The Rampage The Newspaper of the Ramaz Upper School
New York • Volume 78 • Issue 3 • December 2015 • Tevet 5776 • the-rampage.org
Gabriel Klapholz ’17 The Ramaz Open House is a crucial part of the school’s continued success. This year, the open house was more popular than last year, attracting more families, prospective students, and student volunteers than ever before. “It was the largest attendance in history,” said Ms. Randy Krevat, Director of Admissions. The opening program featured a performance by the Ramaz Chamber Choir and speeches from Ms. Krevat, Mr. Miller, Rabbi Lookstein, and Rabbi Grossman. Parents and students watched a video about life at Ramaz, after which they went to two half-hour sessions ranging from Beit Midrash learning with both students and faculty to interactive science experiments. After the two sessions, an academic fair and club fair began in the auditorium and gym, respectively. Parents and students found out important information at the academic fair and were delighted to hear multiple student performances at the club fair.
Ramaz Hosts Annual Open House All of the school’s clubs lined the walls of the gym, advertising Ramaz students’ diverse interests and commitments. This year’s open house w a s primarily the same format as last year. “ W e wanted it on Motzei Shabbat because we like t h e feeling in the room,” M s . Krevat said. What made this year’s open house different than last year’s, however, is that a number of teachers worked together in teams, as opposed to running their own individual classes. “We wanted to high-
light less frontal teaching and more collaboration, similar to the beit midrash sessions,” she said. “It felt really nice to give back to Ramaz by teaching par-
ture for general studies as well. In terms of the actual growth from last year’s open house, Ms. Krevat said that while last year’s open house
ents and 8th graders a gemara that we learned as freshmen,” said Jessica Fuzailof ’17. Because the beit midrash format worked quite well, the admissions staff thought it better to incorporate a similar struc-
reached a little under 200 families, this year’s open house included 251 families. Additionally, there were more faculty members this year than ever before, and 150 student volunteers, the largest number
ever at a Ramaz open house. In terms of pinpointing a reason for why the attendance grew since last year, Ms. Krevat explained that there were more people on the mailing list than in the past. Still, the main reason for the increase was that the “buzz about Ramaz has [become] greater” due to recent changes in the school in terms of new faculty and administration that have made people interested. Ms. Krevat also commented on how she and her staff plans on improving the open house for next year. “We have certain limitations in terms of the size and narrowness of the building,” she said, but it would improve the programming if it could involve more of the collaborative sessions. “Ultimately, the goal is to get people to learn more about Ramaz,” said Ms. Krevat. The larger attendance helped in achieving that aim. “Now the goal is to get them to apply…to interview, and…to come,” she said.
Personal Reflection: Unity Through Survival
Annaele Elhadad ’17
In early December, the junior class had the honor of hearing an astonishing story: an unlikely friendship between an Orthodox Jewish woman and a devout Palestinian Muslim women in Israel. Hearing about this sisterly bond, I was immediately baffled and confused: “How could two people who come from complete opposite sides of a bloody and infamously constant conflict, be friends?” Living outside of Israel we constantly hear about the blood shed and heated conflict between the two sides, and we are constantly left with the impression that there is absolutely no friendly contact between the Palestinians and Israelis. Hearing from Ruth Ebenstein and Ibtisam Erekat, however,
I started to think differently. Ruth Ebenstein was born and raised in the United States, and made aliyah to Israel. There, she met her husband, and together raised four children and two step-children (from her husband’s previous marriage). She was over the moon, living a happy life with her husband and children in the holy city of Jerusalem. Unfortunately, this happiness was abruptly interrupted when Ruth was diagnosed with breast cancer. Immediately, her whole world had been flipped upside down; no more carefree happy life—it became a world full of hospital visits, hot flashes and throwing up. While going through her struggles, a friend suggested that Ruth go to a
Inside this issue...
women’s breast cancer survivor group, something that would change her world forever. At her first meeting, Ruth was in total shock at seeing Palestinian women sitting next to Jewish women, all united under a common enemy, cancer. Having lived in Israel for twenty years, Ruth had not even spoken to a Palestinian person, never mind carry a conversation with them. Excited at the prospect of forming a friendship with a Palestinian woman, Ruth started a conversation with the woman she thought was the “funny one” of the group, Ibtisam. As soon as they started talking, they realized that they had more in common with each other than they had with anyone else.
Ruth and Ibtisam started to become the closest of friends. At one meeting, Ibtisam invited Ruth to come to her house. At a loss for words, Ruth didn’t know how to handle the situation. Was it safe to go to the West Bank, where Ibtisam lived? Not knowing what do, Ruth invited Ibtisam to her house, but found out that citizens of the West Bank aren’t allowed to go to the official Israeli territory without a permit. Finding that their friendship was being restricted, they both wondered: why should our friendship be compromised because of politics? Ruth took a bold step and decided to go to Ibtisam’s home. After that, not only did they become best friends, but also their individual families
All’s Fair in Love and Hockey... Ramaz and TABC go head to head page 2 Mockingjay Part 2 Review... A review of the final Hunger Games installment page 6 Hail to the Chiefs... Meet the new Freshmen class presidents page 9 New Feature: Crossword... Can you complete this crossword? page 12
started to emerge as one family. Months after their friendship took off, Ibtisam revealed that she was pregnant when she was diagnosed with cancer. As a devout Muslim, she was conflicted about aborting the baby like her doctor had suggested she do. However, she proceeded with the operation for the sake of her health. A couple of weeks later, she still felt pregnant and decided to go back to the doctor, who confirmed she was still pregnant. Contrary to her doctor’s advice, she decided to keep the baby because she saw the fact that she was still pregnant as a sign that God still wanted her to have the baby.
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The Rampage
December 2015/Tevet 5776
The Miracle of Chanukah Comes Early on Rosh Chodesh Kislev
Elianna Schwartz ’17
Thursday, November 12th was Rosh Chodesh Kislev, a day that called for major celebration. What better way to celebrate than a Ramaz Chagiga? With Ramaz’s very own in-house DJ Bennett Schwartz ’19, a legendary game of Coke and Pepsi, and a tremendous amount of ruach, this Rosh Chodesh chagiga was one for the books. Secretary Shelli Cohen ’17 said, “The GO worked really hard to change the structure of the chagiga to include everyone, not just the people that like to dance. We are always looking for ways to improve, and hopefully we’ll get it perfect for the next chagiga.” This chagiga, the second of the 2015-2016 school year, changed the course of Ramaz chagigot history. Rabbi Slomnicki said, “GO recognized that the chagigot, as previously run, were not as appealing to the student body as they could be. As such, this chagiga (as well as future chagigot) was intentionally
planned. Compared to the chagiga on Chol Hamoed Sukkot, I believe we had almost three times the amount of students dancing and participating. I was very pleased with the response of the student body.” The chagiga started off with a game of Coke and Pepsi, emceed by Rabbi Slomnicki, and deejayed by freshman Bennett Schwartz. Both DJ Bennett and Rabbi Slomnicki got everyone pumped up and excited to celebrate Rosh Chodesh. Both students and teachers, including Rabbi Albo, Rabbi Stochel, Ms. Cohen and Dr. Koplon, participated. “I thought that Coke and Pepsi in the beginning was a great idea,” said Yaffa Kornsgold ’17. All the competitors did a great job on the dance floor, but the last ones standing were Natalie Dicker ’16 and Sheli Fouzailoff ’16. They received a bottle of Coke and Pepsi. Winner Natalie Dicker said, “It was so much fun! It was really a great way to get every-
one excited- best chagiga yet!” Both the participants and the audience enjoyed the game and shared a lot of laughs. Once the game was over and the DJ stepped down, everyone’s energy was high and the tone was set for a spirited chagiga. “The energy and ruach that filled the room was amazing to see and participate in. The Ramaz students never disappoint”, said Dov Pianko. Malka Chu ’16, Ben Shiff ’16, and Jeremy Gruen ’16, sang with the band while the students danced and sang along. They sang all the upbeat classics, and ended with the slow “One Day” by Matisyahu. Nicole Aboodi ’17 said, “After all the running and jumping and dancing, it’s nice to wind down with swaying and singing along to a slow song”. And of course, what’s a chagiga without a snack? There was a large spread of assorted muffins and chocolate milk boxes for the students. However, some
were disappointed with the options, like Sam Berman ’16, who said, “where were the donuts?” The lack of the classic Rosh Chodesh donuts seemed to be the only complaint, however. “I am VERY hopeful that the positive energy from this chagiga will create a sense of ‘what’s next from the GO?’ and will make students curious and excited for future GO events, especially chagigot, which are essentially school spirit events. We have some good tricks up our sleeves and I think they will increase attendance, involvement and excitement... over time” said Rabbi Slomnicki. Overall, this Rosh Chodesh chagiga seemed to be a huge success as the students were able to take a break from their busy school schedule, disconnect, and celebrate Rosh Chodesh Kislev with the proper spirit.
