The Rampage
Volume XXXXV Number 6
The Ramaz Upper School
May 2012/Iyar 5772
Sixty-Four Years of Israel: Rachel Huebner ‘13
On the morning of Thursday, April 26th, the auditorium was filled with almost four hundred and fifteen students dressed in blue and white in honor of Yom Ha’atzmaut. The day’s festivities began with school-wide shacharit followed by a musical performance by members of the IDF band. Students then participated in a chagiga led by the Maccabeats’ Craig Resmovits ‘09, listened to a speech delivered by Ms. Krupka, and attended sessions by guest and teacher presenters. The day concluded with a performance of some of acts from Beit Cafe and the annual Yom Ha’atzmaut lunch of pita, falafel, hummus, and blue and white cupcakes. Despite the sparse attendance of the “yoms” t in the past, almost all the freshmen, sophomores, and juniors (and many seniors) showed up in school to celebrate Israel’s birthday. Many attributed
Yom Ha’atzmaut at Ramaz
this to the punitive measures students thought would be taken against them if they cut school for the day. “I think that the fact that people knew they would get in trouble if they didn’t come contributed to the large attendance,” said Alison Molchadsky ’14. “Because many freshmen were suspended for not going on their matzahbaking trip, people were nervous about [creating] a similar situation. Also, the school sent out an email beforehand about attendance.” Others believed that while the freshmen
episode did contribute to the high attendance, there were other factors that affected people’s decisions as well. “I guess in the back of people’s minds they were scared of any possible consequences,” said Thalia Sharon ’13. “But I feel
like people didn’t even realize when Yom Ha’atzmaut was this year so they didn’t think to stay home,” she said. Mr. Miller commented that “the
Much Ado About Something Rachel Kahtan ‘13 A teacher is onstage. This is highly unusual. Is it a lecture? Are the students in trouble? No, it is simply the latest incarnation of the Ramaz drama production. This year, because of the multitude and difficulty of the parts in Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, faculty members held cast positions alongside students. This provided not only a more experienced group of performers, but brought a comedic element to an already quite witty play. Students in the play enjoyed working with faculty actors. One cast member discussed how she became closer with some of her teachers. Another said, “it was really
whole theme of the year has been community and being responsible for one another, not in a punitive sense.” The performance by the IDF group was the highlight of the day for a majority of students. The four singers who came to Ramaz were part of the IDF band that performs for military units in Israel. These singers perform for the soldiers to help alleviate the pressure and stress that soldiers experience. “I could tell that the soldiers were really passionate about the land of Israel and their
singing. Their enthusiasm was contagious; it was amazing how they inspired so many students. Having Israeli soldiers sing for us on Yom Ha’atzmaut was so meaningful,” said Sophie Mintz ’12. “It was a nice addition to the usual Yom Ha’atzmaut festivities.” Ms. Krupka delivered an informative and engaging speech addressing our connection to Israel and homesickness for the land that resonated with many. “I believe that Ms. Krupka’s talk appealed to every member of the student body and she found a way to balance her jovial style with the important message that she sought to get across,” said David Schwerdt ’13. “As always, Ms. Krupka managed to deliver her message with clarity and enthusiasm in a way which appealed to all her listeners.” Continued on Page 2
Holocaust Remembered Layla Malamut ‘14
hard to keep a straight face [because] the teachers were so funny.” Likewise, students in the audience enjoyed watching their teachers on stage as well. After all, Shakespeare can sometimes be difficult to follow. It can be tough for a high school student to un-
that she “thought that it was good that the teachers were involved in the play. It added to the experience. It was great that Mr. Deutsch finally realized and admitted his true nature.” Gil Refael ’13, simply stated that the play was “entertaining.”
derstand the fast-flying witty dialogue between Benedict and Beatrice. The addition of teachers to the cast created a universally understood and enjoyed hilarity that took no extra effort to process. One sophomore asked to remain anonymous when she joked
The teachers also enjoyed participating in the performance. Dr. Honig said, “it was an exhilarating experience to be onstage again, especially with my students.”
On April 19, Yom HaShoah, the school commemorated the lives of those who perished in the Holocaust. The program began with the listing of family names in stark silence, and an introduction by Robyn Saad ‘12. Then Jason Abramson ’12 spoke about his own personal relationship with the Holocaust and the way he has come to deal with it. His middle name, although unusual-sounding and slightly embarrassing, was in fact given to him in memory of his grandmother who died in the concentration camps. He never appreciated its significance until it was revealed to him, but now he is prouder of it than ever. This, along with the recollection of his experience on the senior Poland trip, brought him to tears on the stage. “I could tell that the Holocaust survivors listening to Jason speak were touched to know that their memory would still remain even after they were gone,” said Leora Huebner ’14. Rabbi Goldmintz and Ms.
