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SHALHEVET HIGH SCHOOL • Los Angeles, CA February 2018 • Sh’vat 5778 • Vol. 18, Issue 3 shalhevetboilingpoint.com

More than half of school’s advanced STEM students are girls, defying norms

New next door

By hannah jannol, Editor-in-Chief, and Maya Tochner, Staff Writer

BP Photo by Kate Orlanski

STATEMENT: Shalhevet’s new neighbor, almost ready to open with 149 apartments, the Vinz on Fairfax, seems to be several different buildings at once. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing is explored by two of our editors in contrasting reviews on Page 20.

Lots of guns, not much worry Survey finds 17 percent of Shalhevet students have firearms at home By Tyler Ekaireb, Outside News Editor Seventeen percent of Shalhevet students have firearms at home, 99 percent of whom know where they are kept and all of whom say their guns are under lock and key, according to a Boiling Point poll. The poll, taken at the end of November, 2017, also found that 32 percent of students have family members trained to use firearms, perhaps reflecting U.S. or Israeli military training, though the poll didn’t ask about that. And 96 percent of students agree or strongly agree that people should be able to own guns, most citing self-defense and sport. Not that the subject seems simple to them, however.

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“I personally like that we can own guns and am in favor of keeping that legal, but I really don’t know if it is right,” said senior Maya Schechter, whose family owns multiple firearms. “It makes me feel safe to have guns in the house.” According to a CBS News poll, nationally about 30 percent of households owned firearms in 2016, the lowest in almost 40 years. Gun ownership reached a peak of 53 percent in 1994, the same poll showed. Seventeen percent suggests about 36 Shalhevet families are armed. According to Gun Violence Archive, more than 15,000 peoContinued on page 17

‘Strategic shuffling’ replaces former principal Existing faculty and new Dean of Student Life position will cover old roles By Clara Sandler, Community Editor Rabbi David Block is coordinating Judaic Studies and newcomer Dr. Jonathan Ravanshenas is Dean of Student Life in a “strategic shuffling” announced by Rabbi Segal after the removal of Principal Dr. Noam Weissman from his administrative role. Dr. Weissman, who is still teaching three classes, will not return next year. As principal, he oversaw almost everything that happened at school, in addition to having written or co-written most of the school’s Judaic and Israel-related curricula. He led student leadership seminars, hosted onegs at his home, attended sports games and inspired both discipline and ruach (spirit) on holidays, school trips, assemblies and more.

Led by surges in Computer Science and Biology, female enrollment in advanced Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) classes at Shalhevet now totals 51.1 percent, which is unusual in the context of national averages in which women are typically a small minority in both career fields and academic settings. And Shalhevet’s Robotics program, which is not a class but a co-curricular that competes against other schools, is more than half female this year for the first time since the program started in 2015. The classes with the highest female enrollment are SAS Biology, which is is 70 percent girls, and SAS Computer Science, which is 61 percent. (SAS stands for Shalhevet Advanced Studies.) Nationally, just 18 percent of people majoring in Computer Science were female in 2014, according to the Washington Post. The trend has not yet reached math and physics, however. Shalhevet’s most advanced math and physics classes this year are just one-third female. The AB Calculus class is comprised of nine members, two female, and the BC calculus class has six students, three of them female. The SAS Physics class this year consists of 10 members, two of whom are female. Nationally, 39 percent of physical science majors in 2014 were female, according to The Washington Post. And according to the Ameri-

Students were quoting his catch-phrase -- “Transition is the greatest sign of maturity,” used to keep the growing student body in order during complicated events and ceremonies -- as they grappled with the adjustment to his absence. But in announcing the current transition, Head of School Rabbi Ari Segal was confident about the school’s ability to move forward. “This is as strong, passionate, capable, and diverse a group of educators as I have seen,” Rabbi Segal wrote in an email to current parents Jan. 11, three days after the announcement about Dr. Weissman was made (see related story, Page 5). “We are fortunate to have a cadre of truly world-class talent

From schools to market stalls, choir entertains in Seattle By Rebecca Cohen, Staff Writer Twenty-five teenagers are wandering around the famous Pike Place Market in Seattle, indistinguishable from the rest of the crowd that is chatting, laughing and admiring the produce. At one moment, a few teens seem to break out into song, and gradually they are joined by more who have walked over, until finally the strangers around them stop their errands to watch, listen and video with their cellphones: it’s a flashmob! The Choirhawks flew to Seattle Dec. 13 for their second-ever Hannukah performance tour, spending four days singing not only flash mobs but planned concerts for people ranging from kindergarteners to senior citizens. The singers themselves were among the biggest fans. “There is something I call the field trip high that you get when you are with friends from school, in a school setting but going somewhere else, that can’t be achieved anywhere else,” said senior Daniel Lorell, who sings bass. Two years ago, the choir bused to San Francisco and sang at schools, synagogues and the Golden Gate Bridge. This year, they Continued on page 23

Continued on page 5

WHAT’S INSIDE...

KERATIN

Page 21

Page 4

Page 9

Opinion

Community

Torah

It stings and it burns, and it’s really, really popular. The lengths to which girls will go for straight hair.

4 BEN SHAPIRO

Calm and uncensored, still opposes gay marriage.

TU B’SHVAT

Lanterns, lights, and listening at Tu B’Shvat on the roof.

The Boiling Point • February 2018 • Community

Student-tended rooftop garden offers herbs to pick, vegetables for sale By Molly Litvak, Staff Writer

mar

thurs, mar 1 purim (no school) fri, mar 2 shushan purim (late start) mar 3-6 aipac policy conference mar 7-10 Galbut tournament sun, mar 11 daylight savings fri, mar 16 yom iyun mar 13-18 cspa conference mar 14-18 robotics trip mar 15-19 sarachek tournament mar 22-25 penn model congress

MORE ON THE WEB: Details and color photos of Skirball Fire in Sepulveda Pass Apple Genius Nick Parsons replaces tech guru Robi Grunfeld BROADCAST: Shalhevet vs. YULA Jan. 3 basketball game VIDEO: Choirhawks flash mob in Seattle’s Pike Place Market VIDEO: Jordana Glouberman’s latke recipe and how to make it

TUES, FEB 20 shal. institute WED, FEB 28 Taanit eSTHER

Community, Pages 1 - 6 Torah, Pages 7 - 9 Features, Pages 10 - 15 Outside News, Pages 16 - 17 Opinion, Pages 18 - 21 Arts, Pages 22 - 23 Sports, Page 24

THURS, FEB 8 college night MON, FEB 19 PRESIDENTS’ day

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IN THIS ISSUE:

Calendar

edges stands next to the garden and holds various small pots with seedlings such as Ashley Evins usually eats caprese salads as a squash. It’s clear plastic walls keep the small treat, and rarely has the opportunity to use fresh plants warm while letting in sunlight. A basil. But since the planting of a new flower and long zipper runs down the side to open it. Inside the greenhouse is a sign-in sheet vegetable garden on the roof, members of the Shalhevet community now have the opportunity on a clipboard where people write their name, the date, and a few general notes on to stop by and pick fresh herbs of their liking. what is growing, each time Ms. Evins, Director of Stuthey water the plants. dent Support, has been enjoyFreshman volunteer ing caprese more often. I love that I can Sophie Handelman wrote “The basil definitely tasted Photo by Neima Fax on Dec. 11, “Tomatoes are contribute to the really fresh,” said Ms. Evins. turning red!” RIPENING: Tomatoes growing on the third floor were planted by students, led by the Green Team. Compared to basil that she’s environment and a “Everything looks amazused to, she said, “It tasted ing!” wrote freshman volungreater and safer sweet and crisp.” cluded two bins -- a blue bin and a green bin -- is a non-profit organization that helps faith-based teer Yael Rubin Dec. 12. This year, the Green Team but students didn’t fully understand what could institutions be able to grow local produce that is earth. Members of the Green Team and couldn’t be thrown into which bin, according more accessible. environmental club changed the garden adds a lot to the to Maia. many things around the Also different this year are the school’s con-- Max Wintner, think school. school and added new attracSo this year’s group decided to simplify it. tainers for hot lunch, which are catered by local “The garden makes Shalhevet Now, black bins contain regular trash, paper and restaurants. Over the summer, Muriel was able to 9th grade tions, one being the garden, more of a nature community,” said plastic, which are sent to an offsite place to be contact the restaurants and ask them to change which was planted a few weeks Yael. “It adds color and it’s pretty recycled, while food waste from green bins is the lunch containers and utensils so they would after the 2017-2018 school and nice... I connect to nature a lot hauled away to be composted. year began. all be biodegradable, which means they can demore.” Along with basil, there are eight other herbs What paid for these changes is a $10,000 compose into the ground and become soil and “It feels great,” said Max Wintner. “I love that grant called The Gendler Grapevine Project compost. that can be found growing in the garden, including thyme, sage, parsley, and rosemary. Straw- I can contribute to the environment and a greater Grant, which was won by Shalhevet and Ikar, “We knew it was better for the environment berries -- three fruits have already grown, two of and safer earth.” the synagogue that uses the building on Satur- to switch to compostables,” said Ms. Weiss. “We Along with adding the garden, the Green days and Tuesday afternoons. The objective of also knew that it was going to be easier for anyone which were eaten by the garden organizer Maia Zelkha and one by her Uber driver -- along with Team made a collective decision over the summer the grant was to help with greening efforts in the who gets lunch, students and faculty, to be able to tomatoes, romaine lettuce and marigold flowers to redo the trash bin system. In places where stu- building. toss it all in the green bin and not have to dump dents eat, such as the cafeteria and the roof, there are there as well. Around the same time, Admission Director food in the green bin, and their trash in another Positioned in full sun near the northeast are now two different types of trash bins, one for Natalie Weiss, faculty adviser of the Green Team, bin.” corner of the roof, the garden is currently being food waste and one for paper and plastic waste. This change is also a result of the Recycle LA found out about a new law, AB 1826 Chesbro, Food waste, including newly biodegradable implemented by Recycle LA, which requires busi- initiative. watered twice a day by student and faculty voluncontainers and utensils -- goes in the green while nesses to further reduce trash. teers, according to Maia, anyone can help. The administration is also planning to add a “I think the garden is going to help get kids, regular trash is thrown in the black bin. Shalhevet and Ikar directed much of the blue bin for recyclables. That’s because under the “You may think, oh it’s just one cup, or oh money to compostables and to the compost bins, current set-up, when the trash is taken out of the they don’t even have to be so passionate about social justice for the environment,” said Maia it’s just one plastic bag, but it really builds up,” along with the potted fruit trees added to the black bin, the recyclables have to be sorted out Zelkha, the day the garden was planted. “Just tak- said Maia. “Our school probably produces land- rooftop last spring. Money from the grant was by the trash company. The extra bin would mean ing care of the garden and observing and helping fill upon landfill of waste.” used to pay Netiya in helping the Ikar and Shal- that they would not have to do this. Last year the Green Team sponsored a pro- hevet community care for the fruit trees. Netiya out is exciting.” A transparent mini-greenhouse with green gram called “Blue is the new green,” which in-

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The Boiling Point • February 2018 • Community

Freshman is district winner of Congressional App Challenge By Kate Orlanski, Staff Writer

Meetings that missed an opportunity By SHANA LUNZER, StAff CoLUmNiSt No one wants to admit the existence of sexual harassment. It’s an uncomfortable phrase and society’s attitude thus far has been neglectful. But, quite surprisingly, ignoring it hasn’t made it go away. Women have finally taken to the streets and to Twitter and started the #MeToo movement, which in recent months has led to the resignation of three members of Congress and uncountably many in the entertainment world. In the context of Shalhevet, it’s an even harder admission to recognize that in our very close and Just Community sexual harassment exists. But it isn’t really surprising. High schoolers objectify each other. This isn’t a justification, it’s fact, and both guys and girls are equally guilty. Once the school was able to move past the admission, the administration and the student body were able to begin the work of finding a solution, and as per Shalhevet’s founding ideals, that work was started in Town Hall. Part of the conversation is ridding ourselves of the victim-perpetrator paradigm, and educating our male students. These were the main topics of both of the girls’ conversations -- the first at Town Hall and the other at a special assembly with speakers. The guys’ meetings mainly consisted of an education of the terms. The girls’ speaker was a therapist and the boys had a lawyer, so perhaps it’s not surprising that their conversations did not reach a similar point. Someone who is sexually harassed is a victim. Saying that he or she isn’t invalidates their experience. The person who sexually harasses is a perpetrator and needs to be treated as such. The only thing that we should be ridding ourselves of is the notion that being a victim makes you weak and less than. We need to give victims strength to fight back, not marginalize them. At the same time, the idea that only our boys need to be educated about sexual harassment is not only offensive to them, but also unhelpful to the girls. It furthers not only the idea that this is a single-gender issue, but that girls are incapable of defending themselves. In fact, the school’s decision to separate us -- which led to completely different conversations --was counterproductive to the purpose of each discussion. The girls’ conversation mainly consisted of our feelings and trying to guess how the guys felt. A few of the girls asked why not just include the guys in the conversation -- but apparently it is more productive to assume how someone feels before you ask them. Something else the girls did was act out how to have a productive conversation with someone who has harassed you. According to the person leading our session, this is very helpful in couples counseling and gets easier with time. The only trouble with that is that we weren’t doing it with the guys or using realistic scenarios, which was the only thing that makes it productive in counseling. Even though the boys were right here, in the building, supposedly discussing the same thing. There was also no sensible reason as to why the girls couldn’t be privy to the guys’ conversation. There was nothing sensitive about it, and suddenly the guys had definitions and terms the girls didn’t. In fact, all the student body wanted -- which they told the administration and each other -- was to have a unified conversation, something that is very in line with Shalhevet’s values. Next time, perhaps we should talk together. It’s an advantage of being a co-ed school.

Freshman Samson Taxon has won First Prize for his congressional district in the Congressional App Challenge, a competition that invites high school students to design original computer apps of any kind to share and sell if they’d like. He won for the 33rd Congressional District of California, which stretches from Palos Verdes to Agoura Hills and encompasses parts of Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Beverly Hills, among other places. It is represented by Congressman Ted Lieu (D-Torrance), who is a computer science graduate himself. More than 4,100 students competed nationwide in 229 congressional districts, according to the competition’s website. Called “StudySam,” Samson’s app is designed to help students of all ages study. He came up with the idea for it after realizing that he and many other students are easily distracted by their phones, and can be tempted to use them instead of studying. “School started, and I was having trouble getting through homework,” Samson told the Boiling Point. “I figured I would make an app that would make my life a little bit easier.” The app features an animated human character named Sam who greets you and explains that he is going to be your study partner, and will help make sure you do not become distracted while doing your work. “Sam” keeps track of time and lets you know when it’s a good time to take a break from studying. Once your break is done, you can resume from where you left off. Samson uses it himself to study history, biology, and occasionally math. “I never thought in a million years I would win,” said Samson. “When I walked in and they told me I placed first, it was really exciting.” His prize was awarded Dec. 10 in Rep. Lieu’s office in the mid-Wilshire neighborhood, not too far from Shalhevet.

Samson said he was encouraged to enter the competition by his parents and Admissions Director Natalie Weiss, who knew he had previously made apps. He had been working on developing it since mid-September. As winner, Samson got to meet Rep. Lieu to shake hands and take pictures, and explained to him what the app was and how he made it. He also has the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., to display his work in the Capitol Building, but has not decided yet whether he will go. Samson’s app will also be displayed on House.gov, the United States House of Representatives website, which gets 10 million visitors each year, according to the CAC website. According to Ms. Rachel Decoste, Congressional App Challenge’s program director, the contest was started in 2015 to encourage students to learn coding and computer science and along with math, science and engineering. Contestants compete against other students in their districts, and are judged by members of Congress. Ms. Decoste didn’t know whether any of the apps had gone on to commercial success. “We don’t collect data on how apps are used post-contest,” Ms. Decoste said in an email to the Boiling Point. “The goal of the Congressional App Challenge is to encourage youth to learn this skill which will prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow.” Samson entered his app in the competitionon Nov. 1 and then forgot about it. He was eventually contacted by contest officials and invited to something they called a “hackathon,” an invitation which he declined because it wasn’t clear what it was and he had a conflict. But officials called him again and clarified that the event was where they’d be announcing the awards, and they insisted he come. Samson was still surprised. “When I showed up I was expecting an Honorable Mention,” Samson said.

BP Photo by Neima Fax

WINNER: Samson got to meet Congressman Ted Lieu when receiving his award. In addition to meeting the Congressman, Samson has the chance to travel to Washington, D.C. and present his app in the Capitol Building. Ms. Decoste said this year was the most competitive the competition that the Congressional App Challenge has been since it started in 2015. CAC officials hope that the contest will encourage the process of making apps and inspire young people to take these interests and skills into their futures. “The Congressional App Challenge is a vehicle for encouraging America’s youth to learn to code, all the while connecting them with their member of Congress,” says Ms. Decoste. Samson said the only way to get the app as of now is to have a beta version loaded on to your phone. But those eager to try the app will not have to wait much longer. Samson is currently in the process of getting some remaining coding issues resolved so he can get StudySam into the App Store, and said he is almost done.

The gradual Zionist: Palestinian teenager tells how he became a global activist on for Israel By Molly Litvak, Staff Writer

But gradually, he became a Zionist. When he was in high school, because of the underdevelopment of his city, jobs were hard to find. He ended up finding one in Tel Aviv -- where he was nervous, he said, because based on what he had been told, he thought he would be treated as inferior. When he arrived, he met his Jewish coworkers and it was a success; he started communicating with Jews more and decided that it wasn’t so black-and-white, and that maybe

The Jewish people have a right to have a country in their homeland, according to Yahya Mohamad, a well-known Arab Zionist who spoke at school Dec. 6. Speaking to about 20 students and faculty in the theatre at lunchtime, Yahya described how he came to work for the Stand With Us organization, which promotes Israel education throughout the world, including among Arabs. “I don’t want every Arab to think exactly like me,” Yahya Sometimes you hear so said to a quiet room of focused students and staff.“I just want much bad news about to plant a seed.” anti-semitism and it was Yahya proudly identifies as a nice to finally hear about a Zionist -- that is, one who believes the Jewish people should non-Jew that’s Zionist.” have a home in its ancestral land. He welcomed President -- Shani Menna, 9th grade Trump’s decision Dec. 5 to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and plans to join the Israeli Defense Forces in many of the things he had been told growing up weren’t true. March. Everything was going great until Born in Umm el-Fahm -- the third-largest Arab city in Israel -- June of 2014, he said, when he heard Yahya said he grew up in a place about Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaer where people were known to sup- and Eyal Yifrah, three Israeli teenport terrorist organizations. He said agers kidnapped by Hamas while he was taught as a child to hate Israel waiting at an intersection for a ride and to understand that all Israeli Ar- toward Beit Shemesh. Their bodies were found in the West Bank almost abs were victims.

three weeks later. Yahya thought the kidnapping was wrong. During the three weeks the boys were missing, in solidarity he sent a photo of himself with an Israeli flag to the “Bring Back Our Boys” campaign. He soon realized that this picture was being circulated through Israeli and also Arab news media, and he received many hateful comments from people in his own community. He found he couldn’t walk through the streets of his town, and was warned he might be attacked or worse. Many people were talking badly of him, he said. When news of his situation became known, he was contacted by Stand With Us and began becoming involved. Stand With Us, he said in his Shalhevet talk, “elevated Israel around the world.” After volunteering for a year, he became a Stand With Us Educator himself, and began to give speeches on behalf of Israel in various places around the world. He described a trip to South Africa, where he traveled to promote Israel activism on the campus of WITS University in Johannesburg. Yahya said that throughout the week, members of the BDS movement -- which advocates economic boycotts, divestment and sanctions

against Israeli companies -- would verbally taunt and harass the Stand With Us group. But on the last day of the week, the BDS members did not appear. According to Yahya, this showed they had given up, and that Stand With Us had angered them by telling the truth. Yahya also showed the Shalhevet group a video in which, in Arabic, he condemned terrorists who killed two Israeli police officers in a shooting on the Temple Mount last July 14. The video took him five hours to film, he said, and reached half a million people in three days. When the video ended, all of the Shalhevet students clapped loudly. Those who attended said they were encouraged by his talk. “Sometimes you hear so much bad news about anti-semitism and it was nice to finally hear about a nonJew that’s Zionist,” said freshman Shani Menna.“It’s really special and gives me hope for a brighter tomorrow that people like him exist.” When people ask him why he does it - promotes Israel like this - he responds that he believes in democracy, freedom, and human rights. He quoted his mother, who he said told him: “He who is silent about what’s right is a speechless devil.”

