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Students study Middle East at local mosque

LIFE IN A FLASH

By Alexa Fishman, Community Editor Seven juniors spent an afternoon looking at Middle Eastern culture through the lens to Culver City that was part of their Modern Middle East class.

Jewish History teacher Mr. Jason Feld brought the students to the King Fahad Mosque, located on Washington Boulevard, Dec. 20 to observe afternoon prayers, called dhuhr. They watched from the back of the room as hundreds of Muslims listened to the imamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sermon and took part in their holiest prayer of the week -- Friday being the Muslim â&#x20AC;&#x153;gathering dayâ&#x20AC;? when congregational prayer is required. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a Zionist, I believe before one can appreciate the potential for going home, one has to actually experience feeling at home,â&#x20AC;? said Mr. Feld. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The best way to do that is to peel BP Photo by Ezra Fax

DWARFED: Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve driven by it a thousand times but probably never been inside. The Annenberg Space for Photography, a free museum at the corner of Olympic Boulevard and Avenue of the Stars in Century City, is dwarfed by the skyscrapers around it, but the photographs inside evoke feelings on a much

Little worry as colleges reject Israel â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;boycottâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

By Sarah Soroudi, Editor Emeritus The UC system, USC and 157 other U.S. colleges and universities have spoken out against the American Studies Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s academic boycott of Israel, though most of them have not withdrawn their membership from the organization. others in similar positions around the country, condemned the boycott in a statement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The University of California prides itself on a rich tradition of free speech politanoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s statement said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;An academic

boycott goes against the spirit of the University of California, which has long championed open dialogue and collaboration with international scholars.â&#x20AC;? boycott will have, but preambles to the resolution â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which passed with 66 percent of 1,252 votes cast â&#x20AC;&#x201D; contain lengthy criticisms of Israel. The tally was announced Dec. 4.

According to the ASAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website, the boycott is â&#x20AC;&#x153;a refusal on the part of the into formal collaborations with Israeli academic institutions, or with scholars

who are expressly serving as representatives or ambassadors of those institutions (such as deans, rectors, presidents and others), or on behalf of the Israeli government, until Israel ceases to violate human rights and international law.â&#x20AC;?

It goes on to say that individual professors may handle their own relationships with Israeli universities and scholâ&#x20AC;&#x153;We are expressly not endorsing a boycott of Israeli scholars engaged in individual-level contacts and ordinary forms of academic exchange, including presentations at conferences, public lecContinued on Page 6

EXODUS: Post-apartheid, South African Jews still in LA

By Eric Bazak, Staff Writer

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lthough Shalhevet did not formally commemorate the passing of legendary human rights leader and states-

class and Town Hall Dec. 5 were particularly quithe news .

The former president of South Africa, known for his leadership against the apartheid regime and for guiding a peaceful transition to full democracy, had died at age 95 from a respiratory Infection. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I grew up in our family home near the Atlantic Ocean and it overlooked Robben Island, so I was always aware of home and what he meant,â&#x20AC;? said History

separate us from the broader Middle East.â&#x20AC;?

The class has spent the year learning about Zionism and the many diverse cultures within Israel and the Middle East. Mr. Feld hopes that his students will spend a year in Israel after high school, and that they will understand the culture when they are there. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My hope is that when my students spend dence and respect,â&#x20AC;? said Mr. Feld.

Mr. Feld contacted one of the directors of the mosque, Nour al Rayes, to arrange the visit.

When it was time for dhuhr, students removed their shoes according to the rules of the mosque. The girls went upstairs to the womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s balcony, and the boys remained downstairs. Nelson Mandela had recently died, and before the prayers began, the imam spoke about Mandelaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emphasis on peace, telling the congregants that they should never rely on vengeance.

Once upstairs in the womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s section, some of the Muslim women criticized the Shalhevet studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lack of long skirts, and handed them Continued on Page 3

teacher Dr. Michael Yoss. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of the greatest experiences in my life was witnessing Mandela getting the keys to Oxford, because I realized just exactly why I had left South Africa and what he meant and stood for. I was standing there with people all over the world, and one doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be South African to appreciate him. His values are universal.â&#x20AC;?

Dr. Yoss left South Africa in 1978 because he was opposed to the apartheid regime.

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s Dr. Yoss asserted, Nelson Mandela was revered not only by the blacks he emancipated from strict rules that forbade them from livContinued on Page 8

BP Photo by Mohammed Akbar Khan

CULTURE: Middle East class stand in the prayer space of

The Boiling Point

2

Fri.

End of First Semester

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back to her home state of Maine, where her husband has accepted a position as director of an international education initiative.

Her departure, announced last month, means the students in Mrs. Fullerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 10th grade geometry class, who had three math teachers last year, will two years.

However, according to many of Mrs. Fullerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

as General Studies Principal of Milken Community national curricular technology initiative halfway through the semester. someone Mr. Fuller had worked with before, to run the new Maine International Center for Digital Learning, an international laptop program to bring technology to underdeveloped countries.

Mrs. Fuller expressed much disappointment in leaving Shalhevet, but said she appreciates this great opportunity for her husband. They are grate-

27

Rosh Chosesh Adar Aleph

February 17

Continuing a trail of temporary math teachers over the past two years, Shalhevetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest parttime math teacher, Mrs. Gina Fuller, has resigned

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By Maayan Waldman, Staff Writer

Martin Luther King Day

School resumes

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Community

Mrs. Fuller moving to Maine next semester, school seeks replacement

January Tu Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Shvat

January 2014

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BP Photo by Dorelle Nahmany

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not in vain. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was really hard learning math last year with

ful that his position there can be relinquished withready to take over his position as principal.

Ablin, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but Mrs. Fuller was able to teach us both

said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You have to take chances and opportunities

General Studies Principal Mr. Roy Danovitch

Although Mrs. Fuller was only able to teach at Shalhevet for one semester, she viewed it as a very positive teaching experience. She was inspired by the value system and unity within the school and felt welcomed by the warm Shalhevet community. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just totally blown away with Shalhevet

and science, told the Boiling Point they have interviewed more than 20 candidates to replace Mrs. Fuller, and extensively looked into a few strong candidates. said Mr. Danovitch, though the new teacher would have to start out as part time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to invest

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Students and teachers said she became a very beloved teacher in a short period of time, participating in community events and being a role According to Mr. Danovitch, potential math model for her coworkers. She also enriched math teachers are evaluated according to how challeng- learning for many of her students. ing they make their class, how they relate to all types of students and other teachers, and their per- more Laly Chriki. sonality.

After teaching in Maine for 30 years, Mrs. Fuller As they did last year, administrators have used moved out to the West Coast so that her husband, both private recruiting agencies and contacts in who was nominated Teacher of the Year by the the private school world, he said.

Milken Foundation, could become Milkenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prinâ&#x20AC;&#x153;In the end, you never cipal, while she taught middle school math This is how things work out in life. there for nine years.

Danovitch.

