A Student Publication of the Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School • 1609 Avenue J, Brooklyn, New York • Vol 53, Issue 1 • October 2018 / 5779
Rabbi Prag Heads New Beit Midrash Price Hikes Have Many Learning Program for Seniors Students Stretching
By Sam Beyda Editor-in-Chief
One of the more creative ways the administration has taken advantage of the layout of the new section of the building is the updated structure of limudei kodesh. For example, all seniors now have Talmud and Torah in the new building during third and fourth periods. In those periods a new type of learning has been created for advanced Talmud students. Boys and girls head to the new Beit Midrash during third and fourth periods, respectively. There they meet with Rabbi Prag, who will introduce a topic or source. Next the students break up into chavrutot to discuss and further dissect the topic in text. Rabbi Prag stops by all the chavrutot to answer any hard questions and, at the end of the period, the class meets back up to summarize what everyone has learned. The class meets in the Beit Midrash, and Rabbi Prag’s classroom has been
By Albert Saad Managing Editor
Rabbi Prag checks on Jack H. Dweck (left) and Albert Saad moved from room 409 to the new building so that he doesn’t have to walk far to meet with his students there. Many students are very fond of the new program, as it gives them more flexibility in the way they learn and is more conducive to the way the Torah is meant
to be studied. Joe Braha, a senior in the program, said that because of the more “intimate class environment, every student feels engaged.” Many students also believe that the design of the new Beit Midrash contributes to the more spir-
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New Policies Draw Mixed Reactions By Ezra Faks Senior Editor
With the new school year came many new changes to our school life and environment. In addition to the completion of the magnificent new building, the administration has revised and updated many school policies that have long been in place. This includes updates to policies on phone usage, AirPods, testing, food ordering, and minyan timings. Both students and faculty have mixed feelings about these policies, specifically the uniformity and lack of latitude it gives teachers in their own classrooms. Cell phones have an ever-growing place in our lives and can be a major distraction in the classroom. Over the past several years many different policies have been attempted, but with limited success. Most teachers adopted their own policies, but many had trouble enforcing them and students struggled to remember which rules to follow in each classroom. The new policy, mandating that
In This Issue
Alumna: Yael Landman, Tanakh superstar Page 2
no student can leave class with a phone on them, solves this, by creating a uniformity for all students throughout the building. Despite the desire to have their phones with them at all times, many students have warmed up to this policy quickly because the rule is enforced uniformly so they always know what to expect. Teachers, too, appreciate the new policy, and several teachers have remarked that they are able to focus more on teaching rather than policing. The same uniformity and simplicity applies to the AirPods ban as well; however, many students believe that they were never really an issue in the classroom or around the building. Most teachers, however, are in favor of the ban. According to Mr. Gurock, “Back in my day, in Ramaz, students were prohibited from using headphones as it inhibited socializing and communication between peers.” The new rules for make-up tests hasn’t come up much, with few tests scheduled this early in the school year. Thus it hasn’t
sparked many personal reactions among students yet. However, many teachers have expressed their approval of its simplicity as opposed to having students miss class and making teachers find time in their schedules to accommodate them. As for not being allowed to order lunch to be delivered to the school, the students’ reactions have primarily been negative. Students feel that although the menus have changed, the act of ordering from outside places remains vital to their dietary needs. “Ordering lunch should be allowed. I just can’t see any reason why not,” said Eric Ben-Shlomo, a senior. The change to minyan latenesses, in contrast, has been popular. Many students and grade advisors alike praise the fact that lateness to minyan is now cumulative relative to the semester instead of the month. This allows flexibility and “shows an understanding of student’s lives outside of the school,” as one senior said.
Entertainment: Loving To All The Boys Page 5
Food: Turn an empty fridge into a sandwich Page 6
The recent rises in prices for food in the school cafeteria and vending machines has many students up in arms. The sudden increase in the costs of simple school necessities has taken many by surprise. According to Mr. Galpert, the price markups for items in most of the vending machines were determined by Crawford’s, the company that will soon be running the concession stand in the new first-floor café. The vending machines, previously run by Leiby Gutman, are now managed by Crawford’s who now determine the pricing and maintain the machines. Some notable increases include the new $2 water bottles and $2.50 bagels. While some positive changes have been implemented to the lunch system, such as the acceptance of credit cards, most students have been more focused on the rise in costs, especially with nearby restaurants like Pizza Time raising prices as well. These small expenses add up in the long run for students. Some have been forced to ask their parents for increased allowances and lunch money because their current allowance just won’t be
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Dasani now costs $2
Sports: Jack Rosow plans a comeback Page 8 www.theflatbushphoenix.com | 1