The Rampage The Newspaper of the Ramaz Upper School
New York • Volume 66 • Issue 5 • April 2022 • Nisan 5782 • the-rampage.org
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Ramaz Stands With Ukraine Emily Vayner ’23
On Thursday February 24th at 5AM (EET), missiles and airstrikes hit regions all across Ukraine, marking the beginning of Russia’s invasion. Minutes after Putin announced his mission to invade Ukraine under the guise of a “special military operation to denazify Ukraine,” missiles landed in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, and a ground invasion began. Not only did this invasion incite tremendous fear among Ukrainian citizens, but it also began a widespread humanitarian crisis. In the past weeks since the beginning of the attack on Ukraine, Ramaz has immediately taken action in educating its students, donating supplies, and fundraising. On the day of the invasion, Ramaz’s Russian Culture Club (Russian refers to any student who associates with any of the sovereign states of the Former Soviet Union) had a crossover event with Parallax in welcoming guest speaker Eugene Ostashevsky. He is a Russian-American writer, poet, translator, and professor at NYU. Although the initial goal of the meeting was to discuss and analyze poetry, Eugene Ostashevksy also discussed the circumstances of his friends both in Ukraine and Russia. He explained that as Russians took to the streets to pro-
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test the actions of Putin, on just the first day, over one thousand protesters were jailed. The evening continued with discussion of translated poetry in connection with the history of Ukraine. The next morning, Rabbi Steimetz came to
the Upper School and addressed the Juniors and Seniors during Shacharit and connected the invasion to Parashat Pekudei. A few hours before Shabbat, R’ Manu Hass, Manhattan director of NCSY, post-
ed about an upcoming solidarity rally and prayer at the Ukrainian Consulate. On that Monday, Ramaz students and faculty members, SAR and Clinton students, and parents and children gathered outside the Ukrainian Consulate. It was decorated in posters and flowers, and everyone stood in a semi circle holding Israeli flags in solidarity. Numerous students gave speeches and the rally concluded in song and prayer for Ukraine. The next day after mincha, grades 9-12 were called to the auditorium for a short assembly where I shared my Ukrainian-Jewish heritage and urged students and faculty to speak out against war and injustice. That night Russian Culture Club and Rampo had a crossover event and welcomed guest speaker Ramaz alum First Lieutenant Alex Grinberg ‘12. Lieutenant Grinberg discussed the military and geopolitical implications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, answering questions such as: why did it happen, what does Putin hope to achieve, and why has the invasion been so ineffective. At the Lower School, during Oneg on Friday, students chose to dedicate loose change to JDC for relief efforts in Ukraine. At the Middle School, history teachers continue to update their students on current Continued On Page 2
Ramaz Upper School Students Will Embark on Israel Mission in May Sydney Eisenstein ’22, Julia Feit ’22 and Nicole Hirschkorn ’22 After almost two years of fragmented school days and missed opportunities, the entire Ramaz Upper School will embark on an unprecedented trip to Israel through the week of May 23rd, 2022. The inspiration for the trip was rooted in Ramaz’s deep connection to the state of Israel coupled with the recognition of all the hardships endured by students and faculty alike throughout the pandemic. Mr. Jonathan Cannon, Head of School, explained that this trip is a message to Israel that there has been a void at Ramaz that has been created by the lack of our standard Israel trips. According to Mr.Cannon, the Ramaz community is beyond excited to fill that void by returning to Israel to celebrate our love for the state and people, together as a school. “In ten years when you think back to your memories from high school, you will not remember every detail of each quiz you took. Rather, you will remember the special experiences you had. You will now be able to tell your kids that you went
with your entire school on a mission trip to Israel, engaged in chesed missions, celebrated Shabbat in Jerusalem with your entire school, and lastly, met Israel’s president,” Mr. Cannon explained. This once-in-a-lifetime experience encapsulates all that Ramaz preaches
to its students each day — combining Ahavat Ha’aretz with chesed, learning, and bonding as a school. The Ramaz Leadership Team feels that this school year is the appropriate time for the school-
wide Israel trip because of the special circumstances endured by each high school grade. For instance, the current freshmen and sophomores who attended Ramaz Middle School did not have the opportunity to go on their eighth-grade Israel trips due to the pandemic. Because students missed out on this critical opportunity for spiritual and communal growth, the school hopes to rekindle their connection with the state of Israel. Additionally, Mr. Cannon believes that the current juniors and seniors grades have had the most disruption to their high school years. Between the hybrid learning last year, canceled shabbatons and other trips, and overall stressful atmosphere, the school aims to reward students for their academic drive and resilience. Additionally, the current Ramaz eighth-graders are already planning to be on their eighth grade Israel trip the same week as the high school. Mr. Cannon expressed his immense excitement at the idea of all five grades spending Shabbat together in Jerusalem. The itinerary for the trip is in the making. Throughout the week, students will circle through Continued On Page 2
Inside this issue... Freshman Moth P. 3
The Ramaz Dinner p.
4
Ramjam p.
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College Culture p.
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Ramaz Stands With Ukraine Continued From Page 1 events and I spoke to grades 5-8 after Shacharit as well.
Now, Ramaz-KJ is working directly with a team at the Ukrposhta, the Ukrainian post office and freight service, to collect and donate emergency medical and in-
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fant supplies, as well as canned foods. The Ramaz community has taken action immediately in every possible form and will continue to.
Ramaz Israel Mission Continued From Page 1 different activities all around the state. Mr. Cannon emphasized, “Our goal in planning activities is to cultivate unique experiences for our students. We know that some students might wonder how they will benefit from an additional Israel trip, considering that they’ve been to Israel numerous times with their families or on various teen programs; we plan to expose our students to new experiences on this mission and are trying to plan activities off the beaten track.” Additionally, Ramaz students will have a remarkable opportunity and honor to meet Ramaz alumn, President Herzog. On Thursday night, the entire school will join together for a special concert in Jerusalem. On Friday, all grades will follow their own programming. The whole school will then congregate on Friday afternoon in a reserved space for
singing and will welcome in Shabbat with a meaningful davening at the Kotel. Mr. Cannon explained that the hotels have not yet been confirmed, but each grade will likely stay at a different hotel in Jerusalem for Shabbat. While this trip may sound like an absolute dream, it, of course, comes at a cost. The price per participant is tentative, however, through fundraising, the cost has already been reduced from $4,300 per person to less than $3,000 per person. The school will also be supporting families that need additional financial assistance. For those who cannot attend the Israel trip, there will be special classes and programming back at school to ensure that all students are still learning and benefiting from the Ramaz education. Mr. Cannon explained, “It won’t be like regular classes: the atmo-
sphere will be much more relaxed and there won’t be any tests or major assignments during this time period,” He added that the amount of faculty attending the Israel trip is dependent on the student participation and the number of kids who stay back in New York. He recognized that despite all the faculty being invited, some of them have very young children or other commitments which may prevent them from attending. Although the prospect of this trip is extremely exciting, there are many logistics that still need to be sorted and refined. Mr. Cannon noted, “Normally we would plan this sort of trip way in advance – the earliest being the year 2024. However, in this case I think we all just felt that we miss Israel so desperately and Israel is missing us desperately, too. Since we already had the eighth grade and seniors going, we ultimately decided, let’s just go! Let’s be the first school to do it.” Encapsulating Ramaz as an institution, we are answering Israel’s calls and leading other yeshivot by example. The Ramaz Upper School will be the first school to bring all four upper school grades, the middle school 8th grade and the gap year students together in Israel. This mission will create an outstanding experience for their students following a sometimes dispiriting two years in a pandemic.
