Lion's Tale Volume 37, Issue 4

LT

The Lion’s Tale | Volume 37 Issue 4 | January 16, 2020 | CESJDS | 11710 Hunters Lane Rockville, MD 20852

the lion’s tale

IS SHALOM HELLO OR GOODBYE?

ALUMNI MAKE OWN CHOICES ABOUT PRACTICING JUDAISM

PG. 6-7

Maryland-Israel Sister States pg. 02

Senior Columns pg. 05

Thrifting Guide pg. 12

news 02

the lion’s tale

News Briefs Jan. 20 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day JDS will be closed to commemorate the legacy of the renowned civil rights activist.

Jan. 27 Professional Development Day Students will have no classes while faculty will attend a full-day workshop with teachers from other Jewish day schools in the area to learn about student anxiety and stress.

Feb. 7 Siyum Upper School will have a three-hour delay so that seniors can honor the completion of their Jewish learning at JDS with their families through prayer.

Feb. 9 Graduation Seniors and their families will mark the conclusion of the Class of 2020's high school experience at the Washington Hebrew Congregation at 2 p.m.

Feb. 14-17 President's Day Weekend JDS will be closed on Friday and Monday to honor the legacies of the U.S.' former leaders. compiled by matthew rabinowitz

Check out The Lion’s Tale’s website for exclusive content:

Two states

one voice

Maryland and Israel sisterhood brings exhibit to JCC sophie kaplan reporter The Maryland-Israel Sister State Committee, led by freshman student-chair Kate Morgan and her father, chairman Randy Morgan, will display two exhibits at the Bender JCC of Greater Washington from Jan. 12 to Feb. 23.

Gov. Larry Hogan founded the committee in 2016 after he learned that countries like Peru and Estonia had state committees with Maryland, but Israel did not. The committee is dedicated to strengthening the relationship between Maryland and Israel and showcasing various aspects of the states to one another.

Randy is the second-ever chair of the committee. He joined the committee around two years ago after the first chair, former JDS mother Bonnie Glick, left the position. Kate went to Hogan’s Hanukkah party in 2019 where

she met him as well as Maryland with natural disasters [sic],” Kate non-stop commercial flight from Secretary of the State John said. “The other exhibit is from Yad Washington’s Dulles airport to Tel Wobensmith and got permission to Vashem, and it is about Muslims in Aviv, which was introduced last year become the first student chair.

Albania that helped Jews during the by United Airlines. Another program “I wanted to become involved Holocaust.” planned by the committee was the in the committee because I have The exhibits consist of a Maryland-Israel Water conference fallen in love with Israel on my collection of photographs in addition between Israeli water conservation trips there, and I wanted to experts and Maryland water take part in strengthening utilities employees. the relationship between In tandem with the Maryland and Israel,” Kate exhibit is an event for “I wanted to become involved said.

BBYO chapters on Feb. 3, in the committee because I have The committee where various chapters will fallen in love with Israel on my trips currently has 27 members rotate through the exhibit. and many organizational As student-chair, Kate is there, and I wanted to take part partners, such as the playing a large part in this in strengthening the relationship American Society for event's organization. between Maryland and Israel."

Yad Vashem, the Israeli“My role is to act as American Council, the the go-between for the - freshman kate morgan committee and the kids our Bender JCC of Greater Washington and the Israeli age. I promote activities Embassy. between Maryland and “The event at the JCC is going to to other elements. To add to the Israel to kids at school, in BBYO and have two exhibits, one from IsraAID, exhibits, there will be a workshop at at my synagogue,” Kate said. “I also a non-profit organization [who] the JCC on Jan. 22 for educators from act as the teenage spokesperson for are the first on the grounds to help public and private schools across the committee through email, social Montgomery County, media, phone calls and a little bit of including JDS. public speaking.”

“We have Although some events target invited faculty from specific demographics, Randy urges JDS, as well as the everyone to come to see the exhibits coordinator for at the JCC because he believes they history and social are crucial to learn about. studies for the entire “We invite students and parents state of Maryland for and the entire community to please K through 12, to learn come and see these exhibits and from the director learn about the Holocaust, the of education of the special stories about Jews and American Society of Muslim neighbors of Albania as well Yad Vashem about the as about IsraAID and the wonderful exhibit,” Randy said. work that modern Israel does around Two JDS the world to relieve communities photography classes that are in distress after a natural will be visiting the disaster,” Randy said. exhibits in February.

