Volume 26 Issue 2

the

l ion’s tale

News

Feature

see page 2

see page 10

GRAMERCY GHOST REVIEW

NEW PEANUT POLICIES

Volume 26 • Issue 2 October 16, 2008 • 17 Tishrei 5769

Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School • 11710 Hunters Lane • Rockville, Maryland • 20852

Political season brings activism

by Dagania Steinfeld

photo by Hannah Goldstein

The great exodus

Where did 23 percent of the class of 2012 go? For a look at how the freshman and junior classes dropped to fewer than 90 kids, see page 8.

photo by Martine Kaplan

In preparation for the election, students and staff are unleashing their political passions in venues ranging from campaign offices and voter registration centers to our own school auditorium.

JDS students are involved in political campaigns and 11 seniors are preparing to cast their first votes. In addition, the history department arranged a mock election and a series of CAN WE CALL YOU JOE? Demospeakers with political cratic vice-presidential nominee Joe backgrounds to address Biden speaks at the National Jewish students about various Democratic Council, which 38 JDS students attended. Students have election-related issues.

“We thought that it heard from many speakers and gotten would be a good idea involved in the upcoming election. for students to hear from different people, see people that are in the national spotlight, raise awareness of issues and bring excitement to the whole election process,” History Department Chair Carleton Cunningham said.

Former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas J. Feith, father of seventh-grader Dore, senior Dafna, David (’05) and

see POLITICS, page 3

Prices for Sept. 11 assembly replaced Israel, Poland Students have mixed reactions to optional commemoration trips rise

by David Friedland

by Neville Brodie Pricier plane tickets and a weak economy are threatening to lower the enrollment for the JDS Senior Class Eastern Europe and Israel Trip. As a result, JDS is working to raise enough money for scholarships so that all interested seniors will be able to afford the trip.

“Israel has become a very expensive country to travel to,” Sigal Harel, a tour operator in Israel, said.

“We are doing everything we can to make sure that there are funds available for each student that wants to go to Israel. The cost of the trip has risen by $1,000 since last year, but we are certain that we will have just as many kids,” said Phyllis Solomon, Director of Admissions for the Alexander Muss Institute for Israel Education, which runs the senior trip.

“I love Israel, but I was just there over this past summer, and it seems like a waste of time and money to go and do the same things, just with different people,” senior Carolyn Weinstein said.

According to the currency converter xe.com, the dollar was worth 4.31 shekels on Oct. 1, 2006; 3.99 shekels on Oct. 1, 2007; and only 3.46 shekels this October.

see ISRAEL TRIP, page 12

one of the firefighters who spoke to students.

The two seniors who worked on the panel, Ari Luks and Ethan Litman, spoke positively about the program.

“Ari and I sit down and we ask, what message do we

For the first time since 2003, there was no assembly held to commemorate the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Instead, on 9/11, the school held optional lunch prosee MEMORIAL, page 2 grams during middle school photo by Sam Greenberg and high school lunches for students to meet and hear from firefighters from the Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service.

“Well, a bunch of the seniors were disappointed there was no assembly so we decided to try and organize it,” Jewish Text, Thought and Practice teacher Paul Blank said. “I think it went very well.”

“Prior to this, we’ve never been to a 9/11 commemoration.

Sad to say, now that 9/11 is not in the headlines anymore, the fire department has been forgotten by the public and the governments. They don’t think about us until they call 911 for their own emergency,” said ALL FIRED UP Paramedic Greg Kelly of the Montgomery County Fire and Lieutenant Patrick Smulsky, Rescue Squad helps junior Rebecca Schooler try on a firefighter uniform.

2

News

the

lion’s tale

October 16, 2008

Firefighters help commemorate 9/11 MEMORIAL, from Page 1 want to bring to the students in this assembly, what do we want to bring out in this day, what is important,” Litman said. “And this year, we thought it is the firefighters that really deserve extra recognition.”

“A few days before 9/11, Mr. Blank pulled us over and told us about the program.…The administration appreciated the idea of students taking an interest in the planning of the program,” Luks said. “We wanted it to be something discussion-based and not mandatory.”

Throughout the morning, the Upper School also observed four moments of silence, one at the time of each plane crash.

After every moment of silence, a student read the life story of one person who died during that specific attack over the intercom.

“It’s a very difficult day to commemorate. I mean, we go through this debate every year. There have always been mixed feelings about having an assembly on September 11,” Director of Student Life Victoria Rothenberg said.

“There are people that are not comfortable with that as the medium for commemorating the day, and we’ve done an assembly for so many years, maybe this was the right year to try something [different] to commemorate 9/11,” Rothenberg said.

“The assemblies were losing effective-

ness over the people, and especially the younger grades, like the middle school.

They were so young when it happened, so throwing images at them wouldn’t be the most effective way to commemorate [9/11],” Rothenberg said.

Students had mixed feelings about the moments of silence.

“I think it would have been better to have images, like a slideshow to commemorate 9/11,” junior Daniel Himmelfarb said.

“The moments of silence I think had good intentions, but I found it kind of disruptive to my school day. I think an assembly would have been better,” eighth-grader Nichole Goodman said.

“I believe not only that JDS executed the announcements very well, but [that they were] another good alternative to the idea of an assembly,” freshman Ofer Kimchi said.

Students also had a range of opinions about the optional lunch program.

Many students had trouble making it to the meeting because of previous lunch commitments.

“I went to the first five minutes of it, and I thought it was a good idea, but I still had some homework to do, so I ended up having to miss most of it,” Himmelfarb said.

“A mandatory assembly with a slideshow could have been more effective,” Himmelfarb said.

However, students did have enough time to listen to the firemen and appreciate them.

A helping hand

“The fireman thing was pretty cool. I malfunctioning smoke detector or a full-tilt couldn’t hear them as well as I could have at house fire. We do the job because we love an assembly, but I still enjoyed listening to it, we do not ask for thanks or recognition,” them,” eighth-grader Danielle Masica said.

Smulsky said.

“Bringing in photo by Sam Greenberg the firefighters was very good, because it allowed us to see how [9/11] changed their lives. They, of course have been more deeply affected by the attacks than most people at JDS,” Kimchi said.

The firefighters also wanted to stress that they are always looking out for our community.

“Always remember, the Montgomery County Professional Firefighters are on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year…

Not just on 9/11,” HOT LUNCH Firefighter Dave Briscoe, left, and Master FireSmulsky said. fighter Chuck Dabbs eat lunch with Head of School Jonathan “We will be Cannon before speaking to students during middle school and there whether it’s a high school lunches on Sept. 11. Instead of having an assembly, sick person or heart the administration chose to commemorate the day by having the attack, a car crash, a firefighters speak to students in an optional forum setting.

Allergy policies implemented

by Cassie Maxwell and Hallie Silvermetz

photo by Meah Nisenson

mobilizing to action On Sept. 25, the entire school participated in the second Students in Action Day. Each grade from K-12 went to a different service location to complete various projects. Seventh-graders and half of the seniors stayed at the Upper School campus to work for Glories Happy Hats, an organization that brings in materials and equipment to make hats for children in hospitals. The seniors helped third graders make the hats. The eighth grade helped the Anacostia Watershed Society. Nineteen freshmen volunteered at the D.C. Central Kitchen, making salads. The rest of the freshmen helped at the Community for Creative Non-Violence, where they sanitized the walls. A group of sophomores ran a car wash at the Upper School together with the Jewish Foundation for Group Homes. They worked with some of the Group Home residents to wash the group home van and wash teachers’ cars for a donation. Other sophomores taught elderly residents of the Ring House about technology by text messaging each other across the room and showing off their Facebook pages.

The rest of the sophomores built a playgroun. Juniors learned how to lobby with Panim: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values, and then lobbied on Capitol Hill for different causes.

The seniors who did not stay at the Upper School for Glories Happy Hats refurbished a school for Behrend Builders. Above, sophomore Stephanie Prigal helps Willy, a Group Homes resident, wash a car.

The administration has created several new policies involving peanut-free zones to help two highly allergic students.

Two tables, one in the cafeteria and one in the atrium, are now peanut-free. Several classrooms, including the Writing Center, are nut-free, and the vending machines and the school store do not sell products containing peanuts.

After the parent of a seventh-grader requested the school have a peanut-free table, the administration instituted policies to lower the probability that kids with severe allergies come in contact with peanuts.

“At the Lower School [peanut allergy regulations have] been happening for years. And that’s not such an uncommon thing. The seventh-grader’s parent asked, and the school was able to comply,” Food Services Manager Erik Glibert said.

“Little kids don’t necessarily have the willpower or understanding of separating foods out. [In] high school, you are one step away from college and being out there so we try to create a safe environment, but still it’s a broader scope,” Gilbert said.

“Because there is a child in the school who is very very sensitive to peanuts and even if he gets a peanut product on his hands and maybe rubs his nose or eyes or something, he could have a severe allergic reaction, we have some peanut-free tables,” Nurse Rhona Longman said.

“That way he can feel safe at one of those tables, and not have to worry that maybe somebody else is eating peanut butter and some of it might get on the table and he might touch it,” Longman said.

There are no plans to stop serving peanut butter sandwiches and desserts with nuts in the cafeteria.

However, there is a deliberate effort to be sensitive to kids with allergies. Main courses are made nutfree, and foods that contain nuts or may contain traces of nuts are clearly labeled.

Additionally, supplies that touch peanut butter are kept separate from other utensils in order to avoid cross-contamination, and peanut butter sandwiches are individually wrapped.

“I can’t stress enough the importance of helping peanut-allergic people avoid the problem of crosscontamination, … hidden traces of peanuts getting into prepared foods that do not seem to contain pea-

nuts, because of a lack of sufficient separation or cleaning of utensils and surfaces,” said Renee Matalon, mother of senior Sara Marcus and JDS graduate Ezra Marcus (’06), who has a severe peanut allergy.

While tables do not seem to be a problem, other changes, such as peanut-free classrooms, have struck a nerve for some.

Senior Ethan Litman, who is severely allergic to peanuts, believes some of the new policies are unfair for other students.

“I think kids have to learn to be responsible for their own allergy. Having an allergy, you learn to be very careful. If you’re sensitive to the surfaces then you should bring wipes and wipe down the table.

There are things you can do by yourself, not put the burden on other people,” Litman said.

Opinions on the role the school should play in protecting students with allergies vary.

“It’s fair because they don’t have the same type of reaction, it could be worse for some or not as bad, it could be different for each person,” eighth-grader Kellan Steele said.

“It seems that this child has a more serious allergy than we have had in the past,” Longman said.

“My biggest concern is that creating a ‘peanutfree’ zone creates a false sense of security,” Matalon said.

“By the time they are in high school they should be self-aware and start protecting themselves,” Gilbert said.

When Ezra Marcus was a student at the Upper School, he had no help dealing with his allergies.

“I alerted the school nurses to his allergy, but Ezra was really on his own at that point as far as avoiding peanut products and notifying someone if he felt he was having a reaction,” Matalon said.

“By seventh grade, a peanut-allergic student knows to avoid obvious sources of peanuts such as peanut butter sandwiches, and should also know that they must never eat food brought in by another student unless they can read the ingredients themselves. I don’t think they need peanut-free zones to accomplish this,” Matalon said.

