Volume 34 Issue 1 by The Lion's Tale

The Lion’s Tale

Volume 34 Issue 1

August 30, 2016

CESJDS

2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for the lion’s tale Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. pg. 06-07. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Gurim. Y’sodot. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. Y’sodot. Kolot. Lion Time. Innovation Center for Robotics and Design. Office Hours. 2016-2017. Sixth Grade. Community Time. New schedules. Gurim. New Lower School pre-K program, pg. 02 Volunteering at the Holocaust Museum, pg .05

Meet the new faculty, pg .08

news 02

the lion’s tale Gurim General Studies teacher Eve Margol and Judaic Studies teacher Sivan Krowitz get ready for the first year of the new Gurim program.

News Briefs Sept. 12, 13 4-6 p.m. High school musical auditions Auditions for the high school musical, with callbacks on Sept. 14. This year the high school musical will be “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” by Charles Dickens. Sept. 15 7 p.m. Back to School Night Parents will have the opportunity to go to the Upper School to visit each of their child’s classes, to meet their child’s teachers and to get a preview of their child’s upcoming school year. Sept. 19 4 p.m. A capella auditions Auditions for the high school a cappella group, Shir Madness, with callbacks on Sept. 20. Shir Madness is led by vocal music teacher Aaron Dunn and conductor senior Emma Waldman. Sept. 19-23 Hispanic Heritage week CESJDS will celebrate Hispanic Heritage through special programing in Spanish classes, Hispanic food in the cafeteria and a Hispanic-themed kehillah program. The week will culminate with a special performance at Kabbalat Shabbat. compiled by talia denicoff and isaac silber

For breaking news and school coverage, including the addition of a gender neutral bathroom on the Upper School campus, check out lionstale.org or scan the code below.

Recruiting cubs to join the club

CESJDS starts new pre-K program, Gurim photo provided by evonne schnitzer

rina torchinsky contributing editor Most classrooms at the Lower School campus have sharpened pencils, chapter books and calculators, but one classroom is a bit different. Rather than school desks, this classroom is brimming with petite chairs, short tables and glue sticks. This fall, CESJDS is introducing Gurim, a pre-K program designed for students who did not meet the Sept. 1 birthday cutoff to start kindergarten. Prior to Gurim, JDS was unable to accept students who turned 5 years old between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31 into kindergarten, and as a result, some would attend pre-K and beyond at other schools. According to Lower School Principal Matthew Bellas, many schools fail to offer a program to serve this fixed age group, but by adding the Gurim program, JDS is able to fill that gap. In addition to catering to a sparsely-served group of children, the Gurim program will also promote growth in the JDS community. “[The Gurim program] definitely helps from the bottom up for us to grab another class worth of children,” Bellas said. According to Bellas, the additional 12 students will be a part of a unique pre-K experience. While most pre-K programs take place in a preschool or early childhood environment, Gurim is set in an elementary school backdrop. Lower School parent Jessica

Roth chose the program for her son Eliot for two main reasons: convenience and community. Roth already sends two of her children to the Lower School and will be able to drop off all of her children in one place each morning. In addition to the convenience, Roth fell in love with the value-focused mindset and community. “I had such a positive experience this past year with my daughter in kindergarten and really loved the environment,” Roth said. “[I] really loved the JDS community, [I] really loved the teaching staff and loved

the Gurim program. “Last year I was teaching a different program, and now it’s something that I create by myself from zero, from nothing,” Krowitz said. As part of Krowitz’ homespun course of study, she intends to teach the students “Hebrew in Hebrew” by bringing Israeli culture into the classroom through songs, stories and games. Because of her love for puppets, she also plans on doing puppet shows and having the children interact and play with the puppets. While Krowitz brings puppets and Israeli culture, “[They will] learn how to handle Margol will occupy the children with stressful situations, learn how to yoga, in addition to play with a friend, [or] how to enter the standard ABCs in a group of friends if they want to and 123s. Margol used go play. to work at the - Gurim Teacher Eve Margol Maddux School, a school in Potomac for students with the emphasis on the values — on the autism and developmental disabilities. She is also the current director midot.” Eliot entered this value-focused of Yogiños Unbound, a yoga program environment on his first day of for children with disabilities. Margol described the yoga in school. There, he met Judaic studies teacher Sivan Krowitz and general the classroom to be more than just “a fifteen-minute class.” She wants studies teacher Eve Margol. Krowitz used to serve as a first to teach children proper breathing grade Judaics teacher at JDS. In ad- techniques and poses to help them dition to her experience in the ele- relax when their parents leave and mentary field, she was also a pre- how to recognize when they feel sick. “We’ll be teaching them all school teacher in Israel. Rather than working off a set agenda mandated kinds of strategies so they learn how by the school, Krowitz personally to self-soothe [themselves],” Margol crafted the Hebrew curriculum for said. “[They will] learn how to han-

dle stressful situations, learn how to play with a friend [or] how to enter in a group of friends if they want to go play. It’s really just kind of teaching them how to cohesively work together in a group.” Roth found the focus on interaction and emotion suitable for her son, and the Gurim program will also foster differentiated learning. Differentiated learning will allow students who learn best visually, tactilely or auditorily to learn material in the way that they connect to the most. “Kids learn differently,” Margol said. “If two children learn best through sound, then we will sing the numbers. Some kids may learn best through art, so let’s color in that letter or number.” By the end of the year, students in the Gurim program will come out with a fundamental knowledge of letters, numbers and the basics of the Hebrew language. Margol thinks by the end of the year, the Gurim will graduate with an understanding of a student’s routine and will therefore be ahead of other kindergarteners. In the same way, Krowitz thinks the students’ introductory knowledge of Hebrew will help them become more advanced in the language in comparison to other kindergarteners. “They’re really going to be learning the Judaic world and Hebrew,” Margol said. “Learning how to communicate so when they go into kindergarten, they’re ready.”

news the lion’s tale

When temperatures start rising, faculty begin ...

