Lion's Tale, Volume 41, Issue 1

Editors-in-Chief

Kaylah Goldrich

Lena Nadaner

Managing Editor, Copy

Ellie Fischman

In-Depth Editor, Director of Social Media

Ella Waldman

In-Depth Editor, Director of Staff Development

Lilli Libowitz

News Editors

Simon Albert

Adin Halbfinger

Opinion Editors

Aliza Bellas

Ari Kittrie

Features Editors

Jonah Beinart

Lily Rulnick

Arts and Entertainment Editors

Stella Muzin

Cati Werbin

Sports Editors

Gigi Gordon

Aaron Waldman

Ari Werbin

Illustrators

Libby Hurwitz

Taylor Polonsky

Photo Editor

Abigail Chesman

Reporters

Ellie Levine, Sasha Karasik, Matthew Steindecker, Julia Rich, Ari Blumenthal, Eitan Rattner, Ruby Kotok, Penelope Terl, Talia Loeffler, Gila Safra, Tyler Portnoy, Sadaf Zadeh, Maiya Blumenthal, Eliana Wolf, Sophie Schwartz, Mia Forseter, Maya Greenblum, Vivi Ducker

Staff Adviser

Jessica Nassau

Adviser Emerita

Susan Zuckerman

News

Opinion

08 Hollywood strikes back Writers and actors deserve fair contracts from movie studios

In-Depth

Features

16 Sorry, I’m booked Teachers by day, writers by night

17 Make it meat(less)

Jews consider ethics of eating cultivated meat

18 Not so ancient history New museum explores D.C. Jewish life

19 Stepping up to a bigger stage

Actress is nominated for regional musical theater award

Arts and Entertainment

Sports

24 Breaking the ice

Senior plays hockey competitively outside of school

25 Summer showcase

JDS athletes participate in the JCC Maccabi Games

26 Gym Jam Places to get exercise outside of school

27 Falcon frenzy

Sophomore mentors basketball team

Cover photo by Ella Waldman, LT

Dear Readers,

Welcome back to school! We hope everyone enjoyed their summer as much as we did. Although it can be hard to adjust to the school routine, we are so excited to begin a new year. Our staff embarked on great adventures this summer, from traveling the world to interning at local law firms. We all had a much-needed break.

We truly appreciate our dedicated staff who worked so hard to make our first edition happen, some of whom came straight from camp and other summer adventures. They put so much time and effort into every article and spread, and we love working with them, even if we sometimes quarrel over what song should play during production.

This edition is full of passionate opinions, ranging from a review of the “Barbie” movie to an important warning about marijuana use. Our in-depth story also follows this theme, reporting on the diverse opinions of the community about Lower School education choices.

As the school’s independent student news source, we believe it is our role to report on all of the community’s opinions. We strive to present a non-biased and factual account of newsworthy

Sincerely,

Editors-in-Chief

As the student newspaper of the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, The Lion’s Tale is a public forum for student opinion and expression. All content is determined by students. 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. Signed columns reflect the opinion of the writer; staff editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of The Lion’s Tale editorial board. The Lion’s Tale staff

items in the school, and we believe our newest issue meets that goal. Whether it be a review of trending movies or an indepth analysis of discourse surrounding lesson plans, our duty as journalists is to be the voice of the community.

As we head into the school year, we hope to continue highlighting a multitude of perspectives on issues from the school lunch to politics. While we know we will be stressed with loads of schoolwork and college applications as seniors, we are, and will always, cherish our time on the Lion’s Tale.

Editorial and Ethics Policy

welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns, all of which must be signed. The staff reserves the right to refuse any material and may edit letters or columns for length, clarity, libel, obscenity and/ or disruptiveness. All other contents copyright of The Lion’s Tale. All rights reserved.

Submissions may be emailed to jdslionstale@gmail.com, mailed to The Lion’s Tale or brought to room 320.

The Lion’s Tale is funded by The Simon Hirshman Endowment for the

Upper School Newspaper and The Kuttner-Levenson Endowment for the Upper School Cultural Arts and Student Publications, and community advertisements. The Lion’s Tale reserves the right to refuse advertisement for any reason. The staff will adhere to the ethics policies of The Society of Professional Journalists and the National Scholastic Press Association. The adviser will be held to the Journalism Education Association’s Adviser Code of Ethics.

Jewish history in the making

Educators come to JDS for a four-day summer institute

Editor

As students were out enjoying their summer vacations, teachers and administrators from CESJDS were leading an initiative to better Jewish history education nationwide.

In 2019, JDS launched the Center for Excellence and Engagement in Jewish History (CEEJH) in an effort to strengthen Jewish History education at school and in the broader Jewish community.

“JDS is different from most other Jewish day schools in that there are only a few schools that have their own separate Jewish history department,” Head of School Rabbi Mitchel Malkus said. “Even schools that do [have a separate department] don’t have the same number of courses and the same expertise that we have. The idea was for JDS to become a hub for Jewish history education for other schools and to support the larger field.”

During COVID-19, the center focused primarily on marketing and consulting relationships with Jewish day schools across the country. However, now that the pandemic is over, CEEJH launched its biggest project yet: nine rep -

resentatives from six Jewish day schools gathered at JDS at the end of June for a four day Jewish History summer institute.

The program was led by the Jewish History Department and focused primarily on Israel, Zionism and the Jewish world. According to CEEJH Director and Jewish history teacher Rachel Bergstein, the summer institute was largely funded by the Jewish National Fund (JNF). Bergstein noted that Israel is part of the much larger context of Jewish history, making it a good topic to start with.

“Jewish history should be thoughtful; it should be the connecting part of a Jewish day school education,” Bergstein said. “It can connect the elements of Jewish text and lived Jewish experience and Hebrew and Israel. They are all part of Jewish history and it can be a great way of explaining how they are all connected.”

Visiting educators had the opportunity to work one-on-one with mentors from the JDS Jewish history faculty during the CEEJH program. Mentors were assigned based on the type of curriculum educators were crafting and the expertise of the mentors themselves. Throughout the school

BY THE NUMBERS

9 educators joined the institute

year, the mentors will continue to support the educators through in-person visits, check-ins and providing various course materials when needed.

For Rina Mangurten and Roy Meron, Co-Directors of Jewish Studies at Ronald C Wornick Jewish Day School in Foster City, California, the center was extremely impactful in considering how they are going to approach Jewish history education in the future.

6 different schools represented

4 days of sessions 10 sessions overall

“It is a realistic ask to have Jewish history as its own thing,” Mangurten said. “Jewish history is just as important as history or as Jewish studies or as math or a science. Thinking about how we can create a curriculum that covers all the important Jewish historical pieces is super important to us.”

Both JDS faculty mentors and the visiting educators believe that the institute was a positive and worthwhile experience. In the future, Bergstein hopes to run the summer institute again with a new focus and new schools.

“This is super important because it’s not being done,” Bergstein said. “There are lots of places you can go to to learn about excellent finance education or excellent math education or even Jewish text education, but no one is doing this for Jewish history. That is why we are taking the lead on this…it will impact hundreds of students.”

Simon Albert News

Brainstrom their idea

How teachers make curriculum

Think about what is currently missing

Research and create a plan

Speak to an administrator Try it out Be open to feedback

Educators finish off their day at Al Ha’esh for dinner. Photo by Al Ha’esh. Used with permission.

voices from the lion’s den

Eighth-grader

principal powerhouse

Batson steps up to lead the middle school

Ellie Fischman ManagingCopyEditor

In her eight and a half years as a science teacher and four years as Upper School STEM Coordinator at CESJDS, Middle School Principal Cassandra Batson has worked face-to-face with students to inform, educate and help them grow. This year, Batson will begin her new position as the middle school principal and will become the first non-Jewish principal in JDS history.

After former Middle School Principal Dr. Eliana Lispky announced her resignation, a committee of JDS faculty including Middle School Assistant Principal Rabbi Janet Ozur Bass and High School Principal, Campus Head Dr. Lisa Vardi convened to review candidates for a replacement.

“We wanted somebody who believed in what we’re already doing as a middle school and had a vision of where to take it next,” Ozur Bass said. “The fact that Ms. Batson is so beloved by the students, faculty and families helped a lot because it means that she can hit the ground running.”

Once the Principal Search Committee assembled a group of finalists, JDS students, parents and teachers met the candidates and shared their opinions on the candidates with Head of School Rabbi Mitchel Malkus. Taking community surveys and a final recommendation from the Principal Search Committee into account, Malkus made the final de-

cision to appoint Batson as middle school principal.

Batson first became a science teacher at JDS eight and a half years ago and she has a total of 13 years of experience in middle school education. Four years ago, Batson became the Upper School STEM Coordinator. According to Ozur Bass, the strong reputation that Batson has built through her previous roles at JDS engendered a positive response to her appointment as middle school principal.

Though Batson is the first non-Jewish principal at JDS, her years of experience at JDS and her commitment to pluralistic education made her an ideal candidate.

“Even though I’m not Jewish, I am a JDS-er through and through,” Batson said. “And because I’m not Jewish, I am very mindful and very thoughtful about what I don’t know, so I’m not afraid to ask questions.”

Seventh-grader Ryder Chesman, who had Batson as a science teacher during his second semester of sixth grade, had a positive experience in Batson’s class, making him enthusiastic about her new role as principal.

“I think that she’s going to be a great middle school principal…” Chesman said. “She was a great teacher and she knows what she’s doing very well.”

Though Batson will miss teaching, she is excited to take a more prominent role in shaping the middle school’s culture. After she acclimates to her

responsibilities as principal, Batson hopes to return to teaching a small amount of classes. Former JDS science teacher Alexandra Brown returned to campus to replace Batson as Upper School STEM Coordinator.

