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36 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG

August 19, 2016

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A Cleveland Jewish News Special Section

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August 19, 2016

BDS on Ohio campuses: fading, morphing

The Alumni Gateway greets students as they enter Ohio University’s campus in Athens. | Photo / Wikimedia Commons

KRISTEN MOTT | STAFF REPORTER kmott@cjn.org

B

oycott. Divest. Sanction.

These three simple words now carry much greater meaning as the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement has swept across college campuses in the United States over the last few years.

The 2014-15 academic year

was particularly volatile.

Nineteen campuses held votes on BDS resolutions or referenda that year, according to the AntiDefamation League. In Ohio, resolutions were proposed by student groups on campuses such as The Ohio State University in Columbus and the University of Toledo.

Perhaps most infamous that academic year was Ohio Uni-

versity in Athens. The campus was thrust into the spotlight after four Jewish students – Becky Sebo, Max Peltz, Gabe Sirkin and Jonah Yulish – were arrested by campus police after attending a student senate meeting in September 2014 and calling for the resignation of then-student senate president, Megan Marzec of Avon Lake, who had urged the university

to divest from Israel in a “blood bucket challenge” video that went viral.

What was it about that academic year that led to so much animosity on college campuses?

And with a new school year starting, what challenges will Jewish students face?

A look back OU began its 2014-15 aca-

demic year on Aug. 25. One week later, Marzec, after being nominated by Ohio University President Roderick McDavis to complete the ALS ice bucket challenge, an ALS Association fundraising campaign, posted a video on the video-sharing website Vimeo.

Rather than completing the challenge, Marzec donned a pink

BDS | 38

38 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG BDS | 1 “Ohio U Divest From Israel” T-shirt and poured a symbolic bucket of blood over her head, saying: “This bucket of blood symbolizes the thousands of displaced and murdered Palestinians, atrocities which OU is directly complacent in through cultural and economic support of the Israeli state.”

Upset with the video and the fact that Marzec Marzec was speaking on behalf of the university, Sebo, of Pepper Pike, Peltz, of Orange, Yulish, of Beachwood, and Sirkin, of White Plains, N.Y., attended a student senate meeting Sept. 10. Sebo began to read a statement and, when she refused to stop speaking about 15 minutes later, was arrested by OU police officers. Yulish was arrested next, followed by Peltz and Sirkin.

Each was charged with disturbing a lawful meeting, a fourth-degree misdemeanor that carries a maximum sentence of 30 days in jail and a $250 fine.

All four pleaded not guilty to the charges. Roughly six months later, the charges were dismissed by the Athens County Municipal Court due to lack of a speedy trial.

Sebo, now 24 years old and pursing a master’s degree in Israeli studies, politics and society at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said the case was a heavy weight on her shoulders.

“The arrest really distracted me from completing all of my studies and getting all of my senior requirements done,” she said.

“I felt like it was almost a burden to be in that situation – trying to graduate from an institution that’s pressing charges against you.”

Marzec has never responded to the Cleveland Jewish News’ multiple requests for comment over the last two years.

“The arrest really distracted me from completing all of my studies and getting all of my senior requirements done. I felt like it was almost a burden to be in that situation – trying to graduate from an institution that’s pressing charges against you.”

Becky Sebo 2015 Ohio University graduate

Tight-lipped administration After Marzec posted the video, OU issued two statements: one saying that Marzec’s actions did not represent beliefs held by the university and the other calling for civility and the free exchange of ideas among students.

But after those brief statements, the administration went silent. McDavis never spoke with any media, including the CJN, regarding the video or the arrests of the four students and instead diverted all media requests to the university’s communications and marketing office.

(McDavis announced on March 10, 2016, that he is stepping down as OU president June 30, 2017, after 12 years in that role.)

Nor did the university ever address speculation that Marzec’s video was filmed in the backyard of a house belonging to Louis-Georges Schwartz, an associate professor of film studies at OU. “He was by her side the whole time,” Sebo said of Schwartz.

Indeed, in a video uploaded by The Post, OU’s student newspaper, from that Sept. 10 meeting, Schwartz can be heard shouting, “You are a disgusting bully,” at one of the students calling for Marzec’s resignation.

Diana Wahl, who served as president of Bobcats for Israel, a student pro-Israel group, during the 2015-16 academic year, was in attendance at the meeting when the four students were arrested. She said she was “shocked” by the things her fellow students, as well as Schwartz, were shouting.

“To hear what people were saying about the Jewish students, telling them to get out of the room and calling us ‘fascists’ and ‘Nazis,’ it was just a lot of commotion,” Wahl said. “People even started cheering when Becky was arrested.”

Schwartz did not respond to the CJN’s request for comment.

Contributing factors A series of events in the summer of 2014 could have led to the spread of the BDS movement that academic year, suggests Shelley Kedar, vice president of Israel education and engagement at Hillel International.

“From my sense, the summer of 2014 had an amalgamation of different circumstances, like the operation in Gaza and the conflict in Ferguson (Missouri),” said Kedar, who also is a senior shlicha on behalf of the Jewish Agency for Israel.

“It also seemed like a very warm summer, which does influence people’s psyche. The Syrian conflict began as well. It all created an atmosphere of activism to begin with.”

That activism took off in different directions.

“Some of it went toward things like the Black Lives Matter movement, but some of it also went toward the anti-Israel movement,” she said.

The individuals within student government on college campuses that year also played a role.

“The composition of student govern-

August 19, 2016

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In this Sept. 10, 2014, file photo, Becky Sebo of Pepper Pike is arrested and escorted out of an Ohio University student senate meeting. Sebo, along with three other students, was charged with disturbing a lawful meeting. | Photo / Mara Diaz | The Post (Athens)

ment is very influential with these issues, as well as the involvement of Jewish students within student government,” Kedar said. “Most students don’t want to be politicians, so you don’t always know who you’re going to get in student government.”

Sebo shares a similar perspective. Before Marzec was named president of OU’s student senate, the BDS movement was not present on campus, Sebo said.

“I think it was her idea and the type of group that she formed on campus had a different humanitarian, human rights thing every other week. I think the flavor of the day was BDS and it just kind of exploded – a lot,” she said.

In fact, before the semester started that year, Marzec posted several times on her personal Facebook page about Israel and the BDS movement. One of the most telling posts came on Aug. 4, 2014, when she shared an article about the National Union of Students voting to adopt a BDS resolution. Marzec wrote: “The BDS movement does not target individuals, and is an essential assertion for all institutions to make, especially those in higher education. Long overdue, urgent work to be done at OU.” “That’s why I reached out to her and wanted to sit down with her and ask, ‘Why do you think this? Let me help you understand these policies,’” Sebo said. “Because it’s hard. Even as a master’s student, I’m finding out things that no way anybody on the campus level knows.”