Shaping the syllabus talia denicoff and isaac silber news editors With new schedule changes on their way for the middle and high school, teachers and administrators have been hard at work over the summer to prepare for the new school year. While teachers are only employed for the 10-month school year, many are still busy during the summer preparing for fall classes. Administrators are employed yearround, with a total of four weeks of vacation to use anytime during the school year or summer. Dean of Students Roslyn Landy spends the majority of her summer working at school. Landy is busy during the summer adjusting the schedule, from planning events throughout the year to dealing with any new policy changes for the year. “Some administrators take most

of their vacation time in the summer,” Landy said. “I have never been able to do that because there has always been too much to do during the summer break.” Unlike administrators, teachers are not obligated to come to school during most of the summer. Teachers stay in school for a week after students leave to finish putting in grades from the previous school year, and arrive a week before school starts to prepare for the upcoming year. History teacher Michael Connell spends the week after the school year ends grading finals and reviewing student evaluations. Even though Connell prepares for the school year during the summer, he still finds it “hectic” during the week in August before school officially starts. “We usually have a lot of things to do,” Connell said. “You have to finalize your lesson plans, schedule,

set up your classroom and we have a lot of faculty meetings.” Teachers have been adjusting their lessons to fit the new class lengths for the school year. In the new high school schedule, instead of having a rotating block schedule with classes for the same amount of time, high school students will have three shorter classes every day and three longer classes every other day. In addition to freshman and sophomore history, which are longer classes, Connell is teaching a senior history elective, War and Civilization, which is one of the shorter classes. He said that he will have to teach more material than in the past per class for the longer classes in order to complete the required curriculum. For the shorter classes, he will have to teach less material per class than he is used to, but he will still be able to teach all the course information because the short classes occur

more often. “It will be an adjustment, but I think overall it will be a pretty positive change,” Connell said. Because of the addition of the sixth grade to the Upper School, the middle school will also be changing its schedule. The new schedule stays consistent throughout the week, with uniform class lengths, in addition to time blocks for experiential learning throughout the week and on Fridays. Experiential learning is a time for middle-schoolers to learn topics that do not fit into the standard academic curriculum. Middle School Assistant Principal Janet Ozur Bass has been in school over the summer working on the logistics of the new schedule. “One of the things [Middle School Principal Rebecca] Weisman and I are trying to do during that week-and-a-half that we have for our new middle school faculty orien-

tation is to get [the teachers] up to speed,” Ozur Bass said. “By the time the students come in, each teacher will feel like ‘I know exactly what’s going on and I can help you through this.’” In addition to spending time preparing for the new schedule changes and making sure they run smoothly, Landy planned events during the summer for the upcoming school year. “Everything needs to be planned for the year during the summer — scheduling, rooms duties, calendar, programming — so that the year can begin,” Landy said. “When the school year begins, there are students to be seen, problems to be solved and crises to handle. It is important to be well prepared when the year begins.”

what’s new AT school

Community Time

Bells

Clubs

Absence Policy

Community Time will occur every day for 50 minutes after first period. It will always include Zman Kodesh, and in addition, each day there will be another community program for the remainder of Community Time.

There will no longer be bells in between classes for the high school. Instead of bells, teachers will dismiss the students at the end of the period. For the middle school, there will be separate bells for the sixth and seventh-graders and for the eighth-graders.

While there has been a bi-weekly club block in past years, this year high school clubs will meet during lunch periods, Community Time or after school. This change occurred because the administration noticed that students did not always take advantage of the time slot devoted to clubs, but rather used the club block as free time.

This year, the school is implementing stricter absenteeism policies. Any student who is absent from class five times, unless there is an extenuating circumstance or school function, will get a letter sent home. If a student is absent eight times, that student and their parents will have to meet with an administrator. Finally, if a student is absent 10 total times, their grade will drop a full letter.

On Mondays and Thursdays, the additional program will be Kehillah, and on Fridays, it will be Kabbalat Shabbat. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Zman Kodesh will be followed by a flexible time block. During this time, there can be grade advisories, club meetings or opportunities for students to meet with their teachers.

Despite the absence of bells between classes for high school, there will be four schoolwide music bells throughout the day. The first two bells will be at 8 a.m. and 8:50 a.m. to mark the beginning and end of first period, respectively. The third bell will be at 8:55 a.m. to mark the beginning of Zman Kodesh, and the fourth will mark the end of Community Time.

Middle school clubs will continue to meet during Huggim, a block which is after middle school lunch every Friday. Clubs that are open to the entire Upper School will meet during high school lunch on Friday, which coincides with Huggim.

