Shalhevet Boiling Point Volume 21 Issue 4

SHALHEVET HIGH SCHOOL Los Angeles, CA April 2021 • Iyar 5781 Vol. 21 • Issue 4 shalhevetboilingpoint.com

Essential workers, essential work

BP Drawing By Sara Adatto MORE:One in four residents of Los Angeles suffered from food insecurity during the first months of the pandemic, Among low-income families,the percentage was almost half.

How local food banks learned to protect staff from Covid and still meet need of rising hunger By Keira Beller, Staff Writer Almost exactly a year ago, Los Angeles schools, businesses, travel, and just about everything else shut down to keep people safe from the coronavirus. The city’s Jewish food banks didn’t have that option. The stakes for their clients were too high. Unlike most other businesses, these

and other food pantries were unable to close or operate virtually, because with closure, came hunger. That left organizations having to ramp up service and protect their volunteers and employees at the same time. “If we get COVID, we have to close for two weeks, and that’s two weeks of people not getting food,” said Ms. Kathi Dawidowicz, supply and logistics manager of the SOVA Community Food and

Resource Program, the food pantry of Jewish Family Service LA. Mr. Schneur Braunstein, executive director of Tomchei LA, had a similar experience as the pandemic took hold. “At the peak of the pandemic, when it started, it was a truly difficult and nerve-wracking task to be able to safely and efficiently provide services for our recipients,”

There is no map in Judaism to guide an LGBTQ person in family life, but Rabbi Benny Lau has tried to create one, blending what he describes as the disparate worlds of Torah ideals with the reality of the lives of real people. Rabbi Lau, an Israeli rabbi and social justice activist who leads the Human Rights and Judaism in Action project of the Israel Democracy Institute, last Oct. 10 issued a new document with recommendations on how to live as a person or family who is both Jewish and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender

By Caroline Kboudi, Ninth Grade

or queer. The statement is all in Hebrew and titled “Lo Tov Heyot Ha’adam L’vado” -- “It is not good for man to dwell alone,” from Bereishit 2:18. It was published on Rabbi Lau’s Facebook page, where it has received thousands of likes and views. As of April 15, it has been shared 644 times, has 757 comments and has received more than 3,200 likes. It also has been written about or described by Jewish, Israeli and secular news organizations around the world. Unlike related initiatives in the Orthodox Jewish community,

Continued on page 7 BP Graphic By Ezra Helfand

Could Glouberman Be Back? Shalhevet plans possible May tournament in Phoenix as CIF sports return from Covid By Noah Elad, Sports Editor, and Jack Metzger, Staff Writer The Steve Glouberman Annual Basketball Tournament, one of the most energetic and ruach-filled events of the Shalhevet year, is being planned for May 23-27 in Phoenix, Ariz., school

Vote is binding since proposal was pre-approved by student-teacher review

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For the LGBTQ religious, Rabbi Lau writes a guide where there is no map By JOSHUA GAMSON, STAFF WRITER

Teachers must grade work within three week or not assign tests and projects, vote decides

officials say, though they’re not 100 percent sure it will happen. Glouberman is traditionally held in the Shalhevet gym each November, with visiting teams staying in Shalhevet families’ homes. As many as 19 teams at a time, representing 10 schools, have competed in past

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Town Hall decided the very first proposal of the year April 9, voting overwhelmingly that teachers should, unless taking a leave of absence or chaperoning a school trip, grade all work or tests within three weeks of when students submit it. If work is not graded by then, the teacher may not assign any more tests or major projects until it is, the new rule states. The proposal was created by sophomores Eli Weiss and Evan Beller and approved by a vote of 123 – 14. The vote is binding, because before the proposal could be debated, it was approved by a joint committee of students, teachers and administration. “I often heard about my friends having these situations where half of their assignments just were not graded,” said Evan in an interview. “They didn’t know how they were doing in the class until the end of the semester. “It was really painful, and even I had to deal with this,” he said. “We really just want to help alleviate that problem by using the Just Community.” At Town Hall, the proposal was presented by Agenda Chair Kate Orlanski. Many students favored it immediately, saying it would make them more focused and motivated. Ninth-grader Sam Elyaszadeh was one of the first to speak. “I have experienced it as a freshman, where my teacher hasn’t graded all my assignments until the last couple weeks of the semester or the last month until the semester ended,” said Sam. “I didn’t know how well I was doing because I didn’t have the grade, and I didn’t know whether I should follow up with them or just continue to do what I was doing.” Grades seemed to be the concern of many who spoke. “Maintaining grades is very stressful,” said freshman Amalia Zucker. “In order to do that, I need to know exactly where I am at all times… If i don’t know where my range is between a C and an A, that turns into a problem because I need to know if I need help.” Others said teachers should be held to deadlines as students are. Sophomore Alexandra Guetta teachers should push themselves to help students

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The Boiling Point • April 2021 • Community

Essential workers, essential work: How local food banks learned to protect staff from Covid and still feed the hungry continued from page 1 said Mr. Braunstein. “We didn’t know what we were dealing with and what the safety precautions were, so it was a major challenge to effectively and safely distribute the food.” Simultaneously, food insecurity -- the lack of reliable access to enough food to sustain oneself and meet nutritional needs -- was rising. Before the pandemic, SOVA’s two food pantries, located in Van Nuys and in Pico-Robertson, were helping approximately 100 people a day. In March of 2020 that number grew to 150 a day -- a 50% increase from just a month before. SOVA is mostly staffed by volunteers who are retirees -- members of the 65-andup age group found to be particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus. These volunteers felt compelled to shelter in their homes, leaving SOVA without much staff. “Everybody scattered, and we didn’t have enough people,” said Ms. Dawidowicz. Tomchei Shabbos LA, founded in 1977, provides members of the Jewish community with support they need to survive below the poverty line. It delivers Shabbat meals and groceries to more than 1,750 individuals monthly and has been running throughout the pandemic, and has added 100-plus families since the start of the pandemic, according to Mr. Braunstein. March a year ago was particularly difficult as fears around the coronavirus kept volunteers away. “There were so many unknowns,” Mr. Braunstein said in an interview. “We needed to take it one day at a time and deal with the reality as it came.” But even as fears around the coronavirus kept many volunteers away from in-person and indoor service, others found new ways of helping out. Gaby Terech, now a freshman at Shalhevet, had been volunteering at Tomchei LA since sixth grade. When the pandemic hit, he switched from packing groceries to delivering them -- and increased his hours. “My mom told me that they were doing Tomchei and that they needed help, so we just did it once or twice,” said Gaby, who first started working at Tomchei LA for community services hours at Sinai Akiba Academy. “And it feels really good when you’re doing it, so we just went whenever they needed us.” Around the same time, Chesed Director Ms. Malkie Hametz reached out to the Los Angeles Mission, an organization Shalhevet students have volunteered with multiple times. “They just said that they were swamped with the amount of people that they now felt like they had to service,” Ms. Hametz said, “and that the number of people who were showing up out of the woodwork who were requesting help and meals and a place to live… They just felt really overwhelmed by the magnitude of what they were seeing.” The increase in people seeking assistance from these organizations reflected the Covid-induced food insecurity problem county-wide as the rate of food insecurity in Los Angeles skyrocketed to unprecedented levels. According to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank’s website, “Before the pandemic, an estimated 1 in 5 people in Los Angeles County lived with food insecurity, but after the COVID-19 outbreak, the number of people needing food assistance has increased markedly. It is estimated that 1 in 4 of our neighbors faces food insecurity.” A more detailed study from the USC Dornsife Public Exchange, found even higher numbers, with 39% of low-income households and 26.3% of all households experiencing food insecurity in April and May of 2020. In the first four months -- stretching to July -- the numbers were even worse. “During the first four full months of the COVID-19 pandemic…, the rate of low-income households that experienced food insecurity (41.6%) was notably higher than the 2018 monthly (5.2%) and annual (26.8%) estimates of food insecurity for this low-in-

come population,” researchers found. “I went one afternoon to volunteer, and it was incredible,” said SOVA has nine employees and three drivers, plus many vol- Ms. Hametz. “The energy there and the work that they’re doing unteers, and had to close their Westside location due to volunteer really blew me away, and I knew that I wanted to bring a group of shortages. They referred clients to their other location in Van Nuys, our students.” while delivering groceries to clients who were older or otherwise The volunteers made 350 rice dinners and more than 500 cookmore at risk. ies. Eventually though, they adapted. The West LA location has reExisting organizations have felt supported, too. Kathi Dawidoopened in October and is continuing to serve an average of 15 or wicz said SOVA has received food donations from people who have more families a day, according to Ms. Lynda Alter, SOVA’s Client been homebound. Services Manager. “I just sent a thank you to a 6-year-old who collected over 200 It helped that as essential workers, employees of hunger-com- pounds of food because he was concerned that people wouldn’t bating organizations were exempt from stay-at-home orders. have enough food,” Ms. Dawidowicz said. “His mom brought in “We get a lot of our food from Los Angeles Regional Food the food, and she goes, ‘Yeah my son was worried about people Bank,” said Ms. Dawidowicz, “and at the beginning of the pandem- not having enough food, because when you watch the news, there’s ic, they sent out letters that we were supposed lines and lines of people to carry with us saying we’re essential workers.” waiting for these free boxes SOVA also changed its services. Now, inof food.’ So he ran his own, stead of in-person pick-up, it delivers groceries just through his friends, It was a bit less formal… When you’re in person, to clients who are 60 and older -- using private and the moms got together, contractors who specialize in passenger transporand they just did this food you’re there, and you have to be with people. But tation and paratransit shuttle services. drive.” if you’re online it’s a little bit less intense and “Access Services didn’t have much to do since At Tomchei, Mr. Braunmore relaxed” nobody was going out, so we partnered with stein expressed gratitude for them, and they’re the ones delivering the home his “beautiful community” delivery,” Ms. Dawidowicz said. that has come together to “It worked out well because, instead of evensure that his organization erybody getting canned, since nobody’s going anywhere and they remains adequately stocked and properly funded. don’t know what to do with their drivers, we partnered with them.” Tomchei LA used what Mr. Schneur Braunstein called “capGaby Terech and his family now volunteer there sules” -- like pods, small groups of volunteers who had only been once a month or more. They drive through an alley to exposed to each other -- to come in and pack food for deliveries. an area with about four cars to meet a masked volunThe strategy worked: Mr. Braunstein said the organization hasn’t teer, Gaby said. The masked face gives them three had any coronavirus exposures and has been able to remain open to four delivery locations and puts boxes of food, the whole year. sometimes with challah, grape juice, chicken, and His workers also saw evidence of food insecurity firsthand. other snacks -- placing it all directly into the trunk “During the pandemic, [some of ] those who used to be givers, of their SUV. unfortunately, had to be on the receiving end,” said Mr. Braunstein. “Before [Covid], there would be a layout through “The cost of kosher food is expensive, and as unemployment ben- the center of the room with all kinds of food,” said efits and other benefits dwindled away, people’s cost of living and Gaby. “Then around the room, there’d be boxes, where deficit grew.” they would give you a list of what you need to put in a box. You pick a few boxes to do and then you go and pick Meanwhile at school, the Shalhevet community responded to the food you want to put inside of them.” the crisis with new initiatives. That made it more social, he said. For eight days in December, the Tikkun Olam Club, which fo“It has been with a group of people that I know, so it makes it a cuses on raising awareness and taking action to help people in need, nice experience because you can share it with other people,” Gaby ran a food drive with SOVA in the school lobby. said..“You can talk about it, and it makes it more exciting because On Feb 7, sophomore Ariella Hirschhorn and her family led you can laugh with your friends.” a chesed project in the Shalhevet parking lot and packed Tomchei has invited the Terech family to pack food inside again, 500 snack packs for the Downtown Women’s Cen- but they don’t want to return until Gaby’s grandparents got vacciter, which houses women lacking nated. their own homes. To maintain “Maybe I might go after more people have the vaccine,” said social distancing and keep the Gaby. event COVID-safe, just one family Although the rates of food insecurity have come down in recentcame at a time. ly, officials say they remain at unprecedented levels. “We packed 500 bags for them The USC study said that there had been almost a two-thirds in the Shalhevet parking lot,” Ariella drop by June and July -- to 14.2 percent of low-income households told the Boiling Point via text mes- and 10.0% of all households -- but that it remained higher than sage, “with one family coming at a before. time and bringing a lot of one type “The lower June-July rate of food insecurity… is markedly highof item so it was Covid-safe. Some er than the estimated 5.2% of low-income households that experipeople could only donate and some enced monthly food insecurity in 2018,” the report said. could only pack, so we matched them That means that organizations like Tomchei Shabbos and SOVA together.” will continue needing support from families like Gaby ’s in order to On Feb 2, Shalhevet juniors provide for others and stay afloat during this pandemic. volunteered at Our Big Kitchen Gaby still sees his volunteer experience positively -- even during Los Angeles, an organization that Covid. p re p a re s meals for distribution to those in need. “I feel like you learn a lot from volunteering, and you also get a “They help families in the Jewish community who could use lot from it for yourself,” he said. “You feel like you’ve accomplished a warm meal,” said Ms. Hametz, who organized the event. “They something and you’re doing something for other people, so it’s repartner together with Tomchei Shabbos or Global Kindness to get ally a good experience.” meals out to members of the Jewish community who could use “We need to consistently think about those who are food insethem at this time.” cure, those who could use a warm meal every now and then, those Ms Hametz discovered the organization on Instagram and vol- who might be struggling,” said Ms. Hametz. unteered herself.

It’s official: Rabbi Block is Head of School as Rabbi Segal steps aside By Benjamin Gamson, News Editor Rabbi Ari Segal, who began a gradual departure as Head of School more than a year-and-a-half ago, signed off in what he announced was his last weekly newsletter to the Shalhevet community March 25. As planned and previously announced, he turned over his position as planned to Rabbi David Block. “Now, the time has come for me to pass the torch of leadership on to my dear colleague, Rabbi Block,” wrote Rabbi Segal. “This comes as the perfect

and timely culmination of a thoughtful, deliberate 20-month transition plan.” Rabbi Segal was appointed head of school in October 2010 and arrived in Los Angeles the following fall, in 2011. His eventual departure was first announced Aug. 12, 2019, but stated he would remain Head of School through the 2019-20 school year and that during this year, 2020-21, he would be traveling back and forth from Israel. His family, including Yoetzet Halacha Atara Segal and three of their daughters, made aliyah last summer.

READ THIS STORY IN FULL AT SHALHEVETBOILINGPOINT.COM

Photo illustration by Eli Weiss

TRANSFER: Rabbi Ari Segal (left) became Head of School in 2012. New Head of School Rabbi David Block says he’ll stay in his smaller office for now.