The Boiling Point • February 2018 • Community

An uncensored Ben Shapiro explains his views All subjects allowed as 160 attend lunchtime talk in Beit Midrash, first event of new YAF club turned out his question pertained to Star Wars, and revealed a major spoiler for the current movie The Last Jedi. This prompted a rare laugh from the audience and from Mr. Shapiro himself. Before a standing-room-only lunchtime crowd in the Beit MidA YULA alumnus and former editor of Breitbart News, Mr. rash, conservative speaker and radio host Ben Shapiro this week Shapiro has gained notoriety for his conservative news website defended his stances on transgenderism, gay marriage, freedom of and sometimes provocatively worded attacks on liberals and others expression, Star Wars and many other issues in a question-and-anhe disagrees with. Although he often opposes President Donald swer session that was respectful and calm, even though much of Trump, his Daily Wire and podcast, The Ben Shapiro Show, and what he said was controversial. frequent appearances at colleges around the country sometimes It was the first-ever event of Shalhevet’s newest club, a chapter cause an uproar. He and other conservative speakers were the topic of Young Americans for Freedom led by freshmen Kate Orlanski, of fierce and occasionally violent protests in Berkeley last year. Sivan Karz and Max Wintner. The group decided to “start at the The Boiling Point asked about his having tweeted: “Arabs like top,” Sivan said, adding that “at Shalhevet we learn to strive for the to bomb crap and live in open sewage.” He replied that he’d been best. So for our first speaker we didn’t just seek someone well known quoted out of context. in Los Angeles or even in California. We set out for the top.” Mr. Shapiro then asked if the questioner had “read any of the Mr. Shapiro spoke from just after noon until 1:20 p.m. Around follow-up tweets” which he said were “specifically talking about the 160 people attended, including students, teachers and three ShalhePalestinian leadership.” He was then asked whether it was producvet alumni. Only 125 seats had been set up, leaving many to stand tive to make this claim. “I think it is productive to say that the Palestinian-Arab leadership should direct the $300 million that they are getting from the United States taxpayers toward fixing the open sewage problem,” he said, “rather than the families of terrorists who are murdering Israelis in their beds.” According to the YAF’s national website, Mr. Shapiro charges over $20,000 for a speaking engagement.. “The basic rule is that when I speak, I get paid lots of money,” Mr. Shapiro said in his opening remarks. “That rule does not apply when I speak at Jewish high schools. When I speak at Jewish high schools, I speak for free.” Throughout the Q&A the room mainly remained focused on the speaker with few side conversations, save for times when Shapiro made a joke or a striking comment. YAF, an organization promoting conservatism among youth, has chapters mainly at colleges throughout the country. Freshmen Kate Orlanksi, Sivan Karz and Max Wintner were responsible for contacting YAF and setting up the chapter. “I wanted to put a more conservative presence on campus,” said Kate. “You know we’re kind of lacking in that. So I was researching different organizations and I found YAF and that looked like the ideal organization to get involved in.” When they first suggested inviting Mr. Shapiro to speak for their club, Kate and Sivan were asked by Rabbi Segal and Dr. Noam Weissman to create a policy that would ensure speakers were respectful. The policy was the topic of debate at Town BP Photo by Neima Fax Hall Dec. 21. One of its requirements was that speeches CONSERVATIVE: Ben Shapiro said students should read liberal and conservative websites and see where information overlaps to learn the facts. Organizers of the event, should be “consistent with Shalhevet’s values, as three freshmen who founded school’s new chapter of Young Americans for Freedom, said they wanted to “aim for the best and Ben Shapiro sort of seemed like the best.” they are stated on the school website, of: Jewish Heritage, Ideals of American Democracy, PasHe was also asked four questions about gay marriage -- a topic sionate support for the Welfare of the State of Israel, and all within or sit on the floor. It was Shapiro’s second appearance at Shalhevet in the past two he’d been asked not to address last time he was at Shalhevet, within an environment that encourages critical, respectful and creative school years. In September 2016, Shapiro made a controversial ap- weeks of Rabbi Segal’s announcement of Shalhevet’s official LGBT thought.” The policy was shown to Mr. Shapiro and he was asked to follow pearance for upperclassmen, when he was limited to speaking only inclusion policy. Junior Asher Dauer asked if gay marriages should be legalized it. Sivan and Kate said they couldn’t be sure he had read it, but that about Israel and how to fight the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions if heterosexual marriage already was. Mr. Shapiro answered that he had agreed. (BDS) movement. “Thank you to the Shalhevet adhe does not believe in the This time, all topics were allowed. ministration for being open to it and Mr. Shapiro began by giving a short speech on why he was there, government being involved When you’re looking at news, I would suggest that allowing me to speak on any topic this saying he was appearing free of charge in support of Jewish values in marriage in the first place, time,” said Mr. Shapiro, prompting ap“The idea of the state you read my site and you read Huffington Post and that teach the value of community over solely personal goals. plause. After eight minutes, students were invited to line up for a turn being involved in marriage treat it as though it’s a geometry problem. Where While going after one of the most is somewhat altogether puzto ask him a question. About 23 did, some more than once. the two lines intersect, that’s where the facts lie. famous conservative speakers might Freshman Molly Litvak asked which news source he considered zling to me,” Mr. Shapiro -- Ben Shapiro have been a lofty goal, it did not rethe most reliable, Mr. Shapiro said it wasn’t a question of the site as said. “But the idea that the quire much deliberation from the YAF state has an obligation to much as the individual. He praised Jake Tapper while saying most chapter. CNN reporters “didn’t try.” He also called the New York Times equate same-sex marriage “We kind of wanted to aim for “wildly biased to the left” while praising New York Times journalist with differential-sex marriage is utterly illogical -- the reason being that the entire purpose of the best and Ben Shapiro sort of seemed like the best,” said Kate. Maggie Haberman. As for himself, he said he didn’t claim to be unbiased and said a state having an interest in a particular relationship is not two peo- “When we contacted him we told him that we were going to try to people should check his facts. Mr. Shapiro is editor-in-chief of the ple that love each other; you can do that without marriage… What avoid all these restrictions. He mentioned in the meeting that he makes marriage important to the government is the production and was very excited to be able to talk about whatever he wanted.” Daily Wire, an opinion website. The group’s faculty advisor is Mr. William Reusch, at whose sug“We’re an opinion journalism site, meaning that we’re openly rearing of children.” Sophomore Yarin Amzalag asked what the line is between free- gestion YAF hosted a question-writing workshop at lunch on Jan. conservative,” he said. “And we don’t hide anything about that. 10 to prepare for the event. Right -- I’m conservative, my writers are conservative… The idea dom of expression and disrespecting the flag and national anthem. “I wanted it to be questions coming from a place of curiosity not “I think there are some pretty fuzzy distinctions between free that we’re objective is not true. You can take what I’m saying with expression and free speech itself,” said Shapiro. “It says free speech coming from a place of trying to one-up him or embarrass him bea grain of salt. “I encourage people, if you hear my saying a fact and you don’t in the Constitution. It does not say freedom of expression.You start cause he’s our guest,” said Mr. Reusch. “So genuine curiosity about believe the fact, check out the fact and then see whether what I’m running into some dicey territory when you start saying that all why he thinks the way he does or what his viewpoints are.” Mr. Reusch praised the trio’s initiative as freshmen. saying is my opinion based on the fact or actually the fact. And activity is free speech.” “I did very little here,” said Mr. Reusch. “I was just the adult But the Q&A was not all serious political discussion. when you’re looking at news, I would suggest that you read my site Mr. Shapiro’s visit coincided with a SAC-sponsored pajama day figurehead, to escort him up and talk to him and make him feel and you read Huffington Post and treat it as though it’s a geometry problem. Where the two lines intersect, that’s where the facts lie and in honor of Rosh Chodesh Sh’vat, so many attendees of the event comfortable. It was 99 percent them. It was awesome to see freshman girls take a leadership role like that.” were dressed very casually. everything else is drawn from the fact.” According to Kate, the YAF chapter hopes to have future speakSenior Daniel Lorell approached the microphone in a Darth While he was more amiable than often seen in viral videos, Mr. ers such as Dennis Prager, who Kate said was suggested to them Shapiro’s comments about transgenderism and marriage provoked Vader onesie. “I have a direct quote from your website…” Daniel said, seem- by Mr. Shapiro. They plan to use a similar designed event as the several animated audience reactions. ing ready to question the speaker about something real. But it Shapiro talk due to its success.

By Jacob Joseph Lefkowitz Brooks, Arts & Culture Editor

There were multiple questions about transgenderism. Sophomore Tobey Lee asked why he considers transgenderism a mental disorder when it was declassified as such by the American Psychological Association in 2013. Mr. Shapiro responded that he believes the change was not based on evidence but rather on societal pressure. Senior Rami Gruman asked Shapiro why he cared about transgenderism if it did not affect him. “I don’t care,” Mr. Shapiro replied. “But I’m not going to pretend it’s not a mental illness. I’m not going to ignore an issue of obvious importance that people are talking about every day because it doesn’t have an affect on me. Because, the truth is, it does have an affect on the culture.… “I think we’re moving in a direction that’s highly dangerous as a society, where it’s not just that some people suffer from this disorder -- which is tragic -- but we’re going to see, as we’ve seen in Europe, more gender confusion among younger people.”

The Boiling Point • February 2018 • Community

New staff and ‘strategic shuffling’ replace former principal

tivities and co-curriculars. He holds MBA and Ed.D. degrees from Leadership team, which Rabbi Segal described as “the core team that sets the vision for education within the school.” USC and is studying for s’micha (rabbinical ordination). that will continue to facilitate the educational product at ShalhePreviously the team consisted of Dr. Weissman, Mr. Weslow, “He is a beloved educator in the Los Angeles community,” Rabvet, this year and well beyond,” Rabbi Segal continued. “We have bi Segal said. Rabbi Ari Schwarzberg, head of the Shalhevet Institute; Dean of invested heavily in cultivating leadership within our ranks over the Academic He will also be involved in Admissions, Rabbi last several years—and we will draw on that investment in this next Segal wrote. Dr. Weissman had interviewed proAffairs Ms. phase.” Aviva Walls; spective students previously, but not this year, acAsked whether the school planned a national search to replace cording to Admissions Director Ms. Natalie Weiss. We are indeed fortunate to have a depth of talent at Director of all of Dr. Weissman’s roles with a new principal, Rabbi Segal reStudent SupIn an interview, Dr. Ravanshenas said he fell in the school and everyone has really stepped up to plied, “That decision has not yet been made, but we are indeed love with the school when he first visited and met port Ms. fortunate to have a depth of talent at the school and everyone has with Rabbi Segal and Dr. Weissman. fill the various roles. Personally, I would love to see Ashley Evins; really stepped up to fill the various roles. Personally, I would love to Hebrew chair “I fell in love with the culture,” Dr. Ravanshenas these changes become more permanent. see these changes become more permanent.” Ms. Mickey said. “The love, the community, the warmth, the -- Rabbi Ari Segal, Head of School The Jan. 11 email to parents detailed ways in which Dr. Weiss- product of the school.” Rabinov; and man’s previous administrative roles would be absorbed. Director of At first, he joined the staff with a title that was to It said Rabbi Block, in his second year as Judaic Studies teacher Cu r r i c u l u m be determined. After Dr. Weissand the school’s mashgiach ruchani, man was relieved of administrative duties on and Instruction Dr. William Walton. or spiritual supervisor, would take a The last “shuffle” Rabbi Segal mentioned was not a shuffle. Jan. 8, Dr. Ravanshenas was appointed as Dean lead role in Admissions and “coordi“Ms. Aviva Walls and Rabbi Ari Schwarzberg -- both important of Student Life. nate” the Judaic Studies program. “The goal for this year is to develop relation- members of the current administrative team -- will continue in their “In a short time [he] has demonships with the student body, while overseeing respective roles. They will add stability and professionalism to this strated his capacity for connection student life and seeing what value I can add to period of transition.” with students and leadership among After recognizing how “incredibly painful and challenging” reeach program,” Dr. Ravanshanas said. his peers,” Rabbi Segal wrote. Among the other changes, General Stud- cent events have been -- including for himself “on a personal level” Rabbi Block declined to answer ies Principal Mr. Daniel Weslow now oversees -- Rabbi Segal’s email also stated that the school would be fine and questions about what his title would the Student Support and the Guidance depart- education would not be affected by Dr. Weissman’s departure. be, what his role was going to en“My assessment of the current team at Shalhevet remains: This ments. compass or any plans he had, saying Also in expanded roles now are Rabbi Segal is as strong, passionate, capable, and diverse a group of educators as staffing questions should be directed himself, who wrote that he would be assuming I have seen,” the head of school wrote. to Rabbi Segal. “Every single member of our staff will continue their work at a “more hands-on approach in the day-to-day Judaic Studies teacher Rabbi of the school and spearheading this transition Shalhevet with characteristic professionalism, enthusiasm, and exAbraham Lieberman, who was previacross numerous departments’; and Execu- cellence,” he wrote. ously head of school at YULA Girls, He said there were lessons the whole community could learn. tive Director Ms. Sarah Emerson, who he said will now “provide leadership and “This has been painful for our community and we are going to would take on more “day to day management of professional support for our Judaic the school” with some Chief Financial Officer) learn a lesson about resilience in the face of challenges,” Rabbi Segal Studies faculty,” the email said. wrote in his Jan. 17 email to the Boiling Point. and Chief Operating Officer roles. Dr. Ravanshenas (pronounced “In addition, I think it is critical that all of us remember the emRabbi Segal said that Dr. Ravanshenas and BP Photo by Alyssa Wallack rah-VAHN-sheh-nas), who most Ms. Atara Segal, who teaches Judaic Studies phasis that Judaism places on refraining from lashon hara [gossip]. recently served as Judaic Studies DEAN: Dr. Ravanshenas is Dean of Student Life and and is a part of the religious and Israel guid- Perhaps most importantly, it is an important lesson about treating principal of Kabbalah Children’s works with co-curriculars, Admissions and SAC. ance programs, would join the Educational others with dignity and respect.” Academy, now oversees student acContinued from page 1

Dr. Weissman, co-author of LaHav curriculum, not returning Working with Rabbi David Stein, who had been his roommate at Yeshiva University, he created the pioneering Lahav Talmud curriculum, which organizes the learning of Gemara by subject instead of by book or by tractate. Principal and Assistant Head of School Dr. Noam WeissBut possibly his most lasting impact on the student body was man, who pioneered the LaHav curriculum and is known his involvement as a teacher. Dr. Weissman begins all of his classfor his engaging and passionate teaching style, has been rees with either Hasidic music or uplifting orchestral music. He is moved from his role as principal and will not return next known for challenging students’ critical thinking skills, as well as fall because of “inappropriate comments to, and conduct giving them funny nicknames and having many inside jokes with toward, certain staff members,” according to an email sent them. out by Head of School Rabbi Ari Segal from himself and the In 2014 he began working on his doctorate at USC, where he school’s Executive Board Jan. 8. then spent two years writing a dissertation on Israel education. Although he now has no administrative role l, the beThat work culminated in the debut of LaHav’s Israel education havior did not involve students, and Dr. Weissman is still curriculum. teaching his three current classes through the end of the year. For many years, he has led the Poland-Israel experience all Mr. Fred Toczek, president of the school’s board, said BP Photo by Alyssa Wallack 12th-graders go on at the end of senior year. Rabbi Segal told Dr. Weissman was still teaching was to maintain classroom the Boiling Point that he and Dr. Weissman would decide later TEACHER: Dr. Weissman said Shalhevet had become his home, and that teaching continuity. whether he’ll be on the trip again this year. Torah to its students “has been the great joy and honor of my life.” “The investigation was prompted by complaints the Shalhevet’s Judaic Studies faculty and upper administration school received last year about Dr. Weissman’s behavior have undergone a lot of turnover as Shalhevet transitioned from towards other faculty members,” Mr. Toczek wrote in an development and cultivating countless programs that contribute to email response to Boiling Point questions. the academic and spiritual growth of our students. For those efforts the old building to the new one, and Dr. Weissman remained a “As we shared with our community, the investigator did not we are deeply indebted, and we wish him and his family well in prominent member of the Judaic faculty and administration amidst these numerous changes. find any inappropriate conduct of any sort directed to any student. their future.” The email did not say what Dr. Weissman’s next steps would be. There was, in fact, no allegation by anyone of inappropriate conIt also praised those who came forward with complaints. duct toward students. “Shalhevet takes its workplace policies very seriously, prides it- Dr. Weissman commented on his departure in an email to the Boil“As a result, we felt maintaining continuity in the classroom for self as a leader within the Modern Orthodox world, and demands ing Point, expressing his gratitude for his experience at Shalhevet as the remainder of the school year was important for our students,” that all of its employees model respect toward everyone in the com- well as his sadness at the circumstances. “Around 10 years ago, Raizie and I graduated college, moved he continued. “This has been a difficult situation, and our deci- munity,” the email stated. “Shalhevet acknowledges the courage of from our childhood homes on the East Coast to Los Angeles, and sion-making was and continues to be guided by what is best for our the individuals who came forward to disclose their concerns.” school community, and to follow the Jewish values which are the Dr. Weissman’s administrative roles have been assigned mostly began our work at this incredible school,” Dr. Weissman wrote. foundation upon which the school operates.” to existing staff, along with one new administrator, Dr. Jonathan “We only planned to stay for a year, a quick detour on our life journey—but before we knew it, Shalhevet became our home. ShalheIn his original email, Rabbi Segal on behalf of himself and the Ravanshenas. (See related story, Page 1) Executive Board tried to convey what had not happened -- even The day after the email announcement was sent out, Head of vet became our family. “It has been the great joy and honor of my life to teach Torah though they could not say what had. School Rabbi Ari Segal held an early-morning assembly to urge to the extraordinary students of Shalhevet High School. I’m fo“To be clear, the investigator found absolutely no inappropriate everyone to focus on moving forward and not to discuss the matter physical contact of any sort by Dr. Weissman toward any person, in class with one another or with teachers. Instead, he said school cusing on these next six months during which I get to continue nor any inappropriate conduct of any sort directed to any student,” counselor Mrs. Esther R’bibo would be available for anyone who working with our faculty and learning with my cherished students. Although I am saddened by the circumstances of my departure, it’s the email said. needed to talk one-on-one. But beginning in October, the school undertook a three-week “I don’t think it’s helpful to move backwards,” Rabbi Segal told important that our Shalhevet family understand that we love this investigation to determine the validity of allegations about his be- the entire student body, which was gathered in the gym in a rare si- school with all of our hearts and will continue to look forward to havior toward staff, and what course of action to take, it states. lence. “The world loves nothing more than gossiping about things.” its many successes.” In a message to the Boiling Point, Rabbi Segal said he hoped the “The investigator did find that Dr. Weissman had made inapA member of Shalhevet’s faculty since 2009, Dr. Weissman beShalhevet community would respect Dr. Weissman’s privacy. propriate comments to, and conduct toward, certain staff mem- gan as a Judaic Studies teacher and became principal in 2013 after “We have no comment beyond the statement,” Rabbi Segal bers,” and found that he was “unacceptably assertive toward several having been Judaic Studies Director, a position which no longer wrote. “We kindly request that everyone respect the privacy of all staff members, both male and female,” the email stated. exists. “While Dr. Weissman does not concur with many of the invesHe currently teaches Advanced Jewish Philosophy, SAS History, parties involved.” Mr. Toczek said the Executive Board had done what was best for tigator’s findings, and regrets this sequence of events, he and the Culture and Politics of Israel as well as Advanced Bible Studies. the Shalhevet community. School have mutually agreed that for the remainder of the year, (SAS stands for Shalhevet Advanced Studies.) “This has been a difficult situation, and our decision-making he would continue teaching with no administrative or supervisory As principal, he oversaw Judaic and General Studies and many duties, and that he would not return in the fall.” other departments, including co-curriculars, Student Support, dis- was and continues to be guided by what is best for our school comThe email praised Dr. Weissman’s many contributions to the cipline, and student activities. In 2017, he was named Assistant munity, and to follow the Jewish values which are the foundation upon which the school operates,” Mr. Toczek wrote in his email. school, saying he “has been instrumental in the school’s curricular Head of School.