Fagin then spoke separately about their connections to the Holocaust, emphasizing the crucial theme of the challenge future generations face of finding ways to help them personally grasp the full impact of the cataclysm and make it “their own.” The speakers emphasized the importance of preserving the Holocaust not only as a historical memory but also as an active pursuit of the mitzvah of zachor. Rabbi Stechler and his grandmother, Mrs. Helen Stechler, came up last to speak about the way crucial decisions can shape our lives, and Mrs. Stechler’s experience in the Holocaust. In the ghetto, she was in charge of smuggling potatoes to her friends and family using falsified food stamps. One day, the Gestapo found the food stamps, and she took full blame. She was sent to a concentration camp and survived. After moments of silence, taking in the full impact of the Continued on Page 2
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The RamPage News
Reading by the Numbers Esti Flammenbaum ‘14
Many classes require reading, from textbook chapters in history and science, to perakim in Chumash. Students learn vocabulary and grammar in foreign language courses, and of course read novels for English. One class reading is not necessarily expected in, though, is math. But for the past couple years, several of the teachers in the math department have been assigning books to students, either as homework or extra credit. Last year, Ms. Turk’s Honors Geometry class was assigned the novel Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott Abbott. Second semester extra credit for Dr. Koplon’s sophomore Honors Algebra and Trigonometry class is the Japanese novel The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa. Other math teachers have read non-fiction books with their classes, such as Simon Singh’s Fermat’s Enigma. While it may seem odd that math classes are assigned reading, it may actually provide students with a better understanding of the material. All the books are about math and discuss shapes, numbers, and theo-
Beren Plays Ball Jeremy Hoffman ‘13
ries. Dr. Koplon, head of the math department, believes reading serves as a useful tool for many math students. “Different students learn in different ways, so I like to bring in different methods of assessment,” she said. “Not everybody’s so good at taking a test.” Variety in assessment isn’t the only reason for these books. “It’s also an opportunity,” explained Dr. Koplon, “to show kids some of the math that’s outside the usual high school curriculum.” For example, Flatland explores the concept of dimensions. The Housekeeper and the Professor teaches number theory, and Fermat’s Enigma goes through the process of proving a theorem and examines interesting bits of mathematical theory and history. The math department seems to enjoy using books in its classes, whether they are fiction or non-fiction, extra credit or mandatory. The teachers have been using books in their classes for several years now, especially the last four or five, choosing from whichever interesting math-related books come under their radar.
On Friday morning, March 23, a special assembly was held at the conclusion of davening. The program educated students about the recent controversy regarding the Beren Academy in Houston, Texas. The yeshiva’s basketball team was denied permission to move the TAPPS (Texas Association for Private and Parochial Schools) basketball championship from Saturday to a different day in order to avoid forfeiting the championship game. Mr. David Edelman, Ramaz parent and attorney, as well as constitutional attorneys Mr. Nathan Lewin and Ms. Alyza Lewin, filed the federal lawsuit that resulted in the change of date of the game, and addressed the assembled school. Mr. Edelman opened by briefly summarizing the events that occured. TAPPS had scheduled its championship game for a Saturday. When Beren made the game, it asked for a schedule change. TAPPS denied the request, claiming it was inconvenient. On March 1, Beren filed a lawsuit for religious discrimination and the change was made. In the championship game, after cutting a 14-point deficit to two with less than 30 seconds left, Beren ended up losing to Abilene Christian by four points. Ms. Alyza Lewin, of Lewin & Lewin, spoke next. “Being a Modern Orthodox Jew in a secular world is challenging,” she began. “Observing the Sabbath is not easy.” She explained that what happened with Beren Academy wasn’t simply about a Modern Ortho-
Yom Ha’atzmaut Continued from Front Page The sessions by both guest speakers and faculty members provided an opportunity for students to learn about Israel from different perspectives. Many speakers discussed Israel’s contributions to the world today, while the Judaic studies teachers chose to focus on biblical or religious connection to the land. Through this educational part of the day, students appreciated Israel to a fuller extent and were inspired by its major contributions to society. The Yom Ha’atzmaut festivities ended with a performance of a few of the acts
May 2012/Iyar 5772
that were presented at Beit Cafe in February. Such acts included dances, songs, skits, and speeches to celebrate Israel. These performances were completely in Hebrew and many students appreciated the opportunity to see their talented friends perform in front of the school. The day as a whole was a major success in the eyes of many. “It was a great day because it was an opportunity for us as a school to come together outside of the classroom, celebrate Israel, and just have fun!” said Elle Fried ’13.
