{charles e. smith jewish day school • 11710 hunter’s lane, rockville, maryland • vol. 29 issue 3 • wednesday, december 7, 2011}

Hannah Halpern (‘14) “There are people who disagree with the way Occupy DC is doing things, and that is understandable, but at least they’re doing something. People who disagree don’t have a better solution, so they shouldn’t be talking.”

Brendan Pell (‘12) “It’s a great movement. Everyone there is super cool. It’s a bunch of people who recognize the need for change and are doing something about it.”

Mariah Finkelstein (‘13) “We need to make the people in charge see that things need to change around here. Innocent people are getting hurt – socially, financially, and now, physically.”

Andrew Yanovski (‘12) “It’s a really cool movement. The community there is incredible. I had actually never seen a group of people working together to better society so well before – all I had seen until this point was Congress.”

Eden Katz (‘12) “I was in DC for the Keystone XL rally and we stopped by at Occupy afterwards. Everyone I met was extremely welcoming and enthusiastic, and it seemed like a real community.”

Nathan Poznerzon (‘13) “I don’t think that nearly enough people know what’s going on or care. Even if people form opinions for themselves that are different from my own, the fact that they have an opinion is still a step forward.”

photo illustrations by Sam Hofman

Occupy movement reaches JDS elanaschrager features editor

casians, immigrants (legal and illegal) and citizens. It is a “we” of members of almost every social class, of every gender identity and sexual identity under the sun, of a rainbow of religions. A number of CESJDS students have become a part of the “we.” Junior Nathan Poznerzon spent Tuesday, Nov. 8 at McPherson Square, the “occupied” area at the heart of the D.C. movement. “There were really cool people there, with a lot of tents set up and demonstrations,” he said. “There was cool art. People were spray painting signs that said ‘occupy’ and ‘capitalism is a crime’ and those sort of things. Ben and Jerry were there handing out free ice cream. I stayed there for about an hour and a half, and chilled and talked with people.” Junior Mariah Finkelstein was at Occupy DC’s first General Assembly on Oct. 1, the first day of the occupation. The General Assemblies are daily meetings during which occupants discuss how the day went and the logistics of the movement, among other things. Participants gather every day at 6 p.m. in McPherson Square. “There were probably 30 or 40 people,” she said. “Me and my friends were the youngest people there by five years at least.

“We are the 99 percent. Raising awareness about social and economical injustices & corruption in politics, together we find strength. We are Occupy DC.” If a curious student happened to check out occupydc.org, the official website of the Occupy DC movement, these words would be their first impression. White on red, the letters flash by, bold and insistent against black and white photos of protesters. But the words could have come from any social protest in the past century. The photos look like protests of years past. The slogan at the top of the site — “Occupy DC: For Revolution” — could have come from any number of sit-downs and sit-ins that have called our nation’s capital home. And then there is the “we.” It is the “we” that hurdles this movement into the 21st century. This “we” is a “we” of young and old, jobless and job-secure, of African-Americans, Hispanics, Cau-

It was really disorganized, and they didn’t even mention Occupy Wall Street while we were there, so I didn’t go while they were trying to figure out what they were doing.” Junior Eli Shurberg has visited McPherson Square five or six times since the beginning of October, but feels that most of his work in the movement happens away from the square. “I’ve participated in General Assemblies. I’ve brought down food and cleaning supplies and books,” Shurberg said. “I’m more involved over the Internet and talking with people and seeing things over the Internet rather than actually in person.”

– Why? – WE. JDS students involved in Occupy DC movement have all chosen to be a part of the “we,” and they have all chosen for different reasons. Sophomore Hannah Halpern has participated in the Occupy DC movement since its fledgling days. “When I came back from [summer] camp, I wanted to find some type of activist movement,” she said. Halpern found an anti-war protest taking place at Freedom Plaza on Oct. 6. Then,

in September, the Occupy movement began in the U.S. with occupations of New York and San Francisco. By Oct. 7, when Halpern visited Freedom Plaza, the beginnings of the Occupy DC movement were set up. “I liked Occupy DC more [than the other protests] because it was smaller and more communal,” Halpern said. “[Participating in the movement] gives me a chance to support people who don’t have the same opportunities and privileges that I do. Instead of just sitting back saying that I’m comfortable with my financial situation, I should be asking what can I do to help others feel the same way.” Shurberg agrees with many of the movement’s goals and ideologies. “It’s something that employs consensus agreement and direct democracy, things that when they’ve come up before this I’ve supported and actively tried to use,” he said. “The hands-on horizontal community aspect is something I really, really appreciate because that’s something that I want to create.” The Occupy movement has been widely criticized in the media for a lack of see OCCUPY DC, page 14

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news december 7, 2011

Faculty take time off for parental leave eitansnyder

employee and in order to care for such son or daughter.” Director of Human Resources When a CESJDS employee Lori Leatherman explains that has a child, he or she has to worry JDS does not use maternity- or about finding someone to take paternity-leave terminology. over his or her classes, figure out “If an employee is eligible for how to take off sufficient time to FMLA, that’s what it’s called and if recover and make sure everything not eligible, it’s medical leave,” she is just as it was when he or she said. left. With all these things to take “The act requires employers care of, JDS employees can rest to provide up to 12 weeks of assured that they will be able to unpaid, job-protected leave to take off the time they need for eligible employees to care for the parental leave. employee’s child upon birth or Parental leave is an employee placement for adoption or foster benefit that allows for a parent to care,” Leatherman said. “However, take time off from work to care the school allows for paid leave to for a child. In 1993, Congress be substituted for unpaid leave.” passed the Family and Medical Leatherman has meetings Leave Act (FMLA), which makes with any staff member planning it mandatory for employers to to take time off for parental leave. allow their employees to For English teacher take leave for qualified Davida Yitzhaky, however, illness or familyit was hard to find such related reasons. accommodations from One of those within the JDS community. reasons is “the Yitzhaky gave birth on birth of a son Nov. 21 to a baby girl, or daughter named Adi. of the “The school is trying to hire a sub from outside the school to take all my classes because I teach five classes, and that’s too many for anyone in the English department to take over,” photo provided by Davida Yitzhaky Yitzhaky English teacher Davida Yitzhaky gave birth to Adi on said. She has Nov. 21. Yitzhaky is having substitute Kate Armstrong since found cover her classes while she’’ is on parental leave. substitute senior reporter

Kate Armstrong to take over her classes while she is away. English teacher Melissa Fisanich, who had her children in 2000 and 2004 struggled with balancing her job and her family. She came to JDS in 1996 and was working full-time until she had her first child in 2000, when she decided to work parttime instead of leaving her job completely. “I didn’t want to photo provided by Eitan Apter leave teaching, and it History teacher Eytan Apter cuddles with his son, Gabriel. Gabriel worked out for me to work 6. Apter did not take any time off from school for parental leave. was born on Oct. part-time. I really love my job,” Fisanich said. Ostle firmly believes that the Apter explained. “I decided that Yitzhaky is taking parental time that he took off was essential since the chagim were coming up, leave for the first time. for him. my mother-in-law was down, and “[I expect to be] changing “Taking care of a newborn is we had a nurse for a day, there diapers and feeding my baby a very difficult and around-the- was no immediate need for me to and not sleeping a whole lot and, clock job, especially with a baby be with my wife.” you know, doing mom things,” that doesn’t sleep very well,” Ostle Apter felt that he got Yitzhaky said prior to giving birth. said. “One person has baby duty sufficient time off. “From what I hear, you don’t really while the other person is trying “I think it would be odd for have time to do a lot else.” to get a little rest. It’s definitely a new father to miss the hospital Meanwhile, fathers have a two-person job at least for the stay,” Apter said. “It might be odd many responsibilities when the first few months.” that I didn’t take time off, but I child is first born as well. For History teacher Eytan Apter had time off. If my child was born example, music teacher Charles was teaching when he got the on Monday, things would have Ostle took off about a month phone call that his wife was in been different.” when his child was born in labor. Having a child is an important February last year. “The Thursday before we milestone in many peoples’ lives. As the only person in the left for Yom Kippur, my wife was It is difficult to imagine how hard school teaching his subject, Ostle calling me several times, and I it must be to have to miss one’s had to find a sub for his classes was in period 3. I left at about 3:00 child’s birth and preliminary from outside the school. However, p.m. My son was born at 6:07p.m.,” development because one must he didn’t have to look very far. he said. work in order to support this “I have a friend and colleague While Ostle took off four child. Thankfully, parental leave who did the musicals here named weeks to care for his child, Apter makes it unnecessary to make Greg Gannon,” Ostle said. “I’ve took no days off at all, which he this compromise. known him for many years, and attributes mostly to the timing of “The school has made it he came in and filled in for all my his son’s birth. comfortable, for the people I’ve classes, so they weren’t finding “We had off on Friday. I did not talked to,” Apter said. different subs for different days. It have to take off any time to take was one consistent person.” care of my wife in the hospital,”

SAT scores follow Montgomery County drop for Class of 2011 ariellepanitch news editor

Roughly 1.5 million high school students across the country wield number two pencils and calculators each year as they battle the SAT Reasoning Test. Recently published SAT score averages for the Class of 2011 illustrate a 16-point decrease overall for Montgomery County, Md. CESJDS statistics reveal a 24-point decrease in the overall score for JDS’ Class of 2011. The SAT Reasoning Test, first published by College Board in 1926, is the nation’s top college admissions standardized test. Since its re-adaptation in 2005 the SAT consists of three sections: Math, Critical Reading and Writing. Each section has scores ranging from 200-800 points, which are added together for a cumulative score. The cumulative national average is roughly 1500 and the state of Maryland scores about 10 points higher. Montgomery County’s public school average cumulative score for the Class of 2010 was 1653. Scores for the Class of 2011 plummeted to a new low: 1637. JDS’

average cumulative score for the Class of 2010 was a 1950. JDS’ scores followed the same trend as Montgomery County’s and dropped to a 1926 average. According to Director of College Guidance Susan Rexford, JDS’ drop in scores is no reason for concern. “One year does not make a trend. It’s possible that in any given year one class’s scores might be higher or lower than the year before,” Rexford said. “If you see a consistent downward spiral or if you see a consistent upward spiral then that’s something to pay close attention to, but a one year hiccup isn’t always going to make a huge difference.” JDS’ scores bounced back up to an average of 1950 for the Class of 2012*. Rexford noted that fluctuation in scores is to be expected at JDS because the sample size is fairly small. If even one or two students score extremely high or low, it impacts the average. “It could just be that one given year you have a group of students that just can’t do well on standardized tests … and if that’s the case, it can skew the numbers,” Rexford said. Another possible cause of the changes in scores is the increasing num-

ber of students taking the ACT. “The ACT has become much more popular with our students. I know that the number [of students] taking the SAT has dropped and the number of students taking the ACT has risen,” Rexford said. “That might be one reason why you see some kind of an anomaly in the scores.” In the class of 2011, 84 students took the SAT and graphic by Noah Zweben 71 students took the ACT. The average SAT score for Montgomery County was 1653 for the Class of 2010 and 1647 for the Class of 2011. The average SAT score for JDS was 1950 for the Class of 2010 and 1926 for the Class of 2011. Data from Montgomery County score report and JDS college guidance.

december 7, 2011 news

War & Civ. class visits Gettysburg

Guidance and Kaplan present PSAT prep alisonkraner and haleylerner

art by Noah Zweben

reporters

she said. Sophomore Hannah Sophomores and juniors participated in the school’s Iskow liked that the program first sponsored PSAT prepara- introduced strategies for the tion program on Sept. 27 and test. “[The programs] introOct. 3, designed by Kaplan Test Prep along with the school ad- duced you to things you wouldn’t normally be prepared ministration. According to Director of for,” she said. However, Iskow College Guidance Susan Rex- found that the programs made ford, the PSAT programs were her more nervous for the test. According to Rexford, designed to educate students there about s t a n “I think if we accomplish w e r e dardized nothing else this year but have t w o separate te s t i n g, the students go in with a more p r o a big aspect of serious attitude, then we have g r a m s the col- done our job.” —Director of Col- because there lege ap- lege Guidance Susan Rexford was not plication. enough Rexford and college counselor time to present everything in Kimberly Wilkins met with rep- one session. Junior Madison Roll resentatives of four different test preparation companies thought the program was valuover the summer. Rexford said able but said that it was not they chose Kaplan because worth missing class time. “I thought it was nice that “Kaplan was the company that offered us the most resources the school had Kaplan come in,” Roll said. “Although I don’t for no costs.” One of the program’s goals think we should have missed was to create a formalized pre- class time [for the program], I sentation for students to learn thought it was worth going to at least once.” about the PSAT. The school set up a simiIn the past, I think [students] saw [the PSAT] as just, lar program for the parents ‘Go in and take it however you the day before the first meetwant to,’” Rexford said. She ing with the students. It was hoped the programs would important to Rexford that the encourage students to go into parents were just as informed about the testing as the stuthe test more seriously. “I think if we accomplish dents. “[I] wanted to share with nothing else this year but have the students go in with a more them some of the type of serious attitude, then we have things we were going to be working on with the students,” done our job,” Rexford said. The first program was held Rexford said. This was something that to show students the concept of preparing for the PSAT by excited parent Caryn Silverproviding general information man, mother of sophomore about the test and the National Jonathan and freshman Rachel. Merit qualification for juniors. Although Silverman exRexford anticipated that along with online resources, pected that the program Kaplan would offer helpful tips would be a way to try and sell Kaplan’s services, she was hapand strategies. The goal of the second pily surprised that the focus program was to introduce stu- was really on educating the dents to questions they could parents. “I loved that [the Kaplan expect to see on the PSAT. The program showed students that representative] told the parthe PSAT can be mastered by a ents the timing of the PSATs. I loved that she explained that variety of techniques. Junior David Schonfeld it hasn’t changed much since I found the practice problems took it,” Silverman said. She thought that it was helpful to prepare for the SAT but said that he thought they “excellent for the school to were introduced a little late to contract with Kaplan” because it allowed parents to learn apply them for the PSAT. Schonfeld said that by the about the Kaplan program and time the programs took place, about the test. By setting up the presenmost juniors already knew how they were going to pre- tation, Rexford hoped students pare, and he is “already with a would see the value of learning about the test. tutoring program.” “I think that if [the stuRexford knew when she organized the program that dents] put some energy and this would be the case with effort into understanding the test and why standardized some students. “I know that a quite a few testing plays the role it does of the kids work with private in the college process, I think tutors...but I also know there they will learn a great deal,” she is a population in our school said. where the students can’t always afford private testing,”

jacobschaperow copy editor

Cries of “Form squares! Form squares! Reverse slope formation!” could be heard across the gift shop at Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center. Other visitors might have wondered what was going on as wild teenagers proclaimed their military knowledge to the world. They might even have stared. History teacher Michael Connell’s senior War & Civilization students knew exactly what they were talking about when they were touring the facilities at Gettysburg on Oct. 31. War & Civilization students learned that forming squares is the best infantry defense against a cavalry charge, and that taking shelter on the reverse slope of a hill is an effective technique for avoiding artillery fire. The class read a book about the Battle of Gettysburg called “Killer Angels,” by Michael Shaara. “I think it’s very valuable to read the book and then go to the battlefield,” Connell said. “It’s very valuable to see the ground and get

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a better appreciation for [what it was like.]” The class spent an hour l o o k i n g around the Gettysburg museum on their own and then gathered to see a film about the photo by Ranana Dine battle, “A New Birth of Free- Seniors Matthew Wolff and Scott Levengard dress up as Confederate soldom” (nar- diers. Students directed their own reenactment of the Battle of Gettysburg rated by Mor- in the Gettysburg Museum gift shop. gan Freeman). After seeing the museum, After the film, students were given a tour of the they headed up an escalator to town. The guide pointed out bullet see an immense circular painting holes in the sides of buildings and of the battle called the Gettysburg had something to say about nearly Cyclorama. everything the bus drove by.

