Shalhevet Boiling Point Vol. 20, Issue 2

SHALHEVET HIGH SCHOOL • Los Angeles, CA January 2020 • Shvat 5780 •

Vol. 20, Issue 2 shalhevetboilingpoint.com

Police say suspect in Nessah vandalism not tied to hate groups By Liad Machmali, Torah Editor

BP Photo by Maia Lefferman CLOSE: Andrew Yang, candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, waves to a cheering crowd outside of Tried and True Co. vintage clothing store on Fairfax Avenue just north of school Dec. 19. The storefront had been completely revamped with Yang hats, sweatshirts and other “merch,” and some of the crowd had arrived at 6 a.m., as they might for a drop of rare clothing from a popular manufacturer. See story on page 7.

Fairness threatens banning students from unused classrooms after vandalism By Molly Litvak, Community Editor, and Jacob Joseph Lefkowitz Brooks, Editor-in-Chief Responding to complaints of food left in classrooms and vandalism against posters, the Fairness Committee announced today that a “probationary period” would begin after break during which if there is vandalism in any classroom, the entire student body will be banned from being in classrooms at any time without a teacher or a teacher’s permission. Fairness co-chair Joseph Klores later confirmed with the Boiling Point that the prohibition would last one week. “We didn’t want to do this,” announced Fairness co-chair Joseph Klores today at Town Hall. “Starting the week after break, on the 27th, we will be institution a two-week probationary peri-

od in which we will look to see if there are any acts of vandalism, and if so, all the teachers’ rooms will be locked throughout the day.” The punishment was suggested by English teacher Ms. Michelle Crincoli, who filed a Fairness case against the whole school and requested the two-week classroom ban. A closed-door student meeting was held Jan. 6 to discuss the matter on Jan. 6, according to multiple students who attended the meeting. Neither the report itself nor the date it was filed was shared with the Boiling Point. The meeting was run by the Fairness Committee. Fairness co-chair Joseph Klores said it was closed “because that’s what we decided... We want to first develop a good system before we bring it to the public. We’re still in the beginning of it, there’s more to

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Mixed views on stopping Persians at border By Sam Rubanowitz, Outside News Editor, and Liad Machmali, Torah Editor Shalhevet students and faculty of Iranian descent were mostly unphased by reports of problems at U.S border crossings for Iranians and American-Iranians last week. In the aftermath of the U.S. drone strike of top Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) has been reportedly detaining travelers of Iranian descent. On

Addicted toTikTok Jewish teens absorbed by world-wide craze By Kate Orlanski, Features Editor Spend a day roaming the halls of Shalhevet and you are bound to see flocks of teenagers filming each other dancing, lip-syncing or performing other antics clip by clip on their phones. This latest social media phenomenon is known as TikTok,

Jan. 5, 60 traveling Iranians and Iranian-Americans were detained at the border between the U.S. and Canada at Blaine, Wash., according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and various news outlets. In an informal poll of students and faculty of Iranian descent at Shalhevet -- 2 faculty and 2 students from each grade -- most believe the detainings are worth it and necessary for national security reasons. Senior David Saeedian, whose father escaped from

Banging on his door around 7 a.m. on Saturday Dec. 14, a congregant waited anxiously to inform Rabbi David Shofet that it was not going to be a typical Shabbat morning at Nessah, their synagogue, located on Rexford Drive just south of Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. The night before, someone had entered and thrown Torah scrolls, chumashim and prayer books on the floor. Some of the books were torn. At least eight Torahs had been dropped and unrolled. The sanctuary was in disarray. Rabbi Shofet quickly got dressed and headed to the synagogue, where he could see the vandalism from the front door. “I remember I saw the precious Sifrei Torah that we had are torn,” Rabbi Shofet told the Boiling Point in an interview. “I couldn’t tolerate it, I started crying. It’s the most precious thing that we have.” It was only three days until the Beverly Hills Police Department named Anton Nathaniel Redding, 24, as a suspect. Officers said he was identified from film on Nessah security cameras, which also showed that the vandalism took place at 2 a.m. A Dec. 18 BHPD news release said the security footage captured Mr. Redding fleeing the scene in a taxi and heading to the Los Angeles International Airport. It said he was tracked to Kona, Hawaii and arrested there, and that Mr. Redding is from Millersville, Pennsylvania. He is now in custody at the Men’s Central Jail, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Charges filed against him are vandalism of a religious property and commercial burglary, both with a penalty enhancement for a hate crime, all stemming from his actions at Nessah. Mr. Redding pleaded not-guilty at his arraignment and is scheduled to go back to court on Jan. 30. But while the vandalism shocked and frightened Nessah congregants and others in the area, the suspect’s motive is still under investigation. According to Beverly Hills Police Lieutenant Elisabeth Albanese, who investigated the scene, the suspect also walked on Rexford Drive and vandalized the exterior of buildings in the alley between Rexford and Elm. There was a broken gate reported near an apartment building, and some plants and pots were disturbed, said Lt. Albanese. After walking around on Elm Street, the suspect allegedly forced his way into the synagogue, she said. Rabbi Shofet said someone is usually assigned to turn Nessah’s alarm on Friday night but forgot. Lt. Albanese said it is not yet known if Mr. Redding’s actions were driven by antisemitism. She said the police had found no evidence of his belonging to any hate groups or visiting any hate-group websites. “That’s part of the investigation, that’s still ongoing,” said Lt. Albanese he said the nature of the damage he caused suggested hate as a motive. “He was charged with a hate crime,” Lt. Albanese said, which “revolves around the suspect’s motivation for BP Photo by Neima Fax committing the crime to the other crimes, being the vandalism and the WATCH: A security camera at burglary. So that’s part of the inNessah provided video of the vestigation that’s ongoing, to detersuspect, enabling him to be

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tracked to LAX, according to Beverly Hills police.

continued on page 6 and it has possessed the minds of teens globally, providing them with an ever-present outlet for entertainment and creativity. It also has unlocked a universe of Jewish inside jokes, with Jewish-themed TikToks going viral. “I downloaded TikTok as a joke and then it just escalated really quickly,” said sophomore Miriam Friedman. “Now I’m trying to become TikTok famous. It’s so relatable.” TikTok is an app that allows users to create videos up to 60 seconds long of themselves lip-syncing to music or comedy scenes. These bits of background audio are referred to as “sounds.” Users can choose from a variety of colorful lens filters and

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MAMBA OUT: Shalhevet students, faculty and alumni share memories of growing up with Kobe Bryant. Page 24

The Boiling Point • January 2020 • Community

2 Fairness Committee warns unused classrooms will be off-limits if more vandalism occurs after break Closed-door meeting enacts one-week ‘probation period’ after complaint by Ms. Crincoli; grade-level Agenda reps speak for students. continued from page 1 come.” Ms. Crincoli declined to comment to the Boiling Point except to affirm that she had requested that the Fairness meeting be closed. Fairness members were not the only students invited to the meeting, however. Also included were the elected grade-level representatives to the Agenda Committee, which sets the agenda for schoolwide discussions at Town Hall. On Jan 1, the Fairness Committee sent an email to the representatives, asking them to be “‘public defenders’ representing the students at Shalhevet” at the hearing on Ms. Crincoli’s complaint, according to a copy of the email shared with the Boiling Point. Fairness Co-chair Evan Rubel said they were chosen because they’d been elected by their grades. “The people that were there were the people that had the power to really voice the opinion of their peers since they are elected to the Agenda Rep positions,” said Evan in an interview before the decision was announced. “They were entitled to voice the opinions of who they were representing.” Evan also said the Fairness Committee chose to invite reps rather than Agenda officers in order to have equal representation for each grade. However, the representatives had not met with their grades beforehand to learn their views. Also, neither Agenda Chair David Edwards or other Agenda officers were told about the meeting in advance. “I didn’t really know anything about the Fairness hearing, which I thought was weird,” said David. “Why wouldn’t myself or the other members of [Agenda’s] executive committee be invited? Because we also represent the students.” Although no final policy decision was reached at the meeting, multiple sources who attended said the general direction they were headed in was toward prohibiting students from

being in classrooms if there is no teacher present or they were not given permission to be there. Speaking for students, the Agenda reps reportedly expressed concerns that this may make it hard for students to find a place to work due to the lack of available workspace. What if anything students could do to prove themselves worthy of returning to the classrooms without teachers, after the two-week prohibition, was not discussed, the sources said. As of now, according to Evan, the committee has not decided if students will be directly involved in the case against them. It is not the first time the Fairness Committee has BP Photo By Kate Orlanski been asked to decide school VANDALIZED: Posters of famous authors and playwrights, including Tennessee Williams, were vandalized last month. policy without schoolwide student input. Last June, the Fairness committee held post, “How is this ok?” Tennessee Williams. According to Ms. Crincoli, a hearing where current Fairness Co-Chair GiSenior Anna Weiss said that made the case they had been ripped off the posters when she lad Spitzer brought a case against the Agenda important. got back from break though she does not know Committee after ambiguities were found in the “What happened in Ms. Kong’s classroom who took them off. voting system for Fairness Chairs. was terrible,” said Anna. “The school may have Anna noticed parts of the posters scratched But that meeting was not closed. Both Gilad hit its breaking point with allowing students to out, and said she believe that was disrespectful. and the Agenda Committee agreed to have the be in a classroom unsupervised.” “Googly eyes are lighthearted because they’re meeting open, and 54 students attended. On Dec. 18, history teacher Dr. Keith Har- not long lasting and can be easily removed,” she The problem of vandalism and food left in ris posted that “the messes left behind in Room said. “[But] I did notice that parts of the poster classrooms has gained increasing attention in 303 and other rooms around campus are getting including authors and quotes on the wall were recent weeks, with several teachers posting on out of hand.” scratched out, specifically the eyes. I think that Schoology about it. In Room 205 -- where Ms. Crincoli teaches that’s disrespectful -- to harm the property of On Dec. 19, Ms. Jennifer Kong posted -- and 206, Ms. Nagel’s room, googly eyes were someone else, to ruin something that someone pictures of math worksheets in her room that found on posters of famous authors including else paid for.” someone had spilled liquid on, captioning the George Orwell, J.K. Rowling and playwright

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The Boiling Point • January 2020• Community

The

Spin To the process we all know and hate By Jacob benezra, staff columnist Dear College Admissions Process, I could have started this letter while I was in the middle of completing your vital, yet aggravating, work. Instead, I composed myself, soldiered on through weeks and weeks of torture, and saved my rant for this day. You knew that you were governing our future, so you purposefully tested us, to get under our skin. So for now, sit down, don’t ask for one more essay or recommendation, and hear my list of grievances. Your process prevents us from enjoying the finer things in life, like chicken tenders… with curly fries… and a side of Western sauce. We are regulated by deadlines, and they suck. Ask my teachers -- they know I hate deadlines. And this isn’t like plain old homework, or even a 10-page paper. It’s worse: it’s all my mere 17-years-oflife’s work, all condensed and delivered through a package of numbers and words on a page. It feels like we had to have started building your resume while still in your diapers. The more full and dramatic your life is, the better chance of being successful through your system. But how is 10-year-old me supposed to know that I need to build up my life experiences, so I can have the content to write long essays followed by various short essays some day for -- you? Then, like some page from a dystopian novel, you force kids in every corner of the planet to file into classrooms and take the Sorrow And Trepidation exam, otherwise known as the SAT. Oh and did I mention the stakes are a bit high on this one. Do well and you are invited to advance into the rarified air of America’s higher education. Do poorly and -- well I can’t even spell it out. I mean that sounds like something straight out of The Hunger Games. In reality, I should press charges against you for the number of our emotions that you toyed with through your procedures this year. Even after we complete our applications, not only are we paranoid about not being good enough, we need to check our email every five minutes instead of focusing on other things. I feel like my dad when he is on vacation, always thinking about business -- the only difference is I don’t get glares from my mom. My classmates and I end up avoiding our peers because you don’t want to be jealous of their acceptance or vise versa. It was you who tried to turn us against each other, College Admissions Process. You causing stress, jealousy and emotional roller coasters for everybody. Honestly, if it weren’t for Aviva and Eli’s upbeat mood in their third-floor loft I don’t think I could have lasted long with you and your toxic process. But now that my torture is over I am officially breaking up with you. It’s not you … it’s me. I truly cannot stand you, and believe me, I’m not gonna stay quiet about all the grief you’ve caused me. I’m gonna warn all the underclassmen about your brutal dictatorship over my junior and first half of senior year. Because if nobody speaks against you, you’ll keep reigning your terror on the unaware youth to come. I will tell the people that are going to be faced with this next this advice: chicken tenders… with curly fries… and a side of Western sauce beside you.

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Aviva Walls, guiding presence for college applicants leaving to lead school in Virginia By Jacob Joseph Lefkowitz Brooks, Editor-in-Chief

But she will likely be remembered most for changing Shalhevet’s college culture. She set up optional college essay-writing Ms. Aviva Walls, who increased the number of universities workshops with students before the start of the school year, created Shalhevet graduates considered and made students more comfort- a case study program where students could learn how admissions able with the college process, will be leaving next year to become officers judge applications, and brought admissions officers to eveHead of School at Gesher Jewish Day School in Fairfax, Va. She ning information sessions for students and parents. Working to soften a moment that can be harsh, competitive will remain at Shalhevet for the rest of the current school year. In an interview with the Boiling Point, Ms. Walls, Shalhevet’s and disappointing for some, she also set up senior class meetings Dean of Academic Affairs and Director of College Counselling, prior to admissions decisions being announced, where the grade said she was leaving partly to further her administrational career, decided how they wanted to handle the sharing of decisions amongst themselves and with the wider school. which she felt she could not at Shalhevet. “In a lot of schools, the college process is really seen as just an “I have been wanting to do more within school leadership, and college counselling is such an important part of Shalhevet,” said individual process, and I want at Shalhevet for us to think about Ms. Walls in an interview. “And Shalhevet’s culture is such that it our responsibilities to each other as a community in addition to wasn’t possible for me to do both college counselling and do more what we are doing for ourselves,” said Ms. Walls. She also increased students’ and college officials’ visibility to within the administration.” one another, doubling the number of college admissions officers Ms. Walls said that while the specific responsibilities of her job as Gesher’s Head of School had not yet been finalized, she would who came to Shalhevet to meet students. “Our students are meeting on average six to 10 admissions ofbe involved in admissions, development and finances as well as ficers before they apply to college, which was not something that determining the “mission and vision” of the school. Head of School Rabbi Ari Segal told the Boiling Point that was happening before,” said Ms. Walls. “They’re much more familShalhevet would conduct a nationwide search to find a replace- iar with how college admissions works.” Presenting about her case studies program and ment for a new Director of mindful leadership at national conferences, Ms. Walls College Counselling. The worked to increase Shalhevet’s visibility and “brand.” role of Mr. Eli Shavalian, in She said that she would miss the personal experihis second year as Ms. Walls’ I don’t really know how the school ences most. co-director, has not yet been is going to survive without her. I “I’ll miss helping students articulate their stories, decided, he said. and the process of seeing them from the first draft to Student reaction was a feel like she’s a staple in the Just the end when I’m so proud of what they’ve created,” mix of surprise and panic. Community and so we’re just really said Ms. Walls. Junior Yael Rubin said that Students said they’d miss her the same way. she was concerned about missing out. “She was helpful both emotionally and academihow her college applications -- Mimi Czucker, 11th Grade cally,” said senior Nicole Klausner. “She was willing to would be handled next year, edit any of my papers whenever I needed her, and she even though there will still really was there day in and day out even if she had so be two counsellors. many other students’ problems on her plate. “I’m very nervous, because [she] and Eli were a team and I’m “She was always willing to individualize her attention on every just nervous about what it’s gonna be like without her,” said Yael. single person, and that was really special about her.” “And I hope we’re taken care of well.” In her role as Dean of Academic Affairs, Ms. Walls has been Junior Mimi Czucker said she would miss Aviva’s presence all responsible for student welfare and discipline as well as interacting over the school. “I don’t really know how the school is going to survive without with the Just Community. Ms. Walls served as a faculty advisor to her,” said Mimi. “I feel like she’s a staple in the Just Community the Agenda committee in the 2017-18 school year, and also chapand so we’re just really missing out. She organizes so much for us. eroned Model Congress and Choirhawk trips. Gesher, located in Fairfax, a suburb of Washington, D.C., And it’s not just college counselling but also our scheduling and which runs from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade, was foundwith Model Congress.” Mr. Shavalian said that he’d been inspired by Ms. Wall’s dedica- ed in 1982 as a kindergarten and grew to a K-8 school in 1999. It’s the second time in three years that a Shalhevet administration to each student who she worked with. “She didn’t shy away from having difficult conversations,” said tor has left to lead another Jewish day school. In 2017, then-Dean of Students Mr. Jason Feld left Shalhevet to become head of school Mr. Shavalian in an interview. “She really cared about the work that we were doing, about at Northwest Yeshiva High School (NYHS) in Seattle. While Mr. Feld brought the concept of the Just Community to how it impacts the students overall and making sure that we were doing everything we could for the students to be successful,” he NYHS, Ms. Walls does not think that philosophy will be applicasaid. “And not just be successful and get the acceptances they want ble to elementary and middle school students. “I know that I will be informed by the student-centered apbut to grow as humans…. It’s wild the impact she’s had on this school and I’m sad, but I’m so excited for her to take the next step.” proach of Shalhevet, but I really want to understand the Gesher Ms. Walls joined Shalhevet in 2013 as Director of College culture first before I try to impose anything on them,” she said. Fairfax is a suburb of Washington, D.C., located 20 miles west Counseling and was given the additional title of Dean of Academic Affairs in 2017, making her the first female educational adminis- of the capital. On its website, Gesher describes itself as a “pluralistic commutrator in the school’s history. nity,” with a student body that is 34% unaffiliated, 31% ConserIn this role, she was responsible for long-term schedule changes, including creating a schedule for underclassmen where students vative, 28% Orthodox and 9% Reform or Reconstructionist. Aviva could take more frequent math classes. She also created a formal says most Gesher students come from Northern Virginia and go on academic advising system, set clear policies for things like codi- to attend public high schools. Ms. Walls will be replacing Gesher’s current head-of-school fying deadlines to drop or add classes, and worked with students on particular scheduling needs or different academic requirements. Dan Finkel, who has served in that position since 2015 and deShe also worked with former General Studies Principal Mr. Roy parted in December, leaving the role unfilled for the remainder of Danovitch to change all AP classes except Calculus to Shalhevet the school year. Advanced Studies (SAS) courses.

BP Photo By Maia Lefferman

FUTURE: Ms. Walls implemented essay-writing workshops and other initiatives to ease the college admissions process.

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The Boiling Point • January 2020 • Community

BHPD says Nessah vandalism suspect not tied to hate groups But hate crime is among charges due to nature of alleged behavior. Suspect pleads not guilty to burglary with hate crime ‘enhancement’ continued from page 1

commit a felony that is a hate crime, shall receive an additional term of one, two, or three years in the state prison, at the court’s discretion,” the section states.

motivation.” Rabbi Shofet says the motive was obvious, because the damage was directed towards Torah scrolls and holy Jewish books. According to Nessah’s website, the synagogue was established “I know the history of Jewish people in Europe and I saw all by Rabbi David Shofet in 1980, after the Islamic revolution in Iran of this and it reminded me of Kristallnacht in Germany,” Rabbi caused most Jews to emigrate, many to Los Angeles, providing a Shofet said. “They did the same thing to the Jewish properties and place for many Iranian Jews and others to pray in Beverly Hills. synagogues. It was a hate crime because the person knew what to do Their prayer follows the Mizrahi style--the tradition of Jews from in order to hurt us. the Middle East. “You have to say that Baruch Hashem, it Rabbi Shofet said eight or nine Sifrei Torah out could be much, much worse,” Rabbi Shofet said. of 24 or 25 the shul owns were dropped, unrolled, “I think he wasn’t a trained terrorist. A trained ter- A trained terrorist... they and torn on the night of the vandalism. Two were rorist comes in and puts a bomb or hides and in kosher Torahs that were read from regularly, he start with the shotgun the morning when there are many congregants, said, and the rest were not, meaning that they they start with the shotgun or I don’t know what. or I don’t know what. It contained a mistake, such as a smudge, spelling It wasn’t -- it was a hate crime.” error, or a letter being rubbed off, making them wasn’t -- it was a hate not valid for public reading. Rabbi Shofet plans A BHPD media release published on the day crime. on trying to get the damaged Torah’s repaired. of the break-in stated that on Saturday morning In respect of the dropped Sifrei Torah, Rabbi -- Rabbbi David Shofet, Shofet called for a fast on Dec. 19 among the Nesat around 7 a.m., a Nessah employee arrived for work and promptly called the police after seeing Nessah Synagogue sah congregation, and invited the rest of the Los the open entrance and damaged items inside. Angeles Jewish community to join it, as well as According to Rabbi Shofet, he saw only a a communal Mincha service at Nessah at 3 p.m. glimpse of the scene, because then the police told Rabbi Shofet felt that the calling of a fast was everyone inside to evacuate in order to protect all possible evidence necessary. for the investigation. He did not know which employee called the “When you see something like that, you have to do somepolice. thing,” he said. “I had to do something. Yes, halachically Nessah could not have its morning services, but held afternoon when you are present in the falling of a Sefer Torah, you services -- Mincha and Maariv -- on Saturday as scheduled. have to fast, but even when it is very bad and you see a Still, at 8 p.m. Saturday night, three workers could still be seen Torah on the floor, we need to do something.” cleaning up the sanctuary. Boiling Point reporters tried to speak Shalhevet Judaic Studies teacher Rabbi Abraham with them but they did not want to be interviewed. Lieberman stated that the defaming of a Sefer Torah Mr. Redding was arraigned at the Airport Courthouse in Los must always have something of significance done Angeles on Dec. 23, once extradition was approved to bring him to rectify it, even if there were no witnesses to the from Hawaii to Los Angeles. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. violation, because of the scroll’s holiness. A Dec.18 BHPD news release states “the charges filed include “Because the Torah is the inheritance of a penalty enhancement for a Hate Crime under §422.75(a) of the the entire Jewish people, when the act is California Penal Code,” it says. public all need to participate in the pain of “Except in the case of a person punished under Section 422.7, its desecration,” Rabbi Lieberman said. a person who commits a felony that is a hate crime or attempts to “Even though [the scroll] might not be kosher, that applies to using it to read from, but its holiness remains intact.”

served the fast. Ariella said the vandalism was unexpected due to the security the synagogue has. “I feel like it shouldn’t be happening, especially here,” Ariella said. “You would think that it wouldn’t happen because they have security and all these things, but no one even expects to have security at 2 a.m. on a random night.” Freshman Josh Askari lives in Beverly Hills and actively goes to Nessah for services. He believes that all synagogue’s security should not allow something like this to happen. “I’m not somewhere where I’m scared to walk in the street” in Beverly Hills, said Josh. “But I definitely do think that the shuls need more security because I don’t think that some guy should be able to walk in and just vandalize an entire shul.” Dean of Student Life Dr. Jonathan Ravanshenas lives on Rexford Drive. Both of his parents attend Nessah services regularly and his father teaches classes there. “It feels very close to home,” Dr. Ravanshenas said. “We hear a lot about anti-semitism, sometimes you hear about it in New Jersey, you hear about it across the country. Sometimes it feels distanced or removed. This just felt like wow, it’s right here, on my block.”

