1he �am P�e Vol. Ill - No. 9
May, 1971
Bakst Discusses Curriculum Changes
Certain changes m the Judaic studies curncu]um at Ramaz arc bcmg considered by Rabbi Joshua Daksl, headmaster, and other teach ers m the dcp3rtment Whtie he "as w11lmg to discuss these proJ)Oscd changes. Rabbt Bakst stated clcarlv that they arc not commitments or
policy statements for next year's
curriculum. The first prop0sal under cons1dcr
ntion concerns Talmud. The snmc
tractatc would be tnught to two gr.:ides nt the same time (for ex• :-implc, to freshmen nnd sophomores). Every three or four weeks, o relevant topic tn hatachah would be discussed with the whole �roup. This system 1s common in many ycsh1voth Another proJcctcd change concerns Jewish philosophy. Most students in Talmud A classes coraplam that they arc depnved of this subject Rabbi Bakst mamto.ins. however, tho.t every subJect 1s basically Jewish philos ophy. "\Ve arc so structured that un• l(>SS a course 1s spec1f1cally called Jc,, 1sh philosophy, we don't consider 1t o;o." he S.."'l.ld In ordc-1· to �olvc this problem. it has been sugccstcd thnt Rabbi Bakst meet with every Tal mud A class at the beginning of the year to choose a few topics which would be discussed on spec1!1c dates.
Another possible rnnovahon 1s the dcs1cnauon of one day each month a� 110m 111un (a seminar day) on "h1ch there "ould be d1scuss1ons with the members of the faculty A course 111 modern Jewish history cover111g the maJor phases of Z1omsm will be laught next year. Speaking about d1111m (laws and customs). he "ould like to msl1tutc a course which deals with thl' p1 nct1cal aspects of the lnws as they apply to such sub Jl'Ct.s ns kashrutlt, ntual slaughter, purity nnd mourning, As for the seminars which have been Instituted in various Bible classes. Rabbi Bakst said that the l'C!)Ults arc mixed He feels that students who took advantage of the courses benefited from them, while those who •lgoofed off"' did not. \Vh1le this as true or regular classes also, Rabbi Bakst said 1t 1s more prO nounced m the semrnar program which d()('s not require students to be physically present m the classroom. Jt 1s \fCry possible, therefore, that thc.•t c mu:ht not be any seminar c.l.1�'-'-' ""''�l )l'ar If thl' program IS continued it w11J only include the few students who realize that a seminar 1s "ten times as hard as a 1 cgular class, but a hundred times as rewarding "
Parents: Issues and Answers
By Richard Gribctz No one can gencr:illzc .:-1bout the opinions of Ramaz parents. This was made clear in the opinion poll which was recently conducted by The Ram ras-c. The feehngs of the RamaL. Upper School parents are often cited during discussions about certain issues. l\lany decisions are based upon pure conjecture as to what the parents thinl;;:. In answer to a question on rtt1procal v1s1ts between Ramaz and Cotholic parochial schools, piircnts lnd1cated a 2 to J approval of such visits. Opmion was divided evenly on the questions conccrmng leaving the school building durrng lunch ond the boys' dress code. A third of the pnrcnts who resp0nded approved or girls attending Ramaz weanng p:mts. Qucst1onnatres were malled to 208 homes. O( these, 189 or 63.4% were completed and returned. \V1th regnrd to the question on visits between Ilamaz and C:ithohc parochinl schools , J 23 questionnaires indicated approval o( such visits while 62 indicated disapproval Those parents who objected to such v1s1ts were almost unanimous in their op1111on thnt no Ramaz students (not only their own children) should be involved Four questionnaires were returned to the
fl<'W�paper without :rn answer to the particular question about Catholic schools Eighty-six C'ouples said they would np p1ove of their children's leaving the RamaL. school building during the lunch period without superv1s1on Eighty -three said they would not grant such approval Two sets of parents who have children m both the JUll10r htgh school and the high school indicated approval only for their older children. This question was left blank, according to the in slruc hons, by 12 couples who ha\fe children only rn the senior class. Six sets or parents who should have nnswered the question neglected to do so. The ncgnhvc and pos1t1ve responses to this question were broken down by �radc since it was sus peeled thnt parents with younger children would be less ready t.o ap prove of their leaving school without supervision The figures below indi catc percentages or those parents who hove nt least one child in the part1c ular grade If a couple has children m more lhnn one grade, their response is included m more than one group Some parents whose opinions were Included in the O\ferall 'yes' and 'no' groups could not be included in the