“JDS students are very understanding, and are perfectly willing to put some space between you and the peanuts if you take the initiative and ask.

I think being at the Upper School is an appropriate time for that initiative to be a kid’s responsibility,” Marcus said.

October 16, 2008

the

lion’s tale

3

News

Pre-election excitement builds Political speakers visit to speak about the issues POLITICS, from page 1 Daniel (’02), spoke to the middle school on Sept. 6 and to juniors and seniors on Sept. 17. He worked under former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and published a book this past April about his involvement in the events that led to the Iraq War. Congressman Robert Wexler (D-Fla), father of sixth-grader Hannah, sophomore Zachary and Rachel (‘07), discussed the congressional elections and the federal bailout plan with the freshmen, sophomores and juniors on Sept. 22. Wexler is currently serving his sixth term. He was named one of the 50 Most Effective Legislators in Congress by Congressional Quarterly and is of the 50 most influential leaders in the Jewish community according to The Jewish Daily Forward.

New York Times columnist and Weekly Standard editor David Brooks, father of freshman Naomi and senior Joshua, came to speak to students about his insights on the media, politics and campaigning on Oct. 7.

Julie Siegel (’05), who worked for Hillary Clinton’s campaign, and who currently works for the Obama campaign, spoke to the freshmen and sophomores about political involvement on Oct. 10.

Susan Neuberg, a partner at Nixon Peabody LLP, and mother of freshman Daniel, senior Samuel, and Harris (’07) spoke to seniors about the economy on Oct. 13.

Liz Schrayer, mother of sophomore Danny and senior Joshua Schwaber, who operates a political consulting firm called Schrayer and Associates, will speak to sophomores and seniors on Oct. 24.

Her firm works to improve international policy, healthcare and child advocacy. She will speak to students about the importance of being involved in the political process as well as the role of women in this election.

Ambassador Dennis Ross is tentatively scheduled to speak to students about Middle East and foreign policy issues after the election. Ross, who was the special Middle East coordinator under President Bill Clinton, was an instrumental leader in the Middle East peace process negotiations. He helped bring about the 1995 Interim Agreement between Israel and the Palestinians and the Hebron Accord of 1997.

These election-related seminars will culminate in a mock election at the Upper School. Regardless of the school’s initiatives, students are thinking about the important issues that will dominate the election.

Eleven seniors are eligible to vote in these elections, and are excited to be a part of the process.

“It’s an amazing feeling. I have always cared about global issues and now I actually feel like I can make a real difference and not just have an opinion but not have any say,” senior Laura Hecht said.

“I think that voting is one of the most important parts of being a citizen of any country. That’s what democracy is all about. If people don’t take part it in, democracy won’t work. It’s all about participation,” Hecht said.

“I feel like I am a true American now. I have a say in where our country is going,” senior Ian Kolmaister said “If you don’t [vote] there’s really no reason for the next guy to vote,” Kolmaister said.

Even students who are not old enough to vote have thrown themselves into the election.

Senior Raviv Brooks, 17, makes phone calls and meets up with Justin Ross, the Maryland State Delegate from Prince George’s County, to campaign for Obama on the weekends.

Though there are McCain supporters at JDS, The Lion’s Tale did not find any students who had been active in the McCain campaign.

“Part of Obama’s charm is that he is very charismatic in a way that I don’t think McCain is,” senior Jeremy Liss, who supports McCain, said.

“A candidate that I would vote for would have to have good foreign policy, care about issues of poverty, give health insurance for people who can’t afford it and focus on the war in Iraq,” eighthgrader Rosie Jacobson said.

Junior Ryan Strassman feels that the campaigns have veered off the issues.

“The fact that Obama would be the first black president or that Palin would be the first female in office or that McCain is the oldest—none of that matters but it seems to be the only thing that the media wants to focus on as opposed to focusing on the real issues,” Strassman said.

Regardless, most students agree that this election is a crucial one.

“This is the most important election of our generation so far and the outcome is going to determine the way our lives work for longer than just the presidential term,” Raviv said.

A front-row view of the DNC in Denver

by Martine Kaplan I was incredibly fortunate to have experienced the Democratic National Convention in Denver first-hand and up close on several dimensions — I was an observer, I worked on the congressional relations team, and I was a participant.

My journey to Denver began this past summer when I interned for Steny Hoyer, the House Majority Leader. I volunteered to work at the convention and was assigned to the Congressional Relations Team, a team mainly comprised of senior Hill staff and just a few interns.

Our job was to facilitate the convention experience of members of Congress by helping them with whatever they needed at the convention. When my shift ended, I was able to go to the Pepsi Center and sit with the Maryland delegation on the convention floor.

I was most excited to be on the floor and see almost every minute of what went on from gavel to gavel. I was intrigued by what they don’t broadcast on TV — being able to watch a lesser known person speak without cutaways to famous people in the crowd — and

observing and evaluating speeches without the “help” of the 24-hour network pundits.

I met some pretty amazing people,

see CONVENTION, page 4

photo courtesy of Martine Kaplan

political savvy Senior Martine Kaplan takes a moment away from the speakers at the Democratic National Convention to speak to Congressman Robert Wexler. Kaplan volunteered at the convention in Denver.

All in the family

by Zachary Wexler When I first arrived in Denver for the Democratic National Convention, the whole city was covered in signs that read “DNC 2008” and “Obama/Biden 08.” The excitement and anticipation were so intense, leading me to believe that Barack Obama will be victorious in November. Democrats – Obama and Clinton delegates alike – interacted with one another and understood that their success depends on party unity.

This unity was a far cry from when I went to the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee in the spring, when Democrats were fighting among themselves about how to allocate Florida and Michigan delegates.

Florida and Michigan were in the political spotlight because they violated Democratic Party rules by holding their primaries too early. My dad, Congressman Robert Wexler (D-Fla), argued the Florida case for Sen. Obama and was booed by Clinton supporters at one point. But, in politics, situations can change quickly – now, the same people who were fighting a few months ago were hugging and celebrating together.

Diversity is a key strength of the Democratic Party and the delegates represented a diverse group. Young people especially are energized and inspired by Sen. Obama’s message of change. The energy of young delegates and voters set the enthusiastic tone of the convention.

Despite all the enthusiasm for Barack Obama, there were several organized protests. As we walked closer to the Pepsi Center, protesters were holding up signs that had pictures of dead babies. They were yelling into microphones shouting “Obama wants to kill your babies,” “Obama will raise your taxes” and even “Obama is unpatriotic.”

On Aug. 27, my dad spoke before the convention addressing national security issues and Israel. Speakers are not permitted to bring anything to the podium, not even a copy of their speech, as each speech must be pre-approved by the campaign. I never imagined that my father would address the DNC. I was excited for him, but also nervous. He reiterated Barack Obama’s position that America has no stronger ally in the Middle East than Israel, and that the security of the state of Israel is non-negotiable. He explained Obama’s strong support for Israel’s right to self defense and he committed to ensuring Israel’s military qualitative advantage. He also expressed Obama’s desire to use strong economic sanctions and direct diplomacy by America to stop Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

Finally, Thursday night, the moment Democrats were waiting for came when Obama walked out on the blue stage to give his acceptance speech as the Democratic nominee for president. I could feel my feet vibrating from the enthusiasm of the rowdy crowd of 84,000. All of INVESCO Field was chanting “O-ba-ma, O-ba-ma!” I was thrilled that I witnessed firsthand this defining moment in our nation’s history – the nomination of the first African-American to a major party ticket. For me, my sister, her friends and so many young people, this convention was about feeling empowered.

And when you are empowered, the sky is the limit.

4

News

the

October 16, 2008

lion’s tale

Welcoming in 5769 Senior attends DNC

by David Weinberg To bring in the New Year, the administration chose to celebrate Rosh Hashanah on Sept. 26 by tying it together with Students in Action Day (SIA), which was on Sept. 25.

“We wanted to take the opportunity, since we thought the themes of Students in Action Day overlapped significantly with the themes for Rosh Hashanah, to combine the two into one program,” Director of Judaic Studies Michael Kay said.

The afternoon went according to an assembly schedule, and students spent half an hour answering questions and discussing common themes of SIA and Rosh Hashanah in random, inter-grade groups.

“The purpose of the discussion is to reflect on Students in Action Day, focusing in particular on themes like self-reflection, introspection, community and setting goals for [the] future, all of which are major themes of Rosh Hashanah as well,” Kay said.

Because there were only two full days of school during the week of Oct. 13, the administration decided to use those days for creative programming. On Oct. 16 an elections program is scheduled, and on Oct. 17 the school will hold the annual Daniel Pearl Music day, focused on Sukkot and Shabbat.

“We are having this packed day because that time of year is known as ‘Z’man Simchateinu’, which means ‘time of our celebration,’” Kay said.

On Oct. 20, Hoshanah Rabbah, the school will have activities relating to the seven hoshanot, the traditional circles around the Torah. In keeping with Jewish tradition, students will beat parts of a lulav, smell an etrog and eat inside a sukkah dur-

ing minyan.

“The point of this is so that the students can experience Judaism with all their senses, tasting food in a sukkah, smelling an etrog, feeling the beating of the willows being beaten against the ground, hearing the joyful singing in minyan, and seeing the decorations throughout the school and much more,” Kay said.

photo by Joshua Ra’anan

A SWEET NEW YEAR Middle School Director Joan Vander Walde hands out honey candy as students go home on Sept.

26 before Rosh Hashanah.

CONVENTION, from page 3 all helping to make history and create the energy of the convention. I was impressed by how accessible everyone was, from members of Congress to the correspondents on The Daily Show. I had some unique experiences: looking up above me at Invesco to see Governor Howard Dean suddenly pop his head out of a skybox to say hi; chatting with former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.); helping a lost Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) find his way back to his hotel; and talking to Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), who could not have been more gracious or friendly when he came by to thank the congressional relations team. Meeting many of the 37 Jewish democrats in Congress at the National Jewish Democratic Council Reception was particularly meaningful to me.

But the most overwhelming aspect of the convention was its incredible energy.

I cannot put into words what it was like to be a part of that feeling. I sensed something beyond excitement; it was a level of pride that I had not seen before.

Everyone was proud to be a Democrat, proud to be a part of this historic convention. Everywhere I went on the floor I felt a palpable mix of excitement, pride and hope.

Obama’s acceptance speech at Invesco Field on Thursday night was

truly inspiring. I arrived there very early for my job. The stadium was virtually empty, and I watched the excitement steadily build for seven hours as the crowd settled in. It finally erupted when Obama took the stage and reached a fever pitch when he finished speaking. I was swept up in it — I was on my feet cheering, waving one of my many signs and dancing. During the speech, I was on the edge of my seat, absorbed in his message and overtaken by awe of the crowd and the feeling.

I had seen Obama twice before, both times in far more intimate settings, but this was different. The difference was not in the message, but in the power and the energy of those 44 minutes that he spoke.

There is one experience from that night that captures Obama’s impact on the convention. A young AfricanAmerican woman sitting two rows in front of me with her two children had been overflowing with energy all night.

