The Rampage The Newspaper of the Ramaz Upper School
New York • Volume 48 • Issue 9 • May/June 2017 • Iyar/Sivan/Tamuz 5777 • the-rampage.org
Ramaz Students March in Celebrate Israel Parade Naomi Freilich '18
Rabbi Lookstein Serves as Parade's Grand Marshal
Every year, Ramaz students look forward to marching up Fifth Avenue in celebration of the Israeli Day Parade. On Sunday, June 4th, the school came together - students, faculty, and families - to observe this annual tradition. The parade celebrates a different aspect of Israel each year with a creative theme, this year’s being “Celebrate Israel All Together.” Everyone marching with Ramaz wore blue shirts with a star incorporating both the Israeli and American flag, along with bright orange and blue hats. This year was special for the Ramaz and KJ community, as Rabbi Haskel Lookstein was the parade’s Grand Marshal. Rabbi Lookstein, along with a selected group of Ramaz students, marched along with other Honorary Grand Marshals. He later joined the Ramaz group to finish the parade. The Honorary Grand Marshals of the parade were Tiki Barber, from the New York Giants; Nir Barkat, the Mayor of Jerusalem; Jamie Geller, a celebrity chef; and Chaim Gozali, an Israeli Mixed Martial Arts Fighter.
Julia Levi '18
In anticipation of the Celebrate Israel Parade, Rabbi Lookstein delivered a speech to the Ramaz Upper School on Friday, June 2nd. In his speech, Rabbi Lookstein highlighted the importance of participating in the parade. He acknowledged that, “It is a pain in the neck. But, this is the opportunity to stand up and say I am Jewish and I am proud of it. I love Israel and I want everyone to know it.” Rabbi Lookstein also reminded the students and faculty of the past, when celebrating Israel in public was commonly viewed as a crime. Additionally, students were given the opportunity to hold signs of two Israeli soldiers whose bodies remain in Gaza. These signs read “Kol Yisrael Arevim Ze BaZeh” translated to “All Israel Are Responsible for One Another.” Rabbi Lookstein concluded his speech by explaining to the students and faculty that the ability to participate in the Celebrate Israel Parade is a “privilege.” He continued, “When I was your age, I could not do that. Today, it is different. Now, we could do it. Am Yisrael Chai.”
New Senior Electives Added for Next Year
Rabbi Sklarin, the senior grade coordinator, first met with the juniors on May 5th to introduce the senior honors courses. This was the first step in the process of choosing classes, and students were told to sign up for honors courses that they wanted to be considered for within the next week. Later in the month, the juniors met again with Rabbi Sklarin and the college advisors in order to discuss ac
Above: Map with Middle East highlighted in green. Next year, Mr. Deutsch will be teaching a course titled "The Modern Middle East" instead of his "Bad Apple" class, which covers the history of New York City.
tually making their schedules, this time including both the honors classes and the various electives. Students also received an online booklet describing each course. Each year, some of the senior classes that the school offers are altered or updated. This year brought six new general studies classes and three new judaic classes. Also, the tracking system in Talmud is now only in place for the accelerated and honors classes. There is no longer “regular talmud” - there are simply electives that everyone is welcome to join. In terms of the new judaic classes, there is a class on Chasidut taught by a new teacher, Rabbi Katz, and two new classes focusing on aggadah, one taught by Rabbi Stochel and the other taught by Rabbi Bodner. In terms of general studies, there were many changes made to the curriculum. Both Dr. Gaylord and Dr. Milowitz’s english classes have changed in their theme. Dr. Milowitz will now teach “Pulp Fictions: Genre and the Novel,” a class about the different genres of fiction, the expectations they require, and rewards they give the reader. Dr. Gaylord’s English class is now “Hearts of Darkness: Representations of Evil in Literature and Film,” exploring the symbolism of “darkness” and how it reflects ourselves in literature. The history department has made some changes as well, as there are three new classes being offered. Mr. Deutsch is
no longer teaching his well known “Bad Apple” class and now will teach “The Modern Middle East,” a class about the ideas and events that formed the Middle East beginning in the late 19th century. Dr. Sclar will now teach a “Gender and Identity in the Modern World” class, exploring gender norms and roles from the 18th century until the present day; this class is essentially a social history course. Finally, after many years of not being offered, “Introduction to Economics” is back and is being taught by Ms. Lowry. “We included these three new classes in order to make courses that are relevant to the students at this current time. We want to make the courses as contemporary, exciting and updated as possible,” said Rabbi Sklarin. Another major addition to the senior curriculum next year is Honors Psychology, taught by Dr. Bernfeld. “We felt that there was a need among the students to have this class, and that it was important for them to have a college level psych class to take,” said Rabbi Sklarin. The class will ultimately prepare the students for the AP Psychology test. This course was introduced to the students along with all the other honors courses, but unlike the other courses, in order to be considered for the class, the students had to read an article and write a 2-3 page paper on it. “I think it is great that Ramaz is offering a course that many students are interested in and
might want to study in college,” said Tammy Krikheli ’18. Many are excited to have a new honors science class to take (as opposed to biology, chemistry, or physics). “I’m glad that we have an opportunity to take this class, and I especially like that it counts as a science class but is also different from anything we’ve learned in the past three years,” said Corrine Azizian ‘18. Along with all the new courses, Rabbi Sklarin took input from the students on when certain classes should take place. He created a poll for students to vote on which bands they want to include “Introduction to Economics” and Rabbi Gober’s Accelerated Talmud. In addition, there is a new requirement for students to meet with both Rabbi Sklarin and their college advisors before finalizing their schedules, as it is important for them to understand what they are getting themselves into before signing up for certain classes. It seems that the students are happy with these changes and are ready to soon submit their schedules. The process has become more “student friendly” as Rabbi Sklarin put it, and many of the classes offered have proved to interest the incoming seniors. Now all the juniors have left to do is finish off their year on a strong note and then eagerly await what is to come in their final year of high school.