The committee’s previous projects include adding a photo courtesy of kate morgan

Freshman Kate Morgan [middle] spoke with Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan [right] and Maryland First Lady Yumi Hogan [left] about the Maryland-Israel Sister State Committee at the yearly Hanukkah party hosted by the Hogans on Dec. 15, 2019.

photo by mischa trainor Dean of Students Roslyn Landy sits in on a senior math class and observes the learning experience. In addition to shadowing students, administrators regularly sit in on classes to evaluate teachers.

In their shoes Administrators shadow high school students to understand experiences

maya preuss and mischa trainor said. “But to really understand it, you asst. news and contributing editors have to walk a mile in the students' shoes.”

Three administrators each Each administrator chose a recently shadowed a student for a student of a different grade level to day, hoping to gain perspective on diversify their perspectives. They what it is like to be a CESJDS student. also decided to choose students who High School Principal and were enrolled in both advanced and Associate Head of School Dr. Marc ECP level classes to get a sense of Lindner, Dean of Academics Aileen both. They chose not to share the Goldstein and Dean of Students students’ names for anonymity.

Roslyn Landy observed all the “I definitely feel more deeply classes of their respective students. about what it's like for a student Lindner and Goldstein had been to spend a day in class. It’s a lot of thinking about shadowing students sitting. It’s a lot of time focusing for some time to follow the example and concentrating,” Lindner said. of other schools, but scheduling “It helped me appreciate even more was a challenge. The administrators that it was hard work for a whole scheduled the date over the summer school day.” so they could clear their schedules Some takeaways the for that day. administrators had about their days “We work in education, we shadowing were that students had to are in the same school building all sit and concentrate for an extended day long with hundreds of students time period during the long school having your day and planning and day. They hope to meet together and doing all these things to sort of improve the student experience, and create an experience,” Goldstein they would consider taking part in

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03

this experience again.

During their meeting, they will share ideas on how they can improve students' daily experiences.

For example, Landy shadowed on a Tuesday, and she thought that having Community Time in the morning was a nice break. She wants to see if students would rather have CT in the morning instead of after lunch on Mondays and Thursdays, as she noticed how this changes a student’s experience.

“The goal was to find out what it is like to be a student at JDS, and it certainly opened my eyes.

I have been here for a long time; my children went here, [and] my grandchildren are here. But I have never gone through a day,” Landy said. “I learned a lot, and it was very instructive.”

Fewer seniors to attend capstone trip than average class alex landy editor-in-chief The percentage of students planning to attend the Irene and Daniel Simpkins Senior Capstone Israel trip is on the lower end of the average range of past years. 66 of the 82 graduates, or about 80 percent of the class of 2020, plan on attending, according to High School Principal and Associate Head of School Dr. Marc Lindner.

However, these numbers are subject to change until the students depart on Feb. 23.

The administration says that since 2013, between 78 and 90 percent (an average of 84 percent) of each senior class has attended the trip, the culmination of each class’ JDS experience. Last year, 82 of the Class of 2019’s 95 students, about 86 percent, attended the trip.

“We would like for the participation rate to be as high as possible every year … It’s on the lower end of the range of what it has been the last several years, but there have been lower years, and to the extent students who are not attending are sharing their reasons, those reasons are what we would expect. For example, some of the students are going on gap year programs next year,” Lindner said.

Senior Mattie Watson, who is going on a gap-year trip with an

outside Jewish seminary, said that a fifth of the class is not attending the capstone trip mainly due to gapyear trips and financial reasons. In addition to her gap-year trip, she decided not to attend the trip due to financial and social circumstances.

“I always wanted to go on a gapyear, and my parents at first said no and said that I had to go on the [Israel] trip, and then they changed their minds,” Watson said. “A lot of my friends aren't going, which was also a factor in my decision to not go with my class.”

In a survey of the 42 seniors, of those not attending the trip, over 11 percent said they were going to work or intern instead of attending the trip, and over 7 percent noted gapyears as their main reason. Another 7 percent cited financial reasons. The total cost of the trip, including the Eastern Europe portion, is $14,000, according to the JDS website.

A host of other reasons, many of them personal, were also raised by students in the survey.

