Volume 66, Issue 3 (January 2022) - The Rampage

The Rampage The Newspaper of the Ramaz Upper School

New York • Volume 66 • Issue 3 • January 2022 • Shevat 5782 • the-rampage.org

Chanukah at Ramaz: Eight Great Days Raymond Ashkenazie ’24

making a myriad of different chesed opportunities available to students. Many students felt the presence

The smell of sufganiyot wafted in the air as Ramaz students entered the building in early December: Chanukah had arrived.

This year, Ramaz students participated in the traditional Central Park trip, daily activities, and special treats for Chanukah, planned by student activities coordinators Rabbi Segal and Rabbi Dov.

Ramaz’s celebration of the holiday started with the annual Central Park trip, where students could choose to play sports, participate in chesed opportunities, visit the Central Park Zoo or ice skate at Wollman Rink.

“I really enjoyed ice skating in Central Park and hanging out with my friends,” Roey Denti ’24 said. Overall, most of the student body enjoyed spending the day with friends and doing fun activities. Ramaz also did their best to ensure that the school was in Chanukah spirit with daily Krispy Kreme donuts, sufganiyot, a coffee station, and creating school ruach with music playing around the building. Many small details were also made to make Chanukah more special, like the dreidel hunt competition and a “gelt guess” in the lobby, with prizes like Nets tickets, Amazon gift cards, and a UE Boom Speaker.

Ramaz’s Chesed Director, Ms. Deeni Hass, made sure to incorporate chesed into Chanukah,

of Chanukah in the school building, and agreed that Ramaz made sure students were happy and felt the

Follow us on Instagram

@ramazrampage

Chanukah spirit all eight days of Chanukah.

There was also an assembly commemorating the Sephardic expulsion and programs led by Rabbi Albo, which allowed all students to learn about Sephardic culture and ancestry. Students were left with the message to always stand up for the Jewish religion and identity, which is the most fitting message during Chanukah, which celebrates this exact ideal.

“I really loved the Central Park trip and all the other activities Ramaz planned for Chanukah,” said Anna Braun ’22. “It [Chanukah] felt much different than my other years at Ramaz.”

Even though the majority of students enjoyed the activities planned during the holiday, some students felt that there could have been more. Mia Schreiber ’25 said, “I think what they [the Ramaz activities planners] did was very nice, but I felt like they could have done much more in increasing ruach and doing more activities for each grade.” Other students shared this concern, feeling that more should have been done for each grade, and there could have been more planned activities during the day.

“The different programs that were put into place allowed everyone to have a fun, exciting, and an enjoyable Chanukah in school” said Rabbi Segal.

The Chanukah festivities implemented this month implore many students to wonder what Purim, Lag B’Omer, and Yom HaAtzmaut activities will look like next semester.

Snack Attack: Non-Kosher Snacks in the Vending Machines Rebecca Silber ‘23

In November, rumors about the vending machines selling non-kosher snacks circulated throughout Ramaz. Any student who stopped by the vending machines to confirm the truth behind this rumor could see that the bright red bags of Nacho Cheese Doritos were, in fact, being sold. Rabbi Dov explains that the issue was first brought to his attention by president of the G.O, Yona Weinstock.

“Yona cares deeply about the religious identity of the school, and as president, he brought the issue to my attention immediately after spotting the non-kosher snacks,” said the rabbi. According to Dov, Ramaz is not directly in charge of running the vending machines. Instead, Ramaz uses a vendor that takes care of which snacks are ordered, when they are replaced, etc. Larry Berman, who man-

ages IT, maintenance, food services, nurses, and buildings, is also in charge of overseeing the vendors, and informs them that only kosher snacks can be ordered for the school. While the vendors do the best that they can to accommodate our needs, they obviously do not completely understand the idea of kashrut, and are therefore not completely aware of our sensitivity to it. Dov states that this is not the first time in which the vendors accidentally ordered non-kosher snacks to the school. When the incident first occurred, Dov explains that he “was very upset,” and “sent an email to the vendor explaining that if this happens again, the school is going to switch vendors.”

Unfortunately, both this year and last year, the vendor made that mistake yet again. Around March of last year, three non-kosher snacks (Sour Patch Kids, Cheddar Ruffles, and Combos) were being sold in the vending machines. Not even one year after those snacks were removed, another non-kosher snack, Nacho Cheese Doritos, made its way into the vending machines. The commonality between the two instances is that both occurred during Covid. Dov supposes that the pandemic may have contributed a great deal to this scandal.

“During the coronavirus pandemic, certain snacks became more or less popular, and so the vendor wanted to make changes based on which snacks would sell.” In addition, “many jobs were lost during the pandemic, so it is possible that old employees were fired and new ones were hired, which may have led to confusion in ordering the correct snacks.” Either way, the school responded to the issue immediately after Yona informed the administration, with Dov sending the vendor an email that very day. Now, the school has somebody in charge of looking at which specific snacks are ordered before putting them into the vending machine. Because of this, Dov is doubtful that the school will run into the issue of non-kosher snacks being found in the vending machines ever again.

Inside this issue...

Shakspeare Competition p. 4

L.A.

Basketball Tourament p.

6

Ramaz: Next Level p.

7

Snow Days p. 9

News 2

The Rampage

Another Schedule Modification Andrew Spielfogel ‘23

The Ramaz Upper School has modified its schedule multiple times throughout the past three years: from rotating days, to a hybrid schedule with Zoom and in-person classes, to its current five-day schedule. The beginning of the new school year included a schedule in which school began at 8:15 and ended at 4:55. Compared to last year, the school day was extended by one hour and ten minutes, two free periods were taken away, the Tefilla period was moved to second period, and periods were added such as Talmud, health, and gym class. Many students, teachers, and parents addressed the administration with numerous complaints concerning the new schedule. Therefore, an email was sent out outlining a solution: the school day would now begin at 8:30 and end at an earlier time, possibly 4:15. This email gave students a glimmer of hope that the new schedule would translate into less stress, better sleep, and a more enjoyable school day.

However, hopes were soon dashed when the administration retracted this statement. The current model has the same start time of 8:15 but ends at 4:40 with 39 minute periods. These start and end times are not only significantly different from last year, but they are not what students desired after reading the promising email.

Although the email promised a much shorter school day, the days were only shortened by 15 minutes. At first, the administration thought of starting school at 8:30 to ensure that commuters would always be on time for their first-period classes.

However, after collecting two weeks worth of data about the buses’ arrival times, the administration noticed they were arriving at school around 8:15. There were some days that commuters even arrived at 7:40; surely students wouldn’t want to sit around in school for 40 minutes! The administration decided to end school 15 minutes earlier so commuters could get on the highway before 5:00 and beat traffic. When asked if students like the times that school starts and ends, David Tarrab ’23-- who commutes on the school bus every day from Brooklyn-- said, “I like ending school earlier because it’s better for clubs, but ending at 4:55 compared to 4:40 doesn’t make much of a difference concerning the time I get home. I don’t want to start school later than 8:15 because the buses get to school on time most of the time ”. However, this does not hold true of all Ramaz students. Jem Hanan ’23 explained, “I’d rather start school at 8:30 because having more time in the morning makes a bigger difference than ending school 15 minutes earlier.” Tova Solomons ’23 added, “A more sustainable option that would appease the students would be having the school day start at 8:00 and end at 4:00. The commuters I have spoken to either get to school early or late. Additionally, 15 minutes earlier won’t make much of a difference. Students should be able to get home earlier to do extracurriculars, homework, and go to sleep at an earlier time.”

Ms. Krupka explained that a 4:05 end time is not off the table for next year, but that it is unlikely because 35 minute periods are not sufficient. Switching the schedule is a long process so “there will be a lot of student surveys and SFAC discussions about this,” said Ms. Krupka. It is even possible to begin the school day 15 minutes earlier at 8:00 and end at 4:20. These changes are possible but it’s up to the students’ preferences.

Claire Landy ’24 said, “I’d rather school start at 8:00 so that school ends earlier.”

The new davening time was also a big adjustment to this year’s schedule. Last year was the first time Ramaz implemented second period davening, rather than first period. One issue with the new time slot is that commuters risk being late to first-period class. Ms. Krupka addressed the issues that have arised from this change, “we made Tefilla second period last year for the first time ever because since so many kids were on Zoom every day, we wanted them to have a break; we didn’t want them staring at their screens for five periods straight. From this, we started realizing that Tefilla in school became really nice, functional, productive, and thoughtful, instead of kids wandering into davening at any time between 8:00 and 8:45. Now, everybody comes to davening on time. We are trying to educate kids and create a culture in school where davening is

important, but we don’t want this to be at the expense of kids feeling anxious on the bus in the morning. If davening will be moved from second period, it has to be thought through carefully because it’s not so easy for the schedule to be switched... By switching it back, we don’t want kids to receive a message that class is more important than davening.” On the other hand, many students feel that davening should be first period so that commuters won’t miss class, even with heavy traffic. After all, it is easier to catch up to the Chazan in davening than it is to catch up on the material one missed during Physics class. “I prefer davening first period because when you have first period class at the beginning of the day, it feels like you rush right into school; but if you have davening first, you have more time to get situated into school in the morning,” said Alex Sultan ’25. On the opposing side, Jenny Davis ’23 said, “I like having davening second period. Because davening is later in the day, I’m more awake and this enhances my connection to God and prayer”.

Another issue pertaining to the new schedule is the timing. To allow a shorter school day, the administration team came to the conclusion that each

Girls Dress Code: Up To Code?

Ashley Behm ’24

This year is the second year the Open house It is not a secret that the girls of Ramaz are known to flout the dress code guidelines and that the dress code is often mostly disregarded. The girls’ dress code was sent out in an email to students and parents before the start of the school year. It states that “For girls, the dress code requires a dress or blouse/shirt and skirt. Slacks, cutoffs, and divided skirts may not be worn. Skirts should be approaching the knee, whether sitting or standing, whether

January 2022/Shevat 5782

period will be 39 minutes instead of 40, and that the time in between periods will be four minutes rather than five. According to Tova Solomons ’23, “It is very hard to keep track of when classes start which has occasionally caused me to be late to certain things unless I have my schedule out all the time. I don’t think it was worth taking only 15 minutes off the schedule because it really has not made much of a difference. I still go to sleep at the same time and clubs normally end at the same time they did.” Claire Landy ’24 said, “I don’t like the new schedule with random start and end times because it makes it hard to know when the classes start and end.” While some students object to the confusing timing, others don’t mind it. “I like the new schedule with off-timing schedule because I like that we end earlier. Getting home at 4:40 compared to 4:55 allows me to get more work done,” said Elliot Davis ’23. Because of these disputing opinions, the administration team must make changes to resolve all of these issues.

Furthermore, the new schedule took away two free periods from every grade and added gym class, Talmud classes, and health class. Many students argue that free periods are necessary because it is important to have breaks during the day to meet with teachers and catch up on work. Transitioning from a hybrid schedule was difficult for some students; extending the school day and taking away free periods in the span of one year can be very detrimental for their mental health.

Julius Zimbler ’23 said, “I think that the change of having no free periods compared to last year and having full-time school instead of a hybrid schedule has been challenging for the students.

It’s been a tough change from last year for everyone now that we are more involved with actual school learning instead of online. Students need those breaks during the day to relax during the long school day.” As a result of the lack of free periods, the administration team made one Talmud class per week a Torah lishma period: this means that the teacher will teach optional Torah— which will not come up on exams— which the students are not required to attend. This period is a substitute for free periods, so that the students who want to continue learning can, while those who want to take a break can do that too.

Moreover, there have also been more trips this semester than usual to ease the transition from last year.

Even with the updated schedule, the students of Ramaz demand that additional changes must be made: free periods must return, the timing of the school day should be resolved, and the timing of Tefilla has to be looked at more carefully. How will the administration be able to shorten the school day, but at the same time, add free periods and refrain from shortening class time? Potential possibilities noted by students include starting earlier and truncating homeroom. The rest is for the administration to decide.

wearing tights or leggings.”

The student preludes handbook states that, “the Ramaz dress code reflects the seriousness of purpose with which all students should approach their time in school, as well as halakhic norms of dress for both boys and girls. Dress, grooming, and personal cleanliness standards contribute to the dignity of the learning environment at Ramaz. Students are expected to present a clean, neat, and professional appearance.”