French class takes arts trip

Science fair undergoes changes ariellepanitch news editor

The eighth-grade science fair on Nov. 7 saw a lot of changes. In the past, students formulated their own questions and scientific processes and worked primarily at home. Students were permitted to either work alone on the project or choose one partner to work with. This year, students were assigned to groups, given a question to test and were required to work solely in class. Eighth-grader Jessica Kaplan appreciated some of the changes made to the science fair process. “It was so much better [to do the project] in school because you’re always on top of it and always have the teacher to reference back to if you need it,” Kaplan said. Other students were upset with the new process. Eighthgrader Maayan Rose experienced the challenges of working in an assigned group. “Everyone has their own expectations, and sometimes when they butt heads with each other, it’s hard to find the right thing to do,” Rose said. Science department chair Nick Miller was satisfied with the changes made. “You can’t progress with out some experimentation. ...We wanted to see how it would work if the students did the whole project in class,” Miller said. “Overall, we view the project as a success.”

photo by Penina Graubart

Junior Miriam Israel draws her own masterpiece during the French class field tri p to the Walter Arts Museum. On Nov. 3, sophomore and junior French students traveled to the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore to visit its French collections. “Taking the tour in French really got us to practice using French in the real world,“ Israel said.

Founder of Soupergirl shares ‘souper’ powers with business club adeenaeisen

reporter

CESJDS alumna Sara Polon (‘95), founder and owner of a resturant called Soupergirl, came to JDS on Nov. 2 to offer words of wisdom to the Business Club. Soupergirl is based in Washington, D.C. and sells products that are kosher and vegan. The recently expanded menu includes salads and breads. Polon said that she started the business because she wanted to get involved in the local food movement. Produce is often imported from non-local locations, but she wanted to utilize locally-grown produce because she thinks that it is better for the environment. She said that soup was the best way to integrate local produce and believes that it is a commonly-liked food. Polon thought that it was a

big risk when she began her business three and a half years ago. “I did not know if the business would actually work,” Polon said. Despite uncertainties at the beginning, the business has been a success. Soupergirl began with two soup recipes and has now expanded to hundreds. Polon now sells her products online. Polon advises aspiring young businessmen or women to “[not] let the bad days bring you down. ... You know that tomorrow’s going to be a better day.” She also recommended that students should go to college in order to be successful. She is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania. Students from the Business Club had positive reactions to Polon’s presentation. “It was an excellent experience for the students,” President of the Business Club junior Corey Hirsch said.

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news december 7, 2011

Got Swag?

Members of the JDS community define “swag” while rocking the JDSwag glasses that Student Council sold. “Putting the team on your back...and standing up straight.” -junior Josh Eisdorfer

Student governments at a glance Grade 9

“It’s gonna be a great year for our grade, we’re really excited to bring our grade closer together,” co-president Madeleine Dworkin said. They sold Turkey Grams for Thanksgiving.

“I’m taking steps this year to increase school spirit and the enjoyment of school,” Student Council co-president and junior Michael Gould said. To do this, the Student Council bought sunglasses with “JDSwag” written on the side and sold them throughout the school. Student Council also planned a school-wide Thanksgiving food drive.

Grade 10

The Class of 2014 started to sell breakfast in the mornings before minyan. They are selling breakfast bars, cereal boxes, orange juice, blueberry muffins and other breakfast foods. The 10th grade sold pink shoelaces and bracelets to raise money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a foundation that supports breast cancer research. The 10th graders are still selling the JDS ties from last year. Additionally, they bought the remaining sweatpants that the seniors were selling last year and are selling them.

Grade 11

Student Council

compiled by aricharnoff and sarahrubin

“Cool hip, clothing people wear gives off a certain hip vibe.” -Art teacher Benjamin Tellie

The 11th grade has taken control of the school store. They also have started planning MORP, which will be after senior prom, for all freshmen, sophomores and juniors. They continued where they left off last year, selling Sunflower Bakery cookies once a month and doughnuts on Fridays. “Confidence.”

Grade 12 On Nov. 7, the

“Emit mad ‘steeze.’” -PE teacher Carolyn Holmes

Class of 2012 had a stargazing night, hot chocolate and singing with guitars under the starry sky. They dressed up as second graders in honor of their stargazing night in second grade.

-junior Yahel Elimelech

photos by Alex Zissman

Freshmen experience restructuring of high school curriculum yaelkrifcher reporter

The ninth grade is the first class to participate in a redesigned academic system this year. For the freshman class, English, Spanish, history and science now have only two levels: Enriched and Advanced. The Judaic, math and Hebrew classes will continue to consist of two, four and six levels, respectively. According to Principal Michael Kay, the difference between the levels is mainly the emphasis placed on mastering different skills. “Students in the Advanced sections will already be assumed to be skilled in certain areas that will be more explicitly supported in the Enriched College Preparatory classes,” Kay said. Along with new labels, each department has defined for its classes a new set of standards so that students are better informed and prepared for the

level they are placed into. Dean of Students Roslyn Landy sent an email to parents of the freshman class outlining the details of the new system. According to Landy, while the steps toward creating this system included consulting with several schools and organizations, “the revamped standards are primarily the product of our own faculty and administration.” These changes, however, represent only one component of the newly structured JDS curriculum. During the spring of 2011, the Class of 2015 became the first class to have in-depth student-teacher conferences, to discuss students’ progress during the year and their future placements. History chair Stephen Manley approved of the new opportunities for personalized feedback. “I think they’re a fantastic idea which should happen ear-

lier in the year and more often … They allow a teacher to sit down with a student and say, ‘This is where you’re at right now, and these are the expectations for the class,’” he said. Along with enhanced student-teacher communication, the system allows parents and students to better understand the requirements for their classes through more transparent course definitions. “We wanted the educational standards of the course and the expectations and the criteria of placement in the course to be as clear and as public as possible,” Kay said. Kay also stated that following the two-level system, as most schools do, made the CESJDS curriculum easier for colleges to understand. Originally, students struggled to understand the intentions behind changing a system that had been the norm at JDS for years. Senior Naomi Eyob rea-

soned that the switch may have occurred in order to relieve some of the stigma behind the previous class titles. “There’s definitely judgement there,” Eyob said. “You can’t help thinking Scholars and Honors kids are really smart and that CP kids aren’t as smart as Scholars kids. It’s subconscious.” Freshman Rebecca Cohen agreed, adding that she struggled with the new two-level classes, having appreciated the pride that came with being in one of the two higher level classes. “Knowing you were in Scholars or Honors motivates you so much, it shows how hard you’re working for the spot and for the class. Now, they’re jumbled up, you’re with people that aren’t on your level,” Cohen said. However, knowing that the new system was more comprehensible for colleges helped adjust the views of students, including freshman Nina Simpkins.

School weighs in on newly implemented quarter system matthewfoldi reporter

There have been many changes at CESJDS this year, and the grading system is no exception. This year is the first year that JDS will use the quarter grading system, as opposed to the trimester system that had been in place for most classes. The quarter system means much more than four report cards each year. There were numerous reasons that were taken into consideration when making the switch such as resolving the problem that the old system was “not clear,” Principal Michael Kay said. The new system will solve problems ranging from allowing for more clarity to eliminating the hybrid aspects of the old system. Under the trimester system, depending on the class, the grading periods could be ei-

ther trimester or quarter. Under the current system, every class is under the quarter system. For Kay, the pros outweigh the cons for this new system. As a whole, JDS made some changes to the school year’s flow. However, the administration is not alone in having to make changes. Teachers have had to change their entire teaching schedules to accommodate the new system. Science teacher Laura Jacobs, who has had “many, many years” to become comfortable with the old system, has had to make some adjustments in her curriculum to meet the needs of the quarter system. Her previous system included cumulative tests at the end of each trimester, and she had to figure out how to balance the needs of her students with the new system. “I have had to focus more on more regular assessments to make sure there are enough assignments to reflect the capabili-

ties of my students,” Jacobs said. Students have mixed feelings about the new system. Some students, such as sophomore Noah Soumekhian, are in favor of the new system. “I think that receiving more frequent feedback will be extremely helpful, and I’ll be able to change how I study based on that feedback,”Soumekhian said. Sophomore Jonathan Orbach is opposed to change. “The trimester system allowed for more grades in each grading period. I feel like the quarter system doesn’t represent my capabilities accurately,” Orbach said. The quarter system is going to be the system JDS uses for the foreseeable future. “Our expectation is to stick with it, but if we see that it doesn’t reflect the needs of the students, we will examine other potential systems,” Kay said.

“In the long run, it might help us to improve as students,” Simpkins said. “Even if we’re not thinking about college now, we have to someday.” The system also allows for students to challenge themselves to succeed in a class more difficult than one they might have encountered in the old system. “We will ensure that learning and academic achievement for every student under the new system will be as high as or higher than they would have been under the current system,” Landy wrote in her email. Working with students who may have previously been in a higher level gives students room to test their limits and creates more opportunities for them to grow as students. ”I think the students who want to push themselves and improve are excited about the opportunity,” Simpkins said. Eyob suggested opening the lines of communication between administrators and students, in order to assist them in dealing with the adjustment. “I think if somebody sat [the students] down and told them the goal of implementing the two-level system, then they would understand why it was put into place and how it should benefit them in the long run,” she said. However, Eyob added, no matter how successful this year is, there will undoubtedly be adjustments in the future. “When you implement something new, you get feedback, and based on that, they will edit and rearrange things,” Eyob said.

Reflecting on AIPAC editor’s column

A Jewish

tion, there are those who disagree. I spoke with students who think AIPAC urges Americans to become one-issue voters, pushing Americans to neglect full understanding of a candidate’s platform and only focus on a candidate’s stance regarding Israel. I can imagine AIPAC would like to see those who support Israel supporting candidates who also support Israel. However AIPAC, as a lobbying organization, does not target the voters. It works to retain and maintain the U.S.-Israel alliance through direct involvement in the U.S. political process, educating elected officials in order to help them form an opinion regarding how they will vote on legislation and take a stance on an issue. The focus of AIPAC does not lie in influencing the voters, but it encourages them to engage in discussion with their elected officials. Some think that AIPAC does not represent the larger Jewish community, making the assumption that the majority of Jewish Americans are liberal and that AIPAC supports conservative representatives because conservative representatives generally support Israel. While this claim in itself is based solely on judgments and assumptions, it fails to recognize the broad and inclusive stance AIPAC takes. AIPAC recognizes the huge impact America plays in the survival and success of Israel as a nation, is pro-peace process and is pro-two state solution. These stances represent a vast majority of the Jewish community. Many of the American Jewish community’s differences of opinions on Israel arise regarding Israeli domestic issues and policies on which AIPAC as an organization does not focus. AIPAC identifies itself as a nonpartisan organization; how much more inclusive can it get? Some do not see a reason for a lobbying organization that advocates to Congress about issues that do not concern the improvement of America as a country. Also, some think that regardless of AIPAC’s existence, Israel will get the help it needs. AIPAC does not manipulate, it educates. This is not a perfect world and misconceptions do exist. It is difficult, even for our elected officials, to put the situation

spin

spin

About a month ago, I attended the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Schusterman Advocacy Institute High School Summit shirabecker and only now chadashot editor do I realize the important role that the U.S. plays in fighting for Israel’s existence. AIPAC, a lobbying organization, believes in the significant power of the individual to make change and in the importance of building a strong pro-Israel movement in the U.S. Although the organization is strategically proactive, it does not focus on the domestic issues within Israel. It is a nonpartisan organization concentrating on the issues where community consensus exists. Contrary to my initial belief that only Israel benefitted from the U.S.-Israel alliance, I learned the significant role Israel plays in American safety and technological advancement. For example, missile defense has been the focus of the U.S.-Israel strategic collaboration as both nations are progressively under threat from long- and short-range airborne missiles. Together, Israel and the U.S. have developed the world’s most advanced missile defense systems. It is also important to consider how the two nations continue to work as allies to improve aviation security, share valuable intelligence and cutting-edge medical technology and improve cyber-defense. According to Air Force General Craig McKinley, “Our exchange of ideas and information with the [Israeli] Home Front Command is of substantial benefit to the National Guard in exercising its responsibilities for homeland defense.” Not only does AIPAC look to strengthen Israel through support from the American government, but it also works to help others understand the monumental impact Israel plays in American safety. Although I believe strongly in the work AIPAC accomplishes as an organiza-

december 7, 2011 chadashot

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Highlighting the heroes of our community Rosh Chodesh assembly puts focus on students and teachers who dedicate their time to bettering the community in the Middle East into the correct context and remember that Israel is roughly the size of New Jersey with all the media attention it receives. This is why AIPAC’s lobbyists must meet with elected officials: to better inform them and help them put the Middle East into a better context. It is also important to recognize that the issues AIPAC attempts to influence through discussions with the government are not drastic or irrational. For example, at the Summit, AIPAC focused on helping us to better understand the importance of Congress opposing Palestinian statehood at the U.N., backing security assistance to Israel and imposing tougher sanctions on Iran so it cannot complete its nuclear weapons project. Although one might think that Israel would be fine without the support of AIPAC and American assistance, through looking at these various issues it becomes evident just how important the AmericanIsraeli alliance is. For example, in a time of economic downturn, an elected representative might think that budget cuts should start with foreign aid. AIPAC’s job is to remind officials that foreign aid makes up only one percent of government spending and explain that the $3.075 billion allocated to Israel is not only crucial to Israel’s survival in its unique situation, but that a majority of it is put back into the American economy through defense purchases. I learned many valuable lessons with AIPAC, and I hope to encourage the U.S.Israel alliance in my community in the near future by lobbying my members of Congress in building a relationship with staff in my congressional member’s D.C. and district offices and mobilizing student activists to send emails to our representatives in Congress before important votes in the House and Senate.