Then, after a brief You have to take chances and opporAccording to Mr. Daretirement, Mrs. Fuller novitch, many schools tunities when they arrive. did not plan to resume -- Mrs. Gina Fuller, math teacher` teaching, but changed their math departments, her mind after substitutbecause of a lack of good, ing for Mrs. Malikov at Shalhevet last spring. She said she was thrilled to because of the many job opportunities in technolcould be equally likely to have similar turnover. mid-year, however, is that many great teachers have already been hired for this school year in fulltime positions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Normally when schools interview teachers, novitch said.

In this case, the teacher would have less than a few weeks. Ms. Malikov said she and Mr. Danovitch are looking to hire a new teacher by midJanuary.

Mrs. Fuller anticipated that she would eventually have to move back to Maine, but it came as a

sume teaching AP statistics and calculus in the same classroom where she taught previously. The teacher who took over for her when she left Maine happens to be going on a maternity leave for her third child, so the timing is perfect for Mrs. Fuller to step back in.

However, the greatest enticement for Mrs. Fuller to return to Maine is that her grandchildren not only live there, but actually attend the high school as a freshman, and another as a sophomore.

As Mrs. Fuller embarks on this new chapter in her life, Shalhevetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s administration continues the search for a replacement math teacher who will stop its revolving door.

The Boiling Point

January 2014

Outspoken Insider Feminism’s war on bias

Community

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‘Alternative consquence’ restores Penn trip after cancellation

By Benny Balaxz, Staff Columnist In the past few decades, feminism, which is arguably one of the most impactful institutions in our society, year called GLI, or “Girls Learn International,” and eventually renamed “Boys and Girls Learn International.” The group advocates for equal educational opportunities for women in third world countries, by partnering with schools from those countries which then correspond with the school. They have chapters shown what kind of impact advocacy has — especially coming from America, where we have the means to give generously.

I’m also currently writing for the Drama department’s annual festival of the One-Acts, a collection of plays that is produced almost entirely by the student body. It is an immense endeavor, but has always been a pleasure to see or be a part of.

During the drafting of our scripts, I received an e-mail from the Drama director. In a section about female roles in the acting industry, she pointed out that there was “a serious and unethical dearth of roles for actresses in Hollywood.” I was never even aware of such a circumstance, but attached were several links to articles and studies on the problem. She made clear to us script-writers that we needed to be active in creating gender-neutral roles in our plays, so that women could play just as many, if not more, parts than men.

After reading the e-mail I looked back at my script and found that not a single character had been written as female. It amazed me that I had fallen into those same tendencies. It occurred to me that there was I suppose, after hundreds and thousands of years of women having been considered second class, it’s not surprising that the transition into modern society has been a slow one.

Personally, it never made much sense to me that women would be valued any less than men, considering both are human, and the argument carries over fashion. Even so, there is a reason I titled this column the “war” on bias.

The problem is the means by which such agendas are pushed forth. It hasn’t quite stopped at advocating; it has been an all-out war. Though most people’s arguments against major social change are based on the fact that it would push them out of their comfort zone, there is nothing more uncomfortable then being put under siege by an intent advocate on such a matter.

This has in fact happened in the Drama department.

A fellow One-Acts script-writer was told that his one context of the script, needed to be given a back-story, and that he could not by any means leave her as she was. It was a harsh criticism, and a demand.

That just isn’t acceptable to me. I love and appreciate the power of social norms and how they have advanced so quickly in recent years, but aggressiveness put forth into pushing new norms forward strikes me as being hypocritical and counterproductive.

Why impose one’s ideology so heavily on others, if It’s as if the whole controversy behind the agenda of feminism is some massive double-standard. To deny a script-writer his perspective on his own play, and to not give him any say in the matter, is just going too far.

There is no need for such aggressive behavior for the sake of a social agenda.

There is, on the other hand, a need for enticing advocacy, as opposed to intimidating advocacy. “Girls and Boys Learn International” is a fantastic example of enticing advocacy. They even changed their name to encourage male supporters of the group, rather than maintaining the “necessity” of their name. “GBLI” really makes me proud of the feminist movement.

Change is not supposed to be imposed; it is supposed to be preached. If a group wants to put forth an agenda, don’t intimidate people into being involved or “cooperating”- that sounds like a hostage situation. Endecision themselves.

True progress comes in the form of education, and

ated with tyranny, and is not a part of the vocabulary of democracy, at Shalhevet or anywhere else.

Courtesy of Sigal Spitzer

Debate team members at last year’s Penn Model Congress competition display their awards.

By Alexa Fishman, Community Editor Reversing a decision made 17 days earlier, the administration decided to allow Shalhevet to compete at Penn Model Congress this year despite the debate team’s admitted misbehavior in November on the Princeton Model Congress trip to Washington, D.C. Head of School Rabbi Ari Segal had told the team at a closed lunchtime meeting Dec. 5 that behavior on the Princeton trip was “egregious,” and so they would be barred from going to Penn, scheduled for March in Philadelphia. Students had reportedly violated curfew club,” once the chaperones were asleep.

But debaters spent two weeks trying to convince the Segal and Principal Noam Weissman announced Dec. 22 that the trip was reinstated.

“We acknowledge that some important points were raised regarding the severity of the consequence being akin to cancelling an entire season, given that Model Congress is all or nothing,” said Rabbi Segal in an e-mail to the team sent via Schoology. “This added context to the broader picture and caused us to reconsider our original consequence.”

Penn is the Firehawks’ last debate conference of the year and the only one in the second semester, so skipping At the Dec. 5 meeting, team members admitted to having held what amounted to a wrestling match on hotel boy’s hotel room, boys wrestling boys and girls wresting girls on hotel beds, with everyone watching.

No one was hurt, and it’s not clear how the administration found out about it. Rabbi Segal and Reb Noam declined to be interviewed regarding this issue.

“Discipline is not something I’m going to discuss with anyone aside from the members of the team,” said Rabbi Segal via e-mail to a Boiling Point reporter.

That refusal also made it impossible to verify that a wrestling event in a bedroom after curfew was the rea-

son for the suspension. But Boiling Point editors who are members of the debate team were present at the Dec. 5 meeting.

Students and alumni said that the wrestling matches took place on some school Shabbatons and debate trips for many years. Rabbi Segal punished several individual wide Shabbaton last March, but this year’s Shabbaton went on as scheduled earlier this month.

Debate coach Mr. Christopher Buckley explained the “On last year’s schoolwide Shabbaton, a minority of were punished accordingly,” said Mr. Buckley in an inthe entire team.”

But opposition to Penn’s cancellation came from stuters, and a group of parents met with Rabbi Segal and Reb Noam Dec. 17 at school.

Team captain Sarah Soroudi met with the administration Dec. 19 and suggested, as the administration had in the earlier meeting, that boys and girls should stay on “The administration had the right to punish us for our actions,” Sarah said later. “We are grateful that we can still attend Penn, and we hope to regain their trust.”

In addition to earlier curfew, practices were postponed until Jan. 15 and students on the trip will only be allowed to enter the rooms of Judaic chaperones and students of their own gender.

According Mr. Buckley, there was always a chance that Rabbi Segal and Reb Noam would change their minds about the cancellation.

