BT World: Vol. 2, Issue 1

November 8, 2013

Volume 2, Issue 1

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Happy New Year!

What’s for Lunch?

2

D’var Torah

2

Scaling New Heights

3

My Visit to Ecuador

3

Shipwrecked!

4

Middle School Chorus

4

The Future Of Israel's Water

By Mr. Stevens Welcome to BT World’s first edition of the 20132014 school year. The support for our middle school newspaper has been huge! More than 40 middle school students are involved this year. I would like to thank all of them for their hard work.

I would also like to especially thank editors Gabrielle G. ‘19, Jeremy G. ‘19, Hailey G. 19, and Joseph L. ’19 for their efforts. (photo: BT World staff)

Desalinization is a process where salt is taken from sea water, thereby creating fresh water that is safe to drink. Engineers of Israel have been working on this for

By Caleb G. ‘21 years now. Dr. Raphael Semiat, a memThere has been a drought in Israel for ber of the Israel Desalination Society and years. “Israel has suffered from four conprofessor at Israel’s Technion-Israel Instisecutive years of drought,” according to tute of Technology, recently said that, the web site Jewish Virtual Library. One “We won’t be dependent on what the rain of the main sources of fresh water is the brings us. This will give a chance for the Kinneret, which has a limited amount of aquifers to fill up." Dr. Semiat says desalifresh water, depending on the amount of nation is a virtually harmless process that rain in Israel. can help address the water needs promptI always ed by the world’s growing population and thought rising standard of living. “You take water that scienfrom the deep sea, from a place that tists could doesn’t bother anyone,” he said. just take Set to begin operating as soon as next water from month (the article was written in May, the Medi2013), Israel Desalination Enterprises terranean Sea and filter it for drinking and Technologies’ Sorek Desalination Plant fresh water. Then, this past summer, I will provide up to 26,000 cubic meters – or read in an article that my Dad showed me nearly 7 million gallons – of potable water (Water surplus in Israel?* ) that water will to Israelis every hour. When it’s at full soon be rushing through pipes and filters capacity, it will be the largest desalination to become drinkable water for all of Israel! plant of its kind in (Cont. On page 4) I read that this idea was once unthinkable.

Behind the Scenes: BT Volleyball

By Shaya L. ’21, and Alana G. ‘21 We recently interviewed the volleyball “A” team’s own Ashley C. ‘18. We asked her five questions based on her time on the volleyball team.

BT World: What do you like better, bumps or sets?

Ashley: I like bumps over sets.

BTW: What made you decide to do volleyball?

Ashley: I thought that volleyball would be fun.

BTW: Do you think volleyball is a sport you want to stick with?

Ashley: I don’t really know if I will stick with volleyball.

BTW: Are you going to do volleyball in High School?

Ashley: I’m not sure but I’m still deciding.

BTW: Have you seen any improvement in your volleyball skills throughout the time you’ve been on the volleyball team?

(Cont. on page 2)

(Cont. from page 1) Ashley: Yes! The volleyball team is doing amazingly well and will get even better throughout their years of volleyball. We will be back with more interviews from more sports.

(Next BT World edition of Behind the Scenes: Cross Country) We hope you enjoyed our first article of Behind the Scenes. There will be many more to come!

What’s for Lunch?

By Emma P. ‘20 I recently got to interview Mr. Chaim Sitrin and Mr. Gershon Topas about the whole process of hot lunch and this is what I learned. There is a meat kitchen and a dairy kitchen in the lunchroom. That way it is easier to manage a kosher kitchen. All the ingredients are prepped to maintain a stress free environment in the kitchens.

About 200 batches of food are made each day in the kitchen to have enough food to serve the Middle and High Schoolers.

Middle School favorites are the chicken sandwiches and French fries.

Who can resist the power of the fries? I know I can’t.

Mr. Topas mentioned that his favorite dish to make was the soup of the day. He also said that his favorite meal on the BT Menu is Mulligatawny Soup. Mulligatawny Soup has many possible ways of being made.

