Volume 32 Issue 4

The Lion’s Tale

Volume 32 Issue 4

What makes you cool?

Pg. 6

English changes

Pg. 2

Friendship

Pg. 4

jv teams

Pg. 8

CREDIT CARD

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March 31, 2015

CESJDS

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the lion’s tale

english changes

the lion’s tale

iSearching for a new

English curriculum

In a meeting with the Class of 2017 on March 10, Academic Dean Aileen Goldstein announced changes to the 11th and 12th grade English curricula for the 2015-2016 schoolyear.

The changes center around the iSearch research paper, a staple of 11th grade English, which will now have a semester-long class leading up to it. Students in enriched college prep (ECP) English will take a full year of American Literature in 11th grade and write the iSearch during a one-semester course called Rhetoric and Composition ECP in the fall of 12th grade.

Students in the advanced (ADV) English, on the other hand, will take Rhetoric and Composition in the fall of 11th grade, followed by American Literature in the spring and Contemporary American Literature in the fall of 12th grade. These classes will all contribute to the required English credits.

Rhetoric and Composition will focus on oral presentations and

personal writing, as well as primary and secondary source analysis, all of which culminate with the iSearch paper.

The English department and the administration have been pondering these changes for the past two years in order to better meet the needs of all 11th grade students.

According to English teacher Davida Yitzhaky, who teaches 11th grade English at the ADV and ECP levels, one reason for the change is that while advanced students are often prepared to write the iSearch by the start of 11th grade, most ECP students benefit from more time and work leading up to the lengthy paper. At the end of advanced 10th grade English, students start learning how to apply secondary sources to primary sources, a core skill in the iSearch process, while the 10th grade ECP students do not.

Once the change is made, the 11th grade ECP American Literature class will introduce the skills needed to write a paper like the iSearch so that the students will be ready when they get to it in 12th grade.

Another reason for the change is that the two parts of the current

junior year

ADV

Rhetoric and Composition, first semester

senior year

American literature, second semester

Contemporary American Literature

English 11 curriculum, the iSearch and American Literature, do not mesh well together as one course.

According to English Department Chair Thomas Worden, colleges are often confused when they see an 11th grade English curriculum in which students read books only during the second semester.

Hoping to dispel a concern that some students have, Yitzhaky noted that the iSearch will most likely not

for some.

“Part of what I liked about it is that everyone was doing it together, so everyone was miserable together, and I think there was something important about that,” junior Bronya Lechtman said.

Accompanying the larger curriculum change, Author’s Craft and its ECP equivalent, Creative Writing, and Shakespeare will not be offered next year as English distribution courses. In order to fulfill everyone was doing it together, so everyone a Maryland was miserable together, and i think requirement that students there was something important about graduate high that.” junior bronya lechtman school with four full years of English, stuconflict with writing college applidents who graduate after the first cations for ECP students because semester will take World Literature the majority of the iSearch will be to fulfill their final English credit. written after college applications Plans to bring back the courses are due. for the following school year are Additionally, most of the iSdeveloping, to offer students more earch will be written in class, which choice in their English distribution will further alleviate stress. and elective credits.

Because of the change, not evThough the school determined eryone will write the iSearch at the that Author’s Craft and Creative same time, which is disappointing Writing are inconsistent with the

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•

Changes to the English curriculum

reading and academic writing in other literature courses, and therefore cannot be offered as distribution courses, the English department would like to offer them as electives in the future.

This would allow students to “double English,” similar to the current options that exist for students in science classes.

Due to practical considerations the two courses will not be offered as electives during the 2015-16 school year, an outcome that has frustrated many juniors who won’t have the chance to take the Creative Writing courses as seniors next year.

“Author’s Craft is my favorite class that I’ve taken at this school, and it would really suck if that had to go away,” Lechtman said.

At time of print, the school is planning to offer these courses as electives in the 2016-17 school year, however cannot offer them in the 2015-16 school year for practical reasons — the courses were formerly taught by Katharine Armstrong who left the school after the first semester, and Tori Ball who has a busy schedule teaching math courses.

ECP

junior year

senior year World Literature can be taken either junior or senior year for ADV and ECP

Rhetoric and Composition

full year of American Literature

03

Charles E. Smith Day School community celebrates founder’s legacy liran zimand reporter

isaac silber reporter

Charles E. Smith Day

Even from the young age of five, when he traveled to study with a rabbi in a nearby village, Charles E. Smith loved Jewish education.

While his personal Jewish education ended at 13, he always regretted not continuing his studies.

To celebrate his life, accomplishments and contributions to the CESJDS community, the school honored Smith on March 27, the day before his birthday.

Smith was born on March 28, 1901 in a shtetl in Western Russia. In 1908, his father Reuven Schmidoff emigrated to the US and changed the family name to Smith.

Reuven became a builder, and for three years he sent money home to Russia until Smith and the rest of his family were able to join him.