A Free Publication
1Jl1•,�- B,11·l,1 to n(!ti1•(! New Librarian Hired
Mrs Sonia Berle, the Ramaz lib rarian, will not be returning to the school m September. Miss Diane Woodrow has been hired as a re placement Mrs Berle, n 12 year veteran oC H:1maz, will conttnuc to h11!1ll her b1bl1osraphic dlltics through the month oC August. These will lnch1dc the proct•ssing of new books and the reorgan1za11011 or vririous sections. Commenting on her departure, Mrs Berle, who hris rm MA in cduca cation, n Master of Library Science and a professional d1plom3 from the Jewish Thcolog1cal Scm,nory, Indi cated that she 1s ready to c-nter other fields of library work She has no commitments but would like to em bark upon hbrary research which in cludes b1bhograph1c work and ab stracting services Before coming to nnmaz she did resenrch at Pratt In stitute She reels that �he \\ ill even tually S<"ttlc- HI Israel During Mrs. Berle's tenure at Ramaz a relatively small collection of books hns grown into three separ ate btllngual libraries containing a totol of 12,000 volumes. The 85th Streel building houses the Upper School l!brnry and a collcct1on for the 4th, 5th and 6th �rodes. There ,� a thll"d hbrory for the lower grades in the.- 82nd Street buildmg Upon l1 C'r t11Tlvnl al nnma1, M1!!- Berle dis C'nrcled almost the ('l1t11 c secular hook cntnloguc Smee then, much of her tune has bC'C'll sprnt rn t·ntnlo�u lOR and arrnngmg both English and Hcbrew lnnguJf:e books She has also mslructed <'lnsses 1n hbr;u y skills According to l\lrs Berle she de rives her "greatest pcrson;il s.1t1s!ac uon from helping to mec-t the cultural
l\frs. Sonia Berle. needs of students and fncult y." Or Robert Petluck rndlcatcd that Mrs. Berle has been extremely help ful in the ordering and the cornp1l!ng of lists of new books for the comlni: year He said that she ' 1s lndc!nt1g able, and has pcrtonned n 'labor or love· m keeping the hbrary up to 1972."' Miss \Voodrow, who will start work dunng the summer, earned her B.A. at Lehman College, from which she was graduated Phi Beta Kappa She received a Master of Library Science at Columbia Um\fcrsit,y She has 1okc-n courses :1t the T< 'achers Insti tute for \Vomen of Yeshiva Univers ity aud has a .sub�lantlal Jcwl�h background. Miss \Voodrow worked as a general assistant at the Colum bia University Library of Intcrnn t1onal Affairs. 1
I --------------
Cooling System Installed in Gym
A new air-intake wns mstallcd 111 the gym on April 15 This 1s lhe latest m a series of attempts to "entilotc the Ramaz gymnasium Smee the erection of 1hc new part of the �chool building six years aco, the g� m h:1s been plague-cl by poor ven lllallon. Onginally, a blower was used to ehmmate the fetid air How ever, there was no method of bring breakdown by srodc bCC'ausc they mg cool air 111s1dc. Add1t1onal d1s foiled to indicate which form their comfort was caused by the prox11mty children arc in. of the bo1le.r. Under the new plan. as Form Yes No Mr. Noam Shudo(sky cxpl3111ed. the 33 3% 667% I gym 1s supphed with nn intake 01► II 324% 67.6% paratus wluch sucks in air from n III 46 9c� 53 2% shady area behmd the bu1ld1ng IV GL.4% 38,6% V 73 0% 27.0% did not choose nny of the nllernn The present nnmnz dress code (or tives. Three couples did not think nt boys ( 1 e mnndotory tics nnd jackets) all nbout the question of the dress was npprO\fCd by 02 couples while 94 code. indicntcd disnpprovnl ln this Inst The wearing of pnnts by saris in group, one couple thot1ght the code Rarnaz was ::ipprovcd by 58 couples !!:hould be stricter, 78 thought that while 122 indicated their disnpprovnl boys should bl' permitted to nttend Two of the disappro\lmg couples �md school "1thout ties nnd Jackels as that pants should be allowC'd Ill cold long as there arc some mrn1mum weathC'r. Two sets of p:,rcnts who rcstncttons and 12 thought there answered yes thought that only dun should be no restrictions at nil Two garees should be forbidden This sets of parents thou�ht that only lies question was left bl::mk on five should be mandatory whale one set questionnaires.
