Volume 16, Issue 2 (November 1983) - The Rampage

,.

Volume XVI, Number 2

e �am

P November 1983/Klslev 5744

Freshmen Beat Seniors 2 to 1 in Geography Test vey and received zero percent.

Tho lest, loosely based on one given al the University of Miami last year, was given through the Ramaz History De­

by Jeflrey Ellender fifteen percent correct, while partmenl, and consisted of a end Jonathan Krasner the lreshmen achieved an world map with numbered In a startling discovery, the average of thirty-four percent points and lorty cllles. The slu• lreshmen scored more than correct. The major lactor contri­ dents were asked to match each lwlce as well as lhe seniors In a buting to the large gap between city with Its corresponding num­ geography survey sponsored by the results of the seniors and ber on the map. (For the correct the Ram Page and taken In Oc­ those of the lreshmen was that answers and the percentage tober by both Forms. According approximately twenty seniors, correct lor each city In both to the results ol the survey, the leeling they could not do well, grades see page 4.) seniors achieved an average ol gave up in the middle ol the surTho selection ol the cities was aided by Mrs. Ruth S. Rllterband, Headmistress of lhe Ramez Upper School and Chair• person ol the History Depart­ ment The levels of dlfliculty were based on cities learned In school, and cities prominent for

Mr. Jucovy says "Ignorance of where places are fosters irrational attitude of distance."

various other reasons.

' Tho first level was the easiest and was made up ol what Mrs. Rlltorband lermod "cities that

should be known by every stu­ dent." This level concentrated on cities In North America and

i

"How lmpon ■nl 11 It lo Jual know where a place Is on a map?''

Europe. 01 the lllteen cities 111 that level, only Tokyo, Jeru• salem, New Deihl and Peking wore In Asia. Ono city, Cairo, wa ;h� �����d level was In•

i tormodlale In dlfllcully and was } made up mainly of cities prominent In the news. Only one city,

Seattle, was In the Unlled States; tho others were from Europe, Asia, Africa, and Cen· tral and South America.

Tho third level was made up of cities less prominent In the news and nol stressed in his­ tory classes. These cities were judged to be only familiar to stu• dents with above average knowledge ol geography.

The map Itself was traced lrom an alias and shown lo Mr. Harvey Blech, teacher or malho• matlcs and science and a former cartographer, who sug­ gested lmprovemonls thal were Implemented. The survey was then given lo three seniors la· millar wolh geography lo deter­ mine whelher the map was legl• ble. The only noted dofllcully was in Identifying Vienna, which was drawn Improperly and was lherelore omitted In the computation ol the perccn• Illes.

Attracted by hos skillful pre•

sentation and by his warm­

hear1cd smile. I decoded to seek

human rights, he was par­ go away and America was vin• ticularly proud of his work on dicated."

Despite Father Drlnan's reli­ passing a bill which awarded legal lees to successful plaln­ gious convictions against abor­ tlfls in cases of racial and sex• tion, It Is noteworthy that he ual discrimination. "Isn't that voted to allow Medicaid-funded neat? II brought about a revolu• abortions. However, his reli­ tion for all the women's move• gious discipline remained strong. Thus, when a papal ments and tho NAACP." decree was Issued In 1981 stat­ Father Drlnan also played an Ing that no Roman Catholic Important role on lhe Judicial priests should hold elected polo· committee during the Water­ tlcal positions, Father Drlnan gate troal. Though he described Jell obloged to resign his posi­ that job as "agonizing," ho toon In Congress.

Not so well known ,s Father claimed, "We achieved our objective; poor Mr. Nixon had to Drlnan's staunch support for

an 1nterv1ew wllh him. He re­

turned my call by saying. "What . �an I do to be helpful?" Such ,.,....generosity and sincere Interest were typical of our encounter in hos ollocc at the Georgetown un,verslly Law Center on Wash• lngton, D.C. where Father Ori­ nan teaches arms control. Inter­ national law and constotutlonal law (his three favorite sub1ects) Oroglnally. Father Drlnan was known as an opponent of the Vietnam War. The only Calhollc priest ever elected to Congress, he won his seat (the 4th district of Massachusetts) on an anti• war platform. A champion of

Ilana Hoffer wllh F1Iher Robert F. Orln1n

have learned about. For exam•

pie, forty-lour percent of the seniors knew Madrid, while only twenty-one percent of the fresh• men knew II. Forty percent ol the seniors have laken Spanish

for three years, which may have

led to familiarity with the re• glons where the language they are learning is spoken."

