WINTER 2016
ON THE INSIDE
Lessons from the Life of Yitzak Rabin “Arguments for the sake of heaven” is a Jewish concept. We are taught that if we approach disagreements with respect and an openness to compromise—as well as a willingness to consider other people’s perspectives and that we ourselves could be at fault—then conflicts can be honorable and productive even if they do not result in agreement. This was one of the lessons that our students learned as part of our celebration of the life of Yitzak Rabin this fall. The lesson came from two young Israeli representatives from the Dror Israel Movement, a group of educators working to strengthen faith and actualize the values of equality, social alliance, and social responsibility. Rashi students learn about the life of Yitzak Rabin. The two representatives, Zohar and Tsur, shared with students the stages of Rabin’s career as a military man, a politician, and an advocate for peace in the Middle East. For Rashi educators, the visit provided not only a chance to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Rabin’s death, but also an opportunity to share his legacy with a new generation. “Most of the youngest students had never heard of Rabin at all,” explained Middle continued on page 2
Aronoffs to be Honored at Annual Dinner Rashi’s 2016 Annual Dinner, to be held on Wednesday, May 25 at the Seaport Hotel in Boston, will honor Alumni Parents Jessica and David Aronoff (parents of Hannah ‘08 and Jacob ‘12) with the Kehillah Award. The Aronoffs have been a dedicated and committed part of the parent leadership during their thirteen years at Rashi, including David’s tenure as president of the Board of Trustees from 2011–2013. Jessica and David are passionate about Rashi’s mission of excellence in secular and Jewish education. This year marks our 30th anniversary, and we will be celebrating the many ways that Rashi Jessica and David Aronoff has been, and continues to be, an innovative leader. Additionally, we will recognize a Rashi alumnus or alumna with the fifth annual Tikkun Alum Award. The event begins with cocktails and is followed by a seated dinner and program. Proceeds from this evening support Rashi’s 2016 Annual Campaign, which provides vital funds to bridge the gap between tuition income and the cost to educate Rashi students. For more information, contact Kim Stone at kstone@rashi.org.
On the Inside On the Inside, the newsletter of the Rashi community, is so named because the Biblical commentaries of Rashi (our school’s namesake) were always on the inside of the pages of Talmud. The 2015 Limud Award Celebration Page 2 Passing on a Passion for Math Page 3 Teacher Spotlight: Rabbi Sharon Clevenger Page 5 Social Justice Curriculum Page 6 Alumni News Page 7 1
COMMUNITY
Head of the Middle School Glenda Speyer with Keith Civin and Head of School, Mallory Rome.
A Message From Mallory Welcome to the Winter 2016 edition of On The Inside! It gives us great joy to share some of what makes Rashi such a vibrant and exciting place to learn. I have thoroughly enjoyed every day this fall of getting to know the school and every glimpse into the “inside” of Rashi - the learning, the spirit, the lived core values, and the visible delight teachers and students alike take in their work. I am sure you will find similar insight and pleasure as you read these articles and learn even more about the school and its rich community. Mallory Rome Head of School
Keith Civin Honored with Limud Award The fourth annual Rashi School Limud Award Celebration was held on December 3 at Congregation Mishkan Tefila in Chestnut Hill. Over 300 guests joined in celebrating our exceptional faculty as we honored Middle School Social Studies Teacher Keith Civin, whose dedication to Rashi spans over a decade. It was a fun and meaningful evening filled with good friends, delicious food, music and
We extend a heartfelt thank you to Event Co-Chairs Johanna Gordon & Jeffrey Martin, Susan & Roger Patkin, and Lisa & Andrew Sussman, as well as the Event Committee and our many wonderful volunteers and raffle donors. Keith Civin delivers his Limud Award acceptance speech.
