CYHSB Weekly 9/1/2023

CYHSB WEEKLY

Cooper Yeshiva High School for Boys

Volume 18, Issue 1

2.4 Million Dollar Wonder Car: The Rimac

Nevera

Page 3

Radical Riddles and NFL

Preview: Breakdowns and Predictions

Page 4

Parshat Ki Tavo: The Best Way to Give Back

Page 6

Cooper Clicks

Page 7

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Gun Control in Tennessee: A Pressing Issue

Nadav Lowell (25’)

The ongoing debate over gun control has been a consistent topic of discussion in the United States, with the intricacies of policy and the balance between individual rights and public safety often at the forefront. In Tennessee, this conversation is shaped by the intersection of historical constitutional rights and the pressing need to address the rising gun violence in the state. This article aims to delve into the multifaceted landscape of gun control in Tennessee, examining its legal framework, current challenges, and

potential pathways for effective solutions.

Constitutional Foundation and Legislative Framework:

At the heart of Tennessee's approach to gun control lies Article I, Section 26 of the state constitution, which underscores the citizens' right to bear arms while granting legislative authority to regulate this right in order to prevent crime. This foundational principle has evolved over the years, as Tennessee Codes Annotated (TCAs) has been established to shape the state's stance on firearm regulations.

One of a dozen grieving parents from the Covenant School shooting holding an anti-gun poster is forcibly removed from the Tennessee state hearing on gun control. Source: PBS.com

Cont. from last page:

Understanding Gun Control: Gun control encompasses a range of legal measures and policies designed to govern the possession, sale, usage, and transfer of firearms. These measures are intended to address various concerns, including public safety, crime prevention, and mitigating potential misuse of firearms.

The Escalation of Gun Violence: The year 2023 has witnessed a distressing surge in gun violence across the United States, contributing to over 25,000 deaths. Within the state of Tennessee, the toll is equally concerning, with 1,569 lives lost due to gun-related incidents. Zooming in on Shelby County, the figure remains alarmingly high, with 262 individuals falling victim to gun violence.

*Statistics are credited to Gifford law center to prevent gun violence

Private Sales and Background Checks:

One critical concern in Tennessee's gun control landscape revolves around the lack of mandatory background checks for private firearm sales. This legal loophole has enabled approximately 40 percent of gun transactions to occur without any form of background screening. While significant regulations are in place for licensed arms dealers, this gap poses a substantial challenge to effectively curb gun violence.

Addressing Gun Violence in Schools: The issue of gun violence within educational institutions has reached a tipping point following the Covenant school shooting this past March. A mass killing within the Nashville private school of three nine-year-old children along with three adults, thus prompting Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to convene an emergency session of the state's general assembly to address the issues of insufficient gun control laws in Tennessee. Regrettably, Governor Lee's efforts encountered obstacles, as he

struggled to secure the necessary support from Republican legislators. Additionally, the attempts by the democratic delegation to pass a conducive bill were spiked, further complicating the issue.

Influence of Lobbying and Political Stalemate:

An essential factor contributing to the impasse on firearm reduction bills is the powerful influence of gun manufacturers' lobbying efforts on policymakers. This influence has been particularly pronounced in Tennessee, where political momentum for substantial reform has been stifled by partisan divisions and lobbying pressure.

The recently held special legislative session in Tennessee revealed the profound divisions between the Republican supermajority and the Democratic minority. Despite the urgency brought about by the tragic Covenant School shooting, the session

ended with minimal changes to gun laws. The impasse between the chambers showcased the challenges of finding common ground on gun control, leaving Democrats frustrated with the lack of substantial reform.

The complexities of gun control in Tennessee underscore the intricate balance between individual rights and public safety. As the state grapples with alarming gun violence statistics and legislative challenges, there is a pressing need for comprehensive solutions that address gaps in background check regulations, prioritize school safety, and navigate the influence of lobbying on policy decisions.

Striking this balance will require a collaborative effort among stakeholders, drawing inspiration from both constitutional principles and innovative approaches to ensure a safer future for all Tennesseans, while keeping our rights protected as stated in the Constitution of our nation.