May, 1971
THE RAM PAGE
Page 2
cfetter6 lo lhe Cdilor
Writing a Wrong First of all, everyone complains about how the Ramaz School should distill creativity in its students. I mean, in Ramaz enough different areas where individuals can exhale aren't offered. You know, "creative writings" are a primal example. First of all, this year Pioneer. instead of picking material, was forced to take whatever 1l could get a hold of. The reason for this is because no creative writing is taught inside Ramaz. There arc no creative ,vriting classes, clubs or even lessons of creative writing. This is all f1nc. But you know before any creative writing 1s encournged or taught we've got to learn how to write, and I mean write English gram matically and stylistically good. The thing is, at present, Ramaz. is alright in reading and in rithmetic, but not in riling. I mean in all four years in Ramaz, if you ask a senior they'll tell you that they've never gotten a com position from any English teacher corrected for grammar or style or latex. Once in a while a teacher would change something from "are.. to 1s" but that's it. We need some writing lessons poorly. The thmg 1s. we know or eventually learn our SAT words but whnt about writing good and luridly? First or all, English courses shouldn't be Just reading books at home or poetry in class and then tnlking about it m class and then writing once every few weeks' You know, before anything else we must be taught to be litcrnl. The editors or this paper know how kids write because we've gotten their unfettered writing, I mean they can wnte nnything they want for us in any shape or form. first of alt Like they can write for us creatively. Out of all or the letters, articles and spcc1C1c assignments we can tell that they are not bemg taught and don't know how to write mdccent Enghsh. First of all, for a fmi�h. let me say that it some adminimistrators don't buy all this stuff l"ve been saying about Ramaz kids writing really bad because they only sec the good wrihng in our paper, and if the Engllsh teachers don't believe that their students write badly because they've never got to sec any of these students writings, then ask them to write something for you, read it and then see 1f you still queer at this editorial, 11
A Lasting Legacy Most teachers, upon departing from a school. leave no tangible legacy to their students. They merely hope that the influence which they have ex erted during their tenure will continue after they have left. Perhaps they have Imparted to their pupils a love of learning, but there is no way that they can contmuc to acllvc>ly nurture this lovc This is not. the case with Mrs. 8(•r1e. The hbrary which she has di rected and upgraded will serve as a source or information and pleasure to countless students even after she is gone. Her devotion to education is per• mancntly embodied in the collection of books which has been under her care and supervision for more than a decade. Many students have taken her service for granted, not realizing the amount of work and effort wh.Jch go into the upkeep of a bilingual library. However, those who have sought to use the various collections have al ways found in J\trs. Berle a ready source of aid ,md knowledge. In short, the schooJ library will continue to serve Ramaz students m the years to come - and yet something will be missing.
The Rom's Horn:
Privileges or flights? By Nommi Nadlch
As I near the end of my Junior year I look forward with eagC'r an ticipation to the various privileges that I will enjoy during my last year in high school. These privileges include a greater voice in the curric ulum, a choice of electives, and ot course, freedom to leave the school building, However, I don't consider these prerogatives as privileges that should be granted to a person when he is "good" or when he reaches a certain ag�. They arc basic rights of each and every student. A school functions for the benefit of its students This is a fact that the administration must face. It is ab surd thot the curriculum 1s deter mined solely by the admm1strat1on. I am tired ot being forced to sit, day in ond day out, in classes which do
not interest me. I see no reason why representatives from each grade can not sit down with members of the administration and decide together on the curnculum of each particular grade. As for the ''privilege" of leaving the building during the school day, there 1s no need to explain the des perate need lor this freedom for all students. How docs the ndrninislra t1on expect to create an atmosphere conducive to the learning process when the school buildmg is like a walled city? Industrial workers rorm labor unions to protect the1.r rights. The students of Ramaz arc dcspcrntcly in need or n similar orgnnlzation. I sin cerely hope that the newly elected C.O. will be able to meet this need.