Smith worked for most of his life, getting his first job at the age of 14 and entering the building business at 22. He became a real estate developer and in 1946 he founded Charles E. Smith Co., a residential and commercial landlord company in Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia. The company, which currently manages over 30,000 residential homes, helped build up Crystal City, Virginia and parts of Prince Georges County and D.C. Though Smith ultimately made a lot of money from his profession as a developer, he always felt that his success came from God. “My grandfather was very verbal about his special relationship

with God,” Smith’s grandson David Smith wrote in an email. “Papa Charlie was a great believer in signs and messages from Him.” One of these messages was the reason Smith decided to retire from his job as a builder. He had been having a recurring dream about working and building, and after he connected it to Jacob’s famous lad-

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in addition to the “extraordinary amount of money” he donated, he also raised significant sums from community members.

But it was not only due to his generous donations that people loved and respected him.

“He was everybody’s dream grandfather,” Landy said. “He smiled all the time, you just loved him. He was very loveable.

He was a very good role model for people.”

Many of the goals Smith had for JDS have been attained. He originally hoped for 500 students, a number which has been more than doubled. He had many other goals, too.

“My grandfather wanted JDS to become the best school of its kind in North America,” David wrote.

“That has been achieved ... the school exceeded all of his expectations of academic, professional, and curricular excellence.”

To celebrate Smith, his great-granddaughter Alex Smith (‘11) spoke in his honor at a Kabbalat Shabbat assembly on March 27. But no matter how the school decides celebrates him, his contributions to the community are well known.

“All you have to do is walk around the city; the Smith name is everywhere,” Landy said.

1 1. Wedding of Charles. E Smith and Leah Goldstein; Feb. 6, 1927.

2. Charles E. Smith (left) and family meet then-Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir; Jerusalem, 1970.

3. Charles E. Smith gives a speech at the Jewish Community Center Complex; Rockville, 1967.

He always told us that Jews had the best chance of continuity and survival if they received a Jewish education.” • David smith der dream, he felt it was God telling him to move on to give back to the Jewish community.

At the age of 66, Smith retired and became a philanthropist. When the United Jewish Appeal, a philanthropic Jewish organization, asked him if he would help establish JDS, he agreed.

Though he had many philanthropic ventures, Smith believed that JDS was his “greatest accomplishment,” David wrote.

“He always told us [that] Jews had the best chance of continuity and survival if they received a Jewish education,” David wrote.

Smith had an incredible impact on JDS, most notably his contributions that allowed the Lower School to be built and are the reason the school is named for him. According to Dean of Students Roz Landy,

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CESJDS held Families in Action Day, a day of service for JDS students and families, on March 15. To read more about Families in Action Day, go to www.lionstale.org/students-give-back-on-families-in-action-day. photos provided by David Smith

the lion’s tale

04 friendship & cheer

the lion’s tale

illness

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BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS OF A CLOSE-KNIT KEHILLAH miriam minsk news editor As sophomore Dani Armon walks through the CESJDS halls on her way to class, she is quieter than usual.

While 45 percent of her new classmates have gone to school together since kindergarten, and 79 percent have been together since seventh grade, Armon came to JDS this fall from the Berman Hebrew Academy, creating challenges for her in a community she has observed to be very “tight knit.”

“Many of you guys have known each other since you were in kindergarten; I’ve known you guys since the beginning of school this year, so it’s hard to get to know people; it’s hard to make friends,” Armon said. “Everyone’s really nice it’s just hard to make close friends because

everyone has their clique.”

Despite good intentions, Armon feels that her classmates are sometimes too “busy with their own lives” to help welcome new students. After joining a capella, Armon was able to find more in common with her friends, but is still working on developing strong friendships.

Although it can be hard for new students, college counselor Dorie Ravick, who attended JDS as a student, established strong friendships in the JDS community and even married one of her classmates.

“We were in all of the same classes and everything like that,” Ravick said.

“He was like the biggest goofball ever and class clown, so he’s memorable.”

Though they only began dating after college, Ravick was close with her

husband while they were in high school and even went to Prom with him. In college they stayed in touch and attended a formal together, but the romantic relationship began after they had both graduated, when he asked for the phone number of one of Ravick’s friends. Ironically enough, Ravick and her husband married 10 months later.

Ravick believes that the JDS community helped foster her and her husband’s relationship.

“They were so supportive of just being good friends and being kind to one another, and I think that’s a big part of it,” Ravick said. “He and I and all of our friends have such shared morals and shared values, and because of that we had this bottom line connection with each other that allowed us to stay connected through all the years.”

New students like Armon, however, can be more conflicted.

“Parts of me miss my other environment where I had all my friends,” Armon said. “I always had a place to sit for lunch. I never had to worry about anything. I was completely me, always yelling across the halls if I wanted to, doing whatever because whatever was acceptable there because everyone knew you.”

