a social butterfly who thrives in a classroom? I know for myself that I can’t wait to be back at school!

Too Much Screen Time!

Gabby Ostad ’21 Has your screen time more than doubled since you’ve been learning at home? Do you have trouble falling asleep at night because of all the blue light that you were exposed to during the day? If the answer is yes to either or both of those questions, you are not alone. As the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in school closures across the country, technology has enabled us to continue our learning via Zoom. Although our overall class time has become shorter, I find myself more tired and find my eyes feeling drained daily.

Our eyes are weak muscles, unlike our arm muscles. Once our vision gets worse, we can never restore it to the level we once had. For this reason, I am extremely concerned about my eyesight during these couple of weeks. I’m worried that the abundance of screen time will worsen our sight, and we will not be able to restore it.

Prior to online school, I would shut off my phone during school and would mostly use it during lunch. My screen time average on my phone was typically three and a half hours daily. However, since being home, my screen time on my phone has doubled to seven hours, and that does not include the hours I spend on the computer for classes and doing homework. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that teens limit themselves to a maximum of two hours of screen time a day. Research

has connected screen time with an increased amount of inactive behavior in children and teens. There is also significant evidence that associates screen time with obesity.

I find my eyes feeling strained daily. I typically do my homework on paper and rarely look at screens. However, given the current situation, I am not left with many options.

Staring at the screen truly hurts my eyes. My eyes are unable to look at the screen and keep closing. When I take a break from the computer and go to look outside, my eyes begin to burn. I have also gotten many headaches from staring at screens.

I have personally taken a few steps to help maintain my eyesight and reduce my screen time.

One step I have taken to help the situation is wearing blue light glasses during class time and when doing homework on the computer. These glasses help protect your eyes by filtering out 40% of the blue light emitted by screens. If you are looking for a pair, check izipizi.com. These glasses help my eyes feel comfortable when staring at screens. To help reduce my screen time on my phone I have added time limits to apps. Every time I click on the app after I’ve reached the limit, it reminds me that I have used my

screen time for that day and asks if I want to add time. Although this may sound like a small detail, it significantly helps me reduce my screen time. When the application does not immediately appear on my phone, I lose interest and turn off my phone. In addition, it may be difficult to fall asleep after looking at screens all day, so despite the cliché, reading a book to refocus your mind before bed will help you go to sleep.

If this is just for the short-term, I can deal with it for now. However, I ask that the administration revisit other ways of teaching through Zoom or with assignments that do not involve using screens alone. Our health is as important as our education.

Opinions 10

The Rampage

April 2020/Nissan 5780

My Experience at AIPAC 2020 Tammy Palagi ’21

homeland is immense, and we must not forget all the components that go into that.

AIPAC 2020 was truly an experience I I gained valuable knowledge about the will never forget. This was my second year at- current situation in Israel, especially in hightending the conference as a part of the Ramaz delegation. I had the privilege of hearing so many speakers that I usually see on TV, and it made me realize how many influential government officials are willing to fight for Israel. It was really special to see thousands of people gathered together, Jews and non-Jews alike, who all shared a deep love and passion for the State of Israel. I had so many interesting discussions with other conference attendees from different states and backgrounds of all different ages. Regardless of political views, we could all bond over our love for Israel and the responsibility we felt as Americans to support the Jewish homeland.

Previously, I did not know the stance of risk areas such as kibbutzim along the border many local-level politicians on Israel, nor did I with Gaza, and developed a deeper understandfully comprehend the importance of a strong, ing of what Israelis go through on a daily basis.

Israeli-American relationship. The fact that I Kids are not raised playing in Central Park, but was able to attend a pro-Israel conference in rather in their backyards awaiting the sound of a country like America, a world leader, is in- a siren. These kids are taught to run for their credible considering the history of Jews in the lives from rockets before they even know how diaspora. The importance of a thriving Jewish to ride a bike. I gained an appreciation for the

safety I have as an American. My pre-existing gratitude to the IDF grew exponentially after seeing how they don’t hesitate to risk their lives to protect the safety of Israel and her citizens.

