The Rampage The Newspaper of the Ramaz Upper School
New York • Volume 65 • Issue 4 • January 2021 • Tevet 5781• the-rampage.org
Zoom: The Ideal Learning Medium?
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Zoom school’s long-term effects are still widely unknown, and we will probably only find out what it’s done to our generation years after the pandemic. Are the students at Ramaz’s lives going to be forever dominated by this software that a year ago they never knew existed? When the pandemic hit, many thought this was a phase, a short blip in our lives. Rachel Abelson 24’ said, “Who knew it would actually last this long, that our lives would be so dominated by it?” Many students and teachers feel that the pandemic and the subsequent use of technology have prompted increased discussion, particularly
in clubs like Rampo. “Zoom has made things better for things like Rampo because more kids show up. It has brought in a lot more people and voices,” said Mr. Deutsch. However, some feel that it may hinder free speech and that the reliance on technology causes us to become more apathetic. Uri Musheyev 24’ said, “When we are on screens, we don’t feel bad for others. If we say something controversial or incorrect, there are basically zero repercussions.” On the other hand, Brayden Kohler, 23’ said that “kids will say what they want to say- I don’t think Zoom or tech have anything to do with their opinions.” Teenagers’ lives are lived through technology. According to the Washington Post, the average teen spends up to nine hours on screens every day. This reliance on technology has translated into the constant need to check Schoology. Brayden Kohler 23’ said, “Schoology used to be a place where people would post about the air pods they lost or the mac that went missing. Now we need to check Schoology for important things like Zoom links. It’s taken on a new use this year for sure.” Some teachers have figured out clever ways to use Schoology to promote and educate students
on how to behave on digital platforms. For example, Mr. Deutsch said, “One of the things I’m trying to work on is to make Schoology the kind of place where kids learn how to interact online.” He believes that the administration should take a role in actively encouraging digital participation. Mr. Deutsch also stated that “Many kids are nervous about posting on Schoology since they are afraid of repercussions. We live in a society in which you are told if you offend somebody, you’re going to be in trouble. So I don’t think kids want to express their opinions openly. The school should make a policy that clarifies for students what they can and can’t say. If you knew certain remarks were fine, more kids would be willing to use Schoology.” However, some students feel that Schoology posting should be kept to a minimum for the sake of orderliness and that it’s not a discussion forum. Rachel Abelson, 24’ said, “I can never find the correct zoom links, homework assignments, or any of the important stuff. Once a teacher posts something, it is almost instantly buried. It’s a real issue, and the school should find a way to clean up the website. Sorry to say, but Schoology isn’t the place for political arguments.” Emy Khodorkovsky ’24 said, “I 100% percent wish we could go to school normally. And I wish we could go back to school as soon as possible. But for the time being, Zoom is the best alternative we have.” Regardless of the student’s and faculty’s opinions, for the time being, Zoom and Schoology are staples in everyday life for members of the Ramaz community.
Rebecca Silber ’23 While 2020 has been a dark year for us all, the year ended with a ray of light. Overcoming all obstacles in the midst of a pandemic, and thanks to the tireless work of the faculty-led music and dance participants, Ramjam, Ramaz’s annual winter festival performance, took place through a jam-packed, 28-minute video broadcasted over Zoom. “People felt a determination to keep things going as per tradition,” said Mr. Elisha, who directed the Ramjam performance and oversaw the
video’s compilation. “It’s our responsibility to make this as much of a normal year as possible.” Ramjam consisted of performances by the band, dance team, and the choir, under the guidance of Mr. Oded Lev-Ari, Ms. Ruth Goodman, and Mr. Daniel Henkin respectively. Each student performed separately and safely in their own homes, and the faculty member in charge of each club edited his or her group’s videos individually. Gary Finkler of the communications office, Mr. Elisha, and Mr. Lev-Ari compiled the clips, so the performance was as in-sync as it would have been
in-person. Mr. Elisha emphasized the careful, stepby-step process of “ensuring that the performance had an effective flow, an effective narrative.” Notable decisions included where to put the dance and emcee segments, as well as having John Lennon’s “Hey Jude” close out the performance. According to Mr. Elisha, there was a unique risk of the choir singing in-person. “Singing is such a major part of Ramaz’s history,” he said, yet the CDC has outlined the significant health risks that
Sarah Silverman ’24
: Closing Out 2020 With a Bang
Continued on Page 3
Inside this issue... Math Challah Competition p.
3
Competitive Rowing p. 6
Ramaz’s 2020 Playlist p.7
Teaching the Work of Anti-Semitic Writers? p.
9
News 2
Semester in Review Eric Kalimi ’22
This semester has been like none other in Ramaz history. The administration rethought the way the school functioned in both a practical and safe manner. They used a hybrid model with only half the students in the building at a time. After last year’s fully online model, students were afraid and excited about the opportunity to return to the school building. As the semester comes to a close, students from all grades responded to a survey about how the transition to hybrid school has been. One of the most prominent positive experiences students had was the frequent outdoor class trips. Freshmen commented that the trips to Central Park made them feel relaxed and welcome while helping them bond with their new classmates. Aviva Schilowitz ’24 said, “I really enjoyed going out with my grade for the scavenger hunt. It was nice to be outside during the day and to spend time with friends.” Sophomores and juniors enjoyed ice skating trips with their friends and teachers. The school optimized the outdoor activities available to give students a well-needed and well-deserved break. Before the year began, the administration made decisions that drastically changed the Ramaz experience for safety purposes. Many students were upset to hear that there would be no lockers this year, so they would need to carry all of their belongings with them throughout the day. Therefore, during the first month of school, the administration listened to the students and reconsidered their decision. Students quickly received new locker assignments that were more spread out to maintain a proper distance. (Similarly, as per sophomore students’ request, during the freshman grade’s quarantine, they could come to the building an extra
Photo curtesy of Ella Rabbani ’21
The Rampage time. ) Rebecca Kalimi ’23 said, “When our grade could go in on Wednesday during Chanukah, I emailed our Grade Dean and asked for privileges [to go outside] because most of us had a lot of free time. Thankfully, the entire grade received privileges and had a great experience!” Students appreciate the administration and grade deans effort in making the hybrid schooling experience more enjoyable. Covid safe lunch at Ramaz was difficult with so many students in classrooms. In order to maximize the amount of outdoor space available for eating, students used both the terrace and 78th Street for lunch. There is now a tent on the terrace to allow students to eat outside, even when the weather is not so nice. To make lunches more entertaining, Ms. Cohen arranged for games such as ping pong and a pop shot on the street and terrace during lunch. Simeon Dicker ’21 said, “Lunch on the terrace is a well-deserved break from school for the fresh air and no mask atmosphere. I still go out despite it being so cold.” Outside lunch has become a student favorite. In the survey, many students reported that the new hybrid system creates a workload that was harder to manage. One junior said, “we really appreciate the job and effort that Dr. Block, the sophomore grade dean, and the administration has provided for all of us but there’s definitely room for improvement in the amount of communication between different teachers who over-assign work over the course of a single week.” According to the students, tests could have been spread out differently as to cause less stress for them. This semester, strict testing policies worked to maintain the intellectual integrity of the school and avoid cheating by only allowing testing in-person (with some exceptions). Students felt they could not enjoy their in-person days because they were focused on that day’s test. This hybrid model has been difficult not only for the students, but for teachers as well. This year, several teachers opted to teach their students online for safety reasons. In the survey, students reported that online only classes were harder to keep up with than class-
Jamming out of 2020
Continued From Page 1
singing in particular poses when done in the same room. Mr. Elisha credits the Ramaz tech team for making “it sound like everyone was in the same room together!” wThe decision was made to have the performance on December 22, the final school day of the calendar year, in order to have it done before the holiday break and final exams. Yet it also symbolizes something greater: the hope and joy of a new year. The Ramaz community hopes that 2021 will be a year of vaccine distribution and a return to normalcy, and Ramapazooma leaves students with a sense of optimism. It also captures the immense creativity that faculty and students displayed after the shock of the pandemic. Students and teachers
have made the best of a bad situation, both in terms of learning and carrying on with extracurricular activities and performances. Mr. Elisha lauded everyone’s creativity as one of the key takeaways from an otherwise challenging year. “We will have a capsule of this era…We’ll be able to look back on this period and say how cool it was that everyone was able to create this.”
