The Phoenix 2017-2018 Issue 6

A Student Publication of the Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School • 1609 Avenue J, Brooklyn, New York • Vol 52, Issue 6 • March 2018 / 5778

Poetry Slam Reborn

By Kaden Harari

pant performs one or two poems in front of an audience, and winners are chosen Contributing Writer by faculty judges.

Five Flatbush students participated in the March slam: seniors Dorette Dayan, Claire Lessler, and Yaron Sternberg and sophomores Sarah Dagmy and Rose Sternberg. Although the Flatbush students did not win, Mr. Hofstetter explained that his and Ms. Lamm’s goal for this first time out was simply to give the students some experience so that they can perform better at future events.

“I joined because I love writing and expressing myself through writing, and to see others doing it, too,” Rose SternSternberg reads his work at the March slam berg explained. “You can learn so much After two long years out of commis- about a person from what and how they sion, Poetry Slam is proudly making write.”

Poetry Slam in Flatbush was run by a comeback at Flatbush. Ms. Lamm is Ms. Robinson until she moved to Israel bringing this program back to life with help from Mr. Hofstetter, beginning with three years ago and handed the reins to a competition on Long Island on March Ms. Lamm. Since then, however, stu22, jointly hosted at the Young Israel of dents have been unable to commit to this commission and Flatbush has stopped Woodmere by DRS and SKA. Flatbush once again is now part of the hosting and attending slams. This year, Yeshiva Poetry Society, a league where perhaps because they have been writing students various yeshivot meet sever- more poetry in their Writing Workshop al times a year for spoken-word poetry classes, more students have expressed incompetitions, or slams, hosted by a dif- terest and are ready to put the effort into ferent school each time. To participate, Poetry Slam.

Ms. Lamm explained that she is hopstudents prepare their poetry in advance; ing to use this year as a building block for usually a theme and format to follow is chosen by the host school. Every particicontinued on page 3

Backgammon Taking Over Library

By Sam Beyda Sports Editor

Anyone who has stepped into the library recently has noticed this spring’s new trend: backgammon. It seems that everywhere you look students from all grades are playing with new sets that the school library bought to keep up with the new demand.

While always popular in the adjacent Sephardic community, backgammon (also called “tole” or “shesh besh”) had never quite made its way into the lives of many Flatbush students inside the building. Two juniors, Eric Ben-Shlomo and Teddy Betesh, who wanted to bring the popular board game into the school, decided to create the Backgammon Club—a commission whose sole purpose was to spread the love of the game.

Ben-Shlomo and Betesh decided to inaugurate their commission with a tournament. At the start Ben-Shlomo was expecting “16, maybe 32” players, but the tournament ended up including a 64-student field, with a waiting list of over ten more.

Initially, the hope was that the tournament would be completed in one day, but because of the commission’s recent

Jacob Bailey (left) and Noah Sedaka (right) face off as Ben-Shlomo looks on

creation, Rabbi Beyda decided that the tournament games would need to be played on students’ free time. Heartbroken, the commissioners thought no one would want to give up lunch periods to compete, but a month later the tournament is still going strong.

Mr. Galpert, the commission’s faculty advisor, says that he “couldn’t have imagined what it turned out to be; an idea of two students transformed into a movement of many students playing backgammon. It’s great to see students from

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Nut Allergies Present New Challenge in High School

By Raquel Silvera Sophomore Editor

Most elementary school students wouldn’t dare bring a peanut butter sandwich or even a Snickers bar into school.

The rules of nut-free schools and the severity of peanut allergies are drilled into children from a young age. However, once kids get to high school the rules suddenly become much more relaxed.

At Flatbush, peanut butter is sold in the cafeteria and nut-filled chocolate bars are available in school vending machines.

Although high school students with allergies are perfectly capable of staying away from their allergens, the lax food policies and lack of a school nurse could still be dangerous.

As of now the school’s actions toward allergy safety mainly consists of asking parents to fill out medical forms with

In This Issue Alumnus:

David Soffer, special assistant to the governor Page 2

their child’s allergies, with space for them needed. Guidance Counselor Ms. Dayan to add in how severe the child’s reaction explained students with allergies are also could be. However, the school’s data logs strongly encouraged to keep Benadryl are only as accurate as the students and and an Epipen (an auto-injector device parents want them to be, since the gov- used to manage serious reactions to alernment requires parents to provide such lergens) on them at all times. And alinformation only though they can ask for elementary the office to hold school students. it for them, in the The high school case of an emergendoes encourcy the student must age students and inject themselves parents to notify with the Epipen. In guidance or the addition, the office office about their doesn’t have profesThe school vending machines are hardly nut-free allergies and other sional knowledge or conditions, such as asthma or diabetes, training with allergies to know exactly but it is not required. how to handle those kinds of situations Meanwhile, the high school hasn’t if they were to occur. Thankfully, the had a dedicated school nurse in over five school hasn’t any serious allergy-related years, although Ms. Nemet, the nurse incidents. at Flatbush Elementary, is on call when Several Flatbush students spoke to

The Phoenix to provide some insight on what it’s like to have allergies in a school without strict policies. Most of these students agreed that they feel comfortable and old enough to be careful around their allergens such as peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, dairy, and so on.

However, some students also expressed that it would make them and their parents feel a lot more secure to have a nurse in the building, just in case something goes wrong. Many students, especially those with nut allergies, can have life-threatening reactions to allergens, including having trouble breathing if their throat or tongue swells up.

Sophia Mizrahi, a junior, shared the story of when she had an allergic reaction during class and needed Benadryl, but the office didn’t have any. “I ended up having to wait until my mom brought me some,” she said, “and it was very scary.”

Entertainment:

Sports:

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18 Under 18: Students excelling outside of the classroom

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Entertainment: Flatbush falls for Fortnite Page 6

Sammy Burekhovich: student, athlete, baal chesed, and more

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Faculty Freshman:

Ms. Feinstein

By Linda Benun Contributing Writer

Ms. Jillian Feinstein is the newest addition to our school’s College Guidance department. She said she chose to work at Flatbush because she “really liked the feeling of the school” and loved that she “could be a dedicated college counselor here.” She loves the community in our school and all the friendly people she meets. Despite the fact that “it’s a lot for me to learn, being in a new place,” she says she is really enjoying Flatbush. She spends most days talking to seniors and juniors (and the occasional freshman or sophomore) about college. She edits a lot of college essays and talks to students about educational plans. She also helps students fill out their applications, explains what SAT/ACT scores mean, and writes letters of recommendation.