Armon hopes that JDS students recognize the challenges that new students face when first coming to the school. She urges students to confront new classmates when they are alone or lost in order to create a truly welcoming environment. talia denicoff reporter

FLIPPING AWESOME A GLIMPSE OF BRAEDAN BLOOM’S LIFE

isaiah friedland reporter

When Braedan Bloom was a toddler, his older sisters would flip him over. A decade later, he flies and twists through the air all by himself.

Bloom, a sophomore, has been a competitive cheerleader at the Dream Allstars Gym since he was six. Bloom broke typical gender stereotypes by becoming the first male cheerleader on the team.

For Bloom, cheerleading is a family tradition as well as an athletic endeavor. Both of Bloom’s sisters were also on the Dream Allstars cheerleading team, and his mother, Andrea Needle, is the gym’s owner. Bloom said that he was initially hesitant to follow in their footsteps, but quickly became enthusiastic and committed to the sport.

Although males are a minority in the world of competitive cheer, Bloom

said that his family’s connection to the sport, as well as the encouragement he received from his teammates and friends made him comfortable with his pastime; he never felt judged for his passion.

In fact, Bloom found that his gender barely affected his interactions with teammates, • coaches or his school life.

And his success cannot be understated; the cheerleader’s Facebook page is covered with mentions of the awards he has received.

Competitive cheer is not by any stretch of the imagination a minor commitment. Bloom’s Dream Allstars team practices upwards of seven hours

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every week, refining and perfecting their routines for competitions, six of which they go to a year.

Cheering takes a big slice out of Bloom’s time, and being a key member of the team does not make it any easier. Yet Bloom said it is, in part, his commitment to cheer that has made the sport enjoyable since the moment he began.

“Once I did it for the first year, I definitely knew that it was what I wanted,” Bloom said.

Bloom also stressed his desire to “give back to the community” that has been so encouraging of him and his success in cheer. When cheer gets difficult, when the pressure begins

Once I did it for the first year, I definitely knew that it was what I wanted “ Sophomore Braedan Bloom

vercoming Illness

to dominate, it is the presence of his teammates and friends that make him feel excited about what he does.

“I look at them as big brothers and big sisters,” Bloom said. “ I think they’re probably some of my closest friends.”

Between his supportive family, close-knit team and accepting school community, Bloom has always been surrounded by people who have encouraged him to reach (and tumble) for the stars. Without them, Bloom finds it doubtful that he would have achieved all that he has today.

Though he does not intend to make a career of cheering, Bloom is not planning on quitting any time soon.

“Since I’ve done it for so long, it’s something I don’t think I could live without,” Bloom said.

High schoolers know the feeling of waking up feeling lousy and worn out. But, for junior Melanie Siegal, these conditions were much more common and extreme, plaguing her nearly every morning.

For many years Siegal constantly felt tired and achy, and she did not know what was wrong. She was in a lot of pain, and struggled to participate in daily activities such as school and extracurriculars.

Siegal went to a doctor, and in December 2013 was diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), a disease which disrupts blood flow and consequently forces the body to work harder than usual to get the blood to the right places. As each person’s body reacts differently to the autonomic dysfunction, there is a wide range of symptoms.

“For me, it was that whenever I stood up I felt really dizzy or I would black out a little bit,” Siegal said. “I would get really bad headaches toward the end of the day. I had no appetite most of the time, and I would also be nauseous.”

Finally being diagnosed with POTS provided a clear path towards recovery. About a year after receiving her diagnosis, Siegal attended a program at the Mayo Clinic Pediatric Pain Rehabilitation Program in Minnesota, where she learned to cope with POTS. Among other things, the Mayo Clinic

helps adolescents with chronic pain that disrupts their daily routines through holding workshops and programs. The clinic helps patients to understand how to manage their lives with persistent symptoms.

“Since [the program], I’ve felt 100 percent most of the time, and it changed how I feel on a regular basis,” Siegal said.

Siegal was able to return to school because of the positive results of the program. Missing two months of school posed a challenge for Siegal, but she was able to maintain her grades with help from a tutor and the support of the administration and teachers. After months of meeting with teachers and learning the material she had missed, Siegal could keep up with the typical pace of the class.

Freshman Jaimin Kammerman also missed school because of his medical condition. Kammerman was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a type of brain tumor, on January 19, 2013. Due to a series of surgeries, Kammerman missed a lot of school, but the supportive community helped him get back into his regular routine.

“I met with Mr. Silberman almost everyday during the summer, which was actually fun,” Kammerman said.

School Nurse Margarita Payne believes that getting back into the routine of school is crucial to students adjusting to living with a chronic illness.

“We want these students to stay at JDS because going to school is very normalizing, it makes you

feel part of something and that you are a productive member of society no matter what your diagnosis is,” Payne said.

