CYHSB Weekly 2/09/24



Volume 18, Issue 12

February 9, 2024

CYHSB WEEKLY Cooper Yeshiva High School for Boys Volume 18, Issue 12 Steak Dinner Behind the Scenes: In the Kitchen Page 2 Cooper Clicks: Trip Edition Page 3 Video Games: Good or Bad? Page 4 The Divine Tapestry: Understanding the Purpose and Beauty of Mitzvot in Judaism Page 6 Word Search: Steak Dinner Page 7 CYFL WEEKLY UPDATE: Vandy's Vikings: 2-0 Gold Kids: 1-0 Somer's Marshmallows: 0-1 Beck's Decks: 0-1 Wanan's Goats: 0-1

CYHSB Weekly

CYHSB steak dinner in action as waiters server entrees. Photo By: Jessica Baum

Steak Dinner Behind The Scenes: The Perspective Of A Waiter Jack Kampf (’26) For most CYHSB students, being involved with the steak dinner is a four-in-a-lifetime experience. I have completed two out of my hopefully four times being a waiter, and this recent experience was even better than my first year. In sports, our coaches teach us that preparation is key, and therefore we need to practice constantly so that when we get on the court, we can play our best. Rabbi Gersten teaches us the same thing when it comes to the steak dinner. We have to be fully prepared so that when the big night arrives, we can put on

the best experience for the community and show what the Cooper Yeshiva is all about.

The preparation starts weeks in advance, and I am sure I don't even know the entirety of how much really goes into it. All of the work that goes into the video, the reservations, the shopping, the food; there is so much that needs to be done, and so many people who work so hard. I am so inspired by Rabbi Gersten, how despite his continuing issues with his foot, he pushed on and worked extremely hard to make sure that we were ready for the dinner. He continued

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Cont. from last page on with all of his responsibilities as if he was totally fine. I truly believe that this caused me and my fellow students to work harder than usual thinking that if Rabbi Gersten can do it on a scooter, we certainly can.

Thank you Rabbi Gersten for all you do.

My favorite part of the dinner prep is when we all step up to help together. I love spending the many hours on Saturday night before the dinner at the school with everyone setting everything up and having a great time. What a beautiful sight it is to watch the Moss Gym transform so quickly into an elegant dining hall. Setting tables and making sure

February 9, 2024

everything is just right is a great bonding experience that brings the whole school together to help. It is really a team effort with the entire student body contributing.

Then the big night comes. I would be lying if I said there weren't some butterflies like I have before a big basketball game. But then the dinner starts, and I realize that we are all in it together and it is a lot of fun. Sure it can be stressful to have to make sure your table is served well, and that everything is going smoothly, but that is all part of the fun. I especially had a great time serving my parents’ table.

This year we honored Rabbi Males. Rabbi Males was an

incredibly deserving honoree and has taught all of us so much. We have all learned from him even if we aren't in his class. Rabbi Males makes learning meaningful and enjoyable. He has such a warm heart, and his love of Torah and people is so apparent.

I have to say this Steak Dinner was at least in the top two that I have been lucky to be a part of. I am very much looking forward to number three, but that also means that I would already be more than halfway done with my amazing CYHSB experience. Boy, does time fly.

Steak Dinner Behind the Scenes: In the Kitchen

Avigdor Zweihorn (’27) the food in the proper locations to essentially consisting of fish, One might think that the kitchen keep it warm: steak in the warming chicken, vegetarian, and any special staff's job was solely to prepare the drawer, mini hot dogs taken out of food-related requests. Initially, food, but that's not the case; the the oven, and wings placed in the everything ran smoothly with only entire high school collectively lunch rack, which could keep them three waiters assigned to our prepared the food earlier that day. warm as long as the door stayed kitchen. They selected tables and The preparation was probably my shut. When the dinner suddenly orders, we prepared the food, and favorite part, even if it wasn’t began, the kitchen staff quickly took they returned for more. However, during the actual event. It’s the chaos ensued once the lunchroom part where you get to smell all finished serving their entrees before the good food without actually the kitchen had completed its smelling like it yet. Moreover, orders. It's a little surprising that it's kind of cool to prepare the they finished before us, considering food because it's probably the they had more orders, but they also most important part of the had more waiters. To rectify the process. The dilemma of the situation we were sent additional kitchen staff wasn't cooking the staff to alleviate the pressure, but food but getting the right food to unfortunately, the additional waiters the right waiter fast enough. The only made things more crowded kitchen was divided into two and chaotic. parts: the main kitchen and the After overcoming that hurdle, lunchroom, with tasks split Kitchen sta hard at work. Photo By: Jessica Baum the rest of the night went smoothly. between them.

