The Lion's Tale, Volume 40, Issue 2

College Countdown

news

04 05 06

Supporting students step by step: Sulam@JDS launches to help kids with learning disabil ities

Anti-antisemitism: Montgomery county police respond to rise in anti-Jewish crimes

features 16 17 18

Rapidly in love with kayaking: Junior spent semester abroad to pursue his passion

Mitzvot at Hospital: Student volunteers at Holy Cross

Dear Readers,

We hope that you are at least partially enjoying the shift to full school weeks after the high holidays. Even though we had one of our most stressful production weeks, we are extremely proud of this issue and the hard work that has gone into it.

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— opinion —

Editorial: Cap the red pen: We should condemn institutions that stifle student press

Brainwork to the beat: Benefits of listening to music while tackling schoolwork

Climate: Crisis or political cur rency? Today’s leaders empha size the environment too much

Sleepy students: Class should start school at least a half hour later

Dancing to their own beat: Israeli dancing group takes over DMV in spectacular style sports

20 21 22

Rookie cubs: Two eighth-grade students made the girls varsity tennis team

Change of course: ESPN begins filming the cross-country team for an upcoming feature

Fantasy fanatics: A deep dive into how students follow football

This past week was one of the busiest weeks we’ve had as CESJDS students. Each day it seemed that there was another extracurricular activity or school program that conflicted with production. Some days, almost half of our section editors were out at other activities, forcing us to work on an abbreviated schedule.

One of the largest events that occurred was fall sports playoffs, with soccer playoffs taking place at JDS’ upper field on both Tuesday and Thursday. On Tuesday, we took a break from working to watch a couple minutes of the tense boys varsity soccer game. The score had been tied for the whole game and it seemed like the boys team was getting frustrated with their lack of success. A last minute goal changed all of that and the boys won in dramatic fashion with a last minute goal.

Their perseverance during crunch time in that game should teach us all an important lesson. No matter what challenges we face or how frustrated we become, there is always room to push through. Taking that advice into produc tion week allowed us to finish ahead of schedule even with absences at produc tion.

College countdown: As seniors prepare to submit applications, a look into the stressors and challenges of the process

In Issue 1, Cross country head coach Jason Belinkie’s name was misspelled. We apologize for the error.

a&e 24 25 26

Additionally, production week was a couple of days before seniors’ early col lege applications were due. While the se niors on our staff were extremely stressed with the looming deadline, our junior and sophomore editors were able to step up to and take on extra responsibilities. We want to share our gratitude for their ability to push through challenges and take on roles in crunch time that they hadn’t had to in the past.

As the five-day weeks increase in the months ahead, we want to encourage everyone to take a step back and remind themselves of the success of the soccer team. While schoolwork, extracurriculars and even college applications may seem daunting, nothing is ever impossible.

Sincerely,

Editors-in-Chief

European eatery opens across from school: Mezehub offers a unique variety

of delicious foods

Zara Ducker and Lily Rulnick had to leave production to play in tennis championships; the girls team won the PVAC

The Lion’s Tale Staff

Editors-in-Chief

Daniela Abrams & Eitan Malkus Managing Editors, Copy Harry Davidson & Matan Silverberg

In-Depth Editor

Zara Ducker & Simon Albert (asst.) News Editors

Adin Halbfinger & Ella Waldman Opinion Editors

Ellie Fischman & Jonah Beinart Features Editors

Lena Nadaner & Ari Werbin-Gradel Sports Editors

Kaylah Goldrich & Aaron Waldman

Arts and Entertainment Editors

Ella Kotok & Lilli Libowitz Editorial Cartoonist

Taylor Polonsky Reporters

Matan Silverberg had to leave production to run in cross-country championships; the boys team won the PVAC

Ella Waldman and Kaylah Goldrich had to leave production to play in girls soccer playoffs; the team advanced to the semifinals

Kaelyn Rashti, Ellie Levine, Cati Werbin-Gradel, Yaeli Greenblum, Stella Muzin, Simon Albert, Sasha Karasik, Sam Berns, Max Schwartz, Matthew Steindecker, Lily Rulnick, Julia Rich, Jared Schreiber, Gigi Gordon, Elliot Bramson, Ari Kittrie, Ari Blumenthal, Aliza Bellas, Alana Udell Staff Adviser

Jessica Nassau Adviser Emerita Susan Zuckerman

Harry Davidson and Ari Werbin-Gradel left production to play in boys soccer playoffs; the team advanced to the semifinals

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

Signed columns reflect the opinion of the writer; staff editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of The Lion’s Tale editorial board. The Lion’s Tale staff

Editorial and Ethics Policy

welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns, all of which must be signed. The staff reserves the right to refuse any material and may edit letters or columns for length, clarity, libel, obscenity and/or dis ruptiveness. All other contents copyright of The Lion’s Tale. All rights reserved.

Submissions may be emailed to jd slionstale@gmail.com, mailed to The Lion’s Tale or brought to room 320.

The Lion’s Tale is funded by The Simon Hirshman Endowment for the Upper School Newspaper and The Kut

tner-Levenson Endowment for the Upper School Cultural Arts and Student Publi cations, and community advertisements. The Lion’s Tale reserves the right to re fuse advertisement for any reason.

The staff will adhere to the ethics policies of The Society of Professional Journalists and the National Scholastic Press Association. The adviser will be held to the Journalism Education Associ ation’s Adviser Code of Ethics.

Supporting students step by step

Sulam@JDS launches to help those with learning disabilities

Harry Davidson ManagingEditor,Copy

This school year, the Lower School launched the Su lam@JDS program, giving highly specialized support to six new students with learning disabil ities that the school may not have previously been able to accommo date.

“Sulam is an organization whose goal is to give students who need extra support in the classroom that support that will help them to learn and to grow,” Director DJ Ka plan said. “And it is both academic support and social and emotion al support that they need to get through the day.”

The program has been running at the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy for the past 20 years and JDS has been working for many years to adopt a similar approach. The creation of the program was initially delayed because of the amount of preparatory work need ed to be done. This included both obtaining the necessary funding for the program and hiring new learn ing specialists to work with the stu dents.

“The Sulam@JDS program was a dream for many years, but

really in formal development for about the last five I would say, and that led to the launch this year,” Lower School Principal Rabbi Mat thew Bellas said. “Once the gener ous grant funding came through and the hiring of Sulam staff was able to happen, we were able to launch the program.”

The seven learning special ists play an important role in these children’s lives, working one on one with the students as both speech therapists and instructional as sistants. They also tutor and give them academic support in whatev er classes they need help with. The learning specialists additionally serve as guidance counselors when problems arise.

“Sulam is able to dedicate a few of their staff members to push it through and my daughter with each of the studies that she has difficulties with,” Miriam Weiss, parent of 4th grader Leticia Roffe said. “The extra attention that they are able to give her has really giv en her more confidence that she’s able to complete the classwork and that she understands the work and in general just doesn’t feel as over whelmed.”

One of the learning specialists,

SULAM@JDS

NUMBERS

Instructional Assistant Samantha Haas (‘17), is an alumna of JDS and has a background in inclusion edu cation. In high school, she worked as an Inclusion Counselor at Camp JCC and has continued helping kids with special needs through her work with various other camps and by receiving an M.A. in Early Childhood Development and Pro gramming from the University of Delaware. She is excited to do the work she loves at a place that holds a special place in her heart.

“I was immediately drawn to this opportunity because it pulled from so many things that I love about working with children. I am now able to work with kids both individually and in a classroom setting and can work with children of varying abilities and help them succeed,” Haas said. “I have loved being even a small part of these children’s JDS journey.”

As can be expected, there were some minor challenges that come with starting a program in a new environment. The school was expecting the kids in the program to be placed in just two different grades, but instead, they ended up being spread across three differ ent grade levels. This created some complications with having to adjust the staffing accordingly. However, this was just a minor hiccup, and in the end, the program was off and running smoothly, Bellas said.

The goal is to add three more students next year and ensure that Sulam@JDS continues to have long-term growth.

“[Sulam] is helping us express what kind of a community we are. We’re a pluralistic community Jew ish Day School, and we want to be able to serve as many Jewish stu dents as we possibly can, regardless of their diverse learning needs,” Bellas said. It’s really an expression of our core value of K’hillah, and it’s a beautiful thing as a result.”

A student in Sulam@JDS works one-on-one with a Sulam learning specialist.

Photo by Director of Marketing Suzie Thompson

anti-Antisemitism

Montgomery County police respond to rise in anti-Jewish crimes

Jared Schreiber Reporter

Incidents of antisemitism and other forms of hate have been on the rise across Montgomery Coun ty. According to the Bethesda Beat, antisemitism has taken the form of swastikas painted on the side of the Bethesda Trolley Trail, flyers dis tributed in Chevy Chase with white supremacist rhetoric, and compar isons between mask mandates and the Holocaust at Holy Chow, a Ko sher Chinese restaurant in Kemp Mill. Local government officials in Montgomery County are working to combat these incidents through proactive community engagement and criminal enforcement.

Patrol officers with the Mont gomery County Police Department (MCPD) are the first entity to re spond to such an incident. These officers collect basic information, and their superiors decide whether to continue with the investigation.