All these rules are specifically for semester classes, and for full-year classes, the number of absences required to spur these consequences will double.

compiled by dahlia lehman

opinion 04

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the

lion’s tale

editors-in-chief talia horowitz, miriam minsk managing editor, copy jonathan foldi design editor ariella kulp copy editor aliza rabinovitz opinion editor gabe krantz news talia denicoff, isaac silber features editors izzy friedland, aaron schonfeld & rina torchinsky style editors emily cohen, joey shoyer in-depth editors dahlia lehman, arielle weinstein sports editors bennett bramson, ari feuer & joel vardon photo editor noy dahan social media, video editor noah green videographer lily daroff editorial cartoonists beyla bass, ben shrock photographers ilan cohen, caroline weinstein reporters josh abramowitz, addie bard, ilan cohen, amelia davidson, devira friedman, shira godin, danny ingber, jessie lehman, aaron robinson, ben savarick, kate sosland, sara sporkin staff adviser jessica nassau adviser emerita susan zuckerman

Seven grades, one building, still united Whether it be sharing teachers, classrooms or a cafeteria, we have never felt a large separation between the middle school and high school until this year, and despite new changes this year, there is no reason to let this separation increase. This year, the high school and middle school are essentially two distinct entities as they have two different schedules and are located on opposite ends of the building. Almost all teachers now teach exclusively middle school or high school classes, and there will even be bells meant only for middle school students. Although there are significant changes, we believe that it is of the utmost importance to view them in a positive light and take advantage of the new community-building opportunities that come with them. One of these new offerings is the Big Brothers and Big Sisters program, which will incorporate upperclassmen into middle school Kehillahs in order to foster a connection between older

As the student newspaper of the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, The Lion’s Tale is a public forum for student opinion and expression. All content is determined by students. Its purpose is to inform the CESJDS community and to express the views of its staff and readers. The staff has made every effort to ensure the accuracy and objectivity of its news.

Some material courtesy of American Society of News Editors/ TNS Campus School Newspaper Service. All other contents copyright of The Lion’s Tale. All rights reserved. Submissions may be emailed to jdslionstale@ gmail.com, mailed to The Lion’s Tale or brought to room 328. The Lion’s Tale is funded by The Simon Hirshman Endowment for the Upper School Newspaper and The Kuttner-Levenson Endowment for the Upper School Cultural Arts and Student Publications, and community advertisements. The Lion’s Tale reserves the right to refuse advertisement for any reason. The staff will adhere to the ethics policies of The Society of Professional Journalists and the National Scholastic Press Association. The adviser will be held to the Journalism Education Association’s Adviser Code of Ethics.

-The Lion’s Tale

A lion’s travels: Expanding horizons

Editorial and Ethics Policy

Signed columns reflect the opinion of the writer; staff editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of The Lion’s Tale editorial board. The Lion’s Tale staff welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns, all of which must be signed. The staff reserves the right to refuse any material and may edit letters or columns for length, clarity, libel, obscenity and/or disruptiveness.

join them. This attitude is not restricted to scheduled programming, but must also carry over to outside the classroom. As part of the responsibility to act as role models, high school students should be a positive and supportive presence in the He’s my little brother! You can get one too! middle school. It can be as simple as not using phones or cursing in the hallways. Even small gestures like a welcoming smile can go a long way. Middle school We strongly believe that the whole is Kehillah greater than the sum of its parts, and that the best way to meet these new changes is together. Even though the middle school and the high school are now more separate, it is beneficial to our community to work together and create a cohesive student body. cartoon by beyla bass The example that is set for the younger and younger students. Huggim, which takes place students in the present is the example we on Fridays during high school lunch, is a time hope that they will set in the future. This type of designated for middle school clubs during which cycle is the kind of behavior we need to create a high-schoolers can volunteer to lead programlong lasting united school community. ming. Administration and our peers have set up these opportunities, but they can only be fully taken advantage of if we take the initiative to

Why are you hanging out with a middle-schooler?

ben shrock editorial cartoonist This summer, I went to Costa Rica on a three-week community service trip through a company called West Coast Connections. I hadn’t gone on any sort of teen tour or a trip like that before, and I was really excited to have the opportunity to do something new. The experiences exceeded my expectations. I met people from all over the country and I feel like I made some lifelong friends. Not to mention, the community service itself was also very rewarding, ranging from playing soccer with kids in the slums of San Jose to carrying cinder blocks down steep sets of stairs, to building a wall for a house missing a fourth wall. It varied from drawing with kids who were seeing markers

for the first time, to mixing cement in order to create a floor for a family of 12 who didn’t have one. It was definitely a summer that I won’t easily forget. However, I was faced with a couple of things this summer that I realized that I don’t often have to deal with. You see, everybody has some sort of bubble that surrounds them. These bubbles that surround us can be vastly different. A person’s bubble can be incredibly small, like how someone who only plays basketball is used to using their hands and doesn’t know what it’s like to use their feet and play soccer. Or, someone’s bubble can be incredibly big if they happen to be a vampire and can’t see sunlight and therefore have no idea what it’s like to be outside during the day. The point is that everybody lives a different life and is sheltered from different things. My trip to Costa Rica and the unfamiliar things I experienced there helped me to realize the confines of my own bubble. It occurred to me the night before my trip that I would know absolutely no one on the program. That’s not a very common thing for me. Sure, I’ve had some extracurriculars where I didn’t know anyone, but those only meet once a week and I don’t spend extended amounts