eitansnyder senior reporter

On Nov. 23 in celebration of Rosh Chodesh Kislev, Director of Jewish Life Miriam Stein planned an assembly dedicated to members of the CESJDS community who work with community-building organizations. “I was brainstorming with some people about good assembly ideas, and somehow we came up with the idea of profiling people in our community who do good things,” Stein said. Math teacher William Kaplan, senior Rachel Cotton, junior Molly Schneider and senior Rebecca Rubin all spoke about organizations that they worked with. Kaplan talked about Avoda, a year-long post-graduate program combating poverty and injustice through a Jewish lens. He taught at a charter school in southeast D.C. and lived with a Jewish community of volunteers as part of the program. Cotton spoke next about being an EMT and firefighter at the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department. She explained that before becoming an EMT or firefighter, one has to take EMT classes and fire classes, as well as countless other small classes. Cotton talked about how her co-workers treat her as an equal even though she is only a high school student and told various anecdotes from her work. Schneider and Rubin spoke together about Camp Szarvas, an international camp promoting a communal Jewish experience. They talked about their first week with only the American campers, and building a connection with them before mixing with the international students. With just the American campers, they visited the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Budapest. The camp is located in Szarvas, Hungary. Members of HaDaSh, JDS’ community service club hosted the event. “The purpose of the assembly was to show three very different ways that people in our JDS community are impacting the world around them,” Stein said.

on Thanksgiving

Students discuss how they incorporate Jewish customs into a national American holiday gabimendick reporter

Some students celebrate Thanksgiving similarly to how Americans traditionally celebrate the holiday. On the other hand, some students’ celebrations are distinguished by the Jewish traditions that they incorporate into the holiday. There is a wide range of practice and opinion among students at CESJDS about the appropriate place of Judaism in observing American holidays. Many students and their families include Jewish mitzvot and traditions in their Thanksgiving celebration and believe that doing so enhances their experience. “Judaism is usually incorporated. We always have kosher food, we say brachot,

and we sometimes give charity,” eighthgrader Elana Kravitz said. “I think that it is nice to incorporate Judaism into Thanksgiving, although not necessary. I think that saying brachot and things like that helps Jews not forget the other half of their identity while they are celebrating American holidays. Also, since we are being thankful for everything we have, then why can’t we thank God in Hebrew the way we’ve been doing it for so long? It’s not really that different than the generic way of celebrating Thanksgiving.” The website ritualwell.org provides a number of Jewish prayers and psalms that are related to the themes of Thanksgiving. The site’s editors, Rabbis Roni Handler and Deborah Glanzberg-Krainin, believe that by combining Jewish rituals with secular

rituals one can enhance the Thanksgiving celebration. Junior Katie Hamelburg believes thatcaution should be taken when incorporating Judaism into Thanksgiving. “It’s okay to incorporate Judaism to the extent that Judaism is incorporated into your everyday life, but I don’t think that it should be centered around Jewish things that you wouldn’t normally do. I usually keep kosher to an extent, so I’m not going to not keep kosher because it is Thanksgiving,” Hamelburg said. There are also students in the school who have different opinions and who believe that Thanksgiving should be celebrated in a secular manner. “Generally, [my family] doesn’t really acknowledge any sort of Judaism in our

meal since we are Reform Jews, so we view the holiday as strictly American,” senior Naomi Eyob said. “I don’t think Judaism should be incorporated into Thanksgiving because it isn’t a Jewish holiday. We have the holidays for our Jewish heritage, but this is to mark our American heritage that we are thankful for.” It is not only Reform Jews who view Thanksgiving as a holiday that should be separated from religion. “I live in an Orthodox house, but Thanksgiving isn’t a Jewish holiday, it’s an American holiday. There doesn’t need to be Jewish stuff involved in every event,” junior Jonathan Sherman said.

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chadashot december 7, 2011

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GILAD SHALIT HOME The world’’’ s and JD’S’’’ reaction to Shalit’’’s return to Israel emilydworkin chadashot editor

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sraeli Defense Forces corporal Gilad Shalit was released from Hamas captivity and taken back to Israel on Oct. 18, as part of an arrangement between Hamas and Israel in which 1,027 Palestinian prisoners were released for Shalit’s return. Shalit was abducted by Hamas on June 25, 2006, while patrolling the Kerem Shalom border crossing in Israel near the Gaza Strip. While Shalit was in captivity, he was denied Red Cross visitation as well as any contact with his family. During the past five-and-a-half years of Shalit’s captivity, Israelis have rallied for his release through protests, demonstrations, social networking, music, bumper stickers and clothing adorned with the “Free Gilad” logo. Shalit’s parents, Noam and Aviva, spearheaded the campaign. They set up a protest tent near Netanyahu’s home in Jerusalem and stayed in it, along with other protesters, from June 2010 until his release. Members of the JDS community have studied, supported and followed the status of Shalit throughout his time in captivity. The deal for the return of Shalit sparked international discussion and debate. On the day of his release, the JDS community took part in the discussion. A school-wide assembly was held as well as time set aside for small group discussions. Israeli schools were closed and a government mandate was issued asking schools to make time to discuss the controversies surrounding the deal. “People were literally watching this happen on television screens all around Israel. It’s definitely powerful in the w a y

the country was unified and rallied around the family and the well-being of Shalit,” Jewish History teacher Doran Goldstein said. “The entire country was holding their breath because Gilad Shalit was like everybody’s child. That’s uniquely Israeli, and I would go even further to say uniquely Jewish.” Despite the large number of supporters for the deal to free Shalit, the public is divided over the issue. Many families of victims who died at the hands of terrorists protested in the days leading up to the prisoner swap. In addition to terror victims’ families, politicians, youth and IDF soldiers have voiced their opposition to the deal, arguing that the release of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners is detrimental to Israel’s security, acknowledging that many of the prisoners were high-profile terrorists who had murdered Israeli civilians. In the days following the release of Shalit, Hamas also released a statement vowing to continue capturing Israeli soldiers in the future, until they are able to free all of the current Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Opposition Chairwoman Tzipi Livni stated recently, “The public forced the decision on the government. Because of Netanyahu, Hamas’ power has doubled.” “If this was the first prisoner swap Israel was engaging in, this would be a very different conversation, but it’s not. Once the precedent is set, the government has a responsibility to act. How do you negotiate with terrorists for the dead bodies of Regev and Goldwasser but not for Shalit?” Goldstein said. “Ultimately, this does weigh into security issues, but it doesn’t mean I think it’s wrong.” Goldstein does not classify herself as for or against the deal, rather, “for Gilad Shalit being able to come home.” Freshman Daniel Zuckerman is among the students at JDS who do not support the deal. “Now we’ve released all those terrorists there’s more of a chance more people will be captured or killed. I think the morale of the IDF is important, but there’s a line that I think Israel crossed. I’m not saying Israel shouldn’t negotiate with terrorists when necessary, but they shouldn’t have negotiated for such a high number,” he said. “What are we going to do when they capture 10 people and they want 10,000 terrorists back?” Junior Ilai Elimelech will be serving in the IDF himself in two years. Elimelech sees a major contrast between American and Israeli society on this issue.

“I think America doesn’t understand Israeli society. They think that 1,000 prisoners is too much for one soldier. Everyone in Israel wants to go to the army to protect their country, and we care about each soldier personally,” Elimelech said. “It’s different in America, you have millions of people. We are a small country. We can’t see someone sitting in a prison, we can’t live with this. Everyone is responsible for each other.” This opinion is shared by much of the Israeli public. A recent survey by the Yedioth Ahronoth-Dahaf Institute found that 79 percent of the Israeli respondents said they supported the deal despite the heavy price. The New York Times Magazine released a cover-page article covering Gilad Shalit and the prisoner swap. The article explained the complexity behind the deal, addressing the questions many Americans have been asking such as, “Why negotiate with terrorists?” and “Why is one soldier worth it?” “The media loves to surround and focus on the numbers and learn who these terrorists are, and all of that is very real and very scary,” Goldstein said. “I think the question, though, should be how far will Israel go to protect a life versus how many prisoners is a soldier worth.” Senior Stephanie Aseraph believes that all the media and hype focused on the prisoner trade is unimportant and that everyone should just be happy that Shalit is finally home. “I think what’s important is that we’re getting him back, not what we’re giving up,” she said.

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photo by Shira Becke

Stereotypes This The Orthodox Jew

december 7, 2011 chadashot

Students weigh in on their beliefs and how they think others judge their denominations

is

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me

The Conservative Jew

The Reform Jew

The Reconstructionist Jew

? ? photos illustrations by Shira Becker

elanahandelman reporter

“The whole idea of a stereotype is to simplify. Instead of going through the problem of all this great diversity — that it’s this or maybe that — you have just one large statement; it is this,” Chinua Achebe, a Nigerian novelist, said. While many people consider stereotypes as a means for one religious or ethnic group to attack another, they can also be used within a single community. At CESJDS, students of different denominations talk about the one large statement, the “this” that their denomination, and other denominations are stereotyped as, and how it affects the JDS community as a whole. Freshman Madeleine Dworkin, who identifies as a Reform Jew, acknowledges that her denomination is often stereotyped. “The stereotype is that Reform Jews are lazy and try to take the easy way out of Judaism. Also that we are less Jewish, and that we don’t support Israel. These assumptions are incorrect,” she said. Dworkin also said that while she has never been confronted about these stereotypes, she does get the feeling that she is judged by Jews who identify with other denominations. “No [I have never been confronted], but when I tell people I’m Reform, depending on the person, I feel that they think less of me as a Jew,” she said. Senior Nicole Nabatkhorian feels as though her affiliation with both the Reform and Conservative movements helps form her opinion of stereotypes. “A stereotype is a general-

ization about a group of people. Even though we have these denominations that group people together, I think that every single household or person observes Judaism in their own unique way. That is why I do not believe in any of the stereotypes. Also, I am sort of caught in the middle of two denominations, and I feel that I am a meshing or blending of both,” Nabatkhorian said. “That being said, I think it’s hard to generalize about a group of Jews because I feel there is not one definition for a particular denomination.” The Reform movement may be stereotyped as lazy, and “not as Jewish” as the other denominations, and these same stereotypes often place the Orthodox movement at the opposite end of the spectrum. “I think that other Jews see Orthodox Jews as uptight and rigid,” senior Danya Czarnolewski, who affiliates with the Orthodox movement, said.

Dworkin had similar thoughts, adding that “non-Orthodox people stereotype Orthodox people in that Orthodox women have a ton of kids and aren’t valued in their community.” Junior Shira Winston affiliates most with the Conservative movement, a movement that she feels isn’t influenced very much by stereotypes. “I think that the Conservative movement is kind of the average movement. It isn’t very extreme in one way or another, and I think that if I told another Jew I was Conservative it wouldn’t really be thought much upon,” she said. Junior Sam Swire, who identifies as a Reconstructionist Jew, believes his movement falls on the same side of the spectrum as the Reform movement. “[The stereotype is] that we are non-religious or bad Jews since we don’t believe in the idea of ‘chosenness,’” he said. While many people contem-

What makes

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plate the stereotypes that are made about their own denomination, they are also aware of stereotypes their own denomination makes of other Jews. Czarnolewski is aware of this phenomenon, but has come to her own understanding of different denominations. “Some Orthodox people feel that other Jews who are not as observant are not following all of the commandments of God so they are not ‘as Jewish’ as religious Jews. I actually thought that before I came to JDS,” she said. “Now I know that different Jews choose to celebrate their Judaism differently, and that is awesome.” Winston agreed with the idea that different denominations simply have different observances. “I don’t think that your denomination is a measurement of how much you care about the religion, rather how well you connect with certain specific aspects. One denomination isn’t better

a Jew ? at you w means th “Being a Je morals e values and represent th y God, ught to us b that were ta e genh them to th and we teac they me, and then erations to co gs.” in th e m ds the sa teach their ki al ig Pr Jonathan - Sophomore

u at yo ans th e u m o y a Jew , whether eing u b w o e y k J ver, lf a “I thin Howe ourse . y a t o r s n e a or ism consid ish law tand Juda y w it e il J sib ers follow espon r o und t a d w e e e e av rJ s at still n you h ll othe d a n d a th all n , iz a n e lf R io e g s a r s r li re ha n m t you ior Sa resen ea a s sup d .” - Jun y to rep a w m o an .” ositive is t it in a p t ul, I do s e a s s e r f h po cc y t elp s as rne p a e f h t L su e ni d lie “I hav u an be ith m d I m ve lar re co rti imi Me po s s ior ha en -S

than another one,” she said. Swire believes stereotypes to be a result of ignorance. “I feel that a lot of people make these stereotypes because of accepted truths that they don’t question, which upsets me in a way. I feel that the people that stereotype often don’t realize that I believe in the basic, core ideas of Judaism, and I am just as much a Jew as they are,” he said. Although there are stereotypes of different denominations, some students don’t think they are evident in the JDS community. “I think that JDS is very accepting of different denominations and tries to accommodate everyone,” Winston said. “I want to thank JDS for its comfortable and safe environment. It’s really great to feel that I belong in a pluralistic community where people celebrate their Judaism differently,” Czarnolewski said. Different people handle stereotypes differently; some try to ignore them, while others really take them to heart. “If I feel I am being stereotyped, I just consider it ignorance and try to get that person to see me as an individual, so they don’t believe in those stereotypes anymore,” Czarnolewski said. Dworkin has come to embrace the stereotypes of her denomination as an incentive to prove those who make negative assumptions wrong. “[Stereotypes of Reform Jews] make me even more proud to be Jewish and want to display my Judaism even more because I want to prove those stereotypes wrong,” Dworkin said. “As a Reform Jew, I want to show people how connected I am and how I’m as much of a part of Judaism as anyone else.”

8 op ed

december 7, 2011

Students must share their passion for Judaism with others guest column

Where are the Judaics nerds at JDS? That statement might not make a lot of sense, but let me explain. One of the things I love most about this school is how passionate people are, and even more so, how accepting the student body is of those passions. If you are a math nerd, people will laugh at your jokes about integrals. If you are a science prodigy, people will come up and ask you about your experiments. The same goes with art, music, writing, sports, etc. At JDS it’s cool to rananadine have a quirky hobby or a special talent. in depth editor But Judaism does not seem to be cool at JDS. Students don’t discuss how much they love their Tanach class. Kids won’t come up and ask you about the Gemara you stayed up late learning. This is not to say that JDS is not accepting of kids from different religious backgrounds. No one will ever think you are weird for keeping kosher or not driving on Shabbat. But you won’t hear a lot of students saying that they love to go to synagogue.