In accordance with the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of speech, Captain Jordan Satinsky of the MCPD noted that not all bi as-related incidents — offensive words or actions targeting a partic ular racial, ethnic, religious or oth er group — are considered to be a hate crime for which the police can make an arrest. Nevertheless, there are other ways the police can still get involved.

The Community Engagement Division of MCPD, which Satinsky directs, helps victims access services and receive support. Additional ly, they may speak with the alleged perpetrator to encourage them to change their behavior. Although this has not been the traditional role of the police, Satinsky believes it’s an important innovation.

“My job is to flip that script and [say] people, hey, we’re real ly trying to be the good guys here, even though you [may] perceive us as the bad guys. We’re here to help and we’re here to make things pos itive as best we can,” Satinsky said. To help educate people on the hate crime legislation, the State’s Attor-

ney’s Office of Montgomery County’s Community Outreach Team runs various programs and initiatives throughout the year to engage with the community, and publicize resources.

“We talk to groups about ed ucating people about hate crimes, letting people know what their re sources are,” Assistant State’s At torney and Chief of the Commu nity Engagement Division George Simms said. “…What we advise and what the brochures gives them is that it lays out step-by-step what [individuals] should do if they are a victim of a bias-related incident or a hate crime.”

Although not traditionally part of the State’s Attorney’s Office’s re sponsibilities, Simms believes that as time has progressed, it is im portant that the office take on the additional role of educating and en gaging with the community in order to be more proactive in preventing crime. While this additional role is becoming more common among prosecutors, Assistant State’s Attor ney Lynda Earle indicated that the Montgomery County State’s Attor ney’s Office has been ahead of the curve.

“We understand that when we say we are the State’s Attorney’s Office and that we represent the people of Montgomery County, we also understand that we represent the people that flow through Mont gomery County,” Earle said. “… So you’re talking about an office that’s engaged in diversionary programs, like the drug court program where we give defendants an opportuni ty to have a second chance; mental health court, where people who have mental health issues are not criminalized and incarcerated, but rather, we get a team together, with which we are part, to help the [de fendant] get help.” The office has also been unique in its aggressive prosecution of hate crimes. Accord ing to Earle, during an incident in which a person slashed the tires of everyone in their neighborhood who they believed to be of Latino

Makeup of Bias-related incidents in 2021 in Montgomery County:

Bias-related incidents per year in Montgomery County:

Information from Montgomery County Police Department. Infographic by Adin Halbfinger, LT.

descent, the office worked closely with MCPD and knocked on doors in the community to track down the suspect. Once he was ar rested, the State’s Attorney’s Office charged him with both destruction of property and the added hate crime. Earle said that the office re ceived a SHIELD Award from the Anti-Defamation League for their work and commitment to that case.

However, Earle and Satinsky both acknowledged that their com munity engagement has a limit in its effectiveness because they cannot compel people to stop or change their ways unless the bias-related incident becomes a hate crime.

“Sometimes when you are en gaged in some of the activities that we do it is sort of preaching to the choir, because it is kind of diffi cult to get someone who is hateful to come in, and understand, and change their ways. That piece is a challenge,” Earle said.

“The com munity engagement has a limit in its ef fectiveness because they cannot compel peo ple to stop or change their ways unless the bias-relat ed incident becomes a hate crime.”

Psyched for STEm

Students hear from various speakers throughout the day

Ella Waldman News Editor

1The fourth annual high school STEM conference took place the afternoon of Oct 13. The conference began with an opening ceremony led by STEM fellows senior Evan Gerstenblith and junior Darya Dayanim. The two introduced keynote speaker Kyla Guru, founder of Bits N’ Bytes Cybersecurity Education and co-founder of the tech conference GirlCon Tech. Guru, a student at Stanford University, be gan her work in cybersecurity as a teenager and is currently traveling to schools around the country to speak on the importance of online safety and accessibil ity of technology. “As a young person, I really want to be out there as a messenger, saying, this is something that our generation has to deal with,” Guru said. “We need to be cyber smart, we need to be good digital citizens and we also need to care about these issues when we’re building technology.”

Lunch Discussions

Key Note Speaker 2

Upper School STEM Coordinator and Middle School Math and Science Chair Cassandra Batson, who organized the event, chose to give the school’s STEM fellows a larger role this year. The fellows were chosen last year by Batson after they completed an application. Each fellow introduced a speaker and also had the opportunity to eat lunch and talk with the speakers that they would be hearing from that day. This was a unique opportunity for the fellows to network and get to know experts in the fields they are interested in.

Hands-On

The majority of the day’s 19 sessions were pre sentations held by STEM professionals including sessions on public health, earth science, civil engi neering and more. However, there were also several hands-on activities offered. One of these activities was sewing blank cloth dolls for the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center to bring patients comfort and help them understand medical procedures. “There’s a lot of different components in STEM day and you can really be creative,” freshman Eden Katz said. “[I like this project] because it gives me a chance to make people comfortable in hard times.”

Physical Therapy Session

Another presentation was led by sports physical therapist Dr. Sean Bur, who works at True Sports Physical Therapy and focuses his work on helping clients with musculoskeletal injuries return to their activities. During his session, he discussed the role of a physical therapist and covered a variety of different injuries and their treatment plans.

Forensics Session

A different session was a presentation focused on forensic science and crime scene processing led by senior and STEM fellow Kate Morgan and evidence technician Russell Scott. In their presenta tion, they discussed the science behind different components of crime scene processing including documenting the scene, latent print retrieval methods, DNA retrieval, evidence collection and more with Morgan primarily focusing on the scientific aspect, and Scott primarily focusing on the crime scene investigation aspect of the topic. While not yet an expert in the field, Morgan worked with Scott over the summer and had the opportunity to visit crime scenes, collect evidence and even visit a DNA lab. “I’ve always been interested in forensics, specifically forensic sciences,” Morgan said. “One day after I got out of the car I saw [Scott’s CSI] van behind me, and I just knocked on the window and I was like ‘Hey I’m really interested in what you do, would it be possible to get your card?’”

5

Closing Ceremony

The day’s closing ceremony was led by STEM fellows juniors Alec Silberg and Noah Sher. Students received tickets throughout the day for participating in discus sions and projects, and with those tickets Silberg and Sher hosted a raffle. They called numbers and gave away prizes such as mugs, socks, gift cards and more. “It was a really fun day and I’m really glad that I got to close out the ceremony with a fun activity,” Silberg said.

Photos by Ella Waldman, LT.

cap the red pen

Over the past few months, there have been numerous cases of school authorities stripping high school level newspa pers of their journalistic rights; they have canceled journalism classes, censored newspapers and yearbooks from publishing content and suspended faculty advisers. These actions are a clear violation of the First Amendment rights granted to student journalists in most states. The Lion’s Tale un equivocally supports these student publicatons that deserve the right of freedom of speech.

School authorities have recently censored minority related content, such as LGBTQ+ cover age, race-related coverage and gen der related coverage. As these are pressing issues that affect people’s day-to-day lives, it is concerning that they are cut from newspapers.

Because CESJDS is an inde pendent school, the administration is not obligated to follow the rules of the New Voices Legislation, which protects Maryland students’ journalistic freedoms. However, in 2020, The Lion’s Tale was guaran teed free press rights by the JDS

administration. Former Edi tors-in-Chief Alex Landy (‘21) and Oren Minsk (‘21) spearheaded the effort to ensure our newspaper has access to unrestricted expression.

Even though The Lion’s Tale is lucky to have their free speech rights respected, other schools across the country haven’t been as fortunate.

Nebraska’s Northwest High School’s student newspaper class was canceled as a result of publish ing singular they/them pronouns and LGBTQ+ content when the school board had specifically warned them against it. The dis continuation of the program wasn’t due to an offensive article; it was because the school board felt that content about LGBTQ+ students was not appropriate.

While Nebraska does not have a law like New Voices Legislation, the precedent under Hazelwood is that schools must have justifiable educational purposes in order to censor or shut down a newspaper.

In cutting the newspaper class, the school clearly violated the stu dents’ press rights because there was no real reason for the decision.

Under the New Voices legislation, Maryland student journalists are entitled to freedom of speech and press, no discipline or censorship, choice of content and written policy.

This is unacceptable because the decision was based off of discrim inatory bias toward the LGBTQ+ community, dictating that the mere discussion of it is inappropriate.

Additionally, this is not only the case of press rights being stripped away. Similar instances have occurred throughout the country, including California and Florida.

It is unacceptable that schools are able to have such oversight over their students’ publications.

In order for students to write meaningful, engaging and truthful articles, it is important that there is no risk that they be censored.

We hope that in the coming years positive progress will be made around the country to make sure that other student newspapers are able to have no restrictions on their free speech and press rights. For now, we must dig deep and fight against the censorship and restriction on student publications.

-The Lion’s Tale

We should condemn institutions that stifle student press

Illustration by Taylor Polonsky

Brainwork to a beat

Benefits of listening to music while tackling schoolwork M

music in class, as they see music as a distraction from their work.

Lilli Libowitz Arts and Entertainment Editor

As I sit in class about to begin a daunting assignment, a surge of anxiety moves through my body. In order to relax and tackle my work, I put my headphones in, open my phone and press play on one of my Spotify playlists. The music immediately calms me down and transports me into a more produc tive headspace..