Ms. Feinstein was born and raised on Long Island, and her parents were both originally from Eastern Europe. She graduated from the College of William & Mary, a liberal arts college in Virginia. She then went to Columbia Teachers College for her Master’s degree. She majored in psychology and religious studies as an undergraduate, but origi-

nally thought she was going to major in theatre. A fun fact about her is that she appeared on Sesame Street when she was a kid.

Before Ms. Feinstein came to work at Flatbush, she interned at a public school in Manhattan as part of her graduate program. She also used to work in an after-school program with kindergarten children. She says that she “loved working in schools, just not kindergarten.”

Ms. Feinstein picked college guidance as a career because she “was the nerd who enjoyed applying to college.”

As a student, she was always the person people went to “when they needed help with writing and editing.” She also worked as an academic advisor in college, a job she really loved. She decided that those things would go nicely into a career as a guidance counselor.

Ms. Feinstein said working in college guidance was one of about five different things she thought about doing as a career when she was in college. She knew that it was a good mix of education, psychology and writing, all of which she is passionate about. She finally decided during her senior year of college that it was what she wanted to do. She was presented with a job offer as a fellow at Venture for America or offers of admission at either Hunter College or Columbia University, but she knew that she really wanted to work as a college counselor, so she picked graduate school.

In her free time, Ms. Feinstein says she enjoys playing all types of different games, such as board games and video games. On a normal day, she says she usually wakes up, exercises, eats breakfast, and goes to work. At night she cooks dinner and plays some games, watches TV, or reads. She also tries to make time for friends during the week.

Ultimately, she says her goal in life is to be “happy and fulfilled.” She also says

Meet a Flatbush Family:

David and Evelyn Tawil

By James Tebele Contributing Writer

A recent study from the University of Essex has shown that having a sibling in

the same school as you are in when growing up can help boost your academic success.

This is certainly true in the case of David and Evelyn Tawil, siblings in the

The Phoenix Staff Editor-in-Chief: Daliah Ben-Ari Managing Editor: Sylvia Ashkenazie Senior Editors: Mary Jajati, Danielle Ohana School News Editors: Monique Abramson, Dorette Dayan Religion Editor: Danielle Duchan World News Editor: Sharon Chappan Entertainment Editor: Fortune Manopla Music Editor: Brenda Tawil

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Alumnus Interview:

David Soffer (’05)

By Julie Saadia Junior Editor

David Soffer, who graduated Flatbush in 2005, is now a special assistant to the Governor of Kansas. His job is not easy.

He handles Governor Jeff Colyer’s schedule and planning, and he must be available almost 24/7.

Soffer says his urge to help people is what led him to a career in politics, as well as a desire to meet people of all backgrounds. “It’s been a very rewarding career so far,” he said.

However, being Jewish is not always easy in the political world. His religious needs, such as not working on Shabbat, are addressed. But as a proud supporter of Israel, Soffer finds it hard to address supporters of BDS and anti-Israel protests. Nonetheless, “I am thankful for having the ability to help affect the results these challenges bring,” he said.

Soffer currently lives with his wife, their son, Isaac, and their dog, Yankee, in a Jewish community outside of Kansas City. He met his wife in New York and then moved to Kansas, where his wife grew up. He says family drives him to be

the best he can be every day.

Life in Kansas is very different than NYC. There is less noise and traffic, fewer people, fewer kosher restaurants, and it’s a lot more “slow paced.” Another major difference is the social environment. In Kansas while out on a walk, almost everyone you see will stop you to say hello.

In his free time he likes to play and watch sports, help out his community, spend time with his family, and of course keep up with the news.

Soffer said that Flatbush affected his future immensely. It challenged him and taught him the importance of a strong work ethic. He especially thankful to Ms. Kaplowitz, Rabbi Prag, and Ms. Bloom for mentoring him and teaching him lessons that remain with him today.

When he reached college, he was glad that the workload was a bit easier than it was at Flatbush. After earning his BA and MPA from SUNY Albany, Soffer worked for the New York State Comptroller, a job that gave him valuable experience and led him down his career path. He strongly encourages current Flatbush students to look into colleges that are outside of NYC. His experience in SUNY Albany was phenomenal in many ways, including enabling him to encounter people from new backgrounds and cultures.

If he could go back to Flatbush to speak with his younger self, he would offer this advice: “Keep following the life you set forth. Life has its challenges, its speed bumps and everything in between, but if you always stay on that path, you control what you make out of life, even if it isn’t just the way you thought it would be as a kid. Because let’s be honest, who in Flatbush thinks they’ll end up in Kansas?”

that she wants to read “a TON of books, and adopt a dog,” a goal she is currently working on. It seems as though Ms. Fein-

stein is already well on her way to achieving her life goals.

Yeshivah of Flatbush High School.

David, a junior, and Evelyn, a freshman, have a very close bond with one another—every day they travel to and from school together, they always manage to see each other in the hallways between periods, and they even find time to talk with each other about how the day is going. During Evelyn’s first few weeks at Flatbush, David helped her navigate the school by finding her classroom or showing her how to organize her soon-to-be very busy Flatbush schedule.

David’s tips further helped when Evelyn was struggling to decide what classes to take, like Coding or Spanish, and whether or not to take more Gemara classes. With his knowledge of what the class entailed and knowing what Evelyn would enjoy, David helped her decide.

Evelyn explained that there are many other benefits to having a sibling in school. “If one of us forgets something in school, and the other is still there, we bring home whatever either of us needs,” she said.

“It’s definitely convenient,” David

agreed. He added that their relationship really has grown as a result of being in the same school. “It’s great to see each other outside of our home. It really gives us an amazing opportunity to expand our already strong bond,” he shared.