Let students take the lead

letters editor • • • • •

tors claim there was miscommunication, the date was cleared a month in advance and the Student Council had spent more than five weeks planning the Round Robin. Unlike the Rosh Chodesh assembly, the Round Robin involved more than a dozen students who put many hours into their preparations. The Student Council deserves more respect than this. If an event must be canceled, or even “postponed

Students instead attended a significantly less intensive public service program that same day. The program primarily consisted of teachers making presentations to students about their own efforts to help others in the community. While we are proud of our teachers, and draw inspiration from them, peer-to-peer interaction is a special interaction that cannot be matched. It would have been much better, in Recently I have my view, to have provided become more aware students the opportunity to of how JDS’ pluralisprovide their own example, tic identity effects our by leading their own projects community. I have writand holding conversations ten about pluralism in with their own classmates in other columns, I gave a the Round Robin. This would D’var Torah to the Head not only better encourage eitansayag of School Circle Reception student action and leadereditor in chief about it and I strongly beship, but also help develop lieve in the philosophy. After thirteen years at more students’ presentation JDS, I have learned to be a pluralist. Much of my skills hermeneutic (thanks, Ms. McMillan!) is framed The administration’s deby this identity. Open discussions and debates cision to preempt the Round are one key facet of pluralism. This attitude is Robin with a program featurmanifested in our community through courses ing faculty was disappointand assemblies as well as school policies. ing. The Round Robin would Column writing is one of my duties as an have been entirely studenteditor-in-chief of the Lion’s Tale and I find it exled and student-organized. tremely difficult. It is hard for me as a pluralist What lesson might the adto preach a strong, firm opinion, without much ministration have been tryopportunity for dialogue (letters to the editor ing to teach the Student are not enough). Council and student body by My work on the Lion’s Tale has been both canceling a student-driven very rewarding and challenging. My favorite event? part is getting to know the school administraAs an elected body, the tion, faculty and students. I am granted access Student Council represents to a unique perspective of the school as an the interests of the students, observer and reporter within the community. and as such should be given The challenges include leading younger staffpriority in scheduling conflicts. Although administra-

Homework overburdens Thanksgiving holiday Dear Editor, We would like to speak out against the absurd amount of homework our grade received over the Thanksgiving holiday. Many of us either traveled out of town or had oodles of family in town to celebrate the holiday. And how did most of us have to spend this time? Doing homework. Teachers simply assigned us too much to do this weekend. The work we had was not “busy work,” per se, either. It wasn’t, you know, write 10 sentences using the vocab or read three pages in this textbook. What we had were big assignments. Projects, research papers, you name it. In a way, busy work is actually “better”, if you will, because it is less strenuous and time-consuming. But alas, over Thanksgiving, we had to make professionallooking six-minute videos for Jewish History, we had five-page history research papers, we had English essays, we had math projects, plus extracurriculars like debate and JSA. “I had two big essays, two projects and a

until further notice,” it should be done earlier than the week before the event is supposed to be held. We have many students who are eager to share their stories on how to make a difference in the community. The administration should make sure this “postponement” is only temporary and reschedule the event before the seniors finish classes in January.

Newspaper must be forum for discussion

Say what?

Liss’n Up

Have you ever prepared for a presentation? I have, and let me tell you, it was a lot of work. I spent weeks drafting a speech, practicing my delivery and putting together a Powerdanielliss Point presentation. The editor in chief process was long and exhausting, but the cause made my efforts feel worthwhile. The presentation was for a Round Robin event led by the Student Council, in which students would be exposed to a range of community organizations serving our local area. The special event was planned for the Wednesday before Thanksgiving to coincide with a Rosh Chodesh program. I would be presenting my own initiative, the First Laptop Project, that collects used laptops for the benefit of children who come from families lacking the means to provide them with access to a computer at home. At a time when more and more families have been falling behind economically, here was a chance to show my fellow students how they could make a difference in the lives of the many children in our society who deserve better. I was not the only student supposed to present at the Round Robin event. More than 15 other students were scheduled to either lead small-scale community service projects or engage in discussions about service and giving back to the community. So you can imagine our disappointment when the Round Robin was effectively canceled, postponed until “further notice.” Apparently some “miscommunication” resulted in a scheduling conflict the day it was supposed to be held.

One major issue is how Judaic classes are seen at this school. Many students look at their Judaic classes as “gut” courses where it is easy to do little work for a good grade. I have had teachers who introduce their class on the first day saying that their Tanach or Rabbinics course is meant to be a reprieve from the stressful general studies classes and that their class will be light on homework and tests. And I’ve been in Judaic classes where students have become upset when teachers assign homework that in any other class would have been considered normal. But why shouldn’t Judaic classes equal our other six courses? Jewish History courses are often seen as some of the most enlightening and work–intensive classes in the school. Judaic studies courses should be the same. Their needs to be a change in attitude about Judaism at JDS. Sure, Judaics don’t need to be everyone’s favorite thing, but why shouldn’t it be cool to be an expert layner or a Tanach wiz? So Judaics nerds emerge! Be proud and speak up! And someday in the halls of JDS along with math pick-up lines and science experiments I hope I’ll hear students practicing layning and dissecting halacha.

quiz. My 5-year-old cousin kept asking me to play with her, and I couldn’t because of the work. That’s just wrong,” Hilary Druckman said. Just because we have four and a half days off doesn’t mean we need more work. Too many teachers think that more time off equals more time to do work. This notion that our out-ofschool time needs to be filled with homework is just wrong. The same way teachers have lives, students have lives too. We’ve all had that teacher that takes a long time to grade assignments. Why? He/she has stuff to do, they have time to spend with their families. So do we. That’s why the amount of homework we had over Thanksgiving is ludicrous. Joey LaFountain, Sydney Greene, Dean Shilo, Jeffrey Blackman, Rina Bardin, Jacob Serfaty and Hilary Druckman Sophomores

ers while producing and editing the paper, but I find my role as columnist to be more difficult than anything else. I am relieved that this is my last column and I am grateful that I do not have to take a strong stance on a controversial issue. My strongest opinion that has guided much of my tenure on the Lion’s Tale is that JDS should always stay true to its pluralistic philosophy. It is necessary to teach students to be accepting, curious, open to others’ ideas and encourage ongoing debate and dialogue. In the staff editorial, Dani Marx (our managing editor) expresses how a dialogue was sparked in the wake of the 2009 censorship scandal. The Lion’s Tale, in my opinion, is a vehicle for inspiring discussion. For example, we did this with the publication of an article last June about teacher departures and with our coverage of the rise in tuition. Our goal is to monitor and explain events and trends in our community. Our only agenda is to provide accurate information, insight, and be a forum for debate. The Lion’s Tale is here to contribute to the culture of pluralism that JDS fosters. I feel privileged to have been educated to think and act as a pluralist and to work on the school paper that enhances our school’s fundamental approach to Judaism and to life.

Tell us your opinion! Send your letter to lionstale@ cesjds.org by Jan. 4 to get your letter in Issue 4! Corrections: In our previous issue, Assistant Principal and Director of Studies Robert Snee was misquoted in “Balancing competition with collaboration.” His statement about GPA weighting was not intended to be an endorsement of the practice for college admissions purposes as stated in the article. Freshman Isabella Zissman played on the girls varsity soccer team, and not junior varsity as stated in “New coaches bring personal experience, encourage fun atmosphere.” The Lion’s Tale regrets these errors.

to the

december 7, 2011 op ed

9

Seniors reflect on censorship, lessons learned

It’s the time of the school year when the Lion’s Tale staff goes through a transition. Juniors and sophomores work tirelessly on applications for new positions, and freshmen in Journalism take what they’ve learned in the classroom and become new reporters. Within the next two months, while seniors on staff battle “senioritis,” they have a crucial task as well. Every year, seniors try to teach the staff what they’ve learned from working on the paper, whether it be an InDesign shortcut or a life lesson. However, this year the seniors also have a final lesson to share with the rest of the community. We, the seniors and members of the editorial board on the Lion’s Tale, are the last class to have been on staff at that time when the paper was pulled two years ago. While many have forgotten or never learned that the newspaper was censored, it was a major event for all of us who were on staff and changed the way we worked on the newspaper. Many of us also still have the “my voice is censored,” signs in our rooms at home that many of us wore during the censorship protest after the paper was pulled our sophomore year.

“Our voice was CENSORED”

In order to explain what we’ve learned from the controversy, it is important for us to touch on what happened. Some of you will remember that in 2009, the Lion’s Tale was made available for two days to students before being pulled on Nov. 11, an openhouse for parents. The issue was later redistributed to students but was not mailed home. After returning the papers to the stands at the front of the school, the administration removed them again on Monday, Nov. 17, a JPDS visiting day. The issue was pulled because it had an overall negative tone with a number of critical articles on the school and included major mistakes such as repeated paragraphs, misspelled names and unexplained paragraphs. Mistakes were made by the newspaper staff and the administration, but more important, is what we have learned. To the administration: We believe that the paper should never have been pulled. It is true that the paper reflected poorly on the school, however, it did so honestly. Censoring the paper reflected more negatively on the school then any grammatical mistake or critical article. We did not uphold the journalistic standards that the school expected of us, but pulling the paper revealed that the administration wasn’t living up to its founding principles either. This became evident when you ultimately told us that the paper was pulled because of how it was critical of the administration, and not because of technical mistakes. That being said, the relationship at a private school between the administration and the newspaper staff is a complicated one. Together we have moved forward in ways such as having eliminated the use of “quote-checks,” which we felt undermined the independence of the paper. We are proud of the relationship and high level of trust the we have built over the past two years and that you are now as proud of our paper as we are. You have challenged us to improve and prompted us to bring the Lion’s Tale to the award-winning level it was years ago.

editors-in-chief danielliss eitansayag

managing editor danimarx

copy editor jacobschaperow

news editors brianafelsen ariellepanitch

To our advisers, Claire Burke, Megan Fromm, Samantha Gendler and Susan Zuckerman: You have taught us what it means to work hard, to show integrity, and to take risks. As publication directors, you were always the last one out of the school during late production nights, not to mention the first ones in. Thank you for all you have taught us both in journalism and in life; you have instilled a passion for journalism in all of us.

Finally, to the Lion’s Tale staff and future staffs: The censorship of the newspaper changed the way each one of us looked at journalism and our responsibilities on the Lion’s Tale. We hope that you continue to improve the paper, and heighten the standards of the paper with every new issue. We are confident that you have learned the importance of publishing a newspaper that is well-written, balanced and newsworthy. While we believe that the administration has learned the harms of censorship, we expect that if it were to occur in the future, you will fight to preserve the independence of the Lion’s Tale. Finally, we hope that you will find as much meaning in working on the newspaper as we have, and remember, the pen is mightier than the sword.

“....but look what we learned.”

As the Lion’s Tale article reporting on the issue stated, “Both the administration and the Lion’s Tale staff agree the paper should and will remain a strong and independent voice.” It has, and it will. Our voice was censored, but look at what we have learned.

– The Lion’s Tale

“I loved drawing for this issue of the Lion’s Tale! I love drawing in general!”

“This issue was oh so wonderful. Last real issue of being EIC before the shadow issue! Go hard or go home!“

EDITORS • • • • • • • •

To the student body: After the paper was pulled, a protest was organized by a member of the Class of 2010, who was not on the Lion’s Tale. During the protest, students both for and against the censorship discussed how they felt about the paper being censored. A Facebook group was also created, in which there were over 40 posts that were paragraphs long. We feel that one of the most important parts of the aftermath of the paper being pulled was how the student body responded. As Head of School Jonathan Cannon stated in the article on the censorship in the March 2010 issue, “I think that the protest was the right thing done in the right way. They did it respectfully and very clearly helped us to learn.” We encourage students to continue to have open dialogue about the school, be it positive or negative. Also, if censorship should ever occur again, we urge you to fight it as we did.

in depth editors

photo editor

rananadine merylkravitz

alexzissman

senior reporters

graphic editor

michaelgreenberg emilyshoyer eitansnyder scottgoldstein sydneysolomon

chadashot editors emilydworkin shirabecker

features editors haleycohen rebeccarubin elanaschrager samanthawiener

noahzweben

web editor devinyolles

STAFF • • • • • • • • • •

photographers

abigailbirnbaum jacobdorn

ariellefontheim symonginsburg samhofman elishurberg

sports editors

business editor

reporters

jonathanblock joshsinger

jongalitzer

colearonson • aricharnoff

assistant copy editors

“It was an awesome, crazy experience laying out six pages with my co-editors and the copy editors who are absolutely amazing!“

adeenaeisen • jeremyetelson dorefeith • alexanderflum matthewfoldi • matthalpern miriamisrael • gefenkabik samanthakevy • alisonkraner stuartkrantz • yaelkrifcher haleylerner • avichaiozurbass jonathanreem • stevenreichel sarahrubin • ericsayag davidsolkowitz • ethansteinberg jessezweben• alextritell

staff advisor claireburke

adviser emerita susanzuckerman

“I love my features editors and Ms. Burke. She’s the bomb diggity.”

The Lion’s Tale is a forum for student expression. Its purpose is to inform the CESJDS community and to express the views of its staff and readers. The staff has made every effort to ensure the accuracy and objectivity of its news. Editorials reflect the opinion of a majority of the LT board. The Lion’s Tale encour­ages its readers to write letters to the editor and reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. All letters must be typed and signed. Letters may be emailed to lionstale@ cesjds.org. The Lion’s Tale is made possible by The Simon Hirshman Endowment for the Upper School Newspaper and The Kuttner-Levenson Endowment for the Upper School Cultural Arts and Student Publications.

Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School 11710 Hunters Lane , Rockville, MD 20852 phone: 301.881.1404 www.lionstale.org

10 in depth

december 7, 2011

Classes end and

The Lion’s Tale explores the nature of stud Throughout a student’s CESJDS career, he or she has nine teachers and a minyan leader every year, club advisers, a guidance counselor, a college counselor and an involved administration. In the midst of these student-teacher interactions, both student and teachers must ask themselves: What is a successful student-teacher relationship? Is it possible for students and teachers to be friends? “A successful student-teacher relationship is one where student and teacher work well together inside and outside of class. You should have a good connection with your teacher and be able to go to them about your school problems or even a problem at home,” sophomore Janie Macklin said. “It’s important to get to know your teachers in a non-professional sense — it makes the class more fun.” “There is no one ‘ideal’ student-teacher relationship. Certain students will gravitate toward teachers who understand them well or share interests. Best case, a student’s liking for any given teacher will prompt that student to engage more fully in their studies — and the teacher will be able to serve as a role-model, adviser and trusted adult friend,” math teacher Victoria Ball said. In a recent Lion’s Tale survey*, 58 percent of students answered that in a successful relationship students and teachers should be friends and talk about things other than school. Senior Samuel Yeroushalmi considers many of his teachers to be his friends and explains that this friendship helps spark interest in the subject. “I think it’s good to have a good enough relationship with teachers so you can meet with them out of class and actually discuss stuff you need help with, as opposed to looking up answers,” Yeroushalmi said. “Also, I consider some of my teachers to be my friends, and it makes the class more interesting. There is a connection between my interest in the class and my liking for the teacher.” Dean of Students Roslyn Landy does not think teachers and students can be friends. “These are adult-student relationships. It is a different form of a friendship. You’re friends with your peers,” Landy said. Director of Arts Education David Solomon thinks friendship is possible in a student-teacher relationship. Solomon also teaches Creative Writing and Acting. “A successful student-teacher relationship is one where there is mutual trust and admiration. Where both teacher and student learn from one another and are friends but not buddies. The student should feel like their teacher is a friend and mentor,” Solomon said. Junior Danielle Gordon thinks there is a limit to a friendship between a teacher and a student. “I think student and teachers can be

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friends to a certain extent without crossing the li The school website claims that strong teache “Students develop lifelong friendships with of our faculty. Teachers and staff members moni demic, artistic, athletic and social development,” “The student-teacher relationship [in this sch this school. We encourage teachers to interact w to extracurriculars, to get outside of the classroo we have office hours. It’s not just about academic important thing.” School trips and shabbatons allow teachers t “I enjoy going on shabbatonim because it pr to know one another well as people. After every conversations I’ve had with students,” Ball said. “ each others’ lives. I like to think that my lived exp lives; and I think my students’ energy and ideas en human — enormously.” Many students praise their connections with or more of their teachers to be their friend and 67 about their personal lives. “The student-teacher relationships at JDS are there are multiple faculty members around the s sider my friends. It definitely makes the school a f comments section of the anonymous survey. Many students look to teachers for personal responded that they go to teachers for advice wh Yeroushalmi greatly values his teachers’ ins “I go to [science teacher Daniela] Munteanu advice from my science teachers about what to w ance counselors,” Yeroushalmi said. “I think we do and have a lot of good insight. If I wouldn’t go to Administrators are also a resource for a few look to administrators for advice. Senior Maya Lieber has gone to Landy for ad

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Are you comfortable talking to certain teachers about your personal life? No 33%

Yes 67%

What faculty member ask for advice? Teacher

29%

Guidance Counselor

25%

I don’t feel comfortable asking any of the faculty for advice

22%

College Counselor Administrator

19% 5%

december 7, 2011 in depth

friendships begin

dent-teacher relationships at JDS

ine of what it appropriate,” Gordon said. er-student relationships is one of its signature attributes. one another and close relationships with the members itor every element of a student’s growth, including acathe “High School” section of the JDS website states. hool] is extraordinary for me. It’s one of the hallmarks of with kids in any way that they can. We want them to go om and to make time for them,” Landy said. “That’s why cs, its about a connection with teachers. That’s the most

to interact with their students out of school. rovides a space in which students and teachers can get y shabbaton, I find myself marveling over the fascinating “Students and teachers have so much to contribute to perience allows me to offer perspective on my students’ nrich my teaching — and my overall experience of being

h teachers. Seventy-five percent of students consider one 7 percent of students feel comfortable talking to teachers

e one of my favorite things about the school. I love that school who I look forward to talking to, and who I confriendlier, more supportive place,” a student wrote in the

l and academic advice. Twenty-nine percent of students hile only 25 percent go to guidance counselors. sights and seeks out advice from them. u and ask about college stuff and school stuff. I’ve gotten write for college essays. I’m not really close with my guido have very good teachers at JDS. They are really friendly o a friend, I’d go to a teacher.” w students. Five percent of students responded that they

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would you most likely

“Mrs. Landy is really helpful and truly cares about us. I met with her about my ballet schedule, and she listened and then spent a lot of time with me working my school schedule to fit. She invests in each of us and I really feel that I can always go to her if I have a problem,” Lieber said. Landy values the relationships she has with her students. “I want kids to come to me, that’s the best part about this school. The relationships with the kids — I wouldn’t use the word ‘friends,’” Landy said. Although many students feel comfortable asking faculty for advice, 25 percent of students do not. “I probably wouldn’t go to faculty members for advice, although I can see why it would be beneficial, since they’re not your friends, but their advice can be helpful,” Gordon said. For many students and teachers, the connections do not end after graduation. Eighty-nine percent of students responded that they will Facebook friend one or more of their teachers after graduation. Alumnus Adam Hammerman (‘11) has kept in touch with photography teacher Jerry Eisner. “He was a great teacher and taught me valuable lessons when I was a student. He was also there for me if I ever needed advice or help with anything, and that I consider a good friend,” Hammerman said. Although friendship may not be the key to a successful studentteacher relationship, many students and teachers form friendships after graduation and keep in touch. “I wouldn’t use the word ‘friends’ to describe teacher and student relationships, but there are a lot of alums I consider friends. I keep in touch with plenty of students after graduation,” said Landy. “I have some former students I would now consider friends. The experience of learning and growing is an amazing one. I love to re-experience the thrill of college through the eyes of former students,” Ball said.

Do you consider any of your teachers your friends? No 25%

Yes 75%

11

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december 7, 2011

Teachers redefine what is in style sydneysolomon senior reporter

Although a teacher’s job is to help shape students’ academic pursuits, some have been known to inspire students’ fashion choices as well. “Teachers are [an] inspiration [for me] in life, school and fashion,” junior Estelle Ostroff said. Students will often see their teachers as role models, so the fact that teachers influence their style choices can come as an occupational hazard. Sophomores Keera Ginsburg and Maya Goldstein think that math teacher William Kaplan has good style. Ginsburg says that she is often excited to see what outfit Kaplan has on. “It is so fun to ... see what Kaplan is wearing because it’s always so cool and stylish,” Ginsburg said. Kaplan coaches Goldstein’s junior varsity soccer, and she says his wardrobe has impacted her sense of style too. “When I saw that Mr. Kaplan was wearing Toms, I got Toms,” Goldstein. Kaplan says he is honored that students think so highly of his personal style, but that he never intended his clothing to engender such fanfare. “I kind of just randomly throw my outfit together each morning,” Kaplan said. Spanish teacher Emily Horwitz has also inspired a small following. “I’m mostly interested in things like accessories. I love accessories like bags and shoes and jewelries and belts and things like that,” she said. “When I was watching the wedding of William and Kate, one of the things I really enjoyed was looking at all the hats that they were wearing.” Junior Yaly Levy has felt the effects of Horwitz’s fashion choices rubbing off on her. “I love how she [Horwitz] always has a cool accessory to match each outfit,” junior Yaly Levy said. “When I was shopping in Forever 21, I thought of her while I was looking at the accessories.”

Junior Noa Levin

nen it is not quite wi wh me ti e th is er mb for a Early Dece It’s not cold enough . er th ei ll fa l il st ter but not cold to wear just a o to y el it fin de is winter jacket, but it e weather changing so th th wi ly al ci pe Es rm, long sleeve shirt. at to wear to stay wa wh ll te to rd ha is etween frequently, it u do? With this in-b yo do at wh So . rm wa . but not too solution is layering nd ou ar l– al e th , rme season ti denim jacket or a ca a , st ve a on g in tt t too For girls, pu staying warm, but no r fo s on ti lu so st fa w fashdigan are all easy ways to bring ne e ar rs ye la le mp si Wearing warm. These t and bottom outfit. ir sh le mp si a to to ds ion tren are additional ways s ot bo r de un s ck so scarves and high ssorizing in style. ck sweater stay warm while acce a sweater vest, v-ne th wi ng ri ye la , ys For bo rm in school mple ways to stay wa si e ar an ig rd ca a or even e hoodie look nevth , ys bo r Fo n. io sh ess with a touch of fa where one wants to dr on si ca oc e th on t the part er gets old bu ll allow one to look wi s on ti op ng ri ye la up, these table. while staying comfor in this season don’t e yl st in g in ay st r TarThese tips fo such as Old Navy and es or St . et ll wa ur yo . Or go have to empty yles at cheap prices st ng ri ye la c si ba e closets: get have th ther of your parents ei h ug ro th ok lo d an vintage peating. all trends are always re roaming the halls in e ar ts en ud st , er mb This Dece in fashion ples of how to stay am ex r Fo . es yl st w kinds of ne e right and see what th on r ba de si e th this season, look at been wearing. other students have

Sophomore Ayal Subar

features editor

Sophomore Cole Aronson

rebeccarubin

Senior Micah Nelson

Fashion blog: the ins and outs of the in-between season

photo illustration by Rebecca Rubin

An inside look at the school store jonathanreem

managing the people who work in the store, scheduling work shifts and It takes a lot of time and planning making sure that there are always jufrom a small and dedicated team of niors at the store. They also help with some other juniors to bring the school store to the day-to-day proceedings, such as student body. working in the store themselves, While others may be sitting with checking on the stock and organizing their friends for lunch, a group of juwith Yolles when to purchase food. niors volunteer to work in the school “We have a schedule, usually for store and sell food to a large body of the week, ” Goodman said. The schedstudents. ule is emailed to students and written The school store is the single most profitable venture by grade govern- on a poster hanging in the junior alment, bringing in more than $2,000 cove. Israel described the application last year and nearly single-handedly process for juniors to paying for prom. work at the The juniors must school store. rush to get their food “We have a and head straight to form, and peothe school store, eatple sign up for ing there and waitwhen they are ing for the inevitable available. We onslaught of sugarusually [have] craving students. grade governOr as junior Devin ment members Yolles who manages [in the school the school store calls store],” Israel them, “a lot of annoysaid. ing children.” Because Yolles is co-treaphoto illustration by Zoe Orenstein the grade govsurer of the school Juniors Ethan Walfish and Talia Weiss sell Airheads ernment team store and is respon- and Snickers after school. Walfish enjoys working in the school store because he gets to meet students. is small, most sible for many adpeople have ministrative tasks, to work one or two days a week, one such as keeping track of money and day during lunch and another after making sure the items are in stock so school. the store does not lose sales. “I base it off who’s done it in the Juniors Nichole Goodman and previous week and who’s done it beMiriam Israel are responsible for reporter

fore,” Goodman said. “We have subs in case they don’t come.” Junior Danielle Masica works one or two days a week in the school store. Masica likes the experience because “you get to work with your friends.” Junior Class President Michael Paretzky also works at the school store periodically. His favorite parts are interacting with the people and practicing his salesmanship. “It’s glorious, and you should pay us to do it. I would pay to do it,” Paretzky said. The school store has been around as long as any of the students here can remember, but it hasn’t always been. The story goes something like this: in the old building there wasn’t a cafeteria, so students would sell pizza, using the profit to pay for things like prom. When the school moved to the current building, classes did not have a way to raise money, so the school store was founded and given to the juniors as a fundraiser. Since it was started, the store has always been in its current location and has contributed to a majority of the juniors’ grade government fundraising. The team of juniors who dedicate so much of their time to making sure the school store is operational are few yet effective. Their time at the school store, like what they sell, is short but sweet.

december 7, 2011 features

Lion’s Libs:

Rules of the library

Powder Puff...

scottgoldstein senior reporter

When entering the library, one must always adhere to the following rules: 1. You cannot ___________. (verb)

2. Please refrain from ___________. (-ing verb)

3. Absolutely no ___________, even if

photo illustration by Sam Hofman

(-ing verb)

__________________________________. (unrealistically preposterous scenario)

However, assuming you abide by the rules, your time in the ________________________will be a pleasant one. Whether you are (insert heavenly place)

in the mood for a quick, refreshing ____________________________ (library noun, i.e. short story)

or just a friendly chat with Chief Librarian Zemsky or her _____________________ assistant Ms. “Dewey Decimal Davis,” the (title, i.e. highness/incredible)

library is the place for you.

A gender defying tradition

emilyshoyer senior reporter

It was drizzling as the senior girls put on their face paint and the junior girls’ coaches mapped out their plays. Powder Puff was about to begin. The Powder Puff football game was a chance for the senior girls to compete with the junior girls on the field. At many high schools and colleges, Powder Puff is a tradition in which the boys cheer on the girls while they play football. At CESJDS, boys both coach and cheer on the girls. Although Powder Puff is meant to be a fun way for students to socialize and interact, according to junior Hayley Cohen a stereotype is being adhered to. Cohen thinks that during the game boys treat the girls in a patronizing manner than can be perceived as offensive. “I think the practice of girls playing football in pink and purple is not necessarily sexist, but many boys treat the girls’ as if they are ignorant of the sport and act slightly condescending, propagating a sexist attitude in powder puff,” Cohen said. Junior Michael Gould, who participated as one of the coaches for the Class of 2013 team, has a contrasting opinions to Cohen.

“I don’t think that the point of Powder Puff is to make a pro-feminist point,” Gould said. “I think that it is just a fun opportunity for girls to play a sport that they are not normally exposed to.” Junior Talia Weiss, who also took part in the games as a player, gives two reasons for why she does not feel affected by gender stereotypes while partaking in Powder Puff. “I don’t really feel affected by the stereotype that girls are the cheerleaders for two reasons,” Weiss said. “This is because at JDS there aren’t really the classic football team and cheerleaders, and second, because for all of the sports at JDS, there are a girls and boys team or coed teams so I do not feel that the title of cheerleader is that stereotypical.” Leiber admits that while there are some underlying steart by Noah Zweben reotypes associated with Powder Puff, the event focuses more on grade bonding. “It may be a little stereotypical to say that boys normally wouldn’t be the dancers and girls wouldn’t normally be the football players, but Powder Puff is more about having fun and bonding as a grade than defining or redefining gender roles,” Lieber said.

