Volume 52, Issue 8 (April 2019) - The Rampage

The Rampage

The Newspaper of the Ramaz Upper School

New York • Volume 52 • Issue 8 • April 2019• Nissan I 5779 • the-rampage.org

The Ramaz Choir Takes a Spring Trip to Boston Zach Buller ’20

The Ramaz High School Choir has enjoyed an annual trip for the last 12 years, ever since Mr. Henkin began running the choir. In the past, the choir has ventured near and far, traveling to Maryland, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Virginia Beach, Los Angeles, and, last year, to Israel. This April, the Ramaz choir enjoyed a fun-filled, jam-packed, threeday trip to Boston.

Mr. Henkin had originally intended for the choir to travel to Pittsburgh, with the idea that choir’s engagement with the community “could be healing for the community and a Chesed for them” in light of the recent tragedy at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill. But, as Mr. Henkin noted, “when we reached out [to the Pittsburgh community], we were told that our presence would not be beneficial, probably because they were inundated with help, which can sometimes be a burden.”

In 2011 the choir also went to Boston, and the trip was very successful. He further emphasized the thought and time that goes into selecting the right community for the trip. “We need a find a community that will not only allow us to sing,” noted Mr. Henkin, “but also provide hospitality, preferably by families that have teenage children.”

The choir also wants to find a community that is somewhat further away, so the students have the opportunity to travel. Boston was the perfect choice, as Mr. Henkin already connected with Shaarei Tefillah, the synagogue that hosted the choir for Shabbat eight years ago, and he knew that performing at that Shul would be successful.

According to Mr. Henkin, the choir trip serves both a social and a musical purpose. “Students have spoken of the choir as having an extended-family feel,” explained Mr. Henkin. “People solidify friendships on these trips. It makes people want to stay

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Ramaz Welcomes in the New Class of 2023

Sophia Kremer ’20

What is the greatest measure of success in the Yeshiva League? To students, it may be the number of varsity sports banners on the gym walls; to parents, college admissions; and to administrators, the percentage of the graduating class who spend a gap year in Israel. However, all agree that the size of the incoming Freshman class, and even more so, the number of applicants each school turns away, is the most scalable measure of desirability for a private high school.

As of March 5, 2019, the class of 2023 will consist of ninety students— forty-nine girls and forty-one boys—reaching this year’s goal, according to Ms. Shara Lipson, Director of Admissions. Frisch’s incoming class will number 200 and SAR targets a freshman class size between 130-150 each year. To explain Ramaz’s numbers, which, traditionally, are less than or near 100, Dean of Faculty Ms. Miriam Krupka said, “We are committed to a smaller group. We want to be authentic for who we are.” Out of the ninety students, forty-seven will be continuing on from the Ramaz Middle School and forty-three will be coming from 20 different feeder schools in the extended tri state area. In terms of the retention rate, also considered a indicator of a school’s health, nine current Ramaz Middle Schoolers will be leaving for other high schools: three to non-Yeshiva schools, two to SAR, and four to attend Frisch.

To maximize the applicant pool, the admissions office participated in multiple new marketing strategies to attract students, including a campaign consisting of monthly postcards that were sent out to prospective families and Ramaz families beginning in August of 2018 and culminating after the Open House in November. Each postcard displayed a photo featuring both academic and non-academic activities from classroom learning to as students learning in the classroom, the G.O. selling apparel, after schools art activities, and sport games. Ms. Lipson said, “We were going to highlight what we do best: our small classes, faculty, being in the middle of New York City, how diverse we are as a school, how we are a yeshiva and we are Orthodox but how you can question and challenge here and be part of a thriving community.”

Another change this year was a new format for school’s keynote recruitment event. Rather than hosting only one Open House for both current and prospective families, Ramaz Middle School families were invited to a targeted presentation held prior to the Open House that focused on the newness of the high school and its offerings rather than the more general event for all

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Ramaz Returns from a Triumphant Model Congress Trip Josephine Schizer ’20

On Thursday, March 28, the Model Congress team left school to spend the weekend at the University of Pennsylvania for their annual Model Congress competition. From Thursday night to Sunday afternoon, Ramaz students were Senators and Congressmen, supporting or opposing each bill their committee debated. Each student also wrote and presented their own bill about a topic of their choice.

Between sessions, the team spent time together, ate meals at the Penn Hillel, and explored Penn’s campus. On Shabbat, they davened and ate at Hillel and enjoyed a kiddush sponsored by Ramaz.

“Since it was my first Model Congress competition I was a bit nervous— especially due to all the preparation I had done prior to the trip,” said Adam Vasserman ’21, “[but] as the trip progressed I became more relaxed and eager to participate. Looking back I had such a great time on the trip as I got to meet new people from different schools, learn a lot throughout the sessions and just have a great overall experience with my Ramaz peers on the campus. Plus the Hillel food was really good!!”

In addition to their regular committees, Ramaz

Inside this Issue…

students had the opportunity to participate in several special programs. Esti Beck ’19, one of the team’s captains, served as the Secretary of State in the Model Congress Executive Branch and on the Model Congress National Security Council. Beck put together a policy proposal, debated with the rest of the presidential cabinet, and had

"Model Congress taught me how to present in a way that was simultaneously respectful and convincing.

The team gave me that confidence.” to deal with crises in the middle of the night. Gail Hafif ’20 and Josephine Schizer ’20 argued two cases in front of the Model Congress Supreme Court, representing Jones in Clinton v. Jones and Trump in Trump v. Hawaii. Hafif and Schizer prepared oral arguments for each case and responded to questions from the Model Congress justices.

Although Ramaz students missed several conference sessions for Shabbat, the team still succeeded

in winning five awards. Esti Beck ’19 won honorable mention in the Executive Branch and honorable mention in the National Security Council; Joey Kaplan ’20 won honorable mention in the Energy and Commerce committee; Gabi Potter ’20 won honorable mention in the Financial Services Committee; and Josephine Schizer ’20 won honorable mention in the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.

“We really did quite nicely,” said Dr. Jucovy, the team’s faculty advisor. “I was proud of the team for having done so well.”

“In my first year on the team as a sophomore, I was extremely intimidated,” said Suzi Dweck ’19. “I didn’t want to speak or feel like I was being judged for voicing my opinion. However, as time went on, Model Congress taught me how to present in a way that was simultaneously respectful and convincing. The team gave me that confidence. Now, as a senior and the current co-captain of the team, I hope that Model Congress can teach other students to speak up and give them the confidence to express their opinions and beliefs.”

Technical Difficulties. . . Does Ramaz’s technologie actually work?

Time for Prayer . . . How do Ramaz students view Tefilah in their daily lives?

Accepted or Rejected? . . . A discussion of this year’s senior college results The Common App . . . A few of the best college essays of the year on display.

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90 Students Join Ramaz in the Class of 2023

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prospective students. The traditional Saturday night Open House, held on November 10, 2018, was not open to all students but instead was open only to the parents of prospective students outside the Ramaz system. Its purpose was “displaying our school and educating families that are not familiar with our values,” explained Ms. Lipson.

For the first time, Ramaz faculty also participated in a Student and Parent Education Series. Faculty from Ramaz Upper School visited Middle Schools across the tristate area to teach classes to prospective students and familiarize them with the teaching style at Ramaz and help inform their high school decision. This initiative was further extended by Rabbi Stochel, Ms. Krupka and Rabbi Slomnicki, who each visited both schools and communities to educate prospective Ramaz families and students. The administration also visited the Ramaz Middle School and spent the day meeting with small groups of students to share information and get them excited about their future experience at Ramaz.

Ms. Krupka said, “We have tried to focus in on discussions that take place in the classroom, challenging thinking, coming at academics from an analytical perspective, that the classroom is an exciting place, warmth of community.” Additionally, the administration also reached out to alumni of Ramaz with pre-high school aged children with the goal of recruiting from within the community as well.

The Ramaz marketing strategy has been to emphasize its small class sizes, the close bonds between its students and teachers, and the individual attention that each student receives from the administration. Part of this initiative has been executed through the new advisory system that the freshman received this year. Instead of being paired with only teachers as their advisors for the first three years of high school, which was the case in prior gardes, this year, each incoming Freshman received guidance from an administrator as well throughout their first year of high school. Rabbi Stochel, Head of Upper

School, explained that “new students and their families feel very positive in their acclimation to Ramaz when they have direct access to the most senior and experienced educators in the building.”

Rabbi Stochel explained that “one of the signs of the successful admissions process was that even families who declined to enroll with us felt the need to write long letters of gratitude for the manner in which they were welcomed and received during the process.” The letters, he said, were filled with appreciation to the personal attention that each family received during the admissions

The Ramaz marketing strategy has been to emphasize its small class sizes, the close bonds between its students and teachers, and the individual attention that students each receives from the administration.

process, expressing sentiments such as: “we deeply appreciated the beautiful handwritten letter from Rabbi Stochel and the thoughtful phone call from Ms. Krupka” or “you were so helpful and showed us such warmth and hospitality” and “Although our child did not decide to join Ramaz, we have four younger children that we hope will be able to have the opportunity to be interviewed and spend time at Ramaz.” Others commented more specifically on how impressed they were by the open house. An alumni said, “Coming back after so many years, I was reminded why Ramaz always had a special place in my heart. It was apparent how much the teachers and administrators care and are there for the students.”

As rising Freshman made their choices on where they want to spend their next four years, the marketing strategies, judging by the increase in class size over the year before, seemingly worked. For many middle school-

ers coming from the Ramaz, the choice was simple. One eighth grader, Sophie Schwartz, looked at other schools but ultimately decided to attend Ramaz. “I chose Ramaz because my siblings go there and it’s in the city,” said Sophie Schwartz, a current Middle School eighth grader. “In the beginning I wanted to apply to Frisch and SAR, but then when I went to my half day at Ramaz I changed my mind.”

Other students strongly considered competitors. Ramaz Middle School student Hannah Tambor said “I was considering both Ramaz and SAR. The main factor that went into choosing Ramaz was probably my friends, the idea of leaving them was very hard. I also felt a connection to Ramaz because of the community and the familiarity.” For other middle schoolers, the education is a very attractive part of Ramaz. Joey Doft, an eighth grader at Ramaz Middle School, said, “I heard it was the best school educationally and had some of the best teachers.” He is also “looking forward to meeting new kids joining our grade and having more freedom to choose what I want to do and focus on in school.”

Sophia Ohayon, currently at Park East Middle School, will be attending Ramaz Upper School next year.

She said, “I was debating between Ramaz and SAR, but after coming for my half day, I felt the warmth and love and I genuinely enjoyed learning with such great teachers. I especially loved the history class [because of] the way it was taught and the way the students were engaged.”

Other students, who did not feel comfortable sharing their names, decided against Ramaz “mostly for academic or social reasons.” What is clear from the 2019 admissions cycle, is that students and parents are considering their options more carefully than ever, closely evaluating the merits and drawback of each option. Hopefully, the competition can only benefit everyone.

Ramaz Students Make Memorable Shabbat Music Cont. from cover

in choir and come back next year.” Many choir members, including Elizabeth Newman Corré ’20, agreed that “the most important part about the choir trip is the bonding.”

Regarding the musical aspects, Mr. Henkin explained that “we learn an enormous amount of music on this trip and we sound much better by the end of it. There is a feel of an immediacy of performance that pushes the students to learn the music more quickly.” Additionally, Mr. Henkin noted that he hopes that “the choir trips can serve as advertisement for the Ramaz student body to put choir in a positive light.”

On Thursday night, the students departed Ramaz along with Mr Henkin, Ms. Maccabee, Mr. Yadid, and Thalia Sharon ’13. Each of these chaperones, according to Mr. Henkin, brought something different and special to the trip. Ms. Maccabee sings in the Kol Ram Community Chorus and has a passion for choral and classical music.

Mr. Yadid, who also loves music, brought a sound system to enhance the sound of the choir. Ms. Sharon is a singer in Tizmoret, the a capella group of Queens College also run by Mr. Henkin (and an alumna of both the Ramaz Upper School Choir and Ramaz Chamber Choir) so she knew virtually all of the music. “We had a few other faculty members who wanted to go, but had other obligations that inhibited them from going,” explained Mr. Henkin. Mr. Henkin stressed the important role that these three individuals played in enabling the choir trip to run smoothly.