Wahl added that she believes Marzec created a following of like-minded people on campus.

“College is the best way to voice your opinion. I think that people just like to stick with one thing and go completely all out on that topic. I think that’s what happened that year,” Wahl said.

“Marzec’s role really played a part in it, because she was representing the entire student body and others started following suit.”

Evolution of BDS Anti-Semitism remains at the heart of the BDS movement, according to Anita Gray, regional director of the Anti-Defama-

tion League.

“Part of the BDS movement is to delegitimize the state of Israel, and when you delegitimize the state of Israel, it is antiSemitism,” Gray said. “You see some of the signs in these protests that say ‘From the river to the sea.’ People don’t understand what that means. From the river to the sea means we’re going to push Jews into the ocean and there will be no more Israel.

That’s anti-Semitic.”

Sebo believes the BDS movement is hitting a standstill, especially as more states begin to adopt anti-BDS legislation.

“I think the movement had a snowball effect on people and it was just growing and growing and getting bigger and bigger.

Now, state legislatures are saying this isn’t allowed, this is a form of anti-Semitism. I don’t know if it’s slowing down, but I don’t think it’s getting bigger because of that setback,” Sebo said.

But challenges remain.

“It’s always still an issue … to maintain a pro-Israel community on campus,” she said. “Even though there wasn’t a BDS resolution at OU last year, they still had challenges getting messaging out just like any university because a lot of students just don’t care.”

Kedar noted that the activists behind the BDS movement are shifting their tactics and looking for ways to get their message across without being as vocal on campus.

“Overall the BDS movement, if we look at it from a technical aspect, has failed,” she said. “There hasn’t been one university that’s divested from Israel because of it. But we can’t ignore the fact that this influences the psyche of students and it takes away the attention from other issues that could be promoted when we speak about Israel.”

While the BDS movement may be losing momentum, a larger obstacle is on the horizon. Reports continue to surface of college professors speaking negatively about Israel during class or bringing in guest speakers who try to diminish Israel or the Holocaust.

Take Kent State University, for example,

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August 19, 2016

Changing campus climate at OU A mother’s perspective KRISTEN MOTT | STAFF REPORTER kmott@cjn.org

Kathryn Wolfe Sebo | Special to the CJN

W

hile the 2014-15 academic year was a tumultuous one at Ohio University, the 2015-16 year was relatively quiet.

That could be due in part to Gabrielle Bacha, who served as student senate president last year.

“I ran for student senate president because I wanted to create an inclusive environment of all people no matter their backgrounds or beliefs.

That’s how I think government should work,” said Bacha, who graduated from OU this spring with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

“Things were a lot more settled this year. We’re still having conversations that are political in nature and somewhat dealing with BDS or Israel, but Bacha they’re held in much more academic settings.”

Bacha served as a senator while Megan Marzec was student senate president. She said she wasn’t a fan of Marzec’s “blood bucket” video and thinks Marzec misused her power on campus.

“Yes, she was commenting on something political, but it was also the fact that she wasn’t representing the whole student body at that point,” Bacha said. “She was representing a small group of students with one thought. The whole student body Wahl didn’t think that way, especially the Jewish students, so to me that was a huge problem.”

As part of her term as student senate president, Bacha made it a point to reach out to student groups who were affected by Marzec’s actions in an effort to foster meaningful dialogue and create action on campus.

“There wasn’t a lot of meaningful discussion happening about the topic that year (2014-15), there was just a lot of yelling about the topic. ... I don’t want to limit viewpoints to just one group,” she said.

Diana Wahl, who served as president of Bobcats for Israel last year, said she supported Bacha and her party during the student senate election.

Although no anti-Semitic incidents were reported at OU last year, Wahl said her student group remained cautious while planning events on campus.

“We were a little on edge when we hosted an event or were outside doing tabling,” she said. “We tried to plan events strategically and get people to learn about Israel in creative ways.”

Marzec has not responded to the CJN’s multiple requests for comment over the last two years.

BDS | 38 where associate history professor Julio Pino is known to bash Israel both in the classroom and on social media. Or Oberlin College, where Joy Karega, an assistant professor of rhetoric and composition, was just suspended and placed on paid leave as the college investigates anti-Semitic posts she made on social media.

Many students are afraid to speak up, worried that if they do so their grade in one such class may suffer.

“College administrators need to hold professors accountable,” Gray said. “Each professor signs a contract to teach a class in a certain way, and I do believe that the administration needs to hold professors accountable to teach

according to their contract.

“Academic freedom and freedom of speech are hugely important to all of us, but when you sign a contract with a professor and a professor doesn’t do what he or she says, that’s something that’s incumbent on the administration to be sure that he or she does what he or she is supposed to.”

Advice for students Being proactive is critical to fighting the BDS movement and anti-Semitism on campus.

Hillel International has developed several key programs that focus on Israel education, engagement and advocacy, Kedar said.

“If we get information from the Israel on Campus Coalition about anything that happens on

O

n Sept. 10, 2014, I was enjoying a girls’ night out with my mom and three other family members at a restaurant at Legacy Village in Lyndhurst. It was just after 7 p.m. when I raised my glass and said, “Let’s toast Becky.

She’s speaking at the student senate meeting any moment now.”

We lifted our glasses, nodded and proclaimed, “L’chaim,” as if to send her additional Kathryn Wolfe Sebo strength in delivering remarks to her Ohio University peers in response to the actions of then-student senate president Megan Marzec.

One week earlier, Becky called me upset and quite rattled with regard to a video made by Marzec that was “going viral.” In the video Marzec stated: “As student senate president I’m sending a message of concern of the genocide in Gaza and the occupation of Palestine by the Israeli State. I’m urging you and OU to divest and cut all ties with academic and other Israeli businesses and institutions.”

Marzec ended her video by pouring a symbolic bucket of blood over her head, mocking the ALS ice bucket challenge. I told my daughter that as president of OU’s Bobcats for Israel, she was going to need to have a plan in place as others would be looking to her for direction on how to respond to this.

For my husband Rommie and me, the week between the release of the video and Becky speaking to the student senate was emotional, but the most stressful moment was when I learned that anti-Israel protesters from Columbus were planning on driving to Athens to attend the Sept. 10 meeting to ensure that Becky and OU’s pro-Israel community would fail in their efforts to get Marzec to resign. I became concerned for our daughter’s safety. I was concerned for Bobcats for Israel members, OU’s Hillel participants, the men of AEPi and the non-Jewish, pro-Israel community, many of whom were attending this meeting.

campus, we’re proactive and we reach out to Hillel professionals and offer our help and assistance.

We’re definitely not the experts in fighting BDS, but we do understand Hillel and our Hillel chapters understand students – which is huge,” she said.