by lucy fried, features editor, and hannah jannol, editor-in-chief

The Boiling Point • February 2018 • Community

From Ethiopia to Princeton to Shalhevet, life’s never what’s expected for donor relations officer cial Media, and eventually starting her own business. Her careers have ranged from from factory production manOne of Michelle Baxter’s life mottos is not to plan anything agement to social media marketing to tutoring. She quickly gained success working for local media agency Black Sheep Social Media, more than a year ahead. “We make plans and God laughs,” said Ms. Baxter, who works but she stayed at Shalhevet because she found her job to be more in donor relations and the business office at Shalhevet. “If you had meaningful than that of the Hollywood world. “I grew their business by 33 percent,” Ms. Baxter said. “When asked me in college what I was going to be doing, I would have said I would be in the hospital, in the middle of Uganda, helping my contract was finished with them, I had had enough of Hollywood people.” the babies.” She surprised even herself by pursuing a career at Shalhevet. Born in Monrovia, Liberia, Ms. Baxter’s life started out far from “I never ever ever ever ever thought that I would be at a school, where it is now. Liberia is a small country on the coast of West Africa with lots of rain, a place to which freed American slaves returned I really thought I was gonna be a doctor,” she said. Ms. Baxter began working at Shalhevet with the intention of in 1816 and founded a country based on American principles. It only staying for the summer, and then returning to a career in “the became independent in 1847. But she didn’t live there long — when she was 2, her parents production world.” Ms. Baxter described the Shalhevet culture to be a rewarding moved to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where they lived until she was 16. one. Ms. Baxter attended boarding school in England from “It’s really nice to be able to take all of the the ages of 12 to 18, traveling home to her parents in experience that I’ve had and be able to put it to Ethiopia and then New York three times a year. Helping people is good use and know that it’s for people’s future,” Her American life began at age 16 when her parents’ she said. “It’s a much better feeling than putting probably like my meat United Nations jobs brought their family to New York in 18 hours for Ariana Grande’s new video for City. Ms. Baxter’s father managed the telecommunicaand potatoes, and that’s no thanks whatsoever. If I put in 18 hours of tions within the United Nations, and her mother was probably what I liked my life and you guys get to graduate, it’s a comwhat she called a “desk officer,” managing logistics and about being a doctor,” pletely different return of investment.” finances for over 1,000 peacekeepers. she said. “I started Ms. Baxter said that she has no idea where Ms. Baxter’s office is located near at the back of the her life may lead in the future, and for now administrative suite, next to the theater on the first floor. to develop a flexibility maintains a focus on the present. Students may not know her well, and she said people around what it means “I’m always open to doing my very best no probably think she is more serious than she is. to actually help people, matter where I am,” she said. “I don’t think so “I really do have to be focused,” she said. “But I think it’s not just about being far in the future that I’m daydreaming, What’s I’m a lot more fun and relaxed than people realize.” really important right now is the students able to actually be in a A self proclaimed “foodie,” Ms. Baxter said that she making sure that we get through this year as loves trying new recipes, including many African dishes, hospital. successfully as possible.” such as jollof rice. Originating from the Wollof tribe, -- Michelle Baxter Ms. Baxter said that working in Hollyjollof is a tomato-based dish prepared with vegetables or wood caused her to become aware of her chicken in a single pot. Ms. Baxter said it most closely values, and the way she deserved to be compares to the American jambalaya. “I found a jollof recipe recently that I’m dying to try,” she said. treated in her work environments. “I understand now what my mission statement is,” she “It’s kind of like a staple, it’s like saying ‘as American as apple pie,’ said. “Things need to be in alignment with my personal ethos, you would say, ‘as West African as jollof rice.’” Her careers have been similarly far-ranging, and she said that my sense of who I am. There are some things I just refuse to is what taught her about life’s unpredictability. She has worked at do, there are some lines that I refuse to cross and that is okay.” Regarding her former dream of becoming a doctor, Ms. BaxShalhevet for three years. For her undergraduate education, Ms. Baxter attended Prince- ter said that this actually stemmed from her desire to make a ton University as a pre-medical student. She had her mind set on positive impact. “Helping people is probably like my meat and potatoes, and becoming a doctor, but instead found herself living in California and working for companies such as BabyGap and Black Sheep So- that’s probably what I liked about being a doctor,” she said. “I

By Lucy Fried, Features Editor

started to develop a flexibility around what it means to actually help people, it’s not just about being able to actually be in a hospital.” She still refers to Africa as home, and although she has not traveled back since childhood, she wishes to go back soon. “Home to me is Addis Ababa, but it’s the Addis Ababa I remember,” she said. “I miss home all the time – the people, the sights, sounds, and smells.” “I miss how achingly beautiful it all is – from the sunrise to sunset and beyond. Most of all, I miss that sense of belonging and calm that comes from being at home.”

BP Photo by Neima Fax

RANGE: Donor Relations and Business Office Executive Michell Baxter’s careers have ranged from from factory production management to social media marketing to tutoring.

Votes keep no-lunch Fridays, change boys dress code Boys with fringes out may wear t-shirts and early dismissal will continue for the rest of the year By Shayna Becker, Staff Writer The Just Community voted on Jan. 4 to continue no-lunch and early dismissal on Fridays, guaranteeing that school will end at 12:45 p.m. on Erev Shabbat for the rest of the year. Students and faculty voted last spring to make the change, but administration chose to have an eight-week trial period. The trial period apparently went well, because the overwhelming majority of the Shalhevet community -- 86 percent -- has now voted to keep it. Last year, school ended Fridays at 1:15. “I love the new Friday schedule,” said soph-

omore Mitchell Hoenig after the vote. “It gives me time to actually enjoy life more when Shabbat starts later.” At the end of last year, then-junior Amin Lari introduced a proposal to get rid of lunch on Fridays and end school earlier so people would have more time to prepare for Shabbat, and to save the extra expense of pizza. Pizza is still served to those who sign up for it, around 70 students according to lunch coordinator Muriel Ohana. When it was voted on last spring, Agenda Chair Daniel Lorell shared that YULA Boys ends at 1:05 p.m. with an optional lunch, and

BP Photo by Neima Fax

CHANGE: Agenda Chair Daniel Lorell heard a comment from senior Rami Gruman at Town Hall.

Town Hall report YULA Girls at 12:45. “In schools that have an Orthodox or Modern Orthodox population like we do…, they feel that ending school much earlier on Fridays -- like at a time like this when Shabbat comes in much earlier -- is an acceptable choice to make,” Daniel said before the vote. Not only has the new schedule given students more time to prepare for Shabbat, but it also has eliminated the short lunch break before last period, which some felt was unnecessary. “I always found that 30-minute break before the last period seemed a little weird, so taking that out seemed way more convenient,” Amin said. “I like this new schedule so much more. We can see here that the Just Community works.” Male students can now wear non-collared shirts to school, provided they wear tzitzit underneath with the fringes out, after a proposal by juniors Eitan Remer and Jonathan Fishman was passed at Town Hall Sept. 28. Eitan and Jonathan said they wanted to incorporate the religious values of Shalhevet while accommodating boys’ wish to be comfortable at school. The Shalhevet handbook requires tzitzit, but states faculty members won’t perform checks. With this, Eitan and Jonathan came up with an idea. They called it “tzitzit over collar,” meaning boys who wear tzitzit out wouldn’t

need to wear a collar, and would still be in dress code. That creates an incentive to wear tzitzit that wouldn’t otherwise exist. “Shalhevet is not going to check for tzitzit, and boys don’t need to wear tzitzit, so there needs to be something that will make the boys want to wear tzitzit,” Jonathan said at the Town Hall. “We made this proposal because everyday there is a very minuscule percentage of the boys’ student body wearing tzitzit, and we wanted to get more boys to wear more tzitzit.” Eitan summed up the change. “If and only if a boy is wearing tzitzit, a boy can wear a hoodie, a sweatshirt, or a normal long sleeve shirt without a collar,” Eitan said -- all garments that were forbidden before. The Student Handbook states, “As an Orthodox Jewish school, all boys should wear tzitzit. However, Shalhevet will not conduct physical checks.” Students and faculty are enjoying the results of the new dress code. “This new dress code allows students to be comfortable with what they’re wearing and the increase of encouragement to wear tzitzit,” said sophomore Joseph Klores. “I also like how it was a fair value trade off between the students and faculty.” Rabbi Ari Schwarzberg commented from a faculty perspective. “Generally it’s going really well,” he said. “There have only been a few cases where people are violating the dress code, but overall I think everyone is on board.”

TORAH

FEBRUARY 2018

School replaces aging Artscroll siddurim with new Koren-Sacks

BP Photo By AlyssA WAllAck

CONNECTING: None of Shalhevet’s feeder schools use Koren siddurim, so all students can learn the book together.

Jewish music played from the sound system in the gym. Rabbi Block said another reason Koren was Shalhevet welcomed about 260 new siddurim to the school last fall . After at least 15 years of chosen was that it isn’t used in any of Shalhevet’s using Artscroll prayerbooks, the Judaics Studies feeder schools. “When we get to Shalhevet, students who faculty decided the new Koren siddur would be a better fit, and bought paperback copies of the come from all different types of schools will feel like they’re starting on the same page,” said Rabbi Koren Sacks Weekday Siddur, Lobel Edition. Block in an interview. The new books are now in use Another feathroughout the building. ture of the Koren “We thought that we could use a little I felt like in the old siddurim there is its new Engchange,” said Judaics Studies teacher and were always pages missing every lish translation Mashgiach Ruchani Rabbi David Block, time I was davening. by Rabbi Lord who coordinates davening. “Artscroll is Jonathan Sacks, wonderful, but Koren has a lot of things -- Maya Schapira, 10th grade former chief rabthat speak to our values more as a Modbi of the United ern Orthodox school.” Kingdom. In Rabbi Block announced the arrival of the new siddurim Nov. 2, with a Powerpoint addition, there is a commentary throughout the presentation at Town Hall in which he detailed siddur that includes perspectives of Rav Yosef Soloveitchik and other Modern Orthodox thinkers. the advantages of the new prayer books. It also contains prayers for the U.S., Israeli and He explained that Koren siddur is much newer than the Artscroll, which was first published in Canadian governments, prayers for after childthe 1980s. The Koren Lobel Edition was first birth and on the birth of a daughter, and prayers in observance of Israeli national holidays. published in 2014. Visually, the Koren’s text is broken up into Then, as students watched in anticipation and surprise, science teacher Tushar Dwivedi was car- smaller paragraphs than the Artscroll’s, so the Heried into the gym on a chair by a group of male brew aligns directly with the English translation upperclassmen in the style of a bar or bat mitzvah, across the binding, to help daveners better underholding up one of the new siddurim and giving stand the text while moving through the prayers. Officials declined to say what they spent, but everyone their first look at them. Students joined in on the celebration and be- the Koren paperbacks sell for about $19 each on gan dancing in circles around Mr. Dwivedi while Amazon. Another consideration was the condition of

By Sivan karz, staff writer

the aging Artscrolls, many of which were missing the most commonly used pages. This had been noticed by students and administration alike. When Dr. Weissman and Head of School Rabbi Ari Segal held meetings this year with each grade to discuss general questions students might have, in the 11th-grade meeting junior Honor Fuchs asked if the school would be purchasing new siddurim. It was her second try at getting new prayer books. “I previously made an Agenda proposal to get new siddurs earlier this year, because I noticed they were all missing so many pages, and nothing was ever done with that for whatever reason,” said Honor in an interview. But when she asked in the grade-wide meeting, Rabbi Segal and Dr. Weissman said they were working on it. They said they realized some of the Artscroll siddurim were falling apart and that they were in the process of trying to get new ones. Rabbi Segal explained that the school was previously not as financially stable, so they did not even think about purchasing new siddurim until recently. A week later, the new siddurs arrived. Reactions to the new prayerbooks from the student body have been mixed. Senior Tali Schlacht appreciates the inclusion of prayers for Israeli independence day, for soldiers defending Israel, and for Israel itself. “I really like them because they represent our school much better,” said Tali. “They have tefilot

f o r Yom Haatzmaut, mi shebeirach for Tzahal and Avinu shebashamayim and all that stuff that the other siddurim we had did not have. I think it’s great that we made the switch.” Rabbi Block agreed. “As an Orthodox, religious, Zionist school, we want a siddur that has all of that,” he said. Others were less impressed. “The new siddurim are plain and simple,” said freshman Yehuda Zadeh. “They are being overhyped for no reason.” Sophomore Sabrina Jahan agreed. “I think the new siddurs are more presentable, but I don’t see why they were necessary,” said Sabrina. Freshman Mimi Czuker said that although she liked the new books, it made her slightly uncomfortable that the Hebrew is now on the left side of the page and the English on the right. The Artscroll has the reverse. Students who like the books appreciate some of the new features that separate the Koren from the Artscroll. And everyone appreciates the better condition. “I felt like in the old siddurim there were always pages missing every time I was davening,” said sophomore Maya Schapira. Rabbi Block says the school plans to use the old siddurim on Shabbatons for now. If the time comes when the school does not need the siddurim at all, he hopes they will be able to pass them on to someone who will put them to good use.

Pharoah and the message of a hardened heart In addition to these commentaries, there is that of the acclaimed Sforno, who agrees with the Rambam and the Ramban that obedience without repentance does not warrant God’s forgiveIn Parshat Bo, Pharaoh agrees to release the Israelites after God ness or mercy. begins the plagues against his nation. God realizes that Pharoah From this wisdom we can deduce that everyone is given many has agreed to this not because he found faith, but to stop the chances at repentance, but there is a limit to the number of times plagues. So God “hardened” Pharoah’s heart, the Torah tells us, one can miss the opportunity to start over. making the Egyptian ruler not want to let them go after all. This may appear harsh or unfair, however we must remember The remainder of the parsha describes the final three plagues that as humans we are reflections of God. We too have our limits God inflicts upon the Egyptians. After locusts and palpable darkwhen it comes to providing chances to those who have ceased to ness, the last plague is the worst of them all: makkat bechorot, the change their ways. How can we expect more from God who Himdeath of the firstborns. Finally the Jews are liberated, and during self can sense when one’s repentance is ingenuine? their exodus, Moses is presented with the Ten Commandments. Judaism has always considered repentance an act of great In hardening the heart of the ruler of Egypt — in effect, by importance. To allow it to become something that anyone can forcing him to sin — God demonstrates that teshuva, or repenachieve at any time, even with the wrong sentiment, would be tance, is a privilege rather than a right, and in fact He can take cheating it of its significance. The opportunity for change is a it away if it is taken for granted one too many times. With the privilege, and it is not unlimited. seventh plague comes Pharaoh’s compliPerhaps free will, too, is a privilege, rather ance, which is what one would expect God than a right. The ability to make our own wanted. However, God prevented this by decisions, with our own minds and our own “hardening Pharaoh’s heart,” leading to the Free will is a gift and should be sentiment, is actually a gift — and a gift that is plagues’ resumption. treated as such, for without it we not to be taken for granted. Freedom is never Rambam, the most influential Torah unlimited. Maybe it is handed out in slices, in commentator of the middle ages, states that would be souls stuck in limbo, with even amounts dispersed among each soul on God actually never wanted Pharaoh’s comno room for growth in the future. our earth. These slices of control are priceless pliance alone, but rather his true teshuva and will be confiscated if they are abused. and faith. He considers Pharaoh’s change of Like Pharaoh, those of us who exploit the heart a practical move to end the plagues – power given to them by God can ultimately not a sign that he’d changed his belief. lose the ability to make certain decisions for A hundred years later, Ramban, the ourselves. After all, life is a test, and who’s to say that we have philosopher, kabbalist and biblical commentator, said that God’s unlimited chances to pass? interference was actually a last resort. When, after seven plagues, Free will is a gift and should be treated as such, for without Pharoah still hadn’t gotten the message, God decided that any it we would be souls stuck in limbo, with no room for growth in repentance made from this point on would simply be to end the the future. The course life takes is entirely based on the choices we plagues, not a recognition or awe of God. make and the sentiments behind them. We mustn’t forget that our

By Rachel lasry, staff writer

actions have consequences. Self-control is a God-given gift, not a right, and can certainly be taken away. That is something we can learn from God hardening Pharoah’s heart. Though we’re not leaders of nations ourselves, understanding this means recognizing our own tremendous responsibility and power.

BP Illustration by Ari Sassover

The Boiling Point • February 2018 • Torah

Institute event explores power and modesty By Hannah Jannol, Editor-in-Chief At a recent Shalhevet Institute event, the moderator said she had never received a good explanation of tzniut, or modesty. “It was women’s job to stop men’s impulses — I haven’t heard anything else,” said Ms. Julie Fax, a former senior writer at the Jewish Journal who grew up attending Orthodox schools in Los Angeles. “What is the goal of tzniut?” Ms. Fax asked. “What is the impact of focusing on what girls are wearing?” At an event titled “Tzniut in the age of #MeToo,” Ms. Fax and three panelists — Judaic Studies teacahers Ms. Atara Segal and Rabbi Abraham Lieberman and Rabbanit Pnina Neuworth — looked for answers to this and other questions, including how the Orthodox Jewish community can do better to avoid sexism, empower women, limit abuse of power by powerful men, and as the title suggests, enforce modesty in a way that does not blame women’s apparel for men’s misconduct. “I think the goal is enhancement and spiritual growth,” said Rabbanit Neuworth, who was visiting from Israel where she lectures at the BarIlan University Law School. “Tzniut is a means to achieve that.” Rabbanit Neuworth compared tzniut to the dress codes in law firms, saying people dress in a certain formal or modest way to indicate they are professional and want to focus on what really matters. Ms. Segal added a focus on what she called “bilateral tzniut,” which should apply to both women and men. She said that during the time of the Hanukkah story, male modesty was a hotter topic because of the glorification of the male form. So a problem only arises when “Halacha exists in a context that is not appropriate.” Hundreds of years ago, she explained, tzniut was not an issue because the rest of the world followed modest dress as well. But because in today’s world non-tzniut clothing is popular, keeping tzniut has become a dilemma. She said what is appropriate now for formal wear for men and women is out of whack, and described a “parody of dress” in which women are cold at events and men are fully covered in suits — even when it’s hot out. “Now women get cold for evening wear,” Ms. Segal said. Tzniut, she said, “is about respectful dress in our cultural context, not to sexualize small children or degrade anyone. Six-year-olds shouldn’t have to cover each other up.” Rabbi Lieberman and Ms. Segal both discussed the struggle of enforcing and explaining modesty as educators in Jewish day schools. To Rabbi Lieberman, tzniut -- pronounced tsneeUT -- is about privacy. The “most precious thing we have is our To-