Continued On Page 3

January 2022/Shevat 5782

The Rampage Ramaz Upper School

New York • Volume 66 • Issue 3 • January 2022 • the-rampage.org

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Nicole Hirschkorn ’22 Sydney Eisenstein ’22 Julia Feit ’22 LAYOUT EDITORS Rachel Freilich ’22 Sarah Ginsberg ’22 BROADCAST EDITORS Eric Kalimi ’22 Ethan Davidovitch ’22 PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Eitan Goldberg ’22 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Rachel Abelson ’24 Raymond Ashkenazie ’24 Ashley Behm ’24 Rachel Buller ’25 Romi Chaovat ’24 Leo Eigen ’25 Nicole Hirschkorn ’22 Nathan Hiltzik ’25 Daniel Kalimi ’23 Rebecca Kalimi ’23 Jem Hanan ’25 Joe Kaplan ’22 Rae Kaplan ’24 Charlotte Kleeger ’24 Hallie Kopel ’24 Aviva Lehman ’22 Sylvie Pagovich ’25 Orli Rabbani ’25 Leila Sakhai ’25 Aviva Schilowitz ’24 Brayden Serphos ’22 Rebecca Silber ’23 Sarah Silverman ’24 Andrew Spielfogel ’23 Emily Vayner ’23 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.

The opinions expressed in The Rampage are of the author’s alone, and do not represent the views or opinions of Ramaz, The Rampage, or its editors.

The Rampage

Girls Dress Code Continued From Page 2

Walking down the halls of Ramaz, it is evident that there is little consideration given to the details of the dress code. Many girls wear whatever they want with a skirt that is inches away from their knees. A few weeks ago the “Ladies of Ramaz” received an email reminding them of the dress code and what is unacceptable dress for school. The email specifically highlighted that pants worn under skirts must be tight as opposed to loose pants, like sweatpants, and that shirts must be long enough to cover one’s midriff and reach one’s knees. Ms. Krupka, the Dean of Faculty, said that, “the email’s purpose was to set the tone for the school. It was just this feeling of like, wait a minute, where are we drawing the line about the way we should present ourselves in school? So the email was primarily meant to target the pajama pants under skirts, but we included the rest of the formal dress code rules knowing very well that there are aspects of the dress code that are followed very loosely.”

The administration takes a more handsoff approach when it comes to enforcing the dress code for both boys and girls. An exception to this trend has been kippot for boys; not wearing a kippah could result in a write-up in the office. However, the administration has not skirted a girl in the last few years. Ms. Krupka added that she does not want to build an atmosphere where girls are constantly being skirted. In the past few years, the dress code for both the girls and boys has become more laxed; hoodies were unbanned, and boys are no longer required to wear ties and button-down shirts. Ms. Krupka and the administration acknowledge the importance of being comfortable throughout a long school day.

At the last Student and Faculty Advisory

News 3

Committee (SFAC) meeting, the dress code was discussed. As a result of the discussion, a team comprised of students and faculty was assembled to brainstorm how the dress code can maintain the dignity of the school while allowing students to feel comfortable in their clothing.

How does the girls’ dress code at Ramaz compare to that of other schools in the Yeshiva circuit? At SAR, the girls’ dress code is almost identical to ours, however, the administration has been known to enforce the skirt length policy more. Though this year, their administration has chosen to let girls use their judgment to wear the right skirts.

Some female students of Ramaz were asked how they feel about the current state of the dress code at Ramaz.

Rebecca Kalimi ‘23 feels that the dress code is reasonable considering that Ramaz is a private, Jewish school. Furthermore, Rebecca thinks that it should be more strongly enforced. “I think that the dress code should be enforced to a certain extent because Ramaz is a Jewish school. I think that if someone is wearing a skirt that does not follow the dress code, Ms. Krupka or someone of authority should speak to them privately after school about following the dress code,” said Rebecca.

When asked about how she feels about the girls’ dress code, specifically skirts, Alissa Rose ‘24 said, “I understand it, but I still don’t like it. I think it’s counterintuitive that we’re not allowed to wear sweatpants under our skirts but are forced to wear tights or leggings, which are less tznius. I understand that Ramaz is a religious school but being forced to wear a skirt feels really restrictive and limiting, so skirts are merely accomplishing nothing but enforcing gender roles.” Alissa added that she is glad the school does not enforce the skirt length as they understand everyone adheres to a different level of religious observance.

Why Was the Senior Trip to Six Flags Canceled?

Joseph Kaplan ’22

On November 11th, the senior class was scheduled to visit Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, but the trip was unexpectedly canceled by the administration.

Dr. Block, the senior grade dean, explained that the trip was canceled due to Israel guidance meetings scheduled for the same day, including an assembly and visits from Yeshivot and Midrashot in Israel. Dr. Block explained, “There was no central calendar, so when I— along with the administration— scheduled the trip, we were unaware of the Israel guidance events occurring that day.”

Many seniors were disappointed by the can-

cellation of this trip. Clemi Roth ’22 added that she was “looking forward to [the trip] after applications.

We were never formally told that it was cancelled, and it was replaced by a very stressful week, so all of our spirits are down.” This sentiment was also expressed by

Sam Koffler ’22, who explained, “I was eagerly looking forward to a trip that would reduce my stress and provide a fun bonding experience. I was very disappoint-

ed to find out that the trip was canceled.” Jared Harnick ’22 said that many were also frustrated because the trip was canceled “for an assembly that seemed to be meaningless for most of the grade, since hardly anyone learned any new information about taking a gap year in Israel.”

The overwhelming feeling among the senior grade is one of profound disappointment with the administration’s decision to cancel the trip. While a make-up trip was ultimately rescheduled, over a month later than the initial November 11th date, many students had looked forward to having a trip earlier in the year, like every other grade.

Harnick, and many other seniors, “hope that they end up rescheduling the Six Flags trip in addition to the December 13th trip.”

More Grades?

Rebecca Kalimi ’23

Along with Ramaz’s rigorous school day, co-curricular schedule, and test calendar, the administration has decided to start giving students first quarter grades.

Mr. Blumenthal, the Director of College Guidance at Ramaz, shared his views on the topic with us. He began by explaining why the Ramaz administration decided to implement this change this year. Regarding the seniors, the college office began realizing that colleges are starting to ask for first quarter grades more often.

“Considering that the majority of the students at Ramaz apply Early Decision or Early Action, meaning that they apply on November 1st and receive decision letters in mid-December, colleges cannot wait for first semester grades, they need an early data point to be able to evaluate the students correctly and early enough to decide

whether or not to accept them into their school.”

Regarding the underclassmen, Mr. Blumenthal doesn’t completely understand the reasoning behind instituting this change considering underclassmen don’t need to make a deadline for colleges. Although, he does see a benefit for underclassmen in this new system. He believes that it is an easier way to gauge where a student is at the start of the semester, including participation and homework grades as well. He also noticed that “Ramaz students like to see numerical values on their progress, rather than just anecdotals or student-teacher conferences where teachers merely discuss students’ progress.” He thinks quantitative data points are more effective than progress reports in helping students and teachers assess how to progress. While Mr. Blumenthal was not involved in the decision to include first quarterContinued On Page 4

News 4

First Quarter Grades

Continued From Page 3 grades this year, he believes it is the best decision for seniors. He knows that the leadership team contemplated this change for a while, and finalized the decision in August. Mr. Blumenthal said that the leadership team, “decided that the best way to track students’ progress is through numerical grades and not merely through anecdotals.”

Furthermore, this change will help teachers outline their anecdotals. This way, the first quarter evaluations as a whole, including grades, anecdotals, and student-teacher conferences will be a more organized process to correctly understand how a student should continue their semester.

A major concern that arose from this change is the level of stress Ramaz kids will undergo considering they will have an additional grade to worry about on report cards. Mr. Blumenthal believes that this change is beneficial for students because it will not appear on any official transcript for underclassmen, meaning that it is simply for purposes of evaluation and analyzing progress at the start of the semester. He is hoping that this grade will induce greater academic performance, homework completion, and participation in classes.

After the first quarter, a student will know which areas need improvement and how much they need to improve.

This change seems drastic surrounded by all the other changes this school has implemented this year, like the new schedule and elevator policies. Mr. Blumenthal agrees that it is, “hard and bold to change a lot at once,” but this change is necessary for seniors based on colleges’ expectations, and was ultimately inevitable for seniors. And for underclassmen, it will become a more accepted change to encourage students

The Rampage

to progress quicker earlier in the year. Although this year was difficult for first-quarter grades since we barely had school in September, this change will hopefully have more grades in the future to base this evaluation on. In an effort to battle this problem for seniors, the seniors have already begun their second round of testing. This in itself has outraged some seniors, but the college office has hopes that it will end up doing more good than expected.

Another problem that arises for seniors is that first quarter grades may hurt their chances of getting

January 2022/Shevat 5782

into their colleges of choice. Students’ chances of being admitted to a school could be ruined by one bad grade on the first test in one class. Therefore, the college office decided to be more conscientious about sending in their grades to different schools. They plan to compile all the student’s grades and determine whether or not sending their grades in will be beneficial. They will determine based on each school if the majority of students applying have good grades that overall match up with their applications.

While the College Guidance office initially announced that they would be sending first quarter grades to all schools, they later redacted their policy, stating that they would only send first quarter grades to colleges that required them. Mr. Blumenthal stated that he didn’t feel like it was necessary to send first quarter grades to schools that didn’t require them because Ramaz hadn’t sent them in the past, and it simply wasn’t necessary to start now if they didn’t need to.

Furthermore, the chagim in September and October influenced the amount of tests and assignments that seniors were able to complete, and some teachers did not have enough grades to fairly assess students’ performance in their classes.

Overall, students and teachers alike are wondering whether or not this change will persist. Mr. Blumenthal believes that since colleges are beginning to require this more and more, this change will most likely persist for seniors, and almost definitely for next year’s seniors. Regarding underclassmen, considering there’s no harm being done to students, there is no reason not to keep it, especially since it gives another way for both teachers and students to evaluate their progress for the start of the year. The college guidance and administration are continuing to consider the advantages and disadvantages of this new system.

Caleb Rosenfeld ‘22: Moderator?

Rebecca Kalimi ‘23

Are students stealing teachers’ jobs? This year, Caleb Rosenfeld ‘22, past vice president and sophomore grade president took over the job of SFAC chair from Ms. Benus. SFAC, the Student-Faculty Administration Committee, is an organization that meets every six weeks to review school policies and discuss paths to better Ramaz’s operations. In the past, Ms. Benus led the meeting with her gavel, asserting “order in the court”. However, this year, Caleb Rosenfeld ‘22 has taken over her job: a change most members of SFAC could not have foreseen considering how dedicated Ms. Benus was to her position.

Caleb explained that the holder of this position is conventionally chosen by a rotation between students, faculty, and administrators. Ms. Benus was the faculty representative for the past few years, but this year they decided to make the next switch to a student. Rosenfeld has been attending SFAC meetings throughout both his sophomore and junior years as a leader in the school. These years of experience gave him a good basis for him to understand the dynamics of the meetings. He views SFAC meetings as a great opportunity for anyone at Ramaz to talk about different issues in school and give their perspectives on things that can be improved.

To prepare for each meeting, Rosenfeld writes up an agenda of topics to discuss. At the meeting, he moderates people and makes sure everyone stays on schedule. He also manages the follow-up committees and appoints everyone a job to further discuss the topics which were brought up at SFAC to try to implement real changes in the school.

Ms. Benus, the former SFAC chairperson, also shared her thoughts on this

change. Despite SFAC being one of her favorite positions she’s held at Ramaz, she gave it up to Caleb when Rabbi Stochel suggested it last year. While this was a bittersweet experience, she’s watched Caleb lead two SFAC meetings very successfully.

Her favorite thing about being SFAC chair was hearing all of the different perspectives and the ways in which everyone was open to new ideas. She also loved to stay organized with the agendas and be able to have the last word. Most importantly, she found it vital to be able to give students the opportunity to participate in leadership training and learn how to absorb other people’s opinions to improve the overall welfare of the school.

While she may not be the current SFAC chairperson, Ms. Krupka still attends every meeting and plans to continue coming. “I don’t think me not being SFAC chairperson anymore has changed my perspective on SFAC. I still feel the same amount of passion for this cause as I did for the past few years.” She believes that a SFAC chairperson role can be successfully fulfilled by anybody that feels comfortable running a meeting in an efficient and productive way. This means that they don’t push their opinions on anyone, they are simply there to help the conversation progress smoothly. They must be confident in telling their peers or superiors when their time is up speaking, in order to keep up with the SFAC agenda.

Based on the past two meetings, Ms. Benus believes that Caleb is doing a great job in his new position. She appreciates his gavel and that he prepares an organized agenda for each meeting. Although she acknowledged that at the first SFAC meeting it was difficult for people to adhere to the schedule, she noted that Caleb continued to run things smoothly and provided everyone with an open forum to discuss their concerns.

The Annual Ramaz Shakespeare Competition Takes Place Live Nicole Hirschkorn ‘22

On January 3rd, students filed into the auditorium to watch Ramaz’s annual Shakespeare Competition, a tradition that has prevailed for decades. According to the rules of the contest, competitors must recite a monologue from one of Shakespeare’s texts by heart, and convey an understanding of the performed text.