The Boiling Point • April 2021 • Community

More progress: Three grades at a time now on campus

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General and Judaic Studies both in-person and in-building as L.A. County moves into Orange tier in real time, it felt good. It felt familiar in a good movie theatres and restaurants. LA County entered the Orange tier on April way.” 5, reflecting a case positivity rate between two “The outcomes of being in-person in a classIn another step closer to normal school, all percent and four point nine percent and between room together are -I think everyone would classes including General Studies began meeting two and 5.9 cases per 100,000. agree -are significantly stronger in terms of your in person this week, three grades on campus at a To enter the Yellow tier, the lowest tier in Callearning and in terms of our ability to connect on time, using both indoor and outdoor classrooms, ifornia’s tier system, LA Couna teacher student level,” he said. That means only one grade per day is on ty will have to maintain a case “It’s as easy as people as beZoom, and no grade will be on Zoom more than positivity rate of less than two ing able to raise their hand and two days per week. Friday, previously a Zoom I can see that and ask a question As of April 12, L.A. County percent and daily new cases day for all students, will become an in-person below two per every 100,000 to them, and being able to react learning day for two grades at a time. had a case positivity rate people. to the whole room of students The change was first announced in a March of 1.4%, and a daily averThe last major reopening more easily. That’s just a lit11 email from Head of School Rabbi David tle harder with a window on a age of 5.4 cases of school occurred on Feb. Block. Rabbi Block called it a blessing. 8, when Shalhevet began welcomputer screen.” “What a bracha it is that the county anper 100,000. coming two grades on campus Rabbi Block said some classnounced ... that we’ve hit the threshold needed to at a time for two days each es would remain outside so that move towards the Red Tier - which allows schools week for in-person learning. the building could still manage to more fully reopen!” Rabbi Block wrote in his But even before Pesach break, social distancing while three email. Shalhevet began planning for the post-break grades are present. He also said there were no Schedule details for April were announced in-person learning changes. plans to change the bell schedule. April 1. “According to the initial guidance, we “Right now the plan is not to change the learning schedule -- simply how many days would’ve had to wait at least two weeks after hitstudents are on campus for,” he told the Boil- ting the threshold to move to the Red Tier; practically speaking, that would’ve taken us to after ing Point March 24. In anticipation of the return, for only the Pesach,” Rabbi Block wrote in an email on March second time this school-year students were 11. “But we’re actually hopeful that we’ll be able required to be tested for Covid-19 if they to do a lot of that even sooner.” “Naturally,” he wrote, “we’ll want to benefit want to be on campus this week. The week following Passover was a virtual learning week from that as soon as we can. So, instead of simply so families who traveled over Passover could continuing our post-Pesach plan, if we do enter quarantine following their return. Testing the Red Tier, we’re going to use next week as a took place in the Shalhevet parking lot on ‘soft-start.’” So two weeks before Pesach, although there April. 9. The first time students were required to be tested was following semester break on were only two grades on campus, teachers were allowed to use indoor classrooms and many GenJan. 28. The latest changes were made possible be- eral Studies classes met in person. The week before pre-Pesach quarantine, startcause the county’s Covid test positivity rate and cases per 100,000 have decreased. As of ing March. 15, both Judaic and some General April 14, L.A. County had a case positivity Studies classes met indoors. Among those were rate of 1.2%, and a daily average of 5.4 cases 10th grade Visual Art, Mr. Forrester’s 10thper 100,000. This places it in the Orange Tier. grade American Literature class, 11th-grade InCalifornia uses a tier system to describe terrogating Evil in British Literature, Advanced the level of Covid severity in different coun- Economics, ninth-grade Journalism, SAS Music ties, and based on that determines which sec- theory, Jewish Literature, SAS Biology, ninthgrade World History, and Dr. Harris’s 10th-grade tors of the economy can reopen. Grades seven through 12 were eligible to Honors U.S. History class, as well as all Judaic reopen on March 15, when the county en- Studies classes whose teachers felt comfortable BP Photo By Eli Weiss tered the Red Tier. Los Angeles County then coming to campus. LIVE: English teacher Ms. Nancy Fasules taught her 10th grade American Literamoved into the Orange tier on April 5 which alture class in person indoors April 5 for the first time since March 2020. lows increased capacity in business sectors such as

By Benjamin Gamson, News Editor

On Mondays, 10th, 11th, and 12th graders are on campus while ninth grade is at home. On Tuesdays, ninth, 11th, and 12th grades are on campus while 10th graders are at home. On Wednesdays, ninth, 10th, and 12th grades are on campus while 11th graders are at home. On Thursdays, ninth, 10th, and 11th grades are on campus while 12th graders are at home. On Friday April 16, ninth- and 10th-graders will be on campus while 11th- and 12th-graders will learn online. On Friday April 23, 11th and 12th graders will be on campus, while ninth and 10th graders learn online. On Friday April 30, only 12th graders will be on campus. After the first day back, Mathematics teacher Mr. Andrew Sinajon said he had noticed the difference. “I have more information from the whole space that we’re in,” Mr. Sinajon said. “Being able to see an actual hand raise and answer a question

Dr. Sam Gomberg, former principal and architect of Just Community, has died Using Kohlberg theories, he taught Shalhevet faculty how to teach ethical reasoning through moral dilemmas. By Talia Davoudian, Staff Writer Dr. Sam Gomberg, former Shalhevet principal and Director of Moral Education and an integral contributor to the school’s Just Community, passed away at age 74 March 2 at his home in Crest Hill, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. The cause was a heart condition, according to Shalhevet founder Dr. Jerry Friedman. In the 1990s, Dr. Gomberg taught alongside Dr. Friedman at Harvard during the summertime. Dr. Friedman taught courses to educators from Jewish schools, and as part of his staff, Dr. Gomberg focused on teaching how to use moral dilemmas within a school environment. “We became really friendly — I really respected him,” Dr. Friedman said in an interview with the Boiling Point last week. The two also were both followers of Professor Lawrence Kohlberg, who showed that teachers could use a combination of dilemma exercises and student empowerment to advance them through stages of moral reasoning. Dr. Friedman sought him out to join Shalhevet. “I needed somebody to train the staff on moral dilemmas, hypotheticals, real-life moral dilemmas,” Dr. Friedman said. “If the staff didn’t understand what it was all about, then why should they be motivated to share the democracy with the kids?” However, Dr. Gomberg didn’t immediately accept. “It took a couple of years until I finally got him, because he was head of the history department at a large high school,” said Dr. Friedman. “Part of it, I just kept pushing and pushing. And the other part is that he really believed so strongly to advocate this type of methodology for a Just Community.” Dr. Gomberg was principal from 2000 until 2007. Every fall, he gave all new teachers a week of Kohlberg and Just Community training before they started their first-semester. He also worked with student leaders to draft the original Just Community Constitution, including Town Hall, the Agenda Com-

BP Photo by Sam Elyaszadeh from 2007 Shalhevet Yearook

FOUNDER: Dr. Sam Gomberg, z”l, led students drafting the Just Community constitution. mittee, the Fairness Committee, the proposal and amendment process, and the rights of all community members to fairness, to respect, and to be heard. After leaving Shalhevet, Dr. Gomberg returned to Illinois, and continued to teach teachers through workshops and conventions. According to an obituary notice in the Chicago Tribune, he is survived by his wife, Linda, and daughters, Annie, Dara and Amanda, and several grandchildren. Dr. Friedman said Dr. Gomberg accepted his offer because he wanted to help create a school that wasn’t authoritarian. “There are so many things that, within a school, the students know as much and feel as much as some of the staff, and they can really contribute and feel they really are part of the school,” Dr. Friedman said. “He really loved what he was doing. He was a mensch, and he was a very good friend and a colleague.” After growing up in St. Louis, Dr. Gomberg earned his Bach-

elor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and his doctorate from Carnegie-Mellon University. Among those he influenced at Shalhevet was Dr. Jill Beerman, who taught history from 1994 to 2011 and became a close friend. “Dr. Gomberg was not religious, but tikkun olam [repairing the world] was something he believed in very strongly,” said Dr. Beerman told the Boiling Point. “He felt that no matter your station in life, you are obligated to do good and to help others.” She said moral education is necessary even in a religious school, because while it is easy to know what the right thing to do is, it is more difficult to actually execute the action, especially when nobody is watching. “Religion doesn’t guarantee moral and ethical behavior,” said Dr. Beerman. “The whole thing with moral dilemmas... is to move people not just to where they can see a problem where perhaps others don’t, but that eventually they will get to a point where they will take some action. “When you hear somebody say something that doesn’t agree with what you thought, but then you’re thinking ‘Well gee, wait a minute, that kind of makes sense’ — that’s cognitive dissonance, and that helps you to grow in your mind,” said Dr. Beerman. “You’re always bumping up against somebody else’s opinion and that forces you to think, and sometimes rethink your own.” When she surveyed her history classes, Dr. Beerman said, roughly two-thirds of her students thought using moral dilemmas helped them remember the subject matter better too. “Students enjoy them and they remember them,” she said. “In my own field, I think it brings history to life.” One of Dr. Gomberg’s greatest contributions to Shalhevet was helping to draft the original constitution of the Just Community. He worked closely on it with students, and in 2002, its preamble was written out on a giant parchment-like poster that was signed by that year’s students and then framed. Editor’s note: The copmlete version of this story can be found at shalhevetboilingpoint.com.

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The Boiling Point • April 2021 • Community

Moving screens, louder voices as debate teams move online Mock Trial, Model Congress and YUNMUN face different obstacles in virtual competition By Gabriella Gomperts and Yael Schechter, Staff writers Shalhevet’s Model Congress, Mock Trial and Model UN teams have all competed virtually this year due to Covid-19. And though students miss the camaraderie of traveling together, getting to know their opponents, and the being in a real courtroom, perhaps surprisingly, there have been some pluses. “Since we have to be speaking while debating with our masks on, it might help us project and be louder,” said sophomore Elliot Serure, who’s on the Model UN team. “So that might even be something that seems like a bad thing, but ends up helping us in a way.” Sophomore Avi Litvak of the Model Congress team liked the virtual mood. “The structure was the same and we still gave speeches normally obviously,” said Avi, “But the difference was that it was a bit less formal, I would say. Because when you’re in person, you’re there, and you have to be with people. But if you’re online it’s a little bit less intense and more relaxed.” And junior Adina Kurzban, in her first year on the Mock Trial team, said it was encouraging to see a government institution adapt to the virtual world. “The court system was able to work even as the society isn’t able to meet in person,” said Adina. Still, most other comments were complaints. Usually held in places like Washington, D.C., Stamford, Conn. or L.A.’s downtown courthouse, this year’s conferences have all been held online, and some practices have as well. All are completed now except one — Penn Model Congress, set for April 9-11 online, instead of in Philadelphia. The Mock Trial team coped with technical difficulties and missed being face-to-face with opponents playing the different roles. Shalhevet played defense attorneys while another school played the prosecution team in an aiding-and-abetting case. Junior Barbara Seruya said the judge would ask each person to identify who they were portraying in the case each time they spoke. “It was frustrating that we didn’t get the whole experience because we were all on Zoom and we weren’t in a courthouse,” said Barbara. The interaction among students also changed.

Photo By Dr. Keith Harris COUNTRIES: Shalhevet’s debaters represented Israel and Japan at this year’s YUNMUN conference. Dr. Harris took this screen shot of a team meeting just before the conference began.

“I speak better in front of people,” she said. “I like seeing the looks from my peers when I do well and I like a little encouragement,” Also, at the team’s first meet Nov. 10, it took 40 minutes for the contest to begin. “There were 300 kids on the Zoom call,” said Barbara, “so it took some time to put us into rooms.” They won their first competition, but lost the second. Team co-captain Sivan Karz said competing virtually was a fact of life this year. “Obviously it’s not ideal, but it’s exciting that we still get to compete” said Sivan. Zoom had a more measurable effect on the Princeton Model Congress team, meeting Nov.13-14 online instead of in Washington, D.C. The schedule had to be changed to accommodate debaters in different time zones. That meant Shalhevet’s team had to miss a greater proportion of the conference for Shabbat

— so instead of competing on Friday and again on Saturday night, this year Friday only.That meant they missed fully half of their committee sessions and all of the full sessions; last year, they only missed a quarter of committee sessions and a third of full sessions due to Shabbat. But the team was still able to bring home three Honorable Mentions for Best Delegate. Senior Samson Taxon won in Small Business and Entrepreneurship, senior Rena Harkham in Education and the Workforce, and sophomore Keira Beller in Environment and Public Works. And the conference itself worked well on Zoom, students said. “In Model Congress we break up into smaller committees,” said Samson. “So even if we were in person we’d still be broken up into rooms with 12 or 15 people. So it was pretty similar.” He said that typically, Model Congress members compete sitting together around a conference

table. “[This] felt a little bit like class at Shalhevet,” said Samson. “So we had our [committee] chair, who kind of acted like a teacher and ran the show. And then when we wanted to talk we used the raise-hand feature in Zoom.” Yeshiva University Model United Nations, which was held this year Feb. 14 and 15, set up its own online platform on Zoom. Still, hosting 400-500 debaters brought complications. Known as YUNMUN, the conference involves debating resolutions, studying problems and creating groups with other people to debate possible solutions. “It was a little overwhelming at first because when people raise their hands, every single screen starts to move,” said Gaby Bentolila.”So it was a little confusing. But in order to be called on you had to do that, so that’s what everyone was doing.” But that made it harder to gain the attention of committee chairs, she said. “It wasn’t about if you raised your hand first or if you raised your hand last — it was just about the Zoom order,” Gaby said. “And so you weren’t being called on as much as if we were in person.” The team didn’t win any awards, but the members still enjoyed the conference. “Obviously it’s not the same,” Gaby said, “but they stuck to what they’ve done in the past which was good.” Practices were the same as usual, except for masks and location. Sophomore Gitty Rav-noy missed the camaraderie of holding practice in team members’ homes. This year, she said, “we have to do everything at school under protocol and having a mask on.” Making the best of an unfortunate situation seemed to be a goal of all of the events. Gaby Bentolila praised the way competition’s organizers came up with ways to keep social interaction alive, even on Zoom. “We had different times where we got to bond with the people from other schools,” Gaby said, “and in different committees they had ‘hotel chills’ — which was everyone went on a Zoom and we went into different breakout rooms and met other delegates.” “It was really fun, still,” she added.

Have you missed it? Just Community Constitution preamble to return to 2nd-floor lobby soon, officials say By Tali Liebenthal, NINTH Grade After about five months of being missing from its position at the top of the staircase in the second-floor lobby, Shalhevet’s Just Community Constitution has been located in the first-floor administrative Conference Room. Registrar and Director of Facilities Ms. Lili Einalhori said its exile from the geographical center of the school is almost over. “The Constitution will be moved back next week.” Ms. Einalhori responded in an email to the Boiling Point before Passover. In its place since November there has been a painting by the artist David Meytal, entitled “The Tower,” with a small metal nameplate on the wall beside it. Because of that, and because the Constitution has been missing for so long, some have begun to wonder whether it would return. Agenda Chair Kate Orlanski said she noticed its absence right away. “I think I noticed it as soon as it was missing,” Kate said. “I am pretty sure it was just moved for visiting students or some open house event but I do wonder where they put it, and why they didn’t put it back up after the event was done.” The Just Community Constitution was written and adopted by students and faculty in 2002, and its preamble was then written out in artistic calligraphy and signed by community members at the time. It was then framed and hung in the Beit Midrash, which was also used for Town Hall. In the new building, it had an equally prominent place at the top of the spiral staircase, viewable from the steps both below and above. It was initially moved this year for an Open House admissions event that took place on Nov. 22. There, it was displayed on an easel in the gymnasium and put on view for families considering Shalhevet for their current middle-schoolers. “It was in the gym to show to visiting parents and students,” Rabbi Ari Schwarzberg, Dean of Students and Just Community

advisor, told the Boiling Point on Nov. 23, one day after the event “It will be back in the wall asap.” But by February the Constitution had not been returned. “I think it definitely makes people forget about the constitution,” said Kate. “Like, I used to walk into school and see the constitution, and you were reminded of its existence.” Interviewed by the Boiling Point again in February, Rabbi Schwarzberg was surprised it was still not present. “Is the Constitution not on the second floor anymore?” Rabbi Schwarzberg wrote Feb. 16, in reply to an email question. “I know it was put in the gym for Open House in order to show parents and students, but did it not go back to its home in the lobby? I can promise you that I have no knowledge or thoughts on the matter.” BP Photo By Benjamin Gamson At that point Principal Mr. Daniel Weslow reaffirmed that the move was temPROMINENT: Since November, a painting by David Meytal has been in the geographiporary. cal center of the school instead of the signed Just Community Constitution. “It’s not permanently being moved out of the second-floor main hallway,” Mr. constitution remain a priority and a part of the fabric of the school Weslow wrote on Feb. 16. “It was moved /everything we do. I’m not aware of the constitution being permafor an Admissions event and we have yet to put it back.” Asked again in March, Mr. Weslow again said that the removal nently relocated. “I’m not sure if this is TMZ breaking news or not, but we still was not permanent, and that the school and he himself valued its care deeply about our Just Community and our Constitution,” very public display. “We have been dealing with other priorities with getting stu- Mr. Weslow wrote. “I do not know of any kind of new locations dents back on campus and Covid-related items, so it may be tak- for the Constitution. It’s a vital piece and document and artifact ing some more time than expected,” Mr. Weslow responded by within our school and should be showcased in a place where evemail to a request for another interview about it. “But the JC and erybody can see it.”

