The Ra1n Page'1 Volume XXV Number 2
School Cuts Senior Classes
September 1992 / Elul 5752
Rabbi Goldmintz Back in New Role
Here Come the Fresh Faces
by Daniell• Druek Approximately 160 eoghth grndcrs fought for 55 of the I I0 SJXlcc, available in the incoming Rnmnz freshmen class. These s1u dents upphcd from nbout twenty by Uri Heilman and Jrrtmy "'feeder" schools located Stem throughout the tr1-statc nrcn Despue the fact that the school These schools include Hillel, pmnu� not to SD:crificc "cduca Manhauan Day School, Monah, uoruil qu:ility" for financ1.ol pur Nonh Shore Hebrew Academy, pose�. a number or courses have B1Cuhural, SAR, various been dropped from the senior cur Solomon Schecter Schools, riculum due 10 budget problems Yeshiva of Ce.ntr:il Queens. Y a v and lack of student rn1crcst. nrh, and Westchester Day School. There wen: several :iddcd. but A few 5tudcnts from lsrael will that number did not rcconc1lc also be adnuttcd to Ramu. The admin1s1ra11on feels that the with those which were cut. As �poned ,n March 1992 by ch.ildren from the difTcrcn1 region, The RnmPage. Ramaz hBS had to and bnckgrounds will mflucnce make significant budget cuts as a each olhcr m a healthy and �111vc way. result of 3 proJCCled dcfic1L The La.st )'CM,Ramaz. admitted the: RamPagc rcponcd li15t March largest freshmen class ever, con . lh.3t •ccrtam non--esscnual costly programs whose loss \\OUld in no s1shng of 115 students. Ho\\·e,er, U us was not the bcgmnmg of a new wuy detract from the cducauon:11 quali1y at Ramnz," would, ac trend .due to l.lck of space m the cordmg 10 Mr. Mi ller, be cut 1f build ing. explai ned Mrs. Daniele rcnchC1"S rejected the proposal for Gorlin Lassoer. Dm�clor of Ad· mtSS1onS". Sp:icc is always al a a percent.age cut 10 \heir ntl.sc. M11ny students rc:uon th.it since premium. and there wa.s liule room as a result or the size of the the teachers accepted the proposal. i t seems that the school sophomor,: class. The newcomers as well as shouldn·1 have had to mate any those whose: elementary school cumculum changes � all Mr. was Ramu come from many dif Miller hesitated when asked about the dropped senior elec ferent walks of life. and from widely v3rying levels of Jewish tives for the new school year. "You have to differentiate betwen students' obser vance. T h e eductional quality and luxury: majonty of the freshmen arc strict ly observant. yet there arc also stu• said the associoll: Dean. The clll.ses that were cut in dents from less observant homes. (continut!d on page 4) cluded Middle East Hostory. Founh Year French. Parash.1t Ha Shavua. Discrete Mathematics. nnd Comparauvc Literature. The first two classes were cut due to
i
Mr. Miller and Rabbi Goldmintz enjoy the last dnis or wmmer
More Than Just Fun in the Sun by On, id Novlch Summcr1ime a lune to rest from the long and stressful sehool year, a 11me to enJ0Y and fully appreciate nature. or a umc to as sociate wnh people in the com mun11y like the mailman. lhe friendly next-door neighbor, and the woman who works ru the video rental But somct,mcs. summer c:m :llso be a time, well. to JX).rty, watch TV, go 10 movies, play ball. or just hang out. In Ramu. stu dents found ways 10 not onlyenJoy the summer by rt'humg, but also by learniua Of" c.,pcncncinb .some- thing new to them. Seniors Rena Davis and Ari Roth were pan ofa select group of individuals who received Bronfman Youth Fellowships in Israel. In addition 10 learning about and tounng Jsrac:I, the pro· gram also had another purpose: lo show how people from vastly dif ferent sects of Juda1Cim can com municate and become ufUted as a group. There were years when the
)ludcnt1>, whose rcl1g1ou� back grounds ranged from Onhodox 10 Secular. �pill up �,ally How• ever. the 27 student� involved 1h1Ci )'t'fil were able to overlook their differences, learn more about Juda,�m. cxpcncnce Israel and cnJ0Y everything II ha� 10 offer Rena foll 1ha1 never in her hfo had !)he "learned more about Judaism, about I her�el fl :rnd oboul fnendsh1p" than 1h1.s past summer. A popular 1our among Ramu students this past summer was the Achva program, coordma1ed by the Nallonal Council or Young Is
rael Soohomore Ben Lcbwohl. along With 46 other yeshiva
sophomores. toured the eastern halJ of the United States For six wttks they traveled all the way from Disney World to N1,1gara Falls. stopping at places such as W1ll1amsburg and Graccl:ind along the way. Junior Alisa Shanske. a parucipant in 1hc Achva Israel M1ss1on, felt that n was an excellent tour because of the extensive tounng and hiking.