While attending the performance, students were served with a variety of refreshments, including different types of cookies, fruits, and soft drinks. A buzz of excitement filled the air as the student body watched their friends and classmates become

the character they portrayed. Tova Solomons ’23 performed a scene from Henry VI, Part 3, Alex Paul ’23 performed a scene from Romeo and Juliet, Arava Chaiken ’25 performed a scene from Julius Cesar, Caleb Rosenfeld ’22 performed a scene from Twelfth Night, and Eric Kalimi ’22 performed a scene from A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

“I really enjoyed watching my classmates perform their scenes,” said Ron Alweiss ’22. “It was fun to watch them delve into their roles. I liked the dramatic aspects. Competitions like these are what makes Ramaz unique in its celebration of Continued On Page 5

January 2022/Shevat 5782

The Rampage

The Ramaz Shakespeare Competition

Continued From Page 4 the arts and drama.”

After the performances, the English department, which took on the role of competition judges, left the room to deliberate. Students chatted eagerly and nervously, anxious for the results to be revealed. When Dr. Honig, who organized the competition, announced the winners, everyone applauded. Tova Solomons ’23 won first place and Alex Paul ’23 won as a runner-up.

News 5

“Competing in the competition was a unique and positive experience,” said Eric Kalimi ’22. “I like trying new things, and competing was a step outside of my comfort zone.”

Overall, the competition was an enjoyable way for students to support their classmates and a much-needed break from class. The Ramaz community wishes the winners of the competition luck as they prepare for the next part of the competition, which will take place online as a part of the New York City Branch.

Jordan Mittler ‘22: A Young Wonder Andrew Spielfogel ’23

He walked up to the stage with confidence as he received a notable award.

At just age 17, he is changing the world and receiving the credit for it. The award recipient is Jordan Mittler ‘22, and on December 12, 2021, he received the CNN Young Wonders Award for his organization, Mittler Senior Technology. Jordan and his teen volunteers are changing the world “one senior at a time!”

In many ways, Jordan was developing Mittler Senior Technology way before the program came into existence. At age 12, he and his immediate family decided that it was time to buy his grandparent’s smartphones. While both grandparents were hesitant to transition to this new form of technology, Jordan did not think that using smartphones would be such a dilemma for them as the usage of technology came about naturally for his generation.

When Jordan realized that his grandparents were clueless about how to use their iPhones, he sat with them until they became experts.

Looking back on his first experience in assisting seniors with technology, Jordan says: “my grandparents were my first students. I had so much fun with them that I wanted to create a program to help others.”

Once Jordan realized that elderly people across the globe must feel this same disconnect from technology like his grandparents, Jordan executed plans to help the older generation by visiting a nursing home around the corner from his home. After speaking with the nursing home staff about volunteering at their technology department, they told him that such a technology program at the center did not exist. Just about to leave the home, Jordan by chance found a woman playing bingo who was interested in learning how to use technology. Jordan sat with this 93-year-old woman for one year and taught her the basics of technology where she learned how to connect with her family from a distance. As Jordan puts it, “this opened up a new world for her.”

The next step for Jordan was to develop an actual technology class with a standard curriculum to teach seniors, soon to be called “Mittler Senior Technology.” This course began in the Ramaz Middle School computer room, and with the advertising help of KJ, he was able to educate 20 seniors weekly. Jordan’s “Computer Basics” course was designed to teach seniors to use computers and smartphones in a simple and organized fashion. This course included in-person activities and homework which allowed seniors to put their knowledge into practice. When each ten-cycle course expired, Jordan would educate a new group of seniors.

Soon enough, the demand for Mittler Senior Technology immediately grew. When nursing homes and other organizations discovered this program, Jordan understood that he had to expand past the 20-person classroom. With the help of teens from Ramaz— Joe Kaplan ’22, Julia Feit ’22, and Caroline Schwartz ’22— he was now accommodating 40 seniors at once. Jordan and his crew were able to go through a few cycles of “Computer Basics” in a larger setting just before COVID-19 hit.

Just like Jordan refused to give up on his grandparents, he knew he couldn’t give up on his new students— even with COVID restrictions. It was crucial for seniors to connect with their families through technology while in isolation; therefore, Jordan and his team of high school students made individual phone calls with every senior in his program and taught them how to download Zoom. Jordan says that this was especially difficult as he and his crew did not fully know how to navigate Zoom during the start of the pandemic, but they refused to quit. Eventually, the seniors downloaded Zoom, and Mittler Senior Technology was up and running

again. Instead of relying on the “Computer Basics Course,” Jordan and his team adjusted the curriculum to cover topics more relevant during this isolation period, such as online shopping and face time calls.

While the pandemic struck the world, “it opened up a new vision for Mittler Senior Technology,” says Mittler ’22. Navigating technology during this difficult time was crucial, and now, there was no longer a limitation of 20 seats on the Upper East Side. Mittler Senior Technology could now teach seniors all across the world.

After reaching out to community centers, organizations, and synagogues, Mittler Senior Technology taught up to 2000 seniors in 10 different countries.

The most recent improvement to Mittler Senior Technology is a virtual site called a portal where seniors could access pre-recorded classes and learn at their own pace. There are also “tech tip Tuesday’’ videos that give one technology tip in under 60 seconds.

The only thing that kept Jordan dedicated and persistent with Mittler Senior Technology is the satisfaction and amusement he received from instructing seniors.

“Seeing seniors do something new is fun and ultimately rewarding, especially when you receive gratitude from them,” says Mittler ’22.

When Mittler Senior Technology became extremely popular, there was constant publicity and free press around the world. Mittler Senior Technology has been featured in many newspapers, networks, and magazines, such as People magazine, Teen Vogue, CBS this morning, and more. Just at the beginning of the school year, CNN reached out to Jordan to express their interest in featuring him for their Young Wonders program. CNN has a yearly event at the natural history museum called “CNN Heroes,” where they honor ten heroes that have made a difference to the world, and chose two “Young Wonders” to honor, which are heroes making a difference under age 18. While “CNN Heroes” are nominated, “Young Wonders” are picked by a team that does tremendous research into each candidate. Once Jordan accepted their offer to learn about his program, there was tremendous prep work: video teams interviewed him, his grandparents, his teen helpers, and his students.

The CNN team even recorded classes and spoke to one of Jordan’s students. After all of their research, CNN decided that Jordan was the perfect candidate to be honored as a “Young Wonder.” “This was definitely a shock,” says Mittler ’22. “Although I was featured many times, this was the biggest honor I received. This was a once in a lifetime experience that I will always remember.”

Jordan had the opportunity to meet many celebrities at this event. During his segment, Anderson Cooper and Kelly Ripa introduced the award, and John Matise-- a grammy-winning celebrity-- introduced him. After everyone watched a video describing Mittler Senior Technology, Jordan collected his award and was briefly interviewed by Anderson Cooper.

Ramaz is extremely proud of this honor that Mittler received with the help of his team. This achievement is extremely special to the Ramaz community, and they cannot wait to see what’s next for Mittler Senior Technology. Congratulations!

Freshman Shabbaton Postponed Leo Eigan ’25

Often, the highlight for Ramaz Upper School first-years is the Freshman Shabbaton, where the grade has the opportunity to go on a two-day trip, have Shabbat together, and engage in countless activities and bonding opportunities. However, students in the class of ’25 were informed in December that the Fresh-

man Shabbaton had been postponed to February. Ms. Krupka, Dean of Faculty, and Rabbi Dov Pianko, Director of Programming and Student Life, sent an email to parents soon after which provided more details about future plans and cited concerns over the Omicron variant and the uptick in COVID-19 cases prior to winter break as reasons for the postponement.

The Shabbaton is coordinated by Rabbi Dov,

along with Rabbi Segal and Dr. Aharon, the Freshman Grade Dean. The grade departs from Ramaz on Friday morning and does an activity during the day before arriving at the hotel in Asbury Park, New Jersey for pre-Shabbat preparations. During Shabbat there are services, meals, and student sessions aimed at the concept of friendship with the backdrop of a Dr. Seuss

Continued On Page 6

News 6

The Rampage

Freshman Shabbaton

Continued From Page 5 theme. Freshmen leave the hotel on Saturday after Shabbat ends for an activity before returning to Ramaz that night. Dr. Aharon describes that the sessions for students are designed, “...really to think about the value of all these great kids in your grade...” Because the Shabbaton will occur later in the year than originally planned, though, Dr. Aharon acknowledges that the focus of certain activities and student sessions might need to be adjusted in some ways.

However, she still stresses the importance of expanding friend groups and meeting new people: “I think people might have their social circles, but I think those circles will be expanded and crisscrossed and overlapped in every every other way.”

Much has changed in terms of the pandemic situation since the administration made the decision to postpone the Shabbaton in early December. The email sent to parents first announcing the postponement says that, “With a new variant of the coronavirus leading

to potential quarantine restrictions, we think the idea of a large group being together for Shabbat so close to the vacation is a challenge.” As it has turned out, the

Omicron variant has rapidly spread throughout the Ramaz community, even leading to three-days of remote learning right before vacation. Dr. Aharon says, “The whole point of a Shabbaton [is] to be, you know,

January 2022/Shevat 5782

together,” yet also recognizes that, despite retaining the important feeling of togetherness and doing similar activities, it is unlikely COVID precautions during the Shabbaton will be quite as relaxed as originally thought to-be.

In spite of the challenging circumstances and unforeseen postponement, freshmen await their inaugural high-school Shabbaton as one of the highlights of the year. Rachel Buller ’25, for example, says, “I’m very excited for the Shabbaton. I think despite the fact that it was postponed, it will still provide an opportunity for the freshmen to bond and form friendships like no other.” Similarly, Dr. Aharon maintains that the Shabbaton will be a meaningful for students and faculty alike: “When we’re in school, you get to hang out with people…but there’s something different when you’re dressed in your Shabbat clothes and you’re at a hotel and we’ve spent the day just doing activities together.”

Afraid of the Nurse Nathan Hiltzik ’25

Why are students afraid of the nurse? Is she scary? Does she bite? What is everyone so scared about? Well, the “scary school nurse” phenomenon commenced when we returned to in-person learning last year. Covid drastically tainted students’ views of the school nurse.

It was a miracle that the school was able to reopen last year after such a devastating couple of months. Although the school was open, the school was still restricted by COVID-19 protocols; masks were required and social distancing was heavily enforced.

This year, there have been accounts of students who had Covid symptoms but did not go to the nurse out of fear of being tested or actually having Covid. For

example, Ari Cepelowitz ‘25 had the flu this year. He began to feel sick on a Friday in school. He decided to stay in school because of the short day and because he was afraid to go to the nurse. When asked why he was afraid to go to the nurse, he replied that he was afraid, “because I did not want to have to get a Covid test and have a chance of needing to quarantine.” Additionally, Nicky Chalme ‘25 decided not to go to the nurse when she was not feeling well. She said, “I am scared to go to the nurse because she may think I have Covid.” Both Ari and Nicky were hesitant to go to the nurse out of fear of having Covid.

The nurse is required by NYC to test students if they display certain symptoms, such as runny nose, congestion, cough, sore throat, loss of taste and smell, vomiting, diarrea, and nausea. She said that the main

symptoms were fever, chills, new cough, and shortness of breath. Nurse Nechama said that, “students should not be afraid to come to me because I do not test students unless it is very obvious to me that they have a runny nose and they are coughing a lot, or they have something a little odd, like a loss of taste. I am very rational when deciding who I need to test.” Additionally, if a student tests positive, Nurse Nechama helps them find a testing center to receive their results in 24 hours or less.

The nurse wants students to feel comfortable going to her if they do not feel well. She is required to test students to keep the school open and to keep everyone healthy. Obviously, Nurse Nechama is not going to test students for no reason. So, should students really be afraid of the nurse?

The Rams Conquer L.A. Leila Sakai ’25

Did you know that the Ramaz varsity basketball teams went to Los Angeles for a tournament that included Yeshivas from throughout the U.S.? This tournament was created seven years ago in honor of Steven Glouberman who played basketball in his community and had an untimely death. The community created this event to carry on his legacy. Although the Ramaz teams did not come home with the title, they played very close games, and reinforced the talent and strength of their teams.

The Ramaz girls battled for the victory title and did not win, though they fought each game as if it was their last. The girls played a tough game against Shalhevet, where the tournament was hosted. Shalhevet is known for its talented and well-coached basketball teams. The Ramaz girls needed to beat Shalhevet to advance to the next round. Unfortunately, they lost, but they did not go down without a fight; at halftime, Ramaz was winning. Ramaz’s great playing caused all of Shalhevet’s fans to go absolutely silent. Even though Shalhevet won in the end, Shalhevet’s team looked frustrated and frazzled on the court. The Ramaz girls

played with aggression and power, worked great as a team, and challenged Shalhevet to the end.