Shalhevet students and faculty have close connections with Nessah Synagogue. Junior Ariella Khakshooy, who lives on Rexford drive, said her family had lunch earlier than they usual on the Saturday of the vandalism, because Chabad of Beverly Hills ended earlier and her dad went BP Photo By Liad Machmali there after finding out that Nessah would be REVISE: Nessah employees were still cleaning and organizing the synagogue at closed for the morning. 7:55 p.m. on Dec. 14, the day that the vandalism occurred. She said her dad ob-

Three area schools, including Milken, vandalized with antisemitic graffiti By molly litvak, community editor Just a few days after Nessah Synagogue in Beverly Hills was vandalized on Dec. 14, Los Angeles schools Milken, American Jewish University and Westwood Charter Elementary were all vandalized with graffiti, later determined by the Los Angeles Police Department to be hate crimes. The vandalism at all three schools happened between Dec. 14 and 16, and involved someone spray-painting the phrase “time to pay” with various initials and illustrations. At AJU, vandals added a devil next to the words. At Westwood Charter, they added a dollar sign, and both Westwood and Milken had Jewish stars. In addition, vehicles and side streets around the area were spray-painted with graffiti. As of Jan. 26, the culprit has not been caught, but the LAPD has an ongoing investigation.

At Milken, the vandalism left students worried, with some not showing up to school on Dec. 17. “People, including my parents, didn’t feel super comfortable being at school,” said Chloe Nissanof, former student at Shalhevet and sophomore at Milken. “A lot of people either showed up late, left early, or didn’t even go to school.” To inform the student body of the incident, Milken sent a Dec. 17 email to all students, faculty and parents with the subject line “Security Update.” In it, they said there had been graffiti on “the outside gate and near the campus,” and mentioned that other schools had been vandalized as well. They also said they had notified the LAPD, which did a sweep-through of the campus to confirm it was safe. It then said there would be increased security throughout the week and LAPD would be a “visible presence on campus today.” The day the vandalism was discovered, Chloe recalled there being a police car parked in front of the school and more security

guards than normal around the premises. “In the morning my class that day is very talkative so we all started talking about what had happened,” Chloe said. “It scared me, but I didn’t feel extremely scared about it that day. “Once I found out more information my parents got a little worried about it, which worried me given that I had just been informed about the full story.” Also on Dec. 17, AJU President Jeffrey Herbst released a statement about “a disturbing act of vandalism just outside the gates of AJU in which graffiti was painted on our University sign and in other locations.” He said the university’s security team was working with local law enforcement to ensure school security. As of Dec. 17, the LAPD had not identified a suspect, but they did have a person of interest who was seen in police-released security camera footage.

The Boiling Point • January 2020• Community

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Move to revise Just Community constitution debates who should decide what’s debatable First two meetings also consider codifying ‘values of the school,’ along with reviving dormant committee, its powers still uncertain By Jacob Joseph Lefkowitz Brooks, Editor-in-Chief and Molly Litvak, Community Editor November and December meetings of Shalhevet’s first-ever constitutional convention attempted to institute a Judicial Review Committee, but no consensus on the makeup or jurisdiction of the committee could be reached. Led by Agenda Chair David Edwards, Fairness Co-Chair Evan Rubel, and Sabrina Jahan, a senior who’s taken a strong interest in the issue, at the first meeting Nov. 20 they were joined by about 30 students representing all grades during Flex period. It had been talked about by Agenda committees and chair candidates since 2016 and aims to rewrite the school’s Just Community Constitution. Neither outgoing head-of-school Rabbi Ari Segal nor Judaic Studies Principal Rabbi David Block, who will become head of school next year, were present at the first meeting, but both attended the second. The school’s original constitution was written in 2002 and is no longer closely followed. For example, it contained now unused committees such as the Constructive Consequences Committee and the Judicial Review Committee, and provided for the electing of faculty representatives instead of their being appointed by administration. “The first thing we want to do is update the constitution,” said Sabrina at the Nov. 20 meeting. “The school at the time of the ratification of the original constitution was very very different…. The BP Photo By Vivienne Schlussel constitution doesn’t really reflect our school today.” The meeting focused mostly on how much power the adminisREVISE: Evan Rubel, Sabrina Jahan and David Edwards shared a light moment at a meeting on proposed updates to the tration should have in deciding which student proposals could be constitution. Considered the start of an ongoing constitutional convention, the meeting took place Dec. 18 in room 304. brought to Town Hall and which could be automatically vetoed. The second meeting, attended by 24 students and faculty, addressed how to determine what school values are, and whether adpants tried to determine the heads-of-school’s views. ministrative control of halacha, Jewish law, should extend also to when disputes arose. Under the proposed committee all proposals would have to go Rabbi Segal said he did not think it necessary to have a comhashgacha -- Jewish practice, or how the laws are applied differently through the revamped committee being considered -- making it mittee which could decide that a rule was against the values of the for particular communities. Various ideas were presented, including whether the school’s val- harder to bring a proposal to Town Hall, but ensuring all proposals school. Rather, those values should be changeable as defined by stuues should be set in writing or able to be changed. History teacher are at least considered by Judicial Review and making all Town Hall dents in Town Hall. votes binding. “From my perspective, the image of the school or the raw valDr. Keith Harris worried about making them too permanent. In recent years, Agenda committee advisers Rabbi Ari Schwarz- ues of the school is exactly what should be debated by the student What if, Dr. Harris asked, “we’ve changed our attitudes, we’ve changed our world views… Maybe we can reinterpret something berg and Ms. Na’amit Nagel, and formerly Ms. Aviva Walls have body,” said Rabbi Segal. He made an exception for the issue of halacha -- Jewish law that’s in the constitution to provide for something that you hadn’t been the ones to rule on topics, while Head of School Rabbi Ari Segal has decided whether a proposal could be implemented, even -- however, and also for hashgacha, specific practices, referring to anticipated in 2019.”’ potential proposals which would not universally be viewed as vioThe meetings culminated a chain of events that started in May if voted in favor by the Just Community. That is a change from the original constitution. lating Jewish law but would value community practice. Rabbi Segal 2016, when then-sophomore Rosie Wolkind ran for Agenda Chair, “If a majority of the Agenda Committee believes that a proposal said that there needed to be a mechanism for the head of school to which was challenged in the Fairness Committee on the grounds goes beyond the bounds of democracy, the proposal may have a veto over both. that a rising junior running for chair was be rejected or sent to the Judicial Review Committee,” the Zach brought up a 2018 proposal by Ilan Bouskila to allow boys not constitutional. constitution states in section 1.01. to wear t-shirts, which was passed in Town Hall but was vetoed by But the constitution itself was disSomething should be able “If, after a proposal is passed, a community member the administration, although Rabbi Segal said he had “no idea” how covered to be lost, and by the time it was questions the fairness or legitimacy of the new law, he/she this veto occurred. found, the election was over and Rosie to be struck down if it’s request that the Agenda Committee reconsider it for Rabbi Segal said it was not acceptable for the head of school to had been defeated. The original constiagainst the values of the may possible submission to the Judicial Review Committee.” be outvote-able on a matter of halacha and that matters of hashgatution, found by the Boiling Point a few “What we like to call administrational veto was not a cha are unclear. weeks later, would have prevented Rosie school, but those values thing at all,” said Sabrina. “That’s not a democratic option,” said Rabbi Segal. from running. of the school need to be Evan proposed a revised Judicial Review Committee, He said the proper response in those cases was to defer to the “The Agenda Committee shall be which would have to sign off on every proposal before it is school’s halachic authority, which would be the head of school for composed of a chairperson from the se- codified and written out. introduced at Town Hall. smaller issues and Yeshiva University’s rosh yeshiva, Rabbi Jeremy nior class,” it states in Section 1.02. “No proposal from Agenda, from the authors, is go- Weider, or other specialists for more significant ones. Rosie was eventually allowed by school The issue of when a proposal would be considered inside the area administration to run, but rising senior -- Zach Helfand, 12th Grade ing to even get to Town Hall unless there is some faculty signing off that it reflects the values of the school,” said of hashgacha was not decided in the meeting. Bennet Schneier was elected instead and Evan at the meeting. “Nothing in Town Hall is going to Rabbi Schwarzberg said a list of the values of the school should that fall led a Town Hall dedicated to disbe problematic. That eliminates the need for an adminis- be formalized. cussing the possibility of re-writing the trational veto.” “If we could figure out how to write the values of the school constitution. But it was not discussed further that year. Senior Zach Helfand pushed back, arguing that the phrase “val- down in a way that’s approved by a group of students and a group The next year, Daniel Lorell ‘18 was elected after saying that of faculty, then that’s what goes in there,” said Rabbi Schwarzberg. there needed to be fewer moral dilemmas and more school policy ues of the school” was not specific enough. “Something should be able to be struck down if it’s against the “And that, like any constitution, will continue to be interpreted proposals at Town Hall. He suggested a constitutional convention values of the school, but those values of the school need to be cod- throughout the years.” to create a more relevant document. ified and written out,” said Zach, “either in the Dr. Harris, who is also faculty Last year’s chair, Talia Gill ‘19, didn’t address the matter. adviser to the Fairness Committee, Running to succeed Talia, then-candidate David Edwards last constitution or something else, so that it doesn’t worried that if the values of the spring set a goal of revising the constitution if he were to be elected. get to a point where the head of school can From my perspective, the image of school were codified, there could be He defeated two other candidates and started working with Sabrina just say some broad interpretation like ‘Oh, it’s the school or the raw values of the against the values of the school.’” a point in the future in which they and Evan over the summer. Sabrina was asked during the meeting wheth- school is exactly what should be no longer reflected the values of the school. In 2019, people gathered in Room 304 the week before er values of the school would be limited to mat“Is there a provision within the Thanksgiving and focused on the trio at the front, who presented ters of curriculum, halacha, and local, state and debated by the student body. federal law. constitution to allow for degrees of information on a Powerpoint. -- Rabbi Segal interpretation?” Dr. Harris asked. “That’s what we want to talk about now,” SaSabrina began that meeting by introducing this year’s goals and “And so if something comes up and hopes of putting a revised constitution to a vote as soon as possible. brina said, suggesting that they planned to come someone says ‘well it’s not in the The first area of the constitution they thought needed change was to a consensus in these meetings. “In our minds, also, we have to realize that constitution’ and it just automatiensuring that proposals introduced at Town Hall would be binding the school also wants to present itself in the best light,” said Sabrina, cally just gets kicked back --- veto. But is there something there that if approved by the Just Community. The constitution forbids proposals which deal with “curriculum, “and even if we might not like that, there is a difference between says ‘Well, wait a second it’s been 15 years now? “ Sabrina, Eva, and David held several meetings about the conhalacha, and local, state and federal law,” leaving those areas to ad- having a dress code and not having a dress code, just in the image stitution last spring and over the summer, including at least two ministration control. But exactly how to define the areas them- of the school. “It may not be the most democratic thing in the world, but let’s with school founder Dr. Jerry Friedman and other Just Community selves is not made clear. talk that out,” she said. leaders and administration. Boiling Point representatives also were A lively discussion on that question took the rest of the period. present. The original constitution envisioned a Judicial Review CommitThe Dec. 18 meeting turned directly to that subject, as particitee, which had the job of deciding the constitutionality of proposals

6

The Boiling Point • January 2020 • Community

Outside News

january 2020

Varied reactions among Iranian-Americans at Shalhevet after detentions of travelers at Canadian border Most say they understand but some mind more than others as agency reacts to perceived post-Soleimani threat By Sam Rubanowitz, Senior Editor, and Liad Machmali, Torah Editor

eling with family, and some were returning from a concert by an Iranian pop star in Vancouver, British Columbia. According to media reports, they were stopped and questioned about their backgrounds, including where they went to school, any Iranian military history, and whether they had relatives still in Iran. Some were held for up to 10 hours, according to a statement from CAIR. After the delay, most of the travelers were allowed entry into the U.S. according to the NYT. Sam Sadr, an Iranian-born Canadian citizen traveling to Seattle, told Politico he was held for almost 9 hours and finally allowed to cross into the U.S.

Continued from page 1 Iran with his brother in the 1980s, said that in the current circumstances, such border detainings were necessary. “I know it could be annoying, but as a Persian I still think that it’s okay,” said David. “I really think that it’s a very tough concept. It’s something that’s really hard to answer, you know, especially if you’re applying it to your own life but I think that — I think you have to do what you have to do.” He said he thinks stopping and checking people, even if it delays their travels, is much better than the risk of overlooking someone Dr. Jonathan Ravanshenas, Dean of Student Life, said that he about to commit a crime for the sake of their country. thinks the border patrol is “doing their job” and was just taking Celine Basiratmand, also a senior, disagreed. necessary precautions. “It’s ridiculous,” Celine said. “What if that happened to me beHe said that because of his Iranian descent, he is often “randomcause I’m Persian, you know? ...I would be so upset, and like hurt, ly checked.” that someone would think that just because I’m Persian that I’m “There’s a degree of understanding,” said Dr. Ravanshenas, who gonna go and do something. is known by most students as Johnny. “I kind of laugh it off, you “It’s very understandable like if its for security purposes, but at know — it is what it is.” the same time it’s still like ridiculous — families are being stopped He described the detainings as a knee-jerk reaction by the borfrom going on their trip.” der patrol out of fear of retaliation by Iran and concern for Math teacher Ms. Tamara Gidanian said an Iranian-born American lives. U.S. citizen should be treated like any other U.S. citizens. “When something like this happens, that’s what “Sometimes they see Iranian nationality in the passport and they do — they’re like, oh, stop anyone of Iranian deall of a sudden they kind of think that they have to question, scent — you know what I mean?” Dr. Ravanshenas they think that all the Iranians could be a terrorist or somesaid. thing,” Ms. Gidanian said. “That’s what they have done before Eleanor Moheban, who is in 11th grade, thinks as well. having extra security because of a possible Iranian “I believe that it shouldn’t be like that. As long as they are threat is wrong. a U.S. citizen they are supposed to be treated the same “I think it makes sense just because of everyway as another U.S. citizen, there shouldn’t be any thing that’s going,” Eleanor said. “But there’s discrimination.” also so many other people in the world Junior Sarah Namvar could see both sides. who do things that aren’t necessarily “There’s a certain line that’s going to be right and we don’t double-check all of crossed -- it could hit the point where it is unthose people too. So it’s annoying that constitutional,” Sarah said. “But at the same it’s biased that all Iranians are like that time, it’s better to always be cautious.” just because of what’s going on right She would feel uncomfortable if she herself now.” were stopped. BP Photo by Miriam Saeedian “I don’t agree that only Irani“I would feel like a bad person, like I’m doing ans should be double-checked,” she said. something wrong,” she said. “There has to be a “There should be this type of security reason for getting stopped and it would make me “I know it could be annoying, but upon everyone, not just the people that feel not welcomed.” as a Persian I still think that it’s they think are going to do something.”

okay... I think that you have to do

According to a statement released by CAIR, On Jan. 4, the DHS updated the Na“[a] source at CBP reported that the Department what you have to do.” tional Terrorism Advisory System bulletin, of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a nation-- David Saeedian, 12th grade. which stated that while there is no current al order to CBP to ‘report’ and detain anyone credible threat to the U.S. from Iran, Iran with Iranian heritage entering the country who has the capability to attack through variis deemed potentially suspicious or ‘adversarial,’ regardless of citious means including terrorism and cyberattacks. zenship status.” The CBP instituted a policy in 2013 prohibiting “racial profilCustoms and Border Patrol denied the charge on its Twitter ing” in cases aside from when a compelling governmental interest page. is present or when race or ethnicity-based information is specific Many of the Iranians and Iranian-Americans stopped were trav-

to crime-related instances. National security, according to CBP policy, is a “compelling interest,” but the “use of race and ethnicity to serve compelling interest must still be narrowly tailored.” Sophomore Nooria Kerendian said that she understands that this is a necessary safety precaution, however, she said that it is not productive to have extra security checking American-Iranian citizens, since most of these people are loyal to the U.S. government. “I feel like most American-Iranians who are citizens here, I don’t think they’re loyal to Iran because the reason they Sometimes they see Iranian nationescaped was because ality in the passport, and all of a they didn’t believe sudden they kind of think that they in their own governhave to question -- they think that ment system and they thought it was unfair all the Iranians could be a terrorist so I don’t think it’s or something. fair to assume that -- Ms. Tamara Gidanian, math teacher they’d be more loyal to Iran than the US,” Nooria said. “But I understand that it’s a precaution that needs to be taken.” Customs and Border Patrol denied that the agency was profiling. “Social media posts that C.B.P. is detaining Iranian-Americans and refusing their entry into the U.S. because of their country of origin are false,” the agency’s posted on its official Twitter account. But Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said was not believable and that it was wrong for anyone to be detained due to their ethnicity alone. “@CBP’s denial of these reports are simply not credible,” Gov. Inslee wrote on Twitter Jan. 6. “This is wrong and rife with constitutional and moral problems. No one should be treated differently due to where they come from, how they look or what language they speak.” Negah Hekmati, an American citizen of Iranian heritage detained at the U.S. border in Washington with her family, expressed disappointment with the situation. “My kids shouldn’t experience such things,” Ms. Hekmati said. “They are U.S. citizens. This is not O.K.”

Domino effect after U.S. killing of Iranian General Soleimani By Eli Weiss, Assistant Web Editor A United States drone strike in Iraq Jan. 3, ordered by President Donald Trump, killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, commander of the country’s elite Quds force, prompting retaliatory Iranian rocket fire at two U.S. military bases and additional death and destruction, thus far only in Iraq. Soleimani, who led the Iranian force tasked with developing proxy militias supporting Iranian interests in other countries (for example Hezbollah in Lebanon), was targeted while in Baghdad for a meeting with pro-Iran militia members, several of whom were killed with him,

according to media reports. Soleimani also helped develop IEDs -- improvised explosive devices that, according to data given by U.S. military officials, killed more than 196 U.S. troops and wounded more than 900 during the Iraq war. “General Qassem Soleimani has killed or badly wounded thousands of Americans over an extended period of time, and was plotting to kill many more...but got caught!” tweeted President Trump Jan. 3. In response to the attack, the Iraqi parliament voted on Jan. 6 to expel U.S. troops. On the same day, Iran fired rockets at the two American Iraqi bases, one in Al Anbar Governorate and the other in the Kurdish-controlled area

of Erbil. Both bases had been used in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS), which, as of Jan. 8, administration officials said has been called off for now. In the midst of the back and forth, a funeral for Soleimani was held in the Iranian city of Qom from Jan. 4 to Jan. 7, which tens of thousands of Iranian attended and where, according to CNN, chants of “Death to America” could be heard. On Jan. 5, a stampede broke out, killing over 56 civilians. But on Jan. 8, a Ukranian Airlines plane crashed in Iran killing 176 people, including many Canadians. Iranian State Media first said that the crash was caused by a technical error, but admitted it had been accidentally shot down

by Iran after videos published by the New York Times and other outlets shows what a missile hitting a plane, among other evidence. That admission led to protests by Iranian citizens against the government, including chants of “We are children of war, fight and we fight back” and “Shame on Khamenei” who is the Supreme Leader of Iran. Videos showed that they also avoided walking on U.S. and Israeli flags that had been painted on the street for people to stomp on. “We recognize that this may have been done accidentally,” said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a news conference in Ottawa. “The evidence suggests very clearly a possible and probable cause for the crash.”