As to why the lreshmen, In comparison to lhe seniors, did as well as they did, Mrs. Riller­ band replies that there Is no sure way to ascertain this be­

cause the freshmen came from

diverse elementary and junior high schools; "they were not ex­ posed to a uniform educational syslem." Mr. Jon Jucovy, who teaches history to the seniors and David Bernstein, who taught them when they were

Juniors, observed no trend in the differences between the fresh­ While the senior grade had men and the seniors. As Mr.

more zoros than the freshman,

they pctradoAica,ly had more

ninety's and Iha highest score of bolh lorms, a nlnoly-elght.

Comparing the results, Mrs. Ritterband noted a radical dll• lerence In the Level Two scores between Jhe two forms. The rea• son why seniors scored well in this area, according to Mrs. Alt·

Father Fights for Freedom

II you noticed a tall. thin man dressed In the black garb of a Jesu,t priest wandering through the corridors of Ramaz last May, then you caught a glimpse ol a remarkable ondlvldual. Known nationwide for his a11emp1s to tiring a moral perspective Into government practice. Father Robert F. Drlnan. a lormer mem­ ber ol the House of Representa­ tives, was here to speak woth seniors about his work for Soviet Jewry.

terband, was because "ii con• talned cities that the seniors

Sovlel Jews. A speaker at the Third Annual Conlerence on Soviet Jewry, held In Jerusalem In March ol 1983, he currently chairs lhe International Com­ mottee lor the Release ol Ana­ toly Scharansky. Alter reading Elle Wiesel's The Jews o/ s,. fence In 1964, Father Dronan re, solved to do all he could "for the loberatoon ol lhat one 111th ol world Jewry that was yearning for the last exodus" In 1975, he was able to reach Moscow alter two Jailed attempts lo obtain a vosa Anatoly Scharansky was his guide and translator "He taught me about the cruelty ol the Kremlin towards the Jews."

Sonce lhen, Father Dronan has tried to mobilize Chrost,an sup­ port for Soviet Jews. Through art,cles, vigils and the lounding of the Natoonal lnterrellglous Task Force on Soviet Jewry, he has lollowed through all his commllments.

Whal did Father Drlnan think ol Ramaz? He recalled his loc• pressed surprise at "the num­ ber of conservatives and Rea­ gan-lovers at such a fine school!" Nonetheless, Father Drlnan Indicated that lhe Ramaz record,"Haneshama," Is kept "In a place ol honor" In his olflce.

Jucovy points out...the trosh•

men may just be a brigh,er group In relation to geography.

The scores of both groups are abysmal; they rellect an In­ credible Ignorance about our planet. The map ilsell was prel• ty good and many of the cities

on It are in the news and are

places people should know."

Mr. Bernslein also feels the statistics are "dlsappolnllng.

Ramaz students do not know • Continued on Page 4

Prisoner of Conscience

losll Begun, Soviet prisoner

of conscience, was charged on

October twellth with "anti• soviet agitation and propa­

ganda" and was sentenced to twelve years Imprisonment. On

October twentieth, Michael All­ man, Sharona Bergner, Anlhony Bregman, Peter Bregman, Ilana

Holler, Sharon Koren, and Joshua Rochlin participated In a vigil on his behall In lront of tho Soviet mission in Washing, ton, D.C. The students also wrote a leller to Senator Daniel P. Moynihan requesting his aid In the struggle against Soviet oppression.

Page 2

November, 1983

The Rim P1ge

Editorials Obligation to Foster Spiritual Experience Rabbi Bakst believes, and rightly so, that nothing should be at­ l�wed to Interfere with proper davenlng at the morning prayer ser­ vice.It was for that reason that he correctly advocaled suspension of the "Scharansky Mlnyan," which had become a less than consis­ tent and uplifting experience Unfortunately, the davenlng at Ramaz Is liself deplorable, a situ• atlon of which the administration Is awa,e and which It has as yet failed to correct.