(conti11u�d on page 4}
by Leora Klein Upon returning from a year m brad. Rabb, Goldmontz has be come Ramaz's new Asi;1s1an1 Dean Rabb, Goldmontzded1ca1ed this past year to an1tns1vc leammg and shanng of ideas with twelve Jewish educators from around the world in the Jerusalem Fellows program In add1uon to attending scm1nan. spcalcrs. aniclcs. nod 1ours. Rabb i Goldmmu and �me or his colleagues v.,ere fonunate enough to take a cla�� 1w1cc a week with Ncchama Le1bov1tL, studying Rash1 and Jeremiah The Rabbi also took courses a1 the Hebrew Un1,ers11y. concentrating on cur• nculum, education. history. and Jewish custom and law The foremCKt theme of the fellowship was different aspects of Judaism and different vehicles of Jewish life. hls1ory, ond culture. Now back in Ramaz. Rabbi Goldmm1z hopes to apply his newly found knowledge and ex• pcncnccs 10 hfc m Ramaz. The Rabbi feels lh.1t h1S exposure 10 different levels or Judaism en• couraged a more open-minded way or thinkmg. Rabbi Goldminlz will no longer be a college: adviser. but he will continue leaching Juda.Jsm. As an adn11nisrra1or. his pnmary (cont,nurd on pagr 2)
Bush vs. Clinton: The Issues Behind the Rhetoric
(continued on page 4J
Inside this Issue: Letter from the GO page 2 Summer Movie Review page4
by Arlt! Adesnlk As dictated by the consutuuon, our government h a s three branches: leg1slative,jud1cial. and cxccuuve Despite what many say, the CJtccuuve �ranch holds llule concrete power. h 15 simply responsible for running the country according to the mandate or Congress and 1hc m1erprc1a11on of 1hat mandate by the Supreme Court. So why must there be a muh1-m111ion dollar. mult1-med1a political circus every (our years Just 10 elect the President, head of th1Ci subservient branch of govern• mcnt? The answer is not so simple. Because of our two-party system, the power of veto held by the President is magnified in impor tance. For neither the Democrats nor the Republicans can easily hold enough seats in Congress to override a veto without a bi-par• tisan coalition. This allows the
President either to disrupt or leave alone the legisfa11ve process. thus funhenng his agendn--and that of h1� pany A maJon1y in Congress, then, can only effect change iflhe President ha.s similar poli1ical ideas. In essence, neither party can easily xcomplish irs platfomt without controlling the office of 1he presidency a.nd a maJonty in Congress Whi le having a con gressional maJonty ,� as imponant us occupying the Prc:s1dcncy, 11 1s easier and more effcc1ive for a party to orchestrate one notional elce1ion ins1cad or nbout 500 regional ones. With so much power at stake on a s1ngle elec1ion, both panics arc willing to do any tlung in order to win. Th• Economy This year's politicnJ circw has begun in enmesl. The i.ssue at the center or the race is the economy. After aJI, the financial status of America affects the day-to-day
lives of its c1uzens. Ir::1q1 Jets nying below the 32nd parallel ha-.·c no bcanng on the success of the De Klomp Wooden Shoe Fac tory in Holland, M1ch1gan. Es scnually. the question 1s one of tru�t vcrsu� change. George Bu.sh 1s asking that people remember the boom years dunng the latter p:in or his ,·1ce-pre�1dcncy and trust that he can rttum thing� to nom1al 81II Clm1on argue� that 1f the Rcpubhcan� remain in office, the economic s11ua11on will remain unchanged: only new leadership and new ideas. Clinton says. will heal the economy For eight years, President Reagan presided over n booming economy pow�red, in a large sense, by debt. He passed on the legacy of supply-side economics (which dictated that the best way 10 move the economy is through encouraging business in\'estment through s1rong government mcen• rive) 10 then Vice-President Bush. Unfonunately for President Bush. the spell was broken and the
economy came crashing down. The country became nured m the debt II had accumulated. Rt5mg from 1hc economy's ashes were the politics of division: 1he gap grew between nch and poor. black and wh11e, nnd nallve and foreign Pan of the blame hes on the .Prcs1• dcn1 for h1i; lack of foresight or scns111v11y and h1.s prcoccup:1uon wnh the • cw World Order" and foreign involvement. Anolher p.1n ,� the 1rrcspons1b1hty or the post-World War II gcncrnuon, used to uncond1tiona.l prospcnty, who look for scapegoats rather 1han soluuons. Bo1h cand1cbtcs are now trying to pose as unifiers. They both put their own spin on the idea or cut• ting back government spending, helping out the "middle class," and being economically c.1u1ious. Their plans seem so tempting, yet one must remember poltici:ms a.re, well, poJhicians. and not cconom1s1S. (conrinu,d on page J)
Page 2
Septmcbcr 1992 / Elul 5752
The RumPage
Editorials Advanced Placement: Unfair Advantage?