BP Photo By hilA MAchMAli

LISTENING: From left, Ms. Atara Segal, Rabbanit Pnina Neuworth, Ms. Julie Fax and Rabbi Abraham Lieberman discussed modesty and women’s empowerment at a Shalhevet Institute event titled ‘Tzniut in the age of #MeToo” in the Beit Midrash Dec. 9.. Rabbanit Neuworth said modesty is a means to achieve spiritual growth. rah,” Rabbi Lieberman said, so we cover it, but tzniut is not just one thing. “Tzniut for men is how you talk to women and what words are respectful or not,” he added. Ms. Segal mentioned Shalhevet’s fashion club, which runs an annual fashion show that presents tzniut styles, and said it is important to highlight positive things like that. At Shalhevet, dress code has been an recurring issue because students do not agree with the dress code or because they do not like being called out by faculty for violations. Ms. Segal said they have been able to reduce the latter issue by making dress code a policy issue, not a religious one, so students do not feel like they are being reprimanded for a religious reason; rather they are just not in compliance with a school rule. “It’s any faculty member, not just religious, saying ‘You’re out of dress code,’” she said. “We want to reduce religious antagonism.” The evening had begun with a discussion of male authority over women in general. The first comment of the evening came from Rabbi Lieberman, who said respect is the most important part of being a man in a position of authority over women. He has been an educator and administration member of multiple all girls high schools for over two decades. “There’s no way to teach Torah if we’re not on equal footing,” Rabbi Lieberman began. “There has to be mutual respect, I’ve never considered myself a boss…The Torah teaches humility, and certainly if the focus is on the right things, these problems will become minimal surely.” In her first statement, Rabbanit Neuworth told a story from the midrash about Yalta, a Jew-

ish Babylonian princess who married the head of them. In order to let women succeed as leaders a yeshiva. A visitor came to the couple for Shab- and scholars, they must be given different expecbat, and when Yalta’s husband asked the visitor tations and platforms that are fitting for women, to pass the kiddush cup of wine to Yalta, the visi- she said — like being allowed to bring children to tor was reluctant, believing it inappropriate for a work or to perform differently. Rabbi Lieberman agreed and added that once woman to have wine from the kiddush cup since women said they wanted to continue to study at a women are dependent on men. In a separate story, Rabbanit Neuworth said, seminary after high school, spaces were made for Yalta tells her husband she wants to eat milk and them to do so. “Women bring something to the table in any meat together, which is prohibited by Jewish law. Her husband offers her the exception to this rule, discussion,” Rabbi Lieberman said, “and often when boys and girls are talking, they bring to the which is the cooked udders of a cow. “There are no 100 percent perfect prohibi- table a different perspective. And often times the tions in the Torah,” Rabbanit Neuworth said boys say ‘She’s right.’ “Knowledge is never negative, I have no Yalta was trying to show. “But rather the Torah is a balance between to do and not to do. For every doubt,” he added. But there are still some rule there is an exception to challenges to female leaderthe rule.” ship in Judaism, especially inAlthough it wasn’t exWe need to empower women at the volving matters of Jewish law. actly the subject of the evesame time of teaching men what is Rabbi Lieberman said he did ning, Rabbanit Neuworth right. not know what to do about also spoke at length about the Sanhedrin, and ancient the rise in Jewish female -- Rabbi Abraham Lieberman Jewish court system in Israel leadership and scholarship. that did not have a female Ms. Segal began to speak perspective or space. Today, about this as well, because she is training to be a yoetzet halacha, a female there are Jewish courts called batei din, the maadvisor for women with issues regarding taharat jority of which are Orthodox, and are therefore hamishpacha, laws concerning intimacy and re- almost always comprised entirely of men. In their closing statements, Ms. Segal said that productive health. Studying at Nishmat seminary in Jerusalem any time power is abused, that power also should during her first year in the program, Ms. Segal be in the hands of women. “So many women’s conversation are in the said, was “amazing” because it was “different.” Of the 12 women in the program, six just had hands of men,” she said, offering conversion as an babies and were nursing, something they would example in which male power had been abused not be able to do if they were shoved into the tra- with “illegal and felonious behavior.” A recent example of this was Rabbi Barry ditional structure of an all-male Freundel of Washington, D.C., who installed yeshiva. The traditional view of a ye- a radio with a hidden camera and watched as shiva is lots of yelling and men women undressed and prepared for the ritual sitting across from each other bath used in conversion. Rabbi Lieberman said people have to be arguing, according to Ms. Segal. But at Nishmat, the room was taught that Jews are holy people and do not benot loud, and women sat next have in a way that is sexually inappropriate. “We need to empower women at the same to each other to learn with one time of teaching men what is right,” he said. another. He said if he could change one thing tomor“It was a different experience, that was not modeled in a row, it would be for everyone to realize that every men’s yeshiva because we didn’t human being serves a purpose and we need to celhave the expectation that wom- ebrate their uniqueness. Rabbanit Neuworth said that when it comes en should be learning just like men,” she said. “Women learn to seeking leadership roles, women are always “guilty until proven innocent” — meaning if a just like women. “You have to let women woman has a passion to be more involved, peolearn as women, not let women ple always ask why or if her motive is right or if fall behind because they’re nurs- she has an agenda. Rabbanit Neuworth hopes to ing,” Ms. Segal stated. “Women change that. Ms. Segal hoped everyone could start making cannot be expected to speak like men speak at the bima, because their decisions with a sense of community, keeping in mind what is best for everyone. then we set them up to fail.” Ms. Fax ended by urging men to sit “on the Unfortunately, Ms. Segal said, a power structure exists other side of the mechitzah.” “If you notice the boys are the only ones in which “female roles bleed from male ones,” meaning that singing when both should be singing, let the girls because roles have always been choose the songs maybe,” said Ms. Fax. “And made for men, women are forced girls, if you see something from your side, say to perform in jobs that do not fit something.”

The Boiling Point • February 2018 • Torah

Under twinkling lights, Green Team offers learning, food from garden and live performances for Tu B’Shvat

By Molly Litvak, Staff Writer “The mishnah of Rosh Hashanah says that Tu B’shevat is really a technical day, the day that marks the new year for trees,” Rabbi David Block told about 25 students and faculty on the roof Jan. 30. “The of trees needing a new year is simply a legal thing, and that we have to dedicate our first fruits each year to God.” But the evening took the holiday far beyond the technical, with sushi, schmoozing and a spontaneous slow shira -- singing -- among the highlights of Shalhevet’s most recent Tu B’shevat festival. The twinkly lights that hung overhead were on for the occasion,and there was a stream of rainbow lanterns hanging in front of the garden. Sushi and homemade bruschetta – featuring tomatoes from the Green Team’s garden – were spread out on tables, each of which had two candles, a green fake flower bouquet, a little card with a tree on it, and a plate with grapes, dates, pomegranate seeds, olives, and vanilla wafers. The objective of the gathering was to honor Tu B’shevat more thoroughly than it usually is at school, in a different environment. “I really wanted to plan this event because although our school does observe Tu B’Shvat, I thought it would be really cool to have a community event,” said Maia Zelkha, the senior and leader of the Green Team, who organized it. Rabbi Block, head of Judaic Studies, taught the mitzvah of orla, an agricultural law regarding the consumption of fruit from new trees, which requires that you wait three years before eating its fruit. In the fourth year you may eat it in Jerusalem, and in the fifth year you may eat it wherever you wish. The idea, he said, is that it takes a few years before the tree has fully developed and once those years have passed, the fruit should first be dedicated to God. The event began at 6:30 snacks and informal chatting. Next to the sushi table was a smaller table with three different water dispensers, each with a different flavor of water. One had lemon mint, one had orange basil, and the other had cucumber. Meanwhile, senior Maya Schechter was available to paint people’s faces, and there was a microphone and two large speakers that would soon be used. At 7 p.m., Maia started the program by thanking people for supporting the garden, and then Rabbi Block taught that Tu B’Shvat was a time to remember that the trees, like everything, come from God and to be thankful. Then he invited people to come up and share what they were thankful for. Agenda Chair Daniel Lorell shared that he was thankful for being able to see with glasses, explaining that he is not able to see well without them and finishing with, “Thank God for glasses.” Next, junior Honor Fuchs discussed how since Hurricane Harvey and all the other natural disasters, she is thankful that she has a room and house to live in. Sophomores BenI don’t think it’s everyone’s Tsion Oliel and Ari Schlacht expressed their passion. It’s great to see so gratefulness for the the many people show up for an school’s beautiful buildevent that one of your fellow ing, and to teachers and students put together. faculty advisors who helped guide them. -- Natalie Weiss, Senior Ariel Cohen Green Team Adviser announced she was thankful for her friends, while Maia Zelkha took a more poetic stance. “Sometimes I close my eyes and see darkness,” said Maia, “and I’m grateful I can see and that i’m not in darkness – that I can see the morning light and evening sunsets”. Admissions Director Ms. NatalieWeiss concluded by saying she was

BP Photos By honor Fuchs

BP Photos By Molly litvAk

CELEBRATE: At top, senior Aviva Katz performs an original poem titled “Orange Leaves” in honor of the agricultural Tu B’shevat holiday which allows people to dedicate the season’s first fruits to God while appreciating trees and nature. Above, students, teachers and parents mingled over sushi and salads on the roof Jan. 30 surrounded by platters of fresh fruit. It was the club’s first Tu B’Shvat event.

thankful to have a student – Maia – who put the earth first that day. “I don’t think it’s everyone’s passion,” Ms. Weiss said. “It’s great to see so many people show up for an event that one of your fellow Shalhevet students put together.” Rabbi Block then led the “Tu B’Shvat seder” which involved saying brachot (blessings) over the various foods on the plates on each table. which was followed by a student talent show. Junior Eliana Cohen sang Ingrid Michaelson’s “You and I” while playing her ukulele. A few audience members waved their phone with the flashlight on, and afterwards, loud applause erupted. Next, senior Aviva Katz read an original poem called “Orange Leaves.” “Last leaves on an empty tree,” she read, “scattered, concealing the bare branches, revealing…” – also followed by applause. Seniors Hila Machmali, Ariel Cohen, and Tali Schlacht sang “Hashkediya Porachat,” an upbeat Hebrew song about about blooming almond trees. People clapped along.

Daniel Lorell played his Jew’s harp, a small music instrument held between the teeth and struck with a finger. The sounds of the instrument came loudly through the two speakers on either side of him. Rabbi Block brought out a guitar and sang Tov Lehodot – “It’s good to give thanks,” and then Matisyahu’s “One Day,” which many people joined. He then sang “All Star” by Smash Mouth, with Daniel Lorell. Following this, everyone surrounded a table and sang numerous songs, including “Colors of the Wind,” from Pocahontas, and “What a Wonderful World,” by Louis Armstrong. Everyone seemed to think the event had gone well. “I loved the set-up,” said Judaic Studies teacher Ms. Ilana Wilner. “It was aesthetically very beautiful with the lights, and the trees, and the tables. Everything was really beautiful. “The way it was framed reminded us to appreciate everything in life and for everyone to focus on one thing they are appreciative of this Tu B’Shvat,” she added.

Great taste and freshness guaranteed!

The Boiling Point • February 2018 • Features

FEatures

FEBRUARY 2018

How to deal with

Season Affective Disorder this winter By Sadie Toczek, Lifestyle Editor

When the clocks turned back last November, days ended earlier and earlier. Even now, days are shorter, ending around 5 p.m. and making the night feel everlasting. It is not uncommon for this to affect your mood, and if it does, it’s known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is a form of depression that comes with the fall and winter seasons due to a lack of light and colder weather, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. The institute says to consider increased appetite, weight gain or loss, social withdrawal, feeling lethargic and general moodiness

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if you’re trying to decide whether you have this condition. Experts say these feelings are very real, and even have a biological effect. For example, without the light from the sun, you produce less of the hormone melatonin. Vice.com reported that the rate of SAD in Alaska and other states is double that in Canada. But remember that winter is temporary, and feelings of SAD are too. In the meantime, take proper action and seek out help if you need it. Here are seven things you can do on your own.

Venture to the great outdoors. A report from the University of California Davis says that going outdoors in the daytime decreases feelings of SAD. This gives you boosts of vitamin D, which is a critical variable to our over health and mental health. Seek light. If your location lacks daylight, you can go to your doctor to get prescribed light therapy. Although it is artificial lighting, it has been shown to help minimize feelings of SAD, according to a report by Harvard Medical School. This gives you boosts of serotonin, a mood-regulating neurotransmitter. Reach out. An article on mayoclinic.org says that even reaching out to a close companion can help you fight this depression state (although it should be in combination with other treatments). Isolating yourself will not do anything to lift your spirits. In fact, surrounding yourself with love and laughter can help diminish feelings of depression. Work out. It is well known that working out releases endorphins, ultimately giving a mood boost. This could be critical to do when you feel down. Eat right. Harvard University Health Blog wrote that your eating habits directly affect one’s mood. That being said, opt for vegetables and lean proteins to help you feel good from the inside. Also, try chamomile, chocolate, walnuts, fish and yogurt, which can help lift your spirits. Get back control. While you do not have in say in the outside temperature and weather, you can get some control back by reconstructing your room to make you happier. Try painting the walls a brighter color or hanging pictures of friends, really anything that brings a smile to your face. Put things into perspective. While these severe feelings are valid and can be debilitating, try putting things into perspective. In other words, focus on the good. It could go a long way into making you feel better. Page design by Honor Fuchs and Maya Miro

The Boiling Point • February 2018 • Features

Defying national trends, girls flock to STEM classes In college STEM departments and technology companies around the country, women are small minorities. But at Shalhevet, teachers, administrators and girls themselves are defying the national status quo. nologically, and I also thought it would be crucial to learn in today’s classes. He said that creating an atmosphere where it is okay to “have day and age. I was hesitant considering I was going to be the only some speed bumps can Society of Engineering, women received just 19.9 percent of girl, but it was a risk I wanted to take and I’m glad I along the way” helped all bachelor’s degrees awarded by an engineering program in 2015. took it.” girls get involved. He But this year when Shalhevet re-launched its afadded that the school School officials say these high numbers are not an accident, ter-school engineering course for underclassmen had worked to hire but reflect an effort made to improve gender equality in Shalhevet’s -- called CIJE (pronounced “syje”) because it is I think the reason I never took the STEM teachers who sponsored by the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Eduadvanced science and engineering courses. are committed to stusexist remarks so seriously is because In 2014, then-Principal Dr. Noam Weissman wrote a 40-page cation -- all nine who enrolled were boys. dent engagement and General Studies report on female participation I didn’t and don’t want anything to stop are positive influences Principal Mr. Daniel in STEM courses at Shalhevet. me from doing what I want to do, SAS COMPUTER SCIENCE on female students. Weslow said an email At the time, less than a fourth “We try to hire facwas sent out to parents of Shalhevet students enrolled 2017-18 --Maia Julis, 12th grade ulty who make students to discuss it with their in pre-engineering courses feel connected, supchildren. He said the -- math, physics and CIJE -ported and inspired,” faculty are going back were female. As of this year, Mr. Weslow said. and looking at how that number has risen to 45.6 All together, these they spread the inforpercent. various factors have mation about CIJE to He wrote in the report that created a learning envistudents, and that next female students were minorironment where women year it will be more ties in advanced science coursstay involved in STEM, successful because es, and specifically in the engifemales in a 20-person class according to Dr. Weissfreshmen will have neering class. Graphic by Honor Fuchs man. sophomore mentors. “It is critical that Shalhevet 2016-17 “Environments can either be encouraging or they could be dis“It’s hard because as 9th-gradbegins the process of solving ers there is a lot going on with the couraging,” said Dr. Weissman in an interview. “If an environment this problem,” Dr. Weissman transition to high school, so you is encouraging, then both boys and girls will have the same opporwrote three years ago, “because don’t want to add another class,” Mr. tunity and the same success.” as an institution that espouses The Robotics team, on the other hand, is a student-run endeavWeslow said. “So it was not necesequal learning opportunities sarily about trying something new, or. According to senior Zack Hirschhorn, increasing girls’ particifor males and females, it is pation is not a main priority for the team. In its first year, 2015-16, it was for kids who were interested.” not standing up to its mission one third of the students on the Robotics trip were female. Last He, Dr. Weissman, and SAS when few young women are females in a 12-person class Computer Science teacher Dr. Josh year, girls made up a little over half of the members. represented in the engineering This year, of Robotics’ 24 members, 12 are female. In total, feSharfman say that the number and courses.” 2015-16 quality of STEM classes has made male students have been 47 percent of the Robotics team. His goal was for 47 percent “As a general concept more girls involved beof engineering enrollees to be cause they began to 2017-18 SAS BIOLOGY I think it’s great and very female by the fall of 2018. important for girls to be notice it and saw the Senior Maia Julis is a female involved in STEM,” said increased number of opmember is taking SAS Physics Zack. “But as a team, we portunities for them to and AP Calculus BC this year, have different priorities participate. and is a member of the Robotfemales in a 16-person that we want to stress this Dr. Sharfman chalked ics team. She credited former year, in efforts to create up the previous female Math teacher and department more a sustainable team, so minority to his class havchair Ms. Katya Malikov, now we aren’t focusing so much ing been “an unknown.” teaches at the new Geffen Academy on that aspect. That being This year’s computer science at UCLA. said, if a girl wants to join “One of the main reasons was 2017-18 CALCULUS AB class is 61 percent girls -- the first robotics, then they should time that the course has more Ms. Malikov,” Maia said. “She really join Robotics!” girls than boys, and at an almost made me love math so much. Having 2:1 ratio. really supportive teachers and teachJunior Jamie Berman “It became not uncool for ers who care about the subject have is the Robotics team’s first a woman to take the class,” Dr. made me love those subjects even female captain, and shares Sharfman said. “In the next year, more.” her captainship with three there were three young women Maia said she became involved in females in a 20-person class boys: seniors Sam and who took the class, and none of Robotics because she didn’t find any Zack Hirschhorn and Jathem felt any qualms about their other co-curricular that she liked and females in a 9-person class cob Feitelberg. According success, but rather stayed engaged Robotics was new. and they worked at it, and they 2017-18 SAS PHYSICS to Jamie, Seiji Shaw let the “Being one of the few girls in it people most involved in saw there was absolutely no made me want to be like ‘I can the team decide who they gender advantage that was indo it,’ to prove I can do it,” she wanted to lead it. herent [in the course].” added. CULUS BC Jamie said she joined And girls have decided to She said she has heard jokes Robotics with no prior take the plunge and just jump along the lines of, “You’re a girl, females in a knowledge and was eventuin, even when they’re pioneers you should be in the kitchen” 10-person ally taught everything that in a given class. but never took them seriously class she needed to know, and Gaby Benelyahu said she enough to stop pursuing science. can now teach others to do gained something from having “I think the reason I never the same. As good as things been the only female student in took the sexist remarks so serifemales in a 6-person class are now, Jamie hopes to the class. ously is because I didn’t and don’t continue to increase equal“What I learned after jumpwant anything to stop me from ity. ing into a class like that is that doing what I want to do,” she “It makes me sad that said. “If I would have let those remarks get to me then I might not it’s important to take risks and challenge yourself, bethere aren’t more girls cause I only got stronger after going out of my comhave joined Robotics or taken Calc BC. You never know.” fort zone,” she said. “Yeah, it was difficult at first but 2017-18 AP CHEMISTRY involved in STEM programs.” Jamie said. “I Last year, SAS Computer Science had only three girls, and the I wasn’t going to let it get in my way of learning comthink it is a big problem, year before that it had one female student, then-junior Gaby Bene- puter science and learning about myself.” and I’m trying to encourlyahu, who graduated in 2017. age girls to join the RoMr. Weslow and Dr. Sharfman joined both joined “I was very nervous at first because I’ve never been the only botics team by being an girl in the class and it was intimidating,” Gaby said in an email the staff in the 2015-16 school year, Dr. Sharfman example of a girl in powinterview. “On top of being the only girl, the material was also very to teach SAS Computer Science. Robotics was also er in a STEM co-curricutough and I normally would study with my girlfriends so I was also launched that year, by then-transfer student Seiji Shaw lar. I think a lot of people ‘17. scared of that. feel intimidated when For Mr. Weslow, it’s about ensuring that students “It turned out that everyone was so nice and helpful,” she said. they hear that we build feel supported and encouraged to take classes outside “And I made a lot of new guy friends.” robots that compete in She said she had originally wanted to take Computer Science of their comfort zone -- a conversation that is usualcompetitions, but they ly had during academic guidance. Also important is because of its relevance in the modern age. females in a really shouldn’t.” “I wanted to see if I would be interested in it in the long run,” making sure faculty and administrators are connecting 10-person class she said. “Computer science is a big part of the modern world tech- with students once they enroll in challenging STEM continued from page one

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Sources: Schoology, Dr. Josh Sharfman, Firehawk Robotics

Graphics by Zev Kupferman

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21st-century family dinner may feature vastly different plates of food than it did 10 years ago, with two vegetarian parents, a paleo teenage daughter, and a gluten-free son. This is not an uncommon occurrence, with a recent rise in Americans following various diets or popular eating trends, and at younger ages. There has been a 500 percent increase in veganism in six years, and a 120 percent increase in voluntary gluten-free dieting between 2009 to 2014. According to the website of Eating Disorder Hope, a non profit organization which offers resources for the treatment of eating disorders and is sponsored partly by the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), 40 percent of nine-year-olds have been on some form of a diet. A simultaneous increase in eating disorders and eating trends and diets may show a relationship between the two, with people reporting their families, social media and societal pressure to be influences on their eating. In an anonymous poll on paper of 50 Shalhevet students Sept. 28, 13 students, or 26 percent, said they were on some kind of diet. Of those, two were vegetarian or pescatarian, two were vegan, one was dairy-free, three were voluntarily gluten-free, and six said they were either “on a diet,” or followed a “healthy” diet. But more than half -- 26 students -- said they restricted their eating in some way even if they weren’t dieting (some responses may have been referring to kashrut restrictions), and 13 said their eating choices had been influenced by social media, a new phenomenon whose impact has yet to be closely measured. And as everyone from families to school lunch administrators tries to accommodate and adjust, it’s unclear what exactly is going on, and whether it’s a good sign, a threat to health, psychology or just kitchen convenience -- or all of those things.

Dairy-free

Which dietary restrictions are you following?