Before attending the Mayo Clinic, Siegel found a set schedule was hard to keep because her health would vary. Being able to return to school with a handle on her syndrome allowed Siegel to lead life like any other teenage girl. POTS is no longer an unconquerable challenge for Siegal, but experiencing the obstacles of the disease has impacted her outlook.

“No matter what, anyone can get through anything,” Siegal said. “It is junior year for me and I had to leave for a month and I’m still getting through [the year], and a lot of other people can get through it too.”

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the lion’s tale

materialism

the lion’s tale

materialism

07

Sticking to the status quo How materialism, conformity and insecurity affect the community jonathan foldi and margalit zimand in-depth editors In iconic movies “High School Musical” and “Mean Girls,” high school students deal with problems of conformity, materialism and expressing individuality.

In “Mean Girls,” new girl Cady Heron is isolated and considered a nonconformist because she does not value material objects like the rest of her classmates. In “High School Musical,” basketball star Troy Bolton and science nerd Gabriella Mendez struggle to break the status quo and pursue their dreams of being in the musical.

But these issues go beyond the big screen, and travel into our own hallways. At CESJDS, materialistic themes set norms and influence social hierarchies within the school community. The heavy value students place on material objects often creates a standard for conformity, one by which students are expected to follow.

When junior Mikhael Hammer-Bleich first came to JDS as a freshman, he knew that the trendy

thing to do was to purchase an Apple Macbook. Wanting to stand out, Hammer-Bleich decided on a Toshiba computer. He didn’t realize what a large effect this seemingly arbitrary choice would have on his social life. What would soon become clear was that, in this instance, being like everyone else was a social necessity.

“My computer was not as cool and made me feel very different,” Hammer-Bleich said. “When roughly 90 percent of a population has a certain device and you don’t, you feel that you’re one of the outsiders.”

He cites an expectation of wealth as a component of this problem, and a recent survey of 70 high school students confirmed that most JDS students’ families can afford the high-end, brandname clothing and technology. The survey found that 79 percent of high school students own an Apple Macbook and 80 percent of students own an iPhone.

These high numbers, Hammer-Bleich speculates, are influenced by a common desire among JDS students to exhibit material

wealth, due to a fear of social repercussions. He believes that students resort to purchasing material items in order to ensure that they won’t be left out and thus become part of the less popular crowd.

This materialistic conformity ranges from smaller technological devices to highly expensive products, like cars. Unlike most JDS students, for most of his life, no one in Hammer-Bleich’s family • owned a car.

His travel options were limited to Zipcars and buses, often causing significant inconvenience for him. On long Fridays in 10th grade, Hammer-Bleich had to duck out of his last class at 3:43 p.m. in order to catch his bus home.

In 11th grade, when having a car became a practical necessity, Hammer-Bleich worked out various arrangements with his parents that included getting good grades and

covering the price of gas. Once he got his own car, he was surpised to find out that most of his peers wanted cars for reasons unrelated to practicality.

“The idea of having a car has become bigger than the practical needs associated with it,” Hammer-Bleich said. “[Owning a car]

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When roughly 90 percent of a population has a certain device and you don’t, you feel that you’re one of the outsiders.”

Mikhael Hammer-Bleich becomes overvalued at a place where students that may not have had cars will now want cars just so they can become more popular and more cool.”

The pressures to conform are not restricted to materialism.

Chuck, who wished to remain anonymous, has experienced the pressure of group conformity with regard to unpopular political views

which made him occasionally feel isolated.

One such instance was a Facebook post in which he stated a political opinion, and felt like he was harassed by other students in the form of comments on his post.

After the incident, Chuck felt more reserved about sharing his political views and personal opinions. However, this changed when he joined a cappella. There, Chuck found himself surrounded by individuals whom, to his knowledge, ranged on both ends of the “cool” spectrum.

“I was very isolated before I joined a cappella, but when I joined it, two things happened,” Chuck said. “One, I saw that as a whole, the community is a lot more accepting than I thought it was. Two, people saw that I was doing what I loved and started accepting me for who I am.”

Although it was not always Chuck’s experience, High School Guidance Counselor Rachel Soifer thinks that the JDS community celebrates individuality, and encourages students to pursue their passions, something that was not

necessarily true when she was in high school.

Soifer went to a public high school with about 800 students in her class where it was very difficult to be a serious student while maintaining an active social life.

“Most other students that I knew that were in challenging classes and earned very high grades usually hid that and would even lie about it,” Soifer said. “If you got labeled as being smart, you would be socially alienated.”

When she first came to JDS in 2007, she was surprised by the “unusual” atmosphere in which students often experience peer pressure to take their academics more seriously. This pressure is most clearly demonstrated in competition over grades; few students are keen to share low grades on assignments.

Aaron Nadler, a former member of the Class of 2015, found that social groupings revolve less around materialism at JDS than at his new school, Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, which is demographically similar to JDS.

While many of his JDS friends have cars, he does not believe that those who do not are looked down on in the way that they would be at Churchill.