If students do encounter antiSemitism or anti-Israel activity on campus, Kedar encourages them to bring the matter to their local Hillel chapter.

“Students are always welcome at Hillel. Our professionals will do anything they can to help them with the administration or any issue on campus,” she said.

“They shouldn’t feel helpless, but sometimes that is what they feel. They feel that they don’t have the power to stand up, and

I called the administration and spoke with the vice president for student affairs. He was kind and concerned as he assured me that he knew of the protesters and had alerted campus police to be present.

So there I sat with my family members the evening of Sept. 10 when my son David, then a sophomore at OU, called. “I think Becky’s been arrested,” he told me. “No, David.” I said. “If anyone’s been arrested it’s one of the anti-Israel protesters.”

“Mom,” he continued, “look at the picture I texted you.”

David was the assistant design editor that night at The Post, OU’s student newspaper. He was laying out pages when a photo came in of his sister being escorted out of the student senate meeting in handcuffs by two police officers.

I checked my phone and saw the picture. My first call was to Rommie. The next was to my uncle, attorney Ken Bossin.

There are many ways for students to get arrested on college campuses, but I never realized one of those “opportunities” would be in standing up for Israel.

Becky’s senior year was forever changed. Being arrested and charged proved to be an intense experience. She ended up dropping one class to allow for more time to spend on her pending case. Six months of court dates came and went. The case was eventually dropped in March 2015.

Uncle Kenny played a huge role in keeping Becky centered when the day-to-day grew stressful. The outreach from The Temple-Tifereth Israel, our Jewish community, and from family and friends all played an important role and gave her tremendous support.

But it was Becky who found the strength and courage to do something I wouldn’t have had the guts to do when I was in college. Her love for Israel was far greater than I had imagined. Becky was arrested for standing up for Israel. Rommie and I could not have been more proud of our daughter.

Kathryn Wolfe Sebo is the mother of Becky Sebo and cantor at The Temple-Tifereth Israel in Beachwood.

we would like to empower them.

We want them to feel that they have the right to feel that they’re welcome and appreciated and are like any other student.”

For Sebo, having the opportunity to travel to Israel before college helped prepare her for what she encountered her senior year at OU. “I think me being in Israel prepared me for being at OU and my experiences at OU,” she said. “I had the ability to say, ‘I’ve been to Israel and I’ve seen these things.’

If anything, my experiences at OU only encouraged me more to do this master’s degree and to get all the facts and all the details and be able to come back and speak to people and give them the facts.”

As for advice for current Jew-

ish college students, Sebo says to stay calm and stay smart.

“I’m a big fan of the strategy to just stay calm and listen before you jump on, spewing facts,” she said. “If you can listen and find something that’s a flaw in their argument, then you can have an intelligent argument and you may be able to change their view on it or maybe they’ll go home and research something.

“Don’t fall into the screaming match. It’s hard, though, because it’s an emotional thing to defend an entire population and country of people. The right thing to do is say what you want back, say it louder, and say it with facts that make sense and are going to engage people.”

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Many Jews have passion for helping inner-city schools JONAh l. ROSENbluM

W

hat prompted Alan Rosskamm to take an office on Superior Avenue and East 36th Street in Cleveland?

It wasn’t the Chinese food.

Rosskamm, the longtime president and chief executive officer of Hudson-based Jo-Ann Stores, decided to serve the same role for Breakthrough Schools based on a long-held passion for changing education in Greater Cleveland.

Rosskamm, who previously chaired the board at Hawken School in Gates Mills, has a short-form explanation and a long-form explanation for his career turn.

“I was looking for something worthwhile to do,” Rosskamm said.

He said his passion for education was rooted in his parents’ experience. His parents were born in Germany and came to the United States with “nothing.” They managed to build a successful life. As Rosskamm’s father would say: “Only in America.”

“The American dream works,” Rosskamm said. “My family is living proof that the dream works, but not if you grow up in Cleveland and can’t get a basic education.”

When Rosskamm first encountered Breakthrough Schools, it wasn’t Breakthrough Schools. It was four separate charter schools prompted by supporting foundations to try to work together – on the administrative end, if not the educational end. The meshing went well and a charter management organization seemed in the works.

That’s where the match sparked.

Rosskamm was a retired CEO looking for a job or something to run. The four successful charter schools were looking to come together under a common manager.

Enid Rosenberg, former president of the Orange school board, played a key part in connecting Rosskamm, her friend from Cleveland Heights High School, with the charter schools. She invited him to visit Citizens Academy, one of the four charter schools that joined together and a school that she served and serves on the board of.

That led to visiting another of the four, and then when the four schools finally formed a charter management organization, Rosskamm was the man for the job.

“Alan was perfect for this,” Rosenberg said. “(He is) someone that cares deeply, works inordinately hard and has the management skills in order to try to put this whole grand adventure that we’ve got here together.”

At Citizens Leadership Academy, adventure, or expedition, is the name of the game, according to Sydney Gruhin, a Solon resident and B’nai Jeshurun congregant who serves as the school’s principal.

The curriculum is built on expeditions, with the first lasting a few weeks and others lasting a few months. An expedition is a curriculum on steroids. Experts will come in to address the students. Students will go

out to talk to experts and stakeholders.

Gruhin cites the seventh grade’s vacant lot expedition as an example. Students seize on the vacant lots surrounding the school and in the neighborhood in which they live and turn an intense magnifying glass on the subject. They study the lots from a variety of angles.

In science, they’ll study the animals that could inhabit such lots. In math, they’ll examine the dimensions and areas of such lots. And in social studies, they’ll wander over to the Western Reserve Historical Society and research what once existed on that land.

Then, they’ll take action, writing a letter to the Cleveland City Planning Commission on how the land can be put to use. Thus far, none of their plans has been taken up, but that right there is its own lesson in government.

Gruhin said the students embrace the unusual curriculum, fearlessly pounding away with question after question: Why is this house abandoned? Why does this block have five abandoned houses and that block not have any?

“They love being able to leave the school building and step outside and see what’s going on in their community,” Gruhin said.

“They feel very comfortable asking questions.”

Citizens Leadership Academy is just one of four models incorporated in the Breakthrough Schools system, hearkening back to the four original schools. Perhaps the most remarkable, and unusual, model is The Intergenerational School, where children of different ages learn together and also work with the elderly.

Elise Hagesfeld, a Kol HaLev member and Cleveland Heights resident whose daughter, Dana, just completed second grade at The Intergenerational School, said that Dana spent the past three years in a classroom that mixed kindergarten, first grade and second grade. She said students who might be stronger in one area, particularly older kids, helped mentor the younger kids.

She also said that her daughter has enjoyed working with her senior reading mentor. She said such elderly mentors play a critical role for the children, in that they can provide a different perspective, as well as a voice of authority that still lacks the judgment associated with one’s teacher.