Inside this issue...
Yom Yerushalayim Retreat... Read about the event and what students thought about it. Class President Elections... See the results of the recent elections and hear about plans for next year. The College Obsession... Natalie Kahn explores the phenomenon at Ramaz. Will Trump be Impeached?... Read The Rampage's Politics Corner. The Girls' Tennis Season... Read about girls' tennis at Ramaz.
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News 2
Hannah Doft '19
The Rampage
May/June 2017
Yom Yerushalayim Retreat at Camp Lavi
In honor of the 50th Yom Yerushalayim, the students of Ramaz were given an opportunity to sign up for a two-day retreat to Camp Lavi, a change from the previous retreats at the nearby Camp Seneca Lake. The G.O. and many faculty members, especially Rabbi Slomnicki and Rabbi Dov, put a lot of effort into planning this retreat. Throughout the two days at the camp, students had the chance to enjoy themselves with their friends. After arriving at the camp, students were greeted with lunch. They then had free time until dinner and were allowed to do any of the offered activities. Activities included basketball, hockey, boating on the lake, swimming, tennis, baseball, dune buggies, and so much more. “I liked having the freedom to hang out with my friends and decide on our own what activities we wanted to do,” said Natalie Trump ’20. After everyone ate dinner together and then davened mincha and maariv,
the white and blue party began with special DJ Rabbi Dov. Gabby Schwartz ’20 said of the party, “I had so much fun dancing with all my friends. We had such a good time.” After the party, students were surprised with a competitive game show between the grades. Sophia Kremer ’20 said, “The game show was one of my favorites parts because it added in a little competition between the grades. It was fun to both participate in and watch.” Before departing from Lavi the next day, students were given another few hours of hangout time. After lunch, students boarded the buses and headed back to Ramaz. “I was so sad to leave because I was having so much fun. I really felt that I bonded both with the kids in my grade, but also with some of those in grades above me,” said Schwartz. Overall, students enjoyed the two-day break from school in honor of Yom Yerushalayim and are counting down until the next retreat, hopefully next year.
Senior Journey: From Poland to Israel
Becky Tauber '19
After many weeks of preparation, the senior class embarked on their journey to Poland, followed by a trip to Jerusalem. Ramaz established this trip in order to teach the seniors about the Holocaust by bringing them to the places where it occurred. The students had many classes in preparation for the trip. They needed preparation in order to understand what to expect on the trip, as visiting the places where the horrific events of the Holocaust took place is a very frightening experience. The seniors arrived in Warsaw, Poland, on May 17th. Following their arrival, they traveled to the Warsaw Jewish Cemetery, one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe. This cemetery contains thousands of marked graves, as well as mass graves of the victims of the Warsaw Ghetto. The seniors then visited the various memorials within the Warsaw Ghetto, including Mila 18, a memorial honoring a Jewish resistance group, and Umschlagplatz, which is now a memorial commemorating the many Jews who were deported from the ghetto. Rebekah Fenster ’17 said that this helped the seniors “get a better glimpse of what life was like for Jews in Poland before the Holocaust.” Next, they visited the Treblinka extermination camp, where close to one million Jews perished during the Holocaust. “As the day continued, we followed the path of many Jews during the Holocaust, starting with their normal lives in Warsaw, to then being deported to the death camps,” said Fenster. She noted that “although nothing from the camp remains, it was easy to feel the atrocities that had happened there.” Just after one day in Poland, the students were able to get a sense of the horrific events that took place during the Holocaust. The following day, the group traveled to the Yeshiva of Chachmei Lublin, which was an important center for Torah study in Poland. They also went to the Lublin Ghetto, followed by a tisch in Leżajsk. On Friday, the group went to the Lancut Palace and to Zbylitowska Góra, the site of a mass grave where approximately 10,000 people, including 6,000 Jews and about 800 children, were executed by the Nazis and buried in pits in the forest. It
was extremely emotional and difficult for the seniors to see this site where so many innocent children were murdered. “It was jaw-dropping to actually see this type of site in person because when you learn about the Holocaust in school, they don’t always include this type of horror, and they don’t always always connect the dots,” said Yehuda Sarao ’17. “The things they would do to children such as throwing babies into pits is so horrible and hard to imagine until you see it…How could someone hate someone else so much to do something so evil like that?” he said. The group spent Shabbat in Kraków, Poland. There they davened Kabbalat Shabbat at the Izaak Synagogue, a shul that was destroyed during the Holocaust. “[Davening there] was very cool,” said AJ Druck ’17, “because I felt like I was con-
Holocaust. Druck said, “It was very nice and uplifting to hear from Paulina, because it reminded me that it wasn't just everyone against the Jews, but there were still people on our side who didn't agree with the Nazis and were trying to help us.” On Saturday night, the seniors departed from their hotel to visit the Kraków Temple and the Kraków Ghetto. Afterwards, they went to the Schindler Factory, a former metal item factory that is now host to two museums. On Sunday, they went to Auschwitz I, the part of the concentration camp constructed to hold the prisoners. The next day, the group had a silent march to Birkenau, the part of Auschwitz with the largest total prisoner population, which also contained the facilities for the gas chambers. In both parts of the camp, the seniors were able to see