Yitzak Rabin cont. School Rabbi Sharon Clevenger. “This was their first introduction to his life, but even kids at their age could see that he made a huge transformation.” For older students and Rashi’s faculty, the anniversary offered an opportunity to consider Rabin’s life and death from new angles. Utilizing Rashi’s Sukkat Shalom, a space constructed in 1995 in commemoration of Rabin’s work, the Social Justice team hopes to further explore the idea of how to honorably work through conflict. “While the Sukkat Shalom was dedicated in memory of Rabin and to honor his life and legacy, it was also
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a lively raffle. Thanks to our many generous supporters, this year’s event raised $106,000 to benefit Rashi’s 2016 Annual Campaign.
intended to help us move forward,” explained Social Justice Coordinator, Stephanie Rotsky, describing how the space is intended to provide a place for discussion and meditation, to wrestle with complex issues, and to work together to take positive action. The Rashi Faculty and Staff look forward to infusing the Sukkat Shalom with renewed intentionality in the months to come, using the space to pass on Rabin’s legacy to a new generation, teaching them to work through disagreements and conflict in a way that is holy and that can help repair a divided world.
GENERATIONS
Passing on a Passion for Math How do you commemorate the 90th birthday of a mathematician? Cindy Carter’s 8th Grade students decided to do it with a birthday card featuring an array of math problems, proofs, expressions, and messages: all of which featured the number 90. The 90-year-old mathematician is Eli Botkin, a retired aerospace engineer and NewBridge resident, who comes to Rashi twice a week to assist in Cindy Carter’s Grade 7 and 8 math classes. He humbly downplays his impressive credentials: undergraduate and graduate degrees in physics and engineering from NYU and Caltech and a career that has included work on the lunar lander. “A lot of my work has been in aerospace, aerodynamics, spacecraft,” he explained and then added the charming understatement, “and how they go from here to there.” Eli has been volunteering in Cindy’s classes for two years. “I enjoy math and physics, it’s always been my forté, and I still do a lot of it myself at home, so I thought I would give Rashi a try, and I love it...the kids are very nice to talk to and very bright, too!” Eli helps in the classroom in a variety of ways: answering students’ questions, working with them one-on-one, and giving presentations on a variety of topics. His first presentation was on time, “a difficult subject, because it is relativity theory” he said, “but I found a way to present it in a PowerPoint presentation without
equations, describing why time isn’t what you think it is.” Cindy recalls how the presentation connected with the students, and how she heard them discussing it in the halls afterwards. “Having Eli around raises the discussion level,” she explained. “I think it’s very interesting to see how different teachers teach. Eli’s teaching abilities are really effective. We always learn new things when he comes to our class” observed eighth grader, Sonya P. Yael B. from Grade 7 echoed the sentiment saying, “I’ve enjoyed getting a different view of each problem and different views of how Ms. Carter teaches it versus how Eli teaches it.” Cindy expressed that it’s often Eli’s perspective that provides the students with the boost they need to make intuitive leaps. “He prompts the students to ask new questions,” she explained, describing how Eli has helped take students’ understanding of algebraic concepts to a higher level, giving them a springboard to dive deeper into pivotal mathematical concepts.
Pictured Above: Eli Botkin with Grade 7 students Sam F. and Bennett G.
As the students presented the card to Eli, their appreciation of him and his appreciation of them was clear. Even at 90, well into his retirement, Eli is still hard at work, passing on his passion for math and physics to the next generation and helping stretch students’ ideas of the universe from here to there.
Pictured Right: Eli Botkin assisting with a Grade 8 math class.
Generations Day To the delight of grandchildren, grandparents and special friends alike, Rashi opened its doors for its annual Generations Day event during which our guests could see, first hand, what it’s like to attend our school. Save the date for next year’s Generations Day on October 21, 2016. Pictured Left: Alexis W. and her grandmother, Judy White.
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LEARNING
Encouraging Exploration with “Everyday Science” Rashi eighth grader Sydney H. stood, poised and collected, in front of the Grade 7 class. She was visiting the grade to offer her insights into its upcoming Everyday Science Experiment project. Sydney remembered how it felt to be where they were, faced with the task of finding a topic, designing an experiment, gathering data, and presenting the findings to her peers. She stood before them with a goal: to frame the assignment as an opportunity to explore, a chance to dig deeper into a topic that interested them that might just yield some surprising discoveries along the way, like how grunting can change up a game of tennis.