The Boiling Point •February 2018 • Features

Vegan

15%

Vegetarian/ Pescetarian

15%

Gluten Free

23%

“Healthy”

46%

Source: Boiling Point poll, November 2017

unior Donna Grunfeld adopted a pescatarian diet -- no animal meat except for fish -- in eighth grade. She said she wanted to lose weight, which she did. “The reasoning was actually that I wanted to eat less, and I was kind of on this health craze type thing,” said Donna. “I was really obsessive, and I thought that by not eating meat, that would be a way to diet and lose weight.” In ninth grade, she began to follow a vegan diet -- no animal products at all, no fish, cheese or eggs -and stayed with it for six months. Donna said this way to restrict her eating further and gave her a feeling of control over her life. “Obsession” and “control” were words several students used about their attention to their food. “Ninth grade was really hard for me emotionally and physically,” said Donna. “It was just really hard and I guess it’s just that feeling of not knowing what to do. This was a way to do something that I kind of knew how to do, or that I could trick myself into thinking I knew how to do.” She said her parents became concerned that she was not eating properly, and quickly made sure that she reintroduced foods, like eggs, into her diet. Although she achieved her goal of losing weight, she really started feeling better when she shifted her mindset to one that desired strength, rather than thinness. An anonymous student we’ll call Jane (not her real name) said that although she was never diagnosed with an eating disor-

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The Boiling Point • February 2018 • Features

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der, she found herself in a mindset of endlessly wanting to lose weight, beginning in the summer between 8th and 9th grade. “I got a little bit obsessed,” Jane said. “It was definitely very important to me all of a sudden.” She said she was influenced by her family. “It just happened that I was raised to be very aware of what I was eating, and how much is too much, and to be body conscious,” she said. “If I asked my mom if I should lose weight or something, she would be like, ‘Oh yeah, maybe like five pounds.’” Jane described keeping a daily journal with a friend of their weights and the calories that they consumed throughout the day to ensure that they did not gain or lose. “We would write down what we ate at the beginning of the day, and then everything we ate, and then we would write down how much we weighed the next day,” she said. ‘I would also always be downloading different workout apps or apps to count your calories.”

ccording to the website of NEDA, the National Eating Disorders Association, there are at least! four specific eating disorders: anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, or ARFID. Anorexia, the organization says, is the third-most-common disease among “young people” after asthma and Type 1 diabetes, and is characterized by significant weight loss, calorie restriction and distorted body image. Bulimia sufferers binge on mass qualities of food at a time, and then force themselves to purge, or vomit the food. Binge-eating disorder, the most common eating disorder in the United States according to the organization, is similar to bulimia in that it involves binging on unhealthy amounts of food in one sitting, But it does not involve vomiting. And ARFID, a newly defined eating disorder, is severely limiting food intake, but without a concern with body image or weight loss. Since 2013, there has been a 70 percent increase in eating disorders in both women and men, with over 30 million people having eating disorders in the United States, according to NEDA. The group also reports that 40 percent of newly identified cases of anorexia are in girls 15 to 19 years old, and that there has been a rise in incidences of anorexia in young women 15 - 19 every decade since the 1930’s. Ms. Elyse Resch, a registered dietitian nutritionist and

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Continued on page 14

hevet s say they their eating

Graphic by Zev Kupferman Page design by Noa Segal and Maya Miro

The Boiling Point •February 2018• Features

With diet restrictions, you are what you don’t eat Continued from page 13 author, said the teenage years are a time when people are susceptible to eating disorders as a desire to maintain control in their lives. “Adolescence is… a time of uncertainty in terms of the future, it’s a time of pressure,” said Ms. Resch, who has become popular for her theory of what she calls “intuitive eating.” “There’s very little within the control of the teenager, especially as the parents are present and set limits. So they focus on something they think they can fix -- nobody can force them to eat or not eat, it’s their own thing essentially.”

As a jiu jitsu fighter, Justin now maintains a strict food journal of his daily diet, consisting of a variety of protein shakes and other plant-protein based meals. He said his focus on nutrition is part of perfecting his martial art, and becoming as healthy as possible. “I’m just trying to figure out ways I can improve my health and efficiency,” he said. “Our bodies are essentially a machine. You can’t just feed it crap and then expect it to perform well.”

and Ms.Sunshine said that the dieting culture may be even more difficult for them. “Those things had been viewed as women’s disorders, so it’s been harder for men to acknowledge that they are suffering from them,” she said. “But we’re seeing very marked increases as men seem to come under the same demand that women have been under for a long time, of greater sensibility about your body, and awareness about your body, and self-consciousness about your body.” She said that this was most likely due to the media’s evolving and increasingly extreme portrayal of men. “I remember when the Schwarzenneger body kind of image first appeared, and the majority of people reacted to that as being grotesque,” Mrs. Sunshine said. “Already now in our own time, being ‘cut,’ having a six-pack, has become almost a normalized expectation that’s a very unrealistic one in a lot of ways.”

hether different diets or lifestyles are cures or a catalysts for eating disorders, or whether they are related at all, remains a question, and may vary based on the individual. But the data show that as one variable is increasing, so is the other. o when does a diet obsession become an eating disorder? According to a study done by the Journal of the American MedAnd is this question historical, cultural or personal? According to health.com, a commercial site delivering health ical Association (JAMA), the percentage of Americans voluntarily and medical information to consumlimited themselves to a gluten-free diet without ers, the first fad diet in America was the medical requirement has risen from .5 percent to “My restriction did lead grapefruit diet, also known as the Hol1.7 percent of the population . me to veganism because lywood Diet, which was popular in the Meanwhile, according to theguardian.com, an egardless of the influence, people 1930s that encouraged people to eat a international news source, In the last six years, the at all ages are receiving messages it was just another eating grapefruit with every meal. number of both women and men being admitted that diet and body image are things to be trend that I was trying, Since then, Americans have followed to the hospital with eating disorders has risen focused on. even to try to escape this numerous strategies in an attempt to by 70 percent, with eight million AmerIn the Shalhevet poll, 22 students said crazy eating disorder become thinner. Some of the most popicans suffering from some form of an that social media influencing people’s eating ular have been the Weight-Watchers eating disorder. habits could be a negative thing. of not eating. I’m happy weight loss program, starting in 1963; Dr. Gil Melmed, a gastroenBut Donna and Justin are examples of how the media that I found one to really the 1977 Slim-Fast diet consisting of terologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical can influence mindsets towards eating positively. Donna stick with. Ever since I’ve two shakes and one food-based meal Center, said dieting itself can be said her life changed when she was introduced to the become vegan, I’ve found per day; and the high-protein, low-carb problematic, depending on the competitive obstacle course reality series American Ninja Atkins diet, which debuted in 1992. purpose. Warrior, adding that she was especially inspired by female a way to deal with eating “Quick-fix” diets are still high in pop“Are you doing it to look better, or contestant Jessie Graff. basically.” ularity. According to Business Insider, an what you perceive is looking better to oth“Before, I was obsessed with being really thin and really skinny, analysis of Google searches showed that er people?” Dr. Melmed said. “Or are you doing it to model-type thin,” she said. “But then I saw American Ninja Warrior -- Hanna Rokah more than half of searches for weight achieve a healthier body?” and now I’m all about that. loss included the words ‘quick’ or ‘fast.’ He said gluten is falsely stigmatized as “unhealthy” “It’s not only about being physically strong, but also really menBut in addition, there has been a rise by the food industry, with that being the core reason tally strong, and you just watch what they have to go through to in popularity of more long-term diet changes -- what many call “life- for the trending gluten-free diet. get to where they are, and they just keep on going. It was really style” changes. “There is a real disease out there, called celiac disease, where motivational for me.” These include vegan, vegetarian and pescetarian diets, which people have a true allergy to gluten -- where you must avoid gluten Senior Summer Gershon eats fish but otherwise follows a vegan prohibit consumption of animal products on various levels; the or else your intestinal lining will become inflamed,” he said. diet. She was inspired by a friend’s private instagram account, or gluten-free diet; and the low-carb “paleo” diet which focuses on Celiac disease, which is genetic, affects 1 percent of the popula- finsta. consuming mostly protein and vegetables, and eliminates refined tion, according to the Celiac Disease Foundation. “My friend on her finsta wrote, ‘Oh I’m going vegan, you guys sugar, dairy and grains. The Foundation says another .4 percent of the population is al- should do it,’” said Summer. “I thought it sounded interesting so I Diets and eating disorders have existed for generations, but a lergic to wheat, though not to other products celiacs can’t eat. looked it up and I saw what you can and cannot eat. I feel like it’s new factor of influence has recently come into play: social media. But a trend away from gluten is happening anyway. just a healthier lifestyle to live, it makes me feel more confident in Ms. Resch said that diets have become more accessible due to “There’s this social fabric that has been developing around glu- a way.” the internet. ten-free products in our society,” said Dr. Melmed. “People kind of Although many are intrigued by popular diets’ promise of She said that the current generation experiences more pressure remove gluten because they’re sucked into the marketing thing weight loss, some are medically required to eliminate foods from to diet than hers did, partly due to social media’s influence. that gluten is somehow harmful and unhealthy, which is not true their diets. “There’s such a perpetuation of perfectionism and feeling bad for the vast majority of people.” Junior Adam Ritz is insulin-resistant, causing him to follow a about oneself,” she said. “People post things on Instagram or SnapHe added that dieting generally should not be the main focus diet with very little carbohydrates or gluten. chat or Facebook and they’re only presentfor people. “My body does not know how to properly break down complex ing the times that they think they look the “One needs to be very careful not to restrict,” he said. “One sugars and carbs, which means I can’t really eat almost any carbs best.” needs to learn how to make healthy choices. I think that’s a in a day,” said Adam “It’s not easy -- my favorite food is pasta, and I Hanna said she was drawn to veganvery different approach.” can’t eat pasta.” ism by the influence of vegan Youtubers He said that while people can choose gluten-free diets, they like Freelee the Banana Girl and Nina and AS Psychology teacher Ms. Tove Sunshine said eating should be more sensitive in doing so. Randa Nelson, who display their daily trends and disorders are generally culture-specific. “I totally support someone trying to eat as little gluten as possimeals to platforms seen by millions of “We don’t find eating disorders, we don’t find anorexia, ble, but I don’t like people making a big deal about it if they do it young followers. we don’t find bulimia, in poorer less developed coun- by choice, because I don’t really have a choice,” he said. “You don’t “If you’re watching their videos on the tries,” Ms. Sunshine said. “That seems have to be so strict about it, betopic of eating, you’re looking at them and to suggest that we’re looking at culing that it’s not a necessity.” seeing how you want to be when you turn vegan,” she said. tural phenomena rather than Mrs. Sunshine said that “My restriction did lead me to veg“You’re comparing yourself not just in a physical way but biological phenomena.” while exploration of different dianism because it was just another it’s everything about them.” She said that having the ets is okay, questions are crucial. eating trend that I was trying, even Hanna said she’s grateful for the path her life has luxury to make changes to “I don’t think that doing gluto try to escape this crazy eating taken, as it has led her to her vegan lifestyle. one’s life is a display of a betten-free or paleo or any of those “My restriction did lead me to veganism because it ter-off society, and diets are no different. things -- that does not equal disorder of not eating. I’m happy that was just another eating trend that I was trying, even to try to escape “It’s a reflection of an affluent society that can afford eating disorder,” she said. “The I found one to really stick with. Ever this crazy eating disorder of not eating,” she said. “I’m happy that to not just eat what’s available growing near you, or to only thing I will say is that as atsince I’ve become vegan, I’ve found I found one to really stick with. Ever since I’ve become vegan, I’ve get the calories in whatever form they come because tractive as these things may be, a way to deal with eating basically.” found a way to deal with eating basically.” otherwise you’re going to starve,” she said. to be a little skeptical.” Senior Justin Silver said that his vegan diet did not stem from a “In an affluent society, where the basics are not a -- Hannah Rokah, 12th grade place of insecurity, but rather from a desire to strengthen his body. question, you distinguish yourself in other ways, and ack at the dinner table, “This past month, I’ve been trying to gain weight because I do you try to control your life and shape it in other ways.” Summer’s mother, Mrs. martial arts, and it helps to build muscle,” Justin said. “I’m trying to People with what she called “food security” can foEdie Green, said that while the hit a goal weight, so I have to eat an excess of 500 to 600 calories. cus on other things than ensuring they have enough food to eat. process of preparing meals for her family has changed due to her It makes me stronger.” “We have, for most people, access to calories or adequate cal- daughter’s vegan diet, it has only been for the better. Summer is He said that he has found a way to use social media’s influences ories, so our food interest and drives get diverted into other direc- the only one in her family with eating restrictions. to benefit and inform himself about nutrition, but that it’s import- tions,” said Ms. Sunshine. “It is ironically typical of countries that “We just have to be really careful what we’re eating now,” Mrs. ant to think critically about information in the media. are well-to-do and have plenty of food, but are now creating these Green said. “Reading the ingredients has become very important “Just because something is very mainstream does not mean it’s cultural expectations around food and body image,” for us. We make more salads, and we shop at the farmer’s market necessarily correct,” Justin said. “I choose to follow people that are In research done by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, more for fruits and vegetables.” very knowledgeable, like professional fighters, or fitness trainers. developed, Western countries see from 0.2 to 4.1 percent more eatShe said Summer’s diet has impacted her family’s positively. “I learn about things I wouldn’t have had access to unless I had ing disorders than developing countries, aligning with Mrs. Sun“Everyone’s eating healthier,” she said. “It’s a healthy change, gotten it through social media,” he continued. “I learn about martial shine’s idea of eating disorders being cultural. not just for her, but we were able to incorporate it into the entire arts, nutrition, certain workouts and why they’re beneficial, and why Also, although eating disorders tend to be associated with wom- family, and it’s something that ultimately makes us healthier and there’s pros and cons to certain movements or exercise.” en, there has been an increase in the condition among men too, happier.”

The Boiling Point •February 2018• Features

College-bound students weigh how far to fly the coop Top California schools are fewer and getting more competitive, and East Coast schools are more Jewish and more expensive. Family and personal considerations often prove decisive. By Hannah Jannol, Editor-in-Chief

very year, many Shalhevet graduates leave California to pursue college degrees on the East Coast, in the Midwest and other regions hundreds or thousands of miles from home. But some stay local. But it is not as common nationwide. Of entering college freshmen in 2016, 38 percent attended college within 100 miles or less of their home, 15 percent within 51 to 100 miles and 30 percent within 101 to 500 miles, according to a national study conducted by the Higher Educational Research Institute at UCLA. That leaves just 17 percent who went to school more than 500 miles away. According to Aviva Walls, college counselor and Dean of Academic Affairs, 30 years ago most people did not go to college more than 200 miles away from the house they grew up in. But those national averages do not match Shalhevet’s statistics. Of the 60 schools Shalhevet students have enrolled in in the last four years, only about 22 percent were in California. Forty-three percent were on the East Coast, and the rest were elsewhere in the U.S., plus a few in Canada and Israel, according to a list of colleges Head of College Counseling Ms. Lisa Gruenbaum gave the Boiling Point. Yet significant numbers of Shalhevet graduates still opt for nearby schools like USC, Chapman University, UCs and Cal State schools, so they can see family every weekend, save money or stay in California simply because they like it here -- or some combination of the three. Students who are the oldest can stay close to younger siblings, and regardless of age, students can see family every weekend and save on food and living expenses, according to Ms. Lisa Gruenbaum.

ly, and by staying in LA I would be going to the same mall, the same restaurants. “Being away from your family allows you to grow and become truly independent,” she continued. “If I was in California I would be able to go back home if I have a problem, whereas if I’m on my own I don’t have a choice but to grow on my own.” In addition, more East Coast schools have a good reputation for Jewish life on campus, among them NYU, Brandeis, Binghamton University and the University of Maryland -- to name just a few. Students may also want to fly the nest and gain independence by being in a new city on their own. But where does that leave those who, like most kids nationally, want to stay local? Shalhevet senior Oren Rad said he is applying only to UC campuses, because it is important to his family for him to stay close to home and save money. Still, he isn’t sure why those are the two most important things and does not entirely understand the logic in “staying local.” “If you have the money, going away for college is a great experience,” said Oren. But Oren said if his parents were to let him go anywhere for college he is not sure what he would do -- going to UCLA or SMC and then transferring has always been the plan. “I trust my parents k n o w

er of those schools, some look down on staying nia schools are so competitive,” Lisa said. “So I think that is hurting the situation because it is local. Hila has a love-hate, relationship with the more likely that students who want to stay close idea of staying in California. She said the “shame” to home will go to Santa Monica College with the around staying local keeps her from loving stay- hopes of transferring, as opposed to going straight ing local completely, but at the same time what to a four-year school. SMC is still a good system, but it’s only one system, the UCLA so their options are more tour guides limited now.” said hap“I’m part of this bubble, I live at home For Shalhevet stupened to be with my family. We do our dinners every dents, the options for much more prestigious private appealing to night and every Friday night we go to a schools in California are her than what Stanford, USC, and the other guides family friend’s house, and if I go out of Claremont colleges. But at other state I would really miss it.” with Stanford’s four-perschools said. cent acceptance rate, it’s She liked not exactly an option the campus, - Hila Machmali anyone can plan on. their top-ratAdditionally, schools ed dorm on the East Coast have food, and the strongest Jewish comthat UCLA is a well-known school and has credentials -- like munities. The Claremont colleges, a consortium of five having sent the first-ever message on the internet to Stanford. Hila plans on majoring in mathe- undergraduate liberal arts colleges and two graduate institutions, are extremely competitive as well. matics and going into business or engineering. The consortium includes Claremont Mckenna, os Angeles students are not the only Pitzer, Pomona, Harvey Mudd and Scripps. ones to struggle with home-versusBut those schools do not have as strong of a away. Jewish community (only 12 percent of all their Ms. Michelle Biller-Levy, the head of undergraduates are Jewish according to Hillel) as college counseling at Yeshiva of Flatbush in a place like George Washington University (26 Brooklyn, N.Y., said some students want to percent Jewish), the University of Maryland at stay close to family, and others may know College Park (20 percent Jewish), Brandeis (44 they want to settle down in the city they grew percent Jewish), Rutgers University, New Brunsup in, so it makes sense to become profession- wick (18 percent Jewish) and the University of ally established in that area by going to college Pennsylvania (17 percent Jewish). and getting internships where they plan on living long-term. enior David Khakshooy wants to leave But she said students do not always feel so home for college, but his parents want positive about going to a CUNY school -- New him to go to Santa Monica Community York City’s public university system that is similar College and transfer to a UC. Of his 26 cousins, to the UC system. he says 24 of them took that route, most of them “There is somewhat of a stigma around from public high schools. high-achieving kids getting, ‘Oh, you’re just go“It wasn’t a choice for most of them,” David ing to CUNY?’ I think there’s that sometimes,” said, and they didn’t think about it since going to Ms. Biller-Levy said. “We run into this issue of SMC was always the plan. some of our more high-achieving students saying, David said his parents would let him attend ‘You know, I worked really hard for four years -- I a UC straight out of high school, but he doesn’t don’t want to end up going to CUNY where there think he can get into one. California state uniis such a large range of students going there.’ “ versities are an option, but his parents strongly If they’re not qualified to get into Barnard or prefer he go to SMC, because then he won’t be Columbia, she asked, where does that leave them? able to move into a dorm since those campuses “What are your options then locally?” said don’t have any. Ms. Biller-Levy. “That can be a source of frustraIf he attends UCLA, he will be able to dorm, tion for some of our students who want a real which his parents do not want. He said he wants college experience. So a lot of kids apply to Ma- the independence of living on his own. caulay. New York University has also gotten in“My parents want to force me to stay in Calcreasingly competitive.” ifornia,” David said. “I’m still applying out of Still, she said, the stigma around staying in state, because maybe I can convince them. If not, New York City is not that pervasive since it is maybe I’ll take a loan out and go, because they so common. won’t pay for an out-of-state school.” Shalhevet college counselor Ms. Lisa GruThe numbers of kids flying the coop is increasenbaum made similar observations, referring to ing in New York as well as Los Angeles. the attitude of parents. Ms. Biller-Levy said that when she attended “It’s usually that at the end of the day fami- Flatbush, not everyone was expected to go to ly is more important and I want my child close college. This generation, everyone is expected to to me because I feel like I can support them pursue a higher education. So she believes it is through college, help them through college,’” possible that in 10 or 15 years, an additional step Ms. Gruenbaum said. will be taken where families are comfortable with “And those families tend to think that any students going out of state. benefit the student is getting from being closer She has already been seeing in the last few to their family, is greater than the benefits they years, she said. would receive from earning their degree at an in“There are some students who assume that ... stitution far away from home.” going away has been taken off the table right off A shift both Ms. Walls and Ms. Gruenbaum the bat,” said Ms. Biller-Levy. “But then you have have noticed is that with the increasing competi- students who don’t necessarily want to do that.” tiveness of UC schools due to their low cost and For now, the trend has mostly stayed the same. increasing prestige, it has become more difficult She said out of a grade of 150 students, there are for students to be accepted. So Santa Monica only a handful of kids -- “I can count them on College has become much more of an option, or my two hands” -- who are planning on leaving the students can go to a school far away if accepted. state of New York. Staying local doesn’t work for everyone. “It’s getting harder now that all the Califor-

what’s best, because they have more life experience,” Oren said. He hopes to go to UCLA because he plans on attending medical school, and any type of grad school adds to the cost of tuition -- so going to UCs or SMC first greatly cuts down the cost. Another senior planning on staying in Los Angeles is Hila Machmali. “I’m part of this bubble,” said Hila, who wants to stay close to her family for college. “I live at home with my family. We do our dinners

n the class of 2015, there were nine students who stayed in-state and 22 who left California after graduation. In 2016, 32 percent of students (14 out of 44) stayed local for college. Last year, just one quarter of 54 students stayed in-state after high school. There are lots of reasons students leave Los Angeles, and even California. There ‘It’s getting harder now that all the California is a higher density of highschools are so competitive. So I think that is hurting ly-ranked schools on the East Coast and high-achievthe situation because it is more likely that students ing students may want to who want to stay close to home will go to Santa attend a prestigious school, and those are simply too Monica College with the hopes of transferring, as spread out for everyone to stay in-state for college. opposed to going straight to a four-year school. ‘ With fewer colleges instate than beyond, increasing competitiveness within -- Lisa Gruenbaum, Head of College Counseling California may force students out of state due when they’re not admitted to an in-state school. Stu- every night and every Friday night we go to a dents say there is also some stigma attached to family friend’s house, and if I go out of state I staying local or going to a public state school, would really miss it.” “I’ll definitely miss my friends,” Hila added. since most Shalhevet graduates go farther away. But students also look down on staying close These issues are on the mind of senior Sarina Finn, who is not applying to any schools in to home, she said. Because most of the “Top 50” schools and all of the Ivies are in the East, there California. “I think I would benefit from an experience is now an association with prestige and the east that is not like my everyday life, and getting to coast. Not to mention, most of those schools are know a new place,” said Sarina. “Getting to know private, which has an additionally strong associaa new city is cool, for me to become more world- tion with prestige. And since California has few-