How Did Ramaz Celebrate Tu B’shvat? Andrew Spielfogel ’23 Every year, Tu B’shvat falls out during midterm season at Ramaz. Though this timing makes it difficult to have school-wide assemblies to commemorate the holiday, there are still many ways to acknowledge Tu B’shvat in school. For example, on January 14, there was a table in the lobby with dried and fresh fruits, and books about Tu B’shvat and Israeli agriculture. But was this enough to celebrate the holiday? Tu B’shvat, also called “The New Year of Trees,” is commemorated once a year on the 15th of Shvat. Jews observe the holiday across the globe by growing trees, eating fruits, and spreading awareness of environmental issues. It is especially important to acknowledge Tu B’shvat this year as it is the year of Shmita: every seven years, Israel celebrates its soil by not plowing the land for one year. The Ramaz administration did not only set up a table in the lobby to commemorate Tu B’shvat, but some Judaic teachers discussed the importance of Shmita with their classes. Noa Gad ’22 learned about Shmita in Rabbi Weiser’s class and thought that it was very meaningful. Yitzchak Tucker ’23 said that “I liked learning about Shmita in Rabbi Schiwotz’s Talmud
class because Shmita helps us relate to the holiday of Tu B’shvat. Shmitah keeps us humble and reminds us that nature is important, and this is the exact lesson we take away from the holiday of Tu B’shvat.” Additionally, the Environmental Club also helped the school celebrate Tu B’shvat; they used the table set up in the lobby to sell Little suns (solar energy flashlights) and the reusable water bottles that they created last year. While Ramaz did commemorate Tu B’shvat in these significant ways, was there any more that could have been done? According to Mrs. Haas, Director of Chesed, it is up to the students to decide if Tu B’shvat should be focused on more in school. “If students would like to celebrate Tu B’Shvat on a bigger scale next year, we would love to hear from them!” Though most students and teachers have not
spoken about ways to aid in the commemoration of the holiday, there is always something more that can be done. “It never seems like we do very much for Tu B’shvat and it always seems to happen when we’re off from school,” said Ms. Abramson. “This year as in the past, there was a nice offering of nuts and fruits which are gifts from the trees. I think we should be grateful and thank the trees more often. I would love for the school to go out in nature to take a long walk through the park to commemorate the holiday.” Daniella Woldenberg ’23 said, “I definitely think more can be done for the holiday. I appreciate the dried fruit in the lobby, but I think it would be beneficial to hear from an expert about recycling, composting, or anything related to the environment. We can also donate money to plant trees.”
A Time of Giving Back: The New Orleans Service Trip Maya Puterman ’25 This past intercession break, 16 Ramaz students traveled to New Orleans to assist families that were affected by Hurricane Ida. The service mission lasted five days. During this time, the students participated in all sorts of activities and left a lasting impact on many families in need. On their first day in New Orleans, students worked together with NECHAMA, a Jewish disaster relief organization, and the IOCC, International Orthodox Christian Charities, to help demolish the Monet family trailer. The Monet family was living in a trailer that was damaged by the hurricane and flooded by the tropical storm which followed. They needed to
demolish their damaged trailer so that they could get a new one. The husband and wife were an elderly couple, and they couldn’t take their home apart by themselves. It would have cost them at least $5,000 if they had to pay someone to demolish their home, which they could not afford. “The Ramaz students gave the Monet family not only a place to rebuild a home but a sense of community. We were able to comfort them and show them that there are people in the world who care and want to help them,” said Stella Hiltzik ‘25. The students worked together as a team to remove the metal outskirts from the trailer house, remove the wood paneling, the plastic tarp, the windows, everything inside the house including the walls, tiles, floors, etc. using drills, hammers, crowbars, and saws.
Everyone worked really hard to help out this family and save them lots of money. Students could feel that their hard work paid off. The Ramaz students spent Shabbat at Beit Israel, where they learned about how the shul was badly damaged by a previous hurricane, Hurricane Katrina. The water inside the shul rose eight feet. All the sfarim and sifrei Torah were destroyed and had to be buried. The students were also told that the shul has still not recovered to how it was before Hurricane Katrina. On Sunday the students returned to help the Monet family again. They finished demolishing the trailer and then began demolishing another house to help out another family. The students helped take apart Continued On Page 3
April 2022/Nisan 5782
The Rampage Ramaz Upper School
New York • Volume 66 • Issue 5 • April 2022 • the-rampage.org
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Sydney Eisenstein ’22 Julia Feit ’22 Nicole Hirschkorn ’22 LAYOUT EDITORS Rachel Freilich ’22 Sarah Ginsberg ’22 BROADCAST EDITORS Eric Kalimi ’22 Ethan Davidovitch ’22 PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Eitan Goldberg ’22 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Sydney Eisenstein ’22 Julia Feit ’22 Nicole Hirschkorn ’22 Rebecca Silber ’23 Rebecca Kalimi ’23 Sarah Silverman ’23 Ashley Behm ’24 Aviva Schilowitz ’24 Eve Schizer ’22 Andrew Spielfogel ’23 Romi Chaovat ’24 Sylvie Pagovich ’25 Emily Vayner ’23 Maya Puterman ’25 Lindsey Feit ’25 Sylvie Pagovich ’25 Grace Kollander ’25 Keren Teichner ’25 Jem Hanan ’24 Lily Freilich ’25
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New Orleans Service Mission Continued Page 2
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the living room, which flooded during the hurricane, so that they could then hire a professional to check out the frame of the house and decide whether or not it was worth repairing the house or completely demolishing it and then rebuilding it. On Monday, the students volunteered with NOLA Tree Project to plant trees in a community of veterans suffering from brain damage. The students as a
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team planted 15 trees and also helped re-paint signs and pick up trash. Lastly, the Ramaz students went to help out Mr. Burnell, who had opened a local grocery store in his neighborhood when he noticed that people in his community were having to take three buses to travel to the nearest supermarket. Mr. Burnell’s grocery store was completely destroyed during Hurricane Katrina, and he spent all of his savings on rebuilding his grocery store in order to be able to serve his community. The students all had the opportunity to help out Mr. Burnell and the community by distributing food and gifts to children and families who lived in the community.
In addition to all the amazing chesed which they were doing for communities, the students participated in many fun activities. They went to Rock ‘N’ Bowl, buggy riding in the French Quarter, ate delicious beignets, went to a jazz concert, and even had time to explore the historical French Quarter. Though the service mission has ended, the students are not finished. They have chosen to continue to expand on their impact and they worked together to spread awareness about the people struggling in New Orleans and helped raise money for Mr. Burnell’s other project, an internet cafe, which will provide his community with access to WiFi and computers.
a group of people sitting on the porch of the novelist George Dawes Green’s house. To their surprise, many moths were attracted to the porch lights above and swarmed around them as they continued to tell their
“Common Senses,” as a play on words. The storytellers could choose to either incorporate one of the five senses, a moment when they lacked common sense, or both into their stories. Each of the eleven freshmen storytellers interpreted the topic in different ways; some spoke about hearing aids or glasses while others spoke about situations in which their senses were heightened.Many students in the audience were captivated by the compelling stories told by their own classmates. Teachers attended the Moth as well, discovering new layers to their students that they had never known before. Micole Friedman, a freshman storyteller explained, “I loved moth so much because I learned a lot about my classmates and I got to share a story of my own that I connect to and hope inspires others. I am looking forward to next Moth!”