The first stop on the trip was Congregation Agudath Sholom in Stamford, Connecticut. The choir performed for the Stamford community, including many Upper School students who are part of that community. After the first performance, the students had a three hour bus ride to Boston, but unlike on most other school trips, Mr. Henkin did not allow the students to sleep, watch TV, or chat on the bus. Rather, he wanted them to sing. Given the fast-paced and dense nature of the trip, Mr. Henkin utilized almost every single opportunity to rehearse. There were many new songs to learn and to perfect, and many performances to prepare for. Luckily, students on choir love to sing (at least most of the time), so this intense rehearsal was exciting for many of them.

A notable performance on Friday was at Newbridge on the Charles, a part of the Hebrew Senior Life community in Dedham, MA. While there, the students

sang for a large group of elderly people at the beginning of their Kabbalat Shabbat ceremony. This concert was very special; students sang a varied repertoire to an audience whose day was enriched by hearing the music. At this performance, the choir sang “Ale Brider,” a Yiddish Folk song which the choir learned specifically for this performance. Rachel Araten ’20, who had a solo in “Ale Brider,” said, “Bringing in Shabbat with the elderly through singing was extremely meaningful. It was so powerful to watch the older audience sing and clap along to ‘Ale Brider,’ as it was in a language familiar to many of them.”

The choir enjoyed a relaxing Shabbat filled

Mr. Henkin explained that “we learn an enormous amount of music on this trip and we sound much better by the end of it. There is a feel of an immediacy of performance that pushes the students to learn the music more quickly.” with singing and meeting their peers in the Shaarei Tefillah community. After performing at Shaarei Tefillah in the morning, the students finally had a few hours to relax on Shabbat afternoon. While there were no official performances scheduled for the afternoon, the students did not stop singing. One of the host members was unable to attend Shul at Shaarei Tefillah that morning, so the choir, as suggested by choir president Cameryn Guetta ’19, spontaneously performed in the family’s kitchen for the members of the family. “I thought it would be proper to give the Kaplans a concert. We wanted to thank them for generously opening up their home to us all afternoon, and for some, all weekend.”

Travelling to different communities exposes Ramaz students to groups of people with different views regarding the observance of Kol Isha. In some cases, such as the concert at Agudath Sholom on Thursday Night, Mr. Henkin was unaware that the Shul followed the observance of Kol Isha before the concert began, so with a few quick “double-ups” of female solos, he ex-

temporaneously solved the problem. At Shaarei Tefillah, however, Mr. Henkin was informed about Kol Isha in advance, so he was able to plan accordingly. Mr. Henkin noted, however, “I am not going to spend a lot of time preparing for Kol Isha. We have enough music that doesn’t fall under that category and we have people that are available to immediately sing the solos.” According to Elizabeth Newman-Corré ’20, “Kol Isha can sometimes limit which songs we sing, which might make our repertoire seem repetitive or boring. In my opinion, we should only be singing at places that allow for Kol Isha, as Ramaz does not identify with observing Kol Isha.”

After Shabbat, the students performed at the Harvard Hillel for many choir members’ family and friends as well as a group of Ramaz alumni. The performance felt like a Ramaz reunion. Rachel Araten ’20 shared, “The concert at Harvard was relaxed and fun.

A few Ramaz alumni, including my two sisters, got up and sang ‘Amen’ with us at the end. It was a really nice way to bring together the Ramaz community from all around.” After the concert at the Hillel, the students went to local ice cream parlor JP Licks, and at midnight, sang their hearts out outside the Boston Red Line, performing for the passersby with whatever voices they had left.

All in all, the choir trip was an great experience for everyone involved, as it provided an amazing outlet for enjoying music. Mr. Henkin explained that his favorite part about the trip was “seeing the excitement of students when we were doing something musical.” As one might expect, students on choir love to sing, so throughout the trip, students would walk up to one another and start singing. “When we broke into song at random moments during the trip (like “What Makes You Beautiful” over Shabbat lunch), it made me feel so happy that I am part of the choir family,” said Rachel Araten ’20. The choir trip further illustrated that participating in extracurricular activities at Ramaz, notably choir, provides innumerable opportunities for enrichment outside of school.

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Good Vibes at GO Purim

Teach NYS Mission

Sophia Kremer ’20

William Kremer ’21

Founded in 2013 to advocate for equitable government funding in non-public schools, Teach New York State is a vast network of community leaders, parents and lawmakers who work to keep the costs down of sending children to non-public schools. Since the organization’s founding, government aid for non-public schools has grown by $450 million and currently secures funding for more than 400 schools.

To help promote their work, the non-profit organizes an annual mission on which it sends students from Jewish day schools all around New York to Albany to advocate for more funding for private schools. The additional funding will be allocated toward technology programs and security. This year, Ramaz sent nine advocates to join together with hundreds of schools such as Magen David, Haftr, and many others.

When the students arrived, they were addressed by Senator Todd Kaminsky and other elected officials. After being brought on a tour of the Capitol Building, the advocates went to lobby Senator Liz Krueger’s chief of staff and present the case for fairer distribution of educational funding. The group then met with Ramaz alumnus Michael Snow ’09, Director of Jewish Affairs for Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. They sat down on the marbled floor of the Capitol and listened as Mr. Snow explained his role and how he became successful. About this meeting with Mr. Snow, David Gerber ’21, one of the attendees, said that “It was great to know that there is a Jewish presence in our state government.”

After an extremely interesting day in the Capitol, the advocates headed to the closing ceremony where they heard from Letitia A. James, the newly elected Attorney General of New York.

All of Ramaz students in attendance enjoyed more than they could have ever expected as they each really felt as if they were making a difference. Advocate Jacob Schwartz commented “It was really cool to feel like I was actually helping my school and schools all around the state. Hopefully we contributed to informing the government about the unfair distribution of the educational funding.”

On Shushan Purim, the halls of the Ramaz Upper School were decked with elaborate costumes: seniors wearing inflatable sumo costumes, the G.O. dressed as Mario Kart characters. There were celebrity sighting such as Post Malone and Justin Bieber, and of course plenty students showed up garbed in sports jerseys and PJs, claiming that they were “dressed up” too.

This fun-packed day orchestrated by the G.O. kicked off with a Carnival. The gym and auditorium were flooded with blow up rides, carnival games, and a photo booth.

Students munched on popcorn and candy as they danced their way through each attraction. “The Bull was a new addition from last year that I think students especially enjoyed,” said AVP G.O. member Paola Mattout ’19. The day concluded with an assembly comprised of a video, costume contest, and jeopardy game all conducted by the G.O.

The final assembly, at which the G.O. organized activities for the students to enjoy as a collective, was the highlight of the day. The most anticipated portion of the event was the Purim Video, produced by Film Chairs Noah Weinberg ’20 and Sam Deutsch ’20, and Chief Editor Mati Finkelstein ’22. “It took about 20-25 hours total for us to write the script and shoot the video,” said Weinberg. The short film was in the form of a music video. Weinberg explained that the team chose to use the Sicko Mode melody by Travis Scott as the main parody “because we knew that the majority of the student body knew the song and would understand the vibe we were going for in the video.” The music video plot was centered around baking Hamentashen, an appropriate theme to fit the day’s festivities.

The G.O. also put together a costume competition. Throughout the day G.O. members scoped the halls for the best dressed students. The winner was determined by the students applause in the final assembly and was rewarded with a Ultimate Ears BOOM speaker. The winner of this year’s contest was

Ilan Sidi ’19, “I dressed up as an avatar, The Last Airbender,” he said. “It felt pretty great to be the winner.

I liked pumping up the school, and knowing that no matter how good Livia Sobel (the second place winner who dressed as Pop Singer Post Malone) and the other contestants’ costumes were, that mine was the best.”

Other activities, such as the Faculty vs. Students Ramaz-themed Jeopardy and the drawing of the winners of the faculty raffle were also met with applause and excitement..

The G.O. planned the details of this event weeks leading up to it. Ayelet Monas ’19, Associate Vice President of Operations said, “It was really nice to see students enjoying all of the hard work that we put into making this event a reality.” Rabbi Eli Slomnicki, Dean of Students, and Rabbi Dov Pianko, Director of Student Activities, work alongside the G.O to provide support. Regarding events in the future, Rabbi Pianko expressed that “we are always trying to have a mix of what people liked from the year before, and spicing it up with see new activities. I always welcome student feedback (positive or negative), it is hard to do it better if we don’t know what we need to improve upon.”

And judging by the overwhelmingly positive energy of the day, things could not have been much better. According to Ethan Morali ’20, “It’s days like Purim that everyone looks forward to and where the G.O.really pulls through.”

Opinion: What Happened to the Other Hemisphere?

Natalie Kahn ’19

I wasn’t the only student who felt the school should’ve said something about the New Zealand shooting a month ago or mentioned the attacks on Sri Lanka. For every attack on a Jewish location, whether it be vandalism of a synagogue or a terrorist attack in Israel, the school has taken at least a moment to say a prayer for the victims or sometimes even have a full-fledged assembly.

Yet, for the New Zealand shooting, while Mr. Cannon sent a note out to the community, there was nothing mentioned in school, and for the Sri Lanka shooting, the school sent absolutely nothing.

It’s true, as a Jewish school, Ramaz can focus more on acts of terror against Jews, but we should focus on any attack in the US or worldwide, and often we do. Freshman year, Rabbi Stochel addressed the students about the attack in Orlando, and the school sent cards to the families of the Parkland victims last year. But the attack in New Zealand should hit close to home because it was an attack in a Mosque, against people praying, not so long after the attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue

in Pittsburgh. And similar to in the Pittsburgh attack, it was perpetrated by a white supremacist.

The school didn’t even need to have an entire assembly, but Tehilim for the victims or at least some small mention of it after davening would have emphasized our respect for all religions. There’s this sense that Jews only focus on each other or that we might not care about Muslims, some of whom are anti-Israel, or that we shouldn’t care if Notre Dame burns down because it’s Catholic and it’s the site of terror attacks on Jews from several hundred years before.

It’s imperative that we also focus on how religions all over the world, Judaism among them, can be subject to persecution rather than only thinking about our own religion.

Similarly, let’s contrast the school’s approach to the San Diego Chabad Poway shooting with that to the Sri Lanka Easter Attacks. Walking into school, the electronic board in the lobby had a picture of the Chabad and a message about anti-Semitism, while the wooden table right next to it contained a basket with condolence letter templates to be sent to San Diego. So too, with the Sri Lanka attacks, in which more than 250 people were murdered, the victims were only placed in that situation because they had gone to church on Easter Sunday, and the acts of terror in Sri Lanka were several simultaneous attacks at churches around

the country. What about sending notes to the hundreds of families affected by the Easter attacks? We should be identifying with people who are simply praying and end up paying the ultimate price for prayer–unlike Obama and Clinton, we shouldn’t see these people as simply “Easter worshippers” but rather as fellow devout human beings trying to observe religion in peace. It’s important to note the existence of anti-Semitism and to mourn the victims of Poway, but it’s imperative that we also focus on how religions all over the world, Judaism among them, can be subject to persecution rather than only thinking about our own religion.

In his Shabbat HaGadol drasha, Rabbi Steinmetz described Jews as being citizens of the world, but sometimes, it feels like we look too much inward. Sometimes it seems like we’re just citizens of the Jewish community. Citizens of the world should mourn for all victims, whether they be Jews, Americans, or New Zealanders, especially victims of any form of religious persecution. We can prioritize, but we shouldn’t forget.

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The AIPAC Policy Conference: In SummaryCaitlin Levine ’21 The annual conference of American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) took place on March 24 to March 26 in Washington DC. 18,000 pro-Israel Americans attended, and 6,000 of the them were new attendees. AIPAC 2019 came at a time when the support of Israel by the different political parties, and the relationship between Israel and America overall, was a hot topic. The tension created by the comments of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, and her support from some members of Congress, made AIPAC a very timely meeting. Further tension surrounding American support of Israel arose from the keen interest, both in the US and Israeli media, in the, then upcoming, elections in Israel. Lastly, the strong support of Israel by President Trump juxtaposed to the unknown support of Israel by many of the Democratic Candidates, hoping to run in the next presidential election, set the stage for an interesting meeting.

Several future presidential candidates skipped the meeting, including Senators Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris, and Amy Klobuchar. Although many people were upset and interpreted these candidates’ absence as their lack of support for Israel, others would argue that because it was not an election year, they were never really invited in the first place. Many prominent Democratic Party leaders who spoke this year included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, House Appropriations Committee Chair Nita Lowy, Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Eliot Engel and Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Robert Mendez. Not surprisingly, many prominent Republican Speakers were highlighted at AIPAC including Vice President Mike Pence, Senator Ted Cruz, Ranking Member Committee on Appropriations Kay Granger, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, among others.