Prior to Big Game, Ramaz and TABC Students Spar
Gabriel Klapholz ’17
The world of Jewish day schools is filled with many stereotypes about the different types of students that attend the various schools. Most recently, in a flare-up on social media between TABC and Ramaz students before a big hockey game, those stereotypes were most clearly revealed. The dispute resulted from an unwarranted post from a group of TABC students supposedly posing as the official TABC Student Council that insulted Ramaz athletics and listed all of their recent successes against Ramaz sports teams. According to Yoni Laub, the Vice President of the TABC Student Council, the social media page is, in fact, “run by members of the TABC Student Council.” However, “it is not an official TABC page.” Laub explained that “TABC Student Council posted the post to get students pumped up for an upcoming game.”
The ensuing response from Ramaz students and the counter from TABC students reflected a very narrow perspective of each school’s student bod-
ies. TABC students voiced the opinion that Ramaz students are only focused on academics and care little about their sports teams, while Ramaz students claimed that TABC students are less studious. Interesting was the fact that
students even played into their own stereotypes and boasted about the virtues of the supposedly universal lifestyles that dominate their respective schools. Some believed that this flareup was in no way a reflection of larger school-wide problems. “I honestly thought it was just for satire,” said Sam Iofel ’17. “Obviously both schools have a lot of respect for each other and using those specific insults was just an easy way to get at each school for how each is perceived from an outside point of view.” Iofel maintained that while stereotyping was present, the problem should not be exaggerated. “Was stereotyping involved? Of course it was…but it isn’t like stereotyping within the student body is a problem that needs to be addressed,” he said. Although the Ramaz GO was tagged in the post, it refused to respond officially on social media. “The GO be-
lieves that fighting, especially over social media, is not the answer. We ignored their mean comments…and chose to ‘kill them with kindness.’ We respond indirectly by attending sports events against TABC and showing school spirit with cheers and fun, but we do so respectfully. There is no need for us to stoop down and argue or debate over social media,” said Aliza Schub ’16, president of the GO. The entire incident shed light on the competitive relationship between the two schools. The question remains whether such competition remains friendly or if it becomes harmful to school life and unhealthy for students.
four months prior to the attack. Moreover, he explained that the ADL tries to “finally get away from the analysis of the root causes of terrorism” and views terrorism as an irrational “mode of nihilism”—the belief that society’s institutions are flawed and should be destroyed. Thus, Mr. Jacobson cautioned that terrorism really has no root rationalizations. Mr. Jacobson told the students that the ADL was founded is 1913 with a “dual mission” to stand up not just for Jews, but for “justice for all.” He explained that this concept comes from the rabbi Hillel, who presided over the famed Beit Hillel and believed in not only protecting oneself but also in protecting others. Mr. Jacobson contextualized the
development of ADL’s mission and focus within American Jewish history. He explained that during World War II, it was not antisemitism that prevented American Jews from getting involved in saving European Jewry, but the larger isolationist attitude of the American people. By the time the Americans got involved, four million Jews had been killed. After the war, however, the ADL took the initiative in helping Jewish immigrants come to the United States from Europe. At about the same time as Jackie Robinson was becoming a baseball star, Republican isolationists joined Democrats in a bipartisan foreign policy against communist threats that “opened everything up for the ADL.” In America, Jews
were finally becoming more comfortable. From then on, Congress has generally shown the ADL and its leadership “a tremendous desire to work together.” To give an example of the inroads that the ADL made in the second half of the 20th Century, Jacobson described how the American Jewish community and the ADL sought to bring Jews from Ethiopia to Israel with the worldwide collapse of communist regimes. The ADL went to the White House and helped convince President George Bush to send government forces to Ethiopia for 36 hours, during which thousands of Jews were saved and transferred to Israel.
RamPo Welcomes First Speaker of the Year
Gabriel Klapholz ’17
With the recent resurgence of antisemitism worldwide, the Ramaz Politics Society (RamPo) thought it appropriate to invite Deputy National Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Kenneth Jacobson to speak to interested students and faculty. Mr. Jacobson is a more than forty-year veteran of the ADL and, in line with the mission of the ADL, has worked tirelessly to combat bigotry and racism in all its forms, not exclusively antisemitism. Mr. Jacobson, who once attended Ramaz as a student, first spoke about the recent terrorist attack in Paris, informing us that the attack was not an antisemitic one, as the Jewish owners of the Bataclan Theater had ceased ownership
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December 2015/Tevet 5776
The-rampage.org
News 3
Kristalnacht & Today: Lessons from 77 Years Ago
Gabrielle Amar ’17 Kristallnacht is not solely meant to be commemorated as an event of the past, but it is also an event that we can and should still learn from today. November 9th marked the 77th anniversary of Kristallnacht, “The Night of Broken Glass”, the night when a wave of violent anti-Jewish pogroms destroyed shuls, Jewish homes, hospitals, businesses, and schools throughout Germany and annexed Austria. On the morning of November 9th, immediately after davening, student members of the Human Rights Club addressed each minyan to mourn what was lost on that night and to understand what it meant for the entire European Jewry. They also encouraged students to learn from the event in relation to similar recent tragedies and on-going crises. The speakers, Daniel Cahn ’17, Gabe Klapholz ’17, Aliza Oppenheim ’16, Oren Oppenheim ’16, and Adie Present ’16, clarified that behind the Kristallnacht attacks lied the pretext of the assassination of the German diplomat Ernst vom Rath by Herschel Grynszpan—a German-born Polish Jew living in Paris. “Today it is understood that this was a previously conceived plan just waiting to be carried out,” said Gabe Klapoltz ’17. “This was the night that represented the beginning of the Final Solution and the start of the Holocaust as we now know it.” The speakers further described more recent examples of such preplanned events with a trivial pretext. The supposed “cause” for the attack by Al-Qaeda members on Charlie Hebdo magazine headquarters on January 7th of this year was a satirical picture of Mohammed that appeared in the magazine. In addition, Israel has been faced with an onslaught of terrorist attacks, with stabbings happening almost daily. “This violence was the result of a false rumor
that Israelis were planning to take back the Temple Mount,” said Aliza Oppenheim ’16, “a rumor that terrorists and inciters are trying to use as an excuse.” All of these events -- Kristallnacht, attacks in Israel, and the attack on Charlie Hebdo—were pre-planned, well-orchestrated atrocities that were waiting to be carried out at the right timing so that the terrorists could justify their attack. “As Jews, we are, unfortunately, familiar with hate-induced violence as it has been ever-present in our histo-
the numerous migrants. As a result, desperate refugees and migrants, at the mercy of smugglers and human traffickers, have been confronted by walls and soldiers, drowned in the Mediterranean, and suffocated in the backs of trucks. From Kristallnacht, we can learn that silence means consent and that we cannot stand idly by when we see tragedies and chaos happening. Kristallnacht represented the beginning of the Final Solution which led to the torture and death of millions of Jews,
ry as a nation,” said Ms. Benel, “While we must remain vigilant concerning the rise of anti-Semitism, anywhere, our own history of oppression requires that we respond when any group is being oppressed. Human rights are freedoms guaranteed to every man, and ‘Never Again’ applies to all people, regardless of nationality, race, religion or culture.” The Human Rights Club members heightened the students’ awareness about the migrant crisis occurring in Europe now. The migrant crisis arose because of conflicts, violence, abuse, and poverty in several African and Middle-Eastern countries. The number of forcibly displaced persons worldwide is estimated to be nearly 60 million, the highest number since WWII. Many countries are closing their borders and are unwilling to help
Gabrielle Amar including many family members of Ramaz students. It reminds us that such events cannot go unnoticed, and in order to prevent it from culminating into a larger catastrophe, we must lend our voices to those who do not have a voice. The members of the Human Rights Club also encouraged students to respond to the issues discussed in a responsible manner. “[To help,] we can identify human rights organizations and support their efforts to respond to the refugee crisis, perhaps starting with Friday tzedaka collection,” said Adie Present ’16. “We can [also] share articles and stories on Facebook about issues such as the refugee crisis to heighten awareness or discuss having an assembly on human rights violations around the world in order to better inform ourselves.”