Too often a mechanical, burdensome, Impersonal ritual void of feeling, emotion or sense of purpose, lhe morning minyans have caused many sincere daveners to feel self-conscious about pray• Ing. The administration has an obllgallon to act 1mmed1ately to remedy the current def1c1encies We feel that students should be given a choice of three services: a trad1llonal mlnyan, a slower-paced lnstrucllonal service and an all women's service Whether these or other suggestions should be adopted, the administration musl not procrasllnate. We would hate to see freshmen and sophomore davenlng degenerate to the level that the seniors have achieved.

Abysmal

Letters to the Editors

Reaching for all Three

To the Edltoro: Rachelle Abraham! raised two Interesting points In her Letter to the Editor In the Sep­ tember Issue of the Ram Page.

She was upset at two things : nol being admitted to school last spring when she arrived wearing pants; and the ten­ dency at Ramaz to "concentrate on details of Orthodox practice wlihout dealing wlih deeper spiritual questions ...."

Both Issues are related to what the school Is and how it functions. As far as wearing pants Is concerned, Rachelle went to Ramaz for four years; sho knows exactly what the rules of the school are with respect lo pants and she should not have expected to be allowed Into school dressed as she was simply because she was now a college freshman or, rather, an erev sophomore.

Mrs. Rltterband Is to be con­ gratulated for having turned her away at lhe door. This is not a rejection of Rachelle. It Is simp­ ly an attempt to be consistent and to expect of graduates who visit the school nothing more­ but nothing less-than we ex• pect of students who currently attend Ramaz. Rachelle would nol v1olate the dress rule, of a theatre, nlghlclub or any other public place. There Is no reason for her to be upset or offended by a yeshiva applying Its rules In a consistent fashion.

Secondly, Rachelle wants to "show Ramaz how you do not have to be observant to be a de-

-'bysmal Is what one history teacher termed the resulis of the geography survey. Indeed, he Is correct It Is regretful that a grade lhal has been In this school for four years and produced ten semi• finalists in the National Merit Scholarship program could only achieve a fifteen percent average on a geography survey.Whole the freshmen can be commended for scoring twice as well as the seniors, a thirty four percent average Is slill shameful. We feel that the poor performance on the survey reflects a lack of geographical sense on the part of the students who took It. If those Interviewed are correct In saying that there Is a correlallon between lack of geo­ graphical knowledge and the lack of both knowledge In foreign lan­ guages and interest In world events, then something must be done.

In the modern technological world we live in we cannot afford an ostrich-like altitude towards the rest of the world. What happens In one area, even a "far away one," affects us As Mr. Jon Jucovy said, "Ignorance of where places are fosters an irrational attitude of dis­ tance."

While Ii Is Important to know the political structure, history and economic vlabllliy of a region, knowing Its location ts the first step.

One of the goals of this school ls to make the students aware of the world around them and something so basic as geography should To th• editors: be stressed. Although geography has already been a small part of "I can't go on seminar, I have the history curriculum, Ii can be expanded to other courses such as too much work.'\ Is a common Tanach and foreign languages. If teachers would use maps more complaint among juniors and often and familiarize students with the regions dealt with in class, seniors this October. It Is easy It would greatly Increase the students' knowledge of geography. for me to understand my class­ mates' misgivings about Semi• nar. I share their misgivings Teachers will go on teaching and students will miss three days of material. Mossing so many classes could affect per­ formance and grades. Why should students who go on sem­ inar be penalized?

Surely the administration To the Editors: It Is evident from lhe survey It says In the Mldrash Raba taken at the end of last year that supports Seminar and looks on that "because of three things there Is a growing percentage of Ii as a posllve religious and so­ were our fathers removed from observant students who are cial experience. Seminar Is Egypt: that they didn't change shomrel mitzvoth. Just as tho viewed as an opportunliy to their name, their clothes, or school has set a certain atmo­ grow and to acquire new Ideas their language." sphere by Insisting on a specl/lc and experiences. As a veteran At Ramaz, Ii Is the custom to dress code, so Ii should go wlih of two Seminars, I concur com­ call the combination of our Chu­ the tide of religious concern pletely with this viewpoint. mash and Navl classes, prop­ which has gained momentum Seminar deserves to be sup• erly termed as Tanach, Bible. In over the last few years. Employ­ ported by the Administration. addition, though much less seri­ ing the proper terminology In re­ Rabbi Jack Bieler, Chairman ous, Gemara has been referred ligious subjects would evoke of the Talmud department, as to as Talmud. Allhough these the proper feeling and learning well as others has expressed are proper names, most other in Gemara and Tanach. the view lhat there Is a lack of yeshlvot refer to those subjects menschtechkelt and religious as Tanach and Gemara.