Additionally, I heard from multiple government officials from Israel and the U.S. who have realistic plans to improve the American-Israeli relationship, along with day-to-day life for Israelis. The speakers that stood out to me were Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. I was astonished that non-Jewish Americans felt such a deep duty to have pro-Israel policies and have a true understanding of the importance of Israel as the homeland of Jews around the world. Secretary Pompeo said, “anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism.” Vice President Pence said he is proud to stand with the only true democracy of the Middle East.

Overall, I gained so much knowledge and felt moved by seeing such a large group of Israel supporters. Throughout these unforgettable two days, I have shared my experience with friends and family and cannot wait to attend again in the future. The biggest take-away: Israel is not a political issue; it is my home. Am Israel Chai!

Cell Phones in School: Are They Necessary?

Andrew Spielfogel ’23

During the RamJam show this past semester, 400 students watched the spectacular performances created by fellow peers in amazement. A courageous student pulled out a phone with a sly smile, planning to get away with playing video games, until Rabbi Stochel came over and confiscated it. After witnessing this, I wondered: What are the guidelines of cellphone usage throughout the school day?

W a l k i n g throughout the halls of the Ramaz Upper School, students will be seen gawking at cell phones, examining different programs ranging from Schoology to social media. Before my arrival in the Upper School, I heard rumors about cell phones at Ramaz and how students are allowed to use them anytime throughout the day (though not during class, of course).

At the start, I did not understand the point of having the ability to use them during school.

In the Ramaz Middle School, if a student was seen with a phone, they would be sent to the principal’s office. I especially remember hearing lectures in our advisory meetings dealing with the topic of decreasingly using technology. We were told that it’s better to interact with each other in person, rather than using social media such as Snapchat. I agreed that it was more effective to interact in person, and felt this was a great lesson. I imagined having

the option to use phones at any time in the Upper School would be abused and overused.

However, after the first month of school, I was overwhelmed by the number of emails and Schoology posts I was getting from students and teachers about clubs and special schedule updates. If I didn’t check my phone throughout the school day, I would miss opportunities for Mishmar and clubs on that day, and this did happen to me during my first few weeks here.

I had the misconception that one shouldn’t use cell phones during the day, and it took a month for me to get into the habit of checking Schoology and emails from teachers during school hours.

One might argue that teachers and students should post in advance; there was a time Schoology didn’t even exist at all!

From teachers’ perspectives, if they are going to be absent, they need to let their students know about material that should be covered in class, whether it’s in advance or on the day-of on Schoology. Given that the school has adopted this environment of using technology throughout the day, teachers do not feel that it is “unfair” to post an assignment online on the day they aren’t there.

Therefore if this is the case, new students should be informed that it is recom-

mended to check updates on Schoology during the day. Checking Schoology during school would have been a good tip at the start of the year: there are so many posts throughout the day, checking them by the hour is easier than scrolling through endless posts at the end of the day about clubs that have already met. One would also miss out on after school opportunities if they didn’t see updates posted that day.

In the Ramaz Middle School, I would have thought that cell phone usage in the Upper School shouldn’t be necessary since it isn’t in the Middle School. However, after attending the Upper School, I noticed that one cannot draw a comparison between the two regarding cell phones since emails and Schoology posts didn’t appear during school hours in the Middle School. The Ramaz Middle and Upper Schools are completely different environments, especially with a greater number of after-school opportunities in the Upper School including clubs, athletic and academic teams, and the arts, requiring more constant updates.

In conclusion, I have learned that students in the Ramaz Upper School are essentially required to check their phones during school, whether they want to or not.

Without phones, we would miss daily teacher and club posts and lose track of daily events.

