The Goldie Globe 1/6/23

GOLDIE the

GL BE

A Publication of the Goldie Margolin School for Girls

New Year, New Me, No Phone?

By Atara Segal ('25)

n the past ten years, there has been an astronomical increase in time spent on personal devices, with the most time spent on one’s phone is scrolling through social media. As a society, we have come to a point where we cannot function properly without the constant checking of our following, posting about our day-to-day, and consuming hours of content. This is an addiction in itself, and like any addiction, it must be treated before anything worse happens. Technology more speci fi cally social media has many pros but twice as many cons. Our society, especially teenagers, needs to cut down on their social media intake before it is too late. This can only happen by changing the way we perceives our lives in comparison to the false reality of social media and setting boundaries with ourselves and others.

Art by Atara Segal ('25)

with the web, then you might have an addiction to your phone. If your daily schedule is interrupted by time spent on technology, or your schedule revolves around technology, then you may want to start rethinking how much time you should be allowing yourself to spend on your phone.

“The first step to recovery is realizing you have an addiction” is what many life coaches say in relation to starting the process of sobriety or other forms of healing from an addiction. The same applies to phone usage and time spent on social media. If you are unable to go a day without checking your social media apps or interacting

Dave Chaffey, who wrote for SmartInsights on the statistics of social media, said, “4.70 billion people around the world now use social media. 227 million new users have come online within the last 12 months. The average daily time spent using social media is 2 hours and 29 minutes.” This is an enormous amount of people and time spent on social media, not to mention the additional time spent on other applications of technology. To put this into perspective, if an average person spends approximately two and a half hours on social media every day, in a year they have spent upwards of 3,640 hours on social media alone. Imagine all the time one could spend doing things that are meaningful instead of liking posts and checking their followers.

Although this addiction is concerning and social media can be a dark place, there are still many reasons social media is, in theory, a good thing. Social media can

be used to advocate for a better society, raise money for people in need, and educate others on current events. It is a good way of drawing attention to problems that may be sugar coated by mainstream media, and they can allow people to understand the state of the world in a more complex way.

The problem with only learning about said current events through social media is that the algorithm will only show you what you specifically agree with, and it will show a very biased feed of the media you’re intaking. When the only media you consume is one-sided, your perspective is not based on facts but on favoritism and bias. This can cause ill intentions and unnecessary division of people in society just based on who they listen to politically, and the perspective they consume their current events through. The algorithm not only creates a toxic atmosphere for its viewer, but furthers their addiction.

Olivia Delgresso said in her explanation of the YouTube Algorithm, “By suggesting videos similar to those the user has already seen, it is more likely that they will watch them, therefore spending more of their time on YouTube… Algorithms are used across all social platforms, but they have the same three goals: engagement, growth and advertising.”

This not only applies to Youtube, but every social media platform out there. As Tristan Harris explains in the informative and thought provoking documentary film,

The Social Dilemma, “If you’re not paying for the product, then you are the product.” Harris explains that when we think our internet access and media consumption comes with no cost, we are the product being sold. Our data and interactions are being used by AI, artificial intelligence, to sell more appealing items based on personal preference, and creating a massive profit for many tech companies.

The best solution to this problem is to spend less time on devices. One way to do this is to turn off notifications, most phones also have Digital Wellbeing or Screen Time

Limit settings that can help you reduce your phone use. Another great way to reduce social media dependency is to remove the apps and only access through the web browser when needed. You should also curate your feeds to only follow people you actually know and like. To be safe, teens should let their parents be aware of what they are seeing to help make sure they are being secure and responsible online. Lastly, increasing fun

media use easy. We all are aware of the problems of social media and know we nd it hard to do so. While there are positive aspects of social media, most people overuse it, and are becoming addicted to toxic behavior. As we start a new calendar year, let’s all try and take a few small steps to reduce our social media usage, and replace the time we have been spending on positive and meaningful activities.

and meaningful real-life social activities will make reducing your social

"While there are positive aspects of social media, most people overuse it, and are becoming addicted to toxic behavior. "