January 2021/Tevet 5781 es both in person and online. The hybrid difficulties extend to teachers who come to the building. Because of students who stay home, in person teachers have to keep two classes running at the same time. Students from all grades are grateful and im-
pressed with their teachers’ abilities to juggle zoom and in person teaching at the same time. Ramaz is notorious for their seven-day rotating schedule. This year, that schedule was traded in for a simpler, five-day schedule, which even gave students a shorter day (8:30 am to 4:00 pm). However, when the administration began to often change the schedule timing to a “Test Day” schedule, students’ lunches were shortened to allow for a testing hour earlier in the morning. Students were disappointed that their free time was cut, and so the administration responded. They traded the older “Test Day” schedule for a revised one, which placed the test period right before lunch. Those without a test, like students learning on Zoom, now have an extended lunch period, and even students with a test that day have a longer lunch break. Looking back on a new and exciting semester at Ramaz, students of all grades recognizedboth the successes and failures of this hybrid school system. Students went on grade-bonding trips and used outdoor spaces to enjoy lunches, rain or shine. Many students were grateful for the increase in communication and response of the administration this semester as compared to last year. The administration responded to students’ request for lockers and for a longer lunch. However, the workload has been tough for many students and the testing is often overwhelming. Many feel the back and forth between in-person and Zoom learning is also a struggle, especially when their teachers are exclusively on Zoom. Students hope the administration will continue to hear both their praise and criticism and act upon them.
January 2021/Tevet 5781
The Rampage Ramaz Upper School
New York • Volume 65 • Issue 4 • January 2021 • the-rampage.org
FACULTY ADVISOR Dr. Steven Milowitz EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Gabby Ostad ’21 Samantha Sinensky ’21 Rebecca Massel ’21 Caitlin Levine ’21 LAYOUT EDITORS Julia Feit ’22 Rachel Freilich ’22 Sarah Ginsberg ’22 PUZZLES & MEME EDITOR Isaac Silverman ’21 PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Tammy Palagi ’21 SENIOR WRITERS Charles Spielfogel ’21 William Kremer ’21 PUZZLES & MEME EDITOR Isaac Silverman ’21 PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Tammy Palagi ’21 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ethan Davidovitch ’22 Sydney Eisenstein ’22 Julia Feit ’22 Rachel Freilich ’22 Nicole Hirschkorn ʼ22 Eric Kalimi ’22 Rebecca Kalimi ’23 Joe Kaplan ’24 Charlotte Kleeger ‘24 Jake Rubin ’22 Aviva Schilowitz ’24 Rebecca Silber ’23 Isaac Silverman ’21 Sarah Silverman ’24 Raffi Sobel ’23 Andrew Spielfogel ’23 Charles Spielfogel ’21 Hannah Tambor ’21 Yitzhak Tucker ’23 Moriel Weitzner ’24 Aaron Zanger ‘21
The Rampage
News 3
Snowed In: Ramaz Preserves Snow Day Tradition Jake Rubin ’22 Ramaz has always been known for its intense academic curriculum and in the past its students have managed to keep up with the work. With all of the holidays that come with attending a Jewish school, students typically have plenty of time to do the work they need to and relax. With the shift to hybrid learning this year, the administration has been working on making sure that the students can keep up with their classes, yet students are still feeling exhausted and overworked. It’s
important that the students are given ample time to not only do classwork and study for standardized testing but to also take part in extracurricular activities and have some time to unwind from the stress of the day. The snow day on December 17, 2020, was very helpful to the students in providing them some time to catch up on homework and study for exams.
Let’s Get This Bread!
Sydney Eisenstein ’22
Many students have found that their math skills have been helpful outside the classroom, and in the kitchen. Mr. LeThe Rampage is the student newspaper of the Ramaz Upper School. It is tourneau has initipublished on a monthly basis. ated a homemade challah baking Letters to the editors may be submitted to competition for his rampage@ramaz.org. Letters must be students. Three of signed and may be edited to conform to The Rampage style and format. his classes are competing against each The opinions expressed in The Rampage are of the author’s alone, and other for a grand do not represent the views or opinions prize of three exof Ramaz, The Rampage, or its editors. tra points on their last test. The classes include Mr. Letourneau’s honors algebra II sophomores, accelerated algebra II sophomores, and regular precalculus juniors. Each class is making three challahs - one plain and two specialties of their choice. Each challah will be ranked on a scale from 1-10. Mr. Let o u r n e au is administering the challah reviews in the style of Barstool
Sports Pizza Reviews (a popular Instagram account with pizza reviews from all over the country). Mr. Letourneau will average the three scores from each class, and the class with the highest average will take the title (and the three points)! The competition was inspired by a game of Kahoot. Mr. Letourneau allowed his classes to relax on the day before Thanksgiving, as they had just taken their second test. He challenged his students to a Kahoot competition - the entire class vs Mr. Letourneau. He told his classes, “If any of you beat me, then the whole class wins and will earn three points on their test. If I win, then you will have to make me three loaves of challah bread.” Mr. Letourneau and his students agreed on the categories of the Kahoot. The categories consisted of logos, movies, general trivia, and Disney. He beat three classes but lost to two because of his weakness in the logos category. Over the course of his teaching career, Mr. Letourneau remains undefeated against his students in the categories of Disney and movies. To give his losing classes incentive to make delicious challahs, Mr. Letourneau decided to give them a chance to win the three extra points. Mr. Letourneau explains, “Hence, the first official challah competition was born!” Many students have been appreciating Mr. Letourneau’s efforts of creating a fun way for them to earn extra points. Sophie Schwartz ’23, a student in Mr. Letourneau’s algebra II class, said, “I was disappointed when Mr. Letourneau beat my class in the Kahoot game, but I am really excited about the challah baking competition.” Another student in the precalculus class, David Gitelman ’22, commented, “I have been really enjoying this system and the opportunity to get points back on our tests.” Students feel that the challah baking competition has only enhanced the class. The competition was a fun break from the normal class routine. Many students also have said that they were excited to take a break after their test and play a game of Kahoot. One student stated that students generally take Mr. Letourneau’s class seriously, and the fact that he tries to do fun things with them makes him approachable as a teacher.