Some might think that a junior and a freshman have no similar work to do together, and therefore little time to catch up. That is not the case for David and Evelyn, who find time to spend together while managing the rigorous Flatbush schedule. “We study for things together like the Talmud final or Chagim quizzes,” Evelyn said. As an older sibling, David encourages Evelyn to join as many extracurricular activities and sports teams as possible because he knows it will further enhance Evelyn’s Flatbush high school experience.

When Evelyn is a junior she will be on her own in high school for the first time, but it’s safe to say that, thanks to all the tips and guidance from David, she will be doing great and be ready to pass those tips to new freshmen to come.

Standard of Fabulous Editors: Dubby Sasson, Jessica Vaysman Fun & Games Editor: Aida Hasson Sports Editor: Sam Beyda Junior Editors: Ezra Faks, Esther Hidary, Albert Saad, Julie Saadia Sophomore Editors: Sarah Dagmy, Raquel Silvera Design: Carolina Cohen Faculty Adviser: Adam Hofstetter

High School Administration Rabbi Raymond Harari, Head of School Rabbi Joseph Beyda, Principal Ms. Sari Bacon, Associate Principal Ms. Esther Hidary, Assistant Principal / Director of Admissions Rabbi Craig Lubner, Assistant Principal

Flatbush Students Create Museum Exhibit

By Sarah Dagmy Sophomore Editor

Twenty-one Yeshivah of Flatbush students displayed their work in a multimedia exhibit at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Manhattan on March 15. In connection with a Tsei U’lemad taught

by Jewish History teacher Ms. Schulman, students employed various art forms to represent Jewish resistance to anti-Semitism and persecution throughout history.

The exhibit included works of writing, paintings, graphic design, and music.

Facing History gave Ms. Shulman a grant to support the project. Ms. Schulman selected the museum as the venue.

Mr. Novetsky and Ms. Cohen worked with the students on the art projects and layout of the exhibit. Ms. Sanders worked on the written components of the projects and the other details of the program.

At the event itself, the students stood by their art, explaining it to the visitors.

The event was attended by relatives of the participating students, dozens of mem-

bers of the YOF faculty, Flatbush alumni, and several museum-goers. Mr. Novetsky made opening remarks, followed by Brian Sussman of Facing History and an official from the museum, who presented each participating student with a certificate from the museum.

One goal of the exhibit was to give people a wider perspective on the many powerful and moving stories about resistance throughout Jewish history that would otherwise go unheard. Attendees were unanimously impressed with the quality of the students’ work and the deep meanings behind it. A few attendees even inquired about purchasing some of the pieces.

Student AJ Fine said the part of the experience he appreciated the most is “how much we’ve learned throughout our time working on the exhibit. I hope that whoever sees our exhibit will come to a greater understanding and appreciation for what it means to be Jewish and feel a strong connection to ‫כל ל ישראל‬.”

Danielle Malka added, “My favorite

Junior Teri Franco (center) explains her piece part about the exhibit was when I walked through the room filled with the art. You can really see the immense amount of effort and time the students put into the projects, and I felt as if I was standing in

Students, with their faculty advisors, show off their certificates

D’var Torah:

Humility Leads to Kindness

By Danielle Duchan Religion Editor

Pesach. The word alone conjures up images of boxes of matzah, cups of wine, seder plates, and Haggadot (and constipation and endless bags of potato chips, but we’ll leave that aside for now).

But one of the sad things about Pesach is that if you ask a preschooler and high-schooler to free associate about the holiday, they’ll probably say similar things. It seems like a pretty rote holiday, with nothing much under the surface. It’s just a celebration of an event that happened 2,000 years ago, with little connection to our daily lives.

Why, then, are we told by our Sages that “a person must view himself as if he himself exited Egypt”? How can we ever behave as if we joyfully exited Egypt when we can barely keep our eyes open until shulchan orech?

But maybe the message isn’t one of joy and excitement about G-d’s miracles,

but one of humility.

We live in a divisive world. Everyone is constantly looking down on someone else or viewing someone else as an “other.” It’s easy to get caught up in this attitude and to view ourselves as better than others.

But if we remember our humble roots, if we view ourselves as if we are mere slaves who have just been freed by the grace of G-d, then it will be easier for us to resist haughtiness and arrogance.

It will be easier for us to become better people and better citizens of the world, because if we realize we’re not slaves only because of G-d’s kindness, we’ll pass on that kindness to others and help those who are now oppressed and in need of help.

So, on Pesach, look in the mirror and ask yourself, “How can I use my freedom and blessings from G-d to help others?”

It’ll help you extend the meaning of Pesach far beyond your last piece of matzah.

the scenes depicted by the art works.”

If you missed the powerful exhibit don’t worry since you may see it in our school’s Yom Hashoah program.

Junior Michael Gammal discusses the exhibit with Facing History’s Brian Sussman

Flatbush Poetry Slam Reborn continued from page 1

a more robust poetry slam program next year and beyond. “I hope to find enthusiastic commissioners who can take the lead and spread the word,” she said.

A number of students from each grade already have expressed serious interest in participating in the next slam SAR in May. At the moment, the Poetry Slam

commission is starting small but Ms. Lamm said she hopes it will grow into a club with regular meetings where students can expand their knowledge of poetry, learn new skills, and continuously practice writing and reciting poetry.

Interested students can contact Ms. Lamm or Mr. Hofstetter to learn more.

Backgammon Taking Over Library continued from page 1

different classes and grades interacting in this way.”

Betesh contributes the club’s success to a combination of two factors. He believes that “kids want to play because their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents played before them—it’s their heritage. Tole is the perfect game because of its practicality. You just pick up some dice in the library and get started. Tole isn’t like chess; there isn’t much thinking for us. Where to move is just a habit by now. The games also take five minutes.”

From the library’s perspective, the

tournament is a blessing. Head Librarian Ms. Kurtz takes pride in the breadth of resources available in the library. She is glad the tournament is bringing students into the library, where they’ll be exposed to everything it has to offer and see the library to be a warm, welcoming part of school. However, she recommends that students playing backgammon be mindful of other students in the library who are there to do work, and, of course, she asked that students “put the sets back so kids who want to play next still can.”