The E Prep and Village Prep model is startling in its own right. Anyone who has worked with children knows that a fair amount of rowdiness is to be expected, particularly as children switch from class to class. Not at E Prep, where students calmly make their way into a single-file line and go directly from class to class, barely talking and actually keeping to a literal line drawn on the ground.

“We’re very serious about every minute counts,” Rosskamm said, emphasizing that a somewhat military transition turns

Alan Rosskamm, CEO of Breakthrough Schools. | Photo / Breakthrough Schools

into “very engaged classrooms and very engaged discussions.”

“They realize they’re smart and a light goes on and they realize the sky is the limit,” Rosskamm said.

But charter schools have not always received a unanimous vote from the community.

Some say charter schools detract from local public schools. Others wince at lowperforming charter schools or for-profit charter schools.

“The biggest problem is the word charter, As soon as people hear the word charter, they go ‘uh,’” Rosenberg said. “Are there bad charters? Yes, and guess who would like to get rid of them. We would.”

Gruhin said that many mistakenly believe that charter schools like Breakthrough Schools perform better merely because they can pick the smartest kids.

That’s not true, she said. Breakthrough Schools is strictly “first come, first serve.”

Hagesfeld said she was one of those people who were “on the fence” before deciding to send her daughter, Dana, now 7, to The Intergenerational School.

A tour got her on board with this particular charter.

“We were just really impressed with the way the students were open and welcoming and doing interesting stuff and the school had a really nice warm feel and clearly the kids were doing great stuff academically,” Hagesfeld said.

She added, “The way that Breakthrough is working with the Cleveland Municipal School District, the way that they have kind of rolled out this innovative model for how do you keep the schools both excellent and public, I’m very proud of being a part of that.”

So, what explains Breakthrough Schools’ performance, which, according to Ohio Department of Education scores, ranks highly compared to those put up by CMSD? Gruhin, the Citizens Leadership Academy principal, praised the autonomy she has to change curriculum or institute new programs like mandatory after-school tutoring or Saturday school for children who are

A blue plate Special event sponsored by the friends of breakthrough Schools is set for 11:30 a.m.

Aug. 24 at Windows on the River, 2000 Sycamore St. in cleveland. charter school pioneer Mike feinberg will be the keynote speaker.

While the event is sold out, there is a waiting list. To add your name, email Samantha Steinfeld at ssteinfeld@ breakthroughschools.org. feinberg is co-founder of the Knowledge Is power program foundation and executive vice chair of KIpp houston, which covers 24 public schools – nine primary schools, 11 middle schools and four high schools, serving a total of more than 12,500 children. feinberg and fellow teacher dave levin launched KIpp in 1994 by way of a fifth-grade public school program in inner-city houston. They expanded the concept the following year, when feinberg established KIpp Academy Middle School in houston and levin established KIpp Academy Middle School in the South bronx. These rapidly became among the highest-performing middle schools in their communities.

In 2000, feinberg and levin partnered with doris and don fisher, founders of The gap, to establish the KIpp foundation. It recruits, trains and supports people capable of opening locally managed KIpp schools. far below grade level. When it comes to curriculum, if something’s not working after a few months, she’ll toss it.

That also means the ability to fire low-performing teachers, although that causes an instability that she tries to avoid as much as possible, given the instability many of her students already face in their home lives.

“One of the reasons I love working in charter schools is as the principal I have the ability to make very drastic changes within minutes if I wanted to,” Gruhin said.

To Rosenberg, it’s not about one model versus another, however. It’s simply a matter of presenting parents with the best options possible, be they public or charter.

Rapidly, Breakthrough Schools is providing more and more of those options, transforming from four schools serving 1,100 students when the system launched July 1, 2010, to 11 schools serving 3,200 students today, and potentially to 20 schools by 2020.

“Education is the great equalizer, and kids, no matter the socioeconomics, deserve the chance at a quality education,” Rosenberg said. “That’s why I’ve been involved and stay involved. That’s the passion there.”

Jonah L. Rosenblum is a freelance writer from Cleveland Heights.

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he prospect of taking on the trials and tribulations of a new school year are even more daunting for a child who is making the step up to middle school or high school.

With a new school comes a myriad of new challenges, some stemming from peers and others presented in the classroom.

Dr. Lisa Damour, director of Laurel’s Center for Research on Girls, said that the most important thing for parents and educators to remember is that regardless of what major change a student is facing, it is critical that he or she is properly motivated and receives just the right amount of support, both academically and emotionally, while having room to grow as an individual.

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one say that we don’t want to prepare the path for the child, but the child for the path,” Damour said. “The move to middle school should come with the expectation that students will take responsibility for managing their school work. When a student hits a snag, we want to ask ourselves ‘What’s keeping my student from doing the work?’ not ‘How can I help my student do the work?’”

The transition process is filled with uncertainty and there is nothing to be gained by hiding that fact from students, Damour said. She recommends that parents prepare their children for the idea that there will be things they like and dislike about their new school and/or grade level and that they simply must take everything in stride while settling into their own personal routines. Doing so can help to reduce the stress of such transitions.

“As students transition to high school, we want to help them remember that privileges and responsibility go hand in hand,” she said. “Most high school students want more freedom than they had as middle school students.

Parents shouldn’t hesitate to say ‘I’m eager to give you more freedom. As you demonstrate your good judgment at school, I’ll know that you are ready for more independence.’”

Damour also said students often fear that

the lives of youngsters are often accompanied by that familiar blend of excitement and trepidation. Parents and educators alike should be pillars of encourageDessler Damour ment and support during transition periods.” wherever they start is Students also have the where they are destined to ability to control some remain, both socially and aspects regarding how academically. This notion smoothly their transition should not be allowed to process plays out. fester in a child’s mind.

“Whether transitioning “Parents should into middle school or high remember that we set the school, students would do tone for how our children best to plan for a positive feel about facing chalexperience, be enthusiaslenges,” she said. “If we tic, be organized, put forth are anxious and feel that effort and develop friendany misstep is a crisis, ships,” Dessler said. “The our children will feel the school leadership and same way. If we can be faculty can create effective calm (even when worried) transition orientations, and expect mistakes, we clearly articulate expectacan turn our attention to tions and procedures, and helping our children and find a healthy balance teenagers treat challenges between responsibility and and mistakes as useful flexibility.” learning opportunities.”

By maintaining a posiRabbi Simcha Dessler, tive outlook going in, odds the educational director are relatively promising at the Hebrew Academy that students will look of Cleveland in Cleveland back on the transition Heights, has some fairly experience as quite valustraightforward philosoable in promoting personal phies on how children can make the smoothest transi- growth.

“After all is said and tions possible. Dessler done, a transition is a stressed the importance window of opportunity for of all those with a vested both students and teachers interest in a child’s wellalike to build upon founbeing must play a part in dations and successes,” helping them deal with Dessler said. change.