Some students went outside, but many others stayed home given that they had so much work to get to. One junior said, “I appreciate the snow day, but I had to use it to catch up on work and didn’t get a chance to go outside.” The class presidents have pushed back due dates for assignments and the administration has been kind enough to organize fun assemblies. Learning on Zoom is taxing for students, many of whom cannot see their friends as often as in past years; the lounges are closed and the lunch room is not serving lunch.
All of the classes have been working hard in the kitchen, in hopes of impressing Mr. Letourneau with their challah baking skills. Norma Mattout ’22 said she “made a chocolate challah and a sesame challah.” This competition, she added, “is a fun yet competitive way to engage us in the class.” The specialty one (chocolate) received a 9.2 and the plain one (sesame) received an 8.3. The honors algebra class, one of the precalculus class’ competitors, made a brownie and peanut butter challah as their specialty; which received a 9.2. Another highlight of the competition was Accelerated Algebra 2’s “do it yourself activity” giving Mr. Letourneau raw pizza dough instead of a baked challah. He posted on Schoology on Friday, January 8, “Accelerated alg 2 has fallen waaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy.... not sure of their strategy but it most likely will not work out well for them.” Based on what he has received so far, Mr. Letourneau thinks, “my precalc is going to win because their plain score is very strong and will stand up to the others.”
Features 4
The Rampage
January 2021/Tevet 5781
Features Does any real change arrive from monthly SFAC meetings? Rebecca Kalimi ’23
Our Student Government Organization board this year, composed of the student President, Caitlin Levine, the Vice President, Caleb Rosenfeld, the Associate Vice President of Communications, Rachel Freilich, the Associate Vice President of Operations, Gabby Ostad, the Associate Vice President of Student Life, Izzie Ottensoser, and class presidents have worked extra hard to bring our school back to “normal” this year. Along with the student government, SFAC, the Student-Faculty Administration Committee meets about every six weeks to discuss countless ideas for improving the school. This meeting consists of the GO, class presidents, representatives for teachers, and representatives for the administration. They discuss ideas brought in by members and figure out different ways they can make things happen. Andrew Spielfogel ‘23 is co-Sophomore President with Talia Leifer and has been on the GO board for two years now. He was Freshman Class President last year and also attended SFAC meetings as the advocate for the Freshmen students. He hasn’t presented any topics, but he’s been on follow up committees that speak for a limited amount of time on topics that were discussed more in-depth during the meeting before. He has worked with both Dr. Block and Ms. Cohen on expanding their topics to understand their problems and possibly find solutions. He presented with Dr. Block on the concept of citizenship reports, and whether or not students should be rewarded as well as punished. This topic never actually ended up being brought in for a follow up because Dr. Block didn’t make it to the second meeting to follow up on
her thoughts. This topic wasn’t discussed again after moving to zoom. Andrew thinks this could have had potential and that it was unfortunate that the topic ended up bening forgotten about. He also explained that this topic may have been forgotten about because some SFAC meetings prioritize some issues over others and this may not have been perceived to be as important. He thinks that now that the committee is more used to the Zoom environment, they should bring up this topic again because he thinks it would be good for the students. He presented with Ms. Cohen about sports teams this year, and what they can do to increase sports in the school. They are still working on this topic and increasing sports in school, and people are paying more attention to it because it is more of a “pressing” matter. Andrew explained that SFAC meetings have the potential to be more productive and pass more ideas to the next level. He says that during SFAC meetings they don’t instate new policies, rather they establish understandings. Since last year was moved onto zoom abruptly, he understands that not everything had solutions but he’s hoping that this year there will be more changes. He’s also realized that there have been more changes towards spirit related activities rather than improvements in policies, which he’d also like to see. Andrew definitely believes that SFAC has accomplished its goal of bettering student life by increasing school spirit and reinstating Monday Mincha Muffins. He also thinks that SFAC had a big part in contributing to the excitement surrounding the basketball trip to LA. SFAC helped students get out of class to watch the basketball game in the lounge which he thinks helped a lot with the student experience.
Caleb Rosenfeld ‘22 is the Vice President of the school and was Class President last year for the Sophomore class. Caleb has presented topics about the rules of the gym, enhancing Freshman Orientation, and the test calendar multiple times. He has worked with Ms. Senders, Rabbi Dov, Ms. Krupka, and Rabbi Blaustein. He knows that SFAC has definitely made changes with the test calendar, and possibly with freshman orientation as well. He agrees with Andrew in that a lot of ideas were upended from the start of the pandemic and there was a lot of confusion and uncertainty about the future. He also agrees with Andrew in that SFAC has accomplished its goal of bettering student life, but meetings could be more productive, considering that a lot of the conversation isn’t discussing solutions or improvements, rather just agreeing with the idea that was brought up and repeating reasons to fix the problem. Overall, the students part of the GO board all prioritize bettering the student experience through teaming up with the teachers and administrators, but different ideas are more often carried through in other environments such as through grade deans or through the Executive GO board rather than a meeting with students, teachers, and administrators, since it is more intimate and more focused on specific advancements.
Where Did the School-wide Assemblies Go?!
Rachel Freilich ’22 Community Assembly before Thanksgiving 2019
While many daily Ramaz activities have remained, one of the most notable changes is the lack of full school assemblies and Community. In past years, school wide assemblies crowded the calendar of Ramaz students and even as the world moved to a remote setting last year, full school assemblies remained on Zoom on a weekly basis. This year, however, school wide assemblies have been swapped for grade wide assemblies, and Rabbi Albo’s Community has completely disappeared. At the end of the last school year, some Ramaz students were infuriated by the strenuous amounts of school wide assemblies. Sydney Eisenstein ’22 said, “Last year, I felt that assemblies were too prominent. I am thankful that this year there are fewer assemblies.” Eisenstien ’22 represents the sect of Ramaz students who believed that the shift has
benefitted them. On the other hand, Izzie Ottensoser ’22 noted, “Last year’s assemblies were fulfilling, and although they were very frequent, I gained a lot from listening to the many speakers that joined us on zoom. This year, I have noticed that there are fewer full school assemblies which upsets me because I feel that school wide events create a sense of community. Although grade wide assemblies are enjoyable and an amazing way to bond with my classmates, school wide assemblies are also necessary to connect with students in other grades.” Evidently, the student body has conflicting views on whether or not the lack of school wide assemblies benefits them and their high school experience. The absence of school wide assemblies has brought speculation among some Ramaz students. Ms. Krupka explained that the administration “didn’t love the format, focus, and general structure of full school zoom assemblies.” She also noted that, “It’s very hard to do a full school assembly when half the school is at home and half are in school and watching on smart boards in different rooms.” She added, “We[the administration] are doing more grade assemblies instead which are more compelling and personal and can help students with focus.” Ms. Krupka clearly explained how the lack of school wide assemblies is to the benefit of the student body.
Communities have also disappeared, and Ms. Krupka explained the reasoning behind that change. She noted that, “We[the administration] also were finding that full school zoom assemblies were not accomplishing the community feel that a full school assembly in the auditorium did, and that the grade assemblies were doing that more effectively.” Ms. Krupka revealed that once the Ramaz students return to school in person, full school assemblies and communities will be more consistent. As the world continues to be in a remote setting and will hopefully return to normal shortly, the grade wide assemblies will remain. According to Ms. Krupka, grade wide assemblies are more efficient, but once the Ramaz students return to school full time, grade assemblies will be replaced by school wide ones once again!
All school-wide assemblies are currently taking place over Zoom, even if half of the student body is in school that day.
