Volume 52, Issue 4 (November 2018) - The Rampage

The Rampage The Newspaper of the Ramaz Upper School

New York • Volume 52 • Issue 4 • November 2018 • Kislev 5779 • the-rampage.org

A Successful Remodeling of the Ramaz Open House Zachary Buller ’20

The auditorium was filled to its maximum capacity and charged with excitement. Parents and students from all over the tri-state area were fully engaged as they listened to the sounds of the musical Havdalah performed by the Chamber Choir and Rabbi Albo.

This is the Ramaz Upper School Open House, a oneof-a-kind night that provides prospective students and their parents with the opportunity to learn about the school by witnessing its strengths and core values. This year, it attracted approximately 210 families from over 25 different schools located in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. According to Ramaz students, faculty, and the admissions team, it also represented Ramaz’s most successful Open House in recent years.

The event began with opening remarks from Head of School Jonathan Cannon, followed with speeches given by students Elizabeth Newman-Corré ’20 and Nathan Haron ’19; Rabbi Stochel, Head of the Upper School; and Shara Lipson, the Director of Upper School Admissions. Parents found this opening program to be illuminating, with some describing it as “the most impactful and informative part of the

Open House.” According to Ms. Lipson, the opening assembly is “crucial to introducing parents to the school in an inviting fashion.” Her only critique concerning this part of the program was to shorten it a little for next year, but overall, according to Lipson, the program’s messages were “honest and clear about what we believe here at Ramaz, and that definitely showed.”

Ms. Lipson and Ms. Lieber, the Assistant Director of Admissions, worked tirelessly with the administration, (particularly Rabbi Stochel, Ms. Krupka, and Rabbi Slomnicki,) to plan the 2018 Open House. “One thing that we talked about a lot was the messaging,” said Ms. Krupka, the Dean of Faculty. “We wanted to investigate the aspects of Ramaz other than the amazing education. Through each of components of the Open House, we stressed features of Ramaz that make it special, like student-teacher relationships and both the small classes and the warmth in the building that results from a smaller grade.” The entire team ensured that the messages shared at the Open House would not be about comparing Ramaz to different schools, but rather about highlighting its unique characteristics.

Additionally, the ideas displayed at the Open House were designed to allow prospective families to make informed decisions regarding the choice of high school.

Parents may come that night either with preconceived notions about Ramaz, or lacking information altogether, and according to Lipson, “the Open House has the ability to change people’s possible questionable perceptions about Ramaz.” To that effect, “We are more than a feeder school to colleges,” said Ms. Krupka. “We really wanted to stress what makes Ramaz special and the reality of what it means to be a Ramaz student.”

Following the opening program, parents and students parted ways for the rest of the evening. Parents either chose to remain in the auditori-

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Ramaz Rams Take on La La Land Sophia Kremer ’20

Four days of basketball, nineteen teams, two hundred and fifty players, hundreds of spectators, and thousands of fans watching via live-stream. For the first time in history, the Ramaz girls and boys varsity basketball teams had the privilege of participating in the annual Glouberman Tournament at Shalhevet High School in Los Angeles, an event that can aptly be described as the Yeshiva’s League’s own version of “March Madness.” The tournament was created five years ago in memory of Steve Glouberman Z”L. From October 31 to November 4, Jewish basketball teams from across the country traveled to Los Angeles, where they competed against one another in an effort to become the tournament’s champions.

In the opening assembly, Flora Glouberman, Mr. Glouberman’s widow, spoke about Steve and his love for basketball and the importance of being a true team player both on and off the court. His legacy is one of perseverance, community, family and love. Ms. Glouberman’s words set the tone for the spirit of the games that would follow over the next four days, where a passion for basketball filled the gyms. Participants enjoyed the opportunity to come together with fellow players and play their hearts out in a friendly and positive environment. Tom Shemia ’19 noted that playing in the Glouberman Tournament wound up being “an amazing and truly memorable experience.”

While any stresses were long forgotten the moment the players landed in LAX, the weeks leading up to the tournament were filled with excitement and anticipation as students hustled to arrange makeup sessions for classwork and tests that would be missed. Team members also made sure to purchase new Ramaz “merch” to show off their school spirit. On October 31, 2018 the athletes hugged their friends goodbye, stuffed thoughtfully provided chocolate chip muffins into the last remaining inches of free space in their suitcases, and changed into their permitted “airport attire” of sweatpants and logoed sweatshirts. Rap music blasted from a speaker as they made their descent to JFK. “I felt like I was a celebrity with 15 six-foot-tall bodyguards when we were walking around the airport,” Olivia Sakai ’20 explained in awe of the height of some of the members of the boys bas-

Ramaz Responds to the Pittsburgh Shooting

When members of the Ramaz community turned on their phones after Shabbat on October 27, they faced devastating news. That morning, during Shabbat services, a shooting had occurred at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill, the neighborhood of Pittsburgh home to over 50% of the city’s Jews. Eleven Jews praying in the shul were killed, and six were injured. Religious Jews were the last ones to know about this horrific attack on our own community. The rest of the world saw the news when it broke eight hours previously, but many in the religious community had a peaceful Shabbat, ignorant of the attack on our brothers and sisters.

About an hour after Havdalah, parents in the Ramaz community received an email from Mr. Cannon with a message acknowledging the horror that had occurred. “The Ramaz community stands with the members of the three congregations that were targeted today, and with all the community of Pittsburgh,” wrote Mr. Cannon.

On Sunday, the school sent out another email detailing programming that would occur in response to the shooting. Furthermore, Mr. Cannon reassured the community that “safety and security, (both physical and emotional), is the most important responsibility that we have as school leaders...Mamadou Deme, our director of security, has been in touch with the NYPD and JCRC, who shared that they do not have additional recommendations for us at this time, as Ramaz’s security always functions assuming the

Inside this issue...

highest possible threat level. Our highly trained guards are aware of the events at Pittsburgh and will remain exceptionally vigilant.”

Another email from Rabbi Stochel to Upper School parents described plans for the Ramaz assembly and advisory sessions the following morning. A Schoology post asked students to participate in a nationwide initiative to wear blue on Monday in support of Pittsburgh.

Many Ramaz students also responded to the tragedy on social media. Facebook feeds were filled with temporary profile pictures bearing the words “Stronger Than Hate” and “Together Against Antisemitism.” Numerous Instagram stories showed messages of support for Pittsburgh screenshot and reposted from other pages.

“I think social media is a really important way of responding because it is a platform on which teens make their voices heard,” said Sophia Kremer ’20, “A simple photo may educate even a single follower who wouldn’t otherwise have known what happened.”

In school the following morning, Ramaz students walked into the auditorium for an assembly commemorating the lives lost in the shooting. When freshman, sophomores, and juniors entered, the seniors were standing silently, lining the walls of the auditorium.

“The idea was to have the seniors be role models in this situation,” said Rabbi Albo, “At this point in your life, you shouldn’t need to have a teacher tell you every single thing; the elders should show the way to the younger.”

However, Newman Corré ’20 disagreed, saying that “having the seniors stand around the sides and sit in the front made me feel like they were in some way supposed to be more involved than me, and I don’t think that sends the message of unity which was probably one of the goals.”

The students were addressed briefly by Rabbi Stochel and Mr.

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Josephine Schizer ’20

Cannon, with longer remarks by Rabbi Steinmetz. The assembly concluded with a recitation of “El Maleh,” tehillim, and the whole community singing Acheinu together accompanied by Rabbi Albo’s guitar. Samantha Sinensky ‘21 felt that “Rabbi Albo leading Acheinu on his guitar was a great way to unify the student body. It gave a solemn, yet hopeful mood to the assembly.”

Esti Beck ‘19 wished the assembly had focused more on the victims of the attack than the attack itself. “If Ramaz had focused a little more on [the victims], I think it would have helped the students connect,” said Beck, “many of the victims are, bli ayin hara, not so different from many of our own grandparents and neighbors. That’s an important message to convey, and one that I don’t think the assembly quite got across.”

“It was very special that the Ramaz community was able to all come together to commemorate this sad and tragic event,” said Cayla Todes ’20, “Because this shooting was so close to home, it had an even larger impact on us.”

After the assembly, students met with their advisors and were encouraged to write letters to either the families of the victims, community leaders in Pittsburgh, or the emergency responders. Students were given ideas about what to write but weren’t forced to write a letter if they didn’t feel comfortable.

“Writing the letters was a nice idea, but it was very hard to know what to say,” said Eve Schizer ’22, “You want to express support, but you have never suffered anything close to this, and you don’t want to sound condescending. I hope that the people we wrote to felt that we were there for them, and know that we support them.”

Ultimately, Ramaz students appreciated the importance of acknowledging this tragedy as a community. “The assembly brought us together,” said Arielle Levy ‘21, “and we are still strong.””

A+ or Bust... An examination of college pressure at Ramaz page 5 Boo Who?...

Ramaz students reflect on Halloween page 7 My Very First Dress Code... What do Ramaz students think dress code should be? page 8

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November 2018/Kislev 5779

A New Day For Student-Teacher Conferences Hannah Doft ’20

Unlike previous years, this year, student-teacher conferences took place on Thursday, not Friday. Rabbi Dov Pianko said that the purpose of the switch was “to try and eliminate the mentality of students rushing through all of their teachers. I always vote for students to have a more chill experience.” The switch, however, received mixed reviews from the students. “I felt like there was just too much time given for conferences. I would have much prefered to have been able to leave school when I finished like last year, rather than wait around for my last two classes,” said Gabi Potter ’20. Roni Denti ’20 disagreed with Potter and actually preferred the change. “I did not feel as rushed to finish all my meeting and also definitely noticed a decrease in cutting on the lines, because student knew there was no rush to leave school,” said Denti.

Whether student-teacher conferences are actually helpful is another question in and of itself. Students who actually need to meet with their teachers can use this as their chance to do so, but others feel as though they are just waiting on lines to hear the same thing from each teacher: “You’re doing so well!” or “Keep up the good work!”. Freshman Izzie Ottensoser ’22 said, “Although it was a little overwhelming and disorganized I actually thought conferences were really helpful. It’s always hard to find a time to meet with certain teachers that works for both the teacher and myself, so I used this to my advantage.” Caroline Schwartz ’22 agreed, adding, “It was nice to hear advice from teachers, even if it was just telling me to keep on doing the same thing.” Ben Silverman ’20 disagreed with Schwartz and Ottensoser, stating, “I hear the same thing every year and found that I spent more of my time just waiting on lines than actually meeting with teacher.” Yola Ashkenazie ’20, who was away during conferences this year, said,“I did not realize how much I actually enjoy and benefit from conferences until I missed it this year. Now, I am struggling to find convenient times to meet with my teachers.”

Israel Night for Seniors Harry Shams ’19

On November 12th, the Ramaz Upper School hosted its annual Israel Night for seniors who are considering taking a gap year in Israel after graduation. The night serves as an opportunity for students and parents to learn more about the benefits of the year and the options available. Students met personally with emissaries from over twenty yeshivot, seminaries, and secular programs located in Israel.

Historically, somewhere around half of Ramaz students spend a gap year in Israel. The year serves as an opportunity for outgoing students to continue learning Torah before they likely attend a secular college. Ramaz describes the importance of taking a gap year on the “Israel Advisement” page of its website. “The year in Israel can be a life-changing event, impacting one’s life in college and beyond,” the page reads.

“It has become a mass movement which has literally changed the character and face of modern Orthodox Jewry and has transformed Jewish life on campus throughout the country. The Ramaz Upper School sees itself as a 5-year program, with the 5th year being spent in Israel.”

The night began with a brief introduction

by Ms. Miriam Krupka, who has helped the school develop the Israel Guidance program since joining the Ramaz faculty. Ms. Krupka then invited Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz, Senior Rabbi at Congregation Kehilath Jesherun, to say a few words about the importance of taking a gap year. Rabbi Steinmetz summed-up the benefits of the gap year with “four P’s.” He stated that the year is (i) practical and healthy for students finishing four stressful years of high school, (ii) in accordance with the community’s priorities, (iii) a good way to ensure that students are prepared for the future, and (iv) a pragmatic approach towards achieving a happier existence. Rabbi Steinmetz also noted that taking a gap year has become increasingly popular among non-Jewish outgoing high school students, and that those who do are statistically more likely to be academically successful in college and beyond. Students generally had positive things to say about Rabbi Steinmetz’s presentation. Jacob Bengualid ’19 noted that “the Rabbi really explained the logic behind taking a gap year in general, and he made a pretty convincing case in defense of yeshiva.”

The evening continued in the auditorium, where students and parents were given the opportunity to visit booths with representatives from over 20 yeshivot, seminaries, and secular programs.

Israeli cuisine was served for dinner, with students and parents grabbing plates of falafel before touring the room. The most popular booths of the evening seemed to be Yeshivat Orayta,

Midreshet Amit, and Bar Ilan University, all of which are highly sought-after programs among Ramaz students.

Some students felt the organization of the “yeshiva-seminary fare” was lacking, noting that they weren’t given enough time to hear from as many schools as they would have preferred.