Batson hopes to use her experience as a STEM Coordinator and educator to create a nurturing environment at the middle school.

“My biggest hope,” Batson said, “as I think every principal would want, is to create a warm, loving, welcoming environment where students are challenged, pushed and held accountable. I hope that they come out of our middle school better prepared for the world.”

“I hope that the new principal will connect with the students and make sure they feel confident and heard in school.”

Eighth-grader

“I’m looking for someone who’s a good leader in the middle school and can give students support if they need it.”

Eighth-grader Jackson Gill

“I hope our new principal will stay true to our school values, and take the students’ opinions into account.”

Seventh-grader Maya Cohen

“I expect the new middle school principal to listen to comments and concerns and to help when there are problems. I also expect to see her in the hallways.”

Noah Terl

Batson takes a stroll in D.C. with her family. Photo by Justin Kunimoto. Used with permission.

Keeny Shaffin

I think that she’s going to be a great middle school principal. She was a great teacher and she knows what she’s doing very well.”

-Seventh-grader Ryder Chesman

Subject to change

Administration adjusts Upper School curriculum

Waldman & Kaylah Goldrich In-DepthEditor&Editor-in-Chief

Several high school courses and programs are getting significant updates this school year. The freshman biology course will now be organized around storylines, the junior Hebrew curriculum will be centered around the theme of positive psychology and a Talmud II ECP class will now be offered to the sophomore class.

The updated biology “storylines” lesson plan is based on a curriculum designed by Next Generation Science Standards, a national effort to create new education standards. Melissa Andrew, ninth grade dean and high school biology teacher, is introducing this approach to connect biology to real-world scenarios. Each storyline will start with an anchoring phenomenon, a video or other forms of media, that will prompt discussion about new concepts.

“It’s almost like you get to practice being a scientist, and that you’re making an observation [about the anchoring phenomenon],” Andrew said. “You’re following the scientific method by making an observation and then starting to ask all of the questions that would be generated from that observation.”

The Hebrew department is also implementing changes to their curriculum that are meant to appeal to students’ welfare and build confidence in their Hebrew skills. According to Upper School Hebrew Language Chair Shelli Putterman-Kennett, the new junior year curriculum will focus on positive psychology and identity.

“Through the use of authentic materials, various activities, projects and interactive lessons, students will use the theme of happiness and positive psychology to learn more deeply about themselves, about their well-being and how they can help themselves think in a positive way,” Putterman-Kennett said.

The goal is to focus on developing important skills like research, public presentation and comprehension of current events, in addition to building Hebrew language proficiency.

Along with these curriculum changes, a new policy regarding SSL hours is being introduced to the ninth grade. Students will still need to complete 80 hours of service to graduate, but the direct service requirement has been removed. Instead, a new community service program called “Taking on Tikkun Olam” is being rolled out, with a focus on transitioning students to view community service as a learning experience.

“I don’t want community service to feel like it’s a requirement or a chore, but something that students can meaningfully engage and connect with,” High School Principal and Campus Head Dr. Lisa Vardi said.

In order to support this experience, freshmen will learn in their advisories about various local volunteering organizations, listen to guest speakers and visit local non-profits.

Senior Alec Silberg, who accumulated 68 service hours with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), agrees with the importance of building a connection with specific organizations.

“Going deep into one organization made my work more meaningful and let me get a good understanding of LLS and their work, what I like and even don’t like about it,” Silberg said.

Each of these new curriculums and programs are being implemented with the goal of enhancing the student experience and cultivating a meaningful learning environment.

“It’s about making sure that our students have outstanding programming, [and] excellent opportunities,” Vardi said.

Ella

Summer in science

Students participate in STEM program at Technion University in Israel

Bellas OpinionEditor

This past summer, Israel’s Technion University held a science and technology based summer program for 48 international high school students in Haifa. This group included seniors Nava Feldman and Simon Reich along with teens from five other continents.

After taking a hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, the three week long SciTech program resumed this year with a completely new structure. While the program was formerly more research focused, this year, a lot more time was spent watching experiments in fields ranging from robotics to physics, visiting faculties, as well as taking day trips to soak in Israeli culture.

Feldman attended Camp Ramah New England for the past summers, but after her final year as a camper last year, she wanted to try something new. Feldman has been interested in science for many years and when she discovered this program through an email list about Israeli summer opportunities, she decided it

would be a good way to dive deeper into different fields. While she wasn’t looking for a program specifically in Israel, it was a positive component to the program for her.

“I wanted to see if I wanted to pursue science in college,” Feldman said. “It helped me get a better idea of how broad science is since we only learn a certain sect of it in school.”

Although Reich is not very interested in STEM, he also wanted to try something new and decided to participate in the SciTech program. While he found himself not very interested in the bulk of the science content, he was impressed by the reach of the program.

“It was definitely interesting to meet people from all over,” Reich said. “It was a very different sort of group than I had been part of before. But at the same time, even though there were people from Australia and Brazil, socially it’s all a bunch of high schoolers.”

Reich and Feldman agree that the program differed from their expectations. Reich recommends that someone interested in STEM should only apply once the pro -

BY THE NUMBERS

48 students went on the Scitech program this summer

3 students from JDS attended Scitech

6 Technion department faculties visited by the students

gram is more established.

“I went into the program thinking there would be more research involved…,” Reich said. “But as it stands, I think the program is in more of a limbo stage between what it wants to be and what it has been.”

Traveling to Israel for an educational program is very similar to the Irene and Daniel Simpkins Senior Capstone Trip, and while Reich is leaning towards not attending for various reasons, Feldman doesn’t think her experience this summer will impact her decision at all as she still plans to attend.

“I’ve been to Israel many times before, but I’d never really spent a lot of time up north,” Feldman said. “It was all pretty much new to me, the places we were seeing. This year it’s going to be different because you’re doing more touristy things and you’re not studying there.”

While both Reich and Feldman found different value in the experience, they both learned a lot about themselves and the field of science after reflecting upon the program.

“If I knew how I would feel about the academics and the actual meat of the program I probably would not do it again,” Reich said. “That being said…it was a reasonable, fun experience and I learned that I definitely will not be doing STEM in the future.”

Aliza

Photo by Adin Halbfinger, LT Senior Simon Reich builds a makeshift lighthouse at the Madatech science museum. Students on the SciTech program spent much of their time working at the Madatech museum.

Photo by Noga Pinhas. Used with permission. JDS seniors Nava Feldman (third from left), Simon Reich (far right) and Adin Halbfinger (front right) pose for a picture with friends above the Bahai Gardens in Haifa. The SciTech program included a touring component of Israel in addition to the STEM programming.

hOllywood Strikes Back

For the first time in 63 years, Hollywood writers and actors are participating in a joint strike against production companies. The strike stems from concerns about technological developments in the field and the implications they have on pay structures.

As movie and TV consumers, we may experience a slower rate of media releases in the coming months because the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA), along with the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) are on strike. While this is frustrating, we ask that our readers give the WGA and SAG-AFTRA some grace. When you enjoy a silly comedy or a gut-wrenching drama, understand that a lot of work goes into these pieces of visual entertainment.

The WGA strike demands protections against artificial intelligence (AI) and fair residuals for content released on streaming services. Members of the Screen

Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) joined the strike on July 14, making this the first joint writers’ and actors’ strike in Hollywood since 1960.

The 1960 WGA strike established the system of residual wages that are currently in dispute. Residuals are payments that people who worked on a film or TV show receive when their content runs on cable television, which unions negotiate. Actors and writers also receive residuals when a consumer buys a physical copy of their content, like a DVD. Technically, Hollywood workers receive residuals from subscription streaming services, but these payments are negligible compared to the residuals actors and writers receive from television broadcasts. Residuals from streaming services are often not proportional to the popularity of a show and, according to ABC News, many streaming services do not release viewership figures. The current structure of

What to watch during the strike:

years since the last time Hollywood went on an industrywide shutdown

residuals maximizes the money that production companies can make from media released on streaming services. From a business perspective, it makes sense to maximize profit, but it results in unfair compensation for Hollywood workers.

AI is also a crucial element to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike. For writers, AI poses a threat to the credit they receive for their written material. They are open to using AI as a tool to augment their writing, but they are concerned that doing so could diminish the prestige they receive for their work. Additionally, actors are concerned that AI’s growing ability to imitate a person’s voice and likeness could render their craft obsolete.

It is hard to draw the line between smart business practices and exploitation. While it is important for production companies to make enough profit to sustain their businesses, it is also important that actors and writers have proper conditions and compensation for their hard work.

As high school journalists, we understand the passion and dedication it requires to generate high-quality written material. It is imperative that we value writers’, actors’ and crews’ creativity over production companies’ bottom line. At the Lion’s Tale, we stand with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA as they strike.

- The Lion’s Tale

Writers and actors deserve fair contracts from movie studios

Creed III

Photos from: MGM Studios, Searchlight Pictures, Marvel Studios, Warner Bros. Studios, Walt Disney Studios

Flamin’ Hot

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

The Batman

Elemental

AllErgy Alert

Restaurants should be better equipped to provide for food-sensitive customers

As someone with food allergies, and as someone who keeps kosher on top of that, I often struggle with eating at restaurants. Finding kosher food that does not contain fish, eggs, nuts and sesame is not easy, and it limits my family’s ability to eat outside of our home.

“Wait, does it have nuts?...Can you remove the sesame?....There’s no fish, right?” While to some, I may sound like a broken record, these questions are a must whenever I eat at a restaurant.