Many speakers spoke strongly about the bond between Israel and America and the uncompromised loyalty that one could have to both. AIPAC President Mort Fridman stated that as the son of Holocaust survivors he will not be intimidated or silenced by anyone. Joan Ryan, a member of the British Parliament, explained why she quit the Labour Party, saying, “I would never have believed just three years ago, that the par-

ty which backed a Jewish homeland, even before the Balfour Declaration, would have sunk so low, so fast.” She concluded by saying, “We must condemn antisemitism and anti-Zionism unequivocally wherever we find it, whenever we find it.” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer spoke about Congressional opposition to the BDS movement. Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer, spoke about the many contributions in technology and medicine that Israel has made, He explained that those who support BDS should fear not having access to these many, wonderful, Israeli developments.

There was tension the second day of AIPAC as news spread of a Hamas rocket attack that included rockets landing near Tel Aviv, injuring seven people including two children. Vice President Mike Pence spoke and mentioned President Trump’s recognition of the Golan Heights as part of Israel. Secretary of State Pompeo questioned why, of the 192 countries in the United Nations, only Israel’s right to exist is questioned. The highlight of the day to many was the speech of former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley. Her clear bond was most evident as people yelled out, “We love you, Nikki.” She responded graciously with, “I love you too.”

There were many interesting break-out sessions that I attended. One of the most memorable included a speech from Stav Shaffir. Ms. Shaffir was elected as the youngest female member of the Knesset in Israeli history. She is a high-ranking member of the opposition Labor Party and has been a supporter of social justice. Hearing such a bright, Zionistic, confident Jewish, Israeli woman speak was inspirational.

This was the Second time that I have personally attended AIPAC. As I gain a sharper understanding of the position Israel is in, I gain a better appreciation for the need to publicly support Israel. Being part of the Ramaz/KJ contingency, the largest school/Synagogue group containing close to 200 members, led by Kehilath Jeshurun’s Rabbi Steinmetz gave me much pride. The great turnout for this year’s AIPAC was so important and I returned more inspired than ever to actively support Israel in this world where threats to our support of the Jewish State continue, even within America.

Ramaz Attends MMATHS at Yale

On Sunday, April 14th, nine Ramaz students participated in the annual Math Majors of America Tournament for High Schools (MMATHS) at Yale University. Accompanied by Dr. Fabio Nironi, Zach Buller ’20, Jacob Davis ’21, Eitan Linhart ’21, Anna Braun ’22, Ben Cole ’22, Finley Horowitz ’22, Eric Kalimi ’22, Sally Neugarten ’22, and Corey Title ’22, all of whom were invited by Rabbi Stern to participate, left Ramaz bright and early for the trip up to New Haven.

Ramaz brought home quite a few awards. Eitan Linhart ‘21 won 6th place in the individual competition.

In the mixer round, Zach Buller ‘20 along with his group won 1st place, Jacob Davis ‘21 along with his group won 2nd place, and Finley Horowitz ‘22 along with her group won 3rd place.

MMATHS was founded a number years ago by Mitchell Harris, a Jewish student at Yale. Originally, the MMATHS competition was only on Saturdays, hindering Shomer-Shabbat Jews’ ability to participate. When Ramaz graduate Esther Malka Issever ’14 got to Yale and became friends with Mitchell, she learned that “as a Jewish student, Mitchell always felt sad that Orthodox Jews couldn’t participate in his competition. [Mitchell] knew I was Orthodox so he asked me to plan an alternate date so Sabbath-observers could participate. I was always upset there weren’t many math competitions when I was in high school (aside from the AMC which we just took in a Ramaz classroom), so I was excited to take up his offer.”

Issever started the Yeshiva-high school friendly competition three years ago during her freshman year in college.

Issever noted that “in the past, I reached out to schools [to invite them to the competition] on my own, however these last few years, we’ve developed a great team that really all works on this together. We contact

schools to invite them to compete, organize special hotel rates for out-of-town schools that stay for Shabbat, order the food, and reserve the venue. But we leave the test writing to the main competition coordinators.”

Thanks to Harris’ and Issever’s initiative, the Sunday MMATHS attracted 13 Yeshiva high schools

from all over the country, including the Yavneh Academy of Dallas, Berman Hebrew Academy in Rockville, Maryland, Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School in Baltimore, Maryland, and the Maimonides School in Boston, as well as Flatbush, Frisch, Heschel, Kushner, Maayanot, Manhattan High School for Girls, SAR, and TABC from the greater New York area. The day served not only as an important way for high school math students to develop their logical reasoning skills by solving complex math problems, but also as a social outlet to meet (and reunite with) students from other Yeshiva high schools with similar interests.

The day consisted of four main segments including three rounds of math competitions and a campus tour of Yale, all organized by Issever and her team. First,

Zach Buller ’20

students competed in the individual round. Here, students had 1 hour and 15 minutes to answer 12 questions in increasing order of difficulty. Both Eitan Linhart ’21 and Dr. Nironi affirmed that the problems in this round were particularly difficult. “The first five problems were doable,” said Nironi, “but as you got to the successive problems, they became really difficult.” The top group of students from this round (along with any ties) moved on to the tie-breaker round to determine the winners.

After the tour and a lunch break, students moved on to the mixer round. In this competition, students from different schools who did not necessarily know each other worked together to solve 14 problems in 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Finally, the entire Ramaz team divided into two smaller subgroups to compete in the final round of the competition, the “Mathathon.” Similar to a relay race, students were presented with a set of three problems. After working to solve these problems, a representative from each group ran up to the front of the room to trade in the completed problems for an additional three. Yale students graded these problems and entered the scores in real time, so the students’ hearts pumped as they watched their rankings increase or decrease on the screen in front of them. This was Issever’s favorite part of the competition. “It was so fun as a grader to watch the students work hard together as a team to solve the questions,” she said.

All in all, the Ramaz students had a blast as they were able to both work on types of math problems to which they would not normally be exposed in the standard high school curriculum and spend the day at a worldclass university. The Ramaz students look forward to participating in the competition again next year.

Ramaz Competes in Yeshiva Science Olympiad

Gabrielle Ostad ’21

With binders in hand, handmade towers in boxes, and information booklets, the fifteen members of the Ramaz Science Olympiad team made their way to Landers College on March 31 to participate in the Annual Yeshiva Day School Science Olympiad, an event where students from different yeshivot are able to participate in various science-related competitions. Among those schools in attendance were Flatbush, SAR, Frisch, North Shore, and many more.

Upon arriving at Landers College, Dr. Aharon (the team’s faculty advisor) and the team made their way to a long table that would act as Ramaz’s base-of-operations during the competition. The team members had time to prepare their projects and review their material before the time came for each member to break off into his or her own event. This year, Ramaz students partici-

pated in the following events: Anatomy and Physiology, Boomilever, Circuit Lab, Code Busters, Designer Genes, Dynamic Planet, Fermi Questions, Write It /Do It, Herpetology, Mousetrap Vehicle and Road Scholar.

Team Captain David Adler ’19 said, “ Science Olympiad was a great club that taught me how to work in a group. I learned about certain scientific fields and mastered my scientific skills. When I began as a Sophomore this competition was nerve racking but as time progressed I became immensely excited. Through my three years on the team, I was able to experiment with multiple competitions until I found what was right for me.”

Ramaz performed fairly well this year, as the team itself won five medals. The school came in third place for Designer Genes, and fourth place for Chemistry Lab, Code Busters, Fermi Questions and Write It/Do It. Looking ahead, the Ramaz Science Olympiad team hopes to place higher in future competitions by increasing their effort and hard work.

April 2019/Nissan 5779

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Mishmar: Torah-Learning At Its Finest Samantha Sinensky ’21

The Mishmar Program, which offers students the opportunity to participate in Beit Midrash learning after school, has recently been restored under the guidance and leadership of Rabbi Kenny Schiowitz. Students convene once a week to learn Torah without the pressure of grades and assessments.

Every Monday night, students gather in Rabbi Slomnicki’s office on the sixth floor ready to learn. Pies from Saba’s Pizza are ordered for all to enjoy. Participants are also rewarded one additional point on their next Tanakh and Talmud tests. The combination of pizza and l’shema learning makes for a relaxed yet productive environment.

(And the additional points don’t hurt either).

The learning sessions usually focus on an upcoming Jewish holiday. One week before Passover, chemistry teacher Dr. Rotenberg led a riveting discussion regarding the etymology of the word “Pesach.”

“Learning about Pesach was especially helpful because I was able to gather material to say at my seder,” said Michal Seinfeld ’21.

Whereas many Jewish studies teachers at

Ramaz choose not to interrupt the curriculum to discuss upcoming chagim, Mishmar is specifically designed to offer fresh insights on them. During Ms. Gedwiser’s Mishmar session, the group discussed the relationship between Egypt’s affluence and immorality.

Mishmar at Ramaz is important, as “there is a need to make Torah learning less class-like,” said Rabbi Schiowitz. It is easy to fall into a routine - to robotically treat each class as nothing more than the sum-total of its assignments. Aside from offering the opportunity to learn purely for learning’s sake, Mishmar also allows students to learn from those Judaic-subject teachers whose classes they have yet to take. Tanach teacher Ms. Rahimzada noted that teachers who lead Mishmar “get to know students that [they] don’t teach… and discuss with students topics in Judaism that would otherwise not generally be explored in a classroom.”

Mishmar is designed to provide a slew of different perspectives and to introduce students to otherwise unfamiliar teachers. Sessions are well attended, with a particularly robust attendance from the freshman class.

The relaxed learning environment is proving to be effective for the students, even outside the weekly Mishmar lessons. Rabbi

Schiowitz has a unique ability to encourage students and have them become more enthusiastic about their learning of Torah. Indeed, many participants have noted that the discussions at Mishmar feel more natural than in regular classes.“There will always be a certain energy in the classroom, centered around the angst of grades,” said Seinfeld, “but at Mishmar, both the teacher and student are at ease. The teachers don’t have to waste time quieting kids down, because the students that go to Mishmar genuinely want to be there.”

Some attendees, however, feel that the high attendance is due simply to the offerings of pizza and points. Receiving one additional point on two different tests can really increase a student’s overall average in any course. If someone is struggling in a Judaic course, it would be beneficial for him or her to attend Mishmar to learn and boost his or her average. Nonetheless, Mishmar has become extremely popular among students.

The program is so well attended that Rabbi Slomnicki’s office is packed during every session, with kids rushing to snag a seat as soon as the bell rings at the conclusion of the day. Some attendees suggested that Mishmar ought to be relocated to a bigger classroom to accommodate all students.

One aspect of the Mishmar program that may be responsible for the riveting discussions is the seating arrangement. The chairs are arranged in a circle, allowing all participants to face one another. “The circular arrangement makes it easier to have more meaningful discussions,” said David Gitelman ’22. Perhaps this circular learning should be applied to all classes in order to improve focus and foster discussion.

Mishmar will run through the end of the school year. Rabbi Schiowitz is also open to hearing people’s recommendations for any topics they would like discussed at Mishmar, or any other ideas on how to improve this learning experience. The program is a much-needed addition to the after school list of activities, and it is a big hit among the students.

David Gitelman ’22 said, “I get points, I get pizza, and I get to learn Torah in an open atmosphere with free conversation and dialogue.”

All Is Not Lost for Technology at Ramaz

Zaxh Buller ’20

As society progresses into an age where technology is the cornerstone of people’s lives, Ramaz has the opportunity to advance its technological infrastructure and its integration of technology into students’ and teachers’ lives. The administration must address the technological infrastructure of Ramaz and the way in which students and teachers integrate technology into the classroom. By thoroughly examining and understanding the issue, Ramaz can continue to do its best to meet these challenges.

One generalization that many students make about the technology at Ramaz is that everything in the school is broken, obviously. This is definitely not the case.

While there are many times when SMART boards in some classes don’t function perfectly or the computers in the library don’t work, it does not mean that Ramaz’s technology base is wholly dysfunctional.

A common complaint students make is that everything in the school is broken, an obvious exaggeration. While these issues are not as bad as the students perceive them to be, there is still a problem. For the teachers, the unreliability of some of the technology in the school has had a negative impact on their teaching. Cris Chuc, the User Support Technician for Ramaz Upper School, explained that on average, 7-10 teachers per week ask him to come into their classes to fix an issue with technology that is “disrupting their class-time.” Room 603 in particular is notorious for its broken SMART board. Rabbi Stern, who teaches in that room often, asks Mr. Chuc to fix the smartboard there on a regular basis. The SMART boards in a few of the other classrooms throughout the school also cause trouble--- they do not turn on quickly, clearly project an image, or in some cases, allow the teacher to write on it using the SMART markers.

