YULA High School Polymatheus 2021 by YULA High Schools

POLYMATHEUS VOLUME 9 • JUNE 2021 Y U L A B oys H i g h S c h o o l 9670 W. Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90035 (310) 203-3180

Polymatheus

Polymatheus Volume 9 • June 2021

Introduction

Advisor's Letter

Editor's Letter

olymatheus is an academic interdisciplinary journal that comprises student work generated by the variety of classes taught here at YULA Boys. All work is submitted by teachers in all disciplines and at all levels.

This year, we have included our usual variety of academic work: realistic applications of mathematics; abstract art projects; a report on Franklin Roosevelt’s impact on the presidency and the charitable legacy of Levi Strauss; science papers about the physics of dreidels and climate change; sestinas, villanelles, odes, and a paper about the invented malady, Namingitis, along with a variety of literary analyses from English classes; Hebrew projects; contemporary issues in Halacha. These pieces showcase the variety of work we do here at YULA. Our Editor-in-Chief will explain more about this year’s design theme. As you read the student work published in these pages, please keep this very important fact in mind: This journal, though often confused with other types of general school magazines, is an academic interdisciplinary journal that contains student work produced in the classes here at YULA. Unlike other magazines where students freely submit their own work for consideration, all the work in this journal has been assigned, assessed, and submitted by teachers. We hope you will enjoy some of the most intellectual and entertaining work our boys produced this year. - Ms. Pam Felcher, Advisor

scaping a repressive environment. Overcoming a lifelong insecurity about a name. Leaping from adolescence into adulthood and never looking back. Exploring the boundaries of Jewish law.

The students probed these concepts in Polymatheus as the world began to apprehensively pull back the curtains of isolation. Behind the curtains lies a sense of normalcy that has been missing from our lives for so long. Under the shadow cast by the pandemic, we all had our struggles, but we persevered. We stepped out of the darkness into the spotlight and lived to tell the tale. Each student featured in this journal came out from behind the curtain of isolation to strive for academic excellence and take advantage of every learning opportunity offered by our school. Volume 9 of Polymatheus explores this newfound freedom in each and every one of its 115 pages. The students, editors and faculty advisor continue to appreciate the enthusiasm you have for Polymatheus. - Israel Gootin, Editor-in-Chief

TABLE OF CONTENTS E ngl i sh Finding the Right Path: A Response to Ralph Waldo Emerson

16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aryeh Rothenberg (’22)

“Namingitis”

19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Boaz Edidin (‘22)

An Ode to Cars: How to Part Ways With Your First Car 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Israel Gootin (‘22)

Morality: The Illusion of Purity

24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jake Stephen (’23)

Graduation: A Sestina

28. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Yoni Merkin (’21)

An Ode to Scrolling

31. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aryeh Rothenberg (’22)

The Fall

33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Raphy Amsellem (‘23)

Why is the Color Orange not Beautiful? 37 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moshe Epstein (‘21) Happy Wife, Happy Kingdom 39. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Natan Rosen (‘23)

On Change

43. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Yoni Merkin (‘21) History

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Impact on the Presidency 46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Boaz Edidin (‘22)

It’s all in the Jeans: The Charitable Legacy of Levi Strauss

52. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aryeh Rothenberg (‘22)

A Summary of Elements of German Antisemitism

58. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moshe Feldman (‘23)

Science Chemical Warfare

64 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Raphy Amsellem (‘23) & Jake Stephen (‘23)

The Physics of Dreidels

67. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Josh Fiedler (‘22)

How Climate Change Strategies That Use Biomass Can Be More Realistic 69. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Yoseph Khorramian (‘21)

Math Who Can Build the Strongest Bridge? 74 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Joey Eskenazi (‘24) Economics The Reddit Rebellion

78. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jeremy Wizenfeld (‘22)

A Brief History of Dogecoin

81. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aden Leo Lyons (‘23)

Judaics International Date Line in Halacha: When is Shabbat? 86. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moshe Feldman (‘23) Contemporary Issues in Halacha: Medical Triage

91. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Noam Goldberg (‘23)

‫עברית‬ ‭‫תיכון‬‭‬‫תלמידי‬‭‬‫לחייב‬‭‬‫ אפשר‬‭‬‫האם‬ ‭ ?‬‫הקוביד‬‭‬‫החיסון‬‭‬‫את‬‭ ‬‫‬לקבל‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .‭(‬‘22‬‭)‬‫ישראל גוטין‬ 98 ‬‫חברון‬‭‬‫ העיר‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .‭(‬‘23‬‭)‬ ‫אברהם‬‭‬‫דוד‬

99 Art

Abstract in Plain Sight

107. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ariel Serebrisky (‘21)

The Unknown

108. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mendel Feigelstock (‘23)

Down the Rabbit Hole

109 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Boaz Edidin (‘22)

About Polymatheus

112

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” “As You Like It,” William Shakespeare

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Polymatheus Volume 9 • June 2021

Finding the Right Path: A Response to Ralph Waldo Emerson

Aryeh Rothenberg (‘22) Ms. Pam Felcher, AP English Language

y two years of Chabad yeshiva in Los Angeles saw me transition from a small-town public school kid to a big-city yeshiva bochur. It was not until I took a step back from the haze of the ultra-orthodox lifestyle that I realized perhaps this change was not an improvement but a degeneration. Yeshiva stripped me of my freedom and my free time: The administration restricted where I could go, what I could wear, and whom I could speak to; the school held class from early in the morning until late at night. All my old friends, interests, and clothes were now unacceptable. The bed bugs in the dorms, the hours of class I spent with my head down, and the Ethernet cord constantly getting unplugged during online classes because the school didn’t believe in Wi-Fi were even more signs that I was in the wrong place. And deep down I knew it. I just couldn’t tear myself away from it all. I flew home to Granite Bay, a small town thirty minutes north of Sacramento, for the Jewish holiday of Purim in March of last year, planning for a three-day trip. I never returned to school. The coronavirus, in all its macabre glory,

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saved my life. It brought me home and gave me the outside perspective I desperately needed. I started to focus on my own feelings and interests and came to the decision that leaving Chabad Judaism was the right thing for me to do. This same ability that each and every person holds, to follow their heart and act only by what they feel is right, is what Ralph Waldo Emerson speaks of when he says, “nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind” (Self-Reliance 269).

Only once the conscious fears of rejection, humiliation, and loss are pushed aside can the mind realize its integrity and achieve its full potential. The mind is only sacred when it becomes whole; when those last remnants of doubt and fear dissolve and emotions are cast aside in place of reason. I wasn’t ready to leave the dirty halls and wobbly desks I called home. I spent every night with my best friends in the dormitory, and my teacher was something of a mentor to me. And deep down, I was scared to be seen as the one not strong enough to handle yeshiva; the one who gave up. I had all but convinced myself that if I could just hold out another year, everything would get better. But then the world went into lockdown, and with nothing to do but stay home and think, I realized that none of these things was worthy of holding me back from a real education and a real shot at my dreams. As Emerson reveals, the best of life — the sacred — comes from the mind’s wholeness. Only once the conscious fears of rejection, humiliation, and loss are pushed aside can the mind realize its integrity and achieve its full potential. My decision to leave yeshiva and the ultra-orthodox life I had been immersed in allowed me to experience the wholeness

Polymatheus Volume 9 • June 2021

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Emerson talks so much about. For the first time in years, I was not burdened by the conflict between staying and going, making do and seeking change, accepting and rejecting; I was able to follow my own path in life and focus on maximizing my potential.

I now realize that when I set out to do something with the sacred integrity of my mind, nothing and nobody can stand in my way. In the weeks that followed the coronavirus outbreak and the national lockdown, I spent my time looking for new schools. I was accepted into a Jewish school with a strong focus on academics and an acceptance of modernity, which stood mere minutes away from my old school. The decision to make the move was suddenly very clear to me, and in the aftermath, I found that my fears of rejection and humiliation were naught. No one cared that I was leaving, no one said I was a failure, no one called me weak. And even if they did, I chose not to care. I now realize that when I set out to do something with the sacred integrity of my mind, nothing and nobody can stand in my way.

" Namingitis"

Boaz Edidin (‘22) Ms. Pam Felcher, AP English Language

“B

oza?! Buwwaze!” After receiving no answer, the TSA Agent glanced at the photo on my passport and saw the resemblance. Gazing at me, he said: “Are you Bwowiz?” “That’s me,” I responded as I rolled my eyes, tired of dealing with my plight. “Cool name,” he dragged on. “Haven’t heard that one before.” Yeah, “cool.” Having a name that a man whose job is to pronounce names can’t even pronounce is very “cool.” My brother, who goes by the simple, sleek name “Ben,” passed his security checkup swiftly and worry-free. Three letters and he was cleared, while I had to endure the same nauseating back-and-forth name game. The only difference between the two of us, discounting our 8-inch height difference, was the complexity of our names. Identification is the entire purpose of a name. Yet, my primary identity tool

Polymatheus Volume 9 • June 2021

seems to fail me at the most valuable times. Yes, eventually my family members, friends, and teachers have learned to deal with my name. However, most new people with whom I come in contact don’t come close to pronouncing my name. After countless painful encounters, whenever I introduce myself to a new person, my Namingitis infects my thoughts.

People with common names have tried to convince me that my unique name is a blessing and that my Namingitis was falsely diagnosed. “Delineating how to bend each syllable and enunciate each letter will take forever,” I tell myself. “What if they can’t pronounce my name?” I don’t want to initiate a relationship by awkwardly correcting the pronunciation of my dysfunctional name. I take the easy way out and decide to forge a nickname. Why start a relationship with some harmless awkwardness when I can kick it off with a blatant lie? I tell my new friend that my name is “Bo.” There shouldn’t be any confusion there… Right? “How do you spell that?” he responds. When I tell him “Bee-Oh,” he responds with the classic “I haven’t seen a twoletter name like that before.” People with common names have tried to convince me that my unique name is a blessing and that my Namingitis was falsely diagnosed. In fact, they have told me that their more common names come with their own, harsher, defects.

English

No. That can’t be. They haven’t felt my struggles: They have not had to feel the embarrassment of strangers not being able to say their names; they have not had to lie about their names; they have not had to fabricate nicknames. They have functional names. Until a certain day in my 11th-grade art class, I carried my insecurity without appreciating my blessing. The class included five kids named “Daniel” and another five by the name of “Josh,” so when the teacher called the students’ names, they burst into confusion like a disoriented pack of hyenas. Their identities diminished by each other’s presence, they scrambled to find purpose. But when Boaz was called, I transformed into a lone wolf, howling at the glistening moon, standing out from the pack. Namingitis, the malady that I had always thought destructive to my identity, really gives me an invaluable advantage. In the halls when my friends call my name, I always know they’re talking to me. There’s never any confusion. How could there be? Nobody else has the name Boaz.

They have not had to feel the embarrassment of strangers not being able to say their names. Others’ pronunciation of my name, which has bothered me in the past, is becoming an afterthought to me. The people important to my life — family, friends, and teachers — have learned to properly pronounce my name. Since they make up almost all of my daily interactions, why get irritated over the few interactions in which people jumble my name, especially with all of my name’s newly realized benefits? Nothing can be perfect after all.