After Obama spoke, when everyone was on their feet cheering wildly, she did something that really caught my attention. She stopped abruptly. She set her young son down next to her, held his face in her hands, and kept repeating “If you believe, you can achieve.”

The sheer emotion of that moment will stay with me forever. Obama’s historic nomination was resonating throughout the stadium.

Trying to make the cut

by David Friedland and Caroline Mendelsohn The new school year brought with it the usual rush to try out for sports and productions, with the addition of signing up for club-period activities.

“The only difference between this year’s club period and last year’s is that last year, you didn’t have to sign up,” said Dean of Students Roslyn Landy. “Club sign-ups are mandatory…because students believed that they could just ‘hang,’ and not go to clubs, and it bothered teachers that students could go anywhere because clubs are mandatory.”

Students uniformly described the sign-up as an inconvenience.

“It’s an online form, the administration can’t actually expect everybody to sign up in time,” junior Sam Krosnick said. “I know I haven’t had enough time to sign up.”

“I think it’s a little ridiculous to require the school to sign up for all clubs,” sophomore Ilia Esrig said. “Like what about study hall? Do I really need to sign up for that?”

While clubs are more informal and signing up is the only requirement, some after school activities are a little more stressful and require tryouts or auditions.

Freshman Rebecca Rubin tried out for the high school play and the a cappella choir. Since it was the first time that she was able to participate in a high school activity, she said that she was “nervous and excited” about trying out alongside the upperclassmen.

“The other people in other grades were really good and I was really worried,” Rubin said.

For others, this year merely marked a new year to participate in the activities they enjoy.

Senior Lizzy Feldman has been an actress in the school play and a member of the

choir since she was in seventh grade.

“I’ve been doing it for so long that I would think I would get used to it, but I still get the butterflies and a bit nervous when trying out. You get a bit more comfortable but it doesn’t get any easier,” Feldman said.

Seventh-grader Rebecca Panitch tried out this year for volleyball.

As they didn’t have organized sports teams in the Lower School, she was very excited to be able to join the team. Panitch said she “wasn’t nervous, more excited” about the process as a whole.

“I was under a lot of pressure, but it is fun being on a team so it was OK,” Panitch said.

Seventh-grader Kobi Fodor understood the major time commitment of teams. He decided not to try out for anything during the fall season, but rather to focus on his work for the first few months of school.

“I wanted to try out but since I am new to the Upper School, I want to get settled first and then join the teams later,” Fodor said.

Senior Eli Shindell didn’t try out for anything this year and doesn’t plan to join any teams or school-sponsored after-school activities for his last few months of high school.

“I thought that I would get more involved this year, but with college stuff and other school commitments, I had too much to do,” he said.

Students with limited time, like Shindell, still have the opportunity to get involved in activities during club period. Shindell plans to join clubs and less organized school-wide activities.

Feldman, finishing up her final semester at JDS, plans on continuing her activities through college.

“I love the singing, the dancing, the acting. I love being in things that entertain others and I know I will continue to do so,” Feldman said.

October 16, 2008

the

lion’s tale

Newsbriefs Building friendships

News

5

newsbriefs compiled by Joshua Boxerman, Kyle Hardgrave, Isaac Nelson and Hallie Silvermetz

The seventh grade and freshman class started off their years with outdoor experiences facilitated by Calleva, an organization that runs programs and retreats.

On Aug. 29, the school hosted the second annual High School Kick-Off Adventure at Riley’s Lock, in Poolesville, MD for freshmen.

The seventh grade had its experience at the Calleva ropes course on Sept. 17.

The main focuses of the seventh grade program were team building and communication skills.

“We want them to begin to learn to work together in groups, and do it in a fun outdoor setting,” Assistant Middle School Director Debbie Heller said.

“So, many of these activities, you can’t just do yourself — none of them you can do yourself. You can do pieces of it, and you need help from the guy in front of you and the guy behind you,” she said.

“It was fun to get to know other people in our grade,” seventh-grader Rachel Citren said.

The freshman program was intended to make sure the students had a good time.

“The ninth grade program is more for people to enjoy themselves, and have fun, and get to know each other in a very laid-back atmosphere the first week of school,” Director of Student Life Victoria Rothenberg said.

“That’s the purpose behind the trip, that’s why we call it the High School Kickoff Adventure, you know, just get everybody out of the building and having fun,” Rothenberg said.

The freshmen did face one problem that no amount of team building could overcome: the weather. It rained all day during the planned retreat, which led to many last-minute changes to the program.

Students’ opinions of the event varied.

“I think that the idea was very good, but that the Calleva staff did not organize it very well, and because of the weather outside, it should have been called off,” freshman Ofer Kimchi said.

“I learned a lot about all my classmates a little better,” freshman Gilad Nissim said. “I definitely have stronger friendship with a lot of the kids in my grade.”

Biding time with Biden Thirty-eight students had the opportunity to hear Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) speak at a National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) conference on Sept. 23.

With the help of Barbara Goldberg Goldman, a member of the NJDC Board of Directors and mother of JDS alumnae Juliana (’99), Samantha (’01) and Arielle (’07), the school was able to obtain a limited number of tickets to the keynote address of the 2008 Washington Conference, titled “Repairing the World, One Election at a Time.”

Although the conference included dozens of speakers and spanned two days, the group of students and three staff members were only able to attend Biden’s keynote address.

The students left school early in order to take the metro or drive to D.C., where the conference was being held at the Hilton Washington.

Biden’s speech was postponed for a few minutes, allowing the group to hear some short remarks by Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.), a

former writer for Saturday Night Live.

Once he arrived, Biden spoke for about 30 minutes on a range of topics including Israel, the economy, stem-cell research and the Iraq war.

His comments about Israel earned him a standing ovation.

When Biden concluded, students had a brief opportunity to shake hands and take pictures with him before he was whisked away by aides and Secret Service.

Students were very enthusiastic about the opportunity to attend the speech.

“Meeting Senator Biden was a once-in-alifetime opportunity,” sophomore Noah Berman said.

“It’s not every day that you get to meet such a high-profile politician and I’m really grateful to the school for it,” Berman said.

“It was really exciting to hear someone speak who has so much potential to change the country and make a difference in the world,” senior Sarah Krame said.

New ESS director hired On Sept. 16, JDS announced the appointment of Lenore Layman as Director of Educational Support Services (ESS) for grades K-12.

Layman, mother of fourth-grader Eytan, eighth-grader Aliza, sophomore Ilan and Elisheva (’08), will start in her position on Oct. 27.

Layman assumes the position previously filled by Sandy Rolef, who became the Lower School principal this year.

“I really look forward to being part of the team of all the senior administrative staff and the education support staff, and working very closely with [Learning Specialist Coordinator] Judy Stern at the Lower School and [Chair of Educational Support Services] Susan Zuckerman at the Upper School, and the other learning specialists to really continue and expand upon what Mrs. Rolef began when she was in this position the last three years,” Layman said.

As Director of ESS, Layman sees herself working with the ESS team to help set the philosophical framework for the school’s ESS program, improving the program’s consistency between the two campuses, educating the staff of teachers and specialists about accommodat-

ing different students in the classroom and enhancing services so JDS can accommodate more types of students.

Layman, who received a B.A. in Special Education and an M.A. as a Special Education Learning Consultant, has worked with the Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning in Rockville and the Board of Jewish Education of Greater Washington as the Director of Special Needs and Disability Services for the past 11 years.

In 2003, she created the annual community conference titled “Opening the Gates of Torah: Including People with Disabilities in the Jewish Community.” She has worked in a clinical setting as well as in various special needs programs throughout the country, including SINAI at the Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy and Tivkah at Camp Ramah in New England.

“I’m really excited. My kids have been at JDS for a long time themselves, and it’s a great school, and I’m really excited to be a part of the team that has been there for a long time and to help make a difference at the school,” Layman said.

Down to davening

photo by hannah Goldstein

a whole new minyan From left, eighth-graders Hannah Newburger and Corey Hersch, junior Michelle Kerbel, Jewish Text, Thought and Practice teacher Etan Weiss and eighth-grader Devin Yolles read from the Torah at the inauguration of the Middle School Egalitarian Traditional Minyan. The minyan focuses on the technical side of prayer by examining what constitutes a service. Every day, students wear tallit and tefillin and learn a new prayer or idea to incorporate into their service. A similar program is being planned for the high school.

Superman success Senior Matthew Grossman, a brain tumor survivor, helped organize Team Superman for the 2008 Childhood Brain Tumor Foundation Stride for Life 5K Walk/Run at Lake Fairfax Park in Reston, Va. On Sept. 7, 15 JDS students and family members joined the ranks of Team Superman to run in the race and support its cause.

Grossman, who survived a brain tumor in 2005, has worked with his family to create Team Superman. The team got its name from a picture of Grossman as Superman, which became symbolic of hope to Grossman’s family during his treatment.

“After I got sick, my parents had [the picture] enlarged, and while I was going through treatment my mom would try to calm down and meditate and envision Superman. I guess she envisioned being really strong and flying and beating,

I guess, cancer monsters. And it sounds totally crazy — and it is totally crazy — but it works,” Grossman said.

For the past two years, the goal of the run was to raise funds for pediatric brain tumor research. For this year’s run, however, Team Superman had a different goal.

While some people did contribute, for Team Superman members, the race was a way to raise awareness and inspire people.

Childhood cancer is the most common disease killer of children, and brain tumors are the most deadly form.

“September is childhood cancer awareness month, so that was our main goal, to raise awareness about that,” Grossman said.

“I thought it was really cool to see everybody get together for this common cause…. I didn’t really see it as about me; it was about the cause,” he said.

Seniors take vacation Eighty-seven seniors packed up their bags for the annual Senior Shabbaton at Capital Camps and Retreat Center on Sept. 19. The weekend was full of prayer, Siyum planning and grade bonding.

“The students and faculty take time out to spend Shabbat together and get to know each other and bring back what they learned together to the school,” Director of Student Life Victoria Rothenberg said.

Rothenberg and Director of Judaic Studies Michael Kay organized the Shabbaton with the help of a group of seniors who are planning the year-long preparations for siyum.

“It’s really up to them. They’re 12th -graders taking a very active role in planning the program,” Kay said.

Activities at the Shabbaton included

praying, siyum preparation, a scavenger hunt and relaxing at the pool or in the cabins.

“I see the Shabbaton program as a crucial element of what this school is all about,” Kay said Apparently, students see the Shabbaton in a similar light.

“Attendance has been going up and people have been more excited about it,” Kay said.

“I thought it was very well-planned. I did like how we were able to do our own free time most of the time but we got a lot of work done. We had fun but we got our job done of trying to plan Siyum and graduation,” senior David Samet said.

“I thought it was a lot of fun. There was some great grade bonding. I definitely got to know people a lot better,” senior Jeremy Liss said.

6

the

October 16, 2008

lion’s tale

Editorial

Lack of assembly, insufficient commemoration of 9/11 September 11 was one of the most significant days in history that our generation of students has lived through. However, the Lion’s Tale editorial board believes that not enough was done to commemorate the events of that day this year.