The Freshman Moth: A Storytelling Event
Lindsey Feit ’25
Each grade has their own Moth event, in which students volunteer to tell funThe opinions expressed in The ny, emotional Rampage are of the author’s alone, and do not represent the views or opinions of and even emRamaz, The Rampage, or its editors. barrassing stories. All stories are told unscripted, without notes or presentation; the only way to prepare is to practice before the real event. Ms. Litwack hosted two pre-Moth meetings during which the storytellers shared their stories and then recommended feedback to one another. The name “Moth” for the club originated from The Rampage is the student newspaper of the Ramaz Upper School. It is published on a monthly basis. Letters to the editors may be submitted to rampage@ramaz.org. Letters must be signed and may be edited to conform to The Rampage style and format.
improvised stories, hence the name, Moth. The participants of the Freshman Moth, hosted by Ms. Litwack on February 16th, chose the theme,
Reflection on the Girls Volleyball Season: An Inteview With Talia Berman ‘23 Rebecca Silber ’23 After a successful season, the Ramaz Girl’s Volleyball team emerged as victors of the Yeshiva League, winning the championship game. The Rampage interviewed Talia Berman ’23, who enlightened us with her perspective on the season. Rebecca Silber: Looking back, how did your season look overall? Talia Berman: We were very on and off but for the most part, I guess you can say we were on. RS: What do you think made the volleyball team playoff-worthy? Was the team shocked upon finding out that they made it to the playoffs?
TB: I’d say that what made our team so great was our dedication and determination to improve. Overall, we worked extremely hard on getting better individually as players, and collectively as a team, with the help of Coach Kohn. We started practicing twice a week, and our overall improvement soon became apparent. Therefore, our team was not shocked about being in the playoffs since each and every one of us worked hard to get there. We definitely deserved it. RS: Were there any particular games during the season that gave the team hope and/or confidence? TB: Yes. Our win against SAR gave us a lot of faith. It was definitely the highlight of the season.
RS: After an amazing season, the team went head to head with Frisch in the championships. Have you guys faced the Cougars prior to the ships? If so, how did those games turn out? TB: Yes, we had two games against Frisch before the championships, and we lost both times. And by lost, I mean crushed. In both games combined, we only won a single set (For those who do not know, a volleyball game is best out of 5 sets). RS: Did the team’s rough history with Frisch discourage you guys upon heading into the finals? TB: Considering our past games against Frisch, we were definitely nervous and not too confident. However, we had improved greatly since we last played them, and we knew we were not going to go down without a fight. RS: The championship game was packed with Ramaz fans! Throughout the season, did you guys ever receive audiences? If not, what was it like to play in front of such an enthusiastic crowd? Continued On Page 4
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Girls Volleyball Season Continued From Page 3 TB: Fans never really came to the games so we were shocked at all the people who came to support us at the ’ships. Personally, playing in front of so many people made me very nervous, but it also gave me a boost of adrenaline. RS: The team’s victory against Frisch is up there with
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April 2022/Nisan 5782
the Boys Varsity Basketball team as the greatest comeback of the year. How did you guys do it?
RS: Describe the final set— how did it feel to be on the court at that pressing time? How did both teams play?
TB: After Frisch won the first two sets, we all felt a sense of defeat, but we made it this far, and we knew we had to keep fighting. We definitely lost morale, but we picked ourselves back up and won those next two sets. At that point, losing was not an option.
TB: The last game was beyond intense. There were lots of points being gained by both teams, and everything felt like it was happening so quickly. But in the end, Ramaz managed to pull through, with Jem Hanan ’25 ending it all off with a powerful serve.
February Faculty Meeting Report Rebecca Silber ’23 On Wednesday, February 2nd, after school, all teachers and administrators reported to room 603 for the first faculty meeting of the second semester. Ms Krupka started off the meeting with a couple of “thank you’s” — including one directed towards Ezra Gershman, who took over detention (which was filled with over 20 students that evening) in order to ensure that all faculty members could attend the meeting. Reflection on Winter Finals 2022 The first topic introduced during the faculty meeting was midterms, and the discussion was led by Dr. Rotenberg. He began by mentioning that this year, the auditorium and the gym were used as testing rooms for entire grades, making it easier for students who would otherwise need to check their testing room each day, and for teachers as well, who would otherwise have to circulate multiple different classrooms in order to answer students’ questions. The gym worked out well, as Dr. Rotenberg explained, yet the auditorium experienced some issues: the desks were tightly spaced in order to make room for the lunch room, and it was dark. To follow, Dr. Rotenberg listed a few suggestions pertaining to the organization and preparation of finals in the future: the duration of the exams should be added to the seating charts so that the proctors are aware, proctors should make a game plan so that they don’t end up scrambling around and making mistakes like giving tests to the wrong students, and the proctor schedule should be posted in addition to individual emails, since the many emails can be hard
to keep track of. The discussion was then opened to the entire faculty, in which one teacher explained how she would have liked to write down what time each student left the exam, in order to see how long her exam really takes to complete, and in order to see whether or not extra time students actually use their full extra time. The New Orleans Service Mission Mrs. Deeni Hass and Rabbi Dov Pianko presented about their experience in New Orleans during intercession. Freshman, sophomore, and junior students volunteered to help out the communities in New Orleans — they completely broke down a dilapidated house so a new one could be built, spent shabbat in an out of town Orthodox community and partook in their minyan, visited a small community of war veterans who suffer long term effects, built tables and chairs in the poorest neighborhood in New Orleans outside a supermarket. Overall, Mrs. Hass and Rabbi Dov agreed that the students were beyond moved by such a unique, hands-on experience, in which they were exposed to Jews and non-Jews alike. Such exposure is a vital part of our culture, as Rabbi Dov explained, and it is so important to give students these opportunities to participate in chesed, for what they do when they return from these trips can have lasting effects on themselves and on the community. New Dress Code Policy
code violation that evening. According to the newly enforced dress code policy, crewnecks and sweatpants are no longer to be worn by students — if a student is found without a collar, he should be brought up to the 6th floor by an administrator. There, Alexandra Schreiber will take the student’s name, and the student’s parent is emailed, cc’ing his or her grade dean. Next time that student is caught violating the dress code, his or her suspension will last two hours. Exam Length Ms. Krupka concluded the meeting with the topic of exam length: how does a teacher know if their test is too long or too short? During midterms, Ms. Krupka’s students were still taking her exam when time ran out, and asked for 10 more minutes — was the exam truly too long, or were the students just dwelling on the essay section? Ms. Benus explained that in order to decide whether or not her test is an appropriate length, she sees how long it takes herself to complete the exam. Ms. Webb suggested that in order to avoid time issues, teachers should prepare their students for the material, and get them familiar with their question style. Ms. Gedwiser explained that she determines whether or not her exam was too long based on when the first student finishes. At the end of the meeting, Ms. Krupka distributed guidelines on how to ensure that an exam is of appropriate length.
Ms. Krupka announced that ten students served a one hour in school suspension due to dress
Ramaz Community Assists Bronx Fire Victims Sylvie Pagovich ’25 On January 9, a fire broke at Twin Park Towers in the Bronx. The fire was caused by a space heater malfunctioning, affecting many people. 17 people died; many people were injured and lost their possessions. This was one of the deadliest fires that has happened in New York in a while, and many people lost their homes and belongings. To help the Bronx community, Ramaz instructed students to bring in donations. Students brought in new coats, clothes, hats, gloves, toilet paper and so much more. There were boxes in the lobby where students placed all these items. Many students brought in a lot of stuff to support the victims of the
fire and help them. There were many bags full of donations in the lobby that students had brought in to help the victims of this fire. Students showed their support
to these victims and helped them get back up on their feet. They showed that they will be there to help and
support the Bronx. By just bringing in a few donations, students helped change the lives of many people who lost everything. A few days later, a few students and teachers delivered these items to the Bronx. They had truckloads of clothes, shoes and food. They went to meet with community leaders of the Bronx and show their support. They let the Bronx know that Ramaz is always here to support them. Ramaz showed their support to the Bronx and gave students an opportunity for chesed. Ramaz has helped these people get on with their lives again after this devastating fire. Ramaz has helped these people move forward and has given them back some of what they lost.