“It was so surreal going from Birkenau to Israel on the same day. One minute you're looking at the horrific place that the Nazis used to kill the Jews, and the next you're dancing at the Yom Yerushalayim parade with 30,000 other Jews. It really made me appreciate how lucky we are to have the State of Israel and the lives that we all have.” -Rachel Kraft '17 necting with the community in Kraków from before the war that ultimately got wiped out.” Following their Friday night meal, they heard from Dov Landau, a 93-year-old Holocaust survivor. After shul on Saturday, the seniors got the chance to walk around the market place in Kraków. They then visited the Temple Synagogue and later went to another old shul which now is a museum. There, the group sat down to sing Shabbat zemirot. Lastly, they heard from a woman named Paulina, a righteous gentile who risked her life to save multiple Jews during the
how frightening and horrifying it was to be a Jew sent to these camps. They saw with their own eyes the places where their ancestors were brutally beaten and killed during the Holocaust. Nicole Aboodi ’17 noted that “Auschwitz I was more emotional, because it was a lot more personal. In Birkenau, we saw the gas chambers and the remains of the death camp. However, in Auschwitz I, we saw remains of people, and their lives prior to the Holocaust. We saw an endless amount of ponytails, dishes, and glasses that belonged to actual people, and it made everything seem a lot
more tangible. It gave us, the students, a concrete and palpable connection to the victims and survivors. We hear the number ‘6 million’ so often at this point that it has become almost meaningless. Looking at so many belongings of theirs, and knowing that it's not even close to all of their belongings, that number has become so much more real and substantial.” After a long and emotional week, the seniors packed up their things and headed for Israel. After arriving at Ben Gurion Airport at around four o’clock in the morning, the group headed straight for Jerusalem to daven Shacharit at the Kotel. The next two days were filled with fun activities such as ziplining in Gush Etzion, riding a jeep through the Judean Desert, and walking around the streets of Jerusalem. On their final full day of the trip, the group visited the Armored Corps Memorial Site and Museum at Latrun, went biking, and were fortunate enough to celebrate Yom Yerushalayim on the streets of Jerusalem. The transition between seeing the horrors of the Holocaust and seeing the joy and excitement of Jerusalem had an impact on Rachel Kraft ’17, who said, “It was so surreal going from Birkenau to Israel on the same day. One minute you're looking at the horrific place that the Nazis used to kill the Jews, and the next you're dancing at the Yom Yerushalayim parade with 30,000 other Jews. It really made me appreciate how lucky we are to have the State of Israel and the lives that we all have.” The trip was a learning experience for all the students who attended, giving them a deeper appreciation of how fortunate they are and how strong the Jews had to be during the Holocaust. Gaby Kassman ’17 said, “I gained a depth and appreciation from this trip that I couldn't get from any other experience. I appreciate Judaism so much more now. Being in Jerusalem after an emotional six days talking about and seeing how the Nazis tried to destroy us was really the most amazing feeling.”
May/June 2017
The Rampage
News 3
Rabbi Stochel Delivers Speech about School Drug Policy
Abigail Huebner '18
“Substance use and abuse will lead to real consequences, especially when the behavior compromises the basic expectation of a safe and law abiding school culture,” says the Ramaz Preludes, updated at the start of the 2016-2017 school year. As was explained to students at orientation and is stated in Preludes, the new policy mandates immediate suspension, possible expulsion, and possible notification of outside authorities for “any student who is using, under the influence of, possessing, selling or distributing any illegal substance” either in school or on a school-related activity. Although this policy was explained at the start of the school year, the administration is not certain that the entire student body fully internalized the warning. On May 19th after davening, Rabbi Stochel spoke to each grade about how this policy played itself out over the year and its implications for the final few weeks of school. Rabbi Stochel stated that there have been a number of violations of the school’s policy over the year. These includ
ed an expulsion near the beginning of the year and recent further disciplinary action. Rabbi Stochel, as the new Head of the Upper School, explained the purpose of his speaking as Lema'an Yeshme'u Vyira'u - so that you will hear and be afraid - and understand that this is a very
that the substance abuse policy certainly applies to that trip, and that the school expects all students to comply with school rules and not bring any prohibited devices or substances. He explained that Ramaz, as a private school, has the right to search any student’s bag or ask students
“Substance use and abuse will lead to real consequences, especially when the behavior compromises the basic expectations of a safe and law abiding school cuture.” -Ramaz Preludes, 2016-2017 serious matter, one which the school is committed to combatting. This policy, he said, covers a whole range of substances, whether it is nicotine or “anything less serious or anything more serious.” Rabbi Stochel specifically stressed the school retreat at Camp Lavi, saying
to empty their pockets under any circumstances. The administration has promised to pursue very serious disciplinary action in the event that a student is found to be in possession of a prohibited substance in these final few weeks of school. The school’s change in policy seems
to be having an impact on many students. “It definitely does change perspective on the issue and the consequences are now scarier and more real,” said one student, who chose to remain anonymous, “now you realize that the school actually can look through your belongings and is more serious about the issue than they have been in the past.” Another student did not observe any significant change, saying that “students are now just more careful to do things in ways in which they feel that they will not get caught.” Rabbi Stochel viewed his speech to the student body as so important that students who missed his speech Friday morning had to go to the Beit Knesset to hear it the following Monday during homeroom. The administration is committed to remaining involved in creating a safe environment at Ramaz, hoping to eliminate the substance abuse problem. With respect to next year’s policy, Rabbi Stochel assures us that we will revisit this topic at the start of the 2017-2018 school year.
