Volume 52, Issue 3 (October 2018) - The Rampage

The Rampage The Newspaper of the Ramaz Upper School

New York • Volume 52 • Issue 3 • October 2018 • Cheshvan 5779 • the-rampage.org

Ari Fuld: In Memoriam

Sophia Kremer ’20

Ari Fuld, a New York-born pro-Israel activist and defender of the Israeli settlement movement, was fatally stabbed by a Palestinian teenager at a shopping mall in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Sunday morning, September 16. A graduate of MTA high school, Fuld’s death was especially devastating to the Orthodox community in New York City where Fuld was born and raised. The shortened period of mourning because of its timing around Yom Kippur did not deter Jewish communities around the world from commemorating his lifetime of devotion to Eretz Yisrael and pursuit of the Zionist dream of living in the Israeli settlements in Gush Etzion with his wife and four children.

On Wednesday, October 17, 2018, one month after Fuld’s murder, Juniors and Seniors of the Ramaz Upper School joined a rally in front of the Israeli Consulate building initiated by the Riverdale Jewish Community. The rally was attended by hundreds of students and community members from around the Metro New York area. The NYPD blockaded off a section of Second Avenue and 42nd Street for the crowds to gather. Attendees held posters with photos of Fuld along with other Israeli victims of terror.

Dani Dayan, Consul General of Israel in New

York opened the ceremony with powerful words calling Fuld a hero who “paid a hero’s price.” The ceremony continued with multiple speeches devoted to Fuld’s heroism by Rabbis, poems were read by students, and songs lead by a guitar player including “Am Yisrael Chai” and “Eisa Einie.”

Rabbi Yonah Fuld, the father of Ari Fuld, addressed the crowd through previously taped audio message, “I believe that Ari reminded us of a special lesson.

He was a hero all the days of his life but always with a mission and an understanding of why we are here.”

Rabbi Steinmetz of Kehilath Jeshurun shared powerful words as well. “I want to tell you a few truths. The first truth is that Ari was murdered because he was a Jew...The second truth is that those who paid for the murder have blood on their hands...The next truth you need to know is that Ari was a hero. As Jews we don’t only see ourselves as a people we see ourselves as a family. Our job as Jews is to stand by our family and take of each other. The final truth is that if we stand up for each other we will forever be able to say am Yisrael chai.”

While the rally spoke to the outpouring of emotions of many individuals who felt both bereaved and angry at Fuld’s unjust and untimely death, many students questioned the premise of the rally aspect of the memorial. And if in fact the gathering was a memorial and not a rally, why block off multiple lanes on Second Avenue for hours in the center of the city in peak of the day rather than gather inside KJ’s sanctuary or at another large and meaningful venue. Demonstrating the community’s reaction to Fuld’s death in front of the Israeli Consulate was no doubt powerful, but was irritating the equally great numbers of drivers and pedestrians too great a drawback? Defined as a summoning of strength after a decline, rallies have always been central to the core of the Ramaz experience. Students attended for the struggle for Soviet Jewry, davened outside the Iranian mission every week in protest of Iran’s

New Admissions Process

Natalie Kahn ’19 In the years before Ms. Shara Lipson took over as Director of

Admissions, it was no secret that Ramaz’s marketing and recruitment program was seriously lacking. As a former Ramaz Middle School student myself, I can attest to the lack of attention given to eighth graders: the Open House was chaotic and uninformative, with hundreds of people pushing and shoving on the stairs and an attempted parent-child interdisciplinary class like a ten-minute Talmud lesson followed by a brief lab. During visits to the high school, Ramaz eighth graders only used to attend two classes and lunch, hardly enough time to get a feel for the school, especially if you were unlucky and received one or two dud classes. In short, the school for many years mainly relied on two things—its reputation as the “Ivy of Jewish day schools” and food—to convince students to come.

Ms. Lipson, in her third year working in admissions, is trying to change the approach to pulling students toward the school. “Part of the issue was that for a long time, the school didn’t realize it had legitimate competition with other schools like SAR and Frisch. For someone who lives in Teaneck, Frisch is a fantastic option with a much better commute, so we have to really show that student what Ramaz has to offer.” She acknowledges this isn’t something that can be accomplished overnight, but nonetheless, over the last few years, she’s been incorporating various new tactics, the first of which is showing every student that the school cares about having him or her there.

“We’re trying to make the admissions process more personalized,” she said, presenting a postcard written by Paola Mattout ’19 on why she loves Ramaz. “We’re not comparing; we’re focusing on what makes us special.” Ms. Lipson calls this the “postcard initiative”: the school sends prospective students handwritten postcards speaking to all its best attributes in a more personal, deeper way than just saying, “Ramaz is a great school.”

Ramaz now tries to familiarize itself with families of other middle schoo students even before the application process starts, and each family receives at least two phone calls and multiple emails before and during application time to enable potential parents and students to ask questions and voice concerns.

Ms. Nancy Lerea, in charge of admissions at SAR, would personalize acceptance letters to each and every accepted student, writing something along the lines of how SAR couldn’t wait to fit that stu-

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Four Years, Four Schools: Part II When I speak to my older sister, who graduated in 2015, about Ramaz, I feel as though we are talking about two different schools. Personally, it has been a struggle to stand by the Ramaz community as it constantly puts my grade through the wringer. Do not misunderstand me, though. As I stated in Part I of this Op-Ed series, I fully support Ramaz’s new image, but often feel aggravated that all the change happens to me.

The topics I am discussing in this issue are two small new policies among many more that Ramaz has implemented over my time in the school. However, I hope these discussions will clarify the actual problem and not merely claim, as students tend to, that rules should not exist. They have their purpose, logic, and proper place in our school environment.

If it’s not the rules themselves that are causing problems, then what is? I believe that the issues stem from the influx of tighter rules and regulations in such a short period of time. More importantly, I believe that upperclassman recall what Ramaz once was and miss it, despite knowing that the change is for the better.

Inside this issue...

Let’s begin with privileges. While one may argue that “privileges are a right” (said by Jack Ottensoser in his bid for G.O. President), a quick Google search reveals that this phrase is oxymoronic. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, privileges are a “special right that is available only

If it’s not the rules themselves that are causing problems, then what is?

I believe that the issues stem from the influx of tighter rules and regulations in such a short period of time. to a particular person or group of people.” By definition, privileges should not be given to everyone.

So, if privileges aren’t actually meant for everyone, then why is the student body so up-in-arms about being deprived of them? For years, the Ramaz administration has used the word “privileges” when referring to a student’s ability to freely leave the building. Previously,

Jonah Scherl ’19

full “privileges” were given to each junior after Pesach; however, this senior grade was the first grade that was forced to live by the real, rediscovered definition of “privileges.” Unlike years prior, we were told that full privileges were unattainable in our junior year and would only be distributed in small increments.

Most importantly, our “privileges” were the first to be fully distributed by the grade dean using the behavior of the grade and individual to dictate their extent. To me, the problem is clear. The current seniors and juniors are not necessarily aggravated about their diminished privileges. Rather, they are aggravated that they are being held to a higher standard than past Ramaz grades.

This brings me to my next point: lateness and detention. In life, people need to be on time and receive consequences if they are not.

So, why do so many Ramaz seniors have such a difficult time grappling with this fact? In re-

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College to Get More Knowledge?... A catch-up with the college guidance office

TEChnichal Difficulties... An interview with members of Ramaz’s new TEC department The Ramaz Hunger Games... Take the quiz to figure out which Ramaz snack food you are.

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2 News

“Trophy Hunters”

The Ramaz college office on the C-level represents both a place of hope and anxiety for the average student. Many enter for their first time in their junior year, only to find out that they’re behind in terms of SAT subject test preparedness or getting the proper academic support for difficult classes. The college admissions world is so competitive nowadays that a point or two on the ACT makes a world of difference in terms of acceptances. According to Top Tier Admissions, in the past two years, Ivy League schools have had a 4.3 percent increase in applications (about 6,000 new applicants each year), creating the perception among Ramaz students that the prospect of gaining admission into their dream schools is becoming less and less attainable.

It’s no secret that Ramaz students are among the most college obsessed of the yeshiva league. With the departure of Ira Miller as Dean of the Upper School in 2016, students found themselves not only saddened by his loss as an administrator but also by the loss of some of his valuable college connections at schools such as the University of Pennsylvania. Students often engage in afterschool and summer programs that appear to be more geared towards the activities section of the Common App than out of a genuine interest in participating. This includes academic pursuits as well as chesed missions, food drives, and free tutoring. Of course, this doesn’t represent the entirety of the Ramaz student body, and many students do similar activities out of sincere enjoyment and a desire to give back. But the minority does serve as a metric for the broader college-centric mentality in the school.

When asked why Ramaz students tend to be so focused on college, Mr. Rafi Blumenthal, Director of College Guidance, replied that it fits with the East Coast trend of placing an emphasis on school prestige. He listed a group of highly successful businessmen (including Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg) who never received college degrees, though acknowledged that they were the exception. As a member of the College Guidance Office for 12 years, Mr. Blumenthal has watched Ramaz application trends “ebb and flow.” He himself is an alumnus of Brandeis University, and when he first joined the school, there was an uptick in Ramaz applications to the university which has since dropped off. Certain schools, like NYU, are “perpetually of interest” to the Ramaz student body. Penn and Columbia are also traditional choices for former yeshiva league students because

The-Rampage.org

October 2018/Tishrei/Cheshvan 5779

An in-depth look at the Ramaz College Office Esti Beck and Natalie Kahn ’19

of their large Jewish communities, location, daily minyanim, and extensive selection of kosher food. Still, Mr. Blumenthal feels these institutions have become more selective over time and aren’t receiving or accepting as many applicants as before.

It is the college office’s job to advise students on where they should apply, but another large influence in college choice is one’s fellow students. Friends tend to discuss their perceptions and applications to various schools, often driving their peers towards universities they may not have been considering in the first place. “Students may choose to apply to one university based on their knowledge of or conversations with friends about their perceptions of where they’d have a better chance, and sometimes they consult the college office and sometimes they don’t,” Mr. Blumenthal said. There’s no consistent evidence about whether this peer pressure effect causes students to cluster into certain schools or disperse in order to improve their chances. As Mr. Blumenthal put it, “Some students are interested in a school and no amount of other information can sway them from remaining committed to that school, and some students are interested in a school but also more interested in getting in early.”

Early admissions is one of the major events with which the college office contends yearly. Students who apply early can do so in two ways: Early Decision (binding) and Early Action (restrictive or otherwise, which allows the student to defer their choice until the regular decision round). However, the Ramaz school policy since schools began offering Restrictive Early Action (REA) options has been to compel students to enroll into the school they were accepted to early even if the decision was non-binding. REA is a fairly recent phenomenon, started by Harvard and Princeton to allow students who struggle financially the benefits of Early Decision (ED) without legally binding them if they can’t afford it. However, this need is a myth; as Mr. Blumenthal agreed, a financial setback is one of the only reasons a student can back out of an ED, though this is a situation which occurs infrequently because many of these schools also offer generous financial aid packages. The reason that Ramaz’s college office first implemented their binding-REA policy was that they believed it had been intended for students with a lack of guidance and resources. “That knowledge and that guidance does not apply to Ramaz,” Mr. Blu-

Freshman Shabbaton: A Weekend of Fun

menthal said. “We decided that students applying REA should enroll. We think they should take their decision to apply there seriously and think about whether they make an informed decision…

All that said, we are rethinking that policy. It may be that the schools are able to make a decision to offer REA. UChicago took away its REA for whatever reason, so these schools know what they’re doing with their applicant pool, and it is time for us to evaluate our position.” However, given that this interview was conducted a mere three weeks before the November 1 deadline, any changes in the policy would be unlikely to affect the Class of 2019.

The issue of backing out of Early Action schools touches on a broader issue for the Ramaz college office: the hunt for the golden ticket of Ivy League acceptances. “I also don’t support students trophy-hunting, submitting to six or eight Ivy League schools… I think that’s counter to menschlichkeit, and I don’t think it’s necessary.” The competitive atmosphere at Ramaz breeds a desire within students to accrue as many prestigious school “trophies” as they can. Some student even go as far as applying to almost all eight Ivies, though Mr. Blumenthal said that the college office has “done a good job of nipping trophy hunting in the bud.” He insists that “when it comes to regular decision, that isn’t trophy hunting as much as it is just covering your bases, because the admissions at that level is so selective and so unpredictable that a student who feels that he or she is qualified and deserving of admission is going to try everywhere, because you don’t know what they’re looking at or what the rest of their applicant pool is globally.” The idea that “trophy hunting” during the Regular Decision round is more of a defensive strategy than an egocentric practice seems to support students who decide to apply to multiple prestigious schools for the sake of getting into at least one, even if it may not be the best fit for that particular student.