Barry Finkelstlen instruction at Ramaz. The three

voted, productive Jew." I don't think Ramaz has to be shown this. The school reveres and glorifies many Jews who aro productive and devoted without being fully observant. Anatoly Scharansky and Menachem Begin are two obvious ex• amples who come to mind, Neither of them Is probably more observant than Rachelle but they are both prized and ap­ preciated by Ramaz-as Is Rachelle for that matter.

All of this does not mean, however, that the school should not be trying to teach students that In addition to being devoted and productive as Jews we should also be shomre/ m/fz· vol. That Is, after all, at the foundation of Jewish belief and practice as Judaism has always been understood during Its 4,000 year history. To say this Is not to denigrate the non-obser-

Manet's Problem a Common One To the Editors: Thank you for your article on the Manet Exhibit at the MET. The Art Department Is delighted that the Ram Page has once again made art the subject of one of Its articles .

Giving Menschlechkeit a Chance

What is in a Name

vant Jew; Ii Is simply to say that observing mltzvot Is funda ­ mentally what differentiates Judaism from other religions. Ii Is such observance-and what comes from !hat observance -that constitutes the reason for Torah· the study of Torah and the practice of Torah.

I have a feeling that Anatoly Scharansky and Menachem Begin would heartily endorse this Judgment. I hope that some day Rachelle will appreciate Ii too. At the present tome, she Identifies herself as "not ob­ servant." I hope that those two words have an unspoken ··yet" between them. I have faith that more and more Ramaz students and grqduates-wlll turn out to be devoted, productive and ob­ servant Jews. If we achieve only two out of the three that will be an achievement. But why shouldn't we be teaching and reaching for a/I three?

Rabbi Haskel Looksteln

days of Seminar are a perfect opportunity to remedy this. The administration should cancel all classes during Seminar . The official poslilon ol the Adminis­ tration should be that religious Instruction Is more Important than academics.

Barry Harthelmer

I would like to point out two things. Firstly. Manet's problem In becoming an artist from a bourgeois family Is not so dif• ferent than the problems facing Rama, students who must choose art as a career. "Is it ac• ceptable?" they ask them­ selves.

Secondly, although he did choose to be an artist and was awarded the Legion of Honor a year before his death, the choice to pursue a career In art was not an easy one. Manet's comment at the tome of the award was, "II Is too late to compensate for twenty years of lack of success."

I hope that those students who follow in Manet's footsteps will have an easier time than he did. But for now, I hope they will all take the trouble to walk over lo the "MET" and see this won­ derful exh1b1t.

Ellen Rosen

,he �am Paqe_ Published by tho students of the Ramaz Upper School 60 East 78th St ,NY.NY 10021 427-1000

NAOMI ABRAHAM! JONATHAN KRASNER Editors-In-Chief

JEFFREY EILENDER Executive Edlior

DORIT HERMANN ILANA HOFFER Associate Editors

Paul Kogan Technical Editor

Yuval Marcus Photography Edlior

Sharon Koren Fine-Arts Editor Contributing Editor Michael Altman

David Cowan Feature Editor

Billy Meyers Assistant to the Editors Faculty Advisor Steven Olson

November, 1983

Excerpts from the October 17th SfAC Meeting On October sev enteenth a SFAC (Student Faculty Admilstratlon _ Committee) meeting wu held to discuss the future ol a mlnyan held for the past year In front ol the Soviet mission to protest the treatment of Anatoly Shcharansky who Is now in his sixth year In 1 Soviet prison. The following are excerpts ol that meeting. Note where necessary, proper punctuation has been added.

Th• Ram Page

Letting Nothing Else Stand in Her Way I

by Havlva Krasner and Barry Flnkelstlan Today, one ol the most popular Bible commentaries Is that of Nehama Leibowitz.

Many Ramaz Tanach teachers have studied with her. Her influ• ence Is greatly felt here In Ramaz; however, few people really know much about her.