In past years, students and teachers have worked together to develop an assembly to recognize and mourn those killed on 9/11. Assemblies for Yom HaZikaron, Yom HaShoah, Memorial Day and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day commemorate and raise awareness of events that have directly or indirectly affected the lives of students in the school.

The optional lunch panel held in the Exhibition Hall this year (see page 2) was a great opportunity to learn about relief workers, but it was not an assembly: it was a panel of Rockville firefighters who did not participate in relief efforts on 9/11.

The location was chosen based on which room was conducive to eating and did not hold the 90 students that attended during high school lunch.

Attendance was optional, and even then, some students who wanted to attend had prior commitments, lunch meetings and appointments with teachers. We thank the teachers and students who organized the panel, and we think it was a great means to remember and honor those firefighters who died saving lives and those who continue to serve today. However, we believe a proper assembly should have also been held.

We think an assembly for 9/11 should be organized in such a way that students are informed, moved and reminded. The Lion’s Tale editorial board proposes 9/11 assemblies that are mandatory, moving and planned by students. We do not argue that a moving assembly implies using gory images. Acceptable moving images could include those of ground zero, planes crashing, images about the lives of those killed and front page news clips. If images and headlines were appropriate for the newspapers, we think students can handle seeing them.

While it may be easy to shield children from television images, the printed media is everywhere, as are posters, pictures and flyers with still images from newspapers. Not only would these images be poignant, they would remind us of where we were on that day in history. It would be interesting and effective to bring in speakers — people who were there on or around 9/11 as employees of the Pentagon or World Trade Center or relief workers. This includes photographers such as Jonathon [Yoni] Brook (’00); New York, Virginia and Washington, D.C. firefighters; and soldiers who were stationed in the Pentagon.

The responsibility of planning assemblies should not fall just to the administration. An assembly committee of students was created by Jonathan Sachs (’06), Jacob Berman (’06), Daniel Green (’06) and Ezra Deutsch-Feldman (’06) in 2004 to organize commemorations of MLK, Jr. Day, Memorial Day and 9/11. We hope in future years 9/11 will be properly commemorated.

Emily Meister

I column as I see Em Minors should take interest in politics The upcoming election tends to be a hot topic of conversation throughout the school day, whether it is during classes, at the lunch table or even before the bell rings for minyan.

As an eighth-grader during the last election, I thought it was silly that my peers took the time to discuss politics. I was that kid who said, “What’s the point? You can’t even vote!”

However, as I entered high school I became more politically involved by joining

Junior State of America, a political debate club. I came to realize why it is important for students under 18 to discuss the issues.

I will be turning 18 one month and 26 days after Election Day, so I, among the rest of high school students and even some eighth-graders, will be eligible to vote for the next election. We will make our decisions based on the various plans and policies of the winner of this election.

So now, when I hear political discussions floating around school I am no longer

annoyed, but impressed.

Yes, there are still those conversations where people do not understand the core issues and are debating based on their parents’ views. But there are also extremely intelligent conversations, as 11 seniors will be eligible to vote come Nov. 4 and have taken the initiative to become aware of the issues.

I think it is tremendously important for all students to learn about each candidate’s policies and plans to make an informed decision of who to support, regardless of whether or not they are able to vote. Our futures are going to be affected by the decision made by the 18-and-over population, so we may as well get involved and voice our opinions.

Lucky for us, in this age of technology, becoming informed has never been easier.

Not only was it fun to watch the conventions and debates on TV, but during these events there were interactive activities on the Internet, including immediate commentary from political analysts. You can sign up to receive e-mails on the candidates’ Web sites. I even get text messages from political movements sent to my phone!

Take what you’ve learned and share it with others. Do some canvassing or phone banking for the candidate of your choice.

And don’t be shy to share your opinions with adults!

Get an early start. Your involvement now will make your decision in four years a little bit easier.

Sam Greenberg

I really think ...more than half should care about ‘tikkun olam’ Though the school’s mission statement stresses tikkun olam, this important value is not always sufficiently emphasized in the school. There are amazing people and programs within the school that work to help others, but I believe the school should work harder to instill this passion in all of its students.

My grade, with a whopping 50 percent turnout, made this Students in Action Day into a true Student Inaction Day. How is it that after countless years at the school, many students decided it was fine to stay home from a day of doing community service with friends? While I am delighted to hear from people who found the day worthwhile, clearly the school still has a long way to go. A variety of factors mold a student’s participation in community service, but a school that asserts to shape our identity and be our community has a large responsibility in this.

The school needs to end its half-hearted approach to tikkun olam, and work to make it an integral part of students’ lives and activities. Unfortunately, community service is only seriously encouraged on a special day once a year. Even this one day is orchestrated by the JDS development office, which carefully coordinates coverage with local media. Some students realize they are being used to showcase the school, and this partially detracts from their enthusiasm about the day. A school that fosters community service as an ongoing part illustration by Dani Levy of student life might grab less media atten-

JDS is the proud host of Students in Action Day, but what is the real story of tikkun olam at our school? What goes on during the 364 days when we don’t wear matching blue shirts?

tion, but will surely produce students who will do more to improve the world.

While the school has some community service programs, they are only for those who take initiative to become involved. Instead, the school must actively encourage students to be active in their communities and make volunteer opportunities easily available.

As I toured the Deep South with Operation Understanding DC (OUDC) this past summer, I thought about what tikkun olam means to me, and how I had not been doing as much as I should have to help our community.

On paper, OUDC’s mission is to help a group of 32 Jewish and African American teens learn about each other’s cultures and communities and explore issues of prejudice, racism and justice in America. However, what I took away from this journey transcended any specific issue — we saw that community service should be a central part of everyone’s life. Many of the former civil rights leaders we met with told us that we didn’t need to dedicate our lives to racial issues — we could tackle poverty, education, the environment, voter registration or whatever else we feel passionately about.

We are very privileged (seeing the South made this even more obvious), and we should try to help give others in our world a better life. With this in mind, I have been examining my own actions, and seeing how I should be less concerned with myself and more with helping others. One great thing I have found is that devoting time and effort to helping others greatly reduces the stress about one’s own success that is all too strong at JDS. The school should work to bring up future leaders who will want to help others. Community service, in any form, should be made something that students will want to continue throughout the rest of their lives. Completing the minimum 80 hours before graduation should be a mere formality, with the understanding that people are going beyond this on their own with a sense of mission and fulfillment.

October 16, 2008

the

lion’s tale

Opinion

7

Cassie Maxwell

Tech: a bittersweet addition to school Any good child of the ’90s remembers the Oscar-robbed film Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century. In the opening scene, we follow Zenon as she frantically runs through the halls of the space station in an attempt to get to her class on time.

Her situation is pretty similar to many six-minute intervals of my day, the only difference being that her teacher is a computer-projected image, a hologram.

In recent years, teachers, administrators and the technology department have put forth an unprecedented effort to bring electronic advancement into the classroom. New projectors and mobile labs have become an irreplaceable part of the learning process. The technology staff has done a superb job in making that happen. Mobile labs are almost always available and students are having fewer issues troubleshooting than they did with the last generation of computers. As teachers become more comfortable with the

projectors, they can set them up more quickly. Technology and teaching are becoming more compatible.

While it is exciting to watch The Truman Show on a bigger screen, I find myself evaluating the perils of a curriculum reliant on technology. While technology opens many doors, it can also leave room for a depersonalized learning environment. I fear that as the role of technology in school grows, the seminar-style education I have been lucky enough to receive will transition to something not dissimilar to the hologram in Zenon’s classroom.

Using PowerPoints is valuable only when the teacher is doing more than reading from a script. Both answering questions and creating a triangle of discussion between teacher, presentation and student are vital to a successful class.

Presentations that make use of bullet points as starting points for teacher explanations go a lot further then projected para-

graphing. For teachers, making sure that information is presented in a way that encourages students to take notes and learning to format the information in a way that makes sense to them are essential to reinforcing what students learn.

However, it is not just the equipment that has made its way into the JDS classroom.

Web sites and e-mail have become more commonplace than in the past. While they can be helpful in the process of bettering teacher student communication, using them can be tricky for students. For students with nine classes, checking every Web site every four minutes is not productive, but the fear of being penalized for not checking the Web site or your e-mail is far greater than anxiety over wasting time. Students who happen to miss an assignment or amendment by e-mail or Web site are at a disadvantage.

So far, my teachers have made sure that they are continuing a dialogue with their

students and not with a tablet, however addictive the drawing pen might be. They have used their Web sites as a way for students to access lost worksheets and homework assignments, rather than a trap for students to be penalized.

Of course nothing, let alone technology, is perfect. It is at times frustrating when the network is down or slow. It is a pain when someone did not plug in his tablet and you must get a new one. However, I think that the faculty and administration have been flexible and understanding of possible issues, making sure students are not held accountable for something malfunctioning.

As long as students, parents and faculty continue to be patient and cooperate with each other, technology should remain an asset and not a hindrance.

I am not going to lie, JDS in space would be very interesting, but the commute might be an issue.

the

lion’s tale

Editors-in-Chief Sam Greenberg Emily Meister

Managing Editor Dafna Feith Copy Editor David Steinberg ass’t: Jonathan Waksman News Editor Hallie Silvermetz ass’t: Joshua Boxerman, David Friedland, David Goldstein, Adam Weinberger Israel Editor Talia Nachbi ass’t: Neville Brodie Feature Editor Dory Fox ass’t: Danny Schwaber In-Depth Editors Valerie Cohen Sarah Freishtat

Reporters Samantha Bressman, Kyle Hardgrave, Jake Klein, Jacob Marx, Cassie Maxwell, Caroline Mendelsohn, Isaac Nelson, Dagania Steinfeld, Ryan Strassman, David Weinberg, Jonah Weisel

Sept. 11 was not properly remembered meet firefighters from the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department and ask them questions.

We attended the optional meeting in the Exhibition Hall that was offered during both middle school and high school lunch. The chance to speak directly to firefighters, people who willingly face danger every day in order to help others, was an incredible one.

And while the purpose of this opportunity

To forget this truth is an insult to those who died. was to honor firefighters, many of whom lost their lives on 9/11 helping others, this did not enforce the overall significance of the day as it should have. Nothing can compare to the emotions we feel when we see images of the burning twin towers, of the fire and the smoke and the chaos. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 were just that – moments of pure terror. To forget this truth is an insult to those who died.

The reason given by the administration for cancelling the assembly is that students tend to show disinterest in assemblies.

Though this may be true for many students, this commemoration holds special significance because we all lived through that day.

It is wrong for the administration to assume that JDS Upper School students would not or could not appreciate an assembly commemorating 9/11. Even if for only 15 or 30 minutes, it is important to focus some time on what happened. The administration should not be afraid to show uncensored images of that day or to speak frankly about the attacks. They also should not undervalue the significance of that day. Sept. 11 is an event we need to commemorate every year, just as we commemorate Memorial Day or Yom HaZikaron. The repercussions and significance of 9/11 are just as strong as those of other national American or Israeli days of remembrance.

The attacks of 9/11 changed the American consciousness and American history in an unprecedented way. Those of us who lived through the events and experienced them firsthand know this. It is our hope that our school will do everything it can to ensure that future generations will, too.