The Ramaz Annual Dinner Sylvie Pagovich ’25 The annual Ramaz dinner is an evening where the school celebrates Ramaz and its community by highlighting aspects of the three divisions of the school: the Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School. The dinner is a fundraiser to cover the dif-
ference between tuition and operating the school: it is the highlight of the Ramaz fundraising campaign. The campaign stretches out from the beginning of the school year to the end and the dinner is the main event of it. The dinner took place at Pier 60 located in Chelsea Piers. There is a dinner committee that orga-
nizes and puts together the dinner, which includes Ramaz alumni, parents of Ramaz students, and members of the Institutional Advancement team. The dinner is meant to celebrate Ramaz and show how spectacular the Continued On Page 5
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The Ramaz Annual Dinner Continued From Page 4 students are. One of the most important parts of the dinner is to highlight the students and show gratitude towards the faculty and administration. The decision to have the dinner was made in September. There was a hope that this would be an opportunity to bring the community back together and move forward. This is the first year that the dinner was in-person since the start of the pandemic. The dinner took place at Pier 60, and not at the New York Marriott Marquis, as in years past. The dinner is attended by parents, grandparents, faculty, staff, administration,
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alumni and friends of the school. This year, the Ramaz dinner honored Rabbi Lookstein, who turned 90 this year. The school celebrated Rabbi Looksteins’s 90th and Ramaz’s 85th birthdays. At the dinner, Rabbi Lookstein received a gift and video about him, introducing who he is, and gave a speech. He also received a solo in one of the choir performances. At the dinner, the chorus of all three divisions performed. The Lower School had a video performance and the Middle and Upper schools performed live. There were also performances by the Dance Team, Band, Guitar Ensemble, Chamber Choir and High
School Choir. These performances contribute to the meaningful experience of the dinner and showcase the students’ abilities. The food is set up as a buffet. By the buffet, there was a band where guests danced. One of the goals of the dinner is to have a place where members of the Ramaz community can socially interact with each other, alumni with alumni, faculty with parents. The dinner was a chance for everyone to reconnect with each other while celebrating the school. Overall, many attendees enjoyed the food and performances, as in past years.
semble came back to life. Led by Mr. Elisha, and presidents Josh North ‘23 and Abe Kohl ‘23, the ‘boy band’ of drummers with various percussion instruments stood around him in a semi-circle. They showcased instruments from a traditional drum set in the mid-
floor and the beats of the drums in their chests before their performance culminated in a loud applause. The Jazz Ensemble, with president David Tarrab ‘23 on the Bass, followed with a performance of Chameleon by Herbie Hancock. After the performance concluded, the spot light shone right below the stage onto Guitar Ensemble where a row of guitarists began to perform Clocks by Rhythms Del Mundo. The Guitar Ensemble was followed by the girls Dance Team, dressed in reflective silver sets, began their performance. Their performance included a mashup of different songs and was choreographed by Ella Low ‘22, Norma Tamil ‘22, and Ilana Kahn ‘23. Finally, our annual Ram Jam concluded with the Ramaz Choir singing Uveneh in unison.
Ram Jammin’ Emily Vayner ’23 On Wednesday March 2nd, Ramaz students, Freshman paired with Juniors during 9th period, and Sophomores with Seniors during 3rd period, rushed down the stairs to watch a long awaited and missed event. Ramaz’s Ramjam is an annual musical performance ‘made by students, for students,’ showcasing the various vocal, instrumental, and dance talents at Ramaz. It is the first time Ram Jam has taken place in-person since 2020, being the first Ramjam for both freshmen and sophomores. As Ramaz students eagerly sat on the auditorium floor, lights dim, everywhere students turned their heads was another group of talented students waiting to perform. As a spotlight shone onto the stage, MC’s Tova Solomons ‘23 and Jordan Mittler ‘22 opened this year’s Ram Jam. The Rock Band led by Michael Getsten ‘22, Corey Title ‘22, and Ben Rosen ‘22, opened Ram Jam, playing Movin’ Out by Billy Joel. The Rock Band included instruments like the electric and acoustic guitar, the saxophone, the synthesizer and piano, and drums. The Chamber Choir followed with an upbeat performance of Confident by Demi Lovato. Then, a special surprise; for the first time in seven years, the Percussion En-
dle of the stage, to floor toms, from the tambourines to the Agogo Bell; the Percussion Ensemble had it all. Mr. Elisha conducted the ensemble, with his hands and feet, pointing from boy to boy, giving them their own spotlight. Students could feel the vibrations on the
Computers, Covid, and Elevators: January Faculty Meeting Report Rebecca Kalimi ’23 For the first time in Ramaz history, a student was allowed access to the monthly meeting of the faculty and the administration. Ramaz faculty met for their third faculty meeting this year on Wednesday, January 5th. The teachers were gathered in the back of the room until around 4:55, taking advantage of the snack cart until they were quieted down for the presentations to begin. Mr. Cannon opened by notifying the teachers with a “reward,” as he called it, for working extra hard this semester, of canceling the Professional Development day scheduled on the Tuesday after Presidents Day. He then went into his “normal meeting topic” of COVID updates. He specifically reminded teachers to help enforce mask- wearing rules. He emphasized that although the school doesn’t want mask-wearing to
be seen as a punishment and create a negative atmosphere, they need to prioritize safety. Ms. Krupka then took over, and introduced
Joshua Todes ‘23, who was preparing to present a Power Point for the faculty. Todes explained that he had hand-selected a team of technologically advanced students who desire to help teachers quickly and efficiently with their technology issues. He explained that he
and his team would be available to help teachers with all kinds of technological issues. Rabbi Schiowitz then addressed the elevator issue. He explained that students are getting their privileges back on the condition that they stay “respectful,” but he didn’t give specific guidelines for what “respectful” meant. He explained that the school wouldn’t be proscribing a specific number of people in the elevator, but that teachers make personal decisions. Several teachers suggested that these rules were vague, and they expressed doubt in their efficacy. Ms. Krupka returned to introduce the discussion of the potential move back to a rotating schedule. She is planning to put together a committee of five or six faculty representatives across departments who will research other schools, and analyze the history of rotating schedules. This will allow them to understand all costs and benefits of a rotating schedule and decide what’s best for Ramaz. Ms. Krupka then quickly went over the setup for senior finals, to address confusion that had been expressed by the teachers. The last ten minutes of the meeting were reserved for a private discussion amongst the faculty.
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The Rampage
The Nutrition Club: A Q&A With Eva Fischer ’23 Rebecca Silber ‘23 Rebecca Silber: Briefly describe your club. What do you do? What’s your goal?
thought it would be super fun and a great way to encourage healthy eating habits throughout the student body.
Eva Fischer: In the nutrition club, we aim to talk about how to maintain a healthy diet — specifically which foods you should or shouldn’t eat. Our goal is to encourage Ramaz students, who are always preoccupied with schoolwork, to take some time and focus on their physical well being. Maintaining a healthy diet will help students in all realms of life (yes — even performing well on tests), and it is not something that should be overlooked.
EF: Ms. Dreisinger. RS: How often does your club meet? How many meetings have you had? EF: We plan to meet around once every two weeks, but sadly we haven’t had any meetings yet. We were supposed to have a nutritionist named Ms. Zohm come in and speak to the club on December 13th , but unfortunately she was exposed to Covid, so we had to cancel. RS: Do you plan on rescheduling with Ms. Zohm? If not, what other meeting ideas do you guys have in mind for the future?