Letters
by Jeremy Stem Being a Jew in P.uis for a sum mer, I must say tha1 I began to better appreciate the situation of the Jews in America, It is not the wealth or size of the community that I missed: after all, there nre over 300,(X)() Jews in Paris, most of them managing quite well economically. Nor is it the more mundane things. like kosher rcs raurants: Paris has about 80 Jewish caring establishments--many more than New York. Rather. I appreciated Jewish life back home for its diversity and openness. That is, the fact that mnny different types of Jews can define their own Jewish identny for lhcmselvcs and they can do so openly. To be sure. this phenomenon has had its nega tive effects: in America loday, there arc so many brands of Judaism, 1t is impossible to find one organization to unify 1he Jewish community and serve as a voice for Jewish issues. Paris. actually, has one such or ganization: the Consistoire. The roots of this body go back 10 Napoleon, who emancipated the Jews and decided that giving them an association for all community matters would win their support. The Open Qoor Policy--A Welcome Change It used to be that getting an appointment with a Rumaz ad The ConsistoLre takes care of a ministrator was about as simple an "A" in Physics. But now, thanks host of affairs, from supervising to the inovative "open door" policy, Ramaz students will nenr have kashrut to organizing the Ber Din, to wait hours to ,·oic-e their opinions to the "head honchos" on the to putting out a booklet on every sixth floor. Assistant Dean Rabbi Goldmlntz. back from a year In thing Jewish in Paris. On the sur Israel, has stated his willingness to speak with concerned students. face, the Consistoirc seems "Uyou don't see us, come after us," suggests Rabbi Goldmlntz, "Jr somctliing of which to be envious. we don't Stt you Orsl, come find us." This policy comes as a break all Parisian Jews are unified into with traditional Ramaz procedure. Usually, a student must make one central body. Jn reality, the an appointment and hope not to be interrupted once the appoint Consistoirc is not as ideal as it ment is underway. Furthermore, the "open door11 policy should seems. A large body of observant make it easier for timid students who have problems but are afraid Parisian Jewry-consisting mostly to go through the bureaucracy. Open doors, we hope, wUI lead to of the Yeshiva communities of the eleventh district and the suburbs• more open mindedness. livcs omside of the context of the Consistoire. They do not eat in Bet Din supervised restaurants nor do their rabbis join the Consistoire. EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Many of these Jews believe that Rena A. Davis • Uri Heilman • Jeremy Stem the Consistoire was founded for the wrong reasons by the wrong people (some even allege that the founding fathers of the Consistoire ASSOCIATE EDITOR were men of questionable religious Leora Klein observance). Thus. the Consis toire cannot be truly representative of the Jews in Paris. Yet, despite the diversity EDITORIAL EDITORS presented by the Yeshiva com Sabrina Mm: • Jessica Pua.ennan munities, there is little else in the way of variance. In Paris. one is either "laique," or secula.r.fmm, or nonh African. (fhis fact makes it FEATURES EDITORS RcneeF"l.shman • Ariane Mandel (co111ln11ed 011 page 4)
MANAGING EDITOR SanhZi11tt
SPORTS EDITOR Rena Sichel OPED EDITOR David lsoofsky
FACULTY ADVISER Mr. Albert Ooea
From the Desk or President Perry Smith
Letter From Abroad
Since the Advunced Plucement courses were introduced in Ramaz a number of years ago, students have engaged in o constant battle for spots. Each AP course gives the student with some college credit, If thal studt.nt suctteds on the Moy c.·uminatlon. This year, opproximotely 70 students "isbed to portlclpate in the AP English course taught by Mr. Miller. Less than half or those students were admitted, yet many who were closed out had very good grades In English and won, capable of doing well In that clo.ss . The administration should n,alizo that If thoro an, so many peoplo who 11.-e capable and want to take the course, a second AP cl� in that subjtct should be cronted. "But then," said Mr. Miller, "it won't be Advanced Placement." But ii "ill. Although AP classes an, supposed to be "honors" courses, II lilly students are able lo do well roomror them should be croated. In many other yeshh•o high schools, students may take almost any AP course al llill. Only If o teacher opposes his admis sion to the class Is he rejected. Not only this, but In many schools AP cla.sscs an, orrered In the 11th grade os well as In 12th. These students ha,·e on advantage over Ramaz students because they ha,· e bad the opportunity to take more AP's and receive more college credit. When a college looks at an appUcalion for .;.imlsslon, they onen look for those students who challenge themselves during their senior year. A college admissions offlc,r looks for challenglng course loads. The lack of AP's, which may not be the student's fault, may ln1ply that the student dOH not intent to be a serious studenl. Although the school may not want to spend more money on classes, it is of paramount Importance that seniors get ns much out or thelr year as possible. Certain classes which have not been popular in the past should be eliminated, ir doing so will result in the addition of more AP classes.. The administration should give students enry possible chance to succeed. rather than closing the door on their intellectual gro\\1h.
s
To the Student Body, This fall. you are going to al tend the new and improved Ramaz. We are sure lhat you will be very impressed with the new numbers on the stairwell doors. 1he new copying machine on the fourth floor, the new goop on the old desks, the new teachers (surprise. a new secretary), 1he wild new arr.iy of snacks available from the vending machines, and most importantly the spiffy new GO desk in the SAC. But after a few mon1hs, the overwhelming novelty of these improvements will wear off and all of us will be forced to deal with what is essentially the same old school we knew and loved. The pressure, the work. and the same food will still be here. That is where the GO can help you.
Rabbi Returns
(co11ri1111edfrompagt! I)
As most know, our most visible d)' is the orgomzation of events such as ch.agigot and the ski 1np: rhcse activiucs arc designed 10 relieve the pressures of school by providing pleasant diversions from tl1e drudgery of Rama1. work loo.els. However, this year we want 10 make student advocacy the main objective of 1he GO. If you have any sort of problem that you cannot handle. feel fre.e 10 ap proach me or any of the GO of ficers or class presidents. We will do all that we can to help you find a solution. Our rapport with the administration gives us a voice that can communicate your feel ings directly. TI1is will ensure thar y o u are heard . As for the lunchroom food. well, you can al ways live on donuts and Veryfine.