Rachel Taub, chairperson of the Tanach department, de• scribes Dr.Leibowitz as an "ec· centric and regimented per· son.'' She Is a small, graying woman of seventy-,,ighl years, usually dressed conservatively In brown or gray.Her attire also Includes a beret propped side•

Rabbi Haskel Looksteln: The current policy for the "so call d" Soviet Jewry mlnyan Is that there is no Scharansky mlnyan-th!l's all.Like every good pro test mechanism It runs Its course Yo d the best you can. then you stop before 11 loses its meaning �ntl�el: Anthony Bregman: Scharansky Is still In prlsonl Scharansky 1� _ sttll being mistreated I The cause Is just as great as It was bef The mlnyan Is �eeded much more now.There aren't anymore le�[:· writing campaigns, pr �test petitions-the glamor is all gone. A: long as Scharan_sky Is ,n prison there is no reason for us to stop. ways on her head and unstyllsh, Joshua Rochhn: The minyan was the most elleclive tool black, T-shaped shoes. Being a used b the school lor _the Soviet Jewry movement. 11 received wide pres! creature ol habit, she enters the and attenllon ,nv lved the entire auditorium school. where she teaches But It ? progresse d to a . point w�ere I don I think It can justifiably be called a minyan. We In the same manner every day, are making a social statement at the expense ol our own religious walking briskly, with her books commitments.There was one morning when It was raining· It was tucked under her arm. Dr.Leibo• Chanukah and it was also Rosh Chodesh. The Torah shouid have wl tz Is a very tough and de• been readl Musaf should have been said and people should have mandlng woman, bold enough been wearing t'fllllnl In the rain, without a Torah, rushing to school to contradict some of Rashl's ' commentaries and clearly sla te none of these things were achieved.

A � fhony Bregman: We davened from 'Yishtabach' to 'Shmone why he is wrong.

Esre1' everyday plus 'Aleinu . ' I believe Mondays and Thursdays we Nehama Leibowitz was born stopped after 'Shmone Esrel.'

In Riga, Russia In 1905, where Rabbi Lookstein: I don't think a weak, flimsy protest is good-It she lived until 1930 when she ·ts probably worse than no protest at all. If all you can manage Is six emigrated to Palestine. She or seven kids that come In a half-hearted way, ii Is not a protest. If lives In Romemah, Jerusalem. we felt Solidarity Sunday this year would only produce ten or flf. She has taught In numerous, teen thousand people, we wouldn't run Solidarity Sunday. A Soll• places in Israel and lspresen tly darlty Sunday with ten thousand people is worse than no Solidarity teaching at Hebrew Universit y.

In addition to her dally classes, Sunday at all.

Anthony Bregman: We (the minyan) usually had more than twen, she publishes pages lor the study ol weekly portions which ty four people-sometimes ten more than that.

Danny Drenger: The mlnyan was fizzling.You didn't have a con• have been translated into many slstency of ten or fifteen people.

Anthony Bregman: I recall a certain phrase by Rabbi Looksteln that "Ramaz rests on the foundation that education has to be lived as much as be learned ... students st)ould be encouraged to act In

terms of their beliefs and not to merely study what those beliefs should be." If we don't receive any encouragement, then we will go out Into life completely apathe tic, unlll someone does encourage us to act like this.

Rebecca Isaacs: II the Administration sees problems with the way It wen t religiously, which I really can't Judge, then I agree with Rabbi Looksleln that there has to be something done. I think t here should be something consistent, something on an everyday basis where we can show our solidarity to Soviet Jewry ... something productive.

• Rabbi Lookstein: Frankly, a minyan when It is fifteen degrees � � outside, Is not a responsible thing lor the school to suggest to the l students. I don't think Scharansky would say to us "Do it" either.

Danny Drenger: You (Rabbi Looksteln) should make another "I don,t thl� k a woak, lllmsy proteSI speech t o the school to get enough people to sign up to have a con• ,

Is good···

sistent mlnyan.

When you have a school on 7811> Street with 450 students, and they can't produce more than eight or ten students, ii is a negat ive sta tement on Shcharansky and Soviet Jewry. It's bet ter not to make that negative stat ement. Lei's find some other way of expressing ongoing concern.

Rabbi Joshua Bakst: If our aim is to make a protest and make a statement, we can very well make that statement by making pos· ters, saying T'hilllm and doing whatever Is done at protests.It does not have t o be at the expense of the ordinary school day (the daven· Ing period). People st op ordinary business ...in this school, I think more than any ot her school you know. When there Is a crisis, this school goes out there better than any other school. Davenlng Is, however, part ol the school day.