of time with those people. CESJDS is an amazing school and I am incredibly lucky to be able to go here, but it’s no secret that it is a small community. While small grade sizes are not a bad thing, it does mean that there are far fewer opportunities to meet new people. Not to mention the fact that the 80 or so students in my grade have consisted of mostly the same people since kindergarten, with the exception of a handful of additions and subtractions over the years. So, needless to say, meeting 25 new people all at once was refreshing but different. I also met a young boy named Alberto in a slum of San Jose called Guarari. Alberto was one of the lucky boys in Guarari because he had shoes. He was around four years old and became a favorite of mine and others on the trip due to his extreme friendliness and unbelievable cuteness. One day, we were handing out the donations we had brought from home to the kids of Guarari and I got to give Alberto a toothbrush. When he took it, his eyes lit up, and he ran around in circles cheering. This kind of celebration over a toothbrush was mind-boggling to me. I tried to imagine a scenario in my life in which I would celebrate

receiving a toothbrush. Except for maybe when I got a Tooth Tunes Musical Toothbrush, the idea was inconceivable to me. That was when I realized the most defined confine of my bubble. I have absolutely no idea what it feels like to be Alberto. Even more so, I probably didn’t even make that much of a difference in Costa Rica. No one’s life is significantly changed because of my contributions. Alberto probably lost the toothbrush I gave him, not because he wasn’t grateful, but because he was 4 years old and four-year-old kids tend to lose things. Everything considered, I know my experience in Costa Rica has taught me an invaluable lesson. That lesson was that there are so many things in this world that I might never begin to understand living in Montgomery County, and going to JDS. There are small things like not having many opportunities to meet new people, but there are much bigger things like not knowing what it feels like to celebrate a toothbrush. These new experiences enable people to understand the significance of the differences in people’s lives. This cannot happen without escaping your bubble. Just because we all live in some kind of bubble, doesn’t mean we can’t try to learn about what lies outside.

opinion

Learning on the job

the lion’s tale

A transformative summer at the Holocaust Museum

shira godin reporter

back to their own communities. He explained to me that it would be a great honor to teach the granddaughter of Nesse Godin, but initially I was unsure if I wanted to join. What if he only wanted me there because of my grandma? After talking to my parents, I decided to give the program a try. As a first-year student in BTLH, my experience began in late February 2016. Every Saturday for 14 weeks, with about 30 other students, I went to the USHMM for a class. We learned about various perspectives on the Holocaust and about the individuals who were responsible for the genocide. We were assigned homework, which surprisingly was something that I didn’t dread. The work mostly consisted of writing scripts for our tours, reading from textbooks and answering questions about the readings and what we learned in class. The final test in BTLH was to give a tour of the permanent exhibition. On June 18, I was nervous to give my first two-and-a-half hour tour, without notes, to my family. We were reminded before the tour that we were not historians, so we do not have to be perfect. Later one of my teachers, Russell Garnett, said, “It’s

Summer hasn’t been my favorite season for a long time. I’ve always associated it with hot weather, bugs, my friends leaving for summer camp and the stress of not knowing what to do with two months of freedom from school. After realizing sleepaway camp was not for me, my summers usually consisted of day camps, leadership workshops, community service and lounging on the couch. This all changed when I joined the Bringing the Lessons Home (BTLH) program at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) in Washington, D.C. For the past couple of summers, I sat at the USHMM donation desk with my grandma and Holocaust survivor, Nesse Godin every Wednes“Young people understand and day. Visitors would want to understand how they ask her about her experience during can make a difference and do the Holocaust, while great things.” I told them where the bathrooms and - BTLH Program Coordinator gift shops were. Lynn Williams Although my role at the museum may have been useful for tourists, I wished okay to make mistakes and it’s okay that I had a more responsible job. to not know the answer … someOne day at the museum, an times it takes mistakes to get better.” employee came up to me and told His advice helped me recognize that me about BTLH, where students if my first tour wasn’t perfect, it learn about the Holocaust, how wasn’t the end of the world. to give museum tours and how to With shaky hands I completbring lessons learned from history

all worth it. My teachers became learning from others. In my opinion, ed the tour, graduated from BTLH what’s amazing is that Johnson and I mentors and my friends became and became an ambassador of the family. According to the Director didn’t have to be adults to reach this USHMM. My next step was to join of the USHMM Sara Bloomfield, conclusion, an idea that was one of the Stephen Tyrone Johns Summer the experience of BTLH stays with the original goals of the program. Leadership Program, which is part the ambassadors throughout their According to Lynn Williams, one of of a three-year BTLH summer prolives because through the program the first coordinators of BTLH, one gram. As a first-year ambassador, I learned how to perfect my tour and how to give tours of other museum exhibits. The first week of this summer was pretty awkward because I didn’t know anyone, but during the 200 plus hours I spent with my fellow first-year ambassadors I got much closer with them. Karla Mejia, a fellow first-year ambassador, was surprised at how much her “whole perspective on things changed a little bit” after joining the program and how even though “we were learning the history and the facts, we were also learning about one another.” With the other photo courtesy of shira godin first-year ambassadors, I went to a one-week Sophomore Shira Godin (first row, far left) and other students from the Bringing the leadership seminar at Lessons Home program with Holocaust survivor Nesse Godin (center). George Washington University where I met people students “feel transformed and reason that the program was crearound my age from all across when they are transformed that America who were passionate about ated was because she believed that “young people understand and want means they will go out and transleadership. There, I learned about form other people.” I agree that I to understand how they can make a different ways people view the Hotoo have been “transformed” as a difference and do great things.” locaust, one of which was from Gaperson, and also in how I view the The other kids in my program brielle Johnson from Birmingham, Holocaust. also impacted me greatly. Summer Ala. who was a part of a summer Before joining BTLH, I never used to be something that I didn’t program at the Birmingham Civil knew about the actual history belook forward to, but everyone I met Rights Institute. Johnson related the hind the Holocaust and how many this summer helped me see another Holocaust back to civil rights and factors contributed to the tragedy. side of the two-month break that explained that in both occurrences, BTLH opened my eyes to how much I hadn’t experienced in a while. people looked at those different power individuals have and how Through BTLH, I matured and grew than themselves as inferior. that power can be either abused or into a new person. After hearing a new perspecused in positive ways. As I go into One may think that BTLH is tive about the Holocaust from my sophomore year, I now finally too much like school to be a fun Johnson, I understood the meaning have a summer to look forward to. program. Yes, there was homework, of “bringing the lessons home.” two-and-a-half hour tours and Her words opened my eyes to the information overload, but it was importance of reaching out and