Senior Ryan Bauman, who is going on the trip, said that while he would encourage every student to go on the trip, he is not particularly concerned about the impact of a fifth of his grade not attending.

“At the end of the day, the Israel trip is your last chance to be with the grade not in a school setting,” Bauman said. “I think it’s going to be

a different vibe this year than usual because normally the trip is a good grade bonding-type of experience.”

Jewish history teacher and alumnus Dr. Dan Rosenthal (‘00) echoed Bauman in that the trip gave him a chance to connect with those that he did not consider to be his closest peers.

To Rosenthal, the Israel trip was the “the light at the end of the tunnel,” meaning it was a reward for high school students after years of undergoing rigorous education.

“It was the culmination of everything that we’d learned; being able to sort of put that into practice, to see the actual things that we had been studying. But, it also just gave me a lot of real-world experience,” Rosenthal said. “ … It creates this connection to Israel that you don’t have otherwise. It serves as this capping off of your high school experience, ending it in a really positive way.”

Class of 2015

84 percent: 90 of 107 students

Attendence through the years Class of 2017

91 percent: 77 of 85 students

Class of 2019

86 percent: 82 of 95 students

Data courtesy of Associate Head of School and High School Principal Dr. Marc Lindner

Class of 2016

78 percent: 62 of 79 students

Class of 2018

80 percent: 65 of 81 students

Class of 2020

80 percent: 66 of 82 students

opinion

04 the lion’s tale

lion’s tale editorial: Reshaping nationality the

editors-in-chief sabrina bramson, alex landy managing editor, copy oren minsk in-depth and design editor daphne kaplan news editor matthew rabinowitz, asst. maya preuss opinion editor izzy may, asst. jessica gallo features editors sally rogal, josie stein sports editor sophia miller, asst. mischa trainor style editor irit skulnik editorial cartoonist molly zatman reporters aaron adams, lincoln aftergood, tal arber, jonathan morris, ivan endelman, eva bard, hannah davis, rochelle berman, sophie kaplan, corinne zlotnitsky, zara ducker, maiyan lyani, mark polin, gabe siegel, matan silverberg staff adviser jessica nassau adviser emerita susan zuckerman Editorial and Ethics Policy 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 welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns, all of which must be signed. The staff reserves the right to refuse any material and may edit letters or columns for length, clarity, libel, obscenity and/or disruptiveness.

President Trump recently signed an executive order to combat the rise of antisemitism in schools and higher education institutions across the nation. In effect, the order redefines Judaism as a nationality, allowing for discrimination against Jews to be ruled illegal under civil rights law.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act states that nobody should be subject to discrimination on the basis of nationality (among other things that do not include religion) in any program receiving federal funding.

Trump’s argument goes something like this: by treating Judaism as a nationality, schools and public universities where antisemitism is not actively prevented will lose access to federal funds. Thus, if educational institutions fail to adequately combat antisemitism, the U.S. Department of Education can and will withhold funds as a disincentive to allowing antisemitism to exist.

As a Jewish community, this is a cause we need to support.

These days, we hear about numerous antisemitic acts on college campuses, and this order is intended to force institutions to crack down on attacks on the Jewish community.

The effects of this bill are not limited to public universities.

The staff will adhere to the ethics policies of The Society of Professional Journalists and the National Scholastic Press Association.

The adviser will be held to the Journalism Education Association’s Adviser Code of Ethics.

cover design and photos by daphne kaplan cartoon courtesy of molly zatman

Jews are not simply American, a slippery slope to go down considering the parallels to how Jews were treated in 20th century Europe.

Arguably, the more significant consequence of the executive order is its effect on free speech. The order uses the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism which considers “claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor” and expecting “behavior [of the Israeli government] not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation” to be antisemitism.

The problem with this

-The Lion’s Tale

Paper’s not popular, but news always will be

Submissions may be emailed to jdslionstale@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 Kuttner-Levenson Endowment for the Upper School Cultural Arts and Student Publications, and community advertisements. The Lion’s Tale reserves the right to refuse advertisement for any reason.

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, public secondary schools receive about eight percent of their revenue from the federal government. This means that if schools such as Bethesda Chevy-Chase, where swastikas have been drawn in bathrooms, do not fight the discrimination that Jewish students have been subject to, they could lose a significant portion of their funding.