School Cuts Senior Classes (co11111me<lfrom page 1)
responsibilities are 1hosc of dis student lack of interest, and cipline. student activities. and Parashat HaShavuah was cut b e Jewish Studies. For the first lime. cause the admmistratJon felt that !here will be an Assistant Dean for ii was not challenging enough. Judaic studies. Discrete Mathcm:i11cs was cut In the past. people have due 10 budgetary problems. Al proposed• "shopping List" method though 13.ck of mtcrcst may have of discipline. With this approach been n factor, the administraLion For the first time, there will did not poll this year's seniors on be an Assistant Dean for the issue of course selection. In fact, a petition was written by Or. Judaic Studies. Hartheimer requeslmg the con there would be a list of punish tinuation of Founh Year French ments due for specific infractions for a number of her students who of school rules. Rabbi Goldmintz. expressed interes1 in taking the head of discipline, "would not course. ascribe to such a method. ln The rearrangement of the new d iv i du al s are different. cir schedule put all the math classes cumstances are different, and we'll in one band. Only after protest deal with them as they come. "'Ac wns the Women in Li1crature cording to the Rabbi, very few of course added 10 lhat band. fenses can be judged by objective Politics and Culture was added standards. earlier rn the year. He hopes the restructuring of Mr. Miller voiced the hope that the sixth floor office will allow stu some day the cut classes would be dents greater access to all the ad reintroduced in the curriculum. ministrators and their offices . Although no Advanced Place When a student gets in trouble, he ment courses were cut, students will not be forced to sit in the sL'(th complained that there was not floor office all day, waiting 10 enough room in the ones already speak to an Administrator. This being taught, especially for a "open door" policy is a gargantuan grade with a reputation for task which should impart to the students 1hat they always come academic excellence. A some• first. The Rabbi requests. "if you what controversial measure of this academic talent was the fact don't sec us. come after us." tbat the Class of '93 had the highest average PSAT index in the history of Ramaz. One senior remarked, "For a special class. 1hcre should be special ac rom the RamPage comodations."
hana Tova
Ramshackles by Michal Kleinlerer E PTEM(3EP-,
13
\S
September 1992 / Elul 5752
Page J
TheRamPage
Election '92: The Home Stretch till November
The Issues Behind the Headlines (Conrinu,dfrom pag, I) Fo�lgn PoUcy During Bush's incumbeocy, it appeared that a new glob:il pol itics had dawned. The USSR splintered and the United States has become the only true remain ing super power. The icing on the cake for Bush was the Gulf War: it illustraied bis New World Order of which collective sccuriry is an
impcrauve. But when lhc trulh
came out that the problem with Hussein was the n:sult of a period of ill-conducted diplomacy, the American people were nOI. as im pressed w i t h Bush's global strategy. With Hussein in power.
Perot was able to command thirty five pcrccnl of the AmcricAn elec torate. People seemed to forget that Perot was indeed '111 "insider" and be ncvercatnc out with a sul> stantial plan for America. Bush and Clinton have takcp a lesson from Peroc.'s saga. Clinton calls himself a moderate, an at tempt at avoiding t h e tag of "liberal," which has plagued Democratic contenders from Mc Govern to Dukakis. Bush picked up on America's disgust with the incwnbcots and tried to channel
change his mind when abonion became a hot topic), but he docs know that by espousing "fatnily values," he can dismiss premarital sex, abortion, single patenthood, nnd homosexuality in two words. He can also attack Clinton's weak spo<: people still remember Gen nifer Flower's accusations of adultery. The President is taking a calculated risk, however. Bush must be hoping that the pro-choice legions. who could be a decoding factor in November, will base their vote on issues other than
ethnic warfare in Bosnia-Hcr ccgovina. and a catastrophic famine in Somalia. many wonder what happened to Bush's plan for a New World Onler. The President is trying to save
face. He emphasizes his ex perience in foreign policy(and Clinton's lack of it) and he is at
tempting to invoke the glOI')' of the Gulf Wat by threatening Iraq with a no-fly zone, in the guise of protecting the shi' a in the southern marshlands. Clinton is ttying to expose Bush's lethargy on lhcsc issues, claiming once again that onJy new leadership will t.a.kc
charge.
Who will win? Ultimately, the decblon l1 op to lb• whim or the
American rlectorate
its hatred from him to Congress by blaming the economy's fajJurc on the legislature.