RS: Does anyone run the club with you? If so, who?
EF: We are planning on rescheduling for sometime in the future, but we don’t have a set date yet. For future meetings, we are planning on having more nutritionists come and speak to the club, in order to get multiple perspectives on the basics of how to eat healthy. We are excited for this year!
EF: Yes, Eliana Davidson ’23 and I run the club together. RS: When and why did you two decide to start this club? EF: In early November, Eliana and I were talking about healthy eating after health class, and she came up with the idea of starting a nutrition club here at Ramaz. We both
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RS: Who is your faculty advisor?
An Interview With Jeremy Propp ‘24: The Mr. Deutsch Quoter Sarah Silverman ‘24 Students at our school are interested in many different topics and sports, be it ping-pong, spike-ball, or more traditional extracurriculars such as basketball and Model Congress. Jeremy Propp is one such student, who you may know from his master Parsha Puzzle Skills and epic rivalry with Jack Cohen. Propp, who felt that his heroic action earned him a special spot in the paper, has collected over one hundred Mr. Deutsch quotes in the past year and a half and has expanded his super-quoting skills beyond the bounds of the classroom. I sat down with Jeremy to understand his logic and gain a deeper appreciation for the work he does preserving Mr. Deutsch’s humor for the history books.
it turns out, Mr. Deutsch says a lot of funny stuff, and the list has grown quite long. SS: Did Mr. Deutsch appreciate you transcribing his words? Was there any hesitation? JP: I think he was a little confused in the beginning, but over time it was a shared joke between us. Honestly, I hope it was a shared joke, or I could have been misinterpreting his expressions,… well, I guess it’s too
SS: Are there any particular quotes you want to share with readers? Any words of wisdom you have gained from your project?
Sarah Silverman: So you and Mr. Deutsch, how did it start? Jeremy Propp: I remember it fondly, it was the beginning of the year, and we had class in the Auditorium. In his classic Fez outfit, he walks in and starts asking us if we knew how to read. And I thought to myself, “Huh, what an interesting teacher.” And one kid, who would arrive late to class every day, setting a new Mr. Deutsch record, was a little hesitant in his response. And Mr. Deutsch joyfully said, “Ah, I wish it were true, I want to do a teaching how to read montage, with images of us playing catch as if you were my son, and reading Dr. Suess, oh the fun we could have and the places we could go!” I knew at that moment that it was going to be a great year. SS: When did you start writing down his quotes? What was the reasoning behind that? JP: During class, I would be laughing like crazy and felt that these jokes needed to be shared with others. What about the poor children who did not get the experience of having him? Would they be deprived of his humor and cutting remarks? This was something that I couldn’t stand. So I created a Google Doc where I would write down anything funny that he said. And as
but the fact that my teachers this year are all amazing has really helped me deal with this pain. Additionally, I make time to see him when I can. I noticed he has a sophomore history class while I have Spanish on the same floor and will pop my head in before or after class to say hello and take down some quotes. The amount of funny things he can say in two minutes is astonishing. Unfortunately, I have been too busy to add them to my formal Google Doc list, but they are scattered around my notebooks and papers. When other teachers say funny things, I write them down too, but none have been at the joke per minute ratio than Mr. Deutsch has achieved. One of my friends has him this year, but sadly she is reluctant to carry on the legacy.
late to think about that. Anytime he would say something funny, I would say, “I’m writing that down,” and he would respond that as long as the good people of Ramaz were ok with it, so was he. The quotes have even worked in my favor. My history essay was a little short on the final, so I wrote “Sorry to interrupt the regularly scheduled programming…” for one full page of it and jotted down my favorite Mr. Deutsch quotes. I ended up doing well on the exam, so he must have at least found it funny. SS: Now I understand that you do not have him this year; how has that been for you? Have you started quoting other teachers? JP: I’m not going to lie when I say it has been difficult,
JP: Getting a quote from someone is an interesting experience. When a person says something, it makes sense in context, but looking at it later, you start scratching your head and wondering what it was all about. A perfect example being “If there’s a monkey-on-monkey fight club downtown on Doyers Street, trust me when I tell you that it’s open at 8:30 in the morning.” Now, do I remember what this was actually referring to? No, but it is funny that one-time last year, Mr. Deutsch taught something in history that was somehow related to it. Maybe the quotes we write down say more about us than about the stories and people we’re quoting. My other favorites include “God, will we get extra credit if we kill all the enemies of Christ?” and “You are students of Ramaz. I think you will all be good merchants.” Some classes students like because the course is a joke/we don’t get any real work done and others because the teacher is super passionate about their subject. I think Mr. Deutsch has mastered combining both of these types of lessons, and I’m looking forward to getting more quotes in the future. Continued On Page 7
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An Interview With Jeremy Propp ’24 Continued From Page 6 When asked for a comment, Mr. Deutsch was deeply honored that he received his own PR interview
but utterly baffled at how slow school news must be for it to be included. And, with respect to Jeremy, he decided not to provide a quote for this article. However, he supports Propp’s efforts and feels that any trivial
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jokes to get him through his smartboard slides in class are much appreciated. As long as it does not interfere with his job, of course, and more importantly, his hat collection.
Rampod: Expanding the Ramaz Sports Network Ashley Behm ’24 An exciting new addition to the Ramaz Athletics department is the Rampod. After nearly two years of the Athletic Department being sidelined due to the pandemic, it is finally up and running again thanks to the leadership of Coach Ari Witkes. Since sports teams are back, Coach Witkes has started a podcast highlighting star athletes who display excellent performance both on and off the court. “Students are chosen by performance. Not only by who scored the most points. Sometimes it could be the kid who motivated the team to win or did something we don’t see on the scoreboard,” Coach Witkes explained. Each episode is around fifteen minutes long and contains three or four student interviews filmed in front of a Ramaz-themed background. After they are filmed, the footage is edited and produced by Adrian Rosenfeld ’24. Adrian has the editing down to a science and says it only takes him twenty-five minutes to put all the footage together each episode. The Rampod is a branch of the Ramaz sports network, which is run
by Rosenfeld ‘24 and Coach Witkes. Ramaz Sports network is responsible for live streaming all of Ramaz’s home games, and now making the Rampod. Witkes told The Rampage, “Seeing Adrian’s strengths all over the place, I figured he’d be a great person to start and
end with… he’s a good partner to have.” The goal is to have an episode released every week but it all depends on which games went on that week. When released the Rampod is linked in that week’s Zmail, Ramaz’s weekly email newsletter. Additionally, there is a section on the Ramaz website for the Rampod. On the website it says, “The Rampod highlights student athletes who have excelled for their respective teams and stood out. We interview them and get to know them and how the season is going. We also have a highlight reel of our plays of the week and bring
in special guests.” The Rampod is about bringing sports off the court as well and having the athletes reach a larger audience. Coach Witkes noted, “I wanted to have a podcast where we could highlight all the athletes amongst the school’s different teams and showcase them individually for all their achievements and accomplishments.” As for the future of the Rampod, Coach Witkes hopes to expand past sports. They’ve already highlighted the Robotics team for their second place performance at their competition. “I have actually been approached by teachers in different departments to have different departments. We really want to expand this to highlight all the different areas. It can start with sports but then we can get into the arts department, drama department and all the different areas,” said Coach Witkes. This idea was shown in the latest episode of the Rampod which featured students who participated in Ramjam which took place earlier this month.