The Boiling Point • January 2020 • Outside News

Politics meets streetwear as Yang comes to Fairfax

7

About 240 AndrewYang supporters show up for meet-and-greet, merch drop and brief appearance by Childish Gambino By Sam Rubanowitz, Senior Editor Waiting in line for a Supreme clothing drop on Fairfax Avenue Dec. 19, senior Ben-Tsion Oliel was surprised to see a commotion down the block. Then he saw cars approaching with “Yang” stickers pasted on. “People were just going around painting the sidewalk, writing ‘Yang’ on the floor, giving out stickers, putting stickers up everywhere,” said Ben, who buys and sells Supreme and other top-brand merchandise as a hobby. It turned out that he was in the neighborhood where Andrew Yang, 2020 candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, was greeting supporters and selling merchandise of his own — limited-edition hats, sweatshirts and posters with various Yang logos. The campaign stop was at Tried And True Co., a vintage clothing store on Fairfax between Rosewood Avenue and Clinton Street, in the middle of one of the city’s best known streetwear districts — which also happens to be right up the street from Shalhevet. Mr. Yang was in Los Angeles to attend the sixth Democratic debate, held later that day held at Loyola Marymount University. Ben was waiting for the release of a Bandana Box Logo T-shirt and a few other items and had driven over during a free period after lunch. “I found it somewhat obviously pretty cool for people to be going around like that, just spreading a presidential message…trying BP Photo by Maia Lefferman to get people to know their candidate,” Ben said. “This is probably the only time where I saw such a presidential campaign taking place MERCH: Andrew Yang speaks to supporters allowed inside the vintage clothing store Tried And True Co., on Fairfax Avenue north of school. It had been transso up close.” Also on hand for the event was Donald Glover — better known formed into a store for high-end, limited-edition streetwear with Yang logos MATH -- “Make America Think Harder” -- and hats that said $1K. as Childish Gambino — who had endorsed the candidate the day “We’re just really excited,” said Kai. “Yang Gang will travel for- “but at the same time for someone like Andrew Yang trying to get before. Mr. Glover stayed out of sight and at the back of the store ever, man, they’ll be here… they want to see Andrew again. When- name recognition, I can’t imagine a better way to do it.” for most of the time, but came out at one point to speak with Mr. Another of Mr. Yang’s policy ideas is to establish data as a propever there’s media as well we just want to show the Yang Gang’s Yang. erty right, letting people decide how their information is used and enthusiasm, because that’s when we set ourselves apart from other As supporters browsed the merchandise — or “merch” as streetcharge companies to use it. That got him the support of a man who candidates.” wear is often called — Mr. Yang told reporters that his campaign gave his name only as “D.C.” The storefront had been completely revamped. Among the has earned “multiple millions of dollars of merch sales.” He also “People don’t even know that their information is being taken merchandise were 10 blue sweatshirts signed by Mr. Yang and Mr. chatted with customers and signed some of their merchandise. out from under them and used for other people’s profit motives,” He also talked about pilot tests of his flagship proposal, dubbed Glover, priced at $1,000 each. said D.C., who lives in Atwater Village. “So I There were also $40 hats embossed with the “Freedom Dividend,” which would provide every American want to own my information and I’d like to the candidate’s signature acronym, MATH over 18 with $1,000 a month — a “universal basic income” — for see a little coming back towards me.” —“Make America Think Harder” — and $25 as long as they lived. ‘Yang Gang will travel forever, “We’ve been giving $1,000 a month for families around the limited-edition posters. According to RealClearPolitics’ average of “Is it okay if I go say hi to the line outside?” man, they’ll be here… they want country for months now,” Mr. Yang told reporters inside. “What the last five polls, Mr. Yang currently has 4.6 Mr. Yang asked Zach Graumann, his campaign to see Andrew again.”’ I want people to take from this is that we can solve our own probpercent support nationally, though he’s been at manager. lems.” -Kai Watson, 19, Yang 5, 6 and even 8 percent in most of those polls. “Uh, no, but you can wave,” Mr. Graumann “We can rewrite the rules of the 21st-century economy to work supporter from Atlanta He has 5 percent support in Iowa and 6 percent for us.The fact is that politicians in D.C. succeed whether or not responded. “You’re never gonna get back!” in New Hampshire according to recent polls. So Mr. Yang walked up to the window and we the people succeed or fail, and it’s going to be up to us to come He raised $16.5 million in the fourth together and provide a new way forward that actually provides for waved to supporters who huddled together quarter of 2019, a 66 percent jump from pressed against the window. ourselves and families in a different the quarter before, putting him in fifth place They replied by immediately way.” behind Sen. Elizabeth Warren began chanting and cheering. He said his support was rising even Still, Mr. Yang was excluded from the Democratic debate Jan. as other candidates had dropped out of ‘We can rewrite the rules of the 14 after reaching 5 percent support in only two of the four polls Meanwhile, parked outside was a 53-foot the race. Mr. Yang had already outlast- 21st-century economy to work required for him to qualify by the deadline. 18-wheeler announcing Yang’s presence to passed congressmen, senators and gover- for us. ...It’s going to be up to us And even though he did not participate that night, Mr. Yang ersby. Driven by Fred Ramey of Maricopa, Ariz., it nors, and candidates Julián Castro, Cory was painted in red, white and blue and proclaimed was the fourth-most tweeted about candidate during the debate, Booker and Marianne Williamson have to come together and provide a for Yang,” along with “Freedom Dividend” right after Sen. Warren. all dropped out since. new way forward that actually “Truckers After tweeting that the January debate would be the last one and other Yang policies. On Jan. 23, Ms. Williamson anprovides for ourselves and he’d miss, Mr. Yang qualified for the upcoming February debate in Mr. Ramey is a self-proclaimed “former staunch nounced that she would be supporting Republican” who voted for Trump and founded a wave of polls released over the weekend. Mr. Yang through the Iowa Caucuses on failies in a different way.’ In addition to funding, the Yang campaign also has celebrities Truckers for Yang. Their goal is to put 16 semis on Feb. 3, and has already spoken at one of - Andrew Yang, 2020 Democratic the road to essentially act as mobile billboards around behind him. Aside from Mr. Glover, the Yang Gang now includes Mr. Yang’s events in Iowa. comedian Dave Chapelle, actors Teri Hatcher and Ken Jeong, direcpresidential candidate the country. “We are growing when other camEmilio Medina, a 27-year-old volunteer from tor James Gunn, and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. paigns are shrinking, and we’re gonna be They may not seem like a “gang,” but it’s a convenient rhyme Minnesota, ran up and down the line of waiting buythere through the spring as the voting for the name of the entrepreneur who’s never run for office before ers yelling chants like “when I say ‘Cali’, you say gets underway,” said Mr. Yang. ‘vote Yang!’” and “when I say ‘President,’ you say — and perhaps an accurate description of the scene at events like last month’s. The event was scheduled for noon, but some of the crowd had ‘Yang!’” Ben said that the people he saw giving out Yang stickers and He said he’d canvassed door-to-door for Mr. Yang in Nevada, arrived at 6 a.m., waiting as they might for a drop of rare clothing painting the sidewalk “did seem to me like they were part of a team California, Iowa and Chicago. from a popular manufacturer. or like a gang.” “I truly believe in Andrew,” said Mr. Medina. “I heard him By the time the doors opened, about 240 stood in a line that beBut he stayed in line for his Bandana Box t-shirt and other items gan at Fairfax and Rosewood, then wrapped around the corner and speak, I got to meet him. That’s one of the coolest things about and didn’t join them. Andrew, is everyone he meets, he’s just super genuine.” reached halfway down Hayworth Avenue more than a block away. “Honestly I wish I knew about it before, and I wish I did go and Cody Como, co-host of a pro-Yang YouTube radio program, Kai Watson, an energetic 19-year-old art student in Atlanta, see what was going on,” Ben said later. “I just thought people were had arrived at 8 a.m. He thought the Glover endorsement would runs a YouTube channel about the Yang campaign and traveled to just coming out just to kind of make noise.” help the campaign. Los Angeles for the events. “I mean, Hillary had a lot of celebrities endorse her,” said Cody,

ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi blows himself up after being cornered by US forces in Syria.

Democrats win in offyear elections in Virginia, Kentucky and Louisiana, capturing important state offices.

12

Boris Johnson wins 365 seats in the House of Commons, becomes prime minister of Great Britain, assuring that Brexit will be completed.

January

5, 6, 16

By Benjamin Gamson, Ninth Grade

December

26

November

October

MEANWHILE... 3

A third state of emergency this fire season is declared in New South Wales, Australia, with at least 28 people dead and 17.9 million acres burned in devastating brush fires. U.S. sends more than 150 firefighters and specialists.

26 A fifth case of the Coronavirus is confirmed in the United States, while in China more than 106 people have died with thousands more infected.

8

The Boiling Point • January 2020 • Outside News

Back story: What you need to know about impeachment By Zach Helfand, Opinion Editor The House of Representatives formally voted to open a public impeachment inquiry against President Trump on Oct. 31, following a month of bipartisan closed-door and then public Congressional testimony. It then approved two “articles of impeachment” -- charges the president was accused of -- and sent them to the Senate for trial. The original inquiry followed news that Mr. Trump had telephoned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and asked him as “a favor” to investigate his political rival, former Vice President and leading Democratic nomination contender Joseph Biden, and his son, Hunter. To pressure Zelensky to act, the president put a hold on $390 million in U.S. aid approved by Congress to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia, which has annexed part of Ukraine’s territory. The call was first revealed by a whistleblower, an unknown individual who worked in the intelligence section of the White House. The White House later released a summary transcript. It records Zelensky’s request for powerful Javelin missiles that can destroy tanks of the type Russia uses in its war against Ukraine. The Trump administration had already sent Javelins, and Congress had appropriated funding for more. At the time, Zelensky was unable to buy the Javelins, which are a type of tank-destroying missile, mentioned in the call because he was awaiting the $390 million in aid. Here is an excerpt from the transcript: Zelensky: We are almost ready to buy more Javelins from the United States for defense purposes. President Trump: I would like you to do us a favor though, because our country has been through a lot and Ukraine knows a lot about it. I would like you to find out what happened with this whole situation with Ukraine... The server, they say Ukraine has it....Whatever you can do, it’s very important that you do it if that’s possible… President Zelensky: Yes it is very important for me and everything that you just mentioned earlier….. I guarantee as the President of Ukraine that all the investigations will be done openly and candidly.. President Trump:…. The other thing, There’s a lot of talk about Biden’s son, that Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that, so whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great.

Democrats say this shows corruption -specifically, abuse of power, the first Article of Impeachment -- in President Trump because he put his reelection campaign ahead of a national security interest, and he might do it again. It also is illegal for the president to solicit interference in elections from a foreign power. The second Article of Impeachment says that President Trump refused to turn over documents that Congress requested, thus obstructing the Constitutional power of the legislative branch of the federal government. He also ordered current and former White House staff not to testify. The Article of Impeachment claims this is obstruction of Congress, and an impeachable offense. Republicans counter that as president, he has the right to make any diplomatic moves with allies, and that he did not in fact violate Congressional mandates because Ukraine did receive the aid promised by Congress after the Zelensky phone call became public. President Trump has also said the impeachment is a “witch hunt,” calling out what he believes to be an attack made up by Democrats to remove him from office. So, partisan disagreement and all, the resolutions to impeach - charge - the president passed, 230-197 and 229-198. The House has a Democratic majority. The Senate has a Republican majority. It would take a two-thirds vote of the Senate -- 66 out of 100 votes -- to remove President Trump from office.

Poll finds less than one-third of Shalhevet students favor removing Trump from office By Sam Rubanowitz, Senior Editor Seventy percent of Shalhevet students believe President Trump should not be removed from office in the current Senate impeachment trial, while 30% believe he should be. But there are significant differences in opinion by grade, which shows ninth-graders more critical of the president than the rest of the school. In a Boiling Point poll of 113 students conducted on paper during Town Hall Jan. 14, only the ninth grade favored the president’s removal, 53 to 46 percent. Every other grade opposed removal. Eleventh-graders opposed it by the largest margin, with 87.5 percent opposing removal and only 12.5 favoring it. In all questions, differences in responses between genders were found not to be significant. “I think this whole trial is absolutely ridiculous,” junior Samson Taxon said. “They started trying him before they knew if he did anything, and I think the idea of trying to find a crime for somebody because you don’t like them is un-American and it sets a bad precedent going forward.” Many of the ninth-graders the Boiling Point spoke to seemed unsure about the whole process. “I don’t know a lot about politics, but my family really likes Trump and I support him,” freshman Madeline Bollag said, “and, you know, I don’t think what he did -- even if he did or didn’t do it -- should be enough to get him kicked out of office.” Still, while they don’t believe he should be removed from office, most students -- 56 percent overall -- believe that Pres. Trump committed obstruction of Congress by refusing to send any documents requested by investigating com-

Do you believe Pres.Trump should be removed from office?

Yes 30.09% No 69.91%

Do you think Pres. Trump committed “obstruction of Congress” by refusing to send any documents requested by investigating committees, and by telling White House staff not to testify to those committees?

Yes 56.48%

mittees and by telling White House staff not to testify to those committees. Students were about evenly split on the question of whether the president tried to get Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, by holding up millions of dollars of military aid, with 49% saying he did and 51% saying he didn’t. Again, the ninth grade saw it differently, with a majority of with 56% believing he did this and 44% believing he didn’t. They were, however, joined in this opinion by the 12th-graders, of whom 68% believe he did and only 32% believe he didn’t. In both the 10th and 11th grades, majorities said that Trump did not try to get Ukraine to investigate the Bidens by holding up aid. On the question of whether Trump used his power as president to get Ukraine to interfere in the 2020 election, across all grades 46 percent said he did while 54 percent said he did not. This time, the majority of ninth-graders -- 60 percent -- said he did not use his power in this way, while 40 percent said he did. The 10th grade was the most evenly split, while the 11thgrade remained more united, with only 20 percent believing he used his power to get Ukraine to interfere in the election and 80 percent disagreeing. But the 12th-grade switched its partisanship, with the majority believing his did use his power corruptly-- 56 percent to 42 percent. Sophomore Adina Kurzban said President

No 43.52%

Trump’s actions were unacceptable. “I think that all of the articles that we’ve seen, and all of the different documents, directly prove that he was doing things that were definitely not acceptable for a president to be doing in his relationship with Ukraine,” Adina said. On the Obstruction of Congress question, only 44 percent of students overall believed President Trump to be innocent of that charge. The ninth-graders once again held the most negative view of the President, with 67% believing he obstructed Congress and only 33% saying he did not. The 10th grade was evenly split on the issue, while the eleventh grade was only slightly more favorable towards Trump in its response this time -- with 57% believing he did not commit obstruction of Congress, still a majority, but smaller than on the other questions. The 12th-graders seemed to agree with the ninth-graders on this question, with 75% of them believing he did commit obstruction of Congress, and just 25% believing he did not. Senior Maya Tochner said there is a distinction to be made between the public opinion and the proper course of action to take. “I think there is a difference whether a President Trump should be removed from office and whether or not a person wants President Trump to be removed from office,” Maya said. BP staff Benjamin Gamson and Eli Weiss contributed to this story.

At City Hall, Greta finds local angle on climate change event focused on more local issues. They urged sus. “It is no surprise that in our communities of California Gov. Gavin Newsom to more severely color we have the most oil wells, and that we are restrict fossil fuel development, and publicized extracting oil next to little children’s bedroom. Thousands of protesters gathered outside of climate change’s effect on minority populations. And it’s nasty. It’s disgusting.” The event took place mostly in front of the A sign above the stage where speakers spoke Los Angeles City Hall Nov. 1 heard the leader west face of Los Angeles City Hall on Spring read, “Governor Newsom — It’s your chance to of the world’s youth climate change movement Street, where the speakers spoke on a small stage. choose: our future or fossil fuels.” Gov. Newsom connect wildfires that were burning that day The crowd numbered about 4,000 at its near the Getty Museum to the dangers of cli- was in Sacramento that day, however. Most speakers were from minority back- peak Broadway was blocked off from 1st to 4th mate change. grounds and spoke from a com- streets.The beat of demonstrators’ drums accomGreta Thunberg, panied the procession’s chants. munity perspective. the 16-year-old Stopping in front of the Ronald Reagan State Among them were students “Everywhere around the Swedish activist who is the main force behind world, we can see these horrible from Anahuacalmecac Interna- Office Building -- where the governor’s Los Antional Preparatory High School geles office is located. -- march leaders of Youth worldwide demonstraof North America, a charter vs. Apocalypse called for a ban on oil rigs within tions called the Global environmental feedbacks that school in Los Angeles which 2,500 feet of housing. A 2018 study by the CenClimate Strike, used countless people are suffering teaches in an indigenous lan- ter for Biological Diversity found that more than fires that were still and dying from… We cannot guage — Nahuatl, spoken by the three-quarters developed since 2011 are in areas burning in Los Angeles Nahua people who are native to with above-average poverty rates. that day as an exam- continue to look away.” According to the U.S. Energy Information ple of natural disasters -Greta Thunberg Mexico. Students from Anahua- Administration, oil production has steadily debeing exacerbated calmecac gave the same speech creased in California since 1985. Gov. Newsom by climate change consecutively, each in a differ- signed six anti-climate change bills into law, around the world. including one that prohibits public land being “Today in California, we can see the wildfires ent language: Nahuatl, English and Spanish. “We call on Gov. Newsom to meet with in- used to construct oil and gas infrastructure. He happening right around the corner, wildfires that also fired Ken Harris, the are being intensified by the climate crisis,” Greta digenous youth and elders head of the state Division across the state, including said. of Oil, Gas and GeotherWhile she was speaking, firefighters were our indigenous school commal Resources, last June, working to put out the Getty Fire in Brentwood munity,” said the student pointing to an increase in who delivered the speech in and the Easy Fire near the Reagan Presidenpermits for fracking on tial Library in Simi Valley, both of which had English. “To listen to our his watch. burned homes and thousands of acres in the pre- original instructions and Ms. Thunberg fochange the course of humanceding days. cused less on California ity away from away from “It’s not just here,” Greta said. “Everywhere BP Photo by Maia Lefferman in her speech than other around the world, we can see these horrible en- self-destruction and toward DEMANDS: Speakers at the event urged speakers did, instead critvironmental feedbacks that countless people are a world renewal.” icizing world leaders. Jesus Villalba, a state lead- Gov. Newsom to more severely restrict suffering and dying from. Right now we are livIn addition to the Los ing in the beginning of a climate and ecological er of Youth Climate Strike Los California’s fossil fuel developments. Angeles fires burning that breakdown. And we cannot continue to look Angeles, said the vast majority of Californians living near oil wells live in day, she brought up Paradise, Calif., which she away from this crisis anymore.” As she spoke, shouts of “I love you Greta!” low-income communities and communties with visited prior to speaking. Paradise, located in the Sierra Nevada foothills in Northern California, a majority non-white population. could be heard in the crowd. “The situation that we’re in right now has was devastated by the 2018 Camp Fire. It caused Greta was by far the most notable speaker at the event. But the rest of the speakers at the been caused because of centuries of the effects at least 38 deaths in Paradise, and destroyed 95 of systems of oppression on our people,” said Je- percent of the town’s buildings.

By Jacob Joseph Levkowitz Brooks, Editor-in-Chief

The Boiling Point • January 2020 • Outside News

Hong Kong crisis reaches NBA after pro-democracy tweet

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Houston Rockets General Manager deletes the tweet but China cancels contracts with his team who was born in Hong Kong and moved to Los Angeles in 2013-- said she would wear a black Political protests have rocked Hong Kong shirt if she attended a Rockets’ game. “I actually think this is a peaceful and effective since last June, but in October, the conflict came ashore in the U.S. as controversy erupted between way to bring the Hong Kong issue to the world’s China and the NBA -- even catching Lakers su- attention,” said Ms. Kong. Basketball is tremendously popular in China, perstar LeBron James in the crossfire. After the general manager of the Houston a country with an estimated 500 to 650 million Rockets tweeted his support of protestors in fans. The NBA in recent years has worked hard Hong Kong Oct. 4, Chinese agencies cut some to expand this emerging market, and has signed business ties with the NBA. China’s state-run deals with Chinese tech and retail companies. AcCCTV and Tencent Sports both suspended the cording to Fortune, the NBA is now a $5 billion broadcasting games of the Houston Rockets -- business in China. The NBA’s Rockets deal with Tencent was China’s most popular American team. In the past, NBA players have been reluctant worth $1.5 billion, according to the Washington to weigh in on issues that carry complex layers in Post. The company is continuing to broadcast both the business and political worlds. This time, games of other teams, however. Many in the NBA see China and the rest of however, was different. The trouble started on Oct. 4, when Houston East Asia as the premier market for future busiRockets General Manager Daryl Morey tweeted ness, due to its large population and rising middle his support for anti-government protests in Hong class. It started when the Rockets drafted Chinese-born star Yao Ming number 1 overall in the Kong in a now-deleted message. “Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong,” 2002 draft, making it instantly the most popular team in the league. GM Morey wrote. At Shalhevet, basketball fans don’t expect the Backlash against Morey from the Chinese recent tension to hurt anyone’s fan experience. government and businesses ensued, including Senior Ari Schlacht, a Boston Celtics fan, said he from the Chinese Consulate in Houston. thinks the conflict will hurt primarily the league, “We are deeply shocked by the because of their busierroneous comments on Hong ness ties. Kong made by Mr. Daryl Morey, “The true NBA If I were in Hong Kong, I general manager of the Houston fan will just find NBA Rockets,” said a statement from the would definitely join them in a streams,” said Ari. “So consulate. “We have lodged repheartbeat, as I think this is a the NBA is more afresentations and expressed strong fected than the fans.” dissatisfaction with the Houston way to let the government hear Junior Ronnie Rockets, and urged the latter to our opinion. Seruya, who moved correct the error and take immediMs. Jennifer Kong, to Los Angeles from ate concrete measures to eliminate the adverse impact,” math teacher Houston in 2015, said that although he’d Even LeBron James felt comrather the sports pelled to respond, offering his and political worlds thoughts on what he called the stayed separate, he agrees with Rockets fans who “delicate situation.” “When you’re misinformed about something, wear black and would do the same. “I think we should all support Hong Kong,” you never know the ramifications that might hapsaid Ronnie. pen,” LeBron said in an interview on Oct. 14. Meanwhile, the Rockets themselves are havBut aside from that, the basketball world has ing a stellar season. Led by star guards James largely shown up in favor of the protestors. For Harden and Russell Westbrook, they currently example, fans at Rockets games in Houston and are in fifth place in the highly competitive Westelsewhere have worn black shirts to express their ern Conference.