Polymatheus Volume 9 • June 2021

An Ode to Cars: How to Part Ways With Your First Car

Israel Gootin (‘22) Ms. Pam Felcher, AP English Language

UST LET IT GO. Sounds easy on paper, sure. But this metal box with wheels is what drove you past your final teenage years into early adulthood. This four wheeled enclosure shielded you from the hardships in your life. It sheltered you from the threat of hail falling from the sky during a winter storm. When tensions boiled over and you needed a way out, nobody waited for you, ready to drop everything to help you out. But this metal box — your lifeline — shivered in the bone-chilling nighttime cold as it waited in your driveway, ready to take you wherever you had to go. In turn, you protected it as if it were your child. You made sure never to let a single crumb blemish its leather seats as you messily ate your breakfast during your route to school, work, home. The smiley faces you painted into its dust-covered rear window were returned with the embrace of sunlight pouring through its sunroof. The fuel you poured into its side at the gas station was exchanged for life-long memories with friends as music blasted through its speakers.

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And you expect it to be easy to let go of these memories, to risk losing this piece of yourself forever in return for a shiny, new car? What value does a new car have if you must shatter a piece of your identity to own it? But as it grows old, and as you progress further into adulthood, your four-wheeled friend no longer lowers its windows without protest. It no longer bestows a cool blast of air on hot summer days upon you. Its pair of curious headlights no longer shine freely to guide you through the night. Dust collects on the rear window, but you no longer impress a smile into it; you simply wait for the next rain shower to wash it away. You no longer invite friends to drive with you out of shame for the orphaned Starbucks cups polluting its backseats. Now, on early mornings, before the sun graduates from the horizon, your four-wheeled foe sputters instead of starting as your cell phone explodes with angry voicemails from your boss on the company’s big day. While bittersweet emotions flood your mind in the parking lot of the car dealership, you understand that your friend’s time has come. You take a final look around the car’s interior — you spot the scratch on the window that your friend accidentally made on the way to the movies during senior year of high school. On your bottom right, you take one last glance at the blue Icee stain that you left on the carpet while driving home from Six Flags during your freshman year of college. As you sign away the ownership of your old friend, the dealer hands you the shiny keys to your new car. Your new friend greets you with a beep as you approach the plush blue enclosure for the first time. There was just enough dust sitting on the rear window for you to draw a smiley face before driving to your friend’s house for the first time since high school.

Polymatheus Volume 9 • June 2021

Morality: the Illusion of Purity

Jake Stephen (‘23) Ms. Janice Frew, Honors British Literature

he ethical code of chivalry outlines the ideal person, one who values and utilizes brutish strength as a means of achieving virtue. This moral institution, although noble in theory, fails in execution due to humanity’s inclination to sin. In The Once and Future King by T.H. White, characters attempt to solve corruption in England with chivalry’s morality, resulting in the emergence of turmoil and sin. Arthur, the king of England, who throughout his life emphasizes the ideals of chivalry, ultimately realizes his mistake and replaces it with a more individualized religious strategy. Lancelot, Arthur’s most noble knight, whose profound commitment to chivalry, in theory, should keep him on a righteous path, fails him when he grapples with lust and anger. Mordred, Arthur’s illegitimate son, persists in the sole directive of harming Arthur and the continuity of his code. In looking at The Once and Future King and considering Arthur, Lancelot, and Mordred, the reader finds that society’s moral institutions fail to achieve a just world due to humanity’s inherent inclination towards evil and corruption, which stems from an underlying weakness in resisting temptation.

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Nearing the end of his reign, Arthur realizes that chivalry lacks one key consideration: humanity’s fundamental immorality. Arthur utilizes the teachings of his mentor, Merlyn, to institute what he believes has the potential to solve the savagery in England. During some games at a festival, Arthur takes notice of the young Lancelot, and a conversation sparks about the flaws of England. Lancelot remarks that the code of chivalry, in theory, can effectively achieve widespread morality: “You want to put an end to the strong arm by having a band of Knights who believe in justice over strength” (312). Lancelot acknowledges the theoretical effectiveness of Arthur’s code. Arthur’s institution of utilizing strength to achieve justice triumphs over the corruption of England in the early part of Arthur’s reign. However, later in Arthur’s kingship, the Knights of the Round Table begin to sway back to a life of immorality and selfishness. Subsequently, Arthur realizes that chivalry cannot solve humanity’s corruption in the long term. As Lancelot and Guenever, Arthur’s wife, question Arthur’s decision to eradicate chivalry, he says, “Unfortunately we have tried to establish right by might but you just can’t do that...We have run out of things to fight for, so all the fighters of the Table are going to rot” (435).

Chivalry lacks one key consideration: humanity’s fundamental immorality. Upon reflection of the Knight’s fickleness, he recognizes chivalry’s interim nature. Without the preoccupation, his knights begin to “rot” internally, as they return to their immoral ways. As his code falls apart in front of him, he begins to pursue a new method for occupying his people’s sinful nature: one that features religious quests in search of relics. Essentially, as Arthur develops chivalry, he lacks consideration of humanity’s weakness and thus its susceptibility to evil. Near the end of his reign, Arthur

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understands that chivalry merely preoccupies a people, but does not achieve perpetual morality. Similarly, despite firmly believing in the ideals of chivalry, Lancelot’s weakness allows lust and anger to consume him, causing him to abandon his morality in favor of evil. As Lancelot and Guenever sit atop a tower, they discuss the decay of chivalry: “Lancelot and Guenever looked down over the sundown of chivalry from the tower window” (545). White’s use of the metaphor “sundown of chivalry” signifies the waning of Arthur’s code as a defining ideal for Lancelot and for England. Later, as Lancelot rescues Guenever from her impending execution, he kills two close friends of his, Gaheris and Gareth, while they guard Guenever unarmed. Arthur’s disbelief in Lancelot’s actions when talking to the fallen knights’ brother, Gawaine, forces him to rethink his code’s effectiveness: “He was the preux chevalier who always spared people — who never slew a person weaker than himself. That was the high road to Lancelot’s popularity. Do you suppose he would have suddenly dropped this pose, to begin killing unarmed men regardless?” (602).

[Lancelot’s] antithetical transformation epitomizes humanity’s tendency to sin due to its underlying vulnerability to temptation. Arthur cannot begin to comprehend Lancelot’s fall from such purity to sin. As a result of these actions, Lancelot must live out the remainder of his life in isolation. Lancelot loses a lifetime of honor and purity as his rage and lust overturn his sense of morality. His antithetical transformation epitomizes humanity’s tendency to sin due to its underlying vulnerability to temptation.

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On the other end of the spectrum, through his incestuous birth, Mordred lives his life with a consistent tendency towards evil, and, in doing so, illuminates humanity’s inclination towards corruption. Mordred’s evil fate derives from his incestuous conception by Arthur and his half-sister Morgause.

Mordred lives his life with a consistent tendency towards evil, and, in doing so, illuminates humanity’s inclination towards corruption. White, using this concept of evil fate, alludes to not only Mordred’s but humanity’s innate evil tendencies. In a discussion with his brother, Agravaine, Mordred proposes a plot to harm Arthur and usurp his throne, in which he plans to publicize Guenever’s affair with Lancelot. When Agravaine questions the effectiveness of this ploy, Mordred responds that he plans to harm Arthur through his loss of a best friend as well as a military general: “I can’t see that anything could happen, except a split. Arthur depends on Lancelot as his commander and the chief of his troops...We could break them up because they were broken among themselves” (527). Mordred strips Arthur of the most important person to his social and political life, Lancelot, by turning Arthur against him. Vengeance and jealousy fuel Mordred’s actions. Mordred’s cruel and selfish efforts against his own father lay testament to humanity’s instinctive response to veer to the side of corruption and evil, despite moral institutions in place to prevent it.

Polymatheus Volume 9 • June 2021

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my nervous fidgeting and begin my speech. Time to leave, to start something new. I try to look into the crowd, but can’t see through the lights.

Graduation: A Sestina

Yoni Merkin (‘21) Ms. Pam Felcher, AP English Literature

Well it’s time to leave for graduation. Getting dressed in our new robes. Luckily, the weather looks good; the sky doesn’t have a cloud. The drive’s almost at its end; time to go in now. After some anticipation, the lights start to dim; it’s finally time to say goodbye. First the teachers get up to bid the graduates goodbye. They order us to take the lessons we’ve learned with us when we leave. Beating down on us, the lights make it hard to see our audience, our past; now only the future, the new parts of our life are beginning while the rest come to an end. We try to look up to our future, but all that can really be made out is the sky. Like our lives, our hats will be thrown into the sky, not really sure where they will end up. I pass by friends and teachers as I make my way up to the stage. I end

Our lives stretched out before us promise something new. As I finish, I hear honks from the sea of headlights. As if from the sky, teachers and friends materialize around me. New people get on stage; one speech blends into the next by countless teachers and students. Now it’s time to leave the stage and get our diplomas; graduation is coming to an end. After the ceremony finishes, I end up talking to friends and family until the dimming lights tell us it’s time to really leave. As we head to our cars, the sky lights our path. The twinkling stars seem to say goodbye. Our lives stretched out before us promise something new. As I reflect on the night, I realize that while feeling new, graduating is something we always do. All things end so why does saying goodbye always seem so hard. As we drive, the street lights twinkle like stars in the sky, reminding us of the fleeting chances we will get before we must leave. New beginnings come as often as new ends. The lights seem to scream at me.

Polymatheus Volume 9 • June 2021

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We end up looking up at the sky, praying to keep what we love. But time shows no mercy. We barely say goodbye before we leave.

An Ode to Scrolling

Aryeh Rothenberg (‘22) Ms. Pam Felcher, AP English Language

t’s 11:50 p.m. You’ve been nestled under the covers for the last two hours, aimlessly flicking your phone from app to app, picture to picture, just begging for something to distract you from tomorrow’s looming anxiety. At this point, anything will do. Anything to draw out a laugh, a smile, a slight smirk. Even the frightful dancing of some teenager or the dim-witted joke of some Southern-drawling high school jock, who looks far too old to be in high school, evokes some sort of feelings — even if they are feelings of contempt and shame. Feelings are good. Feelings circumvent the monotony of life at home; they squeeze and strangle the staleness from its lungs. Feelings, even negative, make life worth living. So you continue to scroll, but you’re no sucker. In ten minutes, at 12:00 a.m. sharp — not a second more — you’ll turn off the crashing waves of sight and sound and stow your beacon of light, and hope, and life for the warm embrace of sleep. You’re no sucker. Self-control is your middle name. 12:00 a.m. rolls around… and passes. 12:01 a.m., 12:02 a.m. — your thumb drags its way up the screen for the millionth

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time. Defeat isn’t a good look on you, but, at twelve o’clock in the morning, nothing is. Your face is squished into your hand; your hand, into your pillow. Your body is twisted and folded like only a soft pretzel from the mall can be, as you seek the ever-elusive cold spot under the sheets. “No matter. I’ll just try again in ten minutes. At 12:15 a.m. sharp. Not a second more.”

The Fall

It doesn’t matter what you do or what you try. Society is grooming a fast-paced world where online videos are short; attention spans, shorter. You delete one app because the endless train of quick videos takes advantage of you, and the next thing you know, another three companies have built their own tracks. The Hydra that is corporate greed and control rears its ugly heads and attacks any semblance of thought or action on the path of productivity, all to pump you full of advertisements and track your every move.