Danya Jacobs ’19 said, “I had a plan to visit five schools, but because of the crowd at certain booths and because we only had an hour to explore the room, I could only visit two.”

After the fare, students and parents were directed to leave the auditorium and head towards their first session.

As per the traditional layout of Israel Night, students were asked beforehand to register for two informational sessions of their choosing. These info sessions allowed students to get a more in-depth description of a particular school, and to show demonstrated interest. Students seemed to be more enthusiastic about the information sessions than the fare. One student, Yehuda Goldman ’19, stated that the his two information sessions “were far more helpful than the club fair.” “Honestly, I thought the fair was a waste of time because each booth was basically saying the same thing,” said Goldman.

“I found that the representatives were far more informative, convincing, and enthusiastic during the private sessions, probably because they knew that those in attendance at the sessions had signed up before hand and were actually seriously considering going to their yeshiva.” Goldman makes a good point: by registering for an info-session, students have the ability to show that they are serious about applying to a particular school, which could translate into more enthusiasm on the part of the presenter. The night concluded at 7:30 PM. Taking a gap year in Israel is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. It’s a chance to discover oneself, make new friends, and grow as a Jew. Yet there is always the lingering concern that the year can wind up being a waste of time. After all, is it worthwhile to delay attending college for one whole year? With these questions in mind, seniors will now need to begin deciding whether or not they will take a gap year and, if so, where they will apply.

Another change that occurred during this years conferences was that seniors had to attend. Although many teachers just signed the seniors’ papers and did not actually meet with them, they still had to come into school because senior pictures were also being taken that day. “It was just inconvenient. I ended up barely meeting with any of my teachers, and those I did meet with didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. I had to come to school though because of the [senior] pictures, but otherwise I probably would have considered not even showing up,” said Alexa Polinsky ‘19. Rabbi Slomnicki said the purpose of having senior pictures on this day was “To eliminate senior pictures of interrupting regular class days. It had nothing to do with seniors ditching.”

As per usual, students debated amongst themselves which teachers line was the longest. “I waited on Dr. Jucovy’s line for over an hour,” said Charles Spielfogel ’21.

“Ms. Newman’s line was definitely the longest,” said Emma Stonehill ‘21. “I lost my spot on Rabbi Schimmel’s line about three times, so I definitely spent the most time on that line” said Gabby Schwartz ’20. Almost all students can agree that the school could do a better job organizing conferences so that teacher-lines are no unnecessarily long. “What I thought was really helpful was something that Dr. Bernstein did. Before conferences he sent out an email to all his students and you were able to sign up for a specific time slot. This was really good because it eliminated an entire line for me and I was able to just come to him when it was my turn to meet,” said Aliza Freilich ‘20.

Although students do seem to enjoy having the opportunity to meet with their teachers, most agree that the school could do a better job ensuring that conferences are as efficient as possible.

Ramaz Goes Red, White, And Blue Esti Beck ’19

A few weeks before election day, several club leaders - including, among others, the heads of Math Team, the Rampage, and Debate Team - received an email asking them to meet in 301 during their lunch period.

When they arrived, however, they found that Dr. Jucovy had been double booked between his Age of Reagan class, which meets C8 to make up for lost class-time, and the scheduled appointment. A second meeting was called and held, followed by a third; over the course of these sessions, Dr. Jucovy informed the club leaders of his idea for the school’s special programming for the upcoming election day.

Presidential elections only occur every four years, but even in off years, state and local elections can attract much attention, particularly in a politically active environment like Ramaz’s. Civic activism is an important value for the school, as demonstrated by the frequent fundraising drives coordinated for one charity or another and the school’s mission statement, which proclaims a commitment to the “democratic traditions and values” of the United States. In previous years, the school has brought in speakers and held assemblies to honor election day. At the end of each of these assemblies, the student body would vote on the candidates and ballot-box issues using clickers. Every year, however, there also seemed to be an issue: the speaker was out of touch, the students were unruly, someone’s feelings were offended, et cetera. Thus, this year, Dr. Jucovy, the chair of the history department, set about to make changes to the conventional program and create a more festive atmosphere.

This effort began with a redecoration campaign which covered the school in old election-day posters, ranging from McKinley to Roosevelt to Carter. There were also copious red, white, and blue decorations, such as ribbons, balloons, and a real-live Uncle Sam costume shared by students Hadley Kauvar ’19 and Harry Shams ’19. Early in the day, each grade had an assembly featuring a keynote speaker. Then, during each lunch period (6, 7, and 8), students had the opportunity to experience an “Election Day Club Fair.” The captains of clubs and teams with direct connections to the democratic process set up booths exploring their area of expertise in a manner all students could enjoy. For example, the Math Team had a display on polling data; Engineering Club discussed election hacking; Model UN set up a guess-the-flag activity; Mock Trial taught students how to gerrymander; Debate Team allowed students to face off on hot-button issues; the Rampage set up a Fake News quiz; Feminist Club ran a questionnaire comparing how male and female students would respond to the same queries; and Model Congress ran a competition to see who could guess the election results the most accurately in exchange for an $100 Amazon gift card.

“It was a fun way to get students interested and involved in the election and political issues,” said Abigail Jacobs ’19, who co-ran the Mock Trial booth. Zach Buller ’20, co-captain of Math Team, agreed that he had a “fun time running the booth,” but also acknowledged that the process leading up to the program had taken quite a bit of work. “When I was asked to run a booth for the Election Day assembly, I was confused by what that meant, or how math and elections could possibly be related. Dr. Jucovy suggested the great idea of talking about famous polling errors in American democratic history, which we then decided to enhance by also polling the students on on various questions and compare the results between small and large sample sizes,” he said.

Because the program was optional and ran parallel to students’ lunch periods, turnout was not nearly as high as it could have been. However, it was only the new program’s first year, and with modifications, it promises to become a fascinating new way for students to relate to America’s democratic process.

November 2018/Kislev 5779

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Ramaz’s Open House Gets a Makeover

um for one of two Q&A sessions or to go to special sessions on Guidance, College Guidance, Learning Center, Financing

a Ramaz Education, Foreign Language, Music, Art, and TEC. Ms. Lieber noted that this year, “Parents were sent these options in advance so they would plan their night beforehand by deciding which electives and classes they were most interested in seeing.”

Students were directed to various classrooms upstairs, where they sat in on one Judaic Studies class and one General Studies class.

The Q&A session gave the parents the opportunity to ask a select group of students on a panel any questions that they had about Ramaz. Rabbi Stochel moderated the student panel, ensuring that students had the ability to answer said queries effectively.

Parents probed the student panel — consisting of Eric Kalimi ’22, Nicole Hirschkorn ’22, Talia Halaas ’21, Zach Buller ’20, Danya Jacobs ’19, and Jonah Scherl ’19 — about various aspects of Ramaz, ranging from commutes, daily life, and class sizes to the transition from middle school, workload, and college guidance. While moderating, Rabbi Stochel occasionally chimed in and commented on the students’ responses, creating a lighthearted tone. Many parents were extremely responsive to the Q&A session. Prospective parents Jeff and Debora Puterman stated that “the student Q&A was outstanding. The students presented themselves very well and gave us a sense of what life is like as a Ramaz student.” Ms. Lipson noted that additional parents provided feedback on the Q&A session and said that it was “authentic.” She explained that the parents “loved watching Rabbi Stochel interact with the students, and none of it sounded practiced.” Parents appreciated the students’ honesty, articulate responses, and genuine passion about Ramaz.

In response to recent events causing safety concerns at Jewish institutions, the security was increased this year. Additional security officers were stationed outside and inside the building with the efforts made to make the Open House completely safe for all.

Ms. Lieber explained the event’s security protocol: “While we always have a tight security plan in place for all events, this year’s guests were required to show ID along with a special confirmation code they received prior to arriving. Our security team is amazing and they were able to conduct their security check while still maintaining a warm and welcoming atmosphere in the cold temperatures.”

This year, Ramaz eighth grade parents and students attended their own Open House a few weeks prior, which was a change from the approach taken in previous years. In the past, Ramaz families attended both the Ramaz Eighth Grade Parent Open House as well as the main Open House, which was open for students and parents coming from any middle school. However, after repeated complaints that the building’s carrying capacity was not suitable for the many hundreds of people trying to learn more about Ramaz, the admissions team and the administration decided that designating the Open House for students and parents who did not attend Ramaz Middle School would make the building

When the teams landed in Los Angeles, they made their way their accommodations. The students slept in groups of two or three at the homes of members of the Jewish community of Beverlywood, who graciously hosted all of the tournament’s participants. The athletes received a good night’s sleep to prepare for the big day ahead, which began bright and early with a 6:30 AM wake-up and an 8:00 AM game.

On the first day of the tournament, each team played two games: the girls played SAR and Katz Yeshiva High School of South Florida, making their record one and one, while the boys played SAR and MTA, making their record two and zero. The Shalhevet School was generous enough to arrange food stands from their favorite local eateries for players to refuel between games. They also gifted each player with tournament swag featuring their individual school’s logos. Throughout the day, the teams enjoyed cheering each other on, meeting new kids, and reuniting with friends from other schools.

The scene at Shalhevet, Gabby Schwartz ’20 said, “felt like Simchat Torah: everyone was reuniting with their camp friends!” Over the next three days, the Ramaz teams played four more games, experiencing both tough losses and incredible victories. In the end, the girls team placed fourth and the boys team placed in third.

The most unexpected, and what many considered the best, outcome of the tournament surprisingly took place back in NYC, and not in LA. Throughout the tournament, live streams of the games, featuring running commentary by student broadcasters from Shalhevet High School’s newspaper The Boiling Point, brought the excitement of the games to fans back at home. The games were broadcast on a screen in the Fourth Floor lounge to a crowd that was said to have reached up to 80 students at points. Students also viewed the games on their mobile devices throughout the day. The energy level rose so much so that many teachers exempted students from class, allowing them to cheer on their classmates from 3,000 miles away.

“It felt like I was at the World Cup!” Amanda Koptiev ’19 exclaimed as she reacted to the cheering in the lounges.

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much less crowded and would create a nicer environment for all.

The Ramaz Upper School students were definitely the highlight of the Open House this year. From speaking, to performing, to helping with registration, the students presented themselves in a positive way to all of the prospective families. Students were involved in the programming more this year than in prior years, which, according to both Lipson and the administration, contributed significantly to the welcoming atmosphere. Rebecca Massel ’21 worked diligently on registration at the Open House, welcoming and greeting prospective families while signing them and in ensuring that they felt comfortable. She felt “that the welcoming faces of Ramaz students at the registration tables helped prospective parents and students feel comfortable at Ramaz.” Prospective student Ilan Puterman agreed, noting that the Open House gave him the ability to get “a very good sense of the school and student life.” Clearly, the admission team’s efforts to increase the student involvement at the Open House this year were successful, as it allowed more students to be involved and represent their school and gave parents the opportunity to learn about Ramaz in a more genuine way- from the students themselves.

From speaking, to performing, to helping with registration, the students presented themselves in a positive way to all of the prospective families.

Another area where students were involved was their participation in model classes for prospective parents and students. This year, teachers selected students to assist in their lessons, which, according to Ms. Krupka, was a new development for this year’s programming added as result of “feedback that we received from parents at previous Open Houses. Parents wanted to see more studenteacher interactions.” The model classes were interactive and some were focused on providing the opportunity to blend multiple subjects.

Prospective student Noa Ganz, who attended a Talmud class, noted how in this model lesson, “we went over how secular topics weave into the Torah, and I find it very interesting to find ties between Judaic sources and the secular world.” Gabi Potter ’20 worked with Ms. Newman to teach an introductory history lesson about the domestication of dogs in ancient times. He said that he “was able to give insight from my own experience with the material,” something that the classes would have lacked without student involvement. Ms. Newman noted, “There were only four parents in my class, but they did seem engaged. And I think they did appreciate that an actual Ramaz student was there to help and answer questions.” Her only criticism of the programming, however, was that “it was tough to teach so late--I taught at ten o’clock for twenty minutes. Also, in previous years there were more parents in my class -- this was pretty sparse.” Because there were so many choices, according to Ms. Newman, the number of parents in each class was limited. Ms. Lipson pointed out that she received extremely positive feedback from parents about the students teaching alongside teachers in these model classes. “The parents noticed this feature and liked having kids in the classroom interacting with their teachers.” Lipson was very proud of this development and hopes to include this in future Open Houses.

Perhaps the most memorable part of the night for pro-

An Exciting B-ball Tournament in LA

ketball team. She continued, “I never realized how big they were!”

spective students, however, was the Ramaz Show. The show was run by MC Rabbi Slomnicki and “DJ Dov,” who showcased the student-body’s wide range of talents. The program consisted of performances by Ramaz’s Chamber Choir, Rock Band, Guitar Ensemble and the cast of the upcoming Ramaz production of “Legally Blonde.” Rabbi Slomnicki also “interviewed” different students on the GO, sports teams, and those involved in other extracurriculars to share as much information as possible about student life at Ramaz. Elizabeth Newman-Corré ’20 noted that she wished that this addition to the Open House program had been available at her eighth-grade Open House three years ago.