Source: wpln.org

2.4 Million Dollar Wonder Car: The Rimac Nevera

Rafi Davidovics (’26)

Last Week’s Solution

On November 16, 2017, the electric car company Tesla announced to the world that they were going to make the Tesla Roadster Generation 2. This car was going to be the second generation of the first ever electric sports car. The Roadster Generation 2, however, was different. Along with announcing the car itself Tesla announced some mind blowing stats, such as how the car can go 0-60 in only 1.9 seconds. This car was going to show that not only could electric cars be amazing sports cars but they could do it better than gas powered cars. Unfortunately, since then the company has gone through some priority changes, focusing on mass producing their existing cars to meet demand and doing work on the Tesla Cyber Truck, we will not see the Tesla Roadster Generation 2 in the near future. But luckily for us another lesser known company by the name of Rimac stepped up to the plate and created the mind blowing Rimac Nevera, an even better electric sports car. But to understand how amazing this car is first we need to look at a brief history of the company behind the car.

In 2009 in Croatia the company Rimac was formed with the mission to make high-end electric exotic sports cars, and in 2013 they came out with their first ever car, the Rimac Concept 1, and shortly after announced they were working on the Rimac Concept 2. But before they could release the Concept 2 in 2018 they were acquired by Volkswagen Group and were eventually merged with the very well known luxury car company, Bugatti. Then, in mid 2021, Rimac announced the Rimac Nevera, a version of the Concept two with more of a Bugatti feel.

When the stats for this car were released the whole car world was in shock because the Rimac Nevera put the Tesla Roadster Generation Two to shame and it hadn’t even come out yet. In all, this car broke twenty three world records and then broke another one when they realized they had also gotten the record for most records broken in a single day.

I know what you're thinking, this sounds great, I have to go get this as soon as possible, but before you do that you should know that while the Rimac Nevera is an amazing car, it is not exactly budget friendly. Rimac only made one hundred and fifty units each selling at a retail price of 2.4 million dollars most of which have already been bought up by multi millionaires and collectors. So while this is amazing in every regard, it is not exactly the car that you will see on the highway or at the supermarket. This car, while not necessarily being the car to show how bright the future of electric vehicles will be, I for one am

excited no matter what. And I am not alone in this thought. Many CYHSBers are also extremely excited about this car and cars like it and the future of electric cars as a whole. Junior Baruch Finkelman had this to say on the matter: “I think that electric cars have a lot of potential to better the earth and make driving more efficient.”

Baruch is not wrong in this thinking and as a result many CYHSBers think that electric cars will take over the market someday with Sophomore Akiva Levine saying, “electric cars are on track to dominate the car industry and electric sports cars will be a more popular choice amongst not only car enthusiasts but also the general population.”

With all this in mind, you can’t help but sit on the edge of your seat waiting to hear what will happen next in the electric car world, what records will be broken, what standards will be set, and what technologies will be perfected. We just have to wait and see.

The Rimac Nevera boasts some eye popping stats including twenty three world records. Source: Rimac-newsroom.com

NFL Preview: Breakdowns and Predictions

Jonah Siegel (’27)

We’re just two weeks away from the NFL season beginning, and after an exciting offseason in the NFL filled with trades, new rookies and excitement, I can't wait for this year's NFL season to start. With all the chaos going around everyone is wondering who will win their division, conference, and most importantly, the Super Bowl. Here are my short breakdowns and predictions for all 32 NFL teams.

NFC East:

1. Philadelphia Eagles – 13-4. After losing in last year's Super Bowl they will be coming back ready for revenge, and with this now being Jalen Hurts’s second year with Pro bowl wide receiver Aj Brown, this team will be better than ever. Nobody will hold this team back.

Last Week’s Solution

2. The New York Giants – 8-9. Despite resigning quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley, the Giants are still not going to make the playoffs. 3. The Dallas Cowboys – 11-6. After losing in the Divisional Round last year I don't see the Cowboys making it much farther this year. Although the signing of Stephon Gilmore and Brandon Cooks will be helpful, it will not be enough to push them to the Super Bowl. The Washinigton commanders – 7-10. With a top 10 defense in the NFL you would be curious why they have such a bad record. Maybe it's because Sam Howell, the team's starting quarterback, has only played one regular season football game.

NFC South

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 7-10. After the retirement of Tom Brady (the greatest football player of all time), the team has assigned the quarterback position to Baker Mayfield, former Panther and Brown. 2. The Atlanta Falcons –5-12. With Desmond Rider from

Cincinnati as their new starting quarterback, I don't think this team is a legitimate contender in this NFL season. 3. The New Orleans Saints – 9-8. With Derek Carr at quarterback and Michael Thomas at receiver, I believe that this team will win the division. 4. The Carolina Panthers 8-9. After trading up for the number one pick in the NFL draft and selecting Bryce Young, this team still won't be good enough to take the division.