Class President Elections
Netanel Kamel '18
Following the trend of the G.O. elections, the students running for class president submitted a video or essay answering a questions explaining why they are ready for office. The class president primaries occurred on Monday, June 5th, leaving four candidates to move onto the next round. On Wednesday of that week, each of the four candidates prepared a one-minute speech and presented it to their grade after davening. The students utilized a Google forum for voting during lunch periods, choosing the two candidates they felt were most fit for office. The following students were elected class presidents for the upcoming year: Jacob Fisher ’20 and Aliza Freilich ’20, Isaac Merkin ’19 and Thomas
Shemia ’19, and Kyla Mintz ’18 and Elana Shalamoff ’18. Each one of these students have been approved for office by faculty and elected by their grade. Senior class president Kyla Mintz stated that “Elana and I are thrilled to be class presidents our senior year because we have several ideas for how to make this coming year very fun, relaxed, and memorable. We're looking forward to hopefully increasing the spirit in our grade and creating an environment where people are excited to come to school every morning!” The class presidents will work very closely with the G.O., organizing events for both their individual grades and the entire student body. Sophomore class president Aliza Freilich said that she’s “looking for-
ward to playing an active role in the G.O. Board, as well as focusing on my grade. I hope to plan more for my grade and establish a test schedule allowing for students to participate in extracurricular activities. Sophomore class president Thomas Shemia said, “Along with the G.O., my fellow class presidents, and the administration, I plan on creating a positive and successful environment for the students”. The student body is eagerly awaiting next year to see how the G.O. and class presidents will work together in making the school a better and more enjoyable place.
Congratulations to next year's Class Presidents! Sophomore: Junior: Senior: Jacob Fisher Isaac Merkin Kyla Mintz Aliza Freilich Thomas Shemia Elana Shalamoff
Avivah Zornberg Speaks to Juniors
Abigail Huebner '18
After learning a lot of Avivah Zornberg’s work with his junior Torah class and hearing that she was on a lecture tour that would be bringing her to New York, Rabbi Anstandig decided that he wanted the class to hear this Torah scholar speak. This semester, Rabbi Anstandig’s Torah class learned a mix of commentaries, with a different one on each topic they covered, as opposed to “a whole smattering of traditional mepharshim that everyone does.” He always tried to teach a mix of male and female mepharshim, and Zornberg was one of the mepharshim the class studied. He originally wanted the class to hear her speak at Temple Emanuel, where she was
Right: The cover of Aviva Zornberg's most recent book, Moses: A Human Life.
scheduled to speak on May 23rd, but her talk there was on the same date as the overnight at Camp Lavi. Unable to go hear her, Rabbi Anstandig pushed for an even better option - having her come to Ramaz. “I pushed very strongly to have her speak to my class specifically. My goal was for my Torah class to hear her,” he explained, and he succeeded in having Zornberg come to address his class. Although the priority was to have Zornberg speak to Rabbi Anstandig’s junior Torah class, she ended up speaking to far more juniors than just that one class. Zornberg spoke to juniors in two shifts. First she spoke to Rabbi Anstandig's Torah and Navi classes, and then Rabbi Schwartz's honors class, Rabbi Schimmel's accelerated class, and Rabbi Anstandig's Tanakh class. Rabbi Anstandig says that he does not know why specifically the Tanakh track got to hear her, but he imagines it is just how the scheduling worked out. Zornberg shared some thoughts based
on her most recent book, Moses: A Human Life, providing insights into the life of Moses and the nature of the Exodus as related to birth. “After being in Ms. Krupka’s Tanakh class sophomore year, I had heard so much about Avivah Zornberg and even read excerpts from her book, The Particulars of Rapture, so I was overall very excited to meet her,” said Julia Levi ’18. “Hearing her talk about the layers and themes of yetziat mitzrayim was super interesting. It was nice to take a break from what we’re learning this year to go back to last year’s Shemot themes and see them in a different light,” she said.
Opinions 4
Opinions
The Rampage New York • Volume 48 • Issue 9 • May/Jun. 2017 • the-rampage.org
Print Editors-in-Chief: *
Online Editors-in-Chief:
Jasmine Levine* Gabrielle Amar* Layout Editor
Moselle Kleiner*
Managing Editor:
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Associate Editor:
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Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Milowitz Contributing Writers: David Grinberg Hadley Kauver Julia Levi Josephine Schizer Netanel Kamel Naomi Freilich Rebecca Araten Suzi Dweck Paola Mattout Becky Tauber Emily Stemp Basia Fellner-Dublin Abigail Huebner Alexandra Orbuch Hannah Doft Yonatan Weitzner Natalie Kahn Esther Beck Zachary Buller Sophia Kremer Harry Shams Mark Marcus The Rampage is the student newspaper of the Ramaz Upper School. It is published on a monthly basis. Letters to the editor may be submitted to rampage@ ramaz.org. Letters must be signed and may be edited for space and to conform to The Rampage's 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.
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May/June 2017
The Rampage • May/Jun. 2017
Ramaz Upper School
Gabriel Klapholz Elianna Schwartz*
The Rampage
Where Did Yom Yerushalayim Go?
Natalie Kahn '19
This year, in honor of the 50th anniversary of Yom Yerushalayim, the day in which Israel captured Jerusalem and its people were able to visit the Western Wall, Upper School students, minus the seniors who were in Israel, went on a retreat to Camp Lavi. The trip was filled with sports, games, and free time. The overall consensus among students was that the trip was a nice hiatus from learning to relax and hang out with friends. As Avi Solomons ’18 put it, “It was generally a relaxed atmosphere where I could hang out with my friends, and I saw most people having fun doing their own thing.” But the trip was also meant to be a special celebration for the semicentennial of Yom Yerushalayim. One thing was noticeably absent from the bulk of the activities: Yom Yerushalayim. Yom Yerushalayim was discussed only in the davening of Mincha-Maariv and Shacharit, where Rabbi Stavsky, Becky Tauber ’19, and Sarah Issever ’18 addressed the students, reminding them
to celebrate and appreciate what happened fifty years before on that exact day, sharing stories of Jerusalem before and during the Six Day War. Even so, two of the three speeches were delivered early in the morning of Yom Yerushalayim, when many students were sleep-deprived and not yet able to focus. At night, there was a chagigah, with dancing and an Israeli flag, but Josephine Schizer ’20 commented about the chagigah, “Many students didn’t really even participate in the chagigah, so for most, it didn’t do much for their Yom Yerushalayim.” “There wasn’t much spirit about Yom Yerushalayim...it felt like we were just there to enjoy two days off from school,” says Paola Mattout ’19. “It was more of just a fun activity rather than a celebration of Jerusalem,” she said. The scarcity of Yom Yerushalayim activities made it hard for the trip to feel at least partially like a tribute to Jerusalem, especially given the great festivity in Ramaz on Yom Ha’Atzmaut.