change on thC' basis of unfounded re Hgious considerations. before he was mformed about the plan. The letter in The Ram Page continued to focus on these irrelevant emotional issues. Now the facts: The purpose of the Regis project was to share education al ideas with another private high school of high academic standing. In the three visits to Regis which the secretary of the C.O. and I made to arrange a program, the only subjects discussed with our counterparts were educational methods and extra-cur ricular activities. Rehgion did not en ter into our discussions. Regis is not a Catholic school in the sense that Ramaz is a Jewish school. Regis stu dents are not expected to accept any basic religious beliefs as are Ramaz students. Religious studies are 1lm1ted to three penocls a week of theology. (One student told me his syJlabus consisted of studying Freud.) The whole atmospher. c is secular. At Regis we learned of many extra-curricular programs that could be beneficial to Ramaz. 1f students were exposed to them. When the administration's approv al of a 11m1tcd exchange progrnm was sought, the negative decision was an nounced before any description or the purpose or structure of the visit was given. It was assumed that the proJ ect was mtC'ndcd as an ecumenical Rampagcous Paper exercise nnd on that basis it was reDear Sirs: For a long time now I have meant\ Jected. Even if the re.[crences in Rabbi to 1<'11 you how much I hnvC' admired Look'-t t 111',;;, l('ltc,r to th<> S<'cond V:iti the integrity, honC'SlY, smcenty and can Council. the Six-Day \Var and rampngeous 111dcpendcncc of The Ram Page. My disagreement with the the Holocaust were valid points, they Columbia Scholastic Press Associa would be so only with respect to the tion is that they underrate you, (You issue of ecumenism. However, they should have taken first prize.) It is hnvc no relevance to the educational a great pleasure to sec your journal value of the project planned by the avidly read. discussed and criticized. student organ1zot1ons of Ramaz and Although I have sometimes disagreed Regis. The Regis administration did not with your policy, I have never ques lloned your d1scnminating intelli allow the question or whether the gence and impartial objectivity. Most Jews are Christ-killers to prevent important, I appreciate the inde their students from v1s1ting Ramaz. pendence of The It.am Pa:c and its The fact 1hat we did let similar con courage to report the news as it SN�s siderations dclc.rmmc our policy does not reflC'ct credit on our maturity, it.
Causes for Concern
Dear Sirs: We feel that the Ramaz student body is not doing enough for many important causes. The mriin reason for this inaction is the lack o:r pubhc1ty given to these causes. The students were unaware of a "hunger march" which was held on May 8. No posters or notices concern ing this event were d1spJaycd on the bulletin boards. Rallies pertaining to ecology and tbe prevention of birth defects were not publicized either. When 1t comes lo demonstrations for Soviet Jewry almost the whole school 1s Informed. \Ve feel that U1is 1s good because emphasis should be placed upon Jewish problems, but we also feel that the students should be aware of rallies and marchC's for other causes. An example or this neglect or wor thy causes and events is the G.O. assembly which was held on Martm Luther Kmg's birthday. Jt was ex tremely brief and very Little work was put into it. We hope that this problem will be solved by active and creative publicity and assembly com mittees. Laura Shragowitz Shelly Tenenbaum Class !Vy
\Vhat gives me the crcntest joy is to sec that the administration, while It may be sometimes in disagreement with what you publish, has fostered an atmosphere which has made pos sible the existence of such a contro versial paper. It is this whkh happily makes me proud of my 25-ycar relationship with Ramaz. :\tr, Ira Sherman Rama, LOW(>r School
The Regis Issue
Dear Sirs: Rabbi Haskel Lookstcln in his open letter relatin� to the Regis visit (The Ram Page, April). mentioned as one or his reasons for wr1tmg, the need to clarity the events leading up to U1c visit. This lack or clarity was due chiefly to Rabbi Lookstcin's own out of-hnnd rejection of the C'xchangc pion; his letter contused the issue even further. Rabbi Look:,tcin vetoed the ex-