In a noisy classroom, mu sic blocks out my surroundings, allowing me to focus solely on my classwork. Because of this, I propose that teachers have a more open mindset about allowing stu dents to listen to music while they work in class.

School is known for being a stressful, high-stakes environment. Many students, including myself, use music as an outlet to improve their focus and alleviate anxiety.

A study on the benefits of music from Florida National University states that the use of background music enhances students’ performance on cognitive tasks. Additionally, they found that listening to music on tests helped students answer more questions correctly in the allotted time.

Additionally, according to The University of Maryland Medical Center, music is an effective tool to reduce stress for both neurotypical and neurodivergent people. Re search reflects that soothing music can also reduce blood pressure, heart rate and anxiety.

However, some view music as detrimental to students’ learn ing. In a classroom setting, many teachers make it clear that they disapprove of students listening to

High School Principal and English teacher Dr. Lisa Vardi sees both the positive and negative effects of listening to music in the classroom. Vardi notes that music can be a distraction to younger high school students because they have not mastered their study skills yet.

“I wouldn’t say ‘no’ I’m totally against [music in the classroom] but I think its usefulness depends on both the student and what task they are doing,” Vardi said. “I think music can be distracting unless the music is classical or has no lyrics.”

I disagree with this sentiment, especially as a student with ADHD. Listening to music while I write not only allows me to have better concentration, but also typically enhances my work performance. When I work in class, I listen to soothing music by artists like Lana Del Ray and Noah Kahan. This music does not distract me; it has the opposite effect.

I understand that music can be distracting to some people; and in that case, they don’t have to listen to it while they work. But for those of us who thrive with a mu sical backdrop, it is important that we are allowed to utilize that tool in a school setting. I encourage teachers to allow students to listen to music while they do indepen dent work.

Additionally, I encourage my fellow students to try this meth od of mitigating stress. Next time you are feeling overwhelmed by an assignment in class or feel the setting you are in is too distracting, I highly recommend listening to calming music. It allows you to dis connect yourself from your anxious thoughts and immerse yourself in your work.

Compiled by Ellie Fischman Photos by Spotify

climate: crisis or political currency?

Lena Nadaner Features Editor

Afew months ago, I was walking around my neighborhood and was approached by Saqib Ali, a candi date for Maryland State Delegate who has since dropped out of the race. He handed me a hopeful pink pamphlet that named his top issues, with climate change at the top of the list.

I was both stunned and dis appointed to see this as a top pri ority because every day, I drive by homeless people mere steps from my neighborhoods holding up cardboard signs begging for help. I am unsettled when I hear about the children sitting in schools with leaking ceilings and broken air conditioning systems.

Government spending to com bat climate change is important, but there are more basic and dire issues that must be addressed first.

According to the Maryland Manual On-Line, “the purpose of the General Assembly is to pass laws necessary for the welfare of the State.” This means the General Assembly is obligated to prioritize the health and prosperity of its res idents. Climate change is certainly

a global issue; though, its impact is not specific to the welfare of Mary land as it impacts everyone.

The Montgomery County Executive’s recommended FY23 budget proposed spending $253.8 million, which is four percent of the total budget, on climate change efforts. That amount of money is too large for an issue that requires a global effort. One county’s poli cies can only accomplish so much. This budget allocation is dispro portionate to how much climate change affects Maryland’s constitu ents as opposed to other issues.

The U.S. Census Bureau reported that 10.3% of Maryland residents live in poverty. If climate change spending and politicians’ time were put towards bettering the lives of these residents, it could change the status quo.

Moreover, the 106,200+ stu dents in Maryland who receive a no-cost lunch at school could have a more financially stable home, which would likely improve their education, mental health and gen eral well-being.

Psychologist Andrew Maslow’s hierarchy of needs explains that people can only be at their full po tential once they have reached the

political efforts to end climate change

top of a pyramid of needs. The first objective is having physiological conditions covered, such as a sta ble source of food, water and shel ter. Next, a person must meet their safety needs: security, employment, health, etc. The following levels are love and belonging, esteem and self-actualization.

If we attempt to solve climate change - a problem with vast complexity that requires the com mitment of much more than one state or even the entire countrythen the first and second levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs must be addressed first.

Politicians cannot be ignorant to communities that lack safety and security by using their time and allotted money on climate change. It is not just unfair to the commu nities, but also a violation of the purpose of government.

For the sake of the future lead ers of this country, politicians must put their efforts towards bettering citizens’ current lives so they will have the strength to face climate change in the future.

“Politicians cannot be ignorant to communities that lack safety and security by using their time and allotted money on climate change.”

Data complied from the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions

U.S. Secretary of State signs Paris Climate Agreement

Photo by U.S. State Department

z. z.. z...

Sleepy Students

Eitan Malkus Editor-in-Chief

When my alarm goes off at 6:45 a.m. every weekday morning, I dread the day I have ahead of me. I instantly regret going to bed past midnight, but I remember that I had to do so to study for my upcom ing Calculus test. I come to school grouchy and almost fall asleep in the alcove as the only consolation for not getting the sleep I need.

During the 36+ week school year, students are constantly under pressure to perform well in classes, clubs and sports while maintaining their mental health. By doing so, it is difficult, or even outright im possible, for students to get a good night of sleep.

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, high school students should be getting at least eight hours of sleep each night. Ideally, teenagers ages 17-19 should be going to sleep by 1 a.m. and waking up at around 11 a.m. due to their natural circadian cycle, says Dr. Paul Kelley, associate in sleep, circadian and memory neurosci ence at Open University.

In most scenarios, students’ course loads and other responsi bilities have prevented them from achieving this ideal. Many students participate in after-school activities and/or part-time jobs and are thus forced to stay up late to complete all of their work.

With a hard start at 8 a.m., CESJDS students often find them selves exhausted in the morning. A later start time would offer students the opportunity to sleep in later and arrive at school more refreshed and ready for the school day.

Along with sleepiness during school, tardies have become a problem for many students due to the early start time at JDS. Senior Devorah Freeman finds it difficult to get to school on time without rushing, especially because she has a longer commute.

“Since people have started go ing back to work after COVID, traf fic has definitely picked up,” Free man said. “I find myself having a hard time getting to school on time because I have to take the highway.”

Because of earlier start times, many students rush to school and drive while tired, causing an in crease in accidents. According to U.S. News, students are more fo cused on driving when they have gotten a good sleep. Additionally, students are less likely to suffer sports injuries when they get ade quate sleep because they are more focused on the task at hand.

JDS is not the only school with an early start time. Most high schools in Montgomery County start between 7:45 a.m. and 8:15 a.m. ,and the average start time for na tionwide schools was 8 a.m. in 2017.

BY THE NUMBERS

The American Academy of Pediat rics recommends that middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m., which leaves JDS’s start time out of the range.

However, Dean of Students Roz Landy explains that there are some issues with starting school later, especially if the school day is extended as a result.

“In the late ‘80s, we did change the end of the day time; before that time, the school day ended at 4:30 twice a week and we changed it because it interfered with after school activities in which our stu dents were involved,” Landy said. “In order to start later in the day, we would need to extend the day until after four, probably until 4:30 p.m at least and that would restrict out students’ ability to be involved in other activities.”

Even with the issues surround ing after-school activities, I propose that JDS start experimenting with later starting times. This could be a shift of only 30 minutes, but I be lieve it would have a large impact on students’ mental and physi cal health. Students would start school at 8:30 a.m. and would end 30 minutes later than usual, at 4:15 p.m. This change wouldn’t impact after-school activities to a large de gree and would allow students to sleep in an extra 20-30 minutes.

is JDS’s start time

8:00 hours of sleep recommended for high schoolers

8 are the last time JDS adjusted its start and end times

the 80s

College Countdown

“Where are you applying?” they ask. You can’t escape it. At Shabbat dinner. At the doctor’s office. In the school hallways. It’s that time of year students often dread: college deadlines. Many find themselves asking how best to approach this stressful time. Counselors help students navigate the process but it’s still anxiety provoking.

College process overview:

The college admissions process begins at the end of sophomore year, once sophomores have completed both the PreACT and PSAT tests. However, the real process kicks off in November of junior year when students have their introductory college conferences with their college counselors. According to Director of College Guidance Sue Rexford, this one-on-one conference is one of the most critical steps in the entire process.

“The junior year conference is the time when we begin to get to know our students on a more

personal level,” Rexford said. “I think that the better we know our students, the stronger our recommendation letters will tend to be.”

Throughout the rest of junior year and during the summer prior to senior year, students focus on narrowing down their college lists through both researching and touring various colleges.

“I made it a priority to tour some of the schools that I had on my list because tours give you a really good sense of the college, which you can’t get with researching online,” senior Hadas Kabik said. “There were some colleges on my list that I removed after touring them because the vibe and people weren’t for me.”

In senior year, students begin to fill out their college applications with their counselors’ constant support. Seniors begin with the Common Application - a single online college application form that is accepted by over 900 colleges and universities. The Common Application process includes a personal essay in which

students have the opportunity to describe what makes them unique.

“The personal statement is an opportunity for the colleges to learn about one aspect of youwhat makes you tick, what makes you think or what you care about,” Rexford said. “I think that one of the things students try to do sometimes is tell their whole life story or tell everything they’ve been involved in. It becomes a narrative resume, and that’s not what the colleges look for.”