NFC North

1. Minnesota Vikings – 12-5. Justin Jefferson, the greatest receiver in the NFL, will be able to carry this team to the playoffs. 2. Detroit Lions – 10-7. I think this can be the year the Lions make it for the first time since 2016. 3. Chicago Bears – 7-10. With Justin Fields getting more comfortable in the NFL and the addition of DJ Moore on the offense, this team will improve, but not enough to make the playoffs. Green Bay Packers – 4-13. With Jordan Love at quarterback and Christian Watson at receiver, the Packers are a shell of their old team and it will take a long time to rise

back up to where they used to be with Aaron Rodgers.

NFC West

1. San Francisco 49ers – 13-4. With Brock Purdy leading a superteam, winning the division won't be a problem. Seattle Seahawks – 11-6. After Geno Smith took control of this offense, he became a top 10 quarterback, and with his wide receivers it shouldn't be a problem to make the playoffs this year. Los Angeles Rams – 5-12. With the losses of Bobby Wagner and Jalen Ramsey, their defense will be a problem. Arizona Cardinals – 3-14. With no Deandre Hopkins and with Kyler Murray missing the first 5 weeks due to an acl tear, their season isn't looking bright.

AFC East

1. New York Jets – 13-4. Aaron Rodgers and Dalvin Cook joined the team, giving the Jets the opportunity to win the division for the first time since 2002. Miami Dolphins – 11-6. With the fastest wide receiver duo in the NFL, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, this season only comes down to one man: Tua Tagovailoa. If he can stay

Cont. from last page: off concussions, I don't see any problems why this team can't make a playoff run. New England Patriots – 5-12. Mac Jones needs to put a lot of work in to earn that Wild Card spot, and will Bill Belichick make any moves on the roster to give Mac any extra tools? If not then this Patriots team has little potential. 2. Buffalo Bills – 12-5. After being knocked out in the division round last year, even with Stefon Diggs being 4th in receiving yards, this could finally be the year the Bills go to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1994.

AFC South

and have more to prove than ever. Tennessee Titans – 10-7. After a frustrating end to last year’s season, this year will be much better with Deandre Hopkins now on the team.

AFC North

1. Cleveland Browns – 10-7. With

Last Week’s Solution

1. Indianapolis Colts –4-13. If Jonathan Taylor ends up leaving the team, that leaves Anthony Richardson a lot of work especially for a rookie, and he might not be able to lift this team out of their slump. Houston Texans – 5-12. With CJ Stroud at quarterback and one of the worst offenses in the NFL, it seems unlikely that the Texans make it anywhere this year. 2 Jacksonville Jaguars – 9-8. The Jaguars are bouncing back from a comeback division win last year

Desaun Watson finally having his time to shine, the Brown’s season is looking pretty good. Pittsburgh Steelers – 8-9. The fact that Kenny Pickett has more experience is helpful, but it won't be enough to lead the Steelers anywhere in a division loaded with talent. Baltimore Ravens – 11-6. With new additions to the team such as Odell

Radical Riddles:

Beckam Jr. and Zay Flowers, the Ravens can easily make the playoffs, as long as quarterback Lamar stays healthy. 2. Cincinnati Bengals – 11-6. Joe Burrow is coming back for revenge from last year's AFC Championship game and is hoping to bring the Bengals their first Super Bowl win in team history. AFC West . Los Angeles Chargers – 11-6. After not making it past the first round of the playoffs last year, Justin Herbert and the Chargers’ new offensive coordinator, Kellen Moore, plan to change that. 2 Denver Broncos –7-10. After recruiting Russel Wilson last year and only finishing 5-12, having more time to adapt won't cure the team’s problems. 3. Las Vegas Raiders –5-12. Losing Derek Carr and having Jimmy Garrapalo replace him will be a struggle that will take some time to fix. Kansas City Chiefs – 12-5. The reigning champs still have a young roster with nothing stopping them from going back to back.

Sara has four daughters, and each of her daughters has a brother. How many children does Sara have? First

Parshat Ki Tavo: The Best Way to Give Back

Avi Becker (’24)

Last year, on Parshat Ki Teitzei, my Dvar Torah was concerned with the following: “Why should we care about the emotions of beings (Challah or the Mother Bird by Shiluach Haken) who don’t really feel emotions? The answer I offered was as follows: Any act of kindness, no matter how small, is valued by Hashem, and if we are to truly emulate him, and act like we were created by B'Tzelem Elokim, we should value it too, even if nobody sees.