Teachers’ personal school computers regularly cause them trouble as well. Dr. Jucovy recounted a specific time where similar issues impeded his teaching: “One time, there were some materials that I planned to give out to my students for that day’s lesson. Approximately 30 minutes before the start of my class, I went to the computer to print out the materials. When I got there, it took over 5 minutes for the computer to boot up, and once it turned on, the computer froze, forcing me to reboot the computer and start the

process over again. When I was finally able to open up the documents to print them, the computer froze once again, and before I knew it, the bell rang, and I had to go to class without the materials that I needed for my students.” Regarding the SMART boards in class, he noted that “the amount of time that it takes for the SMART boards to boot up in the classroom regularly cuts into class-time, to the point where it becomes extremely frustrating for me as a teacher.”

The general procedure for fixing these SMART board and computer issues is reactive, not proactive. Mr. Chuc explained that the technician staff members manage these issues through a website called Spiceworks. Unless the issue is user-specific (i.e. the

"We know how eager our teachers are to use more technology in the classroom, and we have to make sure that we have the infrastructure stabilized and the supports in place before being able to expect more.”

SMART board in a classroom doesn’t work because a student unplugged the connection to the computer), every time Mr. Chuc is summoned to fix an issue he logs a ticket into Spiceworks. Then, a technician determines whether the issue involves fixing hardware or software, and then either fixes the issue or finds someone else who can do it. Through this system, the staff members fix the technology issues on a case by case basis, not by actively seeking out potential problems before they arise. One such proactive step would be to have IT staff test all technological equipment at the school each day, reducing the chances that issues arise during class-time.

Ramaz students see the strengths and weaknesses in the technology accessible to them at Ramaz. Following the recent

refurbishment of the library, the library has become a primary environment for students socialize and study. Therefore, the technology available to the students in the library should be fully updated. Of the 54 students who responded to a poll on schoology soliciting students’ opinions about the technology in the school, 52 (96%) students agreed that library computers are an aspect of technology that needs to be fixed. 37 (68%) students also agreed that Wifi and printers in the library are areas that can use significant improvement. Of the 28 students who responded to an optional question in the poll, 27 students indicated that they would like to see charging stations in the library.

Students expressed their hopes for an easily-accessible way to charge their phones and all types of devices during the day.

For many students, the dysfunctionality of some of the library computers presents a major issue. Not every student has a working printer at home, so some may depend on the library computers to print assignments and study materials. Additionally, students use the library computers during free time in school, but unfortunately, many students have given up on expecting them to work. During the library refurbishments, a row of computers was removed, reducing what was already an insufficient number during rush times to a mere handful. Often, all but one of the computers will be broken, creating a line of students waiting to use the sole survivor. “I don’t try to use the library computers anymore,” said Joey Kaplan ’20. “I know that they don’t work, so I try to bring my own to school when I can. It’s not as good as the school computers because I can’t print from my laptop.”

As Kaplan expressed, students would like to print wirelessly from their personal computers. Mr. Chuc explained that while the IT department is actively working on implementing wireless printing, it is more complicated than one might expect.

“We have to differentiate between printers that students can and can’t have access to,” explained Chuc. “We also need to configure our servers and have both a testing and an implementing process, which is not ideal during the school year when students are working all day. During the summer, we perform all of our upgrades on technology that does not work. We are definitely taking this

issue into consideration and hope that students can benefit from it in the near future.”

For Mr. Cannon, updating the technology in the school entails “upgrading our student information system, increasing Wifi capabilities and continuing to support the technology initiatives that the faculty are bringing forward.” This is the first step in a two-step process to integrate more technology into the classroom. “We know how eager our teachers are to use more technology in the classroom,” said Mr. Cannon, “and we have to make sure that we have the infrastructure stabilized and the supports in place before being able to expect more.”

Other high schools, specifically SAR High School, have moved toward further integration of standardized technology by giving every student a school-issued iPad. Some teachers feel that this idea could work well.

“I am a strong believer in handing out technology to the students,” said Dr. Jucovy. “I would love to be able to have students working on identifying answers to certain types of questions in the classroom using technology.

But there is no way that I am going to plan my lessons around using technology if I have to go to the library to bring Chromebooks for the students or ask students to take out their phones and sign on to them. If every student had a Chromebook, he or she would be able to work right from it and teachers would be able to seamlessly integrate technology into their lessons.” Some students, however, are wary of this idea. An anonymous student in the poll wrote, “Having laptops in the classroom can already be a big distraction. They’re helpful, but they are so easily abused, even by the most conscientious of students. I can’t imagine what introducing more technology would be like in terms of a focused class.”

The Ramaz administration is working to adjust to the new technological standards which arise every day due to the constantly evolving frontiers of tech.

As Mr. Cannon said, “We are committed to Ramaz having the technology and also the vision that will keep us as a school in the forefront of educational excellence.”

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April 2019/Nissan 5779

Exclusive Interview With Yaakov Shwekey Josephine Schizer ’20

As students from the Ramaz Lower School stream out of the auditorium after enjoying a concert from famed Jewish entertainer Yaakov Shwekey, I venture backstage for a brief conversation with the singer before his next show, which begins in 15 minutes. He’s performing three times today, once for each division of Ramaz. Even so, he smiles at me and agrees to answer my questions.

“Music is a part of my blood,” says Shwekey, “It gives me the inspiration to continue, it gives me the energy, and certainly, in today’s world, we all need some inspiration and some energy.” For Shwekey, music is a Jewish pastime, an opportunity to connect with thousands of years of Jewish history and culture.

Shwekey’s personal interest in music started when he was around seven or eight. It wasn’t long thereafter that he decided to dedicate his life to using his own music to inspire other children. “Today in Ramaz, the boys and girls who came here, they’ll remember this forever because music is something that’s an integral part of Judaism,” he said.

“My passion is to share with the youth around the world

and to give them songs and music that they can relate to.”

Shwekey tells me that the night before the Ramaz concert, he had performed in Times Square for a large crowd of Jewish teenagers from around the world.

“It was just an amazing,” he said. “We sang am yisrael lo mephached in New York City outside - it just goes to show you that these songs can really inspire the world.”

While discussing the challenges of performing Jewish music, Shwekey cited scheduling venues and balancing the budget as his biggest concerns. “The kids are used to seeing things on a magnitude of today that we haven’t seen before,” he said, explaining how hard it is to compete with secular concerts.

“It’s [also a] challenge to get to the youth who are sometimes unfortunately unaffiliated and unassociated with Judaism,” Shwekey said, detailing his concerns about high assimilation rates, citing places like Brazil specifically, where he recently performed. “Our job is to continue to go into these communities and inspire…we want to show pride in being a Jew; we want to show that Am Yisrael can come to-

gether as one no matter what the challenges.” The way that Shwekey brings Am Yisrael together through music is frankly amazing.

Shwekey attributes his success as a performing artist to Hashem, saying that “the truth is, it’s all from above. The power of music is tremendous ...To reach people’s hearts, their neshamot on this scale is something that I’m very thankful for.” As we wrap up our conversation, he emphasizes the importance of loving and believing in the value of what you do every day. “You have to do it with joy….You gotta be all in,” he says.

Community At Work: Dr. Anna Serur

David Gerber ’21

I have joined Dr. Anna Serur, mother of Leah Serur ’21, on more than a few ski trips, and I can honestly say that it is impossible to keep up with her. Perhaps Dr. Serur’s stamina on the slopes can be attributed to her rigorous role as Chief of Colorectal Surgery at Englewood Hospital.

As a close family friend of the Serurs, I have spent many Shabbats with Anna and her family. Even after a grueling week of non-stop surgery, Anna is more than willing to share stories from the operating table. Her phone is attached to her at all times, as she may receive emergency calls from patients or doctors at any given moment. Yet despite the constant pressure, Anna manages to find the time to relax and spend time with her family and friends.

Anna was born in Russia during an incredibly difficult period for Jews. Her parents knew they had to leave Russia in order to give their family a better life. Her family made numerous attempts to leave the country, but were unable to emigrate successfully for years. Finally, when Anna was fifteen, she and her mother travelled to America to “visit” her father who had settled in San Francisco. Unbeknownst to the Soviet government, this trip was merely a plot to permanently exit Russia and settle in the United States. While Anna was grateful to leave Russia, she remembers missing her friends from home. Luckily, however, Anna still keeps in touch with her childhood best friend.

As a young girl in Russia, Anna dreamt about becoming a doctor just like her mother. She fondly remembers stitching up people’s wounds at her mother’s

practice. (Disclaimer: Anna is aware that “that would never ‘fly’ in the US”). Anna’s dream eventually came true after she was accepted into a 6-year medical program at Brooklyn College. After graduating, Anna did her residency at Columbia University Medical Center, where she met her husband, Dr. David Serur. After completing her residency, Anna began working at Englewood Hospital in order to be closer to home and to her family.

Dr. Serur credits much of her success to her family. She admits that being a surgeon demands working crazy hours and, ultimately, spending less time with one's family.

Thankfully, however, Anna’s family members are extremely supportive of her career. “I could not have accomplished anything close to what I have done without my family especially my husband, David - as my support system.”

Dr. Serur is a leading innovator in the development of new colorectal technology. Recently, she invited a handful of Ramaz students (including the author of this article) to view some of the robots she uses to aid her in surgery. Observing Dr. Serur in action was an experience I will never forget. Using a robot, Dr. Serur was able to flawlessly suture a piece of mock-flesh no larger than a grape. The precision and accuracy with which this piece of mock-flesh was stitched goes to show how much training and patience is involved in becoming a great surgeon.

For those Ramaz students that are interested in medical TV dramas (such as Grey’s Anatomy), Anna mentioned that those shows are fairly accurate when it comes

to depicting the daily lives of doctors and nurses. She stated that if you are performing back-to-back surgerys and practically “living” in the hospital, it is pretty likely that you will develop close relationships - some of which can be romantic - with the doctors and nurses around you.

Dr. Serur chose to send her kids to Ramaz for a number of reasons. Primarily, she chose to do so because Ramaz students are known to strive for academic excellence.

She also appreciates the religious environment in Ramaz: Modern Orthodox, yet non-imposing and non-judgemental.

Dr. Serur is very happy with the friends that her daughter has made, and with her high school experience thus far.

Dr. Serur is passionate about her profession. She could not envision herself doing anything else. Her advice to Ramaz students thinking about pursuing a career in medicine is to not enter the field for money or prestige. “You have to really care, and you have to really want to help people,” she said. “The job can be really hard sometimes, but it can bring some of the most gratifying experiences you’ll ever have.”

Planning a Chagiga: Q&A with Student Life AVP Sophia K. Hannah Doft ’20 Q: What are the first steps in planning a Chagiga?

A: When planning a Chagiga, we review previous chagigot and brainstorm how the upcoming one can be improved. We get the budget from Dov, which changes from chagigah to chagigah. We take into account what students did not enjoy in the past and what we think they would want to see more of. We not only plan the over all idea, but also map out the details of each attraction, whether it is the food we serve, the location of the snack table, the types of glow sticks we give out, or the DJ. We are the ones who choose whether the food on display is candy or Krispy Kreme. We write down every detail, like where to place the tables with the candy or which type and brand of glow sticks we need to buy.

Q: With who do you work with most frequently when planning a chagiga?

A: We work the Rabbi Slomniki and Rabbi Dov multiple times a week to execute these plans. If you ever see a G.O member running to get lunch to quickly make it to the conference room in the office, that is probably what we are running to do. We usually start Q: Does the administration help you guys plan planning about 4-5 weeks in advance. If the event the chagigot, or do you mostly plan on your own? involves a DJ or a venue reservation, those plans are made months in advance. We also need to reA: Rabbi Slomniki and Rabbi Dov are by our side search much of this on our own, so time is essential. during the entire process. We plan the activities, map out what the day would look like, introduce new ideas, and so on. They usually take care of the logistics such as dates, transportation, and payments. Often, we propose ideas as a group that do not get implemented. Examples include: A massage chair, color war, and a new lounge space in the library. We want students to know that we are constantly working at making Student Life better for them. We are also open to suggestions from students that we can take to the administration.