Overall, he finds that popularity and wealth are stressed much more at Churchill than they are at JDS. “Materialism does play a big role at Churchill because every girl has to have that Michael Kors watch and every person, if they get a car, is driving a Jeep,” Nadler said.

However, that is not to say that JDS is a complete exception to the rule. Nadler noted that yoga pants and UGG boots are “all girls wear” at both JDS and Churchill.

His experiences at both schools have taught him the inescapability of social criticism.

“If you’re within your friend group at either school, it’s ok to be different, but anyone else will judge you,” Nadler said.

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the lion’s tale

zimriyah

Zimriy-AH! dahlia lehman photo editor It produces more competition than a basketball game, more tears than “The Fault in Stars.” It’s Zimriyah.

When Hebrew Department Chair Yaffa Dagony held the first Zimriyah in 1994, she hoped to create a joyous, communal celebration of Israel’s independence that would spark interest in contemporary Israel. In fact, according to Sally Heckelman, a JDS parent who has been helping grades learn their class songs for the past 17 years, when Zimriyah began she “had to convince the students to care.”

This indifference, of course, is gone. Months in advance, dance partners are chosen, lyrics are posted, and themes are brainstormed.

The halls buzz with excitement and the looming competition dominates conversations. To some students, like junior Anna Rose Osofsky, this atmosphere raises the question of whether the competition still has a

strong connection to Israel.

“The fact that kids are crying because they lost from Zimriyah, on Yom HaAtzmaut — it feels like something is not right there,” she said. Osofsky is a former Berman Hebrew Academy student, who transferred to CESJDS two years ago.

Freshman Stav Elazar-Mittelman was frustrated that, after dancing for over 10 years, he was cut from the freshman Zimriyah dance team this year, highlighting the intense competition that can plague Zimriyah.

“Zimriyah is a celebration of Israel, and that’s being lost in the ‘we have to win, we have to win’ [mindset],” Elazar-Mittelman said.

“It’s turning into a lot of drama, a lot of fighting, and it’s not as much fun anymore.”

In contrast to the JDS tradition is Hebrew Academy’s annual celebration, one that is just as emotional but less competitve.

“At Hebrew Academy, everyone was just dancing and there was

the lion’s tale

Stress and competition surround celebration

a lot of loud music and everyone was joyous and having fun,” said sophomore Aaron Weiss, a former Hebrew Academy student. “At JDS, I think it’s more competitive, but it’s also more about grade spirit and being united with your grade and having fun in that way.”

This opportunity for grade bonding and unity is a key part of the celebration and competition.

Heckelman and Dagony believe that there is no problem with competition as long as it makes students care about Israel.

Dagony strongly believes that a genuine celebration of Israel can emerge from healthy competition.

According to Dagony, one year the competition of Zimriyah was eliminated entirely, and every grade won a prize for one part of their performance. Dagony noted that, without the competition, students did not take Zimriyah seriously, and the Yom HaAtzmaut celebration was significantly less meaningful.

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Zimriyah Changes 2015

Banners will need to be made outside of class time and outside of Art classes

Entrances will be allowed to last for only one minute so that the Israel Club can present

The Israel Club alone will be responsible for school decorations

Dancers will adhere to the “one foot on the ground” rule.

Each grade will be given only 15 minutes to set up, sing and dance

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09

Not so black and white: Love, respect and healthy relationships mijal altmann entertainment editor

LT file photo Then 8th graders Benjamin Shrock, Rebecca Ingber, and Dalia Handelman at 2014 Zimriyah

healthy relationships

February is usually a time to celebrate loved ones. This year, however, a traditionally sweet holiday was overshadowed by a national debate on healthy relationships.

Fueling the debate was the Valentine’s Day release of the film version of “Fifty Shades of Grey.”

The film centers around a decidedly complicated romantic relationship that blurs the lines of abuse and power dynamics between romantic partners.

The overwhelmingly popular book and film have left many in the community wondering about what, exactly, a healthy relationship is.

Assistant Librarian Elizabeth Savopoulos worries that the franchise might glorify a dangerous relationship.

“I have not read the book,

but, having read what experts and domestic violence organizations are saying about the book, I think that women that read it might get a misimpression about consent, or what a healthy relationship looks like,” Savopoulos said.

Junior Rachel Steren agrees.

“I think that the men that see this might think, ‘Wow that’s a great idea. I would love that. This is the perfect relationship,’” Steren said. “Our culture already takes the emotion out of many sexual relationships, and so this might take that to the next level.”

One of the most vocal critics of the film was the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, which began a boycott campaign in the United States on January 28, 2015.

Their website states that, “Hollywood is advertising the Fifty Shades story as an erotic love affair, but it is really about sexual abuse and violence against women.”

This worry is part of a larger societal concern that the film, which is extremely popular among young women, will reinforce and glorify unhealthy relationships.