Abor1lon
The Perot Phenomenon H. Ross Perot m a y have
dropped ou� but his spirit lives on. He started off with the premise
that a billionaire can do for the
country what he did for himself. This convenienCly removed the need for an economic plan. Perot had a center position in the American politicaJ spectrum, en compassing bo(h the Republican "tough-guy· and the Democrat "for-the-people" images. Be cause he was seen as an outsider,
Americans arc sharply divided into two camps concerning the abortion issue: one believes that abortion is ethically unjustifiable because the fetus is a living being and the other holds that question of an abortion should be left up to the woma.n who Js carrying the baby, not politki:ms or judges in Washington. It is difficult to say whether Bush truly cares about fclUses or the values at st3ke (in deed. Bush was once known as a moderate on this issue, only 10
abortion. The President ha., bel• tered his chances of this happen ing by painting his attack. on Roe v. Wade as a matter of family values, rather than a blatent at• tempt to abridge what is seen a.s a constirutionally pro<c:cied righL Th• Envlronmtnl The environmental issue has been sidelined because many believe that improving our planet's heahh automatically hinders the economy, a concern Iha, they place above all others. This is fortunate for Mr. Bush be cause his use of the United States' inOuencc at the Rio conference to curry favor with American in-
dustrial int.crests revealed his position on the matter. With vice presidential running-male Al Gore, the Democrats have a can didate who is strong on cnviron mc nta I issues. They can, therefore, cmphasiu: Bush's poor record on the environment: to capitalize on lhis, however, they must point out why the environ ment should be an important con· ccrn. esspccially during hard economic times. lsratl From the mainstream JcwtSh pcrspccuvc, the Bush Administra tion has a mixed record on the Jewish State. On lhe onc hand, the incwnbcnt played a maJor role in getting the Arab states. Israel, and the Palestinians to the negotiating tnblc. Yet m3ny quest.ion Bush's use of the c.irrot and stick method of withholding loan guarantees to effect political change In Israel, a dcmocractic state, while not put• ting such pressure on Arab stntcs with undemocratic regjmes This year we arc presented wilh markedly different can dida1es espousing 1he same themes a.s always. Can we trusl President Bush to institute economic reform. achieve the long awa,ted "New World Order," and finally, insure equal righu and opportunities? We know that he will nor protect our consti1utional rigbu to the fullest, or protect the world that wil be there after he is gone. or even insure 1hat there will be competent leadership ir he can not complete bis term. Under a Clinton Presidency, will lhcre be, as promised. economic improve• ment, competence m foreign af. fairs. cqualily, and unabridged cons1itut1onal r1ghcs, and American leadership in the quest for a cleaner world7 Ultimately. the decision is up to the American electorate.
Slick Willy: Can the Voters Trust Him? Point
by Leora Kkin
Although past its pubescent stage, America has a lot of matur ing to do when ii comes to matters of sex. The real issues to be ad dressed in the upcoming 1992 Presidential elections, are being debased because of America's ful some p r c o c c u p a 1ion wilh Democratic candidate Bill Clinton's supposed affairs. The private life of :ill public figures should be kept private. A candidate's marital affairs should hold no bearing on his character or potency as a leader. Was Franklin Roosevelt a worse presidcn1 be cau.sc of his affair with Lucy Mer cer? Even if the alleged affair ac tually happened, the maucr is not pcninent to the qualifications of our country's leader. Though Americans like 10 consider them-
Counterpoint
s e l v e s morally upright in• by Renee F'oshman dividuals, their great intcresc in the private Jives of public figures is It is :ill the rage in political merely to satisfy their hunger for campaigns. A candidate runs for gossip. The private activities of office, someone takes the consenting adults should nor inter skeletons out of his closet, and the fere with the presidential elec focus of 1hecampaign moves from tions. the important issues to his privnte Despite the crude Invasion of life. Most recently, we have seen the Clintons' marital life, the this happen with Bill Clinton, who public knows very little of their wns accused of having an affair relationship. They know only wilh Gennifer Flowers. He has what they read in the tabloids or yet to deny these allegations. So hear on rhe news. When it comes now our question arises: Do we 10 someone's personal life, we have a right to know about Bill have no right to imjudgc without Clin1on's--or any candidate's- sufficient knowledge. private lifc7 The public should be con Let's not forget that when we cc.med with Clinlon's political elect someone we arc choosing record on issues such as drugs, him or her as our representative. AIDS. unemploymcn� illiteracy, We have to make the most in and crime, and not with his per formed decision possible 10 son:il life, Let's give lhiJ election choose the best possible leader, the respect it deserves by treating and to do so we must have all it seriously. pertinent information. We ,hould
know about anything which reflcc1s his or her morals and values, so we know what this per• son stands for. When someone runs for public office, especially for the Presiden cy, he puts his entire life into public view. The President of the United States Is the preeminent world figure, and must be respected and admired universal ly. In addition, he serves as a role model for Americans. Therefore, he should be someone who reflects our morab and values. What statement would we make by electing Bill Clinton7 He has never denied Flowers' al legations or their affair. Putting Clinton in the White house would be tantamount to condoning adul• tery. The 1992 election is a test of America's moral fiber. Let's just hope WC pass.