April 2019/Nissan 5779

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Exploring The Nature of Davening At Ramaz Josephine Schizer ’20

In a constantly-changing Ramaz schedule, from M day to C day to F day, one thing remains the same: the first 50+ minutes of the day are reserved for davening. These minutes are an important part of school culture, and members of the Ramaz Upper School community have strong and varied opinions about how the time should be spent. This article aims to uncover those opinions from both the student perspective—largely based on an anonymous poll that 70 students filled out—and the faculty perspective, based on interviews with several faculty members who daven with Ramaz students.

Based on the results of the poll, there is a large gap between the number of students who enjoy davening in general and the number of students who enjoy davening at school. Of the 68 responses to the question “Do you enjoy davening in general (outside of school)?” 31% of students responded in the affirmative, 22% answered no, and 44% said sometimes. However, when the question was changed to whether students enjoyed davening at school in particular, only 11% said yes (a 20% decrease), 51% said no (a 29% increase), and 34% said sometimes (a 10% decrease).

Students described several reasons that they prefer davening outside of school, primarily citing two problems with school davening: first, a feeling of being policed by the teachers, and second, a sense of exhaustion so early in the morning after long days studying and commuting.

To illustrate the first point, one student brought an analogy, suggesting that “school davening feels kind of like being an animal in a zoo, where the teachers are the zookeepers and the students are a wild herd. Some students sleep, some are trying to escape, and others are communicating through words and gestures.”

Throughout the survey, there was widespread agreement that the teachers who are present at davening “are policing, not davening,” which creates an unpleasant environment. “Praying is a very special and private activity,” said one student, “In school, it is just as meaningful...however, [it’s] harder to concentrate with teachers hovering over you to make sure you’re not talking.”

However, despite many students’ negative attitudes toward school davening, lots of students described meaningful relationships with davening outside of a school context. “I do find [davening] meaningful, and it provides a sense of comfort in knowing that there is some other force in the universe that can help me with my life,” wrote a student who described school davening, in contrast, as “forced down our throats.”

Despite this perception by students, teachers are working extremely hard not to “police” the davening. “My goal is not to force people to daven,” said Ms. Senders, who davens with the freshman minyan every morning, but rather “to facilitate a comfortable and growth-oriented environment for people to use as a point of connection or a point of reflection. I’m going to ask you to respect the process—when we’re standing, you’re standing; when we’re sitting, you’re sitting—but you don’t need to say a single word if you don’t want to.”

Ms. Krupka’s attitude toward appropriate behavior during davening is that “if you wouldn’t do it if you go to church with a friend, don’t do it here.” She describes a scenario in which a religious Catholic friend invites you to church, and everyone else in church stands up to sing a hymn you don’t know. Of course, you would stand up, too. “Treat the surroundings with the basic decency that [they] deserve, even if it’s difficult,” said Ms. Krupka.

As for the question of sleep, students complained that expecting full participation at 8am is simply unrealistic. “I never talk in davening because it’s disrespectful,” said one student, “but in my opinion, after the hours that I’ve had to keep in order to do well in school, falling asleep at 8am is not unjustified.”

On the flip side, some students do enjoy school davening. “I enjoy doing a mitzvah,” said one student. At school davening, “I can connect with Hashem and start my day off well,” wrote another. “I like the time in the morning to reflect,” said a third.

However, perhaps whether or not students enjoy davening isn’t the most important question. “It’s important to get our students to a place where they understand that tefillah is an important part of our day regardless of whether they’re connecting to it that day or not,” said Ms. Senders. “It’s not just an option or a means of connection—it’s written into our tradition. We are a link in the chain, and we can’t be the part of the chain that just breaks.”

When students were asked to select all of the things they do during davening on a regular basis, the largest group (65% of respondents) indicated that they talk to their friends, followed by davening (53% of respondents) and leaving the room (38% of respondents). Students largely commented that they daven the amida, and many also added that they say Shema, but they tend to talk, space out, or leave the room during chazarat hashatz, Torah reading, and the rest of davening. Some students said that if they’re especially tired, they’ll sleep, or if they have a big test that day, they’ll study. “There are enough kids there that we can literally almost have a minyan in the bathroom also,” commented one student.

However, several teachers commented that these aren’t issues that are unique to Ramaz davening. “In both shul and school, there’s a big social dynamic,” said Rabbi Schiowitz, describing both school and shul davening as times when the community comes together, leading to a lot of talking and catching up.

“I don’t think there’s anything going on in our tefillah that is worse than what happens in most people’s normal tefillot on Shabbat morning,” said Ms. Krupka, “If anything we’re better—most people come on time. Almost no one is walking into shul before 10 am in most of these minyanim. I don’t think there’s any deep disrespect of tefillah going on. I think the weak parts of our davening are not just about Ramaz davening, but about prayer in general. I think there is actually a kol tefillah in that room.”

Of the 68 student responses to a poll question about skipping davening, 55% of students never or almost never skip davening, 25% skip davening once a week or less often, and 20% skip davening more than once a week. When asked why they skip davening, the most common answer was “sleep.” Some students choose to sleep in through davening because they’re too tired to wake up, but for some, it’s not a conscious choice—they simply oversleep because of exhaustion.

“If I come to school late, it’s because I had a late night,” said one student, “but instead of going to class first period, I daven instead.”

For seniors, not having class first period is another reason to sleep late.

A few students commented that they skip davening because of work, doctors’ appointments, or because “davening is boring,” but the prevailing sentiment wasn’t a malicious one; after long days filled with extracurriculars, long commutes, and hours of homework, students are simply too tired to drag themselves out of bed in order to be at school in time for davening every single morning.

Outside of the daily grade-wide Ashkenazi minyanim and schoolwide Sephardi Minyan, there are minyanim that meet less frequently. Once a week, some students attend singing minyan, and twice a week, some girls attend women’s tefillah.

To explain why they attend singing minyan, students described it as “chill and more flexible,” having “more ruach,” as well as “more exciting/alive” and “a calmer environment that’s very intimate. Rabbi Weiser is phenomenal at that.”

As for women’s tefillah, the predominant reason that girls attend is the chance to participate more in davening. “The atmosphere is much more friendly and open, and I feel much more involved than I do in regular minyan,” said one girl. “It’s genuinely easier for me to pray there, even if it is only because it is a smaller group,” said another, “I find that even though I have friends in women’s tefillah, I talk less there than in my regular minyan.”

Eighteen students answered a question about what other special minyanim they would like to have. The most common sug-

gestion was a meditation minyan (suggested by 4 students), followed by an extra-fast minyan (2 suggestions) and a partnership minyan (2 suggestions). Other students suggested a silent minyan where students daven on their own, an “exploratory/reflection minyan,” and “an entirely kid-led minyan with people who seriously want to daven.”

According to Ms. Krupka, Ramaz has considered or tried many different minyanim over the years. At one point, Ms. Krupka tried having davening in smaller groups of about 30 in classrooms, but this initiative wasn’t successful. It was too difficult to get a minyan right away, there was too much talking, and it was more distracting. Ms. Krupka also tried putting up quotes and pictures on the smartboards to help improve people’s tefillot, but she didn’t find that students thought it was helpful.

Furthermore, attempts to enhance student kavanah with special minyanim also come at a cost. “You’ve achieved one thing at the expense of another,” explains Ms. Krupka. First of all, she explains, students who participate in yoga, mediation, or discussion minyan haven’t actually fulfilled their basic requirement of minyan for the day. Second, without the regular minyanim, students lose the basic tefillah literacy that they gain from school davening, that “you’re familiar and comfortable with the ritual of a basic formula of prayer,” says Ms. Krupka.

When asked how to improve Ramaz davening, students responded in often-contradictory ways. Some students requested faster minyanim with fewer speeches. However, other students requested more opportunities to learn about the prayers and more singing. In line with both of these approaches, one student wanted more options and the opportunity to choose between minyanim.

Another paradox falls between one request that teachers are less strict and “treat it like a real shul” rather than “policing and walking around the aisles to make sure no one is speaking a word” and other students who want there to be less talking and more enforcement regarding punishments for lateness.

Other students requested more unlikely changes, such as making davening optional because “incorporating God into your everyday life should be a choice, not something that is forced upon us,” or a later start time.

Moreover, Ms. Gedwiser and Ms. Benus both agreed that there are challenging aspects to the davening space itself. “I don’t know if we have enough dedicated tefillah spaces,” said Ms. Benus. “That’s a challenge of being a school in Manhattan, but the physical space where tefillah takes place can be a challenge for the atmosphere of tefillah.”

Several teachers pointed out the importance of tefillah literacy. At any point in their adult lives, Ramaz students should feel comfortable walking into a minyan anywhere in the world. “When someone graduates Ramaz they should have a familiarity with the flow of the davening such that when they walk in on Shabbat morning somewhere, or even if they don’t go back until they have to say kaddish, God forbid, we have made tefillah a familiar feeling,” said Ms. Krupka.

Rabbi Schiowitz explained the importance of making davening a habit, just as people make it a habit to say thank you when someone helps them. “I wish it could be optional and everyone wanted to be there, but I think human nature is such that either they don’t want to come, or they want to come but it’s too early, and once you don’t come it’s very hard to start. Making davening part of your schedule is really good.”

Ultimately, tefillah is a mitzvah. “The goal of tefillah first and foremost is that it happens,” said Ms. Benus, “Tefillah has to happen because as a halachic Jew, you are obligated to daven three times a day. I believe that students know that, but it’s very hard to get into the headspace every single day and feel like you are able to do that. That’s a lot of Judaism—you just go through the motions until it sticks, and that’s what we’re doing, but hopefully we are able to provide a space for meaning making and a place to seek answers for questions students may have.”

8 College

The-Rampage.org

April 2019/Nissan 5779

College Admissions A Rampage Special Section

Ms. Quin Departs Ramaz

On Friday, April 12th, Ms. Quin left Ramaz for a position at the Agnes Irwin School, ending a two-year tenure as a Ramaz college advisor. This vacancy in the college office has already been filled.

The Agnes Irwin School is a K-12 college preparatory school in Rosemont, Pennsylvania. According to the school’s website, 97% of the AIS Class of 2018 was accepted to colleges in the early acceptance round, with 70% attending what Barron’s deems the nation’s most “highly competitive colleges.” Ms. Quin repeatedly made it clear to that “I was not looking to leave [Ramaz].” While attending a conference, she ran into an old colleague from her time at Vanderbilt University, who put her in touch with the school.

Students who were interviewed for this article seemed to be almost unanimous in their analyses of Ms. Quin’s tenure as a college advisor in Ramaz,

Ms. Quin repeatedly made it clear to that “I was not looking to leave [Ramaz].”

agreeing that she was always supportive and always kind to them. “Whenever I had a problem, even if it wasn’t related to college admissions, I knew I could go talk to her. It’s not often you can trust a teacher or advisor like that,” one senior said. Indeed, when interviewed for this article, Ms. Quin named “individual one-on-one moments with students–sitting down and getting to know them, or just chatting” as some of her favorite memories from Ramaz as a whole. “I think a lot of this process, unfortunately, is based on fear and the negative emotions when things don’t work out. So keeping that in my head, that when things don’t go the way people have planned, and they’re upset, it’s tough and that being empathetic and being with somebody in that moment is really important. I’ve also learned that, most of the time, people just want to be heard. It isn’t about what you’re going to say, because you’re not going to make it better in the moment. I can’t make you feel less sad about this school saying no to you. But I can make

Esti Beck ’19

you feel heard and make you feel like somebody cares, because I do care. That, I think, I will take with me.”

On a broader scale, this reflects the highly individualized approach to college admissions of the Ramaz college office, which favors long, in-depth meetings with each student and establishing a personal connection. Ms. Quin, in particular, placed a focus on this approach, taking an active role in her students’ lives. She ran Feminist Club, went to plays and performances, and even attended Celebration of the Arts last year. “Celebration last year was fun for me because I got to see some of my students perform, so I got to see them in different ways or I got to see their artwork displayed. Hearing a student talk to you about dance is one thing, but actually seeing them dance is another.”

The flip side of this approach is that many students found it to be misleading when it came to the actual discussions surrounding what tier of colleges they should consider-- or to say it simply, as one response put it, just “too nice.” One student, who requested to remain anonymous in order to speak candidly, stated that while they liked Ms. Quin, “I found her to be overly optimistic about my options, so sometimes I was concerned that it wasn’t realistic.”