By Alex Rubel, Senior Editor

solidarity with the protestors as well as their support for freedom of speech. Shalhevet math teacher Ms. Jennifer Kong --

Morey’s tweet supporting the Hong Kong demonstrators added a sports dimension into a

geopolitical conflict. Demonstrations -- and eventually riots -- began last June when the Hong Kong government proposed an extradition bill that would send people accused of crimes to mainland China for trial. Hong Kong residents considered the passage of the bill an attack on Hong Kong’s autonomy, which it has retained since 1997, when the territory was transferred from British to eventual Chinese authority. Hundreds of thousands took to the streets, with some demonstrations turning violent. Some police officers have fired live bullets into crows and protestors have thrown gasoline bombs; the police also attacked universities, then locked them down for days, then attacked some students as they left. The protests are continuing. Back in October, NBA commissioner Adam Silver partially stood behind Morey, affirming the league’s support for free speech, saying “the NBA will not put itself into a position of regulating what players, employees, and team owners say or will not say on these issues.” But in the same statement he also cautioned against political matters interfering with basketball operations. “At a time when divides between nations grow deeper and wider, we believe sports can be a unifying factor that focuses on what human beings have in common rather than our differences,” Silver wrote. On Oct.10, the pre-season game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets in Shanghai was played with no media or sponsor presence. The Nets won 114-111. In September, the extradition bill was finally scrapped, but protestors persisted in their efforts to make other changes they had sought. Anti-mainland rhetoric grew, especially when China celebrated its 70-year anniversary of Communist rule. On Dec. 7 -- the six-month anniversary of the riots -- hundreds of thousands of protestors took to the streets of the Central Business Zone to demonstrate their five demands. Often, the protests have been violent. Hong Kong native Ms. Christina Wong -a college friend of Ms. Kong from their time at University of California, Santa Barbara -- said the violent protests are counterproductive to the ultimate goals of the movement. She said that she believes the Hong Kong government will negotiate a deal with the protestors to smoothen the tensions.

“I haven’t picked a side because I feel like both

POST: Rockets GM Daryl Morey quickly deleted this tweet supporting Hong Kong protesters.

sides are pretty violent, so I feel like the government has to step in to resolve it,” Ms. Wong said in a telephone interview from Hong Kong, where she works as a corporate executive. If not, Ms. Wong predicted that the lingering protests could do more harm than good to the country. “Otherwise, it will last forever and it will badly affect the economy in Hong Kong,” she said. Ms. Wong said that the riots have forced many shops in her neighborhood -- the financial center -- to close down, as well with Hong Kong’s international airport at times. However, she said it has not had much of a tangible effect on her daily life, except to prevent her from leaving the country. She said she was afraid she would not be able to come back. Shalhevet math teacher Ms. Kong expressed to the Boiling Point her support for the cause of Hong Kong autonomy. “If I were in Hong Kong, I would definitely join them in a heartbeat as I think this is a way to let the government hear our opinion,” Ms. Kong said. But she said she doesn’t condone how the demonstrations have been conducted. Many of the protests have included destruction to local businesses and establishments. “Hardcore activists have targeted businesses with mainland China ties or considered pro-establishment,” said Ms. Kong. “Chinese state-owned banks, as well as mainland smartphone giants Huawei and Xiaomi, have had their premises vandalised, trashed and covered in graffiti.”

Beyond graffiti: A month of violent incidents in New York By Sam Rubanowitz, Senior Editor A string of anti-semitic attacks on the East Coast around Hanukkah time led to outcries from public officials and shows of solidarity from other communities. Although not every reported event is included, here is a list of incidents from Dec. 9 to Jan. 4 in New York. On Jan 1. after the attacks in Monsey, hundreds of people from different faiths gathered in Brooklyn to express their solidarity with their Jewish neighbors. Dec.10, Jersey City Two people parked their van across from the Jersey City Kosher Supermarket and began shooting into the store. After a four-hour shootout, five were dead: the two gunmen; a customer, an employee and one of the store owners, according to multiple reports. A police officer was killed earlier in the day by the same attackers. Dec. 12, New York City A female Israeli student was verbally and physically attacked by a woman on the New York subway, according to the Jerusalem Post, when she tried to film the woman cursing and yelling at a Jewish man. The woman cut the student’s face and went on to chant “Allah will end [you] all,” and praise the Jersey City attackers. Dec. 23, Midtown Manhattan and Williamsburg, Brooklyn In Midtown Manhattan, a 65-year-old man reported to be an Orthodox Jew was allegedly punched in the face and kicked after falling to the ground by a 28-year-old suspect who yelled “F** you, Jew,” according to an NYPD sargent.

In Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on the same day, according to CBS New York and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), two Orthodox Jewish children ages 6 and 7 were assaulted in the lobby of a residential building by a group of teens who subsequently ran away. Dec. 24, Crown Heights, Brooklyn: Three incidents An Orthodox Jewish man was attackedby a group of teenagers walking down the street. Closed-circuit TV footage of the incident shows one teen throwing a folding chair at the man, who continues walking away, but two of the group then turn back and run towards him, one of them punching him. A third picks up the chair previously thrown and throws it at the victim, who catches it. Later that day, about a block away another Orthodox man is similarly attacked, apparently by the same group who followed him as he was walking. One of them ran up behind him and hit him in the back of the head, knocking him to the ground. Media reports said a 25-year-old man was walking on “when a group started cursing and yelling antisemitic slurs at him from across the street.” One from the group threw a drink at him. Dec. 26, Brooklyn According to multiple media reports, a 42-year-old woman hit a 34-year-old Jewish woman walking with her 3-year-old son in the face with a bag. According to the Washington Post, the attacker said “You [expletive] Jew. Your end is coming.” Dec. 27, Crown Heights Two Jewish women were slapped in the face and head near the 770 Chabad headquarters building in Crown Heights, according to multiple media reports, by a woman who told arresting officers, “I said, [Expletive]you, Jews,” while being taken into custody.

Crown Heights, New York: On the same day, according to the Jerusalem Post, a man entered the 770 Chabad headquarters building and threatened to “shoot up the place” and then left without incident. Dec. 28, Monsey Machete attack during a Hanukkah party in rabbi’s home injured five, one critically. Investigators found the perpetrator, who ran away after attacking, early the next morning. Dec. 31, Brooklyn A 15-year-old Jewish boy was held at knife-point on a bus by two attackers who taunted with anti-semitic slurs and then took his earbuds and kippah, which they then returned after about 17 stops, according to the Daily Mail. Jan. 1, Williamsburg, Brooklyn According to NBC New York, two young women punched a Jewish man in the throat after he began recording them on his phone for yelling anti-semitic threats at him. Jan. 4, Crown Heights, Brooklyn A man walked down New York Ave yelling anti-semitic slurs, including “Hitler did not kill enough of you in the gas chambers,” according to a Chabad news organization. The man later got into a verbal altercation with a Jewish man in which he pulled out a knife and threatened him.

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The Boiling Point • January 2020 • Torah

Torah

JANUARY 2020

Rabbi Tsaidi’s Gemara classes work on improving mitzvah observance By Bayley Sandler, Staff Writer Rabbi Yagil Tsaidi has started a mitzvah program that promotes doing meaningful but small things, so students can better themselves over time. He calls it avodat hanefesh, which literally means service of the soul -- though it doesn’t exactly translate. “I call it avodat hanefesh, which means, like, working on your soul,” Rabbi Tsaidi said in an interview. ”I mean, someone should be proud of themselves but there is always, always room for improvement.” To make this happen, Rabbi Tsaidi last fall asked students to choose three mitzvot to do every day for three months. Things like giving tzedakah (charity), wearing tzitzit and davening (praying) twice a day were each assigned a certain number of points, and to earn the points, the student must perform the mitzvah every day. How many points each one is worth depends on how far out of their way the person has to go to fulfill it, Rabbi Tsaidi said. For example, tzedakah is worth one point because any shul you go to, there is a tzedakah box, but it isn’t always easy resisting the temptation of using your phone on Shabbat, so that’s worth more. Students who earn eight points will be invited to a dinner together at La Gondola, he said, but the reward is not the point of the exercise. “The reward is a little nudge, a little push,” Rabbi Tsaidi said in an interview with the Boiling Point. The program’s goal, he said, is to encourage Judaic improvement beyond the classroom. All three of his Gemara classes -- two juniors and one sophomore -- are participating.

Rabbi Tsaidi said he got the idea from teaching at a yeshiva back when he lived in Israel, but that his students at Shalhevet helped him realize the necessity of the program here. He thought of it when he noticed that special events he planned didn’t seem to have a long-term effect. Among these were Mishmar BP Photo By Maia Lefferman -- after-school learning -- and hosting celebrations of learning FRIENDS: Juniors Alessandra Judaken and Lenny Wolkind talked on the turf last week. As part of at his home. Such a celebration the avodat hanefesh unit for Rabbi Tsaidi, Alessandra decided to focus on shomer negiah. is called a tisch, literally a rabbi’s “table.” (donations to charity), but then opened the floor what Judaism is.” “I felt like I was having a lot of Junior Alessandra Judaken used avodat events that were like a one-off, like a mishmar or to suggestions from his students. Some proposed hanefesh as an opportunity to try out a mitzvah mitzvot like kashrut or tzniut -modesty. a tisch or stuff like that… and kids were singing that she had been interested in for a while: shomer His hope is to make a lasting impact as opand we turned the lights off and we’d dance and negiah, or not touching anyone of the opposite posed to a short-lived one, by offering students etcetera, and at that moment, we were all ina way to practice Judaism in small ways, through gender. spired,” Rabbi Tsaidi said. “A lot of people keep asking me like, ‘Oh, “It felt like the next day, when I would see the everyday actions. For some, it seems to be workyou’re just being shomer negiah just for the sake ing. kids who were over that night… like they already of the La Gondola dinner,’ and that’s not it at Sophomore Amanda Wannon chose kashrut [had had] so much school work they forgot about all,‘“ Alessandra said. “I frankly don’t even care if and Shabbat. it,” he said. “Like no longer in their head.” “Some days are harder than others,” said I get it. It’s really just kind of, it was a little push When he started avodat hanefesh, Rabbi Tsaidi first suggested a few basic mitzvot, like tzedakah Amanda, “and since I know it’s up to me if I wan- and it was the push that I needed.” She said she felt holier keeping more distance na stop or not, I don’t feel so pressured to continfrom her male friends. ue. I like that it’s on my own terms.” “The best part is knowing I can maintain such But she did continue to practice them a strong relationship with them, without touch throughout winter break. Fellow sophomore Haïm Oliel chose two but connecting through the soul,” Alessandra mitzvot: wearing tzitzit and davening twice a said. Rabbi Tsaidi said that the dinner would hapday. After a week of doing those things every day, pen in three to four months so that more students Haim said that he had felt an impact already. “It’s brought me closer to Judaism and it’s kind can reach the point goal and attend. “The goal is to make sure more kids get inof helping me figure out what life’s all about,” said Haïm, “because Judaism is a big part of our lives volved,” said Rabbi Tsaidi. and I just want to like expand and feel closer to

It’s brought me closer to Judaism and it’s kind of helping me figure out what life’s all about. -- Haïm Oliel, 10th Grade

With last candle, thoughts on taking Hanukkah into rest of the year By Rachel Lasry, Staff Writer

BP Photo By Kate Orlanski

ENDING: As the menorah readies for the holiday’s last night, it’s a good time to consider to manage assimilation versus authenticity during the rest of the year.

As Modern Orthodox Jews, we’re all well versed in the practice of combining our authentic selves with who we feel we are supposed to be. We’re constantly struggling, always forced onto the middle ground that lies between being an ordinary American teenager and being a Modern Orthodox Jew. We’re always in the middle ground between the two parts of ourselves, the part that wants to wear pants and the part that wants to wear skirts, the part that wants to go to yeshiva and the part that wants to start college, the part that looks forward to keeping Shabbat and the part that’s waiting for Saturday night. It’s hard to know when is a time to adapt and follow our teenage instincts and when our Orthodoxy should trump all else. It’s easy to get lost in one or the other. We all know how the story of Chanukah played out, and it all began with the assimilation of many Jews into Greek culture. On the one hand, I remember hearing this story as a child and thinking that I could never just be brainwashed into losing my Judaism in another culture. On the other, maybe assimilation isn’t as simple a subject as we thought.

As people who are immersed in varying cultures ourselves, we know it’s possible to feel we have multiple facets to our identity. So the question of Hanukkah remains. Is assimilation an issue today? How do we approach conflicts between our identity as American teenagers and our identity as Modern Orthdox Jews? While we aren’t assimilated to a concerning point as were the Jews of the Maccabees’ time, we definitely must take caution when living a Modern Othodox lifestyle. Choosing to be single-faceted in many ways is the easier choice. However, there’s no clean-cut rulebook for Modern Orthodoxy, no dictionary definition, and it’s up to us to lead our Westernized lifestyles while maintaining our Modern Orthodox morals, no matter how hard it can be. Being caught between two identities is never easy, but at the end of the day it makes our character that much stronger. This Hanukkah, celebrate the God given miracle that is your authenticity. Celebrate that you can choose to be whoever you want to be, even if it’s not the cookie-cutter Jew or American teenager that typically exists. Celebrate that you have the freedom and the opportunities to be both. And as you leave this holiday behind, carry all parts of yourself into your future with pride, never losing sight of who you are.

The Boiling Point • January 2020 • Torah

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Tu B’shvat: Who grows the fruit? Liad Machmali, Torah Editor The “new year” of the trees, also referred to as the birthday of the trees or Tu B’shvat, meaning the 15th of Shvat, is coming up this year on Feb.10. You can celebrate it by having a seder, consisting of various fruits, nuts and vegetables commonly associated with the land of Israel -- figs, grapes, barley, olives and pomegranates, for example -- or simply by eating these things throughout the day. The Talmudic rabbis originally meant for Tu B’shvat to assist farmers in determining when the trees were ready to blossom and start a new produce-bearing cycle. Any fruit that was harvested from the trees before Tu B’shvat is considered produce of the previous year, and what’s harvested after is counted as produce of the new tree year. Maaser -the requirement for a Jew to give one-tenth of agricultural produce to charity-- relies on these calculations, a kind of religious tax applied to produce. However, this tax is not like the ones paid to the U.S. government, through which you can easily recognize that you are paying for your safety, paved roads, protected freedoms, etcetera. This maaser tax -- to God -- is given with the expectation of not receiving anything in return, as God is ultimately the creator of the universe and with that, the “Owner” of the trees. This reality is not always easy to remember, especially when you are the person working hard labor and putting immense effort into taking care of these trees. It feels as though, “Why do I have to give my produce away if I worked so hard to earn it?” The answer -- the proof -- is rain. The rainy season in Israel usually ends before Tu B’shvat. This means that by the time the holiday arrives, the trees have all the nutrition they will receive in order to grow and flourish in the coming year. Whatever a farmer does for his trees to cultivate the fruit, God is the orchestrator of rain and without it, the trees would not be able to blossom in the first place. How does this apply to everyday life? It’s quite clear: no matter how powerful you are or your achievements, whether you got 100 on your

math test or scored the winning shot for your basketball team, it would not be possible without the help of God. Of course, your efforts in studying for five hours the night before and practicing your aim at the net were all very critical for your success -- but we must always come back to relying on God, and recognizing that He granted each and every individual with the resources needed for one to draw upon. Tu Bishvat is another way in which we can focus on God, who is ultimately responsible for this fruit. Farmers worked hard to grow their produce, but without the help of God and His blessings of rain, the trees would not have been given the opportunity to flourish and grow. So next time you earn a sense of pride or congratulate yourself for doing well on a math test, make sure to take the time and thank God too, as this victory would never have been possible without Him. You might even want to say a blessing before you eat your next piece of fruit.

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Whatever a farmer does for his trees to cultivate the fruit, God is the orchestrator of rain and without it, the trees would not be able to blossom in the first place.

Visit from Rav Judah sheds a Hasidic light on prayer Liad Machmali, Torah Editor

also really important to be exposed to different ways of thinking, of learning, and I think he brings that.” Rabbi Block, who along with Rabbi Yagil Tsaidi When Rabbi Judah Mischel made his annual visit this year, students once again engaged with a Hasidic perspective that they don’t chose the topic of tefillah for Rav Judah’s teaching this year, said tefillah is something Shalhevet’s faculty always encounter in their regular Judaic Studies program. Rabbi Mischel, known simply as “Rav Judah,” says he tries to is constantly trying to improve. “Many people at some point struggle with tefillembody Hasidism personally while teaching it in many different ah and it’s hard,” Rabbi Block said. “This is not just ways. “I think that it’s what I desire for myself and my own fami- a Shalhevet issue. This is a community issue. How ly — to really believe in what we’re doing,” Rav Judah said in an do you make tefillah more meaningful and engaging? interview, “to really cultivate a sense that Hashem is interested in So we thought Rav Judah is someone who both has us, that God believes in what we’re doing and that everything that’s unbelievable Torah on this and is a deeply spiritual person, but has also probably struggled with this himhappening to us in life is meaningful and important.” “If I’m trying to transmit that in my teaching, it’s because I’m self.” Rav Judah said that as a child, he did not feel the trying to live with that myself,” he said. No one knows exactly how long Rabbi Mischel has been coming same connection towards Judaism that he does toto Shalhevet. He has been a Scholar-in-Residence each year since day. He said he was raised in a “proud Jewish home,” BP Photo By Liad Machmali 2014, and before that he sometimes visited when in Los Angeles with parents who did not have any formal Jewish education. However, his parents made sure that he for other teachings. YIDDISHKEIT: At a parent-teen learning session Oct. 29, Rav Judah This year, Shalhevet’s administration asked Rav Judah to teach received a strong Jewish education. taught about the meaning of tefillah and how to bring it into daily life. “I didn’t always find meaning in observance,” about tefillah — prayer. Over a period of four days, he taught two sessions in each grade, guided a parent-teen learning session on Oct. Rav Judah said. “I certainly didn’t find meaning in After so many visits, students have come to expect a certain style 29, and met with groups of students about incorporating prayer all of the traditions but always identified with the and mood from Rav Judah’s lessons. Junior Sophie Handelman says cultures and symbols of Judaism.” into their everyday lives. that his shiurs have had a lasting impact on her. He said his years of teaching experience have shown him that The topic was a natural fit for a Hasidic outlook. “He taught us about knowing your worth and having confi“Tefillah is something that every human being is engaged in and students all experience the same struggles. dence in yourself, and it really made me think about it in a different “The hardest thing for U.S. high school students is probably the working on and struggling with, it’s the creation of the world,” Rav way,” said Sophie. “I was thinking about it for a while after.” hardest things for high school students in general, for Judah said. Freshman Avi Litvak says Rav Judah’s discussions are interactive. teenagers in general, and for most people,” said Rav “King David — David Hamelech “I really enjoyed how he discussed the Torah with us and asked Judah. “To really know that we have a unique role to — described prayers [as] ve’ani tefill- He taught us about knowing your everyone individual questions,” said Avi. “He made sure that everyplay in the world, to believe in ourselves, to know that ah” — meaning, I am prayer, he said. worth and having confidence in one was part of the conversation.” our efforts in Yiddishkeit matter.” “The goal of tefillah is recognizing Sophomore Jessica Melamed wished he’d spoken about more yourself, and it really made me think Most of the year Rav Judah lives in Israel. But that our entire life, that we ourselves, during summers, Rav Judah works as the Executive topics. are prayer. There’s nothing that more about it in a different way. “The school should’ve had him talk about multiple topics, not Director of the Hebrew Academy for Special Children, encapsulates and expresses the goal of just tefillah, because I felt that it just got really redundant,” said our lives than living prayerfully.” — Sophie Handelman, 11th grade also known as Camp HASC, a Jewish summer camp Jessica. “I saw him four times and he spoke about tefillah all four in New York for boys and girls with special needs. Hasidic thought, also known as Head of School Rabbi Ari Segal said Rav Judah times,” she said. Hasidut, began as a search for meanRav Judah said he appreciates the feedback he gets from stubrings something unique to everyone he encounters. ing among Polish Jews in the 18th century. It emphasizes the need dents at Shalhevet. “Rav Judah is really a one-of-a-kind human being and I have for the Jewish people to love one another, as well as the importance “It’s rare to find a community that’s so dynamic and open where loved what he has brought to our school – in his work with stuof developing a relationship with God, as opposed to simply followthere’s just a little challenge, fact-checking, a little push back, in a dents, parents and faculty,” Rabbi Segal said. ing the Torah as a rigid code of law. Except for his summers at Camp HASC, Rav Judah lives most respectful way as part of a search for truth together,” he said. According to Rabbi David Block, head of Judaic Studies and He describes himself as “a Jew who’s really trying to try his best, Associate Head of School, Rav Judah explores ideas that the school’s of the year in Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel, with his wife, Ora, and to be a good person, to live life to the fullest, to reveal Hashem in their eight children. curriculum does not always teach, even though it fits into the He also has served as a member of the Judaic Studies staff at the world.” school’s philosophy. “I don’t always feel this close but I always want to feel close,” he “We don’t always get an opportunity to explore Hasidic thought, the Frisch School in Paramus, N.J. After making aliyah, Rav Judah said. “There is no such thing as a Jew who’s far. Our Yiddishkeit is and all of the other pieces of Torah that he brings, and that’s simply taught at Yeshivat Reishit in Beit Shemesh for 10 years. He is also what we are, it’s not just what we do.” a function of our curriculum,” Rabbi Block said. “But I think it’s the founder of an organization devoted to inspiring and connecting Jews with each other, called of Tzama Nafshi.

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The Boiling Point • January 2020 • Special Report

BY Jacob Joseph Lefkowitz Brooks, editor-in-chief As a disclaimer, I was only eight years old at the onset of the 2010’s and live in America, so there is a degree of bias in my selections. But I try to keep well-informed, and embarked on some retrospective research to try and make a list as accurate as possible. So without further ado, I present to you the movements, natural phenomena and pop-culture trends of the 2010s that defined the past 10 years, and will likely continue to affect, influence, inform and entertain us into the future.

The

4 Natural disasters are exacerbated by rising global temperatures

3

1 Memes arrive to make the internet definitively weird Crying Jordan, Distracted Boyfriend, Galaxy Brain, and Doge are just some of the internet memes that evolved through the decade into Gen Z’s primary form of humor. Hard to explain to someone who has not seen one, these image-text combos started off as simple pictures, often of cats, with text on the top and bottom, and are now a sort of fill-in-the-blank image template that can be created to add any text. Use of memes can range from jokes to comments on political issues. They can be found on most social media platforms, including Instagram, Twitter and Reddit. Some memes have had long lifespans, while others live like a supernova -- nearly everywhere for a few weeks and soon dead, often overused. What is so unique about memes is that they are not controlled by a company or individual, however much that company or individual might them to be. Instead they are a product of the collaborative nature of the internet. Whereas if Youtube wanted to get rid of the idea of a Youtube video, they easily could, no one can pull the plug on memes. They arise from obscurity, go through countless variations and then fade away, but the overall idea of “the meme” is just the natural outcome of a web of connected users all over the world, each playing their part in an online phenomena. A charming moment in the despair that is everything else which occurs on the internet, memes represent what the internet was originally intended to do -- connect creators around the world in the most collaborative space in history, even if they didn’t envision baby Yoda. Memes represent the weird yet charming humor that has become the new norm, and are one of the most interesting outgrowths of internet culture. Expect to see them continue to grow into the 2020s.