April 2020/Nissan 5780

The Rampage Ramaz Upper School

New York • Volume 54 • Issue 5 • Jan-Feb 2020 • the-rampage.org

Editors-in-Chief: Zachary Buller ’20* Sophia Kremer ’20* Josephine Schizer ’20* Layout Editors: Hannah Doft ’20* Aliza Freilich ’20* Meme Department: Isaac Silverman ’21 Faculty Advisor: Dr. Milowitz Contributing writers: Ethan Davidovitch ’22 Hannah Dubroff ’21 Sydney Eisenstein ’22 Julia Feit ’22 Rachel Freilich ’22 Nicole Hirschkorn ’22 Daniel Kalimi ’23 William Kremer ’21 Caitlin Levine ’21 Rebecca Massel ’21 Emily Mullakandov ’22 Gabby Ostad ’21 Tammy Palagi ’21 Alexandra Paul ’23 Clemi Roth ’22 Jake Rubin ’22 Rebecca Silber ’23 Samantha Sinensky ’21 Issac Silverman ’21 Andrew Spielfogel ’23 Charles Spielfogel ’21 The Rampage is the student newspaper of the Ramaz Upper School. It is published on a monthly basis. Letters to the editors may be submitted to rampage@ramaz.org. Letters must be signed and may be edited to conform to The Rampage style and format.

The opinions expressed in The Rampage are of the author’s alone, and do not represent the views or opinions of Ramaz, The Rampage, or its editors.

The Rampage

Featrures 11

Senior Lounge Traditions!

Daniel Kalimi ’23

Every person who has been on the fourth floor knows that the fourth-floor lounge is the senior lounge. Usually, the lounge is full of seniors, and only seniors. It is very rare to see anyone who isn’t a senior in the lounge, and if an underclassman makes it in, then they probably won’t be there for long. What many students don’t know is that the administration never officially designated the fourth-floor lounge for seniors. Despite this, there are many senior lounge traditions whose origins may spark the curiosity of some underclassmen.

Firstly, the senior lounge has never officially been a senior-only lounge. In a press conference with Ms. Krupka, when asked when and why they decided to designate the senior lounge only for seniors, she replied “never.” Ms. Krupka continued, “I would love to see a coup where the freshman grade one day just moves in there and decides that it’s theirs. There was never anything formal or official that turned that into a senior lounge.” An anonymous sophomore said, “At freshman orientation, I remember Dr. Aharon referring to the fourth-floor lounge as the senior lounge and talking about how we shouldn’t go in there if the seniors are in school.” Whether or not the policy is official, one of the first things you learn as a freshman is to avoid the fourth-floor lounge.

When asked about what her relationship with the fourth-floor lounge was as a fresh-

man, Michal Seinfeld ’21 answered, “It was never explicitly stated that underclassmen weren’t allowed in the fourth-floor lounge, but it was definitely implied.” It appears that over the years, these statements have become more explicit because, at this year’s freshman orientation, Rebecca Kalimi ’23 remembers Dr. Aharon stating something similar to what she said to the current sophomores at their freshman orientation.

“She told us that it is the seniors’ lounge and we shouldn’t go there if there are seniors present.” However, it appears that if there is a senior complaining about a non-senior in the fourth-floor lounge, the administration won’t do anything about it.

There are many senior lounge traditions including decorating it and watching the Los Angeles Glouberman Basketball Tournament, but what many people don’t know is who is behind it and when they originated. When asked who decorated the senior lounge this year, Gabi Potter ’20 answered, “this year Michal Rahabi decorated the lounge,” and when asked if he remembers these traditions in previous years, he responded, “When I was a freshman, I don’t remember for sure, maybe there was a TV, but I don’t think much else.” These answers are similar to Eric Kalimi’s ’22, who said, “As a freshman, I am not 100% sure, but I think I remember the seniors decorating the lounge and bringing in a TV.” This shows that dec-

orating the senior lounge is a more recent tradition, while a TV in the senior lounge is an older tradition, but they are both fun and hopefully here to stay.

A question still remains: does the administration support the idea of seniors decorating the lounge? Ms. Krupka’s answer to this question was, “As long as it is appropriate, and by that I don't just mean the language or the images, but done appropriately in that it doesn't look messy or not like something that we should have in a school building. As long as we have that, I’m okay with it.”

She explained, “A little bit of colored writing on the window, I thought was cute.” It seems that the administration supports the seniors decorating the lounge as long as it looks nice and is appropriate for an academic environment. Overall, the fourth-floor lounge may not officially be only for the seniors, but it is clear that through different traditions they make it an amazing space for the entire school to be around (though not inside).