The very savior in your life has become the very thing you fight against — the loneliness and hopelessness of being “Bubble Boy.” Does any of that matter to you, though? No. The worst part of all is actually the fatigue. Fatigue from getting no sleep. Fatigue from spending all day clicking your way from app to Zoom meeting to app. Fatigue from the monotony of scrolling. The very savior in your life has become the very thing you fight against — the loneliness and hopelessness of being “Bubble Boy.” Sure, you know it’s time to change. “Today will be different. I’m going to bed early and I am going to be as productive as possible.” Everybody has the same epiphany at least once a week. Then 12:00 a.m. rolls around, and there you are, scrolling your way into one hell of a tomorrow.

Raphy Amsellem (‘23) Ms. Janice Frew, Honors British Literature

he Fall acts as a channel from a life of innocence to a life of experience in the story of Eden. When a character manipulates others’ innocence like the serpent from the Garden of Eden, humanity Falls from grace. Certain plot points in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet embody lessons of the biblical story of Eden. Hamlet, the son of the late King of Denmark, disregards his friend’s pleas to ignore a ghostly voice because his desire for knowledge of the ghost’s identity overpowers his fear of death. While deceiving others to reach his goal, Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle, takes the throne that Hamlet’s father had occupied. Queen Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother and Claudius’ wife, lives a life of utter deception under the control of cunning Claudius. In looking at Hamlet and considering Hamlet, Claudius, and Gertrude through the lens of the biblical story of Eden, the reader finds that one’s motivation — by the vulnerability of innocence, the overwhelming pursuit of knowledge, and the weaponization of temptation — causes a disturbance in one’s drive for survival and ultimately leads to a Fall.

Polymatheus Volume 9 • June 2021

Hamlet’s pursuit for knowledge overwhelms his fear of death and, thereafter, causes his Fall. Marcellus and Horatio, two of Hamlet’s friends, inform Hamlet that his ghostly father has appeared to them. Hamlet eagerly decides to approach the ghost of his deceased father, despite Horatio’s warnings about the dangers this ghostly figure might possess: “What if it tempt you toward the flood, or to the dreadful summit of the cliff” (1.4.69-70). Shakespeare alludes to the lessons of Eden through the use of Edenic Imagery when he refers to the words “tempt” and “cliff.” The cliff serves as a direct reference to the Fall that Hamlet soon experiences. Hamlet’s father provides Hamlet with information that burdens him for the remainder of his life when he tells Hamlet that Claudius murdered him. After hearing the news, Hamlet experiences a Fall because the responsibility to take revenge on Claudius strips him of his innocence. Furthermore, Hamlet does not take into consideration his fear of death when saying, “I do not set my life at a pin’s fee” (1.4.65). Hamlet values his life as insignificantly as the cost of a pin, which suggests that his lack of attention to his survival overpowers his fear of death. While Horatio stays cautious in a time of peril, Hamlet, without contemplating, encounters a possible threat, merely in a pursuit of knowledge. Hamlet’s demand for further comprehension of the circumstances with his family overpowers his fear of death, ultimately leading him to a welldeserved Fall.

[Hamlet’s] lack of attention to his survival overpowers his fear of death. In addition to Hamlet’s stages toward a Fall, while Claudius tampers with another’s survival, the same fate comes back to bite him. When describing the circumstances that lead up to his death to Hamlet, the former King Hamlet says that while

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“sleeping in my orchard, a serpent stung me… the serpent that did sting thy father’s life now wears his crown” (1.5.3539). Shakespeare seems to concisely depict an ideal image of the Edenic story. He compares the orchard to the garden of Eden, in which Claudius, referred to as a serpent, tempts the sleeping King Hamlet.

Claudius’ temptation creates his own path of destruction since dealing with another’s survival instincts in an immoral way sparks his Fall. Furthermore, when Claudius begins to worry that he will lose his kingship, he plots to deceive Hamlet and murder him with the tip of a poisonous sword. However, as young Hamlet stirs up more hate for the present king, he decides to take matters into his own hands: “The point envenomed too? Then, venom, to thy work. Hurts the King… Here, thou incestuous, murd’rous, damnéd Dane, drink off this potion” (5.2.322-327). Claudius’ pouring poison into Hamlet’s father’s ear, bringing about the father’s death, parallels the serpent in the story of Eden who pours words into the ears of Eve, bringing about the inevitable death of humanity. Shakespeare illustrates the perfect consequence for Claudius’ wrongdoings since just as Claudius uses poison to kill others, the same fate ultimately causes his own death. Claudius’ temptation creates his own path of destruction since dealing with another’s survival instincts in an immoral way sparks his Fall. Queen Gertrude experiences a similar fate to Claudius’ as she hopelessly allows him to tamper with her survival, leaving her vulnerable to a Fall. While in conversation with his ghostly father, Hamlet soon realizes the truth about his

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family. His father mentions that Claudius utilizes “wicked wit and gifts, that have the power so to seduce! — won to his shameful lust the will of my most seeming-virtuous Queen” (1.5.44-46). Similar to the story of Eden, Claudius, taking the form of the serpent, uses words to seduce Gertrude, whose innocence equates her to Eve. Gertrude’s survival depends on her level of innocence because Claudius, a serpent-like figure, attacks the weakest individuals.

Gertrude’s survival depends on her level of innocence because Claudius, a serpentlike figure, attacks the weakest individuals. Alternatively, one could argue that if Gertrude maintains her innocence, she puts her life in jeopardy. Within the same discussion between Hamlet and his father, the father, referring to Gertrude, indicates that “those thorns that in her bosom lodge to prick and sting her” (1.5.94). By using the words “prick,” “sting,” and “thorn” Shakespeare conveys that the seduction of Claudius puts Queen Gertrude in danger. Just as Claudius tempts Gertrude in order to sting her, the serpent tempts innocent Eve to sting her. Shakespeare suggests that coming too close to a snake-like figure and bearing such innocence puts Gertrude at high risk of a Fall. Her lack of awareness of the fact that Claudius has murdered her husband furthers her risk. Claudius interferes with Gertrude’s innocent, naive character survival, eventually leading her to an unforeseen Fall.

English

Why is the Color Orange not Beautiful? Moshe Epstein (‘21) Ms. Pam Felcher, AP English Literature

Why is the color orange not beautiful? From the heavens to the ground below, Its contributions to beauty are irrefutable. When the sun rises and falls as usual, Orange blends the red and yellow glow. Why is the color orange not beautiful? The streaks of orange make it excusable, that orange takes part in announcing a new day and makes you say “whoa.” Its contributions to beauty are irrefutable.

The changing leaves of autumn almost seem illusional: As the once-green trees become flooded with orange leaves that will let go. Why is the color orange not beautiful? How could the orange of a monarch be anything other than incommutable? With its black, orange, and white speckled wings that flutter low, its contributions to beauty are irrefutable.

Nature made places for orange where it could never be mutable. It has taken part in all that we know:

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English

Why is the color orange not beautiful? Its contributions to beauty are irrefutable.

Happy Wife, Happy Kingdom

Natan Rosen (‘23) Ms. Janice Frew, Honors British Literature

happy marriage requires a balance of control between two people. The responsibilities of leadership and marriage consist of similar skills such as sharing control, passion, and unity. When men and kings expect full control and lead with selfish desires, their marriages and kingdoms alike fall apart. In William Shakespeare’s Richard III, one’s marriage reveals one’s core morals. Richard’s control over his marriage with Anne causes an unbalanced relationship between them. Rather than determining his partner by love, Richard disrespects this unspoken law and marries for status. After murdering the majority of young Elizabeth’s relatives for personal gain, Richard wants to marry her against the remaining relatives’ wishes. In looking at Richard III and considering Richard’s control, selfishness, and hatred, the reader finds that the obligations of a ruler intertwine with those of marriage, and without attending to them, both fail. Richard does not trust Lady Anne, a member of the Lancaster family, with any control in their marriage. Richard murders the majority of the Lancaster family, which includes

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English

Anne’s husband and father-in-law. As Richard contemplates the consequences of his involvement in the Lancaster massacre, he decides, “For then I’ll marry Warwick’s youngest daughter” (1.1.153). In marrying Anne, Richard hopes to avoid the wrath of the vengeful Lancasters. Anne does not really have a choice to marry him, so he hopes to take full advantage of her husband’s death. While at her husband’s funeral, Richard attempts to seduce Anne. After Anne agrees to marry Richard instead of murdering him, Richard says to the audience: “I’ll have her, but I will not keep her long” (1.2.229).

In addition to his obsessive control, Richard ignores the desires of others because of his overbearing selfishness. When Richard argues with Queen Elizabeth to give permission to marry her daughter, young Elizabeth, Richard states:

Richard’s fear of losing control of his kingdom, illustrated in the killing rampage of his family, consumes his every thought. Richard plans to eliminate Anne almost immediately after marrying her. He goes into his marriage controlling it from the beginning to the end, instead of sharing control with Anne, as he should. Richard’s unwillingness to give control to his wife parallels his restraint to give control to his allies. Richard’s fear of losing control of his kingdom, illustrated in the killing rampage of his family, consumes his every thought. When Hastings, one of Richard’s allies, later doubts Richard’s accusations about his withered arm, in outrage, Richard responds: “Talk’st thou to me of if’s? Thou art a traitor. Off with his head!” (3.4.74-75). The paranoia of losing his kingdom causes Richard to make rash decisions, such as killing an ally. Richard’s obsession with control, demonstrated in his marriage with Anne, reveals a flaw in trying to maintain control of his kingdom. This obsession leads Richard to kill his powerful allies, thereby weakening his position and causing him to lose his crown and wife.

RICHARD. Wrong not her birth; she is a royal princess. QUEEN ELIZABETH. To save her life, I’ll say she is not. (4.4.212-214) While mentioning the privilege young Elizabeth has in marrying into his royal family, Richard conversely states that her noble birth causes him to marry her. Queen Elizabeth acknowledges the risk her royal blood puts on her daughter’s life. Due to the trauma that Richard has afflicted on her family, Queen Elizabeth attempts to lie in order to keep her daughter alive. Richard disregards Queen Elizabeth’s desires and instead continues to do what he wants, attempting to take her daughter in marriage. Along with Queen Elizabeth’s disgust of Richard, fear amongst the citizens begins to swell. Three of Richard’s citizens have a discussion about their ruler and one of them says, “O, full of danger is the Duke of Gloucester… But leave it all to God. Whither away?” (2.4.2745).

Now seen as a dangerous tyrant in the eyes of his people, Richard lacks the support when he needs it. This citizen states that he has no control over what happens to his kingdom, and he can only pray to God. Richard’s selfcentered character injects a type of fear in the community, which parallels the selfishness he exhibits toward Queen Elizabeth by forcing her to agree to the marriage of her daughter. Now seen as a dangerous tyrant in the eyes of his people, Richard lacks the support when he needs it.

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English

Along with selflessness, a king should strive for harmony within his kingdom and family, but instead, Richard creates hatred between him and his loved ones. As Queen Elizabeth and Richard continue to argue over young Elizabeth’s hand in marriage, Queen Elizabeth says to him, “For my daughters, Richard, they shall be praying nuns, not weeping queens” (4.4.201-202). Queen Elizabeth does not want her daughter to have Richard as a husband. She fears he plans to kill her daughter once he finds no use for her. He ignores Queen Elizabeth and viciously attempts to convince her causing a fierce division between them. Richard explains that he wants to rule his kingdom with young Elizabeth:

On Change

RICHARD. Tell her the King, that may command, entreats. QUEEN ELIZABETH. That at her hands which the King’s King forbids. (4.4.344-347) By marrying young Elizabeth, Richard attempts to unite the royal family under his command, while betraying his own blood. To shield her family from Richard’s attacks, Queen Elizabeth turns to the word of God. Through his intense hatred of the Greys, Richard defies God’s word, annihilating his own family. Richard does not take the conjoining of his family as seriously as his personal motives, causing resentment within his family. His disregard of his God’s law exposes Richard’s lack of interest in ruling the two kingdoms for his people’s sake. Since Richard does not prioritize the juxtaposition of his family, but rather instills hatred, neither his family nor people accept him as their universal leader, resulting in his failure.