Michael Altman: It is more than just going there and davenlng. II means something to us. It's not just praying to God ... the daven• ing was doing something. When ii was cold and there were only ten orr,leven people 11,ere, that was when people came up to us ...and "Tho cause 1• Just as great 15 11 wu jSked us lor Information, not when we could get forty people out before." .,._there on a nice spring day.

Joshua Roch/In: Even more Importan t than consistency Is effec• liveness and I'm afraid II came to a certain point where t he minyan � for the en tire school was not effective.

Peter Schwartz: I went there. There were no signs at all. Toward the end ol the year, I did not even know there was still a minyan. If t he ellects are not even reaching some of the people In t he school, then II Is not reaching enough people.

Karen L/piner: When the administrat ion stopped being involved, people stopped coming. The davenlng promoted Jewish awareness for the st udents involved.

Rabbi Lookstein: Why can't a committee be appointed of stu• dents, facult y and Administration to figure out a way to do ii (lo find a different means ol protest) that is going to be productive lor "'We are making a 1ocl1I slal1m10t Scharansky or for Begun or for anyone else In the Soviet Union at th• upens-e of our own rellglous and ellectlve for Ramaz students.

Reported by Jeffrey Ellender and Jonathan Krasner commitments."

languages. In 1957, she was awarded the Israel Prize lor Education.

At one time In her life, Dr. Leibowitz was married to a blind relative.She cared for him while learning with him. Her main religious philosophy Is that good human morals are the essence of Judaism. Olten, when there are arguments in the Israeli army camps she Is called In to lecture on the laws pertain· Ing to human relations. Dr. Leib­ owltz's quiet and secretive man• ner has contributed to a lack ol Information about her personal Ille. Even the Encyclopedia Judaica, a major source of lnfor.

�:;r�·· ' £;�

1·

¾\ • ,•

J°W;:

i°l!'!I.� '•

K1rlne Klelnhause ol the Sludenls Commllln Against Rlghlisl Expan• slon and James Schwalbe of lh• Ramaz Consen-alive Ceucus are lwo ol the students debating polill· cal Issues on Nowember stwtnth.

mation concerning Jews, only

has a short paragraph about Doctor Nehama Leibowitz under her brother lsalh's head• Ing. Doctor Nehama Lelbowltz's teaching methods are very uni• que. Ms. Be tty Ehrenberg, t eacher ol Tanach, said that she found Dr. Lelbowltz's class very Interesting. Ms. Taub, on the other hand, though reluctant to admit It, concedes that she was quit e bored In Dr. Lelbowltz's class.She attributes this to the fact that Dr. Leibowitz would not cont inue teaching a lesson until the entire class under• stood what had been said. Ms. Taub realizes now that II she had been In a more advanced class, her Interest would have been sustained.She goes on to say t hat when she returns to Is• rael she will certainly enroll in some of Or. Lelbowitz·s classes.

which helped establish closer bonds between her and her stu• dents.

Ms. Ehrenberg studied with Dr. Leibowitz over the summer and was Intrigued by her experl• ence. She calls Dr. Leibowitz "the best teacher I have ever

had." Dr. Leibowitz often says that she loves teaching which made Ms. Ehrenberg feel good

about herself as a teacher. Or.

Dr. Leibowitz explains the Lelbowitz's class made Ms. Eh·

thought process of tho com­

renberg "see Bible In an entlrely

mentary· being studied; lhis different light." Ms. Ehrenberg says that she felt "privileged ing ol the text. Dr. Lei bowltz of• and lucky to learn from some• ten Incorporates Into her teach· one so knowledgeable. She Ing the his t ory of the commen­ loves what she does; she does It tary. When learning t wo expla· letting nothing else stand In her nations on the same topic, she way." Because Or. Leibowitz will have the students compare made such an enormous Im­ and contrast them individually pression on her, Ms. Ehrenberg or In groups. Walking around tries to use some of the profes­ the auditorium, Dr. Leibowitz sor's teaching techniques In her would then check the writt en own classroom. "I try to make answers. These methods of the students do more work wit h teaching have been Incorpo­ each other, rather t han just rated int o the teaching methods listening to me. I try to make of many educators who have them more analytic about the studied with her. commentators and add their For the first forty-six years ol own opinions." her teaching career, her teach• On the second lo last day ol Ing was restricted to only wo• the course, Dr. Lelbowitz's stu• men. For the past fifteen years dents made a party In her honor. she has been teaching students At first she refused to attend of both sexes. the party, but alter much plead• According to Ms. Ehrenberg, ing, she accepted the Invitation. a day In one of Dr. Leibowit z's A poem written lor her by the classes consisted of three class, was read at the party and hours ol learning followed by a a sliver piece ol jewelry was pre• break for coffee and cake.When sented to her as a remembrance she entered the classroom ol the class. Dr.Leibowitz said everyone stood, which Dr. Lei· that It was her custom not to at · bowlt z did not like. She asked tend parties given for her by her everyone t o call her "Nehama," Continued on Page 4 makes for a better understand•