Tutoring and Ramaz Students: There are Rules?

Ethan Davidovitch ’22 and Sydney Eisenstein ’22

Is it the school’s business to know if a student has a tutor in a specific subject? Is it ac* Denotes member of The Rampage editorial board ceptable for a student to keep his or her tutor private? In Preludes, there is a section about the appropriate way for students to hire tutors. If a student is thinking about hiring a tutor, he or she must inform the administration and their teacher for that subject. Students are prohibited from being tutored by their classroom teacher or department chair. If a student hires a private tutor, the tutor must be in contact with the student’s school teacher; the teacher and tutor should collaboratively set guidelines for the type of assistance the tutor will be giving the student when completing school assignments.

Even if a student has a tutor, their schoolwork should be his or her own endeavor, and he or she should obviously dissociate from any form of plagiarism. In Preludes, the administration remarks, “We wish to stress, though, that the school believes tutoring should be a remedy of the last resort. We have found that tutoring can often adversely affect a student’s attitude in class, promoting the feeling that, ‘So what if I don’t get it now. My tutor will explain it

when I get home.’”

The administration understands that all students have different needs. Overall however, the administration seems to be urging students to refrain from hiring private tutors. Some students hire a tutor for a course level that is too difficult for them, when the wiser choice would be to consider moving down a course level. Various students also may rely on their tutors to motivate them to do their work because they do not think they will be able to complete their assignments independently. Other students obtain tutors because they struggle in a certain subject and need extra assistance. Generally, individuals use tutors in different ways; some may rely on their tutors to do school assignments for them, some use sessions with tutors to substitute paying attention in class, and others may need the guidance from their tutor to understand material they learned in school. It is difficult to formulate an alternative to individuals hiring private tutors because all students have different incentives for acquiring these tutors. In an interview, Rabbi Stochel said, ““I am not a proponent of tutoring and certainly not in cases where a tutor is a source of support that a student relies upon on a regular basis. My greatest concern about tutors is that they are too involved in the schoolwork of students. As educators, we feel strongly that our goal is to foster independence and promote self-sufficient learners; tutors often inhibit that goal instead of furthering it.”

The administration also proposed that tutors raise an ethical dilemma: how much can a tutor help a student before it verges on cheating or creating unfair circumstances? When teachers receive work from students that tutors were involved in completing, teachers are un-

aware of how much of the work was completed by the student. This uncertainty can give a teacher false information about the student and their competence in that subject.

The moral issue regarding tutors can also apply to parents helping students with school assignments. Ms. Krupka said about this complicated issue, “Let’s say it is not a tutor, but a parent helping his or her child write an essay for school, which would be great. At what point does the tone of the essay shift from the student’s voice to no longer the student’s voice? I think that sometimes, there are genuine issues where a student hands in an essay and they did not cheat, but a parent helped them maybe a bit too much.”

It can be useful for parents to have a role in encouraging their children to complete assignments, but there must be some boundaries placed on parent involvement in their children’s schoolwork.

Although the rules of tutors are established and elucidated in Preludes, many students are unaware of these guidelines and most do not adhere to them. A poll was sent to Ramaz students; it received 34 responses and had a sophomore majority. 20% of respondents currently have tutors for help with school on a regular basis. It found that 79% of these students were unaware of the guidelines regarding tutors in Preludes. The data from this poll suggests that if a student feels that they need tutoring, they may not follow the procedure in Preludes merely because they are oblivious to Ramaz’s specific rules regarding tutors. Based on this data, it seems that in the future, tutors will continue to tutor students, parents will continue to hire tutors, and students will most likely continue to disregard the various rules in Preludes.

each new theme is just a different approach towards that goal of uniting the community under one vision. He referenced the importance of the mission statement here and its relevance to the annual theme. He spoke about the theme as “a way for people to connect to something that unites them.”

The Ramaz Administration goes on a small retreat once a year to brainstorm these topics and to come up with a theme for the year. To introduce it to the school, they also produce a video about the theme to display to the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools at the opening assembly.