Yoni Merkin (‘21) Ms. Pam Felcher, AP English Literature

Memories are all we can keep. Failing to recapture them is the essence of our regret. But it’s time to move on, to take that leap. Time, the greatest monster of all, will slowly creep. Our streets, houses, sights, and smells are not forever set. Memories are all we can keep. The benefits of familiarity we soon will no longer reap. People seen often, will no longer be met. But it’s time to move on, to take that leap. The mountain of the future, so high, yet maybe too steep. Homesickness will just slow us down; we must forget. Memories are all we can keep. In once impenetrable routine, change will seep. Recreating our favorite moments, time will not let. But it’s time to move on, to take that leap. Now we take one last look back at familiarity, once cheap. Trying not to imagine what in a different life we could get. Memories are all we can keep. So it’s time to move on, to take that leap.

“I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” Thomas Jefferson

History

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Franklin D. Roosevelt's Impact on the Presidency

Boaz Edidin (‘22) Dr. Paul Soifer, AP US History

ranklin D. Roosevelt — who served as president from 1932-1945, the longest incumbent in the long history of American presidents — was thrust into office at a turbulent time. The Great Depression, which hurt all members of the American economy — from unskilled workers, to store owners, to the government — between 1929 and 1932, had not shown any signs of slowing down before Roosevelt took office. Bank runs and unemployment were still increasing, while tax revenue was decreasing. Roosevelt responded to these problems with a series of public works programs, financial relief projects, and economic regulations called the New Deal; additionally, he manufactured a relationship with the American people through his “fireside chats” where he talked directly to Americans on the radio about his policies and the state of the country. Roosevelt’s multifaceted response to the Great Depression, as well as the legislation that followed, strengthened the power of the federal government and the relationship between citizens and the president, changing American politics forever.

History

While Roosevelt’s radical method of using extreme federal power to combat the Great Depression gained significant opposition from the courts, its success relative to previous efforts convinced America that increasing the power of the president and the federal government was a good thing. The previous president, Herbert Hoover, took to voluntarism to fix the country’s economic blight, pinning the responsibility of addressing the depression on private charities, local authorities, and state governments. For example, Hoover took the stance that giving welfare was not just out of the president’s responsibility, but also detrimental to the individualism of Americans. Instead of giving welfare, he encouraged a lot of public works to raise jobs and governmental income. However, eventually, the government ran out of money to pay these workers. Hoover did take some

Roosevelt’s multifaceted response to the Great Depression, as well as the legislation that followed, strengthened the power of the federal government and the relationship bet ween citizens and the president, changing American politics forever. action when he jawboned industrial leaders to keep wages the same and maintain production, and labor unions not to go on strike. But while this strategy kept these parties calm in the short term, it was not sustainable throughout the worst years of the depression. In contrast to Hoover’s policy, Roosevelt used every ounce of his power — and more — to help the country through the depression. The first action of his New Deal was an executive order calling for a four-day national bank holiday, which was associated with a promise that when

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the bank holiday is over, only banks that are financially sound are allowed to open. This executive order was immediately followed by the Emergency Banking Act, which provided legal justification for Roosevelt’s order and gave the president broad powers with regard to banking. By passing the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA), Roosevelt continued to expand the power of the federal government. The NIRA brought together business leaders, labor, and consumers to work together to come up with codes on how to operate their particular industries in order to help their industries and the American economy simultaneously. Businesses that agreed to these codes put the NRA “Blue Eagle” sign in their window, which attracted customers, whereas businesses that did not comply with the codes faced legal consequences. A.L.A. Schechter Poultry Corp. was one of these noncompliant businesses, and in 1945 they challenged the NIRA in the Supreme Court. In their case, A.L.A. Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States, the Supreme Court found the NIRA unconstitutional because congress and the president overstepped their powers, which said that they could regulate interstate commerce, by attempting to regulate intrastate commerce. Roosevelt’s actions expanded the power of the president from passivity to action.

Roosevelt’s actions expanded the power of the president from passivity to action. While Roosevelt’s policies that temporarily increased his power during the Great Depression sometimes fell through, after the depression he sought to form policies that increased the power of the president forever. The slashing down of the NIRA by the Supreme Court convinced Roosevelt to find a way to ensure that his legislation would always get approved.

History

In his proposed solution, which we call the “Court Packing Bill,” he suggested that every time a justice turned 70 years old and still wanted to work for the Supreme Court, the president should appoint a new justice. By instating this, Roosevelt hoped to fill the court with young justices that supported his ideals and would vote in favor of New Deal legislation.

As far as the public was concerned, if the economy is bad, the president is bad. However, Congress realized how much this could enhance the president’s power, so they refused to pass it. Roosevelt failed in his first attempt to change the standing of the president in the law books but later succeeded with the enactment of the Reorganization Act in 1939. As part of this act, Roosevelt created a new Cabinet agency, the Federal Security Agency, and placed the Social Security Board and these two agencies under the jurisdiction of the president. By officially increasing the responsibilities of his office in the law, Roosevelt changed the shape of the White House — and American politics in turn. Roosevelt’s success at suppressing the Great Depression, as well as his “fireside chats,” tightened the previously weak bond between the American people and their president. As far as the public was concerned, if the economy is bad, the president is bad. Therefore, Americans despised Hoover. For example, Americans referred to the shanty towns that housed homeless people during the depression as “Hoovervilles.” For most of Roosevelt’s tenure, the economy fared better than during Hoover’s term, largely because of Roosevelt’s policies.

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Therefore, Roosevelt gained a liking amongst most of America, proven by his ability to win the election not once, not twice, not three times, but a whopping four times. Roosevelt used his famous “fireside chats’’ to further his amicable relationship with the citizens of America and to communicate his reasoning behind his policies. After he addressed the country on a “fireside chat” about his reasoning for his four day bank holiday, instead of taking their money out of banks, people put their money back into them. Roosevelt’s effective use of media to communicate with and build a relationship with the people of America served as an example for future presidents struggling to garner support.

History

In conclusion, while Roosevelt used the tail end of Hoover’s presidency as a springboard, Roosevelt’s presidency represented a real turning point in American politics with the president, a man of the people, at the helm of a more powerful than ever federal government.

Roosevelt’s presidency represented a real turning point in American politics with the president, a man of the people, at the helm of a more powerful than ever federal government. However, FDR did not totally change the presidency overnight; Hoover had already started to veer from his voluntarism policy to a more active one in 1931 and 1932. In particular, Hoover’s 1932 Reconstruction Finance Corporation Act provided money for loans to banks, railroads, insurance companies, and local governments. It was too late, though, as the Americans had already soured on Hoover enough to vote him out of office in the next election.

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History

It's all in the Jeans: The Charitable Legacy of Levi Strauss

to his community. An avid giver of tzedakah, the Jewish term for charity, Strauss became one of San Francisco’s most influential philanthropists with his large donations to the Bay Area’s Jewish communities and institutions, as well as to UC Berkeley. More than a hundred years after Strauss’s death in 1902, Levi Strauss and Co. has led some of society’s most important causes in recent years and gives millions of dollars a year to those in need. While his rise from young Gold Rush entrepreneur to global enterprise leader is deserving enough of the household fame it has amassed, Strauss deserves equal, if not more, recognition for his exceptional philanthropic acts that remain a part of his company generations later.

Aryeh Rothenberg (‘22) Mr. Gregory Zlotin, US History

orn into a family of Bavarian Jews in 1829, Levi Strauss emigrated to the United States at the age of eighteen, where he made his rise to prominence during the 1849 California Gold Rush. Lured by the thoughts of riches, Strauss set out from New York for the Wild West. Rather than sully himself in the mines or by the streams, risking his life for the slim chance of striking gold, Strauss followed the lead of his entrepreneur brothers in New York and set up his own branch of the family’s dry goods business, tailoring for miners and prospectors in partnership with a tailor named Jacob Davis. Strauss produced durable denim pants that quickly became a favorite amongst “FortyNiners,” farmers, and lumberjacks. Deemed a working man’s necessity, Strauss and Davis’s blue denim jeans spread like wildfire across the country, and, eventually, the world. Even now, more than a hundred years after its initial construction, Strauss’s company, Levi Strauss and Co., is known for comfort, durability, and style; it sits currently amongst the twenty-five most valuable fashion brands in the world. With the fantastic growth and success of his business, Strauss’s wealth grew, and with it, the opportunity for him to give back

Strauss deserves equal, if not more, recognition for his exceptional philanthropic acts that remain a part of his company generations later. Strauss was born into a Jewish family of Ashkenazi descent, and while not raised in an orthodox home, his Jewish values still guided him throughout his journey to entrepreneurship. Strauss’s generosity began in his own synagogue, Temple Emanuel, where, every year, he would fund the gold award for the best Hebrew School student. Outside the synagogue, Strauss donated to the Pacific Hebrew Orphan Asylum and Home Society, a group home in San Francisco for Jewish orphaned children, and later, to young Holocaust survivors. Following his death, a significant amount of Strauss’s six million dollar estate was donated back to the Jewish community, namely the orphanage and a nursing home for elderly Jews. Strauss’s charitable acts extended past his own Jewish community, though; Strauss was also known for his contributions to local Protestant orphanages and community centers such as the theatre.

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History

Strauss’s most important contribution came in 1897 when he donated 28 scholarships to the University of California in Berkeley. His invaluable contribution to the education of unserved youth, many of whom were women, is respectable, but even more so is the tradition of giving life-changing opportunities to young men and women started by the initial scholarship donation, and continued to this day by Strauss’s family.

down several generations, continue to change lives and bring opportunity to those unable to find it themselves.

Ira Hirschfield said, “We look at sustainability. If you fund something, you don’t just do it for three years. We need to know it has a chance to continue.” Strauss never married, nor did he have any children, so after his death, Strauss’s four nephews — Jacob, Sigmund, Abraham, and Louis Stern — took over the company and kept alive their uncle’s tradition of philanthropy. Strauss’s generosity in his own lifetime influenced generations of his successors to the point that Strauss’s original donation to UC Berkeley has been repeated annually. The Haas School of Business in Berkeley is one such contribution and currently ranks seventh amongst the nation’s leading business schools. The Haas family has also established numerous funds since 1950, including the Seasons of Sharing Fund created by Walter Haas, Jr. — the son of Walter Haas and Elise Stern, daughter of Sigmund Stern — which helps those unable to receive assistance from other charities. Addressing her family’s philanthropy, Ira Hirschfield (formerly Haas) said, “We look at sustainability. If you fund something, you don’t just do it for three years. We need to know it has a chance to continue.” Even more than a hundred years after his death, Levi Strauss’s beliefs and principles, having been passed

Levi Strauss and Co., also passed down through the generations from Strauss to Stern to Haas, has a long history of supporting important causes with donations and positive publicity. Unafraid to take a stance on modern problems, controversial or not, Levi Strauss and Co. has always made a point of helping those who need help. In 1983, the Levi Strauss Foundation began a lengthy fight against the HIV/ AIDS virus by giving the first corporate donation for the treatment of HIV/AIDS to the Kaposi Sarcoma Clinic in San Francisco. Even though HIV/AIDS was plagued by stigma and homophobia, Levi Strauss and Co. made a point to publicly donate to and promote the research of the virus in an attempt to normalize and support those living and dying with it.