Outside News FEBRUARY 2018

World rages but city mostly calm after Trump announces plan to move U.S. Embassy to West Jerusalem By Nicholas Fields, Staff Writer Thousands of Palestinians protested and governments around the world complained, but Shalhevet alumni in Jerusalem said the city itself was calm after President Donald Trump announced that he would be moving the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv Dec. 6. Palestinians,held a violent two-day protest in Beirut against the move according to haaretz.com, on Dec. 8 throwing stones at Israeli soldiers trying to suppress the violence. But for alumni in Israel, the greatest effect seemed to be yeshiva and seminaries being on lockdown. Media reports, they said, made the situation look more frightening than it was. “The media portrayed very much so as a crazy situation with tons of violence,” said alumnus Jonah Kaye ‘17, who is studying at Yeshiva It doesn’t have any Orayta in Jerusalem’s Old City this year. “But if you were in Jerusalem, practical impact on you would not have known the difanybody’s everyday ference, if not for the media.” Sarit Ashkenazi ‘17, who is on life. People still get the Jerusalem-based Nativ program, up for work the agreed. next morning and “Even though the media portrays things in a certain way and nothing’s changed. it looks like there are all these crazy things happening in Israel after -- Max Rabin ‘04 an announcement like this, really when you’re actually living here, most of it doesn’t affect you at all,” said Sarit in an email. “The effect wasn’t as drastic as we thought it would be,” she said. “Around where I live, nothing really changed at all.” President Trump officially announced at the White House in Washington D.C. that the United States would recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, saying “It’s something that has to be done.” Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh responded by calling for three days of rage, which included both protests on the ground and missiles being launched from Gaza into Israel by Hamas. Israel responded with

airstrikes in Gaza, killing at least eight people according to The New York Times, which quoted Israeli media as saying the IDF had targeted two weapons manufacturing sites. Additionally, a United Nations General Assembly meeting was called to vote on a resolution to condemn the president’s decision to make Jerusalem the capital. It was approved 128-9 with 35 abstentions. China, France and Afghanistan were among countries that voted Official White House Photo from commons.wikimedia.org in favor, according to npr.org. AGREE: President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shook hands at the White House Countries voting against the resolution were Israel, Honduras, Guatemala, Nauru, in 2017. Last month, President Trump announced he would move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. Micronesia, Marshall Island, Palau and Togo in addition to the U.S. Since the vote, Guate““I’m far more likely to be hurt in many other ways than I am mala’s President Jimmy Morales has said his country’s embassy will from a terrorist attack,” said Max. “Just because one happens, it move to Jerusalem as well. doesn’t mean that you’re in any more danger than you were previIn a phone interview, Jonah Kaye said some people in Jerusalem ously.” were afraid when the protests began, while others felt as if it was a Alumna Maya Golan ‘17 is spending her gap year in Jerusalem at normal day. Midreshet HaRova, which is located in the Jewish quarter of the Old “The yeshiva put us on lockdown and didn’t let us leave the JewCity and was on lockdown for one week. ish quarter, but it became pretty clear that nothing was happening,” “Sometimes when you’re removed from the situation it looks said Jonah. scarier than it actually is,” said Maya. “But when you’re actually in Shalhevet alumnus and Israel immigrant Max Rabin ‘04 lives in it, it really just felt like a normal day and nothing really happened,” Jerusalem and said demonstrations like last month’s has little effect But she was afraid after the stabbing. on those who call the city their home. “It was just kind of scary, and it made me think that it could’ve “It doesn’t have any practical impact on anybody’s everyday life,” been any of us,” Maya said. said Max, who has lived in Israel for 13 years and is a software enPolitically, Shalhevet’s alumni supported President Trump’s decigineer. “People still get up for work the next morning and nothing’s sion, and they said this was the reaction from Israelis as well. changed.” “There was this giant projection on one of the buildings with a Four days after President Trump made his announcement, a sepicture of an American flag and an Israeli flag,” said Jonah, “and it curity guard was stabbed at the city’s Grand Central Bus Station. said ‘We love you Donald.’” But Max thought it was still very safe. In addition, Israeli Transportation Minister Israel Katz an“The safest place in the city right, after the stabbing attack, was nounced that a new railway station being built in the Old City will strangely the Central Bus Station,” he said. “The day after the stabnow be named after President Donald Trump, according to news bing, and the day after that, and the day after that, it was very well reports. guarded.” It did not increase his fear of being in Jerusalem.

Fires close Jewish schools but Ramah is saved; 21 die in Montecito mudslides Month-long Thomas fire is state’s largest in history, rivers of mud sweep people away in Montecito in first post-fire rainstorm No schools were harmed, but many were closed, including many private Jewish schools located in the area. Schools included American Jewish University, Emek HeBurning through 281,893 acres, the Thomas Fire was brew Academy, Valley Torah Boys and Girls high schools, declared 100 percent contained Jan. 12 -- more than a Milken Community Schools, Heschel Day School, Ilan month after it started -- according to the LA Times. It Ramon Day School, and the days schools of Sinai Temple, destroyed 1,063 structures and became the largest wildfire Wilshire Boulevard Temple, Adat Ariel and Valley Beth in modern California history. Shalom. But that was only the beginning of the disaster. The 405 is the main route connecting West Los Angeles Eight days later, mudslides caused by heavy rains had killed 21 people, ranging in age from 3 to 83, in Montecito and the San Fernando Valley, two areas with large Jewish populations that commute to and from one another and just south of Santa Barbara as of Jan. 20. The Thomas Fire made the ground more susceptible to mudslides, and Jan. 9 therefore have schools located in between. The Skirball Center, after which the fire was named, is a Jewish museovernight rains of as much as three inches in Santa Barbara um. county turned loose soil into rivers of mud The fire could be seen from that swept people miles from their homes in UCLA and the 405 freeway itself, the area and closed the 101 freeway linking Shalhevet students living which was shut down for much of the area to Los Angeles. in the valley left school the day. Shalhevet students who People were allowed to return to their by lunchtime Dec. 7 to get live in the Valley left school at homes in Montecito as of Jan. 22, but many lunchtime or earlier Dec. 7 to get face a hard cleanup and disease control behome in the San Fernando home over canyon roads before cause of sewage that was carried by the mud, valley before traffic due they became too clogged. according to NBC. to fire increased.” Both Milken and Leo Baeck Meanwhile, much closer to home the Temple moved their Torah scrolls Skirball Fire — which was started by a cookto Valley Beth Shalom during the ing fire at a homeless encampment near the fire. Rabbi Noah Farkas of Valley 405 Freeway — burned through six homes in Beth Shalom told the Jewish Journal that he was storing 25 Bel-Air Dec. 6 and 7, before being fully contained Dec. 15, Torahs from three different places in his chapel. according to the Los Angeles Daily News.

By Jacob Feitelberg, Deputy Editor-in-Chief

Photos taken by Rabbi Kenneth Chasen

NEARBY: Top: A lot next to Leo Baeck Temple was covered in flames from the Skirball Fire Wednesday morning, Dec. 6. Bottom: Torahs are relocated as Skirball fire rages in Mulholland Pass. Camp Ramah survives a rough night as Ventura’s Thomas Fire expands.

The Boiling Point • February 2018 • Outside News

Lots of guns and not much worry Survey finds 17 percent of Shalhevet students have firearms at home continued from page 1 ple were killed with guns in the U.S. last year alone, 434 of which were accidental. Such statistics may explain the 69 percent of Americans who, according to pollingreport.com, believe Congress needs to do more to reduce gun violence. According to a Pew Research Center study, 67 percent of gun owners say that safety was a major factor in their purchase. During a church shooting in Texas early last November where 26 people were killed, two passersby engaged the assailant and returned fire; in this case, armed civilians were able to save lives in the face of gun violence. President Donald Trump praised the men for preventing more bloodshed. But even supporters of Americans’ right to bear arms wish to see reform of our current gun laws. Senior Aidel Townsley thinks it is important for individuals to own firearms for protection, but is disturbed by their widespread availability. “I think that the laws should definitely be stricter when it comes to [checking gun purchasers for] mental illness,” Aidel said. “I don’t think that people with a history of mental illness should be allowed to own guns.” A recent Gallup survey revealed that 60 percent of Americans share the opinion that laws regarding the sale of firearms should be made more strict. However, there is little consensus regarding how to do so. Some suggest more stringent or universal background checks such as The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, and others wish to ban guns entirely such as Pheobe Maltz Bovy of New Republic. “I think there should be a better vetting process and heavy regulation against purchasing ammunition,” said senior Aaron Silverstein. Like Aaron, many individuals are in favor of limiting the sale of ammunition and more powerful firearms, such as assault or semi-automatic rifles. Recent shootings have polarized public opinion, galvanizing opposing organizations into action. The National Rifle Association spent $58 million on Many individuals political campaigns and lobbies in support of gun rights last year, compared to under $5 million in 2006. are in favor of The NRA has been proudly advocating all manner limiting the sale of weaponry since 1871, and firmly believes in citizens’ rights to bear arms under the 2nd Amendment. of ammunition and The latest evolution of the NRA began in the late more powerful 1970s with a change of leadership, when the organization pushed a more assertive advertising campaign. firearms, such as By the 1990s, NRA ads had transformed from celebrity assault or semi-auendorsements to politically charged banners, criticizing individual politicians alleging a liberal war on guns. tomatic rifles. But these developments are a reversal from the organization’s historical role. In the 1930s, the NRA was involved in drafting the first federal gun control regulations. On the opposing side, Everytown for Gun Safety spent just $1 million lobbying last year to pass stricter gun control legislation. Though not as large as the NRA, its role in the pro-gun control battle is growing. Everytown now has approximately three million members, compared to the NRA’s five million, and received a $50 million donation in 2014 from former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Complicating matters is what many consider to be vague language in the Second Amendment to the Constitution, which states: “A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” What, for example, is a well-regulated militia? “The Second Amendment is archaic at this point because there isn’t a power that will come take over, there isn’t going to be a revolution,” said science department chair Mr. Pavel Lieb, whose relatives own guns, but who has decided not to himself. “People might end up hurting themselves rather protecting themselves,” Mr. Lieb said. The American Public Health Association sees gun violence as a public health crisis, a topic covered extensively in their American Journal of Public Health. One such publication, entitled “An Agenda for Action,” outlined a comprehensive approach to reduce gun violence. “Representatives of 42 public health schools and programs from 22 states and 17 leading public health and gun violence prevention advocacy organizations convened [...] to develop an action agenda for academic public health around the firearm injury crisis,” the AJPH wrote in December of 2016. The researchers drafted a multifaceted approach, including increased research, public health initiatives, and plans to encourage the private sector. Embracing this perspective would mean handling gun violence in the same manner as typical public health matters, such as obesity, smoking, or cancer. However, little health research has been done on gun violence due to a 1997 Congressional ban on the advocacy or promotion of gun control by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The ban has been met with harsh criticism as funding for public health research outside of the CDC declined concurrently, according to The Washington Post. Following mass shootings and publicized gun deaths, politicians and citizens alike debate over issues of gun control and regulation. But many find it difficult to do so effectively with the little research and scientific evidence available in support of any conclusion.

17%

of Shalhevet families own firearms

96% of the students are okay with this

32% of the students have family trained to use firearms

Whether they own a firearm or not, no one is bothered by this trend

Everyone whose family has fire arms says they are locked away

Everyone whose family has them is aware of the location of their household firearms

Source: Boiling Point poll November 2017

Graphic by Zev Kupferman

Opinion

FEBRUARY 2018

EDITORIALS Don’t end friendships over a dilemma without facts By The Boiling Point Editorial Board As soon as the news broke that Dr. Noam Weissman had been removed from his administrative roles, most, if not all, students took to their grade-wide group chats to voice their reactions -- a mixture of confusion, anger, curiosity, shock and even a lack thereof. Some immediately jumped into denying that Reb Weissman had done anything wrong at all. Many said it was most likely a faculty member who “overreacted” and got an excellent educator fired for no good reason. Many thought it was unfair of the school to publicize the situation as it did, claiming once again that whatever Dr. Weissman did was probably not that bad. Others disagreed, saying that we have no way of knowing what his actions were, and went as far to argue that clearly he did do something bad if it resulted in his leaving the school, and said that claiming faculty overreacted was a form of victim-shaming we should not participate in.

However, those were just some of the comments. In truth, there was an infinite number of responses to the situation. It is a natural human instinct for people to try to rationalize irrational or incomprehensible events and to then speculate. And this turn of events is incomprehensible, and moreover it has challenged everything that Shalhevet teaches and values. At Shalhevet we value our connection with teachers, and seeing our teachers as people who are role models even though they’re human. But in this scenario we don’t know how we are supposed to react or respond or even communicate with our faculty. Shalhevet is about asking questions, but now that we are all asking our biggest question, we cannot get answers. The administration, as far as we are aware, has given us as much information as they can, so there isn’t anyone to blame for the lack of transparency. Shalhevet was founded partly to teach us how to grapple with moral dilemmas, teaching us always to start with a

clear understanding of the facts. And here we are without almost any facts at all. That means the dilemma cannot even be properly framed. There can’t be one stance everyone should take as there simply is not enough information for us to develop a strong opinion. As Rabbi Segal said in the next-day assembly, the administration is treating us like adults in this situation, and therefore hopes we can act like adults. Adults -- at least adults who act like mature grown-ups -- do not speculate or spread gossip or rumors via text message or in person. They also don’t end friendships over disagreements, especially when the disagreements are not based on known facts. The Editorial Board hopes our student body can keep this in mind as we continue to deal with the aftermath of Dr. Weissman’s removal. Before asserting emotions as fact, please be reminded that the information known is too vague to fully determine the moral implications of what happened. This is a time to come together as a community, instead of becoming divisive, or divided.

What is, and is not, on our front page By The Boiling Point Editorial Board When the Editorial Board gathered to discuss placing the story of Dr. Weissman’s departure on Page 1, the schism we observed in Shalhevet was reflected around the table. As a newspaper, we are constantly searching for the facts of a story, trying our hardest to inform our community and to remain upstanders in our democracy. When it came to Reb Noam’s departure, we couldn’t uncover information that had not been already publicized to the students, parents, and staff of Shalhevet. Should we therefore leave Dr. Weissman off the front page entirely, put the story of his removal in our “What’s inside?” feature, or report the biggest news of the paper on the front page? The Editorial Board did not want to put the story “Dr. Weissman not returning next year” on the front page because it would be difficult for Dr. Weissman himself and many of his loving students to see. At the same time, we were also well aware of the duty of any newspaper to hold public officials accountable for their actions, and to be sensitive toward the victims of a case. If the voice of the student body -- the Boiling Point -- seemingly buried the story about Dr. Weissman, it would appear to the victims that we were denying their truth, something else that could harm Shalhevet community members.

In addition to all of these considerations, in a small school rich with opinion, the Editorial Board faced another roadblock: the concern of extreme backlash. Students on the Editorial Board have already experienced verbal and electronic admonishments from students in the school warning them to not publish the story on Dr. Weissman on the front page of the paper. Students have expressed anger at any reporting of the story as well, calling The Boiling Point’s headlines and news coverage “gross” and “disgusting.” There was a palpable fear around the table as we discussed the merits and cons of publishing the story about Dr. Weissman’s removal on the front page. We had to ask ourselves, “Are we willing to become social pariahs, as student after student attacks our paper for being insensitive to the emotions of Dr. Weissman?” Members of the Editorial Board of The Boiling Point are community members as much our readers are. We too are trying to deal with a lack of information in a confusing time, and trying to trust that the school’s Executive Board is looking out for the Shalhevet community as a whole. At the same time, we are a group of students who believe in the power of the press in a democracy, and that we owe it to our community and the future students of Shalhevet to take advantage of the freedom of press we are granted. That freedom means we can tell you what we know

The Boiling Point

Editor-in-Chief Hannah Jannol

Sweepstakes Awards, Blue and Gold Comprehensive Writing Award 2016

Simon J. Rockower Awards 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016

Story of the Year Awards 2014, 2012, 2011, 2010 All-American 2009, 2012, 2014

Community Editor Clara Sandler

Layout Editors Maya Miro Honor Fuchs Sarah Feuer Ellie Orlanski

Opinion Editor Aidel Townsley

2013, 2014, 2016, 2017

Pacemaker Finalist 2015, 2014, 2012 Online Pacemaker Finalist 2015, 2017

Managing Editor Noa Segal

Torah Editor Eva Suissa

International First Place Award 2011-2016

National Scholastic Press Association

Deputy Editor-In-Chief Jacob Feitelberg

Outside News Editor Tyler Ekairab

National Award Winners 2007-2017

Awards in Jewish Scholastic Journalism

and what we don’t know, and unify our readership in both knowledge and lack of it. It means we can reinforce, even weeks after the announcement, that whatever happened, no one has accused Dr. Weissman of any inappropriate behavior toward students. You deserve to read of that from a source you can trust -- not a source that reports only what’s easy, or what makes us celebrate. We decided to compromise, by publishing on Page 1 below the fold, the story on staff changes due to Dr. Weissman’s removal. His role in our school was massive, and his departure is being felt every day. As a newspaper with journalistic integrity, we must publish massive news for our constituents on the front page, but in order to respect the situation we chose an article that mainly discusses staff changes instead of the events surrounding his removal. Although it refers to the dismissal in the background, the article does not go into the details of the case. We are sure that we will receive backlash from community members telling us we did not expose enough and those who feel we have publicized too much. We hope this comes in the form of respectful letters to the editors and not hurtful comments in the hallways or in classrooms. We write and publish with you in mind, and with respect for your feelings as well as what you need to know.