The Boiling Point • April 2021 • Community

5

Town Hall offers view of what it’s like to be Orthodox Jews who are Black Shalhevet’s Black teachers share similar experiences of suspicion, fear and the burden of making others feel comfortable By MOLLY LITVAK, EDITOR-IN-Chief Racism against Black Americans exists in the Jewish community too, according to four Black panelists — two of whom are Jewish — who spoke at Town Hall on Feb. 5 in honor of Black History Month. Interviewed together during the schoolwide meeting on Zoom were Shalhevet faculty Mr. Fred Leach, Digital Firehawks Instructor, and Ms. Valencia Wilson, Educational Support Specialist; along with Rabbi Jonathan Perry, a Los Angeles-based rabbi of the Chabad Lubavitch movement; and Mrs. Chava Shervington, a co-founder of Kamochah, which educates the Orthodox community on racial justice and works to supports Orthodox Jews who are Black. Over the course of the hour-long meeting, students heard and learned about an ostracism that often comes with being Jew who is Black, along with day-to-day instances of racism that according to the panelists can be much more hurtful and uncomfortable than they may seem. Throughout Town Hall, the panelists described how racism is engraved in American culture; the importance of the George Floyd riots; and the more subtle yet present encounters of racism in Jewish communities. “It’s the having people ask me my story at Shabbat meals constantly, or the frum stores not wanting to buzz you in,” said Mrs. Shervington, an attorney and mother who lives in Pico-Robertson. “It’s the people who you ask ‘I want to buy a Shabbos robe’” — a modest maxi-dress some Orthodox women wear on Shabbat — “and they’re like ‘For your Easter, for your church,” she said. “It’s people pretending and bulldozing you like they don’t hear you and BP Screenshot by Molly Litvak trying to force a non-Jewish identity on to you.” All four discussed the experience of being Black in a Jewish comBOTH: Rabbi Jonathan Perry of Chabad said it is a struggle to be seen as fully Jewish and fully Black. At top, munity — Mrs. Shervington and Rabbi Perry through the lens of from left, Town Hall was led by Agenda Chair Kate Orlanski, who interviewed Shalhevet teachers Ms. Valencia being Jewish themselves, and Ms. Wilson and Mr. Leach through Wilson and Mr. Fred Leach, and Mrs. Chava Shervington of the Orthodox organization Kamochah. the lens of working at a Jewish school. Mrs. Shervington said that to her, being both Jewish and Black “There are people who will tell you the more explicit forms of was done that was racist — it could be a mistaken identity, it could meant feeling like a part of the Jewish community while at the same racism, like ‘go back to Africa,’ or the teachers who will tell you that be a microaggression.’ How do we get a more universal language so time feeling slightly discounted. even if you have straight A’s, you shouldn’t take the harder course,” we can understand?” Rabbi Perry gave an example of how Jews who are Black are Mrs. Shervington said. Mr. Leach said for him, it depended on the situation. treated differently in their communities. Mrs. Shervington then reflected on a playdate she had when she “I base it off what I see about you,” Mr. Leach said. “Do I think “Black Jews in a Jewish space want to be just accepted as Jews, a was younger, when the father of the boy who she was playing with it was on purpose? If I feel like you can learn then I’m going to try million percent,” Rabbi Perry said. “[But] I know that when Black pushed her into their backyard because he did not want Black peo- to talk to you and explain why I think it was an issue.” Jews start to organize, a lot of times non-Black Jews raise an eyeple inside their home. The next question was from an anonymous student or faculty brow, or have something to say — even though every other ethnic She also said every Black male in her life, including her father member, who asked, “How do you respond to those who are bothbackground of Jewish people have their organizations and even their and her husband, had been harassed by police officers. ered by the riots this past summer?” own shuls sometimes.” Mr. Leach jumped in to add, “Any Ms. Wilson said her initial response would be to ask why they The panelists also described microaggresday could go from zero to 100.” Accord- were bothered by it. sions and instances of racism that may have ing to Mr. Leach, he is not necessarily “What else do we have to do to be looked at as human beings, not been intended but were still hurtful. “You feel you are wholly Jewish, but also… you presented with the worst forms of rac- be accepted by America, just be treated like we matter?” Ms. Wilson Mr. Leach explained how it might be chal- need to be very visibly frum so people aren’t ism every day, but the tough part is not said. lenging for Black people to not only encounter scared of you, so people don’t think you’re a knowing when a day will “go that way.” Rabbi Perry said the riots were supposed to represent the anger situations involving microaggressions — that stranger in the neighborhood.” Rabbi Perry said that because of ev- and hurt of the Black community due to suppression. is, instances of subtle or unintentional racism erything he has experienced, he still has “I think the riots are not supposed to make sense,” Rabbi Perry — but also to figure out how to handle them. — Mrs. Chava Shervington, the same reaction to police officers now said. “They’re supposed to look like anger and hurt.” “As uncomfortable as it is [for non-Blacks] co-founder of Kamochah as he did when he was younger, even He compared the killing of George Floyd to what happened in when you get called out for saying something though he is now an Orthodox rabbi. 1770 in Boston, when British soldiers shot and killed colonists who that might be a microaggression, or saying “Because in my youth I wasn’t a frum were taunting them over the occupation of their town. That consomething that’s a little problematic, it’s douyid,” or religious Jew, Rabbi Perry said, frontation that became known as the Boston Massacre, and turned ble-y awkward for us,” Mr. Leach said. “We “I was just another Black kid in Ameri- more Americans in favor of independence. not only have to deal with it, then we’re worca. Even now, as a chassid with a beard and hat and jacket, when I “The Boston Massacre that started the catalyst that led to the ried about are we going to be perceived as too radical.” walk the streets and I see a police officer, I don’t have a new reaction founding of America wasn’t just the violence of the massacre,” Rabbi Ms. Wilson recalled a time where she brought her son to a Shalinternally, even though I’m definitely less likely to get targeted now Perry said. “It was the fact that the officers were found guilty and hevet basketball game and someone outside assumed she was only than I was when I was younger.” then they had no punishment. That was the problem.” there because she was related to one of the student athletes who was The program then turned toward Ms. Wilson and Mr. Leach, By then, Town Hall was already around 10 minutes over time, Black as well. whom Kate asked what it was like to be Black and to work at a so students and faculty did not have more time to ask any more “Once I let that person know, ‘Oh I’m actually an employee of white, Jewish high school. Around half an hour into the Town Hall, questions. Shalhevet,’ it was like a dead silence that just happened,” Ms. Wilson the Zoom still had around 232 participants. The following week, on Feb. 12, Kate led a student-only Town said. “Even as a Black person, when we have encounters with people Mr. Leach said he couldn’t remember encountering many in- Hall to discuss the panel without faculty oversight. who do those things, our first natural instinct is to make them feel stances of racism at Shalhevet. When he first During that student-only meeting, many stucomfortable or try to brush over the weirdness that has transpired started working at the school, he said, he felt dents questioned whether certain events the panelists and then try to make excuses for the racism that has happened. “ some students may have pushed certain boundbrought up were indeed examples of racism. Others, The Friday morning Town Hall was led by Agenda Chair Kate aries, but he said it most likely came from a place however, maintained that it was not their prerogative The reality is that we are not Orlanski, who interviewed the four panelists together and then conof “not really having dealt with many Black men to define racism, and that that right should be left to perfect, and just like many veyed questions to them from students and faculty. or Black people at all.” the Black community. other communities, one of It began with an introduction from Rabbi Ari Schwarzberg, Ms. Wilson agreed, saying that she hadn’t A week earlier, at the first Town Hall on this subthe problematic things that Dean of Students and Director of the Shalhevet Institute, who orgareally experienced any negative situations with ject, the panelists had discussed what they felt high exists in our own community nized the program in honor of Black History Month. Shalhevet students. schoolers should know about racism and racial iden“Sometimes we get caught up in the anxiety of academics or is racism.” The conversation then moved into discussing tity. college or the other things going on in our lives, but when it comes the n-word and microaggressions. Ms. Wilson answered first, followed by the redown to it [these] are the two most important things: to be great — Kate Orlanski, Agenda Chair Mrs. Shervington said she had witnessed maining panelists. Jews, to be thoughtful Jews, and to be great citizens of your comJews using the n-word back and forth, and she “The older you get, the harder it is to break certain munity, of your country, and of the world,” Rabbi Schwarzberg said. felt it was because they didn’t know enough peohabits,” Ms. Wilson said. “You guys are young, you “This morning especially,” he said, “we have an amazing opporple of color to understand why that might be are the generation that could definitely start the progtunity to also better ourselves as Jews and better ourselves as comoffensive. ress that we always talk about but never happens. You munity members of this wonderful city and this wonderful country.” For the final 10 minutes, students and faculty asked their own guys are going to be the pioneers for this change.” When the meeting started, there were around 239 participants questions, either through anonymous messages in the chat or diMr. Leach said he thought it was important for high schoolers to in the Zoom out of about 250 students and 50 combined adminisrectly over Zoom. To ask a question, a participant had to directly understand that although America is a great country, it was founded tration, faculty and staff in the school. message it to Kate first. on racist ideals, slavery and sexism. He said he hoped the Town Hall Questions for the panelists mostly surrounded two main topics Mr. William Reusch, who teaches U.S History and Civics at would be a good way for students to understand this and maybe be which at times intersected: racism in America and what it’s like to Shalhevet, asked whether doing something racist necessarily made more on the lookout for racism in the country. be Black in a Jewish community. For the former, all four panelists a person a racist. “It is who I am,” Mrs. Shervington said, when asked by Kate shared experiences. “A place where people might be getting confused that you can what it was like to be a Black Jew. “You feel you are wholly Jewish, Ms. Wilson started off the conversation by saying racism was a offer some clarity is in definitions,” Mr. Reusch said. “Being called but also… you need to be very visibly frum so people aren’t scared “daily thing” she encounters in America, followed by Mrs. Shervingor labeled a racist is obviously something quite negative, so how do of you, so people don’t think you’re a stranger in the neighborhood.” ton who said “of course” she had experienced it. we get a common language when you say things like, ‘Something

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The Boiling Point • April 2021 • Community

Desert Shalhevet would send Phoenix-area students to LA campus, on Zoom and in person ‘Shalhevet Scottsdale’ accepting applications now; students would visit LA campus several days each month By Benjamin Gamson, News Editor

grades would enroll in the new program during its first year. Dr. Friedman declined to say how many Shalhevet hopes to open a partner school in applications have been received so far. “We received some applications by April 1 but Scottsdale, Ariz., next fall, taking advantage of virtual teaching technology made familiar during gave several extensions to families who found subCovid to help a growing but small Jewish com- mitting applications by that time difficult due to munity near Phoenix jump-start Modern Ortho- Pesach,” she said. The new school’s website, nishmatadin.org, dox education there. The school is being called Nishmat Adin-Shal- says Arizona students would come to Shalhevet hevet Scottsdale, and the plan is for students to Los Angeles once a month for three to five days. “Scottsdale students would Zoom into some attend Los Angeles classes via Zoom, with “educator/facilitators” on site with them in Arizona. of our classes (and be full remote learners), parIt is now accepting applications for the 2021-22 ticipate in clubs/co-curriculars that are amenable to online engagement, and would even join our school year. Then-Associate Head of School Rabbi David students in-person multiple times throughout the Block said officials would not be certain of the year,” it states. The website envisions a school that meets project’s status until the new school’s deadline to apply for admission. At the time, that was April 1. mostly in Scottsdale but is immersed in Los An“Until the application deadline passes and we geles school life as much as possible. It says the LA campus “has invested heavily in see the level interest, we won’t have a full sense of making the remote learning experience as interacwhat this will look like,” Rabbi Block wrote in an email response to Boiling Point questions March tive as possible,” but that it will be different from 8. “But, we’re excited that the partnership has gar- “Zoom school.” Students in Arizona would have academic staff nered significant interest among many Scottsdale with them on site, though the exact location of families, and we’re feeling optimistic. The admission deadline has since been extend- the Scottsdale campus has yet to be announced. “With a strong focus on the social experience, ed to May 1. Tuition was going to be $24,750, including Shalhevet Scottsdale students will come togethtravel costs, but the Shalhevet Scottsdale website er in classrooms on a campus (with the guidance says that scholarships are being offered to all stu- from on-site academic coordinators/facilitators),” states the website. “While most courses will be dents in the inaugural remote learning, the in-person facilitaclass for the upcoming tors and OWL technology will create a school year. more engaging environment than remote We envision that Scottsdale President of the school alone. students might Zoom into our board at Nishmat Adin, It says students would be able to join Town Halls initially, and — usDr. Ariella Friedman, co-curriculars remotely “when feasible” ing the tools and methodolotold the Boiling Point and “will also have the option to develop that the cost of starting a gy they learn and experience additional clubs locally if of interest.” school is a lot, especially — might eventually create for only a few students. their own Just Community According to a 2019 report from So the group brought in-person in Scottsdale.” Arizona State University, the number of in a consultant from Jews who are known to Jewish organizaYeshiva University, Dr. — Rabbi David Block tions in Maricopa County (where PhoeScott Goldberg, to advise nix and Scottsdale are located) has grown them and run a feasibility by 19 percent since 2002, to 98,750. study, and then Rabbi Ari Segal to help. Meanwhile, the percentage school-age people in Dr. Friedman said that it was both Dr. Goldberg and Rabbi Segal who had the idea to partner that group who are enrolled in fulltime Jewish day school has grown from 14% to 22%. The percent with Shalhevet. “Initially we were working with Ari Segal in a identifying as Orthodox has held steady during consultant capacity…, and then that transitioned that time, at 3%. A virtual parlor meeting for interested families more to him being a representative in a Shalhevet capacity for this arrangement,” Dr. Friedman said. was held online March 3, led by Associate RabAlthough not widely discussed at school, the bi Block. Also on Zoom for the discussion were Scottsdale plan was disclosed in a Feb. 18 email L.A. Shalhevet administrators Rabbi Ari Segal, sent to current Shalhevet parents in Los Angeles outgoing Head of School; Principal Mr. Daniel signed by Rabbi Block, Rabbi Segal, Mr. Weslow Weslow; and Assistant Executive Director Mr. and Chief Operation Officer Ms. Sarah Emerson. Nachum Joel. Twelve Phoenix-area families were represent“The thoughtful and diverse Jewish community in Scottsdale, Ariz., has limited options for ed. Urging attendees to spread the word about Jewish high school,” stated the email. “What’s the plan, Scottsdale parent Scott Stein compared missing is a place that caters to the Modern Or- families involved in founding the new school to thodox community -- both in terms of hashkafa pioneers who settled the West. “Nothing makes a good pioneer party like [religious ideology] and demographic.” Los Angeles Shalhevet officials estimated that more pioneers, as the saying goes,” Mr. Stein said. The new school’s website, nishmatadin.org, eight to 10 students going into ninth and 10th