Even though HIV/AIDS was plagued by stigma and homophobia, Levi Strauss and Co. made a point to publicly donate to and promote the research of the virus in an attempt to normalize and support those living and dying with it. Since its initial donation, Levi Strauss and Co. has donated more than $76 million in support of the nearly forty million people across the globe living with HIV or AIDS and has organized several events to gather funds, volunteers, and positive publicity for the virus. As Daniel Lee, executive director of the Levi Strauss Foundation, said in an interview regarding the foundation’s response to the virus, “I often say that LSF got in early and stayed the course in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Giving back is at the core of Levi Strauss’s

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History

business, a pillar put in place by our founder 165 years ago. In short, philanthropy is not a trend for us. It’s an important part of our DNA.” The small Jeans store in nineteenthcentury California gave birth to the massive twenty-firstcentury corporation, and so the charitable genes live on. Levi Strauss built the foundation of his company on the principles of charity and philanthropy, and more than a century later, as the company has expanded and grown to monstrous proportions, so too the ability and the will to give back to society have grown. Aside from AIDS and HIV, Levi Strauss and Co. also donates millions to social justice reform, vulnerable communities including ethnic minorities, refugees, transgender people, the Worker’s Well-Being program, and many more contemporary societal issues.

Works Cited

What these stories omit is the Levi Strauss that changed thousands of lives with his philanthropy, the Levi Strauss that gave to others before he took for himself, the Levi Strauss who lives on through the charitable deeds of his successors. Levi Strauss’s accomplishments as a Gold Rush entrepreneur are legendary; nearly every story of riches and failure in California’s goldfields is succeeded by the obligatory mention of Levi Strauss, the jeans pioneer, the immigrant tailor who discovered the recipe to success, 1849’s real winner. What these stories omit is the giving, the caring, the fostering of one man’s belief into a family’s standard of living and a company’s standard of business. What these stories omit is the Levi Strauss that changed thousands of lives with his philanthropy, the Levi Strauss that gave to others before he took for himself, the Levi Strauss who lives on through the charitable deeds of his successors.

Guthrie, Julian. “Levi Strauss Descendants’ Philanthropy a Family Affair.” Philanthropy News Digest (PND), 25 July 2007, philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/levistrauss-descendants-philanthropy-a-family-affair. Hamilton, Sarah. “Reigniting the Fight: Levi Strauss & Co. and the Levi Strauss Foundation.” Funders Concerned About AIDS, 1 June 2017, www.fcaaids.org/2017/05/31/ sreigniting-the-fight-levi-strauss-co-and-the-levistrauss-foundation/. “Levi Strauss.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Apr. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levi_Strauss. “Levi Strauss Foundation.” Levi Strauss & Co, 10 Aug. 2020, www.levistrauss.com/values-in-action/levistrauss-foundation/ Levi Strauss & Co., Unzipped Staff. “The Story of Levi Strauss.” Levi Strauss & Co, 30 May 2019, www. levistrauss.com/2013/03/14/the-story-of-levi-strauss/. “Who Made America? | Innovators | Levi Strauss.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/wgbh/ theymadeamerica/whomade/strauss_hi.html.

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A Summary of Elements of German Antisemitism

Moshe Feldman (‘23) Dr. Paul Soifer, AP European History

he new German unified state was established in 1871. That same year, Jews were formally emancipated in all parts of the Second Reich. Though there was a long history of European anti-Jewishness based on theological grounds, a virulent and different type of non-Church-based Jew-hatred emerged in Germany at this same time. Wilhelm Marr coined the term ‘anti-Semitism’ and created the first German organization whose agenda was Jew-hatred, the League of Anti-Semites, only a few years later. The plethora of German anti-Semitic writings of the late 19th century respond to perceived Jewish power as well as to explicate why the Jews pose a multi-faceted threat to contemporary Germany and Germans, including political, economic, religious, and racial considerations. In Marr’s The Victory of Judaism Over Germandom (1879), he asserts that Jews dominate politics and every echelon of life in Germany. Marr describes the Jews as a foreign power that dominates the state, the Church (both Catholic and Protestant), and the press. He cites international examples of what he sees as Jewish exercise of geopolitical

History

power and blames France’s losses (including immense loss of human life) in the Franco-Prussian War on decisions by powerful leaders whom he wrongly believes to be Jewish such as Leon Gambetta and Jules Francois Simon. He writes that the Jews’ power surpassed even the great conquering Roman Empire in their influence over Europe, Germany, in particular. Marr writes that he refuses to surrender to the Jewish subjugation of Germany. Though he is metaphorically ringing an alarm bell, he offers no specific plan for Germany to rid itself of Jewish influence and control, nor are there instructions for ordinary Germans to combat Jewish power on an individual basis. His concerns seem to center around Jewish political power over Germany, but not so much with individual Jews except for world political figures.

The Jews’ power surpassed even the great conquering Roman Empire in their influence over Europe, Germany, in particular. While voicing concerns over the influence of the Jews within Germany, Adolf Stoecker, a theologian and the founder in 1878 of the Christian Social Party, proposes solutions in What We Demand of Modern Jewry (1879). In this speech, Stoecker’s anti-Semitism is mainly economic and religiously focused. Stoecker outlines how, in his view, the Jews control the newspapers and economically exploit Germans through capitalism. He calls for legal-economic reforms to marginalize Jewish influence and power, including the abolishment of the mortgage system, stock exchange regulations, ascertaining the proportion of Jewish capital to Christian labor, the proportional appointment of Jewish judges, and eliminating Jewish teachers from grammar school. Stoecker is less concerned with geopolitics than Marr. Also in contrast to Marr, an important part of Stoecker’s rhetoric is a detailed attack against Judaism as a religion. This attack on Judaism

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as a religion bears similarities to historical European antiJudaism. Stoecker believes that Judaism is hypocritically immoral, pointing out ancient inherent Jewish inequalities, such as the special rights of kohanim, as well as slavery, and these inherent abuses were only ended by the TeutonicChristian influence. He also contends that neither Orthodox nor Reform Judaism is valid or meaningful, Orthodoxy being archaic and Reform being a product of the Enlightenment, and are a power against religion. He notes that both types of Judaism claim to have a lofty moral standard, yet their only “missionaries’’ are to the European stock markets. Stoecker advocates for the renunciation of Judaism as the religion of the future and a return to Christian values. He also calls on the Jewry itself to be more modest, recognize the defects of their religion and abandon their thirst for control over Germany. Without reforms, writes Stoecker, the ChristianGermanic spirit, Germany’s economy, and Germany’s future are in grave danger from the Jews.

The author is not interested in the religion of the Jews, but rather, as per his title, in their race. In Karl Eugen Duehring’s The Question of the Jew Is a Question of Race (1881), the author is not interested in the religion of the Jews, but rather, as per his title, in their race. He characterizes the Jew not theologically, but biologically. According to Duehring even if Jews were to convert in large numbers, hey would pose a danger to the German people because their new status would allow them access to certain social and political positions from which Jews were otherwise barred. Jews pose a danger to Germans because of their race, not their religion; he seems to imply that conversion cannot overcome biology, unlike traditional proponents of anti-Jewishness. The infiltration of Jews (defined by race), whatever their professed religion, into the German national

History

home, is undesirable. In this excerpt, there are no specific prescriptions for removing racial Jews.

Similar to Duehring, He views the Jews as members of a race and as foes, regardless of their religion. In his Racists’ Decalogue (1883), Theodore Fritsch views the Jews as the enemy of all Germans and offers specific, practical instructions to ordinary Germans vis-a-vis Jews. Similar to Duehring, he views the Jews as members of a race and as foes, regardless of their religion. He promotes blood purity and advises Germans to end social interactions with Jews, especially protecting their pure German daughters. Similarly, as Stoecker suggests, German children should implicitly be protected by firing all Jewish grammar school teachers. He posits that Germans should refuse to use Jewish professionals, forego business relationships with Jews, and even eliminate Jewish-authored books from their homes. Like Stoecker, he thinks Jews use their money to exploit German people. Fritsch also refers to the Jews as experts in trickery and dangers to Germans in body and soul. Thus, German anti-Semitic writings from 18791883 were not monolithic. Though there is much overlap, different authors focused on different perceived threats in these particular excerpts: Marr primarily on the political, Stoecker primarily on religious and economic, Duehring on the racial, and Fritsch on a mixture of the racial and socioeconomic. Jews were painted as an “other” who posed dangers to Germany, Germans, and German-ness, both in the extent of their power, as well as their inherently corrupt and exploitative nature. These narratives, unfortunately, would have dire consequences for German — and almost all European — Jews, in the decades to follow.

“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” Albert Einstein

Science

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Chemical Warfare

Raphy Amsellem (‘23) & Jake Stephen (‘23) Dr. Yonah Tehrani, Honors Chemistry

he use of chemical agents in acts of terrorism continues to be a challenging problem for governments around the world. As chemists attempt to tackle this issue, they must begin by understanding the chemical makeup of these weapons to create innovative ways to negate their harmful effects. One such chemical weapon is mustard gas. Sulfur mustard is a highly volatile gas that possesses a smell similar to garlic or onions and has a yellowish-brown coloring. With regards to chemical properties, Sulfur mustard becomes a solid at 58°F, has a melting point of 14.4°C, and a boiling point of 217°C. Sulfur mustard is not found naturally in the environment but can be created through the combination of 4 carbons, 8 hydrogens, 2 chlorines, and 1 sulfur. Sulfur mustard can remain in the atmosphere for a number of days and gradually breaks down the body from within. Another chemical agent used is Sarin (C4H10FO2P), a highly toxic compound that serves as a catastrophic nerve agent. Sarin is both colorless and odorless, making it an alarmingly silent killer. If one is exposed to even trace amounts of Sarin, they

Science

can experience life-threatening symptoms, yet chemists have created treatments to minimize the neurological damage, such as the use of a strong alkali to deactivate it. Arsenic is yet another dangerous agent utilized in chemical warfare. Arsenic (As) is an inorganic metalloid that is highly toxic when ingested. Arsenic is a silver/grey substance, brittle, and lustrous, with a boiling point of 887°K and a melting point of 1090°K. Arsenic poses severe short-term and long-term threats to one’s health. Immediate symptoms include vomiting and abdominal pain, yet long-term causes can be extremely life-threatening such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. When discussing all the harmful and catastrophic effects of these chemical agents, it is worth noting that some could be utilized in numerous positive ways. Arsenic epitomizes this sentiment, as this extremely lethal substance can actually be used in a diluted solution to create homeopathic remedies to help with digestive problems, insomnia, and a number of medical disorders such as anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

When discussing all the harmful and catastrophic effects of these chemical agents, it is worth noting that some could be utilized in numerous positive ways. The most vital line of defense against chemical warfare is the gas mask and protective clothing. The filters found in masks contain specially activated charcoals that work to remove the bad vapors in the air. Masks are efficient as they can be donned in less than 10 seconds, and used for long periods of time. Modern protective clothing is made of fabric that contains certain desiccants, or other adsorptive forms of carbon. However, if the climate is too hot, then an

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Science

endothermic reaction (heat stroke) would restrict one from wearing these vests. Detectors look for deadly chemical substances and they are placed throughout an area, notifying the authorities when an attack is happening. Military personnel are often equipped with hypodermic needles filled with antidotes to deadly chemicals. Scientists often find it challenging to figure out a way in which they can decontaminate an individual without harming them or damaging their equipment. For now, they use tropical bleach or warm soapy water to remove the chemicals. In some countries, there are hospitals that are specifically designated for chemical attacks, such as the underground emergency hospital in Israel.