Around 15 million people in the U.S. suffer from food allergies, and there are around 200,000 emergency room visits every year due to allergic reactions.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), food from restaurants has caused almost 50% of allergic reactions resulting in death, over a period of 13 years. One in three people with food allergies reported having an allergic reaction at a restaurant. But, these aren’t just one-off scenarios. This is a common threat to customers with food allergies.

Restaurants should do more to ensure the safety of customers with food allergies. By creating an allergen-friendly environment, restaurants can also target new customers who would otherwise not eat out, which can help improve sales.

Though restaurants pose risks for people with allergies, to create ideal conditions for customers with allergies, restaurants have to spend much more time and money in training, extra equipment and awareness. However, creating allergen-friendly environments could target a new demographic and additionally can help improve sales.

The Environmental Health Services Network (EHS-Net), a branch of the CDC, is dedicated to helping research food allergies and minimize allergy risks in restaurants. In 2014, EHS-Net conducted a study to see how well restaurant employees were trained for food allergy safety. Interviews from staff at 278 restaurants indicated that under half of the employees had not been trained in food allergy awareness and safety.

Additionally, of the restaurants included in the study, only 19.1% reported having designated equipment or utensils for preparing allergen-friendly foods. Currently, there are many regulations on pre-packaged

foods pertaining to food allergies, but restaurants don’t have to abide by those same rules. While some restaurants choose to list allergens and ingredients, not all restaurants disclose what foods have the potential for cross contamination. It is important to disclose this information, especially as it can pose a serious health risk for many customers.

The most important thing an establishment can do is provide allergy training to all its employees. This way, staff can understand how to interact with customers with allergies and learn to take certain precautions when serving foods. Using separate equipment and areas to prepare allergen-friendly food can also reduce the risk of cross contamination and help put a customer at ease. Additionally, providing ingredient lists helps to decrease confusion and notifies customers with allergies.

With increased attentiveness to allergens, no one will have to wonder if they could die just from going out to eat.

Tali Loeffler Reporter

“No

one should have to wonder if they could die just from going

out to eat.”

How to Use an Amneal Epinephrine Injection Device (EpiPen)

Remove the injection device from the protective tube

Take off blue caps from both sides, revealing the red tip

Check that the needle came out of the red tip. If not, repeat step 3

Stick the red tip into the middle of the outer thigh

5 Call 911 immediately. Then dispose of the Epinephrine device.

Myth Busting

MEDICATION MISJUDGEMENTS BY THE NUMBERS

health condition. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety disorders and depression are reasons I’ve commonly heard in high school for being on meds. Medications can increase serotonin in the brain, improve brain chemical function and reduce panic attacks.

When I was in eighth grade, my classmate mentioned that he was on medication to help him focus in class. Another classmate responded, “Doesn’t that mean you’re crazy?”

This comment proved to me that many people lack knowledge and are influenced by misconceptions surrounding psychiatric medication for teens. These misconceptions could include the belief that needing medication is a sign of weakness, that it will change who you are, or that the medications are unsafe, even when used properly.

According to Minded, 66% of people say that stigma, misinformation or fear prevented them from trying medication sooner. Additionally, a survey conducted by The Harris Poll found that 82% of teens want people to talk more openly about mental health.

Many medications can greatly impact teens’ lives and well-being for the better. Over 80% of people say that medication has been effective in improving their mental

When you learn about combating mental health issues in school, solutions are listed such as breathing exercises, spending time outside and listening to music. Although these things can be helpful, for many, a more clinical approach is needed.

Medication is not listed, I believe, due to the fear of prescription drug abuse in teens, and the fear of sending the wrong message: that medication is a “coping mechanism” abused by teens, rather than a medical solution. These worries stem from the reality of rising prescription drug abuse by teens in the U.S. One in four teenagers believe that prescription ADHD drugs can be used as a study aid, even if they don’t have ADHD, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSA). This false belief is due to a misunderstanding of prescription drugs and their purpose, both by the teens themselves, and others. Fear of the unknown and not fully understanding prescription medication

49.5% of U.S. teens experience mental health disorders

42% of people say they feel judged after telling someone they are taking medication

10% of people see taking medication as the “easy way out”

Information from NIH, Minded and Jama Pediatrics

A big part of the solution to this issue is educating people on the topic. Many people believe the stigma due to a lack of knowledge. Simply informing people on the subject can help correct misconceptions and introduce more positive connotations into the conversation. In CESJDS, this could be added to the rikuz class in the middle school and an advisory period in the high school.

JDS should teach that medication, when used properly and as instructed, can have beneficial impacts on people’s lives. Additionally, they should teach that medication is a valid option for those who are struggling and is not “giving up,” or something to be ashamed of.

Schools should be empathetic and supportive about mental health and medication, because, for many students, it improves the quality of life. Gaining knowledge and an understanding of this topic will help build a more accepting and empathetic community, both at JDS and beyond.

Penelope Terl Reporter

Timeline of Marijuana Legalization in Maryland

WEED-ING OUT MISCONCEPTIONS

me had an unhealthy relationship with marijuana and ended up in the hospital. The effects on this person’s mental health, behavior and overall life felt unbelievable, as they were caused by what I thought to be a harmless drug.

Lily Rulnick Features Editor

“You can’t get addicted to it.” “Nobody can overdose on weed.” “It’s a harmless drug.”

These are all real narratives surrounding marijuana that have been instilled in me over the years, whether it be by the media, my peers or even trusted adults. Popular culture loves to portray marijuana usage as a very casual thing, when really it’s anything but.

Like any other drug, marijuana messes with your brain’s chemistry. While this can sometimes lead to what people perceive as positive effects, it also means that marijuana can have very serious and dangerous effects on one’s body.

“A lot of kids feel like they’re a lot more relaxed on [weed],” Dr. Gorgio Kulp, a pediatrician at Metropolitan Pediatrics in Rockville and father to David (‘15), Ariella (‘17) and Ethan Kulp (‘20), said. “But the reality is that marijuana technically has a very anxiety-provoking capacity, and so it really has the potential to cause serious effects, [like] anxiety, panic attacks and … a psychotic break.”

Unfortunately, I have seen first-hand how dangerous the effects of marijuana can be. In the past year, someone very close to

And I am far from the only one. Weed has completely altered the life of John and Patricia, a local couple living in Montgomery County. In their case, their son’s body’s reaction to marijuana triggered schizophrenia.

“When we first knew about it was a phone call at four o’clock in the morning, from the mother of his roommate,” Patricia said. “ … And this woman said … she’d had this phone call from her son who was scared that [their son] was going to commit suicide.”

The understanding is that the genome that causes schizophrenia was already inside John and Patricia’s son, but it was the marijuana usage that set it off. Once he began using marijuana, what started as just hearing voices inside his head ended up completely changing the course of his life. Though he was able to gain relative stability for ten years, in 2021, he lost everything: his wife, his job and his home, because of how uncontrollable his condition was. John and Patricia have not seen or heard from their son since August 2021.

Their son’s life-altering reaction to marijuana is not uncommon. Kulp repeatedly sees young adults with similar stories and explains, contrary to popular belief, how weed can be addictive.

“A lot of patients feel that [marijuana is] safer than alcohol

because it doesn’t cause the hang over effects alcohol will,” Kulp said. “To me, that actually makes it more addictive because people see it as being so much more pleasant, [and that’s] going to be more reason to go ahead and have it more often.”

Another important factor to consider is the potency. John, Patricia and Kulp all cited studies that have shown marijuana today to be more potent than ever. Not only this, but Kulp explained that weed could be laced with drugs such as fentanyl, PCP, LSD and more. And because marijuana is now legalized in Maryland, it is more accessible than ever.

“ Teenagers feel like they’re rather invincible and, as a result, they just don’t think anything will happen to them when they do these kinds of things, but there’s just great risk and they just don’t realize it,” Kulp said.

I know how damaging the effects of marijuana can be on both the person using it and their loved ones, so it is important to me that people see the full range of effects that marijuana may have so that we can limit the amount of harm it causes.

I know smoking weed may seem fun. I know a lot of people around you are doing it. But I am begging everyone to understand that marijuana is not always as harmless as it is portrayed. Be informed, talk to your own doctor, so that before you use it as a means of unwinding, you understand the effects that marijuana can have on you and the people you care about.

Read the Lion’s Tale Pro/Con about legalization of marijuana in Maryland

April 9, 2022 Consitutional ammendment about adult use of Cannabis introduced Information taken from www.maryland.gov

Oct. 11, 2022

Alcohol and Tobacco commission submitted a report to the Maryland General Assembly

Nov. 8, 2022 Maryland voters passed “Question 4” and legalized cannabis posession for adults age 21 or older

July 1, 2023

Purchase and posession of Marijuana for adults 21+ legalized in Maryland

All Eyes on Identity

Photo illustration by Ella Waldman

Lena Nadaner Editor-in-Chief

Community grapples with gender education

Background

Each grade has its own materials and learning objectives.

Should the Lower School provide accommodations for families that choose to opt-out of the lessons?

Vote on the Lion’s Tale website!

As part of its DEIJ (Diversity Equity Inclusion Justice) curriculum, the Lower School began teaching gender inclusion lessons in 2020, which have garnered a wide range of parent reactions, from support to concern. Just as the rest of the country is grappling with these issues, the CESJDS community has differing opinions on how these topics should be approached with students of different ages.

At the Lower School, these lessons occur once a year for 30-45 minutes, aiming to combat gender stereotypes and give students the necessary tools and language for acceptance and inclusion, according to Dr. Kimberly Sherk, the Lower School Language Arts, Social Studies and DEIJ Coordinator.