Page design by Sarah Feuer

The world makes an effort to stop global warming One-hundred-ninety-six countries came together in Paris in 2016 to draft the first ever global agreement to reduce carbon emissions, aiming to curb global warming. However, while the agreement was a hopeful sign, the effort was not broadly sustained. Overall progression toward its goals was mixed. And in 2017, President Trump announced his intention to withdraw from the non-binding agreement, set for Nov. 4, 2020. Two years after the Paris agreement, that initial hope has been reignited by youth activists, led by Swedish teen Greta Thunberg. In September of this year, Ms. Thunberg called for a global youth “strike” demanding action be taken by governments around the world. Protests were held on every continent, with organizers estimating that 4 million people took part -- which would make it the largest climate action in history. This grassroots activism offered a sliver of hope that world leaders might be influenced to take real action in the 2020s.

1

In the 2010s, the CO2 level in the atmosphere continued to climb, continuously setting records as arctic glaciers melted faster. Among the signs were an epidemic of severe natural disasters, which scientists said were being exacerbated by the warming. They said longer drought periods lead to fires, and water vapor absorbe by the atmosphere during hot periods cou lead to more intense storms and flooding. Hurricanes Irma and Maria (2017), Michael (2018) and Dorian (2019) devastat the Carribean and southeastern U.S., exam of that potential, while severe droughts in E Africa left millions facing food shortages an starvation. In California and Australia, drou resulted in dry conditions and led to massiv forest and bush fires. Southeast Asia saw record flooding and monsoons, disrupting the economic activity lifestyle of those in the region. As the decade ended, these events seeme to worsen and threatened to make certain a uninhabitable. Even with efforts to slow glob warming, these natural disasters are likely g to become the new norm.

5 Comic book adaptations

stranglehold on the box

9 Joker, 201 Doge meme, 2013

2 Netflix and Spotify bring all of entertainment to your couch

Tell someone 20 years ago that four of th highest grossing films of all time would be ad tions of comic books and they would have la But in the 2010s, that is just what happened. Starting in 2008 but truly taking off with 2012’s The Avengers, Marvel Studios took a co book superhero team that was moderately p ular and one by one turned them into the m recognizable fictional characters on planet After releasing 18 interconnected films, cluding the critically acclaimed Black Panthe company released arguably the biggest cin ic event in history with Avengers: Infinity Wa 2018. It ended on a cliffhanger lasting a y that culminated in 2019’s Avengers: Endgam the highest grossing film of all time. Rival company DC Comics has mos been unable to reproduce that success in its film adaptations this decade, unti 2019’s Joker became the highest grossing R-rated movie of all time. The comic book behemoths are only beginning. With a list of movies and TV shows lined up for the foreseeable future, nerd culture is the new mainstream.

Gone are the days of having to choose an album or song to buy or waiting every week for a new episode of your favorite TV show. The 2010s marked a new era of convenient entertainment. For $10 a month, subscribers to Apple Music or Spotify Premium can have access to the entire musical catalogue ad-free on any device. This is a complete change from 20 years ago, when someone would have to buy a full physical album to hear a favorite song, or 10 years ago, when it had be individually purchased on services like iTunes or pirated from websites like Limewire or Napster. While pirate sites are still alive and well, the more honest streaming services are much more popular at the moment. Universal access led to the discovery of streaming darlings like Billy Eilish and Lil Nas X. But the demise of record sales also means that until they are discovered, they earn almost no money off online streams. On the TV side, House of Cards, released in 2013, marked Netflix’s foray into original content. The series’ first season was released all at once, vastly different from the traditional one-episode-per-week style. By now, “bingewatching” has entered the lexicon. Full seasons of original series from Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime video are available to be devoured to your heart’s -- and your schedule’s -- content. HBO has still not given in to bingeing, and newly released Disney+ and Apple TV+ are releasing their biggest series by the week. Time will tell if they succeed, but streaming and binge-watching are here to stay.

The Boiling Point • January 2020 • Special Report

The Impossible Burger, 2016

6

Fast food goes ‘plant-based’

8

The public finally listens to sexual assault victims

1

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The Impossible Whopper and Beyond Taco seemed like sci-fi creations. But if you went to your local fast food restaurant in 2019, chances are you would find some fake meat on the menu. Not exactly a vegan takeover, these “plant-based” meat alternatives were marketed mainly at meat-eaters who wanted to be more environmentally conscious. A 2017 University of Michigan study of the Beyond Burger concluded that producing it consumed “90% less greenhouse gas emissions and requires 46% less energy, 99% less water and 93% less land, compared to a quarter-pound of U.S. beef.” In 2019, the U.S.’s two main meat substitute competitors, Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods -- both kosher, by the way -- began to sell a variety of products including burgers, sausages and ground beef. Their products could evenbe found in places like Burger King, Carl’s Jr. and Taco Bell, along with kosher restaurants including LA’s upscale Pat’s and the more down-scale Melrose Bite. What made them different from your classic black bean burger or tofu dog was that they tasted and had a texture remarkably close to that of meat , though the nutritionists say it’s not much healthier than the real thing. Still, for meat-eaters and abstainers alike, a tasty alternative to meat could perhaps wean the public off of meat, which scientists say is bad for the environment. Maybe in 2029, the “animal-based” burger will be the rarity at Burger King.

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Colin Kaepern ick stands u p to racial inj ustice by kneel ing

In a 2016 preseason Francisco game, San 49ers qua rterback C Kaepernic olin k sat, rath er ing, durin g the natio than standnal anthem a protest a , as gainst rac ial injustic police bru e and tality -- an action wh soon beca ich me moment o the most divisive sp orts f the deca de. Kaepernic k c o n ti n ued his pro later knee ling test and was jo , for the entire seaso , ined by se n veral othe players. r Their pro test was m praise and et with bo th criticism, the latter primarily which argued th a t kne the anthem was disresp eling during bers of th e US milit ectful to memary and ve At a rally terans. in 2017, P resident T called for rump owners to “fire” any who knelt player during the an prompted over 200 p them. This layers to k the follow neel ing weeke nd. Kaepernic k h a s been une for the pa mploye st th alleges is d ree years -- which h d ue to collu e sion by NF owners, w L ho in turn say he is si not worth mply a roster sp ot (althou they settle gh d a collusi on lawsuit $10 millio for n fo player and r Kapernick and fe llow protester E ri he has bee n credited c Reid). But with inspir other athle in tes such a s Lebron Ja g and Mega mes n Rapinoe to speak o social issu ut es, and als o with help on bring the ing topic of p olice bruta the nation lity to al convers ation.

13

For years, the actor-comedian Bill Cosby had been accused of sexual assault and inappropriate and unwanted contact. But in 2014, comedian Hannibal Buress included jokes about Cosby’s behavior in his routine, and more women began coming out with accusations. Cosby was eventually tried, found guilty and sentenced to three to 10 years in prison. In 2017, actress Ashley Judd accused Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault. More than 100 other women eventually came forward with similar accusations against him, unleashing a movement giving voice to the previously unspoken normative behavior of sexual harassment. Actress Alyssa Milano tweeted an encouragement for people to share their stories, and thereby ultimately birthed the #MeToo hashtag, prompting hundreds of people to publicly bring allegations against powerful men. Many faced consequences, including Today

9 Same-s ex marria ge legalize is d in 18 countr ies

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Show host Matt Lauer, actor Kevin Spacey, U.S. Senator Al Franken, Team USA Gymnastics Coach Larry Nassar, Fox News host Bill O’Reilly and many more, not all of them in the public eye. All lost their positions. However, many men who had credible accusations against them faced little to no consequences besides a brief social media backlash. Chief among them was Donald Trump, elected president in 2016 in spite of 25 allegations of sexual assault against him and having bragged about sexual assault on the Access Hollywood tape, and Brett Kavanugh, whose nomination to the Supreme Court was approved in spite of nationally televised allegations by Christine Blasey-Ford that he had assaulted her while in high school. Others returned after absences to something resembling their previous status, among them entertainers Louis CK, Aziz Ansari and actor James Franco. The future will determine how effective this movement will have been in the long run, but at the very least, the public appears to be much more aware of the presence of sexual assault in the entertainment industry and in everyday life.

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A virus outbreak kills thousands, 10 causing global panic The 2010’s marked the AIDS virus becoming curable, although only two patients had been fully cured so far -- still, a massive step for one of the deadliest pandemics in history. However, in 2013, an outbreak of the Ebola virus, an often fatal illness spread by contact with bodily fluids, was first reported in Guinea and quickly spread throughout West Africa. It spread to isolated cases in Spain, the U.K. and the U.S. and began to cause widespread panic. When the epidemic was declared over in 2016, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control

said it had been the largest Ebola event in history, having infected 28,616 and killed 11,310. and though it was not close to the deadliest or most widespread disease event ever, it served as a warning that even as medicine improved, there was still potential for a global outbreak. And the reaction of panic around the world even in countries where there were no reported cases foreshadowed the extent of panic should a more quickly spreading, uncontrollable outbreak occur.

14

ARTS & Culture

Music and visual art come together in Hanukkah-themed evening BY JOLIE WINEBURGH, ARTS AND CULTuRE EDITOR The familiar smell of latkes swirled through the air as guests -- including some non-traditional ones -- were welcomed to an evening of collaboration between the Shalhevet choir and Visual Arts Department Dec. 18 on the roof. Guests were invited to a two-in-one event, the student visual art show at 4:45 p.m. and the Choirhawks’ “Back from the Bay” Hanukkah concert at 5:45 p.m., which started 45 minutes later than usual so the art show could be first. It was a bit of real-world synchrony. In the arts and culture world, museums are commonly located near concert halls; in downtown Los Angeles, the Broad Contemporary art museum and Walt Disney Concert Hall face each other across 1st Street, while Boston’s Symphony Hall and Museum of Fine arts share a neighborhood as well. Placing them together attracts visitors with overlapping interests to explore both. Similarly, the night at Shalhevet unified its art departments, which had held similar events in the past but not in the past

three years. Ms. Roen Salem, art teacher and arts department chair, said that she thought more people attended the art show because of the concert after. “The show was always with the choir because that’s how we got the audience.” said Ms. Salem. “If you just write ‘Art Show,’ on a flyer I’m not sure that parents and other people would come from outside of school.” Art students’ projects and the Choirhawks’ voices thus were both introduced to new audiences of students, parents, relatives and alumni. Student art is always displayed on the walls of Shalhevet's spiraling stairs that connect the school’s three floors. But that night, Room 304 (the small Beit Midrash) was set up as a gallery, with tables and racks to hold the projects. Art pieces including pencil-drawn watch gears, colorful abstract Hanukkah collages of dreidels and menorahs and Picasso-style portraits hung on grid screens standing throughout the room. The gray walls of the room were transformed with a bright display of colorful projects made by students from all grades. Meanwhile, Trader Joes’ latkes and applesauce and Krispy Kreme doughnuts were laid out on an outside table for guests to enjoy, setting a Hanukkah mood. That added basketball fans to the audience. Students who would be attending the Shalhevet-Milken boys basketball game downstairs found out about it and headed to the roof before the game had started to eat some latkes and doughnuts, taking time to tour the art show and watch the choir concert as well. Upperclassmen’s art was displayed on tables. Four large canvases displayed work n Page Desig

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By Sarah fe

January 2020

by senior Sarah Navon in different media and materials. There were portraits of her dog, two koi fish, a woman, and Sarah’s grandmother. The mixedmedia portrait of her grandmother was comprised of colored pencil and collaged paper from an English dictionary. “It’s definitely the most special to me because a lot of my artwork is about my family,” said Sarah. “This piece specifically is about my grandmother's journey moving to America from Japan. She knew no English, and that’s why I added these different elements. It tells her story in art rather than in words.” Another unique project displayed was a set of themed mandalas, made by seniors and juniors. Senior Danya Helprin used the city of Los Angeles as her theme, and filled the eight separate sections with landmarks of the city including the Hollywood sign, the LACMA Urban Light display, downtown and the Santa Monica pier. Other students’ wheels portrayed the solar system, famous feminists, fruits, and album covers. Ms. Salem said that there hadn’t been an art show for at least three years. “We used to have art shows in the Beit Midrash -- in the old building, before this one was built,” said Ms. Salem. “And there weren't that many students, so it was a little easier to maneuver things, but it was nice.” Art teacher Ms. Samantha Garelick estimatesd that about 150 people came to the art show, which was free. The choir charged parents and non-Shalhevet students to attend the concert. Non-Shalhevet students paid $5 to get in, and out-of-school parents paid $15. The Choirhawks titled their concert “Back from the Bay,” because they had returned just three days earlier from their every-other-year Hanukkah performance tour, this time to the Bay Area. They called it their “home concert,” after having sung for strangers for four days. The music, too, was mostly familiar, with their classic Hanukkah songs including “Maoz Tzur,” “Mi Yemalel” and “Al Hanissim,” composed by Mike Boxer of the Jewish a capella group 613. For “Al Hanissim,” this year senior Alyssa Wallack sang the solo. Sophomore Emily Klausner elicited laughs from the crowd by energetically stomping her foot to cue the choir, something Mrs. Keene usually does, to start the song. The choir also debuted two new songs: “Can you feel the love tonight,” by Tim Rice from The Lion King, and “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz, in a new arrangement by Mrs. Keene. There

were also solo performances. Sophomore Talya Kukrudz sang “Make You Feel My Love,” by Bob Dylan, accompanied by sophomore Nooria Kerendian on the piano. Sophomore Emily Klausner and senior Evan Rubel sang a slower version of Katy Perry’s upbeat “The One That Got Away.” A highlight of the evening was when freshman Asher Taxon, the youngest member of the Choirhawks, invited group alumni to the stage to join in singing the reprise of “Mi Yimalel” in its

traditional folk tune version, arranged by Joelle Keene. Asher said he looked forward to coming back to sing as an alumnus "many years from now." Six former Choirhawks joined current members on the risers. They had no difficulty remembering their parts from however many years ago, and staying with the group. “It was nice to see that everything was like muscle memory,” said Daniel Lorell ‘18, a former bass section leader. “It was just like it clicked instantly and was just as fun as it used to be.” Amberly Hershewe, who was president of the group two years ago, said "it was kind of crazy to be back." “I mean I really miss choir a lot so it was really nice to come back and sing one more time," Amberly said. "It’s really cool because there are people from all different years of choir, singing as one big family.” Evan Rubel noticed the quality of the choir’s sound was “richer” with more voices joining in. “It really is incredible singing with the alumni,” said Evan. “It’s a bond that really lasts, much longer and much further than Shalhevet.”

DIFFERENT: Clockwise from top right: Students designed “pinwheel” drawings and were assigned themes to illustrate them; Room 305 was filled with art exhibits from all grades; the Choirhawks performed for the first time since their trip to the San Fransisco Bay Area.

The Boiling Point • January 2020 • Arts and Culture

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Murder mystery ‘The Real Inspector Hound’ uses satire to show the real value of theater Complicated plot drives actors and crew to push their limits in Drama’s fall mainstage production By Yishai Thau, Staff Writer

In the murder mystery the critics are watching, a killer is on the loose and unbeknownst to the In a good thriller mystery, you expect to characters, the victim is inside their hear gasps at the climax of the story. That very house. Suspects include Simon Gascoyne, one moment of pure surprise is so revered in a dashing new man in town who was played by mystery storytelling that artists try over and freshman Zach Rub; other characters played by over again to recreate it in books, movies, Neima Fax, Rebecca Cohen, Lehava Segal and television, plays -- most of the time to no avail. Zoe Ritz and Hannah Poltorak, who played Rarely is a director ever able to achieve the feat Inspector Hound. of creating that euphoric realization; The Real Any of these characters could be the Inspector Hound is one of those rarities and so murderer and the critics watching agree, until much more. a shocking twist occurs: the critics enter the narrative of the play, stepping on stage and changing its outcome. After Simon is killed within the play, Birdboot steps into the play and becomes the new Simon. After that, Moon steps into the play and becomes the new Inspector Hound. The play then restarts with the critics involved in the murder mystery as characters and suspects themselves. The negative depiction of theater critics resonates well this year: in what was widely seen as one of the best years ever for female directors, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association didn’t see fit to nominate a single one for a Golden Globe Award. Greta Gerwig’s Little Women, Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire and Lulu Wang’s The Farewell were all completely ignored, in a snub not far from Birdboot and Moon’s dismissal of The Real Inspector Hound. In both cases, critics ignore not only directors but actors and craftspeople, showing little regard for what it takes Photo by Paul Dufresne to create these projects. MYSTERY: The cast of Shalhevet Drama’s fall mainstage sought a murderer while making larger points On the other hand, Stoppard was about the dramatic and journalistic arts. Clockwise from far left, Lehava Segal, Hannah Poltorak, Rebecca once a theatre critic himself and so Cohen, Zach Rub, Jacob Lefkowitz Brooks, Ariel Urman, Zoe Ritz and Neima Fax. it’s reasonable to wonder whether The Real Inspector Hound, a one-act play written by Tom Stoppard and presented last month in the Wildfire Theater Lab, centers around two pompous theatre critics -- Moon, who was played by Ariel Urman, and Birdboot, played by Jacob Lefkowitz Brooks -- who sit and watch a ridiculous whodunit murder mystery. Moon ridicules the play for lack of originality while barely paying attention to it, and Birdboot writes positive reviews of actresses he admires physically in hopes of dating them. Both critics are more interested in themselves than in their readers.

he based the characters of Birdboot and Moon on some of those he knew. He has said his goal in writing Hound was not political, so perhaps he sought to give another side to the story: namely, that theater in all its components is worthy of respect. As if to prove that point, this was not an easy play to act in. For example, Neima Fax had to break down emotionally on the floor not just once but twice, Jacob Lefkowitz had to jump over a sofa while continuing dramatic dialogue, and Ariel Urman had to memorize a hefty pagelong monologue delivered at the climax of the story. In fact, every actor played his or her role to a tee, even ninth-graders like Zach, Zoe and Lehava, all of whom were given a significant amount of dialogue and stage time. Every cast member seemed to push to the limit, showing Ms. Chase’s ability to pull great performances out of any student. Also executed with precision and perfect comedic timing were lighting and sound effects, run by Stage Manager Amy Cohen, and her Assistant Stage Manager Haïm Oliel. The realization moment at the climax of The Real Inspector Hound was likewise executed with audacity and originality: when Ariel’s Moon and Jacob’s Birdboot characters came onto the stage and entered the play narrative, many gasps were heard. The impossible feat was achieved and The Real Inspector Hound succeeded where many other whodunits failed. But perhaps the production’s greater feat was that it shone equally in its other moments, accomplishing not only the meta-plot trick but also timeless messaging, outstanding directing and great feats of acting, all of which gave audiences much more to it than the excitement a moment of surprise.

Jojo Rabbit: Sparks of love in a world of hate By Jacob Joseph Lefkowitz Brooks, Editor-in-Chief

thartic experience. But portraying those same monsters as dimwitted goofballs is dangerous, especially as the horrors of the Holocaust fade into the past with each growing year. This film was made in today’s political climate for a reason. Hate groups are on the rise, specifically white supremacist groups. The Southern Poverty Law Center reported a seven percent increase in hate groups and a 50 percent increase in white supremacist groups last year. Waititi’s message of defeating hateful stereotypes with genuine connection and love is certainly relevant in 2019. But many of these hate groups share ideology with the Nazis and it’s hard to be comfortable knowing that there are others watching this movie who does not understand that this ideology is still very much alive and growing. This is not a knock on Waititi’s work. This film takes a glass-half-full approach, choosing to focus on combating hatred rather than depicting it. His style is incredibly unconventional, which may be jarring for some. But somehow, Waititi is able to make a black comedy featuring Adolf Hiller, one of the most explorative and creative films of the year.

After sitting through an opening scene featuring at least 10 “Heil Hitler”’s, few would expect a film that evokes uncontrollable laughter and tears. Yet in Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit, that is just what an audience member will take part in. One of the more bizarre premises in recent movie history, the film follows the titular Jojo, an insecure young German boy in the late stages of World War II who also happens to be a member of the Hitler youth. Jojo, played by first-timer Roman Griffin Davis, is accompanied by his imaginary friend…. Adolf Hitler, played by Waititi, who also wrote and produced the film. The primary comedic device for most of the movie, Waititi’s Hitler is a complete parody who serves more as a representation of Jojo’s indoctrinated worldview, manifested in a sort of father figure. Save for one chilling scene toward the end of the movie inspired by a real Hitler speech, the fictional fuhrer is a very soft antagonist. Jojo, who gains his “rabbit” nickname after he is unable to kill a rabbit at a Hitler youth boot camp, is at his heart a kind soul who faces pressure from those around him to conform to a hateful ideology. The film has been marketed as mainly a satirical black comedy cracking jokes at the expense of the least defensible group in history, the Nazis, a la Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator or Mel Brooks’ The Producers. Anyone going into this film expecting a bevy of dark humor would not be dissapointed. The endless jokes poking fun at Nazis and Jewish stereotypes are particularly funny to a Jewish audience. The hour-and-48-minute film flies by, as Waititi’s Nazi’s caricatures make comments unknowingly at their own comedic expense. But Waititi’s humor ultimately serves to support the film’s surprisingly bleak or heartbreaking scenes. Where the film truly shines is the relationship between Jojo and Elsa, the Jewish girl being hidden in a room in the wall by Jojo’s mother. They begin as staunch adversaries but develop a sibling-like relationship as Elsa, played by Thomasin Mckenzie, tells Jojo of her experiences and dispels the anti-semitic propaganda Jojo has been fed. Mckenzie, 19, who had her breakout role in 2018’s Leave No Trace, and Davis, age 11, starring in his first film, deliver authentic performances in spite of their ages and relative inexperience. Jojo’s journey from hatred and ignorance of Elsa to loving and supporting her contains the film’s core message: that you can only hate someone who you don’t know. The film does edge on being problematic in its incredibly dark subject matter enveloped in and at times overwritten by a comedic tone. The film is rated PG-13, which seems to reflect its lack of much vulgarity rather than its foxsearchlight.com subject. There is no question that laughing at history’s worst monsters is a caFRIEND: Waititi portrays Jojo’s imaginary version of Adolf Hitler, a father figure to Jojo, whose own father went missing in Jojo Rabbit.