Have an opinion that you want to share in the next editon of The Lion’s Tale? Email jdslionstale@gmail.com or come talk to the publications staff in room 328.

in-depth 06

the lion’s tale

Grand Opening:

Fixing up

Remodeled JDS Upper School

Middle school administrators’ and counselors’ offices are now in the 100’s Educational Support Services classrooms are now in the 200’s

College and high school guidance counselors’ offices are now in the 300’s

The new conference room is located in the back of the atrium The guidance suite is now the Innovation Center for Robotics and Design

Building blocks of the summer construction compiled by miriam minsk

New genderneutral bathroom in the science hallway

The old conference room now houses the admissions staff

The need for new lockers and classroom space became clear as administration discussed the possibility of bringing the sixth grade to the Upper School.

Administrators first recruited an architect to make a sketch of potential changes to the building.

After the six move w ad s spa high sch

in-depth the lion’s tale

the lion’s den

For the 2016-2017 school year, builders are tearing down and remodeling the former guidance suite (above), the former faculty lounge (top right) and the 100’s hallway (bottom right).

A new Makerspace was created at the back of the Levitt Media Center

Lockers were added to the alcove near the 100’s for the larger middle school

photos by dahlia lehman and miriam minsk

xth grade The final stamp of CSSI began remodeling CESJDS ultimately chose was finalized, approval came from the Construction Services the Upper School dministration’s priorities Board of Directors after and Supply, Inc. (CSSI), a campus immediately shifted to creating separate the project was reviewed local building company, to following the 2015-2016 aces for middle and by three different complete the renovation. school year. hool students. committees.

features 08

the lion’s tale

Fresh faces: welcoming new faculty compiled by aaron schonfeld and rina torchinsky

Gabrielle Plastrik, Deborah ice skated for Feigenson, Ena Djordjevic, University of loves the movie originally from Michigan “Princess Bride” Bosnia

Max Nissen, Redskins fan

Lindsay Goldman, Rabbi Risa Weinloves “Friends” stein, enjoys Rabbi Marc Blatt, gardening likes watching Rachel Meytin, Rabbi Tirza Covel, “Game of Thrones” favorite cuisine is favorite movie is Chinese food “When Harry Met

Maryana Harouni, born in Iran

Sally”

Humanities Maureen Maher-Wizel, coolest place visited is Cinque Terre, Italy

Talya Perry, teaches Israeli dance

Judaics Alexandra Brown, favorite author is Terry Pratchett Andy Petusky, enjoys construction and woodworking

Languages

Aliza Libman Baronofsky, born in Montreal, Canada

Electives & Support Rebecca Silberman, Deborah Rapoport, likes spaghetti in holds a Master of red sauce Science in neuroscience Shira Pilarski, Aaron Dunn, went to the is comic book Melvin J. Berman Curtis Asplund, superhero fan Hebrew favorite book is Academy “Jurassic Park” Not pictured: Catherine Smith (math and robotics), Shira Zelinger (Jewish Text), Rebecca Philbrick (guidance)

Math

Science photos by caroline weinstein

features the lion’s tale

Getting to know High School Principal and Associate Head of School Dr. Marc Lindner compiled by shira godin

Linder is originally from Long Island, N.Y. where he attended Northport High School.

Lindner’s daughters, seventhgrader Sophia and sophomore Jade, started CESJDS this year.

Lindner’s favorite movie is “Rocky,” the classic s sports film from 1976.

photo provided by marc lindner Lindner with wife, Michelle, and children, Sophia (right) and Jade (left), who are attending CESJDS this year.

Lindner’s role model is Martin Luther King Jr. because of his “tremendous courage and strength.”

His favorite sports team is the New York Giants, despite the small fan base in Maryland.

Lindner’s favorite winter Olympic sport is skiing, since he used to ski when he was younger.

Lindner’s family will soon include a new dog, as he promised his wife and daughters one when they moved to Maryland.