Ramchops Th� lobby -wUI ntvtr bt th,
same: This summer, Ramaz'1 everprewnl doorman Mr, Dud• nath Rambarran, k n o w n as Ram, surrend I strok• rrom whkb he Is still roc<>..rtnc, Al· though ht Is said lo be "dolog w•l�" ht bas decided to work only at th• Ramu L<>wcr Schoo� lhcrby leaving bis position at lht U p p e r School. Mr, Mllltr ttJDarked lhal "ll"s going to be strange being In a school without Ram. He's a part or Ramu." This pa,t monrh luu whtrcd
in many changes. Florida may nenr be the way it was bd'ore Hurricane Andrew, America may never thJnk the same w■y about "family valuu, and Rabbi Looksteln may nevrr have an office ln the Ramaz 11
Upper School again. Wllb th• return or Rabbi Goldmlntz wllh his new position as Assistant Dean came the dlsplacemtnt or Rabbi Looksteln. For the past year, Rabbi Lookstcln ha,; had an office on the sbth noor. It wlU now be oa:upitd by Rabbi G<>ldmlntz. Rabbi Look.stein's previous office, located on lhe fifth Door, sentd as one or the two omc,s or lht Learning Cen ter last yea.r, but "ill now house Dr. Jon Jucovy, M.s. Rachel Weinstein, and l\,fs. Ros■Ue Wtlnstcln, who med lo share an office with th• Leaming Ccnltr in the Sul>-Ccllar. Th• L,arnlnJl Center will DOW �aln only In the Sub-Cellar. or course,, the big orange thing on lhe rourth floor ls still lhe�
":;'"o t" is human; to naUy mess up rrqulres a computer," For the Ont Ume In year, our
sacred rotation schedule bas an lmperfcctloo. In lh• calendar, Tut5day October 27, a school \fay, bas DO designated rotation clay. The administration caught lhis ovtrslght and mad• It a "D" clay. Jnt,�lngly, lhls l1 not lh• first time a "D" day has made the news. l\fn. Burtr•Haim, l.ongti.mt TaNaCh teachtr at R.amaz, has decided to Juve Ramaz for per sonal reasons. Sbt will be �placed by Ms. Stdoer, who ls new to th• school Mn. Bergtr Halm wa,; lo,·ed by many stu dtnls; her lnnovaUvc teaching mtlhods will be missed. ,4/ur spending a ytar in Is Ms. Caroll Goldberg has
rael,
returned to Ramaz, as musk
ttacher and chorus director,
"You 'vt come a long way
baby" stenas an approprtalr r e s p o n s e lo t h • Molh O.partmtnt's recent dtdslon to lotroducc graphing calculalon
to the Calculus curriculum.
This year, lhc school wlU be n
qulrlng .U students taldnc Cal culus lo purmase(al a ttduced rate) or rrnt the 11 technolol)',"
Pagc4
The RnmPagc
Teachers too Can Have Fun by Rebecco Z:ausmer Aflcr studtn1s lca,·c in June, te:M:hcrs find B vancty of ways to recuperate: from the school year. A samphng of the faculty shows that summer activities range from intcllccrnal to recreational to gnstmnomical. Ms. Gorfinkle, Chair of 1he Math Department, studied this summer lll B National Science Foundation Institute in Lake Forest, 11111101s. She took courses m modem malhcmnttcs and lhe applkauon.s of mathematics in computers. For the remaining pan of her summer, Ms. Gocfinl<le
vac:uioncd and visned national parks in Cahfomi::a� Mr Goetz panicipatcd m a Na1 1 o n a I Endowment f o r the Human,ucs Grant Program at Ohio State Uru,crsity where he pan.1cipatcd in a �minar entitled "Great Theorems of Mathematics m Hiiaoncal Context • He then traveled to Arizona and New Mex1ro to birdwatch Mr. Blcch tned to do "as linle :as possible" this summer. He traveled to Vcnnont and went on
Not Just Fun in the Sun (co"rntinuedfrom pag� l)
In this way, $he said. ooe really tudied for five weeks at the School was able to cxpcncncc lire in Is of Visual Ans in Manhattan. She rael. Both agreed, however, that it studied advanced techniques of was the friendhqcss of the It.ids drawmg :ind 011 painung. Michal also learned how most effectively th:lt made Achva so enjoyable. Even after months of huge to use clements of light, dark and amounts of homework.. quiu.cs, cmply space when creating a ond tests. some students stiU chose portrait When she completed her to study in some of the nation's studies there, she left with two full mos1 compe.t11ivc colleges. Junior sketch pads, still hfcs. and col Ellen Knodel srud,ed "ln1roduc lages. os well as a new under tory Calculus" and "Philosophy of standing or art that she will uw· at Brown University. She incorporate into her work Scruor Michael Mazar worked s.a1d that she bencfiued from 1hc summer becau.sc she received a on a Wcsunghousc Pro)CCt in the fir>t ghmpse of the strict grading B1ochcmutry Dcpar1mcnt at system and dJfficult courses that Mount Sma.1 Hosp1U1I. His job was awa.u her m college She also en to analyze, using lasers. different joyed bcmt more independent and s1rucrural fonnsormsulm "It was being able 10 integrate in the a \.Cry good cxpcntncc·. �-11chacl helcrogcncous environment commented •1 felt that almost present at the college campus. ·1 every day I learned something dclcrmined w h e n to do my new.• Wuh the end of �ummer come� homework or study for tests and a,lso. because I donned there, I was the usual rush to finish the summer ::able to expcnence campus life reading a�s1gnmcnts Th1.s bnngs the real1tation 1ha1 the )um mci: fun tirst h3nd: Senior Michal Klelnlcrcr 1s over.