Ewen the baby 1nJoy1 lhe Slmh■I Bel Ha-Shoewa celebr1Uon.

Page 4

November, 1983

Thlt Ram P• Q•

After M*A*S*H: Continuation or Degradation?

by Jaffrey Kobrin Nellsen's Ratings gave the

premier episode of CBS's After M • A•s •H, yet another attempt by the networks to achieve suc­ cess with a splnofl, a strong for• ty seven percent share. It ap• pears to this viewer, however, that these high marks will dwln• die considerably unless the pro• gram's producers clean up this feeble attempt to continue Its parent's sensitive, humorous, humanistic approach to prime time sitcom.

In the original M'A'S'H the chemistry of the characters contributed to much of the show's success. In the new pro­ gram, however, such a chem­ istry does not seem to exist. In addition, the show is sorely missing Alan Aida's wry wit and humor.

Three actors reprise their M"A"S"H roles: Harry Morgan, playing Colonel Sherman Pot• ter, WIiiiam Christopher, play• Ing Father Francis Mulcahy, and Jamie Farr, playing Max Klinger.• Of the three characters, only William Christopher succeeds in retaining the flavor he had In the original series. This Is due to the fact that In After M'A'S'H his role has not changed considerably. He still plays the parl ol a priest, pa­ tiently preaching and consoling the sick. What Is puzzling, how­ ever, is Mulcahy's hearing prob• tern-or lack !hereof. In lhe last episode of M'A'S'H, Mulcahy Is left deaf due to a tragic injury.

In the first episode of the new show, Father Mulcahy conve­ niently undergoes an operation which restores his hearing in one ear. In later episodes, he seems to have no hearing prob• lem at all. Wouldn't It have been more challenging and realistic if Father Mulcahy had remained

deaf In the new series and was forced to cope with the prob• lem?

Harry Morgan's Colonel Pot­ ter and Jamie Farr's Klinger are placed In positions that render them unable to continue their former roles. In M"A'S'H the boss-secretary relationship that Harry Morgan and Jamie Farr had added to the humor of the show. In After M'A'S'H both Jamie Farr and Harry Morgan are subordinates and this unique relatlonshlp appears no longer. Harry Morgan's charac• ter sutlers considerably since lhe audience is used to Potter giving orders rather than taking them.

There are a few new regulars In After M.A. H. They are: Kl· Inger's wife, Soon Lei, Colonel Potter's wife, Mildred, and vari­ ous people In and around the hospital. Mildred Potter Isn't really seen very often by the viewer but you still get the feel· Ing that she Isn't very far ofl (Colonel Potter's ties match). Kl· Inger's wife, however, is con­ stantly there.

The minor characters serve much of the same purpose that the nurses and various soldiers served on M •A• S •H. They stand around and make Jokes. If there were more major characters, the show would probably im• prove.

Worse than all this, however, the shows are poorly edited, directed, and written. When I sat down to watch the third epl• sode, It went by very quickly.

The writers were trying to cram too much into a half an hour show and are ending up with nothing.

After M'A'S'H Is known to Its producers as "a continua­ tion of M'A'S'H." It Is not a continuation, however, but a degregatlon.

s.