In order to combat the prospect

that the film, as well as other troubling trends in society, contribute to increasingly unhealthy relationships, the National Domestic Violence hotline and Break the Cycle, an organization whose goal is “to inspire and support young people to build healthy relationships and create a culture without abuse” have combined resources to start a website aimed teaching young people about healthy relationships.

This website, loveisrespect.org, includes a large variety of resources including quizzes to help young men and women assess the nature of their relationships as well as hotlines for those that need help.

More locally, the Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse works to, “support victims of domestic abuse to become empowered and obtain safe environments; educate community professionals and others about domestic abuse and appropriate responses to it; and prevent future generations from suffering domestic abuse by raising awareness,” according to the organization’s website. JCADA regularly visits camps, schools and synagogues to spread its message in the Washington, D.C. metro area’s Jewish community.

JCADA also supports an offshoot organization called

AWARE, or Adolescents Working for Awesome Relationship Experiences, which helps teens develop strength and confidence in all types of relationships. AWARE visited JDS in late February to speak with the Class of 2020 about forming healthy friendships.

JDS has further addressed the issue of healthy relationships recently with students, by inviting the program “Speak About It” to talk to second-semester juniors last spring.

On its website, “Speak About It” is described as a “performance-based presentation about consent, boundaries and healthy relationships that is designed specifically for a mature high school or college audience.”

Alumna Maya Bornstein (‘15) was among the senior class that experienced the “Speak About It” presentation. During the presentation, the mood was lighter than she would have hoped, despite some benefits that resulted.

“I thought they were a little bit too lackadaisical on the subject, which was good and bad because it allowed kids to connect and almost laugh at the situations while also getting their point across,” Bornstein said.

Bornstein said she thinks that healthy relationships were not addressed enough by the presentation, but that opening the discussion among students was a good outcome of the program.

“I think ‘Speak About It’ was a good start and definitely talked about important issues, I just wish the school had continued the dialogue and exposure to understand just how big of an issue it is,” she said.

JDS will not be having this performance come back this year.

The components of a healthy relationship was also addressed in the previously-offered JTP class titled Evaded Issues, in which students explored the topic from a Jewish perspective.

In addition, JDS also invites Dr. Diane Snyder come speak about healthy sexual relationships to seniors each year as part of their senior seminars before leaving for the Senior Capstone Trip to Israel and starting college.

Want to learn more?

1. Talk to a trusted adult 2. Visit loveisrespect.org 3. Log on to jcada.org and find out about local volunteer oppurtunities

the lion’s tale

opinion the

lion’s tale

the lion’s tale

JV teams

11

Staff Editorial

opinion

jonah shrock multimedia

uri schwartz copy

miriam minsk, arielle weinstein chadashot

ariella kulp, mark reichel features

talia horowitz, hannah nechin entertainment

mijal altmann, gaby pilarski in-depth

jonathan foldi, margalit zimand sports

aaron schonfeld, jeremy schooler & joel vardon photo

dahlia lehman ads manager

michael berkowitz

Staff column

The problem with participation points

senior reporter naomi cohen-shields

staff adviser claire burke

susan zuckerman The Lion’s Tale Editorial and Ethics Policy As the student newspaper of the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, The Lion’s Tale is a 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 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.

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the lesson they plan doesn’t give the resources or the depth needed to foster the hoped for environment.

For example, a teacher might pose one very specific question to the class, and then spend the next 15 minutes making students answer it, even once there is nothing new to say. Meaningful participation is very limited in this too frequent situation.

On the other hand, we have experienced classes where the question posed is perfectly adequate, but our classmates do not put a sufficient amount of thought into their answers, choosing to give surface level analysis rather than delving deep as the class requires.

Be it the fault of the student or the teacher, lackluster participation can manifest itself in even the best of classes.

To participate is not simply to act as an individual, as many students seem to believe, but rather to become a part of a larger collective. Participation is equal parts listening and speaking, and it involves putting serious thought into what you say and when you say it. Contrary to popular belief, when that one kid in class raises his hand to answer every question, he is not exhibiting model participation.

When students are too focused on their own opinions to listen and respond to other ideas, they are neglecting a vital element of

participation and are consequently detracting from the overall quality of the class discussion.

So this is our call to action, not just to teachers, but to our fellow students as well. From now on, we propose the following ideology: both parties have responsibilities when it comes to class participation. Teachers must maintain transparency in their expectations and evaluations of students’ participation. They must also make sure to structure the lesson in a manner that encourages maximum worthwhile participation that values quality as well as quantity. This means asking different questions to different students, pushing students to come to meaningful conclusions and, most importantly, moving on when the conversation has naturally ceased to progress.

Students must learn to participate in a manner fitting the style of class that they signed up for, and must remember that they will only get out what they put in. Seminar style classes are a privilege at JDS, but only if they are treated as such. The participatory expectation in seminar style classes is no less legitimate than tests in a math class, something that students do not always realize. This means not simply participating frequently, but participating meaningfully and respectfully.