Life outside the Promised Land aliza rabinovitz copy editor

When sophomore Hallel Samson’s father transferred to Israeli Aerospace Industries North America two years ago, she and the rest of her family moved to a place very different than their home in Modi’in, Israel: Potomac, Md. Since the 2011-2012 school year, approximately 85 Israeli students have attended CESJDS. This school year, four new Israeli students, all children of Israeli Embassy emissaries, join the Upper School community. According to Hallel, JDS’ English for Speakers of Other Languages classes helped her translate her assignments in order to overcome her biggest challenge: the language barrier. Outside of school, she continued orienting herself with her new community by attending synagogue on Saturdays and speaking to classmates there. While Hallel was able to acclimate to a new country through her neighborhood activities, when many Israeli families first move to the area they often do not know where to interact with

other JDS students. Overcoming this Israeli students continue to receive challenge is part of the job of Hallel’s proper Hebrew instruction as well. “I am in contact through the year mother, JDS Israeli Community Liaito see if the kids receive what they need son Roni Samson. “I help them know more Israeli students in their grade who can be “I try to join them together to their buddies,” Roni said. Roni is one of the be one community, one school first JDS employees who community.” speaks to Israeli families - Israeli Community Liason inquiring about enrolling Roni Samson at JDS. After explaining to the Israeli families details about registration and how to get the books and supplies students need for their class- to maintain their Hebrew and their leves, Roni continues to aid the Israeli el, because they will be going to Israel students in becoming fully acquainted in the end of the [assignment], so they with the school. This includes helping need to be on the level of the Israeli stuthem to determine which staff mem- dents [living in Israel],” Roni said. When Israeli students return to ber to contact if they have a problem, making sure that they are succeeding Israel, Roni stays in contact with them in their classes and updating the school to monitor whether their time at JDS administration on the Israeli students’ properly prepared them to “adjust back to the student life and the demands of needs. One objective of the school is to the Israeli schools.” In addition to supporting Israehelp the Israeli students feel comfortable with their general English-taught li students in their studies, Roni also curriculum, and Roni ensures that the assists them with connecting to the

whole school community. Roni helped organize events such as movies, lectures and parties for B’Yachad, a JDS social committee that aims to integrate both American and Israeli families. “I try to join them together to be one community, one school community,” Roni said. In the upcoming year, B’Yachad will run Bayit Cham, a previously successful program whose focus is for Israelis and Americans in the same grade to spend time together after school at one of the student’s homes. Last year, B’Yachad’s other activities included joint events with the Chabad Israeli Center and a Purim party open to the school community. Apart from the events that JDS creates for Israeli Embassy families, the Israeli Embassy hosts community events for major holidays, such as an Erev Yom HaZikaron program at B’nai Israel Congregation. Roni wants to increase the interaction between the embassy and JDS students by inviting in JDS parents who work in the embassy to explain their jobs. One of these parents is Israeli Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Re-

Lindner enjoys reading books about philosophy and history in his free time.

uven Azar. Azar helps with managing the embassy, strengthening cooperation between different embassy departments and branches of the Israeli government, and assisting the Israeli ambassador with diplomatic matters. Azar said that the embassy also works to serve the greater Jewish community by sponsoring Israeli artists, speaking to university students and working with nearby Jewish organizations. “Whether it be the well-being of Israel or whether it be policy issues that have to do with freedom of religion [or] other issues that American Jews are concerned with, we attach a lot of attention to that,” Azar said. Azar, who has had three children attend JDS during his two assignments in the United States, said that he is pleased with his experience. “All of [my children] got huge benefits from studying in JDS, so for me it’s really a wonderful experience that I had,” Azar said. “I think that my kids are privileged to have had the chance to study at JDS.”

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the lion’s tale bennett bramson and ari feuer sports editors

Summering on ice photo provided by luca becker The Olympic Rings on display in Lake Placid, N.Y. The small town near the Canadian border is well known for hosting the Miracle on Ice in 1980.

Over the summer, junior Luca Becker travelled north to Lake Placid, N.Y. for the Lake Placid Ice Dance International, an international figure skating competition including teams from Canada, Russia, Georgia and Poland. Even though Luca normally skates in competitions such as the one at Lake Placid, he and his partner and sister, freshman Gigi Becker, did not participate in this specific tournament. Luca went by himself to Lake Placid for the competition, twice the host of the Olympics. Since he was not competing and is interested in being a judge after his skating career, Luca asked his coaches if they could get him on a judging panel. They did, and Luca ended up judging the juvenile long program event, a contest in which 12 to 14-year-old dancers can choose their own music and routine as long as the music changes tempo once, has an audible beat and contains the elements that the skaters said they would perform. Ice dance, the category of skating in which the Beckers compete and Luca judged, consists of two scores: execution and difficulty. Luca served on the tech panel, which determines the difficulties of the skater’s routines. He was an assistant tech specialist, the lowest ranking of the three judges on the panel, which

Behind the baskets: ari feuer and joel vardon sports editors

Many teenagers watch sports for entertainment, relaxation or procrastination, but one CESJDS alumnus watches sports for a living. In July 2016, the University of Nevada, Reno named Sam Krosnick (‘10) the Director of Player Development for the men’s basketball team. Krosnick’s role will include helping players and coaches on the court and at practice, as well as helping in the locker room with video analysis. Krosnick, 24, comes to Reno with ample experience, having worked with video as an intern for the Washington Wizards and then as a video analyst for the Orlando Magic. Nevada cited this video experience when it hired Krosnick, and he