We took a break to watch the steak At the beginning of the meal, the their positions. I found myself in the dinner video, served dessert, and waiters went back and forth between boiling heat of the chicken wing finally, cleaned up the kitchen, gym, the two kitchens, taking items from room, getting them ready. and lunchroom for school the next each. Later, most of the waiters After clearing the chicken off the day. were to retrieve entree plates from tables, it was time for the steak to be This was my first time working the lunchroom, while others came to served. However, we weren't in at or even experiencing the steak the kitchen for special orders. This charge of steak; that was the dinner, and despite some messiness is where I was stationed. Before the lunchroom's responsibility. We at times, it was a wonderful dinner started, we had to place all focused on the “special orders,” experience and a lot of fun.

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Cooper Clicks: Trip Edition Top Right: The boys who don't go skiing have a blast at an escape room. Top Le : Ezra tries on the Cardinals rings. Middle: On the way back to Memphis the bus stops at Krispy Kreme. Bottom Le : The CYFL has a game when we nished unpacking the bus.

Photo: Jojo Ardestani

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Volume 18, Issue 12

February 9, 2024

Video Games: Good or bad?

Baruch Finkelman and Jojo Ardestani (’25) Since the emergence of video games in the late 70s, critics have often referred to them as “brain-melting” or “a waste of time.” While at first, video games may seem like a waste of time and unhealthy because how in the world can sitting in a chair and clicking a mouse for a couple of hours be healthy for a person, they may be not only non-detrimental but even healthy for the average video gamer. From studies ranging from 2009 to ones as recent as 2022, video games have been found to have many benefits to their players, from improved education to better cognitive performance.

In life, the faster a person is, the better it is regarding all physical and mental performances. It's as Pete from Maverick puts so well: "I feel the need, the need for speed." The main problem with trying to increase speed is that with most increases in speed, accuracy is sacrificed.

Video games seem to be an exception to this rule because, in a study done by the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Rochester in 2009, researchers pitted gamers against nonCYHSB Weekly

gamers in tests of reaction time. The tests forced the people taking them to do things such as finding an object that was flashed on the screen once, finding a letter in a screen full of different letters, and picking the direction of a specific arrow amongst many other opposing ones. What did not come as a surprise to the researchers was that the gamers had much quicker reaction times on average, what did come as a surprise was the sheer consistency of the quick reaction times

and the fact that there was no drop-off in accuracy.

Furthermore, in a study done by the National Institutes of Health in 2022, it was found in a study of over 2000 children, those who played three or more hours of video games a day scored higher on cognitive performance tests involving impulse control and working memory

than children who had not. The researchers used fMRI imaging technology to view the brains of the children who took part in the study and found that the children who spent time playing video games showed higher activity in the parts of the brain involved with attention and memory. This new information disproved old studies done on much smaller sample sizes that had suggested that children who played video games were significantly more aggressive and violent than those who didn't. In this new study, while children still seemed to have higher scores on tests measuring depression and ADHD, the difference between the two groups was negligible.

A study done by the School of Psychology and Centre for Brain Research of The University of Auckland in 2013 found that players of video games also had significantly better spatial visualization, visual anticipation, temporal dynamics, and task-switching abilities. This is to say that video games have appeared to stimulate a significant change for the better in terms of all things cognitive when referring to space and timerelated topics.

Despite the fact that video games have a negative stigma around them and are believed to encourage antisocial behavior, violence, and an overall “melted brain,” these are all unfounded beliefs. Through multiple research studies, it appears that video games can boost a person's cognitive and fast-twitch abilities. Overall video games are not nearly as detrimental as they have been portrayed and if played an adequate amount without spending horrific amounts of time on them they can actually be positive.