The Silverman Report: Shifting Clocks Sarah Silverman ‘24 The cafeteria, our saving grace. The place of refuge we constantly long for in that last period before we sit down and break bread, or more accurately, open a Snickers bar. This is true for both teachers and students. It has been noted by the faculty, especially the Math Department, that students’ eye-to-clock ratio increased exponentially in the period before lunch. “I’ve definitely noticed it,” says Dr. Nironi, “I’ve even outlined a Bayesian Graph.” The clocks seem to have a magnetic draw to them. I wonder if we could harness that to make kids pay attention in class.” Rabbi Stern, a man open to crossing the department barrier, as shown by his noted interest in literature with his 10th-grade Super Honors class, says this requires a group effort. “There is a strange power lurking within that clock, not to sound superstitious or anything, but what we have here may be Nobel prize-worthy. String theory, quantum physics, that’s all atoms to the energy that lies within that ticking time bomb. If teachers need to dress like clocks, so be it.” Students have started to notice oddities within the clocks. There are ticks that rustle in the wind, unex-
plained tocks in the deserted halls after clubs end—an eerily spooky presence surrounding the school. And when they don’t run on time before lunch, there’s riot. Shouts heard from all areas, however absent from the gym, where the dismissal bell always seems to ring ten minutes early. Kids are invested and involved in this march for the truth. “It just isn’t right; time dilation is playing a role here I just know it”, shouted Ben Yazdi ‘22 while vigorously going over his findings with Mr. Klotz, “Whatever is going on, it’s real it’s happening, and we will find out.” Along with Dr. Nironi’s paper, the Super Duper Quadrople Honors math kids, most notably the seniors, are having a free for all with this. “I mean, we have nothing better to do with our time; it’s a relaxing break from whatever went down during intercession,” says Yazdi. It is interesting to note that the newly installed smart boards were not even a factor in their calculation. Army time, Prime Meridian time, whatever secret hides beneath the constant color-changing markers is just too much for this average group of scientists to solve. “One puzzle at a time,” says Dr. Rotenberg, who would be as grateful as any for the clocks to work normally, “Teachers want to eat their lunch, I know many kids don’t realize this, but it’s true.” This mystery leaves us with more questions than
answers and a startling realization on just how many teachers have PhDs, but as Dr. Nironi says, “QED,” and he will be marching that along to his third doctorate.
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Juniors Need Full Privileges Andrew Spielfogel ’23 The junior and senior classes receive “privileges” in school, meaning they could exit and enter the building during the school day. Privileges are often used to buy lunch, to get coffee, or to take a walk for some fresh air. While the senior class has privileges every day, the junior class only receives privileges twice a week; at the beginning of the school year, it was once a week! What has the junior class done to deserve this poor treatment? They are upperclassmen! I believe that juniors should have full privileges like the seniors do. The junior class is known throughout the school to be very responsible, and there have not been any complaints concerning the ways they have been handling their current privileges. Junior privilege days were originally just on Thursdays, and according to Ms. Bernfeld, they were extended to Mondays as the juniors have been returning to class after exiting the building on time. If the juniors are clearly aware that they are only permitted to leave the building during free periods and lunch, and they have been returning to class before the bell, then why not grant juniors full privileges!
Additionally, there are many juniors like myself who do not enjoy the school lunch. While there is a variety of lunch options at school, some students simply prefer to buy lunch at the local kosher restaurants and supermarkets. There is an abundance of kosher places to choose from, such as Tomer’s, Tamam, Sabas, and more. If a junior is craving one of these options one day, why should he not be allowed to go there? The junior class is responsible enough to make it back to class on time, and if they are in the mood for a treat during the day, they should be allowed to get it. Finally, the junior class is arguably the most stressed-out class in the Upper School. There are constant tests, essays, projects, homework assignments, and such. During winter break, I had an abundance of assignments to complete, such as a Talmud paper, three History sources to read for my upcoming paper, a math test and physics to study for, ACT practice tests to complete, and Hebrew Homework! Is this not supposed to be a vacation!? Especially since there are no free periods during the school week to complete this load of work, the juniors would appreciate having the freedom to leave the school building during the day to destress. Having good mental health is extremely
important, and permitting a very stressed out grade to have access to fresh air during the day would be beneficial. The administration should give juniors full privileges as they are mature, responsible, and tired.
College Culture At Ramaz Romi Chaovat ’24 Is college culture in high school toxic? Not only at Ramaz, but in high school in general? I would say yes. At high schools that hold academic success to such a high standard, like Ramaz, there is a toxic aspect that comes along with it. Getting into college has turned into a non-praise-worthy, rudimentary accomplishment that only deserves notable and significant praise if it is a “good” college a student is getting into. Getting into college alone is an amazing achievement, but it seems that if a student does not get into a prestigious college, people see their accomplishments as less than. It is an unintended consequence but nevertheless is still harmful. Coming into the Ramaz Upper School, there is a stereotype and commonly known idea of the types of students and learning that takes place. Many people hold Ramaz to a high standard when it comes to education and think that the students are very academically competitive and generally invested in their studies. I would say this is not just a stereotype but a reality. In my past two years at Ramaz, I have found a lot of the students really invested in their classes, specifically on their final grades and I am no exception to that. I think many students have a hard time fully enjoying their classes when they are constantly worrying about their grade or how to get to that desired grade whether it’s an A or a B or so on.
For me and, I think for a lot of my peers, it feels like one or two non-ideal grades on our report cards are the worst thing to happen in our high school careers when really it isn’t. It may not be the greatest achievement, but it is definitely not the end of the world. I think this need for perfect grades is from the pressure that comes with being at Ramaz. Everywhere you turn in the school, there is another student who is getting great grades and if you fall behind, it seems like there is always another person capable or willing to take your place. Another aspect is that of extracurriculars. It’s a known fact that colleges don’t only look at a student’s GPA, test scores, and essay, but also their extracurriculars. It becomes hard to join extracurriculars that you thoroughly enjoy when there is this need to join some-
thing or anything at all. Specifically, at Ramaz, I think students hold academic teams to a higher standard of extracurriculars and this adds a certain pressure to join something noteworthy, rather than something a student thoroughly enjoys. As a sophomore, I did not really feel that pressure during freshman year, but now as a sophomore, I realized that I would need to find something I enjoy, not only for myself but also for college applications. Although the college application process might not be prominently on every student’s mind until their junior year, it has always been a lingering thought, at least for myself and for many other students I know, since the beginning of freshman year. Since the first bad grade received, or the first B or C a student gets on their test, it always goes back to how will this affect my GPA, how will this affect the outcome of this class, and ultimately, how will this effect getting into college?
Students Have A Voice Sylvie Pagovich ’25 The Ramaz Administration actively makes decisions to improve student life at school. They discuss amongst themselves and decide what’s best for the students. The administration consists of a few faculty members who make the decisions about whether the school stays open during the pandemic, or a decision about everyday life at Ramaz. As students, we must comply with the decisions they make, whether or not we like them. The decisions are meant to improve the lives of the students at Ramaz, but we don’t always feel that way. The Administration works at Ramaz, but they don’t have to study and stress about matters that students obsess over. Students are the most affected by the decisions made by
the Administration, as it is affecting our school experience. Students should have a say in the decisions the administration makes. Students are constantly doing work, whether it is studying for a test or doing homework. What makes school exciting for me is coming in everyday and having a good experience from having fun with friends to excelling in my classes. This experience is a part of what helps me get out of bed in the morning and stay awake during school. The Administration makes the decisions that are going to affect that experience. The Administration should ask and consult with students more before making these decisions. These decisions affect our daily lives and we deserve to have an effect on them. The Administration tries to make decisions
for our benefit, but students should still be able to share their opinion. Students feel the impact of these decisions the most, so we feel a connection to them. We understand that these are important decisions that will make our experience at this school better and more enjoyable. Consulting with students more will make us more active in the school and will give the administration a better understanding of us, which will help them make decisions for our benefit. If the Administration does turn to students and ask us more before making decisions, it will make us feel more a part of the school as well as feel more accomplished. The decisions that are made will want to be followed and students will feel more content with them.