Davening, Making the 'Chore' Yours

By Sarah Kahane ('25)

avening, prayer, is something that we as the Jewish people do everyday, multiple times per day. Yet, it has still become something that is often misunderstood and treated as more of an obligation to fulfill in the quickest possible manner, not given much thought to, rather than being viewed as a privilege that we are given the opportunity to experience every day. Davening is one of the most beautiful gifts that Hashem gives us and should be viewed as something that should be appreciated and looked forward to at every given opportunity with joy and excitement. This is something that many of us may not realize, so it’s important to delve deeper into what davening truly is in order to have a greater appreciation of it. Davening is a very special mitzvah, commandment, and is a prime example of avodah shebalev, a service of the heart. The times for davening are spread throughout the day, yet a Jew is obligated to daven every time he or she feels a need for something that may be lacking in their lives. We initially learn about Shacharis from Avraham Avinu, Mincha from Yitzchak Avinu, and Maariv from Yaakov Avinu. Similar to a child turning to his father when he wants something, as Jews, we turn to Hashem to assist us in achieving these needs of ours. Even though the map is laid out for us in davening, many people still find it hard to connect and to apply these thoughts and lessons to our lives.

Though it is important during our tefillah, prayer, to turn towards Hashem and ask for what we need, the most important aspect of tefillah is communication with

Hashem. Tefillah literally means “attachment.” The Baal Shem Tov told a mashal, parable, of a king who allowed all of his subjects to come to him and any request they wanted would be granted. Every subject asked for power or riches, all except one. This one subject requested that every day he should be granted the opportunity to talk to the king. After hearing this, the king was overjoyed that this one subject cared more about him than anything he could offer. He happily granted the request as well as more wealth and honor than all the others. This mashal is a great explanation that even our materialistic requests are a reflection of our desire to get closer to Hashem, and the goal is to fulfill the unique mission with which he entrusted us in this world. This lesson can also be seen through Chana’s Tefillah for a son in Shumel I. Chana’s prayers were deemed appropriate for her to daven for a child, which was seemingly materialistic, on one of the holiest days of the year, in the holiest place in the world. How could this child help her achieve a closer connection to Hashem? Shmuel, the son of Chana, helped her achieve a new type of relationship with Hashem that would never have been possible if she weren’t given the opportunity.

Additionally, it is important to understand that our tefillot are always answered. Even in the most difficult times when we do not see any material manifestation to our requests, on a spiritual level, our prayers have been taken into account. Hashem sees the big picture while our view and understanding is limited. If it appears to us that the initial answer is “no,” we should be rest assured that this outcome will lead us to our greatest benefit, even if we don’t understand at the moment. Sometimes we are privileged to later realize that that “no” was the best for us. Yet even if we never understand, we should become comfortable accepting the answer that Hashem, our Father, gives us, as He gives us everything we need at exactly the right time in order for us to successfully carry out our mission in life and help us complete our purpose in this world.

Atara Segal ('25) taking part in the mitzvah of tefillah.

The Big Debate: When Should Midterms Be?

first semester.

the while there's

he big question is: Are midterms better before or after winter break? The correct and only answer is before. Winter break is the highlight

contrast this, midterms are horrible because they test you on everything you have been learning since the beginning of the year. They are very difficult and long to take. It’s best to get the hard stuff out of the way in order to better enjoy the easy stuff. Once you get midterms out of the way, you have a clear mind to be able to focus on your break, relax, and spend time with your family. Once you get all your midterms done you have a weight being lifted off your shoulder.

You may think that having midterms after winter break would be better since the break gives you more time to prepare, but in reality, it just ends up being a hassle. Imagine having to put in a ton of work and effort and then taking a two week long break from it. You lose your momentum and focus. You then take a trip with your family, but you have to bring your huge backpack full to the brim with all of your notes. This break doesn’t actually

give you time to relax and spend time with your loved ones because you are so focused on your fast approaching midterms. It’s not like you only have a couple of midterms to study for. You’ll have to study for science, math, history, and English, along with Judaics. This is a huge weight on your shoulders that can be detrimental to your mental health, but you end up having to study for this during your time off from school. This is why it’s not better to have midterms after winter break.