The response from eighth-grade students to this program was almost universally positive. Ilan Puterman said that at the Ramaz Show he enjoyed “listening to the student government and the music” and that he had a lot of fun. While one anonymous Ramaz eighth-grade student noted, however, “The show wasn’t that interactive and wasn’t something that everyone [the prospective students] could be involved in,” prospective student Noa Ganz spoke about her passion for music and how the Ramaz show highlighted areas of Ramaz which are attractive to her. She also noted that practically, “[The Ramaz Show allowed me to] learn about the activities that students participate in and what I would be interested in getting involved with.” Ms. Lipson acknowledged that the show is very music-based, but she emphasized its importance in terms of showing off what really makes Ramaz special: the students. “The energy at the show was amazing,” said Ms. Lipson. “We were really clear about showing off who we are and how we are different.”

The Open House also gave prospective families a chance to converse with Ramaz students, faculty, and administration during the dessert. “The most impactful part [of the Open House] for me was my conversations with the teachers and faculty,” said prospective parent Frances Zelazny-Ganz. “I was able to learn a lot from these interactions: what they enjoy most about teaching in the school, what they think makes the school unique, and how they view their relationships with their students.”

Overall, the 2018 Ramaz Upper School Open House was an extraordinary success. From the Q&A panel to the model classes and the Ramaz Show, prospective families, the administration, and the admissions team all confirmed that this year set the bar higher for future Ramaz Open Houses. Danya Jacobs ’19 exclaimed, “The Open House was an extreme success! I’ve been at four Ramaz Open Houses and I think this one was definitely the best. The videos and speeches made me want to go to Ramaz for high school. I think what made it so great was that each student and teacher brought so much energy and spirit which made the night incredible. The audience was kept entertained and remained involved until the very end.”

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Chai Katz ’21 added, “Everyone was mosh-pitting. I truly never saw the Ramaz students act with this much spirit before!” Although the players were thousands of miles away from the scene, news of the overwhelming support reached their attention and motivated them to play their hardest during the games. School President and Co-Captain of the Varsity Basketball team Becky Tauber said, “It was really amazing seeing videos of so many kids back at Ramaz getting excited about the games in LA. It’s not every day that I get to see the students so spirited. It made me realize the potential that we have to unify and get excited about the things going on around school.”

Another highlight of the tournament was Shabbat, where players had a chance to bond with their teammates and also with new friends from other Jewish day schools. The weekend began with a beautiful outdoor Kabbalat Shabbat in the backyard of one of the hosts. The teams then had dinner together at the homes of local families and later “enjoyed the copakabanger at the shul with all of the teams in

It was really amazing seeing videos of so many kids back at Ramaz getting excited about the games in LA...

It made me realize the potential that we have to unify and get excited about the things going on around school.” the tournament,” said Matan Makharadze ’19. The next morning the teams davened and ate lunch at Beth Jacob Synagogue. During the afternoon, they were given free time to relax and explore the community before convening at the home of one of the hosts for Seudah Shlishit.

The most well-attended, and one of the most exciting, games of the tournament took place on Motzei Shabbat, when the Ramaz boys team took on the hosts, Shalhevet. The gym was packed to its maximum capacity, with many fans camping outside to try and catch the game through the gym windows. The intensity was high as the fans cheered fervently and loudly from the sidelines. Special appearances

by Ramaz alumni from the L.A. community (one of whom came dressed in a vintage Ramaz Varsity Basketball jacket circa late eighties-early nineties), as well as more recent Ramaz graduates attending

local LA universities, added even more energy to the evening. Members of the girl’s team made a special pre-game trip to Party City to get all decked out in blue and yellow (Ramaz’s team colors). Ms. Benus, who chaperoned the trip, said, “My favorite part was being the #1 cheerleader. It gave me a good excuse to wear my favorite Ramaz apparel during the week!” Captain Aaron Shapira ’19 advised the nervous team to “keep up the high intensity” and “give it their all.” Although the boys did not end up winning the game, they maintained a good attitude during the game. Their spirits were lifted when, after the game, player held an after party at Schnitzly, the legendary schnitzel restaurant located on Pico Boulevard.

In addition to Ms. Benus, the Ramaz teams were chaperoned by Rabbi Slomnicki. Rabbi Slomnicki practiced what he likes to call “chill mode” throughout the trip. “We were playing nicely and the girls and boys were unified.” Rabbi Slomnicki, along with other parents who accompanied the team on the trip, expressed their team-spirit from the benches as they cheered on the players. “The support and pride from the classrooms and lounges during the game is something I wish would happen in our own Ramaz Gym,” Ms. Benus said.

She continued, “We should have the same amount of spirit during a game on our home court, not just while watching from a livestream.”

Over the course of the four days, students also had the chance to experience Los Angeles culture by visiting local destination like the Grove and Santa Monica Pier. Students documented these activities on their social media accounts. They also created a Video Star which perfectly summed up all of the incredible experiences into a three minute clip set to the song “Party in the USA.” Despite the fact that the neither team returned home as the victors, the experience of playing in tournament wound up being “a win” in and of itself.

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worthwhile way to spend time together as a school.” ed to see what Rabbi Albo has planned for the rest of the year.” After completing that portion, Rabbi Albo discussed all of the different acts of kindness and chesed that we perform as a community.

Many students, particularly freshmen, appreciate the “Community Time.” Julia Feit ’22 felt that she was “finally beginning to understand all the different acts of kindness and things Ramaz has to offer outside of the classroom.” She continued, stating, “I was able to relate to what Rabbi Albo was saying because I heard many of my fellow classmates’ names when he mentioned the different acts of kindness that Ramaz does as a community.” Rabbi Albo addressed many students, faculty, and parents who devote countless hours to chesed and the Ramaz community. He mentioned specific names throughout the presentation, which gave each student a deeper insight and connection to what Rabbi Albo was describing. Many felt that this was a worthwhile way to spend time together as a school and reflect on the Ramaz community in a positive light.

However, as meaningful as this “Community Time” was to many students, others reacted differently. While these students clearly appreciated the numerous chesed activities in which Ramaz is involved, they thought that this “Community Time” was an example of Ramaz propaganda. Some felt as if they

Rebecca Massel ’21

Aliza Freilich ’20

were incoming freshman parents, considering which high school their child should attend. Gabby Schwartz ’20 felt that “‘Community Time’ was just praising certain individuals and making us all sit down and hear people talk about their achievements.” These students felt that the limited time the whole school has together was wasted on unnecessary speeches, and that the time should be devoted to cultivating student unity and promoting chesed projects.

The second “Community Time” was held right before Thanksgiving, and the ceremony began the same way as the previous one. A group of selected students read each of the mission statements out loud to set the mood and decorum of the program. Again, there were critics of this format: this time, students expressed confusion over the redundancy of repeating the same mission statement they had heard a few weeks before. However, others began to understand the importance of integrating different sets of students into the school assemblies.

During this second “Community Time,” students heard from Mayor of Englewood, NJ Michael Wildes, Rabbi Bodner, Mr. Deutsch and Rabbi Albo. Many students agreed that this assembly was more meaningful that the last because it actually had a purpose, which was to recognize how fortunate we are to be living as Jews living in America. As Hannah Doft ’20 says, “I am already experienced with the meaning of community time, so I felt that this community ceremony was better than the past ones because it brought together Judaism and what it means to be an American.”This ceremony also consisted of a performance of Hallel

by Rabbi Albo and the guitar ensemble, which allowed students to express their gratitude for the United States. Sophia Kremer ’20, a member of the guitar ensemble, felt that “it was so nice to hear students singing along with Rabbi Albo and waving their flashlights. It felt like I was performing at a real concert! This community time was definitely a success.”

Overall, the second “Community Time” of the school year got better reviews from the student body. Most students concluded after the program that “Community Time” is not a waste of time as long as there is a clear purpose and execution to the program. As Gabi Potter ’20 says, “The sole purpose of community time is to reflect on what we do as a Ramaz community. In order to have the student body enjoy it, it has to have a balance between purpose, meaning and also fun!”

Over the course of October, Ramaz, under the guidance of Ms. Benel, raised awareness for two painful situations currently affecting Americans. On Friday, October 12, Ramaz participated in Pink Day in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Two weeks later, on Friday, October 26, Ramaz students dressed in purple as a show of support for Domestic Abuse Awareness Month.

For Pink Day, the Chesed club sold pink merchandise. Students could been seen wearing pink bracelets, sporting pink bandanas, and eating donuts with pink frosting. Challot were sold in the lobby to raise more money, and the Tzedakah committee visited each classroom to collect funds. The money collected from the booth and from classrooms was donated to Sharsheret and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. “The tattoos and bracelets were sick, and the challahs were great, as they always are,” said Max Jankelovits ’21. In order to encourage boys to participate, the standard dress code of a button down with a sweater or tie was not in effect for all who arrived in pink.

Sharsheret is an organization designed to help Jewish women suffering from breast or ovarian cancer. Their mission statement is “to offer a community of support to women, of all Jewish backgrounds, diagnosed with breast cancer or at increased genetic risk, by fostering culturally-relevant individualized connections with networks of peers, health professionals, and related resources.” Sharsheret was founded by Rochelle Shoretz in November 2001 after she was diagnosed with the disease at the age of 28. She died in 2015, only 42 years old, but her legacy lives on. Sharsheret continues to help women suffering with breast cancer by providing support groups and investing in breast-cancer related research.

On Sunday, October 14, Ramaz joined the American Cancer Society’s annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer NYC Walk in Central Park. Students gathered at Park’s entrance and marched for four miles.Ms.Benel said,“It was incredible to see so many people stand for a cause.All different kinds of people,regardless of their political views,marching together was inspiring to see.”

Ramaz’s senior class also had the opportunity to hear from Dr.Nicole Schreiber-Agus on Wednesday, October 17. Dr. Schreiber-Agus is the co-founder and former director of the Program for Jewish Genetic Health at Einstein Medical School. She also founded MyJewishGeneticHealth. com, an online educational series about common genetic disorders found in Jewish communities. She spoke to the seniors about the importance of cancer awareness. Dr. Schreiber-Agus noted that awareness can inspire conversations about the most efficient ways of coping with a particular disease. She stressed that the key to avoiding cancer is to keep one’s body as healthy as possible. Dr. Schreiber-Agus underscored that continued research is the key to finding a cure.

The next awareness day acknowledged by Ramaz was Domestic Abuse Awareness Day. On Friday, October 26, students wore purple in solidarity with victim of domestic abuse. Purple donuts, stress toys, and bracelets were sold, along with challot tied with purple ribbons. The stress toys were a big hit. Over $300 were raised for the Shalom Task Force, a Jewish organization seeking to prevent domestic violence and help its victims. The organization strives to “sensitize our communities” so that victims can feel comfortable and unashamed about reaching out for assistance. Shalom Task Force works closely with leaders in several Jewish communities, offering them guidance on how to appropriately comfort victims of domestic abuse. They also offer legal assistance for those who need restraining orders or divorces. According to Shalom Task Force’s website, one in every three women are in abusive relationships. Shalom Task Force defines “abuse” not only as physical harm, but also as emotional harassment, financial intimidation, or stalking.

Ms. Benel feels that domestic abuse is a very sensitive issue that is “deeply rooted in our culture.” Emma Stonehill ’21, who managed the selling of purple products, said, “I am appreciative of the opportunity I had to stand for a cause that is so important.” Daniella Norman ’21 agreed, stating, “It’s important that we try to understand the depth of domestic abuse. I am proud to be part of a school which raises awareness for it.”

Overall, most students felt that these two days were very successful. Rachel Freilich ’22 said, “The whole school coming together in a uniform way really sent a message that we are all uniting to respond to these tragedies that affect so many lives.” Some students even remarked that they wish these awareness days could have been more widely acknowledged. One junior suggested that all the Jewish schools in the tristate area coordinate these days of awareness. She said, “I think it would raise more money for organizations like Sharsheret and Shalom Task Force. More importantly, though, it would show that Jewish teenagers are ready to act and not just discuss these problems.”

Showing Thanks to Our Veterans Rebecca Massel ’21

November 2018/Kislev 5779

More Than Just a Color

Community Time Evaluated A new platform called “Community Time” was instituted this year. “Community Time” allows Ramaz Upper School students to gather together, reflect on our Ramaz community as a whole, and discuss the different initiatives that we have engaged in over the past month or so.

Two community sessions took place this November, each hosted by Rabbi Albo.

Both ceremonies started off in a similar way, with students reading one of the five clauses of Ramaz’s mission statements.

The first “Community Time” consisted of an introduction describing the assembly’s format. Following that, five chosen students, representing all of the grades, explained the meaning of the mission statement that they read. Josephine Schizer ’20, one of the students who read a piece of the mission statement, said, “It was nice to have the chance to participate in community and I’m excit-

“The whole room felt joyful and celebratory,” described Jonas Kahan ’21, an attendee of the pre-Thanksgiving dinner for veterans. On Tuesday, November 20, thirty US veterans visited Ramaz to celebrate an early holiday with over thirty students.