Ms. Quin seemed to acknowledge this gap when asked about what she would do differently if she could re-play her two years at Ramaz. “We try very hard to temper expectations, but we can be wrong, and crazy things happen. I like to think that I did [temper expectations], but there’s always room for improvement in terms of how clearly we can all communicate. I think we think we temper expectations well, but there are eighty-seven million sides to every story. What I actually say, what you actually hear, what I think you hear, your interpretation of what I say, your parents’ interpretation of what I said to you that you filtered through them,” she said, “I think I think I did that [tempering expectations] well, and I think students think that they temper their expectations well when they don’t. It’s a beautiful, human, messy, emotional situation. So no matter how much I say x, y and z, you can hear a, b, and c, and it’s a

crazy game of telephone. We do our best, and our intentions are always to set you all up for success and to not be disappointed.”

This year, Ramaz students felt the brunt of the increasingly competitive college landscape, lead-

“We try very hard to temper expectations, but we can be wrong, and crazy things happen.”

ing to one major question: whose fault is it? Ms. Quin’s position–which reflects, for the most part, that of the college office as a whole–is that there is no answer because of the myriad factors which go into a college acceptance decision. “The college admissions landscape is so bananas right now. We educate ourselves and we stay on top of things and we talk to college people and we know what’s coming, and then they totally pull the rug from under us sometimes. How the heck were we supposed to know that this school was going to have an unbelievable increase [in applications]? They didn’t even know,” she said, confronting a major issue that students face when applying nowadays–the widening pool of applications in competitive schools, and thus their shrinking acceptance rates. “I think the system is damaged. There’s a lot of emphasis in the world on fifteen particular schools. We can all name the fifteen and maybe you’ll have two that I won’t, but basically there’s a set list of schools that people have decided are appropriate and if you don’t hit that mark, life’s over–but it’s not. So I think the system isn’t

cont. on page 9

Ramaz Hires New College Advisor, Ms. Davis Josephine Schizer ’20

With the announcement that Ms. Sarah Quin would be leaving Ramaz, the college guidance office launched a search for a new college advisor to fill the vacancy. According to Ms. Shulman, the process began with advertising the position, after which the first round of interviews “didn’t turn up anyone who we thought was going to be the best fit.” However, a second round of interviews yielded several promising candidates for the position. Of those candidates, three were asked to come to Ramaz for a second interview, at which point they also met with groups of faculty and students.

The origin of these group meetings dates back to when Ms. Quin was interviewing for her former position. “When Ms. Quin came three years ago, she had requested the opportunity to meet with some faculty and students, so initially, the incentive for doing it was for the candidate’s benefit,” explained Ms. Shulman. “We wanted to give the applicants an opportunity to get a sense of the community.” Additionally, these panels yielded helpful feedback in deciding which candidate should ultimately be hired. “We tried to have some of the same people meet as many candidates as possible so that we could get comparative feedback,” Ms. Shulman added.

During these meetings, the candidates and students had the opportunity to get to know each other and ask each other questions. Candidates asked students about their favorite parts of Ramaz, what they would change if they could, their impressions of the school’s overall culture, and specifically their thoughts on the current state of college guidance. Students questioned the candidates about their backgrounds, their meth-

ods for helping each student find the perfect school for them, and how they would respond to different challenges students face in the college admissions process.

“It was an interesting move to have students interview a prospective college advisor because she probably got a more accurate feel for the school,” said Elizabeth Aufzien ’19, one of the students who met with the candidates. “Also, we could see whether she was a good fit for the focus group, which is likely indicative of whether she’d be a good fit for the school. It doesn’t really affect me, but it demonstrates that the school cares about our opinions. It was great to help my friends in other grades so they have the smoothest possible college application process.”

“I really appreciated being a part of the process, especially knowing that the person I was meeting with might potentially be my advisor,” said Sophia Kremer ’20, whose college advisor was Ms. Quin. Ms. Shulman extended her gratitude to all those who participated in the vetting process noting that the school really appreciates all the people who volunteered to make “an investment in the future of the school.” Ms. Shulman added, “It’s a sacrifice, and we don’t discount that, so we appreciate it.”

After this months-long search process, the college guidance office recently announced that Ms. Abby Davis would become Ramaz’s new Associate Director of College Guidance. Mr. Blumenthal describes Ms. Davis, the now former Associate Director of Admissions at Cooper Union, as “brilliant and attentive to students’ needs” and suggested that “her warmth and approachability [will] make her a great member of our advising team.”

April 2019/Nissan 5779

The-Rampage.org

College

9

The Ramaz Community Reflects on This Year’s College Results Natalie Kahn ’19

On Friday, March 29, the senior grade decided as a collective to cut school after a bout of anger and stress in response to the release of college decisions. Most colleges had released their decisions over the course of the previous two weeks, and Thursday, March 28 was the culmination, with all eight Ivy League schools releasing regular decisions at 7pm ET, along with other top-tier schools such as NYU and Duke. Some students did gain acceptance into their first choices, while other students found themselves not only not accepted into their first choices but also rejected from schools into which they expected to be accepted.

This impromptu ditch day was different that the usual senior one, when seniors get together and go to the beach or go to someone’s house with a pool. While there was a small sector of students who stayed home “because I wasn’t in the mood” or “I was tired and didn’t need to be convinced,” many students felt they were actually making a statement by not coming. For some students, however, ditching school was solely in response to the release of decisions that week and, specifically, the night before. The intensity is at a peak on decision day, and some students needed a day off to recover from the stress. Regardless of the reasoning, out of 44 responses from the senior grade, only eleven students (25 percent) answered that they had attended school on March 29.

“The grade as a whole was upset about things and needed a day to calm down and cool off. I think that if everyone was in school it would have been a bad environment for everyone else,” said one anonymous senior.

Another student wrote, “I felt the need to stay home not in protest against school but rather in support of what certain [seniors applying to college] had been going through.”

For others, the ditch day was indeed a protest against the school. The implication is, of course, that some of these students blame the school for the disappointing results: they stayed home “to show my disappointment that my friends didn’t get into the schools they deserved to get into” or “because Ramaz is known for its connections regarding getting kids into good colleges and the school failed to deliver,” wrote two anonymous seniors.

During the ditch day, most teachers either taught some extra material or just cancelled class altogether. It’s hard to progress when there’s only one student. Such was the case of Dr. Milowitz. “It was a bad decision for whatever reason because that isn’t making a statement; it’s like throwing a tantrum, and there’s nothing productive about it. If the students have an issue, they should come in and discuss it,” he said.

“The students made their own decisions,” said Senior Grade Dean Rabbi Sklarin. “However, if they’re upset about not getting in and don’t show up, then their grades can go down, which could hurt their chances of getting in elsewhere or get them in trouble with the schools to which they’re already going.”

The administration declined to comment on either the ditch day or the current admissions state.

What’s important to note is that college admissions are becoming more and more competitive each year. Almost every single university boasted a sizeable increase in applicant numbers. According to several admissions sites, Yale and Columbia both reported a 0.4% decrease in their acceptance rates, Boston University had an 11% increase in applicants to the ED pool, Duke had a 1.2% decrease, and NYU had a roughly 3% decrease. Over the past five years, Binghamton University has also reported a higher rate of selectivity over the past several years, dropping from a 42.5% acceptance rate in 2015-16 to a 40.4% rate in 2016-17. These may seem like only small differences, but, compounded

with affirmative action and geographic diversity, New York schools ending up bearing much of the brunt.

Sadly, a high GPA and SAT or ACT score are no longer sufficient markers to guarantee entry into any school.

Results can also change each year based on the grade: some grades are just stronger than others and will consequently have better results no matter what the college office does, while other grades may have students who are especially well-connected. Additionally, people often evaluate success based on how many kids get into Ivy League schools, but not everyone wants an Ivy, and sometimes the better metric is whether people get one of their top three choices. 33 out of 44 respondents (75 percent) did say they were happy with their college results.

People make the mistake of focusing too much on top-tier schools. We use the word ‘fit,’ and there are plenty of kids who are elated because they are going to schools that are a great fit even if they’re not top-tier schools.

“The school did what I needed. During the C10 free, we were taught how to complete the Naviance, which I found necessary, though I know others found it pointlessly needless to go over. I know my advisor called the school I applied to ED, so I personally have few complaints,” said one senior when asked whether he felt the school had adequately advised and prepared him.

Another wrote, “[My advisor] was very supportive, always willing to talk through things and remind me about deadlines.”

“The college guidance can’t do everything. It can advise and remind, but students have to take independence in the process, and often, they rely too heavily on college guidance to do everything for them,” said a third senior.

Additionally, Director of College Guidance Mr. Rafi Blumenthal feels that results this year were certainly good, if not even better than usual. “People make the mistake of focusing too much on top-tier schools,” he said. “We use the word fit, and there are plenty of kids who are elated because they are going to schools that are a great fit and may have been a reach for them even if they’re not top-tier schools.”

Nonetheless, others feel like Ramaz could have done a better job preparing and advising them during the college process. “To some extent the rising selectivity in colleges is out of the school’s control, but on the other hand I don’t think a lot of students were adequately prepared to face the new admissions world,” said a senior. “The same methods that have worked for Ramaz in the past decades will no longer work, and the [school] needs to [better] adapt.”

“We’ve been making some changes by moving a little earlier as far as meeting with the sophomores informally and trying to introduce them to the process. Last year, we started an informal advisory session pizza lunch where it’s basically one of the college guidance counselors doing a Q&A debunking myths such as that students can choose whether or not to send their Judaic GPA,” said Mr. Blumenthal.

“One important element of the application that the college guidance really could give more attention to is advising students on what to do during their summers. Students should, of course, be interested in their activities, but if they decide the summer after sophomore or junior year to go to camp

or go touring, they should be aware that won’t help their college application,” wrote one respondent.

To respond, Mr. Blumenthal said, “Yes, we want students to pursue programs and activities that make them unique and interesting [in college admission] but at the same time to pursue their passions. We’re a Jewish institution that values chesed, so we don’t discourage kids from doing KH or [another activity] just for strategic purposes.”

This does still raise the possibility of college advisors’ meeting with students to discuss summer plans that are most advantageous to a student’s area of interest, whether it be chesed or tutoring or working at a camp. Which programs should students apply to based on their passions? Additionally, maybe students should at least be aware of where certain extracurricular activities will place them on the admissions spectrum.

The other aspect of yeshiva-world college admissions that may put Ramaz kids at a disadvantage is the students’ tendency to apply to the same schools in packs, but there are only so many Tri-State-area Orthodox kids that The University of Maryland will accept. Mr. Blumenthal says that the college guidance office does encourage kids to apply to different types of schools, but sometimes it’s the students or the parents or both who push back against having a greater range of schools.

Some seniors are worried about the impact these results may have on Ramaz’s appeal and reputation. “Results like these make it seem like Ramaz is losing that connection, and that definitely does not look good for the school,” said one student.

Another student did not think the results had as much to do with the school’s connections as the status quo: the school could prevent more years of disappointing results by being more consistent “through getting a long-term head of school” or “an administration that isn’t constantly reconfiguring.”

Mr. Blumenthal stated definitively that continual changes to Ramaz’s administration or faculty would not affect admissions decisions. The only reason admissions might care is if there’s some kind of seismic shift in programming, such as the school’s decision to drop AP courses eleven years ago: “The admissions offices either don’t know or don’t pay attention to [who’s in the administration]. They’re more interested in programmatic changes, like TEC.”

So what do students who are dissatisfied with their results do? Eight students in the survey stated that they planned to reapply next year, while three said they just hoped they’d get off a waitlist, or else they would just end up at the schools to which they had already been accepted.

The junior grade was, for the most part, excited about the successes but unperturbed by any of the disappointments. Gaby Schwartz ’20 said, “Of course, people in the junior grade are nervous for next year, but the college guidance office knows what it’s doing.”

Students will have to see and decide for themselves whether Ramaz and the college office can continue to compete in the new admissions world. One thing, however, is clear: Ramaz students must, to an extent, take the college process into their own hands.

Ms. Quin Departs, continued

...working as well as it could and it should, so if we could remove the emphasis from this particular group of schools, everybody would be happier.” Of course, that being said, she has recognized that that goal is not necessarily realistic, particularly in a school like Ramaz where the school and community are rather small.

Overall, when asked to evaluate her time at Ramaz, Ms. Quin said that “while in some cases I probably could have said in a more crystal clear way to that kid “it ain’t happening,” I brought my best and tried really hard to get to know my students and be a good colleague and member of the community.” And above all, she said, she had fun. “I liked to come to work every day. Like “ooh, who am I going to get to talk to today? What am I going to learn about? What random Jewish holiday is it today that I’ve never heard of in my life? And all the food-- I’ve eaten more

food in this building than I’ve ever thought was humanly possible to eat. Lots of food, good food, constant food. It’s been fun. And that, for me, has been important.”