The most recent outbreak of terrorist attacks by ISIS serves to amplify the importance of the students’ remarks and the continuing relevance of Kristallnacht commemorations. On November 12th, two suicide bombings ripped through a busy shopping district in Beirut, killing at least 43 people and on November 13th, in Paris, terrorists killed 129 people in multiple attacks, leaving 352 injured, many in critical condition. These are obvious signs that resemble Kristallnacht, coming from ISIS, whose aim is to terrorize the world. “[As we remember Kristallnacht,] we should not minimize the suffering that happened that night or forget how it began the slippery slope toward the Holocaust,” said Daniel Cahn ’17, “[When we see atrocities similar to Kristallnacht happening,] we must take action. We need to protest all suffering in the world by raising awareness and by doing whatever we can.” In Pirkei Avot it says, “be’makom she-ein anashim hishtadel liheyot ish”—in a place where there are no men try to be a man. To commemorate Kristallnacht, the Human Rights Club reminded students of this important value and prompted students to take steps to becoming more aware and responsible about issues that, although are not harming us directly, are posing a threat on the lives and well being of others. “When you think about it,” said Oren Oppenheim ’16, “finding ways to combat injustice is the best possible way we can honor those who suffered and lost their lives in Kristallnacht and the Holocaust.”
Ramaz Reacts to Crisis in Israel
Tess Solomon ’16 The entire Ramaz community has been hyper-aware of the recent tragedies that have taken place in Israel. Among them, two have been startlingly pertinent: the murders of Ezra Schwartz, 19, and American student in Israel for the year and Hadar Buchris, 21. Schwartz had many direct connections to Ramaz, and was the son of Ramaz alumnus Ari Schwartz ’88. Several students knew him or have mutual friends with him, as he graduated from Maimonides High School in Brookline, Massachusetts, attended Camp Yavneh, a Jewish summer camp, and was spending the year studying in Yeshivat Ashreinu. On Thursday, November 19, he was shot in Alon Shvut while delivering packages to Israeli soldiers. Buchris, first cousin of a Ramaz junior, was enrolled in Zohar College as a theater major. She was murdered at the Gush Etzion junction on Sunday, November 22 in a stabbing attack. These two murders have received the most attention from the
community because, as has been said, they “strike so close to home.” Rabbi Grossman emailed the entire Ramaz community announcing the death of Ezra the day that it happened, and again that Friday, offering his thoughts on the week of “tragedy, outrage and anger.” The following week, Natan, the Ramaz outreach program, emailed the community announcing Hadar’s death, and inviting the community to a challah baking, “where [they would] perform the mitzvah of challah and say tehilim in memory of Ezra and Hadar and for all others who need our prayers at this time.” On Monday, November 23, high school students under Ms. Benel’s guidance packed bags of food and toiletries for Israeli soldiers, in honor of Schwartz’s last actions before his death. The school also planned to send several vans of students to visit the shiva in Sharon, Massachusetts the following day, on Tuesday, November 24. Twenty students signed up, but the vans ended up
being canceled at the request of the family, which disappointed some of the students. “I knew his girlfriend Ilana and of bunch of other close friends of his, so I really wanted to be there” said Rachel Kraft ’17. Additionally, a school-wide outing scheduled for Tuesday, November 24, was postponed, because, as outlined to the student body, “In light of these attacks that have hit so close to home for our community, we as a school feel that it is an appropriate time to process and reflect on the wave of terror. Tomorrow’s Central Park adventures will therefore be rescheduled.” Instead of the trip, the high school students were called to an assembly to hear Rabbi Grossman. He spoke about the relevance of these murders, and the need to react not with anger but with integrity. He invoked the well-known Israeli policy when it comes to attacks on its citizens, saying that we need to not let these events scare us or we would be letting the attackers win.
Following the assembly, students went upstairs to advisory sessions to discuss ideas. Rebekah Fenster ’17 said, “We spoke about how Israelis really continue their lives and don't let it affect them, and we talked about whether we think that kind of reaction helps the situation.” She added, “I think it was really important that we acknowledged the situation formally in school.” “The class of 2016 was emotionally affected most directly, particularly by Ezra’s murder” Daniel Gutkind ’16 said. Gutkind’s view is understandable: Schwartz’s murder occurred only two days after Israel Night, when seniors were encouraged to attend programs for Jewish study in Israel and explore various options for a potential year abroad. Ashreinu was among the schools represented that night.
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News 4
The Rampage
The Rampage Ramaz Upper School
New York • Volume 78 • Issue III • December 2015 • the-rampage.org
Editors-in-Chief: Akiva Gold Oren Oppenheim DJ Presser Associate Editors: Eliana Doft Alexander Glaubach Tess Solomon Faculty Advisor: Dr. Milowitz Illustrators:
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In awe of her friend, Ruth had a newfound love for Ibthey realized tisam—they sisters. but weren’t just friends, When Ruth and Ibtisam spoke, it was clear love they had for each other, and they constantly called each other “my sister”. They let their love for each other go beyond the boundary of Gabrielle Amar-Oumiet Contributing Writers: the laws society and the government placed before them; they Nicole Aboodi Abigail Huebner Gabriel Klapholz Julia Levi Continued from page 3 Jasmine Levine So were Yeshivat Har Etzion (commonJosh Sarachek ly known as Gush) and the Seminary Elianna Schwartz Migdal Oz, both which are located in Naomi Freilich the area of the West Bank near where Rebecca Araten Schwartz’s murder took place. “Noah Anaelle Elhadad Greenwald [’16] was the one who told Caroline Jaspan me about the attack. That’s when it Johnny Povman hit me: He is considering Ashreinu...” Louise Sitt said Mollie Adolf ’16. The fourth floor Rebekah Fenster lounge, not typically a mecca for poNatalie Kahn litical dialogue, buzzed with converPaola Mattout sation on that subject that Thursday. Yasmine Sokol One senior approached Dr. Mollie Blaustein Zeitchik, worried about the reactions Emily Weissman of the senior class. Dr. Zeitchik spoke Oriya Romano with Mr. Miller about holding a speSam Schair cial mincha for the seniors where they Jacob Hochheiser could discuss the events. At the minDavid Grinberg cha, Rabbi Lookstein, overcome with Harry Shams emotion, spoke about Ezra’s connecDerek Korf-Korn tion to Ramaz, and what the comBecky Tauber munity’s reaction should be. “Anyone Yonatan Weitzner who was considering going to IsraNatalie Kahn el, don’t let this deter you,” he said. Jeremy Ascher Rabbi Slomnicki reached out The Rampage is the student newspaper of the Ramaz Upper School. It is published on a monthly basis. Letters to the editor 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. A note about last month’s issue: The Rampage accidentally printed a name of God on page 6 of the November issue. If you have a copy, please discard it in the sheimot box in the library The Rampage regrets the oversight.