BT’s version includes chicken, rice, celery, onions, carrots, curry, and coconut milk. He said that while the Volume 2, Issue 1

D’VAR TORAH By Caleb G. ’21 Editor’s note: The following D’var Torah was given by Caleb G. ‘21 at one of our first Friday assemblies. While Yom Kippur for this year is long past, Caleb did such an excellent job that we would like to reproduce his words for you. He was given a standing ovation by the entire middle school student body after. BT World asked Caleb for a copy of his work and he kindly provided us with the following: Today, Yom Kippur, is also known as "Yom Hadin", "The Day Of Judgment."

What this means is that it is the day that we judge ourselves. What did we do that may have been wrong this past year? Did we embarrass someone, say something mean to our friend, did we call someone a mean name? Did we speak lashon harah, or even judge someone by the way they looked?

Now, I want to really focus on that last one, judging someone by the way they look. It's really mean to judge one by the way they look, but in the Torah, it specifically tells us, "One with a blemish or illness cannot work in the Beit Hamikdash until they recover." What does it mean when the ‫ תורה‬says "blemish?" When the Torah says "blemish", it means that someone has a physical deformity. Examples of physical deformities include: if someone has only 4 fingers instead of 5, or someone who has one ear or arm or leg longer or bigger than the other, and so on.

This passage really bothers me because it's not just a law in the ‫ תורה‬not to judge man by how he looks, but it's also really mean and rude to judge man by how he looks. Rambam also was disturbed by this passage of forbidding Cohanim with blemishes to work in the Beit Hamikdash and he

soup is his favorite, it is very time consuming to make.

I wanted to thank both Mr. Sitrin and Mr. Topas for their time and effort.

Among many others, they

wrote about it in the "Guide To The Perplexed.” From early childhood movies and books we are taught that physical beauty is good and blemishes are bad. For example: From Star War’s Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, from Harry Potter’s Harry and Voldemort, from Superman’s Kal-el and all of his enemies- From all kinds of shows and books we can see that the good guy is very handsome or beautiful, and the bad guy is very ugly. But no, that didn't teach me, nor will it teach you either. So, why does HaShem say this, if we shouldn't judge man by how he looks? Well, having a blemish or illness could distract you from the avodah you're supposed to be doing.

Also, maybe the ‫ תורה‬is talking about INNER blemishes, like the Cohen's not so good of a guy, so maybe he shouldn't really be bringing sacrfices to HaShem.

There is a very remarkable story. There was a rabbi by the name of Rabbi Shimon Ben Levi who had a son who got an illness and died from it. But soon, he came back to life. So his family asked him, "What did you see in Olam Habah?” So he answered, "Everyone who felt personally the best in this world was on the lowest level in Olam Habah, and everyone who was humble in this world, was very great in Olam Habah."

So, this teaches us NOT to judge people by how they look, but by their DEEDS. (Song:Fiveish -‫בכל דרכך דעהו‬- By your behavior you shall be known) It is my hope that with HaShem's help, we can all strive to change some of our behavior in our own relationships and therefore make the world a better place for us and all of Klal Yisroel. May you all be sealed with a great signature. L'shanah haba'ah Birushalayim Habenuyah, Halleluyah!

Who are these students? The first five students to see Mr. Stevens and correctly answer this question get snack shack coupons!

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WHAT DID YOU DO LAST SUMMER? Scaling New Heights By Ezra S. ‘18

By October 2012, I was browsing through the Internet for camps to attend during the summer. I came across a camp that takes young people on treks all over the country. I looked through it and found out that if I went, I would sleep in tents every night, and do spectacular things every day. I would get to whitewater raft, rock climb, kayak, climb a mountain, and much more. I would be able to experience the beauty of living in the outdoors for two weeks. The camp looked amazing, and I begged my mom to let me attend. After much convincing (we all know how Jewish mothers are), she finally agreed.

The summer of 2012 I had a blast. The trek I decided to go on would take me to the amazing Pacific Northwest. I flew out to Portland, Oregon to meet my team and get ready for the adventure ahead. I met amazing people who shared the same interests with me from all over the country, and even met one girl from Taiwan!