Ms. Quin’s pool of 33 junior students will be passed along to her successor. She already conducted her hour-long individual meetings with each of them, taking notes and creating Google Docs so that the new college advisor, Ms. Davis???, will be able to pick up right where she left off. This is the college office’s standard procedure for phasing in a new counselor, and the same process that Ms. Quin used two years ago when she first joined the school, starting around college night and meeting with the students before summer break. Both the office as a whole and Ms. Quin are working to ensure the smoothest transition possible for the affected juniors.

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A Junior’s View On College Admissions

Every spring, juniors suddenly feel the college crunch. College visits, college night, adviser meetings and standardized tests all set the stage for the frenzy of what is known as the “College Admissions Process.” Juniors also bear witness to the “College Acceptance Process” of the senior class, knowing they will go through it in less than a year. A few seniors gained their acceptance through the early decision route in December, while the majority of the class received its decisions this spring.

As juniors, thinking about this usually gives juniors feelings of trepidation and anxiety because we the next at bat. In prior years, the period of college acceptance has put smiles on the faces of many happy seniors because, although they may not have gotten an acceptance letter to their top choice, they have received acceptances from one of their desired schools. These smiles also breed lots of hope and encouragement amongst the juniors that every student will gain acceptance to a college that is the correct fit for them. This year, however, my junior classmates and I can sum up this process with one word: uncertainty.

In years past, college admissions appeared to be a seamless process. As early as freshman orientation, students are told to work hard, push yourself in difficult classes, join a team, choose

extracurricular activities and show leadership. Nowadays, this formula might not be good enough to even get into a college that is considered a ‘safety school. As Gabi Potter ’20 says, “All across the country, students are applying with the same credentials in all fields. A college might get 1,000 kids taking the same courses with the same clubs, and in this climate it’s hard to stand out.”

To make matters worse, the major college admissions scandal that broke last month involving cheating, bribery and falsified athletic prowess left us juniors wondering if there is any correct way to gain admission to college. The newspapers flooded with schemes to obtain extra testing time, which made one think that if you take tests in the standard, allotted time, that you were actually getting less time. As Hannah Doft ’20 says, “The lengths people go to in order to get into college didn’t surprise me.”

This year, the acceptance process appeared more of an exercise in how to deal with rejection. Numerous students reported that they did not get admitted to any of their ‘reach’ or ‘target’ schools, although a few seniors were content with their outcomes. The day after many decisions were released was met with an eerie silence in the hallways of Ramaz when the majority of the senior class did not show up to school in protest

April 2019/Nissan 5779

Aliza Freilich ’20

of these decisions. It also appeared that many high school seniors from schools other than Ramaz have reported similar stories of friends who did not fare well in the admissions process.

The application dilemma felt by many juniors also revolves around the realization that, although there are numerous colleges out there to apply broadly, there are only a minority with a vibrant Jewish life. As Elizabeth Newman Corre ’20 says, “If religion is important in your life you need a support system to help encourage your Jewish connection, so when choosing a college to consider, I think a large Jewish community is important.”

It’s important to maintain perspective and for the juniors to not feel overwhelmed and divided by this process. We only have one more year left in high school and we should enjoy this year together as a class. The fact is that we are all trying our best. Unfortunately, many schools have acceptance rates in the single digits and other schools once seen as an easy ‘in’ are getting more competitive, as witnessed by this year’s college acceptances.

We have to remember that it’s not the college that you get into that defines you, but rather what you do with your college education.

A Senior’s Tips for College Admissions

Esti Beck ’19

Disclaimer: I’m only a senior. I barely know what’s going on in my life, let alone the college admissions world. These are just my thoughts based on my experience in the 201819 college admissions cycle, ones which may or may not be useful in the coming years. I am also not a trained college advisor. If you have any real college questions, Ramaz has a lovely college office on C which can answer any of your questions much, much better than I even could.

Step One: DON’T PROCRASTINATE.

This should be obvious, right? But let’s be real, we’re all teenagers, so when it comes to writing that English paper due next week or watching one more episode of that TV show, we’re going to choose the latter. And that’s usually OK - the English assignment can be done at the last second, albeit maybe not as well as it would have had you started it earlier. But in the college admissions world, deadlines are deadlines, and if October 31st comes and you’re writing a “Why Brandeis” essay from the bathroom at a Halloween party, you’ve got a problem. (Several problems, in fact, but I’m not going to expand on most of them.) The most important part of the college process is thinking ahead and planning. Some people are naturally good at this; others need a push. If you’re the type of person who has trouble mapping out a path between A and B, find someone who is. If you don’t have a close family member who will help you, reach out to the college office. Sit down with your advisor and ask them to help you make a list of what steps are lying ahead of you, and exactly what deadlines you’re going to need to make. And meet the deadlines. Tell yourself that they’re due a week before they actually are if you need to trick your brain into completing them.

Step Two: ASK QUESTIONS.

Again, obvious. But this is one of those things people just don’t do because they’re scared or embarrassed or they forget. No question is too obvious in the college application process, because if you miss one step, you could be utterly and royally screwed. Make sure you’ve asked your advisor when all your apps are due; what materials you need to submit; who, of your teacher recommendations, has yet to submit, and so on, so forth. Some colleges have weird unofficial deadlines that are not actually deadlines but you should probably meet them anyway (cough cough, Harvard). Ask about those. Ask if the school you’re applying to has a Hillel or whatever minimum level of Jewish life you require. Ask if they have a core curriculum. Ask how big they are. Ask if there’s going to be a bajillion-page senior thesis, then ask yourself if you’ll be willing to write that. Ask if they require SAT II scores. Ask if they take demonstrated interest into account. (Ask what demonstrated interest is, if you don’t know.) Keep asking until you feel you could adequately draw up a compare/contrast list between all the schools you’re considering, and then ask a few more questions. Just in case.

Step Three: FOLLOW YOUR HEART.

I cannot stress this point enough, even though it’s the cheesiest thing and it’ll be repeated to you a million times over before the college process is done. There are schools you’ll viscerally hate even though you are “supposed” to apply there, and school(s) you’ll just love. This sort of reaction when you walk onto a campus is okay, and it’s okay if the schools you hate are the schools your friends love (and vice versa, for that matter.) Not every school is for everyone, and not every school is the same. I used to see the Ivies as one bloc of schools, the only difference being their locations, but actually visiting showed me how different they all are. In my opinion, nobody should be applying to Brown and Columbia; those are two polar opposite schools appealing to two very different types of people. It doesn’t mean that one is worse than the other - it just means that one might appeal to you, and the other might not. Don’t waste your time or your energy on schools you know won’t work out, since that only goes one of two ways. You could get in, then decide you didn’t want to go there anyway, in which case the entire exercise was a waste of time, or you could decide to go there because it’s your “best” (read: most prestigious) option, in which case you might end up there and be miserable. I know people who have experienced both things.

Of course, the flip side is also true. There are schools that you’ll absolutely fall in love with from Day 1. Apply there. Obviously, there are constraints. Your ability to get in, financial aid, Jewish life… there are a million boundaries which might keep you from the Right SchoolTM. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Be realistic, but

make sure that you’ve found a place you’re thrilled to apply to. I remember calling up my friend after having visited the Right School for Me, so excited I could hardly think straight. It happened to be that that friend had also visited her Right School that same weekend and was equally thunderstruck, so that conversation mostly consisted of us ranting to each other in incoherent English about how we had just fallen in love with our schools. I promise - it’ll happen to you too.

Step Four: EARLY BIRD CATCHES THE WORM

APPLY EARLY. That’s all I have to say about that.

Okay, that’s not true, I always have more to say. But that’s the bottom line here.

If you’re looking to get into a reach school, don’t put it off. There’s no good reason to.

It’s infinitely harder to get in in the regular decision round, so early is anyone’s best shot. The excuse that you’re still taking standardized testing isn’t strong, either, because you should really just submit what you have and take a shot - there’s literally nothing to lose. Another little secret: you can only apply to one place with restrictive early decision/action (Sorry, overachievers. It’s Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, or Yale), but you can still apply to many schools with non-restrictive EA! This is very exciting news! Take advantage of it. UChicago, Michigan, and Boston College are a few good examples of potential EAs, as well as many state schools. Make sure you have a solid safety on that list and try to have it locked down as early as possible, since it’ll really ease your anxiety. And, if you don’t get in to wherever you choose early decision, to be accepted to at least one EA will be at least a small victory for you, and sometimes that’s necessary.

Step Five: THE APP

Actually applying is confusing, overwhelming, and often downright frustrating. Sometimes it feels like the Common App doesn’t actually want you to apply.

The important thing is to give the application the time it deserves and treat each question as equally crucial, lest you accidentally skip one or answer the wrong thing. The Common App has, of course, its personal essay, which most people spend the majority of their time and energy perfecting. Don’t get me wrong - it is important, but it’s not the only one that matters. Supplementals are also key. It’s your chance to show each school that you’re interested in them and understand what makes them unique. Don’t rush through them, and make sure they adequately answer what the prompt is looking for. For the “Why [Insert School]” essay, make sure it’s more interesting than “I liked the campus,” or something that can be read straight off the admissions website.

Then there’s that extracurricular list. Your goal here is to make yourself seem more interesting than you actually are. I’d never advocate lying, but presenting the truth in an advantageous light can only work to your favor. List your most interesting club/ highest leadership position first, and work your way down from there. You only have limited space, so try your best to emphasize any accomplishments/projects/responsibilities you’ve had in the club instead of trying to describe what the club actually is. That’s usually self-evident in the name.

Step Six: DON’T GO ON COLLEGE CONFIDENTIAL

If you don’t know what college confidential is, good. You’re on the right track.

If you do, well, then this message is directed at you.

Ramaz already has a stressful and competitive environment, one which intensifies when it comes to the college process. Instead of each student trying to get into their college of choice, it often feels like a horse-race for the same five to ten schools. The most important thing is to keep yourself out of the competitive mindset. If your friends want to tell you where they applied, good. Cheer them on. If they don’t, leave them alone.

Pressuring people into sharing stats, essays, or any other form of college material is not only disrespectful to them - it often comes back to hurt you. You begin to get into the mindset of “Well his SAT was 20 points higher than mine, so he’s going to get it,” or “Her essay was soooo much better than mine,” and then you spiral deep into a hole of stress and self-doubt which is very difficult to escape. Once you’ve submitted your apps, take a deep breath and let go. There’s nothing else you can do until results come out anyways.

And of course, always remember that college isn’t the end of the world.

April 2019/Nissan 5779

The-Rampage.org

College

11

Standout Ramaz ’19 College Essays

The Rampage asked the Ramaz college office to recommend a few of the Class of ’19’s best essays. We hope this serves as a useful guide to future applicants, though copying from or plagiarizing these essays is severely prohibited by law. Remember, it’s the college office that sent us these essays in the first place, so they’re familiar with the content.

Suzi Dweck

A boxer is bound to get hit. But I was not a boxer, at least not yet. I had never put myself in a position to fail, get hurt, or hurt someone else. Since a young age, I had deliberately controlled myself and stayed calm no matter the provocation. As a child, I was a real people pleaser. I followed every rule, was the teacher’s pet, and always tried to make my parents proud. I was also quite independent: my famous and now characteristic first word was “self,” not “Mama” or “Dada.” I did not want any help from others. I wanted to achieve, grow up, and prove my “self ” as fast as I could.

Looking back, however, I realize that I bottled up feelings to avoid the risk of exposing flaws. I developed a need for control and pursued perfection. In elementary school, when working on group assignments, I instinctively took over, completing the assignments in the only way I knew would make them meticulous and exceptional -- by myself. I presented myself as a put-together and superbly behaved girl, and refused to let anybody see me sweat. Punching somebody? How could such a thing ever cross my mind?

Strangely, though, at the age of fifteen, I found myself meandering into the boxing studio. Something below my serene facade was itching for that ring.

As I entered, I was immediately struck by the repulsive scent of rancid sweat.

Around me were men and women hitting two hundred-pound punching bags with abandon. I hesitantly walked towards the ring. There I stood, a ninety-pound weakling, surrounded by people double my size who clearly knew what they were doing. They were forceful, joyful, screaming, and anything but poised. I was intimidated, but mesmerized.

As I entered the ring with trembling hands and a rapid heartbeat, the instructor demonstrated the motions. He taught the class how to breathe: inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth in short bursts. He then led the class through seemingly simple combinations in the air -- jab, cross, hook, cross, slip -- before letting us box with a partner. Initially, I was slow, focusing on my form and ensuring that my breathing measured up exactly with each movement, as the instructor said. I was startled by the sudden yelling of the instructor telling me to punch harder. To trust my partner. To loosen up. To work together. To let go.