Shelving for service hours in the library stevenreichel

Schwartz said she saw Zemsky outside the library holding a sign for library commuWithin the first few weeks of school, nity service hours, and that prompted her to lockers were covered with advertisements participate. promoting JDSwag glasses, breast cancer “I thought nothing would bring me awareness, breakfast, doughnuts and picmore joy than volunteering in the library,” ture days. This September, a new flyer adSchwartz said. vertising library community service hours Schwartz admits that her participation decorated lockers. is mainly for community service hours. BeLibrarian Mirele Davis led the outreach fore the program, she had only seven out of program hoping to make students more the required 80. She also said she enjoys the comfortable in the library. She posted ads very idea of a library. in the library, on student lockers and “The library is in the atrium. such a cool thing, “We started this year off with lots with the whole free of PR,” Davis said. sharing of ideas,” Davis joined the CESJDS faculty Schwartz said. this year and is excited about her new Jonah Shrock, an job. eighth grader, shares “This is a stellar opportunity for a similar sentiment. me. I’m living the dream,” Davis said. “I am doing this Davis and Chief Librarian Michele partly to get ahead Zemsky hold three masters degrees on community serbetween them, in Education, Library vice. I’ve also always Science through eighth grade and Liloved the library, and brary Science in public schools. I thought it would be Zemsky found her love of books fun,” Shrock said. in her own high school library. She Shrock, like began her work in the library coverSchwartz, found out ing and labeling books. photo illustration by Samantha Wiener about the program “I remember my own days in the Sophomore Leah Schwartz earns community service hours as she covers books in the library after from a sign outside library. I always knew I would be a li- school. Schwartz works in the library about once a week. the library. Shrock brarian,” Zemsky said. was excited to parAbout 25 students expressed ticipate because he interest in the library community service ed with care to avoid air bubbles. feels the library is a special place. program. In the end, six students chose JDS students will earn indirect commu“I guess there is a different environto participate, three of them high school nity service hours for their time spent in the ment. It’s very calm. It’s always fun going students. With many students expressing library. Indirect hours can be earned work- there,” Shrock said. interest, priority was given to high school ing in environments such as sport camps, Zemsky is amazed by the effect libraries students to accommodate their community libraries or through peer tutoring. have on people. service hours requirement. The three stuStudents who enjoy and care about “Once you come in, it changes everydents volunteering are sophomores Leah what they do will get more from their com- thing,” Zemsky said. Schwartz and Gabrielle Mendelsohn and munity service, Guidance Counselor Rachel freshman Maxine Elovitz. Soifer said. Zemsky enjoys having student volun“They get out of it as much as they give teers around. — they learn a lot and give a lot,” Soifer said. reporter

“[Having] volunteers means librarians can work on other things,” Zemsky said. Student volunteers work on labeling, filing and covering books. Zemsky explained that filing and covering books is no simple task. “Book covering is a craft,” Zemsky said. There are two kinds of book covering, covering paperbacks and covering hardbacks. Hardbacks need to be covered with paper, and paperbacks need to be laminat-

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14 features

december 7, 2011

State of the arts: benefits of program colearonson reporter

It is currently possible for a student to spend three and a half years in high school at CESJDS without ever auditioning for a play, painting a portrait, taking a photograph or playing a piece of music. There is no arts requirement at JDS, and even with support for the arts by the administration and plenty of student interest, there may not be one anytime soon. One reason not to institute a requirement is logistical. Principal Michael Kay said that given the limited amount of space students have in their schedules it would be difficult to require students to take an arts class. “That time would have to be carved out of somewhere,” Kay said. “We have a large number of course requirements and graduation requirements already.” Ceramics teacher Gretchen Gobin thinks that even without an arts requirement there are logistical challenges. “It’s very hard for kids to take an art class right now due to the course load,” Gobin said. To understand why an arts requirement might be useful, it is important to understand why educators at JDS believe in teaching the arts at all. David Solomon, Director of Arts Education, thinks the ben-

efits of an art class are many and extend beyond the class itself. “An arts class helps students understand the creative process and get out of the mindset that they’re not creative,” Solomon said. “Everybody is creative. [Arts classes are] helping students understand how they approach creativity and what it means to be creative. ... An arts class teaches a lifelong skill.” Photography teacher Jerry Eisner agrees that there are significant benefits to taking an arts class. “First of all, [an arts class] teaches kids … how to think out of the box,” Eisner said. “To be specific, in math, you have two plus two equals four. But in the arts, you have [many different] ways to create the same photograph, and make it your own. … The arts give you a huge amount of learning in terms of how to make your own choices.” Gobin sees additional benefits. “[An arts class] is a stress relief for a lot of kids, but it also enables

you to use a different part of your brain,” she said. “A lot of [courses] involve memorization, whereas this course is about creative thinking and using the right side of your brain.” Eisner thinks that even without an arts requirement, there is proper focus on t h e

critical of how the school treats the arts. “I don’t think [the school] stresses the arts enough as an important aspect of our maturation as children,” Starr said. “Arts are invaluable to our development, and I think [JDS] should offer more oppor tuni-

arts. “ I art by Noah Zweben think that the teachers that are here stress the arts very positively, and I know JDS [as an institution] has set the goal of putting more stress on the arts,” Eisner said. Junior Ilanna Starr was more

ties to pursue them in school.” Gobin disagrees. “I think there’s a good enough stress on the arts,” Gobin said. Regarding an arts requirement, all sides want to the keep the arts as a meaningful institution at JDS. Eisner said that it is important for the arts to be prominent. “I think JDS should have an arts requirement because it puts the arts officially on the map,” Eisner said. “It doesn’t make [the arts] second to other classes. ... If a parent is coming to a school with

their kid and they realize ... JDS doesn’t have an arts requirement ... they might not think that we’re involved as heavily as we are in the arts.” Sophomore Jacob Serfaty does not think that JDS should have an arts requirement. “I wouldn’t say that we should have an arts requirement. … Arts isn’t for everybody,” Serfaty said. “I think it’s a passion. I don’t think it’s something that you can learn. I think it’s something that comes to you.” Starr believes that JDS should have an arts requirement, but for her it is an issue of fairness. “I’m not an athlete and yet I have to fulfill a requirement, and I feel that some other kids should [be required to] branch out of their comfort zones,” she said. Solomon said that discussions about an arts requirement are “ongoing.” “It’s an exciting time for the arts at JDS. I’m so proud of the school that so much time and commitment has been invested ... in the arts program,” Solomon said.

Occupiers take action OCCUPY, from page 1

samanthakevy reporter

The only English paper that gives students complete choice about what they want to write about is the iSearch paper, a paper that is written over the course of two months during the first semester of junior year. “It’s exciting and is the only time in this program where you have 100 percent choice on what to write about. We don’t even encourage illustration by Haley Cohen books because we want to encourage people to break off and try something new,” English teacher Thomas Worden said. He said that the paper’s goal is to adjust students to writing a paper with secondary sources and using MLA format to cite sources in a way that gives free realm of choice of topic. “When you get to college, you are going to have to write many papers where you need to bring in secondary sources to write on their primary source,” Worden said. The freedom of choice that comes with the iSearch gives students plenty of wiggle room to figure out the focus of their paper. “[The purpose of the assignment] is to really analyze your topic and to prove a point about your topic,” junior Elise Kolender said. Kolender is researching Toy Story 3. “I am discussing attachment and maturation and whether people actually do grow up mentally and socially,” Kolender said. Most of her research focused around psychology

and how one gets attached to something early on in life. “I researched different psychologists’ opinions and if you do grow up mentally and socially,” she said. Juniors are required to consult secondary sources in addition to their primary source. “The secondary sources are the lens to focus on the primary source. Your secondary sources have to be helpful,” Worden said. There is a reason why this paper is done during junior year and not before. “This project does not work below 11th grade. In ninth grade, we focus on analysis, and 10th is focused on persuasive argument. You need each part to move to the next, and you need that higher level of thinking,” Worden said. “A lot of people get really stressed about the project, but I think that in the end you feel really accomplished, and even though it is a big part of your grade, in the end, you enjoy it, and I have enjoyed it so far,” Kolender said. Students have their own techniques that work for them to keep track of their progress. “Google Docs make everything easier. I shared it with my teacher and worked on it at school and home,” junior Jillian Griminger said. Junior Francesca Salzberg thinks that people make the iSearch paper a bigger deal than it actually is. “It’s not bad because we have separate [assignment] due dates,” Salzberg said. This project requires time and research, but in the end, many students, like Salzberg, learn something new about a topic of their interest. “I learned a lot from my research and have a better understanding of the writing process,” Salzberg said.

direction and specific goals. For Shurberg, that is one of the movement’s most attractive features. “I like that there are no specific demands,” he said. “There is no specific goal, and there are no leaders. I appreciate the movement for its lack of direction because I don’t have one specific demand. I don’t think that reform is going to pass and change everything. I think it’s not a one-issue thing. Everything’s wrong. And it’s not fully addressing that, but it’s a start.”

–Occupiers: Lack of awareness within JDS– All of the students who have chosen to protest with Occupy DC have made time to visit outside of school hours. None of them feel that the movement is sufficiently talked about in school. “I tried to teach my minyan about this whole situation, and the first time I brought it up, I pretty much got blank stares. People had heard of it, but they literally had not a clue what it was,” Finkelstein said. “It’s happening in our backyard. It’s literally changing our economy and hopefully changing our future.”

“It’s not a one–issue thing. Everything’s wrong. And it’s not fully addressing that, but it’s a start.” —Junior Eli Shurberg Poznerzon had similar experiences. “A shockingly, almost frighteningly small number of people are familiar with what’s going on, and an even more frighteningly small number of people don’t care to educate themselves about it. It doesn’t affect them, and they don’t really want to know,” Poznerzon said. Shurberg is excited by the dialogues the protest has spurred. “I’m not saying it’s perfect — ‘cause it’s not perfect,” he said. “It’s definitely starting an awakening... [as to how] so few are controlling all the wealth and all the land. It’s a good start and at the very least it’s creating conversations.”

december 7, 2011 features

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cameras create a safe school campus

dorefeith reporter

As students walk through the front doors of the CESJDS Upper School building, they notice the guard standing at the door checking each student’s ID. They may also notice that all but one of the front doors are locked. But many do not always appreciate how important those small details are in keeping themselves and everyone else in the building safe. JDS prides itself on being academically strong, welcoming to students and most of all, a safe environment. But how physically safe are students, faculty and guests when they enter the building? This is an issue that the administration takes very seriously, especially because it runs a Jewish day school. Recently there have been threats of attacks against synagogues and other Jewish-affiliated organizations that have been foiled by federal authorities. But there are plots that get carried out, such as the 2009 shooting by a white supremacist in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. There always remains a higher risk of attack in a Jewish school compared to a public school. Marc McNeal, director of transportation, safety and security, explained that the school takes many security measures to ensure its students and faculty safety. The most basic measure is the identification of every person that enters the building. “Knowing who is normally supposed to be in the building or the property is very important,” McNeal wrote in an email. “That is why all the employees are issued ID badges and student and staff have issued car tags if they drive and park at the school.”

The security guards are responsible for performing these identification checks at the front of building. They are “the first line of defense” in case of an emergency, McNeal said. Aside from signing in guests and checking IDs, security guards perform routine inspections of the campus and report and investigate suspicious activity. They also monitor the security cameras on the inside and the outside of the building. There are 25 interior and exterior cameras located around the Upper School campus, with one more on the way, to be added to the entrance of the staff and visitor parking lot. These cameras record 24/7 and can store up to 90 hours of recorded video. If a guard notices suspicious behavior, he or she can report it and take the appropriate measures to make sure everybody is out of harm’s way. The guards are brought in by SecTek, a security services company that does contracting with the Department of Defense as well as many other government agencies. SecTek hires and monitors the guards, whose job it is to deter criminal activity, such as vandalism, theft or even an attack on the students and faculty, by performing routine inspections of the campus, checking in guests and monitoring the security cameras. Sophomore Adir Hakakian considers JDS a secure environment. “I feel that the school brings [in] a lot of safety because ... we have security guards at all times during school,” he said. “You will never walk in and there won’t be a security guard.” Jewish Text, Thought and Practice teacher Paul Blank thinks that it is wrong that many of the students and faculty do not even know about the cameras.

“No one’s ever told me there are cameras. ... There should be an element of consent if I’m filmed,” he said, referring to the hallway cameras. There are no cameras that film what goes on in a class. Unlike Hakakian, Blank feels less safe when in school than when he is in a normal public setting, but he is op-

photo by Ari Fontheim

posed to the preferential treatment that Jewish communities receive. “We don’t need to feel that just because we’re a Jewish school that we should have added measures of security,” Blank said. However, Blank trusts in the security experts to make sensible policies that are not too invasive or overreaching.

Art’s director livens musical with student choreographers yaelkrifcher reporter

“I’m going to move them back to the U,” sophomore Eitan Snyder said, gesturing to the rest of the stage. Snyder was choreographing the dance moves for a scene involving 10 members of the cast, and only occasionally turned to Arts Director David Solomon for approval. This routine is a regular occurrence in rehearsals for this year’s musical, the “Drowsy Chaperone,” because Snyder, along with seven other students, have taken on the responsibility of choreographing the show. “It has been fascinating to watch,” Solomon said, “seeing students working together to figure out the number, to watch their creative process unfold and see it all come together.” Bill Yanesh, the new music director for the show, added that the concept of student choreography in a high school production is very unique. “I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s an incredible experience,” he said. “Everyone brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm

... It’s really refreshing.” Welcoming dancers in addition to actors and singers into the musical has resulted in one of the largest casts the JDS musical has ever had, consisting of almost 40 students. Senior Noam Schildhaus said that the bigger cast has really added to the performance this year. “It creates a larger community,” Schildhaus said. “Before it was the same group of people who were in the show, but now it enables more people to be a part of it.” Snyder, who will be both choreographing and performing in the musical, said that he appreciates the opportunity to reach out to students he hadn’t interacted with before. “Because of [the show], I’m making more and more upperclassmen friends,” Snyder said. Senior Henry Baron got something slightly different out of the new choreographers: tap dancing lessons. “The students are really knowledgeable in all areas of dance, so I was able to learn how to tap,” Baron said. Students had to hone their tapping skills in order to prepare for the big tap

number in the play. Baron said that learning from your fellow students makes the experience more enjoyable and effective. “It’s on a friendly basis. It’s nice that it’s not some stranger teaching you,” he said. The show itself, which Solomon described as “a show that takes place today, where a 1920s musical comes to life in the middle of some guy’s contemporary apartment,” appeals to a wide variety of students because of both the new dancing opportunities and its comedy. “It’s actually hysterical,” Schildhaus said. “It’s quite the comedy filled with it’s own quirks and tearjerkers.” Solomon agreed with Schildhaus’ perspective. “We are very used to old musicals being very traditional and very predictable,

and this musical makes fun of that.” The success of any given musical, however, goes beyond the abilities of its performers and choreographers. “People have no idea how much effort stage crew and house crew actually put into the show,” Baron said. “The people in the house, the ushers, ... we’re the logistics behind the show.” Solomon added that the students “behind the scenes” have stepped up their roles in the musical this year as well. “The stage managers, people who run lights and props, even the visual artists are taking a leadership role,” he said. But, as Solomon said, participating in the musical is about more than the success of the actual performance. “It builds leadership and builds community and builds confidence: lifelong skills that go beyond the theater,” Solomon said.