Overall, when it comes to having midterms before winter break or after winter break, the right choice is obviously to have them before winter break. Getting a stress-free two weeks to yourself is the best feeling after a long and grueling first semester. Everyone in school puts everything into their school work and tries to make the semester the best as they can. Therefore, it is worthwhile to have midterms before winter break so that students, and teachers, can have a nice, relaxing break.

Every year, teachers do everything they can to teach as much as they can before the end of the

All

a question of when the huge test on that information will be. For many years now, the dates for midterms have changed around. One of the most stressful times of year is heightened with the big question of when they will end up being.

Malka Weiner ('26) studying like a boss before midterms.

By

tudents should take midterms after winter break. One of the most stressful times of year for almost all students is midterms and finals, so why have midterms before winter break? Winter break allows students to have time to study and relax; therefore, midterms should be after the break.

The months of December and January are the most stressful times for students as they are the busiest months of the school year. Taking midterms before winter break becomes extremely hard to manage with everything going on in students' lives. Studying for midterms, tests, as well as being involved in after school activities becomes intense during this time. All this stress can lead to students getting burnt out. This is one of the many reasons why midterms should be taken after winter break, not before. Having midterms after winter break would also give students more time to study, and it would allow for students to get help from their teachers, along with having time to relax.

As the first semester comes to an end, many teachers begin to give tests along with the approaching midterms. These tests and midterms can create a very stressful environment for students and teachers. To relieve some of

the stress, it would be better to have midterms after winter break.

Having midterms after winter break would allow students to have more time to study. Winter break is on average two weeks each year. These couple of weeks are great to relax, but it’s also an opportune time to study some material from school in order to not forget anything. That’s why having midterms after a winter break makes more sense. This break gives students plenty of time to study and review for all of their classes, as well as give them a well deserved vacation.

It’s understandable why some might think that having midterms before winter break would be more beneficial than having them after. This is because it means that students would get the midterms out of the way and have a free break without thinking about school. That being said, having midterms after winter break would still allow for students to relax and recover from the first half of the year, but it would also give them more time to study for midterms.

If midterms are after winter break, then teachers would be able to have more time to work with students if they needed during the break. Having midterms after winter break would allow students to calm down and truly understand the information they are learning. The few weeks that students get off should be used as time to relax from school, but also as time to study, learn new things, and review old information.

Overall, it would be best if midterms are taken after winter break. Having midterms after would give students more time to study, teachers would have more time to help students understand material, and students would have more time to relax without becoming extremely stressed to the point of being completely burnt out from school.

"Having midterms after winter break would allow students to calm down and truly understand the information they are learning. "

Talya Mendelson (’25)

A poll was sent out to the GMSG students and teachers asking the big question: When do YOU think midterms should be?

Students Teachers

Parshas Vayechi: Diversity, Identity, Unity

By Shayna Klein ('25)

n this week's Parsha, Parshas Vayechi, Yaakov is on his deathbed and gathers his twelve sons to bless them before his passing. The twelve tribes gathered and together, they said the Shema before their father, a reassurance to him that they would continue to serve Hashem and recognize Him as the one G-d. In this moment, the tribes became one unified family, with one heart and soul.

In Parshas Vayeitzei, on his way to Charan, Yaakov stops for the night and gathers twelve stones under his head to sleep. The Midrash tells us that the stones fought for the prime spot under Yaakov’s head, and overnight, they fused together and became one stone.

When Yaakov gathered those twelve stones, he had the intent of binding himself to the twelve sons he prophesied that he would have. The stones fused because of him, so they would not only be bound together forever, but also be bound to Yaakov. The Hebrew word for stone, “ןבא,” is made of the words “בא,” father, and “ןב,” son. The word hints to us the binding of Yaakov to his sons through this action with the stones.

We learn that the oneness and unity of Bnei Yisroel is a reflection of the Oneness of Hashem. Every day in our davening, we take on the mitzvah of Ahavat Yisroel and ask Hashem to bless us as one nation. We also declare Hashem as one many times in our prayers.