to the leaders of Natan in the senior grade for help in thinking of meaningful programs for 12th grade. Class president Ava Adler suggested a “slow shira,” similar to the reactions of those mourning Schwartz’s death in Israel, when more than a thou-
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It was a moment in which the American Jewish Community, the U.S. government, and the Israeli government all worked together to accomplish an important goal. In terms of the ADL’s current agenda, Jacobson spoke about ADL’s work in the promotion of separation between church and state in America. The issue also reflects the ADL’s mission, as it is an issue that faces Jews and non-Jews alike. Regarding the Obama Administration, Jacobson conceded that while the president is neither antisemitic nor anti-Israel, Obama’s America has been “retreating from the world.” Jacobson also added that the ADL has offices in the US and in almost every major city with a signifi-
December 2015/Tevet 5776
Unity decided that love was more important. To be honest, I thought there wasn’t anymore hope in how to resolve the Palestinian conflict, until this story. This story gives me hope that there are people on the other side who want peace. It gives me hope that the bloodshed will stop. It gives me hope that there is more good then bad in this world. Photo Courtesy of The Atlantic
Reacts
sand Americans currently studying there grieved at Ben Gurion airport. Following davening on Wednesday November 25, seniors sat and sang in memory of Ezra and Hadar (whose death had occurred in the meantime). On the whole, seniors seem to be taking Rabbi Lookstein’s advice. For example, Noah Greenwald is still considering Ashreinu. He said, “What’s happening in Israel right now is beyond terrible, and hopefully by the end of next summer, when kids are heading off to Israel for their gap year, things will have settled down. If we decide not to go because of events like these, we are helping the terrorists that commit these atrocities achieve their goal.” Ben Rabinowitz ’16, who is seriously considering Yeshivat Har Etzion, said “this does not change my plans at all, my parents are just more hesitant now.” Aliza Oppenheim ’16 said, “The Gush Etzion area happens to be more dangerous at the moment, but a lot can change in a year…. I don’t think this will affect my decision in any negative way. In fact, I think it kind of strengthens my resolve to go.” Nathan Shams ’16 said that he is now “not allowed anywhere near the Gush at any point during the
RamPo
cant Jewish population. He explained how the organization is now working with the Latino population in America, especially first-generation Latinos, to combat antisemitism. Because most of these immigrants are Catholic and have been exposed to only one method of practicing religion, there are very high rates of antisemitism in their communities. The other major issue that the ADL is currently tackling is “cyberhate,” or online hate, usually conveyed via social media. The organization makes sure to draw the line between “hate action” and “hate speech,” which is protected by the Constitution but the ADL can try to combat. Jacobson concluded by informing the students that the ADL has developed hate-crime legislation now in
year,” but that “this doesn’t deter my decision to go to Israel for the year.” Oppenheim described her reinvigorated decision to spend next year in Israel as “my own small way of pushing back, even if it doesn’t really do anything.” Others, though, are calling for more pushback than that. Josh Silberstein expressed his frustration at the lack of a preventative reaction. “I’m disappointed that the best we can do is say mincha and sing together…. Praying doesn’t stop Arabs from killing Jews. And neither does singing or talking about it.” Though there have not been any yet, “Ramaz has to have a presence at any rally or protest. We need to have a tangible political response in situations like these.” Rabbi Grossman sent the Ramaz community a Thanksgiving message. In it, he said: “We enter this Thanksgiving in empathy with all those who grieve. At the same time, we draw upon this collective grief to make ourselves aware of how grateful we must be for what is most precious to us—family, friendship, and the safety of loved ones.”
place in 48 states. He spoke about the ADL’s World of Difference program, which educates students on anti-bias, and the Bearing Witness program, which brings Catholic schoolteachers together from all over the country to educate them about anti-Semitism, Judaism, and the Holocaust, among other topics. Jacobson explained that hatred and racism “won’t disappear” completely, as they are “part of human nature.” The ADL confronts a “conglomeration of issues” in order to deal with this reality. As the first RamPo speaker of the year, Mr. Jacobson set the stage for a year of activism and conversation for Ramaz’s premier political club.
December 2015/Tevet 5776
The-rampage.org
The Lunch Duty Quandary
Gabriel Klapholz ’17
The problem with lunch duty is that we need it in the first place. The ideal is that this student requirement would have no use, as all students would clean up their own messes. However, the reality is quite different. The sight of the lunchroom following any lunch period and before the students on lunch duty get to work is quite unnerving – plates cover the dirtied tablecloths, napkins are crumpled all over the floor, plastic ware piles up in a scene that would make any environmentalist cringe. It is incredible how the simple act of cleaning up after oneself is so utterly rejected by so many students. “I think that it’s really mean to the people on lunch duty because they are being taken advantage of,” said Noa Attias ’18. “There is always a huge mess and the people who made it are always gone,” she said. Attias also raised another issue with the current system that “some kids don’t end up actually doing the job of lunch duty when it’s their turn.” At a recent SFAC meeting, some faculty members voiced the opinion that there should be more lunch duty to compensate for the increasingly problematic situation. In other words, there should be more students required to clean up the lunchroom from each grade on a daily basis. Others made the claim that all students are technically on lunch duty every day and that the entire concept of lunch duty is flawed. “Each day there should be 100 students per grade on lunch duty. Every person should…clean up after himself or herself,” said Mr. Blumenthal. “There shouldn’t be a need for students to be assigned lunch duty,” he said. Whatever the solution to this deplorable phenomenon, the school needs a new system and a stronger response. At SFAC meetings, the administration has voiced the opinion that it doesn’t want to burden the students with more rules and regulations. Indeed, the goal is that the students will act properly based on their own independent merit and will know right from wrong without it being spelled out verbatim in school rules. If the students were more capable of showing an ability to take on these unstated responsibilities, the administration would be more willing to grant them greater freedoms in the future. “[At] the end [of lunch],” said Attias, “the people on lunch duty are cleaning up other students’ garbage. It’s gross.”
Elianna Schwartz ’17 The term “intersession” has become almost synonymous with “Ramaz Senior Year” and actually has become a notorious part of the Ramaz high school experience. Over the past few years, the senior intersession trip has really gained momentum. While intersession has always been a time when seniors would celebrate the end of Ramaz finals forever, the number of students that partook in the intercession trip fluctuated. Historically there were different groups of students that traveled to different destinations. However, over the past several years, the trip has been steadily increasing in number, making it a more cohesive, almost gradewide unsupervised trip to Puerto Rico. The preparations for the infamous trip begin early in the school year, as seniors are eager to distract themselves from the stress of college applications. This year though, the planning took an unexpected turn; the seniors were stopped in their tracks. Mr. Miller sent out a letter to the senior parents and students strongly stating that the trip should not take place and urging parents to not send their children. This is not the first letter Mr. Miller has written. In fact, he has written three or four letters to previous grades regarding the senior intersession trip informing parents that Ramaz was not in favor of it. However, since the
Opinions 5
A Wrong Time for Hatikvah?
Oren Oppenheim ’16 On Veterans Day, the seniors got a chance to hear from a Jewish soldier who served in the American army; he gave a riveting speech and truly drove home what it means to serve one’s country. After he spoke, someone suddenly started an impromptu singing
showing solidarity with Israel, its people, and its army—especially after the events that have happened there recently and the terror it continues to go through. But what bothers me is that we started singing Hatikvah on a day specifically meant to honor America’s
of the United States National Anthem. After a moment of slight confusion—no one had been expecting this—everyone joined in. It was a beautiful, unscripted moment, one that felt to me as if it was a wonderful way for all of us to honor America and Veteran’s Day. And then right after that, somehow, we right away segued into singing Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem. And that’s when I started to feel uncomfortable. I have nothing against
veterans. Other countries have their own veterans and memorial days; Israel has its own Yom HaZikaron and its Independence Day functions somewhat as a day to honor its veterans as well. But the Veterans Day we observed on November 11th wasn’t meant to be a general, all-inclusive day for all countries’ armies; it’s very specifically meant as America’s, and by singing Hatikvah, I feel that we inadvertently shifted away some of the focus from America and onto
Intersession Intercepted
trip has become a true tradition and as of last year, was the biggest it has ever been, Mr. Miller and the administration felt that the situation was serious enough to warrant a much more forceful letter. The letter sparked major reactions from both senior students and their parents. Mr. Miller said, “I got positive feedback from 99% of the people who
some extent to let parents know in case they really had no idea what intersession entailed but… they should leave it up to parents to decide and shouldn’t have approached it in such a harsh way.” Mr. Miller explained that the trip has grown, and things were bad enough as they were, so, “they could only get worse.” He implied that as a community we have
answered.” He noted that he received one or two negative responses from parents who believe that the school should be more trusting of their children since next year the students will be on their own, whether on a college campus or in Israel, and they will therefore have to trust their kids in the near future. However, Mr. Miller pointed to the dangers and risks that come out of this trip. Emily Adler ’16 said, “I think it was necessary to
been lucky until now and we do not want to press our luck. Although maybe upset and disappointed that their senior intersession of 2016 will not live up to previous seniors’ standards or stories, many students seemed to understand where the letter was coming from. Eliana Doft ’16 said, “I’m definitely upset that the email went out, as it swayed my parents’ opinions on the trip and now I’m not allowed to go. But, I do under-
Israel when we shouldn’t have. Yes, it was a one-off incident, and it didn’t ruin the speaker or the feeling of the day for me or for others, I’m sure. But I think it speaks to a larger, disturbing narrative that exists inside Ramaz and the general Jewish community of always putting America either on the side or at least side-by-side with Israel. There’s no question that we need to remember Israel, that we should show our support. But that shouldn’t come at the detriment of being appreciative to America and what it’s given us—whether you like the government or not, whether you plan on making Aliyah one day or not, you do live here comfortably right now. In other words, we owe a lot to America and its soldiers, and the singing of Hatikvah on Veterans Day, ironically, reminded me of that. Ramaz and the Jewish community do need to give a lot of focus to Israel, and I appreciate and respect that. But when it comes time to give focus to America, as a community we should be careful not to minimize America’s role by shoehorning Israel into the conversation when it isn’t necessary to do so.