January 2021/Tevet 5781
The Rampage
Features 5
Alma Matters From Ramaz to Barnard College: Interview with Elizabeth Bier ’16 Charles Spielfogel ’21 Elizabeth Bier graduated from Ramaz in 2016. She is currently a senior at Barnard College of Columbia University. She is studying neuroscience with a cellular and molecular concentration. Elizabeth loved her Ramaz experience. She is active in the Jewish community and enjoys life on campus. The Rampage interviewed Bier about her experience at Barnard. CS: Why did you choose Barnard? EB: I honestly didn’t know Barnard existed, which is funny given the number of Ramaz students that go to Barnard! I was early for my tour of Columbia and decided to join a Barnard tour while I waited. To my surprise, I was immediately taken by Barnard’s Athena Scholars Program, homey campus, out-of-the-box and interdisciplinary classes, and connection to a major research institution while still receiving a lot of support and guidance from professors, deans, and advisors. As a member of Barnard’s Athena Scholars program, I study the elements of leadership in classes and practice through a social action project (where I have developed a sitcom and am now in conversation with Netflix and NBC Universal’s Peacock), interactive internship, and skills-based work-
shops. Athena seeks to train women to be leaders in an ever-changing world. It aims to strengthen an individual’s talents and history while teaching how to use proven achievement strategies. There were so many other reasons for “why Barnard”, but honestly it felt like home since the second I stepped onto campus (which sounds cheesy and cringeworthy but it’s true!) CS: What is your major and why? EB: Neuroscience with a cellular and molecular concentration. I’m on the pre-med track, and I was always interested in why and how the world works from a macro-level to a micro-level. I
knew I wanted to major in STEM, but I was never exactly sure what I wanted to focus on. In my freshman year of high school, I thought biology was my calling, but then I also LOVED physics in my junior year of Ramaz. Therefore, when I first entered college, I prematurely declared myself an astrophysics major while pursuing the pre-med track. Physics is still one of my favorite classes but is a virtually impossible feat while pre med at Barnard. Neuroscience (especially with my concentration) really combines chemistry, physics, psychology, and biology (of course), so it was the best of all worlds! CS: Could you tell us a little bit about the different Jewish programs on campus? EB: I’m part of Yavneh, which is the Modern Orthodox community of Hillel. Most Jewish programming stems from Hillel (called the Kraft Center). The Kraft Center with the support of the OU-JLIC couple have really become my homeaway-from-home. Not only is Hillel one of the best study and hangout spots on campus (also great food!!), Kraft has such great programming. Whether they are hosting a Zusha concert or a Continued on Page 8
Chesed Across Jewish Day Schools
HESCHEL: Students at the 2019 Climate Strike.
Julia Feit ’22 Jewish education focuses on both the academic and spiritual development of its students. All Jewish Day schools encourage chesed participation, but Ramaz specifically has a chesed requirement for sophomore students. Chesed requirements at Ramaz have been a long-standing, yet controversial, aspect of sophomore student life. Until this year, Ms. Benel was charged with ensuring that all students met their chesed hour requirements. Hoping to encourage volunteering and community service, students in grade 10 were required to participate in a minimum of ten hours of community service per semester in addition to two full days of volunteer service through Ramaz. These requirements were approved by Ms. Benel before students could sit for their final exams and get their report cards. This approach of requiring sophomores to participate in community service arguably defeats the purpose of volunteering. When chesed is mandated by the school, Ramaz students may not feel passionate about their service and may not be helping for the right reasons. Rather than volunteering out of their hearts, students hastily participate in programs that will maximize their hours. This year with Ms. Benel’s absence and the current pandemic, chesed requirements have been modified for the sophomores. There is no
FRISCH: Students built face cover- SAR: Students delivered food to a pantry during the pandemic. ings at the beginning of Covid.
set requirement or specific structure for chesed this year as most live volunteer experiences have been canceled. Rabbi Dov explained, “We don’t want to put stress on students this year because we can’t offer programs in school like we did in past years. For example, programs like Challah baking and sandwich packing have all been canceled this year.” Despite the lack of structured chesed requirements, students at Ramaz have initiated many clubs that accommodate virtual meetings, such as Friendship Circle Teen Scene. Additionally, Ramaz has created a chesed committee that meets regularly to discuss meaningful programs that students can participate in despite the pandemic. Other schools have implemented different programs to help incentivize students to volunteer in their communities. Most Jewish Day schools do not require students to participate in a specific number of hours or have any consequences for failing to volunteer. They do not have chesed hours or days and allow students to do as much or as little community service as they please. Charles Fine, a junior at Heschel, explained, “Heschel teaches the students the values of chesed, tikun olam, and tzedek, but students do not have a set number of hours that they have to complete.” He explained that Heschel holds two chesed days per grade each year in which students break into groups and choose an organization to
visit and volunteer at with their friends. As a result of the pandemic, the live days have been canceled, and students have not visited these places with their grades. However, Fine added that Heschel students have volunteered at many virtual organizations as a school through Zoom. Similarly to Heschel, SAR does not require students to partake in a specific number of chesed hours. Prior to the pandemic, the school would host required grade-wide trips to organizations and provide students with the opportunity to volunteer together. This year, students are not required to volunteer, but the school gave students an optional opportunity to serve food to the homeless. Jack Bernstein, a junior at SAR, explained, “In addition to the trips we take as a grade, there are numerous clubs that are dedicated to community service and volunteering at specific organizations.” Students at Frisch explained that their school also took each grade on chesed trips to places like soup kitchens, food banks, and nursing homes. However, due to the coronavirus, these trips have been canceled or moved. Rachel Abramovitz, a junior at Frisch, noted that the school continues to provide a strong chesed foundation despite the lack of these trips.
Student Spotlights 6
The Rampage
said Olalla. These races, formally known as “regattas,” usually happen in all of the seasons except for winter. The Spring season is all about fast and skilled races, Summer is about the fun of it, and the Fall season is about newcomers where the longest races are held. There are also a variety of boats for racing: eight-person boats, four person boats, and doubles. There are four-person boats and doubles, which have two people. These races are great bonding experiences for crew teams. At City Island Rowing where Olalla practices, there are team bonding trips throughout the year. Usually, her team has the opportunity to travel to Florida for team strengthening exercises. This is ultimately how she gets closer to her teammates: “The chemistry in the boat is so important for how hard you guys will push for winning,” said Olalla. Rowing is not all about the competition, but about the friends one makes and fun experiences. This is why Olalla began crew. “I had a really close friend in 6th grade and she didn’t go to my school. We wanted to hang out more. I didn’t have any extracurriculars and she told me that some girl came off her team so I should join them. I started because it was really fun with friends...The people you meet from rowing are so fun and amazing. Even though the sport is super challenging and it’s the most tasking sport that I can think of, the peo-
ple you meet, the exercise you’re getting, and what it brings out in you are really great,” said Olalla. Max also developed close friendships with his teammates, even though his crew team, Pelham Community Rowing Association, is currently on Zoom. He usually goes out to dinner and plays video games with them. “[Rowing is] a great environment being with friends supporting you. This is something I miss a lot,” said Max. During their first time rowing together, they were rowing really fast but not really well, since they were in an old boat. “One of the riggers broke off so we got stranded there. We were all laughing and wet because we just splashing each other,” said Max. These bonds strengthen the trust between teammates. This sport is so intense that sometimes during the Spring season Olalla wakes up at four am to get to the place by five. Managing time is a big part of being on crew. For Olalla, sometimes she has to leave school early to get to the gym at four pm to practice. When she’s on the water she usually has morning practices at five am. While Olalla rows during sunrise, Max rows while the sun sets. Max usually gets home at four pm and quickly gets changed for practice which starts at five pm. Usually, he doesn’t have time to do work that night.