Last year, the senior class did not do well in the Early Decision round, but many students got into at least some of their top choices during the Regular Decision round. Mr. Blumenthal said that there’s a higher Ivy League Early Decision acceptance rate than in the regular round, a predictable result based on the historically low acceptance rates students face nowadays. It’s often said that admission rates can drop drastically during Regular Decision relative to Early Decision, as many schools fill at least half of their class-

Eliana Casper ’22

On Shabbat, October 20th, the freshman had the opportunity to spend their first weekend together as a grade. They arrived at school on friday morning and departed on a two-hour bus ride, stopping at the Bogota Golf Center on their way to their ultimate destination, the Berkeley hotel in Asbury Park. There, they prepared for Shabbat, undergoing the routine photo shoots with their hair and makeup done. However, the faculty supervisors took their phones before candle lighting for “safe keeping.”

In order to get into the Shabbat spirit, the faculty organized a grade-wide kumzits, followed by Kabbalat Shabbat and Ma’ariv.

The theme of the shabbaton was Dr. Seuss, and more specifically, how to be the best friends possible for one another. This theme was introduced at a pre-dinner session, followed by a getting-to-know-you speed dating activity. Later that Friday night, the girls and boys went their separate ways, continuing to meet new people and bond over Shabbaton activities. The next morning, Ms. Krupka’s children provided an adorable wake-up call. They ate breakfast, davenned, enjoyed Kiddush, and had another learning-session. After lunch, the students were given the option to go out on a walk to the nearby beach, which provided both beautiful views and a slight breeze. Then they had free time, which gave them the chance to meet more people they hadn’t yet encountered, building friendships outside of their middle-school friend-group comfort zones.

Overall, the Shabbaton built relationships between students as well as increased their school spirit. They sang shabbat tunes, danced, and really bonded as a grade, giving everyone a feeling of family and community. On Saturday night, they went to a bowling alley and enjoyed pizza and fries. Unfortunately, that marked the end of what had been a remarkable weekend, and they returned to the city looking forward to future Ramaz retreats.

es with ED or EA applicants. Duke University, for instance, had a 24% acceptance ED and an 8% acceptance rate RD. Mr. Blumenthal also emphasized that numbers and percentages do not paint an accurate picture of the overall admissions trends, as small sample sizes and students applying to a wide variety of schools end up distorting the data. However, Ramaz’s numbers, when viewed through the reduced scope of one particular school, tend to be fairly consistent. For example, Harvard took three Ramaz students in 2015, four in 2016, two in 2017, and four in 2018. Though the number of applicants out of Ramaz and thus acceptances varied slightly, the data did not vary that much year-by-year.

Though Ramaz’s college-acceptance rates have held firm for years, other parts of the school’s approach to the college process are changing. For instance, the school’s yearly financial aid night, where parents are presented with information on college affordability and scholarship opportunities, underwent changes this year. Though this event is a longstanding tradition, this year’s program was wholly revamped and opened to parents of all grades (where previously it had only been for junior, senior, and gap-year graduate parents). As such, attendance drastically increased: “Last year, we had five to ten [parents]. This year, we came up with a brand new format, and we had fifty to sixty parents.” Mr. Blumenthal said. The changes in attendance could have reflected changes in the school’s demographics as well as the new format: after all, more parents requiring financial aid would mean more parents attending the event.

With November 1 just around the corner, seniors at Ramaz will soon complete a milestone in the college process. Some seniors will move on to the EDII and Regular Decision deadlines in early January and wait until February or April, respectively, for their results. As Mr. Jonathan Cannon begins his tenure as head of school, Ramaz students have found themselves wondering whether the school’s outlook on the college process could change. Though it is unlikely that the college office’s policy alterations could affect the outgoing senior class, the juniors, who are just now taking PSATs, SAT Is, and ACTs, may face changes when submitting their applications next year. Moreover, underclassmen, who may be preparing for SAT Subject Tests or other college-oriented activities, are likely to face an entirely different Ramaz college admissions world.

October 2018/Cheshvan 5779

The-Rampage.org

Ramaz debutes Sanders Music Symposium

News

3

Basia Fellner-Dublin ’20

On September 20th, at 5 PM in the auditorium, the Sanders Music Symposium series, “From Synagogue to Concert Hall,” was open for the Ramaz Upper School community to experience. The Sanders Music Symposium is a music based lecture and concert series that creatively explores music and the history of it as well. This event’s symposium discussed the connection between a traditional concert hall and a traditional synagogue. Oded Lev-Ari and featured pianist Philip Fisher talked about this connection throughout the symposium. The symposium consisted of live performances by featured musicians, as well as a talk about the pieces played. It was an educational event that all ages were able to enjoy.

The event began with some refreshments for the parents and students who attended. Once everyone got settled, musical pieces like Hatikvah and Kol Nidrei were performed and explored. The theme of the “Return to Zion” was analyzed as well. Featured performers included soprano Meghan Kasanders, cellist Adrian Daurov, and pianist Philip Fisher. Before and after performing these piec-

Sponsoring the program was the Martin and Susan Sanders Family Foundation for Classical Music Enrichment at Ramaz. The foundation’s purpose is to give access to the arts, specifically classical music, and to improve artistic education. It supports youth programs, usually administered in Jewish schools or museums, that offer music education and showcases to prospective musicians from the Jewish community. The foundation supports this end by funding the expenses of instruments, teachers, and any equipment needed. The foundation also organizes and funds musical showcases and performances by artists, musicians, and art educators. Giving Jewish youth access to classical music performances to grow respect and admiration for the oft-neglected arts is something for which the foundation strives.

The Sanders Music Symposium series, “From Synagogue to Concert Hall,” was a very educational experience. The connection between the audience and the performers were very intimate. Each featured performer brought his or her respective piece to life in a unique and significant way.

The symposium was certainly an interesting examination of the beauty music can bring to religion, as well as the beauty religion can bring to music.

es, Lev-Ari and Fisher talked about the inspiration behind them.

Lu“Love” Avigail Dupont ’21

This fall marked the second year of the Ramaz lulav drive. The lulav drive began with a goal to take steps towards composting and helping our environment. For the second time, they took on the mission to collect as many lulavs and etrogs from Ramaz students, staff, and members of KJ as possible to make something useful of our discarded lulavs and etrogs after the chag. The Environmental Club worked with Amadah, a Jewish farm located in Falls Village, Connecticut that grows “organic vegetables, fruit, herbs, goats, flowers, eggs.” Adamah also “cultivates the soil and the soul to produce food, to build and transform identities and to gather a community of people changing the world.” Most importantly, at least in the context of this project, they have a composting facility. It was only fitting that the collected lulavim be sent to Adamah to be composted.

Composting is the process of decomposing organic matter. The outcome of composting organic materials is a nutrient rich soil that is nicknamed “Black Gold.” This soil is beneficial to crops because it enhances their ability to fight off common disease, improve their flavor, and grow faster. When plants are placed in landfills, the airless environment, caused by layers of trash, creates an anaerobic environment. As the plant matter decays, it releases methane gas, a substance which greatly contributes to climate change.

This year, the lulav drive collected over 400 lulavs and etrogs. This would not have been possible without the help of the Ramaz Upper School students, staff, and KJ members who joined the efforts to collect as many lulavim as possible. With each and every person’s help, we were able to beat last year’s record of collected lulavim, and hopefully next year we will be even more successful.

Celebrating the Harvest Rebecca Massel ’21 Over Chol HaMoed Sukkot, twenty-three Ramaz sophomores and seniors volunteered their day to reap vegetables in the Hazon fields.

Hazon is an organization dedicated to giving back to nature and community. Based in Falls Village, Conecticut, Hazon calls itself “the Jewish lab for sustainability.”

Hazon is made up of many programs, including Teva, an environmental education program for Jewish middle school students about the gifts of Earth. Another program is Adamah, a community on a farm that lives on ten acres of certified organic farmland. Hazon offers a three month radical training program where Jews come together and form a farming-based community. Hazon believes in JOFFEE, Jewish Outdoor Food Farming Environmental Education. According to Ruth Messinger, who is on the Hazon Board of Directors, “Hazon creates hope in the world by building community.”

Arranged by Ms. Benel, on Wednesday, September 26, a group of dedicated students took the three hour trip out to Connecticut to donate their time to Hazon.

The bus to Falls Village left from Ramaz at 7:15 AM. Hazon educators warmly welcomed newly arrived Ramaz students and invited them into the common room. There, they started the morning by hearing about Hazon’s programs. Then, the students made blueberry smoothies with a bicycle-powered blender.

The students participated in cabbage and kale harvesting. If the vegetables would not have been harvested, they would have decayed and gone to waste.

As they went through the farm, they learned about how mushrooms grow out of trees, how to manage a chicken coop, and Hazon’s policy of giving each produce a different year to “rest” (their own version of Shmita). Students learned how to cut cabbage out of the ground and reap kale. Taylor Roslyn ’21 said, “[Harvesting cabbages] was hard work. After that experience, I’m more grateful for my food, knowing everything that goes into growing it.” Upon returning from Connecticut, students delivered all the produce they had harvested to the New York Common Pantry.

The educators also taught the students that even pulling a few weeds can change the view and feel of a farm. Students picked out weeds to be brought to the compost pile on the Adamah farm. Afterwords, the students made apple muffins. They learned the eleven Halachot of baking bread, diced apples, and mixed the ingredients together. The students enjoyed the delicious treats and the remaining muffins were also donated to the New York Common Pantry.

Lunch at Hazon was very different from the apple juice and panini press offered at Ramaz. The members of Hazon and the Ramaz visitors ate a hearty organic meal straight from Hazon’s own facilities. “I wouldn’t have expected organic food to taste so much better than regular produce,” said Ella Rabbani ’21. On most days, food at Hazon is eaten on china plates with metal silverware so as to reduce the amount of composting necessary. However, since September 26 was Chol HaMoed Sukkot, the students ate on compostable paper plates with cornstarch silverware. The students ate their lunch in a beautiful sukkah which overlooked a serene lake.

After the meal, the students, led by the Hazon educators, went on a one mile hike up a tough trail. Although the hike was hard, students reported that the breathtaking view of the Taconic Mountain Range made it worthwhile. At the top, right next to the cliff, was a sukkah woven out of branches, a fun twist on the classic sukkot usually found in homes.

While overlooking the mountain range, the students meditated about their goals for the upcoming year and how they planned to help the environment, singing about the beauty of Earth. Ilan Schochet ’21 remarked, “The hike was the highlight of my trip: the view was gorgeous, and the top of the mountain was peaceful.”

Ms. Benel, in her Zmail summary of the trip, wrote, “[The students] fulfilled an important mitzvah!”

After the trip, students felt inspired to make a difference in their planet. It is no surprise, therefore, that this year, the membership of the Environmental Club at Ramaz rose. It’s not proven if this was a result of the trip to Hazon, but it is definitely a possibility. Avigail DuPont ’21, co-president of the Ramaz Environmental Club, said, “We may not realize it in the moment because it doesn’t directly affect our day to day lives, but any step, even throwing your water bottle in the correct bin, is a step towards saving our environment. Knowing where to start is difficult, but with the help of the Environmental Club, you too can make a difference.”

4 News, Cont.

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October 2018/Cheshvan 5779

Ramaz Joins Yeshiva World in Protest of Ari Fuld’s Death

position on Israel and turned out on many more occasions to were called with a particular goal or plea.

Throughout the Fuld memorial, students verbalized their confusion as to whether the ceremony was meant as a memorial or rally. Daniella Feingold ’20 commented on the location of the ceremony, “I believe that the ceremony would have been much more meaningful if we had been gathered inside. Much of the time I couldn’t even hear what the speakers were saying.” Others felt that it was rude to block of traffic and felt uncomfortable wearing their kippot and holding signs with the Israeli flag while doing so. Feingold added that she would have liked to “continued with the rest of the group to the U.N. to protest their silence”.

David Adler ’19 stated that “Many of the speeches related Ari’s death to Israeli politics. If it was really a memorial, they shouldn’t have mentioned politics, rather just spoken about what a great human being he was.”