Last Week’s Solution

Not to discredit myself, but this answer doesn’t tell the whole truth. I derived it from the following story: There is a young man who often visits his local fruit vendor. Every day he goes to this vendor but before taking the fruit he asks her “This fruit looks quite rotten, will you take a bite to check for me?” And everyday the woman agrees. He continues to do this because he noticed that the vendor was quite frail and this would be a good way for her to be able to eat. He continued to do this for quite some time until one day the vendor of the store next door asked the women about this odd activity. She replied to the other vendor informing her that she is aware that this young man only does this so she can eat, but to repay him she sneaks some extra fruit into his bag every day.

I analyzed the aspects of this story and came to the conclusion that his kind, yet unknown actions, were being rewarded. Somehow though, I neglected to analyze the story from the perspective of the woman who was willing to give up extra fruit in order to supply the young man. I was focused on the receiving end; on the man in the story receiving and how we could receive, as that is what I believed would appeal to my audience. However that was both an insult to

myself as well as the readers, implying that we could only gain through receiving and not through giving. So now it is incumbent that we analyze the woman and see how this giving helped her grow as a person and in the end, helped her receive.

G-d put us in this world to emulate his acts, however our main purpose in this world is to receive G-d’s kindness. Therefore there are four ways to experience G-d’s kindness in this world:

1. Receiving to receive-This is the lowest level. This is of a shallow individual who is just here on earth just to experience joy.

2. Giving to receive-in this level one has overcome his innate selfish desires and has taken on the task of giving. However he is still bound by his ultimate end goal to be to receive.

3. Giving to give- One might assume that this is the

purest level, however one here has failed to receive G-d’s glory in this world and is therefore missing one of the purposes of being on earth.

4. Receiving to give-This is the most pure form, where one can both receive G-d’s kindness while also giving to others.

The woman in this story is someone who we must strive to be. She received to give. She received his act of kindness in letting herself eat in order to make him feel good. She received food in order to give him more. The man in the story is clearly a role model for how to look out for people. But the woman in this story…she is the epitome of how to live life in this world. But you might be wondering Wait Ki Tetzei was last week and you’d be right. Ki Tavo epitomizes the eternal heritage of Israel and what we may receive from it, and from that, what we can give.

Sending away the mother bird is a difficult mitzvah to understand. Source: unsplash.com

Cooper Clicks (Canoe Trip Edition)

Top right: In a cruel twist of fate Raanan’s tent decided today was not his day and would not let him out in the morning. Middle right: After canoeing down the river for far too long, a mysterious orange creature attached itself to the students. Bottom right: Avi Becker, again, in a hilarious spike ball gaffe briefl y forgets the laws of physics and attempts to use his force powers to control the ball…again. Bottom middle: Do not be alarmed by its intense expression, the majestic starfish is actually quite friendly when feeling unthreatened! Bottom Left: Raanan stares on in astonishment as Rafi performs a funky little jig to which his dance moves will never compare.

Welcome Back!

Great thanks to Mrs Patricia and Mr Louis Safier for their help with the CYHSB friday night dinner!

CYHSB Weekly Staff

Editor-in-Chief

Ezra Davidovics | ezra.davidovics@mhafyos.org

Layout Editor

Nadav Lowell | nadav.lowell@mhafyos.org

Managing Editor

Raanan Vanderwalde | raanan.vanderwalde@mhafyos.org

Assistant Layout Editors

Amit Zalman | amit.zalman@mhafyos.org

Rafi Davidovics | rafael.davidovics@mhafyos.org

News Editors

Joshua Parcover | joshua.parcover@mhafyos.org

Yaron Weiss | yaron.weiss@mhafyos.org

Akiva Levine | akiva.levine@mhafyos.org

Complaint Manager

J.J. Stein | jacob.stein@mhafyos.org

CYHSB Weekly Staff

Avi Becker | avi.becker@mhafyos.org

Benny Freiden | benjamin.freiden@mhafyos.org

Rafi Goldkin | rafael.goldkin@mhafyos.org

Jojo Ardestani | jonathan.ardestani@mhafyos.org

Ilan Lennon | ilan.lennon@mhafyos.org

Jonah Siegal | jonah.siegal@mhafyos.org

Omer Zalman | omer.zalman@mhafyos.org

Avigdor Zweihorn | avigdor.zweihorn@mhafyos.org

Davi Baum | david.baum@mhafyos.org

Administrative Advisors

Rabbi Dov Rossman

Mrs. Ashley Brown

From the Editor:

It is now clear that gun violence is an issue that can not be ignored as it affects even us in the Jewish community. Things are changing in the world whether it is a new football season coming around the corner, or a new record breaking electric cars. In these trying and uncertain times, we need to find ways to increase our kindness anyway that we can.

- Ezra Davidovics