“Children thrive on routine and consistency,” Robert Rozboril is a freelance he said. “Transitions in writer from Parma.

BW gains approval for engineering degree

The Ohio Department of Higher Education has given approval for a new Baldwin Wallace University undergraduate major in engineering.

Rather than a narrow undergraduate specialization, the engineering program will lead to a bachelor’s degree and provide solid technical preparation for employment or further study in a variety of engineering disciplines.

“The BW engineering major differs from more specialized traditional engineering programs, such as mechanical or civil engineering,” said Stephen Stahl, provost of the university, in a statement. “Our program is more science-based, offers a broad framework that gives students freedom to discover and choose a concentration, and is designed to enable students to solve a wider range of engineering problems.

“Importantly, it also enables students to collaborate better with scientists, constituents and the general public.”

The program will begin enrolling students in fall 2017.

BACK TO SCHOOL

August 19, 2016

Students find small Jewish campuses to sustain Jewish living MADISON JACKSON

W

hat will Jewish life on campus be like compared to Jewish life at home is a question for many Jewish students about to begin college.

Three students fresh off their first year of college have some advice. Riva Weinstock of University Heights and Zach Reizes and Gabby Rose, both of Shaker Heights, found being Jewish on campuses with few Jews affected them.

“I thought that being Jewish at a Catholic college was going to be really tough,” Weinstock said. “I was all prepared to blend into the wallpaper for four years, but that obviously didn’t work. Instead, I made some amazing friends who don’t look at me as strange, just different.”

Weinstock, who was raised in a Modern Orthodox home and attended the Hebrew Academy of Cleveland, now attends Ursuline College in Pepper Pike.

She said her college decision was based on academics rather than socializing, so the presence of Jewish life on campus wasn’t really a factor.

Much like Weinstock, Jewish life on campus was only a small factor for Reizes, who attended the Agnon School, now known as The Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School in Beachwood, and graduated from Shaker Heights High School.

In selecting Ohio University in Athens, Reizes said he wanted a place where he could be open about his Judaism, adding that he has no issues with being in a minority. “Affordability and opportunity were both much larger factors for me than standard Jewish life,” he said.

Fellow Shaker Heights High graduate Rose, who was active in United Synagogue Youth and Park Synagogue in Cleveland Heights and Pepper Pike, attends Amherst College in Massachusetts. She said Jewish life was more important to her college decision-making than she initially realized. Her baseline requirements were High Holy Days services and a meal plan on Passover – at first.

“I would have liked a larger active Jewish population in order to have more Jewish friends,” Rose said. “But I decided that if I loved everything else about a given school, I would take the Jewish life that it came with.”

Although all three said Jewish life on their campuses is minimal, each found ways to stay involved with it.

Weinstock said there isn’t much Jewish life at Ursuline, but her family life helps her sustain it.

Reizes will work at the Ohio University Hillel as a paid intern in the fall, developing programs to engage Reizes Jewish college students. Rose will join the board of Hillel at Amherst this fall, helping plan events.

Although antiSemitism hasn’t been an issue for Rose, she noted that on Yom Kippur, an ice cream truck Rose outside the building where services had just finished gave away free scoops.

On the first night of Passover, the school decided to hold a spring concert, which made students choose between religion and Weinstock the large social event, she added.

“I’ve had to search harder for my Jewish community, but it exists, and the small size makes me feel a larger sense of responsibility for growing and sustaining Jewish life,” Rose said. “I’ve had to go outside of my comfort zone at times. I never thought that I would set foot in a Chabad before I went to college, but the Chabad at my school has become one of the most important things to me in Amherst.”

Reizes added, “For generations we have lived surrounded by people of other faiths, and yet our traditions persevere. I use that to remind myself that I am not alone as a Jew, even at a less Jewish college.”

Madison Jackson was the Violet Spevack Editorial Intern this summer at the Cleveland Jewish News.

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 43

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AuGuSt 19, 2016

BACK TO SCHOOL

college, activist groups readying for fall political scene MAdISON JAcKSON

C

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ollege campuses play a significant role in student voter registration. For many students across Ohio, the November election will be the first in which they’re eligible to vote. The process may seem tedious.

The Campus Vote Project, part of the Fair Elections Legal Network, a nonpartisan voting rights advocacy organization, works with administrators and faculty in every state to take down what it views as barriers to student registration and voting.

“We try to get the institutions of higher education that we engage with to make it part of their educational mission to prepare students to civically engage,” said Mike Burns, director of The Campus Vote Project.

According to Burns, election laws are in flux in Ohio, the period for early voting is hard to pin down and the type of identification you need to vote is a question.

He noted many campuses in Ohio issue zero balance utility bills to students to use as proof of residency when they go to polls on Election Day. While the Campus Vote Project is focused on getting students registered for this fall, it leaves it up to Democrat and Republican college student groups, such as those at Kent State University, to promote candidates or ideologies.

“The College Democrats’ role on campus at Kent State this fall will be to actively engage students in politics and make informed voters,” said Hana Barkowitz, president of The College Democrats at Kent State University.

Barkowitz, who will be a junior and comes from Mount Lebanon, Pa., said her group will provide transportation on Election Day. In addition to registering students and hosting drives, The College Democrats encourage students to change their registration to Kent, because the group believes the student vote will be much higher if students can walk to the voting place instead of sending in an absentee ballot.

Barkowitz

Burns

Hutchinson

Jennifer Hutchinson, president of The College Republicans at Kent State University, said that the group’s main priority will be re-electing U.S. Sen. Rob Portman. While The College Republicans encourage students to register and vote, the group does not sponsor a specific candidate within the GOP. “We all have our own opinion within the group; we support voting for whoever you feel best suits your ideologies and your beliefs,” Hutchinson said. “We subscribe to the belief however that you will never find a candidate who fits everything, so what is important is finding the best fit.”

Hutchinson, who will be a senior and comes from Cranberry Township, Pa., votes as an Ohioan since she goes to school in Ohio, and feels more tied to Ohio politics. She said The College Republicans encourage students to vote where they feel the strongest connection, but they make students aware they can also vote in Kent.

Both groups will host debates, dinners, campaigning and activism opportunities in the fall, even collaborating from time to time.

“We like to show that it’s cool to hang around people who are politically minded and that we can have fun while changing the nation,” Barkowitz said. “We will try (in the fall) to appeal to different students with different events and themes.”

Madison Jackson was the Violet Spevack Editorial Intern this summer at the Cleveland Jewish News.

Yoda Newton Editorial Internship available

T

he Cleveland Jewish News is seeking candidates for the inaugural Yoda Newton Editorial Internship, which will begin in the fall. The internship will offer four candidates an opportunity to work for 10-week “semesters,” beginning in October 2016 through May 2017.