Each veteran was a member of Samaritan Daytop Village, a human services agency which offers various programs to aid those in need. The program seeks to help substance abusers, integrate homeless people into the workforce, and show compassion to senior citizens. Samaritan Daytop Village is known for having pioneered programs that help American veterans overcome the challenges of life after serving in the military. Indeed, Samaritan Village provides massive amounts of support to thousands of veterans struggling with addiction or from post traumatic stress disorder. The agency currently has three residential treatment facilities for veterans, including the country’s first facility designed exclusively for women.

The pre-Thanksgiving dinner was organized by Ramaz’s own Mrs. Dee Dee Benel and Ms. Beverly Houston, the Director of Program Operations at Samaritan Village. A group of students organized and decorated the Ramaz auditorium to create a seasonal, warm atmosphere. “The fall leaves, pumpkins, and acorns created a real Thanksgiving vibe,” said Lauren Lepor ’21. The meal included cold cuts, deli rolls, pasta, salad, and crudite. All of the food was generously provided by an anonymous donor.

At 4:45 PM, a group of thirty students welcomed the veterans into the auditorium. Once everyone was seated, Ms. Benel welcomed everyone and spoke briefly about care packages that Ramaz had diligently sent out to active combat soldiers, noting that she saves every thank you letter sent to her from a soldier who receives one of these packages. Ms. Houston then briefly explained the role Samaritan Daytop Village plays in the lives of veterans. She stressed the importance of recognizing veterans and how much they love being welcomed home by their fellow Americans. According to Ms. Houston, veterans rarely receive the appreciation they deserve, so

when they are invited out or visited, it is extremely meaningful. Following Ms. Houston’s remarks, a veteran expressed his gratitude toward Ramaz and how great a small act of kindness means to him. He told the students about a care package he still remembers receiving while overseas forty years ago. After the meal, the veterans passed around a microphone and introduced themselves.

The night also featured live entertainment. Cameryn Guetta ’19 sang a beautiful rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” which was accompanied by acoustic guitar played by Nathan Haron ’19 and piano played by Isaac Merkin ’19. The three seniors also played a few old-school, upbeat tunes.

The veterans loved the music, and especially enjoyed singing along to songs by the Beatles. Abraham Coburn ’21 said, “The music really brought the whole event together. It connected us to the veterans.”

During the meal, veterans sat side-by-side with Ramaz students and shared their life stories. After the meal, veterans gave bracelets they had been wearing to students to serve as a constant reminder of the sacrifices every veteran makes. Mati Finkelstein ’22 said, “I was sitting next to a veteran named Bobby and had a very deep conversation with him. Bobby gave me a bracelet he received from an American girl while he was serving to always remind me to pass on his story.”

To end off the event, the veterans ate pumpkin pie, cookies, and fruit for dessert. As they were leaving, each veteran received a package with Israeli chips, soda, and candy. Ms. Benel said, “We want to show our veterans that, with everything going on in politics nowadays, we as Jews always remember to practice hakarat hatov. We appreciate all they have done.”

Overall, the event was a success and all who attended seemed to have enjoyed themselves. The students had the opportunity to learn about the true meaning of Thanksgiving, and the veterans received some much-needed gratitude in return. Mati Finkelstein ’22 explained, “The evening honestly encouraged me to consider joining the army. This was much more personal than hearing about soldiers or wars on the news, and now I will view world events in a new way.”

November 2018/Kislev 5779

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The Ivy of the Yeshiva League Becky Tauber ’19

There’s no doubt that Ramaz is a highly competitive environment— students work hard to excel academically and achieve their goals. Many would argue that Ramaz is the most “college obsessed” Yeshiva in the tri-state area. And while it may be true that every school has individual students who strive to be accepted into a top college, Ramaz is unique in that a majority of its students expect (or at least hope) to be accepted into an elite university. In the last Rampage issue, poll results showed that a majority of Ramaz students put “college pressure” on themselves.

Personally, I would argue that this widespread pressure stems from the fact that students want to meet the standard of excellence that Ramaz has historically advertised.

Ramaz is known for offering an outstanding education. The teachers at Ramaz are among the best in their respective fields, and the students are some of the most (academically) impressive around. Ramaz’s status as the “Ivy of the yeshiva league” undoubtedly stems from the fact that Ramaz officially considers itself a college preparatory school. Ramaz students have a stricter dress code than other Yeshivas, and the school itself is notorious for its rigorous curriculum. This explains, in part, why Ramaz students are so college obsessed. The reputation that Ramaz has acquired over the years attracts a specific type of student, one who is willing (and able) to go above and beyond in order to succeed academically. Ramaz students are always looking ahead. And while there are always students who didn’t necessarily choose to go Ramaz, I believe those students who did choose to attend Ramaz on their own did so with the understanding that it wouldn’t be easy. Every incoming Ramaz student is ultimately aware that the school’s student population can aptly be described as more ambitious and more driven than the student bodies of most other schools.

Gaining admission into a top university is a fiercely competitive ordeal.

More students apply each year, yet the number of available spots remains constant— the acceptance rates of prestigious universities are continuing to drop. Students are given the impression that going to an elite college directly correlates to their success in the future. This lurking idea (which seems to be intrinsic to our generation) is another reason why Ramaz students are so college obsessed. We are

only satisfied with the best, and in accordance with that rule, anything less than an Ivy League college is culturally unacceptable. Ramaz students are looking to follow those Ramaz alumni who have made big names for themselves over the years. We are looking to achieve excellence, even if it is to our own detriment.

This leads me to the following question: does Ramaz’s obsession with college ultimately create an unhealthy environment for the student body? This question can be answered in one of two ways. On one hand, being “name obsessed” is never a great thing. People who are hung up on the name of a prestigious university might put themselves in a situation where they enroll in a college that is not the right fit for them just because of that school’s status. Others might put way too much pressure on the outcome of their decision letters, leading themselves to believe that getting rejected is a sign of failures to come. At the end of the day, however, students who attend Harvard and students who attend city colleges can end up in the same exact position in four years.

One the other hand, Ramaz’s college obsession is not all bad. Being surrounded by students who have high expectations for themselves creates an environment of people who do not want to slack off. Attending a school where students are constantly striving to do their very best can be extremely motivating for some kids. And while this environment can become extremely stressful, it nonetheless prepares them for success in college and beyond. Indeed, talk to any Ramaz alumni who felt overwhelmed by work in high and they’ll all tell you the same thing: It paid off in the long run.

Ramaz is unique from other yeshivot in that its students are always (literally always) talking about college. In my opinion, that reality stems from Ramaz’s status as a college prep school, the school’s rigorous academics, and a competitive student culture. We might not appreciate the hard work and stress at times, but at the end of the day, most students want to meet the school’s standard of excellence by doing all they can to gain admission into an elite college.

“This widespread pressure stems from the fact that students want to meet the standard of excellence that Ramaz has historically advertised.”

SFAC: November Edition Sophia Kremer ’20

This month’s Student Faculty Administration Committee (SFAC), composed of members of the G.O., student class presidents, grade coordinators and other faculty members, met on November 14, 2018 to discuss current concerns within the school and to propose ways to resolve them. Due to absence of Rabbi Dov Pianko, the official SFAC chairman, the November meeting was officiated by Rabbi Slomnicki.

The meeting began with a follow-up from the previous month’s meeting primary discussion point: dress code. A solution was proposed by Ms. Krupka and Paola Mattot to send out a Google poll that would enable students to express their opinions on

A solution was proposed to send out a Google poll that would enable students to express their opinions on dress code and specify what changes they would like to see. dress code and specify what changes they would like to see. These responses will be carefully analyzed and taken into consideration by the administration. Ms. Krupka specified that she “would be really interested to see how students would put the dress code into their own language.” She also noted that the administration would “take all of their input into account” after reviewing the data collected by the poll.

The next follow-up point addressed the issues surrounding the joint junior-senior shacharit minyan.

There has been much controversy over whether combining the two individual grade minyanim has been beneficial. Many feel that it allows for a more meaningful tefilla experience, while others have expressed concerns with the fact that the dual-grade minyan is overly crowded. It was concluded that although juniors do not mind sharing a minyan, seniors feel that

they should have the privilege to daven in their own minyan. “I actually like the combination,” Rabbi Stochel remarked, noting that “it feels more lively.” Ms. Krupka suggested a trial senior minyan, arranged by the senior class president, to determine whether or not separating the minyan would yield positive results.

New agenda items were presented as well. The first new agenda item proposed holding a second student teacher conferences during second semester. There were multiple suggestions as to when these conferences should take place, with some saying they should occur immediately after students received their first semester report cards and other saying they occur at the end of the third quarter. Junior Class President Gabi Potter ’20 noted that conferences should be held after students received their first semester report cards “so that students could reflect on their performance thus far and strategize for the upcoming semester.”

The meeting also addressed the moving of this year’s student-teacher conferences from a Friday to a Thursday. The reason for the alteration, according to administrators, was to relieve the pressure some students had previously felt to finish their conferences early and leave the building. The productivity of the conferences was also discussed. Ayelet Monas ’19, Associate Vice President of Operations, noted, “Many students just focus on getting through all of their teachers but maybe if they were allotted a specific amount of time per teacher their day would be a lot

more beneficial and productive.” Another proposition was made to allow students to sign up for specific times to meet with teachers so that they would not have to waste time waiting on incredibly long lines.

The next item on the agenda was RamTEC, the new technology course offered to freshmen, sophomores and juniors. Junior Class President Lucy Doft ’20 said, “I did not realize going into the course how complicated it would be, because it is basically learning a whole new language.” Gabi Potter added that “junior year is already extremely difficult as it is and to

“There should be separate tracks [in RamTEC] based on which students have prior knowledge of code in order to create a more productive experience for every student.” have the stress of a new course makes the year an ever more challenging obstacle.” It was also pointed out that students with prior coding-experience have a clear advantage over those who have no experience. Sophomore Class President Aaron Sokol ’21 suggested that “there should be separate tracks based on which students have prior knowledge of code in order to create a more productive experience for every student.” Monas noted that while it may be very important to teach coding at Ramaz, “it is nonetheless very difficult to take Hebrew and Spanish or French along with coding.”

She then suggested that “students have the option to choose between taking coding or a foreign language.”

In the upcoming months, students should look forward to seeing changes in their everyday environment. Students are encouraged to email Dov in the days leading up to a SFAC meeting with issues they’d like to see resolved.

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November 2018/Kislev 5779

Our Community at Work David Gerber ’19

For this edition’s installment of “Our Community at Work”, we speak to Ramaz parent Ronnit Vasserman. Ronnit is the founder of Art Connect Group, an agency which offers art tours to contemporary art collectors all over the country. ACG’s mission is to connect art buyers to artists, and to that end, it works with novices, seasoned collectors, corporations, architects and designers to provide the finest service in art acquisitions. Their approach is highly personalized, navigating clients through the complexities of the art world while working with their individual spaces, budgets, and objectives. Ronnit and her team promise to assist clients throughout the entire cycle of acquiring a work of art: finding the piece, measuring the space, negotiating pricing, framing, delivering and installing the work.

Since her firm is not a gallery, Vasserman says it can be unbiased and truly connect a client to an artist that fits their needs financially and aesthetically. With her banking background, Vasserman is able to offer aid in financing high net-worth artwork for her clients. In addition, ACG runs fundraising and PR events for featured artists.

Ronnit jokingly calls herself “a rebel without a Kaws.” After studying at Brooklyn College and Columbia University, she found a career in investment banking at both Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch. Her true passion, however, was art, so she left Wall Street to devote herself to it full time. Ronnit was able to use her business brain and her love of art to start a company— what we know today as ACG. Art Connect Group also runs art tours at galleries around Metropolitan New York.

She recently led a group of women to the East Side of Manhattan to see the Kaws exhibit. Some of Ronnit’s other tours have included “New Year with a Chelsea Art Excursion,” “ A Walk of Art: Visionary Shoes,” and “I Love Harlem Valentines Art Excursion.” In December she will give a talk at Sotheby’s explaining the history of Israeli art.

ACG’s hope is that some of the people on the tour will like the art and possibly purchase it, whether immediately or at a later date. Ronnit compares her former job as an investment banker to her career as an art consultant. “In both fields there needs to be a middleman who works with the seller to find a buyer, and vice versa...I feel it is important to educate my clients before they buy a piece of art, just like you might educate someone on an investment before they invest.”

When asked how she selects which artists to promote and feature in her events, Ronnit responded that aside from the credentials that the artist has - what schools they’ve gone to, what degrees they have, etc. - it’s the commitment of the artist that really counts. “I deal with a lot of younger artists, and a lot of them have gone to great schools, and they’re doing

really creative things, and I think it’s really important to see that they’re really dedicated - like they feel like this is what they were meant to do… a lot of it is the story - it can never just be a pretty picture, there’s got to be something more - there’s got to be a compelling story.”

According to Ronnit, it’s just as important for the artist to be able to promote themselves as it is for them to actually produce the art. It’s incredibly hard for a budding artist to start to make money, and many of them rely on their parents and families for financial support. “I feel like they really need to be so savvy, and plugged into branding, and Instagram - they really have to have a really strong business sense.” She added that a good way for these young artists to get a start on their career is through commissions - being paid to work in public spaces, stores, or even schools - as it provides a financial cushion for them while lending them much-needed publicity.