Many colleges require supplemental essays as a component of their applications along with the Common Application personal statement.

Students also must consider if they want to apply Early Decision or Early Action to any schools that stood out to them. Early Decision is a binding application, meaning that a student who is accepted to a certain college as an Early Decision applicant must attend that college and withdraw their other

As seniors prepare to submit applications, a look into the stressors and challenges of the process

Photo by Simon Albert, LT

Aliza Bellas Reporter

Daniela Abrams Editor-in-Chief

Matan Silverberg ManagingEditor,Copy

Senior Zara Ducker goes over her personal statement with Director of College Guidance Sue Rexford

“ I really don’t think I slept a single full night in December and it’s all consuming. I think a lot of people at JDS would say that - it’s just everywhere.”

- Alumna Tess Mendelson (‘21)

applications. However, Early Action is non-binding. Early Action simply indicates that an applicant will receive their decision earlier, and possibly receive housing benefits and a greater chance of being awarded a scholarship.

Rexford and her team of college counselors, Rachel Jacobs and Geri Sliffman, emphasize that their primary goal is to work towards setting students up for success by finding them a college that matches their specific wants and needs.

“We want every student to go to a college that is a good fit for them, and we want every student to go to a college that will set them up for success in the four years they are at the college and the years beyond that,” Rexford said. “Every one of us does the job we do because we genuinely care about the students we work with, and we want to make sure that they are getting the best advice that they can get.”

How COVID-19 shifted the college process at CESJDS:

The pandemic initially prevented many students from meeting with their college counselors in person, meaning that every meeting between seniors and their counselors, including the junior year college conferences, was held on Zoom. This virtual separation made it difficult for counselors to connect with their students.

“We lost that piece of getting to know you as a human being as a person just to have a conversation,” Rexford said. “It was harder to get to know those students because we weren’t seeing them in what I would call their natural environment, which was in the hallways in the classroom, and on those on the sports field, in the theater [and] in the cafeteria.”

As a result of the separation, some teachers struggled to write recommendation letters for the juniors they taught.

“Students who are naturally more reticent, more quiet, were a little harder to write recommendations for,” Dean of Experiential, Leadership and Service Learning and Math Teacher Tori Ball said. “For the most part, my conversations in [virtual] classes were with the whole group… it wasn’t as easy to go over and have an individual conversation or

individual check in with students who were more quiet in class.”

Along with the rest of the world, the pandemic turned the college decision and admission process upside down. Colleges began operating virtually, making on-campus visits scarce and pushing students to defer their acceptances until the chaos of the pandemic settled down.

“Nobody wanted to pay these exorbitant costs of colleges to be taking classes in their basement,” Rexford said.

Colleges were in a crisis, as they could not depend on admitting the same number of applicants that they had in the prior years. Amidst the surrounding uncertainty, colleges had to be certain that their applicants were committed to their school, leading them to accept more Early Decision Applicants.

The purpose of the Early Decision plan has therefore shifted tremendously, becoming a strategic tool to improve one’s chances of being accepted into a competitive university rather than being a signal of commitment.

“In the past, one would say they’re applying early to a university because ever since they were a little child, that is where they wanted to go to school,” Rexford said. “Now, I’ll hear students say: I’m going to apply early - I just don’t know where. I hear that more and more because that’s the reality of the process right now.”

A:

“Set expectations. Growing up in my family, one of the rules we had was that we would not talk about the college admissions process for more than one hour per week ... Also utilize the great and trusted resources you have here at your high school with your guid ance staff. They know a lot of schools, they visit a lot of schools, they are well acquainted. It’s really setting expectations.”

What advice would you give to students that are not admitted to the college they want to attend and how to move on from that?

A: “If a student is denied from a particu lar school, it’s time to move on and there are a couple of options. If you are waitlisted at a particular school, that’s where you want to be a bit more aggressive. You want to reach out to the school, accept their offer of being on the waitlist, and acknowledge the space if it be comes available. Periodically reaching out to the office of admission to express interest, be cause if it’s after May 1st and we need another 50 students we make those calls in hopes that those students will accept right away. “ A:

“Many schools track a student’s interest in the school. We want to see that you partici pated in an event and that you are interested. Additionally, we are looking at students who have done unique things for their high school. Students that are involved in the school com munity is a really big factor for us because we are the number one school spirit institution in the U.S. and so we want to see spirit from every student. “

Denny Nicholson, Assistant Dean of Admissions at Syracuse University

Standardized Testing:

Standardized testing has fallen under scrutiny in the college process. Currently the presence of standardized test scores in the college application is being disputed in many college admissions offices. Many college counselors and students question its validity due to both the added workload and the inequitable advantages it provides wealthier students with.

Students, teachers and college guidance counselors differ in their opinions on whether colleges should require the submission of test scores, remain test-optional, or even get rid of them altogether. Senior Samantha Eidelman believes colleges should get rid of test scores altogether.

“I think that it is not a good portrayal of a student’s abilities because it’s such a manicured circumstance that it cannot replicate what a student is able to do in a class and at home,” Eidelman said. “I also think that because of COVID and test-optional policies, the median score has become so high that it almost becomes discouraging for students to even think about considering that specific college

In recent years, more colleges have become test-optional and some even test-blind. Rexford believes that the tests are not the best way to identify a student’s true capabilities and academic achievements.

“Some people, unfortunately, are going to freeze when they walk into a testing room. It’s like everything they’ve ever learned or know just goes right out of their head,” Rexford said. “ ... On the other hand, there are people who can walk into a test center with no preparation at all, and virtually get a perfect score because they know how to get into the system on a test.”

In addition to Rexford’s argument that standardized testing is an inadequate representation of a student’s capabilities, senior Devorah Freeman believes it is unfair due to the financial disadvantage it puts many at.

“I do think that standardized testing is inequitable because there are many people who can’t afford tutoring and that gives an unfair advantage to people who are able to pay for tutoring and pay to do the

tests,” Freeman said.

However, not all share Rexford, Freeman and Eidelman’s view on standardized testing.Alumnus Ryan Bauman (‘20) views standardized testing as a key tool to differentiate students’ strengths.

“Especially today when COVID isn’t an issue anymore and you can go to testing centers and you can take the test, it should 100% go back to mandatory standardized testing because it is just one more metric to differentiate kids,” Bauman said.

Bauman believes testing is such a crucial part of the process that there is a noticeable difference between the upperclassmen in college who were forced to submit, versus the lowerclassmen, who did not.

“Standardized testing in its current state does not do what it’s supposed to,” Bauman said. “However, I believe that if tests were written in a way that was truly standardized and showed in a quantitative standpoint your intellectual capabilities, it is a very necessary component to a student’s application.”

Alumna Tess Mendelson (‘21) went through the college process during the height of COVID-19. In contrast to Bauman, she feels the opportunity to go test-optional provided great relief to students in her grade who would not have applied to the schools they got into had they been forced to submit their scores. This is as,without test scores, admission officers are forced to look at other aspects of the application in greater detail. Mendelson feels that these other aspects of the application better prepared her for college.

“I think that JDS did a phenomenal job at preparing, me at least, for college classes,” Mendelson said. “I literally never believed anybody when they would say on these alumni calls, ‘Oh, you’ll realize that JDS really helped you with writing,’ I didn’t believe anyone, but now that I’m here, there is such a contrast between, (and I have JDS friends here too) what JDS writing was and what college-level writing is.”

The decision to remove standardized tests from the

go to school in New York

in

Common Application is contentious because there are studies that prove both pros and cons to keeping it in place.

According to an article by Preston Cooper for Forbes, a student’s GPA in high school can better capture the behavior and student’s work ethic needed to be successful in college over a standardized test. On the other hand, the SAT and ACT might measure how well students can cram studying before a high-stakes exam. It speaks to their ability to process information fast but says little about study habits and work ethic, Cooper wrote.

Whether students submit scores or not, colleges say they weigh students fairly when looking through applications and claim that going test-optional will neither harm nor help the applicant.

“Ultimately what is going to drive all of this is if colleges see that the students they’re admitting test optional are proven to be every bit as successful as the students they were admitting in the past with test scores. That’s when they’re going to realize that they can evaluate a student carefully enough and thoroughly enough that they don’t have to have test scores to make a decision of whether that student will fit the mold of what they’re looking for on the campus,” Rexford said.

“If I never ever had to see another standardized test, I would be very happy.”

The CESJDS College Environment: With strong academic opportunities, extracurricular activities and an active student body, JDS has the reputation of a competitive private school. This not only impacts the academic environment but affects students’ mentality throughout the college process.

As students who are both undergoing and have already faced the college process reflect on their experiences, there is a notable range of stress and anxiety depending on how they chose to manage themselves and their college prospects.

Freeman said that although the rest of her class’ reactions to the

The Class of ‘22 Are at 50 different schools 11 people are at the University of Maryland this year only 3 members attend schools in the South 14 go to school

Massachusetts

college process can impact her own experience, even though she tries to avoid the external pressure.

“It’s been a little stressful because I feel like I’m always behind because it seems like everybody’s always talking about it,” Freeman said.

Another concern amongst seniors is multiple students applying to the same school. Many students feel the intense pressure of being rejected from a school that a peer may be accepted into.