stand that the trip has a bad reputation.” Some of the seniors feel that the letter touched on a bigger issue, one of school involvement in student life outside of school. Jeremy Gruen ’16 said, “I understand the feeling of obligation on the school to protect its students. However I don’t agree with the premise that the school has authority in regards to those students’ personal lives and vacations.” Norman Maleh ’16 echoed Jeremy when he said, “I disagree with [the letter]. School shouldn’t be getting involved with out of school affairs.” For other seniors, although they understood where the school was coming from they still felt “it’s just very upsetting how fewer and fewer people will be going on the trip,” said Elizabeth Ritz ’16. But Mr. Miller explained, “The letter did not say ‘do not send your children or else there will consequences.’ The philosophy in general is just do the right thing; not because there will be an ‘or else.’” Nonetheless, Mr. Miller strongly advised and asked parents to make the responsible and safe decision not to send their kids on intersession. He hopes that it doesn’t need to be made official school policy in order for people to do the right thing. If it doesn’t work, he will deal with that when the time comes, “But, for now, I hope this will be effective.”
Opinions 6
The Rampage
December 2015/Tevet 5776
Quick Thoughts Thanksgiving What Can We Do to Stop Reflections the Madness?
Derek Korf-Korn ’18
It was a long and hard week, both for Ramaz as a community, and as a part of the Jewish nation. This Thanksgiving was slightly different and more meaningful than others. Instead of sitting down and being appreciative for the usual, (friends, family, an education, etc.), most Jews were thinking about being safe in these horrible times throughout the world, and about how they could come together as a Jewish nation and put an emphasis on making the world a better place. As sophomore Ariel Attias ’18 puts it, “After trying times (terrorist attacks in France, Lebanon, and Israel) we are able to come together as a nation to focus on what makes us better than the terrorists: love, family, and solidarity.” Its important to keep the following in mind. Does three hours of thanks throughout the entire year actually mean anything? What real significance
does that hold? During the rest of the year, do we ever stop and say: look at everything I have, health, support from friends and family, a great job and that what impact would it have, if all of that was taken away? Personally, the true meaning of Thanksgiving isn’t just to be grateful that we have all of these amazing things, but to be grateful for the people in our lives that grant us these things. Now, during these tragic times, as we witness these atrocious events, we should be grateful for the people that have such profound effects on our lives, and that together we stand together not only as Jews, but as supporters of humanity.
Caroline Jaspan ’17
An 18-year-old yeshiva student from Massachusetts was on his way to deliver food to soldiers. The cousin of a Ramaz student standing at a junction in Gush Etzion was on her way to study at Seminary. A father and brother of a bride were on their way to celebrate their family simchah. One hundred twenty-eight innocent people were enjoying a Friday night in Paris. Approximately 28 people were in the lobby of a hotel in Mali. These are examples of people who were senselessly and brutally murdered in the past month by extremists in Israel, Paris and Mali. When will the madness end? And what can we do to stop it? Until 9/11, Americans believed they were immune from these types of vicious, repetitive, large scale
attacks. Then the Twin Towers were hit and approximately 3,000 innocent people were murdered. Years later, there was a bombing at the Boston Marathon and many people lost lives and limbs. It was getting too close to home. As Americans, we had been largely immune. Now Americans and Europeans know what it means to live the life of an Israeli. Israelis have been subjected to these unprovoked killings for years. It is becoming too painful to check Facebook these days. Almost every day there is a video clip of a stabbing or shooting in Israel. When our sisters, brothers, cousins and friends in Israel are attacked, it is as if we have been attacked and we are suffering with them. What can we do to help repair the world? We
need to pray more, give tzedakah, say tehillim, act modestly, and do acts of chesed. Otherwise the deaths of these innocent lives will be in vain. Chazal say “Haolam Omed Al Torah Avodah V’Gimilut Chassidim”. The world stands upon three pillars-Torah, prayer and kind acts. If any one of these pillars falls, there is utter chaos. The world right now is in utter chaos. Join me in repairing the world. Hold the elevator door for your friend, share your class notes, give tzeddakah, visit the elderly and sick, and daven with kavanah. We need to take an active role in improving the world in honor of the victims.
Are You Allowed to Share Your Notes and Review Sheets?
At a school like Ramaz, where there is a rigorous dual curriculum and where it is quite difficult to miss a day of school due to the amount of material taught in a given day, it is regular for students to share notes and review sheets with one another. Some teachers, like Ms. Newman, will even post the reading and the class curriculum online (after that day’s class), so that at least the core material taught that day can be accessed by those who were not at school that day or who prefer to listen and jot down only a few things during class. These slides can also be used for studying for the upcoming test. “I think sharing notes is great,” said Ms. Newman when asked about the issue. “If someone misses a day of class, they should be able to rely on a friend to give him/her the notes from that day. Also, when I was in school, my friend and I would share notes with each other in the classes that each of us was doing better in to help each other.” Many students agree with this idea. “I always takes notes when I am in class but am not always sure if I have written all the information down, especially when the teacher does not put the notes on the board,” said Netanel Kamel
Julia Levi ’18
’18. “Looking at my friend’s notes in addition to my own is a good way to make sure I have all the information and am ready for the upcoming test.” Each grade has a Facebook group where students can post review sheets before tests. In fact, sharing review sheets helps those who actually make them, because they are able to receive feedback on them, among other things. “I find that posting review sheets is quite helpful. I don’t do this all the time, but when I do, I am motivated knowing I am helping others succeed on their test,” said Moselle Kleiner ’17. “Personally, I believe that anyone can accomplish anything if they are adequately prepared, so I make it my mission to help people prepare.” However, one might view this as slightly problematic, as relying on your friend’s notes can lead to solely relying on them and not taking notes of your own. “While I support note sharing, I do not like it when students take no notes or do not listen in class, and just take their peers’ notes later on, in order to study for the upcoming exam,” said Ms. Newman. Additionally, while it is the general opinion that it is okay to share notes, especially if the student is out,
some think of review sheets differently, as more personal, and they should not be shared. “Anyone can take notes, but review sheets are made at your own time, and take a lot of time to create,” said Maya Shalom ’18. “Also, review sheets have the condensed, exact version of everything needed for the test, so it is not necessarily fair to give it to someone who did not go through the same process of reading through their notes, or even taking notes at all.” All in all, we should do the best we can taking notes ourselves, but we should also not feel bad about seeking help from others and using other people’s materials in order to enhance our knowledge.
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Arts&Entertainment Review: The Rampage • December 2015
Spectre Reviewed Sam Schair ’18
Spectre is one those movies that makes you leave the theater with questions, yet still makes you very satisfied with what you just saw. This movie is satisfying mainly because of the fact that it is a James Bond movie that, simply put, does Bond very well. It has the classic exciting action sequence in the beginning that has you on the edge of your seat within the first five minutes of the movie; it has the car chase that takes place right in the middle of a city in which James Bond and the assassin sent to kill him are weaving around pedestrians and in and out of traffic; it also has the female lead who has a hostile connection to Bond’s past. Overall, the movie pleases in its execution of every aspect of the Bond movie formula, which seems to be one of the most essential elements for a fan when going to see another Bond movie. However, Spectre is not just another formulaic and forgettable spy movie, because it does something that no other Bond movie has done before: it attempts to link previous movies together with one common
character. Before Spectre, one could have watched the James Bond movies in any order and it would not have mattered. However, because of Spectre’s new reveals, the movies in which Daniel Craig plays Bond have to be watched together in order.