Michal Abraham and Leah Pedoeim seniors

SIA Day a good idea with wrong motivation Dear Editor, Students in Action Day, on the whole, was a really fun, enriching and amazing experience. We volunteered to paint classrooms at a middle school in D.C. where 90 percent of the kids are impoverished and stay in the after-school program. We were supposed to stay out of the way of the kids, but when we walked in, they were there, smiling and waving at us. It was really amazing to see the faces of the kids we were helping.

However, there were a few aspects of SIA Day that upset us.

The first was the lack of attendance. It angered us that so many people thought that

because it wasn’t a normal school day, it was ok to just skip school. Only half of the 77 students from JDS that were supposed to go with us to D.C. actually showed up.

Everyone else slept in and did homework and college stuff. They treated it like a day off. But the fact is: it isn’t a day off! It is a day of community service! There are no excuses for those students that did not go to school that day. We — the JDS community — are all so fortunate. Can’t we take one day out of the school year to give back to our community? Students should welcome the chance this school gives us to help our community. We know that a lot of students

are stressed out, but SIA Day was actually relaxing and fun.

The other thing that bothered us about SIA Day was that, at points, it seemed more like a publicity stunt for JDS than a day of community service. Was it really necessary to have people being interviewed on TV or to have students walking around getting quotes or taking pictures for The Jewish Week? According to Judaism, the best mitzvah is one that doesn’t get any recognition.

This is what JDS should strive for: going out and doing tikkun olam for the sole purpose of bettering our community.

We want to urge the JDS community to

Imaging Editors Hannah Elovitz, Sam Hammerman, Martine Kaplan Web Editor Daniel Liss

Letters Dear Editor, It has been seven years since Sept. 11, 2001. Every year since, we have attended assemblies commemorating the lives lost in an act of terrorism, the likes of which America had never seen before. This year’s senior class was in fifth grade when four airplanes were hijacked by Al Qaeda terrorists and flown into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. The seventh-graders, the youngest students in the Upper School, were in kindergarten.

It seems, then, that our school is doing the exact opposite of what should be done.

With each new year comes a younger group of students who do not remember the events of 9/11. The class of 2019, the first class with students who did not actually live through Sept. 11, will enter the Upper School in 2013. To these students, 9/11 is something they will learn about in history class and read about in a textbook. As we move farther and farther away, we must work even harder to remember and to remind others of what happened. This year, though, the Upper School administration chose not to hold an assembly, instead offering an optional session during lunch where students could

Sports Editors Melissa Bickerman ass’t: Benjamin Block, Jeremy Lynn

Photographers Sarah Krame, Raymond Moussazadeh, Meah Nisenson, Joshua Ra’anan, Shira Singelenberg

Advertising Manager Ari Luks ass’t: Nathan Forman Business Task Force Manager Thomas Gutterman

Business Task Force Jake Akman, David Ben-Ami, Benjamin Block, David Friedland, Daniel Himmelfarb, Daniel Kolender, Ari Melinger-Cohen, Ted Sandler, Daniel Shemesh, Yaron Steinfeld, Jonah Weisel Faculty Adviser Samantha Gendler Adviser Emerita Susan Zuckerman Member: Columbia Scholastic Press Association, Maryland Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association, Quill and Scroll Recipient: CSPA Silver Crown, Gold Medalist Award; MSPA Marylander Award; Quill and Scroll George H. Gallup Award The Lion’s Tale is a forum for student expression.

Its purpose is to inform the CES/JDS 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. Editorials reflect the opinion of a majority of the LT board. The Lion’s Tale encour­ages its readers to write letters to the editor and reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. All letters must be typed and signed.

Letters may be e-mailed to lionstale@cesjds.org.

Published by the students of the Upper School Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School Annette M. & Theodore N. Lerner Family Upper School Campus 11710 Hunters Lane Rockville, MD 20852 phone: 301.881.1404 fax: 301.230.1986 www.lionstale.org

look inside and reflect upon its priorities. To us, this SIA Day is one of the more important days in the JDS calendar. We urge the administration as well as the student body to remember the importance and meaning of this day when it comes around next year.

Yonah Lieberman and Stefanie Milner seniors

8

the

lion’s tale

In-Depth

October 16, 2004

THE HIGH SCH

by David Goldstein Not since 1998 has JDS seen a freshman class as small as the class of 2012. The current freshman and junior classes are the two smallest grades in the Upper School, and both saw above-average percentages of students leave between eighth and ninth grade. Although many grades shrink during the transition from middle to high school, most typically remain above 120.

These two grades, however, both number below 90 students.

The class of 2010 started with 118 students in seventh grade, and the class of 2012 with 115 students. However, the class of 2010 lost 28 students during the transition from eighth to ninth grade and currently has 89 students. The class of 2012 lost 26 students and has 88 students.

“For the class of 2010 and 2012, those grades have always been around 100 kids. It was not like we lost 50 kids. We lose anywhere from 18-25 kids, always. When you have a small class, if you lose 25 kids, that could be a quarter of your class. If you have a class of 140 [kids], which we do in the seventh grade, and we lose 20-some kids, it’s a much smaller percent,” Director of Upper School Admissions Robin Shapiro said.

Despite starting off with slightly smaller numbers, “I think the class of 2012 is smaller than we expected it to be,” Middle School Director Joan Vander Walde said.

Freshman Sonia Max, who currently attends Walt Whitman High School, suggested that many kids left her grade because of their grade’s poor reputation.

“I think that when we were younger our grade had a bad reputation and we had some problems in our grade and those kids didn’t like it,” she said.

Freshman Max Fader, who currently attends Sherwood High School, cited cliques as the reason kids in the class of 2012 left.

“In other grades that I’ve seen, they’re all together as one grade...they’re all friends with each other and they’re all friends with everybody,” Fader said. “Our grade is more like a public school grade, with cliques and stuff like that.”

Fader also said that he left the school because “My parents just didn’t feel like paying for it anymore.”

Freshman Abigail Newburger said that she left JDS because her parents felt that “having three children at private school is kind of hard. So they wanted to have a new experience for me.”

“We live in the Churchill district, and so we had to look at it and say we can send her to Churchill, or we can send her to JDS for over $20,000 a year and is the education at JDS better than the education at Churchill?” said Mark Newburger, Abigail’s father. “We felt that for her it was not necessarily the best environment.”

He also said that at JDS there is a range in the quality of secular studies teachers, especially in the Lower School.

“In every single private school, every day when you open the paper, you see how everybody is being affected by the economics and financially how difficult it is and the choices families have to make,” Shapiro said. “We are no different. Families really make sacrifices to send kids here. They believe in the education.”

According to an Aug. 14 Washington Post article, private schools lost

seven percent of their students between 2005 and 2007, and the trend is expected to continue.

However, many students decided without their parents’ input that they wanted to switch schools.

Richard Montgomery High School freshman Ben Kravitz said that he “didn’t like the way the teachers taught, [and] to be with the same people, and graduate with the same people [is] kind of boring.”

Hebrew Academy Freshman Jesse Schloss said, “I decided to leave [JDS] because I was bored.”

Vander Walde acknowledged that many other students left to start in a new school with new people.

“Some students wanted a fresh start in a new place,” she said. “[They] felt that when you are in school with a lot of kids who you began kindergarten with, you don’t have a chance to change or grow, or be seen for who you are now, rather than who they remember you being,” “It was kind of my parents’ decision [to have me leave],” Max said. “My sister [also left], and I go to a Jewish camp, and I go to synagogue a lot so they decided they wanted us to experience public school.”

Aside from the schedule, the academic workload can prove to be too much for some students.

“Sometimes a dual curriculum is not in the best interest of a student,” Shapiro said. “They might be happy to be in this environment in a dual curriculum...but they might not be succeeding academically in a dual curriculum.”

For many students, JDS’ schedule does not allow them to participate in after-school programs unrelated to JDS. “[I left JDS] mostly because I tried out for an arts program at Albert Einstein [high school], and they wouldn’t let me do it if I kept going to JDS,” Walter Johnson freshman Michelle Nowitz said.

Shapiro said that this scenario is not unique to Nowitz.

“There are a few kids that are dancers [and] because public school gets out at 2 p.m., they are able to do some of those co-curricular [activities],” she said.

“We’ve been able to retain some of those kids who would have

Shift Between Eighth and Ninth Grade 138 129

128

124

114

111 89

Class of 2009

Eighth Grade Ninth Grade

Class of 2010

88

Class of 2011

Class of 2012

left, because of the club schedule.”

Students who left the class of 201 they left. “[I decided to leave JDS] for ma Madeline Richer said. “The original o and JDS doesn’t fit my schedule, so t schools. Then, giving it more thought

October 16, 2004

the

lion’s tale

In-Depth

9

HOOL EXODUS Junior Classes Since 1998 111

Number of Students

any reasons,” Sidwell Friends junior one was because I am a serious dancer that’s why I originally looked at other t, I realized that it would be good for

me to go to a school with new opportunities.”

However, the addition of club period did help to sway certain students’ opinions about whether or not to leave.

“I was going to stay [at JDS] because of club period, and I hadn’t gotten into

87

83

90

117

112

116

123

90

86

73 59

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 School Year other schools,” Richer said.

Like many students who leave the school, junior Gina Amsellem said that now that she attends Walter Johnson High School, she misses the small, community feel of JDS. “Being in a public school, I do miss the Judaics and community aspect of JDS, but Walter Johnson fits more with what field I want to go into, art,” she said. “It offers more classes, therefore presenting more opportunities in the art, music and theater departments.”

The school tries to look at and address reasons that cause students to leave.

“When someone says that

they are leaving for whatever reason, I always offer to do an exit interview to find out why they were leaving and if there was anything we could do, or could have done,” Shapiro said. “We try to do more programming to make sure that they know that middle school might be one way, but the high school offers different things.”

Additionally, in an effort to decrease the number of students who leave before high school, JDS has implemented programs designed to show middle school students what high school at JDS is like.

“We do have programs to introduce sixth-graders to seventh and eighthgraders to high school,” Shapiro said. “The sixth-grade spends a day in the Upper School in the spring. We have meetings with the eighth-grade during their advisories in the fall. We have high school students come and talk to them and have them answer their questions.”

However, not every family felt that the administration took their concerns seriously.

“The administration viewed students and parents’ concerns as a nuisance rather than truly wanting to help us out,” Richer said. “They didn’t really want to help me deal with the dance thing, until they realized I was serious about leaving.” additional reporting by Adam Weinberger

Freshman Classes Since 1998 128 120

92 Number of Students

10 offered similar reasons as to why

illustration by Sarah Stern

79

120 121

93

128

124

90

82

88

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 School Year

10

Feature

the

October 16, 2008

lion’s tale

‘The Gramercy Ghost’ inhabits the theater Dory Fox

by Samantha Bressman In The Gramercy Ghost, Nancy Willard, played by senior Rachel Yanovski, inherited a little bit of trouble.

The high school cast performed the romantic comedy on Monday, Oct. 6 and Tuesday, Oct. 7. It was writter by John Cecil Holm and was directed by Jane Christenson. Written in 1951, the play tells the story of a a young woman, Nancy Willard, who lives in an apartment in New York City during the 1950’s.