Ronnit believes art is so important and can be uplifting and therapeutic. She believes that’s why so many women sign up for her walking tours. “Sometimes the focus is just to use these visuals as a way to understand the world that we’re living in, and dealing with big issues, like immigration, and politics, and to escape our realities.”

She’s a huge fan of Ramaz, choosing it as a school for her now-sophomore son because it is the right combination of exemplary Jewish and secular studies. When asked about the art program at Ramaz, Ronnit was very positive. ”I’m a fan of the ongoing project of students creating murals throughout the school which really spruces things up. I think it’s a huge asset that some of the best galleries and museums are literally in the backyard of the school. I’m glad the school schedules outings to the museums throughout the year.”

Ronnit teaches that you don’t have to be a “starving artist” if you think about it as a business as well as a passion. Her advice to students interested in pursuing a career in art? “Start working on your portfolios, participate in summer programs and try to intern for prominent artists based in New York. If you love it and it’s the only thing you can see yourself doing, it will work out.”

Ronnit is off to the Miami Art Show soon. You can view her local tours or see what she’s up to on ACG’s instagram: @artconnectgroup.

Commemorating Kristallnacht at the German Consulate

Gabby Ostad ’21

November 9 marked the 80th anniversary of Kristallnacht, or Night of the Broken Glass which took place 80 years ago in Nazi occupied territories, Germany and Austria. Since Kristallnacht and the start of the Holocaust mainly occurred in Germany, when Germany is mentioned in in relation to these two events, the country rightfully has a negative connotation. However, present day Germany, aware of the crimes it committed against the Jews, is trying to show they have changed. Germany’s hope is to show that the people and country have developed for the better, by showing that now they stand with the Jewish community.

On Monday November 29, Ms. Benel led a group of seven Sophomores to the German Consulate in Midtown in order to attend the Consulate’s “Commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of Pogromnacht (Kristallnacht).” The purpose of this trip was for the students to take a way a few lessons. According to Ms. Benel, “We acknowledge that there was silence during the Holocaust from other nations towards the Jews. Germany is here at this event acknowledging the silence was not right. This makes the students think about what to do in situations they are put in and to not be bystanders.”

Additionally, she felt the event was well suited for the sophomores, because “the event was designed to provide a relatable and understandable story to people attending and I feel it did to these classman.” Tammy Palagi ’21 added, “I thought it was very ironic and impactful that the country in which the

greatest murder of Jews took place, 80 years later had an event commemorating and taking responsibility not that long ago in front of with Jewish children in NYC. I felt so privileged to live in NY and going I saw what my ancestors went through.

The purpose was to display a full understanding to those attending about not only Germany’s involvement during this time and during the war, but also to well verse the audience with accounts from a Jewish survivor, Ruth Zimbler as well as musical performances and speeches from Germans and members of the AJC, American Jewish Committee who were sponsors of the event.

The presentation began with an introduction from the head of the AJC, American Jewish Committee welcoming the audience. The students then received a unique experience of hearing about Kristallnacht from the perspective of German David Gill, the non-Jewish German Consul General. Through the speech, the message he was trying to portray along with the story behind it remained clear. Gill recognized this horrific act, but expressed that today, Germany supports Jews. Additionally, Gill mentioned the positive impact Jews bring to Germany’s community and said that since the war, there has been a growth in the Jewish population of Berlin.

Following Gill, the students heard Kristallnacht and Holocaust child survivor, Ruth Zimbler. Zimbler portrated the story in a relatable and accurate way, by really reverting to herself as a child and telling her experience as if she were her young

10 year old self again in Vienna, Austria in 1938. Ruth was just 10 years old when these horrors began and confusion filled her mind about what was happening right outside the steps of her doors. Due to her father’s job, Ruth’s family lived right next to the synagogue, so too Kristallnacht had happened right in “her backyard”. Ruth underwent many troubles of seeking safe shelter and having family division because of their current situation. However, her future would turn to be one of hope when she was sent on the first Kindertransports with her brother, Walter. Their target was Den Haag, Holland. Ruth mentioned that these moments all sunk when her mom told her to “kiss the walls of the synagogue goodbye”. She then realized she would have to be a have to be a ”mother” to her younger brother.

Succeeding Mrs. Zimbler was a Music Interlude played by Jewish musicians playing the songs of famous Jewish song writes. The event concluded with a speech from the CEO of AJC, David Harris. Harris mentioned that he had just been in Europe conducting a series of programs working against anti-Semitism. His takeaway was that rather than simply recounting and remembering those who died, we should also acknowledge, care, and protect the living ones from any future acts of anti-Semitism.

Shabbaton Planning: Hard Work Earns a Day of Rest Samantha Sinensky ‘21

The Ramaz Shabbaton has the potential of being a pivotal highlight in a student’s high school life, but the framework of the Shabbaton is a bit formulaic. It must include davening, attending the venue, meals, and activities. The challenge is through hard work and creativity, a program must be produced to engage the students of each individual grade. The venue selected is the lovely Hotel Somerset-Bridgewater in historic Asbury, New Jersey.

Rabbi Pianko and the administration would like the Shabbaton to be about creating memories with friends. By having the Shabbaton at the same venue each year, Rabbi Pianko hopes to instill a sense of nostalgia for the students and warm memories over their high school years.

The particular challenge as Rabbi Pianko sees it, is finding the perfect blend of meaningful, pressure-free learning, while having a good time in the company of fellow classmates with similar hopes, desires, and anxieties. He will be encouraging the interaction of classmates that under the typical school conditions did not interact previously.

The Shabbaton is not only an occasion to encourage bonding amongst students, but it is also a chance to interact with Ramaz faculty outside of the classroom. “We try to take as many teachers as we can,” says Rabbi Pianko, without overloading the faculty population, resulting in “too many shifts in the kitchen,” Rabbi Pianko said. While typically Jewish teachers attend, non-Jewish faculty is invited as well. Ms. Quin, the Associate Director of College Guidance, joined last year’s senior class to their Shabbaton and said that “As someone who is not Jewish, and who had never experienced anything like that, it was a fun, eye-opening experience for me...It was nice to be able to speak to the girls a bit more candidly about what to expect in college.” Ms. Quin was glad she was a part of the experience and is looking forward to accompanying the seniors once again this year. Perhaps, Ms. Quin should be invited to the other grades Shabbatons, to give some candid college advice where it may still have some impact.

As one would expect, the experience of a Freshman Shabbaton is very different than a Senior or even Sophomore Shabbaton. The themes of each Shabbaton are therefore explicit-

ly designed to cater to a specific grade.“The Shabbatons all have a theme that I think is most appropriate to the stage of development and/or personalities of that grade,” said Rabbi Pianko.

The Freshmen Shabbaton emphasizes friendship and revolves around Dr. Seuss, a favorite children’s author of Rabbi Pianko. Transitioning to the Ramaz culture and making friends is key at this time. The Sophomore Shabbaton is geared towards decisions. Demands of prioritization of time, what classes to take, what and how many extracurricular activities to get involved with and in general, academic and social anxiety come into play. The ramifications of the decisions can openly be discussed. The Junior year theme is “The Big Picture.” During a year of stressful standardized tests and the unknown of college looming, it is important to remember there is a whole life ahead of us, not defined by your SAT score. Here, the Shabbaton can be a comforting oasis to discuss these matters in a non-confrontational, non-competitive manner. Lastly, the Senior Shabbaton highlights transitions to prepare the student of the next stage of their academic lives while reinforcing the fact that they will always have a home at Ramaz.

While the Shabbatons are primarily organized by Rabbi Pianko, the administration and the Grade Dean, they offer the class presidents the opportunity to make any suggestions and personalize the weekend for their grade. Occasionally, Rabbi Pianko gets feedback from students, suggesting there was not enough free time, but, he stands by his decision, and knows from experience that “free time is good, but it’s not memorable.” It is the well-organized events put together, sometimes by the class presidents themselves, that stick with the students.

There is nothing more beautiful than a communal Shabbat. All the pressures and anxieties of students can melt away and share ideas, singing, camaraderie, and good food. Ultimately, it is the student’s ability to take advantage of all the hard work that went into the planning of this spiritual experience. To all the planners, thank you for your endeavors and I hope you enjoy a well deserved Shabbat Shalom.

November 2018/Kislev 5779

The-Rampage.org

Boo: A Ramaz Halloween

“Ramaz supports the stance of refraining from celebrating Halloween, while recognizing and respecting the need for parents to make decisions for their families regarding personal home practice,” read an email sent out to the Ramaz parent body a few days before Halloween. The email, signed by Mr. Cannon and all three division heads, reminded parents that Halloween has pagan origins and had been a day of pogroms and anti-Semitism for Jews in Europe. “These associations have led Jews to refrain from participating in Halloween activities even though, like many American religious observances, Halloween has taken on a distinctively cultural, secular, and commercial tone in contemporary society.”

Emails such as this one have been sent out yearly before Halloween, though generally solely to parents. According to Rabbi Slomnicki, the goal of these emails is “to address a communal concern of Jewish kids participating in a non-Jewish activity.”

A survey sent to the Ramaz student body found that 37% of the students did participate in Halloween in some way. Within that 37% of the student body, 22% (or 8% of the student body) handed out candy but did not go trick-ortreating, 38% (14% of the student body) wore a costume, 41% (15% of the student body) went trick-or-treating, and 60% (22% of the student body) went to a Halloween party.

Regardless of these percentages, it seems that Ramaz’s Halloween email had little to no impact on the students. Of the students who did celebrate Halloween, only 11% responded that the email impacted how they celebrated, 43% weren’t even aware that an email was sent out, and 41% said it didn’t impact how they celebrated. Of the students who didn’t celebrate Halloween, the impact of the email was even smaller. 2% of this group said the email impacted them, and an additional 3% said it impacted their parents but not them. 56% were unaware that an email was sent out and 40% said it didn’t impact them.

“Not only did I have no clue that Ramaz sent out an email,” said one student, “but I also didn’t hear from anyone that I shouldn’t be celebrating. So if it weren’t for my own reasoning and my own prior knowledge of this non-Jewish holiday, then I probably would have gone trick-or-treating.”

Another student wished that Ramaz would “say why we don’t [celebrate] it and explain it in class, not just send an email.” It seems that having discussions about Halloween at school or at least including students on the Halloween email sent to their parents could have a much greater impact. According to Rabbi Slomnicki, the fact that students didn’t receive the email was “an oversight,” but he hopes teachers would be open to discussing Halloween and its cultural significance. Rabbi Slomnicki himself usually discusses Halloween in his Talmud classes.

Furthermore, the vast majority of Ramaz students do not regard Halloween as a religious holiday, perhaps explaining why it is considered acceptable by Ramaz students and their families. 100% of those who celebrate Hallow-

Features

7

Josephine Schizer ’19

een and 86% of those who did not celebrate agree that Halloween is not a religious holiday. Only 14% of the students who did not celebrate, equivalent to 9% of the student body, see Halloween as having any religious significance.

The general consensus seems to be that while most Ramaz students don’t celebrate Halloween, students don’t really see a problem with religious Jews participating in the holiday.

Many students argued that Halloween should not be considered a religious holiday because today, “most Americans consider the holiday to be a national tradition - much like Thanksgiving - without the attachment of any religious significance.”

Mr. Deutsch differentiated between Thanksgiving and Halloween: despite Thanksgiving’s religious origins with the Pilgrims, American presidents including Abraham Lincoln have declared it a national holiday, so “really Thanksgiving is an American holiday. It’s not like descendants of Puritans or Pilgrims in other countries are celebrating Thanksgiving. Halloween by contrast, is still connected to the Christian calendar, and the reality is that if you live in NYC, All Saints’ Day is an alternate side parking suspension day, which as a guy with a car in NYC, is the ultimate authority on what is a religious holiday. So until Halloween is either declared a national holiday or we have

“Part of the assimilation [that comes with] being in America is that the people around us aren’t religious - they don’t take their religion seriously.” At its core, Halloween is a religious holiday, but since so many people in America aren’t religious, they don’t treat it as such.

alternate side parking, I think it remains a religious holiday.”

One student added, “No non-Jew I have asked has ever said that they celebrate Halloween for religious reasons. At this point, the only people who view it as a religious holiday are Jews.” Another student even put a Jewish spin on the reason celebrating Halloween is acceptable, stating that “I think there’s a line between going through routine actions and believing in religious significance behind them. Some mitzvot in Judaism don’t really ‘count’ if they’re done without Kavanah; so too, celebrating Halloween non-religiously should not be taboo.” Overall, many Ramaz view Halloween as about costumes and candy with no religious significance, and for that reason, there is no reason to exclude Jews from the celebrations.

Responding to this, Rabbi Slomnicki argued that “part of the assimilation [that comes with] being in America is that the people around us aren’t religious - they don’t take their religion seriously.” At its core, Halloween is a religious holiday, but since so many people in America aren’t religious, they don’t treat it as such. Because he views it as a pagan holiday, Rabbi Slomnicki was surprised when he started teaching at Ramaz and found out that some Ramaz students celebrated Hallow-

Spotlight on Track Team

By Basia Fellner-Dublin ’20 The Track Team is a sports team that meets in the fall and spring seasons for both practices and competitions.