Gold Crown Award 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Gold Circle Awards 2011-2017 Columbia Scholastic Press Association

Features Editor Lucy Fried Arts & Culture Editor Jacob Joseph Lefkowitz Brooks Sports Editor Tobey Lee Faculty Adviser Mrs. Joelle Keene

Advertising Editors Jonathan Fishman Leor Kaminski Graphic Design Editor Zev Kupferman Website Editor-in-Chief Hila Machmali Deputy Web Editor-in-Chief Gilad Spitzer Photography Editors Neima Fax Alyssa Wallack

THE BOILING POINT is the student-produced newspaper of Shalhevet High School and a public forum for the students and the community. Unsigned editorials represent the majority view of the members of the Editorial Board, which consists of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Web Editor, Community Editor and Faculty Advisor. We welcome submissions for signed editorials from members of the Shalhevet Community, and the final decision about printing them is made by the Editorial Board. Letters to the Editor may be submitted via e-mail to shalhevetboilingpoint@gmail.com. The Boiling Point reserves the right to edit letters and opinion submissions and all become the property of The Boiling Point. Signed opinion articles and advertisements in The Boiling Point purchased by third parties do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Editorial Board or The Boiling Point as a whole. To advertise, please contact the Advertising Editor at 2019.j.fishman@shalhevet.org. The Boiling Point encourages readers to inform the newspaper of any possible factual errors found in print or online by emailing us as at shalhevetboilingpoint@gmail.com. When appropriate, we will fix the story online, and correct the error on Page 2 or on this page in the next print edition. Policies on conflict of interest and the use of anonymous sources can be viewed at shalhevetboilingpoint.com under the “About” tab.

The Boiling Point • February 2018 • Opinion

TWO BOILING POINTS OF VIEW:

The VINZ: Groundbreaking or grotesque? New neighbor is getting its final touches, but is the building a contemporary masterpiece or a modern eyesore?

Innovative: The Vinz takes brave architectural steps Mile is not the same as it was 20 years ago. Old Spanish-style homes that line Orange Grove Ave are only one note in the symphony that is Frank Gehry, the world-renowned architect the neighborhood. The Vinz is a step in the new and visionary famous for Walt Disney Concert effort to embrace creativity. Hall downtown and the Guggenheim Museum The Vinz will function not only as an apartin Bilbao, once said, “You’ve got to bumble ment building. Its ground level forward into the unknown.” will house several commercial The Vinz, a mixed-use spaces that provide services apartment building with 149 This area of Miracle to the community and brings Mile is not the same as apartments, follows in this spirit it was 20 years ago. Old much-needed upscale retail to of innovation. Nearly completed Spanish-style homes the immediate area currently on the corner of San Vicente and that line Orange Grove inhabited by Carl’s Junior and Fairfax next door to Shalhevet, the Ave are only one note in Shakey’s Pizza Parlor. building is nothing if not visible. the symphony that is the Complementing ShalheThe postmodern structure is neighborhood. The Vinz vet’s environmentally friendly a beacon of ambition. It chalis a step in the new effort efforts, the developer of the lenges the public to calibrate its to embrace creativity. building, the Cunningham expectations of what a building Group, promises that the Vinz should be. It is not a box that one “will employ renewable energy will accept at first glance and never and reduce water use through photovoltaic bother to think of again. Instead of conforming to the traditional buildings of the neighborhood, panels, green roofs, low-flow plumbings and a greywater system.” it looks to its future. The building is not without its flaws. Metallic waves that function as screens for The concept of using different materials apartments facing Fairfax undulate along throughout the structure is a bold the western facade and offset nearby stone idea. However, it detracts from the walls and give a sense of movement. Colsense of cohesiveness that many othorwise, flat surfaces are punctuated with er great landmarks tend to possess. a sharp dash of purple that breaks up the Such a limitation will likely prevent metallic grey and white elsewhere. the structure from receiving much Nor is it merely a acclaim. Additionmonolith of ally, the indusplacement trialism. of the Limebuilding stone on is awkward the exterior of in that the top the eastern wall floors overlook combines with the roof of Shalhevet, the metallic overtone which may lead to Shalhevet to form a nod to the past and a students feeling uncomfortable. step forward into the future at But more important than than the same time. these detracting factors, the building This pursuit of adventurous pushes aesthetic norms in the direcarchitecture is not without tion of innovation. precedent in the neighborLos Angeles is the city that gave hood. Take a glance up Fairfax us Walt Disney Concert Hall. It and witness the goliath that would be safe to say that our city is is the Petersen Automotive post-rectangular. And if we are going Museum, which emulates the to take a step forward artistically, it excitement of a racecar in its will not be comfortable and familiar. design. Cross Wilshire BouleWhen I first saw the building, it did vard from there and observe not appeal to me. But after taking time the ambitious undertaking to understand the ambition of architecby Renzo Piano that will be ture like the Vinz, I have the underthe Academy Museum of standing that innovation is only possible Motion Pictures. It would be by taking bold steps in an unfamiliar different if the Vinz jutted direction. out of a residential neighborhood. But it stands on a major street composed of bold pieces of architecture already. This area of Miracle By Jacob Joseph Lefkowitz Brooks, Arts & Culture Editor

Out of place: Bizarrely designed, it should find a different corner By Hannah Jannol, Editor-in-Chief The tagline for the “the Vinz,” the 150-unit, 43,000-square-foot apartment structure soon to have its debut adjacent to Shalhevet, is “the art of modern living.” But what the building is doing can hardly be considered art. A metallic monstrosity that does not fit anywhere in the old Miracle Mile District of Los Angeles, the Vinz is the architectural version of a person who wears red to a funeral. Of course, there is also the Petersen Auto Museum, but two wrongs do not make a right; the two are both architecturally out of place. Adjacent to blocks of old Spanish-style homes, the gargantuan and metallic new Vinz looks industrial and grotesque. The only thing stopping the edifice from appearing as if it was picked up by a crane and accidentally dropped into the Fairfax neighborhood is that it is on a street corner, giving it some potential stylistic autonomy. Alliance Residential, which built the Vinz, builds most of its properties on street corners. For example, the Boulevard on Wilshire, just six minutes northeast of Shalhevet, the Axis apartments in Seattle and the Broadstone Germantown in Nashville all occupy themselves on corners, which has the eﬀect of “I’m here.” A location on a street corner tells everyone from multiple boulevards and streets that the building has arrived, industrial robot-looking and all. The properties do not share the street with other buildings, instead they ostentatiously jut out in a way that a building sitting in the middle of a line of normal homes could not do. Being on a corner also gives the architect some architectural freedom -- if the Vinz were constructed between the homes on Fairfax Avenue or South Orange Grove Avenue, not only would it not fit but it would also be even more out of place. By sitting in their lonesome on top of corners, the properties created by Alliance Residential can do whatever they please, completely disregarding their surroundings. The Vinz fails to speak to its neighbors, save perhaps for the random splashes of limestone that attempt to complement Shalhevet’s building next door. The one saving grace of the Vinz is its potential to have a commercial ground level, so at the very least it can interact with the neighborhood and pedestrians in that way. Structurally, the building is split in two, like conjoined twins -- one taller, white building covered in a metal plate, kind of like Iron Man. The attached, second structure is shorter and stockier, but instead constructed of half metal and half limestone. The two constructions being diﬀerent but tied together with metal gives the Vinz some nice movement, actually. But in a hapless attempt to further bring the two together, a dark hot pink color coats the inside of two

different balcony walls, one facing Fairfax and the other facing Olympic Boulevard. Hot pink, beige and metal. How about garish, overly conspicuous and gaudy? We can hear the conversations in the architect’s’ offices: “How do we break up the ugly industrial metal monotony?” “I know, let’s randomly throw some pink at it.” Additionally, the goal of Alliance is to create what it calls “Broadstone communities,” which the company describes on its website as places ”Inspired by those who desire to be surrounded by everything they need in daily life, Broadstone communities offer an unparalleled blend of service and amenities. Whether you want an upscale sanctuary with access to explore the great outdoors or a luxury urban residence in the thick of culture, nightlife, entertainment and dining, there is a Broadstone community that is perfectly suited to you.” However, the Vinz is definitely not a community; it’s just a fancy apartment structure trying to offer its residents everything they need within the compound. The corporation is essentially attempting to create isolated, gated communities in urban areas. The building is a “community” within itself, which defeats its ability to be a true community, because it does not pay any consideration to the surrounding community. The Vinz does not do this completely. The sub-structure that is directly adjacent to Shalhevet has limestone, likely to complement Shalhevet’s exterior. But limestone is a traditional material. Though it has entered the arena of modern architecture, like at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art in Overland Park, Kans., it does not mix well with the metal blocks that alternate with the limestone ones. Overall, the building just goes to show the corporate impact on architecture. A megalith of odd, thin metal, the Vinz does not complement or match the neighborhood whatsoever. The features for residents do not respond to or communicate with the community at all -- for example, the illogical view some of the Vinz’s balconies have of Shalhevet’s south wall or parking lot, testify to the low spatial awareness of the building’s designers. Nothing gives a warm welcome home after a long hard day of work quite like randomly placed pink walls, sheet metal and a view of a high school’s parking lot. High rent adds injury (high prices) to insult (aesthetic offense), as apartments.com estimates a two-bedroom unit in the Vinz will cost $3,000 a month.

BP Photos by Neima Fax Page design by Noa Segal

The Boiling Point • February 2018 • Opinion

Taming our roots: As high schoolers flock to keratin, is beauty still being defined as non-Jewish? By Hannah Jannol, Editor-in-Chief My scalp is burning. My nose is dripping. The combined smell of formaldehyde and the melting, unpronounceable chemicals in my mascara have turned my eyes into a watery disarray. I am getting my bi-annual keratin treatment. It is something I once did on and off, but committed to doing once a semester during my junior year of high school. So for the last few years, my scalp and hair have undergone the application of keratin — a protein found in the hair, nails, and skin — which combined with the heat of a straightener, relaxes the hair, making it straight. My hair became curly in seventh grade, one of many wonderful trademarks of puberty, like acne and menstruation. But even more difficult than those were the social pressures I faced upon becoming a woman. Having straight hair was added to the list of beauty expectations I newly faced in middle school. Once I turned 13, my hair mushroomed out like the top of a nuclear bomb. It was not ordinarily curly – it was a Jewfro. My mother’s hair is the same, and so was her mother’s, and so was her mother’s. There has been a matrilineal line of thick, curly hair in my family, and yet, a stigma persists. In addition This area of Miracle Mile is to the bump on my nose, my frizzy hair supplemented my list of features that did not follow eurocentric beauty not the same as it was 20 standards that I always saw as more attractive, though I never years ago. Old Spanish-style quite knew why. homes that line Orange Grove A few years ago, a critique and discussion of nose jobs Ave are only one note in the in the Jewish community was a very hot topic. It seemed symphony that is the neigh(especially female) Jewish adolescents were undergoing rhinoplasty left and right as bar or bat mitzvah presents, high borhood. The Vinz is a step school graduation gifts, sweet 16s, Hanukkah, wedding in the new effort to embrace presents, etc. Of course, it was not only Jewish kids, but by creativity. the early 20th century, surgeons had recognized “that Jews and other ethnic Americans represented a large potential market for nasal plastic surgery,” as historian Beth Haiken wrote in her 1998 book Venus Envy: A History of Cosmetic Surgery. Then, in 2011, it was reported that 37 percent fewer Americans, and Jews, had received nose jobs than in 2000. Keratin-ing Jewfros seems to be the new way to alter Jewish features, and among girls at Shalhevet, the trend is very strong. I can’t count with all my fingers and toes the number of Jewish friends and acquaintances I have, at Shalhevet and not, who pay approximately $150 and sit in a salon for almost three hours every few months to have their hair severely relaxed. While getting her fourth treatment, my friend Maya snapchatted me a photo of herself having the keratin applied to her hair with the caption, “Getting a chemical burn on this fine Sunday, what about you?” Keratin itself is harmless, but the solution used to apply it usually includes formaldehyde, a known carcinogen and one that causes nerve damage and other symptoms even in the short term. News media and government agencies had much to say about this beginning seven years ago, investigating after hairdressers complained of nosebleeds, breathing problems and eye irritation. Some parents worry about it as well. Maya told me she gets minor scabs on her scalp from the treatment, and her hair is greasy and thin for a week afterward. “So why do you do it?” I asked, knowing exactly why I myself go through the same pain. With an on-cue and priceless flip of her freshly glossy locks, she said, “Because how else would I get this sleek hair?” We both laughed and flipped our straight hair with ease. Without keratin, our hair would either stiffly and awkwardly return to its original place, or knot around our fingers. Still, getting keratin is a difficult decision for me. I know I should take pride in my Jewish looks — Jewfro, bump on my nose and all. But the possibility of a hair treatment that would eliminate the practical problems with frizzy hair — de-knotting it, taming it in the morning and throughout the day, low-self esteem — was too seductive. Keeping my Jewfro, on the other hand, would be a never-ending time suck of testing products, treatments, hair styles, techniques. Though a keratin twice a year is $300, the time and emotional drama it spares me makes it worth it. In middle school, I used grocery ingredients to make masks that were messy. I lost sleep waking up to straighten my hair. I wasted money on drugstore products that claimed they could straighten out a Jewfro — or better yet, make your curls look good. Something more powerful swayed me: the ingrained notion that straight hair is somehow inherently more attractive. Summer Gershon is another senior girl who gets a keratin treatment twice a year. “For me, there are different ways for people to feel confident and for me it was my hair,” Summer told me. “And I didn’t feel confident if my hair wasn’t straight or put together.” I asked her if straight meant put-together or “good hair.” She said beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and that keratin makes her feel more confident and is thereby beautiful. Hair that makes you feel confident is good hair. So if straight and smooth hair makes her feel confident, it is thereby beautiful. But how much is the eye of the beholder affected by societal constructs? And if it is, then isn’t the beholder’s perception of beauty skewed? Often, when girls get keratin, part of the reason is manageability — forget beauty! But the idea that hair has to be manageable is societal, too. Why do we have to be able to comb through our hair? Many hair textures do not naturally allow for constant unknotted hair. Unknotted hair equals straight hair; therefore by wanting unknotted hair you’re still falling into the trap of the societal beauty standard of straight hair. Hair that is comb-able is straight, so manageability circles back to the beauty standard for straight hair. Another friend of mine, senior Lily Nosrati, said she originally got keratin for the first time in middle school because her hair was “absolutely insane” and keratin made it easier to handle in the morning.

But now that she has been getting the treatment since eighth grade, her perception of what is “manageable hair” or “good hair” has changed. “It has to keep being straighter and straighter, because that’s what manageable hair is,” said Lily. “I’m almost hypocritical for saying this,” she said. “I would say don’t get a keratin unless you absolutely have to, because what I have now would be my younger self ’s dream.” Now, she idealizes straight hair. For senior pictures she had her hair professionally straightened. But she said she had never thought about it. “Whenever I go to a party, every girl has straightened her hair,” she said. “That thought would never even cross my mind, because when you go to an event you’re supposed to dress up and look fancy, and this” — she grabs her hair, which is curly but not so frizzy from all the years of keratin — “is not that. I want to look nice, and to me, this hair is schleppy, puffy, poodle.” Senior Elana Czuker said that she thinks there has been an increase in the straight hair standard — though she herself is taking a break. “I wanted something new when I first started it,” said Elana. “And now the novelty has worn off and I think I actually do look better with curly hair, even though I don’t like it,” she said. “It’s just frustrating because with keratin I can just brush it before bed, and wake up and be fine. Now I wake up with a Jewfro.” For her senior photos, she went with voluminous vintage waves. Every girl I know who has had her hair relaxed has a different perspective on it, but everyone I talked to said the why of it all was something that had never crossed their mind. They, like me, just always believed they needed to have manageable or straight hair, whether that made them more confident or beautiful or both. My hatred for my curly hair stemmed from a book titled Franny B. Kranny, There’s a Bird in Your Hair! that my mom would love to read to me, because it resonated so much with both of us. The story was about Franny B. Kranny, whose long, red, frizzy hair would get stuck in doors and refrigerators, took hours to detangle, and one day was even mistaken by a bird for a nest. Franny’s situation is made worse and more comical by her little sister, who has short, perfectly sleek, black hair. Like Franny, my family often mocked my hair, telling me to cut it, comb it, wash it, do anything to it to “fix it.” I rebelliously did whatever I wanted with my hair. Even more uncanny was my little sister’s perfectly straight black hair. Franny must cut and style her hair in a tight updo for a family reunion, but discovers a love for her hair regardless of style when the homeless bird makes itself at home in her locks. But then, she cuts her hair off and donates it to a local nest. Though the overall theme of the book is non-conformity, it still seemed to my child-self like cutting off or restraining frizzy hair was the better option. These instances — of my friends and me getting keratin, “manageable” hair being the standard — of Franny B. Kranny — all boil down to one thing: straight hair is the standard at the moment. Every time I walk into school after getting keratin, heads turn. I get compliments from people who normally wouldn’t even say hi to me while washing their hands in the bathroom. People just notice you more. People claim they are against unrealistic beauty standards, and many people would say they do not support eurocentric beauty ideals, but truthfully they do. If they didn’t, really, they would tell me how much they love my hair on the days nearing the end of the effects of the keratin — or before I even had started getting the treatment. It’s not just me. Whenever a girl at Shalhevet walks in having straightened her hair that morning, she gets a slew of compliments and questions about it from classmates. My mom, too, claims she does not give into eurocentric standards of beauty. Yet she always straightens her hair when going to a business meeting. I will still probably get another keratin treatment next April for my birthday. I will probably schedule it around whatever celebration I have for my 18th so I can look my best — which will mean having perfectly straight hair. I know it’s wrong, and that the feeling I have that I look better that way is false. In reality, I just look like someone with straight hair. And when I’m old and my hair starts to thin out, I’ll probably laugh at myself for ever wishing I had anything but a big, bushy, curly Jewfro.

BP Illustration by Ari Sassover

Arts & Culture FEBRUARY 2018

Senior AP Art student helps teach Comp and Design class, inspiring sophomores By Jacob Joseph Lefkowitz Brooks, Arts & Culture editor Before Sydney Gross starts drawing a face for her class, she asks the students what they have the most trouble with in art. “They usually respond with ‘Everything,’” said Sydney in an interview. “Then, as I’m drawing the face, I tell them how to look at it a different way.” A senior AP Art student who is applying to art schools for college, Sydney has taught four classes of Ms. Roen Salem’s 10th-grade Composition and Design course so far this year, all on how to draw the human face. According to Ms. Salem, who has taught that class ever since Shalhevet was founded 25 years ago, SydI try to make sure to note ney is the first student she’s ever invited to be a guest teacher. that every kid has adifferent “She’s no-nonsense, she’s a mature person, she’s willing to help and explain and she has a lot of pastyle.Andwhileitmaynotlook tience,” Ms. Salem said in an interview. “Also she really exactly the same as mine, it likes to be the teacher, she likes to exhibit her work so she did a great job.” doesn’tmeantheydidn’tlisten For Sydney, art is not a pursuit she keeps to herself. After enriching her art abilities with classes on drawor follow instructions. ing the face, she was inspired to share her new skills BP Photo by Maia Lefferman with others. Her own face was beaming as she described her first LESSON: AP Art student Sydney Gross, at easel, says she enjoys the way dif-SydneyGross,12thgrade experience teaching. She liked all of it -- not just the ferent students take her advice in unique ways, which she can see in their work. eager students. “The reason why I love teaching and dealing with “Sydney doesn’t critique the kids,” said Ms. Salem. “She doesn’t walk around as an adult or a graduother people is that some students listen and some don’t,” ate student would do. She just teaches at a whiteboard or on newsprint paper, showing proportions, said Sydney. explaining how it should look and how it shouldn’t look.” “The people who do take it very seriously, seeing what they make and what they create -- It gives you The students say it’s been inspiring. pride that I helped this person create this,” she continued. “Whether or not they remember I taught the “It was really cool to learn from one of our peers because it was interesting to see how skilled she class, I remember what each person made, and how each one of them took what I said.” was in art at such a young age,” said sophomore Zach Helfand. Sydney was helping her classmates even before Ms. Salem made it official. Seeing her do it in AP “Learning from a student made the environment more free, where we asked more questions and Art gave Roen the idea to have her work with the sophomores. payed more attention,” said sophomore Maia Lefferman. “She was enthusiastic and dedicated to her She’s able to because underclassmen have art during her lunch period, thanks to the MAP schedule role.” which schedules 9th- and 10th-grade required arts classes during the second half of upperclassmen’s Sydney said her goal is not only for her students to improve their skills, but to learn to express lunch. themselves, “I try to make sure to note that every kid has a different style,” said Sydney. “And while it may not look exactly the same as mine, it doesn’t mean they didn’t listen or follow instructions. “The kids who do listen always bring their own touch to their work. And come up with great pieces! I could probably tell whose sketch book is whose by what by their drawing looks like.” Sydney has been involved in art almost her entire life. Some of her intricate works can be seen in the art room. Many of her paintings portray beautiful female figures in ethereal landscapes. The light colors used in her paintings conveys a dreamy open-endedness. This poetic quality is one that would be expected of a professional artist. For example, her painting titled Lifted, which depicts a female figure in a red dress hovering in the air, enveloped by an unwound scroll with the Hebrew words to Jewish songs such as “Acheinu” and “Hava Nagila,” among others. “It’s inspired by the feeling of warmth and community that I get singing and dancing with everyone,” said Sydney. “The idea originally came to me when I listened to the shofar being blown. When I heard it, I felt it and it filled the entire room with its strong sound. “From there I recalled all the memories I had and all the times Judaism and celebrating made me feel that way. It’s something I haven’t experienced in any other community” Sydney also enjoys working with fashion, design and animation. She has used animation in school projects such as Noey Jacobson’s tanakh class. Her friends at school ask her when they need help with design. “A lot of people in my grade ask me for favors like the donut flyer and design in general,” said Sydney. Ms. Salem has seen Sydney mature for 4 years as both an artist and a person and is confident she will succeed. “She’s serious,” said Ms. Salem said. “In the beginning when I first met her she was in to her own feelings,” said Roen. “And now she’s really accepting advice on how to enhance her work with more freedom.” Courtesy of sydney Gross is taking a break from teaching now to work on applications to art schools. FLOATING: Sydney’s “Lifted” was inspired by the feeling of warmth and community she gets She hopes to resume working in the classroom after all her applications are submitted. when she sings and dances with others.