Interns will gain on-the-ground journalism experience in a fast-paced, professional newsroom environment. Interns will be involved in all facets of the newsgathering process, including but not limited to assisting reporters with research, verification, securing and speaking with sources, proofreading and copy editing.

Interns will have an opportunity to pitch and write stories for all CJN platforms and publications, including all digital, social and magazine properties. Yoda Newton Editorial interns will learn about all facets of the Cleveland Jewish community, gaining new appre-

ciation and insights into the people, congregations, agencies, and organizations that comprise our vibrant community.

At the conclusion of the internship, it is expected that the intern will have a robust portfolio of published and accomplished work.

This is a 20-hour per week paid internship over the course of 10 consecutive weeks.

Applicants should submit a resume and three writing samples to editorial@cjn.org and include “Yoda Newton Editorial Internship” in the subject line.

BACK TO SCHOOL

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 45

AuGuSt 19, 2016

Baldwin Wallace launches BFA in acting program

A new BFA in acting program at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea aims to bring American actors up to speed with training in the classics.

“BW’s innovative BFA curriculum will provide a fresh take on the classics and a classic approach to new works, training actors who can do sitcoms and ‘Hamlet,’” said Adam Heffernan, chair of the BW Theatre and Dance Department, in a release.

“Casting directors have noticed the gap in classical training in American theater education. BW’s program is prepared to fill that gap.”

With approval from the Ohio Department of Higher Education, the program is the first BFA in acting in Northeast Ohio and the first BFA in classical acting in the Midwest region. The program includes collaboration with Great Lakes Theater, a professional acting company, and the school’s conservatory program in musical theater. Prospective BFA majors will begin to enroll by audition this fall.

“With a faculty comprised of working professional actors, designers and directors, our BFA students will benefit from professional experience in and out of the classroom,” Heffernan said.

Under the partnership with Great Lakes Theater, students will understudy and earn equity points at Cleveland’s classic theater company, as well as audition for productions at GLT’s cross-country strategic alliance theaters, including the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival and Idaho Shakespeare Festival.

“We look forward to welcoming BW’s BFA acting students to our artistic family and to working alongside Adam (Heffernan) to provide a truly unique educational experience for our next generation of theatre artists,” said Charles Fee, GLT’s producing artistic director.

For generations,

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46 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG

AuGuSt 19, 2016

BACK TO SCHOOL

Jewish campus resources Ohio campuses served by on-site Chabad Student Centers: CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY 2049 E. 115th St. in Cleveland 216-262-4857 or cwrjew.com Rabbi Mendy and Sara Alevsky

OBERLIN COLLEGE

UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI

111 N. Pleasant St. in Oberlin 404-754-2208 or jewishoberlin.com Rabbi Shlomo and Devorah Elkan

2718 Digby Ave. in Cincinnati 513-751-2288 or chabadatuc.com Rabbi Yitzchak and Dina Creeger

OHIO UNIVERSITY

Ohio campuses served by area ChabadLubativch Centers:

44 W. State St. in Athens 740-590-7474 or ouchabad.com Rabbi Levi and Chanee Raichik

MIAMI UNIVERSITY

ANTIOCH COLLEGE

THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

650 S. Campus Ave. in Oxford 513-580-8672 or chabadmiamioh.com Rabbi Yossi and Mushka Greenberg

Chabad of Greater Dayton 2001 Far Hills Ave. in Dayton 937-643-0770 or chabaddayton.com Rabbi Nochum and Devorah Leah Mangel

207 E. 15th Ave. in Columbus 614-294-3296 or osuchabad.com Rabbi Zalman and Sarah Deitsch

CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY

Join us

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hawken school

is excited to announce the Grand Opening of

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Chabad of Downtown Cleveland 55 Public Square in Cleveland 216-446-5111 or downtownchabad.com Rabbi Yossi and Chaya Freedman

SINCLAIR COMMUNITY COLLEGE Chabad of Greater Dayton 2001 Far Hills Ave. in Dayton 937-643-0770 or chabaddayton.com Rabbi Nochum and Devorah Leah Mangel

UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON Chabad of Greater Dayton 2001 Far Hills Ave. in Dayton 937-643-0770 or chabaddayton.com Rabbi Nochum and Devorah Leah Mangel

WITTENBERG UNIVERSITY Chabad of Greater Dayton 2001 Far Hills Ave. in Dayton 937-643-0770 or chabaddayton.com

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Ohio colleges served by Hillel BALDWIN WALLACE UNIVERSITY Jewish enrollment: N/A 440-826-2900 or bw.edu

BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY Jewish enrollment: 300 undergraduate, 20 graduate 419-372-2531 or bgsu.edu

Grand Opening Open House Sunday, August 21, 2016 | 1 - 4 pm | Gates Mills Campus Featuring: Tour our new state-of-the-art high school building and enjoy campus-wide activities.

CAPITAL UNIVERSITY Jewish enrollment: 30 undergraduate 614-236-6011 or capital.edu

CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY Jewish enrollment: 325 undergraduate, 650 graduate 216-368-2000 or case.edu

Experience the new Fab Lab

Tour the new science center

Test your skills on the ropes course

CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF ART

Food & refreshments

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And much more!

CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF MUSIC Jewish enrollment: 25 undergraduate 216-791-5000 or cim.edu

hawken.edu/grandopening Hawken School | Gates Mills Campus | 12465 County Line Road | Gates Mills

Jewish enrollment: 25 undergraduate 800-223-4700 or cia.edu

CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY Jewish enrollment: 200 undergraduate, 300 graduate 216-687-5411 or csuohio.edu

Coed Preschool-Grade 12 RESOURCES | 47

BACK TO SCHOOL RESOURCES | 46 COLLEGE OF MOUNT ST. JOSEPH Jewish enrollment: N/A 513-244-4200 or msj.edu

COLLEGE OF WOOSTER Jewish enrollment: 125 undergraduate 330-263-2000 or wooster.edu

COLUMBUS STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE Jewish enrollment: N/A 614-287-5353 or cscc.edu

CUYAHOGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE Jewish enrollment: 250 undergraduate 800-954-8742 or tri-c.edu

FRANKLIN UNIVERSITY

OBERLIN COLLEGE Jewish enrollment: 850 undergraduate 440-775-841 or 0berlin.edu

OHIO UNIVERSITY Jewish enrollment: 600 undergraduate, 25 graduate 740-593-1000 or ohio.edu