also describes the plan. “Shalhevet High School, located in Los Angeles California, has partnered with the Scottsdale Jewish community to provide a Jewish High School experience for students in Scottsdale,” states the website on its FAQ page. The school “is now accepting applications for incoming 9th and 10th graders to come together in Scottsdale and benefit from the product Shalhevet High School has to offer.” However, Shalhevet Scottsdale would not be the only Jewish high school in the Scottsdale-Phoenix area, and another new high school is slated to open in the fall of 2022. Currently, there are an all-boys high school, called Yeshiva High School of Arizona and an all-girls high school called Shearim Torah High School for Girls. A third Jewish high school -- the Oasis School, co-ed and non-denominational -- was scheduled to open in fall 2021. But according to media reports, its opening has been postponed until fall 2022 due to the pandemic. Asked what impact that timing might have and what the relationship between Oasis and Shalhevet Scottsdale might be, Rabbi Block said they’d serve different communities. “I’d imagine that one difference between Shalhevet Scottsdale and Oasis may be the difference between any Modern Orthodox school and Jewish community school (which is often non-denominational),” wrote Rabbi Block told the Boiling Point March 8. Dr. Arriella Friedman, whose children are still in elementary school, said she would prefer Shalhevet Scottsdale since Oasis is just starting out while Shalhevet is developed. “Shalhevet has so many different class offerings for each subject,” Dr. Friedman said in an interview, “and there is a class or a level for each student depending on their personal background and their academic strengths. “That’s just something you can’t get with a small school starting out.” She believes Shalhevet Scottsdale would be better socially as well due to the number of students at Shalhevet, whereas she expects Oasis to be smaller. “Shalhevet has an amazing track record, their students are stellar -- they’re smart, they’re kind,” Dr. Friedman said. “We’d love to be a part of that community with such wonderful students.” Nishmat Adin, which means “soul of Adin,” refers to the late scholar and educator Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, z”l, author of The Thirteen-Petaled Rose, A Guide to Jewish Prayer and the 22-volume Steinsaltz Edition Talmud. The Shalhevet Scottsdale website says its philosophy would be rooted in four education prin-

ciples, or “pillars,” articulated by Rabbi Steinsaltz. The pillars, it said, are “Ahavat Israel - unconditional love for every Jew,” from Vayikra 19:18; “The Divine Presence dwells only in a place of happiness” from the Talmud, Tractate Shabbat 30b; “The most important thing is deed,” from Pirkei Avot 1:17; and Rabbi Steinsaltz’s phrase “Let my people know,” a motto of his educational institutions in Israel. Rabbi Steinsaltz also founded several schools in Israel. It was not known whether Shalhevet Scottsdale might be the start of a similar network modeled on Shalhevet’s example. The new school’s website includes a section on the academic program at Shalhevet Los Angeles, with descriptions of Town Hall, the Just Community, and Community Service on its third page. While these are not described as components of Nishmat Adin, Rabbi Block said it was possible that Arizona-based students would do something similar on their own. “We envision that Scottsdale students might Zoom into our Town Halls initially, and -- using the tools and methodology they learn and experience -- might eventually create their own Just Community in-person in Scottsdale,” Rabbi Block told the Boiling Point after the Zoom parlor meeting. School officials said there would be several benefits to Shalhevet Los Angeles from the new arrangement. “COVID has caused financial strain, and while we’re still doing well, it’s our responsibility to look for additional, creative sources of income (to help keep our school financially stable, to help expand and grow our offerings, and to help keep costs for families down).” stated the Feb. 18 email to parents. Two others were being at the “forefront of educational innovation” in terms of hybrid learning and “learning from the experiences of those who don’t come from their same community.” Also on the list were “We get to share our incredible faculty” and “We can give others access to our rich Judaic Studies program.” For people in Scottsdale, it’s a matter of offering something to their next generation. Scottsdale parents, the email said, “deeply want to provide their children with a thoughtful approach to Judaism and meaningful Torah learning, all alongside a rigorous academic experience. “While the desire for such a school is there, the numbers aren’t,” said the email to parents. “While their community works on building a school as more and more children come of high school age, there are still a handful of students who, in the meantime, crave a thoughtful, Modern Orthodox education. That’s where we come in.”

Teachers must grade work within three week or not assign tests and projects, vote decides continued from page 1 improve. “I feel like there is also an element of respect that has to do with a teacher not turning in an assignment or grade on time,” said Alexandra. “A teacher usually wants a student to put in a lot of effort and put in a lot of work to turn in their work and their assignment on time, so i think that that’s kind of the same concept with a teacher. ” But senior Samson Taxon said delayed grading was not a big problem. “Just to give some senior perspective, I don’t think I’ve ever had two ungraded tests at the same time, and I don’t ever think I’ve had three ungraded essays at the same time,” said Samson. “I think where this is going to lead to happening is your gonna have waves of grading every three weeks.” Others said they thought it would be more beneficial for smaller assignments. “it’s the little ones that the teachers kind of keep pushing off,

and the bigger ones they grade right away,” said freshman Arielle Grossman. Teachers also spoke in favor of the proposal, although they also mentioned potential problems. Judaic Studies teacher Dr. Sheila Keiter warned that teachers could feel rushed to grade assignments and not give the full feedback they would normally give. “I’m for the most part in favor of this proposal,” Dr. Keiter said, “But I’m just thinking of the cons. I know that there are some assignments I want to grade with greater care, like really pulling apart the language and leaving lots of feedback. That takes longer to do.” That comment sparked some discussion on Zoom’s chat feature. Senior Evy Rosenkrantz suggested that teachers have five weeks to grade as opposed to the three. But she did not propose amending Evan and Eli’s proposal. Other teachers said students could file a case with the Fairness Committee if a teacher’s grading was taking too long. Students replied that that might be disrespectful or hurt their relationship with the teacher.

After Town Hall concluded, students were able to vote in favor or against the proposal on Schoology. The rule will now be added to the Student Handbook. It was the first proposal vote of the year, and came after the Judicial Review Committee — made up of the Fairness and Agenda chairs, an elected faculty representative and the head of school — approved it for discussion. Under a constitutional amendment passed last May, that meant that any vote would be binding. That, too, was a first. Kate Orlanski said that was easy. Rabbi David Block was there as head of school, and Rabbi Abraham Leiberman represented the faculty. “We had a brief meeting, seven minutes long,” said Kate Orlanski. Evan Beller said he was pleased with the result. “I just really hope that students in the future will be able to turn in an assignment and hear feedback on it in an orderly fashion,” said Evan.

7 PAGE DESIGN BY SARAH FEUER

Torah

BP GRAPHIC BY EZRA HELFAND

APRIL 2021

For the LGBTQ religious, Rabbi Lau writes a guide for where there is no map Writing from Israel, Rabbi Benny Lau offers LGBTQ four components for living Jewishly continued from page 1

which have focused on how synagogues and schools should welcome LGBTQ members, “Lo Tov Hayot” addresses the members themselves -- the people most directly affected, and for whom no guidance in Jewish law or practice has previously existed. Rabbi Lau opens his posting by putting sexuality and gender preference status into the category of the ways humans struggle in life, and more specifically in Judaism. Whereas an ideal world attempts to create exact, non-changeable truths, he writes, ity creates another real“floor,” or level, of experience -- that of the individual living a life of personal needs, gifts and challenges.

“Our religious world is always built of these two floors -- the ideal Torah floor and the reality of the world as it is,” Rabbi Lau writes. “But whoever wants to fully worship God in the world should get used to holding in his hands both the ideological Torah and the reality of life, and live with both.” For those whose sexuality or gender identity do not fit into Torah categories, he says, this should mean starting with honesty and self-acceptance, and then finding a partner with whom to fulfill the needs shared by all human beings. Among those needs, he states, are the desire to raise children and to hold a commitment ceremony of some kind to begin a joined chapter of life. “The document here is not a book of halacha,” writes Rabbi Lau. “This is a file of recommendations for managing the marital and family life of the members of the LGBT community within the family and the religious community.” Shalhevet Head of School Rabbi Ari Segal, who in 2016 published the first-ever “pledge” for high schools announcing their welcome to LGBTQ+ students, applauded Rabbi Lau’s statement, particularly its focus on relationships. “Even if halacha doesn’t condone homosexual relationships, Judaism has what to say about the values we live by,” Rabbi Segal said in an interview with the Boiling Point. He said monogamy was one of those values. “You find someone and you build that relationship,” Rabbi Segal said. “So nobody has

been saying that -- not because nobody cares, by the way, but because it’s hard. It’s hard to thread the needle of public policy in Orthodox communities.” Rabbi Lau’s document outlines four components for living as both a Jew and a member of the LGBTQ+ community. The first, he said, is recognizing and ideally announcing that one is LGBTQ. Many religious Jews stop right there, fearing exclusion. But Rabbi Lau considers it a critical first step, even if only a few people are told. “Standing with your eyes open in front of who you are is a threshold condition for choosing life,” Rabbi Lau wrote. “This standing, alone in front of the mirror, is the defining moment

The wedding ceremony should not be an imitation of a marriage ceremony, and building a proper alternative ceremony can release much of the opposition to it. -Rabbi Lau before coming out of the closet. Of the ability to answer the Creator’s question ‘eicha’ -- where are you -- and not to hide.” No matter how many people they tell, he says, the person should then move on into adult life, possibly finding a permanent partner. That is the second component. “The family outlined in the Torah as ideal is that of a man and a woman who form a complete family pattern,” Rabbi Lau writes. “Reality, as is well known, is not ideal, and the question of choosing the right couple structure for the unique individual is a critical question.” He adds that if someone is LGBTQ but tries to create a heterosexual family anyway, they must inform their spouse of their sexual orientation, saying too many people get hurt as a result of their spouse having skipped that step. In the third section, Rabbi Lau tackles the subject of gay weddings, acknowledging that “the religious framework has no answer to same-sex marriage.” “The desire to inform ourselves and the world that we have chosen to live in a marital alliance is an understandable desire,” Rabbi Lau writes, “which is why many members of the community want to be recognized and married. It is impossible and wrong to ignore or alienate this need.” He said the wedding should not be “an imitation of a marriage ceremony, and that building a proper alternative ceremony can release much of the opposition to it.” Still, the lack of a set ceremony is “a missing and very painful point for some of the members

of the LGBT community and their environment,” writes Rabbi Lau. “No acceptable solution has been found to this difficulty in the accepted halakhic space.” In the fourth section, Rabbi Lau makes recommendations for how to raise children in a religious context. “Parental ability also does not characterize parents from one community or another,” writes Rabbi Lau. Everyone has a desire to bring life into the world, he writes, and no one can or should “suppress this inner desire.” “Like their parents, the children of the couple did not sin and are not different from all children,” he adds. “Care must be taken to not embarrass them or any act of harming their dignity and place in the company of children. “The inclusion of the sons and daughters of the LGBT community does not undermine the family or the community.” In the extended Shalhevet community, the new document seemed to be a glass both half empty and half full. Senior Rebecca Cohen, a member of Shalhevet’s Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA), said it mattered that Rabbi Lau is an Orthodox rabbi in Israel. “We have our smaller Shalhevet community, our smaller shul communities, the LA Jewish community, the American Jewish community,” Rebecca said in an interview. “But as a whole, I think these Israeli rabbis really are kind of at the head of the Orthodox community.” She thinks the post will reverberate widely. “For a major Orthodox Israeli rabbi to be speaking on this issue and not treating it like a taboo, it has effect on the smaller communities within the larger Jewish community,” she said.

Even if halacha doesn’t condone homosexual relationships, Judaism has what to say about the values we live by. -Rabbi Ari Segal, Head of School “And that … will absolutely ripple down to high school students, and teach those who need to be more respectful to be more respectful and to show those who feel marginalized that they are welcome.” Gray Segal, GSA president, was glad Rabbi Lau had not condemned the LGBTQ+ community, but wasn’t sure how useful it was to point out that its members are also human. “It’s never pleasant when people say, ‘Ahh yes, they’re humans just like you, because they

can also love..., etc.,’” said Gray. “That’s always some-

what exclusionary.” Gray also lamented that the post had not addressed transgender people specifically. “He mostly was focusing on gay and bi people,” Gray said. “People are getting better at supporting Jewish LGB people, but not Jewish trans people, which I do think that they could do a lot better on.” Alumnus Micha Thau ‘17, who was Shalhevet GSA’s first president, doubted “Lo Tov Hayot” would have a wide impact, partly because it’s not backed by Israel’s centralized religious authority and partly because it still calls homosexuality “not ideal.” “I just don’t think people are going to follow it,” said Micha, who was Shalhevet’s first openly gay student. He now lives in Israel but was interviewed during a visit to Los Angeles. “Anyone who might be in Rabbi Lau’s community, maybe,” he said. “For LGBT people it gives sort of a blueprint of how they could live a religious life. But for a lot of people, that’s not going to be satisfactory because it still makes me feel like a second-class citizen.” Shalhevet Guidance counselor Esther Rbibo said groups like the school’s GSA are also a way of meeting that challenge. “We are evolving as a world in so many ways...,” Ms. Rbibo said in an interview. “We’re growing and we definitely want the goal to be for every student to feel safe, to feel connected, to feel like they have a space to be who they are.” She praised the GSA for being such a place. “Figuring out all parts of your identity is very challenging,” said Ms. Rbibo. “It can be a very emotionally charged piece for teenagers in general. It can be confusing; it can be relieving, when a person discovers how they feel about any part of their identity.” Rebecca Cohen sees “Lo Tov Hayot” as something that may make that easier. “I think it’s amazing that he put out this document to start that conversation, and start making that change that the Jewish community needs to properly support the LGBT community,” said Rebecca. “Whether they take it as guidance or they take it as a statement, or even if they read it and don’t really care and it doesn’t affect them, shouldn’t matter to us,” she said. “Because at the end of the day, our responsibility is to make sure that we’re creating a community where people feel safe, no matter what decisions they make about how they’re going to live their lives in a way that is most authentic to who they are.” Editor’s note: This article uses translations from the Hebrew by Morah Michal Davis-Bryski.