Freshmen Arrive (continu�dfrom page I)
The freshmen will continue 10 have 1hcir own minynn on the second noor, and Rabbi 81cncnfcld and Ms Bcncl will be their advisers. Like the class preceding them, mosl of the incoming freshmen have chosen to take Spanish rather than French as their foreign Ianguage. Mrs Lassncr feels that Sparushlanguageand culrurchavc gained popularity all over American society and the choice of the fruhmcn rcnects this.
Letter from Movie Review: Europe A Stranger Among Us (rontmuedfrom page 2)
a two "eek canoe trip through nonhem Canada. Mr. Berkowitz took some tune ofT from his usuul field of Enghsh Lneraturc to travel 10 1,rnel where d1fficull lo explain what Ramaz- he ICMned at Brovcnders. or even Modem Onhodoxy-is.) Rabb, Gordon lived out his Not that there arc no /rum nonh dream of working in a Jt:w1sh Africnns; 1hc rue Pave Yeshiva bookstore. He then went to Abs consists largely of Jews from lhc ka nnd Vancouver, where he went Maghreb . Rather, the north "hiking, biking, and booting." Afrkans have u different son of Ms. M ironer 100k grndua1e outlook on Judaism. Most of them courses in Spanish 111 Middlebury consider themselves shomer shab College. She n:morkcd tho, the bal, though they will carry outside professor, ot Middlebury "are of on lhe Snbb>th (Pans has no eru\'). very fine qunhly,just likc those of The religious community 1s Ramaz." suspect of the sephardim's obser Dr. W.irshall spent t"o weeks vance and the ass1milated Jews in H.iw;ih and Ms Pctcrfrcund c!III lhem ·shvartzc fis" or •p1eds visited friends in Wyommg Ms no1r," Yiddish and French for Pcterfrcund also did freelance •block fee1: ;i derogatory tcnn for work for a pubhshing company an ethnic group the Ashkemwm Finally, Mr. Gross returned 10 consider boisterous and crude. Camp Rnleigh \\here for the p:ist The French Jews. foe all their five summers he hu worked as internal dynamics and rivalries, the assis1an1 b.ikcr and pastry arc a qu1c1 group 1be French chef. When nskcd "hy he took frown upon expression of religious such an unusual job, he replied identity. S ynagogues arc usU31Jy with his typical "rye· sen� of s1ructurcs with no obvious Jewish humor. ·because 1 kneaded 1hc symbols. Jewish centers arc mndc dough." to merge with their sunoundmgs. Obscrvanl Jews go out.rnlc wilh a hat lo cover a kipp ah. If one did not know where to look,one rnighl suppose Paris is Judenrcin. I spent the enc.J of the summer in Prague,which seems burs1ing w1Lh Jewish hfe-unt1I one realizes 1hn1 there arc only 2,000 Jews in the whole c11y Bookshops around
llt-na 'Devls and friends ,mjoy tbr:lr- sunmwr- 1n b�I
The pressures fndng freshmen may seem enormous to those cntcnng a new school. Aside from having to deal wilh large amonnts of work. they muse get used lo new clas5matcs, rules, and guideline, in order to succeed, both acadcmi cally and socially. With the ■id of their advisers, the apprehensions and tensions will eventually be cased, and the freshmen will emerge from this year unscathed.
Scptmcbcr 1992 / Elul 5752
by Btn Ltbwohl II is no1 often that one can sec movie actofs wearing pcot and gartcls. Howcvtr, one can sec Brooklyn Hnsidim depicted in" A Stranger Among Us," which came out 1his summer Directed by Sidney Lume1. the movie 5tars Melanie Gnfith, who plays Emily Eden. an undercover New York deteclwe searching for a killer in the Hasidic community of Brook lyn The police officer gradually learns more about Ha.,1d1c cuhurc and develops a special rcspcc1 for 11. Mc�whdc, she falls m love with one of the young Has1d1m Y..ho 1s destined 10 become the next Rcbbe, and they try 10 dcol with thu "'forbidden" rela11onsh1p. The Has1d1m in 1h1.s mo\1e arc portrayed � relics of 3 better era. When Offic.c-r Eden 11._.e� among the Has1d1m, she secs and learns their custom. For example, nf1cr paying a sh,va call )he renects on her own life and problem�. She 1hen visits her father nnd talks with him t1bou1 dca1h :ind mourn• mg. 111c Idea of lhe strong, close community of the Ha�1d11n is il lwtra1cd well m this movie En1husm,11c panic1pa11on rn ntunl acuviues 1, displayed by all tn• volved. The cop 1s mlngucd and In Prague, there is even a impressed wnh C\Cry law 1ha1 �he pop band 'Shalom' whose secs lhc Has1d1m follow, from followers wear kippot and ka\hrut to tzitzh. She admires the sinccn1y and depth or feeling tM1 Jewish stars. lhc Hasidim give 10 their religious the c11y sell h1s1or1cs, obscrvilllce. guidebooks. and videos about Although the laws follo"cd by Judaism and the antebellum the Has1d1m in 1h1s movie arc Jewish communily that existed 10 portrayed posill't'ely and ocura1e Prague. There is even a pop band ly, the Hasidim themscl\'eS seem called "Shalom" whose mostly simple tmd one-dimensional. The non-Jewish fans don yarmulkas and Jewish stars lo sympathize with the Jewish