Although the girls lost, the boys won every game they played except for the last. The boys played each game with determination, strength, and most importantly, unity. Unfortunately, Shalhevet beat Ramaz in the semi-championships, but the boys kept the fight alive until the clock hit zero. The commentators had announced this was one of the most exciting games they had seen in a while!

In addition to playing basketball, students had the opportunity to interact with each other off the court.

After returning from the tournament, Molly Hiltzik ‘24 said, “I loved L.A. I feel like it was such an amazing experience to become closer with my teammates; our team has truly felt like a family since L.A. I also really

enjoyed seeing friends from other schools.” This was Molly’s first year at the L.A. tou r name nt , however, it was the last year for our seniors.

Izzie Ottensoser ‘22 said, “I am really sad that this is my last year, but I am really happy I went on the trip with all of my friends. I only went once before and this year I played hard because it was my last L.A. tournament.” Julius Rubinstein ‘22, an essential player on the boys team, said, “the trip was a really great experience. I really enjoyed playing basketball alongside my teammates in a gym full of fans and meeting people from other schools.” Julius was awarded a “First Team All Tournament” award

Continued On Page 7

January 2022/Shevat 5782

The Rampage

our teams, who have players in 9th-12th grade, were really able to spend time with each other and get to know one another both on and off the court. They really built a lot of camaraderie and it has carried over to the Yeshiva season. The girls are 4-1 and the boys are 3-1; I couldn’t be more proud of them. Both teams’ hard work and dedication has really paid off. The sky is the limit for them.”

This trip was a learning experience for each player because it provided a unique opportunity to play basketball outside their regular league. Additionally, students have stated that their teams are more bonded from the trip and the camaraderie on the teams has been enhanced.

L.A. Basketball Tournament Continued From Page 6

-at the end of the tournament. Scott Ferguson, the coach for the girls and boys varsity basketball teams, is really pleased with how the teams performed in the tournament. Coach Scott said, “The Ramaz basketball trip to Los Angeles was more than wins and losses. It was the first time

News 7

Next Level: The New Ramaz Theme Sylvie Pagovich ’25

This year’s theme at Ramaz is “Next Level.”

Every year, the Ramaz administrative team chooses a new theme, which is used to motivate the students and faculty and project what Ramaz values. The “Next Level” theme was designed to take Ramaz to the next level, quite literally.

This year, after finally being back in school after the pandemic, the Ramaz administration wanted to retrieve the momentum they had before the pandemic started. Those running Ramaz were excited to return back to normal, and wanted to inspire, motivate, challenge and engage the community. The purpose of the theme is to take Ramaz to the next level: strengthening the community in every way possible.

One reason this theme was chosen was to give all members of the Ramaz community a greater connection to Judaism. The goal of this theme is to help motivate students and teachers alike to become more spiritual, to take their religiosity to the “next level.”

One of Ramaz’s mission statements is to help strengthen students’ connection to Judaism and Israel, helping the student body become more engaged in the Jewish community and motivate them to strengthen their connection to the land of Israel.

To implement the ideas of the “Next Level” theme, the Ramaz administration is increasing the

quality of the Judiac Studies and academic curriculum in general. Their objective is to connect our learnings with real world issues. In addition to all the academic changes Ramaz made, they have also taken extracurricular opportunities to the next level: they enhanced the Athletics, Technology, and Arts departments. Ramaz also created new chesed opportunities to get students more involved.

Another reason this theme was chosen was to help the Ramaz community to relate to the world around them. When choosing the theme, the Ramaz administration wanted the students to acknowledge what’s happening in the world and learn about those events. One of their intentions with this theme is to create an environment where students are trained to have more empathy for their fellow classmates and the world.

“Next level” is a very creative theme,” said Yona Weinstock ’22. “It encompasses our values of advancement and achievement especially this year with all of the new additions to the school.”

Overall, the theme of “Next Level” is simple: the administration wishes to bring the school to the next level of excellence, in every way possible.

“One of the most amazing things about Ramaz is that we never ‘rest on our laurels;’ our students, faculty, and staff always strive to do better, even when there’s already an excellent product,” said Mr. Jonathan Cannon.

“With an annual theme of Next Level, we are challenging ourselves to think creatively in all areas of the school – academically, social-emotionally, religiously, and programmatically, so that we can work together to advance our school and student life.”

Prospective Eighth Graders Return for Half Days Leo Eigen ’25

There have been some new faces among the crowds of students and teachers in the Ramaz hallways during the month of November: prospective eighth grade students. For the first time in two years, eighth graders have been able to tour the building, sit in on live classes, and experience a day in the life of a Ramaz high-schooler. Ms. Lieber, Associate Director of Admissions, emphasizes how important it is to physically welcome eighth graders back into the building, “Some things were great...virtually. But you can’t replace a half day visit.”

The pandemic inevitably prevented applicants to the Ramaz class of ’25 from the experience of a halfday visit during a real school day. Those who had never been to the building before had the opportunity to come and visit, as select Sunday tours were offered after acceptances had been sent out. However, those visits did not provide the same insight into Ramaz as midday visits do: “The feeling of the energy of this building was

missing,” Ms. Lieber points out. For students who had already been inside the Upper School, an array of programs conducted virtually were offered instead. “PanoRAMa Week” was a program held in lieu of sample classes, usually on the night of the open house, where prospective students met with teachers on Zoom for model lessons. The offerings were diverse, ranging from Judaic Studies to STEM to Humanities. “We tried to do as many activities virtually as possible to give the feeling of what it’s like to be a student here,” Ms. Lieber says. Another program was a virtual tour from Ms. Krupka, which gave prospective students and parents a closer glimpse at the building, albeit by way of Vimeo.

For a visiting Ramaz eighth grader, the schedule aims for them to sit in on at least one Judaic Studies and one General Studies class, with a third class being either of the two. This differentiates this year from last as students are able to engage in live classes as opposed to sample lessons. In the average year, visitors would eat lunch with Upper School students, but that changed this year for health and safety reasons. While

the Open House and student interviews will also be conducted virtually this year, it is still too early to determine about placement tests or other aspects of the admissions process.

The return of in-person visitors from the Ramaz Middle School was largely a success. Although the vast majority of students from the Ramaz Middle School continue onto the Upper School (as on average only roughly 10% of students in eighth grade at Ramaz move elsewhere for high school), it was still important for half-days to resume. “They went really well. The kids had a great time, and everyone was safe.” Ms. Lieber says.

Traveling Rams: Ramaz Commuters Express Outrage at New Schedule Aviva Lehman ’22

“This new schedule for commuters is absolute narishkeit!” says David Gitelman ’22. For years, Ramaz has claimed they are accommodating towards commuters as an Open House campaign to attract non-city

dwellers. However, many commuters at Ramaz would argue that this claim is far from the truth. “Ramaz does not care for commuters.” states Izzie Ottensoser ‘22.

The administration claims that last year’s decision to make davening second period was to help commuters.

Many times students who live in Manhattan will de-

cide to show up late or skip davening on test days, giving an unfair advantage over commuters who cannot do this. First period class before davening will act as an incentive for city kids to show up on time, erasing that advantage over commuters. However, most comContinued On Page 8

News 8

Traveling Rams Continued From Page 7

-muters argue that not only does this not help them, it actively harms them more than it does city kids. “The thing about davening second period is that I take the bus from Great Neck so when davening was first period, if there was traffic and I was late, it was fine because I can catch up in davening. But now, if I’m late, I’m missing actual class time and learning that I can’t get back.” says Eliana Sobel ‘22. The administration assumes that the lateness problem among the student body is fixable and controlled by individual students.

While simply “waking up or leaving earlier” can be an effective method of preventing latenesses for the Manhattan kids, it is not the case for commuters. For those who take the bus or the train, timing is completely out of their control.

“Ramaz changing the start and end times by 15 minutes was meant to help commuters, but all it really did was help city kids get home 15 minutes earlier.

It had no effect on commuters at all. People keep telling me to just wake up earlier but I already get up at 6am plus it wouldn’t make a difference because regardless what time I wake up or school starts, the bus still comes at the same time because the school doesn’t communicate the correct times to the bus company. Also, even if my bus did come 15 minutes later, there is still traffic so it wouldn’t make a difference.”- Brayden Serphos ‘22. Ozzie Kramer ‘22 says, “The school assumes that everybody’s ability to come on time is in their control, and that might be the case for city kids, but it is not true for commuters. Everything that contributes to my lateness is not in my control so it is absurd I should

The Rampage

be punished for that.” The departure and arrival time for the bus is decided by the bus company, not the students. Students waking up or leaving the house earlier would have no effect on arrival time because it is simply not in their control. Even so, some commuters wake up as early as 5:30am. Many students believe waking up earlier than that would be unhealthy and ridiculous. Additionally, traffic is a big factor in lateness for bus takers, something completely out of both the students and the bus company’s control. While the lateness policies still affect city kids, the punishment

for lateness seems cruel and unusual for commuters whose inability to come on time isn’t their fault. “I find it honestly offensive when I get lateness emails for being 15 minutes late. Like I don’t commute over an hour just to be punished for a 15 minute lateness that was out of my control. Me being late isn’t the same as a Manhattan kid being late and it’s unfair we get the same punishment.”- Mia Denti ‘22. While it might be

January 2022/Shevat 5782

true for someone who lives on the Upper East Side and walks to school to be on time by leaving the house earlier, it doesn’t work like that for commuters who travel over an hour to get to school and aren’t in control of the factors that contribute to their latenesses.

The general negativity from commuters surrounding the new schedule makes one wonder why the administration keeps making these changes for the sake of commuters when it only harms them. “It’s like the administration keeps saying they make these changes for non-city kids but like I don’t think the administration has ever talked to any real commuters about it because not a single commuter I’ve talked to has said they liked the new schedule. They keep making these decisions to help commuters but they’ve never taken the time to ask actual commuters what we really want so they just end up making things worse for us.”- Mati Finkelstein ‘22.

In addition, the second period davening isn’t even an effective method at preventing latenesses.

Many students still skip davening, they just opt to skip first period classes as well. While it is understandable that, as a Jewish institution, we should require davening, it is not necessary to enforce strict and unfair rules to those who clearly have no desire to participate.

Jessica Moskovits ‘22 says, “Those who want to daven, show up to davening and those who clearly don’t want to daven, don’t show up. As long as davening isn’t disrupted, I don’t really see the need for such strict policies.”

Interview with Dr. Liebert (West Point) Emily Vayner ‘23

Dr. Hugh Liebert is a professor at West Point Military Academy. He teaches an Introduction to Political Thought and Introduction to American Politics class there. He came to visit Ramaz and taught both of Dr. Tugendhaft’s Classics of Political Thought classes.

Emily Vayner: Tell me a bit about yourself: What are your interests outside of teaching? Do you have any hobbies?

Dr. Liebert: One of the nice things about teaching is that I get to do my hobby for a living. Apart from that, I love playing jazz on the Saxophone and I love to run as well. I also do some coaching for my kids’ sports teams.

Emily Vayner: Tell me a bit about teaching at West Point: Describe some of the courses you teach there.

What are the student-teacher relationships like at West Point?

Dr. Liebert: One of the classes I teach at West Point is an Introduction to Political Thought where we read Plato’s Republic, study Machiavelli’s works, and some other great works of political thought. I also teach the Introduction to American Politics and Government, which is a required course at West Point. I teach an advanced course called the State and the Soldier which covers civil military and relations.

The student teacher relationships at West Point are very strong, we even have awards for them. As a teacher, I am always available to my students and the classes are

very small. We have very few lectures there, and a seminar table just like in the class I taught in today. Professors are encouraged to mentor their students outside of class and organize different trips for cadets. I would say it’s an extremely tight-knit community.

Emily Vayner: Why did you choose West Point to teach political science? Did you ever consider joining the military?

Dr. Liebert: My dad was in the navy as a doctor when I was growing up, but I honestly never thought about joining the military. When I was looking for a job, West Point needed someone to teach politics. When I visited I became enchanted with the place for two main reasons.

What stood out to me was the quality of the people there; the faculty and students. In addition to their high intellectual level, they had a set of life experiences and great character. The other thing that stood out was West Point’s mission of leadership and character development— the idea that your actions reflect your true character. I found it refreshing to be able to have honest conversations with my students.

Emily Vayner: What advice would you give to a Ramaz student applying to West Point?

Dr. Liebert: I would strongly suggest visiting! For people who are well suited to it, it’s an extraordinary institution. I like to say that this period of time is how you choose to spend your twenties. West Point is an elite education that is challenging in many ways and requires a very high level of responsibility. Besides for the challenging four years of education, you will be sent out as lieutenant in very challenging spots where you are taught to discover your own character.