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Everything You Need To Know About the Junior College Advisory Process Rebecca Kalimi ‘23 The Ramaz College Office consists of five advisors: Ms. Dana Messinger, Ms. Abby Davis, Dr. Edith Honig, and Mr. Rafael Blumenthal. In the first semester of junior year, every junior is assigned a college advisor that will assist him or her until the end of the application process. The college advisors begin meeting with juniors in mid-November after Early Decision applications for seniors are due. Some students and parents are concerned that Ramaz forces its students to start thinking about colleges too early. While other schools may start in the beginning of senior year, the Ramaz college curriculum ensures that students get a head start and are helping them figure out their Early Decision schools before starting senior year. According to some, Ramaz’s “early “early start” causes students to stress themselves out and feed into the stereotypically Ramaz student’s “college-obsessed mindset.” However, others argue that there are other factors at play; after all, getting a headstart on a task is usually a positive development. Many Ramaz students are college-oriented from the start of ninth grade. Even at Club Fair, one can hear freshmen asking upperclassmen, “Does this look good on a college resume?” The idea that the college search begins earlier than other schools can be a heavy influence on lowerclassmen’s mindsets and may even be affecting their high school experiences. Despite how certain students might feel about the college application experience, the college office still has a “curriculum” for every student to apply to dif-
ferent schools. Starting in early junior year, there is an “Israel College Night” with juniors and parents, which consists of a panel from representatives of different schools discussing Israel on campus. Later on is Junior College night, which is similar, but isn’t focused on Israel; rather, as suggested by its name, it is focused on the college experience as a whole. This panel answers basic questions about the college application process specific to their school. After juniors are first introduced to the idea that their college process will be starting soon, students begin meeting with their college advisors independently. This way, advisors can begin getting a sense of who everyone is and start figuring out what type of school may be the best fit for them. College advisories, groups of students who share the same college advisor, meet together with their advisors to review the curriculum and discuss summer plans. In mid-to-late January, advisories meet together to discuss components of the applications and begin their college search process. At the end of February, juniors have a day off designated for visiting colleges. Then, there’s a series of workshops for juniors:
Writing the Personal Statement, Starting the Common Application & Activity Section, Requesting Letters of Recommendation & Preparing for College Night, and Writing College Supplements. In April and May, there will be both an in-person College Night and a Virtual College Night. This will be followed by both a students mock committee and a parent’s mock committee. Until after Spring Break, juniors are just learning the basics of the college process before being sprung into the actual application. This is different from other schools that practically introduce the idea of college to their students right as they should be starting their application process. Interestingly, while Ramaz does its best to assist students in their college process as best they can and offers one-on-one sessions and advice from college advisors, many students still invest in outside help to ensure their chance into schools of their choice. They normally consult outside help for essays or help with activities, feeling like they can’t get that experience from Ramaz college advisors.
against the other grades. I strongly believe Ramaz should bring back Color War because it will amplify our school spirit and unify the student body through engaging activities. I can confidently say that color war was one of the highlights of my four years in middle school. Color War is a special experience because of the vibrant atmosphere. Additionally, it is healthy to change our everyday routines and come to school for a different purpose. This change will allow students to be relieved of their pressures related to schoolwork and will enhance students’ relationship with school. Picture this: students and teachers arriving at school with the intent to be involved and enthusiastic, decked out in colors supporting their team. Students will celebrate Ramaz’s values by singing emotional
songs with their team that emulate a connection to Judaism and causing nostalgia for all the fun times they have had this year. It would be an unforgettable chance for students to bring their all to every activity and ultimately, have a blast while bringing ruach to the school. I think the entire student body would love to bring back the tradition of Color War. I asked some peers how they felt about color war and if they wanted to bring it back. All of them crave Color War and only had positive things to say about it. The playful competitiveness, spirit, dedication, chaos, excitement and above all, the ruach all make Color War such a desirable experience.
Ram It Up Ramaz! Grace Kollander ‘25 Show up. Show up for your school. In recent years, the administration has resisted bringing back Color War - a school-wide event that promotes ruach and school pride - because many students skip out on school during the festivities. Some students view the time off from the heavy Ramaz workload as an opportunity to miss school. This reason, among others, has led the administration to do away with the fun school wide activity. However, we want Color War so what’s the solution? How do we get Color War back? We have to show up because color war is more than just a day or two to dress up in monochrome tones and compete
TEC Should Not Be Included In Our Cumulative GPAs Romi Chaovat ’24 Sources, such as the U.S. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, say that there will be a surge in demand for jobs in the fields of math, science, and technology. Currently, it is one of the most bustling work sectors in the United States economy. 23% of the total workforce is in STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Since the technology sector has only been on the rise over the past decade, some schools do not necessarily see it as essential, but STEM is the future. With that, TEC (Technology, Engineering, and Coding) must be a part of the everyday curriculum of students in the same way other fundamental subjects are. Schools must teach students essential STEM skills such as problem-solving, mechanics, and most importantly coding. Luckily, Ramaz offers TEC classes to teach their students these essential skills. The problem with these classes is that they are not as organized and cohesive as other classes because most students need sub-
stantial help. Usually, the class moves slowly because there is a lot of confusion as most students are not that familiar with TEC. Unlike Math and English, which students are taught since kindergarten, elements of TEC such as coding are entirely new for them. It is a new language just like Spanish or French that students must learn. Like every other language, it takes time and commitment that many students don’t have. Since it is relatively new, for both the school and the students, TEC not being included in students’ GPAs is the right choice. Students still get letter grades for these classes which incentivize them to put in the effort, but it does not force students to keep up perfect grades, fearing it will affect their GPA. If it was in their GPAs, it would just put added work on top of their already grueling coursework. It relieves the stress of having to learn something completely new and lets students go to TEC only focused on the subject at hand, rather than only focusing on their grades.
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New Guidelines, New Policies Keren Teichner ’25 In December 2021, the CDC changed its quarantine guidelines. Since December, the guidelines have stated, “People with COVID-19 should isolate for five days and if they are asymptomatic or their symptoms are resolving (without fever for 24 hours), follow that by five days of wearing a mask when around others to minimize the risk of infecting people they encounter.” Many people are excited about what this could mean regarding our approach to dealing with Covid in the future. Although some people worry about the repercussions of the laxed guidelines, Ramaz should adopt these new guidelines. The first reason Ramaz should stick to the new five-day policy is because not trusting the experts has been an underlying problem in beating this virus. With pro-mask people, anti-mask people, pro-vaccine people, and anti-vaccine people we have been divided in our opinions as a school. Nevertheless, Ramaz chose to stick with the CDC guidelines, and listen to the scientists. For the most part, the experts have been correct and Ramaz has rightly listened to them. They said to wear masks indoors, and we did. They said to get vaccinated, and we required vaccines. Later, they said we do not have to wear masks outdoors, and we stopped requiring masks outdoors. We listened to the experts before and it has worked, allowing us to stay open most of the year. Why should this be any differ-
ent?