8

The Boiling Point • April 2021

Just blocks from school, doctors searching for U.K. variant of

CAL-20C variant, identified at Cedars-Sinai Jan. 3, is probably not resistant to va

By Juliet Wiener, Science Writer California is known for the beach, movie stars, fashion, and now for its very own coronavirus variant. Originating in Southern California, this variant — called CAL.20C, or the California variant — has now spread to 19 other states, Washington D.C., and six other countries, including Israel. Scientists at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center believe the spread can be attributed to Californians traveling while infected. The team at Cedars is led by Dr. Eric Vail and Dr. Jasmine Plummer, who along with Dr. Wenjuan Zhang were among the first to identify and study this variant back in December. While looking for signs of the United Kingdom variant in patients at Cedars. Less than two miles up San Vicente Boulevard from Shalhevet and dressed in full PPEs, they prepare samples from hundreds of Cedars coronavirus patients for analysis by a machine called the NovaSeq 600 sequencer, which stands like a giant photocopying machine in their clinical molecular pathology lab. “So it’s funny enough, we were looking for the UK variant the week between Christmas and New Year’s,” Dr. Vail told the Boiling Point. “We ended up loading the sequencer at 11 pm on New Year’s Eve, and we didn’t see the UK variant.” cedars-sinai.org However, on the morning of Jan. 3, something unexpected arrived in his inbox from Dr. Zhang, the lab’s bioinforMASKED: Dr. Eric Vail works in the Clinical Molecular Pathology lab at Cedars-Sinai, wearing PPE to protect himself from Covid-19 samples he is studying. matician, who would become the lead author of an article tor of the Applied Genomics, Computation & Translational incapable of entering human cells. reporting the finding. Mutations of the virus that change the spike protein’s shape “[Dr. Zhang] emailed me on Sunday and said, ‘We’ve found Core. Dr. Zhang works in the Department of Pathology and can potentially make vaccines less effective, because the antisomething different here, that’s almost 40% of our samples from Laboratory Medicine at Cedars-Sinai. Meanwhile, a team of scientists at University of California bodies evoked by the vaccine won’t bind as well to it. Vaccines the end of December,’” Dr. Vail told the Boiling Point. “And then we got to work, and we mined the public databases to see San Francisco, separately came across the California variant on by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, which are composed of if it was also there. And it was, and by the end of January it was New Year’s Eve. The two groups had similar results, and accord- “messenger RNA” — or mRNA — and Johnson & Johnson all ing to the New York Times, both found CAL.20C while looking target the spike protein, as do many other vaccines in use or in 50% of all Covid cases from Southern California.” development around the world. Looking back through previous samples, Dr. Vail and his for the UK variant, B.1.1.7. “The current mRNA vaccines are using the mRNA which team were able to determine that the first case of the California According to Biology teacher Dr. Elizabeth Basheer, genet- codes for how to make that spike protein,” Dr. Basheer said. variant was found in July, in Los Angeles County, reappearing in October and spreading rapidly in November and December. ic mutations causing variants are mistakes that happen when a “The mRNA vaccine is then teaching our bodies how to recogThe surge in CAL.20C cases aligned with the holiday season — virus replicates. Dr. Basheer said this occurs in nature just as it nize [and fight] the spike protein of the virus.” The most notable mutation in the CAL.20C variant is a and also, the worst month for California so far in the Covid19 does in human behavior. “If I gave you a huge book and asked you to hand-copy it, spike protein mutation called L452R, which is within a known pandemic. On Dec. 29, cases in the county mushroomed to you’re going to make some mistakes as you’re copying receptor-binding domain (that is, an immunogenic piece from 21,648 in a single day. it,” Dr. Basheer said in an interview Feb. 25. “Same a virus that attaches to a specific internal receptor sequence to It was the worst month of the thing happens when the body copies DNA for a virus. enter host cells) that has been found to be resistant to certain pandemic in Southern California, so We think as a lab, and I think this There are chances that it gets copied wrong in some monoclonal antibody treatments against Covid-19, according to far. is pretty standard in the scientific places. When it’s copied wrong, that’s a mutation.” a journal article published about the L452R mutation back in Three weeks later, on Jan. 20 — community, that most of these Dr. Vail and his colleagues found that CAL.20C is July by the Elsevier Public Health Emergency Collection. as LA County deaths headed toward variants will not be resistant to the defined by five particular mutations to the Covid-19 “There was a paper … that had looked at different mutations their one-day peak of 930 on Feb. 24 vaccines.” virus. Two are located internally, inside the virus’s in the receptor binding domain and looked at their effect on — Dr. Vail’s department published shell. These two mutations are less worrisome than the monoclonal antibodies, and this one [ L452R mutation] was the first scientific journal article on — Dr. Eric Vail, Director of Molecular other three. one of those that was resistant to one group of monoclonal anthe California variant, detailing the Pathology, Cedars-Sinai The other three mutations are located on the vi- tibodies,” Dr. Vail said. genetic mutations that differentiate Monoclonal antibodies can be used to treat Covid-19 in parus’s external “spike” proteins — the protrusions this strain. which give all coronaviruses their distinctive appear- tients, “so it was definitely a mutation of interest for us from the Dr. Vail is the assistant professor of Pathology and Director of Molecular Pathology in the ance, along with their name, corona, which is Latin for “crown.” very beginning,” said Dr. Vail. How concerned was the Cedars team? Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Dr. These three are more concerning, because most vaccines now “I wouldn’t say concerned, I would say intrigued,” Dr. Vail Plummer is a research scientist at the hospital’s Center for Bioin- in use and being developed work by causing the body to make formatics and Functional Genomics; she is also Associate Drec- antibodies against the spike protein, which then make​the virus​ said, describing his initial reaction to seeing the L452R muta-

tion in the Cali But he said resistant to the “I would sa at least one vari B.1.351 — has “We think the scientific co be resistant to huge reduction from the vaccin of the variants t variant.” Additionally of the immune signed to kill i targeted toward with the vaccine variants. Because of even against the still see very goo there is a small prevention, we in — almost a 1 severe cases.” Still, Dr. Va whether CAL.2 “we’re pretty co fectious” and m spike. Also, it is s typically is asym infected. Dr. Va

To track th advanced techn lyze the virus’s oratory. This lab related to onco pandemic hit. He said the were collected f ples of SARS-C new samples co to be sequenced After receivi put it in a test t port medium, w then processed, Next, the re preparation” wh ments and attac Then the RN there is some RN to analyze, so y this is called you loaded onto a s uniquely barcod

Boiling Point Covid Tracker October 28-April 7

The Boiling Point has been conducting bi-weekly anonymous surveys to watch how Covid cases are progressing not only at school but among friends, family and perso The survey is not scientific and the number of responses varies.. It is published every other Tuesday, and community members including students, faculty and staff hav

By April, nearly everyone knew someone who’d tested positive.

The survey also asks whether community members know anyone who’s died from Covid-19, and whether they or any household members have been vaccinated. This and other information can be found at shalhevetboilingpoint.com/covidtracker.

Color War week. Tea points for responses, participation from a erage of 120 over the surveys to 186 March

f Covid-19 discovered California’s

accines, says doctor whose team found it

Those results are compared to a reference genome to see where in the RNA any mutations have occurred. While interacting with these Covid samples in the lab, the scientists at Cedars wear full PPE including eye protection, double gloves, a back closing gown, and N95 masks. They also work in a negative pressure chamber. “This is all done under very safe conditions to the point where not a single person has gotten infected from laboratory testing,” Vail said. It takes a lot of time, and there’s much to be studied. Currently, Dr. Vail is working 60- to 70-hour weeks, including on weekends. “We are now doing cell culture assays to look for increased y, Dr. Vail said that there is a whole other branch growth in culture, [and] antibody neutralization assays,” he said. system, the cellular immune system, that is “de- “We’re cloning the proteins with the specific mutations in them intracellular organisms such as viruses and are to look for decreased antibody sensitivity” Looking at clinical data also reveals much about new strains ds that and are very good at it.” In combination e, this is an extra element protecting against new to Vail and his team. “We’re looking to partner with a couple different instituthis, he said, “it is very likely that tions to increase our sample size and ese immune invasion strains we will get a lot more clinical data where we od benefit from the vaccines. Even if can get patient records to be able to decrease in efficacy for symptomatic If I gave you a huge book and asked look for these changes in morbidity, expect at least a very high reduction you to hand-copy it, you’re going to hospitalization, increased supplemen100% reduction — in mortality and make some mistakes as you’re copying tal oxygen use, ventilation, things like it. Same thing happens when the body that,” Dr. Vail told the Boiling Point. ail said that while it is not yet clear copies DNA for a virus… When it’s “And then we’re doing epidemiological 20C is deadlier than current strains, studies as well.” copied wrong, that’s a mutation.” onfident that it’s somewhat more in— Dr. Elizabeth Basheer, Biology But even though Dr. Vail isn’t too may be part of what drove the holiday worried about the California variant, he agrees with President Biden’s Covid still unknown whether this variant Task Force that keeping the virus unmptomatic or symptomatic in those ail thinks it will probably be more symptomatic. der control — and reducing it to as low levels as possible — is essential to prevent further spread of Covid-19. he spread of CAL.20C, Dr. Vail’s lab is using an That’s because every new case encourages the virus to keep nique called next-generation sequencing to ana- mutating, scientists say, and mutations can be dangerous and genes in their clinical molecular pathology lab- compromise the effectiveness of certain treatments. So it is of boratory was originally used for analyzing genes paramount importance to prevent them from developing. Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s Chief Medical Advisor, ology but shifted to a Covid-19 focus after the made that same point in a White House task force briefing Jan. virus samples being used for genetic sequencing 29, when urging people to get vaccinated as soon as they can. “There is a fact that permeates virology, and that is that vifrom patients at Cedars along with random samCoV-2 viruses in publicly available databases. The ruses cannot mutate if they don’t replicate,” said Dr. Fauci, a ollected are kept in –80 C° freezers while waiting leading authority on viruses for more than 40 years. “And if you stop their replication by vaccinating widely and d. ing a sample from an infected person, scientists not giving the virus an open playing field to continue to respond tube containing a solution called universal trans- to the pressures you put on it, you will not get mutations.” Dr. Vail agreed, noting that vaccine companies’ efforts to which stabilizes the viral RNA. This solution is create “booster shots” to fight variants will always be running , isolating the RNA. esearchers take this RNA and conduct “library behind schedule of new mutations. “I think the most important thing is don’t wait for a booster here they break down the RNA into small fragshot,” Dr. Vail told the Boiling Point. “If you can get a vaccine, ch a molecular barcode. NA is enriched for the viral genome. In the RNA please get a vaccine. Pfizer is for 16 and older so some of your NA from the human host, which you don’t want readers will have the opportunity to get that. “Until we are completely out of this, please continue to soyou enrich it to get the part of the wanted RNA; ur library. In Dr. In Vail’s lab, this library is then cially distance and wear a mask. Wash your hands. Do all the sequencer with thousands of other samples, all things so we can get out of this together, because the light’s at ded, to receive sequencing results. the end of the tunnel we’re almost there.”

ifornia variant. this does not mean the California variant will be vaccine. ay most likely not,” Dr. Vail said, even though iant — the South Africa variant, also known as seemed to show reduced vaccine effectiveness. as a lab, and I think this is pretty standard in ommunity, that most of these variants will not the vaccines,” he said. “We’re definitely seeing ns in mortality, huge reductions in severe disease ne, and I think that’s going to hold up regardless that emerge — possibly even the South African

onal acquaintances of Shalhevet community members. ve until midnight the following night to respond.

BY BENJAMIN GAMSON, NEWS EDITOR AND ELI WEISS, DIGITAL MEDIA EDITOR

ams earned , raising weekly ave rest of the h 9-10.

Actual Shalhevet cases (red line) rose during LA’s post-New Year spike and have stayed steady since then at around 10% of those surveyed.

9 A Student’s Guide to Being Vaccinated as a Minor in L.A By Evan Beller, 10th Grade In case you haven’t heard, starting April 15 — next Wednesday — California plans to expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to all persons ages 16 and older. With this huge wave of demand, many are worried that they won’t be able to find an appointment to get the vaccine. They have a point: even people for whom it’s been eligible for months have had trouble signing up for a vaccine. Complicating matters further, as of April 6, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized only the Pfizer vaccine for ages 16 and above, making it the only vaccine allowed for minors and so perhaps even more in demand. Though a thrilling experience it may be, getting your vaccine appointment therefore won’t be easy. So here is a guide for people ages 16 and 17. It also applies to everyone 18 and older. THE PFIZER VACCINE CAN BE FOUND AT: Los Angeles County “Point of Dispensing,” or POD, sites: Pomona Fairplex, LA County Office of Education, Central Public Health Center, The Inglewood Forum, Balboa Sports Complex, Cal State Northridge, El Sereno Recreation Center, MLK Jr. Center for Public Health, Magic Mountain, and Antelope Valley Health Center. Other Mass Vaccination Sites — run by fire departments, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) or Kaiser Cal Poly Pomona and Pierce College. These clinics and hospitals Kedren, UCLA, Kaiser, St. John’s, Henry Mayo and El Camino College CVS pharmacies and Walgreens pharmacies Hurdle No. 1: Pharmacies have some additional rules of their own. While you may be eligible under LA County’s rules, it isn’t definite that CVS or Walgreens would administer the vaccine to you even if they have appointments available. SCHEDULING AN APPOINTMENT To schedule an appointment at a mass vaccination site, clinic or hospital, you need to go to the California-run “My Turn” website. Hurdle No. 2: My Turn appointments cannot be scheduled via phone call, only through the website. On the My Turn website, you will be asked for your age, health conditions and place of residency. Once you enter your ZIP code, information about nearby vaccination sites will appear. At that point, for each site you will be able to find times of operation, the type of vaccine administered, and vailable appointment times Hurdle No. 3: Most of the time, there will be few or no to no appointments available. TIP: If no nearby sites or appointments are available, check the website later. And later. And tomorrow. And the next day. And again and again until appointments are available. TIP: Most sites on the My Turn website with the title “MegaPOD” or “POD” administer vaccines from Monday to Wednesday and update appointment availability every Sunday morning. Appointments are usually available until Sunday afternoon; by nighttime they are often booked up. Other sites operate under their own unique schedules, but can all be found on the My Turn website. So periodically checking the My Turn website may be the best opportunity for booking an appointment at those locations. To schedule your second appointment: Most locations on the My Turn website allow you to book your first and second dose appointments at the same time. But if you aren’t given the option automatically, you should schedule it yourself, three to six weeks after the first dose, as per the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation. Like the My Turn website, CVS and Walgreens websites you will need to check off your eligibility and input your ZIP code in order to register. Appointments can only be scheduled via the website. Calling your local CVS or Walgreens location can answer questions such as the type of vaccine administered at that location, eligibility at the location, and papers required to get the shot, but appointments cannot be made by phone. To schedule at Walgreens, you must set up a free Walgreens account, but this is an easy process. Also, both CVS and Walgreens only allow users to schedule up to five days in advance and will schedule your second dose automatically. TIP: CVS updates its appointment times every day at 12 midnight, and Walgreens updates sporadically but usually between 6 and 8 a.m. You should be constantly checking and refreshing those websites to find new available appointments. YOUR APPOINTMENT Bring these with you: Photo ID and proof of residency (student ID, driver’s license or permit, passport) Health insurance information A parent or guardian –unless you’re already 18 Once you get your shot, expect to stay put for at least 15 minutes so personnel can watch you for allergic reactions. If you have a history of serious allergic reactions to anything (for example, if you carry an EpiPen), you’ll need to wait 30 minutes to be sure you don’t need medical attention right away. After receiving the vaccine, it is common to experience symptoms. Among the most common are fever, chills and muscle aches; headache, feeling tired, and sore or red arm. If you experience any unusual symptoms or if symptoms persist after two days, call a medical professional. The CDC’s website about the Pfizer vaccine and its side effects. IMMUNITY! Current data show that you will be immune from Covid-19 a week after your second dose. It’s not yet known for sure ifthe vaccine prevents people from spreading the virus asymptomatically, so keep your mask on! Page Design and Graphic by Ellie Orlanski

10

ARTS & Culture

APRIL 2021

In ‘Rough and Rowdy Ways,’ Bob Dylan looks back to see the present BP Illustration By Sara Adatto