Mendelson also experienced the challenging competitive nature of JDS when she was going through the college process.

“I found that there were times when I literally couldn’t, in junior year and senior year, where I couldn’t sit at lunch just because I knew that it was going to start a conversation about college,” Mendelson said. “It was just so stressful to hear that you couldn’t walk into the alcove without someone crying about college.”

Mendelson added that the process was so consuming it took a toll on both her daily life and her overall mental health.

In a survey of 128 private school juniors, (Frontiers) discovered that 49% of students feel a great deal of stress daily and 31% feel somewhat stressed daily due to school pressure and college applications. In addition, 26% of students reported clinically high depression symptoms.

“I really don’t think I slept a single full night in December and it’s all consuming. I think a lot of people at JDS would say that - it’s just everywhere,” Mendelson said.

High school English teacher Nancy Wassner feels similarly to Mendelson and adds that the college process is “constantly” on students’ minds.

As a teacher of the advanced junior English classes, Wassner has observed a wide range of students’ reactions to grades in her class. She adds that students often think that if a grade is higher or lower than their typical grade, it will impact whether or not they can be accepted into a college of their choice.

However, Wassner’s goal is to shift the focus in her class from grades to the more important side of education: learning.

“We [the high school English

department] are really focused on teaching the skill set; we are less focused on…the grades which are most often on students’ minds,” Wassner said.

Bauman not only feels that college impacts the way students look at grades, but said it also affects their choice in extracurricular activities.

“Kids [in the class of 2020] were doing a lot more extracurriculars because they felt the need to as opposed to feeling like that they wanted to,” Bauman said.

Although some of his classmates chose extracurricular activities based on how they would look on college applications, Bauman chose to participate in activities that brought him joy such as the debate team.

Landy is upset by the amount of pressure and thought that students put into college from freshman year. Landy said “it takes a toll” on students’ mental health.

As an administrator who has seen 40-plus years of college applications, Landy says that the college process was not always this stressful. She attributes much of this stress increase to the growing competitiveness within the JDS grades, pressure from parents and social media platforms.

While Landy understands the importance of college, she does not think the competitiveness that comes with a prestigious college is warranted.

“Success is not based on where you go to school. People are successful because they are creative, thoughtful, hard-working, determined and resilient,” Landy said. “ That is not something you develop because of the school you attend; it is within the person.”

Overall, Landy thinks that college is an important milestone in life, yet one should not sacrifice their happiness for a school’s prestige.

“I would say you are all going to go to college. And wherever you go, you’re going to be happy,” Landy said. “Most importantly, your success in life doesn’t depend on where you go…your success depends on who you are. So you do not need to sacrifice your happiness and mental health in high school trying to get into a prestigious school.”

Trust

the Process:

A look into the college timeline

Winter, Junior Year

Begin taking standardized testing: SAT and ACT

Spring, Junior Year

Start to visit college campusus as students narrow their list

Summer before Senior Year

Meet with college couselor, fill out Common Application and begin personal essay Fall, Senior Year

Begin writing supplements; meet regularly with counselor

Late Fall, Senior Year

Submit applications for Early Action and Early Decision deadlines

Winter, Senior Year

Submit applications for Regular decision deadline

Rapidly in Love with Kayaking

Simon Albert AssistantIn-epthEditor

Swiftly approaching the growing whitewater of the Futaleufú River, junior Sam Mullen braces himself for the steep drop that is to come. With his paddle in hand, he steadily steers himself toward the best route down, ready to utilize the skills he has accumulated over the past four years. Without any hesitation, Mul len perfectly executes a trick he has been practicing since he was first introduced to kayaking at Calleva summer camp.

Calleva is a summer camp and education organization located in central Maryland. Not only was Mullen drawn to the thrill of kay aking, but also the welcoming com munity of kayakers he discovered at Calleva. What started as introducto ry classes led to a lifelong passion for kayaking and a semester abroad in Chile and the Pacific Northwest.

“The program was called World Class Academy and for me, it was basically a combination of school and kayaking. [The program] allows people who enjoy doing all sorts of sports and other outdoor activities the opportunity to travel around the world to do them,” Mullen said.

While Mullen’s semester abroad was based in Chile and the Pacific Northwest, locations vary almost annually depending on the sport and the ideal conditions to pursue it. Patagonia, Chile and the Pacific Northwest (specifically Ida ho, Colorado, Washington and Or

egon) offered stable water levels, beautiful scenery and the perfect challenge for Mullen and his peers.

“Different rivers just have different things to offer,” Mullen said. “Around here there is the Great Falls and a lot more creeking. The river we focused on in Chile had pretty friendly big waters. Among having quality white water, the quality of life was also really good there. We lived on a farm right on the river and it was really logistically easy every day to go to the river and take off.”

Students at the World Class Academy have a structured routine. After waking up in the morning, the group of roughly 20 start with their strength conditioning workout before heading to breakfast. Following breakfast, students have study hall and then move on to their regular core classes.

The curriculum at World Class Academy requires students to obtain the same core subject credits they would get in a normal high school, including their language credits. CESJDS partners with abroad programs like the World Class Academy to ensure the credits earned there can be accepted at JDS for graduation.

“As they are taking a leave of absence, we are dealing with the transcript. Our goal is if you are to re-enter [JDS], which is always our goal, how can we make sure you are able to graduate on time,” Dean of

“When I first started kayaking, I didn’t think I’d like it as much as I do now. Being outside and pursuing my passion for kayaking just gives me a whole new appreciation for nature and the world we live in,”

Students Aileen Goldstein said. After classes each day ended, students could take off on the river for kayaking and lessons. Unique to World Class Academy, the teach ers are also the coaches, and while many of the students are more ad vanced, there is a wide variety of skill levels.

World Class Academy received amazing reviews from the kayaking community as well as the website it self, however, sending Mullen away for the entire semester was certain ly a tough decision for his family.

“Sam actually was the one to discover [World Class Academy],” Sam’s father, Daniel Mullen said. “I didn’t know anything about it ,so when he started talking about it and sounding serious about it…I consulted a teacher whose son was at [the] World Class Academy. I asked him a lot of questions about it and he thought it was incredible for his son.”

Mullen’s passion for kayaking persisted after the program.

- Junior Sam Mullen

“When I first started kayaking, I didn’t think I’d like it as much as I do now,” Sam said. “Being outside and pursuing my passion for kayaking just gives me a whole new appreciation for nature and the world we live in.”

Junior spent semester abroad to pursure his passion

Junior Sam Mullen kayaks in Blanco Sur, Chile. Photo courtesy of Erik Bate.

hospital Mitzvot

Student volunteers at Holy Cross

Jonah Beinart OpinionEditor

The constant beeping of monitors and IV machines in the intensive care unit may be distracting for some, but for junior Maddie Polonsky, it’s just another day at work at Holy Cross Hospital in Germantown.

Polonsky’s mother, who works at Holy Cross as a pediatric emer gency medicine doctor, suggested that Polonsky apply for a volunteer position. The application process started in January of last year, when she had to submit a series of essays. She also went through multiple in terviews and orientations to prepare her for the summer.

“I originally thought that it would be a fun way to get my community service hours,” Polonsky said. “I am interested in medicine [now], but I only thought about it after my experiences with volunteering at Holy Cross.”

Polonsky volunteered three days a week for four hours each shift, for a total of 100 hours through the whole summer. She was one of 240 total volunteers at the hospital for the summer. Her work ranged from stocking rooms with necessary supplies to preparing food for patients and staff.

“I liked the consistency of it, and I like to set a piece of my time where I could feel like I helped peo ple, and like I was making something better and completing something,” Polonsky said. “So four hours of the day I spent working with people and it didn’t matter how hard it was, be cause I felt good afterward.”

Polonsky’s volunteer experience was coordinated by Sarah Walker, the certified director of volunteer services at Holy Cross Hospital.

“We want to make sure that nobody feels left alone or forgotten, so our volunteers spend a lot of time chatting with the patients and talking to them about life stories and things like that to take their minds off the fact that they are in a hospital or that they are in pain,” Walker said.

Polonsky spent most of her time without direct contact with patients, but when the opportunity presented itself, she comforted pa tients who didn’t have any family or friends able to visit during their stay. Sometimes, patients helped brighten her day. For example, a pa tient, who was a historian, helped her understand her summer reading assignment, “Revolutionary Sum mer.”

Walker said that many of her volunteers don’t necessarily have the desire to go into the medical field, but may develop that interest based on their experience.

“Sometimes students will tell me ‘I’m only doing this because my parents/someone I know is in healthcare,’” Walker said. “By ex posing people to new things, we are showing things that they might say are really cool to them.”

Walker thinks that exposure and experience in a hospital setting will help people gravitate more to wards working there.

“We have people from all over the world with all kinds of jobs and employment experience, and not everybody works in the field that they graduated out of college with,” Walker said. “You can not have a clinical license and go into medicine.”

After volunteering over the summer, Polonsky enjoyed it so much that she continued working through the school year. For four hours every Sunday morning, she continues to help patients in any way she can. She plans to study to become a doctor in college, and hopes to eventually practice medi cine or conduct research.

“The thing that sparked my in terest to enter the field of medicine was interacting with patients and different medical professionals,” Po lonsky said. “When I interacted with patients, there was nothing creating bias or clouding my perspective of their personality; I was just talking to someone who needed help.”