The Everyday Science Experiment project, explains Middle School Science Teacher Alison Fine, was designed to be open-ended, and like most of her science curriculum, intended to encourage self-directed scientific exploration. Students pick their own subject matter for the project, their only guidelines being it must be something meaningful to them that applies to their life. As Sydney explained to the Grade 7 class, this led her to an unconventional topic. A competitive tennis player, Sydney saw in the project a chance to settle a score with her tennis instructor. “My coach always told me that I should be grunting while I was serving and I didn’t want to,” she explained.
Making explosive vocalizations seemed embarrassing to her. Surely, using the scientific method to test this idea would let her off the hook. At least that’s what Sydney thought would happen. After gathering her subjects and recording the speed of their serves with grunting and without, she reviewed her data. “My coach was right,” she laughed: the results showed faster speeds on serves accompanied by a grunt. Although she may not have reached her desired outcome, Sydney had gotten data she could use to improve her game. “We often base our opinions on things that we think are true without digging deeper to confirm the facts. I want my students to understand that facts are based on real data—even when it comes to seemingly non-scientific situations like playing tennis,”explained Ms. Fine. “This project allows students to apply scientific principles to everyday life and encourages them to think critically about the world around them.” By giving students an open-ended assignment, entirely dependent on their curiosity and willingness to explore, Ms. Fine encourages a deeper level of engagement with the material they study in class. It is an approach that has encouraged students like Sydney to love science, see its value, and feel confident in exploring it for themselves. Sydney concluded her presentation and bid the class farewell before returning to her regular schedule. Although
Sydney H. speaks to the Grade 7 science class about their Everyday Science project.
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Welcome to Our New Faculty and Staff The talents and experience of these full time teachers and staff members are enhancing Rashi this year. We welcome them to our school community. Glenn Allen Facilities
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Mali Brodt MS Language Arts Teacher
Colin Ferland Music Teacher
Teacher Spotlight: Rabbi Sharon Clevenger Creating a Space for Personal Judaism Rabbi Sharon Clevenger is in her seventh year serving as Rashi’s Middle School Rabbi. That’s six 8th Grade trips to Israel, thirteen semesters teaching Torah, and approximately 468 Middle School minyan services. It is also countless small moments. These everyday moments in life are meaningful to Rabbi Clevenger because she sees in each of them the opportunity to connect with something larger. She approaches each day ready to engage with Jewish identity and faith in new ways, aware that today could be the day that a small, everyday occurrence ignites a personal connection with Judaism for one of her students. “My role in the Middle School is to enable students to live engaged and meaningful Jewish lives in every facet of their daily existence,” Rabbi Clevenger explains. “I want them to see their faith as relevant to themselves and that they are relevant to Judaism.” She calls feeling that relevance an “Aha! Moment” and she loves seeing them in action, watching a student find his or her voice in the Torah or realizing that Judaism has something to say about what they are currently thinking and feeling. She encourages these insights with a teaching approach that focuses on the personal—both sharing from her own life and connecting with students where they are in theirs. “I think that it is really important for the students to
Mike Finke Technical Theater Manager
Rebecca Holloway MS Learning Specialist
Rabbi Sharon Clevenger leads the Middle School in the celebration of Simchat Torah.