The Physics of Dreidels

1. “Defense against Chemical Weapons.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc, www.britannica. com/technology/chemical-weapon/Defense-againstchemical-weapons. 2. “Arsenic Supplement: Benefits, Uses, Side Effects, Dosage & Interactions.” MedicineNet, MedicineNet, 17 Sept. 2019, www.medicinenet.com/arsenic/supplements-vitamins. htm.

Josh Fiedler (‘22) Dr. Yonah Tehrani, Honors Physics

t first glance, a dreidel seems to defy gravity by standing perfectly upright and moving around on its own. However, the rotation of a dreidel is actually defined by the principles of physics. It’s all about that initial spin; when you spin the dreidel, you convert its potential energy into kinetic energy. The law that keeps the dreidel spinning is the Law of Conservation of Angular Momentum. When an ice skater spins, they can change the speed of their spin by putting their arms out or pulling them in. This happens because — according to the Law of Conservation of Angular Momentum — when an object changes its rotational inertia (shape), its angular velocity will also change. Shouldn’t this mean that since a dreidel does not change in shape, it should spin forever? This is where other acting forces come in. One factor in slowing down the dreidel is imbalance. The common dreidel is made out of cheap plastic and is jerry-rigged in a factory. Due to the cheapness and poor craftsmanship, the dreidel is often imbalanced and may even have some deformities. This causes the dreidel to spin on an

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Science

off-axis vertical line; because of the imperfect line it spins on, gravity may take its toll on the dreidel and cause it to fall. Though, the dreidel isn’t the only thing imbalanced; most surfaces are imbalanced and have some bumps, which causes the dreidel to come off its axis and fall. The next force acting on the dreidel is friction. The dreidel design puts up a great battle against friction. The only point that the dreidel touches the ground is very small and doesn’t allow for friction to take action at its full potential, causing the dreidel to spin for much longer.

How Climate Change Strategies That Use Biomass Can Be More Realistic Yoseph Khorramian (‘21)

1. https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/what-makesa-toy-top-spin

Mrs. Vickie Bellomo, AP Environmental Science

he Decatur plant is one example of a suite of processes known as bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, or BECCS. Although the facility uses grains, most techniques target woody plants, including trees, shrubs, and grasses, which are converted into liquid fuels or burned to create electricity. The emissions from those activities could be sequestered underground or collected and sold as a raw material—primarily for chemical plants or to pump into stubborn oil deposits to force out more oil. The scientific consensus behind the road maps is that to preserve a climate suitable for civilization, global warming should be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This requires a 45 percent reduction of emissions by 2030 and zero net emissions by 2050, relative to 2010 levels, according to the IPCC’s 1.5 °C report. The problem is that most plans assume they can have as much biomass as they want. The truth is that the land needed to produce all that biomass poses a serious constraint. The IPCC reports that large-scale implementation of BECCS alone would require 300 million to 700 million hectares (Mha) of land—an area roughly equivalent to that of India (328 Mha) or the continent of Australia (769 Mha).

Polymatheus Volume 9 • June 2021

And most of the land suitable for BECCS is used today for agriculture. Growing biomass for BECCS at that scale, to say nothing of the other applications, would come into serious conflict with the farmland required to produce food crops and the pastureland needed for livestock. Forests would also be vulnerable because the plans call for cutting them for biomass and replacing them with single-species plantations of high-yielding eucalypts or pines—large monocultures that ruin biodiversity. Greatly increased demand for biomass will further aggravate what has already become a major struggle over how land will be used in the future. Tension is rising over whether more land should be put into soybeans to feed cattle to meet the increasing demand for meat, whether cropland should be used to produce biofuels to replace fossil fuels, and how forests can be preserved instead of cut down.

Science

Work Cited Toensmeier, Eric, and Dennis Garrity. “How Climate Change Strategies That Use Biomass Can Be More Realistic.” Scientific American, Scientific American, 1 Aug. 2020, www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-climatechange-strategies-that-use-biomass-can-be-morerealistic/.

“Most men and women, by birth or nature, lack the means to advance in wealth or power, but all have the ability to advance in knowledge.” Pythagoras

Math

Polymatheus Volume 9 • June 2021

Math

Who can Build the Strongest Bridge?

Joey Eskenazi (‘24) Ms. Layla Bayramova, Honors Algebra 2

Employing mathematical concepts learned in Honors Algebra 2, Joey Eskenazi (‘24) won a class competition for constructing the sturdiest bridge made of popsicle sticks.

The word theatre comes from an ancient Greek word meaning a ‘place for seeing.’ Fun Fact

Economics

Polymatheus Volume 9 • June 2021

The Reddit Rebellion

Jeremy Wizenfeld (‘22) Stocks Club

hile Wall Street has taken massive financial hits in the past, whether from the 2008 financial crisis or more recently the COVID-19 pandemic, never did they think they would lose billions from the collective work of retail investors, dubbed “dumb money.” Over the past few years and increasingly more in the months of the pandemic, hedge funds, most notably Melvin Capital, placed short positions on brick-and-mortar businesses as they believed that the shift to e-commerce, as well as the pandemic, would completely wipe out these businesses. Short positions involve borrowing and immediately selling stock with the intention of buying the shares back at a cheaper price. However, if the stock price rises, short positions can generate huge losses. Keith Gill, who worked in marketing for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co, noticed that the “smart money,” Wall Street, overplayed its hand with one of the short positions: they shorted more shares of Gamestop than were even available. So, he bought $53,000 worth of Gamestop shares back in 2019, and ever since has been trying to spread his discovery to the investing world. He posted on the Reddit

Economics

group r/WallStreetBets and made YouTube videos to explain the technical reasons that Gamestop was a good investment: If enough people would buy the stock and drive the price of Gamestop higher, these hedge funds would be forced to close their short positions sending the stock price to insane highs.

Gill’s $53,000 life-changing bet turned him into a multimillionaire in just a few short weeks, and he changed the lives of so many ordinary retail investors. Gill’s plan worked, and during January 2021, with the help of millions of people who joined the r/WallStreetBets Reddit group, Gamestop’s shares surged from the mid-teens in the beginning of the month to as high as $500, January 28th. Even Tesla CEO Elon Musk joined Gill’s cause when he tweeted “Gamestonk,” promoting others to buy the stock. Not only did Gamestop’s shares surge, but other heavily shorted stocks, including AMC, Blackberry, Express, and Koss, also saw their share prices increase by ridiculous percentages. Gill’s $53,000 life-changing bet turned him into a multimillionaire in just a few short weeks, and he changed the lives of so many ordinary retail investors. Consequently, Melvin Capital reported a loss of 53% of its assets in January due to the Reddit market frenzy. Throughout the craziness in the market, many brokerages eventually imposed regulatory measures on buying shares of these specific stocks to stop the volatility of the market. These restrictions lasted for a few days and many brokerages, Robinhood in particular, faced much backlash and multiple class-action lawsuits for their decisions to restrict trading. Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Republican Senator Ted Cruz agreed via

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Economics

Twitter (that’s something you definitely won’t see every day) that Robinhood’s decisions were outrageous and limited America’s free market. For many retail investors, the volatility of the market became much more than a get-richquick scheme; their efforts turned into a rebellion in order to stop Wall Street’s manipulating the market.

For many retail investors, the volatility of the market became much more than a get-rich-quick scheme; their efforts turned into a rebellion in order to stop Wall Street’s manipulating the market.

As the price of these stocks settle back into more accurate evaluations, many uncertainties about the market’s future remain. Will the Securities and Exchange Commission pass laws to restrict large short positions? Will retail investors boycott trading platforms that restricted their access to stocks? Will we see a shift to decentralized financial markets to protect the American free market?

A Brief History of Dogecoin

Aden Leo Lyons (‘23) Stocks Club

he recent popularity of cryptocurrencies amongst retail traders and institutions alike sent cryptocurrencies to all-time highs; most notably, Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH). One of the more peculiar digital currencies is a cryptocurrency called Dogecoin. Dogecoin was originally started as a joke by IBM software engineers Billy Markus from Portland, Oregon, and Jackson Palmer, who was a member of Adobe Systems Marketing Department from Sydney. They created Dogecoin to reach a larger demographic than the already popular cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and also wanted to distance themselves from other coins’ controversial histories. On December 6, 2013, Dogecoin was officially launched, with over a million people visiting their website within the first month. Palmer, who is credited with the idea of the coin, wanted to combine Bitcoin with one of 2013’s most popular memes, doge. The 2013 meme features an image of a Shibu Inu dog with Comic Sans thought bubbles spouting out of it with mostly one syllabled idea.

Polymatheus Volume 9 • June 2021

Dogecoin gained attraction on Reddit, and many people jokingly tipped others with this coin on the Internet for performing good deeds. Only a week after its launch, Dogecoin became the second most tipped currency. As Palmer said in 2013 “It’s not taking itself as seriously, it’s not being used by people worrying about whether they’ll become rich. It’s something to share for kudos.”

Economics

In February 2021, Dogecoin hit an all-time high following cryptic tweets of support from Elon Musk. The world of cryptocurrency is ever-changing, and perhaps, one day, Dogecoin might exceed the dollar value.

On December 25, 2013, Dogecoin experienced its first major theft, where millions of coins were stolen on the wallet platform, Dogewallet. As a result, people in the Dogecoin community launched an initiative, SaveDogemas, in order to help donate coins to those who lost coins to theft. About a month later, enough money was donated to cover the cost of the stolen coins.

Only a week after its launch, Dogecoin became the second most tipped currency. In January 2014, Dogecoin briefly surpassed the cryptocurrency giant, Bitcoin, and all other cryptocurrencies combined; however, this was short-lived. Palmer took an extended leave of absence from the cryptocurrency community in 2015 due to the “toxic community.” In 2017, the currency reached a new milestone of a $2 billion market cap. During the market volatility caused by Reddit users, many gathered behind Dogecoin in an effort to raise it over $1 per coin. In under 24 hours, the Dogecoin price surged 800%. Similar to this, in July, an unsuccessful TikTok trend tried to raise Doegecoin’s price to $1 as well.

“If you will it, it is no dream.” Theodor Herzl

Judaics

Polymatheus Volume 9 • June 2021

International Date Line in Halacha: When is Shabbat? Moshe Feldman (‘23) Rabbi Nachum Sauer, Contemporary Halacha

alachic questions about crossing the International Date Line (IDL) emerged in the twentieth century as air travel became more common. Initially, the need to have a calendrical date line was popularized by thirteenth and fourteenth century (non-Jewish) geographers who noted that travelers either gained or lost a day depending on the direction of their travel. Later on, surprised explorers noted that their calendars were off by one day after landing in faraway places. In 1884, the International Meridian Conference arbitrarily established the IDL at 180 degrees from the prime meridian in Greenwich, England. This line divided Alaska from Russia in the north and New Zealand from Hawaii in the south. The result of this was that any calendar date exists at some point for forty-eight hours. A person moves backward one day, “gaining a day” by traveling east, and moves forward one date on the calendar, “losing a day,” by traveling west. The arbitrariness of the IDL was highlighted when Samoa switched to the other side of the IDL in 2011 to improve trade relations with Australia and New Zealand.