“They wanted the students to come forward with suggestions and alternative consequences,” said Mr. Buckley. “Rabbi Segal still thinks it was an egregious violation of the rule, but he feels that we can take preventative measures and proceed in a way that doesn’t totally destroy the program.”

Continued from Page 1 cloths to cover their knees.

“I didn’t expect the women to chastise us, since we were sitting silently in the back,” said junior Shana ChriThe mosque’s worshippers seemed interested in talking to the students, asking about Jewish synagogues and schools. After prayers, students went across the street to the mosque’s youth center for a question-and-answer session with one of the mosque’s active members, Mohammed Akbar Khan. Students asked him about Muslim culture and religion, and his views on Judaism.

Mr. Khan said he tries to understand each monotheistic religion from the point of view of the believers themselves.

“Most people don’t realize how similar Islam and Judaism actually are,” Mr. Khan said.

The King Fahad Mosque was built in 1995 with funds

“But even though he was really welcoming, we still can’t take Mohammed’s opinion as the face of Islam, because there are many people who aren’t as tolerant of other religions.”

Students had to miss the last two periods of school -- when AP classes are held -- to attend. For that reason, three who had originally planned to go stayed back.

But Mr. Feld thought it was a success and hopes to bring more students to the mosque in the future. their schedules to go on even the shortest adventures with me,” said Mr. Feld. “I hope to take more if the interest is there.”

Wahhabi Islam. Wahhabism was the religion of the 9/11 hijackers, and the Culver City mosque is mentioned in the Report of the 9/11 Commission as a place where three of the hijackers received aid and made friends (The report does not suggest that the hijackers’ friends knew what they were planning, however. In fact, it says they were sometimes asked to leave the room so the future hijackers could speak privately.)

Students appreciated the chance to visit a mosque, but recognized that they did not necessarily get the full picture.

“It was very mind-opening because we got to see a

BP Photo by Mohammed Akbar Khan

Modern Middle East teacher Mr. Jason Feld with students in front of the King Fahad Mosque.

The Boiling Point

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January 2014

Community

Shalhevet wins construction appeal by neighbor, groundbreaking now expected in mid-Febuary

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PRESENTING: Associate Zoning Administrator Fernando Tovar, right, describes building plans at City Hall Dec. 10. Commision members (left) voted unanimously to start the project.

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It’s something that is needed in this neighborhood, and there is no comparison between what they are proposing for this school and what is there now.

-- Marsha L. Brown, L.A. Central Area Plannning Commission

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More hair, more money: Students and teachers raise funds for ‘Movember’

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It’s a great cause. People can pay me not to shave... They were paying me to be lazy.

--Kian Marghzar, 10th grade

BP Photo by Goldie Fields

GROOMED: History teacher Mr. Reusch displays his award-winning mustache, grown in 30 days in November.

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The Boiling Point

January 2014

Community

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Robots compete at Town Hall in tech class demonstration

By Alexa Fishman, Community Editor Amid loud cheering, stomping, and yelling, student-built robots competed for the

out yourself, failing by yourself, and suc-

Banafshea got the closest to completing the

the nine robots actually completed the -

an organization that is funding classes at -

students spent the past four months building and programming the robots as their

BP Photos By Goldie Fields

TENSION: Members of CIJE, the afterschool science and technology class, watch their robots follow a taped path in Town Hall Dec. 19.

Though they were programed to do so, none of the robots succesfully picked up the box at the end of the course.

‘Wall of Shame’ is up, out of public eye

By Rose Lipner, Staff Writer, and Alexa Fishman, Community Editor

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Junior beats 92 students to win Mock Trial award

By Alexa Fishman, Community Editor

failures at all because most students -

school students from high schools throughout -

Courtesy of David Lorell

“People’s application information

see that you are not the only one be-

Boiling Point that relocating

NUMBER ONE: Junior David Lorell credits his acting ability for having won Mock Trial.

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DENIED: Seniors’college rejection letters are now

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THE BOILING POINT

Outside News JANUARY 2014

Little worry as 157 university presidents reject ‘boycott’ of Israel by American Studies Association Continued from Page 1 tures at campuses, and collaboration on research and publication,” the website states.

“U.S. scholars are not discouraged under the terms of the boycott from traveling to Israel for academic purposes, provided they are not engaged in a formal partnership with or sponsorship by Israeli academic institutions.”

According to Dana Erlich, Consul for Public Diplomacy at the Israeli Consulate in Los Angeles, sponse.

Consul Erlich told The Boiling Point. “What we’re trying to do is work through other contacts, and it’s been successful. Many universities in the U.S. have spoken out against it.”

She doubted the boycott would be honored, in any case.

“You cannot just boycott Israel, because Israel is already in every part of academic life,” Consul Erlich said. “Most of the innovations in the world are a work of collaborations between researchers internationally working together. So, when you’re boycotting Israel, you’re boycotting your own research.”

Shalhevet’s Modern Middle East teacher, Mr. Jason Feld, contrasted this boycott with economic boycotts of Israel, which ban a wide range of busitrade with the country.

“The impact of the ASA boycott is a political impact, rather than an economic one,” Mr. Feld said.

“The more that Israel is singled out for boycotts and BP Photo by Ariela Fietelberg

Palestinians to compromise.”

MEMBER: UCLA’s Humanities Building, above, which houses the school’s American Literature and Culture Department.

Two other American academic organizations have taken similar action, the Association for Asian American Studies and the Native American and In“We are targeting Israeli universities because they work it would give me an opportunity to voice my opinion and digenous Studies Association, both smaller than the ASA. closely with the government and military in developing “Ironically, the academic boycott of Israeli institutions interestingly enough harms Palestinans, who are receiving weapons and other technology that are used to enforce anti-semitic.”

Mr. Feld thinks it depends on the student. the occupation and colonization of Palestinian land,” said a lot of help from Israeli institutions,” Mr. Feld added.

“I’ve thought a lot about this,” Mr. Feld said, asked Prof.

Marez.

So far, six institutions in the United States -- Brandeis whether Shalhevet grads should choose to enroll elseHe said that unlike countries such as Iran, Cuba and University, Penn State University, Kenyon College, Bard North Korea that might have more severe inequalities, Is- where.

College, Indiana Univer“Not necessarily. In fact there are a lot of Shalhevet sity and the University students who are perfectly suited to be voices on those military support. of Texas at Austin -- have campuses.

But I wouldn’t say it’s for everyone.”

“The university presidents dewithdrawn their memWe’re targeting Israeli universities While university presidents have generally opposed the nouncing our move have largely bership from the ASA. been silent regarding Israel’s abuses ASA action because it would undermine academic freeAdditionally, three of because they work with the government of Palestinian academics and Pal- dom, Shalhevet opposition seems to have more to do with the country’s most prom- and military in developing technology estinian human rights in general,” the target — Israel. Academic boycotts might be needed inent university organiin other cases, they said.