“It’s all about making sure wherever a child is in their identity, that they feel welcome, and giving anybody’s classmates the opportunity to know how to approach each other when there are questions when anything is brought up,” Sherk said. “If somebody says ‘you can’t play with us because you’re a girl,’ how do you respond to that?”

The Washington Post found that lesson plans for gender identity are becoming more common and that seven states require curriculums to include LGBTQ topics. However, they also reported that five states limit how teachers can discuss gender identity. Closer to home, Moco360 reported that hundreds of parents protested in June in light of Montgomery Coun-

ty Public School’s (MCPS) no-optout policy of LGBTQ+ inclusive storybooks in schools.

Lower School Principal Rabbi Matthew Bellas said that the decision to cover gender inclusion in the curriculum was not driven by any local or national trend.

“It’s good to know that we’re a school that is part of a national conversation, that we’re doing something that is educationally relevant,” Bellas said. “The conversation in and of itself is not impacting what or how we do things.”

Bellas said that in the early spring of 2020, the Upper School began rolling out new initiatives to acknowledge gender identity, and Lower School families began sharing that their children were on gender journeys, so he wanted those students to feel comfortable and safe by developing lessons

and reviewing the curriculums.

Sherk explained that the lessons were developed using research from educational research journals, the Anti-Defamation League and Learning for Justice, and they are refined every year.

Pushback

Some parents have expressed concern about JDS teaching about these topics. Some believe that the lessons are not age appropriate and that the school uses them to push an ideology, a claim the school denies.

On Feb. 27, Bellas and Head of School Rabbi Mitchell Malkus received a letter from a group of parents that explained they understand the school’s goal to create an inclusive atmosphere, yet question the particular approach. For that reason, the group of parents wrote, “we are uncomfortable with the Lower School’s planned lessons about gender identity and, for varying reasons, do not consent to our young children attending those lessons.”

Twenty-six Lower School families, three Upper School families and 10 individuals from the wider community signed the letter, according to Bellas. An anonymous parent who was part of this cohort said, “it’s unfortunately a bit of a challenge to confirm or deny Rabbi Bellas’s breakdown,” but thinks it is an undercount. For fear of ostracization and social consequences for themselves and their children, many parents have remained anonymous with these concerns, so the letter could not be circulated around to grade-wide WhatsApp chats, for example, and many people were likely unaware that this letter existed.

“In the letter, everyone’s on board with creating an inclusive community,” the anonymous parent said. “No one should be made to feel like an outsider. It’s a question of approach [and] age appropriateness of some of this stuff. Whether there’s a way to do it that doesn’t adopt a particular ideology; like can’t we teach kids to be nice to one another without teaching them that.”

The anonymous parent also explained that the lessons take place in April, which is Acts of Loving Kindness Month at the

Lower School, so children could be taught other lessons instead, such as zero tolerance for bullying.

Bellas and Malkus responded in an email to the parents, explaining that gender inclusion lessons are necessary for creating a safe and inclusive community and preventing bullying.

“Gender diverse children/ youth who are not affirmed have significantly higher rates of sui cide and depression than gender typical kids,” Bellas and Malkus wrote in their response to the group of parents.

Just like parents, students also have diverse opinions on teaching elementary-aged chil dren these subjects. Junior Sam Verschleisser is transgender and said that the lessons would have been helpful to him when he was in elementary school.

“This education…is definitely going to help kids feel safer and feel more okay expressing them selves genuinely,” Verschleisser said.

On the other hand, another high school student explained that they appreciated the school being accepting, but did not think it was the school’s place to teach these lessons. That student was also un willing to share their name for fear of being ostracized.

“I’m really surprised that JDS, an institution that caters to fami lies across the political spectrum, would take such definitive strides in one direction as opposed to the other,” the student said. “I’m equally surprised that they would subject young impressionable children to lessons that are practi cally engineered to confuse them, and which I believe are simply not age appropriate.”

Materials

Another concern of the signa tories of the letter was the materi als used in the lessons. The materi als vary each year as new research comes out, Sherk explained, so when the school alerted parents in the middle of February that they were introducing the video “A Boy Like Me” to first grade, an assortment of parents expressed concerns over the video’s one-sid ed generalizations of gender, and some claim it inappropriately in troduces the idea that gender is a

Gender Inclusion Lessons Learning Objectives

Gurim:

Laying foundation for gender roles, gender stereotyping, and identity

“Boys” vs. “Girls; boy colors, girl colors, what can boys do, what can girls do?

Kindergarten and 1st Grade:

Examine gender roles and recognize gender

2nd and 3rd Grade:

Expansion on K and 1st concepts

Define “Gender Expression”

Respecting differences in expression and

4th and 5th Grade:

Expansion on 2nd and 3rd concepts

Define Gender Role, expression and identity

Familiarity with key terms related to gender identity Information from CESJDS

“feeling in your heart.”

Bellas said that the video was reviewed by himself, Assistant Principal Rebecca Prigal, Malkus and the guidance team, who all agreed that the content was appropriate and wanted to try using a video instead of the book “Dolls and Trucks Are for Everyone” by Robb Pearlman.

“There is no non-ideological reason that I can come up with for getting rid of that book in favor of a lesson that explicitly introduced the concept of gender dysphoria to six and seven-year-olds,” the anonymous parent said.

According to the DSM-5-TR, gender dysphoria is “clinically significant distress or impairment related to gender incongruence, which may include desire to change primary and/or secondary sex characteristics.” Malkus said that only older students are introduced to terminology relating to gender dysphoria.

After receiving additional feedback from several other parents about the video’s onesided generalizations of gender, Bellas removed the video from the planned lessons because he did not want parents to opt out of the lessons due to this video. The anonymous parent believes the administration heard parents’ concerns about generalizations of gender in the video and thus removed it from the curriculum. However, the parent did not feel as though the administration recognized parents’ concerns about exposing students to the concept of gender dysphoria.

“In terms of determining what’s in the curriculum and what isn’t, that’s up to us as the professional educators to decide,” Bellas said.

Bellas clarified that the school

is open to feedback from the community about the curriculum, but parents do not have final say in deciding what’s in the curriculum.

Additionally, while the anonymous parent supports the school’s effort in combating gender stereotypes, they said that the lessons become questionable as the grade levels rise.

“There’s an internal illogic to it… As they get older, [there is an] idea that if a boy likes pink, he might be trans,” the anonymous parent said. “It’s like fighting these stereotypes, and then at a certain point, it’s a 180 and really embraces the stereotypes in a certain way.”

Despite these objections, many parents support these lessons and the materials used. Brian Liss, the vice president of the CESJDS Board of Directors, is one of them.

“As a parent, I am confident that the school knows what it’s doing as far as how to educate our students,” Liss said. “I put my faith in the school and confidence that … the curriculum is appropriate for the age and reflects our schools’ core values.”

Accommodations

Bellas and Malkus also explained in their letter that parents can choose to opt out of these lessons, but the school would not offer alternative programming, just as they would not for other parts of the curriculum. In previous years, the school sent students whose parents chose to opt-out of these lessons to Wonders Learning, an aftercare program that works with the Lower School, but the school did not offer any alternative to the programming this past year. This year, the school scheduled the lessons at the beginning or end of the

KNOW THE FACTS

7 States explicitly requires LGBTQ inclusion in curricular standards

school day to make it easier for families to opt out of them.

However, some parents are frustrated with this response because they feel that the school is taking a non-accommodating approach by inconveniencing parents to pick their kids up from school early or taking them to school late rather than allowing students to sit in the media center.

Sherk explained that one of the reasons alternative learning is not offered is staffing issues. In addition, Bellas pointed out that the school provides advanced notice to families that these lessons are approaching.

29 States have no LGBTQ specific curricular laws

However, the anonymous parent said that by informing parents that these lessons are coming, the school is sending a message that these lessons are actually treated separately from other parts of the curriculum, which means the school should provide accommodations. Thus, the parent said, that by not providing accommodations, JDS is not being pluralistic.

5 States require parental notification of LGBTQ curricula

11 States law censors discussions of LGBTQ people or issues in school

“I would hope that a school with pluralism as its core value [would have an] approach to this issue [that] would reflect that core value and [not] just pick and choose which core values they’re actually going to hold by or value at any given time,” the anonymous parent said.

Bellas said that Lower School leadership debated over giving advance notice to parents for these lessons but ultimately agreed that informing parents would be the most pluralistic and inclusive approach.

Parent diversity committee

Furthermore, in their letter, Bellas and Malkus shared that they organized a parent diversi-

Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress by Christine Baldacchino Grade: Second and Third

Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michal Hall. Grade: Gurim

Pink is for Boys By Robb Pearlman Grade: Kindergarten

Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman Grade: Second and Third

Dolls and Trucks are for Everyone By Robb Pearlman Grade: First

ty committee to educate families about the school’s engagement in DEIJ.

The committee aims to educate and discuss the school’s DEIJ initiatives in hopes of having a conversation with and aligning the larger community with the educators, according to Liss, one of two co-chairs of the committee. He said that Sherk spoke with the committee about the overall gender curriculum and considered parent feedback.

“Parents who attended engaged in a respectful and worthwhile discussion of both what is taught and their perspectives on these issues,” Malkus and Bellas wrote.

The committee is composed of about 16 members who applied and were selected by Malkus to reflect the demographic, religious and political diversity of the school.

“For the most part, the community is 100% supportive of the school’s efforts in these areas and in the way we educate our students about diversity,” Liss said. “There are some questions about how specifically to educate in that area, and we had a good discussion about it.”

Some parents believe that the committee does not reflect the diversity of the parent body, especially for sensitive topics such as gender inclusion.

