A Student Publication of the Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School • 1609 Avenue J, Brooklyn, New York • Vol 51, Issue 3 • December 2016 / 5777
Left to right: Rabbi Sacks, Rabbi Dweck, and moderator Denise Zami
Revered British Rabbeim Visit New York By Marlene Levy Junior Editor
While in New York to attend a number of events, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks and Rabbi Joseph Dweck from the United Kingdom took time out of their globe-trotting schedules to hold a question-and-answer session with young adults from the Sephardic community on Tuesday, November 22. Moderated by Denise Zami and held by SCA, the two prominent Rabbis sat down center stage and answered religious questions submitted by the audience. The event started off with Zami’s own question, which provoked the most interesting responses of the eve-
ning. She asked, “Our Syrian community is unique, in that we don’t have inner separations of Orthodox and Reform, although it’s no secret that subsects of the community are looking toward Ashkenazi divisions of the world. Should our community follow a certain subsect? Or is there a different model that our Syrian community should follow?” Rabbi Dweck answered first. He said that everyone learns under the same Torah so the question really is about your education. How are we educated? To what level are we educated? Regardless, if there were subsects or different groups, our community has been very accepting and inclusive. If
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Sprinkler Malfunction Causes Damage Below By Sarah Weingarten School News Editor
On Thursday, November 17, students were dismissed at the end of 11th period when the school’s sprinkler system began showering the auditorium with hundreds of gallons of water. Water collecting on the stage and auditorium floor quickly rushed down to parts of the basement and sub-basement, flooding multiple rooms, locker areas, closets, and staircases in both basement levels. For several days after the flood, massive air blowers and dehumidifiers could be seen drying up the damp air and machinery in the auditorium, by the junior girls’ locker area, the IT office and the copy room. According to Principal Rabbi Beyda, the sprinkler malfunction was actually caused by someone who hit a valve on the sprinkler system by ac-
Sprinklers shower the auditorium
cident. The administration does know the person responsible but did not disclose that information. “There’s not a lot of damage that you’ll see, but there’s some substantial damage to some machinery,” Rabbi Beyda explained. Most notably, the school’s main copy machine was ruined. The machine was relatively new, having been replaced just two years ago in the aftermath of the last sprinkler system malfunction. Rabbi Beyda expressed hope that the school’s insurance policy will cover the cost of all the damages.
South African Chief Rabbi Discusses Shabbos Project By Esther Levy Senior Editor
The Shabbos Project, an annual global movement that brings Jews from all across the world together through Sabbath observance, was held on November 12. Founded by South African Chief Rabbi Dr. Warren Goldstein in 2013, The Shabbos Project was originally intended to unite the Jewish South African community. It inspired close to
In This Issue Religion: Yaakov not so simple after all Page 4
70 percent of the country’s 75,000 Jews to participate and keep Shabbat, most for the first time in their lives. In 2014 it went global, uniting Jews all over the world. In an interview with The Phoenix, Rabbi Goldstein explained the Shabbos Project, its goals, and why it’s so meaningful. Rabbi Goldstein spoke about the large and extensive widespread of the project by stating that, “Each year, the
response exceeds our expectations.” He remarked that in 2013, when it first started, “the response across the community was overwhelming; through word of m outh and social media, it galvanized a worldwide movement. The following year, many people didn’t quite know what to expect. There were those who surmised—justifiably—that that initial success couldn’t be replicated on a global scale. It turns out they
were wrong. In 2014, an estimated one million Jews in 465 cities and 65 countries took part. Last year, that expanded to 918 cities and 84 countries, with more than 5 000 partners worldwide— up from 1,800 in 2014—driving the project.” As Jews we are all intrinsically linked, but sometimes within different Jewish communities we keep to our-
Entertainment: Movie review: Fantastic Beasts Page 5
Standard of Fabulous: Is Disney racist? Page 7
Sports: Changes for Hausdorff Page 8
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