Prof. Marez’ statement said. zations -- the American that’s used to enforce the occupation “There are reAccording to Zev Association of University and colonization of Palestinian land. gimes that are so Hurwitz ‘11, a junior at Professors, the American -Prof.

Curtis Marez, president of ASA heinous and the inUCSD who is vice presiCouncil on Education and stitutions that they dent of the school’s Most of the innovations in the world the Association of Amerirepresent are colUnion of Jewish Stucan Universities -- have are a work of collaborations between laborators in that,” dents and former board denounced the ASA’s researchers internationally working said Mr. Feld. “The member of Tritons for Israel there, responses boycott. distinctions I would Among the schools that have rejected the Israeli boy- to the campus on boycott have been “relative- together. So, when you’re boycotting make would be that cott are Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Penn, Columbia and ly quiet,” despite the group’s president teachIsrael, you’re boycotting your own I would be more ining at the school.

Washington University in St. Louis. Wash. U.’s Chancellor clined to boycott inresearch. stitutions with truly against the boycott, according to Rabbi Hershey Novak, -- Dana Erlich, Consul for Public repressive regimes, rabbi of Chabad on Campus there.

Diplomacy, Israeli Consulate in LA as opposed to coun“They spoke out against the ASA because it violated told The Boiling Point. “By the time we got tries with policies back from break, it was such a cold topic that academic freedoms,” Rabbi Novack said. “Washington that I don’t agree University also has deep and ongoing partnerships with so people weren’t really talking about it and we with.” decided not to bother with it.” many Israeli institutions.

General Studies Principal Mr. Roy Danovitch agreed.

He said Palestinian groups on campus had not gotten “However, I don’t think they’re going to withdraw their “I support academic boycotts in countries where intelinvolved in the topic either. membership,” he continued.

“The boycott doesn’t change our day-to-day lives,” Zev lectuals and scholars are being muted and silenced and “Only a tiny fraction of the total membership of the said. “It doesn’t really matter that the guy who’s the presi- their free speech is being constrained,” he said. “I think it ASA even voted.”

The organization has 5,000 members, of whom 826 dent of the ASA teaches here, because we have teachers should be in cases where it’s a sign of solidarity, and we’re standing up to a country’s policies. With Israel, obviously, voted yes. Most did not participate in the ballot, and 375 who are so far on the right.”

That seems to be the attitude of most at Shalhevet as I’m against the boycott.” voted no. Another 37 abstained.

The ASA’s president, Curtis Marez, is a professor at the well, though a few think students should at least look difMORE ON THE WEB: Complete list of colleges and University of California, San Diego. In a statement Dec.31, ferently at schools that have supported with the ASA’s deuniversities that have spoken out against ASA boycott cision. he said that Palestinian groups asked for a boycott to pro“I wouldn’t change my mind about going to a college test Israeli treatment of Palestinians. The organization had that is part of the ASA,” said señor Annie Asch, “because never endorsed an academic boycott before.

OCTOBER 2013

THE BOILING POINT

OUTSIDE NEWS

7

For teens with ties to the Middle East, concern and action around the civil war in Syria

By Daniel Steinberg, Outside News Editor Local Muslim teens with relatives in Syria don’t have to unfolding in their ancestral homeland. They are keenly aware of what life’s like on the ground in Syria, because they hear about it from their cousins, grandparents, uncles and aunts who are there.

“They’re up in the hills a little bit, so they’re not at the them to get around,” said 17-year-old Mona Ghannoum, whose grandfather and uncle living in Damascus. “I have some more distant relatives who were kidnapped or killed.”

A senior at Arcadia High School just east of Pasadena, Mona is also vice president of the Muslim Youth Group of the Islamic Center of Southern California (ICSC), a moderate religious mosque whose teens collaborated with Shalhevet and the Boiling Point in the past.

Mona isn’t alone among Southern Californians in her connection to Syria. The

relatively safe.”

While Sami’s relatives may not have directly experinessed its effects in another way.

“I haven’t visited Syria, but I’ve visited Lebanon and lived there for a little bit, about one and a half hours from the border with Syria,” Sami said. “About one million peoLebanon have been of someconcern there. Still, Jordan has been getting the worst of it.”

No matter what their stance on the war itself, SyrianAmericans don’t want their relatives to suffer. For Mona, one of her primary concerns right now is convincing her “My grandfather is a huge politician there, so he has this whole mentality that he has to stay for his country and work for the people against the government,” she said. “It’s been really hard, but we’re trying to sway him and convince him to come here to safety.”

Shalhevet alumni in Israel have also paid attention to the Syrian unrest, especially after both Syria and Iran threatened to attack Israel if the United States intervened after chemical weapons were used.

In addition, it seemed possible that chemical weapons might be sent to Israel over the border.

Alumna Tamar Rohatiner Bendheim, class of 2006, said she was ner-

“There was a gas mask shortage, but eventually things worked out and we were able to get them,” said Tamar, whose husband is a pilot in the Israeli Air Force.

According to Max Rabin, class lives of thousands of Syrian-American of 2004 and older brother of junior teens, who have been driven to action in Avishai Rabin, the situation does varying amounts, depending on what kind not feel out of the ordinary. He and of situation their relatives are in. his wife got a gas masks in NovemAt Shalhevet, the Syrian civil war has ber 2012, during Operation Pillar of been discussed in some classes and clubs, Defense. This time the Israeli governand Shalhevet alumni in Israel – includment issued a special gas-proof “tent” ing relatives of Shalhevet students -- have for their toddler daughter, Ayelet. stood in line for gas masks, made more ur“It’s not a new sense of danger,” gent by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s Max said. “The danger has always use of chemical weapons in August. been there, just now the media is But for Arab and Muslim students with BP Photo courtesy of Mona Ghanoum shedding a new light on it.”

INVOLVED: Teens of Syrian descent, including Mona Ghannoum of Arcadia High School, have sent Tamar described Israelis’ mood. is real and not just threatened. Responses supplies to relatives under attack by the government.In Israel, Shalhevet alumni bought gas masks.

“It’s not really fear, but a sense of have varied. Mona has been active in proawareness,” Tamar said. testing against Bashar Al-Assad’s regime.

More than a military threat from Syria, she worried She has been working with an organization called Help- been registered in Lebanon and 175,000 in Jordan, and ing Hands to send toys, clothing and supplies to Syrians it is estimated that there are many more living illegally in about the message sent by the United States to the world both countries. If not handled properly, news reports have when Obama backed down from a threat to take military in need. action in Syria.

Others of Syrian descent in the community have been “What it implies is that if in the future Iran starts a war wider region both politically and economically. active, and there are some who don’t oppose Assad.