Student Spotlights Competitive Crew
January 2021/ Tevet 5781
Andrew Spielfogel ’23
Whenever the words “rowing” or “crew” are mentioned, one tends to think of intense races between serious athletes. Two sophomores at Ramaz are each part of crew teams. Five times a week, four seasons a year, Olalla Levi ’23 and Max Hallas ’23 row on the Long Island sound for two and a half hours. Crew is a sport where a group of teammates in a narrow boat race against other teams by pushing against the water with their oars. Levi has been rowing since the sixth grade, with a special rowing machine called an erg. It’s important to practice on this machine because “if you don’t have the right form, the amount of power you exert is not going to be as efficient and you can get injured” said Levi. The winter season is about power, endurance, and building up your strength. “Training on the erg is about how strong you are mentally. When you are on the water you see the land going by and it’s a whole other setting. The real power that you get can’t only be on a boat because you also want to see your numbers [which tell you how fast you are going]. Only the coxswain [head of the boat] can see your numbers on a boat. You train a lot for power on the erg, which demonstrates how fast you are going to go on the boat,” said Olalla. After training on the erg, once the Spring season started she transferred to a barge on the water, which is a wider boat that can’t flip over. Max learned how to row during a two-week rowing program, since the rowing course he was supposed to attend this summer was canceled. This is actually Max’s first winter season since he only began rowing six months ago. Max learned about rowing from his cousin who was on crew for his sopho-
more year. Crew races “are one of the reasons why you stay in the sport since they are the most fun things,”
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Spin at Ramaz Covid-19 meant every teacher had to rethink their classroom set-up, which was especially difficult for Ms. Cohen, the Interim Athletic Director. She pondered how to help students stay active and enjoy gym class while socially distanced. “There is an indescribable spirit of tenacity at Ramaz in which settling is not acceptable. We worked hard behind the scenes to not only get school open, but also to think outside the box to accomplish what others previously thought was undoable,” she wrote in a Jewish Link article. Ms. Cohen resolved that exercize bikes would be the perfect solution -- students missed bike
riding around the park or going to Soul Cycle with friends, and bikes allowed for friendly competition even when spread six feet apart. Ms. Cohen spoke to Jeremy Joszef, the director of Camp Morasha, where she has worked for over 20 years. He excitedly agreed to loan 26 bikes from Morasha’s spin studio to Ramaz. Students are thrilled with this new method of exercise. Mia Winn said, “I love it, it reminds me of my Peloton.” Some students have even been seen spinning during their lunches or free periods. In her article, Ms. Cohen expressed her gratitude to those who helped
bring her idea to life. She wrote, “I... recognize that [bringing the bikes to Ramaz] was the direct result of having incredible employers, both at Ramaz and at Morasha, who are always firmly committed to ensuring that our children get the most out of their experiences.”
January 2021/Tevet 5781
Ramaz’s 2020 Playlist
The Rampage
Student Spotlights 7
Moriel Weitzner ’24
With new music coming out every day, The Rampage wanted to know which songs Ramaz students’ loved this past year. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott was a popular choice, six out of 31 respondents naming that as their favorite song of 2020. The Weekend was also common with three students including a song by the artist. Pop music was the preferred genre among students, however, one student was not interested in modern pop and said Break My Stride by Matthew Wilder, released in 1983, was their song of choice. With promising albums coming out in 2021, it will be interesting to see how this list evolves.
Iron Maiden Juice Wrld Alice in Chains Conversations Rooster Justin Beiber Ariana Grande Holy Rain on Me Kanye West Bastille Flashing Lights Quarter Past Kid Cudi Midnight She knows This Ben Platt Grow As We Go Lil Baby Same Thing Coldplay Low Down Viva la Vida Lil Uzi Vert Dua Lipa Prices Levitating Mac Miller Eminem Good News
TOP PICKS:
Bagpipes from Baghdad
Machine Gun Kelly Pharrell Pop Smoke ft Blackbear What You My Ex’s Best Know bout Love Friend For the Night Matthew Wilders Sheck Wes Break My Stride Mo Bamba Metallica The Chainsmokers Creeping Death Somebody Omer Ada TheFatRat and Laura Brehm Anything We’ll meet Again One Direction The Frights Night Changes Crust Bucket Panic! at the Disco The Kid Laroi Dying In LA Maybe Persona 5 The Killers Life Will Change Read my Mind Train
The Weekend Blinding Lights In Your Eyes After Hours Tokyo Ghoul Unravel
Train
Meet Virginia Travis Scott Sicko mode W a llo w s S c ra w n y Young ez Yungblud Weird!
The Importance of Culture Clubs at Ramaz Joe Kaplan ’24
Persian Culture Club, French Cul While ture Club, or Latin every student at American Culture Ramaz shares Club announcing a their Jewish guest speaker, culidentity, each tural newspaper, or student’s famiother educational lies come from program open to all different counRamaz students. tries around These clubs were the world, and created to teach Persian Culture Club, January 2020 therefore have his Ramaz students about difor her own cultures, which that student brings to ferent cultures. For example, Gabby Ostad the Ramaz community. Some are Polish, French, ’21, the founder of the Persian Culture Club, or Russian, while others identify as Syrian, Persian, said, “I was eager to establish a club that or South African. While some students know all would engage the Persian students of the about their heritage and family’s customs, others Ramaz and at the same time be able to share simply consider themselves American Jews: they the rich Persian culture with the broader do not even know where their ancestors are from. Ramaz community.” Captain of the French And, many students lack any knowledge of cultures Culture Club, Samantha Sinensky ’21, said outside of their own. An Ashkenaz student may that after taking two years of French in midnot know what kaak is, while a Syrian might give a dle school, she “was caught up in the allure blank stare when asked the first ingredient in cho- of the French language and history and I lent. That is why many believe the culture clubs at was eager to extend my love for the French language beyond the classroom. When I discovered the French Culture Club, I knew this was a great opportunity for me to take a deep dive into French culture.” These clubs cannot function without a faculty advisor, and it is important that the faculty advisor is invested in the club. Dr. Roldan, the faculty advisor for the Latin American Club, noted that her support for the club started because “the founders are bright and enthusiastic students that recognized the need to celebrate and learn about our people and their different and valuable traditions.” Dr. Roldan thinks that it is an amazing opportunity to learn about the different parts of French Culture Club, February 2020 Latin American culture, including heritage. Although each of these clubs focuses on Ramaz are so one specific culture, according to Samantha Sinencritical. One sky, they are aiming to “bring people together who can often find love celebrating cultural differences.” Rachel AbelS c h o o l o g y son ’24, captain of the Asian Culture Club, said, posts about the “Our club not only shows so many different aspects Asian Culture of the cultures in Asia and helps prepare students Club, Sephardi who are interested in traveling to Asia sometime Culture Club, soon, but it also allows everyone to understand a
new culture.” She hopes that through this club, people will understand that despite some differences, all people are really not so different and “the club can inspire people to act better toward others who are different.” Overall, the transitions to Zoom for these clubs have been overwhelmingly successful. One main reason for this was the later start time after school. While a club used to meet right after school, many now start at 6:00, 6:30, or even 7:00 pm. The low commitment these clubs offer and later start
Sephardic Culture Club, January 2020 time allows more students to participate in the meetings. During their meetings, the culture clubs tend to either host guest speakers or a student will prepare a slideshow to present. For example, the Persian Culture Club has brought two guest speakers this year, who are both Persian Jews: Manhattan DA candidate Mrs. Tali Farhadian Weinstein and NY State Senator Anna Kaplan. In March, the French Culture Club will host Dr. Caroline Weber, a professor of French Comparative Literature at Barnard College. She wrote Queen of Fashion: What Marie-Antionette Wore to the Revolution. The Russian culture club has played a fun game of Kahoot aimed at teaching the participants some basic facts on the country’s traditions.The Asian Culture Club captains decided to start the year off with different Chinese traditions and will begin focusing on Asian cuisine next semester. As Dr. Roldan said the culture clubs are “a great opportunity for the entire community to learn” about the different cultures present and active at Ramaz.