Josephine Schizer ’20 commented on her confusion regarding the event, “I assumed that we would be going somewhere, sitting, and listening to speeches about Ari Fuld to remember him. When we got there, I was really confused, because it felt like a protest. I wish that the school had given us more detail beforehand and given us an opportunity to discuss the event afterward.” Elizabeth Aufzien ’19 agreed with Schizer, stating that “the intentions behind the rally were good, but the school didn’t really tell the students what the event would entail, which caused students to misbehave”. Schizer continued about the behavior of her peers, “I thought the fact that the majority of students were talking or on their phones was really disrespectful, but given the environment, I don’t really blame them - it was really hard to pay attention in a cramped and loud space like that.” It can also be not-

cont. from cover page

ed that many students were taking advantage of the good lighting outdoors to take photos and selfies.

Emily Abraham ’19, who plans to enlist in the IDF, spoke at the rally, explained afterwards that “I didn’t know Ari Fuld, but when I heard about his death, I guess I just connected with him because I feel the same love for Israel and I have the same drive to want to protect and defend Israel. Like him, I would love to make aliyah but my parents won’t allow it. I also admired the work he did for soldiers. I don’t have family there so I can imagine the supports he showed soldiers meant a lot to them and I would love to have someone do for me half of what he did for them.” She went on to share that “I have wanted to go to the army for a long time but it somehow meant more to me after learning about him. It’s hard to explain but when you see someone who did the same thing as I’m going to do, and someone so genuinely good be killed it just kind of relit the fire that drove me to first want to do it years ago. He definitely inspired me more.”

Others agreed that attending the rally connected them in a deeper way to his life of living out his dreams. Natalie Trump ’20 said, “I thought the Ari Fuld memorial was very meaningful. Ari Fuld lived and died for protecting the State of Israel and it is our responsibility to learn from his bravery, strength and dedication to the land. Today when the Jewish people are facing horrible

things it is important that we come together as a nation to fight for what we believe in.”

A Fresh, New Perspective on Ramaz Admissions cont. from cover page

dent’s passions and extra-curricular interests into its environment. Ramaz has taken a similar path over the past few years.

Rabbi Stochel (and starting this year, Mr. Cannon) now writes acceptance letters by hand. Both Rabbi Stochel and Mr. Cannon are both very supportive of Ms. Lipson’s new initiatives.

Still, as much as the marketing can become more personalized, there remains an insurmountable challenge: commute.

Ms. Lipson now meets with heads of middle schools and prospective parents to figure out the turn-ons and turn-offs of Ramaz, and commute is, according to Ms. Lipson, the number one reason by far that discourages students from considering Ramaz. Driving into New York City every morning and out of New York City every night with traffic is a nightmare. Ramaz isn’t going to change locations or magically speed up the drive from Westchester or the Five Towns, and with various bridge delays, highway holdup has worsened over the past few years. It’s hard to incentivize a kid in Stanford to come all the way to Ramaz when SAR is much closer and avoids the real crush. Nonetheless, it pains Ms. Lipson when applicants she feels would mesh perfectly with the school decline to attend due to the commute.

Many of the other deterrents, believes Ms. Lipson, are more perception than reality, but nonetheless, she is trying to dispel the negative stereotypes of Ramaz by accepting kids she feels will positively contribute to the community, whether through academics, social interactions, or extracurricular activities. “We’re accepting kids we think will be successful… [we want] any kid who’s interesting in learning not just in a classroom but from peers, who’s passionate about something regardless of whether that kid is academic.” Ms. Lipson wants a class with school spirit and diversity. “We didn’t create the image of uptight kids who don’t have fun,” she says and adds that she’s doing everything within her power to dispel it.

When asked if having an admissions process for Ramaz Middle School students was on the table, she replied that it was not, even though the automatic admittance to the high school of Ramaz Middle School students may be an obstacle to her goal. For now, she must rely on Ramaz Middle School to counsel out students who really don’t belong at the high

school, as she knows part of the appeal of the Lower and Middle Schools is the guaranteed admittance to the Upper School.

But one of the topics at hand is imminent: the Ramaz Open House, taking place this year on November 10. Ms. Lipson summed up the problems with the open house in one word: “space.” Ramaz isn’t a suburban school. It doesn’t have a campus or wide hallways for parents and students to explore, and it’s harder to squeeze a great number of people. One step Ms. Lipson has taken to cut down the open house numbers is to separate out current Ramaz Middle Schoolers from prospective students, as she feels the two application processes (those for current and prospective Ramaz students) are quite different. The first would primarily address the transition from Middle to Upper School, while the second must deal with issues such as commute and education,

Ms. Lipson is trying to dispel the negative stereotypes of Ramaz by accepting kids she feels will positively contribute to the community, whether academically, socially, or extracurricular-wise. which don’t really apply as much to Ramaz Middle Schoolers.

The open house for parents of Ramaz Middle Schoolers took place on October 23. All Middle School students had already visited the Upper School for a half day, and parents listened to the administrators speak, heard guitar ensemble play, attended one brief Judaic and secular class each, and broke up into five groups with faculty and administrators as tour guides. Each group visited different locations addressing various strengths of the school: music and arts, Jewish life, cocurriculars, chesed, athletics, and technology. Parents also were able to engage students and faculty in conversation.

The November open house starts with havdalah, a choir performance, administrative speakers, and a student speaker.

Though Havdalah has been added, this part of the evening is basically the same as it was before Ms. Lipson took over.

SFAC: October

The second half of the evening, though, is different. Parents and kids used to stay together for the entirety of the open house, but now they split: kids go to sample classes, and parents have the option of attending various Q&A sessions with students and faculty, including ones on tuition assistance, college and Israel guidance, regular guidance, and learning center. Then students and parents switch. While parents go to classes, kids will be escorted down to the “Ramaz Tonight Show” with bands and other entertainers downstairs.

One may notice the club fair is missing from both evenings and for good reason. In previous years, Ramaz had a hard time getting enough students to show up to the open house to have a decent club fair. No one made props, and students used to just stand around bare tables with blue signs advertising their clubs. Besides, every school has more or less the same types of clubs, and the goal of the night is, after all, to show what makes Ramaz unique.

As Ms. Lipson is still new to the job, we will have to wait to test the efficacy of her strategy. This year’s sophomore class is the first under her influence, but it’s hard to quantify or qualify the positive and negative effects of this new policy.

According to Ms. Lipson, the school received a higher yield than expected for that class, which one would suppose is a good thing. On the other hand, this year’s freshman class is one of Ramaz’s smallest in a long time, with only 85 kids.

“Are such small numbers financially sustainable?” was the pressing question. With tuition at about $40,000, that could mean up to a $400,000 loss in profit for the school.

Ms. Lipson shrugged and answered, “Probably not,” admitting that the ideal number would be 95 to 100 kids but that that wasn’t her goal for the Class of 2022. Why a smaller class would be desirable is unclear, so one might think that perhaps Ramaz isn’t drawing enough qualified applicants. One would hope that this smaller class is just symptomatic of the general transitions the school is undergoing in administration and leadership and will mend itself in future. Maybe, maybe not.

Sophia Kremer ’20

The Student Faculty Administration Committee (SFAC), composed of members of the G.O., student class presidents, grade coordinators and other faculty members, meets monthly to discuss current concerns within the school and to propose ways to resolve them. The administration encourages students to dress up, and after each meeting, students and faculty members volunteer to take on “follow ups” to make sure that the changes are made.

This month’s meeting, held on October 10, began with a discussion about the school’s dress code. Last school year, an increasing number of students failed to abide by the school’s policy of wearing a collared shirt with a sweater or tie for boys and skirts to knee for girls.

Advocates for keeping the status quo claimed that Ramaz’s dress code should remain formal, pointing out that while the dress code did not explicitly advise against it, students were taking on a more casual approach of wearing sweatshirts with large logos not appropriate for a learning atmosphere. Last year, in a SFAC meeting, some even advocated to replace the current dress code with a uniform, believing that if the student body refuses to follow protocol, then protocol must change. This idea was not acted upon. Instead, the administration edited Preludes to specify that students are restricted from wearing “shirts with large writing, pictures, images, symbols or large logos of any kind.” The more stringent guidelines are considered a challenge for many students.

During the discussion, Senior Class President Harry Shams ’19 mentioned that seniors have a desire to show pride for the universities they apply to, and that the new school dress code prevents them from doing so. Another issue that both Shams and Ayelet Monas ’19 (AVP of Operations) presented was that since the school didn’t release Preludes until mid-August, many students bought clothes during the summer when they were not aware of the new rule. They argued that students shouldn’t have to spend money or time buying a second wardrobe. Rabbi Slomniki responded to these complaints by saying “I do not see the rule being changed this year. We are trying to get the student body to understand that a more dignified, presentable public appearance of the students is important. We are trying to communicate through the dress code what we think is important.”

The next topic presented was the new addition of the Ashkenaz junior-senior shacharit minyan, a highly controversial issue. Many feel that it is creates a more meaningful tefila experience to

have the upperclassman joined together each morning, while others consider the joined grade minyan to be crowded. In the past, seniors have had the privilege of having their own minyan in the beit knesset and some feel deprived of that opportunity. Even though he is Sephardi, Harry Shams still felt that the joint minyan was a way to “make changes for change’s sake.”

According to various administrators at the meeting, there were three fundamental reasons for combining the minyanim. Firstly, there was a faculty coverage issue. Secondly, the two miyanim were under populated. And thirdly, during second semester, the senior minyan dissolves due to the seniors only having class during the afternoon and work study.

The final issue discussed at SFAC was the library. There have been tremendous changes this year in the library, including no longer having a full-time librarian: history teacher Mr. Deutsch is now the self-proclaimed “Master of Books” but is only there during certain periods. This new situation meant removing a large antiquated office desk to create more space for study tables, and removing half of the computers while updating the remaining ones. Gabi Potter ’20, Junior Class President, said “I have noticed that because there are less computers in the library, students have to share computer time which makes it complicated to get their work done or print documents.” Potter also pointed out that since Ms. Scudera’s departure, “students don’t know who to ask for help with the printer because they are not sure who is in charge of it.” Multiple suggestions were made, including a printing room that would be separate from the library, removing some of the book racks to make space for additional computers, or creating a comfortable seating area where students could work on borrowed ChromeBooks.

The issue of students who do not have laptops or do not bring their laptops to school was also addressed. G.O. President Becky Tauber ’19 suggested, “Maybe we could have a system where, just like books, you could sign out computers to use for the day in the school. This would solve the problem of not enough computers in the library to do work on, and it also solves the problem of students who do not want to bring their computer to school if they only need it for one or two periods.”

Some of these requests were immediately acted on, and the following day, the printer was working. All in all, October’s SFAC meeting was very productive and students should look forward to seeing positive changes in the school environment.

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“Dress to Impress” - But Do I Have To? Josephine Schizer ’20

At Ramaz, one of the core purposes of the dress code, as stated in Preludes, is to create a professional school environment. In the school’s view, the dress code should reflect that of any other businesslike environment. Students are told to “dress up” by wearing buttons-down shirts, crew-neck sweaters, colorful ties, and long skirts, because in the professional world, that’s just what people do. This article seeks to assess whether a dress code does, in fact, create a more professional environment in the context of workplaces, and if so, how this translates in Ramaz’s rules.

Throughout the United States today, there has been a trend towards business casual attire instead of the formal attire that was previously the norm at workplaces. According to the results of surveys by OfficeTeam over the last two years, half of the managers said that their employees dress less formally than they did five years ago. However, this isn’t necessarily perceived positively by all managers: 80% of managers surveyed said that an employee’s dress affects his or her chances of being promoted, and 47% of managers said their employees’ clothing was overly casual. At work, the chief motivation for employees to conform to dres standards is the fact that what an employee wears directly affects how one is perceived by his or her boss.

Despite the misgivings of some managers, business-casual attire is becoming more and more prevalent as time goes on. In Silicon Valley, for instance, most businesses encourage their employees to “dress down.” Even prom-

inent corporations like J.P. Morgan have abandoned their formal dress-codes: employees at the bank are no longer required to wear suits. Jonathan Beck, a Ramaz parent and Managing Director at JP Morgan Chase, said “While many companies have moved to business casual, there certainly still is a place where there’s a need to present a more formal attire, such as meeting with clients. However, generally, the ability to dress casually is something that is definitely appreciated by the majority of the staff at our bank.”