dox school asking non-Jews to change their policy for them. TAPPS was also discriminating against other nonSunday Sabbath observers, e.g.. Seventh Day Adventists. The Burton Academy, a Seventh Day Adventist School, was excluded from competing in the TAPPS basketball championship three times previously because of Saturday Sabbath observance. Also, TAPPS has no Muslim school participants, as the application presented to those wishing to join was intrusive. One question asked was why they were interested in an organization when their religion directly opposes its affiliation. TAPPS director Edd Burleson was vehemently against changing the date. “If you make exceptions,” Burleson explained to washingtonian. com, “we no longer have rules.” He went on, “Why should we allow one or two or three schools to dictate what 120 other schools do?... I don’t recall ‘inclusive’ being in our constitution.” Because Beren didn’t want to issue a statement against TAPPS, sice other associations wouldn’t want to admit them as a result, Lewin & Lewin stepped in. “We didn’t want [Beren] to stand by and let somebody trample on their rights,” said Ms. Lewin. “We wanted to stop the bully on the basketball court.” She then introduced her father, Mr. Nathan Lewin, who fought for many religious and civil rights cases in the past. He drafted an amendment to the Civil Rights Act which protected practice of religion (e.g. permission to take time
off for holiday) and fought for “comp-time,” which would allow one to make up for lost holiday time. He began with an anecdote about when he first wanted to become a lawyer. At Ramaz elementary school, his teacher, Ms. Curtis, told him he was a “Philadelphia lawyer,” and that’s when he knew he was tough. After graduating Harvard law school, he wanted to become a Supreme Court clerk. As there was no Civil Rights Act yet, he couldn’t get the job because he was a Sabbath observer. He was told that to become a lawyer, he needed to make himself available and get dispensation from your Rabbi.” He also told the students about a rule in the military that stated that soldiers could not wear anything on their heads indoors. A chaplain in the air force wore his kippah and was told he couldn’t. In Goldman v. Weinberger (1986), Goldman was denied the right to wear his yarmulke, as the Free Exercise Clause and the First Amendment did not apply to the military in the same way it did to civilian society. After a camouflage yarmulke was made in Grenada, and was sent around to congressmen, the law was passed permitting soldiers to wear it. Students left understanding the message. “It’s such a kiddush hashem that those kids refused to play,” said Ally Goldstein ’13. “It reflected the true meaning of observing Sabbath.”
Yom HaShoah Continued from Front Page words spoken aloud, everyone was then sent to separate rooms to hear about different survivors’ experiences. One of the speakers was Karl Schapir, who was born in Kalush, Poland in 1934. Mr. Schapiro’s life suddenly changed in 1939, when the Russians invaded Kalush as part of the partition of Poland. When he was seven, Karl and his family were forced into a Ghetto. After being sent to a German labor camp in an attempt to
escape the ghetto, Karl spent two or three months hidden in the corner of his aunt and uncle’s workroom. One day, a young Polish man took Karl to a farmhouse, and told him to remove a handful of straw that led into a hidden hole, where he was reunited with his parents. He remained in a four foot cubicle and never saw the light of day until 1944 when they were finally liberated. Although some students
found the day extremely moving, others failed worried that it would be difficult to connect to the Holocaust during the Yom Hashoah assembly. “Having the whole school come together to commemorate this event was really powerful,” said Dalia Kohlhagen ’13. “But at the same time, I see the Holocaust survivors dying out and I wonder what will be of the next generation.”
May 2012/Iyar 5772
Chorus Caravan Michal Huebert ‘14 On Thursday, April 26, 35 of Ramaz Upper School’s choir members embarked on their three-and-a-half-day trip to Maryland immediately after the Yom Ha’atzmaut festivities at school. The vocally talented students had for months been excitedly anticipating the outing, which was dubbed “the Washington Trip,” though the choir never technically ventured to D.C. After spending several hours on the coach bus, which turned out to be a common recurrence, the Ramaz choir arrived at Chizuk Amuno, a conservative synagogue in Baltimore. The
“[Eleanor] really helped us improve our singing.” Immediately after the lesson, the choir put on powerful performances at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School (JDS) and the Hebrew Home of Greater Maryland. Afterward, the choral group kicked back and enjoyed the sun in a local forest. The singers then ventured to Silver Spring, home of a thriving and hospitable Jewish community, and stayed there for Shabbat. They spent the day socializing with local high school students and performing for the Kemp Mill Synagogue
group performed an array of Jewish musical arrangements including Renaissance-flavored pieces and modern day Israeli songs. The audience responded enthusiastically and sang along, even joining the choir onstage for the songs that they knew. After this successful start to the trip, the choir was inspired and on Friday morning woke up early to attend a choral lesson from Eleanor Epstein, director of Zemer Chai, a renowned Jewish choir in Washington D.C. “It was great,” said choir member Emma Handlin ’13.
community. “I had so much fun. We all hung out and sang and it was just incredible,” said Rachel Kastner. After motzei shabbat the choir went to Dave and Buster’s arcade and concluded the trip with a celebratory pizza dinner. Early Sunday morning, the choir departed to New York. “Best. Trip. Ever. I can’t wait ‘til next year!” exclaimed Elle Fried. And it appears that all the choir members felt similarly, though upon returning they were far too exhausted to say so.