Student Spotlights 8
The Rampage
Club Spotlight: Race in America
Rebecca Kalimi ’23 There was a swarm of new clubs and new opportunities this year. One important new club that sparked the interest of Ramaz students is the “Race in America” club. This club discusses topics and debates relating to race in the United States. Race in America isn’t a club meant to persuade students in a specific direction. Rather, it’s meant to foster respectful discussions based on historical facts. The club is unique in a number of ways. Both teachers and students lead the club. The Rampage asked Dr. Bernstein and Mr. Deutsch to comment on the different aspects of this club compared to the others at Ramaz. Eric ‘22, Daniel ‘23, and Rebecca ‘23 Kalimi are the student leaders of the club and they approached Dr. Bernstein in the middle of last year with a club idea based on current events. This club soon evolved into the Race in America Club. Last Spring, Dr. Bernstein realized that it was important to clarify different issues and viewpoints relating to race in America, especially since June 2020, with the death of Geoge Floyd. He too noticed that although Ramaz students wanted to learn more about these topics, that they had no proper forum to learn, ask questions, and talk. As a result, the history department appointed student leaders to help create a “club that could serve as such a forum for deepening our understandings of a host of issues both historical and current.” The goal for this club is to deepen the student’s understanding of these matters for further action in these circumstances beyond high school.
January 2021/ Tevet 5781
This club is also one of the most diverse because of the number of teachers involved. Dr. Bernstein thought it would be best to involve many teachers “so that a wide range of expertise could be offered”. The contribution of both students and teachers to this club is what makes this club an appropriate and comfortable space for members to express their honest opinions. Mr. Deutsch commented on the idea that this club is not for any specific individual. This club is about a topic that affects our everyday life, so anyone can be able to join and express their opinions. “To that end, I think our effort to bring in any teachers who are interested reflects that.” This club is not designed to draw in students or teachers with specific interests; it’s intended to encourage conversation about an important subject that affects us all. Mr. Letourneau agrees that now, more than ever, this club has a very important place in our school because of what is going on in the world. “This club is unique because the conversations and discussions we are looking to have with students are viewed as mature conversations reserved only for adults. I strongly disagree with that thinking.” Several recent events in America have highlighted race relations, such as the murders of George Floyd and Brianna Taylor and it’s important that we all have a better understanding of what is going on around us, and a better foundation for the future; this is exactly what the Race in America club strives to accomplish.
Interview with Elizabeth Bier ’16: Ramaz Alumn at Barnard Continued From Page 5
rest of the city!
back-to-school carnival, Aryeh (one of the pro-Israel groups on campus), one of their weekly catered Friday night dinners, or Wednesday night learning program (WNLP), there’s really something for everyone. Coming from seminary, WNLP allowed me to continue my Talmudic studying in a chavrutah, which was incredible (I never thought I would say this but you actually miss it when you’re not learning it every day!).
CS: What are some of the positives and negatives about living in the city? EB: Positives: being near family, can see my friends from high school whenever they’re home for a break, can really incorporate the city into my classes (this happens all the time!!). Barnard has a general education requirement called “thinking locally” where you really have to immerse yourself in city culture whether it’s taking a class that requires you to attend the opera once a week or the Ballet, or teaching science to underprivileged students at underfunded high schools, or even volunteering in a nursing home while connecting it with concepts from theater, philosophy, literature, and neurodegeneration (I chose the latter!). Negatives: Didn’t really have that college town that a lot of my friends had.
CS: What is the Jewish community like at Barnard? EB: As described above, the Jewish community is incredibly strong at Barnard, and even though I am part of many different student groups on campus, my Yavneh community truly became my support system. It’s definitely hard when the student body tries to pass BDS on campus every year, but (most of) Yavneh really sticks together to fight it and support each other. CS: Being from New York City, do you live on campus? EB: Yes and I definitely recommend living on campus if you have the option! I made some of my best friends through on-campus living (and it really adds to the college experience!) CS: Part of the excitement of going to college is being in a new place. Do you feel like you are gaining new experiences living in the city you grew up in? EB: Yes, of course! Honestly Morningside Heights feels completely different and distinct from the
Rabbi Stavsky visited Ramaz alumni at Barnard and Columbia in Spring 2020, right before the pandemic.
CS: Did Ramaz help prepare you academically for Barnard? EB: Okay I have a lot to say about this. Definitely, Ramaz’s humanities courses prepared me most for collegiate classes. Ironically, though, the classes that prepared me the most for Barnard/Columbia were my Judaic study classes. I think it’s because my Chumash classes always taught me to question everything and understand the characters’ psyche while seeing 5 different opinions on the sources. Talmud taught me critical thinking and constantly applying my knowledge and always using the sources as my evidence. My most poignant and defined memory where I used my Judaic studies courses was in my freshman year literature seminar called the “Legacy of the Mediterranean”. In this class, we were reading Paradise Lost, an epic poem by John Milton, which follows the story of Adam and Eve. I knew every allegory (I even took Rabbi Schimmel’s Bereishit class in my senior year and knew just about every commentary to the point of almost quoting some of the Rashis). Barnard prides itself on speaking out in class but not using superfluous language and always using evidence to support your claims. I remember my vast knowledge of the Adam and Eve story as well as all of the Judaic commentaries on it floored the rest of the class as well as the professor. On a less obvious note, those same Judaic Studies courses have definitely helped me in my science
courses -- I learned the importance of thinking deeply and critically about a topic. CS: Do you think your transition to college was smoother than students coming from other schools? Why? EB: I’m not really sure. For me, it was definitely harder managing what seemed like an inordinate amount of time with making new friends, joining clubs, and managing my schoolwork. There comes a point where technically you will never finish all the work that you have to do. When a professor assigns a reading, it’s virtually impossible to actually do all of the readings. The classes at college meet less than the classes at Ramaz and require more self-study (whereas at Ramaz, you were rarely tested on a concept that was not taught in class and if you understood the class material you did not need to do much outside studying for the exam-at least that was my experience). I thought since I was taking a double curriculum at Ramaz and was involved in so many extracurriculars (especially the plays that took up a lot of time), I would have an easier transition but it was definitely hard adjusting to a lot of self study etc. CS: Ramaz values activism. Do you find that Ramaz students tend to be active in clubs, programs, etc at Barnard? EB: Yes, it was always the case that the Ramaz students are inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, running and creating clubs, leading change throughout campus and even outside of campus! CS: Is there anything else you would like to share about your experience at Barnard with the students of Ramaz? EB: Going to Barnard was one of the most memorable, enriching, and worthwhile experiences. I would not be where I am today without Barnard’s constant support, encouragement, and commitment to both higher education and an interdisciplinary, well-rounded education. Therefore, if given the opportunity, I highly recommend Barnard!