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Illustration by Cammi Cohen

Yeshiva of Flatbush regularly celebrates the students who excel in the classroom and on our many teams. But many Flatbush students’ most impresive accomplishmnets occur beyond school’s walls.

In this special feature we shine a spotlight on 18 Flatbush students who are achieving remarkable things in a variety of fields and activities outside of school.

By Daliah Ben-Ari and Sylvia Ashkenazie

Rachel Kamkhejhi, 12th grade Art

Rachel has always been in love with art and design, which makes her plan to major in interior design in college no surprise to anyone. She’s always looking for more ways to involve herself within the design world when she’s not in school, which is how she landed her current job at SM Stitches. She’s there every Sunday from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. helping out with customers, making transactions, teaching customers how to do different stitches, and even designing some of the canvases on her own.

On Instagram, she’s @design_by_rach, where she posts pictures of friends’ and family’s hair that she does for weddings and big parties. She can do everything, from complex braiding to ironing.

Nathan Marcus, 12th grade Business

Nathan always dreamed of starting his own company, and he recently decided not to wait for adulthood to do so.

On March 12, Nathan started the NJM League, a basketball league for senior boys that includes seven regular-season games, playoffs, and championships. There are 36 seniors currently in the league; 25 are from Flatbush and the other 11 are scattered among Ramaz, Bay Ridge, York and some other schools. There are six teams and the games are five on five with 10-minute running time. To run the league, Nathan rented out three courts, hired some referees, and started an Instagram account, @njmleague, to hype up his new business. In a matter of days, he had dozens of followers and soon the league was ready to begin.

After the league’s first two games, Marcus said, “It’s been a little messy, but I believe it’s going to get much more organized in the next few weeks.” He’s already made a few thousand dollars in profit and hopes to go on to establish even bigger and more successful companies.

Esther Kamkhatchi, 12th grade Fashion

When she was just 16, Esther’s parents saw an entrepreneurial spunk within her, and decided to open a small retail store selling fashion accessories under her name.

They explained to her that it would provide her with invaluable skills, and would translate into expertise upon graduating high school. After much thought and consideration, Esther decided to take on the challenge. On October 15, 2016, she and her parents signed the lease for the store, “Esther On 5th,” located on Avenue U and East 5th Street. Esther is responsible for advertising, spearheading the buying of merchandise, and displaying all the products.

The store has flourished since its establishment two years ago, due in large part to Esther’s creativity and ingenuity. “My favorite part of the job is getting to pick out all the merchandise that will be displayed and sold in the store, and I also really enjoy

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taking the pictures for the Instagram,” she said, explaining that she gets to take her creativity to the next level and decide the angle of the picture, the product, and the lighting.

Josh Wicentowsky, 10th grade Sports

Not only is Josh the captain of the Flatbush soccer team, but also he plays golf competitively and holds 10 local and national first-place titles, including the prestigious title of “Player of the World” as well as “Champion of the Rolex World Golf Championship.” He started playing golf at age seven with his family.

Wicentowsky enjoyed it so much so that he pursued it further on his own, starting small and entering himself in local tournaments and growing from there.

“Competing entails a lot of mental strength and hard, consistent work. To play at this level, I have to work a lot and practice a lot,” Wicentowsky explained. He practices one a week indoors during the winter, but practices essentially every day in the summer while traveling to various competitions. What Wicentowsky enjoys most about golf is the people he meets while playing and the relaxation the sport brings him. “It really makes me use my mind and think as I play,” he added.

Diane Azrak, 9th Grade Chesed

Diane is one of those people who has fun by making others feel good. This is why she spends most of her time doing chesed (she earned 60 chesed hours last semester without even realizing it). She’s been volunteering at SBH since she was a little girl, her family making it a tradition to help others every year. After her first Disney marathon trio five years ago, Diane began to look up to people in the community who spent their time helping out those who just need a little love; she knew she wanted to follow in their footsteps. Her goal is to be SBH Youth president like her mother was in her senior year of high school, but she knows that even after that she will continue to do chesed. “I find that once you see you made someone else happy, no matter how upset you are, you feel about a million times better.”

Madelyne Dayan, 9th grade Sports

Madelyne Dayan has a great passion for gymnastics. At age seven, she realized how much she enjoyed the sport and started pursuing it seriously. Dayan began competing three years ago at Level 4, but has dreams to go to the Olympics one day. Her Olympic dreams aren’t as feasible as she originally hoped, however, as many competitions take place on Friday nights and Saturdays.

The beam is Dayan’s favorite event. She said that gymnastics makes her feel unique. “I like that I’m able to do things that not many other people can. It sets me apart,” Dayan shared. And yes, Dayan is a member of the Flatbush gymnastics team.

Hannah Hasson, 10th grade Food

Hannah has been cooking and baking since she was little.

She’s constantly following food blogs, looking up new recipes, and making up her own. After taking professional cooking classes at the international culinary center in Manhattan, she decided to take her love for baking to the next level.

The idea of creating her own food blog came from the Blumenthal Scholars Program. She decided to finally stop pushing off the idea and get to work. She created her own logo and website (muffinaroundthekitchen. com), where she posts a new recipe every other week, as well as photos and video of her cooking adventures. One of the more unique features of her food blog is the science behind the cooking and development of the food. Hannah researches each ingredient, tries out multiple recipes with different measurements of the ingredients, and lets her readers know which is best and why.

Her blog is only the beginning of her baking career. “I’m learning a lot of new things about baking, web design, photography, science, and writing through this journey, but I haven’t even learned half of it,” she said. Hannah hopes to continue on the culinary path and expand her blog to more viewers.

Jacob Shammah, 11th grade Sports

Being the dedicated and avid horseback rider that he is, Shammah can be found practicing for his competition team four times a week with a private lesson at least once a week. He began horseback riding four years ago, when his younger brother initially began to ride as a form of physical therapy after a skiing incident. He now competes in the Interscholastic Equestrian Association with one of the two horses he owns. In addition to participating in competitions, Shammah volunteers in a therapeutic riding program for mentally and physically disabled kids. He hopes to continue competing for a college team after he graduates from Flatbush.