The RamPage Editorial Staff Editors-in-Chief Zahava Presser Michael Schumeister Associate Editors Rebecca Brill Jake Sarachek News Editor Zach Eckstein Arts Editor Carly Stern Opinion Editor Ariella Lerner
Photo Editors Daniella Deutsch Andrea Edelman Junior Editors Jeremy Hoffman Rachel Huebner Nina Rohr Faculty Advisor Dr. Steven Milowitz
The RamPage News
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Should Teachers Have Opinions? Rachel Huebner ‘13 How much personal information should a teacher in Ramaz share with his or her students? What teachers tell students, especially in high school, has an enormous impact on what and how students think. A student at this age makes decisions and develops viewpoints that will help form his or her adult identity. “A teacher’s job is to help shape our opinions,” said Ally Goldstein ’13. “When they share their beliefs we listen to what they have to say, and if they express what they believe well, then we will agree with that.” “Students look to their teachers to develop their own opinions,” said Dr. Warshall. Dr. Jucovy believes that, considering the strong impact of family and friends on students’ opinions, teachers’ impact on their personal views seems marginal. “Teachers have little influence on things that are important to students,” said Dr. Jucovy. Dr. Stone likened the pedagogical effect on the student body views to “a tug boat pushing a super tanker. It might nudge it, but it doesn’t push it in a whole new direction.” Many students and faculty members have differing opinions regarding whether teachers should share their political views with their students. “Teachers sharing their views and forcing us to believe what they believe are two different things,” said Aaron Kohl ’13. “It’s good to hear other people’s beliefs and that can maybe help us decide what’s right.” But when sharing political opinions, it is important that teachers do so “with an awareness of the impact on the students’ learning,” said Mr. Kuck. “If a teacher is expressing his or her political views, it has to be with an eye to challenging students and encouraging them to think independently and debate.” Many who believe that the school does not prohibit teachers from sharing their political beliefs think it is important that teachers be aware of the way in which they express themselves. “The line between stating an opinion and promoting a value is one every teacher in a high school setting has to be careful of,” said Ms. Krupka.
It becomes problematic when a teacher becomes dogmatic and seeks to promote an ideology. “I don’t see a real line,” said Rabbi Schimmel. “Sharing and promoting will become the same thing; the difference gets blurred.” Dr. Zeitchik believes that this line can be understood and should be fully acknowledged by each teacher. He mentioned former Supreme Court justice Potter Stewart and a case when he was asked how to define pornography. “He said ‘I know it when I see it.’ How do you know when a teacher crossed the line? I would say it’s similar, you know it when you see it.” But many think that the classroom isn’t the place for teachers to share their political views with students. “I don’t think they should share their opinions becomes politics are much more individualized and not for a group discussion,” said Brandon Cohen ’14. Many students and faculty members who agree with Cohen think that there would perhaps be a difference if a student were to discuss these matters privately with a teacher. Ramaz being a Modern Orthodox Jewish day school, religion becomes an even more complicated matter. Although the school is religiously affiliated, many teachers are unsure if that precludes them from stating their religious beliefs. Some feel that even if a teacher’s religious views conflict with the school’s core values, he or she should still be permitted to share his or her beliefs. “I get where the school mission statement is coming from, but we should be informed about what other beliefs are like,” said Julia Lustig ’15. “Also, we all already know that some teachers believe in other things.” “It’s hard for me to justify censorship,” said Mr. Klotz. Since students will be exposed to a variety of beliefs once they leave for college, many believe teachers should play a role in preparing students for this experience. “It’s okay to highlight to students what certain practices of Judaism look like outside Judaism,” said Dr. Gaylord. “It’s okay to show that a certain Jewish practice may seem silly outside Judaism,
although it’s not silly. It’s important to be an observant Jew despite those things.” Some feel that when a teacher decides to teach at Ramaz, he or she relinquishes the right to articulate opinions that differ with the school’s core values. If a teacher were asked why he or she did not believe in God, “the teacher should avoid answering that,” said Dr. Jucovy, “for there is a moral responsibility in being here. Part of the social and legal contract expectation is that you’ll do nothing to undermine Orthodox Judaism.” “It might not be the best idea for teachers to express these opinions,” said David Major ’15, “because it could make some students uncomfortable.” Mrs. Weinstein expressed that students tend to be very taken by their teachers and their beliefs. “Students look up to their teachers. They respect them,” she said. Some think that if a student engages a teacher who’s not a spiritual adviser in a conversation about religion, the teacher should refuse to speak about the matter. He or she should simply that “It’s not a question that I can answer or that I’m comfortable answering,” Mrs. Weinstein said. “I can talk to a kid about how to handle an ethical dilemma,” Mr. Lupinacci said, “but in the realm of religious issues, I would tell someone to go to a rabbi.” Numerous students and faculty members believe that teachers should refrain from sharing any sort of personal belief. “I feel as though our job is to be the role of a midwife,” said Mr. Lupinacci. “As Socrates says, our job is to help give you birth to your ideas; you should develop them yourself. Anything having to do with opinion is cultivated and not given. I wouldn’t discuss my personal beliefs with students.” Eddie Mattout ’15, agreed that teachers should not be able to state their political or religious beliefs because, “living in the Modern Orthodox Jewish world with so many teachers with diverse backgrounds, those two topics can be very sensitive.” Mr. Miller stated, “I don’t think that any teacher should be espousing a personal ideology.”