“We always know that we’re not going to make everybody happy,” Bellas said. “No matter what it is that we do in the school, and the gender inclusion lesson is just one example of that. We’re not going to have 100% acceptance and satisfaction with anything that we do, and there’s always things that can be improved.”

Moving forward

Bellas hopes that every parent feels comfortable sharing their concerns and said that these conversations would be more productive if they were face-to-face. He is disappointed that parents feel that they will be ostracized for sharing their opinions.

“We’re blessed to be a large community Jewish Day School, and that means we’re going to have a lot of people with a lot of different opinions, and if we’re truly going to be pluralistic and diverse, that means that every opinion matters,” Bellas said.

He also emphasized that parents should feel heard when giving feedback to the school. The anonymous parent felt that the Lower School leadership took their letter seriously but was doubtful about its impact. The parent hopes that, at the least, the school reconsiders accommodations for parents that opt out of these lessons.

“I think you get a letter from the parents, and you kind of have to read it respectfully,” the parent said. “I don’t think it has any impact whatsoever on their decision-making.”

Since these lessons are contained to once per year, the anonymous parent said they will keep their children at CESJDS for now. However, they would consider leaving the school if these lessons were expanded.

“If it were something where I felt like my child was actually starting to get confused by some of these ideas and starting to question their own gender, we’d be out of school in a heartbeat,” the parent said.

All children need the language to have conversations about these topics, according to Sherk, and the lessons are designed to teach kids to be good humans. Bellas agreed that these lessons are necessary, especially to prevent bullying.

“That one lesson that teaches about gender stereotyping, being warm and welcoming, and not making judgments about other people and, when the students are older, informing them about appropriate gender identity vocabulary, that’s not going to open the

What’s at Stake?

On August 24, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland rejected a motion for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) to permit families to opt out of LGBTQ+ inclusive material in English courses, asserting that schools have no obligation to protect students from potentially offensive concepts. MCPS continues its dedication to inclusive education, incorporating a variety of identities and backgrounds into its curriculum.

door to a child to think that their gender identity is something that’s confusing or a decision that they have to make at some point in their lives,” Bellas said.

In their letter to the school, the group of parents explained that they understand the diverse perspective about including gender inclusivity in the curriculum but believe that the school must take a more pluralistic approach in both the lessons and their accommodations.

“The school has sent a troubling signal about its lack of commitment to inclusivity by refusing to hear our perspective and denying any accommodations whatsoever to families who want to explore other ways of teaching Acts of Loving Kindness,” the parents wrote.

Malkus said that these lessons embrace how students view themselves and are connected to the Jewish values of seeing every student as created in God’s image.

“I don’t view anything that we’re doing as controversial,” Malkus said. “I’m aware that outside of the school, these issues have been politicized, but inside the school, we’re acting as educators, promoting our school’s core values and trying to make sure that kids treat each other respectfully and are welcoming.”

It Feels Good To Be Yourself

By Theresa Thorn Grade: Fourth

A Kids Book About Gender by Dale Mueller Grade: Fifth

Sorry, I’m Booked

As Jewish text teacher Rabbi Reuvane Slater walked into a bookstore in Monsey, New York, he saw his own book sitting on the shelf. Years of dedication and hard work had finally come to fruition, and Slater was overwhelmed with feelings of excitement and achievement.

“It was an experience unlike any other experience to see some sort of store interested in your work,” Slater said.

His book, “Tachanun: Prayer from the Heart,” was published in 2006 in honor of his sick mother. Tachanun is recited during the weekday services and contains confessions of sins to God.

Although Slater was still teaching at the time, he didn’t feel overwhelmed by the added workload of writing a book and often wrote at night.

“My mother got very sick … I hadn’t really thought about writing anything, but I started to do something in her honor and her merit and tried to pick a topic that was about prayer because the idea was praying for her,” Slater said.

While some teachers at CESJDS have published books, others are in the process of writing.

Middle school English teacher David Carrington is currentlt working on the draft of his young adult book, focused on 14 punctuation-inspired superheroes who visit struggling towns. The goal of Carrington’s book, he said, is to

teach students the importance of punctuation.

Carrington got the inspiration to write a book when he taught at the same school where Rick Riordan, author of the series “Percy Jackson,” had previously worked. Watching Riordan turn his curriculum on the Odyssey into a fun novel for kids made Carrington wonder if he could do the same for his class.

Carrington began writing his draft in October of 2019 and is more than halfway done. While it is challenging for Carrington to carve out time for his book, he believes that setting regular times to write can be helpful.

“There’s this idea that you can’t wait for creativity to come, you can’t wait for inspiration to just come down from the heavens and hit you like a bolt of lightning,” Carrington said. “It’s got to be a regular practice where you’re in your routine, you sit down and if you do that enough times, ideas will come out.”

Unlike Carrington, who is writing a fantasy book, middle school social studies teacher Heidi Zansler is writing a novel loosely based on her life. The novel’s protagonist is Francesca, a woman in her 40s who recently discovered she is Jewish and struggles to figure out how that fact fits into her identity. She feels the need to have a child in order to carry on her Jewish legacy; however, she has a disability she has dubbed her “Franken-walk,” which she says is

the reason she can’t find a partner.

Zansler had no background in writing, so she opted to take writing classes. She took free classes through the DC Public Library on general topics like themes and moving a plot forward, and she additionally paid for classes in areas where she needed more help.

“I don’t have a family, so I teach during the week, do my responsibilities,” Zansler said. “Then on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, mostly Saturday and Sunday, I’m writing and editing.”

In March, Zansler was accepted to a program in New York where she met with the senior editor of a publishing company who asked to see her final draft. If the editor chooses to buy the book, it will be easier finding an agent. Now she is writing her query letters, which are letters that an author sends to potential agents to see if the agent is interested in their book.

“I thought that when I started this book, I was going to write this one book and that would be it … Now I’m already thinking about my next novel,” Zansler said. “ … People run, people play lacrosse, they do wine tastings, or whatever it is, everybody has their thing. And I finally found my thing and it’s writing.”

Sophie Schwartz Reporter

English teacher David Carrington maintains a writing routine that fits his schedule. Photo by Elizabeth Warner. Used with permission.

Make eat (less?) it

Jew consider ethics of eating cultivated meat

Ruby Kotok Reporter

Which came first: the chicken or the egg? For Upside Foods, the answer is neither.

The food technology company harvests animal cells and uses them to grow FDA-approved meat without slaughtering animals. Cultivated meat companies such as Upside Foods share a few common goals: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the meat industry, slaughter fewer animals and diminish the growing demand for meat, which is expected to double from 2008 by 2050, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Amy Chen, the Chief Operating Officer at Upside Foods, noted the need for a solution to this increasing demand.

“The math doesn’t work,” Chen said. “Our planet cannot sustain a growing population that wants to eat more meat if we continue making it the way that we have always made it.”

Their proposed solution: cultivated meat.

The first step in the cultivated meat process is harvesting cells, which can be collected from various sources, such as eggs, live animals and even recently slaughtered animals.

While harvesting cells from live animals as opposed to slaughtering them draws some vegetarians and vegans to cultivated meat, it also complicates things for the Jewish community. Judaics teacher Rabbi Reuvane Slater pointed out a couple of religious issues concerning cultivated meat, including whether or not this meat is considered alive.

In Genesis, the descendants of Noah were commanded with

seven laws, one of which was the forbidding of eating a limb off of a live animal.

“Normally the only time we ever eat something from an animal is after it’s been slaughtered properly,” Slater said. “But if you can extract the cell [from a live animal], would that interfere with that particular law of eating some sort of limb off of a live animal?”

Additionally, Slater raised the question of whether or not cultivated meat should be considered to be actual meat since it still comes from animals.

The next step after harvesting is cultivation, where optimal cells grow in large cultivators, which resemble the equipment of a brewery. Finally, the cells are formulated into meat.

Another important point of inquiry, Slater mentioned, is that it is forbidden to simply appear as though you are breaking halacha (Jewish law), and so eating cultivated meat with dairy in public might be problematic.

Israel Chief Rabbi David Lau declared that cultivated meat could be considered kosher. Lau determined that it should be categorized as kosher pareve, neither milk nor meat.

For vegetarians, cultivated meat still holds a moral question. Sophomore Ella Arking became a vegetarian at nine years old. Due to such a long hiatus from meat, she said that if she were to eat cultivated meat, it would “not sit well” with her. Regardless, Arking doesn’t eliminate cultivated meat as an option.

“There are ways that you can harvest the cells from the animal and grow the meat that are harmful, but there are also ways that aren’t,” Arking said. “So I think

it really depends on how they’re harvesting the cells.”

Upside debuted their meat at Chef Dominique Crenn’s Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, but José Andrés also brought cultivated meat to the area at his D.C. restaurant China Chilcano.

While many are still undecided, cultivated meat is an alternative that is expected to become readily available in the coming years, with its presence in restaurants as just the beginning.

“It’ll take us a while as we think about scaling a brand new industry and a brand new approach to get to the level of impact that we want,” Chen said. “But it’s a very exciting time and place to be working on this.”

Photo by Upside Foods

Photos by of Upside Foods Press Kit. Used with permission.

After over a decade of planning, networking and construction, the Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum opened on June 9, offering an enriching and comprehensive exploration of Jewish history in the DMV. Dating back to the 18th century with a focus on identity and values, the museum provides a platform for visitors to “connect, reflect, and act,” according to the museum’s mission statement.

“The museum’s values are to give light to stories that help us better understand how the world is the way it is today, and how we can then change what the world could be tomorrow,” Communications Specialist Maura Scanlon said.