Joe Kattan, 11th grade Chesed

Junior Joe Kattan has been involved in multiple chesed organizations, including his own, after spending his summer volunteering at Neve Michael, a children’s home for kids in Israel who are victims of neglect and/or abuse. Kattan set his mind to further helping these children by providing them with love, care, and clothing.

“Neve Michael is funded mainly by donations, so the children lack core supplies, like clothing,” Kattan explained. Partnering together with a fashion brand called Kith, Kattan supplied sweatshirts to the children.

In addition, along with classmate Ezra Faks, Kattan started a commission in school this year to raise money for Innovation Africa, an international organization that seeks to supply water and power to African villages through the use of Israeli solar technology.

He didn’t stop there. Kattan has also launched a consulting agency (www.thropic. network) that helps corporations do charity work. “I reach out to companies and run a charity project for their brands to help boost their PR and, of course, help people in need.”

And while most students aspire to finish running the SBH 5K marathon, Kattan has completed the SBH 10K marathon twice, raising over $2,000. Chesed is something that Kattan envisions in his future endeavors.

Maksyem Calka, 12th grade Medicine

Spending a summer interning in Maimonides Hospital through a program called Women in Science was inspiring for Calka. She’s always wanted to pursue a career in medicine, but never considered orthopedics, which is where she was placed. Calka got to live vicariously through doctors’ and physicians’ experience by shadowing them at the hospital, as well as learning about different diagnoses and treatments. “I felt like I was one of them,” Calka shared. “I was able to meet new people and explore new environments.” She wore scrubs around the hospital and even witnessed a surgeon tying a patient’s stomach around his esophagus to block acids from rising up.

Jojo Aini, 12th grade Music

In his sophomore year, Aini and his friends started a band called Built on Trust. They’ve performed in Magen David’s Spring Concert and DSN’s Battle of the Bands so far, but hope to continue growing. Aini began playing the piano when he was 7, guitar when he was 15, and saxophone this year, and contributes to the band with all three instruments.

Ideally, they practice once a week on Saturday nights and hope to continue together in the future, although they anticipate road bumps in the future with everyone’s post-high-school plans. “We are all best friends and we know that we can make it work and continue to play together in the future,” said Aini.

Raquel Oved, 11th grade Writing

It took about 4–6 months for Oved to complete her guide on how to survive high school. Although she’s not exactly finished writing it yet, Oved thought of creating this guide for her Blumenthal Scholars project and she’s been working on it ever since. She explained, “I love to write and I always help my friends and give advice to

people I’m close with,” so she combined the two to practice her writing skills as well as help out others. “In the future I’d like to be in the writing field, so I thought this would be perfect practice,” Oved said. Chapter by chapter, Oved advises readers on how to stay organized, build relationships, handle being stuck in tough situations, and overall how to succeed in high school.

Michael Lindner, 11th grade Auto Repair

Working in his father’s repair business since the age of 14, Michael Lindner tackles brake replacements and oil changes on cars and trucks by himself. He began working part-time on Sundays until the summer came around, when he would find himself working in the repair shop full-time.

Lindner is still learning the complexities of engine work, so for now he sees this mostly as a hobby and summer job. “The reason I enjoy is it because of the challenge of finding what’s wrong and then being able to work on it, solve it, and fix it myself.”

One thought that motivates Lindner is “the idea that everything in a car has a purpose.”

Jeffrey Zalta, 10th grade Music

Zalta began writing music when he was 13 years old, and hasn’t stopped since.

He plays the drums, guitar and bass. He recently produced “Super Hero,” a song that’s available on Spotify. Although each song takes a different amount of time to write, record, and produce, this one took him about 8 hours in total. “Producing music entails creativity from everything—from your lyrics to the time you leave the recording studio,” Zalta said. He put his music on Spotify as well as most streaming platforms to get his name out, as he plans to pursue music production long-term.

Zalta plans on writing and releasing more songs in the near future and hopes to produce an album as well.

Jacob Khalili, 11th grade Technology

As head of AV, Jacob Khalili is well-educated on many of the advanced aspects of technology. Not only does he mentor the freshman AP Computer Science students once a week (the more rigorous course after AP Computer Science Principles), but also he does research on Artificial Intelligence. Under the mentorship of Jack Hidary at Google X, Khalili made a series of complex decks on AI, which essentially explained various technological concepts, and then branched out on his own to start working on his own terms. Khalili plans on working with Hidary again this summer and continuing his Computer Science mentoring in school next year.

Sarah Dagmy, 10th grade Writing

As a part of her project for the Blumenthal Scholars Program, Dagmy has written a book of 15 poems. She loves poetry, often writing whenever she feels inspired, whether on the train, in school, or at home. Her book of poetry has not been published and follows no central theme; rather each poem is its own separate entity, following either a lesson or mood.

Dagmy’s goals are to connect to her readers, the same way her favorite writers have connected to her. “Poetry is a way for me to jot down my thoughts and get through to other people. Poetry is my form of expression,” Dagmy said.

Sarah Cohen, 12th grade Art

Sarah is multi-talented, but she’s most well known for her incredible skill in art. She always seems to be sketching something, and one time, someone took notice. A mother of a friend, working for a clothing company called Yacht & Smith, needed an artist to design a logo for socks and called upon Sarah for the job. Soon, after excelling with the sock logo design, Sarah was hired to design the company’s main logo. Now having some experience behind her, Sarah hopes to continue finding various jobs from companies who seek logo designers.

Leah Krym, 10th grade Photography

Leah started learning about photography when she was just 11 years old. She was always very artistic and creative but had never found the right form of art to portray her abilities until she fell in love with photography. She began to learn through practice, YouTube videos, and classes outside of school. Then Leah met some Jewish young adults who shot professionally, and they became good friends. They got her thinking that maybe she could try to turn her interest into a little word of mouth business.

She did a shoot for a modeling agency and also was hired to shoot an engagement party, but the bulk of what she did from 7th through 9th grades was headshots for resumes, or family portraits.