Emily Vayner: Did you enjoy your guest lecture at Ramaz today?

What did you teach?

Were there any moments today that stood out to you?

Dr. Liebert: The students are brilliant! I taught Plato’s republic to Dr. Tugendhaft’s classes and I enjoyed it very much. The students clearly understood the text very well and it was honestly awesome. I recall my most recent conversation about how even if a city is viewed as peaceful to other cities, it still has to worry about order breaking down internally. It teaches us the importance of the police force in addition to our guardians. Another student commented that the guardians in Plato’s Republic are similar to the Jedi in Star Wars!

Ramaz’s Official Laptop Policy

Rachel Abelson ’24

Many Ramaz students feel that they are expected to bring their laptops to school daily. Is this necessary? Most classes have at least one student using a

laptop, and students are seen using their computers in the lounges and library. When asked about the school’s official laptop policy, Ms. Krupka explained, “[computers] can be used in the hallways, library, etc. But they are not allowed in classes unless a teacher gives

specific, okay with laptops in their class.” Regardless of whether students are aware or unaware that this is the official policy, many students bring their laptops just in case an opportunity arrives to use them. In addition, Continued On Page 9

January 2022/Shevat 5782

The Rampage

News 9

school does not have an official policy for them. iPads are tricky because they can be viewed as a computer or simply as a notebook with an Apple pencil. Therefore, this is not as clear cut. The overall policy is viewed similarly, and therefore can be compared to the laptop policy. Ms. Grossman commented that an iPad seems like an expensive notebook. The main difference between the two is you can organize your notes on your iPad like a laptop. Rabbi Albo on the other hand said, “I don’t think it matters, it’s just they are both different tools. Some people find iPads more comfortable to use.

There is a difference between the two. I think potentially laptops are probably easier to use because they have a keyboard that’s not directly on the screen”.

Some teachers may say that laptops serve as a distraction and hindrance to student learning. Ms. Newman says, “ I just think it’s such a distraction for

most people. I know that people go on things they’re not supposed to.” On the other hand, some teachers believe that laptops are extremely beneficial to young learners and serve as great support for efficiency and reliability. For some students laptops are a way to keep organized and not lose papers they are given in class – while for others, it is an easier way to take notes.

Overall, students are not required to bring their laptops to school. It is up to each teacher’s discretion if they allow students to use laptops in their classes, and some teachers do not have a preference if students use computers. At the end of the day, whether teachers allow laptops or not, they make policies with the intentions of helping the most students succeed in their classes.

Laptop Policy Continued From Page 8 Ms. Krupka said that students are NOT expected to bring their laptops daily, and she does not let students use laptops in her class unless they have an accommodation.

Teachers have the right to allow laptops or prohibit them in their classes. When asked why they think some teachers allow laptops, Ms. Newman, Ms. Krupka, Ms. Grossman, Rabbi Albo, and Dr. Milowitz all agreed that it depends on the teacher’s preference.

They explained that teachers have the right to do what they feel is best for their class. For some teachers, it is black and white, yes or no, answer as to whether they allow laptops. For others, they determine on a case by case basis.

The presence of iPads has been growing in school. Because iPads are a new learning tool, the

Ramaz Sports are Back and Better Than Ever!

Rae Kaplan ’24

When Ramaz closed in March of 2020, its student athletes lost the chance to participate in organized sports. Over the last year and a half, their commitment to sports was tested; they were challenged to find opportunities to train and engage in sports outside of school. Since students were not allowed to play in organized sports games at Ramaz, it was really their responsibility to stay in shape and improve their skills.

Summer camp was a great opportunity to do this, and many students took advantage of camp to keep up their games. Izzie Ottensoser, a senior on the varsity girls basketball team, said that playing sports at Camp Seneca Lake, like tennis, basketball, hockey, and handball, helped her stay in shape. Molly Hiltzik is another basketball player who worked on her skills at summer camp. Jordan Rechtschaffen, the star of the

tennis team, played over the last year and a half, and is extremely excited for the Ramaz season. Even stu-

dents who had not played sports since the start of the pandemic found the time to prepare for the upcoming

season. Ben Davidovitch, a sophomore on the baseball team, did not play over the summer but prepared for this year’s season by having catches with his brother and spending a lot of time at the batting cages. Clearly, Ramaz’s student athletes are committed to their sports and their teams.

All of their hard work is paying off now that leagues are active again. Currently, all of our teams are playing at a very high level and many have championship aspirations. Mr. Ari Witkes has brought a new spirit and seriousness to Ramaz athletics. When asked about the progress of our teams this year, Mr. Witkes said that, “Ramaz sports are back and a force to be reckoned with. School spirit and pride are at the forefront of Ramaz athletics. The teams are doing great, but the energy and enthusiasm at the ‘RAM-DOME’ is what separates Ramaz from all the others. The Rams are on fire and are always ready to RAM IT UP!”

Differences Between Girls and Boys Classes Romi Chaovat ’24

According to New York State law, all students must have physical education as one of their courses throughout high school. The basis of this law is to ensure that both boys and girls have physical activity within their academically packed weeks. It has been shown that an active lifestyle can reduce risk of depression and other health issues, which ultimately leads to more academic success as well. Throughout history, athletics as they pertain to the different genders have been treated differently. In the professional world, there is often a heavier emphasis and advertisement of men’s sports. At Ramaz, though it may not be because of the same reasons, there are major differences between the boys’ and girls’ gym classes -- separated by a Mechitza.

In the girls’ gym class, the students follow an organized curriculum in which there are units for each

sport. The students spend a couple weeks on one sport, then move on to the next. The curriculum includes common sports, such as basketball, soccer, hockey, etc.

Starting this year off with volleyball, the female gym classes have now moved on to the step aerobics unit.

As step aerobics isn’t a well-known sport or workout amongst teenagers, many wondered why it’s included in the curriculum. When asked about this question, Ms. Cohen explained, “It is a great way for the students to move and sweat and get their heart rates up.

I wanted them to know that there are other ways of getting exercise besides playing sports, plus it gives the non-athletic students a chance to excel at dance, choreography and movement which is something they may not be able to show if they are playing sports.”

Both the male and female classes must consider the different range of students -- athletic to non-athletic. When Mr. Witkes was faced with this hurdle, he decided to structure the boys’ class in a completely dif-

ferent way. Their classes have no strict curriculum that must be followed. Mr. Witkes simply allows the boys to play their preferred sport, making sure everyone is involved. Whether it’s a game of basketball or spike ball, the boys always have the option to play something they enjoy. Although one could argue this method can lead to students taking advantage and not participating in physical activity, it seems to be working for Mr. Witkes.

When asked about it, Emy Khodorkovsky ‘24 stated, “I definitely like the way gym class is run because it just gives me time to run around and exercise in its purest form. It grants me the freedom to choose what to do”.

Despite the two different structures, both are tailored to a variety of students within the student body. Physical education at Ramaz aims to focus not only on athletics but also students’ enjoyment and involvement in gym class.

Sno’ Day Sno’ Problem Rachel Buller ’25

While entering yet another year of the pandemic, the debate of whether snow days should become remote learning days has become relevant yet again. Students want to know whether Zoom will replace what were once snow days. We have just had our first snow day of the year on January 7th, 2022 and indeed it was a regular snow day, no remote learning.

However, the plans for the next snow days do not resemble what had happened for the first. During an in-

terview with Ms. Krupka on December 22nd 2021, before the decision regarding snow days was confirmed, she predicted, “Although we don’t know for sure yet, for the first snow day, we might just call it a snow day, but if there were multiples, then we would go to some sort of schedule of Zoom learning.”

Ms. Krupka acknowledges the likelihood of only one true snow day and is aware that the students would rather have all snow days be days off from school; she agrees. In an email from Mr. Cannon sent on January 5th, he writes, “The first snow day of the

year will be a full day off with no remote or in-person learning… Please plan for subsequent snow days to be remote learning days.” While Ms. Krupka’s speculations were confirmed, she also offers a potential and reasonable compromise. Now that remote learning has been finalized as the plan for more than one snow day, the schedule may be modified to shorter and less stressful hours for those days. Ms. Krupka said, “I could also see maybe having some sort of modified schedule, so that you’re not like sitting at the computer Continued On Page 10

News 10

Snow Days Continued From Page 9 from 8:15 or 8:45 until 4:40… something more like 10:00 to 2:00 and only some of your classes will meet or something like that”. Not only does Ms. Krupka feel that this is a fair middle ground, but so do students. For example, Eric Kalimi `22 says in reference to remote snow days, “We would still get to sleep in because there

The Rampage

wouldn’t be any commuting time. It wouldn’t be the same but at least it’s something.” Eric feels that ideally, classes would be fully canceled but he is still appreciative nonetheless. He also agrees with Ramaz’s decision to limit the number of snow days with no classes. He says, “I think we should have off for the first one or two days, but if the number of snow days is excessive then

January 2022/Shevat 5782

they could use Zoom days.” Eric feels that the school is being fair and reasonable. The administration’s final decision has been set in place and is resulting in some remote learning, however they are being reasonable and understanding.

Ramaz Goes Remote Days Before Winter Break Rebecca Silber ’23

As Winter Break neared, and COVID-19 cases spiked among the students and faculty of Ramaz, rumors of Zoom school returning for the week of Winter Break began to spread. And finally, on Sunday evening, December 19, the Ramaz community finally received an email informing them that “starting tomorrow, Monday, December 20, through Wednesday, December 22, all divisions of Ramaz will be learning virtually.” Although the virtual learning only took place for three days, it was not at all an easy decision for the administration to make.

Discussions about possibly going virtual before break was division wide, and began toward the beginning/middle of December. At this time, the heads of all three divisions noticed a huge spike in cases in the Upper East Side, and especially within the younger divisions of Ramaz, as more and more unvaccinated students and faculty got sick. Ms. Krupka states that due to these circumstances, the administration decided that “we didn’t want everyone to be sick going into vacation and there was just a fear of how quickly and how fast this was spreading, and so maybe it made sense to let people sit it out at home for a couple of days.”

Although the Ramaz community received an email on Thursday night stating that school might close down, the reason why it took until the night before in order to finalize that decision is because the administration was essentially “doing everything they could to not close.

Sometimes when trying to push for the opposite out-

come we wait and wait and wait until it is finally time to give in,” according to Ms. Krupka. In addition, many students and faculty were waiting for their COVID-19 test results over the weekend, and it was not until Sunday that many of those results came in positive, and at that point, Ramaz decided that it was simply not worth it to stay open. There was also a feeling that the divisions should all close together, since many families rely on their older children to watch their younger kids.

For the first time since last year, Zoom school was up and running throughout all three divisions of Ramaz.

Zoom classes ran according to the regular day schedule, except that first period and tefilah were swapped, causing the school day to begin at 8:58 instead of 8:15. In addition, all tests, except for the math tests, took place over Zoom. And yet again, every class page on schoology included a Zoom link at the top. Since the school became much stricter this year in only allowing students infected with Covid to Zoom, the majority of Ramaz students, including Claudia Dicker ’23, felt that “returning to virtual learning for the first time in so long made me feel like I was back in March 2020.”

And for many students– especially those going away on vacation or planning on seeing friends and family– those extra few days at home ensured that their Winter Break would not be spent locked up in

their rooms, surrounded by tissues and tylenol. But of course, Zoom school is not the ideal way to learn– especially when students are coming from a full three months of face to face, in class learning. “I was definitely glad to be on Zoom, but after the first day I realized that it was just so much harder for me to focus and participate while learning through a computer instead of in a classroom” said Shira Shasha ’23.

Ms. Krupka admits that she is “not a fan of remote learning, and that the decision to close should be made only under very necessary circumstances… hopefully following those three days we won’t have to do it again.” In hindsight, Ms. Krupka feels that the decision to go virtual was right, but a lot of factors went into that decision, so “just because we did it once, doesn’t mean we will do it again.”

building the robot to offer advice and suggestions for improvement. As team members, we can tell you that although initially figuring out what we were going to do and how was quite tricky, it was an exciting and rewarding experience. Jeremy Propp, who feels a sense of connection to the Ramaz PR team, felt that it very important to spread the word and gave out over 30 Ramaz Robotics stickers to kids from other schools, “Stickers are and aren’t life, and they made us very likable to the teams we were defeating.” About twenty-four oth-

flipped it, which was against the rules but no matter how much we explained this to the ref, he said it was legal since it was not their intention, but it messed with our place in the competition,” says Liam. Stress and tension were running high trying to figure everything out. However, we made the finals by the skin of our teeth, and pure luck that other high-ranking teams lost their fourth round. Teamed up with Solomon Schechter Long Island, we squeezed a second-place victory.