At the beginning of the play, Nancy is engaged to Parker Burnett, played by senior Elliott Dine. But when Nancy’s landlady died at the ripe age of 103, she left the house to the maid, Margaret, played by Sarah Lazarus, and left Nancy “Nathaniel Coombes,” whom she assumed to be a cat.

That evening, Charley Stewart, a newspaper reporter, played by senior David Samet, comes to Nancy’s apartment, looking for a story on the curious bequeathments of Nancy’s late landlady. With his arrival, Nancy begins to question her relationship with Parker.

While alone in her apartment, Nancy learns that Nathaniel Coombes is in fact a poltergeist from the Revolutionary War played by freshman Brendan Pell.

The situation becomes even more complicated when Nathaniel also confesses his love for Nancy.

He tells her that he cannot enter heaven until he completes his mission of delivering a message from General George Washington, but he does not want to go to heaven, because he does not want to leave Nancy.

It becomes Nancy’s responsibility to complete Nathaniel’s task, which will allow him to leave her.

Through the course of the action of the play Nancy gets close to each of these men and ultimately has to decide whom to marry.

But the story is not completely centered on Nancy’s love life. Throughout the play, we see the stories of various supporting characters, including a police officer, Officer Morrisson, ambulance drivers, and some of Nathaniel’s undead friends.

The cast only had around a month to prepare for their performance, but they stayed optimistic.

In the production, Christensen hoped to show her interpretation of the play, and to convey the messages “to follow your heart and listen to yourself.” This mantra helped Nancy decide to leave Parker and marry Charley at the end of the play.

Review: play hauntingly funny

poster art by Sarah Lazarus

photos by Hannah Goldstein

PUTTING ON A SHOW The cast of the High School play performed ‘The Gramercy Ghost’ on the evenings of Oct. 6 and 7.

Freshman Rebecca Rubin helps castmate Rachel Yanovski get ready for the play (above). Elliot Dine plays Parker Burnett (left).

Senior Elizabeth Feldman (left) and freshman Zachary Pinkham play Rocky and Irv, friends of Nathaniel Coombes, played by freshman Brendan Pell (below).

I was very impressed by the high school production of Gramercy Ghost.

However, on opening night, there was a surprisingly low turnout. Granted, it ran till almost 10 p.m. on a school night. But watching the play, it was apparent how much work and talent went into it.

It is such a pity that this is not more known to the entire school community.

The production was very polished. The lighting and sounds effectively added to the scenes, conveying lightening and thunder, as well as some very nice jazz music during the intermission.

I was struck by the very professional-looking set. It was decorated enough to put us instantly in the setting for the play. It was very open, and allowed for the actors to move about and interact in the apartment with ease.

Yanovski was utterly charming as Nancy Willard.

I’ve heard before that the key to any sort of romantic comedy is to have a female lead that people can relate to and root for. I think that Yanovski excelled in this respect. Some of her most entertaining and impressive moments were when she was freaking out, going crazy and trying to cover or explain her weird behavior.

My favorite of her bits was when she first met the ghost and nervously shoveled ice cream (which I am certain was in fact whipped cream) into her mouth. This bingeeating scene and many others allowed her to show us her comedy chops.

I think that one way that the production succeeded was with the interactions Nancy (Yanovski), Parker (Dine), and Charlie (Samet).

On stage together, they were a delight. The two men’s personalities juxtaposed nicely, and Nancy was caught in the middle. In the midst of this, Margaret (Sarah Lazarus) moved about the apartment, not understanding what was going on.

I particularly liked when Officer Morrison (Tamar Gasko) and the ambulance drivers (Ranana Dine, Ruth Geller) came into the scenes.

I really enjoyed these characters, all of whom seemed to take their jobs a little too seriously. Hence, comedy ensued.

I thought that the little bit of Revolutionary War historical mystery – Nathanial Coombs’s story – was an interesting addition. And I think that if that had been a larger part of the plot, then the play would have been a more unique story.

Despite setbacks, teachers happily adapt to new technologies

by Adam Weinberger With the new technology changes in the school in the past few years, teachers have had to adapt. Many teachers now incorporate tablet computers, overhead projectors, building-wide Internet coverage and digital visual presenters in their classes. This new equipment appears to be well liked and commonly utilized by the teachers. However, there are still many kinks that need to be fixed to allow for completely smooth use and integration.

All teachers interviewed had overwhelmingly positive overall reactions to the new classroom technologies.

“I’ve had some great successes with using both the laptops… and then also using the Elmo, the document camera,” math teacher Howie Weinstein said.

History teacher Janet Collier had similar views of the new classroom technology.

“The other technology that they’ve introduced has all been, I think, very positive additions,” she said.

Teachers have found ways to use the tablets specifically, both inside and outside of class. During class, teachers can take notes on the tablets while projecting them up on the board. Teachers can then post the notes online for students to access. These online notes are helpful for students who are absent or anyone who wants notes for quizzes and tests. This can cut down on time spent reviewing in class, as well as the amount of paper wasted on extraneous handouts.

Teachers also seem to like the visual reinforcement the projectors can add to a lesson.

“Having the projectors with the big screen means that we can show students images and DVDs and things like that,” Collier said. “And they can actually see them finally. And I think that visuals are a very important part, at least in history, for kids to see what different types of times and civilizations look like. And now it’s so big and vivid.”

However, Weinstein is wary that the integration of technology can diminish interper-

sonal relationships with students.

“By using too much technology sometimes you end up being isolated in front of your computer screen all day,” he said.

History teacher Melissa Siry had similar concerns about the tablets’ effect on the classroom environment.

“It is also hard to monitor what each individual student is doing on the laptops.

They can be a distraction if not monitored properly,” Siry said. “I would love to be able to see what the students were doing behind those tablet screens at the click of a button!”

photo by Hannah Goldstein

PROJECTING PROJECTS History Depatment Chair Carleton Cunningham shows students’ projects to the whole class in History of Western Art and Achitecture.

Siry also feels that integration of the new technology has come with its share of inconveniences.

“Unfortunately, the technology is not always reliable,” she said. “I do commend the tech department for responding so quickly to each one of my technological roadblocks, but it is frustrating when I have spent time planning lessons and the technology does not allow me to use them.”

Collier had similar sentiments. Her only critique of the technology was that “with the Internet troubles we’ve been having, it’s not reliable which can totally ruin your lesson.”

According to Siry, technological malfunctions force teachers to re-plan lessons and think on their feet.

“I have had to improvise quite a few times because the technology has not worked properly,” Siry said.

Weinstein and Siry both have used the projector technology to show students video clips and visual aids despite its downsides.

“The only fault I found with the projector is it has a nice, big screen but sometimes not everyone has the ability to see the screen, especially from not all vantage points in the room. And then also the sound does not always get up through the projector,” Weinstein said.

Looking towards the future, Siry said, “It would be great if each department was given an iPod to download podcasts, speeches, music, etc. to use in the classroom.”

Despite technical setbacks, it appears that the new technologies have opened doors to a new generation of interactive learning.

October 16, 2008

the

lion’s tale

Feature

11

a in the of...

Senior Amir Fogel dreams up a crazy day

by Amir Fogel 4:44 a.m.: Wake up after having a weird dream about Mr. Silberman dancing around the edge of a volcano in a tutu.

4:44:30 a.m.: Go back to sleep.

5:30 a.m.: Wake up in a mysterious yet familiar room. Perhaps I lived here once.

5:31 a.m.: Roll over to left side of the bed, where Raviv is lying in the fetal position.

5:32 a.m.: Roll over to other side of the bed, where Danny has managed to take all of the covers….again!

6:00 a.m.: All dressed and ready for school.

7:12 a.m.: Arrive at school. Michael Jackson’s song from Free Willy gets stuck in my head.

7:20 a.m.: Print out lyrics to the song in the resource lab.

7:29 a.m.: Rip up a page of lyrics out of frustration of being semi-cixelsyd in the morning.

8:00 a.m.: Minyan starts. Try not to be the first one there; avoid awkward conversations with inanimate holy objects, be fashionably late.

8:38 a.m.: Successfully lock David Friedland and Thomas Gutterman in the school dungeon until the announcements are done.

10: something o’clock a.m.: Make my second movie reference of the day.

11:11 a.m.: Make a wish for the comeback of Cabbage Patch dolls…tell no one!

11:59 a.m.: End of third period, make fifth movie reference to the lesson, but really the reference has nothing to do with the lesson at all.

12:00 p.m.: Officially afternoon, cool beans!

2:08 p.m.: Go to bathroom.

2:16 p.m.: Shout “OH, CHEEKY APPLE-JOHNS” out loud at the realization that David and Thomas were never let out of the school dungeon.

3:30 p.m.: Varsity soccer game begins; vow to keep the bench warm.

5:15 p.m.: Bench overheats and bursts into flames.

5:45 p.m.: Firefighter explains the combustion was due to immense amounts of testosterone. Oddly enough, no one blames me.

7:04 p.m.: Return home, open assignment book, empty again.

Write in current date in assignment book, “Remember to write down your homework!”

7:44 p.m.: Spent the last 40 minutes calling, instant messaging, and Facebooking people to find out homework.

7:45 p.m.: Dinner time.

8:15 p.m.: Spend the next 15 minutes doing homework.

9:17 p.m.: Check today’s earnings in the stock market. Up half a point, huzzah!

9:56 p.m.: Walk by the foyer. Get caught in a horrible staring contest with myself in the mirror.

10:00 p.m.: Lose staring contest to my “clone that lives in the mirror.” (I would be angrier but how can you be mad at someone who looks that good!?)

11:00 p.m.: Ready for bed: brushed teeth, clean body, “footy pajamas.” All systems go!

11:03 p.m.: Tuck Raviv and Danny into bed. NO SQUIRMING. 11:11 p.m.: Fall asleep watching Futurama.

4:50 a.m.: (the previous morning): Realize I just dreamed my whole day with full detail and very vivid events….weird.

photo courtesy of Dimensions

living the dream Amir Fogel enjoys the perks of being a color war judge. This year, he has to let go of his presidential duties such as morning announcements.

Translation: Got to go to Capital Camps next year. I love it! Please come, too!

Are you ready for the best time of your life? (Did you get it right?)

phone: 301.468.2267 (GOT.CAMP)

www.capitalcamps.org Lion's Tale ad 908.indd 1

9/24/2008 1:55:15 PM

12

Israel

the

October 16, 2008

lion’s tale

’08 alumni take gap year

by Danny Schwaber After their senior Israel trip, 10 members of the class of ’08 decided to return to Israel and spend the year there before going to college, a process known as taking a “gap year.”

“I wanted to continue studying Judaic subjects such as Talmud, Mishna and halacha, which I would not be able to study in college,” Joel Finbloom (’08) said.

Finbloom left for Israel in late August to attend Yeshivat Maale Gilboa.

Ezra Weisel (’08) is also taking a gap year in Israel at a yeshiva in Ramat Beit Shemesh.