Many companies have adopted business-casual dress codes in order to make hiring easier. Companies competing to hire the best workers will tout their business-casual dress code in order to incentivize potential employees to join their staffs. According to another OfficeTeam study, 56% of employees prefer more lenient dress codes. Additionally, some managers believe that casual dress is a benefit because it fosters employees’ creativity. Today, many companies are focusing more on the results of their employees work rather than the process, a fact that directly correlates with a trend towards more relaxed dress codes.

Even the US Congress is moving in the direction of a more relaxed dress code. On July 14, 2017, congresswomen decided to protest the House of Representatives’ rule that women cannot wear sleeveless shirts or dresses in Congress by wearing sleeveless shirts to the Capitol. Shortly after the “Sleeveless Friday” demonstration, Representative Jackie Speier tweeted that “women have

the right to bare arms!” The demonstration was done in response to a female reporter not being granted entry into the Speaker’s lobby because she was wearing a sleeveless dress. The “Sleeveless Friday” demonstration is in line with the movement throughout the country towards a more lenient dress code.

According to several professionals and Human Resources representatives, the reason for instituting a strict dress code is to create an appropriate work environment that reflects well on your company. Marisa Bernstein, the Associate Vice President of Human Resources at an asset management firm in Manhattan, asserts that “dress code should align with company culture.” Her firm follows a business professional dress code where employees must have “neat, clean attire.” The purpose of dress code is to “project an image of the firm,” said Ms. Bernstein. “[My firm] is conservative and trustworthy, [so] employees always look neat and classic.”

Shoshana S., the Vice President of Recruiting at an alternative investment management company, agrees that “the goal of dress codes is to ensure that clients feel that our company operates professionally… what you wear projects an image and tends to generally promote a degree of professionalism in the office.” A senior professional at a large, metropolitan area healthcare organization stated that “dress codes reflect on the professionalism of the organization and have a direct impact on how patients and visitors perceive the quality and safety of the care we provide.”

Younger employees often have a

harder time understanding what clothing is appropriate for an office environment. “For women, especially women recently graduated, the current style is very short skirts and dresses. Sometimes, it’s not appropriate and comments need to be made,” says Shoshana S. “There is a great divide between today’s tech/entrepreneurial culture and the culture of the investment banks and it is hard for young people who do not have guidance.” Indeed, millenials are the main proponents of the trend towards business casual.

This brings us to an important question: How should dress codes in the work world translate to Ramaz’s dress code? Should Ramaz endorse a brand of old-school professionalism that restricts students from wearing casual attire? According to Ms. Krupka, “students should learn to dress with dignity so that they understand that an important feature of life is about the way you think about dignity, self, dress, [and] presentation.” In promoting a formal dress-code, Ramaz seeks to teach its students how to dress with dignity before they graduate and enter the professional world. In an age where business-casual is becoming the norm, however, this goal may not necessarily teach students how to dress for the workplaces they are bound to enter. Ultimately, it seems that the Ramaz dress code is based on the educational goal of teaching students to dress appropriately later in life, wherever students end up after graduation.

PSAT 2018: Educationational or “Meme”-able?

Aliza Freilich ’20

Every year, close to 4 million US high school students, including Ramaz 11th graders, take part in the PSAT, a standardized test administered by the College Board and cosponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. This year, the college office notified all junior students via email that each student is obligated to take part in the PSAT on October 10th. The email explained that the guidance office wants students “to be prepared for this test, and that the College Board shipment of PSAT prep booklets has been delayed, so we are attaching a link to a pdf of the booklet.” One week later, the printed booklet was distributed with a recommendation that “families read these materials and that students sit down and take the practice test under timed conditions.”

These few emails and a list of supplies needed (number 2 pencils and a calculator), were essentially the preparation and encouragement that the school provided.

Ramaz students are typically self-motivated, which proved to be a positive for this 2 hours and 45-minute test sandwiched in between tefilah, a brief college meeting, lunch and regular classes for periods 9-11. While many students did not take the entire practice PSAT from the booklet prior to October 10th, as suggested by the college office, some did flip through it and glance at the questions. In addition,

many of the juniors have already started studying and having tutorial sessions for the standardized tests that really “count.”

Eddy Shasha ’20 said "I started formal tutoring for the SATs at the end of my sophomore year and am already signed up to take the SAT this fall, so the PSAT was not a big deal." Another junior, Lucy Doft ’20, was concerned about the request to spend extra time studying for the PSAT, ostensibly a practice test, because "I am taking the ACT and not the SAT, so the PSAT doesn't really help me with preparing for the ACT." In years past, the college office provided Ramaz students with the PLAN test, which simulated the ACT, although this test has not been offered in Ramaz in at least the past 3 years. Instead, the college advisers do have a practice ACT available in the college office "to get a feel for the style and content of that exam." Some schools also offer the PSAT 10 to be taken in tenth grade as practice for the official PSAT. Mr. Blumenthal says that Ramaz does not offer the PSAT 10 because “I don't think there is enough value in giving the PSAT to 10th graders that we should start doing so. Eligibility to be a candidate in the National Merit Scholarship program is not enough value. And becoming familiar with the SAT format (another main benefit to taking the PSAT) does not outweigh giving up a day of class early in sophomore year

and pushing the college-admissions focus that early.” Julia Levi, a 2018 graduate, summed up her PSAT experience by stating, "Personally I found it helpful because it acted sort of as a 'wake up call' for me to start studying for the SATs and showed me what it would be like taking the SATs in the Ramaz classroom environment,

which feels much more real than taking a practice test alone or at a test center."

The PSAT is also the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship Program, which "is an academic competition for recognition and college scholarships." Of the millions of students taking the test, only 50,000 of the highest scoring students receive recognition. In 2017, Ramaz had one Finalist and five Letters of Commendation (out of 88 graduates) and 2018 had two finalists, four semi finalists and 12 Letters of Commendation (out of 99 graduates). Recognition on this test did not correlate with Ramaz students

receiving early or regular admission to their top choice school. In addition, many schools are de-emphasizing test scores for applicants, and, according to a 2014 issue of Nautilus (an online and print science magazine), schools are "turning to research showing that a student's potential relies on more than cognition. Traits such as optimism, curiosity, resilience and 'grit' may actually play a stronger role in determining a student's long-term success."

While it is reassuring to know that colleges are starting to realize that the entire upper school experience is just as, if not more, important than the ability to take tests, and that students’ educational future should not solely rely on the SAT or ACT, standardized tests are still here to stay as part of the high school experience. The best example of how the PSAT has unified the class of 2020 is the abundance of PSAT memes that can be found on social media. Students share inside jokes about the experience and poke fun at memorable questions as a funny way of connecting with other students across America. Yola A. ’22 thought that these memes “shined light on a long and stressful test because they were hilarious and very relatable.”

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October 2018/Cheshvan 5779

Catching Up with Mr. Cannon

Now that the chagim have come to a close and school is in full swing, Mr. Cannon too is becoming better acquainted with Ramaz. He referred to the first few months at Ramaz as his “meet and greet phase,” a time when he can get to know as many people as he possibly can, building relationships and accumulating information in the most efficient way possible. Thus far, Mr, Cannon has connected with the Board of Trustees, set up dates to meet with parents, and planned to attend classes in all three divisions of Ramaz to gain a better understanding of daily life at the school. He wants to know what students are passionate about, which will allow him to gain a better understanding of the issues that are important to address. “The more you listen, the more you get a sense that there is a common feeling about something,” said Cannon. “It helps to know what people want so we can make changes where needed.”

Even more valuable than experiencing the classes and interacting with the community is meeting with the students, and Mr. Cannon believes that he can benefit tremendously by meeting with students in small groups both formally and informally. Mr. Cannon would like to meet with Upper School students over lunch, talk to students in the hallways, and perhaps plan more formal meetings to discuss certain issues concerning Ramaz. Students provide Mr. Cannon with an authentic point of view and opinions that may differ from those of the faculty and administration. For example, Mr. Cannon believes that

it would be valuable to discuss with students those issues that are more commonly limited to an administrative or board meeting, including Ramaz’s reputation and trends in admissions. Mr. Cannon hopes that the input of the students will make a difference not only in everyday issues, such as the food served in the snack cart, but also in largescale decisions that affect the future direction of Ramaz.

One of Mr. Cannon’s goals is to further promote Ramaz as an institution, in particular, the Upper School. He hopes to further enhance the school’s reputation. He explained, “The perceived reputation of the school is affecting some people who will be very happy here.” He emphasized that it is important for Ramaz to establish a clear framework around what defines it as a school. Mr. Cannon explained, “We need to be the best Ramaz we can be. We don’t need to try to be like any other school. Ramaz needs to promote itself as an institution that encourages students who love to learn.”

Mr. Cannon explained that spreading this important message will attract excited and motivated students to Ramaz.

Additionally, Mr. Cannon aims to advance the technological infrastructure at the school, eventually implementing state-of-the-art technology in everyday learning.

Mr. Cannon has laid out three specific goals regarding the improvement and integration of technology into learning.

First, he wants to ensure that the technology, which serves as a critical aspect of the infrastructure of the school, is functioning properly. This includes replacing or updating

Zach Buller ’20

Smart Boards, computers, or any other items as needed.

Second, he is encouraging the use of technology to enhance learning, and believes technology should be used in the classroom to help ensure that lessons are interactive, dynamic, and exciting. Last, Mr. Cannon’s technology vision involves increasing the number of STEM classes offered in all three divisions of Ramaz. The Upper School and Middle School currently provide STEM-related learning opportunities, but Mr. Cannon believes that there is room for improvement as this is a constantly developing area in all schools. “What is beneficial about STEM classes” said Mr. Cannon, “is that they provide a cross-disciplinary form of learning. You need to apply what you learned in both the Arts and Sciences in order to succeed. Or you even need to apply what you learned in Judaic Studies for example, if you are building Noah’s Ark on a 3D printer!”

Perhaps Mr. Cannon’s most impressive realization in his experience thus far is that “everyone wants Ramaz to shine.” Mr. Cannon noted that “one thing that I was not prepared for was the sheer passion of everyone associated with this school.” Whether it be the students, faculty, board members or administration, everyone involved with Ramaz wants to make the institution the best it can be. Mr. Cannon is confident that by meeting and listening to his constituents, developing and enhancing the school’s STEM program, and promoting the school by clearly articulating its mission, Ramaz will continue its path of excellence.

A Peak into the College Motives of a Ramaz Student

Natalie Kahn ’19

Who do you feel primarily puts pressure on you when it comes to college and academics?

What is your number-one factor in making a college choice?

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Ramaz at Work

By David Gerber ’21

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“Our Community at Work” is a new series in the Rampage that focuses on the professional achievements of Ramaz parents and school alumni. In this edition’s installment, we speak to Ramaz parent Robert Schwartz. Mr. Schwartz is a partner at Spruce Capital Partners in New York City, is the proud parent of three current Ramaz students, and the husband of a Ramaz alumna.

While most high school students today might spend their days checking their phones, in high school, Robert Schwartz spent his downtime reading real estate classifieds in the newspaper. Mr. Schwartz made it his goal to learn as much as possible about the professional field of his dreams.

What started out as a hobby eventually grew into a full-fledged passion.

After graduating from the Wharton School of Business, Mr. Schwartz began working in merging and acquisitions, a division of banking that handles the transfer or consolations of the ownership of companies.

During the early stages of his career, Mr. Schwartz began to personally invest in real estate. His understanding of the field grew to a point where he felt comfortable starting a real estate investment fund. In 2007, he and a fellow classmate from Wharton started Spruce Capital Partners, a New York City based real estate firm that owns, develops, and invests in various properties. The firm and its partners have both acquired and developed a portfolio of assets totaling in excess of $3 billion. Additionally, the partners of Spruce run S3 Capital, one of the most active bridge lenders in New York City. S3 has closed over 250 loans since 2014, totaling over $1 billion.

On the day I visited Mr. Schwartz at his midtown office, I was impressed not just by how modern and open the space was, but more importantly, by how happy all the employees looked. Mr. Schwartz noted that the general positivity felt in Spruce’s office stems from all the

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employees’ love for their work. Mr. Schwartz, who admitted to working long hours, clearly loves what he does, and which rubs off on the employees at Spruce. “I find that you’ll be the most successful if you really apply yourself to something that you really enjoy,” said Mr. Schwartz. “I love what I do everyday, and I don’t feel like I’m working.”

On any given day, he can be seen fielding meetings from various banks, investors, and project managers. Sometimes, Mr. Schwartz will venture to one of the firm’s open construction sites, where he’ll meet with the building’s chief architect to assess the progress of the ongoing project. After work, Mr. Schwartz usually ends up at a business dinner with clients. His job requires constant oversight, skillful management, and a strong ability to multitask.