But the Yom Ha’Atzmaut celebrations come with a tradeoff: “We danced and sang and had a great time on Yom Ha’Atzmaut, but we didn’t necessarily bond as a community and as friends like we did on this trip,” said G.O. Vice President-Elect Sarah Issever ’20. “Even so, we had so much free time. They could have at least allocated a little of it to info sessions, so students would really understand why Yom Yerushalayim is so important to us as a nation,” she continued. “There should have been at least some type of short program to commemorate the important anniversary,” says Nathan Haron ’19. Despite the trip’s success as a break from tests, SATs, and papers, it seems as though there could have been more activities with a Jerusalem or Israel theme implemented to make it a meaningful 50th anniversary for Yom Yerushalayim.
The Israeli Day Parade
Should the School Penalize Those Who Don't Attend? Paola Mattout '19 and Becky Tauber '19 Every year, thousands of people congregate along Fifth Avenue in celebration of the Israeli day parade. A variety of organizations, including many yeshiva day schools, march in order to demonstrate their commitment to and love for Israel. At Ramaz, part of our mission statement includes, “A commitment to Torah, mitzvot, Ahavat Yisrael, and love and support for the State of Israel.” Therefore, the faculty and administration encourage students to attend the parade and march along with the Ramaz community. However, although Ramaz clearly expresses the importance of each student attending the parade, there are still those who choose not to attend. Regardless of the reason for not attending, the administrators have yet to punish those students who decide not to participate. Although the school cannot physically force anyone to go to the parade, the question of whether or not students should be penalized if they make the decision not to march is an important one to address. On the one hand, Ramaz doesn’t really have the capability to keep track of every student who arrives to march at the parade. The Upper School has around four hundred students, making it very difficult to ensure that everyone is there on the day of the parade. Additionally, with the parade so close to finals and on the same day of the SAT and SAT Subject Tests, it is hard for a student to be blamed for wanting to use the day to study for finals or to relax after taking a long and tiring standardized test. “I do not think
any student should be punished for not going to the parade,” said Jacob Bengualid ’19. “Many students will want to study for finals, and some might be tired because of the SATs. Also, some people just don't like going to the parade because it can get very crowded and overwhelming. It's each person’s choice to express or not to express their freedom of speech to support Israel, and it should therefore not be mandatory.” Gabby Schwartz ’20 also said, “It honestly depends on why people are staying home from the parade. I think it is not a valid excuse for someone to stay home to study for finals because we have other opportunities, and if everyone made that excuse than no one would go. However, I think it’s fine for someone who has just finished an SAT to say that they are going to skip the parade and go home to relax.” Whatever the case, it is a lot of work for the faculty to hunt down the students who do not go to the parade and to find their reasons for not attending. On the other hand, some students believe that in order to increase the attendance of Ramaz students at the parade, the faculty should take initiative and impose some type of penalty for not going. Although this is a tough tactic, as making sure that every student who attends the parade is checked off on a list can get confusing, some believe that it is necessary in order to maximize the success of the parade. Since Ramaz is located on the Upper East Side, only a few blocks away from the parade, the school should have a large turnout of students coming to
support Israel. Natalie Kahn ’19 said, “I think they should punish students unless they have a viable excuse for not attending. It's so important to support Israel, and I always feel like Ramaz has a weak turnout relative to other Yeshivot. This is because other Yeshivot make it mandatory to attend. Marching in the parade isn't anyone's ideal way to spend a Sunday afternoon, but it's important to do in support of Israel. There's no reason why some students should give up their free time to come as they are supposed to while others get away with extra finals studying.” Whether or not Ramaz should punish those who do not take part in the parade, it is important that the parade is advertised in a way that makes students want to attend. It is almost impossible to force every student to come, so the best solution to this problem is to make the students understand the importance of the parade, and why it is necessary for everyone to attend. No student should have the mindset that their attendance at the parade doesn’t make a difference in the long run. All in all, our attendance at the parade is extremely important in honoring the state of Israel, and every student should come in order to show their love and support for our Jewish state. Even if a student knows that they will not be punished for failing to participate in the parade, it is still vital that every person makes the decision to honor our beloved homeland, one of the most important goals here at Ramaz.