I want them to see thier faith as relevant to themsleves and that they are relevant to Judaism. know that nobody is a finished product when it comes to Judaism…or life,” she explained, “and I am comfortable sharing my own journey and my doubts with the kids. By being open and honest about my own ongoing process of Jewish discovery, it frees the students to also be open and honest and not to think they need to have all the answers.” For Rabbi Clevenger, her work at Rashi is not a finished product either. “Her hard work never ceases to amaze her colleagues and her dedication to continual personal and professional improvement is a hallmark of her work,” notes Rashi’s School Rabbi, Jodi Seewald Smith. Rabbi Clevenger says the hard work is worth it if it helps students personally
Julie Levine School Librarian
Mallory Rome Head of School
engage with Jewish learning and Jewish living in meaningful ways. It’s obvious that her efforts are not going to waste. “Sharon fulfills the mission of Rashi in cultivating in each student his or her unique Jewish identity,” comments Glenda Speyer, Rashi’s Head of Upper School, “She has had a remarkable impact on the lives of adolescents at Rashi and has inspired them to build a relationship with their Judaism.” With a curriculum that is rich in Jewish learning and speaks to students’ everyday concerns, Rabbi Clevenger pushes students to think more deeply about their own theology and relationship to the world around them, explains Rabbi Smith. She added,“through her teaching, students learn about Judaism and Jewish texts, and at the same time learn about themselves.”
Lisi Sesnovich Director of Finance and Operations
Lynn Shulman Administrative Assistant 5
JUSTICE
Social Justice: Curriculum That Creates Change
Often, social justice is equated with taking action. And while action is essential in order to create positive change in the world, Rashi’s Social Justice Coordinator Stephanie Rotsky explains that to create true progress, action must be accompanied by learning and empathy. “Any program with one and not the other is missing something important,” she says, “At Rashi, we have both. Sometimes learning informs action and other times action inspires learning, but both are essential.” This idea underpins Rashi’s Social Justice Curriculum. Starting in Kindergarten, students are introduced to social justice concepts using a three-pillar system of classroom learning: teach Torah to raise awareness, identify brokenness in the world, and fulfill the mitzvah of tikkun olam (repairing the world). “The goal of social justice integration in the classroom is cultivating consciousness, empathy, and perspective taking in students,” Stephanie notes. By emphasizing how to be aware, to identify brokenness within the world, and to work to create change over and over again at every grade level, the process becomes a part of how Rashi students interact with the world both in and outside of the classroom. Stephanie recalls seeing this process unfold before her eyes after finding a handful of bills and some loose change on her desk earlier this fall. The money had come from Leah and Nina, two Grade 4 students, and Naomi, a student in Grade 1, who had earned the sum selling homemade lemonade over the summer. “They asked me to find a good recipient for the money,” Stephanie explained, “but I said ‘No, you should choose.’ The
beautiful part is they had lots of ideas! And then all of a sudden they start talking about MEDIAGIRLS.” Stephanie was shocked. MEDIAGIRLS was an organization that Middle Schoolers studied as part of Rashi’s 2015 Purim Tamchui project. At the time Leah, Nina, and Naomi had not directly learned about the organization, but the girls had absorbed enough of the organization’s mission to be impacted by its work and know that they wanted to help. Leah, Nina, and Naomi’s eyes and ears were open to what was going on around them and they had identified an area of brokenness in the world that needed to change and they wanted to be part of the solution. “That’s what we’re nurturing,” Stephanie concluded, “being critical thinkers and learning how to evaluate and take action.” By integrating social justice studies into a three-part system of classroom learning, Rashi’s unique Social Justice Curriculum turns the school’s values into an effective education program that prepares Rashi students take on the work of tikkun olam in powerful ways.
The Social Justice Curriculum Three Pillars of Classroom Learning Teach Torah to Raise Awareness
Identify Brokenness in the World
Fulfill the Mitzvah of Tikkun Olam
Kindergarten: Kehillah and kavod
Hunger Awareness
Visiting & Donating to a Food Pantry
Grade 1: Mitzvot
Homelessness
Making Hats for the Homeless
Grade 2: Shomrei Adamah
Water Pollution and Water Preservation
Building Water Filters
Grade 3: Love Your Neighbor As Yourself
Cultural Differences/Stereotypes
Speaking Up for Others
Grade 4: Honoring our Elders
Human Connections and Relationships
Building Relationships with Elders
Grade 5: The Power of Words
Relationships of Unequal Power
Learning to be an “Up-stander”
Grade 6: Guardians of the Earth
Human Impact on the Environment
Protecting the Environment
Grade 7: Justice
People on the Periphery of Society
Understanding Legislation
Grade 8: Love of Israel
Lack of Peace in the Middle East; Holocaust
Our Connection to Klal Israel
Everyday Science cont. Sydney may have moved on from seventh grade science lessons, it’s clear that the knowledge she gained there has stayed with her, providing her with principles she can
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rely on in her journey through Grade 8, into high school and beyond, out into a world that she can question, explore, and improve with science.