The museum is located in the heart of D.C., on the corner of 3rd and F streets NW, near the Judiciary Square metro station. Timed tickets are required for entry, but they are available for free on the museum’s website. Tickets for special exhibits are not free and are sold separately on the website.

The museum’s first special exhibit is “Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.” The exhibit celebrates the

late justice’s unique journey as a Jewish woman and her impact on civil rights. Walking through the exhibit, there are excerpts from some of Ginsburg’s decisions, videos about her life and the mezuzah from her Supreme Court office door. This special exhibit open until Nov. 30.

The museum is made up of two buildings, the new main building and the old synagogue. The main building is the entrance and contains the special exhibit area on the top floor as well as the main “Connect. Reflect. Act.” exhibit on the second floor. D.C.’s oldest synagogue, Adas Israel, is accessible from both the ground and second floors.

Upon entering the old synagogue, there is a towering list of Jewish values and ideas, such as Tikkun Olam. Wrapping around the room is a detailed chronology of the history of the community, from ten Jews living in the area to 300,000. The timeline tracks the growth of the Jewish community through artifacts, statistics and brief descriptions of significant Jewish historical events.

Going up the stairs in the back of the synagogue building leads to the old sanctuary. The wood-

en floors, unique Torah ark and separate women’s balcony transports visitors back in time to the 19th century when the synagogue was in use. A video explaining the history of the synagogue and the community plays on a projector. The last and main exhibit is titled “Connect. Reflect. Act.” and focuses on Jewish values and their intersection with modern social ideals, like equality and freedom. The unique part of this exhibit is the pile of 100 cubes. Each cube represents a leader of the Washington Jewish community, and on each side of the cube is a different adjective to describe the leader. This shows that just as one cannot see every side of the cube at the same time, one cannot see every side of someone’s identity at the same time.

“Jewish Washington is everything from a federal civil servant, to a homemaker to a local chef, to someone who’s a person of color to someone who has adopted the Jewish faith to someone born in another country and moved here,” Scanlon said. “The museum then offers the opportunity to think about who you are and how you would define yourself.”

New museum explores D.C. Jewish life not so ancient history

Adin Halbfinger News Editor

The foyer of the RBG exhibition serves as a monument to her legacy. Photo by Imagine Photography. Used with permission.

Facts provided by the Capital Jewish Museum

stepping up to a bigger stage

Actress is nominated for regional musical theater award

Jonah Beinart Features Editor

When senior Shiri Cohen saw that she was nominated for best actress for the Brandon Victor Dixon (BVD) Awards, she was sure it was a mistake.

“I was super thrilled, honestly. It was the first time that I was nominated for an acting award or competition that was not related [directly] to the school,” Cohen said. “I was very honored and surprised that scouts from The National Theatre thought that I was worth it to be considered.”

Cohen found out about her nomination in May, which was six months after the CESJDS high school production of “Hello, Dolly!” She played its lead, Dolly Levi, a widowed woman living in New York in the 1860s with a witty and hyper persona.

Although Cohen was the only actress in the show nominated for an award, Director of Arts Dr. David Solomon submitted an application for the production as a whole, with potential nominations for best actor and actress, best production and outstanding achievement in technical theater. He chose to submit the application for the first time this year because of the program’s rebound after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Receiving the news of her nomination was exciting, but the next couple weeks of Cohen’s life were complicated by a series of auditions at The National Theatre in Washington, D.C. during the end

of the school year. These auditions whittled down the number of candidates from eight to five.

“Other than being a junior in high school, having so much work and stressing over finals, I had to be at The National Theatre four times over a week and a half,” Cohen said. “But it was really worth it because it challenged my time management skills, and it was nice to know that I could handle

blown away.”

The winner of the BVD awards went on to compete in the Jimmy Awards, the fi nal and national competition for high school performers. Although she did not advance to the Jimmy Awards, both Solomon and Cohen look back fondly on the auditioning process, despite the seemingly disappointing result.

it, despite the [process] being very stressful.”

During her last performance for the BVD awards in D.C., a group of teachers, including Solomon, supported her while she performed in front of judges and other audience members. Cohen felt like she had a “cheering squad” from JDS.

Karen Pang, math teacher and musical director of JDS’s a capella group, Shir Madness, was one of the teachers that supported Cohen during her performance.

“I was so excited that someone from JDS was nominated for such a prestigious award,” Pang said. “She just owned that stage... she was so good, and I was just

What Happened When? A Timeline

“I am so thrilled with the work that she did, and I know it was a learning experience, and I am so proud of her,” Solomon said. “One of favorite memories of all time was watching her perform on The National Theatre stage and seeing all that hard work, enthusiasm and love for performance appear in front of a packed audience.”

Cohen plans on continuing to pursue her passion for sing ing and the performing arts even after high school. However, she isn’t entirely sure how singing and performing will manifest itself in her future.

“Acting and singing will always be part of my life,” Co hen said. “If I choose to pur sue it and make it my profes sion, I would be honored to be able to make a living doing the thing I love most.”

She just owned that stage... she was so good, and I was just blown away.”

“

-math teacher and Shir Madness director Karen Pang

“Hello, Dolly!” performed at CESJDS May 15

Nominees for the BVD Awards announced

Nominees audition for the first round of competition at The Nationial Theatre

May 22

Five finalists sang a song from their play in the last round before the finals May 23

May 30

Winners were announced and moved on to the national competition

arts and entertainment -

close the curtains

Maya Greenblum Reporter

Laughter fills the room at Gaithersburg’s “Give A Hoot” comedy club as a regular comedian at the open-mic shows humors the crowd. The comedian’s joke about alcoholism piques the interest of most adults in the audience, but not my 15-year-old self.

Open-mic comedy is an event held at many comedy clubs where any audience member can perform, eliminating a process that clubs may undergo for their regular performers.

Local comedians ranging in age, experience and sense of humor gather at this venue on Wednesday evenings for open mic night. However, the jokes presented by this wide scope of comedians are not fashioned for all audiences. Much of it was tailored to adults, so as a teenager, the humor flew over my head.

I will note that I have never attended a comedy show before, so I lack past experiences to compare to this one. Further, I would not categorize myself as one who is amused by all kinds of humor.

When arriving at the venue, I was confused when seeing the name “La Mexicana Bar & Grill” in front of the address, but then learned that the restaurant hosts the comedy club. My pre-reserved ticket was free since it was openmic; regular stand-up comedy show tickets cost $20 in advance and $25 at the door.

A waiter sat me at a table and treated me to free tortilla chips and salsa. There were about 30 other guests in the audience, both

What’s your favorite Joke?

“What’s the best thing about Switzerland? I don’t know but the flag is a big plus!”

- Junior Yedidya Milner-Gillers

“How come the baby colt couldn’t speak? Because he was a little horse!”

- Mr. Jacobson

funny facts Didknow...you

Dean of Experiential Learning Tori Ball has performed at comedy clubs.

If you want to get your start in comedy, ask Ms. Ball about doing morning announcments

comedians and spectators. I was the youngest in the crowd.

The first two comedians were both new to the comedy scene, and due to this inexperience, their five-minute acts lacked logical flow and clarity. Their jokes often used offensive language towards minorities and many slurs, which entertained the older portion of the audience but left me feeling uncomfortable.

The next two comedians carried on the comedy with humor favored by audience members of all ages with jokes about childhood, pop culture and local news in the area. These entertainers were visibly advanced in their performing skills and I thoroughly enjoyed these two acts more.

While watching the show, I ordered a Mexican dessert tres leches ($6.00) and found the dish to be underwhelming. However, the wait staff was extremely courteous and kind, which improved my visit.

Even though I didn’t enjoy all of the comedians, I was pleased to learn that a part of the profit made by “Give A Hoot” is donated to numerous charities such as “Comfort Cases” and “Spirit Club Foundation” ” Hence, the comedy club’s motto, “Comedy for the Community,” is advertised regularly and accurately.

Due to the comedy club’s apparent expectation that its audience members are older, I would not recommend the show to other young adolescents I am sure that the open-mic nights would be more fun for more mature audiences.

“What did the janitor say when he jumped out of the closet? Supplies!”

- Sixth Grader Naomi WerbinGradel

“What do computers snack on? Microchips!”

- Junior Jonah Berman

“How do you make a tissue dance? Put a little boogie in it!”

- Junior Dalia Epstein

“Two muffins are in an oven. One muffin says to the other ‘Hey, is it hot in here?’ The other goes ‘A TALKING MUFFIN!’”

- Junior Abigail Chesman

“Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side!”

- Senior Noah Sexter

What do you call an alligator detective?

Investi-gator!

-Sophomore Micah Goldrich

“What happened in the Porta-Potty? I don’t know but I’ll be the number two investigator ”

- Sam Sullivan, teacher

“What did the horse say after it tripped? Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t giddyup!”

- Junior Ezra Raskin

Mexican Dessert, Tres Leches which is served at “Give A Hoot”. Photo by Maya Greenblum.

Build your own

Rasa’s Buildyour-own bowl menu offers...

8 Base options such as rices and greens

7 Protein options including beef and tofu

4 Ready to order sauces like tomato garlic

16 Toppings such as avocado, corn and lentils

4 Veggies such as spinach and eggplant

Rasa-dazzle

bles, rice and Indian-style sauces.

Just north on Rockville Pike, fast-casual RASA is a unique restaurant that takes classic Indian cuisine and gives it an exciting and delicious twist.

RASA was established by two young men with a passion for spreading the one-of-a-kind flavors of Indian cuisine. Rahul Vinod and Sahil Rahman grew up in the restaurant industry and constantly experienced non-Indian people criticizing Indian food without having tried it, according to RASA’s website. So, in hopes of expanding the population’s taste palettes, they decided to open a fast-casual Indian restaurant and named it RASA, based on the first two letters of both of their names.