Judaics

In the wake of the creation of the IDL, Halachic scholars sought to clarify if Halacha should adopt this new convention, or perhaps Halachic sources had previously determined a different date line. This issue has major ramifications for the observance of Shabbat. According to the Radvaz, one should calculate the days of the week, including Shabbat, the 7th day, based on his location. Air travel allows one to fly from Hawaii late Thursday night (local time) and arrive only several hours later in New Zealand, on Saturday (local time). But does Halacha?

As noon occurs eighteen hours after nightfall, which begins the Jewish day, the farthest location that could celebrate a full day of Rosh Chodesh would be eighteen hours west of Jerusalem. The Mishna in Rosh Hashana (20b) states that the latest hour a Beit Din, a Jewish court of law, may declare a new month on that day is noon (Jerusalem time). If the molad process of declaring the new month occurs any time afternoon, then the next day is Rosh Chodesh, the first day of the new month. The Gemara further states that this is a consequence of the requirement that we cannot declare Rosh Chodesh unless the newly-sanctified Rosh Chodesh will last a full twenty-four hours. The Baal HaMaor understands this to mean that Rosh Chodesh would last twenty-four hours somewhere on Earth. As noon occurs eighteen hours after nightfall, which begins the Jewish day, the farthest location that could celebrate a full day of Rosh Chodesh would be eighteen hours west of Jerusalem. This establishes the date line at 90 degrees east of Jerusalem, at what the Baal HaMaor terms the “Ktzai Hamizrach.”

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Judaics

In 1941, several hundred yeshiva students, primarily from Mir, fled Lithuania and made their way first to Kobe, Japan, and then to Shanghai, China. Concerned they had possibly crossed the Halachic dateline, some students kept two days of Shabbat every week to be certain. They asked the Chazon Ish (Orach Chaim 64) via telegram when to observe Shabbat. He adopted the same dateline as the Baal HaMaor, but based on some other lesser-known sources (Yesod Olam, a student of the Rosh), he moved the dateline to the easternmost coast of the landmass, keeping Australia, Russia, and China to the west of the line, but moving Japan and New Zealand to the east. The Chazon Ish held the opinion that we should not divide solid land into two pieces or continents. In other words, if any part of a landmass falls within 90 degrees east of Jerusalem, then the entire landmass is considered in Halacha as if it was within 90 degrees east of Jerusalem. As a result, any point more than 90 degrees east of Jerusalem is no longer six hours ahead, but rather, 18 hours behind. The Chazon Ish recognized practical issues associated with the pure use of a line of longitude as the Baal HaMaor favored. For example, 125.2 degrees East passes through Dongfeng Street in Changchun, China. If the line of longitude were strictly used, people could avoid Shabbat altogether by crossing the street. Therefore, the Chazon Ish held that the contiguous landmasses to the east of the line are considered secondary to the landmasses to the west of the line.

The major opponent of the Chazon Ish’s opinion in this matter was R’ Yechiel Michel Tucazinsky. Based on the view of the Gemara (Sanhedrin 37a) that Jerusalem is the center of the world, R’ Tucazinsky held that the prime meridian runs through it, with the dateline 180 degrees away. This would place Japan west of the dateline, meaning that Shabbat in Kobe fell on Saturday (it also moves Hawaii to the same side, in contrast with the IDL). In an effort to settle the matter between the Chazon Ish and R’ Tucazinsky, the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem held a meeting in 1941. R’ Tucazinsky succeeded in convincing the other rabbis in attendance of his opinion, so they sent a telegram to Japan, advising the yeshiva students to observe Shabbat on Saturday.

Based on the view of the Gemara that Jerusalem is the center of the world, R’ Tucazinsky held that the prime meridian runs through it, with the dateline 180 degrees away.

Shabbat should be observed on whichever day the local community had established. Nevertheless, many students followed the IDL based on a ruling issued by R’ Moshe Kisilav for World War I refugees, which was later endorsed by R’ Menachem Kasher. R’ Kasher held that earlier sources were too theoretical, and the Chazon Ish’s opinion led to the problematic outcome that Australia and New Guinea would be in different hemispheres, even though they share the same longitude. Where there is no binding Halachic source or clear tradition, R’ Kasher held that Shabbat should be observed on whichever day the local community had established. The Star-K, under the guidance of posek R’ Moshe Heinemann, uses a hybrid approach. It holds that the above approaches are valid, parallel, Halachic rulings, and Shabbat is to be observed on whatever day is consistent with the majority view (two out of three above approaches). Out of respect for the minority view of the third opinion and given the prominence of Shabbat, prohibited actions on Shabbat

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Judaics

are to be avoided on the day consistent with the minority view, although that day is otherwise considered a weekday. The concern of determining the Halachic date line in certain parts of the world is vital in terms of establishing when to keep Shabbat. However, the uncertainty of knowing which locations the date lines encompass creates a Halachic query. According to some opinions, Jews in Japan, New Zealand, some of the Philippines, and the islands in that area of the Pacific Ocean should observe Shabbat on Sunday, while Jews in Alaska and Hawaii should observe Shabbat on Saturday. According to other poskim, Jews in Japan, New Zealand, and some of the Philippines should observe Shabbat on Saturday, while Jews in Alaska and Hawaii should keep Shabbat on Friday.

Contemporary Issues in Halacha: Medical Triage

Noam Goldberg (‘23) Rabbi Nachum Sauer, Contemporary Halacha

uring the COVID-19 pandemic that has plagued the world for the past 15 months, there have been times when there have been shortages of ICU beds and ventilators as well as limited supply of medications. Therefore, tough decisions had to be made with regard to properly rationing these to patients. Even in non-pandemic situations, sometimes it becomes necessary to triage by choosing who will receive medical care and who will not. According to Halacha, who has priority when it comes to receiving medical care? There is a mishnah in Horayos that outlines the order in which medical patients can be saved provided that they are all generally in the same type of situation: based on descending order of priestly class. A kohen would precede a Levite, and a Levite would precede a yisrael. It also says that a talmud chacham (Torah scholar) should be treated before a mamzer (product of incest). However, many poskim (Halachic commentators) including Rabbi Moshe Feinstien and Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach say that in today’s world, we don’t we don’t follow this ruling. The Tzitz Eliezer, among others,

Polymatheus Volume 9 • June 2021

says this is because today we don’t know who has the proper merits or lineage. Rabbi Zilberstein says that these priorities don’t apply when people have paid for medical services. The Shevet HaLevi maintains that we follow this mishnah even today. One very important principle of triage in Halacha is hatzalas rabim, saving as many people as possible. Along with other authorities, Rabbi Asher Weiss approved of treating the moderately ill patients before both the severely ill and the lightly ill since that will require less time and resources, thus allowing more lives to be saved. If the severely ill would be treated first, they would take much longer and much more resources to recover while many others would die during that time. This same approach is nearly identical to the one most often advocated for by secular bioethicists as well. Rabbi Zilberstein compares medical triage to a situation where there are two sinking boats and only one can be saved — he ruled that the boat with the most people should be saved. Rabbi Zilberstein adds that a person that is needed by the community can be compared to a Rabbi and therefore can be prioritized over another person in some cases.

Rabbi Zilberstein compares medical triage to a situation where there are t wo sinking boats and only one can be saved — he ruled that the boat with the most people should be saved. Another important principle of triage in halacha is ein ma’avirin al hamitzvos, that one can not pass up an

Judaics

opportunity to do a mitzvah. In this case, the mitzvah is saving a life. Therefore, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein held that when all other considerations are equal, patients should be treated on a first-come, first-served basis in order to make sure not to pass up a chance to do a mitzvah. When asked by the Chief Rabbi of Israel who should be prioritized to receive the limited supply of penicillin in Israel at the time, he said that the first patient to arrive needing penicillin should receive it.

A third important principle is that one in serious mortal danger takes precedence over one without life threatening injuries. However, Rabbi Asher Weiss argues that the only things that should be taken into consideration are the benefits to the patients and the likelihood of prolonging their lives, not the order in which they arrived. A third important principle is that a vadai sacana (one in serious mortal danger) takes precedence over a safek sacana (one without life threatening injuries). In a situation where one patient can certainly be saved, and there is no guarantee whether another patient can be saved, the priority goes to the patient that can certainly be saved. The patient with the greatest chances of survival should be given priority. Rabbi Zilberstein bases this on a Mishnah which says that if two people are in a burning house, one healthy and the other in life-threatening danger, and only one person can be saved, one should save the healthy one because the other person will not certainly survive. Along the same vein, if one patient has the potential to live a full life after treatment but the other patient is terminal, the former takes precedence.

Polymatheus Volume 9 • June 2021

Once one patient begins treatment, he is entitled to continued treatment even if removing treatment will allow for a more salvageable patient. According to Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and Rabbi Asher Weiss, this is because of the principle of ein dochin nefesh mipnei nefesh, that we don’t risk one life for another life. Rabbi Zilberstein argues that a doctor cannot leave one patient to tend to another because of the principle of osek bamitzvah patur min hamitzvah, that one who is involved in one mitzvah is exempt from another mitzvah. However, if one can do more mitzvot by saving many lives by abandoning one patient, he is allowed to do so. Furthermore, he said that one may abandon a patient who isn’t certainly salvageable, even if his treatment had already started, in order to save many who are certainly salvageable. This is because abandoning the patient is not an act of murder, but rather it is an act of saving lives. Still, he is not allowed to do something that actively causes the patient to die. However, if he did so, it is still not considered murder because it was done to save lives.

Judaics

from a patient who will be able to breathe on his own for some time rather than a patient who will die immediately. Specifically in regards to the COVID-19 vaccine, many difficult decisions had to be made to decide who should take priority. People living in nursing homes and long term care facilities were prioritized to receive the vaccine because many of those people are in a situation of vadai sacana which takes precedence over a safek sacana. Rabbi Dr. Aaron Glatt suggested that people who have not been afflicted with COVID-19 be prioritized for the vaccine because they are in a situation where they could certainly be saved, whereas people who already had COVID-19 and might have antibodies may not be saved by the vaccine itself. Healthcare workers can sometimes be given priority because they are needed by the masses to function.