OHIO WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY

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Three Week Program West Side: Tues. Evenings, 7-9 p.m. | Sept. 6, 13, 20 Mayfield Heights: Wed. Evenings, 7:30-9:30 p.m. | Sept. 7, 14, 21 Hudson: Sun. Mornings, 9:30-11:30 a.m. | Sept. 25, Oct. 2,16 Free ClaSS - regiSTraTion required Contact Sherri Kaufman at the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland, 216.371.0446 Co-Sponsored by the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland, the Union for Reform Judaism andThe Cleveland Board of Rabbis with funding support from the Jewish Federation of Cleveland & the National Center to Encourage Judaism

Jewish enrollment: 2,500 undergraduate, 350 graduate 614-292-6446 or osu.edu

Jewish enrollment: 25 undergraduate, 25 graduate 216-397-1886 or sites.jcu.edu

UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI

KENT STATE UNIVERSITY

Jewish enrollment: 1,000 undergraduate, 250 graduate 513-556-6000 or uc.edu

Jewish enrollment: 1,000 undergraduate, 100 graduate 330-672-3000 or kent.edu

UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO

LORAIN COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

®

THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

JOHN CARROLL UNIVERSITY

Jewish enrollment: N/A 440-525-7000 or lakelandcc.edu

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Jewish enrollment: N/A 614-890-3000 or otterbein.edu

Jewish enrollment: 250 undergraduate 330-972-7111 or uakron.edu

LAKELAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE

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OTTERBEIN COLLEGE

UNIVERSITY OF AKRON

Jewish enrollment: 275 undergraduate 740-427-5000 or kenyon.edu

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Jewish enrollment: 100 undergraduate 740-368-2000 or owu.edu

Jewish enrollment: N/A 614-797-4700 or franklin.edu

KENYON COLLEGE

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 47

AuGuSt 19, 2016

Jewish enrollment: 300 undergraduate, 90 graduate 800-586-5336 or utoledo.edu

URSULINE COLLEGE Jewish enrollment: N/A 440-449-4200 or ursuline.edu

WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY Jewish enrollment: N/A 937-775-3333 or wright.edu

XAVIER UNIVERSITY

Jewish enrollment: N/A 440-365-5222 or lorainccc.edu

Jewish enrollment: 15 undergraduate, 50 graduate 513-745-3000 or xavier.edu

MIAMI UNIVERSITY

Source: Hillel International

LEARN

how we

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- FEATURING Undergraduate courses, degrees Graduate courses, degrees Specialized MBA programs, including the #1 ranked Online MBA program in Ohio by U.S. News & World Report Executive and continuing education Entrepreneurship, consulting and business counseling programs Connected, engaged and invested in the Cleveland business community

Jewish enrollment: 1,000 undergraduate, 25 graduate 305-284-2211 or miamioh.edu

NOTRE DAME COLLEGE Jewish enrollment: N/A 216-381-1680 or notredamecollege.edu

216-687-3786 www.csuohio.edu/business

48 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG

AuGuSt 19, 2016

When your child needs speech therapy

Speech Therapy at Home!

With just a high-speed internet connection and a web camera, your child can receive specialized services from a certified speech language pathologist from the Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center - in the comfort, privacy, and convenience of your own home!

lINdA lANgE

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hen we shuttle our children from soccer to karate to ballet, adding speech therapy to that agenda can seem overwhelming. However, attending and being on time for your scheduled speech therapy sessions is extremely important for your child to learn and use new speech and language skills. When you remember what a life-changing and necessary skill communicating effectively is, it will be easier to make it a priority. Be sure to schedule the therapy on a day when you can be there at the same time every week. Ask for carpooling help if needed and don’t schedule other appointments during that

Address issues such as: - fluency, stuttering - expressive communication - vocabulary - production of sounds in words - comprehension - following directions - reading & writing (certified Wilson Reading System® Level 1) For more information call 216-231-8787 or visit www.chsc.org

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BACK TO SCHOOL

A R H A U S®

F UR NI S H I NG A BE T T E R WOR L D

Make those 10 time. The more minutes of pracsessions your tice part of your child misses, daily routine. the longer he/ Get siblings she will have to involved. Someattend therapy. If times kids will you can’t make it work better for to an office every their brother or week for therapy, Lange sister. consider teleOffer small practice, a way to rewards for great practicreceive speech-language ing. pathology services using Celebrate their suca computer or iPad incess, just as if they had stead of in-office appointwon a sporting event. ments. This can be done Remember, language from any location and is in everything we do. may be a convenient opWhether practicing a tion for your busy family. specific sound, using While attending every “smooth speech” or learntherapy appointment is ing grammar, there is alexcellent, home practice ways a way to target your is also a key component child’s needs in daily of your child’s success. activities. You can also Think of yourself as ask their speech-language part of a team with the pathologist for specific speech-language patholocarryover ideas. gist helping your son or So when you are daughter. Practicing your wondering how to fit one child’s speech goals at more activity into your home can seem like one day, think of speechmore item on your to-do language therapy as an list, but a little bit of extracurricular activity home carryover makes a that will advance your huge difference in your child’s success in every child’s progress with aspect of life. speech-language therapy.

Some tips to make it easier: Linda Lange is the assistant Try to practice a director of speech language little every day; even 10 and learning services at minutes can result in the Cleveland Hearing and improvement. Turn bath Speech Center. time or a long drive into “speech time.” Or, make Content provided by it a part of your child’s advertising partner homework.

MOVING? Call 216-342-5185 or email circulation@cjn.org to change your address so you don’t miss an issue!

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CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 49

August 19, 2016

Watch your step in choosing a dance studio

Capture the Excitement Ohio’s largest Jewish day school.

MADISON JACKSON

T

here are many types of dance, so parents need to consider many factors in choosing the dance studio their children will attend.

Michelle Sileo, owner and director of Dance Studio M in Solon, said the age of the child is critical to the decision.

For younger students, parents should look for a studio that offers an opportunity to try dance through a movement class. Older dancers more invested in the extracurricular might look for a studio that offers various programs and styles.

“Choosing a dance studio isn’t necessarily complicated – it can be enjoyable,” Sileo said. “It is a of matter coming in and taking tours of studios, and doing research.”

That research involves determining what is important in a studio. Sileo said a key consideration is the cost of lessons and the studio’s payment options.

“Dance tends to be a top-of-thebudget activity; it is important that you find a studio you feel you can afford,” Sileo said. “Studios that offer a la carte options are easier to fit into, because you can make adjustments to prices throughout the year.”

Sileo said dance, like any other activity or sport, can feel like family. “Kids will spend a lot of time in the studio, and it draws loyalty because that’s where their friends and dance family are.”

By looking into the opportunities available at a dance studio early on, parents won’t have to risk pulling their kids out of a community where they feel a bond.

“It’s important to take your time when selecting a dance studio because

COME AND VISIT: Educating over 1,050 children and going strong.