The character that links these movies together, even though he does not appear in the other films, is Franz Oberhauser (played by Christoph Waltz), who has a major connection to Bond’s past adventures. He is also the mastermind behind an evil organization that is the namesake of the movie. Bond’s investigations lead him to the organization on a rogue mission in Mexico City. Assisting Bond on his mission to understand and take down Spectre are returning characters M (Ralph Fiennes), Q (Ben Whishaw) and Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) who show up in different parts of Bond’s mission to offer their aid. Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux), the daughter of one of Bond’s old villains and Mr. White, accompanies Bond on his mission and knows a key piece of information about Spectre. Spectre’s action sequences are thrilling, well choreographed and are the strongest part of the movie. In fact, the movie’s best moment comes when James Bond faces off with Franz’s assassin Mr. Hinx (Dave Bautista) on a very narrow train in a fight that pits Bond against a foe who seems unbeatable. This movie is best remembered for these action sequences and not the plot, which proves to be slightly confusing. The big reveal toward the end of the movie about Franz’s motivations is an example of this confusion, because it does not come as much of a shock, nor does it pull the plot together. For the most part, however, Spectre is an enjoyable James Bond movie and a breathtaking action movie, but it does not prove to be much more than that.
Mockingjay Part 2 Jasmine Levine ’17
The final movie adaptation of Suzanne Collins’s dystopian Hunger Games series, Mockingjay Part 2, is a perfect mix of thrill and drama that helps bring the story of the Hunger Games to its deserved conclusion. The movie picks up right where MockingjayPart 1 ended, with Katniss in the hospital after Peeta choked her. The movie shows Peeta in a deep struggle after being brainwashed by the capital and then being forced to confront reality. The first obstacle that Katniss faces is
to unify the Districts against the Capital. Once that mission is accomplished, the districts start working toward their ultimate goal: to defeat the capital and free Panem. Katniss is initially asked to work from District 13 to rally the Districts into fighting against the capital, but her mixture of a thirst for blood against President Snow and her rebellious inclinations sends Katniss into the fighting zone unannounced. She is put into a “star squad” with other Hunger Games victors, Finnick and Peeta, with a single mission—to kill President Snow. The movie continues by showing the harsh battles and obstacles in The Capital and the risks of extremism on both sides of the political spectrum. The acting in this movie is spectacular. Jennifer Lawrence portrays Katniss perfectly, giving her a brave and tough exterior, yet making her loving and damaged inside. Josh Hutcherson plays Peeta equally well, displaying his terrible inner struggle after be-
ing brainwashed by the capital and trying to make sense out of his life and the people in it. Liam Hemsworth’s acting of the role of Gale, however, is not as extraordinary. His deep connection to Katniss seems forced and not nearly as believable as the love that Hutcherson portrays despite his character’s flaws. Also, Jena Malone is an amazing Johanna Mason, with her fierce and fiery attitude, and her hostile respect for Katniss. Julianne Moore plays an exceptional President Coin, portraying someone who is supposedly a liberator to the people of Panem but is ultimately just as corrupt and thirsty for power as President Snow. In my view, this movie is the second best amongst the Hunger Games series, lagging only behind Catching Fire, the second movie in the series. One reason why Part II is not as good as Catching Fire is because the plot of Mockingjay is not as strong as that of the second movie. Additionally, Mockingjay was split up into two movies, which took away from each installment. The first part of Mockingjay was particularly bland because the two movies were not fairly split up: the first part was only showing the boring life of Katniss after she was rescued and brought to District 13, and there is little action and basically no romance. All of the action is in the second part, but the fighting still doesn’t compare to the drama of the second movie. The costumes are also not as striking in Mockingjay as they were in Catching Fire, which shows Katniss in extravagant costumes as she attends all the events of the victor’s tour, her interviews for the 75th Hunger Games, and her wedding dress. One thing that Mockingjay does have that adds a lot to the movie, however, is the epilogue, which sums the story up perfectly. It is not predictable, and left me with a strange feeling of contentment. Finally, it was both wonderful and sad seeing Philip Seymour Hoffman in this movie. His performance, as always, is on target. It is unfortunate that we will not benefit from seeing his gift in the future. The fear with the fourth installment of a movie series is that it will lose its luster. This movie did not. It represented a spectacular ending to a unique and compelling story, and is a must see for all.
Movie Review: Love the Coopers
Love the Coopers has an all-star cast and is told from a perspective of an unnamed narrator (Steve Martin), who follows the lives of the dysfunctional Cooper family in this holiday comedy. On Christmas Eve, each family member performs errands to shop for the holiday, before they partake in Christmas dinner with their matriarch, Charlotte (Diane Keaton), and patriarch, Sam (John Goodman). Keaton insists on one more supposed happy family gathering before she announces that after being joined in matrimony for 40
years, she and Goodman have decided to split up. What is the problem? The alleged cause for the breakup is a long-postponed trip to Africa that is so important to Goodman. Of course this trip is just a pretext for the actual problems in their marriage; however, throughout the movie, this is what they constantly argue about. Most families have dark secrets, drama, and announcements which are reluctantly revealed at family gatherings. The Cooper family is no different. There’s Eleanor (Olivia Wilde), who is an insecure
Caroline Jaspan ’17
playwright who meets a cute soldier (Jake Lucy) at the airport. Despite not knowing him, she asks him to accompany her home for the holiday and pretend to be her boyfriend. She cannot bear to face her parents’ judgments about the fact that she can not find a boyfriend. Then there’s Hank (Ed Helms), the unemployed and divorced father of three. He suffers with a stubborn ex- wife and tries to find a new job. Soon after, Charlotte’s sister is introduced, Emma (Marisa Tomei), who is a stereotypical spinster and a screw-up up who finds herself
at the mercy of a police officer. Bucky, played by Alan Arkin, is Charlotte and Emma’s dad. He eats at a diner and befriends the waitress (Amanda Seyfried). Their connection
is immediately bizarre given the half-century age difference. She perceives him as a fatherly figure, but perversely, she kisses him on the lips. Love the Coopers is a farcical holiday drama that
focuses on jealous siblings, crumbling marriages, and other typical familial failures. The movie depicts a normal family and their issues; however, they try to work through them in order to have a somewhat normal holiday celebration. It is a somewhat amusing movie that consists of family drama and the love that they have for each other, with which many people can identify. I like, but do not love, the Coopers. Nevertheless, there are light, comical moments that make this film a cute, fun diversion.
Arts & Entertainment 8
The Rampage
December 2015/Tevet 5776
Israel’s Hottest New Apps Jasmine Levine ’17
This installment of App Talk will focus solely on apps from Israel. What better way to show solidarity with our brothers and sisters than to broadcast their ingenuity and creativity?
I saved my favorite two apps for last. One of them is VoGi. It is the first
One great Israeli app is called Safie. While many tracking devices exist for parents and children, this app informs parents of emergencies via a panic button. It also allows children to be tracked by up to five adults, which is great for a family with several caretakers. Settings can be adjusted to get updates in minutes, hours, days or weeks.
Speaking of stalking, the perfect “stalker app” is Fansino. This app helps connect artists with fans and was named App of the Year at the 2015 Mobile World Congress. Performers can connect with fans and discover who is streaming, listening or following them on social media. Fans can find like-minded fans and can even get points, ranking, and rewards for levels of activity. Browz’In is a wonderful app for the shopaholic. Have you ever been
at the mall and wondered if there are any deals that you are missing out on? Well, worry no more. This innovative Israeli app makes you aware of bargains that you might find interesting. You can redeem coupons and see what even small retailers may be offering. “Our goal is to enable smaller retailers to advertise on the smartphones of consumers in their vicinity, in order to compete with the chain stores that are creating their own branded apps to promote their stores,” Browz’In inventor Maxime Seligman said on the app’s website. Another very useful app is Hop. I prefer texting to emailing, but I am aware that it is easier to track and store emails. Now, one can have the best of both options with Hop. Hop allows you to convert emails to a format consistent to SMS/texting. You can also integrate videos, photos, and documents. It is like you are both emailing and texting simultaneously!
voice emoji system that is used with WhatsApp (which is really cool because you can use it even while traveling). It was started in Jerusalem with an initial budget of 15 dollars. It helps personalize texting and sends emojis without typing. Last, but certainly not least, there’s Snapi. This app integrates eye-
sight technology from Israel that allows for the recognition of hand signals to facilitate touch-free photos. A related app called CamMe lets you take handsfree selfies. Not only are you taking pictures and selfies without touching anything, you also look cool because you look like you are using sign language. Israeli technology continues to impress. Download these apps for a great way to help yourself and, more importantly, to support Israel!