The second reason that the five day quarantine is enough is because we have reached a point where we just need to move on. This is not to say that we must pretend that Covid does not exist, but we are not in the same position that we were two years ago. Two years ago, we were fully on Zoom and were unable to see people for months. One year ago, we were partially in person, partially on Zoom. We dealt with the chaos of some people in person and some people on Zoom, and constantly having to haul our stuff home in fear of a shutdown. As of March 10th, Covid cases are low, averaging less than seven hundred daily cases. We have just dropped the mask mandate, a central feature of the Covid environment in school. Making someone stay at home, zooming for ten days will disrupt the new environment. Not only will it disrupt the environment
for the student who is forced to stay at home and stare at a screen for ten days, it will disrupt the students in school who will have to deal with seeing their classmate on Zoom. Additionally, the technical problems that the teacher is bound to have will lead to fragmented learning where the teacher needs to divide their attention towards the students in school, students at home, and any technical difficulties. These complications will not foster the environment that students really need after such a depressing two years. Another question is should Ramaz require a negative test to come back to school after contracting Covid? Again I say no, for the same reason. Why must we potentially make someone wait even longer to come back to school, waiting on a test that more often than not, will come back negative. Moving forward should be our top priority. With vaccinations and better treatments people are at a much lower risk of severe Covid than they were a year ago. We need to accept that Covid is not going anywhere, and learning how to deal with it will determine the future of our school.
Book Rec of the Month: Ready Player One Jem Hanan ’24 With the YA (Young Adult) genre bloated with dystopian novels ranging from forgettable to masterly after the wild success of The Hunger Games, it’s difficult to find a science fiction or fantasy book that isn’t set in some form of a dystopia. After a while, they all seem to become a bit cookie-cutter, using the same tropes to set the dreary tone of the novel. Many of the plots within these books focus on the point in time when the main population of the setting is on the brink of unrest, and our heroes are put into a position of power to change the way the world is run. That’s where Ready Player One comes in. The debut novel of Ernest Cline takes a different, and arguably more realistic approach, to “the Dystopia” trope. With the world in the novel enduring the consequences of global warming and an impending energy crisis, the reader gets an immediate sense of the mood. However, rather than preparing for a rebellion, the protagonist, Wade Watts, uses what the rest of the world uses to escape: the OASIS. The OASIS is a virtual
reality that anybody can access as long as they have the correct equipment. The creator of this virtual world, a recently deceased James Halliday, was rumored to leave behind an Easter Egg within the OASIS; the person to find it would get control of the OASIS and his inheritance. The only way to find this Easter Egg is to solve clues left behind by Halliday himself. Wade Watts lives in this futuristic world’s version of the slums. Having hit rock bottom in the real world, Wade spends almost every waking moment within the OASIS, engrossing himself with every aspect of Halliday’s life, hoping to find the Easter Egg. What stands out about Ready Player One’s dystopian future is that the humans within it are lazy and afraid. Rather than seek a solution for their reality’s problems, the people within this world use the first chance they get to escape to another. This aspect, I believe, is the most realistic approach to a dystopia we are currently approaching ourselves. There’s no corrupt government that’s causing everyone’s problems, no sudden natural disaster that wiped everyone out, the main causes of the dystopia were caused by humans and when it got to be too
much, the humans simply relocated. Even now, we see similar forms of escapism through video games, television, movies, and ironically, books. We believe that when the issues become too much to handle, then we’ll deal with them; however, Cline thinks otherwise. As reflected in the novel, Cline believes that our need for escape will grow greater as the problems grow larger and soon, someone will deliver that escape. The dystopia is realistic, which makes it more believable, which further immerses the reader into the story. Another aspect of the novel that is refreshing is that it successfully integrates pop culture references. In other novels, it is sometimes obvious when a reference is shoehorned in to better “relate to the youth”. The intentions of the references in Ready Player One, however, are to see the world the way Wade does. Additionally, they are mostly 80s pop-culture references which prevent them from ever getting stale. The references play such an integral role in the novel that they do not feel forced, but rather as another element of the plot. It’s also fun to see how many references you catch as the story goes on. All in all, Ready Player One is a captivating novel with an immersive, diverse world and a compelling mystery-action plot. It’s a novel that is difficult to put down.
staying up all night. It can be extremely overwhelming to endlessly move from class to class everyday. But what about sophomores? Sophomores are in a middleground between freshmen, who are new and coddled, and juniors, who are jammed with stress. Sophomores are relatively new to high school, and have tons of work. I am not a sophomore, but Alexander Ottensoser ‘24 is. After asking him if sophomores need more free periods, Ottensoser ‘24 replied that, “we have a lot of work and the long school days need to be broken up, so sophomores should definitely have
extra periods.” In addition to students having opinions on this topic, our very own Director of Guidance, Dr. Gerald Zeitchik says that, “it’s challenging to strike the right balance between providing an intensive, rigorous education, and giving kids a chance to relax, socialize, and break up the daily academic schedule. I do appreciate that planned free periods are a welcome break for students. Additionally, I recognize that all four grades rightfully want a break during the day. There really is Continued On Page 11
More Free Periods Lily Freilich ’25 Should underclassmen have more free periods? As a freshman, I strongly believe that we should. One might say, “No! Freshmen just came from four years of relaxation in middle school and need to learn how to keep up with the workload in high school.” But that is exactly it! We are new, fresh, and have never had the pressure of carrying large amounts of work. We need to be given opportunities to complete our work and receive the best grades to our capability, without
April 2022/Nisan 5782
More Free Periods Continued From Page 10
so much to learn in school but I do understand that
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the long day is hard.” Ultimately, there is no perfect answer - so why not at least try? Test the concept of adding free periods and learn from it. Both students and
Opinions 11
the school would really benefit from this flexibility.
Torah Lishma or Free Period? Andrew Spielfogel ’23 Out of the seven Talmud classes for juniors in Track 1 Talmud, one is designated as an optional class known as Torah Lishma. During this period, students can either choose to attend and learn something related to Judaism that is not part of the core curriculum or have a free. Though Torah Lishma is meant to be an insightful class, I think the class should be switched to a free period. I have Torah Lishma class on Fridays during second period and my Rabbi usually takes us to Starbucks. However, there have been countless times when my teacher disregarded this period and has taught us material that we would be tested on. Because this period is still referred to as “Talmud” on students’ schedules, there is much room for Talmud teachers to ignore this optional period and teach anyway. Torah Lishma is not really an optional class, but a class where teach-
ers can choose if they want to teach or give a free period. The policy of Torah Lishma has great potential to make students realize that it is good to learn for the sake of learning, not just for a final grade. But since Torah Lishma class is not taken seriously and is not enforced, it should just be abolished. Instead, juniors in Track 1 Talmud should be given a free period. Additionally, giving juniors an assigned free period would relieve them from the heavy workload and would allow them to destress. Whenever I am supposed to have my Torah Lishma classes, I never know if I am going to have to learn material relevant to the curriculum or if I am going to get a free period. There was even a time when I purposely did not do an assignment due the day of my Lishma period because I thought I could finish it then, but I awoke to a post on Schoology the next day saying that we will in fact have class during our assigned Lishma period. This caused me great stress and anxiety, and I knew that there was
nothing I could do about it; even though I had the right to assume that we would have a free period, I was wrong, and I would have to make up another time to complete my work. It seems like this Lishma period is pointless! Sometimes I had a free period and sometimes I didn’t! Therefore, I believe this Lishma period should just be switched to an assigned free period on students’ schedules so that they have a designated time where they can complete work during school or just relax. While it is nice to have an indicated period to learn about anything related to Judaism without being tested on it, this has not worked out. Instead, my class is either given a free period or is forced to learn material relevant to the Talmud curriculum. In fact, I have only had two “real” Torah Lishma periods all year! The best solution to resolve this issue is to simply make Torah Lishma into a designated free period.
WORD SEARCH Word Box Aladdin Disney Genie Jafar Jasmine Play Prince Seniors Songs Stage
In honor of the recent senior play, this word search is Aladdin themed! Solve the puzzles? Send a photo to rampage@ramaz.org to be featured on our Instagram
Puzzles 12
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April 2022/Nisan 5782