Slightly illuminating the road ahead: ‘Headlights’ by Eminem By ANYA MENDELSON, 11th GRADE Most songs fill the silence. The occasional one will fuel whatever bottled-up feeling is left inside of you. But the rare song, combined with all its rare components, will present you with a kind of serenity that courses through your body. It turns off your brain, puts the waves rippling through your stomach at peace, and more often than not, changes your view on life. Winding through the Hollywood Hills, no street lights to guide the way, nerves building up wondering whether there’s going to be a car around the next corner, complete darkness — the perfect setting for a tragedy. My brother sat to my left, seeming carefree as he blinked his headlights twice to warn anything that might be in our way. Anxiety began to build as I forced myself to stay calm, pushing away the thought that the probability of these lights saving us from a car speeding around the corner was slim to none. I turned my attention to the stereo. My brother has always been the music fanatic in the family so naturally, we were listening to his playlist, although after hearing these songs so many times I could really call it my music. Without warning, he turned the volume off and said: “Headlights, Eminem, featuring Nate Russ.” My unfamiliarity with the song did not stop me from taking his phone and typing in the title of the melody that, by the tone he was using, I could tell would assemble all the required components needed for a moment of peace. A silence filled the space. The song opens with a momentum-building sum of voices and pianos. At the height of these sounds, Nate Russ’s pure voice sings out: “Mom, I know I let you down.” The blast of the lyrics, combined with a light drum, produced an immediate feeling of relief. The first verse highlights Eminem’s rendition of an apology to his mother: “I went in headfirst never thinking about who what I said hurt… My mom probably got it the worst.” Emotion pours out of the voices as Russ signs the apology with, “I guess we are who we are, headlights shining in the dark night I drive on, maybe we took this too far.” I instantly wished the song never ended, I wished we could play it over and over again until it would be burned in my memory. Instead, we dove further into Eminem’s repertoire, picking apart the emotions he expresses in his songs. I stopped listening, as curiosity covered me from head to toe: What is this feeling I get from headlights? The darkness, the twisting paths, the cold air seeping in through the window, it all indicates pain, but in the headlights, providing just enough light to see a few feet of road — that’s where my safety is found. This song, and the five minutes and 43 seconds of serenity that came with it, turned out to prove a lasting point: it is impossible for anyone to know when they’ve gone too far, or haven’t gone far enough. There are no signs in life that tell you if you’re moving too fast or too slow, no guides telling you which way to turn. Just the headlights, and their ability to uncover a few paces of a possible future. You can only wish for the outcome you want, the rest is up to fate, and that hopeful light shining in the back of your mind.

By Eli Weiss, arts and culture Editor Even after a nearly 60-year career of songs covering everything from love to race to politics to death and so much more, Bob Dylan does not fail to deliver a simultaneously timely and timeless collection of songs in his 39th album, and his first in eight years to contain all original work. Rough and Rowdy Ways, which came out last June 19, comes in at 70 minutes of songs ranging from a Frankenstein-themed “My Own Version of You” to a tribute to an American blues musician in “Goodbye Jimmy Reed.” In this album, Dylan seems to take the role of a historian, talking of stories from not just his own life, but also American culture as a whole. This comes through in many songs, but perhaps best of all in “Murder Most Foul,” his longest song to date. It is 16 minutes and 55 seconds long, with lyrics that retell John F. Kennedy’s assassination with pop culture references from that time, referencing songs such as “Dizzy Miss Lizzy” by Larry Williams. The last section of the song essentially lists songs of the period, for example: “Misty” for me and “That Old Devil Moon” Play “Anything Goes” and “Memphis in June” Musically, “Murder Most Foul” isn’t complicated; it is mostly played over two chords, with a melody that is almost entirely one note. Piano (played by Fiona Apple), a single violin and simple percussion seem to serve as a backing track for poetry rather than a song meant to be sung. That isn’t to say the song’s backing is unnoteworthy; in fact, its free-form simplicity ironically helps add complexity and depth to what Dylan is saying. Although at its center the song is about JFK’s murder, the song feels as though it is speaking on not just JFK, but on the COVID pandemic as well. Originally released as a single in late March of 2020, what “Murder Most Foul” is really trying to get at is how in time of calamity, America can fall back on music. Also noteworthy on the album is its opening track,

“I Contain Multitudes” – a nod to Walt Whitman – that opens with electric guitar, apparently played by Blake Mills, who is identified as playing in other tracks on the album. The song sets the tone for Dylan musing for himself and his life, making it a perfect precursor for what’s to come in the album. The song is about how Dylan feels about his own multiplicity: Today and tomorrow, and yesterday, too The flowers are dyin’ like all things do Follow me close, I’m going to Balian Bali I’ll lose my mind if you don’t come with me I fuss with my hair, and I fight blood feuds I contain multitudes. Not everyone will love this album. As has been for Dylan’s entire career, Bob Dylan’s vocal sound is not for everybody. The nasally voice of his youth has become even more throaty and rough because of his age and perhaps a long life of smoking. Although some find his way of singing evocatively natural, this can be a turn-off for others, perhaps even more now than in the past. And, there are no acoustic folk songs at all, even though it’s an album that looks back and acoustic folk music is where he got his start, such as in early albums such as Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan and The Times They Are A Changin’. Dylan hasn’t released a fully acoustic folk album since his World Gone Wrong in 1993. Also absent, as in his other more recent albums, is what has come to be Dylan’s trademark instrument, the harmonica. The lack of harmonica won’t be noticed by most, however it may come as a surprise to some who haven’t kept up with Dylan’s later work. Overall, the album speaks more than anything else of one thing: reflection. From the music to the lyrics, the ambience of the album all surrounds that one theme. The album may surprise some, as many artists tend to drop off in quality in their later years, but Dylan does not. Rather, he’s taken his age in stride. In Rough and Rowdy Ways, Bob Dylan has used his experiences and what he’s picked up from throughout his life to make an album that feels as though he is trying to use the past to write about the future.

bobdylan.com RETROSPECT: In his 39th studio album, Dylan uses historical themes to show where we are now.

11

Outside News

APRIL 2021

Biden undecided on banning TikTok By Olivia Fishman, Staff Writer The TikTok ban announced by President Donald Trump last August but never implemented is again on pause while the Biden administration decides how best to counter what both administrations see as China’s unfair trade practices, along with a threat to national security, caused by Chinese software being on millions of American phones. But Shalhevet students interviewed said they would not have a very difficult time moving on if it were banned. “I was in a little bit of disbelief because I found out [about the proposed ban] during the summer, when it was my main source of entertainment,” said junior Benny Blacher. Benny spends an average of two hours a day on TikTok during the week and four hours on the weekends, he said, posting humorous content for his friends to enjoy. He has at least one video that has gone viral, about a joke regarding pre-calculus. If TikTok were to be banned, he said he would return to his old sources of entertainment, like YouTube, TV, or going outdoors. Freshman Kyla Zackary said she spends around two hours a day on the app, though less on weekends because she spends time with family. She said she’d be more productive if TikTok was banned. “I think I’d be forced to go outside a lot more and invest in my schoolwork a lot more,” Kyla said. “When I’m procrastinating, TikTok is definitely one of the platforms that pushes me away from everything I need to be doing.” President Biden’s new Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo repeated last week that the matter was still under review. According to media reports, Ms. Raimondo said the problem of TikTok is a matter of defending American interests.

“What we do on offense is more important than what we do on defense,” said Sec. Raimondo at a White House briefing April 7, according to TheHill.com. “We have to level the playing field. No one can out-compete the American worker if the playing field is level.” On Aug. 6, then-President Trump ordered TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell it to an American company by Nov. 12 or see it shut down in the U.S. However, this deadline was first extended until Nov. 27, and again until Dec. 4, so the administration could review a proposal for it to be purchased by Walmart and Oracle. It was never approved, and so the matter was left in limbo. TikTok is platform for looping mini-videos, each one 15 to 60 seconds long, about subjects ranging from politics to memes to dancing. Its millions of users can either create videos of their own or watch others’ creations, and can like, comment on and share them. It’s popular enough that Shalhevet students used it on Schoology last month during Color War to promote their teams. Sophomore Miriam Nektalov wasn’t worried either. “Although it’s addicting and takes up a lot of my time, I spend a lot of my time watching Netflix and Hulu and stuff like that,” Miriam said. “So I’d be able to supplement it and it wouldn’t be a big deal.” She said she could easily follow influencers through other social media platforms. New White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki announced in February that President Biden would pause a lawsuit filed by former President Trump, who had demanded that ByteDance either sell it to an American company or shut it down. But the new administration has not promised to keep Americans’ Tik Tok going. “Broadly speaking, we are evaluating the risks to US data, including from TikTok, and will address them in a decisive and effective fashion,” Ms. Psaki said at a news conference Feb. 5.

BP Screenshot of Danielle’s TikTok VIRAL: Junior Danielle Finn’s TikTok of ‘Crazy’ by Gnarls Barkley has more than 1.3 million views. Also featured are junior Carin Arbib and Danielle’s dad, at back.

Two days after rioters invaded Capitol, Town Hall looked for lessons By Talia Davoudian, Staff Writer Editors’ Note: Because of the national climate of violence surrounding this issue, and to ensure the safety of students and their willingness to speak at Town Hall, this story gives only partial names of students quoted. About 48 hours after rioters raised havoc at the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6, students from across the spectrum of political views at Shalhevet said they were appalled by it. At Town Hall that Friday morning, everyone who spoke, including Trump supporters, said they found the event abhorrent. Some believed Trump had incited it, and a few thought that last spring’s Black Lives Matter protests had caused more damage. Several teachers weighed in with commentary about what could be learned. Led by Agenda Chair Kate Orlanski, the schoolwide discussion briefly reviewed the events, which began when then-president Donald Trump spoke at a “Save America” rally at the Ellipse, a park in front of the White House. In his speech, Trump urged his supporters to march to the Capitol with him to “fight like hell” to “stop the steal” of the November presidential election, which he had lost, by stopping the count of the certification of the 50 states’ electoral votes from the November presidential election, which he had lost. By midday, the thousands of people who had attended the rally had gathered in front of the Capitol building. A massive swarm of rioters overwhelmed Capitol police barriers, violently attacking officers as well as news crews. They broke into the Senate floor, House floor and Capitol Rotunda, threatening the lives of lawmakers, who were meanwhile being evacuated. Outside they set up a gallows; inside they shouted “Hang Mike Pence!” When it was over, five people — including Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, and a rioter from San Diego who was shot as she climbed through the door to the House while members were still Screenshot of Floor.senate.gov

STORMED: In video shown Feb. 9 at former President Trump’s impeachment trial, his supporters shouted “No Trump, no peace!” as they stormed the Capitol Jan. 6.

there — had died, and an additional 140 had been injured. An- Capitol] was just them going in because they’re mad that they lost.” other officer lost consciousness after being pushed into stairs with Junior Kevin C. said the BLM protests were a better cause than a metal barrier. Law enforcement officers were also beaten with flag rioting over Trump losing the election. “You can’t just say a good poles and pipes. cause can justify bad actions,” said Kevin. Sophomore Daniel K. said he was never a fan of President Senior Joey B. said that the invasion of the Capitol was not jusTrump’s behavior or some of the things he would say, but thought tified, but felt that disregarding the opinions of many Americans he was good for Israel. who feel the voting process is corrupt was also “But definitely after he’s been asking his supporters to wrong. Whether or not President Trump acturally in front of Congress to protest a function of our de- “[The rioting at the Capitol] ally won is not the problem, he said, but rathmocracy and then riling them up and then not having a made the Republican party er that many Americans have lost faith in the police presence there, I think that kind of killed it for me,” look bad but the majority of system. Daniel said. “Because to be honest, it was an assault on the Republican party is not “It’s a question of why did these people do everything we stand for.” this,” Joey said. “We have to get into the psybad, and that goes for DemoJunior Noah M. said he was never a big Trump sup- crats as well.” chology of these individuals and try to underporter but had previously thought people overrated how stand what they see as the issue is and try to — Noa S., 12th grade see how to actually fix that issue, or if it exists bad he was and was annoyed with the constant complaints about him. at all.” “But I think the second this happened two days ago, Rabbi David Stein, Director of Judaic Studand how he wasn’t really doing anything about it — almost ies, replied by sharing a Gemara in Bava Matzia. all respect I had for him kind of just went out the window,” Noah In this Gemara, he said, Rabbi Eliezer tried to prove his opinion was said at the Town Hall. “It’s not fair to the country, it’s not fair to the right by having trees uproot themselves and move, the direction of people who supported you at first, too. I just kind of find it really the water in the river switch, the walls of the Beit Midrash fall slantlike, honestly kind of gross.” ed, and even a heavenly voice come out and say that he was correct. Students and teachers expressed opinions about who was to But the majority still did not accept his opinion. Rabbi Stein blame for the event, how it could have happened, and how opinions went on to quote the view of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z’’l. on President Trump had changed. Some also compared the event to “To kind of borrow Rabbi Sacks’ interpretation of this, that you the Black Lives Matter protests. guys all learned, is that we have a system,” Rabbi Stein said. “We Freshman Kyla Z. said the riots at the Capitol were out of line, have text, and precedent, and consensus, and that’s how we make but compared the event to the BLM protests. decisions. No matter where you are politically, we have a system “I’ve seen a lot of people saying like, ‘Oh the BLM protests were that we have to use to decide what to do when we have disputes. nothing like this’ when that completely destroyed so much more And storming the Capitol of the United States is never a part of that resources, businesses, so much more than this did,” Kyla said. “Both system. Just as much as looting is not part of that system.” of them are things that shouldn’t happen.” Rabbi Stein said society falls apart when people go against the Senior Noa S. said that when violence was added to the equa- system in place and lose faith in it. tion, in both the BLM protests and the rioting at the Capitol a “Peaceful protest is part of that system,” said Rabbi Stein. “Imviolent minority put a bad name on their parties as a whole. peachment is part of that system. Congressional investigations into “There was a small fraction of people that decided to loot and collusion are part of that system. But ultimately, if they conclude be violent and that completely put a bad name on the Democratic there is no collusion or they conclude that there was a valid election, party,” said Noa. “[The rioting at the Capitol] made the Republi- voting is part of that system, we have to follow that system.” can party look bad but the majority of the Republican party is not Responding to Rabbi Stein, freshman Rami M. said it’s not albad, and that goes for Democrats as well.” ways easy for everyone to do the right thing and protest peacefully, However, junior Bayley S. and sophomore Yael S. did not agree even though most protests start out peaceful. that the BLM protests were similar. And Social Studies teacher Mr. William Reusch said that people “At their most violent, they never urinated at the Capitol build- have lost faith in the system. He suggested that in order to regain ing,” Bayley said. faith, people should try to prove their own ideas wrong, or “seek Yael said that Trump supporters were using the BLM protests as disconfirmation” to learn if what they believe is actually correct. a scapegoat so they could feel better about themselves. Although it was supported by both Democrats and Republicans “BLM actually had a cause and BLM was because people are in both the House and Senate — passing 57- 43 in the Senate, fed up,” said Yael. “They are just so mad at the way they have been with seven Republicans voting to impeach — it failed to win the treated and all this police brutality and that one [the mob at the two-thirds Senate majority that would have been needed to convict.