Mr. Schwartz’s motivation and work ethic came from growing up with two immigrant parents, who came to the United States with nearly nothing and worked non-stop to provide for their children. He was always a serious student, enrolling in the honors track at the Yeshiva of Flatbush. Mr. Schwartz also noted that while his studies were his number one priority in high school, he still always found time to have fun and enjoy himself.

In addition to hard work, Robert Schwartz also believes that success in business requires a lot of good luck and well thought-out timing. Mr. Schwartz noted that luck can oftentimes make or break every aspiring businessman. “There’s luck in everything you do,” said Mr. Schwartz.“We buy things when we feel like the capital’s protected and the chances of losing money are slim, but how much money you’ll make and how successful you’ll be depends a lot on the timing of your execution. How well you perform matters, but luck is very important.”

October 2018/Cheshvan 5779

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What’s New in the Talmud Department?

Maya Chaovat ’21

This year, the Talmud Department- led by its chair, Rabbi Schiowitz- is joining forces with other departments in the school to create new projects that will better connect students skills in both Judaic and secular studies. Rabbi Schiowitz has been facilitating this collaboration as part of his new administrative role as “Director of Judaic Studies and Religious Life.” For example, a Judaic studies research paper has been arranged for the eleventh grade this year, due towards the end of the first semester. Students will be able to expand on topics from Judaic Studies learned in past years or write about new topics they are interested in. Rabbi Schiowitz explained, “The structure of this paper was modeled after the history research paper in order for students to utilize those acquired skills. In addition, part of the goal of this new research paper is to invite students to publish them together with projects and pieces from Hebrew class.”

In addition to the eleventh-grade research paper, tenth graders are currently writing divrei Torah for each parsha in order to revive Likrat Shabbat, a weekly publication consisting of divrei Torah and topics about the Parshat Hashavua, and to reinvision the Illuminations publication series. Initiatives from last year, such as class-

es for parents and alumni and ethics talks for juniors and seniors, will be continued and expanded this year.

The Talmud department has been offering their Lunch and Learn program for many years now, a weekly opportunity for students to learn about topics in Talmud that are not part of the regular curriculum.

The program takes place during one lunch period per rotation, and Regular Talmud students are incentivized to attend by not having to take the final. Some Accelerated and Honors teachers offer other types of incentives like extra points on a test, but not an exemption from the final. Rabbi Schiowitz explained that this program is incentivized specifically for Regular Talmud because “Honors and Accelerated teachers consider the final to be a critical part of their Talmud program because it integrates all the topics learned throughout the year. In addition, the Honors and Accelerated classes already have nine Talmud classes a rotation so this initiative is more worthwhile for regular Talmud which has five classes per rotation.” Rabbi Schiowitz explained that the number of Talmud classes per rotation, which is greater than any other course, depends on track. Thus, he said, “Talmud has two significant challenges, one is deciphering the

Aramaic words and the ambiguous syntax. The second challenge is the comprehension and analysis of the abstract concepts. Because of this, more time is needed in order to make significant progress. At the same time, we recognize that not all students want to make the same investment of time into the study of Talmud. Therefore the regular track offers an alternative. Additionally, Talmud is optional in the senior year.” As a side note, the idea that Talmud is “optional” for seniors is misleading: while students can opt out of higher-level Talmud courses, they still have to take some form of Jewish theology course, ranging from an “Origins of Humanity” class with Rabbi Schimmel to “Tales of the Sages” with Rabbi Bodner. The increasing focus on requirements of the Talmud curriculum emphasize the school’s commitment to Judaic studies and Talmud study as a whole.

The History Department Looks to the Future Esti Beck ’19

The history department is one of the leading causes of stress among Ramaz students, who spend tens of hours each year pouring over notes, DBQs, essays, and primary-source materials. It also happens to be one of the more dynamic departments, constantly making changes to the curriculum, testing system, and essay requirements. Much of this progress can be attributed to the department’s chair, Dr. Jon Jucovy, a longtime member of the history department and recently appointed Chair of Humanities at Ramaz.

This year, in particular, has been a relatively difficult and busy one for members of the history department. Dr. Dunitz’s maternity leave left a strain on the remaining teachers to cover for her classes. As the department is relatively small, with only the aforementioned faculty, Mr. Deutsch, Dr. Bernstein, and Ms. Newman, teachers were sometimes double-booked between classes they had been slated to teach and their coverages for Dr. Dunitz. “It’s pretty disappointing to miss my Dr. Jucovy ‘Age of Reagan’ class and Mr. Deutsch’s ‘Modern Middle East’ course because both are very interesting,” said Elijah Posner ’19.

“However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t nice to get a few free periods.” With the department back to full capacity by second semester, Dr. Jucovy plans to continue evolving it to best conform to his vision.

In his last years in office, Dr. Jucovy plans to enact some major changes to the history department, as well as see recent changes in the department to fruition. First, the department rolled out the new eleventh grade curriculum this year. The current seniors are the last Ramaz class to have been taught two years of world Jewish history followed by one year of American; in the time since, the curricula have been combined into one chronological course covering US as well as international history. Since the class of 2020 is the first to go through the new three-year curriculum, this year will mark the end of the experiment’s original run-through. Dr. Jucovy also stated that he would consider the option of administering a sort of standardized history exam to the outgoing senior class, beginning this year, to test the

knowledge gathered over four years of high school. These results could be a better measure of the “success” of the history program, but such a test is similar to previous proposals by Dr. Jucovy for entrance (9th grade) and exit (12th grade) history aptitude exams which never quite panned out.

Additionally, Dr. Jucovy has been keeping an eye on developments in the English department, which implemented the “literary seminar” system last year, creating what is essentially an honors course without the official honors title for tenth and eleventh graders. A similar system may be in the works for the history department, though they face similar problems to those of the English department. Some teachers prefer mixed classes for a diversity of opinions, while others would rather homogenous groups, which, through shared skill level, tend to make it easier to teach. “There are a number of people in the department who have advocated for that; I happen not to have been one of them, [though] I’m open minded on the issue,” Dr. Jucovy said. “I don’t mind teaching heterogeneous classes...but certainly I can see how it would be very exciting to teach a more advanced level history course.” He sees the argument opposing a history seminar as coming from two angles: first, philosophically, it’s challenging in a good way to have stronger students in a classroom, and second, practically, there are strong students who may not test well and would thus be excluded from the class. Determining eligibility on a case-by-case basis would then create a problematic degree of subjectivity, so the creation of such a class is still pending.

However, one development on track to be implemented by the end of this year is the syncing of the history and English departments’ curricula. Dr. Jucovy, a literature aficionado, feels that students have much to gain by studying the most famous works of an era as they examine the era in history as well. Under the current system, students study Shakespeare at various points in ninth and tenth grade, though the events surrounding the Bard’s life are only truly taught for a brief period in freshman year. While there is no plan to definitively

redo the entire curriculum yet, by the end of the year, Dr. Jucovy says students will begin to feel the first effects of these changes.

Another major change the department is undergoing relates to the tenth grade historiography paper, which is notorious for the difficulty students have in procuring sources. “I think finding sources for my paper on Blitzkrieg was more difficult than it was for the Nazis to invade France in the first place,” said Ilan Sidi ’19.

Dr. Jucovy plans on reverting the tenthgrade paper back to its original form, a simple research paper. “Every single year we’re looking at this and seeing what works and what doesn’t work, with our changing population,” said Dr. Jucovy. “The one thing I don’t see myself getting rid of is having a research paper.” He says Ramaz is one of the only high schools in the country with a serious research paper, as many other institutions have abandoned the idea.

One plan he’s considering implementing in order to make the process easier on everyone involved is instituting a system of “hands-on guidance.” As per this new system, students would do all their work on a shared google document, allowing teachers to make suggestions and comments and work collaboratively with them. Good faculty guidance for the paper, according to Dr. Jucovy, requires the teacher to know 80-90% of the sources on every available topic. Indeed, Dr. Jucovy insists that all history teachers at Ramaz not simply hand students the sources on their topics but also be familiar enough with each subject to help each student form a coherent thesis.

Much like the Mesopotamian and Greek Eras, the “Jucovian Era” of the Ramaz history department cannot last forever. As the department is undergoing several major changes, including a curriculum overhaul and the introduction of a new teacher, Dr. Jucovy doesn’t envision his retirement coming anytime soon, but it does lie within the foreseeable future. Many of his current students have preemptively begun to mourn his eventual departure. “It will truly be the end of an era for Ramaz when a teacher as venerated as Dr. Jucovy leaves,” said Hadley Kauvar ’19, a two-year

student of his who is now in Dr. Jucovy’s Age of Reagan senior honors course. Hadley’s two older brothers, Darien ’13 and Ellery ’09, also studied under him. Gail Hafif ’20, who has Dr. Jucovy this year for history class as well as Model Congress, one of the clubs that he advises, concurred: “Ramaz will be losing a teacher who has tremendous knowledge about both history and life itself… It’ll be difficult, if not impossible, for any other teacher to measure up.”

As for his eventual departure, Dr. Jucovy acknowledges that it will create the need for some rather substantial personnel changes. He is the only person to have chaired the history department, meaning that his retirement would be the first time Ramaz has had to fill the position. “I also have strong views on what [the department] should be - I mean, I’m the one who pushed through the integrated curriculum; I’m the one who developed (and continues to develop) the history research paper; I’m the one who developed the notion that we should be using and referring to primary sources, sometimes more, sometimes less successfully. There are a lot of things that it’ll be interesting to see - I’m not sure I’ll be the one seeing it - but it’ll be interesting to see what other kind of vision develops for the department,” he said. When asked if a successor would come from within the department or outside, Dr. Jucovy responded that they have “strong” candidates within Ramaz, but it could realistically come from either: “We should keep our minds open to any possibility and not have a nepotistic process just for the sake of it.”

For now, however, he will continue to maximize his powers as department chair and lead the history department’s evolution.

8

Features

The-Rampage.org

October 2018/Cheshvan 5779

An Interview with the TEC Teachers Gabrielle Ostad ’21

At the start of the school year, all Ramaz students waited anxiously for their schedules in order to find out which classes and teachers they had been given. Many were surprised to find an entirely new course, TEC, incorporated into their daily schedules.

TEC, a technology and engineering class, may be new to Ramaz, but it has existed at many other schools for a while now. The class is technically an extension of the science department, but it has an identity independent of the other science classes. TEC meets twice a rotation and

is taught by four teachers: Dr. Rotenberg, Dr. Nironi, Ms. Joshi and Dr. Vavsha. The Rampage interviewed three of these four teachers to get a better sense of their qualifications and the “TEC sector’s” progress at Ramaz.

Dr. Ethan Rotenberg

Dr. Fabio Nironi:

Ms. Nisha Joshi:

Q. Do you see this class influencing the students' lives outside the classroom?

A. I hope that RamTEC will spark an interest in engineering and computers for our students. We live in a highly technological world. We are surrounded 24 hours a day by smartphones, smart-TVs — even cars and dishwashers are computerized and connected to the internet. Yet the more we are surrounded by computers, the less, it seems, we understand them. I have noticed that while Ramaz students are very capable of using a phone for texting, video chatting, and playing games, or using a computer for browsing the internet and writing a history paper, most of them do not know how to do simple tasks on a computer, and have little sense of how a computer works. I hope that all of our students will develop a basic understanding of this technology, and some of them will realize how interesting it is and decide to pursue it more seriously.

Q. Why did Ramaz add a TEC class to the curriculum?

A. Ramaz was one of the last Jewish schools to introduce TEC. It was created in order to remain compatible with the rest of the world and to catch up to other Jewish schools. TEC classes are also popular amongst most well-established non-religious private schools.

Q. What prior experience do you have in teaching TEC? A. I have never taught TEC before.

I’ve always taught science – mostly chemistry.

Q. How does Ramaz’s TEC class differ from TEC classes offered at other schools?

A. At Ramaz, we offer TEC not as an elective, but rather as a mandatory class. In other schools where TEC is an elective, it is taught four times a rotation. In those cases, STEM will replace foreign language class. However, here at Ramaz, we are able to maintain both.

Q. Have you ever taught TEC before, and if so, where?

A. Between 2001 and 2011, I taught computer science at The Masters School in Dobbs Ferry. I taught at a French-American school between 2011 and 2013. After that, I moved to the Cathedral School.