Leah had to learn how to develop the pictures properly in a lightroom and how to use Photoshop to edit the pictures, which is the biggest chunk of work a photographer has to do. Currently. she is taking a break from her professional pictures, but hopes to get back to it soon. In the meantime, she takes pictures for fun whenever she has free time.

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Entertainment & Fun Flatbush Falls for Fortnite

By Simon Masry

Joey Levy, arguably the best Fortnite player in the school with 120 wins and Contributing Writer counting, said, “Fortnite allows everyone Fortnite, a co-op sandbox survival to play together no matter who they are. game developed and produced by Epic They could be the best of friends or just Games and People Can Fly, has been tak- acquaintances but once the game starts ing over the world, with people playing everyone becomes teammates. It’s so cool from all seven continents. to see everyone play the Fortnite has been said game with each other.” to be a combination of With Epic Games Minecraft, Hunger Games slowly starting to aland Call of Duty due to low players to play on the fact that players must their mobile devices, build forts to stay alive the game will be anyand must outlast enemies where and everywhere while attempting to elimyou look. Epic Games inate other opponents in also has plans to allow the process. The game has cross-platform play bebecome increasingly poputween Xbox, PS4, PC lar over the past year, with and mobile. This means Epic Games opening up that players from all four the game to the public for devices and systems will Junior Jared Sutton is a fan free, with add-ons available be able to play together at for various fees. The game’s once on the same server. name is a misspelling of the word “fort- This will be the first time that something night,” which is a period of time equal to like this has ever been attempted, and two weeks. only time will tell if it will work. If this In recent months, Fortnite has made plan is successful, Fortnite has the possiits way into Flatbush, with many students bility to become one of the most widely from all four grades playing it. “It allows played video games ever made. all of us to have a closer bond with each So next time you see someone decline other outside of school,” said one student your phone call or ignore a text, you can who prefers to stay anonymous. blame it on Fortnite.

Ask Merle

Dear Merle, Lately I’ve been noticing many boys in school huddling together—well, more than usual—and watching some sort of sports thingy during class. They keep saying something about a “bracket” and are getting excited or upset about it all the time. What exactly is going on?

Dazed and Confused Dear Dazed, The boys (and some girls) are experiencing something called “March Madness.” I don’t completely understand it myself, but this is the time of year where sports fans compete to try to guess which college basketball team will win. And so they watch on their phones/iPads/ Chromebooks during class, cheer and boo when the team they predicted wins or loses, and are sucked into this madness. Don’t worry, it’s almost over and everything will go back to normal. Until next March that is.

Merle Dear Merle, On the Heritage trip to Poland I had to sit in between random people on the flight and I was so tired but I couldn’t sleep upright. Any suggestions for good sleeping positions in the future? We still have our Senior Trip coming up, and other times that this may be helpful.

Squished Dear Squished, It first depends on how big of a person you are. I, myself, am very tiny and can squeeze my entire body into a ball on my

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seat and be relatively comfortable.

If you are a bit larger, the trick is to get the person next to you to get up. There are a few ways to do this. You can politely ask them to move, which probably won’t work, as they are on a flight just like you and most likely need to sit down. You can also pretend you have a very contagious disease which you casually mention. A hacking cough will help.

Or anything else that would make you get up.

It’s like a game we used to play in camp: pretend you’re at a bus stop and be very annoying/ disgusting/etc. to get the other person to get up. Except this is real life. Good luck on your future travels.

Merle Dear Merle, Every day the seniors have some other activity or trip going on. They never have school! It’s not fair; I’m exhausted and I could really use one trip—just one—but I’m not a senior so I actually have to go to class. Why do the seniors get this attention?

Green with Envy Dear Green, Being a senior is not as glamorous as it seems. From college applications to teachers giving test upon tests even though, as you said, we never have school, we have a lot going on. We have these trips because the administration thinks we won’t take this year seriously. Believe it or not, some of us are still working hard, which causes the lower grades to mock us: “You’re seniors! Stop

Gerwig and Baumbach Create Magic On and Off Screen

By Fortune Manopla Entertainment Editor

Hollywood’s been bursting with incredible writers, actors, and directors lately, but every so often some of those individuals collaborate and create something greater than any of them could’ve of imagined alone. Couple Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach have this magical filmmaking chemistry, and they’ve only just begun.

Baumbach is a 48-year-old writer/director, best known for his 2005 film The Squid and the Whale. Besides for a slew of original movies, he also co-wrote The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and Fantastic Mr. Fox with Wes Anderson. After starting off as an actress, Gerwig went on to star in Baumbachs’s film Greenberg and eventually the two began writing together. In 2017, Gerwig wrote and directed her own film, Lady Bird, winning much acclaim for the accurate portrayal of the loving yet often turbulent relationship between a mother and daughter.

Though they’ve each done remarkable work on their own, Gerwig and Baumbach create groundbreaking films when they come together. In addition to their astounding authenticity, Baumbach’s films never fail to be original, and this is only amplified by Gerwig’s unique acting skills.

In Frances Ha (2012), Gerwig plays hapless twentysomething Frances, who wanders the streets of New York as an unemployed dancer and tries not to lose her best friend, Sophie. In a fresh twist, the movie centers around friendship more than romance, but it’s Gerwig’s presence on screen that really carries the film. Her character is so eccentric and genuine that one assumes Gerwig must be the same way in real life. Frances is irresponsible, uninhibited, and completely unpredictable, and yet that’s what makes her studying!” But we do have to keep up our averages so that we don’t get kicked out of school or have our college admissions revoked. Anyway, since we miss so much class the teachers think we don’t care and have senioritis, yet many of these trips are in fact mandatory. So we get yelled at, and we get tested, and we get rejected from colleges. It’s not pretty. Although, I have to admit, I am enjoying myself.

You’ll be there eventually, don’t worry.

Merle Dear Merle, I was so excited to go out for lunch for the first time as a freshman, but I wasn’t even able to eat because there were so many bigger kids pushing me and my friends around. How do I get lunch?