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The Boiling Point • January 2020 • Arts and Culture

New play explores the impact of trauma across generations and cultures Acclaimed play ‘Eight nights,’ directed by Ms. Chase, starts with the Holocaust and reaches far beyond it By Jacob Joseph Lefkowitz Brooks, Editor-in-Chief

ers have been held by the U.S. Immigration and Customs The Holocaust is arguably the most common subject and set- Enforcement (ICE). While the ting of Jewish art. Eight Nights, written by Jennifer Maisel and play does not give a clear andirected by Shalhevet’s own theater teacher Ms. Emily Chase, is swer to this question, it seems firmly a play which deals with the subject of the Holocaust, but to suggest -- through Rebecca’s relationships with others -- that is it not merely another peice of Jewish Holocaust art. The new play, which ran from Oct. 31 to Dec. 16 to rave making Holocaust comparireviews at the Antaeus Theatre Company in Glendale, does not sons for the sake of drawing restrict itself to first-generation Holocaust survivors, or even the attention to current atrocities is Holocaust itself. Instead it examines the fallout caused by trag- more important than holding it edy, as it is experienced across generations and not in Jewish seperate from anything that has or is happening. culture alone. For example, Rebecca’s Eight Nights follows a woman named Rebecca, a passenger on acquaintances over the years the MS St. Louis and eventually a Holocuast survivor, through include the descendants of 80 years of her life in America, at 10-year intervals each of which those held at U.S. Japanese is represented by one of the eight nights of Hanukkah. Rebecca’s family members who have died, including her fa- internment camps and enslaved ther and husband, remain on stage as ghost-like figures, commu- African-Americans, as well as a Syrian refugee. At first, Rebecca nicating with her in silence throughout the play. In the premiere production, Zoe Yale played Rebecca forcefully exclaims that internthrough the first 30 years of the story; Tessa Auberjonois played ment camps are “not the same” Photo Courtesy of Jenny Graham the ghostlike figure of her mother, Anna, during this period. as the Holocaust. Later in the Younger Rebbecca looks out across the stage to her mother play, she begins speaking to DIFFERENT: Three decades after Rebecca arrives in the U.S, her friends and family from students about her experiences during moments of doubt, yet cannot receive a response. different backgrounds gather to light the menorah on the third night of Hanukkah in ‘Eight In one of the play’s most important moments, between in the Holocaust, hoping to Nights,’ at the Antaeus Theater last month. nights three and four, Ms. Yale as Rebecca embraces her moth- teach them. By the play’s end, And if we do not use our extensive knowlege of the Holoer, played by Ms. Auberjonois who then plays Rebecca for the she accepts Joram, the Syrian rest of the play. This moment of embrace and Ms. Auberjonois’s refugees, into her home. Rebecca shows him her branded num- caust and the events preceding it to identify and advocate against ber from Auschwitz, telling him that they share a real genocides that are happening around the world, is there even transition symbolize Rebecca taking trauma that only they can understand. a point to Holocaust education at all? all that she’s learned from her mother The most challenging moment of the play The character of Rebecca embodies the play’s narrative coninto her own role of raising a family -Having the same actors play is when Nina, Rebecca’s granddaughter, shows tradiction. She understands the need to prevent against future moments when her mother taught her multiple roles connects those Rebecca a tattoo she got that matches her grand- genocides while still wishing that her daughter and granddaughhow to grow up as well as the trauma characters, which becomes mother’s branded number. This scene reflects an ter could grow up out of the shadow of the Holocaust. Eight of having been in a concentration camp actual trend among Holocaust descendants. increasingly important in a play Nights does not offer clear conclusions. It leaves an audience with her. Rebecca is instantly outraged that Nina would questioning their own beliefs. Later in the production, Ms. Yale about trauma playing out across choose to emulate something which caused she The portrayal of conflicting desires within Rebecca and her played Rebecca’s daughter and grand- time. herself so much pain. journey through life and people make this Jewish play something daughter. None of this was done to Yet for Nina, her tattoo is a symbol of the role more important than one more examination of the Holocaust. keep the cast small -- seven actors in that the Holocaust has played in her own life. Instead, it uses a defining cultural moment for Jews as a way to all. Rather, having the same actors play multiple roles connects those characters, which becomes increas- Even for Jews who are third- or fourth-generation survivors, the create bridges with other oppressed groups, to better understand ingly important in a play about the trauma playing out across Holocaust plays a central role in Jewish education and identity. their experience as well as to help fight against similar atrocities So too has it greatly defined the last 70 years of Jewish culture. still ongoing. time. Rebecca and Nina’s argument, the climax of the play, is repEight Nights is no longer showing at the Antaeus Theatre Nor does the play look only at the Holocuast. A thread woven through it is the question of whether the Holocaust can resentative of a larger question asked to the Jewish world: do Company. But from my own experience and those of everyone I be compared to other instances of ethnic or racial oppression. we owe it to the 6 million to define our lives by the Holocaust, have talked to that has seen it, the drama is a perspective-altering Recently this question has gained relevance when Republican hoping to prevent a similar crime from ever happening again but production: one that I thoroughly hope returns to the stage so Congress members took offense to using the term “concentra- also reliving the pain and suffering of one of history’s greatest that anyone, be they Jewish or not, can grapple with its powerful message. tion camps” to describe detention centers where asylum seek- tragedies?

Artistic students compete too, in Color War ‘banner’ event By Jacob Joseph Lefkowitz-Brooks, Editor-in-Chief During Shalhevet’s annual Color War, held Dec. 14 - 16 this year, each grade created a team banner -- this year, a painting dealing with the theme of a holy city in Israel. Members of all four teams worked in the Art Room throughout the second day of the contest. The seniors, whose theme was the city of Tzfat, won first place in the event. Senior Eliana Mizrahi, who helped create the painting, said it was a chance for students to express their creativity. “Everyone has a different style of art that can be translated in any art assignment,” said Eliana.

BP Photos By Maia Lefferman

Features continued from page 1 visual effects, and also warp the filming speed of their videos. Outside of the TikTok app itself, the videos have been uploaded to other platforms as well, such as Instagram. Sounds rather simple, so what is it that is intriguing 1 billion active users around the world? Developed in China, owned by a Chinese startup called ByteDance, and only three years old, according to businessinsider.com as of September it was the most downloaded non-game iPhone app in the world, with a net worth of $75 billion. Most Shalhevet students interviewed said that being “relatable” was part of the appeal of TikTok. TikTok videos often reference situations that are oddly specific yet something that a niche of viewers can relate to, causing viewers to feel like they are part of an inside joke and then getting hooked on that feeling. A niche they particularly enjoy is Jewish TikToks. “I love Jewish jokes in general, so Jewish TikToks just make my day,” said junior Sophie Handelman. “They’re so entertaining, and they point out things that I never noticed before.” A popular TikTok video that Shalhevet students like to film versions of is called the “Jewish School Check.” Users choose the Jewish School Check background sound, which is comprised of teenagers saying “Jewish School Check!” followed by the song “Golden Boy” by Israeli singer Nadav Guedj. The trend is to take clips of things that a traditional Jewish school might have, anything from Judaic books to Jewish star necklaces to a mezuzah on a wall, while the “Jewish School Check” TikTok sound plays in the background. Some go as far as to poke fun at traditionally anti-semtic tropes, such as filming themselves tossing a dollar onto the floor and having friends pounce on top of it. The “Jewish School Check” sound has 955 videos made public by various TikTokers as of January, and is a way that Jewish TikTok users can share some inside jokes. “There are so many,” said junior Hannah Benji. “Last night I was watching TikToks and there was a Jewish School one and I watched it and they were all wearing Glouberman kippahs. It’s really beautiful that we are all connecting over this one app.” Though they were wearing kippahs from Shalhevet’s annual fall basketball tournament, the boys in the picture were’t Shalhevet students, she said. Shalhevet students can also be spotted asking their teachers to appear in TikTok videos. Judaic Studies teacher Ms. Ilana Wilner said sophomores Benny Blacher and Miriam Friedman often include her in theirs. One of them used a popular TikTok sound of rapper Cardi B screaming “What was the reason? What was the reason? What was the reason?!” On top of the audio clip is a video clip of Ms. Wilner and Benny lip-sync yelling at the camera over Cardi B’s voice, with the caption: “When people are talking during davening.” “They teach me a lot of different dance moves that are not really moving so much of your body,” Ms. Wilner said. “I am happy to do that with them. They usually end up turning them into memes.” Most TikToks aren’t Jewish, so Shalhevet students delight in coming across a Jewish-themed TikTok. “If I saw a good Gemara joke on my feed, I’d be extremely thrilled,” said senior Maya Tochner. The non-Jewish ones are fun as well. “Everyone is posting relatable things, and most of them are

Seventeen-year-old Sarah Timpa of Las Vegas, Nevada, found a TikTok niche in making Jewish-related content. Sarah has more than 6,600 followers on TikTok as of early January. Views of her videos range from thousands to her most popular Jewish-themed video, which has received over 1.3 million views. That video consists of Sarah playing two characters, seemingly a Jew and a non-Jew, and is laid over an audio clip from the 2008 film Camp Rock. The audio background features a teenager exclaiming “She’s really good!” with no context -- a viral internet meme and now a popular TikTok “sound.” Sarah’s is one of almost 60,000 videos using it. As it plays in the background, two versions of Sarah converse. “Oh, you’re Jewish?” says Sarah as the non-Jew, to which Sarah the Jew responds, “Yeah.” Non-Jewish Sarah then replies, “Oh, so you speak Hebrew?” and the Jew replies, “Yeah.” Excitedly, the non-Jew exclaims, “OMG say something!” to which Sarah as the Jew nervously replies, “Shalom.” The non-Jew then exclaims to someone off-screen: “Wow, she’s really good!” The video has more than 1.3 million views. Among the 1,279 comments on this video as of late December, user @whyyoumad420, whose bio features an Israeli flag emoji, commented “I feel this on a personal level.” Sarah’s first published video is dated from Oct. 21 -- just 14 weeks ago -- but she says her account did not gain attention until she posted the aforementioned viral video. “Before I posted that video, I had like 500 followers, and after I posted that, the next day I had like 2,000 or something,” said Sarah, who attends Del Sol Academy in Las Vegas, Nevada, in an interview with the Boiling Point. Sarah thinks her TikToks appeal to Jews because they are able to recognize the TikToks as experiences in her own life. “I feel like it’s just because Jewish people on the app aren’t used to seeing Jewish TikToks,” said Sarah. “It’s kind of funny, when you see something relatable to you. “For example, I work at Starbucks and seeing the Starbucks TikToks are really funny to watch because I work there too and I understand that. So I feel like it’s sort of the same thing when it comes to being Jewish.’ Sarah enjoys being able to create positive Jewish comedy. “I can make being Jewish into something funny but not something offensive,” she said, “and not make mean jokes about it. Because I feel like when people think about making fun of being Jewish, it’s always in mean sort of ways, and like offensive things” Sarah’s videos receive comments from other Jews chiming in with the joke. “Almost every comment is like ‘I’m Jewish too!’ or ‘I’m Jewish’ -- it’s so random,” said Sarah. “But people comment and say ‘so funny,’ ‘so relatable,’ or ‘this happens to me all the time.’” She also occasionally receives comments like “I stand with Palestine.” “It’s so weird,” she said. Like ‘okay, and...? Did I ask?’” Sarah draws inspiration for her TikTok when she is in Jewish settings, including her Reform synagogue. “I usually come up with them when I am at temple. I’ll just

By Elianna Khoobian, Staff Writer, and Kate Orlanski, Features Editor

“When you play sports, you have limits like when to wake up and what to eat. When you play sports it makes a routine in your life, it creates more success. I need to work hard, practice hard everyday, of course I have to study in school too on the way, but we need to practice every day as hard as we can. “One time my coach was so angry that he threw a shirt at me and I

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january 2020

not Jewish things,” said Sophie Handelman. ““But then seeing Jewish things makes it even more relatable. “Majority are about school,” said Benny in an interview. “I take the normal sounds and I turn them into a Jewish TikTok.”

We want to win!

Page design by Ellie Orlanski

The Boiling Point • January 2020 • Features

be looking at something and think ‘that’s kind of funny.” When describing her goal as a Jewish TikToker, said Sarah in a phone interview with the Boiling Point. “I hope that I can make people feel included. Ultimately just for Jewish people to feel like they have a voice on TikTok.” No one knows how long the TikTok craze will last. Since the dawn of social media, certain platforms have replaced others; in 2005, for example, MySpace was the most popular social network in the world, until the growing popularity of Facebook replaced it in 2008. And while the TikTok app brings many teens together, others do not understand the hype. It also is something that some worry about as they develop hesitancy about spending too much time on their phone. Junior Jack Resin chooses not to use TikTok because it can be a distraction. “I think it’s really addicting and you can spend a lot of time procrastinating on that stuff,” said Jack in an interview. “I am a busy guy, I got stuff to do.” Junior Gabby Bentolila is sharing the app with a friend -- on the friend’s phone. “I feel that if I get it on my phone I will get addicted to it,” said Gabby “and that is one more app that I will be addicted to and I don’t want that.” But she finds them anyway -- on Instagram. “There are already a lot of TikTok videos that they put on Instagram, and I get very addicted to watching those,” Gabby said, “so if I get the app I will get even more addicted because they’re fun to watch.” Others appreciate TikTok for being a tool to allow people to express themselves. “Normally, people would be so self-conscious to dance in public,” said Ms. Ilana Wilner in an interview with the Boiling Point. “I feel like this is fighting the whole ‘finsta culture.’ Like hiding behind who you really are, and being like, ‘This is who I am and I am okay making a fool of myself.’” Perhaps, she suggested, part of the app’s success is that it reflects something positive in the current generation. “I think it is so aligned with who we are at Shalhevet.” she said. “We take our worth really seriously, but we do not take ourselves too seriously, we aren’t embarrassed by ourselves. We are who we are 100 percent, hashtag-all-in.”

BP photo by Kate Orlanski Sophomores Miriam Saeedian and Audrey Gold film a TikTok dance in an empty classroom last month.

was like, ‘I don’t want to play this anymore, it felt awkward and embarrassing because it was in front of a lot of people.’ You don’t need to take it personally every time. You need to be committed to the team, the game, the players the rules, the time. “We have four practices a week, sometimes every day. We want to win, we want to make it to the championships. When I’m playing I feel all the emotions and energy coming up, you want to do something that you’ve never done before. You feel good.”

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Editor-in-Chief Jacob Joseph Lefkowitz Brooks Director of Production and Design Zev Kupferman Managing Editor Nicholas Fields Community Editor Molly Litvak Sports Editor Alex Rubel Outside News Editor Sam Rubanowitz Features Editor Kate Orlanski Torah Editor Liad Machmali Arts & Culture Editor Jolie Wineburgh Opinion Editor Zach Helfand Chief Layout Editors Ellie Orlanski Sarah Feuer Layout Staff Zoe Miller Tehilla Fishman Chief Photo Editor Maia Lefferman Photo Editor Zoey Botnick Director of Reader Engagement Shayna Becker Web Editor-in-Chief Gilad Spitzer Faculty Adviser Mrs. Joelle Keene The Boiling Point is the student-produced newspaper of Shalhevet High School and a public forum for the students and the community. Unsigned editorials represent the majority view of the members of the Editorial Board, which consists of the Co-Editors-in-Chief, Web Editor, Community Editor and Faculty Advisor. We welcome submissions for signed editorials from members of the Shalhevet Community, and the final decision about printing them is made by the Editorial Board. Letters to the Editor may be submitted via e-mail to shalhevetboilingpoint@gmail.com. The Boiling Point reserves the right to edit letters and opinion submissions and all become the property of The Boiling Point. Signed opinion articles and advertisements in The Boiling Point do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Editorial Board or The Boiling Point as a whole. To advertise, please contact the Advertising Editor at beckershayna@ 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. When appropriate, we will fix the story online, and correct the error on Page 2 or on this page in the next print edition. Policies on conflict of interest, the use of anonymous sources and other topics can be viewed at shalhevetboilingpoint.com under the “Policies” tab.

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Sweepstakes Awards, 2016, 2018, 2019 Blue and Gold Comprehensive Writing Award 2016 National Award Winners 2007-2019 International First Place Award 2011-2016 George Gallup Award - 2019

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

EDITORIALS

For antisemitism, a practical response By The Boiling Point Editorial Board With images of Nessah Synagogue in our own city, memories of Chabad Poway just south of us, and the recent horrific attacks Jersey City and Monsey, The Jewish Journal recently blasted “City of Fear” on its cover, helping the formerly distant thought of antisemitism creep further towards the front of our minds. But what does it really mean? It’s important to take a look around us. Is there anything we can do, as a Jewish school, to help? Our traditional reaction is to come together in song and prayer -- to feel the comfort of unity. But that’s just feelings. Is there a more practical and concrete way to combat antisemitism? We could arm ourselves, increasing security somehow, but most of our synagogues already have heavy security. Shalhevet has heavy gates and armed guards at all times. Our synagogues have multiple guards and inspect bags at the door; some also have metal detectors. And how could we take dangerous weapons into our peaceful places of worship and prayer? Perhaps we should consider how all this happened, and consider the roots of antisemitism and whether we can somehow, short-term or long-term, address them. Most causes may be completely beyond our control, and we are sensitive to that. But here’s one specific possibility. In today’s world, there are many who have few if any interactions with Jews on a daily basis. We are a small minority, so this is no shock. But for the many who get all their information about us second-hand, it is easy to form generalizations. Eventually, ideas can plant themselves in a person’s mind. Not that lack of interaction with Jews directly causes antisemitism, but it certainly doesn’t protect against it. In other words, perhaps we’re making this situation worse, inadvertently, through our habit of forming “bubbles” -- communities so tight-knit that they can absorb all of our energies and attention. In the past, we were isolated out of necessity, because persecution. In modern America, w e choose these bubbles for unity, convenience and togetherness. Our tight-knit communities might just be what has kept us together -- and at the same time, from everyone else, apart. There are many costs to our isolation. We relinquish the chance to be a “light unto the nations” -- to spread our best values -- and also to represent ourselves in a positive light. In addition, we lose the chance to learn from others, and to benefit from the unique light that every other community brings to our city, country and world. Finally, we lose the chance to do our share -- to help build the world in which we would like to live. What if we turned some of our efforts outward, to our non-Jewish brothers and sisters? Shalhevet requires 80 hours of chesed -- community service -- from its students over their four years. It’s our habit to work almost every one of those hours with or through Jewish organizations. This is great, but what if we used chesed to dip our toes outside of our enclosure? We suggest reviving the new chesed policy to require a minimum of 10 hours to be spent with non-Jewish organizations. This is not such a large percentage, because we are still dedicated to Jewish organizations, but it is vital. That’s because when we focus solely on ourselves, we fail to help out our greater community. This is unnecessary, wrong and also a missed opportunity. Maybe a student volunteer meets someone who knows no other Jew; now this strange religion is a bit less distant, and that person is slightly less vulnerable to invitations to hate. To meet a person is to humanize them. Perhaps someone’s mindset changes when they see a teen in a yarmulke volunteering. Or perhaps not. Either way, the potential, the opportunity is there. We need to create and foster a society in which Jews are not foreign entities, but helping hands, neighbors. Sure, the bubble is nice, but poking your head out to do some good every now and then might be even nicer.

Corrections Awards in Jewish Scholastic Journalism 2013 - 2019

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Opinion

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

‘Rabbi Block to be Head of School starting next year’ - Issue 1 This story in the October Boiling Point contained errors about Rabbi Block’s education. Rabbi Block attended Shalvim Yeshiva in Nof Ayalon for two years, but the Yeshiva does not award academic degrees; our story mistakenly said that he earned a B.A. there. Also, Rabbi Block is still completing his doctorate at Yeshiva University, though the story mistakenly said that he finished it. The Boiling Point regrets the errors.

‘Kosher knockoffs offer a taste of the wide world of American snacks’ - Issue 1 This story in the October Boiling Point misstated the kashrut status of Oreos. Oreos are kosher parve, not traif. The Boiling Point regrets the error.