David Maisel Class Vix
Mutual Apathy
Dear Sirs:. Lately, members oC the admmistra tion have accused Class Vx of being apathetic. ]( students are to show an mte.rest in school extending beyond their classrooms, the administration must show an interest m students ex tending beyond their tests and marks. Members of the administration were invited to attend the karate testing on Tuesday evening, May 4. Only one member appeared ::md he left 1mmcd1ately after his son was tested. In the future, we hope to sec mcreascd interest on the part of the adminis tration in our extracurricular achv1tu�s. Ilana Burstein Diane Comet Danny Kahn Elana Pecker Clc1ss Vx
THE OUT RAGE
Page 2
An Estival Festival
l\t· any nspccts or the Ramaz. Upper School curriculum arc currently being examined by teachers, students nnd administrators. Recently, a de sire has been expressed among students for courses in subJccts such ns Jewish philosophy, history or Zionism :rnd comparative religion. Many tcnchcrs and admm1slrators are sympathetic .towards these proposals. The secular studies have been enriched during the past yc�u- by the ndd1tion or Advanced Placement courses 10 English, French nnd European history. There has been talk of an A.P. course in biology and a workshop in jour nahsm. One ot the largest stumbling blocks on the road to these lrnprovc mcnts 1s the lack of time. It 1s difficult to add tllesc desirable courses to an already overloaded schedule. Unless a workabl<' solution to tlus prob lem 1s found. many proJected courses will never sec daylight. \Ve bchcvc that we have found a ,vorkablc solution. The school year should be extended into the month of July. Perhap:, this plan sounds dros hc, but the advantages to be gained arc manifold. Ramaz students obviously wish to explore new academic r1clds. The extension of the school year ,v1ll n11ow them to do so without sacriricing any or the trad1t1onal subJccts. The curtaihng or the summer vacation will reduce the chances or a student forgetting his French conju�atfons and lngonomctr1c 1dent1hes dunng the mte11m. Instead ot a student sccmg his years nt Ramaz as four separate periods or grueling work, he will sec them ns one long pcnod of grueling work. There are increasing signs that summer camps arc on the decline Perhaps Ramaz can lead the way to a new so1 t of summer experience ror Jcw1sh youth - school. Of course there arc other obvious benc!its. For example, Rabbi Mos ko,-.ntz will be able to produce an additional c-xtravaganza on the Fourth at July, The school might even invest in an air cond1honmg system for the classrooms to complement the one already present in the adm1mstrat1on ofhccs
Taking the Plunge Now that Ramaz is about to regretfully bid farewell to Mrs. Berlc-, we feel it is time that the school take a realistic look at the library. Isn't 1t a little foolish to have a room especially devoted to the rending needs of the Ramaz students., Ev('ryone knows that these needs can br, satlsCied by twenty-odd l\1011a1ch Notes and a couple or 1::i.::i.ucs of ;\faariv. The ltbra1) itself is only used for soc1al1zmc: and relaxing. Cculdn't these act1v1hcs be pursued just as well by the side of a modern swimming J>OOl? Therefore, we propose that the room which now houses the Ramaz Upper School library be converted into a modern swlmmmg pool. Per haps Room 404 could be equipped as a sauna. Many or the books could be sold to the highest bidder and the money could be used to buy bamboo poles and towels. The rest of the books could be placed in the Lost & Found. The hbrary furniture could be easily modihed to serve as beach chairs and massage tables. As tor adult superv1s1on during swunmmg hours, the portrait or Rabbi Joseph H. Looksteln which now hangs above the phonograph would surely suffice. H not, perhaps Mrs. Herman could be prevailed upon to serve as a lifeguard. Rumor has at that Mr. Rappnport 1s nn ace scuba.•d1ver, and maybe he would be wi11ing to give a comb111cd caotillat1on-nntation course. Durmg free periods and gym sessions, students would be allowed lo make use of the pool . Brief dips could be scheduled at various times dur ing the day. [n addition, the pool could be m�1dc available to the neigh borhood children (the boys !rom Regis, etc.) at certain times of the day. Of course, on Fridays the pool could easily double as a m1kvah.