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Omer Zalman (’27) Entertainment: a way to satisfy yourself and raise your dopamine levels. There are many different ways to be entertained, from watching videos, playing games, sports and more. One form of entertainment is video games, which can take many forms, and allow for a break from life where you can do whatever you want.

While in many cases they may seem good, video games have many cons.

For starters, video games can cause addiction. When you play video games, it creates dopamine in your brain, and playing video games constantly will cause your brain to depend on this constant supply of dopamine. This causes other activities to be boring, which is why gamers usually just play video games and don’t pursue activities others may find fun.

Video games are also a constant suppression of negative emotions, so when gamers are sad, they usually play some games to calm themselves down. This makes it hard for gamers to calm themselves down when they cannot play video games.

Video games also cause increased violence. According to the American Psychological Association, violent video games encourage violent problem-solving ways and prime intrusive thoughts. Players learn from the violence in video games and apply it to real life situations.

Additionally, if a video gamer were being attacked, they would likely act more aggressively than a nongamer would. They act violent because something was taken away from them, and because of the constant supply of dopamine from video games, the amount of effort needed to calm them down is much greater. The fact that video gamers have trouble calming down, coupled with the fact CYHSB Weekly

February 9, 2024

that they will likely find violent ways to resolve an issue, further proves my point that video games are bad.

Video games also ruin the social skills of gamers. Most people feel awkward in situations because they feel they don’t belong in a certain place, and also feel shy when they talk to most people.

Video games amplify the effects of this.

Instead of learning how to become more social and develop social and speaking skills, gamers tend to run to their dopamine sites – computers – because of the anxiety and stress caused by

these social activities.

This causes them to not develop strong social skills.

Because of this, most addicted gamers usually have very few friends.

Another reason that video games are bad is because video games cause gamers to have trouble in school. Because of the fact that video games distract people from what is happening around them, gamers often forget to do assignments, making their grades go down. This usually happens because people get so attached to these virtual gaming worlds, which causes them to disconnect themselves from the real world.

Video games can also cause problems with your hands and eyes.

Because your hands are in a certain place for an extended amount of time, gaming can cause lots of pressure on your nerves. This can cause issues like carpal tunnel syndrome and strain of the muscles in your hands.

I used to be a gamer, and I often experienced these symptoms. I wouldn’t have many friends and I often had eye problems, causing my vision to slightly deteriorate. Also, I had developed an issue with my left hand called trigger finger syndrome, in which your pinky finger is in a bent position then it snaps straight.

Some people state that video games can improve memory, problem solving, and logic skills. That may be true; but there are better ways to do that. A great example is chess, where one of the key ideas is to plan ahead your moves, which greatly improves IQ and memory. Also, doing your homework and assignments instead of gaming not only will improve your IQ and develop your logic skills, it will actually prepare you for life and is a great estimator of how well you will perform in your job.

If you just game all day, you will not only be losing potential and losing your family and friends, you will be ruining your future.

All of the symptoms of addictive video games, such as bad relationship skills, increased violence, and poor job performance, are similar to another type of addiction—drug addictions. When someone is addicted to a drug their sole purpose is to create large surges of dopamine, just like gaming. I decided to stop gaming in the middle of November, causing my grades and my social skills to improve. I am 2 months sober.

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February 9, 2024

The Divine Tapestry: Understanding the Purpose and Beauty of Mitzvot in Judaism Avi Becker (’24) Jews are no strangers to laws. Yet, the mountain of commandments in Mishpatim appears no less jarring.

How should we, as Jews, reconcile Gd’s infinite mercy and the heaps of commandments, which seem a burden, that have been thrown upon us?

The Rabbis said in the Mishna: “The Holy One blessed be-He desired to bring merit to Israel (the Jews) therefore he increased for them Torah and mitzvos;” (Mishna, Makos Ch. 3).

This Mishna initially seems counterintuitive. If the Mitzvot are a yoke and burden, how then, can we consider them a benefit, at most they seem to be a responsibility.

The Rambam explains this inquiry as follows: “It is a core Jewish concept that if a person observed one mitzvah out of the 613 properly and respectably without tainting it with any personal motivation, rather purely for its own sake out of love; that person will have merited, from this one observance, to the world to come.”