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The RamPage Photospread
May 2012/Iyar 5772
School-Wid
Celia Eydeland ‘13 After a month of anticipation and two cancellation scares, the Lag Baomer outing finally arrived on May 9. Lag Baomer marked the first ever school-wide trip not to fall over Shabbat, leaving three hundred and two students unsure of what to expect. Despite the difficulty of acquiring the student body’s participation, many who were
initially reluctant to go on the trip ultimately valued their experience. “Normally, I don’t attend these school-wide trips, but I’m so glad I did this time. I almost didn’t go because of work stress,” said Sarah Myers ‘13. “But relaxing with my friends turned out to be exactly what I needed.” Indeed, many students agreed that the school achieved a
community-building experience by insisting on a high attendance rate. Upon their arrival at Camp Seneca Lake, students were given leisure time and then enjoyed a barbeque dinner. Afterward, the students were treated to an entertaining show by hypnotist Brad Henderson. The students then had the option of either relaxing or participating in the
vast array of activities available on the campgrounds. The night concluded with a bonfire.”The best part was [having] options,” said Julia Scherzer ’13. “You could chill but you could also do activities if you felt like it. It was nice to not have everything so structured for once.” The following day included a thoughtful speech from Brad
Henderson regarding the importance of seeing past one’s expectations, followed by free time and sports. At two-thirty, the students boarded the buses to begin their journey home. While the students ended up spending fewer than 24 hours at Seneca, many felt they benefited from the outing. “As a freshman, I really liked this trip and the bonding time it
May 2012/Iyar 5772
The RamPage Photospread
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de Memories
gave,” said Emma Rosen ‘15. “I got to know so many more people.” Some students felt the brevity of the trip ideal as it provided a break from the pressures of school without taking away time from the weekend, a time many use to be productive. Some students, however, were not particularly fond of the trip’s timing
due to the heavy workload that week and otter coinciding events. “I was on NORPAC and the school apparently values teacher-student hockey games more than AmericanIsraeli affairs,” said James Goldberg ‘13, who attended the Washington D.C. conference instead of the rugged trip. Another complaint was that although the abundance
of free time was relaxing, it also provided an environment not conducive to the decorum expected of Ramaz students. Ms. Klitenik said that “the disrespect students displayed towards faculty, guests, and students while they were trying to speak publicly was disappointing.” Nevertheless, even a few complaints could not detract from the overall
experience of Ms. Klitenik’s first school-wide trip. “I learned that if I ever want students’ attention in the classroom, I ought to dramatically slip and fall, preferably in wet mud! But seriously, the Lag Ba’omer trip was a full mind, body, and soul experience, and while the open environment enabled all participants to engage with each other in
meaningful ways.” Indeed, a trip that almost didn’t lasting impression on nearly everyone who attended.