Abandoning the patient is not an act of murder, but rather it is an act of saving lives. Conversely, Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg ruled that this principle is not applicable in this case and that one should abandon a terminal patient for a patient who can live a full lifespan. On the other hand, Rabbi Asher Weiss says that a terminal patient may be taken out of the emergency room of ICU in order to make room for a patient who is more likely to survive, as long as nothing is done to actively shorten the terminal patient’s life. If deciding between two patients to take a ventilator from, it is preferable to take the ventilator

‫עברית‬

‫אומץ הוא סוג מיוחד‬ ‫של ידע‪ :‬הידע כיצד‬ ‫לפחד ממה שצריך‬ ‫לפחד ואיך לא לפחד‬ ‫ממה שאסור לפחד‪.‬‬ ‫דוד‪-‬בן‪-‬גוריון‬

‫‪96‬‬

‫עברית‬

‫‪Polymatheus Volume 9 • June 2021‬‬

‫העיר חברון‬

‫האם אפשר לחייב‬ ‫תלמידי תיכון לקבל את‬ ‫החיסון הקוביד?‬

‫דוד אברהם (‪23‬׳)‬ ‫מורה זהריה‪ ,‬עברית ב׳‬

‫העיר חברון‬ ‫‪David Abraham‬‬ ‫‪Morah Zeharya‬‬ ‫‪10th Hebrew Native Honors‬‬ ‫‪12.6.2020‬‬ ‫תשפ״א‬

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‫א‬

‫ישראל גוטין (‪22‬׳)‬ ‫מורה זהריה‪ ,‬עברית ג׳‬

‫ני בעד ההצעה שתלמידי תיכון מחויבים לקבל זריקת חיסון‬ ‫קוביד‪ .‬קודם כל‪ ,‬כולם יודעים שבכדי לשמור על כולם‪,‬‬ ‫כולם צריכים לקבל את החיסון‪ .‬אם רק תלמיד אחד מקבל‬ ‫את הוירוס קוביד‪ ,‬כולם בבית ספר עלולים לקבל את זה‪ .‬כולם‬ ‫חייבים לקבל את החיסון כדי למנוע זאת‪ .‬שנית‪ :‬יש לי שאלה לאנ־‬ ‫שים שנגד הצעה הזאת‪ .‬בבית ספר יסודי‪ ,‬כל הילדים חייבים לקבל‬ ‫את החיסונים פוליו‪ ,‬טטניס‪ ,‬חצבת‪ ,‬דלקת הבד‪ ,‬ואבעבועות רוח‪.‬‬ ‫מדוע החיסון של קוביד שונה? קוביד מסוכן עוד יותר‪ ,‬אז כל התלמי־‬ ‫דים צריכים להיות מחויבים לקבל את החיסון‪ .‬שלישית‪ ,‬אם התל־‬ ‫מידים לא מחויבים לקבל זריקת חיסון קוביד‪ ,‬זה יתחיל תקדים רע‪.‬‬ ‫בעתיד‪ ,‬אם תהיה מחלה מסוכנת יותר‪ ,‬כולם יגידו‪ ,‬׳לא היינו צריכים‬ ‫חיסונים לקוביד‪ ,‬למה אנחנו צריכים אותם עכשיו?’ זה יכול להיות‬ ‫מסוכן‪ ,‬אז כל תלמידי תיכון צריכים להיות מחייבים לקבל זריקת חי־‬ ‫סון קוביד‪ .‬בסוף‪ ,‬כל תלמידי תיכון חייב לקבל את החיסון כי זה הדבר‬ ‫הטוב לעשות‪ .‬זו חובתנו לשמור על כולם‪ ,‬אז אנחנו צריכים להתחיל‬ ‫עם התלמידים ולהמשיך משם‪ .‬אם תלמידים יקבלו את החיסון‪ ,‬הם‬ ‫לא יפיצו את הנגיף למורים‪ ,‬וכולם יהיה בריאים‪.‬‬

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‫עברית‬

‫דוד אברהם‬

‫העיר חברון‬

‫‪Polymatheus Volume 9 • June 2021‬‬

‫דוד אברהם‬

‫היסטוריה‪-‬העת החדשה‬

‫העיר חברון‬ ‫העיר חברון היה הוקמה‬ ‫בסביבות ‪ 1713‬לפני הספירה‪.‬‬

‫בשנה ‪ 1929‬בגלל פוגרום ערבי‪ ,‬לא נותרו יהודים בעיר‪.‬‬ ‫הפוגרום נעשה בכדי להיפטר מהיישובים היהודיים‪ 67 .‬אנשים נהרגו ו‪ 60‬נפצעו‪.‬‬

‫חברון נמצאת במרכז ישראל‪.‬‬

‫בתי כנסת וסיפרי תורה נשרפו‪.‬‬

‫העיר דרומית לירושלים‪ ,‬צפון‬ ‫מזרח מבאר שבע‪ ,‬מערב מים‬ ‫המלח‪ ,‬ומזרח מעזה‪.‬‬

‫היהודים נשלטו על ידי הפלסטינים עד מלחמת ששת ימים בשנת ‪.1967‬‬ ‫בשנת ‪ 1968‬קבוצה של יהודים בחזרו להקים את הקהילה היהודית בחברון‪ .‬הם גם הקימו את‬ ‫קריית ארבע ליד חברון‪.‬‬ ‫היום יש בחברון בערך ‪ 220,000‬אנשים‪ .‬חברון היא העיר הכי גדולה ביהודה ושומרון‪.‬‬

‫דוד אברהם‬

‫העיר חברון‬ ‫היסטוריה העתיקה‬

‫לפני שחברון הוקמה אברהם אבינו קנה את מערת המכפלה מאפרון‬ ‫ב‪ 400‬שקל‪-‬כסף‪.‬‬ ‫כל ארבעת האבות והאמהות קבורים במערת המכפלה שעדיין קיימת היום‬ ‫בחברון‪ .‬אפילו לפני הימים של אברהם אבינו חברון זה איפה שאדם וחוה קבורים‬ ‫דוד מונה למלך יהודה בחברון‪ .‬דוד היה מלך חברון שבע שנים לפני שהוא נהיה‬ ‫מלך כל ארץ ישראל‪.‬‬

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‫עברית‬

‫דוד אברהם‬

‫העיר חברון‬

‫‪Polymatheus Volume 9 • June 2021‬‬

‫דוד אברהם‬

‫דמוגרפיה של העיר‬

‫אתרי תיירות מיוחדות‬

‫יש בערך ‪ 500-850‬יהודים שגרים בשכונות קטנות בחברון‪.‬‬

‫אתר מעניין וחשוב זאת מערת‬ ‫המכפלה‪ ,‬שם קבורים האבות‬ ‫והאמהות)בלבד רחל(‪.‬‬

‫הסיבה שרוב העיר פלסטינים זה בגלל שהפלסטינים אומרים שחברון זה‬ ‫שלהם‪.‬‬

‫יותר מ‪ 300,000‬אנשים מבקרים את‬ ‫מערת המכפלה בשנה‪.‬‬

‫היהודים לא רוצים להלחם אם הפלסטינים אז הרבה מהם לא גרים שם‬ ‫יותר‪.‬‬

‫היא המקום הכי קדוש ליהודים‬ ‫אחרי הכותל‪.‬‬

‫יש בערך ‪ 215,000‬פלסטינים שגרים בחברון‪.‬‬

‫דוד אברהם‬

‫העיר חברון‬ ‫עלות מחייה בעיר‬

‫המשכורת של יהודי בחברון בערך ‪ 40,000₪‬בשנה‪.‬‬ ‫עולה בערך ‪ ₪ 1,500‬לשכור דירה של שלושה חדרים‪.‬‬ ‫עולה בערך ‪ ₪ 150‬מים וחשמל בדירה קטנה כל חודש‪.‬‬ ‫עולה בערך ‪ ₪ 500‬כל חודש לשלוח ילד קטן לגן‪.‬‬ ‫עולה בערך ‪ ₪ 2,150‬לשלוח ילד לחטיבת ביניים לשנה‪.‬‬

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‫העיר חברון‬

‫דוד אברהם‬

‫העיר חברון‬ ‫אתרי תיירות מיוחדים‬

‫עוד אתר סיורים בישראל זה אלהרם‬ ‫אולברהימיץ‪.‬‬ ‫אלהרם אולברהימיץ המקום רביעי להכי‬ ‫קדוש לאסלאמים והמקום שני להכי קדוש‬ ‫לפלסטינים‪.‬‬ ‫אלהרם אולברהימיץ זה הרבה מערות‬ ‫והשדה שאברהם קנה עם מערת המכפלה‬ ‫מאפרון‪.‬‬

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‫‪Polymatheus Volume 9 • June 2021‬‬

‫דוד אברהם‬

‫העיר חברון‬ ‫כיף בעיר‬

‫‪Art‬‬

‫הילדים בחברון אוהבים לשחק כדורגל‬ ‫עם חברים‪.‬‬ ‫הילדים בחברון גם אוהבים לטייל בהרים‬ ‫שמסביב חברון‪.‬‬ ‫בקיץ יש מעיינות מים קרים לקרר אותך‬ ‫בשמש החמה‪.‬‬

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Polymatheus Volume 9 • June 2021

Art

Painted Numbers Composition Inspired by Jasper Johns

Abstract in Plain Sight

Ms. Lisa Utrata, Fine Art

Ariel Serebrisky (‘21) Ms. Lisa Utrata, Fine Art

Prompt: Students took inspiration from Jasper Johns, who is famous for his painted numbers compositions, to create images of numbers highly abstract in structure, but still rooted firmly in the real world.

Jasper Johns’ Numbers in Color served as inspiration for this art assignment.

106

107

Polymatheus Volume 9 • June 2021

Art

The Unknown

Down the Rabbit Hole

Mendel Feigelstock (‘23) Ms. Lisa Utrata, Fine Art

108

Boaz Edidin (‘22) Ms. Lisa Utrata, Fine Art

109

The Polymatheus staff thanks you for reading.

110

About Polymatheus

Polymatheus Volume 9 • June 2021

About Polymatheus

Acknowledgments

Editorial Staff

ublishing Polymatheus requires the hard work of numerous individuals. We’d like to thank all of our editors, writers, and teachers for their dedication and their submissions. We must also thank Head of School Rabbi Arye Sufrin and the entire YULA Boys High School administration, who have been strong supporters of this journal.

Ms. Pam Felcher, Faculty Advisor

We’d also like to thank our faculty advisor, Ms. Pam Felcher, whose efforts and vision help make this production possible.

Moshe Feldman, Judaics Editor

Israel Gootin, Editor-in-Chief Boaz Edidin, Co-Editor-in-Chief Eitan Gelb, History Editor

Joshua Eghbali, Economics Editor Kovy Etshalom, Hebrew Editor

Mission Statement & Submission Policy

olymatheus features outstanding work from YULA Boys High School students and provides a sample of the quality of work our students produce. Teachers of every subject submit top work from the classes they teach. Our editorial staff recognizes that top-level work comes from every class, irrespective of Honors or Advanced Placement designation, and chooses the best work for publication. Polymatheus is also a vehicle for students to understand what it feels like to have their work published and shared with the outside world. Further, we hope that the work we feature — from every subject, every grade, and every level — inspires our student readers to continue producing excellent work.

112

Jake Stephen, Science Editor

Assistant Editors Aidan Stephen Daniel Sentchuk Ethan Frankel Josh Fiedler Benjamin Rabbanian

113

Polymatheus Volume 9 • June 2021

Awards Polymatheus, Volume 8, 2020, Gold Medalist and All Columbian Honors for Essentials and Verbal, Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Polymatheus, Volume 7, 2019, Gold Medalist and All Columbian Honors for Essentials, Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Polymatheus, Volume 6, 2018, Silver Medalist, Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Polymatheus, Volume 5, 2017, Gold Medalist, Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Polymatheus, Volume 4, 2016, Gold Medalist and Gold Crown, Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Polymatheus, Volume 3, 2015, Silver Medalist, Columbia Scholastic Press Association.

About Polymatheus

Colophon Technical Details - Typefaces: QTTheatre, Tonight, Georgia, Heebo, Tinos - Paper Stock: 70 lb offset Equipment and Software - Computer Hardware: Apple MacBook Air (2017) - Computer Software: Adobe InDesign CC 2020, Adobe Photoshop CC 2020 Printing - Copies printed: 150 - Printing agency: LA Print & Digital Center, Beverly Hills, CA School Population - Students: 249 - Staff: 53

Polymatheus, Volume 2, 2014, Gold Medalist, Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Polymatheus, Volume 1, 2013, Silver Medalist, Columbia Scholastic Press Association.

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YULA BOYS HIGH SCHOOL