We drove to our camp site in Washington and prepared equipment for the journey ahead.

In two days we headed out to Olympic National Park where we backpacked for

My Visit to Ecuador

four days. Phew! Thirty pounds can really do a number on your shoulders, but it was definitely worth it! We camped on a secluded beach while playing fun games and admiring the scenery. Soon we were off again, sea kayaking in Port Townsend Bay. For days we paddled along the shoreline in search for eagles, sea otters, and other animals. Climbing with my new friends in Icicle Canyon was awesome, and I got to try some tough climbs.

I managed to scale all of them and it boosted my confidence. Whitewater rafting was our next adventure; we splashed through the rapids and managed to throw my instructor off! Some of my friends and I even got to jump off an 18 foot rock!

I was ready for anything!

But perhaps the highlight of the trip was our attempt to climb Mt. St. Helens.

I was extremely nervous; I did not know if I could make it to the summit. Well, at 3:30 in the morning, we were awakened by our instructor. We lifted our tired heads and put on our backpacks. We walked three miles to get past the tree line and looked at the challenge ahead of us.

We trudged up the rocky volcano and passed the time by telling jokes and having intense conversations (such as about the card game called “Magic”)! After about five hours and three protein bars, we finally reached the summit. As I

the equator. He showed us that ten feet south of the equator, if you put water down a drain, it would go down clockBy Jacob B. ‘19 wise, on the equator it would go down This summer, I traveled to Ecuador straight, and ten feet north of the equator, and the Galapagos Islands. In almost all it would go down counter clockwise. of South America, they speak Spanish.

When I went While I was in Ecuador, I went to a city to the Galapacalled Quito, the capital city. The elevagos Islands, one tion of Quito is approximately 10,000 feet of the first in the air! When I tried to run up three things that I saw flights of stairs, I was exhausted and was a sea lion! couldn’t finish because of the lack of oxyIt did not cower gen. when we came The culture is very different in Ecuador. The people are more hospitable than close to it. The islands are protected, so the wildlife is not scared of humans. The in America. It is a very interesting country. I got to stand on the equator, which I only iguanas that can dive in water in the world are on the Galapagos Islands. There learned makes you 2.2 pounds lighter.

Our guide showed us an experiment using is a type of bird in the Galapagos that has Volume 2 , Issue 1

trudged up those last few feet to the summit, I felt like I could do anything. My eyes were opened to a new world as I looked at the many other mountains surrounding us. My friends and I gazed over the spectacular view atop the 8,365 foot volcano. We looked at each other, and knew we were on top of the world. Then we celebrated with Snickers bars!

A few days later we said goodbye to our new friends and to this amazing experience. No one wanted to leave. I flew back to Baltimore and this time faced one more climb – onto my bed – and thought about the summer I had. I already missed my friends, and the adventures I took every day. I knew that I would return, but where to? Maybe Colorado, who knows?

But I knew no matter where I went, I would scale even more heights.

Mt. St. Helens

blue feet! A different variety has red feet.

There was so much wildlife that you could spend a lifetime on the islands and not even come close to learning about every single type and variety of animal. It was a trip that I will never forget.

September/October Bar/Bat Mitzvahs Ben N. ‘19 Hailey M. ‘18 Guy M. ‘19 Ryan R. ‘19 Etan M. ‘19 Olivia P. ‘18 Jacyln T. ‘19 Brooke G. ‘19 Page 3

Shipwrecked

tion. The time for relaxation, sleeping in, and doing pretty much whatever you want.

No homework. No tests. Just the time for A Short Story doing nothing. Just the way I like it.

By Shoshana Z. ‘21 I live in Miami, so that means there are Editor’s note: This is the first installment in a lots of docks with boats and beaches. It short story written by Shoshana Z. Future inalso means it is really noisy here. I have stallments will appear in each newspaper pubbecome used to the noise, but it is still a lished this year. We hope that you enjoy the pain when you are trying to do your homestory! work and then you hear a loud “BEEEP” that scares you half to death.

Hi there. Right now I am tied up with So anyway, I was walking home from my twin brother named Steve and my dog, school, and I heard a squawk behind me.