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The RamPage Opinions
Write On for Israel Rachel Huebner ‘13
On February 19, I, along with nearly sixty other students, boarded a plane bound for Israel as part of Write On For Israel. Write On For Israel is a two-year Israel advocacy program run by The Jewish Week. The program includes seven full-day Sunday sessions during junior year, in which participants hear from a variety of speakers about Israel and the problems it faces today. The purpose of this program, (which is funded by the Avi Chai foundation) is to prepare the participants for the anti-Israel sentiment that they may encounter on college campuses and to teach them how to persuasively defend our country. The advisors, who are college students, and directors of the program continuously warned us before our February departure date, “this trip isn’t a teen tour. If you’re looking for that, then this isn’t the right place for you.” The purpose of the trip was to meet with political figures about Israel’s current situation, visit strategic points in Israel to discuss their history and the current controversy surrounding them, and hear from the supposed coldblooded murderers themselves. From the moment that we stepped off the plane at 6:40 a.m. until our arrival at the airport to return home a week later, our days were packed with countless informative activities. The trip included many memorable experiences, such as visiting the Israeli Foreign Ministry (we are the only high school group allowed inside each year), a session with Khaled Abu Toameh, a well-known Arab Affairs Correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, a briefing with the regional commander of the IDF in Gush Etzion, and a lecture from Mark Regev, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s spokesperson. There were two highlights of the trip that taught me particularly important lessons and resonated with me to a great extent. The first highlight for me was visiting Sderot. Sderot, a town one mile away from Gaza, has experienced over 13,000 rocket attacks in about eleven years; 3,200 rockets landed there in 2008 alone. Although Sderot has appeared in media outlets because of
the continuous attacks against it, the concept of a town that is under a constant threat had always felt distant to me. I had heard how dangerous it was, but in the past few years when I have visited Israel, while sitting in my hotel in Jerusalem, just miles away from Sderot, I couldn’t even sense anything unusual. Visiting the city was something totally surreal. The first things that alerted me to the danger were the number of times in the days leading up to our visit that Rabbi Yotav Eliach, told us that he was in daily contact with army officials to make sure it was safe for us to visit that day, and the tank-like bullet-proof bus that we rode in. When we finally stepped out of the bus under a clear blue sky, I looked around me and realized that there was not a person in sight. We then entered a building. Our speaker waited until he had our complete attention and told us to listen extremely carefully to him. “If at any moment during your visit here the alarm goes off, you have fifteen seconds to run to the nearest bomb shelter until the rocket hits. Does everyone understand me? ” Fifteen seconds, he stressed again and again. That was all the time any man, woman, or child, had to run to safety to survive. For the rest of our time there, most of us were uneasy. We walked around touring the city, observing the desolate blocks. Not a single person was outside and there were no cars driving on the streets. We saw a school that had dozens of bullet holes in it and a playground whose sculptures were hollow because they were in fact bomb shelters. As we made our way back to the bus, we suddenly heard an alarm go off. Our eyes widened in fear, and some of us even began to run to the bomb shelter we had just visited. It turned out that it was simply a car alarm, but every sound that day made us jump and feel as though our lives were in immediate danger. This wasn’t some far-off threat that we read about in the newspaper; we were there, looking out into Gaza. This was reality. A second highlight of the trip-- the best part of the trip for many-- was a Torah dedication ceremony in which
we participated on the last day of our trip. At Israel’s Mount Herzl cemetery last year, the Write On Class of 2012 met a grieving mother and father. The Write On class undertook an enormous project: to help the Deris donate a Torah in memory of their fallen son. They raised thousands of dollars, and our class was privileged to present the Torah to the Deri family. We watched the sofer transcribe the final words on the Torah scroll, we danced through the streets with the Torah in front of dozens of cars stopped behind us, and attended a ceremony at the Deris’ shul. We watched Erez Deri’s old friends come together to remember him, and witnesses his family’s tears of sadness and joy at the Torah that they had wanted to donate for their son since his death. To me, this revealed a very important aspect of Israeli society. We may hear it all the time on days like Yom Hazikaron, but everyone in Israel knows someone who was killed while valiantly fighting to protect their country. Entire households, villages, and towns are affected by these losses on a daily basis. Also, even to the most secular Israelis, Judaism provides comfort and meaning to their lives. Although many of the Deris’ guests were completely secular, they too had wished to donate a Torah in honor of the memory of their friend, comrade, brother, or cousin. Israel is comprised of many sorts of people from all ends of the spectrum, but these people coalesce to form a single people with a Jewish identity. Israel needs us. The American-Jewish relationship is vital in ensuring Israel’s wellbeing, and it is up to us to ensure that America maintains a close relationship with Israel. We are the soon-to-be leaders, we are the ones who are going to have to fight Israel’s fight, and this trip trained me to fight for Israel in the battle of world public opinion.