I think it would have been beneficial if I had played for a JV team where I would have been able to practice more and obtain different skills,” • Sophomore Talia Levi JV basketball coach Brian Westerman echoed Levi’s perspective, noting the importance of JV programs with regard to preparation for varsity participation.

“In our program, [JV] gives everyone fundamental skills, and builds teamwork and chemistry,” Westerman said. “It also gives a little dose of what high school sports are all about, and the amount of work ethic and responsibility off

SPRING SPORTS UPDATE Team

Current Record

Coming Up

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by Margalit Zimand and Naomi Cohen-Shields in-depth editor and senior reporter Class participation (n.): a term familiar to anyone in a school environment; evokes frustration and anger, sometimes leading to episodes of uncontained rage or uncontrollable grumbling.

But in all seriousness, nearly every student can name a time when he or she received an unexpected or unexplained participation grade, or when he or she sat unsatisfied and uninterested in a class discussion, just alert enough to “agree” with the previous speaker and rephrase the statement for the fifth time when called upon.

Equally as often, students have to partake in a class that stresses participation to the point where 23 students are so eager for each of their voices to be heard, that they lose the ability to listen to others.

Class participation is an undoubtedly important aspect

of an advanced education. Self expression through discussion is a skill necessary in adult life, and falls under the core principle of Torah Lishmah in CESJDS’s mission statement that prioritizes “critical, independent, and creative thought and expression.” However, within our school community it has become more of a burden than the useful tool it was intended to be.

In certain classes, participation grades, whether daily or quarterly, can seem rather arbitrary, as if they might as well be based on a teacher’s personal opinion of a student rather than that student’s participation habits. Both of us have been in situations in which the grade we received at the end of the day surprised and confused us; this should never be the case.

Just as expectations are laid out before writing assignments (often in the form of a rubric), so too should they be made clear for class participation. We do not expect these changes to perfect students’ participation, but we hope that in the future students will be able to anticipate the sort of participation grade they will receive.

In other classes, though participation expectations were made clear, they were not realistic considering the class’s structure.

We have been in classes in which the teacher has made it clear that they expect avid participation, yet

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and on the court that it takes to be a high school player in any sport.”

According to Athletic Director Michael Riley, the reason for the lack of JV teams is due to a lack of student participation, and a lack of JV teams in other schools in the Potomac Valley Athletic Conference. This player shortage is especially common in the spring season, when the already-graduated seniors’ absence makes teams too small to support JV programs.

Having younger players on varsity rosters can have both negative and positive effects, by either slowing an athlete’s development due to lack of playing time, or pushing them harder — and thereby improving their abilities — by competing in practice and games against older and stronger competition.

This resonates strongly with freshman Rana Somekhian, who played on the varsity soccer team. There was no option for girls JV soccer this fall.

“I wish we still had a JV team, because I probably would have gotten a lot more playing time, but even though I didn’t play a lot in games, I feel like I improved by practicing so much with varsity starters,” Somekhian said.

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reporters josh abramowitz, jared bauman, daniel baumstein, bennett bramson, talia denicoff, jonas drogin, ari feuer, izzy friedland, noah green, gabe krantz, aaron liss, lexi marks, aaron robinson, mira rodney, natan schoenbaum, joey shoyer, isaac silber, rina torchinsky, ilana winter, liran zimand

-The Lion’s Tale

Sophomore junior varsity basketball player Caleb Gershengorn sat in the small locker room in the St. Anselm’s Abbey School, surrounded by his teammates for one last time. After the pump up speech, Gershengorn huddled with his teammates, put their fists up and chanted “one, two, three, Lions!” The starting center was prepared for his final junior varsity basketball game, the championship against Grace Brethren Christian School.

Despite a heart-breaking loss after a promising playoff streak, Gershengorn appreciated the season and felt that being on JV was an enriching experience. During the practices, games and “tough moments” the team was able to bond and grow.

Despite the success of the JV boys basketball team and the benefits that Gershengorn describes, the team, along with girls JV basketball and volleyball, are the only active JV programs at CESJDS, among 14 high school teams.

For sophomore Talia Levi, who has been playing varsity softball since seventh grade, the lack of JV opportunities hurt her development as a player.

“I don’t think middle school prepared me for varsity,” Levi said.

“I think it would have been beneficial if I had played for a JV team where I would have been able to practice more and obtain different skills [that] would have made me better and given me more opportunities.”

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Lack of JV options brings development, frustration

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by offering Israel electives in younger grades.

However, this problem will not be solved on its own if the only changes enacted are elective options.

To create a truly meaningful connection to Israel, students need to take personal initiative to remind themselves of what they are really celebrating.

If this would happen, perhaps students would would show up to the learning sessions during the first half of the day and finally associate Zimriyah with what it is: not a competition but a celebration of Israel.