Photo courtesy of Sarah Walker

dancing to their own beat

Israeli dancing group takes over DMV in spectacular style

Lily Rulnick Reporter

When the lights dim at Capital One Arena on Nov. 16, eager teenage performers will leave their perches backstage and rush into their places. After waiting patiently through the first half of the Washington Wizards versus Oklahoma City Thunder bas ketball game, it will finally be Yesod ot’s turn to perform.

Yesodot, the decades-old Israeli dance troupe based in the Greater Washington area, is composed of a group of Jewish teens who prac tice Harkada, traditional Israeli folk dances, as well as their own choreo graphed routines. They travel to dif ferent festivals throughout the year ;to Boston, New York and even Mex ico to perform their dances at differ ent festivals, immersing themselves in the culture of Israeli dance.

The current Yesodot troupe has around 25 members, ranging from

high school freshmen to seniors. The group meets weekly for two hours and practices at the B’nai Is rael Congregation in Rockville, MD.

Yesodot has been a part of co-director Marnina Cowan’s (‘06) life for as long as she can remember. She was a dancer in Yesodot when she attended CESJDS in 2002, and never left the Yesodot community af ter she graduated from high school. She was part of developing Kesem, the middle school dance troupe af filiated with Yesodot, in 2010, and has been co-directing and choreo graphing for Yesodot for over five years. Cowan also taught Hebrew at JDS before moving to the Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School.

“I started Israeli dancing when I was five,” Cowan said. “And I ac tually would watch the Yesodot re hearsing as a five-year-old at my syn agogue, and I would watch through the doors and at one point they just invited me in as a five-year-old to dance with them. And so I was living

Did You Know?

There are open Israeli dance sessions almost every day of the week in the area. Go to israelidance festival.com for more de tails

the dream as a really young kid. And I always wanted to be a part of it. I didn’t really do anything else; Israeli dancing was just what I loved.”

Cowan was very involved in Yesodot as a student at JDS, and it continues to be a big theme within the JDS student body. Throughout the high school, there are around 10 students currently active in Yesod ot, including sophomore Julia Dia mond. She has been Israeli dancing since sixth grade, following in her mother’s Israeli dance footsteps.

“It’s insane how … when you go to community Israeli dance events, all generations are there,” Diamond said. “So it’s like you have the old people who have been dancing since they were teenagers. And you have the adults who pass it on to their kids who are now in Yesodot. And it’s so much fun [and] the com munity is amazing.”

Yesodot also gives Jewish danc ers a connection to Israel through

Photo by Director Marina Cowan

Hebrew terms, songs and cul ture. This connection to Israel is something both Cowan and Dia mond recognize as a big part of their love for Yesodot.

“But it’s crazy, because Harkada … it’s like everyone knows it,” Di amond said. “I was in Israel, doing Israeli dancing, and I knew those songs [from] Yesodot. And it’s so cool because it really connects the entire world and there are hundreds of dances.”

Yesodot members have had the chance to take part in a number of amazing opportunities. In January 2022, Yesodot performed at a Wash ington Wizards’ game in celebration of Jewish Heritage Night, and they are scheduled to perform at the Wiz ards’ halftime show in November.

The group also participates in the annual DC Israeli Dance Festival, which takes place at the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy in March. This festival is a favorite for many Yesodot dancers, as it is a day filled with excitement, nerves and bonding.

“You’re just doing what you’ve been working so long and hard for,” Diamond said. “I mean, you put in so many hours and so much effort into perfecting this dance for a three minute thing … you give it 110 per cent. And [you] smile on stage and you finally get to be in the spotlight and it’s really fun because [these are] dances that you know and love and are in your bones. You get to be like, ‘This is what I’ve been waiting for. This is where I get to shine.’”

Both Cowan and Diamond are examples of how Yesodot is some thing that the young Israeli dancers will carry with them for the rest of their lives, whether it’s Diamond becoming the second generation in her family to dance in Yesodot or Cowan passing down her years of experience.

“When I look back at my JDS yearbooks, there’s pictures of me dancing in [it] every year, and now it’s my dancers who are the ones in the picture, so that’s really cool,” Cowan said.

Senior Zoe Goldman of Wilson High School teaches a routine for the DC festival. Photo by Aliza

Bellas, LT.

“I have been dancing my whole life and I did Israeli dance in elementary school at Milton so it’s something that has always been in my life. My favorite part about Yesodot is dancing with dancers from all ages of high school and connecting with people from different schools.”

“I would recommend Yesodot to anyone who is interested in learning some fun songs and dances, making good new friends and getting some pretty cool opportunities such as traveling and performing at places such as Wizards basketball games.”

Sophomore Isabel Jacobs

Sophomore Navah Gris

getting into the swing of things

Meet

Ella Kotok Arts and Entertainment Editor

Every day, first year Health and Exercise Science teacher and tennis coach Alexander Kirsch makes his way to school with a different schedule in mind. Kirsch will spend his day interacting with a variety of students and teachers in both the middle and high schools, before he heads out to the courts to coach the tennis teams.

Kirsch, a Montgomery County native, grew up in Gaithersburg, MD where he attended Quince Orchard High School and played on their varsity tennis team for four years. After high school, he attended the University of Tampa for undergrad uate education and the University of Mississippi for graduate school, where he obtained a masters degree in Sport and Recreation Administra tion. At both schools, Kirsch worked with the schools’ tennis teams.

Kirsch said he appreciated “be ing able to interact with the coaches and [seeing] how they operate with the players, [seeing] all their mind sets, and just getting a feel for how a D1 program, top 10 and a top 20 program, how they operate.”

These coaching jobs gave Kirsch valuable experience with both players and coaches that he will bring with him in his future en deavors — including here at CES JDS.

“The biggest thing that I just always want to influence [on the tennis team] is creating a culture which is a supportive atmosphere,” Kirsch said. “What I want to influence and stress [to] everybody

is no matter if you are on one singles, or you’re on two doubles, or if you’re playing exhibition, every single match is important… every person on the team matters.”

Kirsch has been successful in this mission, according to freshman tennis player Vivi Ducker.

“[Kirsch] strongly encourages everyone to go to all of the matches and stay until the end so that every one feels supported while they’re playing, which is a really nice im provement to the team to make us feel really united,” Ducker said.

As the coach of both the boys and girls tennis teams, Kirsch is working to improve the connection between the two teams. Even though the teams play in different seasons, he wants to create “an atmosphere on both sides that shouldn’t be dif ferent.”

Improving the tennis teams by developing younger players has also been an important goal for Kirsch.

“We’re trying to build a pro gram where we’re… trying to just be able to progress it, where we can start players at hopefully sixth grade, and just build them all the way up to the time they’re seniors,” Kirsch said. “And by the time they get there, we’re going to be very competitive.”

During school hours, Kirsch works in the Athletics Department as a PE teacher. He teaches a high school weightlifting class in ad dition to three middle school PE classes. Due to differing high and middle school schedules, Kirsch spends some days teaching five classes, whereas on others, he only teaches three. Kirsch enjoys being

meet

kirsch coach

able to interact with a wide range of students from sixth graders to se niors.

“I would like to just get to know everybody and set that expectation that I’m here to work for the school, be a good part of the community, buy into the school culture and just kind of get my feet wet,” Kirsch said.

Through private coaching, Kirsch became very comfort able working with children ages 12-17,making his job as both a mid dle and high school teacher perfect for him. Moreover, Kirsch believes JDS is a great fit for him as his val ues are in line with “the school’s mission and the culture and objec tives of what the school believes in.”

Off the courts and outside of the classroom, Kirsch enjoys watch ing football and the Food Network. He loves to go to the movies with friends and family and enjoys trying new restaurants. Video games are also one of his favorite pastimes, as they allow him to decompress and relieve stress during his free time. Additionally, Kirsch looks forward to traveling and spending time with his dogs.

Kirsch seems to be adapting well to the JDS athletics depart ment, according to Athletics Direc tor Becky Silberman.

“I think [Kirsch] has done a great job of making sure the kids all know that they’re there for each other. He’s there for them,” Silber man said. “For PE, he’s definitely added structure and he cares about the

about our students

better at what they’re doing.”

Alexander Kirsch prepares for a girls varsity tennis team’s match. Photo by Kaylah Goldrich, LT.

rookie cubs

Two eighth-grade students made the varsity girls tennis team

Stella Muzin Reporter

When eighth grader Lyla Sil berg learned that she had made the girls varsity tennis team, she could hardly believe it. “It must be a mis take,” she thought, but when reality set in, she was ecstatic. Silberg, and eighth grader Gillian Krauthamer, are the only middle school students on the girls varsity tennis team.

“Tennis tends to be more of an independent sport and I’ve never really been on a team before,” Krau thamer said. “So when the oppor tunity came up for me to be on the team, I was so excited.”

In the Potomac Valley Athletic Conference (PVAC), every team has a lineup that consists of three sin gles players and four doubles pairs. Krauthamer is the number one sin gles player, and Silberg is the num ber four doubles player.

“I have learned so much about being on a team with high schoolers, both tennis related and not, such as how to hit with more power while keeping your racket closed, and the best stretches to do while warming up,” Silberg said. “But mainly, I have learned how to be a part of a team, whether on or off the court.”