“In the Muslim world, when one of our brothers is hurt- in Israel, that the U.S. probably won’t get involved,” Tamar “The Muslim Youth Group itself has not interacted in said. ing, we all hurt,” said supporting one side or While the situation in Syria has a less direct impact on Mona. the other,” said Sami While the Muslim Youth Group students of Shalhevet, Mr. Feld, advisor to the school’s Ghanem, a high school has not collectively taken a side, senior and president of It’s not a new sense of danger. The and advises against doing so, it also portant story and a timely case study in the principles of the ICSC youth group. has not hesitated in attempting to international relations. danger has always been there, just now “In the Muslim com“I’ve noticed there are students who have a natural interaid innocent civilians caught up in munity, it’s not like the media is shedding light on it. est,” Mr. Feld said. “I have seen students who don’t think of the crisis. everyone is for the pro--Alumnus Max Rabin, ‘04 themselves as political really being able to dig pretty deep testers against Assad. growing worse and worse, but it’s in the story and come up with sophisticated analysis.

The opinion is divid“That we are talking about this means that this is impornot too late before Syria collapses, ed.” and none of us want to see that,” tant,” he added. “This is a story that could affect us for genLike Mona, Sami also has relatives in Syria, but they are in a different situa- Sami said. “We’re trying to get aid out to the people. We’re erations and I hope that the students will take the opporfunneling money to different organizations to distribute it tunity to really get involved, because it sounds corny, but tion from Mona’s uncle and grandfather.

“My father’s side of the family lives in Syria, but they’re among refugees, and sharing videos of the horrors going on their voice, their passion, their interest really does make a difference.” really lucky,” Sami said. “They live in an isolated village there to make people aware that the war has to stop.”

At baggage claim, Newt tells BP peace can wait

By Tamar Willis, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Former Speaker of the House and presidential candidate Newt Gingrich says that survival, not peace, is what Israel should strive for, because of the nature of its neighbors and the threat of nuclear attack from Iran.

In an interview at Los Angeles International Airport, where he had arrived from Washington, D.C., on the same was in danger of a “holocaust” because it has neither the distance nor the means to protect its population should Iran launch a nuclear weapon.

“You have to understand how dangerous the region is and how potentially implacable your opponents are,” Mr. Gingrich said, standing in the baggage claim area as suitcases slid toward waiting passengers.

“So if survival is victory—we’re not going to get to peace—if survival is victory, what would that look like and how would we get there.”

A former congressman from Georgia and now co-host reporter’s questions and suggested that the interview be videotaped. He was told The Boiling Point represented a Jewish high school, and then asked, “What is your take on

the Middle East?”

It was just days after new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke at the United Nations and then conversed with President Obama on the telephone, and Mr. Gingrich’s attention turned immediately to Iran. Though referencing the fact that most of Israel’s neighbors are still he spoke mostly about the Iranian nuclear threat to Israel, emphasizing how different that threat is to Israel than to the United States.

“The great problem, if you are Jewish and American, is to understand that we are a continent-wide nation of 311 million people, and Israel isn’t,” Mr. Gingrich said. “So we can afford to take risks.

“One of the reasons that I am frankly concerned is that two, at most three, Iranian nuclear weapons would be a holocaust [for Israel],” he continued. “I mean that literally, if you kill that many people.

“It’s a very un-American model, because Israel does not have the scale that the U.S. has – to hide behind two oceans, and to be capable of surviving surprise.” bags had arrived and he strode out of the terminal.

That left no time to ask him for his thoughts on the

U.S. government shutdown, which had started that very morning. Mr. Gingrich was Speaker of the House – the same position held now by John Boehner – last BP Photos by Tamar Willis time the government was shut down due to gridlock, in 1995.

TALKING NUKES: Peace is not a Mr. Christopher priority, Newt Gingrich told a BoilBuckley, who advises ing Point reporter at LAX. the debate team, said that even though Mr. Gingrich is better known for his domestic views, his opinion on the Middle East is worth considering.

“He has been a presidential candidate and he has worked for and started numerous political foundations,” Mr. Buckley said, “and he’s also a former history professor who has written a number of books…

“I don’t know if his opinion carries the same weight as a

The Boiling Point

8

Ex dus Continued from Page 1

-ing or working alongside whites, or by those who admired his endurance through 27 years of imprisonment on Robben Island near Dr. Yoss’s

and reshaped the country of South Africa, including its shrinking Jewish community.

Although the Jewish population in South Africa is still the 12th largest in the world, it has declined by more than 40 percent in recent decades, similar to Jewish declines in Middle Eastern countries and Eastern Europe.

According to the Jewish Virtual Library, South Africa’s Jewish population today stands at around 70,000, compared to 125,000 at its peak in the 1980s.

The exodus slowed after Mandela was freed, but Jews are still leaving South Africa at a rate of about 1,500 per year, heading for Israel, Europe, Australia and the United States. JTA.org, a Jewish news service, reports that many in the U.S. settled in San Diego, Irvine, and Los Angeles’ Beverlittle anti-semitism. In interviews with the Boiling Point, expatriates who are part of the Shalhevet community described their home country as a place that most of them loved and some missed.

Executive Director Robyn Lewis was born and raised in South Africa, leaving at 18. Her family left because they were looking for “a safer, better life.”

She is still extremely fond of her country and says she constantly misses it. If it were not for her great life in Los Angeles with most of her family here, she would still love to return to South Africa, she said, and its “beautiful, inclusive Jewish community.”

“A lot of people who left to places like America and Australia have gone back, because they missed it and preferred their lives in South Africa,” Mrs. Lewis said. “Many people did leave, but I would say that the rate of people leaving now is not as nearly as great as it was before.”

Mr. David Mankowitz, father of sophomore Sarah Mankowitz — whose mother emigrated from Zimbabwe, just to the north — described South Africa’s Jewish community as Zionistic and very united.

“The Jewish community was always fairly small, but very strong and very vibrant,” Mr. Mankowitz said. “In LA, when there is a community event like a citywide support for Israel, you would get a small percentage turnout, whereas in South Africa the majority of people would go.”

J

W

hy then, have so many Jews left? Most of Shalhevet’s South African expatriates left during the apartheid era.

“It was mostly people who had a good profession and were educated who could leave,” said Dr. Yoss. “And many of those Jews were opposed to the apartheid regime bemakes sense why they were so against apartheid.”

also spent her childhood in South Africa, but never intended to leave. She came to the U.S. for college, but stayed “The South African Jewish community was smaller and gether and there was no split between Reform or Orthodox.

Everyone was similar in how they practiced, which was very a traditional Judaism.”

January 2014

South Africa’s Jewish population fought against apartheid as many Jews emigrated. Th decline has now slowed, but continues.

commotion.

“You have to understand that all the newspapers and televisions were was happening, everything was kept separate and you did not really pay attention, as ridiculous as it sounds now.”

Another South African native is Mr. David Mankowitz, father of sophomore Sarah, whose mother was born in the African country of Zimbabwe prior to moving to South Africa. Mr. Mankowitz stayed in South Africa even after university, leaving only in 1993, after he was married — and just as apartheid was ending.

He grew up in small towns and the coastal city of Durban, moving to Johannesburg later on. country, and fear of potential violence,” said Mr. Mankowitz said.

“I think we could have stayed in South Africa and been happy,” he said, “but there was the possibility that our children would eventually want to leave, so my wife and I thought better to make a new home somewhere else.”

South African living in Johannesburg, and has no plans to leave.