Coached by Ms. Csillag-Cohen, this team is a great opportunity for any student interested in getting a good workout. During the fall season, practices were held after-school on B days, and four Yeshiva League cross country track meets were held every Sunday from October through November. Each track meet consisted of a 3 mile race through Bryant Park. During these meets, Ramaz competed against Frisch, Heschel, SAR, Ma’ayanot, IDEA, TABC, Flatbush, and Kushner. These cross country races started out on a track and made their way into the woods. Despite the obstacle presented by the rugged terrain, most of the runners made it through the whole race. At the end of every meet, there was an awards ceremony for both individual and team places. The final meet was the Yeshiva League Cross Country Championships. Students that participated in at least two meets prior qualified to compete. The new season will start sometime in March after daylight savings time begins. There will be meets featuring multiple events such as the 400 race, 1600, 4x100, 800, 100, 3200, 200, 4x400, the long jump, and possibly hurdles.

This season, practices start at 5PM, with students meeting in the lobby and running together through Central Park. In the park, students sprinted up a hill, stretched, and ran up to 3 miles. Students have the option to not to compete and still participate in practices. “What I like the most about track is our little tight knit group. I love hearing from former students that they run on their own. That they run half marathons, full marathons. They are keeping up with getting a good workout in and having it a part of their everyday lives,” said Coach Cohen.

Exercise is very important for physical health, and the long term benefits of running have been proven by scientists. Indeed, jogging can strengthen your knees and other joints, as well as increase bone mass and prevent bone loss. Not only that, but it can also help you live longer. By performing a minimum amount of weekly exercise (30 minutes, 5 times), you can add a couple of years to your life span. Although track only meets once a week for an hour, students can, of course, still work out on their own.

Not only does exercise help you physically, but it can also help you emotionally. Running can even make you happier.

Physical activity can also help people cope with stress and anxiety. A study in 2012 showed that only 30 minutes of running per week for three weeks improved sleep quality, mood, and concentration during the day. Therefore, track is great for any students who want to relieve any stress from school work and tests. “It is important for students to join track because it is a great opportunity to have an hour to work out, step away from the books and meet new friends that they otherwise would not have met in the first place. It is just a great outlet to run, have fun, not even think about the fact that it’s exercise and really enjoy themselves,” said Coach Cohen. Although the next track season doesn’t start until March, there are many ways students can stay in shape for the next season. “The way that students can improve their endurance is to not just wait for track season to be in swing. They must work out on their own. They have to take the time to just get on a machine, go for a walk. Something that is not in their usual routine, just to get stamina and build up for the next season,” said Coach Cohen.

een. “It wasn’t part of my culture when I was growing up,” he said, “I was surprised when I came here and kids told me that they participated in the activity. I was like - you’re Jewish! [But] on a personal level, I struggle with it because I have a daughter in public school.”

Mr. Deutsch agrees that “Institutionally, if the school wants to say ‘don’t do it,’ that’s fine - it is a Jew ish institution.” However, Mr. Deutsch also argued that “in the context of things which Jews do that they shouldn’t do, [celebrating Halloween] is so far down the list” and there are many other issues to focus on before this one.

Additionally, a sizeable group of Ramaz students asserted that participating in Halloween is tantamount to celebrating antisemitism. Halloween “is a holiday on which is was considered okay to kill Jews and many pogroms happened,” said one student. “By celebrating Halloween, we are essentially sending the message that we don’t mind [the pogroms and anti-Semitism],” added another.

“Every time one of these emails goes out about pogroms and anti-Jewish violence on Halloween, I send a lunatic rant to whoever sent it,” said Mr. Deutsch. “Historically, there is no evidence to support that.” According to Mr. Deutsch, there are two problems with how religious Jews approach Halloween. First, the historical inaccuracy: Mr. Deutsch believes that the idea of pogroms on Halloween was an invention by religious institutions like the OU to prevent Jews from celebrating Halloween: “If you go online, you’ll see all these websites [about pogroms on Halloween], none of which actually cite anything. I’ve looked and I’ve found no evidence that Halloween was a particularly awful day for Jews.” The second issue is a question of the Jewish approach to the secular world. “Halloween doesn’t have to be evil or awful or antisemitic,” said Mr. Deutsch, “Halloween is a perfectly lovely holiday; it simply is a Christian holiday. That should be enough.”

Even among students who didn’t celebrate Halloween, several believed that the school shouldn’t be voicing an opinion about students’ actions off school grounds. “Outside of school, Ramaz shouldn’t comment on students’ religiosity,” said one student, “Every family does their own thing, if a religious family is comfortable with observing all the chagim as well as celebrating Halloween, then so be it.” Another student believes that “Ramaz shouldn’t control our religiosity in our own homes. As long as we don’t bring it to school and it doesn’t harm others, I don’t see why it’s a problem.”

8 Features

The-Rampage.org

November 2018/Kislev 5779

What’s In Your Closet?

Natalie Kahn ’19 and Esti Beck ’19

The Rampage asked students to build their own dress code and enforcement systems.

ALTERNATE DRESS

ALTERNATE ENFORCEMENT

For the most part, the dress code consensus was that it should be more lenient than it is today, but this loosening took different forms. Several topics were flashpoints: for example, 12/38 students explicitly mentioned bringing logos back, 10 asked for polos for boys, and 4 even requested girls be allowed to wear pants. (Others simply said their preferred dress code was “wear whatever you want,” which includes these sub-categories.) Only 5 asked for longer skirts for girls, but many asked that the rules about boys shirts being tucked in or the tie requirement be removed. Here are some of the responses:

When asked how they enforce their new dress codes, students tended to fall pretty evenly into three camps: the way it is now is fine, the dress code should be more heavily enforced, and there should be no enforcement at all (most of this last group had proposed dress codes that they felt would be difficult to violate because of their leniency.) Many boys expressed concern that girls were allowed to “get away” with much more in terms of dress code violations than they were, and called for greater equality. These were some of their suggestions:

Amit Daniell ’19

BOYS: Button down shirts and dress pants. Jeans are okay, but no blue jeans.

GIRLS: Skirts to the knees and shirts that are modest Josephine Schizer ’20

BOYS: Shirt with a collar (polos are fine). Pants: no sweatpants, jeans are okay as long as they aren’t ripped. Must wear kippah at all times.

BOTH: Goal is to look semi-professional. No pajamas. Nothing too tight or revealing/no cropped clothing.

GIRLS: “Nice” clothing, nothing ripped. Nothing shorter than the knee. Shorts or skirts to the knee are okay, but they have to be to the knee. Jeans are okay, but they must be professional looking and not ripped. 4 finger rule below the collar bone for necklines. Nothing see-through. Shirts can have words, but nothing inappropriate for school. No shirts that are too low or too tight Eve Schizer ’22

GIRLS: I would love it if I could wear pants, but realistically, I’d say stop pushing for our skirts to be long, and let us wear words!

Yehuda Goldman ’19

BOYS: Because I’m a boy I’m only really interested in changing the boys dress code and I’m not so interested in altering the girls dress code. Boys have to wear ties with a button down shirt while girls can literally wear their pajamas under their skirts as well as their shirts so it doesn’t make much sense. If I knew school was a place where I could sleep too, I would bring a pillow and blanket.

Aviva Lehman ’22

BOTH: Wear whatever you want but not too much skin showing. Like no crop tops and spaghetti straps.

Ozzie Kremer ’22

BOYS: I feel that due to the amount of leniency for the girls dress code, the boys should have one that is just as casual. I believe that the dress code should be button down shirts and normal pants, no tucking, no ties, no sweaters.

Daniel Levy ’19

BOYS: Boys can wear any pants except sweatpants, and any button downs or polo shirts. Sweatshirts and hoodies may have any words/logos as long as appropriate.

Aaron Solomons ’20

BOYS: Appropriate non- revealing sweaters with slacks and no button down shirt

GIRLS: Skirts to their knees along with appropriate non- revealing tops. Small logos are permitted on tops.

Isaac Sarao ’19

BOTH: I’m aware of the fact that the point of dress code in school is to ensure that students are “properly” representing not only the Ramaz community, but the Jewish community as well. So I don’t expect anything to be changed. But at the very least discard the tie/sweater obligation. Students should wear what they are comfortable wearing, comfort creates a positive learning environment. There are way too many horrible things going on in the world to be worried about how people dress on a daily basis. So basically my answer is not to have a dress code.

(But nudity is not allowed) Isaac Amar-Ouimet ’21

BOYS: Button down shirts, can be flannel with plain t-shirt under, no need for ties, solid color sweaters (hoodies/crewnecks) Esti Beck ’19

BOYS: Any shirt (not tank tops). Jeans and sweatpants allowed.

GIRLS:Non cap-sleeve, sleeveless, or scoop neck shirt. Jean skirts allowed, as are sweatpants under skirts. Skirts should be at least approaching the knee.

BOTH: Graphics and words allowed for both, but nothing blatantly offensive.

David Adler ’19

BOTH: Business casual. There should also be more specific rules as to how casual the dress can be, such as the idea that no casual designs should be visible (regular designs, such as stripes and checkers on shirts, should be permitted).

BOYS: Long-sleeved button down with only the top button unbuttoned and pants (same pants rules boys have now), no overly casual shoes such as flip-flops or Uggs men slippers.

Shirt should be tucked in.

GIRLS: Long-sleeved shirt which doesn’t expose the chest. Should be allowed to wear pants as long as they’re not too revealing such as leggings or skin-tight jeans. Same rule about shoes that boys have.

David Gitelman ’22

BOYS: Comfort over formality. No more ties or button down shirts. Yes to polo shirts and any kind of pants or shorts, as long as they go to the knee and lower. Friday: white button-downs and long black pants.

GIRLS: No more restrictions on logos on shirts. No more short skirts. Allow pants and skirts to the knee and lower. Friday: Skirts to the knee or lower and white shirts:

BOTH: HATS ALLOWED!!!

Loren Elmann ’19

BOTH: School gives you a specific designated uniform, like any other prep school (i.e. button down with plaid skirts and blazers) Jonah Scherl ’19

BOYS: Collar shirt (polo style) and pants that aren’t sweatpants, joggers or blue jeans.

GIRLS: Skirts, no hoodies, no words on shirts, no t-shirt (cotton) Ruth Maurer ’20

BOYS: Boys shouldn’t have to wear a sweater or tie. That doesn’t make them more preppy or neater looking.

GIRLS: The girls should have to have skirts that go a little longer than what they are now. (Not below the knee- will never happen). Having words on your shirt shouldn’t mean anything to anyone. If words are offensive, ramaz apparel should be offensive too. If not words and pictures (ram) should not be a problem. You can’t have it both ways.

Alyssa Garbulsky ’20

If skirts get longer we can have words on our shirts Benjamin Rosen ‘22

Detention to multiple-time violators Daniel Levy ’19

If boys are found wearing sweats/shorts, inappropriate logos or words, or t-shirts they will be given citizenship reports.

Zach Buller ’20

Making a statement that since the dress code is more relaxed than it was in previous years, all the more so people should be following it. I would also use citizenship reports to enforce it. I know it might be harsh but it seems to be a means of enforcing the dress code.

Josephine Schizer ’20

With a strike system the same way they do with latenesses: three times out of dress code and you get detention. This way, no one has to change and it isn’t obvious to anyone else that you’ve been called out for what you’re wearing, but there are actually consequences. Only female teachers can dress code female students and only male teachers can dress code male students, but female and male dress codes MUST be enforced EQUALLY (there can’t be more consequences for a girl wearing a too-short skirt than there are for a boy wearing a hoodie instead of a polo). All teachers should be in charge of making sure that students are in dress code, not just Ms. Krupka.

Eve Schizer ’22

Because there are so many more important things the school should worry about, I feel enforcing dress code isn’t that high on the to do list. The punishment shouldn’t be to severe.

Maybe after three offenses you need to fill out a citizenship report?

Aaron Solomons ’20

Have a designated administrator who walks around policing students.

Isaac Sarao ’19

How one dresses is not a crime, no one is in danger because of the way others are dressed. No enforcement is required. This allows teachers to be able to focus on the important things, like educating kids, not patrolling around trying to find kids who are in violation of the dress code.

Isaac Amar-Ouimet ’21

If the dress code is more lenient but still make the students look casual and clean, and the students will abide to it too. We students want to learn comfortably but still look good!

Esti Beck ’19

The restrictions are minimal, so I’d expect most kids to be able to follow them without much trouble. The punishment for a certain grade violating the dress code too much would be strengthening the dress code for that particular grade. For example, if one grade keeps wearing inappropriate graphics, graphics will be banned for them until the end of the year. There would be a warning system for the grade before the actual punishment took place.

David Adler ’19

Instead of dress code being part of discipline reports, I think it should be its own category, because it’s very different than lateness or misbehaving. Dress code is such an easy thing to keep, that when one breaks it, I think he should be punished harsher than he would be in the other categories. One thing that would work would be that every time someone is caught out of dress code, they should have to serve a detention which runs 5-6:20 after school (to give bus kids time to make it to the late bus).