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leading up to Zimriyah, Hebrew classes spend more than half their class time practicing songs and perfecting hand motions, taking time away from the real learning about Israel that should be happening in Hebrew classes.

This time could be used, for example, to learn more about Israeli politics. In the Hebrew class of one of the Lion’s Tale’s sophomore staff members, students did not recognize the word “Herzog,” the name of the leader of the opposition Zionist Union party, when they saw it in Israeli newspaper headlines.

The 11th grade electives like Modern Israel and Arab Israeli Conflict do a good job of fostering a connection to Israel. This connection, however, could be strengthened in the whole school

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this half of the day exists.

Zimriyah demonstrates a weakness inherent in the emotional connection that is so emphasized at JDS, as it is easily overshadowed by the emotions related to competition.

This is not to say that JDS students have no emotional connection to Israel. When the seniors land in Israel each year at the start of their trip, many happy tears are shed. But at JDS on Israel’s Independence Day, those tears are about who won and lost the song contest.

And while the importance of this emotional connection cannot be understated, JDS must place more stress on the intellectual connection to Israel that is fitting of an academic institution.

In the month and a half

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If you walk through the halls of JDS at 3:50 p.m. on Yom HaAtzmaut you’ll notice that the school looks different. The hallways will be decorated, students will be wearing matching shirts, and there will be tearful groups comforting each other over Zimriyah.

Though it is clear that the student body is emotionally invested in the school’s yearly competition, students are not nearly as invested in the reason we have Zimriyah: To celebrate our love for Israel on her Independence Day. On Yom HaAtzmaut, no one misses a moment of the spirited competition, but there is rampant ditching of the learning sessions that are held during the first half of the day. Unfortunate as it is, most students don’t even remember that

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Zimriyah alone does not cut it

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features passover traditions 16 12

the lion’s tale

Creative Passover cooking Students share their culinary traditions ari feuer reporter

As Passover nears, the familiar dread that accompanies the withdrawal from chametz begins to take hold of Jews around the world. Without bread, pasta, cookies and cake, what will there be to eat?

While the recipe for matzah, that fabled Passover food that some love and others would compare to cardboard, has been the same since ancient times, other Passover foods allow creativity.

Ashkenazi Jews traditionally make charoset out of apples, wine and nuts, while the recipe of Sephardi Jews centers around dates,

How to make: Banana Charoset Place 3 bananas, 2 cups of ground walnuts, and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a food processor.

cinnamon and apricots. Ezra Loeb, a freshman who enjoys cooking, makes his own special charoset for Passover.

A couple years ago I found this amazing recipe for charoset that I’ve been making every year,” Loeb said.

“It’s a fig charoset, and so we make a whole big batch and after the Seder we spread it on matzah and stuff.”

Sometimes, food will be used in traditions that do not involve eating. Freshman Rana Somekhian’s family, for example, will use spring onions and hit one another with them during Dayenu. This custom commemorates the treatment of the Jewish people while they were slaves in Egypt.

Additionally, on the second night of Passover, the Somekhians will use a chicken wing instead of the traditional lamb shankbone on the seder plate. Throwing the chicken wing and the hard-boiled egg away from the house is a custom intended to keep the “evil eye” away.

While food-related creativity can spice up a seder, the eight days of Passover can feel torturous when preparing delectable meals seems impossible. Dessert is probably the most difficult Passover meal to prepare for as the prohibition of chametz poses a significant obstacle for cooks attempting to bake cookies, breads and cakes.

JDS parent Paula Shoyer, who

Add in 1/2 a teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of sweet kosher wine.

has written three books about Kosher baking, including one specifically for Passover, has found ways to combat the challenge of baking Passover desserts. She suggests using recipes that are gluten free, as those can be converted to fit Passover restrictions with more ease than regular recipes can. By using gluten-free recipes, families can avoid the common pitfall of attempting to merely substitute flour for matzah meal, which Shoyer claims rarely yields tasty food.

Aside from her own Passover cookbook, Shoyer recommends joyofkosher.com, kosherscoop.com and jewishfoodexperience.com for successful Passover recipes.

For more Passover recipes from Paula Shoyer’s cookbook

The New Passover Menu, log on to lionstale.org.

Transfer the mixture into a small bowl, add the apples and chopped walnuts.

Process until the mixture is at desired texture.

Stir to combine the ingredients, and enjoy! (Serves 25) Source: The New Passover Menu

Interesting customs from around the world Afghanistan: Jews gently whip themselves with scallions to symbolize slavery.

Ethiopia: Jews break all their dishes to show a complete break from the past.

Poland Gibraltor Afghanistan Ethiopia

Gibraltor: Jews mix the dust of bricks into their Charoset.

Poland: Jews pour water on the floors of their homes in order to reinact crossing the Red Sea.

Source: The Huffington Post