RASA, which opened on April 27, is located adjacent to two oth er fast-casual restaurants, CAVA and Honeygrow. While you might anticipate a similar experience, RASA creates an environment that individualizes it from the others.

Upon entering the restaurant, I was greeted with a bold and modern environment, enhanced with intricate details worked into each nook and cranny which brings the space to life. The bright colors carried from the ceiling to the floor tie the restaurant togeth er, making it a nice, welcoming area.

The restaurant is composed of two sides; the most prominent part is dedicated to a buffet-style area for bowls you can custom ize yourself, an experience that has recently been popularized in many fast-casual restaurants. The bowls, which range from $10.99 to $13.79, have a wide variety of components including vegeta

The second side of the restaurant has colorful and welcoming booths and tables, along with two hanging ovular seats, a component unique to this restaurant.

When walking along the counter, you can add to and customize your own bowl to your liking. The base options can consist of grains, such as rice or greens for a lighter, healthier meal without losing any of the bowl’s bold Indian flavors. As you move through the array of toppings, such as sweet potato tikki which gives the bowl a touch of sweet flavor or tofu and cauliflow er, a high protein, savory mix, you are greeted with potentially new

der chili, which packs an instant punch of heat, and the tomato garlic sauce that replicates a tikka masala sauce you might find in your classic Indian restaurant. There are many side options on the menu including the classic Indian dish, samosas ($2.49). The order comes with two samosas along with a side of two sauces that add more flavor to the dish, which I found a bit bland alone.

RASA also has desserts and beverages, including a Mango Lassi ($4.99) which is a thick, creamy mango drink, as well as

Fast-casual Indian restaurant exceeds expectations.

Sadaf Zadeh Reporter

Photo by Sadaf Zadeh.

Five novels that can bring you back to summer

Lilli Libowitz In-DepthEditor

“Forget Me Not” by Julie Soto is an emotional romance that follows Ama Torres, an ambitious wedding planner, as she reluctantly teams up with her ex-boyfriend, Elliot. When Ama is hired to plan a high-profile celebrity wedding, she discovers that Elliot, who happens to be a florist, is already contracted to design the flowers, sparking unresolved feelings between them. As they work together amidst the meddling bride and a reality TV crew documenting their every move, Ama and Elliot’s hearts and jobs are put at risk.

& entertainmentread , relax , repeat

“The Five-Star Weekend” by Elin Hilderbrand is a gripping and emotionally charged novel that explores friendship, love and self-discovery. After a devastating tragedy, Hollis Shaw gathers four friends from different stages of her life for a weekend getaway in Nantucket, to seek solace and healing. However, as old feelings resurface and secrets are revealed, the weekend takes an unexpected turn.

“The Housekeepers” by Alex Hay explores themes of power, gender and class through the story of formidable women who plan a heist in 20th-century London. Mrs. King, a housekeeper with a mysterious past, assembles a team of women to seek revenge after her sudden dismissal from the Mayfield house. Together, they plot to rob her previous employer’s lavish home of its treasures. Hay reminds readers to never underestimate the resilience of those often overlooked through a historical backdrop and a plot brimming with secrets.

This captivating and ambitious novel delves into the poignant narrative of Bob Comet, a retired librarian whose life revolves around literature. Set in Portland, Oregon, Bob leads a solitary existence until an encounter with an elderly woman leads him to volunteer at a senior center, where he finds a community of eccentric peers. Through his interactions with a painful complication from his past, Bob’s life story and character gradually unfold. Through his inimitable style, deWitt offers a compassionate portrayal of outcasts and sheds light on the complexity of introversion.

Harriet and Wyn, once the perfect couple, have secretly broken up but agree to pretend they are still together during their annual weeklong vacation with friends at a Maine cottage. As they navigate their charade, their lingering feelings and vulnerabilities come to the surface, testing their resolve. With its mix of humor, poignancy and heartfelt moments, “Happy Place” offers a delightful and insightful read that captures the complexities of love and the enduring bonds of friendship.

Photos from hachettebookgroup.com, harpercollins.com and emilyhenrybooks.com

Dreamlife becomes a reality

Live action “Barbie” conquers media

Stella Muzin Arts and Entertainment Editor

The live-action movie “Barbie’’ has taken pop-culture by storm, and for good reason. The movie’s strong plot line and witty humor deserves all the admiration it is getting, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this movie goes on to win multiple awards.

The movie is set in “Barbieland,” a perfect world where Barbie and Ken live with all their doll friends, until one day, Barbie starts feeling less than perfect. “Barbie” followes her and Ken as they adventure to Los Angeles to try to return Barbie to her old self.

Before the movie was released, there was a lot of online criticism about casting choices, which struck up a conversation about age in regard to acting. Many fans believed Ryan Gosling was too old to play the role of Ken and that he wouldn’t portray the character correctly. Even with this backlash, Gosling persevered and his acting made the movie what it is, maybe even better.

The director, Greta Gerwig, did a great job of highlighting feminism, which is integral to the Barbie brand, through witty jokes and female characters in pow

erful positions. Given the theme of feminism, it was surprising how significant Gosling’s character was. Gosling played the role extremely well and his acting was one of the highlights of the movie.

One of my favorite parts of the Barbie movie was its exclusive soundtrack, which also deserves to win multiple awards. It included a vast selection of popular artists, including Lizzo, Dua Lipa and Sam Smith. Songs from the movie like “Pink” by Lizzo and “I’m just Ken” by Ryan Gosling have taken over the music charts. This soundtrack made the movie more lively and exciting for viewers.

An additional factor that made “Barbie” such a pop culture sensation was that its release was the same day as another new popular film, “Oppenheimer.” Although the two movies don’t have much in common, seeing both movies on the same day became a popular trend, widely known as “Barbenheimer.’’ This trend brought new fans and excitement to both movies and made seeing them an event you wouldn’t want to miss.

One of my only critiques of “Barbie” is its lack of connection to the animated Barbie film

franchise. For instance, a big part of many Barbie fans’ childhoods were the cartoon Barbie movies, such as “Barbie of Swan Lake” or “Barbie: Fairytopia.” These films did not have to be a direct part of the movie, but it would’ve been nice to see some mention of them in the film.

There were also many classic Barbie characters left out of the movie. Some of these characters include Raquelle, Ryan and Chelsea, who I would’ve loved to see in the movie.

Watching “Barbie” helped me understand the message behind the toys I played with as a child. The movie made so many references to the numerous dolls, making it not only enjoyable to watch, but also nostalgic.

Between the stellar soundtrack, strong plotline and great humor, this movie is more than qualified to win numerous awards, maybe even an Oscar. It has all the right factors to make “Barbie” a movie that goes down in history, not just your typical summer blockbuster.

Overall, I think the hype around “Barbie” is well earned, and I encourage anyone who has yet to see it to put on some pink and go watch the movie.

Breaking the ice

Senior plays hockey competitively outside of school

Maiya Blumenthal Reporter

With a one-man advantage on a power play and just a minute remaining, senior Yael Rosenberg knows that the St. James girls U16 hockey team must break the tie so they can make it to nationals.

With a set play in mind, center Rosenberg brings the puck up the ice. She drops the puck back and skates towards the net, anticipating the coming shot. The puck goes wide and there’s a scramble in front of the net, right where Rosenberg is set up. She gears up for the shot and lets the puck fly,

watching it glide past the goalie. As the puck enters the net, Rosenberg’s teammates crowd on top of her, celebrating the victory.

Rosenberg started playing hockey when she was seven years old, taking after her older sibling. Although Rosenberg also played karate, soccer and gymnastics at that time, she decided to stick with

Merchant said. “That stop-to-start movement has been something that we’ve been consistently working on with her.”

In her freshman year, Rosenberg began playing on a coed team while also continuing to play on the St. James girls team, because she believed the faster pace and higher level of physicality would

“On the coed team, it is definitely different,” Rosenberg said. “I was the only girl this past year; there’s only ever been one other girl on the team at the same time as me. It is clearly different, just the energy, and in the locker room you have to get dressed with every-

Rosenberg does not just feel differences in the team dynamic, but being on a primarily boys team has brought her many challenges of needing to prove herself against stereotypes about women

If she experiences more difficulties on her coed team, her all girls team makes up for it.

“I love all my teammates; we’re really close,” Rosenberg said. “We spend so much time together. We

Rosenberg’s feelings about her team are reciprocated by her teammates and coaches as well.

“Truly, Yael is one of those players that is extremely enjoyable to coach,” DeMerchant said. “She’s a good teammate, and she brings a certain energy both on and off the ice that I think is really important.”

9.6% of hockey players are female

82 women played professional hockey in the US in 2018-19

1% of children in the US play hockey as of 2020

Information from silver skate festival, statista and ESPN

26% increase of female hockey players since 2016

Photo courtesy of Yael Rosenberg.

Aaron Waldman SportsEditor

Junior Dalia Esptein sits anxiously, but excitedly lined up in front of all her teammates. Epstein is preparing to receive her bronze medal during the award ceremony for U17 girls volleyball. Epstein was among the ten CESJDS athletes to compete in the JCC Maccabi Games this year, but she was the only athlete to bring home a medal.

Since 1982, Jewish athletes have competed every summer in the week-long JCC Maccabi Games, but for the first time ever, the Maccabi Games offered a three week experience in Israel.