Krauthamer and Silberg have each been playing tennis for more than four years inside and outside of school. They both wanted to play on the varsity team this year to have the opportunity to play with older players and feel more connected to CESJDS’s community.

“The way Coach [Becky] Silber man and I structure the team is that we are one team, it doesn’t matter if you’re in sixth grade or a twelfth grader,” varsity tennis coach and PE teacher Alexander Kirsch said. “So it’s kind of trying to create a culture where regardless of if you’re on var sity or JV, we are one team.”

Playing on varsity requires a serious time commitment. Despite this, Silberg finds that balancing her academic and social life with tennis is not too challenging.

“Tennis is a sport on and off

the court, so you are always either thinking about how you can im prove, talking to the coaches or teammates, or even just watching tennis matches,” Silberg said. “But that doesn’t really hold me back. Al though tennis keeps me busy after school almost every day, that doesn’t leave me a lot of time to do my work or talk to friends. [While] it is a 24/7 sport, but that doesn’t mean it’s my whole life.”

According to Krauthamer the misconcep tion that tennis is an in dividu al sport is false. Although tennis play ers play on their own or with just one other partner, Krauthamer feels that tennis is still just as much a team sport as any of the other ones offered at JDS.

On the team, Krauthamer plays singles, but says she feels an equal amount of pressure in both doubles and singles.

“On doubles I don’t want to let my partner or the team down, so when I play singles I still have the pressure of the team and myself but for some reason I don’t feel as bad when I make a mistake,” Krautham er said.

Not only do these girls feel like they are growing as players, but Kirsch has also noticed how the varsity comepitition can benefit Sil berg and Krauthamer as both girls have had the chance to play against schools in the division above JDS, who have players who are 2-star and 3-star recruits and are in the top 10 in the state.

“Being here is really good for [Krauthamer] and [Silberg]because [they are] able to hit against older players which [they] might not have had that opportunity before this,” Kirsch said. “Getting our girls to

compete against [schools in higher divisions] and see how good other players can be is beneficial for them because they can see that this is what their potential will be like.”

Both girls are excited to be play ing on the team, and feel as though are getting more out of it than they could even imagine.

“I wanted to play on the team so I could meet more people in the school, hang out with friends and partake in more school spirit, and I’d say that the tennis team this year has given me that and more,” Krau thamer said.

“I have learned how to be a part of a team, whether on or off the court,”

-Lyla Silberg

change of course

ESPN begins filming the cross country team for an upcoming documentary feature

After two varsity boys state championships in the last five seasons, including one last year, the cross country team will be covered in a nationally aired doc umentary feature on ESPN. So far the filming has been predominantly focused on a personal conflict of one athlete in particular.

Senior Oliver Ferber is a cross country star who became religious ly observant around the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, last year’s Maryland private school state championship race coincided with Shabbat. Ferber struggled with the decision of whether to sit out the race.

While his Rabbi told him that Jewish halacha would not permit him to race, Ferber saw that other students who observed Shabbat were planning to compete. In the end, Ferber decided to sit out. Even without Ferber, CESJDS managed to win the championship by one point.

“The feeling I got was that the whole school, and definitely my cross country circle, wanted me to race,” Ferber said. “I definitely got the feel[ing] that the school was not really supporting me in my deci sion.”

JDS’s 2017 varsity boys champi onship team also sported a few ath letes who struggled with the dilem ma of racing on Shabbat. The 2017 team’s story indirectly led to the

documentary feature, as cross-coun try coach Jason Belinkie was intro duced to ESPN through the Ken nedy/Marshall Company, who were interested in potentially creating a movie about the 2017 championship team.

“I think ESPN’s approach is they are going to interview a group of people: myself, Oliver, some oth er members of the team and some members of the 2017 team. And then they’re going to see how the story comes together,” Belinkie said.

ESPN Associate Producer Har ry Hawkings stated that the produc tion team would wait until the end of filming to decide the exact direc tion that the documentary feature will take. He predicted that the main story will be about Ferber sitting out of the 2021 championship.

The 2022 Maryland state cham pionship meet was moved to a Sun day primarily as a result of Ferber’s inability to compete last year. Be linkie had tried many times in previ ous years to get the race moved, but he only succeeded this year after Ferber wrote a letter explaining his position and petitioning to change the date.

“For me, I just had to send the letter, and then it was out of my hands. [Belinkie] was super helpful. It’s very likely they wouldn’t have moved [the race] if he had not been involved,” Ferber said.

Belinkie stated that he would

likely head the organization of fu ture state championship meets starting in 2023, with the intention of preventing trouble for runners like Ferber whose accommodations were not previously met.

“Everyone should have the op portunity to compete,” Belinkie said. “There’s no hard and fast rule that says state championship meets have to be on Saturdays.”

For Ferber, being the focus of a documentary feature meant being followed around by cameras during practice on Sunday, Oct.16, as well as sitting down with Hawkings for a two-hour interview.

The documentary feature will air on SportsCenter as a part of their SC Featured program. It will be between four to ten minutes long and is expected to air this spring time around Passover. Hawkings said that whenever producing a feature like this one, he looks for a hook, and he plans to use the holi day as that hook.

“As someone who is not partic ularly religious myself, I would say learning more about the distances to which the 2017 team and peo ple like [Ferber] will go to compete while also keeping their faith inter ests me,” Hawkings said.

“The distances to which the 2017 team and people like [Ferber] will go to compete while also keeping their faith interests me.”

- ESPN Associate Producer Harry Hawkins

Adin Halbfinger News Editor

ESPN films as the cross country team practices.

Ferber sits down for a two-hour interview with ESPN.

Photos by Jason Belinkie

(CC BY-SA 2.0)

Photo by Erik Drost (CC BY

Photos by Noah Sexter, Laura Wallace, Jesse Fisher

Silverberg

Junior Noah Sexter edits his fantasy football lineup. Photo taken

European Eatery opens Across from School

MezeHub offers a unique variety of delicious foods

Cati Werbin-Gradel Reporter

Just across the street from CESJDS behind Goodwill, MezeHub is a great new spot to buy a quick snack and hang out with friends. This location opened in mid-July and offers a variety of foods imported from the Mediterranean and Balkan regions of Europe.

At MezeHub, you can find Eu ropean snacks, drinks and spreads. You can also purchase delicious baked burek pies made every Sunday and Monday from scratch, and experience tastings — wine for adults and food for everyone. MezeHub offers in-store shopping, online purchasing, curbside pickup and delivery as well.

As I walked into the store, I immediately noticed the decor, which followed a green theme with green chairs and walls full of faux plants. Throughout the store were cute barrels that said MezeHub and different small tapestries hung around.

As soon as I walked in, I was greeted by the friendly workers who immediately asked if I needed anything. Despite selling exclusive

ly European products, MezeHub has a fairly large variety of foods.

To the left and back of the store, you can find many different unique European products. To the right of the store, there are tables set up and a small bar for food and wine tasting. In the middle of the store behind the counter, there is a bakery space behind a window with all the materials used to make the pastries.

I decided to try the MezeHub special, the burek pies. A burek is a type of pastry with flaky dough stuffed with filling. MezeHub offers cheese, spinach and cheese and beef bureks. I decided to try the spinach and cheese burek which was $4.40. Considering the medi um-large size of the burek, it was a reasonable price. I also bought mini European chocolate raspberry cakes called “Kolaci” to satisfy my sweet tooth.

The bureks were warm and tasted very fresh despite being made earlier in the week. The filling was a bit too salty for my taste, but the homemade dough was flaky and melted in my mouth. Overall, I was very impressed with the pastry, as it was both filling and delicious.

Fun facts:

This location opened in mid-July

After finishing the burek, I tried the “Kolaci,” which cost $1.79. “Kolaci” consisted of pre-made and packaged chocolate cakes with raspberry simple syrup in the middle. As soon as I took the first bite, bold flavors of chocolate and raspberry exploded in my mouth. However, the flavors overpowered each other creating an unpleasant mix of tartness and bittersweet ness. Although the cakes were very fluffy, I was disappointed with the dry texture.

All of the products in store are imported from Europe

Overall, MezeHub is a great spot to try a new pastry or buy a unique and filling snack. While some of the snacks might not ap peal to everyone, the variety means anyone will find something they like. I will definitely return in the future to try more of their food and will bring friends with me to try their variety of tasty treats.

Information by owner Doug Wheeler

All photos by Cati Werbin-Gradel, LT

MezeHub’s decor consists of lots of greenery to give the restaurant a natural vibe.

Sitting across the street from JDS, MezeHub is a perfect place for students to grab a quick snack.

Rows of European and Mediterranean snacks line the store, creating a market full of flavor and variety.

Cheese, spinach and cheese and beef bureks are a MezeHub staple.

Refreshing Representation

A collection of TV show recommendations that seamlessly portray LGBTQ relationships and identities

Fischman OpinionEditor

The Owl House

With stunning animation and incredible wit, “The Owl House” is one of my favorite TV shows of all time. Though it is a Disney Channel show marketed towards children, it grapples with complex themes of separation from home, chosen family, betrayal and redemption in an exceptionally mature way. The show follows Luz Noceda, a quirky teenager who stumbles upon a portal to a magical world. This reality is far more treacherous than Luz had imagined a fantas tical world to be, but after an eccentric fugitive named Eda the Owl Lady takes her in, Luz finds her footing in unexpected ways.