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Opinion

EDITORIALS

No Vaccine Yet Against Hate Editor-in-Chief Molly Litvak

By the Boiling Point Editorial Board

Executive Editor Ellie Orlanski

Usually this space offers an unsigned editorial reflecting the views of a majority of the BP Editorial Board. This time, however, we decided to do something different. Two students came forward -- separately -- with opinion articles on topics we felt were immensely important and connected. We’ve opted to present their pieces, rather than one of our own.

Managing Editor Sarah Feuer News Editor Benjamin Gamson Life and Features Editor Liad Machmali Sports Editor Noah Elad Arts & Culture Editor and Digital Media Editor Eli Weiss Layout Editors Zoe Miller Tehilla Fishman Ezra Helfand Amalia Abecassis Faculty Adviser Mrs. Joelle Keene The Boiling Point is the student-produced newspaper of Shalhevet High School and a public forum for its students and the community. Unsigned editorials represent the majority view of the members of the Editorial Board -- this year, the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Executive Editor, News Editor, Life and Features Editor, Digital Media Editor and the 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 do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Editorial Board or The Boiling Point as a whole. To advertise, please contact orlanskiellie@gmail.com Corrections: 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. Policies on conflict of interest and the use of anonymous sources can be viewed at shalhevetboilingpoint.com under the “Policies” tab. Sweepstakes Awards, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021 Blue and Gold Comprehensive Writing Award 2016

National Scholastic Press Association

Online Pacemaker Awards 2018, 2020 Pacemaker Finalist 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018 Online Pacemaker Finalist 2015, 2017, 2020

National Award Winners 2007-2019 International First Place Award 2011-2016 George Gallup Award - 2019

Story of the Year Awards 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2020 All-American 2009, 2012, 2014 Design of the Year Awards 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021 Full list of awards on our website

Awards in Jewish Scholastic Journalism 2013 - 2020

Crown Awards 2013-2021 Gold Circle Awards 2011-2020 Columbia Scholastic Press Association

Simon J. Rockower Awards 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

Town Hall missed an opportunity to address anti-Asian hate BY Tomomi Shaw, NINTH GRADE On March 16, Robert Aaron Long shot and killed 8 people, 6 of whom were of East Asian descent. Just 3 days later, the whole school joined together for Town Hall. I was expecting the topic would be about hate crimes against Asians that have escalated by 150% this year in the U.S, but it was not. Although the topic chosen was still relevant and important, why didn’t we talk about people being racially profiled, killed, harassed, and assaulted? Cherokee County’s Sheriff, Captain Jay Baker, stated that Long was having a “bad day” as the motivation of the shootings. Why does the excuse of having a “bad day” make it permissible to kill people in three different locations? Because not all the victims were of Asian descent, many believe the shootings were not hate crimes. Long said himself that the shootings were not motivated by the race of the parlor owners. However, the fact that all of them were Asian-owned and that six of eight of the victims were Asian cannot be ignored. The threat of Asian violence is hard to identify because it does not have a particular symbol (ie. swastika). The hate that Asian Americans have gone through comes in harassing women, the elderly, and men just on the street. There have been numerous attacks in public such as beatings, being spit on, and in some cases racist letters sent to Asian-owned businesses. People have been verbally abused and mocked whether it is saying to “go back to your country” or “we don’t want your disease” and even making fun of the accents Asian immigrants have while speaking english. The suspicion of illegal activity in businesses like these massage parlors does not elicit sympathy for the businesses or victims. But, Bava Kamma 8:1 states “And you shall not take kofer (‘ransom’) for the soul of a murderer.”, the Mishnah talks about the saying “An eye for an eye” but also says that you should never take the soul of a murderer no matter the length of their action or crime. If the individuals associated with these massage parlors were involved in illegal activity, there are legal processes that could have been applied, rather than violence targeted against a stereotype. It is important for Shalhevet students to talk about hate crimes outside the context of antisemitism. As Jews, we have over many generations developed an effective voice to speak out and fight hate. I would hope for this awareness to support the Asian community to help others learn to speak out against those who discriminate against others and to show support to others.

In a school where 100% of the students are Jewish -- many living in the same neighborhoods -- it can be difficult to fully grasp issues that do not directly affect us. Nonetheless, hate continues to persist in the world, even when we aren’t aware of it. The pandemic may be coming to a close, but unfortunately there is no vaccine for discrimination. Rather, we need to recognize it and to fight it when we can. We hope you take the time to not only read but also fully digest the words below.

Shalhevet should teach us how to face down hate By Kyla Zackary, NINTH grade I know of a student at Shalhevet who contacted an editor for her book. She was having a normal conversation with him when she happened to mention she was Jewish, at which point he was no longer interested in working with her. Having no education on the matter, as a 14-year-old girl, she had no way to respond to his reaction. Wednesday, Jan. 27, marked Holocaust Remembrance Day. The entirety of this year’s observance was a Schoology post from a 10th-grade student, Amalia Abecassis. Although Shalhevet celebrates Yom Hashoah very seriously, Holocaust Remembrance Day should at least have been more than that. As a Jewish school, it is our duty both to pass down our history and to recognize similar incidents in today’s society. Anti-semitism should be part of our awareness. Considering the number of anti-Jewish hate crimes today, why are we not being taught to combat them? It’s not hard to find information the school could share. ADL, the Anti-Defamation League, is a national organization that was founded to target and combat hate directed towards Jews. Recently it has begun to counter bias in schools and the criminal justice system, along with cyberbullying, terrorism, hate crimes and contempt directed towards all minorities and individuals with differences. ADL has a webpage where one can find many recent acts of antisemitism. Most examples posted there have been directed towards Jews, but there are some that speak negatively towards people of color as well. Not only is our own community facing discrimination, but it is clear that the individuals who seek out Jews oftentimes also target people of other races. For example, it reported this incident in Sacramento, Calif., on Jan.31 of this year: “Anti-semitic and racist graffiti that included swastikas and messages that read: ‘Racism is good,’ ‘Punish Jews,’ [...] and ‘n----killer’ “ was found spray-painted on a fence in a residential neighborhood. “Racism is good,” it reads. This creates an opportunity for our two communities to conjoin. African-Americans and Jews are a lot more alike than one may believe. We must put together our knowledge and wisdom, and attempt to repair our society to slowly become like-minded and more kind towards one another. Antisemitism is real, and Shalhevet has to make a greater effort to educate its students about discrimination one may face as a Jew in 2021. In the past, our failure to recognize this led to a genocide. Even though Shalhevet recognizes Yom Hashoah, there should have been more acknowladgment towards Holocaust Remeberance Day than a few sentances on a Schoology post. And its curriculum should ensure that a girl capable enough to write a book knows what to say when an editor shuts her down for being Jewish. Jews in today’s world are often perceived in an unfavorable light, and Shalhevet must teach its students about the undeniably harsh nature of the world around them. We should acknowledge the ideas of unity, respect, and above all, love. Hate towards one is hate towards all.

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Four Views of a Year From sports to sleep, student reflections after a year in the pandemic

Competing without a contest By Samson Taxon, 12th grade One year ago, the Shalhevet robotics team, Team 6000, and I were celebrating our first-ever win and had started planning to fly to Houston for world championships. Now, it’s one year later and we’re struggling to finish a robot for the game we had already won. However this time, there’s nothing to win. It’s been a difficult season, but Shalhevet helped us make it work. After-school Camp Firehawks shaved our six-day work week down to two days, but unlike most Los Angeles robotics teams, we were lucky enough to be

animation, game design and business. I am beyond impressed and admire their motivation despite the fact that they aren’t working towards an award. With vaccines rolling out and Shalhevet’s plan to return to campus, I’m now working with the advisory board to figure out some sort of trip for the team since we couldn’t go on our usual Shabbaton. Robotics has played a major role in my high school career and, as I get ready to pass the torch, I am thankful for the opportunities I’ve had thus far. I am confident in the leadership and the team that will follow in what I hope will be a “typical” 2022 build season.

operating in any capacity. I met weekly with the Robotics advisory board -- our advisor Mr. Sinajon and parents of Robotics alumni -- and part of the Medical Task Force to figure out a way we could continue to work on our robot. We collectively decided to move all of our shop equipment and heavy machinery outdoors. Shalhevet was generous enough to allow us to convert the teacher’s lounge into a workshop so we could work outside every Monday and Wednesday. I’m lucky to work with an amazing team -- so amazing that even those who couldn’t come onto campus attended weekly Zoom meetings to stay involved through at-home activities like

Becoming nocturnal By Bayley Sandler, 11th grade Ever since March 13, 2020, I have not been able to go to sleep before 1 a.m. I am not really sure why, but it is the truth. Spending a majority of my time inside has completely changed my concept of time. It’s not like I spent all my time outside before the pandemic, but I had different places I would be at different times of the day -- school during the day, home at night and long car rides to and from the Valley in between. Now that there is no transition from the school day to my home time,

my ability to separate the two has been ruined. I see no difference in doing school-day work and doing homework. Online school has messed me up so much that sometimes, at the most random times of night, I will worry that I missed a Zoom meeting. However, since March 13, I have seen more sunrises then I ever thought I would and I have gotten more comfortable with being in my own skin. Being awake at 4 in the morning really provided some time for me to just listen to my thoughts without the chaos of my house making it impossible to hear myself think or getting texts every five minutes. When I tell people that I have become basi-

cally nocturnal, they usually think I am joking. But I am not. Going to sleep long after everyone else has provided me with time to be okay doing absolutely nothing. When I thought about living through historical events, a pandemic definitely was not what I was referring to. But I have grown in ways that I do not think would have been possible if I had to maintain a normal circadian rhythm in a normal year.

The majesty of baseball By Avi Litvak, Sports Photo Editor One year ago this month, we were riding the bus to an away game, playing music and feeling excited to compete for the love of the sport. One year ago we stepped onto the field, with the hope that we would win, not the hope that we could play. One year ago we sat in the dugout thinking about the score and our performance. We took it for granted. It’s been over 12 months since I put on my baseball uniform, 12 months

since I put on my pump-up playlist before a game. As an athlete, going months without even having access to a field to practice on was beyond challenging. Nevertheless, over the nine years that I’ve played sports, I’ve learned to keep a competitive spirit and to “stay ready so I never have to get ready,” a quote from my middle school basketball coach, Coach Flava. That lesson translates to all sports, and to life in general. Over quarantine, staying ready was pretty much the only option, so practicing in the backyard every day became the extent of my conditioning. In October, after months of at-home conditioning, we heard that we could finally

start practicing again. Even though our first several practices were in the school parking lot, the idea that we could start playing again was majestic. The idea that baseball was back was majestic. We’ve now been practicing on a baseball field once again, and we just got word that games are being scheduled. Nothing is greater than knowing that we’ll have the chance again to leave the field, heads held high after a win. Now that the season’s back, I won’t take it for granted again, and I won’t forget the feeling of not being able to play.

Life on a pause By Shira Elyaszadeh, 9th grade Starting High School as a freshman is challenging enough on its own, but my grade and I embarked on a new journey under unique circumstances. My teachers and peers were all confined to little boxes on my computer screen and stuck at home due to Covid-19. When I learned we were permitted to attend on-campus learning, I was thrilled since it was the first step towards life as we once knew it. I

was still meeting some of my classmates, and even now I have not met some of my teachers in person. Learning outdoors and socializing with new people pushed me out of my comfort zone because I could not just turn my camera off anymore. It also reminded me of how much easier and enjoyable learning is in person since it requires less self-discipline. The teacher can easily reprimand me if I am texting or if my attention shifts towards doodling on the side of my paper. Learning in a school environment enables

me to fully absorb the information taught. The pandemic placed life on a pause. All the goals we set, all the experiences we planned, and all the people we desired to meet were put on hold while life was passing us all by. Time is not something we can regain, so if I’ve learned something from this experience, it is to lessen time on devices and make the best out of anything thrown your way.

Photo Illustrations By Ellie Orlanski

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Features

APRIL 2021

How is your Pesach seder different from all other seders? The Boiling Point interviewed 10 students and discovered traditions from Spain, Iraq, Libya and all over Los Angeles. By LIAD MACHMALI, Features editor “Really long,” “matzah pizza,” and “cleaning” are words linked to Pesach in most of our minds. But another buzzword

that may pop up when thinking about the Jewish holiday we’ve just celebrated is simply “traditions.” Considering that the seder has 15 sections, it’s not surprising that different families follow different parts of this central Passover observance in their own distinct ways.

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Dayenu -- From super-serious to ‘all hell breaks loose!’ Dayenu — “It would have been enough if…” — is also in Maggid — is a song of gratitude. It repeatedly states “it would have been enough if…,” and then lists the many miracles involved in the Passover story. Some Sephardic families have the tradition of hitting one another with green onions while reciting the song to mimic the whipping of the Jews during their enslavement in Egypt. “We all just sing it together,” said Ella Ashkenazi. “We go really with the book.” Andrew Petlak, Joey Blumofe, Rami Melmed and Leeyah Klyman also sing it all together with their family. Maile Asiss’s family does the same. “Usually we have one person say it pretty quickly, because it’s a pretty long part in the haggadah, and then the rest of my family will come in for when you say ‘dayenu,’” Maile said. Sara Adatto’s family recites Dayenu in two languages.

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BP Graphics by Ezra Helfand Page Design By Sarah Feuer

Focusing in on three well-known parts of the Pesach seder — Ma Nishtana, Dayenu, and searching for the Afikomen — the Boiling Point gathered information from 10 Shalhevet students and found a variety of customs to share.

“We usually say it all together in Hebrew and then we say it in English,” Sara said. “We sing the first verse and recite the rest.” Carin Arbib experiences Dayeinu in two different ways, Persian on her mom’s side and Libyan on her dad’s. “With my Persian family it’s different than with my Libyan family,” Carin said. “With my Persian family, we do hit each other with the onions. Me and my cousins will chase each other around the house and hit each other. “With my Libyan family they take it super seriously and my grandpa recites it,” said Carin. “He’s super serious about saying every single thing clear and good.” And junior Miriam Friedman‘s family gets competitive. “First, my uncle reads the whole thing,” Miriam said. “Then we cover the table so nothing spills. “Then, all hell breaks loose. We’re not just hitting each other, we’re also throwing things and smashing the scallions to get the disgusting onion juice out.”

Ma Nishtana -- Songs and languages

Also known as the Four Questions, Ma Nishtana is recited at the start of the Maggid section of the seder, which is the central section focused on telling the story of the Jews leaving Egypt. The questions begin by asking “Why is this night different from all other nights?” and proceed to explain how the seder night is unique. Many families assign this to the youngest kids present. Sophomore Ella Ashkenazi has grandparents from Iraq. When it comes to Ma Nishtana, the youngest children begin the song. “Usually my aunt will pick a little kid from my entire family and she’ll tell them to start singing and then everyone will join in,” said Ella. At senior Maile Asiss’s seder, her twin younger siblings recite Ma Nishtana. Junior Andrew Petlak and senior Joey Blu-

With my Persian family, we do hit each other with the onions. Me and my cousins will chase each other around the house and hit each other. -- Carin Arbib, 11th Grade

mofe’s families also have the youngest kids at the seder sing it. Freshman Rami Melmed’s family adds a twist. “When we have the seder with my mom’s side, we have this fun tradition where people will go around and sing it in different languages that they know,” Rami said. “My grandma was a Spanish teacher, so she’ll sing it in Spanish and my aunt will join in,” Rami said. “One year my sister learned it in Yiddish and she sang it. If we have someone come to our seder that’s not usually at our seder, we ask them if they know it in any other languages and they’ll sing it if they know it.” Junior Sara Adatto said the kids at her seder recite Ma Nishtana but they don’t always know Hebrew. “The youngest person who knows Hebrew says it and everyone ends up joining in,” Sara said. “Usually the little kids that come over, some of them don’t speak Hebrew, so I usually say it for my family.” Junior Carin Arbib has Libyan grandparents, and the youngest children in her family are not involved in Ma Nishtana at all. “My mom wants to sing it,” said Carin, “but then my grandpa just says it fast in Hebrew and then he says it in Arabic too.” And at freshman Leeyah Klyman’s seder, Ma Nishtana is sung by everyone. “We just sing it all together and everyone participates together,” said Leeyah. “My youngest sister sings it a bit, but she needs help every now and then so it’s mostly all of us.”