Features The Rampage • May/Jun. 2017
Natalie Kahn '19
College: A Ramaz Obssession
Starting from the first day of high school, there is one pervasive word on the mind of nearly every serious high school student: college. Students ask themselves, “Which clubs should I join this year to polish off my resume?” or “Should I take this honors class to make my transcript look better?” Although this is an issue not in any way unique to Ramaz, the focus on college at Ramaz and the extreme competition for grades seems to surpass that of other Jewish schools. The question is: what is it about Ramaz versus SAR or Frisch that makes its students so competitive? The first factor is that Ramaz’s reputation of being “the Ivy League of the Jewish day schools” precedes it. Ramaz appeals to many students with high standards for education and high goals in the college process. “Ramaz has been known as that school to get kids into good colleges, so that’s what students often care about. Many students don’t actually want to do well; they just do it for college,” says Violet Allaham ’19. Jacob Bengualid ’19 echoed these sentiments: “Ramaz is known for excessive testing and lots of work. Though that can push kids to be the best they can be, it
does also lead to competition with their fellow students.” In such a high stress environment, it’s hard for kids not to turn to competition with their peers, with whom they think they will be competing for college admissions. Rampant whispers of “what’d you get” or “who got the highest” can always be heard as a teacher returns an exam. This year, the administration has made more of an effort to build a warmer student environment with the institution of “Community time” and a Yom Yerushalayim overnight at Camp Lavi. However, only about 75% of the students from grades 9-11 actually came on the trip. “Ramaz has tried to better the student environment by planning the Lavi trip, but it hasn’t really worked, considering how many kids stayed home from the trip to do work,” said Isaac Merkin ’19. “The faculty doesn’t encourage this obsession. It is more often parents and peers that remind us that even as freshman, the exhausting process of applying for college is not that far away,” says Zachary Buller ’20. “The thing is, these trips and assemblies still can’t take away from the pressure students feel, no matter how hard the faculty may try,” continued Buller.
In fact, as obsessed with college as the student body may be, the faculty and administration may actually start the college discussion with students too late, with college advisor meetings really only beginning second semester of junior year. Perhaps it might be better to just discuss the unavoidable, the subject on almost everyone’s mind, rather than putting it off until the last possible moment. “Honestly, the school doesn’t talk about college enough, waiting until junior year to meet with kids. There are some kids who find themselves regretting their freshmen grades, because they didn’t even know those counted,” says Noa Attias ’18. It seems that the pressure many Ramaz students feel may be incurable, as it mostly stems from the student body itself and its perception of Ramaz’s longstanding reputation, rather than from the faculty. Nonetheless, Ramaz should take further steps to reduce the tension, perhaps anxieties could be alleviated through advising kids which clubs to join based on their passions or giving kids a better understanding at the outset of what will matter later on.
Getting to Know Our New G.O. Derek Korff-Korn '18
Richie Hafif Why did you run for President of the G.O.? I ran for president because I had started something great last year, and it was my goal to finish it. Serving the student body and working to see everyone have a good time is something I truly enjoy and seeing everyone's happy faces on something like Lavi made it all worth it. How do you think you can enhance the student body’s experience at Ramaz? One thing I could do and could continue doing from last year is small things to show that the G.O. really does care, like extra breakfasts and trips. What are you looking forward to most, working in conjunction with your fellow four G.O. members, in the following year? This year, we have an interesting dynamic in me being the only male representative, so in a way, I may have to advocate for the male students more so than a normal G.O. member. Regardless of that, Sarah, Paola, Becky and Amanda are all extremely talented, hardworking, and funny people, and I know we'll have a great time working together this year.
Sarah Issever Why did you run for Vice President of the G.O.? As soon as I saw the job description, I knew that it was made for me. I really valued how being Vice President would allow me to connect with the student body, the class presidents, and my fellow G.O. members in a way specific to this position. I want to make those connections that will let me serve the student body to the best of my ability and make their visions for Ramaz come to fruition. How do you think you can enhance the student body’s experience at Ramaz? I want to stay in touch with them. I want every student to feel that in some way, they are on the G.O. My voice only matters when there is fluid communication between the students and me. I plan to do this by staying in close contact not only with the class presidents, but with everyone from every grade. I think once I can establish that connection, I can see what my classmates really want and need to enhance their experience at Ramaz.
What are you looking forward to most, working in conjunction with your fellow four G.O. members, in the following year? The G.O. team this year is absolutely incredible… I have already seen such vigor and passion spark within each member. We have a great dynamic as a group and for that, I am very excited. I am confident we will do great things for Ramaz.
Rebecca Tauber Why did you run for Associate VP of Operations? I felt that I understand everyone’s stress because I have a lot of extracurricular activities and have a commute, and therefore can bring that perspective to the G.O. by helping those students who have the same situation. I work well with people, and I'm organized so I'm able to work well with the board members and keep the system functioning at its best capacity. How do you think you can enhance the student body’s experience at Ramaz? My past two years at Ramaz have been a decent experience. In order improve the experience of the student, one aspect that I believe can be taken more advantage of is that we are stationed in the heart of New York City, one of the most diverse and intriguing places in the world. We can take more trips to museums including the MET, and to parks, and therefore use the resources to which we have such access. Also, as students tend to be very stressed, I would like to increase the amount of early dismissals and privileges for leaving the building during the day. What are you looking forward to most, working in conjunction with your fellow four G.O. members, in the following year? After just over a week working with my fellow members of the G.O., I could already sense a very good dynamic and that we work well together and can create new friendships.
Amanda Koptyev Why did you run for Associate VP of Student Life? Most importantly, I have always wanted to become a member of the G.O. as a way for me to be a voice for the pupils in achieving an overall stellar student life for the students.
How do you think you can enhance the student body’s experience at Ramaz? One imperative aspect of the Ramaz student life is the extracurricular clubs. A majority of these require hard work, which can be difficult after a long, tedious day at school. To help ease the stress, a time buffer could be placed between the 4:45 bell and the start of the club, or maybe Ramaz famous cookies could be brought around to the activities throughout the school! What are you looking forward to most, working in conjunction with your fellow four G.O. members, in the following year? I’m so excited to work with the G.O. as a team, comprised of great individuals who I could see myself working well with for this upcoming school year. I hope that together, we can use the opinions of the student body and create fun activities to enhance their lives here at Ramaz.