Senior Arielle Green performs during play rehearsal for the Drowsy Chaperone. Green has been in the high school musical since freshman year. photo by David Kulp

16 features

december 7, 2011

A Day in the Life of... UE GRADES ARE D

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photo illustration by Sam Hofman

Meet the neighbors: Susan Robinson and Michael Stone samanthawiener features editor

Junior Debi Smith waits for her ride in front of school on the corner of Boiling Brook in front of the plain brick house. Others drive and walk past the house without giving it a second thought. Some find the fence that surrounds it a useful place to hang their backpacks while waiting for their rides. “I find it strange how every day I stand outside of their house waiting to get picked up by my carpool, but I know nothing about them,” Smith said. The residents of the house, Michael Stone and Susan Robinson, have lived there together for 23 years. Although never legally married, Stone considers Robinson his wife. “I’ve been with her for 23 years. I don’t like ‘significant other’ and I don’t like ‘partner,’ but

Maryland doesn’t recognize her as my [common-law] wife. I guess she’s my girlfriend,” he said. Robinson was raised in Silver Spring and attended Montgomery Blair High School with Goldie Hawn, Kate Hudson’s mother. Robinson worked at Bank of America for 30 years, doing a variety of jobs and was ultimately promoted to management. She, however, cannot currently work. An accident in which a ceiling collapsed on Robinson crushed her neck, leaving her permanently injured. She lives on disability payments. Stone was educated in Montgomery County, attending Robert E. Peary and Montgomery Blair high schools. Stone has multiple scoliosis, experiences grand mal seizures, has had two heart attacks and now has a pacemaker defibrillator. Robinson remembers the neighborhood before businesses

moved in and traffic followed. She remembers CESJDS when it was Randolph Hills Junior High and when the building was used as a temporary home for Wheaton High School while its regular building was being renovated. According to Robinson, “the parking lot that’s in front of your school used to be all field.” Despite the proximity of the school and the neighboring families, there is very little, if any, interaction between the couple and JDS students. The little interaction that takes place is not particularly positive. The couple complained that some of the students have been destructive. They describe students attempting to tear down the bus stop sign and tell of how their front door was splattered with egg. Litter is a problem, according to Robinson. “We even put a trashcan out there. But they still throw their

trash over there,” she said, pointing to her side yard. Stone agreed with Robinson, describing how their fence had been broken by the weight of students leaning on it. Complaints notwithstanding,

Stone allows that the “kids really are fine.” By 4:30 p.m., the carpool stream subsides and traffic along Boiling Brook resumes to normal speed. The street transforms into a neighborhood once again.

photo by Sam Hofman

Susan Robinson and Michael Stone live tangent to the school parking lot. Stone explained that the house is so close to the parking lot that the parkinglot floods his backyard when it rains.

december 7, 2011 features

Double vision, double talent Twins Sara and Diana Bender-Bier express their individuality through soccer and dance

17

dorefeith reporter

Sophomores Diana and Sara Bender-Bier are more than just regular girls going through the usual high school routines. Diana dances 20 hours a week, and Sara plays soccer for about 10 hours a week. They do community service and travel to different countries. They are also fraternal twins. Last year, the Bender-Biers had four classes together. This year they only have three: math, English and a Jewish History course. They agree that there are advantages of living together and taking the same classes. “We love studying together, doing homework together, hanging out with the same friends [and] having most of the same teachers,” they wrote in a joint email. There are also disadvantages to having a sibling in the same class. “Grades, they’re the worst. We’re in the same English class, and we’re very competitive. That’s probably the hardest aspect,” Sara said. Sophomore Hilary Druckman sees the Bender-Biers’ situation differently. “I feel they play off each other and try to benefit each other. Instead of comparing, they are working together,” Druckman said. photo provided by Sara and Diana Bender-Bier She also sees the twins’ respective sports reSara Bender-Bier kicks the ball across flected in their personalities. She thinks of soccer the field in a game against Edmund as “rough and tough,” and “as kind and sweet as Burke School. Sara plays soccer for [Sara] is,” Druckman said, she is more “direct to get10 hours a week. ting things done,” when compared with Diana.

Disney executive visits performing arts students stevenreichel reporter

On the other hand, Diana has qualities of a dancer, Druckman said. Diana “has more elegance and style to her. You can clearly see those flow-y motions.” She is also very “laugh-y and bubbly,” according to Druckman. They used to do everything together, including sports. They danced, acted, ran track, played soccer and basketball together. “When we got older, we decided to focus on what we each individually really enjoyed. Diana focuses on dance, and I focus on soccer,” Sara said. Their combined sports, homework and extracurricular activities make it difficult for them to spend much time together out of school. But photo provided by Sara and Diana Bender-Bier they always try to spend Shabbat din- Diana Bender-Bier pirouettes in ballet ner and Saturday night together. Diana’s class. Diana dances competitively outside of school. favorite part of having a twin is the trust that comes with her. “[Sara is] smart and trustworthy and loyal. … My older sister is in college. Sara is going through the same stuff that I’m going through,” Diana said. “She’s my best friend. … I just think of her like a sibling, a normal sibling, but the same age.” And in response to all of the myths about twin telepathy, the Bender-Biers had to admit that they do not have it. But there is one thing that displays their close relationship. “There are times when we finish each other’s sentences, but that is just what happens when you live together for a long time,” they wrote.

Adam Bonnett, senior vice president of original programming at Disney Channel and a 1986 CESJDS graduate, spoke to JDS performing arts students, telling them what it is like to work in show business. Topics covered in his speech ranged from auditions, to Lizzy McGuire, to staying true to one’s self. Bonnett wanted to make sure everyone understood the latter. “You will get a role because of how special or different you are. Don’t turn into something you’re not. Never forget how special you are as individuals,” Bonnett said. After his speech, Bonnett took questions from the crowd. One person thanked Bonnett for her childhood, others asked questions about how to enter the show business and achieve success. On breaking in to the business, Bonnett said that what makes you different makes you special. “I got my job because my boss thought I was funny, and he liked my suit,” he said. Sara Kresloff, the first alto in the school’s a cappella choir, really enjoyed the presentation.` “It was really cool to see how he became so successful after

JDS,” Kresloff said. “When you think of people who work in Hollywood, you can’t imagine yourself in their shoes. It was cool to see that you can be like him.” Freshman R’ay Fodor also enjoyed Bonnett’s visit, even though he does not think it made him want to be part of art programs any more than he did before. “The biggest thing I got from him was to aspire to achieve my goals and fulfill my dreams,” Fodor said. Bonnett, who once played Nathan Detroit in a Hebrew production of “Guys and Dolls” at JDS, said that it is important to him to give back to JDS. “That play is the best memory of being in a show I have,” Bonnett said Freshman Yosi Vogel enjoyed Bonnett’s presentation for its inspiration and taste of life outside JDS. “The main thing I got from his speech was that starting to think about the outside world early can help you. Also that decisions can be either good or bad but how you deal with them after is what matters,” Vogel said.

18 sports

december 7, 2011

Statisticians, athletic trainers join the game “A statistician makes a team.” –Max Ungar

who thinks they know it all up our game, making us better baseball players and a betand thinks they can treat all ter team,” Paretzky said. injuries. I tell my student athTuwiner added, “You could check to see which areas of definitely not standard procedure as far as athletic trainers letic trainers I have not pre- your game you needed to improve on.” go.” pared any of them to handle The stats were not a blessing to all players. Shorr was The student athletic training program is one of the any emergency situation, most impressed, from all of last year’s team, with the statismost prominent extracurricular options at JDS. To betics of senior Max Ungar; who tried not to look at his stats come an athletic trainer, one simply has to take the Sports and that’s why I am there to help.” For Balbier, that moment of awakening was Tuwiner’s at all during the season. Ungar felt that actively trying to Medicine I course, taught by certified athletic trainer Jesfocus on one area of his game would detract from his oversica Matula, which is available to all high school students. injury. “That was the moment where I had to apply the skills all ability and basic skills. Matula is responsible for recommending and assigning I had learned in class,” she said. She agrees with Matula “When it comes to me and my stats, I try to look away potential trainers. as much as possible,” Ungar said. “I try my hardest to not In a student athletic trainer, Matula looks for some- about what it takes to be a trainer. “Taking the Sports Medicine class gives trainers the look at my stat line until the end of the season. During the body who is “dependable, [has] great communication skills knowledge they need to assess situations. I think that mo- season, I really only care about one stat: Wins and losses.” and is a reliable person.” ment made me realize that part of being a student athletic The JDS baseball team lost that semifinal game, but Sophomore Rina Bardin, a trainer herself, agreed. She said that the important traits of a student athletic trainer is being ready to handle those situations whenever its players now have something they can look at to guide them to improvement, thanks to trainer are “commitment and making sure that you go, so they may arise,” Balbier said. While student athletic trainers “Part of being a student ath- their statistician, Robbie Shorr, and in case somebody does get hurt, you’re there to help,” as own crucial jobs in assuring the health many other JDS students who have well as “being fun, nice and listening.” letic trainer is being ready to made a significant impact on JDS Matula adds that she is also looking for “someone who of student athletes, Shorr’s job is also significant. Some handle those situations when- athletics, but often fall under-apjust has confimembers of the preciated. Those who do appreciate dence in them“I really felt like they made me part of the baseball team used ever they may arise.” them usually are, tellingly, the athselves but still –Emily Balbier letes themselves. wants to learn. I community ... they didn’t think I was a nerd Shorr’s statistics to develop how they “A statistician makes a team,” can’t have some- or anything.” played the game. Ungar said. “Robbie was an outstanding statistician, but one who’s only –Robert Shorr “Robbie’s stats allow us to see what most of all, an outstanding friend and teammate.” taken one semesareas we need to improve on and pick ter of my course GAME, from page 20

New coaching staff, weight room give Lions more room for growth jeremyetelson

Back to the basics: Focus of season is fundamental skills alexflum

reporter

reporter

—BVB— With only two returning members, the varsity basketball team enters a new era with a new coach and 12 new athletes playing on the varsity level. Senior Alex Halpern and sophomore Daniel Kravitz are the only players with varsity experience; Halpern three and Kravitz one. The team is composed of four seniors, four juniors, five sophomores and one freshman. “The team is really young,” Halpern said, “but everyone has been working hard and has experience from summer league, and soon fall league, so that should help to offset that inexperience.” The team lost 11 of 13 players due to the graduation of the Class of 2011, giving other students an opportunity to step up to varsity. “Usually the team has a lot of juniors and seniors,” sophomore Daniel Kravitz said. “This year it will probably be mostly sophomores.” This puts a lot of pressure on the new head coach, David McCloud, to train the lessexperienced athletes into a winning team. This being McCloud’s first year with CESJDS basketball, some players are unsure of what to expect. Halpern gave the coach a positive review. “He works really hard and really wants the best for us, so you can’t ask for much more in a coach,” he said. McCloud sees the youth of the team as an opportunity to build potential. “When you take over a program, you want to build with younger players because they will adapt easier to your program,” McCloud said. “Younger kids tend not to be set in their ways, and it makes for an easier transition from one coach to another.” The team has utilized the new JDS weight room in order to become better prepared for the season and have the ability to compete with teams that are physically bigger. “We’ve been using [the weight room] every day,” Kravitz said. “Since we’re a young team, we’re undersized.” However, having such a friendly team can make it difficult for individuals to rise as leaders. “As a returning player, I have a sense of leadership on the team, but since almost ev-

—GVV—

photo by Alex Zissman

Senior Alex Halpern takes warm-up foul shots before a game against St. John’s Catholic Prep School last season. This year, Halpern is team captain and one of two returning players. eryone on the team is one of my close friends, it’s hard to criticize their work,” Kravitz said. The players from last year’s junior varsity team have Kravitz and Halpern as resources due to their varsity experience. “[Last year’s junior varsity players] look up to us for advice, but we’re still really good friends,” Kravitz said. Along with the change of players, there is another big change for the team — the new gym floor, which means a new home court for the team. The newly painted floor gives the gym a sense of intensity and legitimacy. “Having a nicer court says something about our school and who we are,” Kravitz said All of these advancements to the team’s practice atmosphere has allowed the players to improve dramatically. “Progress is going well,” Kravitz said. “Every practice we get closer as a team. “We have fun, but still get stuff done.” The team lost its first game of the season on Dec. 1 at Grace Brethren Christian

In a season devoted to learning the game, a clash of youth and senior leadership sparked the girls varsity volleyball team into a deep playoff run. Patrick Dudash entered his fourth year as head coach with plenty of help. CESJDS alumnus and girls junior varsity volleyball coach Daniel Feinberg served as the assistant coach of the team, while girls middle school volleyball coach Becky Silberman and managers sophomores Ben Shemony and Dean Shilo also helped out. The team included four seniors, three sophomores and 10 freshmen. The absence of juniors made the team struggle. “It was hard bringing younger players up to the varsity level quickly,” senior Stephanie Liss said. Along with Liss, seniors Talia Byck and Helene Katz served as team captains. “One of my goals was to get the team to know each other because we were all kind of new,” Katz said. Freshman Nina Simpkins enjoyed bonding with the older teammates. “I really enjoyed getting to know some of the upperclassmen and just improving,” Simpkins said. The team’s main goal was to learn the game. “Since we had a very young team, I had a couple spots that I knew freshmen and sophomores would have to fill in,” Dudash said. The freshmen and sophomores on the team brought a fresh young approach to the game, filling empty spots and meeting expectations. “I really liked some of the freshmen,” Katz said. “They added a lot of jokes to the team.” Early in the season, JDS faced PVAC powerhouse McLean and lost all three sets. “We got our butts kicked,” Dudash said. “But I think it was a very good lesson for us. It taught us a little bit of

humility, and we needed to grow as a team.” The team managed a 4-7 overall record, which was enough to push the the team into the playoffs. After losing to Sandy Spring Friends School, in a lat-

photo by Sam Hofman

Freshman Nina Simpkins jumps to spike the ball as sophomore Yael Krifcher (right) looks on. The Lions defeated Sandy Springs in the quarterfinal, avenging an Oct. 17 loss. er rematch the team won all three sets and advanced to the semifinals where it faced Covenant Life. With a loss in the semifinals, the season concluded for the Lady Lions. “[We performed] not too badly considering we had a really young team,” Simpkins said. The team excelled in serving and defense. Serving was a weapon for the team during its season. Passing and communication were obstacles, but the team steadily improved. “[We] succeeded with teaching the younger girls the game and everything about the sport and we got along really well,” Katz said.

december 7, 2011 sports

19

A strong fall finish, stronger hopes for future seasons jacobdorn

—XC—

senior reporter

photo by Alex Zissman

Matan Kline takes a final lap during a track practice in the fall. Kline has been running track for two years and is one of the team’s three senior captains.