She attended King David Primary School Sandton and then went to Yeshiva College Girls High, which had more Judaic classes and was not co-ed. Jaimee praised both schools, saying they gave her a substantial Jewish background and identity.

After high school, she went on to study occupational therapy at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, which she described as having an active Jewish life. A group like America’s Hillel, called the South African Union of Jewish Students, or SAUJS, “brings the Jewish vibe to campus.”

On Shabbat, Jaimee’s family attends Chabad of Illovo— located right next to their house.

“We are a very tight-knit community,” Jaimee said. “We all take turns

— perhaps partly because of Mandela, who not only ended apartheid

to have my grandparents living next door to me, and my cousins and aunt

Conditions have gradually improved, but there is still a lot of violence hannesburg, Port Elizabeth and Durban — are ranked in businessinsider. com’s 50 most dangerous cities in the world as determined by homicide rate. The United States, despite being enormously larger than South Af-

Jaimee has grown up entirely in post-apartheid South Africa, and likes family follows South African traditions like having braii, or barbecue, every Sunday lunch.

“Personally, I feel that living in South Africa has given me many opof life to being able to give tzedakah to the many beggars on the street.

As a Jew, one rarely encounters anti-semitism. So it truly is a great place to live.” ground. He lives in the neighborhood of Glenhazel, the district of Johannesburg that contains the most Jewish restaurants and shuls.

On Shabbat he attends a Mizrachi shul on the Yeshiva College campus, which he described as vibrant, with over 100 Jews attending.

“On weekends I spend a lot of time with family and friends,” Elchanan said, “sometimes studying for exams and tests if need be and also watching sports. But generally Saturday nights are spent with friends at movies or partying, while Sundays are family and relaxing days.”

Courtesy of Sarah Mankowitz

Fea!res

against white citizens.

But something else happened then that threatened South African society just when it was getting restarted. When apartheid ended, violent crime began to skyrocket.

T

he year 1994, when Mandela became president, was the worst year South Africa had ever experienced in terms of murder and crime, with 70 people murdered per 100,000 of population, according to frontline.org — totaling 25,000 murders that year. ranked South Africa second per capita for combined assault and murder

cians. But anti-Semitism was at its pe

Germany.

The Quota Act of 1930 and the A further Jewish immigration. But afte and promised complete equality to th After that, the Jewish community ties with both the South African gov

supportive Zionists abroad, accordin rica became close military and econo It was in the 1980s that nearly al triates began to leave. Among those with the South African government lead the anti-apartheid movement.

Harry Schwarz, who had emigrate

heid and is called one of the fathers o Schwarz was one of the defense

all six of the white men who were ar

“Most Jews came from Lithuania and of the spectrum, and many of the def als were Jewish.”

Mandela himself was born in 191

ed to oppose apartheid. He was arrest and was sentenced to life imprisonme He served 27 years in jail, prima leased in 1990. Once freed, Mande

In 1992, laws preventing blacks fr urban neighborhoods were lifted, and into the Jewish neighborhood of Ho ing to jta.org, his neighbor was Je Parliament, Tony Leon, who greeted chocolate cake.

1996 and 2011, its prison population grew by 52 percent. During 2013, South Africa was said to have had 16,000 murders, only the 9th highest in

dent of South Africa.

beries, and 678 burglaries in the country every day.

According to the country’s Centre for the Study of Violence and Recon-

vices at Green and Sea Point Hebrew Cape Town. He gave a speech in whic for the return of Jewish expatriates curity reasons.” This apparently did though the departure of Jews dramat Mandela did not run for a second

System, as well as high levels of unemployment and what it calls “social exclusion.“ But both before and after the end of apartheid, Jews who departed their native country of South Africa cited violence, chaos, and political instability as reasons, along with opportunities and potential they saw in countries abroad. robbed multiple times.

“I do feel a sense of having to be constantly aware of my surroundings

dinary human being.”

O

ne reason Jews — and other tainty about the economy. Man he ended up encouraging pri economy continued to thrive.

outh Africa’s history is very similar to that of America and the rest

was one who was concerned. Born an — the legislative capital of South Af its second-largest Jewish communit

late 15th century during the Portuguese exploration, and then the

a protected and sheltered environme

S

The Boiling Point

January 2014

Fea!res

9

n

Dutch colonized the region in the 1600s. Jews had begun migrating to South Africa as early as the 1820s, when they were guaranteed religious tolerance.

The Jewish population multiplied by 10 between the years 1886 and 1914, as many were attracted to the gold rush. Most of the South African Jews arrived from Lithuania and headed to Johannesburg, which was coined by some as “Jewberg.”

Jews then played a key role in the growing diamond industry and some became prominent politieak in South Africa during the 1930s

Aliens Act of 1937 aimed to prevent er the war, South Africa apologized he Jewish community. y of South Africa maintained strong vernment and the new state of Israel.

ng to Wikipedia. Israel and South Afomic allies in the 1970s. ll of Shalhevet’s South African expawho stayed, despite their strong ties t, many Jews supported and helped

ed from Germany as a teenager to esof the new South Africa. lawyers during the Rivonia Trial —

rrested were Jewish.

d they were on the more liberal side fense lawyers during the Rivonia tri-

18 and became was one of the more ted in 1962 for his violent resistance, ent. arily in Robben Island, and was reela collaborated with then-President

rom living in subd Mandela moved oughton. Accordewish member of d Mandela with a

Though he and his parents habitually protested against the apartheid regime, his chief concern was to “get a degree and leave the country” South Africa’s future was unpredicable.

He left in 1984.

“Mandela advocated nationalization, his group were socialists and I am not said.

Mr. Mankowitz agreed.

“I think there was a lot of uncertainty towards what economic policies the country would follow,” Mr. Mankowitz said. “Would government take away things from people and give it to [nationalized] businesses? Ultimately, it didn’t really happen in South Africa, or at least not yet.”

When Mandela took over the presidency and apartheid was overthrown, tension grew between Israel and the South African government, which was suspicious of Israel because it had been so friendly

Courtesy of the Feder Family

remaining close with Israel, and after his tenure as president, he visited the country in 1999 and stated, “Israel cooperated with the apartheid regime, but it did not participate in any atrocities.”

But he also warmly embraced PLO leader Yasser pared Israel’s relationship with Palestinians to what Africans experienced under apartheid. When former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon died last week, South Africa did not send a wreath to his funeral.

F

or now, in South Africa itself, Jewish life continues to thrive.

The South African Board of Jewish Education, founded in 1929, is in charge of accrediting and coordinating Jewish schools, and has started the King David school system, with currently over 10 high school and elementary schools throughout the country.