Hungry Dear Hungry, First you have to decide who you are and what is important to you. If you use lunch as a social scene, you might as well bring food from home and follow your friends around because there’s no way you’ll be able to buy food like that.

so lovable. Completely broke, she turns down a stable job offer and flies to Paris for the day. She delivers gems like, “I’m so embarrassed. I’m not a real person yet,” and she’s only half joking. Baumbach has a talent for making films that are equally weighty as they are lighthearted, and as Frances, Gerwig only further blurs the line between the two.

The couple went on to write Mistress America (2015), with Gerwig starring as an aspiring entrepreneur who takes her lonely, soon-to-be stepsister under her wing. The exceptional quality of the script and Gerwig’s spectacular performance proved once again the talent and versatility of the duo, who are due out with another film in November 2018.

Gerwig, discussing working with Baumbach, once said in an interview: “I’ve never been in a band, but I feel it must be what it feels like to write music with someone. I’m certainly not comparing myself to Lennon and McCartney, but they wrote great stuff on their own, and when they wrote together they made something greater than the sum of its parts. You can’t account for it; it’s almost like a third party enters into it.” It’s that third party that makes Gerwig and Baumbach’s films so intriguing, and that leaves us with that sense of wonder and joy that only great films can inspire.

If your goal is to get the most and best food possible then here’s what you need to do: the best way to successfully acquire lunch during this time is to be aggressive.

YOU are the only thing standing between you and your lunch. Well, you and those other kids. The most important factor in getting your lunch is to arrive at your desired Avenue J food supplier as early as possible. That means going to your locker AFTER you eat. That means not dilly-dallying when the first bell rings. Stand by the main entrance and, the second it opens, run, and I mean run, to your desired location. Swiftly get your food and sit down at a table. And no matter what, do not get up until you are finished. You will be full and content. You’re welcome.

Merle

Standard of Fabulous Spring Runway Shows Offer New Twists on Comfortable Classics

By Sarit Alkadaa Contributing Writer

The spring 2018 runway shows are taking charge and laying down the latest fashion trends that will leave you awestruck! Want to feel as comfortable as ever in the most stylish outfits? Hoping to add an original twist to your basic wardrobe?

Runway shows such as Tommy Hilfiger, Urban Zen, Alexander Wang, and Ralph Lauren have prepared new and unique styles that have you covered.

Tommy Hilfiger’s signature use of red, white, blue, and black have been making many appearances lately, whether it’s white-and-blue-striped jackets, red-lined pants, or sweaters merging all four colors.

Tommy Hilfiger has paired up with Gigi Hadid to feature a new spring collection with a Formula One Racing theme. This collection claims to be a preview of what the Mercedes-AMG crew will be wearing on the racing circuit. Beyond the racy outfits, we saw collegiate gear such as khakis, family crest T-shirts, and Tommy’s original color-blocked rugby shirts.

The Urban Zen Spring 2018 collec-

tion will soon be arriving in the brand’s Manhattan store. Donna Karan designed the clothes to be simultaneously drapey and elegant. The attire can be worn in multiple ways that portray various

Alexander Wang

styles, allowing you to wear more while bringing less! There are reversible jackets, shirt-dresses that can be knotted to be worn as shirts, and a fashionable skirt that can be wrapped into three different

Product Review: Rodan + Fields

By Jessica Vaysman SOF Editor

We all see commercials on TV and ads on social media for different skincare products claiming to get rid of acne.

I’ve tried too many of them and never got the desired results.

Dermatologist-recommended creams never worked and taking medication seemed like a scary option. Then I heard of Rodan + Fields, a skincare company that specializes in anti-aging and acne products. I was reluctant to give them a try, thinking they’d be like all the other products I wasted way too much money on, but I decided to give it a try.

These products are pretty expensive compared to drugstore acne washes. A Roden + Fields acne treatment package costs anywhere from $180 to $320. A package come with 4–6 acne treatment products, a pamphlet about the company and their products, and detailed instructions on how and when to use every product in the package.

Upon starting the treatment and using all products as directed, I noticed my skin getting extremely irritated and dry.

I have excessively oily skin and it takes A LOT to dry out my skin. After a couple of days my skin became so irritated that I had to take a break from using the products. After letting my skin rest for a couple of days I started using the products again, but not as directed. Instead of using all four products together, as directed, I only used one or two at a time to minimize irritation. That helped tremendously and I was able to continue the treatment this way.

In about 3-4 weeks I started seeing incredible results! My face became less red, more smooth, and less oily. My skin still isn’t perfect, but I think it has gotten much better. I’ve been using Rodan + Fields products for a little over six months now and I am very satisfied with the results. If you’re willing to spend a little money and try something new, I totally recommend these products!

Fashion Fact: For all the excitement made about Fashion Week, the average fashion show is only about 10 minutes long.

silhouettes. Although it might sound as if these clothes are complicated and uncomfortable, Karan says that comfort trumps all else. “If you can’t sleep in it and go out in it, I don’t want to wear it,”

Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren

Karan says.

Alexander Wang has advanced the basic sweatshirt and denim with his own fashionable twist. Let’s face it, although basic attire had once been the “it” cloth-

ing, it is slowly fading away. Instead of basic denim jeans, Wang adds sweatshirt fabric on the back, creating a balance between comfort, style, and function. Almost every one of Wang’s styles now include stamped graphic and labels, along with the option of sleeves attached to the hip that can be knotted around the waist, making his collection appear anything but basic.

Ralph Lauren sets the mood for his latest collection with a Caribbean scene.

His clothes appear to be on full vacation mode, with woodblock-print summer dresses reminding you of sandy white beaches and mystical blue mountains.

The white and blue theme gives the collection an island vibe, offering an out-ofoffice wardrobe along with options for black-tie engagements as well, perfect for either star-studded adventures or casual hangouts with friends.

All in all, these collections offer new and original styles that allow you to choose the most creative styles that identify you best, while still maintaining that comfortable feel that we all yearn for when picking outfits.

Rock Your Socks

By Danielle Duchan Religion Editor

It can seem pretty hard to express yourself in Flatbush when everyone is wearing the same black Central. And that cool shirt from Brandy Melville that you thought no one else had? Well, seven other people wore it today.

But luckily, you can quickly incorporate a little bit of personality into your outfit. It just takes a little thinking on your feet … literally.