The Boiling Point • February 2018 • Arts & Culture

With ‘Antigone,’ making Ancient Greece modern By Hannah poltorak, Staff writer While many students and parents enjoyed watching the Drama Department’s Antigone, it was not an easy process getting students on board with the new take on the Greek classic. Written in 430 B.C.E. by Sophocles, the Greek tragedy was expected by student actors to be outdated. But Shalhevet’s theater department believed that it would prove relevant to its audience, with complex family feuds, rebellious teenagers and intense twisted turns of plot. In fact, cast members said the play’s fight scenes and a fast pace would make the play feel very modern to students and faculty. “Teenagers connect when there’s a lot of angst,” said senior Shana Lunzer, who played Antigone’s sister, Ismene. “Long story short, everyone dies.” Junior Donna Grunfeld played the title character, who in the play -- based on Ancient Greek mythology -- rebels against her uncle Creon, played by senior Amin Lari. Competing for the king’s throne, Antigone’s brother Polynices, played by junior Dylan Corn, is killed by his brother, King Eteocles, played by junior Daniel Medovoy. They die in each other’s arms. “They kill each other and then it falls out of control from there,” said junior Adam Ritz, who played Haemon, Antigone’s betrothed. They performed the second play of Sophocles’ Oedipus trilogy, as modernized by Greg Banks. At the auditions in August, some of the students were skeptical. Cast members said that Antigone and most Greek dramas are often long and tedious to sit through, especially for a teenage audience. But several said they trusted Drama director Ms. Emily Chase since they have worked with her for so long, and they believed her directing would be able to bring the story to life. Sure enough, by the end of October, they began to get accustomed to their characters, depending on the mood of the scene. They said they learned to adapt, and at the same time, brought

themselves out of their comfort zones. Donna Grunfeld said the students “tried to get a good handle on it” and the lines and characters are more defined. “You have to get used to this old-fashioned way of talking, which always is a challenge,” Donna said. Also modernizPhoto by Gina Long ing the play was the physical presentation UPDATE: Donna Grunfeld as Antigone, now dead, with Adam Ritz as Haemon and Amin Lari The stage had differas Creole, battling over her corpse after she hangs herself in despair. ent levels and actors stood on platforms. Students found their own ways to connect to their characters. Seats for the audience Amin Lari said he found it difficult because he sees himself as surrounded the stage on three sides. “It’s a very interesting type of theater,” said sophomore Adam more the “comedy type” and portrays Creon, a strict, uptight uncle. Donna was excited to play Antigone, saying that Antigone is Ritz. “It’s a different format, and things are gonna be on different levels and a lot of movement, and a lot of things are going to be “young, and rebellious and reckless” and she loves that about her. “She has a sort of softness about her,” said Donna, “which makes everywhere. Cool repercussions.” The plot is complicated, and the battle between the brothers is Antigone a much more dynamic character.” The play was performed Jan. 8-14. Ms. Chase said the student not the end but the beginning of the action. Polynices and the king both die, but since Polynices instituted the battle, King Eteocles cast would deliver a “heightened text in a real, emotionally connected way.” receives a formal burial, while Polynices does not. She recommended the ages of viewers be 13 and over because Antigone, however, tries to bury Polynices on her own. But she is of the fights. caught doing so by her uncle Creon, who locks her alone in a cave. “I try to produce a diverse range of plays, in order to educate There, she takes her own life; Haemon discovers she has died and students about the many genres and styles of theater,” she said. kills himself.

In rain and on ice, Choirhawks entertain in Seattle Continued from page 1 schools, shuls and the Golden Gate Bridge. This year, they went further, singing John Legend’s “All of Me” and Ed Sheeran’s “I See Fire” in four flash mobs -- two at Pike Place, home of the original Starbucks store, and two near the Space Needle, including one at an ice rink. They also gave planned concerts and spent time with students at Northwest Yeshiva High School (NYHS), where they met a famous choral conductor who had also fought in Israel’s war for independence. Thursday was busiest, with three planned concerts -- at two Jewish day schools and at Seattle’s Kline-Galland Home for the aged, where the singers gave their third performance of the day after having arrived in Seattle at 2 a.m. the night before. “The thing that touched me the most was the old age home,” said sophomore Evan Rubel, who sings tenor. “We were all exhausted but we went and performed for around 30 people and it was amazing. They were Jewish but didn’t get to hear much music for Hanukkah. “Afterwards, we got to mingle with them, and some people had a conversation with an old lady who was blind, but she said that she could tell that we were all beautiful people, which was so touching for me.” On Friday morning, the group met with Maestro Abraham Kaplan, an Israeli-born choral director and former teacher of Mrs. Keene. One of the leading choral conductors of his generation, Maestro Kaplan worked closely for many years with Leonard Bernstein -- the composer of musicals such as West Side Story and longtime conductor of the New York Philharmonic -- and also taught for many years at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City. First Maestro Kaplan spoke to Shalhevet and NYHS students about his past experiences with music and Judaism, and shared stories including his time as a teenager in the IDF. He had not spoken about his IDF experiences until this occasion, he told the group. As he talked about his history in the War for Independece, particularly being inspired by first Prime Minister David Ben Gurion, tears rolled down his cheeks, which he later confessed surprised even himself. Daniel Lorell called it “a particularly emotional moment.” “He choked up with tears,” said Daniel, “when he said, ‘It was such an honor to meet the

and one Ashkenazic, and had dinner at the Felds’ cooked by NYHS parents. The entire student body was invited for an oneg after that. Lunch was at one of the synagogues, followed by an afternoon of chatting, games and some singing back at the Felds’. Saturday night, the group went ice skating at the Seattle Center and held a sliding flash mob on the ice. The rink’s staff turned off the overhead music so other skaters could hear them. The choir spent Sunday morning at Pike Place Market, and some visited the original Starbucks store. The performed two flash mobs, one at each end of the market. First, at the north end, they esang “I See Fire.” “It is such an emotional song,” said Evan Rubel. “I thought, and Ms. Keene actually pointed out that, with the fires that have been going on lately, this really helped us to connect really meaningfully to the song.” In a crowded area near the south end -- near stalls where salesmen are famous for throwing whole fish -- they sang “All of Me.” “Everyone around us stopped and looked at us,” said Hannah Friedman. “They started clapping and videoing us singing this song that we had been practicing for so long, and all these strangers were hearing it and enjoying it and it was a really cool experience.” “In all of the flash mobs, there were people who immediately took out their phones to film us,” said Daniel. “Usually we’re all on the other end, when something happens in public so you pull out your phone to document the event. It was an interesting feeling to be on the other end of that, because suddenly we were the event that everyone wanted to document, which made us feel significant and showed that people really wanted to listen to us.” On Sunday afternoon, the choir returned after a weekend of showing a wider audience what acapella is. The choir developed friendships and connected more closely. “I think it’s very important for the choir to go on a trip like this,” said junior Hannah Friedman. “It it makes the choir so much closer and it makes people more motivated to go to choir, because they know that they will be surrounded BP Photo by Alyssa Wallack by their friends.” Sophomore Evan Rubel also said bonding SHARING: Students at Seattle Hebrew Academy heard the Choirhawks’ Hanukkah was important for the choir. songs Dec. 14. The next day the group sang at Northwest Yeshiva High School, where “If you can connect emotionally then you can Mr. Jason Feld is head of school. connect much better in sound,” said Evan Rubel.

George Washington of the state of Israel.’ That was pretty memorable and inspirational.” Maestro Kaplan also told the two schools’ students that he had first wanted to be a mathematician, “so [he] could encounter God.” But as his musical skills were sought after in Israel and beyond, he realized that he was doing that every day with music. After his talk, he led the Choirhawks in a master class, working on music he’d written that they had learned, including the group’s new rounds, “The Camel” and “Gratitude.” He taught the singers how to conduct beats and and helped them and Mrs. Keene learn how not to rush. “As a Jewish a capella group, it was very helpful to get his opinion and his input on the choir and our singing,” said freshman Noa Silberstein, an alto. Now 86, Maestro Kaplan had recently had surgery on his hands and had expected that he would not be able to actually conduct that day. But in the end, he did. “In my three years of choir, this was the first time we had been directed by someone other than Ms. Keene,” said Daniel. “That facilitated growth, certainly in me, but

also in a lot of other members of the choir. I think by virtue of his being different, and of course of his skill, this really helped us grow. “ The Choirhawks spent Shabbat and Saturday night with students from NYHS, whose head of school Mr. Jason Feld, is a former teacher and Dean of Students at Shalhevet. NYHS has just 50 students. “The vibe of their school is pretty jarring,” said Daniel. “It’s very small, so coming from Shalhevet, which is a fairly small and tight-knit school, it seemed more like a friend group than a collection of friend groups. I really felt how close everyone was.” Junior Hannah Friedman, who mainly sings as a soprano, enjoyed becoming friends with the NYHS students. Noa Silberstein also liked meeting new people. “It was cool to see what their lives are like, what it’s like to go to their school and be in their community,” said Noa. “It’s nice to see how we live in different places and go to different schools but we are all still Jews and no matter what, we still have that to bond us.” On Shabbat, the members of the choir davened at two different synagogues, one Sephardic

Sports

Let's crush stereotypes

FEBRUARY 2018

'Hawks beat Panthers in overtime By Tobey Lee, Sports Editor, and Hannah Poltorak, Staff Writer In a back and forth game with bragging rights on the line, the crosstown rivals Shalhevet Firehawks and YULA Panthers squared off on Jan. 3., resulting in a Firehawks win in overtime 51-46. The gym was vibrant and loud, with the crowd constantly roaring. The total audience was at 100 fans, with 1,068 more viewing online, according to Google Analytics. The Firehawks led by as many as 10 at one point, but otherwise the score was tight throughout. At the end of the first quarter, the Firehawks were up 16-6, however, by halftime, the Panthers had cut the lead in half and were only down by five. At the end of the third quarter, the Firehawks were up by five. Going into the fourth quarter, the Firehawks were up 38-33, however, after two quick buckets from the Panthers, the game was tied up at 38. With 25.1 seconds left in the game, YULA was up 41-40 with the BP Photo By Neima Fax ball. Shalhevet’s chances of winning were low. DOMINANT: Shalhevet center Ben Mashiach blocks a shot by YULA's Joseph Sassoon YULA had the ball, however, with 16.3 seconds, the ball was stolen out of Albert Fallas’ hands by Zach Jan. 3. Ben said the pressure of the rivarly game worked to Firehawks' advantage. Muller. Muller then was fouled, and hit one of two free vet’s Ben Mashiach got another basket for the Firehawks. With 3:52 throws to tie the game up at 41. in the first, the Firehawks were up 9-6. The game was then headed to overtime, where the Firehawks comFrom this point on, the Firehawks went on a 7-0 run to end the fortably took the win, outscoring the Panthers 10-5 in the overtime first quarter. After a made free throw from Ben Mashiach, and three period. baskets from Jeremy Asheghian, Zach Muller, and Asher Dauer, the Freshman Ze’ev Remer said that the Firehawks were tested, how- Firehawks were up 16-6 on the YULA Panthers. ever, didn’t lose their cool under pressure. At the start of the second quarter, the YULA Panthers starting “I think it’s one of our best games… we lost the lead but we stay heating up, specifically Noah Pomerance. After hitting two straight composed and we were able to put the game into overtime and end up shots, Pomerance brought the Panthers back within 5. Shalhevet was pulling out the ‘W’ [win],” he said. up 16-11 with 6:30 left in the second. Junior Jeremy Asheghian said that getting the win was a statement YULA then hit back to back shots, and were within one. The Panto his friends from YULA that he’s known for years. thers were a 10-1 run. “Knowing everyon -- the kids that I’ve played with since like in 5th However, the Firehawks quickly responded with two three pointgrade -- beating them proved a lot,” ers, and the Firehawks were up 23-18. he said. After two free throws made by Jeremy Asheghian, the Panthers got Senior Ben Mashiach said that I have memories back into the game, with two straight shots from Noam Miesels and playing in a high pressure situation Noah Pomerance. YULA was down one, by a score of 25-24. back in 9th grade of was an advantage for the Firehawks. The Firehawks then ended the half with two straight buckets, and losing to YULA, and “It gives us more incentive to win,” finished the first half leading the Panthers 29-24. he said. it feels good to be The beginning of the second half started with YULA inching closOn the other hand, YULA’s player and closer to gaining the lead. Noah Pomerance hit two buckets, the winner this time. ers said that they had a challenging and the Panthers were back within striking distance, and the score -Ami Nelson, game. Sophomore Albert Fallas said was 30-28. 11th grade that he felt like he did not play well. However, the Firehawks gained some momentum, and going into “It was one of my worst games…. the 4th quarter, the Firehawks were up 38-33. I don’t think I was aggressive enough, As the fourth quarter started, the Panthers were back into the my head was out of the game, I wasn’t game. After a three by Daniel Totaiv and a layup by Noam Miesels, concentrated, it was a tough one,” he said. the game was tied at 38 a piece. Nicky Schlanger said the Panthers were not on top of their game. The Firehawks nearly lost the game at the end of the fourth quar“We just didn’t do what we do best, we gotta come out and box ter, when they were down by one and Zach Muller turned the ball out and finish on the rebounds and we just didn’t do what we were over with 21 seconds left. However, when the Firehawks were on supposed to do,” he said. defense, Zach Muller stole the ball, was fouled, and made one out of The first quarter started off with the Firehawks dominating the two free throws. game. Asher Dauer and Ben Mashiach hit two consecutive shots for The game was at a deadlock tie of 41-41, and the game was headed the Firehawks, sparking an early 4-0 in the first. to overtime. After two free throws from YULA’s Noah Pomerance, freshman For the Firehawks, overtime was a time to start over. And indeed Ze’ev Remer hit a three pointer to put the Firehawks up 7-2. they did, as they ended up just beating the Panthers by a score of In the middle of the first quarter, the teams were trading buckets. 51-46. YULA’s Albert Fallas hit an easy layup, and on the other hand Shalhe-

Girls, boys teams settle for thirds at Glouberman By Tobey Lee, Sports Editor The Valley Torah Wolfpack, of Valley Village, won the boys competition of the Third Annual Steve Glouberman Tournament for the first time this year, defeating the Frisch Cougars of Paramus, N.J., and leaving Shalhevet in the dust with a heart-breaking thirdplace finish. Meanwhile, the Katz Yeshiva High School Storm of Palm Beach County, Fla., won the girls tournament for the second year in a row, this time defeating the Ma'ayanot Rapids of Teaneck, N.J., while Shalhevet’s Lady Firehawks came in third, defeating the Frisch Cougars in the third-place game. Both Firehawk teams thus finished in third place at the tournament, after suffering tough losses in the semifinals -- the boys

to Frisch and the girls to the Storm for the second year in a row. Held Nov. 8 - 12 in Shalhevet's gym and at the nearby Jewish Community Center, the tournament hosted 12 boys teams and six girls teams this year -- a 50 percent increase from last year on the boys’ side. For the second straight year, the Elitzur Petach-Tikvah men’s team was present from Israel. Valley Torah had brought Israel to its campus ahead of time, acquiring the star Israeli twins Nimi and Nadav Altit, Nadav being 6’6 and Nimi being 6’7. Their older brother plays Ben plays for Hapoel Gilboa Galil in Israel. The Wolfpack finished fourth in last year’s tournament, but defeated the Frisch Cougars 54 - 52 in this year's championship game. Wolfpack senior Ryan Turell finished

the tournament as the boys MVP. “I thought we executed very well,” said Ryan. “We just played together.” Among the girls, the Storm defeated barely defeated Shalhevet’s girls in the semifinal, 47-44. They then easily defeated the Ma'ayanot Rapids 43-30 in the championship round. It was the second year in a row that Shalhevet had fallen to the Storm. Shalhevet Athletic Director Ryan Coleman was pleased anyway. “Everything that happened on the court, I think, couldn’t have really gone too much better,” Coach Coleman said. “Competition was great, the environment was more than we could have asked for.” He said that the last couple of games of the tournament were the strongest.

By CLARA SANDLER, Community Editor My grandmother was the sports fan in my dad’s family. She was born in Dayton, Ohio, and went to Ohio State University, so she was a diehard Ohio and Buckeye fan. She loved football and she would watch baseball playoffs because otherwise it was too boring. When she passed away in 2010, my dad included lyrics from Ohio’s state song on her headstone. And every week, when I sit down to watch football with my dad, we think of my grandma and all the nasty words she would call opponents. My grandfather on the other hand, knows nothing about sports. He went to Yeshiva University, is a practicing doctor and fills his free time with either Torah learning or reading medical journals. So for generations, my family has defied the stereotype that boys like sports, and girls do not. My grandmother taught my dad sports, and my dad has taught me sports. I’m the firstborn in my family, and my dad did not care that I was a girl and taught me sports anyway. My dad and I watch football, baseball and basketball together almost everyday. I know sports and I love sports. I love writing about sports and watching sports and sometimes even consider going into a career of sports writing or analysis. But honestly, I am the least coordinated person probably ever, and I do not play sports. Most of my female friends do not follow sports. Some definitely play, but in regards to watching, some get interested if the Dodgers are good or if they like a boy who’s into sports, but most do not care at all. Because of that, I often hang out with boys so that I can talk about sports with other people who are interested. Sometimes, boys forget that I’m a girl and say things about other girls when I’m right there, that are either brutally offensive or inappropriate. This culture of a boy-dominated sports world does not end in the teenage years -- I have so often been invited to people’s houses to watch games, and the men sit on the couch and the women stay in the kitchen. And I do not understand that dynamic -- when was it decided that men like sports and women do not? How can we change this paradigm? I think I may have come to a possible answer. There’s an inherent, probably subconscious misogyny in the sports world. When you watch panels of sports analysts, most are men. Most sports reporters and writers are men, too. I think this culture of men in sports, especially since most sports are also dominated by male players, contributes to this misogynistic attitude. Also, I have found that the women are often wearing lots of makeup and fancy jewelry. There have also been very noticeable mistakes that female commentators have made that have been frustrating. If you’re going to put women there, shouldn’t they represent women by being accurate? In the wake of all the sexual harassment claims, we have the responsibility to recognize the sexual harassment that happens to boys and girls -- that no one is immune to predators or prejudice. I am not going to sit here and bash my guy friends, because I know that they’re great, well-meaning people with bright futures. Furthermore, I know that when I sit around with my female friends, we have said things that about boys that I would not want said about me. As Jews, we are supposed to be the ohr lagoyim, a light unto the nations, so let’s start here in our Shalhevet community. I challenge all boys to teach sports to their daughters someday, or to try and get your mom to come and watch a game with you. I challenge girls to sit with your dad and ask the million questions so that you can understand the game. Sports are beautiful. If you really watch, you begin to appreciate the beauty of a 40-yard hail-mary made on the football field, a 450-foot home-run that flies over fans or when someone hits a buzzer-beater to send the game into overtime. Let’s crush stereotypes. And even if sports aren’t your thing, that’s alright. It’s equally important to be true to yourself. If you’re a boy who doesn’t like sports, that’s okay. If you’re a girl who loves sports, that’s fine! I could not be more proud that my family has defied this cliche for generations. I know my grandmother is proud that I follow sports, I know that my dad is proud that his daughter loves sports. Finally, I know that someday my kids will appreciate that their mother yells at the players on the TV, because the players definitely hear my advice all the way from my couch.