Results of the Ram Page Geography Test City

Answer

Level I Los Angeles Washington Chicago New York London Paris Ottawa Rome Moscow Tokyo Jerusalem cairo New Dellli Peking Warsaw Level II Seattle San Salvador Buenos Aires Johannesburg Istanbul Bombay Amsterdam Dublin Beirut IIB.drid Seoul Havana

Level III Budapest Rabat Bangkok Hanoi Kabul Lima Santiago Lagos Oslo Geneva Teheran

• •

•

1 J

5

4 16 18 6 17 25 27 40 J4 J6 35 26 2 10 14 Jl 39 J8 19 21 41 23 4J 8

29 JO 48

44

50

11

lJ 32 20 22 46

Percent correct

by Seniors

48% Level I Average 96% 71% 76% 91% 4 1% 38%

39% - Level I Avg 66 % 53% 53% 62% 6J% 46 % 15%

�

55%

21% J1%

65%

53% 20% 21% 18% J1% Level II Average 6J% JO% J6% 24% 22% 45% 21% 40% 34% 21%

5%

58%

14% 16% 53% 46% 16% 11% 22% 33% Level II Avg 53% 27% 22% 37% 24% 15% J8% 44% 41%

-

�

5%

4 2% J1% 18 % Level III Avera_g_e 12% Level III Avg 11% 8% 4% 12% 11% 1% 5% 3% 19% 9% 15% J6% 11% 21% ' 2% 4% 13% J1% 24% 24% 26 % J8%

Geography Survey

Continued from page 1 where Warsaw, Moscow and Jerusalem are. It confirms my feeling lhat the level of knowl· edge of geography is not where It should be." However, Mr. Bernstein adds that the layout of the map may have effected the results. "The size of the map could have had something to do with ii; students are used to handling detailed maps of spe· Juniors on their vlsil to the Cloislers Museum on September twenty­ clfic regions, not general world sevenlh. maps. If you had given them a map Just of Europe, they would have done much better. You did ■ ■ ■ not draw national boundaries, gift to them. From the glowing yet, you asked where cities were Continued from page 3 students or to accept gifts from look on Ms. Ehrenberg's face and this might have confused them. However, her students In· one can sense that no summer kids. Seniors know what they slsted that she leave the party will ever have the same effect learned with me lhe best. The on Ms. Ehrenberg as this one fact that some seniors did not with the gift. know lhe places covered with The following day, Dr . had.

Dr. Leibowitz is a definite In• me shows lhat students forget Leibowitz returned to the class looking very troubled. She ex· splratlon to the Jewish woman. what they have learned. You are plained that she had not slept at According to Ms. Taub, "She re• assuming knowledge of geo­ all the previous night because affirms the fact lhat women graphy Is static, but for many she had accepted their present. have always learned welt and kids it Is something learned for She asked that the sludents do· encourages them to go on and a course and quickly forgotten."

"Is knowledge of geography nate the money they had used learn." Ms. Ehrenberg says lo pay for the silver Jewelry lo lhat "she raises lhe status of dependenl on how much history you know?" Mrs. Rotterband charity and !hen relurned lhe women and their capabilities."

Nehama

'

Percent correct

by FreshDBn

questions. "Kids did not know such esoteric places as Asia and Africa, because we have taught Western, not Eastern, history. But kids who have taken American history still don't know where the states are. How important is It to Just know where a place Is on a map?

Shouldn't you know the history, economic viability and political struct�re of the region also?

How should we teach geogra· phy? Should ii be the way some schools have chronology classes, Jusl memorization?

"The place of geography In history is a question that has nol been seriously addressed," says Mr. Bernstein, "historical concepts are more Important aspects of history, however, ge­ ography Is Jusl as Important as chronology In understanding history, but when do you teach It? With assemblies and vaca­ tions I sometimes only have three periods a·week; when do I have time to teach It and still stress concepts? Moreover, geography Is the type of subject students are expected to do on

their own."

"Whether kids know where a place is, is Important from a philosophical point of view," ob· serves Mr. Jucovy. "People should have a directional sense of where they are and where the rest of the world Is In relation to them. Ignorance of where places are fosters an irrational attitude of distance; that is why Americans are such Isolation• ists. They feel removed from trou­ bled spols and don't care If far off countries are in trouble. Thal is why we depersonalize for• . eigners, because they are from so far away. Thal Is also why Americans do not know Ian· guages." Mr. Jucovy concedes that whole geography Is some­ thing kids should know, it should not be taught in high school as a course. "It is a basic skill thal should have been taught in elementary school." As for stressing more geography In class, Mr. Jucovy -asks, "how can you get people Interested in something they are psychologically opposed to?".