This is the meaning of the Mishna: The mitzvos, by them being many, make it extremely likely that during a Jew’s entire lifetime at least one of them will be fulfilled with perfection of thought and deed. With that perfect

mitzvah the person’s soul will attain eternal life…” (Ramba’m, Commentary to Mishna, end of Makos).

Another answer, perhaps, is that which is given by the Zohar.

“The Kabbalists explain that the 613 mitzvos, made up of 248 “positive” and 365 Source: https://stock.adobe.com/ “negative” (do’s and don’ts). These correspond creation itself. A part of the soul also to the same count of body parts corresponds to the same body parts. contained in a person’s body. Each In this way the body and soul very mitzvah matches up precisely to its precisely achieve their perfection, body-counterpart, providing it light their tikkun, through the mitzvos. For and life. this reason the number of 613 is very These sages elucidate an even precise and couldn’t be any other deeper understanding: Our bodies way.” were actually created by G-d to fit the No mitzva in and of itself seems mitzvos! This is based partly on the entirely necessary within G-d’s statement of the “Book of the Zohar” creation of the universe. However, (“Book of Illumination”, the key text each one is specifically suited to how of the Kabbalah), “G-d peered into humans have been created and the Torah and created the world.” therefore serves to make us the best This means the Torah was not version of ourselves. introduced into the world once it was created; rather it is the blueprint of

Radical Riddles A man shaves many times during the day, but at the end of the day, he still has a beard. How is this possible?

Whoever sends the rst correct answer will receive a special reward!

Send your answer to amit.zalman@mhafyos.org! Last issue’s winner: Elisha Pollak

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Word Search: Steak Dinner

Are you up for the challenge? Do you think you can nd all 8 steak dinner related words?

If you think you've got them all email Yitzy @ yitzy.ryp@mhafyos.org, and if you're the rst to get it right you'll see your name here next week!

Three or less letter words, as we as one ve letter word (plead), were randomly generated by the program, by accident.

There are diagonals, but only downwards. No backwards or upside-down words.

© CALVIN AND HOBBES Watterson. Reprinted with permission of ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION. All rights reserved.

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Volume 18, Issue 12

February 9, 2024

A Sponsorship is a great way to get a message out to the community, celebrate an event, or simply help out your favorite school paper. Contact Nadav Lowell at nadav.lowell@mhafyos.org for more information.

CYHSB Weekly Staff Editor-in-Chief Ezra Davidovics | ezra.davidovics@mhafyos.org Associate Editor-in-Chief Nadav Lowell | nadav.lowell@mhafyos.org Managing Editor Raanan Vanderwalde | raanan.vanderwalde@mhafyos.org Head of Torah Affairs Avi Becker | avi.becker@mhafyos.org Chief Layout Editor Ra Davidovics | rafael.davidovics@mhafyos.org Layout Editors Yitzy Ryp | yitzy.ryp@mhafyos.org Amit Zalman | amit.zalman@mhafyos.org News Editors Akiva Levine | akiva.levine@mhafyos.org Ilan Lowell | ilan.lowell@mhafyos.org Photographers and Complaint Managers Jack Kampf | jack.kampf@mhafyos.org J.J. Stein | jacob.stein@mhafyos.org CYHSB Weekly Staff Jojo Ardestani | jonathan.ardestani@mhafyos.org Davi Baum | david.baum@mhafyos.org Benny Freiden | benjamin.freiden@mhafyos.org Ra Goldkin | rafael.goldkin@mhafyos.org Ilan Lennon | ilan.lennon@mhafyos.org Jonah Siegel | jonah.siegel@mhafyos.org Omer Zalman | omer.zalman@mhafyos.org Avigdor Zweihorn | avigdor.zweihorn@mhafyos.org

From the Associate Editor:

This week's edition delves into the signi cance of communal events like the CYHSB steak dinner and examines the impact of video games on individuals.

As we explore Parshat Mishpatim's teachings on ethical living, let's re ect on nding balance in our pursuits. May we approach our activities with mindfulness and moderation, ensuring they contribute positively to our personal growth and communal harmony.

Wishing you all a restful and meaningful shabbos.

Administrative Advisors Mrs. Ashley Brown Rabbi Dov Rossman 8

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Volume 18, Issue 12