The idea of seeing differently is not just directed towards students; it is also directed towards the faculty and the administration. Mr. Rochlin emphasized how important it is for teachers to see their students differently, and for students to do the same towards their teachers. He mentioned that these themes are about taking the missions from the mission statement and trying to weave them into various ideas.

Mr. Rochlin also related the theme to the Ramaz Annual Dinner. It’s a great introduction to the show and really shows the audience what Ramaz is about. It’s also a great

tool for fundraising for the events, and it’s a fantastic way to unite the year with one goal of bettering ourselves to follow the Ramaz mission statement the best way we can. One example of the fundraising is merchandise that Ramaz sells, such as kippahs and T-shirts, but the main source of fundraising for the school comes from donations which are more often received when a theme like this spreads awareness of Ramaz’s overall goals. The theme also helps market the school, increase admissions, and increase the overall awareness of Ramaz and its values. It provides a way for alumni to connect with one another and integrate the members of the Ramaz community with its values.

The “See Different” theme was, of course, not chosen arbitrarily for this year. This year is 2020, and the See Different theme was based on perfect vision, with 20/20 vision, or with a new perspective on the whole around us. Every year we have an opportunity to better ourselves, and these themes are a great guide for us that help us to focus on the development of specific aspects of our character while also uniting the Ramaz community.

What the See Different Campaign is All About Jake Rubin ’22

Every year, Ramaz has a theme that connects the school year to the Jewish community and its values. This year, the Ramaz administration chose the theme “See Different,” a reference to the “Think Different” Apple advertisement from the ’80s. The phrase is grammatically incorrect for a reason; it helps illustrate, quite literally, how to see (or think) differently and to take a different approach with our judgement, deliberately using the adjective (instead of adverb) “different” as a meta reference to the theme.

Mr. Rochlin, Head of Institutional Advancement at Ramaz, explained that the goal of the theme is “to unite the community under one vision of a year.” Mr. Rochlin further explained that this year’s goal relates to every year’s theme and

April 2020/Nissan 5780

The Rampage

A Renewed Comittment to Recycling at Ramaz Nicole Hirschkorn and Eric Kalimi ’22 “I strongly believe we need a renewed commitment to recycling at Ramaz. I regret that we have not been as scrupulous about this essential environmental concern as we should be,” said Rabbi Stochel. “We need a revival of our efforts and I include myself in this self-criticism.” Recycling at Ramaz has been neglected by the student body. Students carelessly throw their trash in the wrong bins, which effectively makes it impossible for the school to recycle the other items in the bins.

Given the current pressing environmental issues the world is facing, it is the students’ job to do our part. What can we as a school possibly do to help with this global crisis?

There are regularly about 180 days of school every year and around nine classes each of those days. Assuming each teacher only hands out one piece of paper to each student, our four hun

dred students would waste close to 65,000 pieces of paper every year. Obviously, teachers hand out way more than just one piece of paper a day and that class handouts are far from the only source of wasted paper in our building which makes the issue even more pressing.

A few years ago, a recycling initiative from the student body got the administration to get recycling bins all across the school building that are still there today. Unfortunately today, those recycling bins are filled with garbage and are then wasted. As Rabbi Stochel said, the administration is currently waiting for students to revive the environmentalist movement, and we could be the generation of Ramaz students that helps our environment and the world.

Many of the students at Ramaz care about protecting the environment, and a recent poll shows that 80% of the student body “generally care about protecting the environment.” Furthermore, 57% of students consider recycling in school some-

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what or very important.

Recycling is a small step that Ramaz can take to make a big impact on the world.

As students who care about the global community, and as Jewish people who care about tikkun olam, we must be more aware of our actions.

It is clear that recycling is very important for the environment and that a substantial portion of the Ramaz student body cares about it, but what can we do to start recycling at Ramaz?

A Guide to the Unofficial Ramaz Instagram Accounts William Kremer ’21

Ramaz students can’t get enough of Instagram and the school has several official accounts including @ramazschool, @ramazparentscouncil, @ramazalumni, and @jonathandcannon to keep everyone updated. Just when students thought they were following them all, now there are more handles devoted to life at Ramaz. Covering everything from sports to salads, new accounts keep popping up. The question is, will students follow them?