January 2021/Tevet 5781
The Rampage
Ramaz Round Table
Opinions
Opinions 9
Upon the widespread release of a Covid-19 vaccine, should it be mandatory that students get the vaccine to attend school? Ethan Davidovitch ’22 By the time teenagers are able to get vaccinated for Covid-19, the performance and potential side-effects of the vaccines will already have been determined. Getting inoculated will likely not be widely available until spring of 2021, and possibly even longer than that for those under the age of 16. Because of this, there will be no argument against teenagers getting vaccinated, as the excuse that no one knows what it may do becomes irrational. Teens are also, of course, a low-risk population for contracting any of the negative effects the vaccine might have. Thus, Ramaz should mandate getting the vaccine for all its students as a safety measure, in addition to playing a role in helping to end the pandemic. Yes, I am saying that Ramaz should be making a medical choice for all of its students, and if a student does not get an established vaccination, then that student should not be allowed to come to school. That student endangers other students and teachers and only helps to drag on this endless pandemic. When the time comes for young Americans to get vaccinated, whether that be the fall or spring of 2021, Ramaz should require it for any student who wishes to come to school. Yitzhak Tucker ’23 Hannah Tambor ’21 Now that Moderna, Pfizer, and other companies are releasing vaccines to combat the coronavirus, many are excited at the prospect of immunity. However, there are many unanswered questions regarding a vaccine developed in the span of eight months. What are the short and long-term side effects? How long are you protected? Should Ramaz require students to take the vaccine? Although I am a strong believer in the vaccine and would happily take it, it would be unfair of the school to require students to get vaccinated before being allowed to enter the building. This vaccine has been developed quickly and in a time of panic and fear. It is still unclear what the immediate and lasting side effects are, as well as its effectiveness. The vaccine injects a light strain of the coronavirus into people. While some have faith in it, this is a very scary concept to many. The vaccine could cause diseases that we aren’t aware of. At the start of the next academic year, it is reasonable to mandate vaccination for students. Yet, now, at this early stage in the vaccinating process, no one should have to take the vaccine if they are not comfortable doing so.
Nicole Hirschkorn ʼ22
Every student should be required to get the Covid-19 vaccine - once it’s accessible to everyone - before returning to school. Unlike coronavirus testing, mandating vaccination is a policy Ramaz can uphold. With coronavirus testing, students would need to be continually tested. However, a vaccine does not pose this problem. While not necessarily a one-and-done process, students would definitely get the vaccine much less frequently than they would get tested. A student simply needs to get a quick shot and then they can go to school every day, without constantly getting retested or revaccinated. Not to mention the fact that unlike the coronavirus testing, the vaccine actually helps prevent the virus. If every student were vaccinated, the risk of an outbreak would likely be very low. If we want the pandemic to end, the best way to do that is for everyone to get vaccinated. It’s quick, easy and safe, and it doesn’t really have any downsides, except for a little stinging in your arm. Instead of trying to keep up with the virus, we can actually start preventing it. The vaccine is not infallible, but the more people get vaccinated, the lower the chance is of more outbreaks. If every student were required to get the vaccine, we would make school a much safer place.
Covid-19 has turned the world as we know it upside-down in less than a year. In the past 10 months, hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost, businesses have collapsed, and seemingly, every aspect of life has been altered. Over the course of the pandemic, it became clear that the only end in sight (without tens of millions of lives lost) would be the release of the Covid-19 vaccine to the public. From the beginning of March, scientists have been working nonstop to develop a vaccine to end the pandemic. Recently, companies such as Pfizer and Moderna have released the desperately sought-after vaccine, and millions of people have already been vaccinated. I don’t like the idea of being a lab rat for a new, rushed vaccine. Yet, the consequences of boycotting the vaccine will be dire. Almost two million people have died from Covid-19, and its effects have only been negative. Businesses will only continue to suffer under lockdowns, elderly people will only continue to suffer from isolation and depression, and uncertainty will only rise without the vaccine. Herd immunity is not an option; not only will there be countless unnecessary deaths, but experts are uncertain as to how long this process could take. The vaccine should be mandatory for all students without pre-existing conditions that could affect their reaction to it. I’m not saying that we should be eager to take the vaccine, but taking it is the best and most logical choice.
Heard by the Herd Tanach Unites
The Rampage wishes a huge mazal tov to Ms. Tamar Benus on her recent engagement to Josh Nachman!!
Don’t make a whole Megillah of this, just one chapter
Ramaz is participating in the NCSY Megillat Esther Project, an initiative to design a creative and artistic Megillah with submissions by Jewish day schools around the country.
The Die Was Cast
On January 11, students performed Shakespeare monologues in the annual competition. Congrats to the winner, Alexandra Paul ‘23 who recited a speech and song from Ophelia’s mad scene in Hamlet. She crossed the Rubicon and will continue to the state competition!
Opinions 10
The Rampage
January 2021/Tevet 5781
Is it Appropriate for Ramaz to Study the Works of Anti-Semites? Moriel Weitzner ’24
Anti-Semitism has basically existed since the emergence of the Jewish people. Sadly, some of history’s greatest figures harbored a deep hatred for Jews, notable examples being Roald Dahl and T.S. Eliot. This raises an interesting question: should Ramaz, a religious Jewish institution, include the works of known anti-Semites in its courses? Though there are solid arguments in favor of both sides, I would argue that Ramaz should indeed include these works. From a pragmatic standpoint, excluding the works of anti-Semites would be somewhat challenging, especially when considering works that are quite old. After all, anti-Semitism was incredibly common even as recently as 60 years ago, so many writers probably held anti-Semitic beliefs. Roald Dahl, author of renowned books like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda, allegedly told a British magazine in 1983 that “there is a trait in
the Jewish character that does provoke animosity... Even a stinker like Hitler didn't just pick on them for no reason.” In fact, his family just recently published an apology for his repulsive comment. T.S. Eliot, one of the most famous poets of the twentieth century, also most likely loathed Jews. In a series of lectures in 1933, he wrote, “What is still more important [than cultural homogeneity] is unity of religious background, and reasons of race and religion combine to make any large number of free-thinking Jews undesirable.” The list of anti-Semitic writers is sure to be much longer. If Ramaz were to omit the works of all these writers, the quality of education would certainly decrease. Others may argue that reading and studying the works of anti-Semites is essentially condoning their behavior, accepting their beliefs as appropriate. Not to mention, by purchasing the work of an anti-Semite, you are contributing money to them or their family. While I do acknowledge these legitimate
concerns, I think it is more important to recognize that all human beings have serious flaws. Some flaws are obviously more serious than others. We should condemn anti-Semitism, as well as other forms of bigotry, in the strongest of possible terms. However, that does not mean that we should erase the accomplishments of impressive historical figures with complicated legacies. Doing so would have disastrous consequences. How would we decide which character flaws are tolerable or intolerable? Can we read books authored by racists? What about abusive parents or violent criminals? Nonviolent criminals? Attempting to make distinctions between the endless types of character flaws is essentially impossible. The easiest and best course of action is to teach the works of controversial figures while acknowledging their shortcomings. Ramaz should definitely teach its students the works of anti-Semites, so long as this is done within a nuanced framework.