ALUMNI NEWS
Rashi is proud of the accomplishments of its alumni and is delighted to share their news.
1999
2009
Ethan Stone and Rebecca Sheff (pictured right) were married on June 28, 2015 in Marshfield, MA. While they grew up in the Boston area, Ethan and Rebecca met half a world away while they were living in Bujumbura, Burundi. After the wedding, Ethan and Becca settled down with their Burundian dog “Boon” in Mount Rainier, Maryland near Washington, D.C. where Ethan continues his career as a Diplomatic Security Special Agent with the Department of State and Rebecca begins her career as a human rights lawyer.
Sam Moller, a junior at Dickinson College, is currently studying in Malaga in Andalusia, Spain for the semester.
2011
Ethan Stone (‘99) and Rebecca Sheff.
Isaac Sebenius is spending a gap year in Israel on the BBYO Beyond gap year program.
2003
2013
Johanna Ledley completed her Master’s in biophysics and physiology and is currently working as a research assistant at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
2004 Zander Sebenius is currently working as a Market Strategy Analyst at SolarCity in San Francisco.
Zach Blankstein was elected into the National Honor Society this fall at Needham High School. He can be found each week leading services, songs, and youth programs at Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley. Michael Ryter (‘14) placed 5th in the Congressional Debate at the Princeton University Classic Debate Tournament.
2006
2005 Julia Cohen completed her Master’s Degree in Education and is living in Israel. Gila Belsky is teaching math at Achievement First Brownsville Middle School in Brooklyn, NY. Ari Hoffman recently got engaged to Sandra Cohen. The pair met two years ago at an AIPAC event in NYC.
Sydney Blankstein is a freshman at Quinnipiac University in CT having graduated from Gann Academy in 2015 and is looking forward to seeing her Rashi classmates at the five-year reunion in the spring.
Alyza Sebenius is currently working as an editorial fellow at “The Atlantic” in Washington D.C.
Sarah Sarnak will be returning to X’eqol, a rural community, in Santa Cruz del Quiche, Guatemala, in February 2016 with other students from Needham High School on a service trip for “School the World.”
2014 Jonah Garnick is writing opinion articles for the newspaper and is on the debate team at Milton Academy.
2008 Adam Beckman and Gina Starfield were selected as finalists for the Rhodes Scholarship and were invited to the Scholarship’s final interview weekend in November.
To contribute content for Alumni News contact Kim Stone at kstone@rashi.org
Submit nominations for this year’s Tikkun Alum Award! For more information, go to: www.rashi.org/alumni/tikkun_alum.php
Let us know what you have been up to! Contact Kim Stone at kstone@rashi.org.
Join the official Rashi School Alumni Association fan page on Facebook.
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SAVE THE DATE NYC Alumni Event January 31, 2016
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Do You Know a Family That Would Thrive at Rashi? Virtually every family who comes to tour Rashi has been encouraged to consider our school by a community member who raved about us. Parents and community members provide an authentic view and can share personal stories about what goes on both inside and outside of the Rashi classroom.
DON’T MISS THESE UPCOMING EVENTS!
Rashi Admissions appreciates your referrals. Please call Emily Berkowitz at 781-355-7317 or email eberkowitz@rashi.org.
Tu B’Shevat: Superheroes of the Soil Friday, January 29 | 1:30 PM - 2:15 PM Purim: It’s a Costume Party Friday, March 25 | 1:30 PM - 2:15 PM Yom HaAtzmaut: Happy Birthday, Israel! Friday, May 13 | 1:30 PM - 2: 15 PM
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