Clearly, we see that in order to achieve a good relationship with Hashem, we need to have good relationships with each other. When we are a unified nation, blessing comes forth. We even see that in our ancestors’ times, the exile of the Jews was less when they were immersed in idol worship than the exile caused by Sinaas Chinam, baseless hatred. This is because even when the Jews were immersed in idolatry, they were unified. They were a unified force doing something which was wrong. But even when the Jews were immersed in Torah, they were fighting internally and not getting along. This led to a much longer exile filled with Crusades, the Inquisition, the Holocaust, and more. In the times of Rabbi Akiva, we also see that his students were dying

because of a lack of unification. Some even say that they were so immersed in Torah study, but each one thought that their way was the right way to study, which led to disrespect among the students and the death of 24,000 Torah scholars.

But what does this fusion of rocks and souls mean?

How do we achieve oneness? To understand, we need to look to Hashem, the One we are expected to emulate. Our Sages teach us that Hashem created the world as a dwelling place for Himself below, but what advantage is that to Him? The world seems to be a contradicting and diverse place. When such a diverse population can come together and recognize Hashem’s Oneness, it is more solid and meaningful than praise from the higher world of perfection and purity. Our diversity should support our unity and our unity should be a result of our diversity. The advantage for Hashem here is that a unity and recognition of Him that comes from diversity is so much more special and real than unity of uniformity. There were thirteen gates in which one could enter the Beis Hamikdash, one for each tribe and one general, universal gate. Clearly, there were advantages to using one’s own tribal gate and for using the universal gate. Similarly, there are times when we look to Hashem and pray as individuals with individual needs, as well as times when we turn to him simply as part of the Jewish nation.

Yaakov did not seek one large stone and take it to lie on, nor did he give one general blessing to all twelve of his sons. He gathered twelve stones and twelve sons, and he gave individual, tailored blessings, tools which would be necessary for their futures, to each one. However, the sons all came to him together and reassured him of their faithfulness in one prayer, together as one family, one soul, one being. Absolute unity is more powerful because of the individuality of each being that makes it up. Again, the diversity breeds a more special harmony and wholeness. The lesson here for us is that we need to learn how to live with both. We need to find our individuality among the group, but we also need to use it to form a solid unity. Neither one can be true without the other and from here we learn the power of both.

A crowd of GMSG girls display their individuality within a group.

Hot take: TV shows need to die. Listen, I’m not saying that all TV shows are bad inherently. Contrary to popular opinion, I actually do watch some TV in my free time. The issue comes in when networks refuse to cancel a show because it’s doing so well. This causes the show to feel meaningless and empty. The characters have no goal to work towards, and the writers have no end date. It leaves the show in a stasis. While the show is technically not over, it feels like it should be. In my opinion, which as always is the correct opinion, shows should always have a set end date. They should always be working towards and adding to the finale, whatever that may be.

My personal favorite show, The Good Place is really great for that specific reason. The showrunners had a four season plan, they executed their plan, and didn’t overstay their welcome. They said everything they wanted to say without adding filler episodes. The show ended exactly when and how it was planned. Each episode had a purpose in the show’s overall storyline and when rewatching it, you are able to see how each episode fits into the larger whole. From the first episode of season one to the last episode of season four, the characters grow and change the way real people grow and change. I really appreciate the dedication of the showrunners, writers, and actors in making the show so amazing.

Lost is an example of a show that dragged on way past its death date. Its six seasons and 121 episodes were not made to serve a greater purpose. They were written and produced to make the studio money. After Lost became a hit show, there was no way the network could cancel it, even after everything the showrunners had planned had been completed. This left the last few seasons of the show chasing empty mysteries that there were never any complete plans to finish. While it was a good show at first, the fact that it was never canceled really hurt its ability to be truly great.

Basically all modern Marvel shows fall into the “bad” category. All Marvel media feels like a cash grab and it is not great for all the reasons Neima Rovner (‘26) stated in the last issue of the Goldie Globe. Game of Thrones, on the other hand, probably shouldn’t have ended when it did. George R.R. Martin was still actively writing GOT books when the series ended, and the series hadn’t yet overstayed its welcome, nor was it in a death spiral. GOT was not canceled, the showrunners just didn’t want their entire lives to be GOT. Which, of course, respect needs to be given to the kinds of people who can step away from the things that make them unhappy, but they didn't have to end it. The crown could have been passed to a new generation of showrunners.