David Gitelman ’22

Teachers will be fully within their rights to point out and punish people for any violations of dress code. They will not be punished for doing so, BUT they must only point out the set dress code. Anything based on personal beliefs must not be obeyed.

Ziv Bolton ‘22

If a teacher saw a student out of dress code it would be like lates 3 out of dress codes leads to detention and then if that happens three times social probation.

Loren Elmann ’19

If not wearing uniform, not allowed into classes Laura Lancman ’19

Create a bond of trust and understanding with the students instead of fear because you can evade getting in trouble but not feeling guilty of betraying a bond Ruth Maurer ’20

Somebody should be at the door checking and look at each person or at home room because right now it’s enforced inconsistently. As tedious as it is that’s the only way it will work and the only way people will follow it. Or you make it something that could possible bring down your average. There should be a set punishment and should be enforced for every single student in the school. Not just for the davening minyan that Mrs. Krupka attends. You also have to have the teachers all the administrators to lead by example. If not kids won’t.

Opinions

November 2018/Kislev 5779

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Opinions

9

The Pittsburgh Catastrophe In My Eyes Gabrielle Ostad '21

Never had I experienced a morning like that of Saturday, October 27. Like many of us, I was at synagogue that Shabbat morning, but my arrival home was not per the usual. I vividly remember my mom saying “There was a shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh this morning.” As soon as these words left her mouth, many questions automatically struck me: “Where was this specifically?”, “Was it an ISIS attack?”, “Whose lives were lost?”, “How many lives were lost?”, and so many more.

I had just gone to synagogue, just like those people in Pittsburgh, for the same purpose. I felt the obligation to notify and inform the security officers at KJ about what would unfold to become the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in America, but when I got there, they were already told about the situation and were adjusting accordingly.

After hearing the victims of this terrorist attack and their age, contributions to the community, and impact each had on individuals, I was in pain for the families who lost their loved ones and all I wanted to do was comfort them. Since it was Shabbat, the families of Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh were unaware of this chaotic disaster that had just took place in their own community. Squirrel Hill, one of the safest communities in Pennsylvaniawith a strong Jewish community to boot- never imagined something like this would occur. They must have thought

Natalie Kahn ’19

family members went to people’s houses unplanned or chose to stay at the Tree of Life Synagogue to socialize.

As a Jewish girl in Manhattan, I knew that just as the Pittsburgh shooting happened at a synagogue, it could happen as easily in school or at any other Jewish establishment. I was relieved to see the response of New York State implementing NYPD members throughout Jewish institution and a Cambridge Security officer outside the building of the Upper School.

As big of a disaster this may have been, with the news of this event hitting the whole world, I was grateful for the solidarity all over. Different faiths held memorial services, and synagogues opened their doors to non-Jews.

The day right after the shooting, I attended a vigil at Temple Emanuel in memory of the innocent souls that were lost in Pittsburgh. There were police, Jewish people and people of many faiths all in one area there for the same reason— to show their support. Even Mayor de Blasio attended.

As a result of what had occurred in Pittsburgh, the idea of “Stand Up for Shabbat” began. This was the notion that exactly a week after the shooting, people of any faith would go to Synagogue to show their support for the community for Pittsburgh and to honor the lives that were lost. These words were posted on many social media platforms such as twitter and instagram. Park Avenue Synagogue was full on both levels of the sanctuary.

I now more than ever appreciate everything and continue to value my family. For the Jewish Community, this incident shows we must stand strong and stand up to the acts of antisemitism. We must continue to live our lives as proud Jews, because that is who we are.

Nonetheless, the fact that there have been 316 shootings in America in only 327 days shows that we must find a way to better the current system, not only for the eleven innocent people between the ages of 54-97 who lost their lives but also the victims in all the attacks.

May they never be forgotten, and may they rest in peace.

The Skirt Length Struggle

It’s no secret that Ramaz has struggled with the issues surrounding skirt length for a long time. One of this year’s biggest topics of discussion has been dress code, following a modified policy in Preludes. Just how effective has this new policy been? Honestly, not very.

At the beginning of the year, Ms. Krupka spoke to the girls about the new code and explained her reasoning both eloquently and cogently. The main points were: a) the way people dress affects their confidence and focus, so dressing appropriately in school cultivates a more serious environment, and b) the faculty isn’t here to be the dress code police. Girls don’t have to change if a skirt is too short, and boys aren’t suspended for wearing jeans to school. Neither gets in trouble for wearing a shirt that is inappropriate. Rather, in all these cases, a faculty member would merely indicate that either boy A or girl B’s outfit is inappropriate and shouldn’t be worn again.

In principle, this sounds great, or --scratch

that-- is great. But practice is a whole different story. The boys’ policy hasn’t changed much, but with girls’ dress code, skirt lengths are supposed to be slightly more enforced, and words are no longer allowed unless they’re “Ramaz” or something pertaining to the school, like “Fear the Ram.” Concerning the former, girls’ skirts are as short as ever.

Sometimes, this length is successfully disguised by black leggings so that a female teacher passing by might not notice how short that skater skirt is, but other times, the skirt is just blatantly short. At this point, I wouldn’t even categorize skirt length as a

It’s perfectly all right to chastise a student for wearing a shirt that says “Sexy Body” -- I don’t think there’d be any dispute -- but a shirt that reads “NYU” or “Seneca Lake” is far more benign than a skirt that is almost non-existent.

change, as “knee-length skirts” have always been in the rule book, just never actually put into practice.

The issue with the latter, the ban on logos and words, is that (let’s face it) skirts are the real problem here. It’s perfectly all right to chastise a student for wearing a shirt that says “Sexy Body” -- I don’t think there’d be any dispute -- but a shirt that reads “NYU” or “Seneca Lake” is far more benign than a skirt that is almost non-existent. The administration has discussed its hope that people will no longer think of Ramaz as the school where girls dress immodestly.

It’s true, Ramaz does have that reputation— but really only concerning short skirts, not logos on shirts.

One might argue that it’s impossible to really enforce skirt length, but other yeshiva schools

have done so more successfully than Ramaz. Take SAR student Hannah Vorchheimer ’19. At SAR, girls must wear skirts that go to or at least very close to the knee. “If you get skirted, you have to change.

There are certain teachers who are just really willing to skirt you if your skirt is too short, and they will,” says Hannah. At Frisch, the situation is similar to Ramaz’s. According to an anonymous Frisch senior, “the rules are very strict in theory but loosely enforced.” However, a key difference is that girls are usually pretty respectful, wearing skirts “barely above the knee for the most part on average, though there are some outliers in both directions, of course.”

Yes, people should be able to wear what makes them feel comfortable and confident, but at the same time, life isn’t only about feeling comfortable. Otherwise, people might wear pajamas and slippers to work. We don’t need to wear Shabbat dresses, but a skirt that’s approximately knee length in a religious school doesn’t seem unreasonable. Clearly, Ramaz students have some trouble with skirt length, yet it seems strange that while SAR and Frisch can pretty successfully enforce skirt length, Ramaz cannot. It might be wise for the administration to start thinking about ways to make its policy stricter before skirts grow any shorter.

Interested in writing for The Rampage? Have an idea for an article? Questions or concerns? Email rampage@ramaz.org to be added to the email list. We’d love to hear from you!

10 Opinions

William Kremer ’21

The-Rampage.org

November 2018/Kislev 5779

The Rise of the "DIY Club"

Once upon a time, every extracurricular activity available at Ramaz was entirely legitimate. Think Math Club, Chess Team, Debate Team, Model Congress, Mock Trial - these clubs, with only a handful of others, are the foundation upon which Ramaz’s extracurricular catalog was built. Each of these clubs was founded by students with serious interests related either to a potential career path or hobby. The founder of Business Investment Club, Jacob Doft ’87, started his club because he was genuinely interested in inspiring his co-students to become passionate about investing, not because he wanted another impressive stat for his college application. The same can be said of Ramaz’s stem-based clubs (e.g., Engineering, Physics, Women in Stem), publications (e.g., Parallax, Rise, the Rampage), and chessed activities (e.g., Chesed Club and Coalition Against Hunger). Each of these clubs has a defined mission and purpose.

While Ramaz continues to offer several worthwhile and productive extra-curricular activities, there are nonetheless many clubs that, shall we say, seem a bit far-fetched and inauthentic. American Sign Language club? The Uno Club? Dancing for Dummies?

Is it just me, or does it seem like Ramaz has an “anything goes” policy when it comes to legitimate clubs? Any students who gathers a few friends and a faculty advisor is now given free reign to start a “club.” In most cases, the incentive for doing so is obvious: students don’t participate in serious extra curricular activities and need to create a list of activities for their college applications. This way

of thinking, however, is completely flawed: the more illegitimate clubs that Ramaz allows, the less reputable its serious extracurriculars become. Who’s to say that Mock Trial and the Rubix Cube Club aren’t both equally serious, or even worse, equally unserious?

So, are Ramaz’s guidelines too lenient when it comes to what is and what isn’t a legitimate club? Should there be limits on making clubs at Ramaz? Should it be more hard to create a new club? And are students simply creating clubs to improve the quality

The more illegitimate clubs that Ramaz allows, the less reputable its serious extracurriculars become. Who’s to say that Mock Trial and the Rubix Cube Club aren’t both equally serious, or even worse, equally unserious?

of their college applications? The student perspective seems to be split. According to Aaron Zanger ‘21, Captain of the Mahjong Club (established in 2018), “Everyone that has an interest in something that appeals to other students should be able to start a club.” Zanger does make a valid point: if students hadn’t taken initiative by starting clubs that may have seemed unserious at first, then many of Ramaz’s

A Depersonalized Tammy Palagi ’21 Lateness System

You’ve barely slept, faced a stomach ache, braved traffic, and missed your train when, at 8:15 AM, you arrive to school and dreadfully tap in, knowing you’ll be getting a lateness email from noreply@ramaz.org later that day. There is nobody there to help you, no one to whom you can explain just how when everything wasn’t going your way to begin with, and despite your hardest efforts, you were late to school. “None of that nonsense, you’re late! There is nothing you can do about it,” screams the universe into your ear.

The school needs to personalize its lateness system. There has to be someone to whom you can explain why you were late, rather than an automatic system emailing you. There needs to be somebody to whom you can explain that you weren’t feeling well or that the train was delayed. As of now, no latenesses are excused. A doctor’s note, a family occasion, extreme transportation delays - all of these perfectly reasonable excuses are dismissed without question. No excuse is deemed excusable. Students should not be held responsible for things that are out of their control. It is understandable that a teacher cannot just accept a child’s word. Therefore, if a parent emails that their child’s lateness should be excused, there should be no further questions asked.

The parent knows what the situation with their own kid was that morning much better than any automatic system sending students latenesses does. If there was a legitimate reason for the student’s lateness, they should in no way be penalized. A doctor’s note, a parent’s email, or a train delay that affected many students from a specific area are all things that should definitely be excused without a doubt! Automating the lateness system fails to take into account legitimate explanations, and a

student’s honest efforts to arrive to school on time. Although it seems that such an automated system might be more just than a person (indeed, many students took advantage of the previous lateness system), it is in fact the opposite. Maintaining the current system punishes the entire Ramaz student body for the tardiness and negligence of a group of students who, at this point, have mostly graduated! The majority of students should not be held accountable, and should be given a fair lateness system.

most beloved clubs wouldn’t exist. Take RamPo - it began as a club where students “discuss politics” (not exactly a serious proposal), but it blossomed into one of the school’s most popular extracurriculars.

Alex Doppelt ’19, Captain of Mock Trial (established over three decades ago), had a different perspective on the above-stated questions. She stated, “It’s not fair to the student leaders of serious clubs when someone comes along, creates a random club, and never does anything afterwards.” Doppelt went on to say that “if a student wants to create a new club, he or she should need to hold three oficial meeting first. If attendance is high enough, and the meetings actually accomplish something, then it should be made into an official club.”

Ultimately, there should be some restrictions set in place so that Ramaz’s extracurricular offerings don’t become a joke. Ideally, clubs should meet on a weekly basis. At the very least, they should meet at least once a month. Additionally, a legitimate club should have its own mission statement, elaborating on that club’s purpose and goals.

Woody Allen once joked that he wouldn't join any club that would take him as a member. It’s time that we start thinking about the silliness of some of our schools clubs. Only then can we ensure that extracurriculars at Ramaz don’t devolve into nothing more than a joke.

Should Davening be Mandatory?

Charles Spielfogel ’21 & Keren Kubersky ‘21 One of the biggest debates in the Ramaz student body questions a pillar of our daily routines: should davening be mandated in school? Many students do not feel connected to the group tefilot and would rather daven at home in a private setting. They feel it should not be mandatory, nor should students receive attendance strikes for missing it or coming late. On the other hand, we attend a Modern Orthodox Day School with the understanding that not only is davening a mandatory part of our day, but it also represents an integral part of our Jewish Day School education. Going to a yeshiva requires tefillah in a minyan, and, no doubt, there are many advantages to davening in school. When you attend a yeshiva like Ramaz, you are agreeing to abide by the rules of a Modern Orthodox day school, including a daily minyan. It is a way to make a spiritual connection before the rigorous school day begins. Davening in school should enable one to think about one’s connection to God and how you want to live your life as opposed to walking into school and only focusing on the tests and assignments looming ahead. If davening is made to be an enriching experience, then in theory this should be the best part of your day. Not only are we connecting to God, we are making a connection with the rest of the students in the room. In addition, halakhic conventions dictates that it is better to pray for things in unison than on your own.