Paola Mattout Why did you run for Associate VP of Communications? I believe I consisted of every quality necessary to run communications at Ramaz for the student body. I am an easily approachable person, and if there is an issue, hopefully I can make a difference for them. What do you think you can do for the student body in enhancing their experience at Ramaz? I think I can make do a lot of amazing things for the Ramaz student body despite its somewhat stressful environment. One aspect the G.O. could improve is creating events that emphasize spirit. In this, regarding communication, I would like there to be more announcements on Schoology or social media, in order to get the student body more involved. What do you look most forward to, in working in conjunction with your fellow four G.O. members, in the following year? Not only do I look forward to working with G.O., but with the administration as a whole to make everyone have the best possible year. With a strong unified G.O., a lot of things can be accomplished.
Features 6
The Rampage
What Students Think of Their Finals Schedules Harry Shams '19 Many students have voiced their concern about this year’s of finals schedule. One student, Michael Perl ’19, voiced his concern about the finals schedule when he said, “It doesn’t make sense that the school doesn’t organize the finals in a way that we have all secular finals first and all Judaic finals last. Motivation to do well on finals always reaches its peak at the beginning of the finals season and drains as the finals season ends. And being that the secular finals always contain more information than the Judaic finals, it would make sense to give kids the hardest finals first.” Additionally, Elizabeth Aufzien ’19 voiced her concern about the finals schedule at Ramaz in general. Aufzein ’19 said, “The problem with finals at Ramaz
is the length of the testing season and the amount of time we are expected to study for each final. I think a smarter solution would be for students to pick five out of eight classes to take finals in, thereby reducing the length of the testing period to one week and allowing students to excel in those classes they are more likely to.” Some students, however, applauded this year's finals schedule, claiming that the school's decision to incorporate a free day for every grade was helpful. Noah Brill ’18 stated, “I think the school did a great job this year making the finals schedule. Adding that free day is also a huge lifesaver - it gives kids the chance to relax a little instead of being forced to cram.”
May/June 2017
Will There Be Color War Next Year?
Brianna Rubinstein '18
For years, color war breakout has been the worst-kept secret in Ramaz. Upper School students would eagerly anticipate - and somehow figure out - the kickoff date of the two-day respite from regularly scheduled classes to participate in creative student competitions. This year, it seems like the big secret is whether or not Upper School students will ever have color war again. “I think that the school can move to a place where we will be able to have color war, but in the foreseeable future, we have to work on our students’ commitments to school activities in a positive way before we move to having color war again,” said Rabbi Dov Pianko. The end of Ramaz color war stems from last year when upon color war breaking out, more than half of the students left early and/or called in “sick” for the next day. The poor attendance of the student body resulted in the administration canceling the program completely. When asked what their feelings are about color war being canceled and potentially not reinstated, students had many different reactions. Some were happy it was canceled last year because it happened at a time when there was too much work; however, many students were unhappy that the event did not happen this year. Others were upset that they do not have the two days off from school. Kyla Mintz ’18 said, “I think that the canceling of color war had two
sides: the students who didn’t show up, but there was also the lousy planning and confusing schedule. It would be really nice to have more school spirit so that events like color war would be more engaging and enjoyable for everyone.” Rabbi Pianko explained that it was not necessarily a lack of student participation in color war that precipitated a decision not to hold it this year, but rather, he sees that in general, there needs to be more positive energy from students regarding all school clubs and programming. “We constantly get questions such as, ‘why can’t we move B4 to the end of the day and leave early?’ And the answer is because we want positive energy in school,” he said. He recognizes that sometimes students feel that trips and activities can interfere with their school work but is very hopeful that the students and the administration can work together toward creating an environment where everyone is excited to participate in fun school programming. So, what does the future hold with regard to color war? “I am neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I don't see color war happening next year,” said Rabbi Eli Slomnicki. “We just want a fun environment in school, and for now, the Ramaz Retreat will be an open time for students to just enjoy.”
The Political Scene Derek Korff-Korn '18
A Trump Impeachment?
In order for a sitting president to be impeached, the House of Representatives needs to present the results of an investigation into charges against the commander-in-chief to the House judiciary committee. From there, the committee drafts articles of impeachment and holds a vote to decide if the charges will be sent to the full House for a vote. In order for the president to be impeached, the full House must vote in favor of impeachment with a simple majority. From there, in order to remove the president from office, the process
would move to the Senate, where a trial would be held with a committee of House representatives acting as the prosecutors. During the trial, the Senate acts as the jury and the Supreme Court's Chief Justice presides. A two-thirds vote is required in order to convict. Both Bill Clinton and Andrew Jackson were impeached but never convicted. Clinton was impeached under charges of perjury and obstruction of justice, and Andrew Johnson for intentionally violating the Tenure of Office Act in the wake of the Civil War. Now, President Trump
faces the possibility of impeachment for his alleged leaking of classified intel regarding Islamic State terror threats to the Russian Foreign Minister in a closed door meeting weeks ago. The Constitution states that "The President, Vice President, and all civil officers of the United States" may be impeached and removed only for "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” According to a new Public Policy Polling poll, more Americans want President Trump impeached than those who do not.
Sports The Rampage • May/Jun. 2017
Girls Varsity Tennis
Sophia Kremer '20
The Ramaz Girls Varsity Tennis Team has had an outstanding season, with a match record of five wins and one loss. The captains of the team, Lily Haber ’17 and Jasmine Levine ’17, along with coach Derek Fein, led the team through the spring-season sport, starting with practices in February. The team's training was very intense in order to prepare them for the tough season to come. The team was extremely lucky to have had some of their practices on the USTA courts, where the U.S. Open tournament is held in the summer season. After much practice, the team participated in games, which were held in the Brookdale courts, located in Bloomfield, New Jersey, and in Althea Gibson, located in Newark. The matches are played first to ten games, with scores starting at “love,” or zero points, and then increasing to 15, 30, 40, and finally “deuce” if the opponents have tied scores after they reach 40. A “tie break” is declared if the opponents are tied at ten games. The Ramaz team has played schools such as Heschel, Frisch, Kushner, Hillel, and Mayanot. The team even won against SAR, whose team had been undefeated for the past four seasons.
