Vol. Ill - No. 4
December, 1970
Aphek Refutes Arob Claims
Mr. David Aphck
Students Boycott Ateret Assembly
The recent Ale!'et assembly, an annual and !ime-honorcd tradition at
Ramaz, was boycotted by a group of
protesting students. The Ram ral'C questioned several of the absentees to determine the n::iture and purpose of their action.
According to Nommie Nadich, one or the absent students, the purpose or the boycott was to .,protest the notion that Aterct students are of better charnctcr and are better achievers than those not elected to the society." Nommic cited the fact that several juniors requested teachers to raise their marks so that the students could gain admission to the honor society. Marc Schulman, another participant in the boycott, said, "Ateret does not stand for marks . . It is an estab lished fact . . . that a very high percentage of Ateret students have gained that status by cheating.'' Othc1· students were equally out spoken in their criticism or the in tegrity or the members of Aterct. Ed Skobac remarked tersely, "The people on Ateret arc better cheaters than anyone else." Perhaps the most vehement attack against the honor society was leveled by Michael Widlanski, who declared. Continued on Pace 5
Seniors Accepted Early
Four seniors have been accepted by the colleges of their choice under the Early Decision Pinn. Suzy Kor man and Judy Schacter will attend Barnard College, while Rona Gersten and David Sable will attend New York University. In accordance with the Early De cision Plan, which is in effect in some colleges, these students sub• milted their applications before Oc-
On November 12. Mr. David Aphck gave the second in a series of lec tures for seniors about topics re lated to Israel. Mr. Aphek, assistant to Ambassador Yoseph Tekoah and husband oC Mrs. Aphek, the Ramaz teacher, spoke of Arab and Israeli claims to 1hc la11d oC Israel. Accord ing to Mr. Aphek, the Arabs have two main arguments. The Cirst is an historical-philosophical one, main taining that modern Jews are not descendants of the original Jews but come from the Kuzarim, who were converts to Judaism. The Arabs say that Jews did not live in Israel for two thousand years. The Jews sud denly returned to push out the Arabs, who had settled there permanently. It was because of IsraeJi actions that the Arabs waged the war of 1948 ilgainst Israel. The Arabs' second argument is that rsrael is an imperialistic nation which seeks to expand her borders. 11 was because of these expansionist plans that the Arabs !ought In 1956 and 1967. Mr. Aphek explained that the Arabs do not sec the conflict as one between two unrelated pcop1es. They believe, rather, that the struggle is between two cousins, one of whom stole land from the other. Mr. Aphek refuted the Arab claims. He noted that the Arabs' belief that the Jews of toda!' are not descended from ancient Jews can be disproved by the five thousand year history of the Jewish people. The absence of Jews from Israel was caused by per secution and forced exiles. Mr. Aphek contended that the only other people who lived origina1Jy in Israel ond could have a proper claim to 1t today are the Canaanite tribes, such as the Jcbusltcs and Girgashites. However. these tribes nrc exti.nct. Therefore the Jews are the only re maining legal claimants to the land of Israel. Mr. Aphck concluded by stating that the Arabs have citizenship rights In Israel. but the Jews have the rights to the land of Israel.
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Rabbi L-Ookstein Says No to Dress Code Repeal
Rabbi Haskel Lookstein announced on December 8 that the Upper School dress code will be retained despite the recent student agitation tor its modification. However, Rabbi Look stein reiterated that no tics and jack ets will be required during the month ot September and from May 15 to t.he end ot the term tor the sake of comfort during the hot weather. The announcement came during the fourth session or this year's Student Faculty Administration Committee. It tallowed a lively discussion of the pros and cons of the prcscn t dress code, a subJect which had been dis cussed during the three previous haU-hour sessions. The first meeting was largely de voted to setting the agenda. Rabbis Looks1ein and Bakst each spoke in favor of the dress code. Mr. Solomon began the second ses sion by saying that the dress code is a "non-issue" at Ramaz. He main tained that it should not be the subject at a lengthy and needless de bate, but instead the administration should "let the dress code atrophy and die." He went on to say that the dress rules "lead to a conformity which is destructive to the individ uality of Ramaz students." Accord ing to Mr. Solomon, "the dress code is symbolic ot additional pressures which the students do not need" and as a result many students consc,ous ly swing to the other extreme in col lege by wearing sloppy clothes and growing beards. Mr. Solomon felt that being "concerned with an Image
in the outside world" bespakc a "ghetto outlook.'' David Maisel, the president or the G.O., then presented a letter writtCn by a parent, the gist or which was that a Ramaz student is not likely to lose his respect for learning merely because he is not wearing a tic and jacket, especially 1! one! considers the type ot home from which most stu dents come. A resolution to abolish the requirement tor ties and jackets. signed by nearly every boy in the school, was then submitted to Rabbi Lookstcin. I.n the name of the stu dent body, the G.0. president sug gested o trial pe!'iod of one month during which no ties and jackets would be required. The G.O. would enforce minimum requirements, such as no sneakers and jeans. Rabbi Bakst then countered with the observation that he had noticed a change for the better in the class atmosphere at Ramaz since the dress code was instituted six years ago. He cited the scriptural phrase "Kedo shim Uhyu" for the purpose of show ing that Jews should not only act differently but also dress diUercntly. At the third session of the Com mittee, Rabbi Lookstcin summarized his main arguments in favor of the dress code by saying that it nfoin• taincd "a certain atmosphere or pro• pnety, dignity and 'bnlibat1shkcit' in Ramaz." The students "look much more like solid human beings and Jews.' ' In Rabbi Lookstcin's eyes the graduate students al Yeshiva UniContinued on Pace 5
tober l. They were judged <fh the basis of College Entrance Examinn tlon Boarct Aptitude Tests and Achievement Tests taken in May of their junior year, in addition lo their average, rank in class, and extra curriculnr nchvlties. A personal in terview wns usually required. Notifi cations of admission were received early in December. In this way the students committed themselves to at Student Faculty Administration Committee-Counterclockwise: Dr. Petluck, tending the abovementioned col Rabbi Lookstein, Richard Gribeb, Victor Schonf.cld, Eu&'tne Packin, Rabbi leges. l\(oskowlb, l\l,r. Buchwald, Rabbi Eliach, l\frs. Jacobs, l\larc Eiseman. - <T.-