In an ideal world it would be helpful if the teachers can come up with strategies to help engage the students who don't feel the spiritual connection that others do. Although we must attend davening, it should not be a punitive environment. Teachers should engage students to make their time in davening more pleasant-- although davening is mandated, it should not feel that way. If done correctly, more people will enjoy the experience of davening. It is not easy to wake up early, and, in theory, if we didn't have davening in school, we could come in later. However, this is not how we were taught to live our lives. We start our day by praying to God and we do it in a group.

Davening in Modern Orthodox Yeshiva Day Schools adheres to the standards of an Orthodox minyan. The school has a strict policy about attendance in davening. Students are expected to open their siddurim, stand at the appropriate times, and “pray.” Davening being optional would allow for more religious independence for students.

Students could could have the option to daven if they wish to do so. Prayer and relating to Hashem are deeply personal matters. Oftentimes, we feel unconnected to the idea of prayer. Therefore, students should not be forced to attend or participate in davening. Last year, in our freshmen davening, boys were required to participate in either leining or davening a certain amount of times each semester. If they failed to do so, they would receive a “W” in their Talmud classes. Leading tefillah for some people is anxiety provoking and uncomfortable. Participation should not be mandatory, and even more so, kids should not be punished with an incomplete for not feeling comfortable enough to daven or read Torah in front of the whole grade. One sophomore boy believes that “attendance shouldn’t be taken until after davening.” Being forced to attend and participate in tefilla can be a turn off to Judaism and specifically, prayer.

There are obvious pros and cons to mandating davening in school. It should be an enriching and enjoyable experience, making it a great way to start your day. Unfortunately, it does not always feel that way to all students. We can hope that if encouraged and set to the right atmosphere one day all can feel connected and engaged to Tefilah in school.

The Tonight Show: A Highlight of the Ramaz Open House

The Open House is Ramaz’s most important recruitment event. The evening acts as an opportunity to share our school’s mission statement, as well as to showcase how those ideals are expressed throughout the building on a day-to-day basis. Short lessons on catchy subjects presented by our outstanding faculty members allow visitors to experience life inside the classrooms of Ramaz. Each session demonstrates the advanced level of learning one can expect at Ramaz, as well as the charisma and professionalism of our school’s faculty body. It would be surprising if attendees leave the evening with anything less than a strong and positive impression of what a student can expect to accomplish at Ramaz.

If one assumes that the goal of the Open House is to increase enrollment in the incoming class, then the most important part of evening was without a doubt “The Tonight Show,” a student-driven presentation in which current students describe what Ramaz is really like. It is during this show that current eighth-graders can begin to truly picture themselves at Ramaz. Indeed, it’s doubtful that these prospective applicants sit through a mock biology lesson and dream of being a Ramaz freshman studying plant cells. When real-life Ramaz students get on stage and talk about their experience, however, these kids finally begin to see what Ramaz truly has to offer from a student perspective. It was during “The Tonight Show” that the attending eighth graders began to see themselves playing the drums in Ramaz’s band, laying out pages for Panorama, and running for a G.O. position.

Sophia Kremer '20

The majority of the show is funny and entertaining.

Rabbi Slomnicki, who hosts the show, invites Ramaz students from all walks of life to take center stage and explain what they “do” at Ramaz. Student politicians, athletes, and journalists gather on stage to discuss how they have spent their time at Ramaz, allowing eighth graders to envision who they want to become in high school. This year’s future freshmen laughed hysterically at a dance-off between Becky Tauber ’19 and Da-

“The Tonight Show” expressed the humanity of the school’s student body and showed that Ramaz is not just a school of overachievers.

vid Rahabi ’19, who were brave enough to get on stage and show that Ramaz students know how to have fun and not take themselves too seriously. Violet Alaham ’19 blew the audience away with her inspirational passion for chesed and dedication to her participation in Ramaz’s “Witness Theater” program.

Varsity athletes took on Rabbi Slomnicki in a mini-hoop shooting contest, entertaining clips of Ramaz’s recent “election day fair” were shown, and many students leaders shared

their perspectives on what makes Ramaz the “best school ever.”

More so than any other part of the evening, “The Tonight Show” expressed the humanity of the school’s student body and showed that Ramaz is not just a school of overachievers. Over the years, Ramaz has earned a reputation as a place where the stakes are high and the workload is enormous. The purpose of “The Tonight Show” was to eradicate that stigma, and in my opinion, it accomplished that goal.

After Rabbi Slomnicki finished interviewing the students, the guitar ensemble played Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You.” As the performance progressed, many students began to timidly clap their hands and hum the melody. By the end of the song, all nerves in the room had vanished. The eighth graders began singing at the top of their lungs and even waved their iPhone flashlights as if they were at a real concert.

In this day in age, our parents are more concerned with our happiness than ever. With that fact in mind, “The Tonight Show” was certainly an ingenious way to sell Ramaz as a school that values fun in addition to academic rigor. By entertaining the kids and presenting our school as a fun place, Ramaz successfully engaged a majority of the eighth graders in attendance at the Open House.

Walking out of the building that night, I experienced a moment of satisfaction when I overheard a prospective applicant approve of “The Tonight Show” to his parent. “That was cool,” he said, “I want to go here. I felt like I was watching SNL!”

Ramaz Upper School

The Rampage

New York • Volume 52 • Issue IV • November 2018 • the-rampage.org

Editors-in-Chief: Natalie Kahn* Harry Shams* Esti Beck* Online Editors: Becky Tauber Suzi Dweck Faculty Advisor: Dr. Milowitz Contributing Writers: Samantha Sinensky Zachary Buller Basia Fellner-Dublin Aliza Freilich Josephine Schizer David Gerber Rebecca Massel Sophia Kremer Hannah Doft Hadley Kauvar Isaac Merkin Tammy Palagi Charles Spielfogel William Kremer Gabrielle Ostad Keren Kubersky The Rampage is the student newspaper of the Ramaz Upper School. It is published on a monthly basis. Letters to the editors may be submitted to rampage@ramaz.org. Letters must be signed and may be edited for space and to conform to Rampage style and format.

The opinions expressed in the Rampage are of the author’s alone, and do not represent the views or opinions of Ramaz, the Rampage, or its Editors.

The Rampage • November 2018

Arts & Entertainment

Reviewed: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of

Hadley Kauvar ’19

Grindelwald

Watching a dumpster fire, you often get to see amazing visuals, but it is not an altogether pleasant experience. This was true for me while watching Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

The second installment in the five-part Harry Potter prequel series boasts nonsensical dialogue and an incomprehensible plot, and retains nothing of what the previous movie had to offer. The first movie, Fantastic Beasts, had an overall fun feel, and expertly wove in the darker elements of the story without making them overpowering. This film does a complete 180, and the entire movie feels like a gritty, depressing, and confusing mess.

The film begins shortly after the events of the first. The Dark Wizard Grindelwald (played by an albino Johnny Depp suffering from an unexplained an unnecessary heterochromia), who had been imprisoned by the American Ministry of Magic, is due for a transfer to another prison. His escape, which is sadly one of the more interesting action sequences of the film, was about as inevitable and predictable as my family going over its monthly data limit.

As most of the characters are in different countries at this point in the movie, the next forty five minutes are spent moving nearly a dozen different characters to the same location. Coherent plot lines appear

Isaac Merkin ’19

Reviewed: Roma

Denotes member of the Rampage Editorial Board. *

to have been given up in favor of the individual and spastic points that form the shambolic quagmire that is this movie.

Even the film’s star-studded cast is not enough to save The Crimes of Grindelwald. Johnny Depp’s controversy-ridden inclusion in this film does not appear to pay off. Much of his performance is dedicated to whispering semi-coherent sentences in a British accent that is so fake, I have to wonder if he even tried. In the previous film, Colin Farrell brought a calm, cool, and collected performance as a sophisticated and poised villain worthy of a Bond film. Jude Law appears as a young Albus Dumbledore, who true to form, offers cryptic advice to the protagonists and spends the remainder of the film sitting on the sidelines.

The only character introduced in this movie who really makes an impact is the emotionally traumatized Leta Lestrange (Zoe Kravitz). Leta was essentially Newt’s school sweetheart, but is now engaged to his brother Theseus.

Leta’s backstory is told in flashbacks over the course of the film, and is by far one of the more interesting parts of the movie. To the film’s credit, they spend more time developing her as a character rather than focusing on what would have been a bothersome and unnecessary love triangle.

Director Alfonso Cuarón’s most recent films, specifically Children of Men and Gravity, can be best described as intense. Each movie, whether focusing on apocalyptic scenarios in the case of the former or being stranded in space in the case of the latter, keeps the viewer glued to the screen.Roma, titled after the middle-class Mexico City neighborhood in which Cuarón grew up, utilizes a much subtler emotional palette than either of those films, choosing to magnify the emotions of the main characters as they deal with their crises while retaining all of the necessary nuances to make the film feel personal. (It is also important to note that the movie is almost entirely in Spanish, with some scenes spoken in the indigenous Mexican language Mixtec or English.)

Taking place in the early 1970s, the movie follows Cleo, a young indigenous woman working as a housekeeper for a white family. She is played by Yalitza Aparicio in her acting debut with incredible nuance. She does virtually everything for the family, which lives in a sprawling two-story home. She wakes up the kids,

puts them to sleep, serves food cooked by the family cook, cleans up the feces of the family dog (Borras, who doesn’t get enough affection), does laundry, and seems to have a relationship with the family’s children that rivals that of their own mother. This movie is semi-autobiographical—Cuaron grew up in Roma and is represented by one of the family’s four children—and is dedicated to “Libo,” Cuarón’s maid, upon whom Cleo is based.

The mov- ie opens and spends much of its first hour with scenes establishing Cleo’s everyday life, most of which take place within the family house. Unfortunately, this can be a double-edged sword. While the first half of the movie creates a bond between the audience and main characters while avoiding any awkward exposition, it can also drag on quite a lot at times. However, as the movie develops, it becomes more exciting as a series of catastrophes shake the family and Cleo to their core.

This is where the movie shines.

The lengthy exposition pays off; the viewer is emotionally invested in the characters.

Every scene by this point carries a weight which keeps the viewer glued to the screen, not unlike the director’s previous two films. Specifically, there is a sequence in this second act of about twenty minutes instigated by the Corpus Christi Massacre that has an emotional intensity unmatched by any other movie I have seen in 2018.

The movie is extremely heavy-handed with its World War II imagery. Much of the characters were said to have fought in the Wizard equivalent of World War I, which had ended shortly before the events of the first film. Grindelwald is a symbolic “Wizard Nazi” through and through from his Aryan haircut to his desireo rule over the inferior Muggles, who, in his mind, lack the magical powers and intelligence of Wizards and Witches. This would have all been far more interesting had it actually lead up to something climactic.

Unfortunately, however, it never does.

This movie throws so much at you, making what should have been a fun and entertaining experience into what felt like an eternity of pain. As a longtime fan of the Harry Potter books and film series, I was beyond disappointed. I pray with a fervor that will make the Rabbis proud that screenwriter JK Rowling and director David Yates get their act together for the future films.

Cuarón makes some overarching creative decisions which give the movie a sense of style and place. The entire movie is in black and white, which feels a little unnecessary but is not wholly unwelcome as it gives the movie an elegant feel, almost declaring that a movie about the life of an indigenous maid such as Cleo deserves the same respect as any oldschool movie about a white newspaper magnate or nightclub owner. In addition to this, Cuarón favors long takes, hardly ever cutting to another camera angle except where it is absolutely necessary. The sound design for the movie is amazing, making the audience feel as if they are in the middle of standstill traffic with cars honking all around in one scene, or feeling the waves crashing against their ears as Cleo wades into the ocean in another.

Every detail in this movie serves to make it more personal, leading it to be an incredibly affecting movie and an incredible experience for anyone who has the patience and focus to go on Cleo’s journey.

I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who feels they are not easily bored, but if you are looking for a more immediately exciting film, I would suggest watching (or rewatching) Cuarón’s previous films Gravity and Children of Men. (Roma is in select theaters now and starts streaming on Netflix on December 14th.)

Crossword Puzzle

Isaac Merkin '19

ACROSS 4. Lunch Room Req. 5. Strumming Rabbi 7. Basketball or Soccer Action 9. “C” GKMC, NYC$ 11. Ye Dropout Location 12. Eng. Teffilin 14. Many a Student’s Pastime 16. NY shoe brand, stereotype

DOWN 1. Teacher-Only Breakfast 2. “Correct” Best Picture Winner 3. Many a Student’s Habit 6. Late WWII Battle 7. Starbucks Replacement, Perhaps 8. Gemara Writers 10. Vote Your ______ 13. Paine’s Common Sense for One 15. Tor. Hockey Team