Sophia Kremer ’20
While the team has experienced success on the court, the success extended to their friendships and relationships outside of the matches. According to Lily Haber ’17, the captains enjoyed working with the team and “loved watching [team members] improve throughout the season and seeing upward movement as the practices and games continued.” “Even though I was a freshman and this was my first year on the team, I felt like I was already part of the family,” said Gabby Schwartz ’19. “Everyone was happy to have me on the team, teach me new techniques, and, most importantly, build bonds that will stick with me forever,” she said. Coach Derek Fein exclaimed that he is “proud of our team for claiming the Division title.”
Tom Brady's Concussions
Concussions, CTE, and the controversy surrounding players’ head injuries have been possibly the most troubling issues clouding the NFL during the past few years. So, when Tom Brady, one of the league's most prominent stars, is reported to have been hiding past concussions or concussion-like symptoms, the NFL has a major problem to address. Tom Brady has remained silent since his wife, Gisele Bundchen, said the New England Patriots star quarterback suffered a concussion during the 2016 season and suggested that Brady may have a history of hiding concussions. "He had a concussion last year," she said during an interview on CBS This Morning. "He has concussions pretty much every - I mean, we don't talk about it. He does have concussions," said Bundchen. The NFL soon issued a
statement, which said in part that "there are no records that indicate that Mr. Brady suffered a head injury or concussion, or exhibited or complained of concussion symptoms." Brady's agent, Don Yee, said the quarterback was "not diagnosed" with a concussion during the 2016 season. Yee's statement is technically correct. He wasn't diagnosed with a concussion; if he had symptoms, he may have avoided telling anyone on the Patriots staff. Hence, no official diagnosis. The reason there are “no records” could be because he did not exhibit or complain about concussion-like symptoms. There is really no confirmation about whether or not Brady suffered a concussion in the 2016 season. This whole situation, however, has at least shed light upon the NFL’s troubling undershooting of the traumatic brain injuries of its players.
Arts&Entertainment The Rampage • May/Jun. 2017
The Americans, Reviewed
Derek Korff-Korn '18
After five seasons, The Americans is one of the most highly appraised shows in America, and yet it’s surprisingly not playing on Netflix. This FX series, beginning in 2013, follows KGB spies living as a married American couple with two kids in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. The story takes place during the early 1980s, when the United States faced heightened tensions with its Cold War adversary - the U.S.S.R. The show’s protagonists, Elizabeth and Philip Jennings, are played by Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys, respectively, who are in fact partners in real life. The show is brilliantly constructed, with slowly emerging storylines that are spread across a whole season. The drama does not just come from the plot; rather, the acting also adds much to it. The performances are so stellar that one might actually root for the Soviet
Natalie Kahn '19
spies. The character development that occurs over the span of five seasons, ranging from the spies’ two kids to the neighboring FBI agent, is outstanding, and the immense detail that the show provides regarding the characters’ lives is remarkable. Also, the show keeps its integrity by not devolving into an impractical spy show, choosing to stick instead to realistic spy lines, which make it all the more intriguing. While the plot of the show itself draws an audience, Ramaz students have another reason to be drawn to the show; the FBI agent “Stan Beeman” is portrayed by Noah Emmerich, the uncle of alumnus Ben Emmerich ’15. Despite only one episode being left in its penultimate season, The Americans is the perfect show for binge watching.
Lord of Shadows, Reviewed
For fans of The Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, the release of her newest book, Lord of Shadows, the second book in The Dark Artifices trilogy, was much anticipated. Yes, Cassie, as her fans have dubbed her, is back, with the same recognizable humor and suspense. Julian Blackthorn and Emma Carstairs continue their mission to bring justice to the Shadowhunter world while keeping their forbidden love secret. While Emma is dating Julian’s tortured brother Mark, still recovering from his ordeal as a prisoner of the Faeries, to try to get Julian to move on, her love for Julian grows more and more irrepressible. The Shadowhunters of the Los Angeles Institute set out on a mission to rescue an innocent faerie from the death penalty while grappling with their wavering control over the Institute. As much as I love all of the Shadowhunter series, this is the third pair of protagonist Shadowhunter lovers Cassandra Clare has created, and of all three, Julian and Emma are the hardest to root for. Though both are kind, devoted to one another, and brave, their chemistry seems more platonic, and the only thing that is interesting about either of them is that they are both orphaned and dealing with their grief in their own ways. Otherwise, they have the
same, sometimes overbearing sense of humor. Emma’s goal is to become the greatest Shadowhunter of her generation, and she seems to have garnered that reputation, but it is never really explained why: what sets her bravery apart from that of Shadowhunters? The book also focuses on Kit, the newly discovered shadowhunter and one of the last of the Herondale bloodline, who, although resistant at first to Shadowhunter culture, eventually comes to accept it through a new friendship with Julian’s twin siblings, Ty and Livvy. Kit is a likeable character, and one can’t help but feel for him, surrounded by strange people who claim he is something he has been raised to hate. He struggles to integrate with the Shadowhunters and leave “mundane” (human) culture after years of public school, but he has a tendency to treat coldly even those Shadowhunters who are accepting of him, which makes him a little less sympathetic. He is a good addition to the series, though. Although the book is still a great read for Cassandra Clare fanatics, it stands as being one of the weaker of the nine Shadowhunter books she’s written in terms of developing her characters. But then again, it’s hard to beat Will Herondale and Tessa Gray, isn’t it?