Though this plot seems cliché, “The Owl House” puts an offbeat spin on it. Some people may find the quirky humor to be annoying, but I like how the show doesn’t take itself too seri ously. Additionally, this show has one of my favorite couples with queer women out of any show I’ve ever seen, and it has seamless representation of a character whose pronouns are they/them. Currently, there are two full seasons of “The Owl House,” and a three-episode mini season started airing on Oct. 15 that will continue in 2023 to finish off the show. I highly recommend checking this show out on Disney Plus.

Our Flag Means Death

“Our Flag Means Death” is a simultaneously hilarious and heart-wrenching rendering of the historical figures Blackbeard and the Gentleman Pirate, Stede Bonnet. In a nutshell, this show is about pirates who are really bad at being pirates. It follows Bonnet, a member of the British Gentry who abandons his family to become a pirate. When Bonnet’s ragtag crew encounters Blackbeard’s more fearsome posse, Blackbeard develops a fascination with Bonnet and his gentle ways. While I felt like there were points in the middle when the show’s plot lagged, its dark humor and lovable characters made it worth it.

The series includes representation of a relationship between queer men and other minor queer relationships, along with a character whose pronouns are they/them. It’s rare to find representation as comforting as in “Our Flag Means Death,” especially with the incorporation of both young and old queer characters, instead of portraying it as a new phenomenon that only the younger generation partakes in. Queerness is multigenerational and oftentimes, when media only portrays younger characters being queer, it gives off the implication that queer ness is new, radical or “just a phase.” This show also escapes the assumption in many period pieces that every historical figure was cisgender and heterosexual. Currently, the show has one season, but it has been renewed for a second season as well. “Our Flag Means Death’’ is a fantastic show available on HBO Max.

Heartstopper

Based on the graphic novel by Alice Oseman, “Heartstopper” is a classic queer high school romantic comedy. It follows the relationship between Charlie, an openly gay shy boy, and Nick, a seemingly straight rugby star, after they are assigned seats next to each other in homeroom. This representation of the queer high school experience is startlingly accurate, barring a few cringey homophobic comments from bullies that are unrealistic for someone to actually say.

“Heartstopper” is an incredibly comforting show with endearing characters and ador able relationships. It includes a main relationship between queer men and a side lesbian couple with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender woman representation. I also recommend reading the graphic novel or online comic available on Webtoon before watching the show, but you should be aware of a trigger warning for eating disorders later in the series. Right now, the show only has one season, but it is renewed for both a second and third season. You can find this heartwarming quick-watch on Netflix.

Ellie

Photo from Disney

Photo from HBO Max

Photo from Netflix

Everybody Bereal

Kaylah Goldrich SportsEditor

Once a day, a buzz falls over the CESJDS hallways as students frantically take out their phones to capture their BeRe al. With a mere two minutes to take and post their picture, there is a mad dash of people photographing themselves and their surroundings.

BeReal is a new social media app that has rapidly gained popu larity over the last year. Launched in 2020, BeReal only had two mil lion users in its first two years, how ever, according to The Washington Post, it now has over 56 million downloads.

At a random time each day, app users get notified that it is time to “BeReal,” meaning they have just two minutes to post a picture of

themselves and the activity they are doing using both their front and back phone cameras. This is sup posed to give people a glimpse into their friends’ “real” lives and serve as a counter to the photo filters and editing on Instagram and other so cial media platforms. A controver sial aspect of the app is that users are able to post their pictures mul tiple hours after the notification, but their followers will see that they have posted late.

Junior Shani Schwartz down loaded BeReal in the spring and it has quickly become one of her favorite apps, Schwartz says that she finds BeReal more entertaining than other social media apps, such as Instagram.

“It is exciting to get the noti fication every day,” Schwartz said. “It is a big thing that everyone can bond over, and it is fun to scroll through [the posts.]”

Schwartz enjoys the more per sonal nature of the app, and notes how its design allows her to live more in the moment.

“I don’t have as many people added on it, I just have people I am closer with,” Schwartz said. “It is not like you try to get a good pic ture, it’s just whatever you are do ing.”

High school guidance counsel or Marnie Lang also recognizes that BeReal differs from other social

media apps, as users typically log on only once a day.

“It could potentially be less ad dicting to participate in compared to other social media [apps], just be cause you cannot constantly scroll other than looking at your friends,” Lang said.

However, freshman Jakob Lipsky saysthat the instantaneous feature can easily be exploited.

“Most of the time you are sup posed to take a picture of what is going on at the specific time it goes off, instead of whenever you want,” Lipsky said. “But a lot of people I know post later images when they are doing something more interest ing; they are kind of cheating the system.”

Lang agrees with this senti ment and acknowledges the possi ble downsides that could arise from BeReal. She notes that the app’s design promotes harmful compari sons between friends, which can re sult in people feeling that their lives are not as exciting as others.

Despite BeReal’s negatives, it has quickly become a staple in many students’ lives and its popu larity is showing no sign of slowing down.

“All of my friends have [BeRe al] and it’s something we look for ward to doing every day,” Schwartz said.

Photo by Lilli Libowitz, LT

Sophmores Elisheva Babitz, Isabel Jacobs and Aviva Stern take their BeReal.

Need to

Kai’s’ repetition and lack of plot are defamation of the franchise

Gigi Gordon Reporter

The excitement I feel when I turn on the T.V. to watch the newest season of “Cobra Kai” quickly turns into disappointment. “Cobra Kai’s” fifth season is a major let down, as it lacks entertaining conflicts, char acter development and a strong plot.

“Cobra Kai” was originally a reboot of the “Karate Kid” plot line and followed the story of the orig inal main characters Johnny Law rence and Daniel LaRusso in their adult lives. The two had been rivals as teenagers where LaRusso ulti mately beat Lawrence in the All-Val ley Karate Tournament, which crowned him as the best fighter. Fol lowing this duel, Lawrence became extremely bitter, which ultimately launched their rivalry.

The continuation of the origi nal “Karate Kid” movie is what orig inally sparked viewers’ interest.

However, in the new season, the connection to the original “Kara te Kid” movie is no longer present. Instead, this season focuses on the rivalry between LaRusso and one of his previous senseis, Terry Sil ver. Silver only becomes his sensei in the third “Karate Kid” movie and has no connection to Lawrence or many of the other characters from the first movie. The loss of connec tion to the movie strips the show of its initial appeal and there is no lon ger a point to watching.

The relationship between Law rence and LaRusso is no longer the primary focus of the show. The two became indifferent to each other and their once tension-ridden conflict is now a boring friendship. Their new found camaraderie is harmful to the plot. Without their ongoing conflict, the show no longer feels connected to the “Karate Kid” movie and the friendship felt anticlimactic, it was too predictable.

Additionally, the plot of sea son five feels repetitive, as it is very similar to the rivalry between Law rence and his previous sensei John

Kreese, who appears at the end of season one. I felt like I was rewatch ing the second and third seasons but with new characters.

The other focus of this season was the ever-growing rivalry be tween the kids who fight for Co bra Kai Karate and the rest of the kids who fight for Miyagi-Do Eagle Fang Karate. The rivalry is very old school, mostly consisting of bullying and physical fights.

Although this was entertain ing in the first few seasons, it has since become boring. The insults exchanged between the two sides are extremely overused and un imaginative. The same people from each dojo continue a rivalry that they have had since the first season. Quite frankly, it feels repetitive and dull.

The fights tend to include one kid who is significantly better at karate than the other, making the fight uninteresting and lacking ex citement. Some of the fights have become so unfair that one of the characters gets beaten half to death — a scenario that is just too gory and unpleasant to watch.

The focus of “Cobra Kai” this season may have been a bit off, how ever, the thing that the show consis tently tends to do well are endings. As usual, the season ends with a large cliffhanger, hooking the audi ence in and getting them excited for the next season.

“Cobra Kai’s” season five plot line drags on and in all honesty, I think it might be time for the writ ers to consider ending the series. The show has become extremely re petitive with around ten main char acters that face the same situations. It is no longer a continuation of the “Karate Kid” series,but instead a complete destruction of all that it ever was.

Know Karate

Moves: ‘Karate kid’ Continued

‘Cobra

Infographic by Lilli Libowitz, LT

the lion’s tale

Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School

11710 Hunters Lane Rockville, MD 20852

Which Fall Flavor are you?

1. Choose a fall activity: a. Apple picking b. Carving pumpkins c. Watching horror movies

2. Choose a fall dessert: a. Apple pie b. Pumpkin muffins c. Snickerdoodle cookies

3. Choose a fall T.V. show: a. “This is Us” b. “Gilmore Girls” c. “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”

5. Choose your favorite Thanksgiving food: a. Turkey b. Mashed potatoes c. Stuffing

4. Choose a Starbucks drink: a. Apple Crisp Macchiato b. Pumpkin Spice Latte c. Pumpkin Spice Frappachino

6. Choose a leaf color: a. Red b. Orange c. Yellow

Mostly a’s = Apple Cider

Mostly b’s= Pumpkin Spice

Mostly c’s= Cinnamon

Compiled by Lilli Libowitz