February 2012/Shvat 5772
Worth the Sacrifice: Lag B’Omer Overnight
Jon Herman ‘13
On Wednesday, May 9, at 3 p.m., 302 students boarded buses for this year’s schoolwide Lag Ba’omer excursion. In the days leading up to the event, many doubted that it would take place at all due to lack of interest among the student body. But the administration’s campaigning and school-wide addresses secured enough students’ commitment. One aspect of the program that the school did especially well, arguably the most important part, was the itinerary. Unlike on shabbatonim, the administration did not schedule sessions or an excessive number of divrei torah. The only mandatory event, aside from davening, was Brad Henderson’s hypnosis show, and whether you believed it was real or not, you have to admit, it was entertaining watching students do the things they did. Students also enjoyed playing sports and gathering around the bonfire. The most common complaint about the outing was the amount of time spent on buses. The fact that the entire trip was only one day made the eight-hour round-trip bus ride feel even longer. Some opted to avoid teachers’ company and the long bus ride by meeting up with friends at home. Other students decided not to attend due to the inclement weather, expecting the fields to be too muddy to be used. The juniors who did not attend mostly did so the most valid reason: to finish their history papers. The deadline for the ten-page paper was the Monday after the trip, so it is understandable that students would be willing to miss out on a one-day trip to get their papers in on time. For this reason, the junior grade had the lowest number of students in attendance on the program. However, to reward the juniors who attended the program, Mr. Miller extended the deadline of the history paper for a week. This was a huge relief to the students who felt they lost a day and a half of work by attending the trip. As for the students who decided not to go on the trip, many would have gone had they been offered the extension
beforehand and felt slighted that they were excluded from the extra time. But Mr. Miller did not want the extension to be an incentive to go on the trip, he explained when he unveiled the boon to the juniors after Shacharit on Thursday. He felt that the extension was a necessary reward to the students who put the school community before their own schoolwork. Some students were unhappy with this decision, because many of the students who were afforded the extension were the students who needed it least, which is why they were able to attend. Conversely, the juniors who needed the time the most did not get the extension. One question that still remains is whether this is an upgrade from the usual school-wide y. Many students enjoyed the long weekend in past years because they liked being surrounded by friends and the spiritual atmosphere. However, this one-day excursion was in many ways an upgrade. Having the event on a weekday avoided uncomfortable religious conflicts and long Shabbat davening. This Wednesday-Thursday trip also offered a reprieve that breaks up the long school week rather than taking up the weekend, leaving students exhausted on Monday. And for the million-dollar question: was it worth attending the trip? The answer is yes. Unless you had anything better to do on a regular Wednesday, there was no reason not to go. The program hosted a majority of students, so staying home just to be with friends is not a convincing excuse. For juniors, the paper extension alleviated the stress of work, and if you are not a junior, you should not be stressing about work anyway. There was nothing to be lost by going on the trip, so that already makes attendance worthwhile. As for activities, the weather was dry enough to allow for use of the fields, and the free time that the schedule granted allowed for a good time. So what if the bus ride was a little long, and the trip a tad short? Attending the excursion was definitely a worthwhile investment.
May 2012/Iyar 5772
The RamPage Arts
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Hungry for More Skyler Levine ‘15 Thursday, March 22, I went to see The Hunger Games at midnight. I waited online for three hours with my friends looking at all the people dressed in their Hunger Games costumes. The theater was filled to capacity and there was excitement in the air. In my experience, movies generally pale in comparison to the books on which they are based. The Hunger Games movie is no exception. The book certainly paints a more graphic picture of all the characters’ emotions, especially their fear. In addition, the relationship between Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, the “star-crossed lovers” from District 12, is much better portrayed in print. There are many scenes in the movie that would not fully be understood had someone not read the book first. Details that seem crucial to the book, when one is reading, are skipped entirely or quickly
Jeremy Hoffman ‘13
passed over in the film. Nonetheless, The Hunger Games Movie was thrilling, suspenseful and thoroughly enjoyable to watch. It was especially fun watching the handsome faces of Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson throughout the movie. Jennifer Lawrence was also a riveting and beautiful in the role of Katniss Everdeen. I thought the movie was exhilarating. While not as graphic and exciting as the book, I enjoyed seeing everything I had enjoyed reading and imagining played out on screen. Although the storyline is based on murder, the movie did not display the violence in a graphic manner. Instead, murder scenes were rushed and blurry. The scenes made clear what happened, but
the details were not a focus. The majority of scenes in the movie, with the exception of
the final one, were perfectly detailed and almost exactly how the book had described.
The depiction of the districts’ poverty and suffering as well as the opulence of the Capital was excellent. The layout and minutiae of the arena was also most impressively portrayed. Most was exactly how I had imagined it. The dynamics whereby the Careers (the tributes from the wealthier districts) worked together to control the resources, the incredible agility with which Katniss climbed trees to hide or rest, and the ominous and stressful reality that the characters were constantly watched and never safe, were perfectly portrayed and relayed in the film. Overall, I still believe that a good read of The Hunger
Games is superior to the movie experience. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the movie, found it to be entertaining and well done, and highly recommend it. If you have not yet read the book (and its two sequels), I strongly suggest reading them before seeing the movie. Knowledge of The Hunger Games, as obtained from the novel, will better elucidate the details described in the movie. However, if you are not a big reader, or simply don’t have the time, I still suggest you see the movie, as you will only be confused for a few small parts. Regardless of your reading history, The Hunger Games is a worthwhile film as the storyline is compelling (yet disturbing) and the characters are riveting. Also stay tuned for the sequel to this story, Catching Fire, which I eagerly anticipate and will be in the theatres in the fall.