There are two CIJE competitions every year, and the team is already gearing up for the next one. Each game is the same, with rings and goals set up on a plane, and the robot who collects the most of these objects wins. “Our robot kept getting its wheels stuck in rings slowing it down, so we are removing and changing its mechanics to be even more efficient,” says Adrian Rosenfeld ‘24, who was in charge of the robot’s hardware. Some team members, including Phillip, feel that the school should provide more funding to buy better equipment and move into a more serious league.

“We have a lot of potential, and are working with the Continued On Page 11

A Win for the Ramaz Robotics Team Sarah Silverman ’24 and Rachel Abelson ’24

Ramaz wins again, and no, this is not a news article about a hockey game or the Varsity Girls Basketball winning streak, but the recent second-place win in the CIJE Jewish league by the new robotics team. This group, founded by Jeremy Propp ’24, Adrian Rosenfeld ’24, Liam Gomberg’ 24 and Phillip-David Meadows ’24, was started due to faculty members and students feeling that it was time for our school to have a competitive sector of its tech and engineering department. “We had friends from other schools who were part of teams like this and wondered why Ramaz was not,” says Phillip, “we brought it to Dr. Rotenberg and Ms. Brachot’s attention, and it seems that they were thinking along the same lines but needed student interest, and here it was.” Although currently restricted to Sophomores and Juniors, due to meeting during 6th period lunch, there are bright horizons in its future.

Nevertheless, back to what we all genuinely care about, Ramaz’s robotics victory.

“We didn’t know what we would be walking into,” says Liam Gomberg ’24, the robot’s driver, “but we are happy with our place, especially since it was our first time competing.” Even Dr. Rotenberg, the faculty leader of the club, was not sure how we would fare since he had never participated in tournaments of this sort but was pleasantly surprised.

CIJE, the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education, runs the competition and sponsors many of the school’s engineering programs, including providing the Tec department’s Arduino boards. The head of the competition even came to school in the initial stages of

er Jewish schools participated, and the Ramaz robot came out strong with a solid 3-0 win until the fourth quarter. Then the worst happened, another team, the Idea School, flipped the robot completely over, causing us to lose the next round by 0-20 and jeopardizing our possibility of qualifying for the final battle. “They

January 2022/Shevat 5782

The Robotics Team Continued From Page 10 administration to expand and incorporate other aspects of engineering, such as machine learning, that would be used in higher level competitions.” However, for the foreseeable future, Dr. Rotenberg believes that

The Rampage

it is essential to let other grades participate, and next year there will be two different robots for the lunch periods, and maybe another for people who prefer after school. It’s all about student interest and their level of commitment. The team looks forward to crushing the

News 11

Idea School in the next competition and continuing its winning streak.

An Uptick in COVID-19 Cases: The Ramaz Response Orli Rabbani ’25

Winter Break is supposed to be a calming time for students and faculty members at Ramaz. A week and a half hiatus involving airplanes and rest before we all start hunkering down for finals. Unfortunately, the three days before this break started, the administration made the decision to close down and have us learn on Zoom. Throughout those three days, many students from every grade were getting infected.

December 22nd, 2021, Nurse Moskowitz sent an email to students and their families, informing them of the intensification in the COVID-19 situation. “We want to inform you that there has been a surge in the number of positive cases of COVID-19 reported in the Upper School. This is consistent with the rapid spread of COVID-19 in the wider community. Eight positive cases have been reported so far since this weekend, to cases in each of the grades.” This made Winter Break a rather agitating time in terms of getting sick.

While Winter Break was a well-deserved vacation from school-related stress, students knew that coming back to school would be an anxiety-inducing situation, due to upcoming finals and the much stricter safety rules.

Prior to the break, the CDC approved the booster vaccine for ages 16-17. This meant that all seniors, most juniors, and a handful of sophomores were

eligible for their booster shot. A clinic was offered for those eligible students. Over break, the students that could get boosted got their shot, helping them fight COVID-19. This was a check on the to-do list of the Ramaz Administration- have the Upper School students get boosted. At this point, the staff and many students were boosted, giving a point to Ramaz in the Ramaz versus COVID battle. This now left out a handful of juniors, most sophomores, and all freshmen. Thankfully, the CDC approved the next booster for ages 12-15, meaning that by the end of January, all Upper School students could be boosted.

The first post-break step was a smart one: Have all students and staff members get tested. Therefore, you would know prior to your return whether or not to quarantine. Getting tested before returning to school was pikuach nefesh. Doing so would save others from getting sick if one did test positive. And while the school did offer on-site testing upon arrival, the former was the best and safest option. The on-site testing was the last resort. Though many families took advantage of the testing on Monday morning, lines were down 85th and 78th street all day on Sunday.

The next step was enforcing masks even more so than before. There are now more constant mask reminders and precautions in the elevator. Though the first week back was cut short due to the snow day, the

four days we had in school were overwhelmed by mask reminders and safety precautions that students were hesitant to follow earlier in the year. However, students are still not following the updated COVID-19 protocols.

Throughout the first we back, the school was saddened by many new positive cases. Mid-week, Mr. Cannon sent an email to the entire school, updating us on new protocols. He touched on quarantining in terms of test results and vaccination status, exposure, testing, and masks. “We cannot overemphasize the importance of keeping masks on at all times, with the exception of eating. Any student who continues to be non-compliant will be asked to go home.”

The end is in sight, everyone.

A family physician, Jaime Loeher, said to the Wall Street Journal in an interview: “I see this as a surge that is greater than other surges. I see the number of cases as tremendously higher and just by the volume of cases, I would see a large number of people in the hospital. That is what is concerning me. Let’s whack this one down.”

Through compliance with the school’s new COVID-19 guidelines, there is a future for the school without any masks, Zoom, and social distancing.

The Silverman Report: To Tisch or Not to Tisch: Ramaz’s Love/Hate Relationship with Food

Sarah Silverman ’24

Disclaimer (for legal reasons, and for those of you who can’t understand that this article is satire): this article is a joke.

Ramaz kids and food, what more can I say?

What is high school if not a large group of teenagers surrounding a box of Saba’s pizza and, as nature intended, fighting for the last slice? Drop a box in the middle of a Ramaz class and wait and see as National Geographic comes alive. Who needs gorillas when you have sophomore boys? When asked for comment, Ms. Brachot, Sophomore Dean and Head of the Science Department, said that the boy’s behavior is “curious” and was “asking around the department if any faculty member was interested in researching it.” Sadly, there were no takers, but maybe one auspicious Hitlavout scholar will take it up.

Rabbi Albo has decided to do weekly tisches instead of a regular period after having kids come late to his Honors Talmud class due to the long lines for Ramaz’s famous Friday pizza.

“Hey chabibi, if you can’t beat them, join them, and who am I to get in the way of man and his pizza?” the rabbi said, shrugging in acceptance.

Amiel Low ’24, a student who is famous for not being able to live without his weekly dose and a big advocate for the plan, is thrilled. “It’s really the best of both worlds, some singing for Shabbos filled with food. I feel like I accomplished something great; now I know how it feels to be a member of SFAC. We are really moving things forward. Mr. Elisha always appreciates my singing in the middle of class, and I’m happy to spread the love.”

This tisch is one of many that happen on Fridays. Rabbi Weisers’ is always as exciting and energetic as his personality, and a women’s tisch run by Ms. Kru-

pa, Ms. Gedwiser, and Ms. Benus has also begun. Some faculty have wondered if students are going for their love of Torah or the food.

“A Tisch is food, and food is the happening at Tisches,” this notion, according to Ms. Benus, makes it difficult to tell if students are going just to fill their bellies. “I’ve noticed students going Tisch hopping; they go into 202 to get some treats and walk up to four for some pizza. The mixture of cultures is great, but I’m not sure if kids are going for the added learning.” In many ways, this statement was ironic since, while interviewed, Ms. Benus was going from her own Friday tisch to Rabbi Albo’s. “I like Sephardic food too, and I’m not saying I don’t do it,” she admitted.

In a recent student survey, when asked to think of the first word that came to their mind when they heard “tisch,” 60 percent of students said “food,” 20 percent said “Rabbi Weiser,” and 10 percent said “learning.” We salute the five senior boys part of the morning learning chat who answered correctly.

Mishmar is also back, ripe with Torah and Holy Schnitzel. As always, 201 is packed with students eager to get their extra daily dose, as long as refreshments are provided, of course. It has been noted by administrators and kids alike that the number of attendees is disproportionately higher when the Mish-

mar Schoology post by Rabbi Segal adds “dinner will be served!” Ashley Behm ’24, a student on her 9th Mishmar point, agreed with this point. “After a long day, what more could a student want? All I will say is that food doesn’t deter anyone. In fact, the opposite is true.”

The vending machines, always stocked full of water bottles and yellow Gatorade (although Snapple is always somehow missing), help paint a picture of the student body’s love of paying for stuff that’s actually free. Alas, if we had enough energy to walk to the cafeteria or the 6th floor office to ask for a cup of water. But, as true Ramaz kids, we’d instead take the easy way out and pay for convenience. A plague has swept through the machines: items are sold out by homeroom on Monday. Namely, snickers and Peanut M&Ms; it’s as if Ramaz students don’t want to take advantage of the free cereal. At the beginning of school in the mornings, a coffee station was set up “for the teachers.” However, early-bird students also took advantage of the station, causing it to be revoked, teaching us the important lesson that when things are for teachers, it’s referring to school teachers and not your friend who stayed up teaching you a month’s worth of Continued On Page 12

Features 12

The Rampage

January 2022/Shevat 5782

The Silverman Report: To Tisch or Not to Tisch

Continued From Page 11 math ’till 2 am before the test that day. Although many would argue, they put in the same amount of work.

With COVID-19 regulations on food all but

gone, Ramaz’s cookies and treats are back in full swing and all, but the sanitation crew is thrilled. These elements provide incentives to students throughout the day and add a fun point to classes. Let’s just hope we

don’t all get tummy aches afterward. Seven flights of stairs and five pieces of pizza are a disaster for anyone.

Tisches: Bringing Ruach to Ramaz Ashley Behm ’24

Every Friday during homeroom, Schoology becomes flooded with announcements regarding the various Tisches being thrown around the building.

While some choose to go to the lunchroom for pizza during this period, others choose to attend a tisch. A tisch is a gathering with song, dance, food, and shared anecdotes on the parsha. These tisches help welcome Shabbat and end the week on a positive note.

Every week there are three main tisches open to anyone interested in some pre-Shabbat ruach. Rabbi Weiser leads a lively tisch with lots of dancing. Students who go are treated to kugel, which is followed by singing, specifically a passionate rendition of shalom aleichem. Rabbi Weiser’s tisches are known for including a loud mosh pit.

“I look forward to going to Rabbi Weiser’s tisches all week. I enjoy dancing with Rabbi Weiser and getting to know guys from different grades. Not to mention the kugel is amazing,” Fisher Angrist ‘24, a regular attendee said.

In the beit knesset on two, the Sephardic Culture club meets every week led by Rabbi Albo. Their meetings every week are in the form of a tisch where those who choose to go take part in discussions on the Parsha and learn about Sephardic cultures. Each week students sponsor food from different Sephardic cultures.

On three, there is a women’s tisch run by the female Judaic teachers. Female students in attendance enjoy ice cream and cookies. The women of Ramaz are able to usher in Shabbos together with song and dance in a calmer setting.

Sarah Silverman ‘24 who has gone to a woman’s Tisch appreciates learning about the week’s Torah portion through a female lens and hearing more diverse interpretations than would normally be heard in her classes. “It’s nice to get together with the other girls of Ramaz and enjoy a special twenty minutes together before Shabbat. I love hearing the insights on the Parsha while enjoying ice cream.”

For some, the tisches extend past homeroom.

Rabbi Albo’s sophomore honors Talmud class enjoys a weekly tisch fourth period every Friday. The class

convenes in the lunchroom where they eat pizza and cookies while discussing the parsha. Their tisches end off with meaningful singing. World-renowned Jewish singer Avraham Fried even made a surprise appearance at one of their tisches.

Aviva Weinstock ‘24, a member of the class, brought the idea of a weekly tisch to Rabbi Albo who enthusiastically agreed. “My idea to have a tisch every Friday in Talmud class really just came from the fact that Fridays, to me, should be filled with all of us having some fun instead of just sitting in a classroom all day. I like that our class has a period every Friday to look forward to that just consists of food, singing, and creative questions. I think it brings our class together and that everyone should have some sort of oneg filled with singing and eating on Friday. It’s nice to have some pre-Shabbos ruach!”

While there may not be schoolwide onegs just yet, tisches fill those gaps. Ramaz students like to eat and hang out together, especially after a long week of classes. Tisches facilitate bonding and fun while bringing in Shabbat.