Freshmen vs. Ramaz Vending Machines: Peace Was Never An Option Aviva Schilowitz ’24 Some days you just want to eat Cheez-Its for lunch. There are no other kinds of days. Unfortunately, finding a stocked Ramaz vending machine this year is harder than finding Clorox Wipes in a CVS. The problem is that every time the Ramaz vending machines are restocked they are empty almost immediately. That may sound like an exaggeration but a few weeks ago a vending machine on the third floor was full in the morning and by the end of the day was down to misfits of the snack machine kingdom: Chex Mix, nuts, a few Hershey almond bars, and jelly-filled cookies, whatever those are. When stocked, the Ramaz vending machines have some good options. Based on my highly scientific research method of looking at the vending machines way too often, Cheez-Its are a popular choice and sell out almost immediately. Next, the chocolate snacks sell out; first the Twix, then M&M’s, then Snickers. Things took an unexpected turn with the last restock, when Hershey’s Milk Chocolate With Almond bars were added. Surprisingly, it was one of the last chocolates to sell out. Further research showed that the vending machines are emptied in a predictable order. It usually takes two days to empty the third-floor vending machine. Once that is empty, freshmen travel to the fourth floor, pretending to visit their lockers but really raiding the vending machine there, like ants travelling farther and farther from their hole as they use up local resources. The fourth floor vending machine sells out about a week after getting restocked. The sixth-floor vending machine is the last to sell
out, probably because it’s the farthest away from the freshmen. In a normal year, this is not a big deal. Ramaz has a lot of options available for lunch. This year, however, when there is no universal lunch and, worse, no Ramaz cookies, and students have fewer options and can’t share food easily in a pinch, the vending machines are an oasis in a food desert. Empty vending machines take away an option at a time when there are very few alternatives. I think Ramaz can do better in the vending ma-
chine department and I’m here to help with suggestionsFirst, let’s start with the most obvious solution: restock the machines more frequently. Second, make sure that when the machines are restocked, the machines are fully restocked. Recently, when the vending machines were restocked, it was only with a measly few snacks, usually Cheez-Its (yay), Chex Mix (meh), and chocolate bars (yay-ish). There is no reason to restock only part of a machine. That’s a lost opportunity. Whenever possible, machines should be fully restocked. Third, instead of wasting space in vending machines with unpopular snacks, like jelly-filled cookies, use that space to stock more of the snacks that sell out fast. I dream of a day when there are double or even triple rows of Cheez-Its and Twix, lined up like soldiers waiting for their F5 or F6 marching order. In light of the limited food options this year, I would also suggest adding some foods that resemble a light lunch, not just candy and snacks. For example, how about offering some Kind bars and trail mix? Finally, Ramaz should look at this problem as an opportunity. We’re Ramaz. Let’s have excellence in the vending machine department matching our school’s excellence in other areas. Maybe we need a Dean of Snacks. I volunteer myself. Ramaz could distinguish itself from other schools by offering MadeGood granola bars and balls. This is a very popular snack and healthier than most of the current options. Let’s also get some refrigerated vending machines so we can have more options, like Sabra hummus and pretzels, yogurt, and string cheese. Just make sure to keep them stocked because we freshmen are hungry!
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January 2021/Tevet 5781
The Rampage
Opinions 11
Crossword
Isaac Silverman '21
Down: 1. Short break between finals and second semester. 2. Program for seniors to hear about different professions. 4. Event full of performances that showcase Ramaz students' various talents (this year made virtual). 7. Great Neck Jewish high school that got hacked. 8. Semester cumulative tests in January. Across: 3. Second semester senior classes. 5. Many clubs at Ramaz are dedicated to exploring the ______ of different areas and people. 6. Full-school assemblies that used to be frequent - ran by Rabbi Albo. 9. The new year. 10. Monthly meeting between students and faculty. 11. Students were pleasantly surprised to have a _____ on the Thursday before winter break. 12. Approximately 2 week time off from school.
Word Search Aaron Zanger '21
Solutions to both puzzles are posted online at www.the-rampage.org Solve the puzzles? Send a photo to rampage@ramaz.org to be featured on our Instagram!
Word Box: Winter Break Hot Chocolate Finals Dreidel Merch Drop Chanukah Vaccine Snow Fire Rampage Rabbi Sklarin Ugly Sweaters Mochaburger Gelt
Opinions 12
The Rampage
January 2021/Tevet 5781
Opinion: Hacking at North Shore Charlotte Kleeger '24 On December 14, 2020, North Shore Hebrew Academy’s (NSHA) website was hacked with Nazi imagery and propaganda. During Chanukah, where we celebrate the victory of light over darkness, the NSHA homepage displayed Nazi videos against a background of Nazi songs. The hackers also accessed students’ and teachers’ private information, such as home addresses and credit card information. The website of the modern orthodox yeshiva was filled with hate speech and antisemitism. As a Jew, I am both horrified and disgusted by this incident. It exemplifies just how much antisemitism is still alive today. Seeing the words “North Shore H e b r e w A c a d e my Death C a m p ” sprawled across the page followed by Nazi propaganda and swastikas was jarring. It has exposed the harsh reality of our America - one where antisemitism runs amok and pervades our society at large. Additionally, this happened at a Jewish private school in New York, quite similar to Ramaz, making me wonder just how far these attacks are from our own doorstep. Attending an institution that instills pride in our Jewish heritage and fosters a love for Zionism and the State of Israel, an attack like this is the ultimate offense.
This incident shows many similarities to other examples of antisemitism online, causing many Jews, including myself, to have to be prepared to see them when accessing social media such as TikTok or Instagram. From what I have seen, there are different “types,” so to speak, on each platform. On TikTok, one can run into many antisemitic videos, such as antisemitic stereotypes and so-called “dark humor” not posted by a Jew, etc. For example, a video has come up on my For You Page, a section of TikTok where one can see public videos posted by anyone, of a stereotypical drawing of a Jewish man with a big nose, a greedy look on his face and rubbing his hands together, inside of a Star of David with a multitude of gold coins falling behind him. I immediately reported the video but later received a notification from TikTok saying that they did not find a problem with the video, and it remained on the app for everyone to see. Similarly, a video was posted by Liveaction.org, which is dedicated to ending abortion. It featured an image that said, “Not a Person,” followed by a picture of a slave marked with the year 1815, Jews in the Holocaust in 1945, and then an image of a fetus marked with the year 2019, ultimately comparing abortion to slavery and the Holocaust. On Instagram, antisemitism is often not as flagrant. Many accounts are dedicated to activism yet constantly leave Jews behind. I often notice this absence, and I am tired of waiting for those with a platform to speak up. This form of antisemitism is more indirect, but
leaving Jews out of your activism while speaking up for every other minority is inherently antisemitic. The internet is a place where antisemitism can thrive. It is imperative that we do our part and speak up. The Jewish community needs allies with big platforms and high follower counts to aid us in our mission, to ensure that what took place at North Shore Hebrew Academy does not happen again.
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