The Boiling Point SHALHEVET HIGH SCHOOL ĂĄ - / ; 6/ ĂĄ February 2015 - Shvat 5775 ĂĄ * ?C; 1 A ĂĄ = =
Compromise on female clergy saved ‘day of learning’ last fall By Noah Rothman, Torah Editor
CONTROVERSY: Alissa Thomas-Newborn outside B’nai David Judea, where she serves as ‘kehilla intern.’ Her position is a first for Los Angeles. See stories on this page and P. 13. BP Photo by Jordan Levine
Israel, California join forces on water crisis By Zack Hirschhorn, Staff Writer The state of California and the government of Israel signed an agreement last spring on a large-scale plan that will bring Israeli expertise in a variety of areas -- especially water -- to California over the next couple of years. Consul General David Siegel, Israel’s representative to the southwestern United States, described this agreement in a speech to the student body Jan. 11 in the auditorium. “It is the most significant agreement, the broadest agreement California has signed with any country in recent years,� said Mr. Siegel in an interview with the Boiling Point after the talk. “California has other important agreements, with China,
with Mexico, but this one is a broader among other things, “incubate global solutions from joint California-Israel more comprehensive agreement.� In Sacramento, Gov. Jerry Brown innovation initiatives.� It is signed by Gov. Brown and issued a statement March 5 after signIsraeli Prime Minister Benyamin Neing the agreement. “Through this agreement, Califor- tanyahu, and signed “on the 5th day nia and Israel will build on their re- of March, 2014, corresponding to the 3rd day of Adar II spective strengths in research of 5774.� and technology to confront Along with wacritical problems we both face, ter management, such as water scarcity, cyberthe agreement security and climate change,� plans cooperation said Gov. Brown, according to in the areas of aga press release. riculture, biotechAccording to the press renology and medilease, the agreement states cine, culture and that it was created “for the education, cyberpurposes of establishing a formal relationship� between IsFacebook.com/davidseigal Continued on Page 12 rael and California in order to,
When B’nai David-Judea Congregation on Pico Boulevard appointed its first-ever kehilla intern last fall, the congregation received her with open-arms. Alissa Thomas-Newborn, a fourth-year student in the clergy ordination program at Yeshivat Maharat in New York, is the first woman to intern there, following three male interns, all rabbinical students. Her appointment was made when the shul’s rabbi and board decided to add an additional member of clergy to its staff (see related story, Page 14). But in November, her presence – or perhaps just her title -- almost derailed a collaborative day of Jewish learning that had been planned jointly by the Shalhevet Institute and B’nai David-Judea, Beth Jacob Congregation, and Young Israel of Century City. The event was set for Sunday, Nov. 16, at Beth Jacob, as part of an annual worldwide gathering of communities who decide to all learn Torah on the same day. This year, over 420 communities in 40 countries participated. The topic was “Heroes & Villains, Saints & Fools: The People in The Book.� Led by Rabbi Ari Schwarzberg, Director of the Shalhevet Institute, seven speakers were arranged: Rabbi Judah Mischel, Rabbi Pini Dunner, Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom, Rabbi Abraham Lieberman, Rabbi Avroham Stuhlberger, Ms. Thomas-Newborn, and Shalhevet Judaic Studies teacher Ruthie Skaist. All were to appear at Beth Jacob. Although no rabbis would share details for the record, The Boiling Point has learned that when Beth Jacob Rabbi Kalman Topp learned that Ms. Thomas-Newborn would be speaking, he said his synagogue would withdraw its sponsorship. Mrs. Skaist was not an issue. Marc Rohatiner, past president of Beth Jacob and a Shalhevet alumni parent, said Rabbi Topp and Rabbi Muskin were cautious about having her speak because of how her title, maharat, might be perceived, and felt there was not enough time to prepare their congregations. The amount of time involved was not clear. “All I am aware of is how the timing came up, and not being sensitive to how Rabbi Topp and Rabbi Muskin would have to deal with the issue, and be able to deal with it in the context and deal with the leadership,� Mr. Rohatiner said. A stalemate persisted for several weeks, during whichthere was no publicity for the event. With two weeks to Continued on Page 15
Grubbing for the grade: An awkward dance for students and teachers By Alec Fields, Staff Writer
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tudents frequently do it, but few want to talk about it – at least on the record. For a variety of reasons, students ask teachers, sometimes insistently, to adjust their grades and scores. Sometimes it’s just bringing a calculation error to a teacher’s attention. Other times, it’s taking issue with a teacher’s subjective scoring system. And occasionally, it’s asking for a
INSIDE
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THE PRINCIPAL SEARCH
grade bump for no reason at all. To students who don’t do it – and teachers who may resent it – the practice is referred to as “grade-grubbing,� suggesting that students are scrabbling for grades in the dirt. “Of course I’ve grade-grubbed,� said junior Derek Orenshein. “I didn’t have a high enough grade in the class and I felt as though I had been cheated out of some points and that I deserved [it].� Sometimes teachers will agree to change a grade – otherwise, no one would
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ask. But often, they’re just annoyed. “As a teacher, it feels really demoralizing and upsetting when that conversation happens,� said Ms. Melanie Berkey, English Academic Chair. “It makes you feel that your class, that is a learning process, is kind of reduced to currency. I don’t think it serves the higher purposes of learning.� Still, a majority of students believe they have a right to ask a teacher to explain the basis for a grade. Many also
think that they are entitled to a grade boost, whether the increase sought is deserved or unearned. Most students interviewed for this article acknowledged grade grubbing, but did not want to share their personal experiences. “It’s definitely prevalent,� said junior Daniel Soroudi. “That’s what people who care about their grades do.� For students who ask, every part of the Continued on Page 5
BILOXI BLUES
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NEW COLLEGE COUNSELOR
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