Over 80 percent of Jewish children in South Africa attend a Jewish school, according to Jewish Virtual Library. Another website, maven.co, reports there are between 60 and 80 functioning synagogues throughout South Africa — though the Gardens Shul in

SA Rochlin Archives, SAJBD

HISTORY: Clockwise from top right: Junior Nicole Feder and her sister Ariana visited Robben Island in 2010 with their cousin, Danielle Drozin, at right; Nelson Mandela saluted the crowd at the Green and Sea Point Hebrew Congregation in Cape Town shortly after being elected president in 1994, joined by (from left) Rabbi Jack Steinhorn; Israel’s ambassador to South Africa, Alon Liel; Chief Rabbi Cyril Harris; and Mervyn Smith, chairman of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies; History teacher Dr. Michael Yoss, pictured in his college years before he left South Africa; and sophomore Sarah Mankowitz visited Soweto, a Johannesburg shantytown, last summer with her family. Her father left South Africa in 1993.

Capetown, South

And though the community is still declining, it is still very religious, with slightly over 80 percent of the Jewish population said to be Orthodox, and intermarriage at a mere seven percent, according to Jewish Virtual Library. That compares to a rate of 58 percent in the United States, as reported by jta.org.

As for the future, that seems to depend on stability, which, as Sarah Mankowitz stated, is the reason Jews “A lot of people were unsure of what was going to happen and felt that there would be violence,” said Sarah. Crime is still a problem, she said.

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on making aliya. Another problem is that some Jews are assimilating, which also weakens the community.” it is is because many Jews are economically incapable of moving — and their numbers are being supplemented by immigrants from Israel.

But for now, many South Africans still feel as Jaimee Brozin does, at home in a warm Jewish environment within the diverse, now free society that was bequeathed to them by their own families -- and “I love my country and at the moment I don’t ever want to leave,” Jaimee said.

would cause Jewish South Africa to keep shrinking.

“Personally, I do not think the community will remain very strong over the upcoming years,” said Elchanan, w Congregation in “Crime does play a major role in people leavch he “appeal[ed] ing, and many people are not happy s who left for seCourtesy of Dr. Michael Yoss with the government,” Elchand not materialize, an said. tically slowed.

“On the other hand many term in 1999, and spent the remain- Jews here identify strongly with Israel, and thereApartiheid ends.

- fore more and Nelson Mandela moves into an more Jews upscale, Jewish neighboorhood here are called Houghton. r whites — kept leaving was uncer- keen On erev Pesach, he thanks South South African Africa’s Jews for “particularly outndela had been a communist, though Jewish leaders, standing contribution to the end ivate investment and South Africa’s along with

nd raised in Cape Town frica and home to ty — for the

ent.

1

984

5 8 9 1

Robyn Lewis, Peter Feitelberg leave South Africa.

96 9 1 4 9 9 1 3 9 9 1 2 9 19 0 99 1 6 8 9 1 Black-Jewish “Freedom seders” become popular in the US, protesting apartheid.

Ester Feder leaves South Africa.

8 7 9 1 Page design by Margo Feuer

Elie Weisel in accepting his Nobel Peace Prize, call for Mandela’s release.

of apartheid.”

Mandela says Palestinians are like South Africans under apartheid, and says similar things in various synogogue speeches that year.

8 9 9 1

Study says Jews are leaving South Africa to escape crime.

Mandela elected president, attends Shabbat services in Cape Town and asks Jews who have left South Africa to return.

David Mankowitz emigrates from South Africa.

0 0 2

0

1 0 2

Mandela announces support of Iran’s trial of 13 Jews as spies.

Mandela embraces Yasir Arafat in a ceremony in Cape Town.

South Africa has the second highest muder rate in the world, 19982000.

Michael Yoss leaves South Africa because he is opposed to the apartheid regime.

3 Source: jta.org and BP staff

y he

South Africa’s murder rate falls to ninth in the world.

10

Torah THE BOILING POINT

JANUARY 2014

Mati Hurwitz, Torah Editor and Nicole Soussana, Staff Writer

if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tamei -

keilim

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tevilat

BP Photo by Jillian Einalhori

mikvah keilim tevilat keilim

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FRESH: Sophomores Jacob Dauer and Boaz Willis

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tevilat keilim

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mikvah keilim

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The Boiling Point

January 2014

Torah

11

Modern Orthodox high school in

By Noah Rothman, Staff Writer

school com-

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SAR High School in Riverdale, New York, is now al-

are made within a

U.S. to do so.

minhag,

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Instead, Rabbi Segal decided that girls who so desired

the reasoning the two senior Ricki a telephone interview

girls to wrap said SAR Heicklen, in with The Boiling Point. correlated with the Con-

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In a telephone interview with The Boiling Point last

his decision Nov. 14, he wrote:

another and decisions are made within a

--Rabbi Ari Segal

Shalhevet and SAR are not the same.

e-mail.

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The Boiling Point

12 The Boiling Point Editor-in-Chief Tamar Willis Deputy Editor-in-Chief Goldie Fields Chief Layout Editors Rachel Spronz Margo Feuer Community Editor Alexa Fishman Opinion Editor Sigal Spitzer

January 2014

Opinion

Opinion

THE BOILING POINT

UNSIGNED EDITORIALS

Penn Model Congress: Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fault By the BP Editorial Board

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Outside News Editor Daniel Steinberg Features Editor Tamar Willis

the parents and reconsidering what it had previously

Torah Editor Mati Hurwitz

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Arts & Culture Editor Adam Rokah Sports Editor Jonah Gill Photography Editor Goldie Fields

harsh and apparently irrevocable did not follow the only instruc-

Layout Editor Michelle Hirschhorn

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Technology Artist David Ohana Gabe Silverstein

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Advertising Editor Shoshi Miller Copy Editor Micah Gill

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Illustrations Editor Yan Kligerman Website Editor-in-Chief Nicole Feder Faculty Advisor Mrs. Joelle Keene

National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker Finalist 2012 National Scholastic Press Association All-American with Four Marks of Distinction

Where did all the math teachers go?

By the BP Editorial Board

enough to our school?

teachers over the course of two years is not, shall we International First Place Award National Award Winner

2007 - 2013

having to readjust to a new teaching style on average Unfortunately, this has been the case for one of the

2013 Gold Crown Award 2011 - 2013 Gold Medals Columbia Scholastic Press Association

Simon J. Rockower Award - 2013

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The Boiling PoinT is the student-produced newspaper of Shalhevet High School and is published 6-8 times yearly. Editorials on the Notepad represent the majority view of the members of the Editorial Board, which consists of the Editor-in-Chief, Deputy Editor, Managing Editor, Web Editor, Opinion Editor and Faculty Advisor. The Boiling PoinT welcomes 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

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PoinT reserves the right to edit letters and opinion submissions and all submissions become the property of The Boiling PoinT. Signed editorials and advertisements in The Boiling PoinT purchased by third-party organizations do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Editorial Board or The Boiling PoinT as a whole. For information on advertising, please write Advertising Editor Shoshi Miller at shoshimiller831@gmail.com.

The Boiling Point

January 2014

Opinion

13

TWO BOILING POINTS OF VIEW:

Should Shalhevet grads attend colleges that honor a boycott of Israeli universities?