I looked into my partner’s eyes, began to punch harder, releasing what felt like a lifetime of pent-up energy. She encouraged me by pushing back forcefully with each hit. As my partner hit me, I supported her with the strength of my hands and stable, bent knees. In a matter of minutes, sweat drenched my face and my heart was beating fast, this time from exhilaration rather than fear. I was released. Every single punch, every single block, became significant. Every drop of sweat that fell down my face represented something previously unexpressed of which I was finally letting go: stresses, insecurities, fears, perfection.

Soaked in sweat, I unashamedly looked around before leaving the boxing studio and read something stenciled onto the wall, which I continue to remember three years later whenever my need to control resurfaces: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” It was fitting that the printed phrase was slightly grammatically incorrect and yet spoke to me so intensely, reinforcing the notion that something could be very powerful and imperfect at the same time.

I continue to box regularly and have, as a result, learned to live with more abandon, to lean on others, to let go of perfection. I will still always strive for great success, but I know now that I will get there laughing, yelling, and enjoying the process instead of aiming to control it. I have the boxing ring to thank for that.

Sarah Genachowski

It was a solid two weeks of eating nothing but french fries and bananas. I had done all the hours of research about reasons to be vegan, and I thought my determination alone would be enough, but I soon realized I wasn’t nearly educated enough to make this big change. I had cut out all animal products without understanding how much I was really giving up: I made the same breakfast, lunch and dinner every single day, and going out to restaurants was even worse. I hadn’t realized how prevalent animal products are; they’re in almost everything. When people think vegan, they think salad, but most of the time even a salad would come with cheese or with egg in the dressing. Often, the only thing I could order off the menu was french fries. I started carrying bananas with me wherever I went, assuming that there would be nothing else for me to eat. Hence, french fries and bananas. After a couple of weeks, my enthusiasm diminished and a vegan diet became a burden. I had this idea that I truly believed in, but I was struggling to make it work.

I took to Instagram, YouTube, and Google, printing out recipes and watching videos to educate myself. I was determined to thrive on a vegan diet. My first successful recipe was a veggie burger. As exciting as this was, I knew that one successful meal wasn’t going to be enough to keep me full. Watching YouTube videos helped me realize that I could substitute ingredients. For example, applesauce or avocado can be substituted for eggs. All different types of alternative milks are available. I’ve tried soy milk and hemp milk, but my favorite is almond milk. I learned to make vegan pancakes that are still one of my favorite breakfast dishes.

After trying so many new foods, I was confident that I could continue this diet if I really wanted to, but it was still a struggle restricting so much.

The first vegan restaurant I ever went to is called V-Spot. For the first time, as a vegan, I looked at a menu and felt overwhelmed by the options instead of feeling frustrated and hungry. Having options when eating out is such a luxury! I ordered the chipotle burrito and avocado fries. The burrito, consisting of seitan, pico de gallo, avocado, soy cheese, and lettuce, is now one of my favorite dishes. Seitan is now my favorite food, and I’d never even heard of it until then. I was discovering a whole world of possibilities, and my eyes were opened: I now knew with one hundred percent certainty that this was truly a lifestyle I could thrive on.

When I first became vegan, I was driven by guilt and I thought I’d just be giving up amazing foods. However, I definitely gained way more than I gave up. By learning to love veganism and learning to thrive on a vegan diet, I learned to care about what I put into my body, because I reached a place where I am happy with myself. I have become confident in who I am. Constantly having to explain my decisions to others used to make me uncomfortable because I knew I was different and, honestly, people told me they thought I was crazy. Now, when people ask me about my choices, I answer confidently and honestly. Not only did I gain a healthy diet, I gained confidence, self- love, self-respect, and self-worth. This is only the beginning of a journey on which I’m excited to continue learning about myself.

Rachel Havivo

“I enjoyed breakfast, Gatsby.” I grinned faintly looking down at this sentence while reading along in my eleventh grade English class. Reading those words, I had a sudden flashback. It was of a miniature first-grade version of myself: long braided hair, wearing my pink beaded necklace sitting in the corner of the rug during reading time. I was sitting alone, engrossed by a Berenstain Bears book. Reading the words was not difficult, but understanding them was problematic. The bears were making their mother a special breakfast, but I was confused. I read the word “breakfast” as “break-fast” for the duration of the class. I remember sitting there confused, thinking, What is a break-fast? Was Mama Bear fasting? I kept my confusion to myself. I was too embarrassed to ask the teacher to define a simple word I assumed my peers understood.

Only when the teacher asked me a question about Mama Bear’s breakfast did I finally figure out this complex problem distracting me. Reflecting on this memory, I smiled out of pride and acknowledgment of how far I had come.

Hebrew was my first and only language for the first few years of my life. My parents both moved to New York independently from Israel and did not receive an English language education. They were able to learn conversational English with time, yet we spoke Hebrew as our primary language at home. I eventually learned English in pre-kindergarten, but I felt an obvious divide between myself and my classmates.

I felt as though most of my classmates, who had been raised in American households, could not relate to my Israeli upbringing. I started focusing on reading English books, pushing myself to reach higher reading levels than everyone else to prove that I knew English just as well as they did. Soon, I started to live through books. I would sit in bed at night reading them and imagining myself living within stories such as Judy Moody Gets Famous and Cam Jansen: The Ghostly Mystery. My ability to understand and relate to the language led to my passion for reading. Reading empowered me and allowed me to identify with both my languages and blend into the mold of an American student. Reading was my outlet, so I found any way I could to surround myself with books, including requesting books as gifts and making constant trips to the library.

Books were my safe haven; they made me feel like a normal kid who spoke perfect English and didn’t stand out for their different background.

Going into high school, I knew I wanted to challenge myself, specifically in English classes. In the beginning, I didn’t save time for reading since I had a lot to handle. During my sophomore year, my love for reading returned, once I realized how much I missed the bliss of reading a book on an early Saturday morning. I started ordering books from Amazon until I realized I didn’t have enough room on my shelf for all of them. I decided to talk to my English teacher, and after much convincing, he agreed to place me in a seven-person Honors English class for Junior year. I started off the class keeping my opinions to myself in order to avoid saying anything foolish but eventually began inserting my opinion. I began to have a louder voice after one discussion when I gave a simple analysis of the description of the characters of different classes in The Heart of Darkness, and my classmates were intrigued by what I had to say. I finally found the place I belonged, and all my thoughts about being the outsider disappeared.

The Rampage Ramaz Upper School

Volume 52 • Issue VIII • April 2019 • the-rampage.org

Editors-in-Chief: Natalie Kahn* Harry Shams* Esti Beck* Online Editors: Becky Tauber Suzi Dweck Faculty Advisor: Dr. Milowitz Contributing Writers: Samantha Sinensky Zach Buller Aliza Freilich Josephine Schizer David Gerber Caitlin Levine Sophia Kremer William Kremer Hannah Doft Hadley Kauvar Gabrielle Ostad 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 for space and to conform to 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.

Denotes member of the Rampage Editorial Board. *

The Rampage • April 2019

Arts & Entertainment In Us, Jordan Peele continues to deliver as an excellent director and writer of horror films. Us tells the story of a family whose summer vacation is interrupted by a home invasion led by their doppelgangers. What ensues is a masterfully executed blend of horror, comedy and absurdity. Peele uses jumpscares effectively and sparingly, knowing not to overuse them.

Instead, Peele tells the story in such a way that keeps the audience on the edge of their seat, fearing what’s to come.

In a major departure from Get Out, Peele wastes no time here getting straight to the horror. In this movie, there is no subtle buildup. The first scene shows a young Adelaide (Madison Curry) at the Santa Cruz boardwalk with her parents.

She wanders off, arriving at a dark hall of mirrors. Getting frightened, she begins whistling and something whistles back at her. Young Adelaide then turns around, and her reflection does not turn with her.

Reviewed: Us

After a terrifying credits sequence, the movie shifts to the present day, where an adult Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong’o) is travelling to a

beach house with her husband Gabe (Winston Duke), teenage daughter Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph) and young son Jason (Evan Alex). The family is met by their friends, the Tylers, which consist of mildly alcoholic parents Kitty and Josh (Elisabeth Moss and Tim Heidecker) and their twin teenage daughters Becca and Lindsey (Cali and Noelle Sheldon).

After all this, the mov-

Hadley Kauvar ’19

ie is only at the fifteen minute mark, and the home invasion begins. After Gabe tries to scare them off by speaking in a voice that only gets progressively deeper and shaking a baseball bat at them, the doppelgangers attack, forcing their way into the house and injuring Gabe’s leg. The Wilsons are horrified to see that they are literally staring themselves in the face.

Their clones, who call themselves “the Tethered” each have their own lovely and mildly culty name. Adelaide’s is Red, Gabe’s Abraham, and the children are Umbrae and Pluto.

The family splits up and everyone is forced to confront their clone individually.

Gabe manages to kill Abraham using his boat’s malfunctioning motor, in a sequence that is both frightening and laughable at the same time. Zora, a track and field star, tries to outrun Umbrae, but the Tethered moves at inhuman speeds and catches up to her. Zora is only able to escape when Umbrae gets distracted by a neigh-

bor, who she promptly kills with her golden scissors. Jason is able to trap Pluto in a closet and hide, while Adelaide is able to break the table she was handcuffed to and the family regroups at the dock, where Gabe arrives with his boat.

They then flee to the Tylers, hoping to find safety with them.

The rest of the movie is an excellent combination of horror and hilarity. Even at its most frightening and gruesome, Peele still inserts moments or lines of dialogue that force you to laugh. Speaking from personal experience, there were definitely moments where I felt like my laughter was inappropriate, but it helped that everyone else in the theater was also laughing. Us features twists, creepy symbolism and even creepier rabbits.

This is one of the few movies I have seen that has made me put down my popcorn out of sheer interest. I would recommend it to anyone who has not seen it and is not discomforted by horror movies.

Reviewed: Game of Thrones S8:E1-2 Hadley Kauvar ’19

The final season of HBO’s flagship series, Game of Thrones, is finally underway after a year and a half of anticipation. The season promises dragons, massive battles, the usual amount of incest and something that fans of the book series won’t get for a long time, an ending. Warning: spoilers ahead.

“Winterfell,” the premiere episode, is very much a setup episode, although a fairly successful one. It begins with a new and improved title sequence, likely a result of the fact that there are so few important locations left in the show.

The episode is filled with joyous reunions for characters who haven’t seen each other in multiple seasons. However, there is a sense of frustration and urgency that I, as a viewer, felt throughout the episode. There are only six total episodes, and still much to be resolved. The limited amount of time left is manifest in the dialogue, particularly when Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) announces to all the important characters who are exchanging pleasantries “we don’t have time for this.” Bran appears to be serving as the on screen showrunner, telling the characters to get a move on and tell people about important plot points.

The dialogue ended up being so predictable, that my eldest brother (who has maybe one creative bone in his body) was able to guess three separate lines, verbatim.

The episode was filled with callbacks and references to the very first ep-

isode of Game of Thrones, “Winter is Coming.” In that episode, the retinue of King Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) arrives at the castle of Winterfell. In this episode, the army of Queen Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) arrives, along with Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and a whole slew of other characters. Everything, from the music, to the way it’s shot is nearly identical to the first episode. It’s one of the better things about this episode, the nostalgia it brings for how

the show began over eight years ago.

This episode had to be a setup episode. The callbacks and easter eggs to the very first episode made me sentimental, and the last scenes terrified me.

The second episode of the season, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” was also a setup episode. I knew this going in and felt dread, given that this season has a long way to go (plotwise) before it can end, and there are only four episodes left. However, I was surprised by how good this episode actually ended up,. Instead of rushing the plot and forcing exposition like the premiere did, this episode took things slowly, showing the preparations for the great battle that will take place next episode.

As the episode winds down, Tyrion requests a song. He looks to each person, getting a negative response before Podrick Payne (Daniel Portman) begins singing “Jenny’s Song,” a song from the books noted to be a sad one. His singing is intercut with a montage of some of the other characters preparing for the battle in the morning. It is a perfectly executed moment filled with poignancy and meaning.

This episode was a return-toform for Game of Thrones. The showrunners explained in the post-episode featurette that they thought it would reveal a lot about each character if they showed how they would spend their final night on Earth. Whether it was sitting alone in quiet contemplation or spending the night with others, drinking and telling jokes, the episode was a proper send off before the impending battle.