 THE

Hricko

ACADEMY EXPERIENCE

Sileo

you are going to be spending a lot of time there,” said Sarah Hricko, marketing manager at DANCECleveland in Cleveland’s Shaker Square. “Parents who take their children as 3- or 4-yearolds to dance class often see it blossom into an entire career, or at least a high school career where they are at the studio four or five times a week.”

If students are to continue on that path, Hricko said, they must feel comfortable around their teachers and those teachers must have good credentials and be compatible with the students.

Sileo and Hricko agree that the key is finding a dance studio that best fits the dancer. Some teachers are very strict and old school, while others are more lenient or encourage collaboration within the classroom. A parent should find out which style works for the child.

Both said all quality dance studios should have certain aspects. If studios have only one studio space they are limited to how many classes they can offer; ones with more such spaces are generally better established. They also need floors on which it is safe to dance.

“Nowadays, choreographers are

DANCE | 50

• Vibrant learning • Dynamic classes • Innovative programs To schedule an appointment please contact: Hebrew Academy of Cleveland 1860 South Taylor Road Cleveland Heights, OH 44118 216-321-5838 • www.hac1.org

Great Minds don’t

Think Alike

CJN seeks fall Violet Spevack newsroom intern

A

re you an aspiring journalist? Do you want to get hands-on newsroom experience? Do you want to write stories, cover assignments, take photographs and use social media?

If you’re ambitious along those lines, the Cleveland Jewish News may have an opportunity for you.

The fall Violet Spevack Editorial Internship is in addition to the summer internship named in honor of the Cleveland Jewish News’ longtime columnist.

This one, though, is for a high school senior or local college student in pursuit

of a career in journalism.

The 10-week position can begin in either September or October and is a paid internship of up to 20 hours per week working out of our Beachwood newsroom. There will be flexibility to work around your schedule.

Applicants should submit a resume and three writing samples to editorial@cjn.org and include “Fall Intern” in the subject line.

Deadline for applications is Sept. 1.

For questions, contact Managing Editor Bob Jacob at bjacob@cjn.org.

Small, highly-structured classes

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50 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG

AuGuSt 19, 2016

AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

DANCE | 49 asking dancers to be well-rounded and have experience in all styles,” said Hricko, who also works as a ballet instructor at The Dance Centre by Heidi Glynias in Rocky River. “You want to send your child to a place where even if they are studying ballet, they can also be taking jazz and other dance forms.”

“Dance is a very niche business,” Sileo said. “If parents have never danced themselves, or even if they have, they need to realize every studio does it a little different. The best way to learn about a studio is to set up a meeting.”

Madison Jackson was the Violet Spevack Editorial Intern this summer at the Cleveland Jewish News.

Members of the Girls Team Level 7-8 pose inside Lakeshore Dance, Gymnastics and Cheer in Mayfield Village. | Photo / Lakeshore Dance, Gymnastics and Cheer

Dance Studio M in Solon offers ballet, tap, hip-hop, jazz and modern dance classes, among others. | Photo / Dance Studio M Photo provided by advertiser

Photo provided by advertiser

23945 Mercantile Rd. St. M Beachwood 44122 216.292.2729/Jennifer@dance5678.net BALLET ● TAP ● JAZZ ● MUSICAL THEATER JAZZ FUNK ● HIP HOP ● LYRICAL CONTEMPORARY ● MOMMY & ME DANCE TEAM ● ADULT Teaching Ages 18 months – Adult Professional Teachers for all levels of classes!

Register Online Today! *In-Studio Registration Dates* Saturday, August 20th 10:00-1:00 Sunday, August 21st 12:00-3:00 Saturday, September 3rd 10:00-1:00 Sunday, September 4th 12:00-3:00

www.studiojdance.com

ATA Cleveland Martial Arts in Warrensville Heights offers individualized programs for children and adults of all ages. | Photo / ATA Cleveland Martial Arts Photo provided by advertiser

Studio J Academy of Dance in Beachwood showcases dancers of all ages and abilities through musical theater, combo classes, ballet, jazz, hip-hop and several other classes. | Photo / Jennifer Kups Photo provided by advertiser

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AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 51

AuGuSt 19, 2016

After school activities offer unique opportunities

Registering now for the Fall 2016 season!

MAdISON JAcKSON

S

ome students heading back to school may consider extracurricular activities as important as their regular education.

Involvement in activities outside of school not only helps relieve stress but also encourages learning in new ways.

Northeast Ohio has many unique after school activities for children to participate in. Some, such as ATA Cleveland Martial Arts in Warrensville Heights, The School of Rock in Highland Heights and the Jordan Center Dance in Cleveland, start children when they’re young, allowing them to progress as they age.

ATA Cleveland Martial Arts starts kids at age 4 in the ATA Tigers program. From there, kids move on to Karate for Kids classes for children 7 to 12 years old, and eventually continue with adult classes. While the Tiger program works on getting children focused and able to follow directions, Karate for Kids helps students build their self-esteem through beginning selfdefense.

“I’m hoping that students are gaining the tools they need in school and outside of school,” said Donna Papa, owner of the academy. “I’ve gotten feedback from parents and teachers who said that from the

beginning of the school year to the end they can see a difference, with their children focusing and listening better.”

Often, students build connections in after school activities that will last a lifetime.

“I have students that started training with me when they were 5 and they are in college now,” Papa said. “They still come in and visit, they help with classes, they teach; everyone always comes back to visit and be part of the program.”

The School of Rock gives kids a chance to play rock ’n’ roll music in a band, a relatively rare opportunity. Children 6 to 7 years old start out in the Rookie program, where a small group gets together weekly to learn the fundamentals of music through games and group playing. At age 7, students move into Rock 101, where they choose an instrument and play songs in a band. Once students reach 11 years, they join the Performance program, playing the music of groups such as the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin in a variety of venues.

“We train our students through the ear,” said Austin Mazurik, School of Rock general manager. “If you can hear it, then you can play it, and kids learning music seem to benefit

Leitson

Mazurik

from this.

“The School of Rock is viewed as a safe zone for a lot of musicians,” he added. “Students can be themselves, around others who like music.”

Jordan Center Dance also strives to give kids skills that will benefit them in all aspects of life. Offering smaller classes in jazz, tap, ballet, hip-hop, musical theater, contemporary dance and acrobatics, the center stresses giving students the attention they deserve.

“When students come here, our goal is for them to walk out feeling they learned something,” said Jordan Leitson, co-owner of Jordan Center Dance. “We want to empower them to succeed not only here, but in all areas of life.”

Leitson also said Jordan Center Dance helps kids of all ages liberate their inner artist and experience what the power of movement can do to help them grow into young adults.

Madison Jackson was the Violet Spevack Editorial Intern this summer at the Cleveland Jewish News.

Dance Studio M 33361 Aurora Road • Solon, Ohio 440-914-0101 • DanceStudioM.com

Papa

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