The Boiling Point • January 2020 • Opinion

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TWO BOILING POINTS OF VIEW:

Do We Pay Too Much Attention to Glouberman? NO: Excitement is good, and it shows us at our best

YES: It overlooks students with other interests

By Avi Litvak, Ninth Grade

By Maia Lefferman, Photo Editor

This past November, our community hosted one of the most important events in the American high school Jewish sports world: The Steve Glouberman Annual Basketball Tournament. Nineteen teams from all around the country come to Shalhevet High School to participate in memory of Steve Glouberman Z”L. As parents in nearby or faraway cities sit at home watching on their phones, they see not only their kids playing but also all of the proud and It’s easy to tell that the players excited students in the background, cheering for their schools. They see how at Shalhevet, everyone love the crowd, and that makes is excited to be a part of the community, espethe game more meaningful and cially at Glouberman. The tournament allows for parents, students and relatives everywhere to catch exciting. a slight glimpse of what Shalhevet is like. By the way: most schools wouldn’t go the extra mile to have not only a livestream, but student announcers for the games as well. There is no better way to represent our school than to actually help other parents, in this case by letting them watch their children compete. Meanwhile, when visiting players walk into the building, they are immediately greeted with the utmost kindness. Since the tournament takes place partly on school days, they can see Shalhevet in action. Our school is represented quite well, even if they can only see it through small fragments split over a few days. In the gym, there are not only posters for Firehawk players, but also posters for opposing schools -- made by Shalhevet students. This does a great job in exemplifying the ethical ideals of the tournament and the school in general. The tournament also gets Shalhevet students excited, and full of school spirit. For most Firehawk games, there is a strong delegation of fans to cheer on their peers and friends. And even when a Shalhevet team is not playing, walking into the gym and being embraced with enthusiasm can also be a form of stress relief for some. The emotion that comes out of cheering for your team energizes the entire school. While some might say that the Glouberman tournament puts too much emphasis on the basketball team, that’s because to many, basketball is the most entertaining sport to watch. Most students don’t go to the games of other sports because they don’t enjoy other sports as much. Basketball is exciting, regardless of whether or not you play the sport itself. In addition, the reason there is so much excitement around the tournament is that the tournament itself is exciting. People enjoy being in the gym, cheering on the team. Obviously other sports and activities matter, but basketball has a special role at Shalhevet. For the athletes, it is also a bonding experience, not only between teammates, but amongst opposing teams. Many new friends are made, and relationships are formed. Glouberman also allows for students to get involved even if they are not on the team. The live stream is a large part of the elation as well, as it not only allows relatives and friends to watch, it helps more people play a part in the tournament. Whether it be announcing, filming, photographing or even just showing support at one of the games, every student can be helpful in the tournament. After every point or important play going the way of the Firehawks, the crowd cheers as if it’s the Super Bowl. It’s easy to tell that the players love the crowd, and that it makes the game more meaningful and exciting. The Glouberman Tournament is for so many reasons a vital part of the school year, and is a highlight of many peoples’ high school experience.

There are many inequalities in this world, one being the stark pay difference between sports players and arguably more important jobs like doctors and teachers. NBA players will make on average $7.7 million a season. Doctors make around $200,000 a year. Teachers make around $77,000 a year. Most people would agree that this disparity in salaries does not reflect positively on our society. I think we can all agree that teachers and doctors make a much bigger contribution to society than basketball players but they are not rewarded accordingly. Similarly, at Shalhevet, we have school groups that could potentially contribute to society with a much greater impact than basketball, and ignoring these is perpetuating the disparity. For example, on one day of the Steve Glouberman Basketball Tournament, three hours of the schedule for the entire student body were scheduled “everyone in gym,” telling us to go support the teams in the middle of our school day. During the tournament, some classes were cancelled and others were shortened. The environment that Glouberman brings to the school has its benefits, like the way it unites the school behind the twin goals of victory and hospitality. But for many, it is overwhelming being surrounded by yelling and jumping. Glouberman games should be optional to all students, and perhaps should be scheduled for the last period of the school day so students have the option of leaving. If the school decided that all clubs and teams should be supported the same way, it would be different. For example, classes could also be cancelled or shortened so everyone could attend some Firehawk volleyball games. Choir concerts should be during the day so more students can attend; drama productions already are, which is great. What if the school hired a bus to take everyone to a robotics competition, or a soccer game? I think that we should Glouberman is also important for building a strong sense of community within the school. But if communiunderstand that there ty-building is the goal, we have other mechanisms for that are other students and purpose -- for example, chesed trips, shabbatons, SAC events, holiday celebrations, Town Hall and even davening. activities who deserve Color War is already more important than Glouberman in the same excitement terms of community-building because it is more inclusive, students with other non-sports talents to shine in that basketball receives. allowing areas from art to dance to college bowl. At Glouberman, non-athletes can broadcast games, but this only applies for 10-15 students and many others are left bored on the bleachers, or just stay home. In no way am I suggesting that we get rid of Glouberman. Instead, I think that we should understand that there are other students and activities who deserve the same excitement that basketball receives. And it is unfair to cancel classes to force anyone to watch games. We should understand that not everyone’s life revolves around basketball, even though our school definitely does during Glouberman. We don’t measure worth at school in terms of dollars and cents. But we do measure it in terms of time and attention. To be a more inclusive school, Glouberman should be receive less, or other things should receive more. Imagine how much more welcoming an environment our school would be if we gave all co-curriculars and sports equal recognition.

Signed editorials We can hold two ideas at once By Jacob Joseph Lefkowitz Brooks, Editor-in-Chief I’ve felt a lot of things over the past few days. I was at first shocked, in complete denial that something could happen to someone I felt almost familiar with. Kobe existed when I was born and throughout my life until now. Living in LA it felt like you were under his domain. He was such an incredible force to watch and he made sports seem like they were more than just a game, it felt like life or death. It’s so rare that anyone in any profession is able to make their work feel that powerful. After the shock subsided and I started to imagine a world without Kobe, my stomach ached and felt like it was being pulled from so many different directions. I thought of all my friends, for whom Kobe was everything. He was their role model, the captivating and foundational force of their childhood. Losing Kobe was not just a shock out of some weird alternate dimension, it was ripping aware a part of who they were. I could never come close to feeling this pain, as Kobe simply wasn’t that in my life. And I want everyone who feels this way to know that I deeply respect your feelings and wish I didn’t have to bring up something which hurts you.

But I can’t willfully ignore that there are credible rape allegations against this man. Had it been someone with less of a devoted following, maybe the whole dynamic would be different. Maybe we wouldn’t feel conflicted about bringing up a discussion of how this man benefitted from culture where rape victims are silenced. But it wasn’t a random person who died in a helicopter crash Sunday; it was Kobe Bryant. It is unfair to ask people to separate the Kobe who was everything to them from the Kobe who was a flawed man. I have to ask, though, that we hold two conflicting ideas in our heads at once. One: that any death of awful. And it is especially horrific that such a loved man would be taken from the world with his daughter who he cared for more than anything at his side, and that his wife and the rest of his children must be destroyed. And two: that there is a culture of turning a deaf ear to rape victims. For any survivor of rape to experience endless praise of their rapist must be a hellish experience. And while, yes, this case does not have the assuring stamp of a conviction, that does not mean that the woman who accused Kobe did not suffer immense pain and hurt. The legal system makes it inherently difficult for reporters of rape to win cases

against their assaulters. Imagine going up against Kobe Bryant. Before #metoo. People who express that the praise of Kobe’s life makes them uncomfortable should not be looked at as unnecessarily disparaging the dead. When anyone close to the fame of Kobe passes away, their entire lives are examined, and in the showers of praise for Kobe’s incredible accomplishments without any mentions of the uncomfortable evidence he has already agreed to, we are affirming that as a society, we will always take the side of the powerful and adored, human and fallible though they are. Feeling raw and pained right now is more than valid of a response. And hearing something hurtful about someone who was taken from you so brutally quickly and painfully must feel like a gut punch to an already sensitive area. But we must acknowledge that our heroes are more complicated than we’d like to believe. You cannot forget the real Kobe in favor of his fictionalized persona which you would rather believe. Now might feel like the wrong time, but there is no better time to examine the fallibility of role models and foundational figures so that we can make a safer world.

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The Boiling Point • January 2020 • Opinion

Terrorist? Murderer? Or a victim of a double standard? U.S. military action against Soleimani calls for a look at definitions

By JACOB JOSEPH LEFKOWITZ brooks, editor-in-chief On Sept. 14, 2001, Congress passed nearly unanimously an Authorization for Use of Military Force against those who “planned, authorized, committed or aided” the 9/11 attacks, which had taken place just three days before. A year later, a similar authorization was passed regarding military force against Iraq. Since then, these authorizations have been used by Presidents Bush, Obama and Trump to order acts of war without congressional approval against anyone deemed a terrorist. On Jan. 3 of this year, the U.S. carried out a drone strike against General Qassem Soleimani, regarded as Iran’s second in command, killing him and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, an important militia leader in Iraq. Many Senate Republicans have supported the attack, saying that Soleimani was a terrorist and therefore it was ok to assassinate him. Almost all 2020 Democratic candidates also think he was a terrorist, but are up in arms that Trump would risk starting a war with this attack, and declarations of war must go through Congress. Both of these views could not be more wrong. The entire problem boils down to how the administration, not out of line with previous administrations, is defining “terrorist,” which seems to be anyone who hurts US interests. Trump’s administration has argued that Soleimani has both killed US soldiers by supporting proxy groups, and was planning on killing more. That makes him like any other military leader in wartime. Seeing that the total death count among Middle Eastern soldiers and civilians in post9/11 wars, where the U.S. engaged in battle with local forces, is over 567,000, according to the Brown University Cost of War study, Soleimani having likewise been responsible for many of those deaths does not make him any more of a “terrorist” than any American gen-

eral. And if it’s a matter of policies he set in motion, the U.S. Department of Defense and Presidents The most important Bush, Obama and Trump are all terrorists as well. takeaway of this ordeal As for an imminent threat to US troops, evidence is that the U.S. has set a seems flimsy at best. The initial response gave no specifics, and after a week of scrutiny, the position of top dangerous precedent: if a officials is now that Soleimani’s past actions meant country wants to murder that an attack being imminent was “not something a government leader of an that’s relevant” according to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Later, President Trump claimed that there opposing state, they only were threats to four embassies in the region. Two days need designate the leader after that on Sunday, Sec. of Defense Mark Esper a “terrorist.” said that there was no specific piece of evidence to support that claim. The most important takeaway of this ordeal is that the U.S. has set a dangerous precedent: if a country wants to murder a government leader of an opposing state, they only need designate the leader a “terrorist.” Iran has already designated all U.S.military forces terrorist organizations, which, as I’ve already stated is not without basis under this definition. The U.S. is not going to war with Iran -- so far. But this all seems to be thanks to the Iranian government taking the high road. If Iran had killed, say, Vice President Mike Pence, war would already be well underway. So far, this moment seems as if it will not mark the beginning of another endless war. Hopefully it can serve as a lesson to America that if it wants to set an example to the world, it cannot hold other countries to a standard it does not hold itself to.

Too Many Clubs in Shalhevet By Gilad Spitzer, Web Editor-in-Chief Aside from the Just Community, Shalhevet’s emphasis on co-curricular activities is what makes it one of the most unique Jewish high schools in America. The school’s website states that “Students are encouraged to participate in the various student-centered and student-led programs as a part of their high school experience.” The first question that freshman ask upon arriving at Shalhevet is “How many co-curricular can I be a part of?” And the very nomenclature of ‘co-curricular’ instead of ‘extra-curricular’ implies the almost equal importance of co-curricular involvement and the academic experience that the school provides. I myself have benefited tremendously from my experiences in co-curricular activities. I have gained countless professional skills from my work for the Boiling Point and AIPAC Club, and have enjoyed competing for the golf team and representing my grade on the Fairness Committee. The co-curricular experience at Shalhevet has helped me develop my interests outside of the classroom in a way that I didn’t think would be possible during high school. While I fully support this model of fostering both inside and outside of the classroom learning, I believe that Shalhevet’s enthusiasm around co-curriculars has caused a spike in the number of clubs being created and has consequently diluted the quality of each individual club. On any given day, there are five to seven different teams, committees, or clubs meeting during Flex period or lunch. There are simply too many options to choose from, and the result is that students put in a reduced amount of effort into each instead of taking serious control over the few that they can fully commit to.

policies editor’s note Every aspect of the newspaper you are reading has been looked over by multiple staff members. Some stories, photo decisions and layout choices have gone through long editorial board meetings where decisions are guided by various policies determined in advance. All of these policies can be seen on the Boiling Point website under “About us,” and one of them is shared here. Readers are invited to ask questions or comment at any time by emailing shalhevetboilingpoint@gmail.com. Also guiding us always is the verse from Vayikra (Leviticus), Chapter 19, Verse 16: “Do not go about as a talebearer among your people. Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor. I am the Lord.”

There is often an impulse reaction when an idea enters the mind of a Shalhevet student to start a club and list themselves as a founding member and leader of it on their resume. This is another reason for the surplus of co-curriculars in the school. My proposed solution to this existential problem that Shalhevet faces is to place the Student Activities Committee in charge of monitoring the validity and success of “start-up” clubs at Shalhevet. In order to officially create a club, the founder(s) would need to provide an outline of how the club will run, a charter that its members must sign in order to join, and at least 20 signatures from people who would join and attend its meetings. SAC would then be tasked with ensuring that the club abides by its charter and is holding frequent enough meetings to qualify as a club. If not, SAC would have the authority to disband the club and remove its status as a Shalhevet verified club. I am not a big proponent of government regulation, but something needs to be done in order to protect the integrity and prestige of Shalhvet’s co-curriculars. As the power dynamics continue to shift between the three branches of the Just Community, and as Fairness begins to take on more responsibility with handling elections, the SAC committee should take on this added responsibility.

Boiling Point Policy on Anonymous Sources

The Boiling Point has long held a strict policy on when it is permissible to quote anonymous sources. Anonymous sources are only used as a last resort, as without one’s name attached to a quote, a person may share views that are driven by a personal agenda or are not necessarily truthful. Sometimes, however, the only way people will be willing to share information is if they can speak off the record. Otherwise, they may be held back by a fear of challenging authority figures or a commonly held opinion.

Thus, the Boiling Point uses anonymous sources only when all four of these conditions are met: 1. The quote is critical to the story and the story is critical to the newspaper. 2. Information provided by the anonymous source cannot be obtained in any other way. 3. Any facts presented by the interviewee have been verified by at least three other people. 4. Faculty adviser Mrs. Joelle Keene knows the identities of the anonymous source(s).

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Sports

JANUARY 2020

Heartbreak heroes: Girls and boys teams both dominate for most of their games, then lose in final seconds By Alex Rubel, Senior Editor and Caleb Fishman, Staff Writer

“It was an amazing tournament and I hope my team is able to come back,” said Maimonides’ Daniella Bessler, the BP Photo by Neima Fax From tip-off to the final buzzer, they played their hearts out. M-Cats’ second-highest scorer They gave it their all. with 19 points. Her teammate EMOTIONAL: From left, seniors Nicole Klausner and Eliana Mizrahi were among Firehawk But it wasn’t enough. Tova Gelb was the game’s highfans worrying in the final moments of Shalhevet girls’ 65-61 semi-final loss to the SAR Sting In the Glouberman Tournament’s “midnight madness” play- est scorer, with 29. in the Glouberman Tournament Nov. 9. The Firehawks led by as many as 16 before halftime. off action, both Firehawk teams fell short of delivering Shalhevet Their coach Garvey Saloits third title in the tournament it founded and hosts every No- mon praised his players for Frisch lead to two scores, 51-47. vember, losing hard-fought games in the final quarter. their determination against After a Shalhevet timeout, Firehawk junior Jacob Pofsky drew Shalhevet boys won last year and girls won in 2015, when tough opponents. The M-Cats played a perfect 5-0 tournament, a shooting foul and made both of his free throws. Firehawk sethe tournament was founded in honor of Shalhevet parent Steve beating teams like the HAFTR Hawks, Frisch Cougars, Glouberman, z”l. “They really wanted to make a statement,” said Coach Salo- nior and team captain Jacob Benezra made a clutch lay-up with 10 seconds left in the game, but Frisch continued to make all its But this time, the Maimonides MCATS of Brookline, Mass., mon. won the girls tournament, while the Frisch Cougars of Paramus, MCAT Players were especially proud of their performance free-throws off Shalhevet’s fouls. After Jacob Pofsky missed a last-ditch attempt three pointer, N.J., took the boys’ title. Frisch had also won in 2017. considering that their regular season has yet to have begun. the Cougars celebrated in the middle of the court. It was their The Firehawk girls lost to the SAR Sting of Riverdale, N.Y., in “These were our first games of the season, so it means a lot,” the semi-final game -- the exact same fate as in last year’s tourna- said Maimo forward Hodaya Novich. ‘Plus we bonded as a team, second Glouberman title, the first being won in 2017. The Cougars won 56-51. Their coach praised their comeback. ment. They had led by as many as 16 points in the first half, but which was really great.” “I told my boys that we were in a fight and they punched us after halftime the Sting kept chipping away at The Firehawk boys team made it all the way first, but it’s all about how we react,” Coach Frantz Pierre Louthe lead and managed to tie it with one minto the finals, beating the HAFTR Hawks of Ceute left in the fourth quarter. The Firehawks darhurst, N.Y., 46-41 in the semi-final. Mean- is told the Boiling Point after the game. “I’m okay with losing made the right plays but were unable to finish It was a team effort. We while, the Frisch Cougars beat the RASG War- games, but I’m never okay with losing a fight.” Frisch guard Max Zakheim -- who was named Tournament their shots. riors of Boca Raton, Fla., 59-56, and advanced to MVP -- said the team was able to eliminate the deficit by playing Shalhevet Athletic Coordinator Coach Jeff locked out on defense and play Shalhevet for the championship. Remer said that the Firehawks’ ineffective way we were able to come back The boys game, which began after midnight tough defense and denying the Firehawks scoring chances. “It was a team effort, said Max. “We locked out on defense of running the clock contributed to the heartLos Angeles time, saw a stellar first half for the from behind. breaking loss. Shalhevet. Aided by a rowdy and overflow home and we were able to come back from behind.” The Shalhevet boys had been well ahead even in the third -- Max Zakheim, Frisch crowd in the Reich Family Gymnasium, the Fire“They need to do a better job of game/time quarter, 36 - 25 with 4:51 left to play. But they were management,” Coach Remer said, “When Cougars guard and hawks played a clean game and were able to take unable toleading stop Zakheim — the game’s leading scorer with 20 you’re up by 10 or 12 points, you don’t need high-quality shots while denying them to the points — and Shuli Coates, who scored 17. Tournament MVP Cougars. to take a shot six seconds into the shot-clock High scorers for Shalhevet were Benezra with 18 points, and when you have 30 seconds. The score at halftime was 32-20, and Shalhejunior Ze’ev Remer with 15. No other players made into two Many lead changes later, the game finally vet was still leading 36-22 with five-plus minutes digits. Freshman Avi Halpert scored 8. went into overtime, tied 54-54. SAR’s Lucy to go in the third quarter. After the boys championship game -- which ended after 1:30 Hecht was that game’s high scorer with 27 points. Shalhevet’s But gradually, Frisch rebounded. They outscored the Firea.m. -- Rabbi Segal announced Tournament Awards. Kiku Shaw was second with 18. hawks 17-6 in the third quarter. And then, the Cougars took Jacob Benezra won the All-Team Award, and Kiku Shaw won The Sting had the momentum through overtime and emerged the lead late in the fourth quarter and the Firehawks couldn’t the All-Team as well as the Steve Glouberman Award, which is victorious 65-61. SAR advanced to the championship game but respond. lost to the MCATS 58-49. This year was Maimonides’ first GlouWith under a minute to go, Frisch’s Max Zakheim -- sur- given for exemplifying Steve’s values of sportsmanship, leaderberman appearance. rounded by Firehawk defenders -- drained a floater to push the ship, love of the game and achdut, unity.

Freshman Firehawk takes flight at Glouberman By Mia Sims, Talia Schapira and Maddie Bollag, Ninth grade

STARDOM: Freshman Talia Tibi (No. 12) attempts a lay-up in the Firehawk 55-9 rout of the Hebrew Academy Warriors in the second day of Glouberman Nov. 7. Talia scored six points that game, and her teammates and coaches say she may lead the team in the coming years.

It’s the rivalry game of the Steve Glouberman basketball tournament. No. 14 Maital Hiller, senior and co-captain of the Firehawk girls team, is looking for a shooter. She spots No. 12 and passes the ball. No. 12 dribbles and shoots, and the crowd goes wild as the shot falls in. No. 12 was Talia Tibi -- a freshman -- and she made that basket many more times during an intense game with YULA in the gym Nov. 8. When it was over she’d scored a total of 18 points, more than anyone else in the game on either team. During the tournament, Talia not only improved on her basketball skills but also learned something new about herself, she said in an interview. “I learned throughout Glouberman that if I can make a difference and improve on myself in the game I am capable of doing it,” said Talia. Her coaches figured that out as well, and could be seen talking with her one-on-one on the sideline throughout every game. “She has raw talent and a high ceiling,” said Coach Andrew Schultz, assistant coach of the girls team. “If she keeps working hard, she can be a superstar.”

The coach’s messages were sometimes general, sometimes specific, she said. “Every time it was different,” she said. “Sometimes he would tell me, ‘Come on, sprint -- you’re faster than that, do better!’” Other times the coaches would talk to the team. “They would say good job on offense, keep doing on defense,” Talia said. Talia went to Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy for middle school and played on the Hillel Hawks basketball team. “It’s different than middle school in high school,” Talia said during the tournament. “We didn’t have this much of a crowd -- the crowds are so big. At Hillel, it used to be such a small game, but here we started off with the Glouberman tournament which is really big.” Talia said part of her success was due to practice. “I practice a lot after school almost every single day, and I put a lot of dedication into my basketball and take it very seriously,” Talia said. And she added that basketball success was not something she could do on her own. “Also I got major help from my teammates,” she said, “and couldn’t do it without them.” Sports Editor Alex Rubel contributed to this story.

22

The Boiling Point • January 2020 • Sports

Firehawk girls win their first-ever Milken basketball championship Hiller, Shaw, Jacobson lead team to 4-0 contest, defeating Notre Dame, Milken and more

BP Photo by Alex Rubel

CHAMPIONS: The Firehawk girls pose with their championship trophy after beating Notre Dame 60-48 Dec. 12. After making some halftime adjustments, the Firehawks played an explosive second half to power to a comfortable victory.