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The Boiling Point • April 2021 • Features

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Afikomen -- Gift cards, baseball cards, two-way hunts and more The afikomen is the larger side of the middle piece of matzah that was split during the Yachatz portion of the Seder and set aside for “dessert” later; afikomen means dessert in Greek. The finding of the afikomen is a tradition and game for children: an adult hides the piece that is saved for dessert and in exchange, the child who finds it wins a prize or is given money after yom tov. “Usually my grandpa will hide it somewhere in his house and all the grandkids will go look for it,” said Ella Ashkenazi, whose family sets the prize for finding the Afikomen at around $100. “He says only the grandkids under 18 can look for

“We have maintained our connections to the people who matter most despite the metzarim of Zoom nd social distancing. We have maintained ur faith that we will ne day be free from the masks and restrictions that plague our everyday life.”

it, because he doesn’t want to give the prize to the older kids.” At junior Andrew Petlak’s seder, the finding of the afikomen ends in prizes for all. “For boys it’s baseball cards and for girls the prize might be a stuffed animal or game or something like that,” Andrew said. “All of the kids go out and find it but in the end we all get prizes, if we find it or not.” At Maile Asiss’s seder the prize is a gift or gift card and. But she herself no longer searches for the afikomen. “We have outdoors off-limits and keep it indoors only and mostly on the first floor of the house,” Maile said. “I used to look for it. Now I help my mom find it, because I’m 17 now.” Freshman Rami Melmed has to meet two challenges to win the prize. “Some time during the seder, my dad will hide the afikomen and we have to find i t ,”

said Rami. “If we find it, then we have to hide it, and if my dad can’t find it then we’ll get the afikomen prize. If he does find it, then he says he won’t. But he usually gives us something anyway. It’s a lot of fun.” Sophomore Zach Rub’s prize increases as he gets older. “I think I got $25 until I was bar mitzvah and then it went to $50,” Zach said. Carin Arbib’s family hides and finds the afikomen multiple times. “We are very serious about it,” Carin said. “We do two or three rounds where someone hides the matzah and we find it and they give us money as the prize if we find it. The prize is around $30. “It takes us like 20 minutes to find it,” she added. “One time my uncle hid it in the crease of a door and we were looking everywhere and we couldn’t find it, and I found it in the end.” Joey Blumofe has a similar struggle. “I still look for it, I can’t ever find it though,” said Joey. “My dad usually hides it and he’s very good at it. He hid it one time behind the breakfront, where we would’ve never guessed.” On the other hand, junior Sara Adatto’s family does not have the tradition of finding the afikomen, it’s something that was never done on her dad’s side of the family. “In my family, we actually have a thing where we just don’t hide the afikomen,” Sara said. “I don’t know how that started but it’s just been in my family for a long time.”

Freeing ourselves with faith This year, plagues and slavery reminded us of our own powers to redeem By Gabriella Gomperts, Staff Writer “All who are hungry, let them come and eat! All who are needy, let them come and conduct the Pesach Seder! Now we are here; next year we will be in the Land of Israel. Now we are slaves; next year we will be free men.” -Passover haggadah, Ha Lachma Anya section

What does it mean when the Haggadah states, in Ha Lachma Anya, that “Now we are slaves; next year we will be free men?” Why are we still considered slaves if our ancestors experienced the exodus from Mitzrayim? The answer appears simple: even though we were redeemed from Egypt, we are still in exile because we have not rebuilt the Beit Hamikdash, the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, and moreover, Moshiach, the Messiah, has not come. So what’s the point in celebrating the exodus when we are still enslaved to a life in galut -exile? And still enslaved, this year, also by the limitations of the coronavirus pandemic? The answer lies in the distinction between God’s power to redeem us and our own responsibility to take in and internalize God’s energy. There is no better moment than now to remember the difference between the historical act of God taking us out of Mitzrayim -- Egypt

-- and our responsibility to take ourselves out of metzarim -- narrow straits and limitations. When B’nei Yisrael came out of Mitzrayim, God imbued our souls with emunah -- faith. But that pure faithfulness waned over the generations. Of course, God could have created us as perfect beings without the capacity to doubt and lose our faith. But what He truly values is our ability to struggle with our yetzer harah -- evil inclination -- and overcome our weaknesses. Pesach is about how we ourselves, using our faith in God, can each of us succeed in a personal quest to free ourselves from the slavery of selfdoubt and limitations that are self-imposed -and perhaps also about doing what we can to be free of these limitations, doubts and fears. This Pesach we were still enslaved by the limitations of the pandemic, but we have all made efforts to overcome the restraints and struggles of the past year and to grow and thrive. We have maintained our connections to the people who matter most despite the metzarim of Zoom and social distancing. We have maintained our faith that we will one day be free from the masks and restrictions that plague our everyday life. As the haggadah also tells us: “In every generation and every day, a person is obligated to regard himself as if he had that day come out of Egypt.” (Pesachim 10:5). Thus it is our duty to keep hold of the redemptive energy that we received at the Exodus when God took us out of Mitzrayim. The miraculous story of an enslaved nation defeating the mighty Egyptian empire should inspire us to remember that might does not

always make right. Remembering these miracles should imbue us with the spiritual inspiration to improve ourselves and to live our lives in a meaningful way. The miracles of Yetziat Mitzrayim are a reminder that God is the Master of the universe, and that the limitations of the pandemic should strengthen our faith and our practice in leading a meaningful life. Although we are still in exile, we celebrated the Exodus from Mitzrayim to remind ourselves of God’s omnipotence, along with the promise we make that -- as the Haggadah concludes -- “Next year we will be in the Land of Israel… Next year we will be free men.” Since we can’t promise that the Beit Hamikdash will be rebuilt and Moshiach will arrive -- or even, really, when the end of the pandemic will arrive -- what then were we really promising? We were promising to accept God’s gifts of Torah and mitzvot. We were promising to do the work to redeem ourselves. And we were hoping and praying to merit the ultimate redemption - Moshiach, the rebuilding of the Beit Hamikdash, and overcoming not just the pandemic but each of our yetzer harah, and becoming our best selves.

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Sports

APRIL 2021

For victorious Firehawks, the bigger win was getting to play Shalhevet defeats Buena 63-55 in both teams’ first game since pandemic By Noah Elad, Sports Editer

they won, but I think the most important thing was to just get back on the floor and be playing Shalhevet basketball is back! After a long hia- again.” It was close from the start. The Firehawks tus due to the pandemic, the Firehawk boys varsity team roared back to action in a hard-fought game opened with a first-play three-pointer made by against the Bulldogs of Buena High School of Ven- sophomore Avi Halpert. From there the score went back and forth until Ze’ev Remer made a jumper tura March 18 in the Shalhevet gym. with just two seconds left to put the team ahead That gym looked different. 16-14. Instead of being packed with As the second the noise and crazy energy of quarter went on, students, there were approxiBuena began to Obviously we were happy that they mately 40 people present. Othheat up and led ers who knew about it watched won, but I think the most important 24-18 with 3:40 a live video feed that had been left in the half. thing was to just get back on the floor made available to players’ famCoach Coleilies. The game had not been and be playing again. man then called announced on Schoology. a timeout and None of that silenced the went Firehawk shooters, shot-block— Firehawks Head Coach Ryan Coleman Shalhevet on an 8-0 run for ers and defenders, who defeated three minutes. Buena — a public high school The half ended at in Ventura with about 2,000 a 26-26 tie. students — by a score of 63 to The third was the strongest quarter for the 55. But it did seem to make the game itself more Firehawks, as they scored 18 points and extended important than the final score. Team co-captain Ze’ev Remer, the game’s lead their lead to 46-37. In that quarter Ze’ev scored scorer with 29 points, put it this way in a text mes- 6 points, Avi 5, senior Jacob Pofsky 4, and junior Josh Moradian 3 points. sage when the game was over: In the fourth, the game started to inch closer. “To have a senior season is what I’ve been lookBuena began to play tighter defense, meaning they ing forward to my whole senior year. I’m extremely grateful to the administration working so hard to were more aggressive in trying to steal the ball to limit the amount of time the Firehawks had conmake this happen, as well as our coaches.” Firehawks Head Coach Ryan Coleman agreed. trol of it. The small crowd present grew louder. “After the game we were really happy,” said Both teams were playing hard. Buena began to get closer, and with 20 seconds Coach Coleman. “Obviously we were happy that left in the game, Shalhevet led by just four — 59-

55.

The Bulldogs then tried to score as fast as they could, calling their timeouts and keeping the ball in their hands. But the Firehawks didn’t let their guard down. After the Bulldogs tried fouling them to get the ball back faster, Shalhevet scored four points in the last 20 secondsand BP Photo By Ellie Orlanski ended up with the win, 63-55. RESUMED: Firehawk shooting guard Jacob Pofsky launched a basket over Aside from the heads of defenders from Buena High School in Ventura Thursday night. Ze’ev Remer with 29, the leading scorers were Jacob last-minute doing things that we can’t do and that Pofsky with 17 points and Avi Halpert with 10. “Happy to come out of the game with a win. was about it.” The Bulldogs also had a victory, however. Only can improve from here,” texted Ze’ev. Coach Coleman said that earlier in the evening, Buena Coach Matthew Colton gave the Firethe Shalhevet JV team defeated Buena’s Freshman/ hawks credit for their win. But he also blamed his Sophomore team 52-26. But then, both the Fireown team’s inability to practice for their loss. “I gotta hand it to you guys, you played very hawks and Bulldogs split their Varsity teams into well,” said Coach Colton in an interview. “Pofsky two “half-teams,” which played one another in succession. and Remer, they both played very well. The “lower” half of Buena’s Varsity team was “We missed a ton of free throws… we were 15 able to defeat Shalhevet’s “lower” half. The final for 30 from the free-throw line, and we were 5 for 32 from the three-point line,” he said. “We have score of that game was 54-50. barely been able to get together. For us, we are just

Glouberman may happen in Phoenix as CIF opens LA school sports Continued from page 1 years. The fall 2020 tournament, which would have been the sixth, was never officially canceled, but rather was “postponed” because of the pandemic. Coach Jeff Remer, Shalhevet’s Athletics Coordinator, said the reason for moving it was Covid. “We wanted to make it more like what the NBA did in order to answer the Corona issues, which was making a bubble where you were at the same site and you were using a multi-tier gym facility,” said Coach Remer. “We would not be able to accommodate that same type of situation here in Los Angeles.” He said that a minimum four or six teams would be needed for the tournament to happen, though officials hope for as many as 10. “The only way that I feel it is not going to happen is if we don’t get enough participation from other schools to make it worthwhile, or if God-forbid there would be a tremendous spike in Corona that would ultimately derail the plan,” said Coach Remer. Firehawk basketball Head Coach Ryan Cole-

BP Photo By Neima Fax REBOUND: Firehawk forward Jacob Benezra ‘20 for a rebound in November 2019 as the Frisch Cougars topped the Shalhevet Firehawks 56-51 in the championship game. A large crowd filled the Shalhevet gym, including a new seating area that had been added that year for overflow.

man said the Phoenix tournament was a “work in progress.” He declined to say how many or which schools might attend, and said there was no deadline for them to commit. “There is no deadline as of now,” Coach Coleman replied via text to Boiling Point questions. “We are trying to let schools work through the complications that they may be incurring,” he wrote. Coach Remer said he was confident one team would be YULA, though nothing had been finalized. He also said that once the tournament begins, preventing the spread of Covid would be a focus and that while nothing has yet been finalized, it is likely that the players will be frequently tested while participating in the tournament. Meanwhile, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) and state Department of Public Health (CDPH) have both relaxed restrictions as Covid cases in Southern California stay low. Beginning on April 5, Los Angeles County entered California’s “Orange” Covid tier, which allows every sport that doesn’t require high contact to resume practices and games. If the sport is close-contact, every player participating must receive a negative Covid test 24 hours before the game. Examples of high-contact sports are basketball and football. The Firehawks played and won their first CIF boys basketball game since the pandemic started on March 18, and since then have played three more games, winning two. The girls team has played and lost three games. Shalhevet’s baseball and volleyball teams have also been cleared to play. The girls volleyball team is scheduled to play the YULA Girls Panthers next Monday, April 19, and the baseball team had its first game on Monday against de Toledo, losing

10 - 1. “It was the first game of our season, and even though we played the best team we will face, we still did a great job and we are only going to get better,” said baseball team captain Josh Harrison. The first word that Glouberman might be back came from basketball Coach Coleman’s Instagram, March 2. “We are Back,” it said. It said the games would take place in Mesquite, Nev. Now, much more information is posted on Shalhevet Glouberman website, including plans for all teams to arrive by plane and be provided with bus transportation to and from the sports facility. Both boys and girls teams are invited. A team deposit of $2,500 is required if both boys and girls teams are participating, or $1,500 for only one team. Firehawk co-captain Ze’ev Remer said that he is excited to play in a competitive tournament. “With Sarachek being canceled -- and we were going into Sarachek ranked number one -- we didn’t really get a chance to close out the season how we wanted to,” said Ze’ev in an interview. “So I do feel that everybody will be coming to play with more energy and more intensity, knowing that we can’t take basketball for granted.” When the possible Glouberman return was announced, CIF had yet to announce that a season would happen, so this was the first time players got news that they would have a way of playing any basketball this year. Sophomore varsity guard Josh Askari said that after losing at Glouberman last year, the team wants to come back stronger. “I got the news through Instagram, and I was in the middle of Model Congress practice, and personally I lost it,” said Josh in an interview. “I was so excited the fact that we finally had a definitive plan of playing basketball this year.”

Head of School Rabbi David Block said that as of now there has been no final decision on live spectators or live streaming of Glouberman games at school. “We definitely want to give our students an opportunity to join in and create that amazing Shalhevet ruach when our Firehawks are playing,” Rabbi Block wrote in an email answer to Boiling Point questions. “That doesn’t mean it will necessarily be for every game, but we’ll figure those details out.” If there is a tournament this year, it will not host a Shabbat component, officials said. In the past, all the teams would spend Shabbat together and daven together. This year the plan is for a Sunday arrival and Thursday departure. Rabbi Ari Segal, former head of school and current Chief Strategy Officer, said Shalhevet originally signed up with Mesquite, but was later told its venue was available only on weekends. That left Henderson, Nev., he said, and Phoenix. “We were looking for something that was driving distance from L.A., Covid guidelines that allow for youth sports tournaments, and a robust infrastructure for AAU [youth sports] tournaments,” wrote Rabbi Segal in an email to the Boiling Point. “We looked at both and Phoenix was the clear winner.” Rabbi Segal was in Phoenix on April 6 and 11 looking at possible facilities that could host the tournament, and is hoping for PHhacility. “[PHhacility] might be the nicest basketball venue I have ever seen for a tournament like ours,” wrote Rabbi Segal via email. “[It is] very likely that it will take place at PHhacility, which would be incredible.”