Socks are an easy way to express yourself without breaking the dress code or being too “out there.” They’re perfect for this time of the year, because you can wear knee-socks with boots on cooler days to keep your legs warm without too many extra layers, and then wear shorter crew socks with high-tops on warmer days.

If wild socks are a little too much for you, you can start off by expanding beyond basic white to other colors of socks to match your outfits.

Throw on a pair of bright red socks to jazz up a neutral outfit, or go monochrome with, say, an all blue ensemble with matching blue socks. You can even go a step above by matching patterns, like wearing polka dot socks with a polka dot top or argyle socks with an argyle sweater.

Want to have even more fun? Browse Amazon, where you can easily find themed sock sets. My personal favorites are the art-themed sock sets, because who wouldn’t want to sport the Mona Lisa or Van Gogh’s Starry Night on their feet?

The best part about socks is that you can easily stock up without breaking your budget.

Sets of four socks on Amazon can be found for around $15–20. You can even find cool socks near the checkout lines at usual haunts like H&M for around three or four dollars a pair.

So the next time you’re getting tired of looking the same as everyone else, use your feet to find a way to stand out.

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Sports Girls Hockey off to Rough Start

Season Preview

Boys Varsity Baseball Swings For Fences

By Jack H. Dweck Contributing Writer

By Jamie Ashkenazi Contributing Writer

The Flatbush Girls Hockey team is off to another tough start in its second season. The team lost its first two games, a continuation of the futility of last year’s inaugural season.

However, by other measures the team’s first two seasons have been rather successful. Notably, the girls remain enthusiastic and team-oriented. Katriella Weingarten, a junior on the team, explained, “Win or lose, we have done it as a team. Knowing that we each put our best effort into each and every game, we come out proud no matter what the outcome is.”

The team features students from all four grades. However, to the girls it’s more than just a team, it’s a family.

It started out with just a few girls who

had a passion but has become a true team. As the girls gain experience and continue to support each other, their play has steadily improved. The girls have created strong friendships that they hope will last beyond high school.

Players say the practices, which are held for two hours twice a week, are fun and productive, thanks to Coach Chelsea and Ms. Stern. With the fun comes the blood, sweat, and tears, but all the girls will tell you it’s worth it in the end. The joy and excitement they get while playing is unparalleled, even when the final score is not in their favor.

“It is very stressful and frustrating at times but at the end of the day we have fun playing and I wouldn’t trade being on the team for anything in the world,” explained junior Danielle Malka.

The Flatbush Varsity Baseball team is primed and ready to compete for a championship this spring. Coming off of a tough end to their season last year (the team was knocked out in the quarterfinals to the underdog MTA Lions), the Falcons are thirsty to regain their position on top of the league. Last season’s loss is only motivation for the Falcons to go further this year.

The baseball team sees itself as champions. The players devote much of their free time working on fielding with other teammates, or working on their swings in the Flatbush batting cages. It is this preparation, as well as a focus on sharp fundamentals, that will prepare the Falcons for what is in store during the grueling regular season.

Unfortunately, several stars like Victor Allaham, Al Tawil, and ace pitcher Kevin Haddad graduated last year. There is still reason for optimism, however, with young players like sophomore Dani Sharabi, the new ace of the staff, and Nathan Chabbott, who will be entering the lineup this season as full time players for the first time in their high school careers.

The upside of these additions, with the combination of a solid returning core of juniors Sol Laniado, Morris Goldman, and Simon Masry, give the team an opportunity to build upon the achievements of last year.

In addition to competing for the

Sportsman Spotlight: Sammy Burekhovich

By Jack Shalom Contributing Writer

Senior Sammy Burekhovich is more than just an athlete. Burekhovich is in the Honors program and takes multiple AP classes, and he also has been a key part in building the school’s morale.

Burekhovich is a student-athlete who strives to succeed in all aspects of high school life, including community service, school clubs, and academics.

Burekhovich has been on three athletic teams throughout his four years in high school, including varsity volleyball, JV soccer, and the wrestling team, which he cofounded with senior Yaron Sternberg. For his final two high school years he has served as captain of the volleyball team. This honorable position consists of conducting weekly practices, and “consulting with the team coach on a regular basis on ways to improve the teams efficiency and overall performance.” As a wrestler, Burekhovich was a semifinalist at the YWA Wittenburg Wrestling Invitational.

When it comes to extracurricular

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activities, Burekhovich is involved in much more than sports. Being involved in community work and service is a characteristic that everyone loves to see.

Burekhovich has done his share of giving back to his community and to those who need his help. He has been involved in Yachad throughout all four years of high school, and last year Burekhovich spent his winter break helping those in need in Israel by going on Chesed Mission. On top of all that, Burekhovich also manages to find time to volunteer at Masbia soup kitchen.

He is the commissioner of the prestigious “Business Commission” that our

Sol Laniado scores during last year’s tournament in Columbus

MYHSAL Baseball Championship, the team will be venturing to Boston for the Ezra Schwartz A”H Memorial Tournament with the hopes of bringing home a tournament victory. This experience will hopefully work to prepare the team for the MYHSAL playoffs and give the new players a sense of how to play baseball while under pressure in a win-or-gohome tournament.

In a tournament in Columbus, Ohio, last year, the team suffered a devastating 5-1 loss to Frisch in the Quarterfinals, knocking them out of a tournament that they had hoped to win.

As Simon Masry stated, “being under pressure, we played really well in last year’s tournament in Columbus we stuck to the game plan and played good, fundamental baseball, but we just gave up more runs than they did.”

The baseball team hopes that they can learn from their experience in Columbus and succeed in their ultimate goal come April 19. The players are confident in their ability to make plays on the field and in the batter’s box, and are constantly preparing for the ultimate test of their abilities: Boston. school offers, where he created and presented business plans to a panel of judges at J.P. Morgan. Burekhovich is also a senior mentor, serving as a role model to incoming freshmen so that he can help them succeed socially and academically within the school’s rigorous environment.

Burekhovich stated, “I make sure to put 100% into everything I do, whether it be dancing and singing at Yachad shabbatons, or playing hard on the volleyball court.”