will oversee a new NBA-style video room for the school’s team. Krosnick comes with more than just an NBA background. After JDS, Krosnick went to the University of Maryland, where he majored in Kinesiology and Exercise Science. During college, Krosnick worked as a UMD student manager, and later as an intern with the WNBA’s Washington Mystics. This experience helped Krosnick secure his internship with the Wizards after he graduated in 2014, which in turn helped take him to the Magic in 2015. Krosnick arrived at Nevada from Orlando after seeing the school rise quickly under what he believes is an impressive coaching staff; last year, the team went from a losing record to win their postseason tournament in Head Coach Eric Mussel-

skaters aged 5 to 13 at the Rockville Ice Arena. Gigi, meanwhile, also had a packed summer, much of it filled with skating: “I skated about every day for around four hours,” Gigi said. While not skating, Gigi, along with Luca, worked with her mother at a program to help teach kids English as a Second Language over the summer. Gigi thinks that while skating did prevent her from doing some things she may have wanted to do over the summer, in the end it “wasn’t a really big deal” for her since she is used to skating all the time. The Beckers hope that the end result of all their hard work “I’ve had to give away a lot, like I will be a trip to the 2022 Winter Olympics have no time for what a normal in Beijing and success kid would be doing like vacation in other major tournaments along the way. or camp; I only skate.” This path, though, re- Junior Luca Becker quires a lot of work. Like Gigi, Luca said that this hard work skating by giving him an inside took away from other summer activities, but the time and effort were scoop on what judges look for. Aside from Luca’s week in New worth it. “I’ve had to give away a lot, like York, he and Gigi practiced skating together for much of the summer. I have no time for what a normal The two skated once in the morning kid would be doing like vacation or and once in the afternoon each day camp; I only skate,” Luca said. “SomeMonday through Saturday for be- times I do ask myself is it worth it, tween four and six hours. Sundays, but I think it is.” however, did not mark a break from skating for Luca as he coached new gave him the opportunity to learn from other experienced panelists. Luca called alongside judges Judy Blumberg and Bob Horen, the latter the highest ranking member of the panel Luca said. Horen serves on the International Skating Union Ice Dance Technical Committee, and helps decide the rules and standards of ice dance. Having someone like Horen, who Luca said has a lot of “power and respect,” on the panel benefited Becker as he learned the ropes of judging. Luca said that being on the other side of the judges’ table both interested him and helped his own

Alumnus Sam Krosnick (‘10) joins University of Nevada, Reno’s coaching staff

man’s first season. Krosnick’s previous employer, Magic Head Coach Scott Skiles, quit after the 2015-16 season and his successor brought in his own staff to replace many of Skiles’ assistants, including Krosnick. Going from the NBA to a college program, especially one not in a major athletics conference, was a new experience for Krosnick. “In the NBA, there is all of the glitz and the glamour,” Krosnick said. “You stay in nice hotels, you have breakfast, lunch and dinner made for you every day by top-notch chefs. It was awesome. Obviously, that aspect is a little different than what you get at a mid-major school.” Krosnick began his basketball journey at JDS, where he played on successful teams and won three PVAC North Division championships

in his four years on the team. It was during this time that Krosnick fell in love with basketball and realized that he wanted his career to be in the sport. Thomas Gutterman (‘10) was one of Krosnick’s teammates at JDS and is not surprised by his success. Gutterman thought of Krosnick as a great teammate who had a unique passion for basketball. “[Krosnick] was the engine to our team, always led by example, a vocal leader and unified his teammates,” Gutterman said in an email. “Sam was, and is, selfless and goal oriented. It is no surprise to his group of friends how far he’s come. I also have no doubt that this won’t be the last time I reflect on his success.” Looking forward, Krosnick sees two career paths. He could keep coaching, aiming to be an assistant at

a college, or, of more interest to Krosnick, he could go back to the NBA to work in a team’s upper management. Though he is not positive what the his future holds, Krosnick knows that he wants to stay in basketball for a while. “At the end of the day, if you work hard and you’re willing to work harder than everyone else, you’re gonna get it,” Krosnick said. “That’s the whole basketball connection to life. A lot of people were trying to get the job that I was getting and I realized that if I really wanted this job I was gonna have to push myself harder than everyone else. I think that’s true with everything in life.”

style the lion’s tale

Calling all pinball wizards

New Bethesda pizzeria offers tasty eats and old-school entertainment miriam minsk editor-in-chief

Since VÜK’s May opening in Bethesda, Md., authentic New Yorkstyle pizza and pinball are only a short drive away from the Upper School campus. VÜK is located on St. Elmo Avenue, in the slightly older part of Bethesda. It’s a small restaurant, seating 64 people, and is filled with bright neon signs across the entire front window. The restaurant’s atmosphere is playful and mimics an arcade, with pinball machines lined up against the wall and seating both indoors and outdoors under an awning. The lighting is dark, but the restaurant has a very comfortable and casual environment. VÜK offers counter service with a few pizza selections including plain cheese pizza, pepperoni, veggie and sausage. The pizza, which was already made by the time I ordered, took less than five minutes to heat up. I found the staff at VÜK to be very welcoming. They explained

that there were only a limited number of pizza selections because “less is more” and focusing on fewer options allows them to provide the best New York-style pizza experience. There were only two people working behind the counter when I visited, and one of them brought my food to my table when it was ready, even though it is a counter-service restaurant. I got one slice of cheese pizza and one slice of veggie, both of which were outstanding. I savored the crunchy crust and thick sauce in my mouth. There was the perfect amount of cheese on each pizza slice, and the vegetables’ flavors were strong. Because the toppings were so well balanced and flavorful, it was definitely some of the best pizza I’ve eaten in the area. Aside from pizza, soft serve ice cream is the only other food on VÜK’s menu, and it is mouthwatering. Their ice cream is organic, from Trickling Springs Creamery. I got the chocolate flavor, which was very rich, and a little salty as well. It, along with the two slices of pizza,