Ramaz G.O. - 781 followers @ramazgo was founded with the mission of encouraging school spirit and fostering unity. The account updates the student body with pictures from key school events including sports games, shabbatons and performances. It also announces merch drops and special events. A new initiative called Ram Compliments features

students doing acts of kindness.

The upside: Seeing pictures of classmates having fun at events everyone looks forward to attending.

The downside: The account is mostly pictures of G.O. members and it’s not updated daily.

BehindPano - 277 followers @behindpano2020 is the yearbook Instagram account created by yearbook editors Aliza Freilich ’20, Hannah Doft ’20, and Lucy Doft ’20. Freilich thought of the idea for the account because of the abundance of photos the yearbook staff has taken that don’t make it into the yearbook. The pictures would go to waste if they weren’t shared through Instagram.

The upside: Who would want to miss a portrait of Zanger in his Purim costume?

The downside: Most of the pictures are of seniors.

Ramaz YLP - 120 followers @rmzylp is an account run by Aryeh Teller ’20 that focuses on the scores of Ramaz sports games.

Teller volunteered to be the Ramaz ambassador for the popular account Yeshiva League Pass, which posts the scores of all boys’ Yeshiva League basketball, hockey, and soccer games.

The upside: Ramaz students can get real time updates on games that are not live-streamed.

The downside: Being affiliated with YLP lim-

its Teller to posting scores from only these three sports. Many students would like to see girls’ sports and more boys’ sports represented on the account as well.

Salads by Bodner - 97 followers @salads_of_ramaz is run by Saul Tawil ’21, Jules Shalhov ’21, and Joseph Moche ’21.

The account is a daily posting of salads created by Rabbi Bodner at Ramaz’s very own salad bar. The purpose of the account is to promote students using their creativity to make healthy eating choices in the lunchroom.

All the salads posted on the account are created using ingredients from the lunchroom alone and are artistically assembled on classy dishware.

The upside: Who couldn’t use a few more greens in their diet?

The downside: By the time you’re done assembling your salad, good luck finding yourself a seat next to your friends in the lunchroom.

Friday Cookie Recipe... and Bring Back Classroom Deliveries!

William Kremer ’21

Yet another reason Ramaz students claim to miss school during our current period of social distancing is their love for the school’s famous chocolate chip cookies. Everyone can agree that a highlight of coming into school on Fridays is not only sharing excitement in the nearing weekend but also indulging in the soft—but not too soft— delicious Friday cookies. Recently, instead of GO members delivering the cookies directly to each classroom the kitchen staff has decided to put a large platter in front of the lounges for students to help themselves. Many problems have arisen due to this updated distribution procedure, one of the most significant being a cookie shortage. More often than not, the cookies run out quickly and leave many students disappointed. With the cookies distributed to only three locations in the building, each spot must then serve an average of 133 students, as opposed to when the cookies are distributed room-to-room with around 15-20 students per classroom.

Now students have to run, and sometimes even stampede, working their sharpest elbow maneuvers, to get to the tables before the cookies run out, which needless to say is not very (Ra)mentschlike.

And lastly, and especially now with the spread of a pandemic, students do not appreciate the health hazard posed by everyone reaching out their hands, touching and breathing on food. When students finally all come back to school, hopefully the cookie distribution will go back to the way it once was: a safer, cleaner, and more civilized way to enjoy one of Ramaz’s finest treats.

Needless to say, no matter where the cookies are served, students are definitely missing this delicious part of their Fridays. To help get everyone through the cookie dry-spell, here is a chocolate chip recipe to satisfy students’ cravings:

Ingredients:

1½ Cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ stick unsalted butter ¼ cup of vegetable oil 1 cup sugar ¼ cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 eggs 1½ cups chocolate chips

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda.

3. Beat the butter, vegetable oil, sugar, and brown sugar in a bowl with a mixer until creamy (about 5 minutes).

4. Mix 1 teaspoon water and vanilla until smooth.

5. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in flour mixture.

6. Stir in chocolate chips by hand.

7. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 3 inches apart.

8. Bake for about 20 minutes until deep golden brown.