Q. What is the connection between the science classes you teach and the TEC class?

A. I think of the TEC classes as applied science (with the exception of computer science).

In physics, students will learn about Ohm's Law and circuits in a very theoretical sense. In RamTEC, we learn it in order to be able to use it to build circuits that will do what we want them to do. In some sense, we can think of engineering as using science to control or change the world. Hopefully we will use this technology wisely and generously.

Q. What was the school’s goal in adding TEC to the curriculum?

A. One reason the school created the TEC class was because most jobs require their employees to code. Expertise in coding is becoming more and more necessary.

The demand for this skill will only increase in the future. We want our students to be as prepared as possible.

Q. What makes you a qualified TEC teacher?

A. I am a computer engineer and started my career in the corporate world. I soon realized, however, that I was by myself all the time. My work required me to work with only my computer twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. After realizing that it was not what I wanted to do, I changed my career. I started working in the education field in 1999, teaching computer science and designing software for Middle and Upper Schools in India.

Q. What sparked your interest in TEC? A. Computer science was a new and upcoming field in India and I was always interested in doing something different and new. The other reason I got into TEc was because, at that time, not many girls were involved in the field. Once I graduated and started working, I really felt that I need to make a difference. I wanted to stir up interest among girls and get them more interested in learning TEC.

A Hymn to Connect with Him: The Singing Minyan Samantha Sinensky '21

Entering Ramaz as a freshman in September, I was unaware of the various davening options available to students. As far as I was concerned, students were allowed to daven either with their grade or in the Sephardic Minyan. In October of this year, however, I began to hear murmurs of something called “Singing Minyan,” a breakaway minyan that promises students a unique davening experience. Intrigued, I decided to investigate this musical minyan for myself.

"Singing Minyan” offers students the opportunity to kick-start their day on a positive and musical note. The minyan was created by Rabbi Yossi Weiser, who has taught at Ramaz for over three decades, and usually meets on Tuesday. Tucked away in room 601, Rabbi Weiser and the minyan’s participants can be heard loudly chanting Jewish and Israeli tunes.

Moments of silent recitation (like Shemona Esrei) are replaced with singing and, often times, dancing.

In the five minutes before the minyan began at 8 o'clock, students began pouring into room 601. Israeli music played loudly in the background, enlivening the tired students and preparing them for the upcoming prayers. At 8 o’clock, the lights were turned off and a live stream video of the Kotel was put on the smartboard. Rabbi Wieser is known for adding live stream videos to enhance the davening experience. William Kremer ’21, a regular attendee of the “Singing Minyan,” noted that “the purpose [of the Kotel live stream] is to help the students connect with Israel and Hashem.”

About halfway into the davening, Rabbi Weiser stops the minyan to speak briefly. The Rabbi will typically use this time to discuss the parsha, explain a portion of tefila, or tell an inspirational story. During Shema, popular tunes by Yehuda Green and Shlomo Carlebach play as background music amidst the singing of the students. Rabbi Weiser believes that the

background music uplifts the students and allows them to connect with Hashem. Music continues to play into the Amidah, with students reciting the eighteen brachot to tune of the “Barditcher Niggun.” “Some might find it a bit distracting to daven with music, but I think it sets the mood for the Amida,” said Kremer.

Rabbi Weiser noted that the “Singing Minyan” was born out of a personal desire to make students more enthusiastic about Tefillah. “Davening can, unfortunately, be a negative experience for kids many these days,” Rabbi Weiser, “The goal of this minyan is to make davening a lively and meaningful experience through song.” Students seemed to share Rabbi Weiser’s belief in the spiritual power of song. One student, Adam Vasserman ’21, noted, “The singing adds to my spirituality and allows me to zone into Tefillah more than I usually do.” Some students, however, were not satisfied with the minyan. One anonymous student said that he attended “Singing Minyan” once with the assumption that it ended earlier. He ceased going after realizing that it finished later than the other minyanim.

“Even if one boy or girl has a moment of reflec tion or spiritual experience,

then it was all worth it.”

Even though the minyan excludes certain prayers due to a lack of time, Rabbi Weiser maintains that “Singing Minyan” is 100% halachically kosher.

“Davening is about spirit,” said Rabbi Weiser, “Davening demands kavanah, and that’s what the students here have.” Indeed, in keeping to the minyan’s commitment to focused prayer, Rabbi Weiser enforces a strict punc-

tuality rule. Students must arrive by 8:02 am. This is not an empty threat.

Throughout my time in “Singing Minyan,” students

kept trying to enter despite being late. However, they were turned away. Rabbi Weiser eventually drew down the shades and locked the door, much to the dismay of students hoping to attend. The minyan also has a capacity limit of 45 congregants. While some might see this as a bad thing, Rabbi Weiser actually enjoys the size restrictions. “Sometimes when things get too big they lose their luster,” said Rabbi Weiser, “The small venue makes the experience more intimate and spiritual.”

In an age where enthusiasm for davening seems to be at an all time low among Modern Orthodox Jewish teenagers, “Singing Minyan” acts a beacon of hope. It was clear that everyone who attended the minyan was there because they wanted to be there and not because they had to be there. By allowing students to connect with Hashem, even if only for forty minutes, Rabbi Weiser has accomplished something spectacular. In his words, “Even if one boy or girl has a moment of reflec-

October 2018/Cheshvan 5779

The-Rampage.org

Features

9

Which Ramaz Snack Food Are You? Esti Beck ’19 1. What did you do this summer?

a. I did Chesed because Hineni

b. Learned three languages and won a Nobel Prize for Engi

neering at Harvard’s summer session. What did you do?

c. Summer camp...for the eighth year. Don’t judge.

d. Ran in the Jerusalem marathon. I don’t care that it isn’t until

winter. There’s no reason not to run through the streets of

Zion at any point in the year.

e. I stared at my ceiling.

2. What do you want to be when you grow up?

a. A Tanakh teacher #Torahlyfe

b. I haven’t decided what I’ll do after my presidency, but trust

me, I’ll bring it up in my memoirs

c. Pre-med. Or pre-law. Or pre-- you know what? Pre-some

thing. But it’ll be something.

d. Tzahal, and then I’m going to make Aliyah. I’ll see you when

you come visit Kol Hanearim.

e. I’m juggling a few side businesses. If you come to the 4th

floor lounge at homeroom, I’ll sell you an X-box. Don’t wor

ry, it’s all very legit.

3. What’s your favorite Ramaz activity?

a. I say it’s time to bring Community back

b. Finals week. Don’t kill me, please.

c. Chagigahs-- time to crack out that face paint and hope it

doesn’t give me acne

d. The Israeli Day Parade. (And not only for the free t-shirt.)

e. Free periods. And when I don’t have a scheduled one, I make

my own by not showing up to class. That’s initiative.

4. If you could take one mini-course, what would it be?

a. How not to drop the Sefer Torah during Hagbah

b. AP anything. The important question is, does it count as

honors on my transcript?

c. Space. I swear I have no idea what’s going on, but Dr. Jucovy

is a legend.

d. Mastering an Israeli accent for Ashkis 101

e. How to plan a trip to the Bahamas 5. What’s been the highlight of your time at Ramaz so far?

a. Davening during the Aseret Yimei Teshuva. So holy that it

can’t be done in less than 1.5 hours.

b. My “time” at Ramaz? What time? I don’t have any of that.

c. Finding out that even though Starbucks closed, Dunkin Do

nuts opened next door.

d. Yom Ha’atzmaut block party. There’s no party like an Israeli

party ‘cuz an Israeli party don’t stop.

e. Every B4 advisory period because it means a free and fresh

cookies. (Both reasons are equally important.)

6. What’s your biggest pet peeve?

a. Ashki students who use Sephardic mincha cards

b. Teachers who don’t check homework. If I took the time to

complete it, everyone should be responsible as well

c. Pop quizzes. How would teachers like it if I did a “Pop Late

ness” or “Pop walkout?”

d. The New York Times. Those leftist anti-Zionist pro-Palestin ian fake-news-spouting self-hating Jews

e. Being chosen to be skirted when literally everyone else in the

hallway has a shorter one Mostly A’s: OFF-BRAND Mostly B’s: RAMAZ COOKIES KOSHER DONUTS You are the Ramaz Cookie. You take Congrats, you heimish yid! breaks about as often as they’re given You are the Empire of the out, which is once a week, B4 (maychickens, the Manischewitz be), and during admissions season, of the wines, the Saba’s of the but who’s counting? Wait, you are, pizzas. You are the favorite of because you’re incredibly stressed every Judaic Studies teacher, right now. In fact, you shouldn’t be and you wear a maxi skirt to reading this paper, not when you also school every once in a while have that English essay to get done. just ’cuz it’s more comfortable. And the Spanish homework. And (And it is- there’s no denying those math questions...which aren’t it.) Minyan is the highlight of due for another two weeks, but you’ll your day, but Mincha takes a get them done early anyway. You’ll close second; there’s nothing eat a cookie, or two, or three, because like the nice, ambient noise you’re really stressed and someone of twenty other super-patient left the box on your desk. Then your students shuffling around to notes are going to be covered in help bring your tefilot into grease stains and chocolate smudges.

Shamayim. No teacher has Does that say Sargon or Saruman? ever had to tell you to find a One’s a Lord of the Rings character kippah, and it’s your personal and the other is Mr. Deutsch’s favorduty to only patronize the ite ancient Near Eastern leader, but local kosher establishments. you can’t remember which is which, And at $10 per 2 slices pizza, so you’ll text everyone in your class you’ll definitely keep them repeatedly until they answer. But afloat. Keep doing you, you don’t worry, you’re a smart cookie.

Beigel’s Bagel.

You’ll get through it.

7. What’s the biggest thing you’ve gotten away with doing in school?

a. One time I went to the bathroom during davening and

missed kedusha. I still ask for mechila from Hashem every

Rosh Hashanah.

b. I forgot to do the math homework once in freshman year

c. I may or may not be a pro at vending machine theft. It’s an

art, honestly, and you’re just jealous that you don’t have my

skills

d. Putting up unauthorized pro-Israel propaganda posters

e. Who’s asking? Snitch.

8. What’s your favorite Ramaz lunch?

a. Bagels, the holiest food of them all

b. I don’t eat lunch, I’m meeting three different teachers and

running two club meetings that period. Catch me with a Clif

bar between classes

c. Quesadillas-- I’ll eat two, or three, or four, and if you even

look at me strangely I’ll fight you.

d. Shawarma day. It may not be authentic, but at least they’re

trying.

e. I make myself a panini and every once in a while I manage

not to burn off any fingers 9. Which extracurriculars do you do?

a. Chidon HaTanach and Torah Bowl. We’re a small-but mighty team

b. The better question is, which ones don’t I do?

c. I’m the captain of at least one sports team and then I do one

club with whoever my favorite teacher is. Oh, and I’m on the email list for an extracurricular I’ve never been to.

d. AIPAC Israel Advocacy club! Sephardic Culture Club! Any

thing with blue and white in the logo is good enough for me

e. Feminist club is where it’s at when Dancing for Dummies

isn’t running 10. You had lunch privileges and bought fries from Saba’s, but didn’t have a chance to finish them before coming back to school and the new rules say you can’t bring it inside. What do you do?

a. The school knows me and would never even dream of accus

ing me of eating non-kosher. I’m just allowed in.

b. I eat them outside in the freezing cold. Not worth getting in

trouble.

c. Argue with Rabbi Slomnicki until one of us gives in

d. I probably went to Mocha Burger for lunch, so this doesn’t

apply

Mostly D’s: VANILLA CUPCAKE Mostly C’s: VENDING MACHINE WITH BLUE SPRINKLES SNACK Under “Zionist” in the dictioWhen your friends are looking for nary, your name is the first entry, you, they know you’ll be found next probably even before Herzl. You’re to the vending machine. That’s not a either Sephardic or a Sephardic judgement- you just spend every free wannabee, since who prefers minute in the lounges, trying to design ashki “tunes” in davening when the senior sweaters or working on your you could listen to Rabbi Albo fantasy lineup. You own at least one Suinstead? Israel is your life. You preme-branded item, which cost about plan on joining Tzahal after high the same as maybe two vending-maschool; you’ve gone to AIPAC all chine snacks. In fact, you’re pretty much four years; and you’re currently the quintessential Ramaz student. You out of blue-and-white face paint either live in the city or constantly stay because you use it so often. In a at your city-friends’ houses, and you’re fit of passion, you threw out your on a first-name basis with their parwinter coat because a) there’s no ents and siblings, which is only weird use for it in Israel anyway and b) if you overthink it. You’ve had your you permanently wear an Israeli senior-year shabbaton outfit planned flag like a shawl. Your friends have from the first day of freshman year, and repeatedly told you to stop referyou’ve got a nice deal planned with your ring to Israel as “home,” because closest friends to share notes so none it’s confusing when you say you’re of you have to pay attention for a full heading home and then you disap40 minutes at a time. It doesn’t matter, pear to the Middle East for a few though, because as long as you rememweeks. In fact, you’re very behind ber to throw out your Lays chip bags, in schoolwork from your last trip, the universe will forgive you. Right? so you should probably take care

Mostly E’s: FACULTY MUFFINS Rules don’t apply to you. You’re stealthy like a ninja while you very obviously open the muffin storage thing labeled “Faculty members only,” and you only get in trouble five out of every six times. You don’t think it’s worth it anymore- the muffins aren’t even that good- but that isn’t stopping you because now it’s about making a point. That’s the same reason you insist on trying to wear logos almost every day, even when you otherwise would’ve just worn a solid shirt.