By Alex Rubel, Senior Editor For the first time in school history, the Shalhevet Firehawks have won the annual Milken Classic Basketball Tournament, beating the Notre Dame Lady Gryphons 60-48 Dec.12 in the Milken gym to cap a perfect 4-0 tournament run in Bel Air. With an enthusiastic crowd of about 60 Firehawk parents, students and teachers cheering them on, the Firehawks offense went on a second-half tear, leading by as much as 20 in the fourth quarter after a more competitive first half. Shalhevet led 26-18 at the half. Firehawk Head Coach Ryan Coleman said determination and grit made the difference. “We didn’t get off to a great start — I think we thought it was going to be automatic, and the other team played with a lot of energy,” said Coach Coleman, who coaches both the boys and girls Firehawk varsity teams. “I think our girls did a great job of realizing how hard they needed to play, and we turned it on and did what we needed to do.” In an email to the Boiling Point, Notre Dame’s Coach Steve Umemoto praised Shalhevet for a “well-played” championship game victory. His own team, he said, played a competitive and disciplined first quarter, but lost their lead in the second half because the Firehawks dominated on both ends of the court. “Shalhevet’s pressure defense and balanced offense was too

much to overcome,” Coach Umemoto told the Boiling Point. On the road to the championship, Shalhevet beat Louisville of Woodland Hills on Monday, 61-22; Campbell Hall of Studio City on Tuesday, 45-31; and Milken on Wednesday, 54-36. Firehawk senior guard Kiku Shaw said that the team came ready to play and acted as a unit — especially for the win over Campbell Hall, a fellow Division 4A competitor. “We were more focused on the court,” said Kiku. “And we adapted to each game, whether it was changing our offensive plays or the way we played defense.” Sophomore rising-star sophomore Talia Tizabi said that Coach Ryan’s halftime message of increasing the tempo propelled the dominant second-half. “He told us that the next few minutes of the third quarter would decide the game,” Talia said. “‘If you guys play well, you’ll win.’” Shalhevet Athletic Coordinator Coach Jeff Remer said the team’s senior leadership enabled the team to play to its fullest potential. “They finally have achieved what they have been setting out to achieve,” said Coach Remer, who coached the girls last season. “I think that they’ve improved tremendously from Glouberman until now, and I think that they’ll continue to improve.” Firehawk senior guard Maital Hiller won Tournament MVP, while fellow seniors Kiku and forward Avital Jacobson both won the All-Tournament Team awards.

Sports Editor Alex Rubel wins award from SoCal Jewish Hall of Fame By Jacob Joseph Lefkowitz Brooks, Editor-in-Chief Senior Alex Rubel, the Boiling Point’s Sports Editor and Senior Editor, has been awarded the SoCal Jewish Sports Hall of Fame’s Allen Malamud Memorial Award, a $1,000 scholarship for a high school or university sports journalist. Alex was notified on Sept. 30 that he had been chosen for the award, making him the first student from a Jewish school to win it. He’ll be presented with his award along with 11 sports professionals -- including Los Angeles Dodgers center-fielder Joc Pederson -- and two student athletes during the organization’s annual ceremony Jan. 25 at the Skirball Cultural Center. The Hall of Fame, which is celebrating its 30th year, describes itself as “honoring men and women–– athletes, coaches, officials, media, executives, and certain others––at the professional, collegiate, high school and community levels of sports.” Boiling Point faculty advisor Ms. Joelle Keene said that Alex’s sport stories first stood out when he made a point of quoting members of Shalhevet’s opposing teams. “Instead of taking on more complex topics, he just made sports more complex,” Ms. Keene said. “He just got deeper into every story.” The Hall of Fame’s website says the award is not given every year. The last three winners were in 2018, 2017 and 2015. Journalists who have won attended schools including Harvard Westlake High School and Calabasas High School. It is awarded to “a high school or university student planning a career in print or broadcast journalism.” Alex has written for the Boiling Point since his sophomore year and became Sports Editor as a junior. Last fall, he won the Columbia Student Press Association’s Gold Circle Award, First Place for Sports News for his story, “Shalhevet announces it has suspended play against Valley Torah in basketball.”

BP Photo by Alessandra Judaken

GROWTH: Alex Rubel joined the Boiling Point as a sophomore and was appointed Sports Editor in his junior year. He became Senior Editor this year.

Firehawks beat Panthers 3-2 in rivalry soccer matchup By Alex Rubel, Senior Editor

BP Photo by Alessandra Judaken

INSPIRATION: New Firehawk Head Coach Luiz Dos Santos congratulates his players after Jan. 11 win against YULA.

In their annual rivalry matchup Jan. 11, the Shalhevet Firehawks (3-2-2) beat the YULA Panthers (5-6-1) 3-2 in a game that players said could have gone either way. The game, which drew a crowd of hundreds of Firehawk and Panther fans, was played at Santa Monica College’s Corsair Field. Shalhevet dominated in the first half, opening the scoring with a free kick goal by midfielder Noah Weindling and a goal on a penalty kick by his older brother Josh, also a midfielder. At halftime, the score was tied 2-2 after a goal YULA’s Hillel Valensi. In the second half, Shalhevet forward Jordan Simon scored on a through ball, padding the Firehawk lead to 3-1. The final score was 3-2 after Shalhevet accidently kicked it into their own goal. With a new leader this year, Head Coach Luiz Dos Santos, the Firehawks played a steady and disciplined game. Verbal and physical tensions flared periodically throughout the rivalry game. Though it was difficult to tell exactly what was happening from the stands, there were instances of players having verbal escalations. Shalhevet defenseman Michael Oelberger credited his team staying united and avoiding unnecessary entanglements.

“It was a game won by composure,” Michael told the Boiling Point. Jordan Simon -- who scored the third Shalhevet goal -- said the team’s discipline and communication led them to victory. “We came a long way this season after having to adapt to a new coach and a new style of play,” said Jordan. YULA’s Head Coach Rafael Meghnagi said that YULA played a more structured game in the second half, after an “emotional” start to the game. He also noted that a few of the Panthers’ goals were called back due to penalties and offsides. “Once we settled into the game, I thought we were the better team in the second half,” said Coach Meghnagi. “I thought Shalhevet was the better team in the first half. They ended up with three, and we ended up with two.” After the win, the Shalhevet-YULA soccer rivalry seems to be trending in the Firehawks favor. The Panthers had won every matchup since 2011 until 2018, when they lost 2-1. Last year they tied 1-1. Coach Dos Santos said he hopes to instill in his players a love for the game while stressing individual growth on and off the field. “Winning makes you happy,” Coach Dos Santos said in an interview. “But at the end of the day, what did you get out of that game?”

The Boiling Point • January 2020 • Sports

23

Cultural icon’s legacy Growing up with Kobe

A comic book supervillain who changed the game of basketball NBA.com

By Jacob Joseph Lefkowitz Brooks, Editor-in-Chief

2006: Bryant scored 81 points -- the second-most ever -- in a victory over the Toronto Raptors 122-104 on Jan.

Comic books feature many types of villains. There are the tragic ones, the megalomaniacs, the evil gods. But one group that has always stuck with me are those rogues who simply revel in the spotlight. For most of my childhood, the man who epitomized that was Kobe Bryant. We know Kobe’s superpowers: his extraordinary work ethic, his killer instinct and his smooth jump shot. But a true villain needs a starring moment. And for me, that was Jan. 22, 2006. Born in Toronto, I was a young Raptors fan who went to see his underwhelming team play at the Staples Center. We were winning for most of the game, until the third quarter, when Kobe went nuclear. Shot after shot, Kobe proved he was unstoppable. I had no idea who this man was who was terrorizing my team and turning the roaring Staples Center crowd speechless. But I heard the name “Kobe.” By the end of the match, the Lakers had won by 18, but more importantly, Kobe left his biggest mark on history, scoring 81 points -- the sec-

2010: Bryant celebrated winning the NBA Finals for the second year in a row.

ond-most in a game in NBA history. Every year on the anniversary of that game, I watch Kobe’s highlights from that matchup, available here. Ask anyone who was not a Lakers fan during his playing career and they will tell you the same thing, that they HATE Kobe Bryant. And this is not the type of hate one has for a game and then goes back to their business. Kobe seared his name and presence into his opponents’ minds. When Kobe pointed to the sky after his victory, it seemed to be his acknowledgement that he had just changed the game of basketball. Like any good supervillain, Kobe chose his nickname: the Black Mamba. He said that he chose it since the mamba snake could “strike with

Like any good supervillain, Kobe chose his nickname: the Black Mamba. He said that he chose it since the mamba snake could s‘ trike with 99% accuracy at maximum speed, in rapid succession.

Someone else to remember

Intellect and nuance

I didn’t grow up in LA and truth of the matter is that during peak Kobe years I was in yeshiva mode and didn’t watch or follow the NBA avidly. I’m a sports fan and you’re always aware of the great ones, but I can’t say that I ever fully appreciated the night in, night out Kobe Bryant box score, certainly in the way I appreciated Jordan’s when I was a kid. What amazed me, however, about Kobe were his interviews. Kobe spoke with such eloquence and sophistication no matter what question the media threw at him. He always seemed so

smart and cerebral, and aside from his talent it was clear that his intellect was part of his greatness. I have one memory of Kobe being interviewed by the international media after a Finals win, maybe even after the championship game, and Kobe responded to the question in Italian. I was so taken aback by it. A -- the fact that he was multi-lingual, and B -that he had the presence of mind and the courtesy to retrieve that language skill in that moment. It felt classy, intelligent and thoughtful. I know that Kobe’s legacy, like most people’s, is complicated, but I found myself reminiscing today about that nuance of Kobe, something that seems unrivaled in The League.

Maia Lefferman, Chief Photo Editor

NBA.com

By Rabbi Ari Schwarzberg, Judaic Studies teacher

99% accuracy at maximum speed, in rapid succession.” This nickname stuck, just like the Joker or Doctor Doom, because it really described what he was. That night against the Raptors, and many nights after, proved that the name fit. Kobe was a cold-blooded killer, and he knew it. Years after his retirement, I’ve grown to understand that Kobe was more complex than his persona. I learned that a year prior to that 81-point game, a 19-year old woman accused Kobe of raping her, something which has always made it difficult for me to idolize him, and something no one can ignore when discussing his legacy. Nevertheless, I also watched Kobe grow into a father and family man. I saw videos on social media of Kobe and his daughter Gigi sitting courtside at games as Kobe imparted lessons to her. I heard interviews where he asserted that Gigi was going to carry on the Bryant legacy in the WNBA. It is cruelly poetic that both Kobe and Gigi were taken together. It breaks my heart that I will never get to see the man who I once knew as a supervillain and then as a man who made serious mistakes completing his transformation into one known as the caring and mentoring father we saw him becoming.

1998: Bryant’s style often mirrored Chicago Bulls great Michael Jordan.

The loss of a great hero is devastating to all. Kobe’s legacy is everlasting and his contributions to basketball are unprecedented. Throughout today and yesterday, people mourned the death of all of the victims of the helicopter crash, and especially Kobe Bryant. However, I found it difficult to feel such deep sorrow about an alleged rapist. When social media is blowing up with pictures of Kobe and L.A. is covered in purple and yellow, I can’t help but imagine what this might feel like for sexual assault survivors, more specifically, his. In our honoring Kobe, we are putting his stardom above a crime he allegedly committed. Not acknowledging Kobe’s sexual assault case as part of his story erases survivors and invalidates their stories. So while we mourn the loss of Kobe Bryant’s life, we should also understand that a woman’s life might have been ruined by it. The issue of sexual assault is bigger than just Kobe Bryant and I am not criticizing him specifically. He contributed to a long history of people in powerful positions taking advantage of people. Every time I saw Kobe play, I thought about sexual assault; that is the impact he made on me.

He built the house, then built a home By Clara Sandler ‘19

“I fell in love with you,” he says in the poem he narrates over animation, first of a little boy and then a grown man playing basketball. “A love so deep I gave you my all--from my mind and The first basketball game I remember going to was Lakers body, to my spirit and soul. versus the New Jersey (now Brooklyn) Nets. This has to be over “My heart can take the pounding. My mind can handle the 10-12 years ago. I don’t remember much of the game, but I do grind. But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.” remember seeing the larger-than-life Kobe Bryant -- the guy I This man devoted his career to Los Angeles. He represents the saw on my TV screen nightly during best of LA: passion, drive and success. He basketball season, the guy who my showed us what we can do and who we dad talked about all the time, the guy can be if we put in the necessary effort. who with that guy Shaq led the Lakers Kobe Bryant had the mamba mentality. He Then there was the relationship that to three straight championships, and Kobe had with his daughter, Gianna. later to two more. encouraged perseverance, hard work and Kobe told Jimmy Kimmel just four The last time I saw Kobe play was valuing the important people in your life. months ago that everyone always came up Nov. 3, 2015. We got amazing seats to him and asked him how he tolerated behind the basket to watch Kobe play having four daughters and no sons, i.e. no during his last season. The Lakers lost one to assume his legacy. But Gianna had to the Denver Nuggets 120-109 that dreams of going to the WNBA. Gianna game. But it didn’t matter. I got to was going to be the next link in the chain. see this chasuv guy play basketball at what Alicia Keys so aptly There are videos of them sitting courtside at games talking to described during the Grammy’s as “the house that he built.” each other. He was her basketball coach. Their close relationship Last night I watched Dear Basketball -- Kobe’s Oscar-winning is undeniable. Kobe Bryant was a lot of things to a lot of people. short film addressing his retirement and why he loves the sport so He was a hero, a legend, a role model. He was an opponent, a much. It moved me very deeply.

Page Design By Zev Kupferman, Director of Production and Design

teammate, a coach. He also was a father. A father who loved his daughters. Kobe Bryant had the mamba mentality. He encouraged perseverance, hard work and valuing the important people in your life. In his last game ever, after scoring 60 points to end a Hall-of-Fame worthy career, he said goodbye to his career by saying “Mamba out.” In my favorite movie of all time, The Sandlot, Babe Ruth comes to visit Benny “the Jet” Rodriguez in a dream. The Babe tells Benny that “heroes get remembered, but legends never die.” Kobe Bryant’s legacy is eternal; the Mamba’s light will never be out.

NBA.com

Kobe Bryant, the five-time NBA champion who spent all 20 years of his basketball career with the Los Angeles Lakers, died in a helicopter crash Sunday. He was 41 years old. According to multiple news reports, Kobe’s personal helicopter went down and crashed just before 10 a.m local time. There were a total of nine people on

board, including Bryant’s daughter, Gianna, a basketball prodigy who was just 13 years old. Bryant’s sudden death devastated the NBA community worldwide, and many of his grieving teammates, fans and former opponents posted their condolences to his family on social media. The “Black Mamba’s” passing also struck closer to home, since many Shalhevet students grew up watching the generational icon play, and were inspired by his unwavering dedication.

NBA.com

By Alex Rubel, Senior Editor

2010: The Lakers defeated the Celtics in Game 7 for Bryant’s fifth and final championship.

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The Boiling Point • January 2020 • Sports

Shalhevet remembers Growing up with Kobe

Mamba Out

NBA.com

By Adam Tizabi, Staff Writer

2010: Bryant celebrated winning the NBA Finals for the second year in a row, this time against the Boston Celtics in Game 7.

Opportunities to rise

NBA.com

When I heard the news, I was in shock. Complete denial. I couldn’t grasp what TMZ posted and kept refreshing my phone to see if it was true. When the LA Times confirmed the tragic news, my stomach ached and tears immediately filled my eyes. I wasn’t ready to let go of my dream of meeting one of my biggest role models. “No way was Kobe Bryant dead,” I thought to myself. I couldn’t even say it out loud or come to terms with the news. I turned to one of the most influential books I have read: Mamba Mentality. I couldn’t get myself to open it that day and instead just stared at the front cover for hours thinking about the impact he has left on the world. It wasn’t until today that I reread every intelligent and well-thought-out thing he had to say. The book changed how I see the game of basketball and life. I

BP Photo Illustration By Aaron Schlacht 2009: Bryant showcased championship and MVP trophies after the Lakers won the NBA Finals against the Orlando Magic in Game 5. It was the first time he’d been named Finals MVP.

tremendously admire his grit, love for the game, competitiveness the roadblock he’d had to to win, work ethic and curiosity. He never gave up, always leaving overcome. everything he had on the court. He was someone I looked up to Another instance since I was young and is one of the reasons I am so passionate demonstrating the type of about basketball. player he was occurred on Kobe portrayed many exceptional qualities throughout his April 12, 2013, when he had lifetime, but one that really stuck with me was his perseverance. three minutes to go in a game He navigated around every obstacle he encountered through hard against the Warriors and work and determination; he was superhuman. tore his achilles. In Mamba In Game Two of the 2000 NBA Finals, he busted his ankle, Mentality he wrote: “It and at the end of his career said that it was the worst ankle sprain became evident fast, though, he ever had. He still managed to bring home a championship that I should take the free that year. All summer after the injury occurred, he started tapthrows and get the hell out of dancing to build back up his ankle strength, while also improving there.” Kobe knew he had to 2018: Mamba Mentality, written his footwork. One of my favorite Kobe sayings is, “Everything finish the game, because if he negative -- pressure challenges -- is all an opportunity for me to left, he sure wasn’t coming back. by Bryant, offered an in-depth look into the legend’s playing style. rise.” I look at challenges in a positive light, thanks to Kobe, as These challenging moments they bring improvement. define Kobe’s mentality - to When Gary Vitti, trainer, told Kobe he had fractured his finger persevere no matter what. He constantly gave maximum effort on Dec. 11, 2009, Kobe’s immediate response was, “Alright, cool, and always aimed to be better than he was the day before. now get me back out there.” Kobe strived to do everything in his “You always want to outwork your potential. As hard as you power to make it known that believe you can work, you can work harder he was unbeatable and that this than that.” injury wouldn’t stop him from Kobe left a mark on the world and me that One of my favorite Kobe sayings is, “Every- will never be forgotten. From now on, every achieving greatness. Because he always released off thing negative -- pressure, challenges -- is time I step on the court, I”ll think about how his first two fingers, he was forced Kobe pushed himself , and that anything is all an opportunity for me to rise.” I look at possible if I’m locked in. to change his shooting form. He had to adapt to releasing off It makes me sad that the next generation challenges in a positive light, thanks to the middle finger, not letting his won’t experience the presence of the greatest Kobe, as they bring improvement. index finger interfere. He went player of all time, although I know his legacy on to win his third championship will remain forever. that season, in 2009, despite

Keys to the game of life

MCDBooks

Maital Hiller, 12th Grade, Firehawk co-captain

to watch Kobe play. Every time Kobe got the ball I would be at the edge of my seat and marvel at the endless tricks he used to outsmart his opponents. Today started as a typical Sunday morning and After each basket, I would pump my fist or high-five my family and I were enjoying brunch at a local the person next to me. This was a nightly routine for cafe. Just before we got up to leave, I overheard the about 12 years of my life, until Kobe’s retirement in party next to us say that Kobe Bryant had died in a 2016. helicopter crash. My mind refused to accept this as I have been privileged with a young and healthy the unconfirmed reports on Twitter multiplied. It family so I have never really experienced something was only upon reading a report from ESPN’s Adrian truly tragic in my family but today I felt as if I lost a Wojnorawski confirming the awful news that my heart sank and I went numb. At that moment I knew family member. Today was a day where I held nothing in and displayed my emotions. that my idol was no longer here to However, this wasn’t the first time I guide me. cried over Kobe. On April 13, 2016, I spent the day alternating beit was Kobe’s last game and he was Kobe was the number one tween tears and shock as I realized scoring left and right. By the end of why Kobe is so special to me. reason why my childhood the game he had dropped 60 points Those who know me know that and given the Lakers the final win of was so great. basketball is an integral part of my the season. He ended his career with life, and much of that is due to the words “Mamba Out,” which Kobe’s influence. brought tears to my eyes. UnfortuGrowing up in Los Angeles in nately, this time, Mamba is really the 2010’s during Kobe’s prime out and I’m struggling to accept this loss. was a privilege. Like thousands of others who play I always wanted to meet Kobe just to say thank basketball almost every day, I strive to emulate Kobe you for giving me the best childhood and teaching while on the court and bleed purple and gold when me the game of basketball and the importance of a watching my beloved Lakers play. strong work ethic. Like countless others, I can’t shoot Since I was five years old, I would watch Kobe hit a paper into a trash can without yelling “Kobe!” Gothe same 15-foot jump shot and fade-away that only ing forward, I am going to think about him twice as he could make. Kobe was the number one reason hard as I remember and honor the greatest basketball why my childhood was so great. Everyday I would player of all time. race to complete my homework by 7:30 in order

Page Design By Zev Kupferman, Director of Production and Design

David Saeedian, 12th grade

Watching his highlights and how he kept his composure during pressuring, stressful, and tough moments taught me a whole lot about how to face adversity. Believe me, I’m the biggest sports guy out there, and Kobe somehow ​The Black Mamba is a venomous, lethal, and fearless creature. Dusk or still managed to teach me more about the keys to the game of life than to dawn the Mamba keeps his eyes on the prize, ready to attack. Cool, calm, the game of basketball. and collected the Mamba tenaciously slithers his way into the lives of his Thus, it is only right for both I and the rest of his fans to honor his prey. Three, the Mamba surveys the playing field. Two, the Mamba drives in. One, the Mamba takes his shot. Having finally captured its prey, the Mamba legacy. Sure, committing eight and 24-second violations at the beginning of NBA games, or even going as far as naming a street after him, may keeps his head up high, awaiting the next challenge with confidence, poise, honor Kobe and what he did for the game of and an insatiable drive, or as I like basketball. to call it, the Mamba Mentality. However, I know Kobe far too well to ​Kobe Bean Bryant was an Believe me, I’m the biggest sports guy out there, and Kobe understand that this is not what he would conincarnation of the Black Mamba’s sider the greatest honor or reward. To his fans fearless values and traits. Night in somehow still managed to teach me more about the keys that are constantly seeking a way to return the and out, he was fueled by the Black to the game of life than to the game of basketball. favor, I can say without a doubt that now more Mamba’s competitive force. Win than ever Kobe would want us to incorporate or lose, airball or swish, Kobe’s aphis very own mamba mentality into our lives. petite to feast on all his prey grew Whether that means pulling an all-nighter to stronger every day. ace a big test or performing some sort of outreach for a community in need. I had the absolute honor of witnessing greatness in watching number In Kobe’s eyes, this is what life’s all about, and so invite the challenges, focus eight on the purple-and-gold play basketball. Year by year, I gained more on the journey, and embrace the grind. As it is only then when you can respect and admiration for Kobe’s contributions, both on and off the court. finally channel in your inner mamba. In times of discomfort and pain, Kobe was my escape from reality.

2016: Bryant scored 60 points against the Utah Jazz in his final game