Shows are not good because they go on forever. Shows, like life, are only special because they end. Like life, they all should end in their own times after they have completed what they set out to complete. No shows should be left dragging their feet because the network wants to make more and more money off of them. They should be able to die peacefully, not murdered or kept on life support.

How Much Time Does The Average GMSGer Spend on Their Phone?

Name: Pesi Katz ('23)

Screen Time Expected: "Probably like 3 hours."

Actual Screen Time: 5 hours 42 minutes

Was this surprising? "I'm a little surprised and a little disappointed."

Three Most Used Apps:

Name: Shulie Ibragimova

Screen Time Expected: "Like 7 hours."

Actual Screen Time: 8 hours and 30 minutes

Was this surprising? "Not really no."

Three Most Used Apps:

Name: Shoshana Marvin

Screen Time Expected: "About 5 or 6 hours."

Actual Screen Time: 8 hours and 11 minutes

Was this surprising? "No because I haven't done anything productive this week."

Three Most Used Apps:

Name: Ellie Meyers

Screen Time Expected: "Probably 8 and a half

Actual Screen Time: 8 hours and 26 minutes

Was this surprising? "Not really if I'm being

Three Most Used Apps:

After The Bell

With: Sarah Karfunkel ('24)

What do you do “after the bell?”

You know, head to the gym and shoot baskets."

How long have you been doing this for?

"I was bouncing a ball the second I was birthed from my mom, but this is my first year on the basketball team."

How did you get into this hobby?

"I've been into basketball since I found out I could dunk. I got into basketball in Memphis because my dad told me to play. He wanted me to do something else since he knows I can’t play hockey."

What was your first big accomplishment when you started with your hobby?

"Scoring my first shot which was during the first GMSG basketball game, close to the end. Even when we were down by 20 points, I was still very happy. When we lost, I still felt accomplished."

What have you learned from doing this hobby?

"I have learned to be a team player � ."

Goldie’s Guidance

Dear Goldie,

As you are well aware, New Year's is coming up. Obviously a core component of the New Year is making resolutions that we know we’re never going to keep. But this year, I am determined. I need help to come up with a way I can keep my resolutions and feel good about how much I’m accomplishing. I’m so tired of feeling like a failure when I give up on my goals after two days. Please help me!

Yours truly, Resolution 2023

Dear Resolution 2023,

You could, as always, refer to the advice I gave in the previous issue of our esteemed publication. It’s not an exact 1-to-1 situation, but my advice is always applicable to many different situations. However, since you haven’t done that (I hope your resolution wasn’t to stop being lazy), I will give you all new advice right now. What you really need right now is motivation and a way to hold yourself accountable. For that I suggest a new thing that I am coining and trademarking the “Accountabilitibuddy.” This is a friend that you tell about your resolution, keeping them up to date every step of the way. They will, as any good friend would, verbally berate you when you fail to keep your resolution. It will make you feel as terrible as the Duolingo bird makes you feel when you don’t keep up with your language lessons. I highly recommend using the official Goldie’s Guidance app to get connected with your very own Accountabilitibuddy for only $9.99 a month. While you could get a personal friend to hold you accountable, give us money please.

The

GMSG SNAPS

Speakers

at the GMSG Showcase of Learning pose after a night full of amazing Divrei Torah.

Natalie Mashinsky ('23), Emma Wruble ('24), and Brooke Sanderson ('25) model sheitels at the GMSG Market Night as prep for Jewish mommyhood.

GMSGers prepare for their bright Jewish futures by modeling tichels at the GMSG's Market night.

Shoshanah Kaplowitz ('24) enjoys the fun drawing activity at our Chanukah Chagiga.

Left: The GMSG brings Chanukah joy to the Brookedale Assisted Living residents.

Sarah Karfunkel ('24) enjoys the delicious donut she decorated at our Chanukah Chagiga.

Natalie Mashinsky ('23) and Zimrat Grunwald ('24) together present a Dvar Torah at the GMSG Showcase of Learning.

Elizabeth Valeriano ('23) prepares for parenthood at the schoolwide Chanukah dancing. Girls gather together to support the GMSG Lady Macs.

Margalit Goldkin ('26) and Chani Vayavodkina ('24) band together at GMSG Market Night.