Or why you come in late so often that you can’t remember what the beginning of davening sounds like. People like having classes with you because you have no inhibitions about spitting the truth, regardless about who’s standing at the front of the room. Just watch your back-the administration sees you trying to hide the muffin behind of that. And no, I’m not giving you this newspaper. my notes.

OPINION The Rampage • October 2018

Natalie Kahn ’19

Our Eyes Were Watching God: A Reaction to the Joint Minyan

A large public outcry ensued at the beginning of the school year from the announcement that juniors and seniors would be davening together in the lunchroom. Aside from the darkness and dimensions of that small room, exacerbated by the now doubled number of people, I was one of the few people to actually receive this news with a sigh of relief. Having sat through three years of my grade’s minyan, I get why the administration decided to combine the two minyanim. From my standpoint (and probably the faculty’s), there was nothing worse than arriving at 8 AM on a Monday morning to face a handful of kids — everyone else was either late or didn’t show up — shouting across the room to each other when they were supposed to be davening. The boys who would lead sped through the service, so much so that they’d stumble over their own words when reading brachot, and the room either swelled with rowdy chatter or sank in awkward silence. Every two minutes, davening would stop for an additional five so that whoever was

supervising could tell us how disrespectful we were. Most times, we would need to wait an extra six minutes just to get a minyan in order to be able to say the kaddish leading into shema.

Some members of both the junior and senior grades have objected to this new ar-

"Having sat through three years of my grade’s minyan, I get why the administration decided to combine the two minyanim."

rangement, so much so that it’s been brought up as a topic in SFAC. There have been some junior girls who have argued that the senior grade doesn’t daven, and both grades have complained that having the two grades together slows the minyan down. But relative to what it was, this minyan is much more enjoyable for me. The junior girls daven nicely

and help widen the spaces between the senior girls who might be prone to talking. Now, we never need to wait ten minutes to have a minyan or to find a boy willing to lead shacharit, and there is just an atmosphere in the room much more conducive to thoughtful prayer.

It’s important to be in a room with “dignity,” as Rabbi Slomnicki used to tell us.

There seems to be a problem in general getting female faculty to daven with the girls, and rabbis are often reluctant to discipline people on the other side of the mechitza. Last year, the junior grade (this year’s seniors) had no female faculty in davening, and the women’s section was on the whole a disaster. By having the two grades together, the school is killing two birds with one stone: both grades now have adequate female supervision, switching off between Ms. Gedweiser and Ms. Krupka.

Davening in general is difficult, and davening on five hours of sleep with a test hanging over one’s head is even harder. But davening in a room where the general attitude toward dav-

“Would You Like to Carry the Torah?”

“Would you like to carry the Torah?”

I ask, approaching a junior or senior girl during Shacharit. More often than not, the answer is a polite shake of the head paired with “I’m really tired today,” or “I’ll drop it!” Even after being assured that none of the girls who have carried the Torah have ever dropped it, the girls claim “I’m so clumsy! I will!” However, I don’t think that this wariness towards carrying the Torah stems solely from a fear of dropping it; it is a combination of factors that limits Orthodox women’s exposure to the sefer Torah.

I have never heard a boy refuse to carry the Sefer Torah because he is afraid that he will drop it. The feminine fear of holding the Torah is ingrained into Orthodox women as they grow up and sustained by how rare it is for them to have this opportunity. This lack of experience with the Sefer Torah makes girls feel uncomfortable and nervous about touching it in a way that doesn’t happen to boys, who have these experiences all the time.

Reluctance to assume a greater role in davening isn’t an issue faced solely on the female side of the mechitzah. On the boys’ side, the same few boys lead davening each day. For the boys, this is largely because of social pressures; it’s not “cool” to lead davening.

Nonetheless, boys’ reticence to lead davening isn’t an exact parallel to girls reluctance to carry the Sefer Torah. Carrying the Torah requires no experience or practice, whereas leading davening is more skill-based. Presumably, some of the boys who decline to daven worry that they don’t know the tefillah or tunes well enough to lead, whereas this issue doesn’t apply to girls who don’t want to carry the Torah.

Notwithstanding the minimal skill required, carrying the Torah still makes girls extremely nervous. Girls worry about each

step of the process, concerned that they won’t do it right: being at the front at the correct time, knowing when to take the Torah from the chazzan and how to carry it, where to bring it, how fast to walk, and how to return it to the chazzan. The women’s side of the mechitzah’s minimal opportunities and lack of experience in this area make the simple action of carrying the Sefer Torah much more nerve-wracking for a girl than it is for a boy.

There is also a difference in expectation. Boys grow up seeing their fathers carry the Sefer Torah, and once they become bar mitzvah, it is expected that they will as well. For girls, this is not the case. First, unlike boys and their fathers, girls’ mothers often cannot be role models in this arena because they themselves don’t have the chance to participate. Second, the expectation of participation that is incumbent on bar-mitzvah aged boys doesn’t apply to girls in the Modern Orthodox community. This is evident from the fact that almost all Modern Orthodox boys leyn and lead davening at their bar mitzvahs, but the majority of Modern Orthodox girls celebrate their bat mitzvahs with a Dvar Torah and a party: no leading davening, and no leyning. If girls aren’t even expected to participate in davening at their bat mitzvahs, how can

ening is one of disrespect is impossible. So what if we lose five minutes of study time? Last-minute studying has been proven ineffective at any rate. All I know is that I sat in davening last year and started to hate davening and Judaism as an extension of that. Now, at least, I walk into the room, and there’s already a minyan, a boy willingly standing at the bima to lead birkot hashachar. The girls around me are davening, and I sometimes find the strength to pull myself out of my exhausted trance and pray with them. As a senior, I’m not sure whether I’ll take a gap year, so this may be the last year I’ll have davening built into my school schedule, and I don’t want to leave thinking that it’s something I won’t miss; rather, it should be something I’m inclined to do even after I leave Ramaz.

Whatever other students may say, this year’s

combined minyan isn’t perfect - yes, it’s long and boring - but it is a step toward that goal.

Josephine Schizer ’20

we expect them to take leadership roles later on?

Then, there is the question of halacha.

Despite the fact that numerous sources have established that women carrying the Torah is halachically acceptable, this question still arises on a regular basis in students’ casual conversations and in both Judaic and General Studies classes. The most often cited misconception is the idea that women who are in niddah are not allowed to touch a Torah scroll, when in fact, a Torah scroll cannot become tameh just because someone who is tameh touches it. (In fact, if this were the case, none of us would be allowed to touch the Torah because, in today’s day and age, everyone is tameh.) This misconception is prevalent not only among those who disapprove of the practice but also with girls who would like to carry the Torah; there have been several times when I have asked girls to carry the Torah and they have responded, “I’m on my period - can I still carry it?” The answer is emphatically yes.

Furthermore, the continuing arguments about women carrying the Torah at Ramaz have associated the practice with an unfortunate stigma. If a girl agrees to carry the Sefer Torah, she is labelled radical and a “feminist.” At Ramaz, “feminism” is overwhelmingly and mistakenly perceived as a negative label, a problem in and of itself. For some reason, Ramaz students cannot comprehend the idea that feminism simply means that women should be on equal footing with men and seem to think it is a terrible and radical thing. The first bullet point of our school mission statement states that Ramaz strives to imbue its students with “A commitment to menschlichkeit, reflecting fineness of character, respect for others, integrity, and the centrality of chesed in all its manifestations,” and personally, I see feminism as an example of this basic “respect for

others.” This perception of feminism as radical and negative has created the stigma associated with a girl who volunteers to carry the Torah.

I believe that this perception is detrimental to Ramaz’s Torah environment in which both girls and boys are encouraged to engage with Torah as fully as permitted by Halacha. Carrying the Torah is one way to fulfill this goal and should be made available to anyone who feels that it would enrich their tefillah experience.

Furthermore, for anyone who feels strongly that the Torah should be brought on the women’s side of the mechitzah, it is important that you volunteer to carry it. In the process of working to ensure that the Torah came through the ezrat nashim, I spoke to many girls who deeply cared that it happened. However, since then, several of these girls have turned down the chance to carry the Torah, be it a specific day that they are tired, or a blanket statement that they don’t want to. While I understand being tired or nervous about it, the Torah can only come on our side of the mechitzah if there are people to carry it. Carrying the Torah should be an experience that you appreciate, and in no way am I looking to force anyone who isn’t interested to participate. However, if you do care about it, you should volunteer!

Don’t rely on other people to do it for you there is a finite number of girls in the minyan, and each person who volunteers brings something new to the minyan. In my mind, it is also disrespectful to the Torah to have so many girls turn down this honor, when ultimately, the goal of this enterprise is allowing both sides of the mechitzah to fully engage in kavod haTorah.

**We’re looking for more female volunteers to carry the Torah in the junior-senior minyan. If you’re interested, please contact Josephine Schizer.

A Changing Ramaz Dynamic Hits Seniors the Hardest continued from cover

ality, it’s due to the school’s transition from an administration that didn’t enforce

lateness to today’s administration, which has a very low tolerance for late students.

As seen in Rabbi Slomnicki’s email to students and parents, the administration is no longer messing around with lateness. Rabbi Slomnicki wrote, “students who arrive after 8:00 AM will be recorded as late…Students who are chronically late or consistently display poor citizenship will be placed on social probation upon their third detention within an academic quarter.” However, Ramaz seniors can easily recall a time when the administration used empty threats and attendance sheets that went nowhere to keep track of lateness. In fact, Ramaz seniors spent half of their Upper School tenure with no lateness consequences.

As Ms. Friedman noted to me, the Senior grade—by far—has always had the worst attendance and tardiness. In my opinion, the reasoning behind this is obvious: the Senior grade was present throughout this comprehensive revamp of the school’s lateness policy, and they experienced a massive change in the consequences for tardiness. Before, almost no consequences existed. Now, students

are told that repeated lateness will result in half-hour long detentions and social probation. Thus, the Senior grade’s exposure to both systems doesn’t as much justify but explain their serial lateness.

Although I am not a psychiatrist, I truly believe that the student body’s reaction to these changes is normal. However, many of those in charge have not recognized this to the full extent.

These changes were made without any regard for the mental health, sanity, and comfort of the Senior grade. Change is good, but too much change causes turmoil and disruption. Was it fair for the Seniors to have their high school experiences disrupted by all of these changes, and has the administration done enough to counteract this lack of consistency? I think it is obvious that my answer is “no.” In the next issue, I will sit down with various teachers, administrators, faculty and students to discuss their personal answers to this complex question.

Part II in the ongoing series “Consistency is Key,” an examination of the changing leadership and Jonah Scherl ’19.

October 2018/Cheshvan 5779

The-Rampage.org

Opinions

11

RamTEC: Has Ramaz Letter from the Editors Met the 21st Century?

Esti Beck '19, Natalie Kahn ’19, Harry Shams ’19

William Kremer '20

“No young person in America should miss out on the chance to excel in STEM fields just because they don’t have the resources,” said former President Barack Obama in 2015.

Obama was obviously not referring to private schools on the Upper East Side, but his statement did bring a lot of attention to STEM study in both grade and high schools, and now, three years later, Ramaz has officially added STEM to the curriculum.