Motherly Love
Across 3.Wrote famous song about his mother Donda 5. _____ Mama wrote her most famous rap Lip Gloss in 2007 6. First celebrated unofficially in 1908 by Anna ______ 9. Most popular Mother’s Day flower red _________ 10. The _______ released “Mama Said” in 1961 12. This golfer’s mother Mary was diagnosed with breast cancer just weeks after his wife was, Phil 13. This Celtic’s mother looks quite like him and watches him drill 3’s 14. It is the ______ most popular holiday in the world Down 1. His mother advises the Science Olympiad team 2. Nadya ________, Octomom 4. Ethnicity of Derek Jeter’s mom 7. This hormone is secreted during child birth and causes affection 8. Mother’s day made official holiday under his presidency 11. This “Knocked Up” star recently adopted her second child 13. Mother teaches BC Calc 14. This math teacher became a mom this year
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The RamPage Sports
Sports News in Brief Skyler Levine ‘15
Ramaz Swim Team, Est. 2012
Ramaz’s extensive list of extra-curriculars has just gotten a bit longer, with the addition of a girls’ swim team. The team was started by captains Sydney Sarachek ’14 and Ester-Malka Issever ‘14. The team is coached by Jodi Roberts, a preschool teacher on the Upper East Side. She is a swimmer who has coached several teams in the past. One of her swimmers from Kentucky made it to the Olympics and received a bronze medal for the 400 meter freestyle relay. The team is comprised of thirteen swimmers; two seniors, five sophomores, and six freshman. Practices are held on Thursdays at a three lane pool located at the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House on 70th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues. The team will not be competing in a league this season since the league they belong to is already midway through its season. However, the Ramaz girls’ swim team looks forward to making an impact next year when it competes in a league with Flatbush and Frisch, the only other Yeshiva League high schools in the metropolitan area with girls’ swim teams. Also on the table for next fall are the prospects of a boys’ swim team and a middle school one. Rachel Huebner ‘13
Boys Baseball
On Sunday, April 29, the boys’ baseball team traveled to the Staten Island Yankees’ stadium to play ball against North Shore’s team. The yeshiva league games usually do not take place in professional ball parks; this was a unique opportunity. The stadium has over 6,000 seats, and players estimated that only about 50 of these seats were filled with spectators. Many team members speculated as to why they were given the opportunity to play in this setting. “Coach D’s got the hookup,” said captain Josh Marks ’12. Others explained that Mr. Dulny takes the team very seriously, and this was a way to make the team feel and appear more official. “We were offered the stadium to play in, and I thought it would be a great idea to have the team play in a professional ball park,” said Mr. Dulny. “This is a once in a lifetime thing for a lot of them.” Most agreed that the new setting affected how they played that day. “It made people play worse because it’s tougher to play in a bigger stadium,” Marks said. In contrast, others thought that the imposing stadium forced the players to step up their game. “Everyone wanted to perform their best since we were in a professional stadium. Everyone felt that they could take advantage of the amazing field; we took every play very seriously like professionals do,” said Noah Marlowe ’14. Mr. Dulny explained, “I think that in the start of the game, the players were in awe of the large stadium; after that, everyone relaxed and played well and had a great time.” The boys’ baseball team beat North Shore’s team with a score of 10-3. As for the possibility of returning to the stadium, “Hopefully we will play there again if we make it to the championship” Marks said.
Girls Volleyball Michal Huebert ‘14 Never in Ramaz’s history has there been a larger crowd at a volleyball game than the one that cheered on its Varsity and Junior Varsity girls teams at Heschel on Tuesday, March 20. There were over 100 fans crammed into the Heschel gym dedicated to supporting the players from their respective schools. The energy was tangible; everyone felt the determination of the players to bring home a trophy and hold the title of champions. As both teams were playing rival schools, JV playing SAR and varsity playing Frisch, the competition was fierce and the girls needed to be on their A game. In fact, in order to properly pump the team up to ensure a victory, Sydney Sarachek ordered a party bus (really a squishy blue van) to transport the JV team in style. The girls yelled chants such as “Lynn is Volleyball” and “Lynning”, a new pop culture reference referring to Ramaz’s assistant volleyball coach, NBA player Jeremy Lin. “Coming into the game, I was a little nervous, but I knew we could do it and pull through,” said Mia Shoshany, a starter on the JV team with a serve that opponents can never seem return. Mia was right; despite nerves, the team outclassed SAR and brought Ramaz a victory. Next, in the varsity game, the Ramaz volleyball team showed its dominance once again and crushed Frisch in a two game win. At the end of each game, people stormed the court, screaming, jumping, and holding their trophies high. The Ramaz players and fans were ecstatic; Ramaz had proved its supremacy and won the championship not with just one team, but two JV captain Samantha Bryk feels the team owes its success, “to our coach! She really put her heart into it for us and worked us as hard as she could and it really paid off in the end.” Varsity players agree; without coach Rachel Kohn, the success of Ramaz volleyball might never have occurred. SAR, Frisch and Heschel fans left looking dejected. It’s unlikely they will be able to defeat the unstoppable volleyball teams of Ramaz next year–THIS IS A VOLLEYBALL SCHOOL.
May 2012/Iyar 5772
Caught in Action