published by The Ramaz Family 125 E. 85th St., New York. NY. 10028 - HA 7-1000 Editors in Chief
Mindy Lookstem News Editor
Binyamm Shudofsky
.. . . . . . .. . ..Rabbi Joseph II. Lookstcan Copy Edit-Or ..... ... . .....Rabbi Haskel Lookstcln 1•roofre3dtrs Rabbi Haskel Lookstcin. Rabbi Joseph IL Lookstein Student. Ad\'istrs ..........Richard Gribctz, Victor Schonfeld Contributors this issue .... . . .. Eugene Packin. Sarah Schachter, Ira Sterner, Michael \V1dlansk1. Diane \Vyschogrod Photorraphcr &his issue . .... . .. ... . . . . .. . ..Robert Miller Typists this Issue ... Blima Chopp, Kenny Eckstein, Ronnie Mann, Nommi Nad1ch, Dume \Vyschogrod
May, 1971
The Hom's Horn:
Lightening the Burden By ,varrcn Graham The p1'essure on Ramaz students term papers and advance copies of iJ as ,:rent as ever. Most students examination questions and answers. complain bitterly about the burdens Those students who utilized the ser of attending boring classes, the ted vices oC "Academic Aid·' were obli ious note taking, the nonsensical gated to donate all or their past homework assignments, the arduous graded homework assignments, term term papers and the torturous exam. pilpcrs and cxam111ations to the !nations. The administration and fa organization at the end or the school culty have done little to improve this year. Since the institution oC ''Academic situation. The students must help Aid" in Flatbush, students have themselves. described their academic burdens as Last year a group of concerned students m the Yeshiva of Flatbush "light as a leather." Flatbush faculty took steps to solve a similar problem members have also lauded the new or pressure. They created a student program because 1t assures them of run orgamzation called "Academic students who submit excellent assign Aid." Officially approved by the ments and do well on tests. ''Acad. Flatbush administration, the organ- cm1c Aid" could be the solution to 1zat1on attempted to lighten the the Ramaz students· problem. Stu studc.nts' load by offering ccrtatn free dents, faculty and administration services. Participating students were should investigate the possibilities for ottered a choice of completed home "Academic Aid" in Ramaz. It is cer work assignments, a wide selection of tainly worth an honest try!
J!etter6 lo lhe Cditor Shorter Breaks
Dear Sirs: The three-minute breaks between classes �hould be shortened. Too much time is wasted during these lengthy recesses. Many students have compla1nl�d or the cxccss1vc b1tul Torah. (neglect or Torah study) which results from all this free time. In the course of an 8:30-5:30 school day, there are 11 three-minute breaks. Thus more than a hair-hour 1s allotted to traveling between classes. This time could be used much morc- wisely. If students were given 16 seconds to get to theu- classes in stead of three minutes, the hme which would be saved could be used as an extra 30-minutc period. This period could be devoted to learning skills not ordinarily taught at Ramaz. For example, one could study book sorting with ?\Ir. Fierman. carpentry with Ralph. or telephonic commun1cahon with Be11e. Some students, un der the guidance of Mrs. Aphek, could just 1>rachce sprinting from room to room in order to get ready for those 16-second breaks. Wendy Apfel Class Vx
or Dr. Dock's doctoral thesis was? I think the administration had better keep an eye on him in order to !ind out what he is up to. Rebecca Nadelbach Class Vy
West
ide Storey
Dear Sirs: I would like to know the where abouts oC th<" sixth floor which be longs between the !11th and seventh floors on the west side of the Ramaz school buildmg, ,Vhcn I first entered the school, I never noticed that a floor was missing. Perhaps this was because or the hcchc pace of life and the mtcnsity of learning which is present m Ramaz. However, I soon became aware oC a definite lack be tween the r1(th and seventh floors. Then It hit me! One whole half or the sixth Cloor was not where it should be! Arter a year of fruitless search ing, I must admit that I have not uncovered a single clue. l ask the entire Ramaz family to help me in my Quest. There must be a good der.1 of hanky-panky going on in Rooms 601-604, wherever they may be. \Ve must locate the missing Socialist Studies? "storied walls and hallowed halls." Dear Sirs: Richard Thaler Class lily A situation exists 111 Rnmaz which the