Saturday Night Live: Episode 4 Derek Korf-Korn ’18
The week leading up to episode four of Saturday Night Live, hosted by Donald Trump, was greeted with skeptical remarks. As a republican presidential candidate, Trump has made a lot of racist and offensive comments, and people worried whether that would interfere with the show. Some people even thought he shouldn’t be hosting at all. For days the public protested the decision, but nothing was ever done about it, and as they say, the show went on. Overall, the show had some funny
sketches and some not-so-funny ones. The ones
with the most laughs always included Donald Trump as a presidential candidate, highlighting the most controversial issues along his campaign trail. Skits included him making outrageous comments about fellow SNL cast members and two impersonators that mimicked him to the tee during Trump’s monologue. Sia, who returned for the second time this year, performed ‘Alive’ and ‘Bird Set Free’, who was augmented by her dancing doppelgänger. The first act consisted of an unorthodox karate routine, which transformed into dancing that corresponded to the music. The second performance, ‘Bird Set Free’, depicted being trapped in a cocoon and then bursting out with its wings fluttering. The most popular performance was of Larry David as Bernie Sanders, in a representation of a Democratic Forum. He did a stellar job of demonstrating what Bernie Sander wants as a Democratic Socialists. Hillary Clinton, once again portrayed by Kate Mckinnon, did an amazing demonstration and imitation of Clinton’s most heated issues such as the Benghazi and Email Controversy. Even though people were doubtful and were against Trump hosting SNL, it turned out to be just fine.
Macy’s Day Parade Naomi Freilich ’18
As Thanksgiving approached, it was hard not to notice all of the advertisements for the Macy’s Day Parade. This parade is not only a time to celebrate Thanksgiving, but it is also a reminder to all that the winter season is approaching.
Some students find themselves at the parade every year, as a tradition, while others watch it on TV. Not only is it enjoyable to watch the marching bands and the gigantic balloons, but it is also a great way to spend time with family and friends. This year, balloons included Snoopy, Pillsbury Dough Boy, and Hello Kitty, among others. The balloons vary in size; however, they are all gigantic, as they fill up Central Park West. The parade is truly enjoyable, and is also a great way to stop doing school work and enjoy time with family.
December 2015/Tevet 5776
The-rampage.org
Features 9
Spotlight on the Freshman Class Presidents David Grinberg ’19 and Harry Shams’ 19
This year, David Gad ’19 and Sophie Dahan ’19 were elected as the new freshman class presidents. They are excited about representing the Class of 2019 in the SFAC meetings and speaking on behalf of the freshmen. They have already begun working with their fellow students to improve certain aspects of their lives. During the month of November, Dahan and Gad went to each classroom to take a vote to help decide the order of midterms. During their campaign, they felt that they had “a lot of competition.” When asked what their plans for office were, Dahan calmly stated, “We are going to try and hopefully succeed in getting hot chocolate in the morning. We know that it is getting colder, and we want to make sure everyone stays warm!” Gad hopes for longer tisches during friday advisory. “I think that if the school were to allow a full period of advisory,
Start-Up Club
Julia Levi ’18
This school year brought forth an array of new clubs started by this year’s sophomores. One such club, the Startup Club, lead by Matthew Harnick ‘18, Gabe Fisher ‘18 and Mark Marcus ‘18, intends to inform students about the development of product ideas into startups, and the growth from a startup into a successful business. “We started the club because we always wanted to start our first venture, but did not have time to do so ourselves,” said Harnick. “From here, we thought maybe other students in Ramaz would have this same goal, but would not know how to do so, so we decided to form the club”. The club received 70 signatures at the club fair, and so far has 15 dedicated members. The club meets every Wednesday, and at some of these meetings, a speaker will come to talk about starting businesses. After a lot of discussion and brainstorming, the club plans on eventually trying to start a company of their own!
then we would be able to have a longer tisch,” says Gad, “and with a longer tisch, people would have more spirit heading into Shabbat.” Although many people can agree with Gad and Dahan’s ideas, some have other plans in mind. “I voted for Abner, David and Alex during the election,” said Jacob Bengualid ’19, “And I am okay with our school’s current policies, so I don’t think the presidents should do much to affect us in a drastic way.” Hannah Slager ’19 disagrees with Bengualid and believes the presidents should work towards more change and push for some variation in the vending machines. “I think that if the school sold gum, it would save us time in the morning, because we wouldn’t have to get it before school starts.” When Dahan and Gad were asked what their
thoughts were on the possibility of getting gum in the vending machines. They responded, “We do not think that it is possible! They told us that gum is against school rules, and that the fact that they even let us bring gum to school is a miracle!” Overall, the presidents have been working their hardest to make positive changes. They are always open to new ideas, and frequently work with their fellow students in order to resolve any issues that arise. So far, David and Sophie have proven to be great Freshman presidents with a lot of energy and enthusiasm, and hopefully they will continue to work towards improving student life at Ramaz.
Sports
The Rampage • December 2015
After a Devastating Season Last Year, Girls JV Basketball Team Off to a Great Start
Natalie Kahn ’19
After a rough season last year, with a final record of one win and nine losses, the Junior Varsity girls’ basketball team has had a great start to the season and is currently undefeated with a record of 4-0. A primary component of this turnaround is undoubtedly the team’s new coach, Coach Randy Dulny. While Coach Dulny has coached both Ramaz boys and girls varsity teams for 35 years to many championships, this year he has taken a step back and retired from his position as coach of the boys varsity team to coach both Varsity and JV girls, sometimes separately and sometimes together, hoping to prepare the JV players for Varsity. The opportunity to play with the Varsity team has enabled the JV girls, led by captain Dara Doft ’18, to learn the more advanced plays of the varsity team, including ‘special red’ and the
1-3-1 zone. In addition to more complex plays, the JV girls have a chance to practice and improve by playing with varsity girls, many of whom were members of the championship-winning team last year, including captains Beckie Cohen ’16 and Ava Adler ’16.
Another benefit for JV girls of Coach Dulny coaching both girls’ teams is that the JV team practices, along with varsity, up to three times per week: Mondays, Thursdays, and sometimes Friday mornings. This is a big change from last year, where the team only practiced once a week. And those extra practices certainly have helped. Even after losing star player
Brianna Rubinstein ’18, who moved up to Varsity, the team has already exceeded its win record from last year by three. Unlike last year, the JV has by now coalesced into an effective unit under Coach Dulny’s tutelage. Coach Dulny is considered to have an incredibly challenging and sometimes punishing style. As Hannah Sholes ’18 described it, “Coach Dulny is tough on us, but we all know it’s because he wants the best for us... We are constantly pushed harder and harder. He wants us to understand the game. To him, that’s the most important factor.” Aside from the new coaching techniques, it seems that the team just has a great dynamic. “We have a new coach who taught us some awesome new plays that help us play better, and we have some amazing shooters and amazing new freshmen who really bring the team together,” says Elana Shalomoff ’18. Elizabeth Aufzien ’19 reiterated this sentiment: “We have very good chemistry, which leads to good spacing on the floor. Also, we have great outside shooters.” However, one of the keys to the success of the team to date is friendship: “We all love playing with each other,”
said Becky Tauber ’19, “and that helps us be determined to win because we want it for ourselves but also for each other since we’ve all become good friends.”