religion. In the old Jewish quancr. people nock to the six synagogues 10 see an1facts of Bohemian and Moravian Jewry that had origmolly been confis cated by the Nazis to serve as i by R•n• Oovls and Tammy memorial lO an extinct people. Bosswlch Even gentiles pay homage 10 the Right now, Ramaz 1s in 1hc 1omb of1hc Maharal, Rabbi Lowe. midst of the most comprehensive who is remembered for his crca process of m1rospcc11on smcc uon of the Golem. (Ironically, 1983. In Man:h of 1993, n:prc people forget that the Golcm was scntauvcs from the Middle States made to protect the Jews from a Assoc1;iuon of School\ and Col pogrom.) It is odd that, among the leges will "descend upon" the hundreds of tounsts who arc inter school for three da)'s 10 ·sec 1f 11 ested in lhc Jewish Sl{CS, only a h\'CS up 10 what II U)'s• about 11handful arc actually Jews. Never self, according to Mr. Albert lhele\S, the Jewish v1s11ors manage Goc1z. the coordinator or Ram.u's 10 male a solid m1nyan for shabbat Middle SUltes pro<os A Middle and even on Mondays and Stntes nccttd1U1uon 1s hl,e a seal or Thur>days approval, 1f Ramu didn't ha\C My experiences made me ncred11ut1on, II would ·raise wonder If I had the opportunity. eyebrow)· 111 college,; and else would I prefer to live in Paris. where. The Middle Stoles n:prc Prague, or America ? In Pans, the scntauves will commend the Jews have n strong communal or school for doing ccnam things. gnninu1on, but cnnnol live com• and will recommend II make plctcly open n.s Jews. Jews nrc in �pcc1fic changes. All involved style in'Pmgue, hu1 1here just rue believe adamantly tha1 Ramaz will not that many of them. In lhe c3m the accred11a1ion, bul Mr. United Stnies,one is free to define Goetz and others involved in the one's own Judaism. but it 1s be process sec chis ns an 1mponD.nt coming increasingly politicaJly in opponunity for selr-cummation correct to be identified wilh whose 1mpoCU1nce far supersedes Judaism. There answer is not as the importance of 1hc actu11.I ac• easy as it migh1 seem. crcdiUltlon. In pn:panition for this Jeremy Stem intensive review, the faculty and Form VI admimstnuon arc assessing the school through committees which debate and answcr. questions sup plied by the accreditation agency. All t<achcrs belong 10 at least one
Has1d1m m "A Stranger Among Us" arc seen only a.s devoted wor shipers who pray all day and have nothing else 10 do in their hves. The one exccpuon is Anel. played by Eric Thal. the Ha,,id prodigy who becomes romantically in volved with officer Eden. The detective faJls in love wi1h Ariel because he is more than JUSt another "bonng Has1d: When Ariel asks her why
For Eden, Ariel is the black sheep in a herd or mindless Hasidim.
she loves ham. she s::iys. "Be cause you'rc diffcrcnL You're not hkc the others: you can lead :i nonnalhfe.· ln other\\ords,Anel 1s the block sheep in a herd of mindless Hasidim. Gnfith's rclauonsh1p with the Has1d1m becomes so importanl in the movie that the a.clual murder my5:tery that she must solve fades into lhc backround. The clement of suspense is not effec1ivc in the movie because the movie is too prcocupied with 1hc dc1cc11ve's rntcr:1c11ons with 1he H:1s1d1m The revelation of the killer is ,urpnsrng. bul ils relevance j,; dimmed because the movie f::uls to focus on 1he mys1cry. •A Stranger Among us· as m teresung because II shows an oulSider's rcacuon to the Hasid1c way of lrkc. but the charac tcnz.auon orindividu:tl Has1d1m tS somewhal dull, ond lhc murder in the movie seems ummportanL However, dcspile its shortcohl in�. "A Stranger Among Us" is worth seeing for 11s thought provoking portrayal or t h e Has1dic community.
School Evaluates Itself commlllcc, whose titles range from "Philosophy and Objecuvcs" 10 "Student Act1v1ties: One rcsuh of the Middle States commincc meetings is lhe Mission State ment. which dcscnbcs the "v1s1on and goals" of the school, accord ing 10 the Admm1.stra11on They received parental input for the statement in Liaison mcclings last year and earlier this year. When the 25 e:x.ammef5 amvc in March. they "'II obscnc all tl.,pccts ofthc school. They"'1lls11 m on classes, mterv1ew .students Mll leochers. and obscn e ofter school ocuviuc, They will haH! card5 to present to students v.horn they would hl..c to sit in on the ,1udents' comnuttec olong w11h the ones who will be chosen by the Admini,1rn1ion. By having h:itrof lhc ,tudents on 1hc commillcc chosen by vlnual s1rangcrs, there will be more of a random selec11on of commimc membe rs. 1l1is is the fourth ti me Ramaz will be going through the Middle Stales process. It was accredited in 1963, '73,and '83, and publish ed its "Philosophy and Objec u,,es'" all three times. This year's mission sl41emcnt 1s more specific than that of ten yean ago, but there are no major differences between the last two committee reports..