administration should be made aware of. Abricl�ecl Vcrsion Certain strange things have been Dear Sirs: going on m the history classes of Dr. It was with n great deal of dis Leon Bock. Dr. Bock seems always pleasure that I read the April issue to speak of and quote the same type oC The !um Pa&'•. I found that the of people: Karl Marx, Nikolai Lenin, memoirs which I had written were W. E. Dubois, Eugene V. Debs and abridged beyond recognition. All the David Dellinger. for example. He graphic language which I had used once devoted a ,vholc lesson to the to describe the Ramaz students. fac aims of the early S.D.S. Members or ulty nnd administration was deleted the Brandeis Club remember Dr. and replaced by ellipses. 1 can only Back's defense of socialism as the conclude that the editors of T11e Ram inevitable system for all nations. Page arc a bunch or . . . l wonder what the real subject Dr. Fnnnic Kreinen
Vol. I - No. I
Rabbi Corn Honored I
Mr. Marvin Hershkowitz, t.he coach of the Ramaz basketball team, disclosed that orders for next year's uniforms will include the purchase of a special outf.it for Rabbi Joel Corn, Through the yPnrs, R:1hh1 Corn h:i.s attended almost every Ramaz basketball game, fulfilling the duttcs of a chaperone and serving as a conslant source of consolation. His familiar figure has become a fixture among the empty benches and chairs which usually characterize a Ranurz home game. The team attendance award, annually given to the player or official who showed up at the most games. was easily captured by Rabbi Corn. Jra Steiner was the runner-up. The Rnms and their coach, finding themselves quite unoccupied with playoffs and le::igue honors, were able to spend a good deal of time choosing n suitable means of expressing their gratttude to Rabbi Corn. The idea of a urnform was f ma1ly tu t upon by a gradiwte of Ramaz, I\-lichael B�irtcl, \\.ho happened. to be \'l�II• ing the school that day. As Mike put i.t: "It has been proven that the purchase or uniforms is an effective and touchmg way of showing one's grahtude and appreciation." This sartorrnl scheme was heartily endorsed by the players as tailor-made for a " man of the cloth." Tile Unl·rorm ,,,i,,ch Rabbi' Corn will don next year will include a Jersey top (bearing the number 613 and the word "Corn"), a pair of shorts, W3rm-up pants and a warm.up 1ncket, all of the finest shaatnez. The ''civvies" which the rabbi has worn through his years of devoted attend ance at Ramaz baskctba11 games will be permanently retired and hung in the rnther spacious Rarnaz trophy case. The team also conferred upon the rabbi certain other pnv1Ieges. He will be aUowcd to partic1potc m the pre game warm-ups. One player suggest ed that Rabbi Corn be invited to at-
New Rules and Marking System Announced
Members of the odminlstration an nounccd that the existing attendance regulations for juniors nnd seniors will be totally restructured. The marking system will be revised, too. These changes will take effect in September. Upperclassmen will be allowed an unlinuted number of "cuts" and at tendancc will be compulsory only on testing days. However. the adminis tra.tion insisted that absent students will be held responsible for all matcrial covered m class. Mr. Noam Shudofsky expressed his hope that students will not ;'take advantage of the new laws Ill terms of exploiting them." The new system of grading wtll r equire teachers to base term m:irks only on exam results. rather th;m on cla,,;;room prirt1c1pat1on Or Robert Pct.luck does not see the chdnges as a new source of pressure on the stu dents. ''Now the smart kids can spend the whole school day cramming for their exams," he commented. When David Maisel, the ex-prcsi dent of the G.O., heard of the new attendnncc regulations and marking system reforms, he remarked, "I thought that was always the system " ___ _ ________ _ _ tend the scholarly discourses given by Coach Hershkowitz during half time. The rabbi would be able to help nail down all movable obJects and then could act as a sort of buffer between the coach's often splntcd outbursts and the players' often d1s p1rited bodies. \Vhen asked to comment on the team's decision to honor Rabbi Corn, Mr. Hershkowitz remnrked: "As long :is the r.1bbi wilt be su1t111g UP. pc>rhaps 1'11 use him to give a foul tn a close game - if such a situatwn should ever arise."
FLASH!