Yes, don’t sink to their level

No, they don’t deserve us

Avishai Rabin, 11th Grade

By Shirel Benji, 10th Grade

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to

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BP Photos by Goldie Fields

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Letters to the Editor: Girls’ football shortchanged, and a headline could be better

Miriam Lelah, senior

Kian Marghzar, sophomore

The Boiling Point

14

January 2014

Opinion

Students need more help now to defend Israel later

StockTalk

Conscious Investing in a Fool’s Market

By Anna Gordon, 11th grade “Free, free, Palestine!” chanted the college

dents Need to Watch This.” A passionate speaker exclaimed, “Israel has divested from humanity, and humanity must divest from Israel!”

I will admit that I was intimidated by what I to forget how dominant anti-Israel groups are on college campuses.

Perhaps the most disturbing thing is that I, like

Boaz Willis, Staff Columnist

It’s the motto of the virtual stock trading website that I like to play around on, and the main platform for stock trading that the Finance Club uses to learn about stocks. It’s also a statement that I thoroughly agree with.

Oftentimes investors don’t really know what they are getting themselves into when they buy a couple shares of a company. They may think it will “obviously” pay out in the long run, or that they “know the company” or that it’s too big to fail.

These people need to reform the way they go about making their stock picks.

My advice is to actually do your own research before buying a stock. Understand how the company This process increases the chances of picking a “winner” in the stock world — a company whose shares will skyrocket because of how well they are doing.

You also need to know what you are looking for.

A balanced portfolio is the goal, and the steps to get there are to balance the categories of value, growth, and small-, mid-, and large-cap stocks. The “cap” is the market capitalization of the stock, which is calculated by the number of outstanding shares multiplied by the price of the stock.

A well known large cap stock is Nike, with a market capitalization exceeding $66.8 billion. A well known mid-cap company is CarMax, the used car retailer.

(Generally small cap companies aren’t as well known.)

There are other important factors as well, and every portfolio you are building.

In addition, be careful to examine whether any Larry told me it is good” won’t cut it at any time, unless your Uncle Larry is actually Uncle Warren.

Everything that you think about this company should be self produced, which is essential in gaining a grasp on your view of the company. your predetermined beliefs; optimism bias, believing you are at less risk than another to experience a negative factor; and herding bias, also known as jumping on the bandwagon. Any of these will distort your ability to analyze a company for what it is.

The last thing that every investor must keep their eyes on is making sure that they are not the “greater fool.” In the world of investing there is a constant debate over what causes certain companies to be overvalued, and one of these variables is that there is indeed always a greater fool — the person who’s willing to take on an investment at a price that is higher than what someone else is willing to pay. If enough people do this, it results in the overvaluation of a stock, and then the fool loses a good portion of his money. For example, if Bob is willing to pay $10 for what Barry is only paying $5 for, then Bob is obviously the greater fool, because Barry is selling it to him at an overvalued price. If you do not research your investments, then odds are you’re going to be the fool. education rather than falling into the traps of biases and being foolish. Being conscious is the best way to pick winners, balance your portfolio, and multiply your money. A little research will go a long way in the world of investing, and can be the Band-Aid to the scratch your portfolio has now.

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to face these anti-Israel groups one day.

Until then, it is essential that we perfect our proIsrael ideologies so that we can defend the Jewish These anti-Israel college students are future voters, politicians, and leaders. Their education allows them to be taken seriously by many people.

Why they hate Israel so much was quite puzzling to me until I realized just how misinformed many of these students were. Many of them simply do not have a proper understanding of the situation.

Our ability to prove them wrong depends on our own level of education. The more we understand the politics and history of the Jewish state, the better we can defend it.

East class for juniors that serves this purpose very well. However, it wouldn’t hurt to emphasize current events more or have additional guest speakers teach us about Israel advocacy.

In school, the pro-Israel atmosphere is so strong it’s easy to take it for granted. We should do absolutely everything we can to make sure we are prepared for the vehement opposition that many of us will face in the future.

Let Hillel be Hillel, a safe place at college to love Israel

By Sigal Spitzer, Opinion Editor At Town Hall on Jan 2. the student body debated whether Hillel houses on university campuses should co-sponsor events with groups that deny Israel's right to exist. Though the root of the conversation was Hillel’s policy not to co-sponsor events with, or host speakers from, organizations that don't support Israel’s right to exist, it diverged into a debate about free speech, national credibility, established standards and tradition.

There was heated dialogue, but the overall consensus within the school was shocking. Considhave expected more students and faculty members to agree with Hillel’s standards, which do not allow anti-Israel speakers within the Hillel walls.

Instead, many took the approach that the Hillel houses on college campuses should have to play a “moderator’s” role, asking anti-Israel groups to work together with them in pursuit of a common goal, peace.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad even spoke at Columbia University in 2007--but there is no reason why he should have been brought into the Hillel house.

One student argued that if Hillel does not open its doors to healthy discourse with anti-Israel activgested that Hillel is breaking from democratic ideals by not allowing a wider spectrum of speakers to address its students.

Sparks: A Comic

broaden their horizons and experience opposition, while others resorted to the commonplace response aged students must learn to face Israel opposition in a “wholesome environment” (presumably, a Hillel-sponsored event) to be prepared to face such opposition in the real world.

These views make sense outside of Hillel’s walls.

But college students confront and withstand plenty of opposition and anti-Israel remarks on campus, whether they are attending Columbia University with a vibrant Hillel or UC Irvine with a smaller Hillel. Iran’s then-prime minister Mahmoud Ahmadinejad even spoke at Columbia University in 2007 — but there is no reason why he should have been brought into the Hillel house.

Hillel should continue limiting who is allowed to speak at the Hillel houses. The mission statement of the national organization is not to coexist with Palestinians nor to negotiate peace talks within the University, but to be a place for Jewish students to sustain a commitment to religious life.

A Hillel house is stationed on campus to provide an environment where college students feel comfortable and free to openly discuss their love and passion for Judaism and Israel.

Because Hillel is a national institution, all Hillel houses should abide by the same rules. A few weeks

debate and dialogue beyond the Jewish tradition.

But a Hillel house is a Hillel house, under national jurisdiction, and cannot create its own rules.

Hillel has successfully been serving our universities since 1923 with a nurturing environment created by many thousands of Jewish educators. Let’s not inadvertently ruin it for the students of Hillel houses in 2023.

Yonatan Khalil

16

Sports THE BOILING POINT

JANUARY 2014

Split decision as Lady Firehawks beat YULA while boys fall short

By Noah Rothman, Staff Writer When

Shalhevetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

basketball

teams -

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BP Photo by Goldie Fields

INBOUND: Sophomore Jacob Dauer tries to inbound the basketball against Ariel Sokol of YULA in the annual rivalry game. The girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; team played before the boys and won 59-40, while the boys lost 62-36.

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Overall, Mr. Momentum was on our side.

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-Sigal Spitzer, Junior

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this year with new coach

Tune in to the

Shalhevet F i r e ta k e P o d c as t BP Photo by Rayna Wasserman

DEFENSE:

for hot news and interviews

by Jonah Gill, Sports Editor

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Coach has introduced them to the game, promoted team chemistry and taught them how to play under his system in a short period of time.

-- Adam Rokah, forward

www.shalhevetboilingpoint.com