Up until Fall 2018, there was no class in Ramaz that covered material in one of the most important new areas of study- science, engineering, technology, and math, or STEM. Many students wanted to be involved in coding and engineering, and the only opportunities were to attend one of the clubs initiated and run by fellow students such as Women in STEM, Engineering or Coding. The clubs meet afterschool, and often students who wanted to attend were not able due to conflicts. For them, RamTEC is a welcome opportunity.

“As someone who has not had any prior coding experiences, I am really happy to be in an innovative tech program. Because we are living in a high tech world, these skills are important to learn,” noted Samantha Sinensky ’21.

The science department designed RamTEC as an introduction to the field, meeting just once or twice a week depending on the rotation. Still, students are left wondering if the class was initiated a little too late: in an extensively digital age, the upperclassmen, in their three or four years at Ramaz, have had almost no technology or coding exposure. Can RamTEC really have an effect and give students anything more than an basic overview at best? According to Joey Kaplan ’20, “The class does not meet enough times to be considered a “real class.” Also, since it does not go on your GPA, students tend to try less and study less for the quizzes.”

In truth, STEM really extends beyond the meaning of the acronym. According to the website livescience.com, STEM is “a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — in an interdisciplinary and applied approach.”

Rather than only teach each subject separately, STEM classes integrate them together and tend to focus more on thought and process and real-world scenarios which helps gear students toward future careers that can require some of what is taught in a typical STEM class. The current Ramaz curriculum includes computer coding languages for more advanced Juniors and Seniors and basic engineering concepts and circuit building for Freshman and Sophmores.

While the administration deserves credit for instituting RamTEC this year, the courses do not meet enough times in the week for students to take away anything but very superficial knowledge. Now the school is just touching upon the idea of STEM in the course, and without a more serious and frequent curriculum, Ramaz students won’t be benefitting anymore than graduating high school knowing that Ohm’s Law is not a legal term, Java is not a type of coffee and that Python isn’t just a snake.

Jake Rubin '22

At the end of last year, we assumed our roles as the Rampage editors (alongside our online editors, Becky Tauber and Suzi Dweck ’19) and haven’t looked back since. The three of us were chosen because we shared one coherent, cohesive vision: a more controversial Rampage. A more interesting Rampage. A Rampage students would pass in the library and want to read.

We’ve spoken to members of the administration about this. The result was a debate over the word “controversy”; one of the administrators we spoke to pointed out that its connotation (angry, intolerant complaints) is different than its denotation, “debateable” or “giving rise to opinions on both sides.” So let us be explicitly clear here: this paper should not- and will not- be a twelve-page monthly attack on the school, administration, and faculty. Still don’t get it? We. Do. Not. Want. An. Anti. Ramaz. Rampage.

That being said, we think it’s extraordinarily important to have freedom of the press. Any student who wants to write an article which criticizes any of the aforementioned groups should be allowed to without fear of retribution or an early-morning request for a meeting from the administration (which may or may not have happened to one of us before.)

As far as we can tell, and we’re quite certain that we’ll be corrected if we’re wrong, the school wants a Rampage that “raises questions.” We don’t disagree. Ask any of our teachers; the three of us combined probably ask more questions than the Mah Nishtana.

The idea of printing 12 pages of questions every week sounds pretty appealing to us.

That being said, it’s simply not a feasible idea in that it requires more time, dedication,

We were able to agree on one cohesive, coherent vision for the paper: a more controversial Rampage. and research than can be expected from our poor, overworked writers if we assume they wish to simultaneously maintain decent GPAs. So let’s work on the assumption that 2-3 articles per issue will be long, in-depth, deep “questions” about life on 78th street, and maybe even life in general, depending on how existential we’re feeling. That leaves at least another twenty articles open to interpretation, and there’s only so many times a student is willing to read “Grade-wide trip to museum” or “Interview with [insert teacher’s name].”

We believe that, sometimes, we should have articles which present the facts, negative or positive, about Ramaz. Yet every time we submit an article which could even be perceived as being critical of the school, we expect the email response: this is too broad, or this is purely negative and doesn’t ask any questions. Well, we can’t ask questions every time, and if we’re not asking questions, the article is either going to have a negative slant, a positive slant, or be so utterly objective that it’s beyond boring. And we’re really not down for a newspaper with piece after piece endorsing the every move of the administration. What a great assembly! The school lunch is better than ever! Don’t you just love the school?

Frankly, when the articles were all either neutral or pro-Ramaz, we never used to hear objections that they weren’t raising enough questions. So the same way we were once able to get away with a positively keeled Rampage, we should now be allowed to get away with at least some critical articles. Again, we’re not asking that the entire paper become the AntiRa. But once in a while, we should be allowed to say that we want the old caterers back.

My Freshman year...so far

After spending two months at the Ramaz Upper School, I can confidently say that being a Freshman at this school has its perks and drawbacks. For starters, I would like to thank all of the faculty, advisors, and senior advisors for being so welcoming and listening to all of my questions about the school. Orientation was great because of all the chances it gave me to connect with students I did not previously know. Even though the first day was exciting, the next few had their downsides. I’m still not used to the amount of tests and work I have on a daily basis and find the small supply of computers in the library extremely frustrating. The limited computer setup is unfair to students who

need to work during the school day and sometimes cannot because the computers are all taken.

The lunch in the Ramaz Upper School compared to the Ramaz Middle School is terrific. The toasters and panini presses are a great addition, and the food, in my opinion, tastes better as well. I am also content with the options of juices at lunch and the cookies brought into class on Friday. Honestly, all of these add-ons make me look forward to lunch every day. The vending machines in the school also make the Ramaz experience so much better: I don’t have to bring a snack from home but can grab one if I’m hungry in the middle of the day. The one thing that bothers me about them is the fact that they do not accept $5 bills, which is irritating

when you want a snack but don’t have any $1 bills.

I think if I had to pick one thing about Ramaz that I appreciate the most, it would be the independence I am given. In the middle school, coming to lunch was a requirement, during homeroom there was a required room I had to be in, and recess had to be spent either in the library or in the gym. Now I don’t have to go to lunch if I don’t want to, relax in one of the lounges whenever I don’t have class, and use my phone in between periods. Overall I am loving the Ramaz Upper School and all of the privileges given to me and cannot wait to spend the next four years learning and getting to know my peers.

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!

Ramaz Upper School

The Rampage New York • Volume 52 • Issue 3 • October 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: Samantah Sinesky Zachary Buller Basia Fellner-Dublin Aliza Freilich Avigail Dupont Caitlin Levine Josephine Schizer Jonah Scherl David Gerber Maya Chaovat Rebecca Massel Sophia Kremer Hannah Doft Hadley Kauvar William Kremer Gabrielle Ostad Eliana Casper Jake Rubin 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.

Denotes member of the Rampage Editorial Board. *

Arts & Entertainment A Star is Born Hadley Kauvar ’19

Reviewed:

A Star Is Born is this month’s hit movie. The fourth iteration of a 1937 film, it retells the story of a famous musician who falls in love with his protege while simultaneously fighting demons of his own. Here, those roles are filled by famous country singer, Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper), who by happenstance meets a vocally talented waitress, Ally Campana (Lady GaGa). It is a classic story of love and celebrity, but sadly, without a happy ending.

The film begins with Maine hearing Ally perform at a bar one evening. Upon learning that Ally also writes her own music, Maine helps her kickstart her professional career.

In the process, the two fall in love. The movie expertly parallels Ally’s rising star and Jackson’s fading one. Ally goes

Harry Shams ’19

from country singer to pop sensation while Jackson battles alcoholism, ever worsening tinnitus, and the fact that his career is nearing its end.

While his older brother and

manager Bobby (Sam Elliot) attempts to take care of him, he only spirals further and further. This causes tension between the couple, eventually culminating in Jackson being sent to rehab after an embarrassing incident at the Grammys. Depending on your point of view, the ending will either come across as shocking, or easily predictable.

The rebooted storyline is remastered well thanks to memorable performances from both lead actors.

Cooper deserves (and has received) widespread acclaim for his vocal showing: the actor apparently trained with a voice coach and guitar instructor for over a year. Gaga, in her first lead role, steals the show with a versatile and complex performance, and chatterings of a Best Actress nomination are already beginning to spread.

More secondary characters such as Sam Elliot’s Bobby and Andrew Dice Clay’s Lorenzo (Ally’s limo-driving father) add color and an extra layer of substance to the movie as well.

My one complaint about the film would be the pacing. The first half of the movie plays out very slowly, intricately laying the ground-

work for Jackson and Ally’s relationship, as well as the latter’s career. In the second half, important moments seem to pass in the blink of an eye, with Ally going from humble country singer to Grammy-winning pop sensation.

Towards the end, the film felt too frantic; I barely had any time to let the movie's more important moments sink in.

Had Cooper, who also directed the film, made the first half of the film fast-paced and the second half slow-paced, then the movie’s more exceptional moments would have possessed more gravity and garnered more commendation.

A Star Is Born is a stellar example of both a musical film and a romantic drama. Of the four versions of this movie, this one is by far the best.

Reviewed: Free Solo

When contemplating great athletic achievements, a few things immediately come to mind: Hillary and Norgay’s ascent of Mount Everest, Michael Phelps’ 23 Olympic gold medals, Jesse Owens’ shattering of three world records in just one hour, and Serena Williams’ 23 Grand Slam singles titles. Each of these men and women were masters of their respective domains, performing at the very highest level and defying all expectations. However, while each of them is remarkable in their own right, their accomplishments pale in comparison to the athletic feats of one man.

Free Solo, a National Geographic documentary released in select theaters last month, tells the true story of Alex Honnold, a thirty-three year old free-solo climber. Free soloing is a form of rock climbing where the climber (or “free soloist”) performs alone, without the aid of any ropes, harnesses, or other protective equipment. By relying solely on his or her ability, a free soloist runs the risk of death every time he or she begins an ascent. One miscalculated step results in the soloist’s descent and -- with no ropes to thwart the force of gravity -- death.

Free soloing is something of a taboo in the rock climbing community, specifically because it results in the deaths of most of its practitioners. Indeed, according to the documentary, over eighty-percent of recorded free-solo ascents result in death. Plainly speaking, it’s a very stupid thing to do. Yet there are a select few who muster the courage (and nerve) to climb up a vertical mountain-face without a harness or rope, Alex Honnold, for instance,

being one of them. A native Californian, Honnold’s childhood was draped in dysfunction. His parents divorced at a young age; his father died soon after. Overall, he received little-to-no affection as a boy.

The documentary seems to posit (with evidence) that Honnold’s background gave way for his risk-tolerant lifestyle. Also, Honnold probably suffers from Schizoid personality disorder. Those who see the documentary may notice that Honnold (who isn’t your average “Redbull gives you wings” thrill seeker) lives alone in a van and expresses almost no emotion before putting his life on the line.

All of Honnold’s free solo ad-

ventures (and he’s had many) seem like nothing when compared to his defining achievement. On June 3, 2017, Honnold successfully attempted to free solo El Capitan, a 3,000 foot vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park. El Capitan has been called the “center of the rock climbing universe,” and for good reason. It is a favorite destination among rock climbers and is known for its incomparble difficulty. It takes the average (professional) climber 8 hours to reach the summit with a rope. Honnold did it in 3.

I won’t even try to describe how impressive this is, but consider this: El Capitan is basically a smooth surface. If you can find a foothold (or something resembling

a dent in the monolith’s face), chances are it’s the size of your thumb. Those who choose to see the documentary (which dedicates its final forty-five minutes to footage of the climb) will understand why Honnold’s ascent has been called “ostensibly impossible” – because it really is.

Watching Honnold climb El Capitan without a rope was easily the most gripping movie-experience I’ve had in a long time. Forget “edge-of-your-seat-intensity” – this movie will make you sweat.

It will make you reconsider the extent of the abilities of your old athletic heroes. It will make you rethink everything you ever thought was impressive.

Technically speaking, the filming of this movie is also astonishing.

The footage of Honnold’s ascent is breathtaking and was incredibly difficult to shoot. Director Jimmy Chin hired professional rock climbers to record Honnold as he climbed, filming him while they hung from suspended ropes.

The documentary also brilliantly delves into Honnold’s psyche in an intelligent and entertaining way. In exploring the events that gave way to Honnold’s bold and abrasive nature, Chin allows viewers to get inside the head of his documentary’s protagonist.

Free Solo is the type of movie that is impossible to disappoint. There really is something in it for everyone, and at the very least if you don’t appreciate the climbing, you’ll appreciate its examination of Honnold’s upbringing and personality. Without reservation, I strongly recommend that anyone who can see this movie do so.