Book Rec of the Month: Schoolgirl Jem Hanan ‘25

Growing up is difficult. This idea is a topic covered by many authors, all trying to cash in on the ever growing genre of “coming of age” stories. In the west, the book that began this trend is widely believed to be The Catcher in the Rye. But what if a book that is meant to connect to me as a growing young person just doesn’t click? As much as I appreciated The Catcher in the Rye, I just couldn’t seem to identify with Holden.

Enter Schoolgirl by Osamu Dazai. With its stunning writing and painfully relatable protagonist, this book was able to captivate me and fill the “coming of age” shaped void I hadn’t even realized was there (and you probably don’t either).

To say the novella has a premise would be a bit of stretch. Our protagonist is an unnamed teenage girl, and the entirety of the novella is told through her perspective in a stream-of-consciousness format, much like The Catcher in the Rye. The novella spans just one day of this girl’s life, from the moment she wakes up to the moment she goes to sleep. However, we get to know her intimately through her thoughts, views on the world around her, and her interactions.

One of the amazing aspects of this book is how it manages to touch on so many facets of being an adolescent. Dazai is able to put into words the feelings that accompany growing up in ways that make perfect sense. He captures the entirety of the emotion, allows

the reader to stew with it, and then moves on, spending just enough time to give it impact. His deft use of metaphors beautifully portrays the protagonist’s outlook, and it never comes across as pretentious or convoluted. The blend of masterful writing, a compelling main character, and concision with which the story is told allows for Schoolgirl to be a gratifying and entertaining reading experience.

What I believe sets Schoolgirl apart from its contemporaries is the main character’s self awareness. Too often, books written about teenagers forget the fact that there is an intellectual person behind the seemingly impulsive, hormonal, insecure actions that he or she takes. Dazai brings to light how painful the contradiction within an adolescent can be, primarily because they are hyper aware of this contradiction.

This self awareness is present throughout the discussion of other struggles the main character grapples with, such as her individuality, authenticity, physical appearance, and limbo between immaturity and adulthood.

Another factor to consider when reading this novella is how its time period and cultural differences don’t create the separation you’d think they would between yourself and the content. Schoolgirl was originally written in Japanese and takes place in

1930s Japan. Here and there, things do happen which would be out of the ordinary in the US in 2022, but the core themes of human emotion explored throughout can still deeply resonate with the reader no matter who or where they are. If anything, the differences in culture add another dimension to the novella, and allows one to explore what life was like for a young girl in 1930s Japan.

I read Schoolgirl in May of 2021, and I don’t think a day has gone by where it hasn’t crossed my mind. It’s just one of those books that will deeply resonate with anyone, although specifically with the teenage female audience. I guarantee that you will have at least one line from the novella underlined and saved in your phone because somehow it was able to capture such a specific feeling you had in the most beautiful way imaginable. Do yourself a favor and read Schoolgirl by Osamu Dazai.

So many people adore watching celebrities prance down the red carpet in designer gowns and suits and wait to see who gets to take home the awards. There was no way to watch the show, leaving so many fans disappointed. “Now, after the critics’ ceremony was postponed amid the Omicron surge, the Globes will have Sunday night all to themselves for a big, splashy … audience-less, glorified PowerPoint presentation.”

(Sarah Bahr, New York Times)

This was another exciting event that COVID-19 had to ruin. The entertainment business already went through a tough few years in terms of

filming and getting cast and crew members together, so throwing a cancelation of a huge awards show in the business’ face was very disappointing. None of the award recipients and nominees were even at the show; they were chilling and refreshing Twitter in their pajamas. COVID-19 has taken away so much from the world. Not even live-streaming a zoom award show, which was what they partially did for the 2021 Emmy Awards.

Additionally, if they weren’t going to give their audience a show and force us to reboot the Golden Continued On Page 13

The Golden Globes 2022: My Take Orli Rabbani ’25

No red carpet. No fashion. No live audience.

No broadcasting. No speeches. This was the saddening experience of the 2022 Golden Globes awards. While award shows are normally an exciting two hours on television each year, filled with fabulous dresses and both live and at-home audiences on the edges of their seats, this year, the show was not live-streamed. Fans merely sat on their couches and refreshed the Golden Globes website to see which of their favorite stars won.

This year, of course, was a disappointing year.

January 2022/Shevat 5782

The Golden Globes 2022

Continued From Page 12

The Rampage

Opinions 13

Globes website five times a minute, they could have canceled the awards and sent out an email to all of the winners instead. Why did they ask audiences to sit at home and stalk social media?

Nonetheless, especially due to the hard work of the entertainment business in 2021, in terms of COVID-19 and the beautiful films produced, we, the stars, the directors, and the musicians, deserve the award show. They’ve worked so hard and they need appreciation.

This year, it was just bizarre. Without the fanfare, was it even a thing? Did anyone care? The awards were just a strange jumble of Twitter posts. “Tweets were so gleeful, brilliantly terrible that you had to wonder if they knew what they were doing. They were weirdly fixated on category, for starters– even, or especially, in instances where they got the category wrong.” (David Canfield, Vanity Fair). It seemed like no one cared about the show, it was just a warm-up to the awaited Oscars in March. Regardless, every person who worked on any of the projects nominated deserved the proper recognition.

However, now the show is over, and the winners get to take home their Golden Globes. Here are some exciting winners from the 2022 Golden Globes!

Congratulations to the cast and crew of West Side Story for their Best Comedy or Musical picture award. West Side Story was a recreation of the 1961’s film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s classic musical.

Sondheim was one of the pillars of Broadway and he

sadly passed away in late November 2021. Stephen Speilberg, the director, did Sondheim proud. Additional awards went to Rachel Zegler for best actress and Ariana DuBose for best-supporting actress. Congratulations to West Side Story!

Congratulations to Andrew Garfield for his best actor in a musical or comedy award for his part in Tick…Tick…Boom! In this true story about the writer of hit Broadway musical “Rent”, Garfield takes all viewers through the emotional last ten years of Jonathan Larson’s life. Audiences were brought to tears by Garfield’s moving performance. He told the story of Jonathan Larson, trying to write music and shows during the HIV epidemic in New York City.

He navigates the audience through heartbreak, loss, stress, and hopelessness. This is a beautiful musical film that will make you laugh and cry. Congratulations Andrew Garfield.

Congratulations to Will Smith for his best actor in a motion picture for his moving part as Richard Williams in King Richard. Richard was determined to write his daughters, the famous Venus and Serena Williams, into history any way he could. “A towering turn

from Will Smith, his best since Ali and one of the year’s great screen performances, defines nearly every frame of this film.” (Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times) Congratulations to Will Smith!

Congratulations to Jason Sudekis for his second win of the Best Comedy Actor award two years in a row! Jason Sudekis, the star, and writer of the hit comedy series, Ted Lasso, delivered an all-too-real character for audiences to laugh and cry with. Ted Lasso is an American football coach, recruited to coach one of the top soccer teams in Great Britain. Lasso is a comedic, caring, positive, emotional, and genuine character that audiences can’t help but love. Other Ted Lasso cast members, Hannah Waddingham and Brett Goldstein were nominated for their roles in Ted Lasso as well, Waddingham, for the best-supporting actress, and Goldstein for best-supporting actor. You’ll cry tears of joy and sadness while watching Ted Lasso.

Congratulations to Jason Sudekis!

These four names are a few of the many talented actors and actresses taking home awards. However, who knew that they took them home? I genuinely missed the Golden Globe awards this year, but I am looking forward to an exciting Oscar season this March!

Charlotte Kleeger ’24

In the past few months, a movement emerged among those opposed to mask and vaccine mandates that promotes wearing yellow Stars of David with words such as “unvaccinated” or “no vax” written in the center. This trend is incredibly offensive to Jews and must be condemned.

It began in May when Food City, a southern supermarket chain, announced that vaccinated workers did not have to wear masks in the store, and that a logo on their nametag would indicate that they had been vaccinated. On May 25, Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene compared the logo to the yellow stars worn by Jews during the Holocaust. Shortly after, a millinery in Nashville, Tennessee by the name of hatWRKS began to sell gold stars inscribed with the words “not vaccinated”. Unfortunately, this shop was not the only one inspired by Greene’s sentiment: in July, the Oklahoma Republican Party posted a yellow star with the word “unvaccinated” in the center as a symbol of opposition to vaccine mandates. Similarly, before an assembly meeting in Anchorage, Alaska regarding a mask mandate this September, a woman cut out yellow stars and offered them to others in attendance. The comparison of the “struggles” of unvaccinated people

to the Holocaust was even visible abroad: Bishop Athanasius Schneider from Kazakhstan, claimed that it was justifiable to falsify Covid vaccine cards amidst what he perceives as unethical decrees, because “We know that Pope Pius XII and the bishops, when the Jews were persecuted by the Nazis, permitted the use of fake documents to protect the Jews. It was allowed because the laws against the Jews were intrinsically immoral.”

Yet, this false equivalence is beyond inaccurate.

There is no similarity between the Holocaust and coronavirus-related rules. Ethnic cleansing and the genocide of millions of innocent people, tainted with tragedy and discrimination, cannot be likened to an effort to protect Americans and put an end to the pandemic. In fact, they are antithetical to one another - the Holocaust resulted in immeasurable death, while vaccines and masks save lives. Additionally, being banned from a restaurant is not the equivalent of being sent to a concentration camp. There is no comparison between being encouraged to do something and being coerced out of discrimination. While today’s

yellow stars purport the implication of being a victim, Covid restrictions are not nearly on the same level as being tortured and killed for identifying with a particular religion. Moreover, supporting mask-wearing in a public setting and promoting vaccines are entirely different from the context in which Jews wore yellow stars. During the Holocaust, Jews were forced to wear them for identification purposes to single them out as an alienated and despised group of people. Today, they are being used not only to protest against something that saves lives, but also to depict the supposed “persecution” of those who choose to remain unvaccinated or not wear masks.

The analogy is not only a fallacy, but is detrimental to the Jewish people, as it belittles the cause and events of the Holocaust. Furthermore, it uses the trauma and suffering of Jews to bolster a social and political agenda.

While those opposed to masks and vaccines have the right to voice their opinions, they can do so without using a symbol that minimizes genocide.

Vaccination Yellow Stars

Mayor de Blasio: How Not to Run A City Brayden Serphos ’22

There are two jobs that are most difficult in America: the first is being President of the United States, and a very close second is the Mayor of New York City. Despite this fact, New York City has its fair share of terrible mayors, from Fernando Wood to our most recent, and one of the worst this city has seen: Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Bill de Blasio, born Warren Wilhelm Jr., is the 109th Mayor of New York, and he started his mayoral career in January of 2014. He has been making bad decisions for the city ever since. First, to give credit where

credit is due: he did accomplish most, if not all, of what he promised when he assumed his position seven years ago. For example, he implemented universal Pre-K and shut down the corrupt and disgusting practice of Stopand-Frisk. However, the issue with his governing lies not in his policy per se, but in the man who is at the center of it.

Mayor de Blasio comes off as arrogant and preachy, stubborn and sanctimonious. This personality is what makes many people hate him and what makes me dislike a politician who by all means I should love.

He is a Progressive Democrat undoing all of Mayor Bloomberg’s terrible policies, and instating policies

like a 15 dollar minimum wage and longer paid sick leave for those that need it. These implementations are brilliant, and need to be in place when it comes to a city as populated and massive as New York City.

So why do I dislike our mayor? First of all, he has decided to work not in the luxurious Gracie Mansion that he and every mayor before him lived and worked in, but instead in a YMCA in Brooklyn. This has led to him taking a private car plus a police escort back and forth every day for the past seven years. For a progressive, this is a massive attack on the environment and God only knows we don’t need more cars Continued On Page 9

Opinions 14

Mayor de Blasio

Continued From Page 8 clogging up our city streets. Second, Mayor de Blasio has an obsession with coming late to events, leading to a bad relationship with the press. For example, he consistently shows up late to press conferences, and when he finally does show up he is condescending and obnoxious, all the while the reporters he keeps waiting are writing and tweeting away about their issues with the mayor. As a result, after these press conferences, the news networks bad-mouth the mayor. Mayor de Blasio has taken this lightly, having a pin made for his campaign in 2020 that read “Make America Late Again.” And this is not only physical lateness but also lateness to solve issues posed to him.

“He’s a progressive who’s very conservative,” said George Arzt, a longtime democratic operative in New York who was press secretary to former Mayor Ed Koch. “He likes to take leftist stances, but he is always

The Rampage

late to solving issues [accordingly]. He thinks about the issues too much before he can make a decision.”

This lateness has been noticed a few important times.

In 2018, when he was confronted about the rise in bus and subway fares as well as a possible racial bias when it came to the cops dealing with fare dodgers, Mayor de Blasio said he would be happy to help with the issue and was prompted to help create Fair Fares, a city program that deals with this issue. Mayor de Blasio did nothing to help, with Fair Fares stating the issue only received attention when City Council Speaker Corey Johnson got involved.