Cross country runners push themselves every meet and every practice to try to improve. This year’s girls varsity and boys middle school teams pushed just enough to win PVAC championships after impressive regular seasons. “You know every single time you compete, you’re going to be going through a very large degree of pain,” head coach Jason Belinkie said. The team found success in many meets, including girls varsity and boys middle school PVAC championships, and practice on the weekend to be prepared. “On Sundays, they’ll usually do a really hard interval workout where they have to really work on speed,” sophomore Hilary Druckman said. “And then on Mondays, they’ll tend to do long-distance days, where high schoolers are running six and seven miles.” Many of the runners think that the Sunday interval workouts introduced this year are the most taxing. “The most painful [practices are on Sundays],” junior Shira Winston said. “It’s early Sunday morning, and usually it’s like running up a hill and down, like a big hill, like six times. And those are painful.” The team draws a large group to the practices, from its 40 to 50 total runners,

though there were not enough runners to form a separate girls middle school team. Sixth-grader Alex Hannah was asked to run with the varsity team instead, meaning more practices and longer distances. “[Alex] is incredibly fast and it’s incredible,” captain Matan Kline said. Hannah finished 15th overall in the PVAC championship meet and second on the team. “[Championships were] so fun,” captain Danya Czarnolewski said. “It was a great end to my cross-country career at JDS.” Winston led the girls varsity team with a fifth place finish and set a new personal record, though Winston tries not to focus on time. “I’m happy with my time,” Winston said. “I don’t really get stressed out so times [are not] a huge issue for me.” Winston will also compete in the National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships on Dec. 10, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Winston qualified at a regional competition on the same track, besting her personal record by 90 seconds. “My brother [Reuben] did it also, then we realized that my age group [is] not as competitive as the other ones. So I just kind of did it for fun,” she said The boys varsity team was less successful, finishing in sixth place, one point out of fifth. Kline, whose 16th place finish led the

boys team, offered words of encouragement. “We did well,” Kline said. “A lot of our top guys ran really good races. We didn’t come first, but it was still, overall, a good race. A lot of people [set personal records], which is nice.” The boys middle school team had a better result, winning the championship. Winston’s younger brother, seventh-grader Reuben, won the overall championship. Eighth-grader Daniel Levy finished in third, though he felt he could have done better. “I thought I could have been second,” he said. “That was my goal. I was pacing myself off the guy who got second and I let him go. I believe I could have pushed harder,” he said. By the end of the regular season, similar results were expected, at least by assistant coach Hillary Peabody. “I think that our middle school boys are set to probably win [the championship], and for our high schoolers, we’re expecting a pretty good showing for the girls and not as good for the boys,” Peabody said before the middle school championships. “It’s a little more competitive for them at the high school level, but I think they’re going to do really well.”

Keep ‘em coming

Near-perfect season, multi ple championshi ps cause for cheer davidsolkowitz

—GVT—

reporter

photo by Alex Zissman

Junior Hannah Becker leaps to retrieve a hardhit return in a playoff match. Becker has been playing tennis since she was four years old and has played on the varsity team since seventh grade.

Opinion: Getting in shape just in time for spring joshsinger sports editor

As the warm air and bright amber sun descend into hibernation and brisk, winter weather befalls us, there is no better time than now to start getting into better shape for the spring. Whether it be for a spring sport or for a trip to the beach, getting in shape now can have health-related benefits lasting far beyond the spring of 2012. In order to help you shape up

The additions to the varsity tennis team were key parts of the success that the team had this season. Co-captain Hannah Becker, a junior, said that the team had “a really big jump from last year.” This “jump” included a win in PVAC conference championship. Becker was not surprised by the good play that allowed the team to win. “I wouldn’t say I was surprised because the thing is, if you believe you can win, you will,” she said. One of the new players this year is freshman Sophie Kader. Becker called Kader “our weapon of mass destruction” and said that Kader is one reason that the team had such success during the season and tournament. Becker also had high hopes for the team through the remainder of the season, in part due to Kader. “We are undefeated and will hopefully be receiving a season champions banner,” for spring, I’ll outline three simple ways you can change your habits now in order to see results come springtime. The most important idea here is your nutrition. The most sedentary individual can be in relatively good shape if eating a healthy, balanced diet. However, in order to see superb results, a couch-potato lifestyle is simply out of the question; a weekly workout routine must also be implemented. Oh, the sweet rush of a caffeinated, sugar-loaded soda. What the label doesn’t tell you is the devastating effect of the extremely high level of sugar within that can. That’s right — processed sugar is the most harmful ingredient in all food. So with that, my first piece of advice is to kick the sugars to the curb (the recycling bin really, let’s not forget the earth here). Eliminating sugars for three

Becker said at the time. Sophomore Alyssa Rothfeld agreed with Becker and said, “[Kader] is the best player on the team. She has an amazing serve that no one can return, and she just makes amazing shots.” Kader, while a significant part of the team and its success, was not the only reason the team made it to the champion match. In a sport like tennis, where matches are played in a one-on-one format,” Becker said, “it all comes back to the team and not the individual player.” “Tennis is an individual sport, but when I play really well, it’s because I have the team in the back of my mind,” Becker said. “I don’t win for myself, I win for my team, knowing that every match played could be the deciding factor of victory.” Becker said having fun was just as important to the team’s success as teamwork. “Some of us are jokers and some of us are more competitive, so we have a balance

weeks will give you visual results. Go ahead. Stop drinking soda and eating candy bars and check back in three weeks; see how you feel. My second piece of advice involves carbohydrates — one of the four major classes of biomolecules in our bodies. Carbohydrates are a major source of energy in food, but the key here is a selective carbohydrate intake; paying attention to what you’re eating is crucial. You should focus on getting plenty of fruits and vegetables but avoid processed grains at all costs. Despite the hype that grains are a great source of fiber and other nutrients, the gluten within grains will ultimately be processed in your liver or get stored in your gut (forming that irritating tire around your waist). Taking in plenty of fruits and veggies will give you vitamins A and C along with calcium. Dark green

of fun and competitiveness,” she said. The team had high hopes for receiving a banner, ending with a record of 7-1, and ended up taking home two banners by season’s end: the season championship banner as well as the tournament championship banner. Becker was one of seven players to get an all-PVAC award, making the PVAC first team herself. Kader made the PVAC second team. Both players made the all PVAC team for singles matches. “Everyone played better in the tournament,” Becker said. “Everyone stepped up their game, there was more intensity in the play-offs.” Becker went undefeated in all of her individual matches “Winning is great, but we like to have fun,” she said. “It’s a good feeling to win, but we do it because we love it.

veggies will supply you with adequate levels of fiber. Hungry yet? Good! Another quick piece of advice is to eat when you’re hungry, and don’t eat if you’re not. Don’t be afraid to skip a meal here and there if you just don’t feel hungry. Finally the dreaded workout discussion. Why has working out become such a hassle? In order to be healthy and fit, being active is a must, but spending so much time at the gym that you might as well camp out in the parking lot is unnecessary. There are three guiding principles when it comes to getting efficient fitness in your daily routine. First: Have fun and play hard. I’m talking about walking, swimming, biking, hiking, cycling; anything that gets your heart-rate up to 50-65 percent is sufficient. Aim to do your favorite combina-

tion of these activities two to five hours per week. Second: Reek a good sweat two to three times a week by doing a few basic full-body exercises: Push-ups, pull-ups, squats and lunges are all examples functional movements, which activate several muscles and make up a good workout. Third: Go all out! There’s nothing more satisfying than sprinting once every seven to 10 days. You can accomplish this anywhere there’s space. If space isn’t available, then don’t be afraid to hit the treadmill or the bike for a handful of all-out efforts. I have no doubt you’ll be in the best shape of your life by the time spring arrives. The best advice I can give you is to stick with it; nothing in life comes easy, but if you set your mind to a goal, you will ultimately achieve it.

sp rts

Intrinsic motivation: an reci pe for success on and off the field jacobschaperow

page 20 • december 7, 2011

copy editor

For the love of the game Extra contributors play integral roles in teams’ successes reubencohen reporter

It is May 9, the day of CESJDS varsity baseball’s pivotal semifinal game against St. Anselm’s. At the end of the school day, junior Robert Shorr heads to the baseball field with the rest of the team and prepares for the game. But Shorr is not a player on the team; he hasn’t played baseball since Little League. Shorr is the team statistician, and for him, preparing for the game does not mean stretching along the right field line or throwing long toss; it means scribbling down notes in a stat-book and copying the opposing team’s lineup. photo by David Kulp Shorr is one example of an extra contributor Freshman Zoe Orenstein and eighth-graders Jeremy Schooler and Aviv Asseraf are examples of extra contributors to a JDS team. to a JDS sports team. He Orenstein keeps score of boys middle school basketball while Schooler and Asseraf keep track of points, fouls and timeouts. Takis the only official JDS ing statistics and keeping the time are simple ways for these three students as well as Shorr and other team managers and “statistician,” but there are statisticians to be part of the game without being on the team. numerous other contributors, such as athletic trainAccording to Paretzky, there is only one thing keeping ers and team managers, who do not physically play the sport, Shorr from the rest of the team. but impact their teams just the same. “He doesn’t get the locker room experience,” Paretzky Shorr has been the statistician for the varsity baseball team since the beginning of last season, when he was ap- says. “That really gets you involved on a personal level.” Tuwiner felt strongly about Shorr’s positive role. proached by two team members, his friends, juniors Michael “The team wouldn’t be the same without Robbie,” he says. Paretzky and Jacob Mintz, to fill the vacant position. Tuwiner also remembered an incident where a student Shorr attended every game of the baseball season and kept track of the team’s statistics, uploading them to a Google athletic trainer went beyond the call of duty to help him. spreadsheet where players and coaches could be updated on He was in eighth grade, playing on the middle school baseball team, when he got hit in the head with a flying bat and how the team was playing. Senior Jordan Tuwiner, an outfielder on last year’s team, needed emergency medical attention. His trainer that day was alumna Emily Balbier (‘10). appreciated having real-time access to his statistics. “She was really good with the injury,” Tuwiner said. “The “Having the stat sheet, I felt like I was in the big leagues,” Tuwiner said. “I really felt like he [Shorr] made the baseball coach wasn’t even there at that point, so I don’t know what I team legit. Robbie was so smart, he converted [earned-run av- would have done without her.” Balbier, now a sophomore at Goucher College, rememerage] to a 7-inning scale, instead of a 9-inning scale.” In addition to keeping stats, Shorr felt that he was an bered Tuwiner’s injury. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget it,” Balbier said. “It was my first equal member of his team. “I was with them at every game, and they really appreci- game. The injury needed medical attention from doctors and ated what I was doing,” he said. “I really felt like they made me nurses. At JDS, student athletic trainers are never supposed to part of the community, and they didn’t think I was a nerd or go to the hospital with an injured player because it leaves the team without a trainer. For Jordan, I went with him since I was anything.” providing the care in the car ride over. Once he was in triage, Paretzky agreed. “Robbie, he’s doing everything he can for the team,” Pa- I was a friendly face that was there to help him relax. It was retzky said. “He’s on the bus with us, and he’s on the field with us.” see GAME, page 18

WHAT 2

WATCH 4 Dec. 7

Student-athletes at CESJDS frequently play their sports all year in order to be prepared for their seasons. Runners have cross country in the fall, track in the spring and indoor track in the winter; wrestlers have preseason “Combat training” workouts. Though not an official prerequisite to competing on JDS sports teams, training with teams outside of school and practicing during the off-season is part of any intense athlete’s plan. Off-season training is particularly prevalent among the wrestling and running teams at JDS. Wrestling coach Jordan Lipp said he expects around 30 students to participate in the wrestling team this upcoming season. There are about 20 people who consistently attend preseason practice. Junior Max Smith competes on the JDS wrestling team as well as with the Maryland National team. “[It is] more intense outside of school because the league [JDS is] involved in isn’t the most elite of leagues,” Smith said. “Also, there isn’t a lot of cutting weight during the season. There are more people and a higher caliber based on the league that [the Maryland team is] affiliated in.” Sophomore Aaron Boxerman runs with one of three JDS teams year round. In the fall, he runs cross country, in the winter, he runs indoor track, and in the spring, he runs track. Student interest led to the formation of the indoor track team last winter. Despite its name, the indoor track team practices outside much of the time. “Running is not the most enjoyable sport, I think we all know that,” cross country and track coach Jason Belinkie said, “but it’s also one of those sports that, you know, the results are very tangible.” Being with other people on a team provides needed support to athletes enduring rough practices, according to Belinkie. “When you connect with other people who are going through the same thing ... it inspires you and it motivates you to want to run more and want to run faster,” Belinkie said. “And I think everybody can be a positive influence to one another on a team, versus running on their own. It’s just a lot harder to motivate yourself.” New runners have to quickly get up to a similar skill level as their teammates when they join the team. Belinkie tries to have different training regimens for people working on different skills. “It can be a challenge a lot of the time when you have such a wide range of age,” Belinkie said. “For example, I have a sixth grader on our team ... who is probably the third or fourth-ranked runner on the team. Then, I have a some runners that are in the 12th grade that have been sticking with it for a couple years. A lot of it has to do with how much somebody has practiced over the summer.” Senior Meredith Lerner ran track through ninth grade. When she left the team, she decided she still wanted to run. “When I stopped doing track, and I still wanted to at least run a little, or walk, and my friend and I would go on runs after school sometimes,” Lerner said. “We started joking that we were like the anti-track team because whenever we would walk outside, we would always have to walk by the track team, and we’d be going out for similar purposes, but it was not competitive at all.” Smith set his long-term sights high. “I want to wrestle in college and be a national champion, Division I,” he said. Boxerman does not have a definite goal, only to keep getting better. “I don’t know what my ultimate capabilities are,” Boxerman said. “You never get to the point where you say ‘I’m satisfied’ ... Working hard and improving are fun ... They give you such a such a strong sense of achievement ... There’s no point being satisfied with calling it good enough.”

UPCOMING GAMES Dec. 12

Dec. 13

4:00 p.m.

BJVB @ Burke

4:00 p.m.

GMSB @ WIS

4:15 p.m.

GJVB vs Covenant Life

5:30 p.m.

BVB @ Burke

5:15 p.m.

BMSB @ WIS

6:00 p.m.

GVB vs Covenant Life

6:00 p.m.

BVB vs SSFS

4:15 p.m.

BJVB @ WIS

6:00 p.m.

BVB @ WIS