The Israel Games offered baseball, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, flag football, soccer, tennis and swimming. Running from July 5-23, the three week experience was available to Jewish athletes ages 14 to 17. The first week consisted of teams practicing and playing games in Haifa. During the next two weeks, the students participated in teen-tours all around Israel. On the tour, athletes visited the Old City of Jerusalem, see the Kotel and walked through a shuk. They also visited Masada and the Dead Sea.

“I got to see all the places that

SUMMER SHOWCASE

JDS athletes participate in the JCC Maccabi Games

we’ve heard about in school for the past 12 years,” senior and member of the U17 boys basketball team Todd Lazoff said. “After learning about them for so long, it’s really special.”

While Israel was a new opportunity for some athletes, Maccabi Games also hosted a program in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. These Fort Lauderdale Games were for athletes ages 12 to 16 and featured a week-long program of gameplay and evening bonding activities.

In Fort Lauderdale, athletes could compete in baseball, basketball, ice hockey, girl’s volleyball, flag football, soccer, table tennis, tennis, swimming and dance. This year, five athletes from CESJDS competed in Fort Lauderdale and five athletes competed in Israel.

“It was a great experience playing with other Jewish athletes from around the world,” Matty Stillman, sophomore and member of the U16 boys basketball team in Fort Lauderdale said.

“It was really cool to see how many Jewish athletes there are and how talented some of them are.”

An important element of the JCC Maccabi Games that makes

them so enticing to Jewish athletes is the community building they provide. They provide Jewish student athletes with an opportunity to connect with other Jews from around the world. Some of these activities included JCC Cares, a community service event, opening ceremonies, a visit to an extreme park, host family night and closing ceremonies.

“It’s important especially for Jewish teens to have this experience because it allows them to come together,” Kindy Diallo, Bender JCC Athletic Director and Fort Lauderdale U16 basketball head coach said. “It is a great week where it’s fun, but it’s also a learning experience.”

Aside from the community building and socializing elements of the Maccabi Games, participants also experienced the highs and lows of competitions.

“It felt really great to win a medal because my team had just met each other and we only had an hour to practice and see each other’s skills,” Epstein said. “So to see how it all came together at the end and win a medal was amazing.”

Did You Know?

The 2024 JCC Maccabi Games will be held in Houston, Texas Detroit, Michigan and Israel

Seniors Todd Lazoff, Itai Topolosky and Ari Blumenthal huddle up with their team in Israel. Photo by Renee Brodsky. Used with permission

SportsEditor

With so much going on in our lives and the stress of school kicking in, it is crucial to stay active. While the CESJDS athletics program offers many opportunities to exercise, there are plenty of other ways to incorporate exercise into your routine. One of the most common ways to do that is by going to the gym, however, there are so many options it can be hard to know where to start.

The gym is a great way to stay healthy and achieve personal goals depending on what you are looking for. Some gyms offer more amenities such as pools or group classes and others may have more standard gym equipment. This equipment includes weights such as barbells and dumbbells in addition to cardio machines like treadmills and stationary bikes. In choosing a gym, it is important to consider how active you want to be and what type of exercise you like.

Standard Gyms: Onelife Fitness is a gym with locations all over the DMV including Rockville, Bethesda and Olney. A membership at this gym costs $79.99 per month. The membership grants you access to sports courts, pool facilities, standard gym equipment and instructor-led classes. While there are many perks to this

membership, it is one of the more expensive options.

The JCC is a much cheaper alternative, costing only $42 per month for a youth membership. This membership includes group classes, sports courts, discounted personal training and, of course, regular gym equipment. The downside to the JCC is that it tends to be busy and it can be hard to book classes or find open equipment to use. The lower price point attracts more people than a more expensive gym, meaning your workout may be interrupted.

HIIT Workout: If you have limited time but want results, a Hight Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) class might be for you. 202Strong in Rockville specializes in HIIT classes. HIIT is a workout routine that involves short periods of intense exercise with recovery periods in between.

202Strong is unique in that its classes combine HIIT with weight lifting in order to achieve a very intense workout. A single class costs $27 and it costs $220 for a pack of 10 classes. You can also get a regular gym membership for $109 a month, which includes five classes. While this may be a more expensive alternative, it is definitely a good workout that would be difficult to achieve on your own.

Hot Yoga: If you want a different, more low-intensity type of workout, a yoga studio is a very good option.

Purefire Yoga is a studio that specializes in hot yoga, a workout where yoga is done in an extremely hot room in order to generate a more intense workout.

Their yoga basics class is an introductory class for beginners, and the room temperature ranges between 82-87 degrees in their coolest class. Their warmest class, called 26/2, ranges from 100-105 degrees and consists of 26 poses and two breathing exercises.

A single class at PureFire costs $29, but they also have a happy hour price of $15 that applies to specific classes. You can also get a 10-pack of classes for $249 or a monthly membership for $189. The monthly membership includes an unlimited amount of classes per month and is definitely worth it if you enjoy the classes because they would require expensive equipment if you wanted to replicate them at home.

While a gym membership may seem like a large expense, it is very important to keep our minds and bodies healthy. If a gym is the option that works for you, then it might be worth the price point. While there are other ways to exercise, the gym can be a great way to relieve stress and even es cape for an hour or two a few times a week.

Gigi

Onelife Fitness in Olney has many available machines and pieces of equipment ready for use. Photo by Aliza Bellas, LT.

Sophomore mentors basketball team Falcon Frenzy

Eitan Rattner Reporter

Sophomore Ella Longman started volunteering with the Fairfax Falcons, a wheelchair youth basketball team thinking she could knock out a few SSL hours. Little did she realize that her dedication to the Falcons would become as strong as her love for her PVAC-winning Lions and that she’d learn so much on the Falcons’ court.

The Falcons are a part of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) league. Longman began working with them this past winter, after hearing about the team from her mom, who suggested that she join. Her first job was running the scoreboard during their games, but her role has expanded since then. She now helps as an assistant coach, preps players who are 13 years old or younger and acts as a supervisor and helper for players.

Longman’s favorite part of working with the Falcons is helping other athletes get better at the game they love.

“I really like just the way that the kids gravitate towards the love that they have for playing and the excitement that they have and their work ethic,” Longman said.

Steve Rempe, head coach of

the Falcons’ prep team and parent of a player, says that being on the Falcons and playing basketball is more than just playing a sport. It is something that teaches the kids valuable lessons that they can take into their lives.

“They have all sorts of challenges that regular basketball players don’t, like going to school, [in] their daily lives, but when they come to practice, they’re Falcons,” Coach Rempe said. ”I want them to see this as just the opportunity for them to grow, to develop a skill.”

Grace Heim, mother of Benjamin Heim, a player on the Falcons’ varsity team, played a key role in bringing Longman into the Falcons. Heim occasionally posts on social media spreading the word about the Falcons and how they would love for high schoolers to volunteer.

Longman’s mom saw one of the posts and reached out to Heim saying that Longman would love to volunteer. Since then, Longman started volunteering, and Heim saw that Longman was really an amazing coach who cared about the team and helping others.

“I’m super impressed with her commitment to the team,” Heim said. ”There are a lot of people who don’t necessarily have a child on the team or who are connected,

FALCON FACTS:

who will sometimes come out and volunteer and they love the idea of helping, but they don’t necessarily have the time or maybe the interest to continue and she’s just someone who kept coming back.”

3 skill levels

Longman believes that as much as she teaches the kids, they teach her. She explained how the kids helped her realize how much she takes for granted in life and how important having support is. She also explained that every single player on the team’s mentality is so joyful and enthusiastic because they are just having fun playing this beautiful sport.

4-22 age of eligebility

“I recently played in a wheelchair in practice with them, and I experienced it from a different point of view and was able to fully understand how it felt to play while in a wheelchair,” Longman said. “And I was able to just admire…their work ethic and how they do that.”

10-20 players in each skill level

Longman plans to keep working with the team throughout the rest of her high school career both because of the special connection she has made with the Falcons and her passion for the sport. “It made me think when I’m playing and I get frustrated about doing something, how much harder it is for other people to just play the same sport,” Longman said. “And how these kids don’t get frustrated and they’re just enjoying it and having fun. I need to just bring that back to my own training: a mentality of having fun no matter what happens.”

Longman prepares to shoot her free throws playing in a JDS game. Photo by Abby Chesman, LT.

Falcons player rushes down the court to take a shot. Photo courtsey of Fairfax Falcons. Used with permission.

Alexandra Brown

Hometown: Pensacola, Florida College: Florida Institute of Technology and Walden University

New Position: Director of Upper School STEM and middle school science chair

NEW FACULTY BINGO

Has a Pet Rhino in Africa

Loves to Bake

Bryan Goehring

Hometown: Laurel, Maryland College: University of Maryland, Strayer University, Bowie State New Position: Middle school science teacher

Hometown: Rockville College: Towson University New Position: Athletic trainer

Has a scuba diving license

Dr. Deborah Amchin

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky College: Indiana University, Sam Houston State University, University of the Cumberlands New Position: Middle school counselor

Loves to Read

Samuel Grob

Hometown: Brooklyn, New York College: Yale University

New Position: Upper School Vocal Music and Musical Director

Writes

Miriam Kozhukin

Hometown: Acton, Massachusetts College: New York University New Position: Middle school English/ humanities teacher

Directions

Liron Harbi Ginosar

Hometown: Netanya, Israel College: Ben Gurion University

New Position: Middle school Hebrew teacher

Go around the school to new teachers and ask them to sign a box that is true for them. When you get three in a row, turn in to room 320. First student with a correct bingo card gets a $10 gift card to Starbucks.

Elizabeth Polit

Hometown: Brookeville, Maryland Maryland College: Mount St. Mary’s College New Position: Middle school executive assistant

Romi Nachman