made for a very filling meal. But what really sets VÜK apart from other pizza joints are the pinball machines. They have everything from classics like “The Twilight Zone,” to newer machines like “Game of Thrones.” A few dollars worth of quarters will bring you entertainment after your meal. Don’t worry about bringing quarters; they have a change machine there. When I went to VÜK it was not too crowded; a few people were eating and some were enjoying themselves at the pinball machines. While I did not find the noise from pinball to be overly loud, I believe it could be distracting to some. But if an arcade-like feel is what you’re looking for, VÜK is definitely the place to go. Overall, I enjoyed my experience at VÜK, both their New Yorkstyle pizza and their polite staff members. I would recommend VÜK to anyone who’s looking for a few slices, or a pie, of delicious pizza in a casual atmosphere.

photos by miriam minsk (Clockwise from top left): A neon sign hanging in the restaurant; customers playing on the pinball machines; the chalk-written menu overhead; a pizza pie before being placed in the oven.

Bringing school meals to the kitchen table Food services expands Shabbat to Go joel vardon contributing editor With Friday afternoons filled with work and picking up kids from school, families often scramble last minute to put a Shabbat meal on the table. Last year, in attempt to resolve this issue, Head of Food Services Erick Gilbert and the CESJDS kitchen, led by Chefs Rubir Vega and Elmer Vega, started a “Shabbat to Go” service. Shabbat to Go offers families the opportunity to order prepared meals through an online form by 2 p.m. on Wednesday, and pick up the food after school on Friday. The menu features a wide variety of options including soups, salads, chicken and brisket.

Lower School art teacher Jesse Nathans finds Shabbat to Go convenient for her lifestyle because she works full time and can pick up the food right where she works. “The service is very family-centered and I felt it really met the needs of a pre-Shabbat preparation,” Nathans said. “There were large quantities [of food], and when I couldn’t get something, there were enough basics that I could always add to it.” For Nathans, Shabbat to Go is especially helpful because her Shabbat preparations do not typically start on Friday, but take the whole week to plan. “In order to prepare for Shabbat, you have to start doing the shopping on Monday, Tuesday make one meal, Wednesday make another meal, Thursday make the chal-

lah and Friday there are always still things to do,” Nathans said. Gilbert’s schedule is equally busy. He is in charge of deciding what goes on the menu, receiving families’ orders, making sure he gets all of the right products by Thursday, creating a production sheet for the cooks, packaging everything Friday morning and delivering it on time to customers by Friday afternoon. Gilbert takes pride in this hard work and the range of foods the service has to offer. “I want the food to represent a Shabbat meal and [be] a little nicer than normal, so we turn it up a notch or two,” Gilbert said. “Last year I introduced Mole, which is a kosher Mexican dish. Last time I checked, we are one of the only services to offer a kosher, allergy-friendly and

Mexican dish.” JDS parents Art and Sharyn Fuchs said that they enjoy what the menu has to offer and plan on using the service this year. “We like the selection of the soups, the spicy pulled barbecue brisket is authentic and the chicken is delicious,” Art said. “Some of the things they offer are unusual, like a salad they offer is made up of different greens and apples; it is something we haven’t seen anywhere else.” The Fuchs, however, only used the service eight to 10 times last year because they were not aware of the service until late in the year. Gilbert says there was a reason for the soft promotion. “Every time you start an engine you have to make sure everything

is working,” Gilbert said. “We had to fix the website and we had to fix the production sheets, but once we started going it really picked up. This year, we are going to increase the advertising and publicity of it.” Gilbert plans to increase Shabbat to Go advertising by hanging up flyers, sending out emails to families and improving the website. Families can order their meals on www.papacharliescafe.com and can expect a full course meal on Friday night for a reasonable price. “It is part of Rabbi Malkus’ bigger picture of offering services to the greater JDS community,” Gilbert said. “We can expand what we are doing to make JDS that much better.”

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the lion’s tale

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pcoming

concerts festivals

fall 2016

compiled by talia horowitz and gabe krantz

Flume

Break the Internet Fest

Chance the Rapper

Amos Lee

NSO pops

After headlining the Sweetlife Music Festival back in May, the Australian Future Bass superstar Flume will return to the DMV. He will perform at the 9:30 Club on back-toback nights (Friday, Sept. 2 and Saturday, Sept. 3).

The annual rap festival in Southeast D.C. at the St. Elizabeth East Gateway Pavilion will be held Sept. 10. Upand-comers Yo Gotti and Kent Jones are among the acts leading up to main headliner Meek Mill.

Chance the Rapper will be back in the D.C. area at the EagleBank Arena in Fairfax on Oct. 6. The opening act for his performance will be Francis and the Lights.

Singer Amos Lee will perform songs from his most recent album, “Spirit,” at the Kennedy Center for the first time on Sept. 13. Lee’s musical style draws from soul, rock and folk.

National Symphony Orchestra Pops will perform “The Second City Guide to the Symphony” starring Colin Mochrie at the Kennedy Center Sept. 15 to Sept. 17. The orchestra will be performing classical pieces with a comedic twist.

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