Dug, hovering above a volcano. Just another normal day. My name is Abigael, and I I froze. Knowing who was behind me, I turned around. Sure enough, there was my wouldn’t be in this mess if Steve’s stupid brother with his stupid pet parrot. Steve is a oversized parrot, Pinky, didn’t run away. tall boy with well combed hair. He is pretty Right now you are probably wondering how this all happened. Don’t worry. There skinny and almost always wears a stupid grin on his face. As for Pinky, he is pretty is a perfectly logical explanation. much what you think he would look like Let’s go back about a month. (yes, he is a male. Steve came up with the I was walking home from school with name) He is a pink parrot. A very stupid Dug. It was the last day of school and I pink parrot. We once had a pet cat that was was looking forward to boarding a cruise ok. She always followed me around and sat ship the next day. Finally, summer vaca(cont. from page 1) the world. “If we didn’t do this, we would be sitting at home complaining that we didn’t have water,” said Dr. Semiat recently.

Tests are being done as of the date of the article, but it looks like this will be a promising future source for Israel's water.

Hopefully, this project will work, so that Israel will be able to get drinkable water not only from the rain, but also from the Mediterranean Sea. *http://www.jta.org/2013/05/28/newsopinion/israel-middle-east/water-surplus-inisrael-with-desalination-once-unthinkable-ispossible)

Middle School Chorus Interview with Sherry Benedek ‘06

By Anna A. ‘21 As you have all heard, the middle school has just started the MidVolume 2, Issue 1

dle School Chorus. So far it has gone well. BT World has talked with the head of the choir, Miss Sherry Benedek ‘06.

We asked a little bit about her personal life, and she also shared her feelings about the choir.

BT World: Who is your biggest inspiration for music?

Miss Benedek: When I was growing up, I really liked listening to Julie Andrews and watching her movies, but my biggest inspiration to teach is Mr. Dougherty because I had him in school and I really, really liked him. He made me want to teach music.

My best friend, Ben Lurye, who I perform with sometimes, inspires me sometimes. I feel like he was there for me.

BTW: When did music become a big part in your life?

Miss Benedek: When I was six years old I started playing piano and I really liked that. And then when I was in middle school I went to a sleep away camp called Nesher. I did a show there, Annie, and I got the part of Annie. The musical director told my parents that I should get voice lessons, so I did. After a while, it just became clear that I really loved it and I wanted to keep doing it.

BTW: What are your plans for chorus this

next to my legs when I went to bed. Then, when Steve accidentally stepped on her tail, she ran away. He was crying so hard that to cheer him up, our parents got him Pinky. That was the worst mistake they could have ever made. But on the bright side, since Steve got Pinky, I could choose a pet. So I picked Dug. “Hey, Abigael!” called Steve.

“Hey, Steve,” I replied “Aren’t you excited for summer vacation?”

“Definitely. I can’t wait to board the cruise ship.”

“Me neither. Speaking of which, Mom wanted me to tell you something.”

“Ok. What is it?”

“The whole family is coming.”

“WHAT!!!!!!!!”

If you ever had met my family, you would know what I mean.

To Be Continued

year?

Miss Benedek: Well, we’re going to learn all different kinds of songs and we’re going to learn how to read music a little bit.

Hopefully, we’ll be performing at the band performances as well. Mr. Kirk and I are talking about it. Maybe we’ll even be able to take a trip in the spring to the competition with band at Hershey Park.

BTW: What are you most excited about?

Miss Benedek: You all! I’m most excited about the students. I’ve wanted to do this with you for a long time, and you’re all so amazingly talented and so much fun. I’m just really excited about how good you sound already.

BTW: What is your favorite part about your job?

Miss Benedek: The students for sure.

Absolutely. I love working with you. I love when I teach you something and you learn it and you look all excited about it.

That is my favorite of the job. For real.

BTW: Since this is only the first year of chorus, do you think it will continue for years to come?

Miss Benedek: I think so! We’re off to a really good start this year, and I think that the people this year will want to do it next year.

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