Investigation to Begin
Rabbi Joel Corn
An Irresponsible Publication
May, 1971
Link Discovered Be-tween Ramaz Administration and Barney's Clothes Store Secret bookkeeping nccounts m. dlcnte that the school has received large sums of money from Bar ney's. It is susp2cted that there is a connection between the admin1strat1on's enforcement or the dress code and the supposed kickbacks on sales of tics and Jackets that Ramnz 1s receiving,
Dr. Lieberman to Return Letters Reveal That Gentiles Must Go Dr. Sidney Z. Lieberman will re turn to Ramaz as headmaster next year after a one-year absence from that post. Documents found last month by supermlcndcnt Ralph Arc amano in the 2nd floor of!1ce of Rabbi Joseph Lookstcin have revealed Dr. Lieberman's reinstatement and other major changes in the makeup of the Ramaz administratwn and faculty. Dr. Lieberman, who has served as the principal or the Hillel School in Lawrence, N.Y., will replace Dr. Robert Pctluck and Rabbi Joshua Bnkst, the present headmasters of Ramaz. The future posiltons of Dr. Pctluck and Rabbi Bakst were not d1sclosed in the docume nts. Rabbi Bakst is expected to devote nil his c.fforts to the preparation of a new manual on chsc1pline for the Israeli army. In a letter addressed to Rabb1 JO�('ph L00k!',l('l!l, d;it('d Ap1 ,I 20. l)1 Lieberman disclosed the true reasons for his precipitous departure from Ramaz one year ago. At that time he was forced to contend with certain unruly and disruptive elements in the student body. As Dr. Lieberman re lated: Various factors convinced me 0
Wetsons Goes Kosher Ramaz Plays Part The owner of Wetson's Hambur ger Restaurant has recently an nounced lhat his orga111zahon will apply to the Union of Orthodox Con gregations for an O.U. design.it.ion. According to Mr. Wetson, Ramaz School c.in take much �rc<lit for mspiring this move. Wetson·s first contact with Judaism .ind kashntth came when the Parents Council of Rama.z solicited an ad from the eating place for its annual dinner-dance Journal. Since then Mr. Wetson has become 111triguecl with the idea of n mashgiach and 1s now planning to ''go the whole hog" to koshruth. In a recent 111tcrv1cw, the restaurateur said: "Since the Ramaz. Parents Council wns so opc.>n-minded as to nllow a non-kosher establish ment to advertise in its Journnl, I think that the only Christian thing to do now 1s to become kosher our5'elves." Mr Wctson has disclosed plans to emboss on all his menus the scr1ptl1r� al verse "Ye shall not. boil a kid 111 its mother's milk." The SUl'Ccssful ndvertismg of non-
Dr. Sidney Z. Llbcnnan that 1t was time to leave. Chief nmong these was the lifetime sub scnphon to Playboy magazine sent ti) my wife, for which I was recently billed $332 This prank and 0U1Crs were obviously the wo.-k of thc- same pu�1ll.m1mous scouncl, els "vho pub lished that obscene slanderous rag, The Alternative. The harassment in creased daily untiJ I just couldn't take It ..." In addHion to the change concern ing Dr. Lieberman, all non-Jewish faculty members wi.11 be asked to resign at the end of the spring semes ter. As Rabbi Haskel Lookstem put it, in a letter dated April 17: "Quite apart from loe1cal .inalys,s, r have ap proached this issue on a 'gut' level. I and the Ramaz pnrl'nts. who have experienced or 1cnrned about the Holocaust, the blood Jtbels and the endless persecution of the Jewish people, do not want such teachers in Ramaz. \Ve a.re not interested 111 this partlcular form of openness:• The Ram Page telephoned Dr. Lie berman for his comments on his re appointment. Dr. Lieberman answer ed curtly, "Wait 'tll you get yours''' D1. Pctluck's reaction to the news was, •·--, --." Rabbi Bakst s�dd, "I couldn't be more of a 'Ye-eke' if I were German. That's why the Isracl1s want me to put some d1s c1plme mto their army." Both Rabbis Lookste,n quipped, "No comment." ------------- kosher restaurants in the dinner dance Journal has prompted the edi tors of The Ram Page to reconsider their decision not to print such nd vertlscmcnts 111 the student newspa per. One member of The Ram Page staff said: "Perhaps we will be able to convince Child's Pancake House to adhere to kashruth m lhc same way that the Parents Council influ enced Wetson's \Voudn't 1t be bala bat1sh 1f we could prevail upon Child's to serve only m11chigs and Leo's to serve only Jle1sluos!'