Checking up with Ramaz’s JV Boys Basketball Team
David Grinberg ’19
As of November, the Ramaz Boys JV Basketball team is 4-2. During games, the team appears to give the spectators quite a show. Ramaz would be down 10 points in the first half, and by the end of the game they would be up by 15. Thanks to this constant excitement, the JV team has been called in certain circles of the school “the Rebound Team.” The practices are vigorous, and coached by Brandon Butler. Aaron Shapira ’19, a power forward on the starting lineup, contributed greatly to the offense and defense of the recent game versus Kushner. Scoring 22 points, and helping the team achieve a win of 63-48, he has proven himself enormously to the team. “I like the way Coach Butler coaches us, I feel that he knows what he is doing, and he has made a big impact for the turnouts of games,” says Shapira. As a member of the team myself, I definitely agree with Aaron. The locker room pep talks and halftime talks sometimes decide the game. But it is not just the talks, I sat down with Coach Butler to get his perspective on the JV team. “I’m very excited [for the season], our defense is getting
better as well as our rotations; all we need to do is stop fouling, but overall we’re getting there. I love the progress we’re making so far,” says Coach Butler. “If we play well as a team, we
will be the Rams’ ultimate challenge in winning the Championship. “I think we definitely have a chance at winning the Championship when we make the playoffs. The only thing that can stop
can definitely make the playoffs, and even win the Championship,” says Shapira. Admittedly, this is no easy task. As of writing, Frisch is 5-0, and many members of the team and students outside of the team believe that they
us is ourselves,” Coach Butler said. We have a very strong team this year; all we need to work on is boxing out and free throws. “Our team is coming along just fine. We’re learning how to be more aggressive on of-
fense and defense,” says Coach Butler. There has been an exponential growth in the number of spectators, which is good. In my opinion, as long as we have our friends, parents, and teachers rooting for us, we are bound to win. “To the fans that come to the game, the team and I really appreciate your presence. It helps us out during games, and gets the other team rattled. It boosts our confidence having bodies in the stand. If you’ve never been to a Ramaz game, I advise you come check us out and give us your support,” says Coach Butler. In the long run, we seem to be doing great. Our team is happy with the new coach, and Coach Butler is happy with our team. As long as everyone takes part in our team, we are going to win the Championship. The team hopes to see a lot more people for the upcoming games.
December 2015/Tevet 5776
The-rampage.org
Sports 11
New Coaches For Four Different Teams
Jasmine Levine ’17
This year, Ramaz has had the opportunity to welcome three new coaches to the coaching staff. The new soccer coach is one of the school’s very own teaching (and book room) staff members: Dr. Sclar. In addition, because Mr. Dulny decided to stop coaching boys Varsity basketball and switch to girls JV instead, there is a new Boys Varsity basketball coach; a new boys JV basketball coach also started working with the team at the start of the season. Dr. Sclar became the new soccer coach because Mr. Dulny asked him to do it. As of writing, the soccer team has only had tryouts and an informal scrimmage. When asked how his job is going, Dr. Sclar said, “So far, so good.” His favorite part of his new job is seeing what kind of talent there is in the school. Dr. Sclar explained, “There is nothing that I don’t like about the job so far, but then again, the season has not started yet.” He does not have any formal experience in this field. What he hopes to accomplish
with his team is to see the players work hard, learn to work together, and find success. He thinks his greatest challenge will be finding the players that work best with each other. Dr. Sclar is confident that his team will win the championship. In high school, Dr. Sclar participated in the basketball and track teams at his school, and he was even the captain of the track team during senior year. He enjoyed the camaraderie on both the basketball team and the track team. Brandon Butler is the new boys JV basketball coach. Mr. Butler decided to coach Ramaz basketball because he thought it would be a great place to start his head coaching career. Ramaz has a rich history of winning in boys basketball, but has not been the best in the league in recent years. Coach Butler wants to take that challenge head-on and bring the school back to its winning ways. So far, he loves his job. His favorite part of coaching is seeing players evolve and get better—that’s when he knows
he’s doing his job right. “The only thing I don’t like is that we don’t get enough time to practice. We only get two times a week, but we do our best with what time we have and make the most of it,” he said. Coach Butler has a lot of experience in this field. He has been coaching for the last six years as a head coach in the AAU circuit and has been a Varsity assistant coach for a few years as well. He finds that the biggest goal for his team is a championship. As he states: “that’s what everyone plays for.” In addition, the coach’s goals include making sure everyone is a better player at the end of the season than they were when the season first began. He said, “I thought my biggest challenge would be being able to teach my style of play with the minimal practice time as well as developing good chemistry within team. But to my surprise, the players have done a great job of both accepting the concepts I’ve taught them and they’ve meshed very well as a team at faster rate than expected.” He
January 2015 Ramaz Sports Schedule
thinks that his team will absolutely win the championship this year. He says that he doesn’t want to be overconfident, but he knows his team works very hard in every practice and game and that the only thing that can stop them from accomplishing that goal is themselves. In high school, Coach Butler played basketball for all 4 years and ran cross country for 1 season. His fondest memories was scoring over a thousand points to become his school’s 4th alltime leading scorer. The athlete that he admires the most is Kobe Bryant. Kobe’s work ethic and mentality of “I’m going to accomplish whatever goal I set and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop me” is what Mr. Butler loves most about him. The new boys Varsity basketball coach is Yogev Berdugo. He was not available for interview, but is surely looking forward to a great season.
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
3 Boys JV Basketball vs Maor (2PM)
4
5
6 Girls Varsity Basketball at North Shore, 6:45 PM
7 Girls JV Basketball at North Shore, 6:45 PM
8
9 Boys Varsity Basketball vs Hillel, 8:30 PM at Ramaz
15
16
22
23
Boys JV and Varsity Hockey at SAR, 6:30 and 8:15 PM JV and Varsity Volleyball vs Kushner, 7:30 and 8:30 PM at Ramaz
10 11 12 Ramaz Annual _ JV and VarsiDinner ty Volleyball at SAR, 6:45 and 7:45 PM
17
Girls JV Basketball vs HAFTR, 6:45 PM at Ramaz 18
19
13 Boys JV and Varsity Hockey vs SAR, 6:30 and 8:30 PM at Ramaz
14 Girls Varsity Basketball at Heschel, 6:15 PM
20
21
Boys JV Basketball at SAR, 6:15 PM
Crossword 12
Nicole Aboodi ’17
Across 7 First African American woman to win an Emmy for Best Actress in a Drama (2 words) 10 FDR's disease 11 Ferris Bueller's girlfriend 12 Actor who plays Four in Divergent (2 words) 13 Organization involving the Clippers and the Heat 15 Word not to be said in a theater 17 Author of Great Expectations (2 words) 19 Author of The Hunger Games (2 words) 22 Gentlemen Prefer Blondes star (2 words) 23 Country known for pyramids 24 Loser of the 1828 presidential election (2 words) 27 Ex-football player, now alongside Kelly Ripa (2 words) 28 Spongebob's boss (2 words) 33 1986 World Series winners 34 Prince who married Sleeping Beauty 36 Ice cream brand or cartoon show (3 words) 38 Actor of Die Hard and Red (2 words) 39 Phoebe Buffay's husband 40 Ice skating move or Ramaz teacher 41 Great lake 43 Austrian city or Billy Joel song 44 Group with song, 'Drops of Jupiter' 45 Demi Lovato's new album 48 State of which Topeka is the capital 49 Number of how many letters this hint has Down 1 Head of Ramaz Foreign Language department: Dr. ____ 2 Character portrayed by Taraji P. Henson on Empire 3 Family Feud host Steve 4 Current vice president (2 words) 5 33rd U.S. President (2 words) 6 Cara Delevigne stars in movie based on this book (2 words) 8 Kellogg's Frosted ____ 9 Brad Pitt movie with Jonah Hill 14 Prefix of 'corn' and 'cycle' 16 'Raindrops and roses and ______' (3 words) 18 Heathcliff 's wife 20 Material stereotypically by hippies 21 Beyonce's 'Love on ___' 25 Bloody ___ or Virgin ___ 26 Operation in which Yoni Netanyahu died 29 Trophy won in NHL (2 words) 30 Tennis tournament in London 31 Taylor Swift's song about Katy Perry (2 words) 32 E Days 35 G.O. Secretary (2 words) 37 Garner or Hudson 42 Fjallraven ____ 45 Part of leg or young livestock 46 Magic School Bus's teacher's last name 47 Longtime Dallas Cowboys quarterback (2 words)
The Rampage
December 2015/Tevet 5776
Crossword
Answer key availible at http://www.the-rampage.org/category/features/