“I decided to go to Israel originally because I felt like I wasn’t mentally prepared for college, and spending a year away from all the stress involved in college life would help me sort of prepare for it,” Weisel said. “After traveling in Israel on the Muss program, I wanted a different experience, so I decided to study in an orthodox yeshiva for the year, which I hope will help me live a Jewish lifestyle in college and after.”

Joseph Goldstein (’08) attends the same yeshiva as Weisel. He also wants a different Israeli experience. “It is a decision that I am glad to have made, because it gives me time to take a personal development year, to strengthen my Jewish roots and learn more about Judaism,” Goldstein said.

Rebecca Friedland (’08) is on the Conservative movement’s pre-college leadership program, called Nativ. Friedland is studying at Hebrew University and may volunteer for Magen David Adom, Israel’s ambulance service.

“I chose to take a gap year in Israel because I wanted to do something different with my life. There is such a small window of opportunity to do something unique like this — learning about myself in the land of my people and getting a chance to give back to an Israeli community as well,” Friedland said.

For some, convincing their parents was the real challenge.

“Since my older brother did the Young Judea program in Israel and loved it, my parents really wanted me to do the same thing, so convincing them that yeshiva was the right choice for me took a while, but I think they knew I was going to spend the year in Israel either way,” Weisel said.

Finbloom also had to convince his parents that going to Israel was the right thing for him to do. “[My concerns about living in Israel are] just your basic concerns, you know, not being able to watch American football, eat Cinnamon Toast Crunch, or drive a car,” said Weisel.

Friedland is very happy that she made the decision to take a gap year and live in Israel. “I am really having an incredible time here, and have not regretted my decision once. I am meeting people from across the nation and Canada, improving my Hebrew, mastering the Jerusalem bus system and coming to understand my relationship with Judaism and Israel,” Friedland said.

Other members of the class of ’08 who are living in Israel this year are: Ilana Greene, Elijah Duffy, Shira Stohler, Hannah Gernstein, Daniel Margulies and Gabriel Wolfson.

Some members of the senior class have already planned to take a gap year in Israel before college.

Senior Daniel Greenblum is planning on living in Israel

I am really having an incredible time here, and have not regretted my decision once. I am meeting people from across the nation...improving my Hebrew...and coming to understand my relationship with Judaism and Israel.

Rebecca Friedland (’08)

Senior trip costs increase ISRAEL TRIP, from page 1 “Israel has become very expensive due to the fall in the dollar and the rise in fuel costs. The rise in fuel costs affects our guides and drivers. The fact that Israel has become a very popular destination for Europeans to visit has also caused prices to rise,” Harel said.

“I went to Israel in 2006, and paid eight shekels for a slice of pizza. When I went back two years later, the price was nearly double, 14 shekels! Everything in Israel seems to be getting more expensive,” sophomore Benjamin Cannon said.

Another factor affecting cost is that the French and English, as well as many other Europeans, are willing to pay a lot because their currency is even stronger than it was a year ago. To Israel, the business brought in by tourism is important, whether it is coming from Americans or Europeans.

“A concern of ours is that we are simply not able to match the prices that Europeans are willing to pay.

The American dollar is so weak compared to the Euro so it is just impossible for us to compete,” Harel said.

“Israel might be very expensive, but certainly worth it. We have waited for thousands of years for a Jewish state and now it’s just a plane ride away. A $2,000 plane ride, that is,” Cannon said. for a year before going to college. He is going on a program where he will study for a half day and then tour for the other part of the day. Unlike Finbloom and Weisel, Greenblum did not have to plead his case with his parents. They always agreed with his decision.

“I really encourage everyone at JDS to look into gap year programs, even if you don’t end up going on one. It’s important to understand that there are many ways to spend your year between high school and college,” Friedland said.

How important is a candidate’s stance on Israel to you?

I think that it’s very important that we elect a president who has experience with foreign policy issues and is going to be tough on the issue of Iran dealing with Israel, rather than try to placate the situation.

It is important to me, but it’s not the only factor being a Jewish American, but also an American Jew. A candidate’s stance on Israel could be a deciding factor if the candidates were close on other issues.

- Michal Abraham, senior

- Matthew Feldman, math teacher

It depends on who it is. [Being in support of Israel is] important, but if their other [attributes] are also good, I guess [those] would matter more. It’s a good thing for them to support Israel, though. I would not reject a president who did not support Israel.

I would not support a candidate if they had unfavorable views on Israel. It is our homeland. Israel and the U.S. are great allies, so you can’t have a president who has bad policies towards Israel.

- Rina Bardin, seventh-grader

- Joshua Dalva, sophomore

Personally, I think that we should make sure that our country is in the best possible position before we worry about any other country, Israel included. Even as Jews, it is our responsibility to make the land that we’re in right now the best that it can be before we go worrying about ‘our homeland.’

I think the president should care about Israel, but I don’t think that it should be a reason to vote for them, and I don’t think they should take advantage of the fact that they support Israel in order to get extra votes.

But I think they should care about Israel and support Israel.

One of the main things that I look for in a candidate is [his view] on Israel and the Palestinians. Israel is one of the factors, but not the only factor that I consider.

I feel like Israel is and has always has been unstable.

This election might help bring stability to Israel to help the overall situation there. I wouldn’t say that Israel is my number one priority because America should probably come before, but it’s pretty high up on the list.

- Ofer kimchi, freshman

- Sarah Segal, sophomore

- Matthew Grossman, senior

- Andrea Wilk, eighth-grader

I think that Israel is very important in this election.

I’m a pretty right-wing guy, so I believe in not giving up any land. The way I look at the candidates is what they can do that is good for this country, but almost equally as importantly, what they can do for Israel.

The issue of Israel I find to be totally irrelevant because despite the fact that we are working together, to elect the president of one country based on the relationship of another seems odd to me.

- Jake Romm, sophomore

- Ryan Strassman, junior

compiled by Dagania Steinfeld

October 16, 2008

By the Numbers

the

lion’s tale

Sports

GMV has late season push

by David Weinberg

0-3: Boys Varsity Soccer record on turf

9: Number of seniors on Girls Varsity Soccer

40: Number of sets girls varsity volleyball has won

5: Number of non-JDS male competitors that showed up to the last cross country meet

2: Number of goals

scored by the girls varsity soccer sweeper

87: Number of kills Stacy Borenstein has had

13

file photo

SETTING UP Eighth-grader Arielle Panitch bumps the ball. The team is currently 3-3 as they enter the playoffs.

The girls middle school volleyball team welcomes a new coach this fall season: one who is known elsewhere at JDS. Math teacher Reuben Silberman has taken on another role at JDS as the new girls middle school volleyball head coach.

“There is a lot of talent on the team this year and I am especially excited because the team is made up of seventh graders who are trying to prove they are ready for JDS,” Silberman said.

The Lions had a weak start with a record of 1-3, but have since improved to 3-3 as they head into the playoffs.

Members of the team, including seventh-grader Yael Krifcher, have praised their new coach as being the right man for the job.

“His playing experience has really translated into good coaching. He is good at knowing what we are doing well and what we need to improve on,” Krifcher said.

“The talent on the team portends for a good varsity volleyball team in a few years,” Silberman said.

Youth carries boys soccer

by Nathan Forman Despite an early loss to the Washington International Red Devils, the young boys middle school soccer team looks to improve on their 3-4 record, but has many obstacles to overcome.

The Lions lost 5-2 on Sept. 8 to the Red Devils and their defeat was largely due to a lack of experience on the team.

This year’s team sports 10 new seventh-graders. Only four eighth-graders returned.

However this lack of experience does not seem to faze the 15-year head coach, Gus Stathes.

“I think that there is a solid base of talent on the team this year and I expect that all of our games will be competitive,” Stathes said.

The soccer team is also dealing with a small squad of only 14 players after losing one to scheduling conflicts, and must look to the gold team to recruit players.

Along with having a small, inexperienced team, the Lions must coalesce with only two practices left in the season due to the mid-week holidays this year.

The middle school team hopes to step up their game in the PVAC quarterfinals.

photo by Shira Singlenberg

GOING FOR THE GOAL Seventh-grader Robert Ellenberg dribbles by a Grace Brethren defender.

Familiarity sparks team towards playoffs

by Jake Klein On Sept. 8, the girls middle school soccer team opened its season with a 3-2 victory over the Washington International Red Devils. Under first-year Coach Kelly Enochson, the team has managed a record of 5-1.

The girls enjoy Enochson’s coaching style.

“She’s done very well, we do a lot of drills and we get in a bit of running, and we are able to communicate with her very well. It’s a lot of fun to be with her,” eighth grader Debbie Smith said.

The team has been fortunate to have girls who are familiar with each other.

“Most of the girls on the team have played together for a while so we all know what we are going to do,” seventh-grader Maya Kotz said.

“It helps a lot to call out and socialize with them during the game, like not actually during the game but to say, ‘here, I’m

open’ and to have team chemistry,” Smith said.

The team’s cohesive style has helped it succeed early in the season.

The team went on to defeat the Mclean Mustangs on Sept. 11.

For even better results on the field, the girls still have work to be done.

“We need to do a better job of spreading out and playing our positions,” seventh grader Rachel Citren said.

Despite some faults, they have been steadily growing as a team and working to fix their problems.

“When someone’s open, we don’t always get the ball to them, but as a team we have been improving,” said Smith With a strong start, the girls middle school soccer team looks to keep their winning streak going into the playoffs.

JUST FOR KICKS Eighth-grader Elana Handleman goes to cross the ball in the girls middle school game against the Grace Brethren Eagles on Oct. 6.

photo by Shira Singlenberg

14

the

October 16, 2008

lion’s tale

Sports

GVV hopes to continue dominating

photo by Shira Singlenberg

MAKE YOUR MOVE Sophomore Brandon Varone fakes out a defender in the Lions’ game against the Sandy Spring Friends Wildebeests. Varone scored the Lions’ lone goal in their win.

Running helps JV succeed

by Jonah Weisel

photo by Sarm Hammerman

HERE TO SERVE Senior Stefanie Milner serves the ball during the girls varsity volleyball game against the Edmond Burke school on Sept.

16. The Lions shut out the Bengals three games to zero. The team’s overall record is 13-1, the only loss coming from their game against the Grace Brethren Eagles. The volleyball team is lead by first-year Head Coach Patrick Dudash, the assistant coach for the boys varsity volleyball team last year. The squad heads into the playoffs on Oct. 23.

The boys junior varsity soccer team is off to its best start in years. After a 1-0 victory over Field on Sept. 11, the team improved its record to 2-0.

Former junior varsity team member junior David Ben-Ami credits the team’s success to the coaching of first-year coach Ray Istas.

“Istas has brought this team to where it has to be. I feel that he has turned us into a real team,” Ben-Ami said.

The players believe that Istas’ success comes from the hard work he forces the team to perform each practice.

“He runs us to death in practice. We are by far the best conditioned team in the league this year,” sophomore Brandon Varone said.

While the end result has been worth it, it has not been a fun road to get to where they are now.

“Our last practice we didn’t know when the

running would end. We were sprinting for such a long time. I have never experienced anything like that before,” Varone said.

The players agreed on the benefits of the coaching, but they also think there is another factor to the team’s success.