Now onto the most recent issue with the mayor: COVID-19. Mayor de Blasio, surprisingly enough, handled the beginning of the pandemic well, delivering on his promises of getting vaccines out to people and keeping New York City somewhat safe. This, however, has gone downhill recently. Mayor de Blasio has

January 2022/Shevat 5782

acted hypocritically; for example, he went to the same Brooklyn gym right up until he was forced to close all gyms down due to the pandemic and was so worried about shutting down playgrounds that Governor Cumo had to do it instead.

In April of 2020, in a WNYC interview, de Blasio stated that he had learned only 48 hours earlier that asymptomatic people could spread the virus. This is the kind of statement that would get any other politician met with calls for his mental clarity and yet was completely overlooked by New York. I think that, all in all, Mayor de Blasio has proven himself time and time again that he is borderline dangerous for the city and dangerous for the future of the progressive movement in not only NYC but also America in general. Thankfully we have a little more than a month until our next mayor. I hope that Eric Adams, the mayor-elect, will be better than our current mayor.

Should Masks Be Required in School?

Rebecca Silber ’23

If not now, then when? At what point will we finally be able to say goodbye to our masks? If one were to have asked me this question in March 2020, I would have responded with the obvious: “once most people are vaccinated”. The belief that mask mandates should die down once the majority of people are vaccinated is a belief that I still hold to this very day, a year and a half after the outbreak. There was a point when most people saw the vaccine as a finish line — there was a real, tangible end to the pandemic in sight. But here I am, sitting in class, a year and a half later, fully vaccinated, with a mask on my face. Scientifically, there’s no doubt that masks help stop the spread of Covid. However, I believe that the usefulness of masks is strictly situational.

At the start of Covid, when numbers were high and there weren’t any vaccines available, masks were our only viable solution. They were strictly enforced and viewed as lifesavers because frankly, they were. But times have changed: we now have the vaccine readily available. The vaccine is the strongest weapon that we have to fight against Covid. Therefore, I believe that requiring all students to be vaccinated eliminates the need for Ramaz to continue on with its mask mandate.

Ramaz, being a private institution, has the unique power of requiring its members to adhere to

whichever rules are implemented. By implementing a vaccine mandate, the Ramaz community is taking additional precautions to minimize the risk of Covid spreading. Additionally, there is no ambiguity involved in the vaccination mandate: either a person is vaccinated or not. There is rigidity in a vaccine mandate, and ultimate security within a community that adheres to it. When the entire Ramaz Upper School is fully vaccinated, placing the institution in an ultimate state of security, masks are just unnecessary. At this time and place — a year and a half after the outbreak, in an institution whose members are fully vaccinated — what significant contribution do masks make in the fight against Covid? Not much, and especially not enough to keep this mask mandate going. If we don’t get rid of the mask mandate now, then when will we?

At this point, it feels like we are all running a race that has no end, feeling tired and hopeless. In addition, the mask mandate itself is simply unenforceable. Ensuring that each students’ mask is above his or her nose proves an unachievable task. If I were to take a walk down the hallways of Ramaz, I estimate that at best 1 in every 50 students is wearing their masks correctly. There is simply no point in the admiration continuously asking students to pull up their masks, because 10 seconds after that administrator walks away, the student will pull it right back down. Again, it is simply impossible to track if and how each and every

student wears their mask.

Speaking from personal experience, the only time I care to wear my mask correctly is when I am in the class of a teacher who strictly follows the mask mandate themselves. At this point, most students wear masks not for the sake of health, but for the sake of pleasing their teachers who value strict adherence to the mandate. The significance of the mask mandate has become hollow in the eyes of most Ramaz students, and therefore, I believe it is nothing but an annoying, dangling rule that should be abolished as soon as possible.

Is Judaism Sexist Towards Women?

Orli Rabbani ’25

If you ask any of the female students at Ramaz, they will have an opinion on modern feminism and how sexism affects their daily lives as Jewish girls.

Feminism is a very prominent topic in the twenty-first century. Feminism is a broad catagory with varying opinions. I am focused on how feminism affects Jewish women.

Every day, the girls at Ramaz have to put on a skirt, cover their shoulders, and brave the streets of Manhattan. In the school building, we have to keep our skirts below our knees and stay on the other side of the mechitza at davening. We follow the same procedure every day, only because that’s the tradition. That’s what we have to do. That’s modern Orthodox Judaism in its prime.

While Modern Orthodox Judaism is more egalitarian than regular Orthodoxy, it is just another brick wall keeping girls from being included in celebrating their heritage. Instead of being called to the Torah and leading tefillah the way men do, women sit on the other side of the mechitza and watch the men take the spotlight.

About a year ago, when reading one of the Birchot Hashachar, I noticed that in the bracha ‘shelo asani isha’, the female blessing was ‘she asani kirtzono’.

This translates to ‘I was made in God’s image,’ rather the male blessing which translates to ‘that I was not made a woman.’ After reading this, a problem became crystal clear to me: Orthodox Judaism is unjust toward women. While men say a blessing each morning thanking God that they were not made female, women have to thank God that he made them in his image.

The discrepancy in the male and female parts of the bracha insinuates that being born female is worse than being born male.

In the times of the Exodus, men had more of a say in law and life than women; men had property and status whereas women did not enjoy those rights.

There is no way to sugarcoat it. It was a huge scandal when the five daughters of Zelophehad came to Moshe asking for equal rights and ownership of their father’s property. Why has female status always been an issue in Judaism and why does this problem persist today?

Halacha and Torah have always been sexist, even if sexism was not the intended goal. History has always been in favor of men, but the effects on women

in the twenty-first century are as aggressive and callous as nails on a chalkboard. In terms of Orthodox Judaism, women do not get the equality that they deserve.

There’s no problem with wearing skirts and covering our shoulders; boys have to be modest as well.

However, Ramaz follows Modern Orthodox Judaism, which is less harsh than Orthodox Judaism. Most Orthodox women have it worse than Modern Orthodox women. But why should any Jewish women have it rough in the first place?

January 2022/Shevat 5782

The Rampage

Opinions 15

Ramaz Roundtable: Do You Miss Zoom School? What About It Was Better/Worse? Why? Romi Chaovat ’24

Every student, not only at Ramaz but throughout the world, has their own unique opinions and experiences when it comes to Zoom school. Some people loved it because studying in the confines of their room meant waking up later, no troubling commutes, and overall was more convenient. The opposite is said as well. Some students did not like online learning because they found it more challenging to focus and do well in their classes. Not only was it causing academic struggles, but social ones as well. I personally side with the latter group.

Over the last year and a half, my thoughts about Zoom school have shifted quite a bit. In the beginning, learning from home seemed effortless and beneficial, but over time it became more of a burden than a blessing. Different challenges arose. They ranged from resisting the urge to go on my phone during class to talking to a family member in the middle, which never would have been a problem had we been in school.

When students walk into the school, there is a level of professionalism they have to uphold. Students can not come to school in their pajamas like some did on Zoom. I feel that going into the building fosters an environment where one of the main focuses is to learn; that feeling simply did not translate through the computer screen. Zoom school was enjoyable and immensely helpful while it lasted, but hopefully, it is a part of the past forever.

Ashley Behm ’24

After learning at home for the past year and a half, I am very grateful to be back in the building full time. Nevertheless there are many components of zoom school that I miss this year. Mainly the more relaxed schedule where school started later and ended earlier than we do this year. The shorter schedule left a lot more time for juggling extracurricular activities while leaving enough time to study for tests and do homework. Another bonus of zoom days was not having to commute in the morning and being able to wake up later while still having time to eat a sufficient breakfast.

This year, having class from the comfort of my room while wearing pajamas is no longer possible and it has been difficult to get back into the groove of going

to school every day coupled with a rigorous workload.

While learning from home through Zoom comes with its own challenges, including endless Wifi issues, there are many benefits to learning in a more comfortable environment. There is something comforting about not having to worry about getting to your locker and then your next class in a mere four minutes.

Learning from home also eliminates the need to wear masks during class; wearing a mask can be a struggle and make classes unbearable. While I hope that zZom school is a thing of the past, there will always be a part of me that misses it and the ease it brought to typically stressful aspects of school.

Aviva Schilowitz ’24

I’m probably the last person who should admit this -- being the person who wrote a Rampage opinion column last year titled, “Open Ramaz Upper School Normally Next School Year” — but, with the benefit of hindsight, I sort of miss last year’s hybrid schedule. Last year, coming in as a freshman, I was nervous about how Zoom school would play out. I thought I might struggle to learn effectively and make friends. However, as the year progressed, I noticed that I was looking forward to Zoom days because they were more relaxed and the extra down time helped me get my work done. As a student who commutes, I could sleep later on Zoom days and have a slower start in the

morning. I also found it helpful for my mental health because there was plenty of time during the week to catch up on schoolwork, including during my lunch period and any other breaks I had throughout the day.

If I had a hard day, I knew I had a break coming soon.

Now, with school back to in-person every day, it’s hard to find time to catch up on work. I don’t have my Zoom days to look forward to. Now, I am often tired during the week because it is non-stop with no breaks. I miss the relaxed rhythm of the hybrid schedule. I also noticed that students seemed to be in higher spirits last year, probably because they were better rested and had more free time. School days are longer this year and most clubs are in-person. Classes meet more often and result in more homework. This all adds up to more work, without a Zoom day in sight to take a breather.

Emily Vayner ’23

After what I thought would be a 2-week long break from school turned into a 2 year long pandemic, I heard myself repeatedly say the words I never thought I would; “All I want is to go back to school.” Personally, I do not miss Zoom school and hope to never return to an online learning environment. Although I do understand why socially-anxious students may prefer Zoom school, I think social interaction is beneficial for all, introverts and extroverts alike. Being in physical school enables students to speak face to face with one another, give each other hugs and high-fives, and provide support for one another in every way possible. Being in physical school also allows students to create more intimate student-teacher relationships. I feel as though my junior-year teachers already know a lot more about me and my learning style than my sophomore teachers, just because I was physically in school with them.

Additionally, in-person clubs and sports teams not only allow for a more productive team, but also for the development of a tight-knit community with one’s club or teammates. Students are able to express themselves through their clothing choices instead of being cut off at the shoulders by the borders of a computer screen. Rolling out of bed in pajamas into Talmud class where you are just one of many boxes pales in comparison to the motivation and enthusiasm students come to physical school with every day. The Ramaz Upper School feels like a home to me — one I could never feel the same connection to through a computer screen.

A Junior’s Perspective On the College Process Rebecca Silber ‘23

As a Ramaz student, college has been one of the first things on my mind ever since I walked through the doors, two years ago, as a freshman. Now, as a junior, college is just about the only thing on my mind, especially since the college process has begun.

Personally, I feel that Ramaz has a rather academically competitive environment, causing many students, in all grades, to worry not only about their grades in and of themselves, but how their grades and extracurriculars will ultimately affect their ability to get into college.

In the past two years of my high school experience, I have been advised by friends and family to “move up in this class,” or “join that club,” in order to make myself more eligible for certain colleges. As a result, I have felt a sense of nervous anticipation leading up this year’s college process, causing the college process itself to seem much more intimidating and intense than it real-

ly is.

So far this year, the juniors have had college night, a group college advisory session, and some students, including myself, have already met one-on-one with their college advisors. Despite the fact that these events feel quite overwhelming, I also feel that they are completely appropriate ways to start the junior year college process. Junior year is undoubtedly the most important year in terms of setting oneself up for college; it is the year to take the SAT or ACT, it is the last chance to join or start clubs, and it is the most recent year worth of grades that colleges will see. Therefore, I find it fitting that us juniors are beginning to meet with our college advisors in order to strategize our academic decisions, for every decision will surely make a difference in setting ourselves up for next year’s college applications. During my college meeting, I discussed both personal and academic matters with my advisor, all of which gave me a broader look on the person I

am, and the student I have become. We also discussed how I can improve in order to make myself a more well-rounded, appealing student, which was very helpful, because many of these improvements have to begin as soon as possible, especially summer program sign up, or starting clubs. Finally, my advisor began listing colleges that would be fit for me, which was definitely the most intimidating part of the meeting. Along with many Ramaz students, every test that I take, and every grade I receive, comes along with thoughts of college, such as “will this bad grade stop me from getting into this college?”, or “how many more A’s do I need to ensure that I am eligible to get into that college?” Evidently, having these thoughts and concerns turn into real life conversation, and seeing all of my expectations and hard work come to fruition, was quite scary. However, in hindsight, the college process so far has helped me escape from the uncertainty of my mind, and enter into the reality of preparing for college.

Puzzles 16

The Rampage

Word Search Puzzles by Daniel Kalimi ’23

Crossword

January 2022/Shevat 5782