“It just feels different this year. In past years it has been more laid back, but this year our organization and dedication has grown exponentially,” Ben-Ami said.

This change is clearly visible to spectators as well. Senior varsity player Noah Katz, who previously played on JV for two seasons, agrees with Varone.

“Watching them play, it is easy to see how dedicated they are. They play as a cohesive team, and they are at a varsity level of play now,” Katz said.

The Lion’s success has been evident in their 4-1-1 record as they head into the playoffs.

Safety issues force team to change its routine

by Ryan Strassman Early in the season, it was still unclear what the varsity cross country team could expect.

On the summer off-season,second-year Head Coach Jason Belinkie strongly suggested that the team members follow a summer running regiment.

The workout instructions served as a guide to the team members.

“The workout wasn’t a requirement,” junior Adam Rosenfeld said. “It was helping us train to achieve our personal potential by telling us how far to run, when to run and when to rest.”

The workout was supposed to serve two main purposes for both the new and returning members of the cross country team.

“The point of the regiment was to establish a good base of distance running before the kids came in for the season or else they could get hurt more easily,” Belinkie said.

Some of the team members commented on other benefits of the off-season running.

“The workouts were definitely helpful. They gave us improved fitness, helped our speed, and helped us come into the season more prepared,” sophomore Michael Weinberg said.

While the workout Belinkie encouraged was positively motivated, some members of the team and Belinkie speculated that no more than half of the team’s runners partook in the summer workout.

“I didn’t feel motivated to do the running over the summer, and I know most of my friends on the team didn’t re-

ally do it either,” sophomore Staci Smith said.

Many upperclassmen worked jobs and did community service on top of balancing busy summer social lives. With all that activity they made little time to run as often as they should, if at all.

“Unfortunately, I had a job that consumed almost all of my time during the summer; there just wasn’t enough time for me to fit in both running and working,” Rosenfeld said.

Along with a lack of participation in summer workouts the team has a large void in experience. photo by Sarah Krame The team is comprised of students grades 7-12, but there are few up- RACE TO THE FINISH Senior captain Michael Rosenberg sprints into the perclassmen and leadership fig- final stretch in the Lions meet at St. Anslems. Rosenberg came in ninth place. ures.

“I think our changed patterns are ridiculous,” Weinberg “We have a very young team so I’m not sure what to expect. I’d say over half of our team said. “We run in large groups in broad daylight, nothing is is middle school students, and I’m excited to see their prog- going to happen to us.”

Now however, the cross country team can run along its ress, I just don’t exactly know what the season holds for us,” typical route but must carry safety whistles at all times.

Belinkie said.

The runners are also required to run in groups as a preYet another adverse obstacle in the path of the cross country team is was an alleged rape of a woman on Aug. 25 caution.

The cross country team has many changes facing them in Rock Creek Park where the team runs.

Originally, the team was not allowed to run in the park this year and must overcome the challenges of an inexpeand had to resort to running laps around the school. The run- rienced team that neglected to participate in the summer workouts. ners found this very frustrating.

the

October 16, 2008

lion’s tale

Sports

15

Varsity roars into playoffs Boys soccer has good season despite fresh team

by Benjamin Block

photo by Martine Kaplan

SAVING THE DAY Senior goalie Noah Katz grabs the ball in the Lions’ loss to the Washington International Red Devils in overtime on Sept. 6.

This year, the boys varsity soccer team managed a 6-4 record in the regular seaaon.

Although many of last year’s leaders on the team graduated, this year’s squad is optimistic of its chances to come out on top.

Despite its loss, the boys still have strong veteran ledearship.

The team is fortunate to have Jacob Marx and Daniel Kaprow as its’ captains.

The team kicked off its season with a blowout victory, beating the Barrie Mustangs 7-2.

This game was followed by an upsetting bump in the road, in which the squad got shutout 3-0 by the Field Falcons.

Despite the score being 0-0 at halftime, the squad fell apart and allowed three goals in the last 20 minutes of the game.

When the team thought that

nothing could be worse, it lost to the Sandy Spring Wildebeests 5-1.

After falling to a 1-2 record, the team redeemed itself when it beat the Mclean Mustangs 5-1.

“A weakness which must be improved upon is our communication as teammates on the field.

We are a young and talented group with a lot of potential to end up on top, yet we still need to develop our skills as a team,” junior Daniel Shemesh said.

The team seems to have a lot of motivation going into the games, yet loses its determination as the game progresses.

“Overall, the team has played great, but in the last 10 minutes of each game, the team just does not play with as much heart as during the rest of the game,” sophomore Solomon Shapiro said.

Luckily, the team has thirdyear Head Coach Steve Forestieri

at its helm. Forestieri works hard at helping the team build off of its wins and get over its losses.

“The team does work well with [Forestieri] and he keeps us in the game,” sophomore Kevin Brooks said.

Brooks and Shapiro both agree that although the team has done decently thus far, there is still a lot of room for improvement.

“We could improve on our passing and making runs,” Brooks said.

The team has been able to dominate in their goal differential. The Lions have scored 41 goals and only allowed 19 in the entire season.

As long as the team finds a way to develop its mindset on the field in order to finish all of its games strongly, the boys varsity soccer should be in good shape this year to be in the position to achieve its championship goal.

Team rallies around new coach

by Jeremy Lynn After losing in last year’s PVAC championship game, the girls varsity soccer team has high hopes of winning it all this season.

First-year Head Coach Tammy Ryan and Assistant Coach Jay Matula led the Lions to a 2-1 record early in the season.

Ryan, who played at Mount St. Mary’s College and coached at St. John’s College High School, has gained respect from her players.

“Coach Ryan is very positive, and she really keeps the practices fun while still teaching the fundamentals of soccer,” sophomore Katie Marmon said.

The team has easily adjusted to both Ryan and Matula’s coaching styles.

“Instead of us having to adjust to the coaches’ style of coaching, I think that they have changed based on how we are as a team,” senior Talia Lieber said.

In one of the team’s toughest tests of the season, it was able to defeat the Sandy

Spring Wildebeests 3-2 in overtime on Sept.

9. This is the first time in four years that the Lions have won this match-up.

The Lions are also fortunate to be playing their home games back at JDS after playing last season at the Maryland Soccerplex.

“It’s nice to have our games at JDS again because we get to have people come and support us,” Lieber said.

Despite losing two key players, who graduated in spring, the team still has a wealth of experience, counting amongst its 23 players nine seniors.

“Our defense has suffered a little [from the losses], but it’s not anything we can’t recover from,” junior Talia Evans said.

“The incoming freshmen have really been an important part of the team and have made the loss less detrimental,” Marmon said.

The Lions are currently seeded in sixth place and hope to make a late season push for the championship and hoist the PVAC banner after falling to a 3-4 record.

HARRIET BRODER & ASSOCIATES, INC. SAT or ACT Tutorial Preparation THE HARRIET BRODER CRITICAL READING & WRITING TEST PREP METHOD offers:

*the most EXPERIENCED program in the DC area (over 30 years) *PERSONALIZED and CUSTOMIZED program instruction *GUARANTEED improved reading speed and comprehension *MAJORITY section increase 70-150 points (SAT); 2-8 points (ACT)

photo by Ray Moussazadeh

KEEP AWAY Senior sweeper Morgan Franklin gets by a Rockville Rams player in a scrimmage. Franklin has two goals on the season, one of which in came in the Lions’ final game of the season against the Burke Bengals. The girls varsity team won 2-0.

THE ONLY PROGRAM THAT TRULY TEACHES TO THE SKILLS OF THE TESTS! CALL NOW TO SCHEDULE 301.299.438 hbatesprep.com

October 16, 2008

S

the

lion’s tale

port

S

16

Riding is more than just horsing around

photo courtesy of Bari Freidman

JUMPING FOR JOY Senior Bari Freidman competes in show jumping in the 49th Washington International Horse show atop her horse, St. Thomas in 2007. part of the Upper School’s small equestrian community. In terms of sport however, Friedman and Lazarus have little in common. Friedman competes weekly at a national level On Oct. 21, senior Bari Friedman will not be in school. and has aspirations of someday competing in the Olympic She will not be sick, visiting colleges or with family for a Games. For Lazarus, horseback riding serves as an outlet Bar Mitzvah. Instead, Friedman will be jumping horses at for stress instead of as a competitive activity. The differthe 50th Washington International Horse show taking place ences extend to riding skills as well. Friedman’s training is at the Verizon Center. primarily in horse jumping while Lazarus’ background is in Friedman, along with fellow senior Sarah Lazarus are dressage.

Horseback riding has an undeserved reputation for being physically easy. “It’s exhausting.

You use your legs and core muscles and you balance.” Friedman said.

“A lot of people think riding is just sitting there and hanging on, but anyone who’s ever taken a riding lesson knows that isn’t true. Riding requires strong legs, abs, back, and upper body.” Lazarus said.

According to Lazarus, the misconception about horseback riding’s physical demands stem from the major differences between it and other sports.

“It’s not surprising,” she said.

The most obvious difference is the horses, which according to Friedman “have to be worked with.”

Few other sports require the athlete to depend on another animal. Given the heights and speeds of horseback riding, the dangers are considerable “You can feel how much power there is. These are instinctdriven, unpredictable animals.” photo courtesy of Sarah Lazarus TAKING IT IN STRIDE Senior Sarah Lazarus takes her horse Onyx out for a Lazarus said.

Horseback riding’s differlesson in dressage, a type of eventing that emphasizes a horse’s responsiveness.

by Jacob Marx

ences extend to time commitment as well. A top level high school basketball player may have two or three games a week in addition to weight lifting and practice. By comparison, Friedman rides for three hours every day and competes essentially every weekend. Basketball games are 40 minutes plus half time and clock stoppage.

Even Lazarus, who hasn’t competed in several years, continues to work with trainers. She rides as much as five days a week, several hours at a time.

“The more you ride a particular horse, the stronger the bond. My horse knows what I want from him before I do.”

Lazarus said.

Practice is not everything however. Some horses are simply more capable than others. Rough and negligent treatment is also often an issue.

“The Olympics,” Friedman said, “that would require the right horse.”

To give another basketball analogy, a 5’11 man with the best skills and the best athleticism simply could not play center in the NBA. Though it may correlate to horse pedigree and practice, basketball cannot explain riding disciplines.

Dressage, literally “training” in its original French, is described by Lazarus as the “horseback equivalent of ballet.”

Characterized by formalities and scored based on the horses performance of a series of movements, dressage bears little semblance to the jumping competitions that Friedman competes in.

Friedman is trained in “the hunters,” and “jumpers,” with the former event being graded on jumping form, the later on jumping course speed. “[Jumping] is like figure skating but with a horse.” Friedman said.

The dangers and the time commitments of horseback riding are balanced by the unique rush of working with, and being on a horse. On this topic riding style and commitment seem to have no bearing.

“It’s very satisfying when you’re training a horse through a trouble spot or trying to master an exercise and you finally feel it click after hours of work. There are constant little rewards like that.” Lazarus said.

“I like seeing the result. When you’re working with a young horse, to see it getting better, to see it improving.

That’s really cool.” Friedman said.