That said, we must recognize the downsides of this executive order as well. Viewing Jews as their own nationality further separates us from the rest of the population and promotes the idea that American

definition is that it is overly broad and gives the government a lot of power when enforcing the law.

It appears that this definition is attempting to prevent all, even legitimate, criticism of Israel as well as Palestinian support (mostly targeted at BDS, the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement), which would violate the First Amendment.

The New York Times describes the executive order as an attempt to pressure universities into fostering an open and welcome climate for Jewish students, something we must support, but that has been hindered by the BDS movement. However, we need to draw a line between BDS’ often violent actions towards Jewish students, which are antisemitic, and their movement’s beliefs, which are protected by our Constitution regardless of your perspective.

This executive order is far from perfect: it has isolated American Jews and may even restrict free speech. However, we need to support the intent of this order and to stand with fellow Jewish students across the country, whether or not you back the approach this order takes in efforts to do so.

irit skulnik contributing editor Print media is dying. It is no surprise that more and more people check their phones for news updates on current issues every morning rather than walking down their driveway to pick up the newspaper. As we move further into the 21st century, technology is becoming increasingly prevalent in our everyday lives, so much so that there is hardly use for print items anymore.

I find the decline of print

media to be unsurprising in University of Maryland student journalism, thus maintaining an this technological age, yet still newspaper, The Diamondback, audience past the death of print saddening. There is something recently canceling production of media. nostalgic about reading a physical their print edition.

Just because print editions paper hot off the press. For The larger implication of the are coming to an end, it does generations, people have waited death of print media shows how not necessarily mean the whole expectantly by their doors for the technology is constantly changing industry is. I still have hope that delivery of printed journalism has a bright and papers. To think that strong future; it’s just being this is slowly ending is manifested differently to “I still have hope that journalism not only sad, but is also adapt to the new era. Blogs, has a bright and strong future; it’s a farewell to tradition. podcasts and websites are I do, however, see all various ways to report just being manifested differently to hope for the future of on news that are successful adapt to the new era.” journalism and media, in this era of technology. it just doesn’t include Podcasts alone have gained - contributing editor irit skulnik print.

14 million weekly listeners Due to the declining from the previous year, readership of print, newspapers the future. With print disappearing, according to the New York Times. all over the country are ending the the use of smartphones and There is a way to tie together publication of their print editions. other devices is growing. With journalism with the increasing use Weekday print circulation has smartphone addiction at a high, of technology, giving journalism fallen from 60 million in 1944 people frankly don’t want to read hope for the future. The industry to 35 million in combined print a print paper anymore, not when needs to evolve with the times, just and digital circulation in 2018. they can Google something in like every industry, and learn to This is happening even in student seconds. However, this can also cater to the average smartphone journalism, notably with the play a large role in the future of user.

opinion

the lion’s tale 05

Take eight classes to avoid a work overload

sabrina bramson outgoing editor-in-chief From the start of high school, we are programmed to prepare for college. “Participate in every extracurricular activity.” “Get an internship.” “Start studying for the SAT.” “Take the right classes.” But at CESJDS, it’s not just “Take the right classes,” it’s “Take the right

nine classes.”

At JDS, we have seven mandatory classes and two elective slots. Most students think they must fill those two slots with a language, a science or another academic elective, but I strongly disagree.

I chose to double in language and science, and I drowned in work. I had to spend so much time on my excess of homework, tests and assessments that I didn’t have enough time for myself, my friends, my family and my other interests.

Additionally, teachers do not take into account how students spend their time outside of school when assigning work. Many of us participate in sports, art

classes, STEM clubs, publications, community service activities and more. Nonetheless, teachers never consider the time spent on these activities when assigning homework. Ultimately, some students stay up until the early morning hours and sacrifice their health in the process (The latest I had to stay up in my JDS career was 4 a.m.).

This year, I’m taking eight academic classes and have a free period. That free period makes all the difference. I have a designated period of time during the day to get my work done, hang out with my friends and sometimes even nap (but don’t tell my mom that). By using this allotted time productively, I give myself more

time after school to participate in my numerous activities and get to bed at a reasonable hour.

Looking back on the first three years of high school, I wish I had included a study hall to do work or even act as a break during the day just like my free period.

But I also wish I had explored other interests that are not necessarily academic, but would have benefited me in the long run nonetheless. So please, take that art class you’ve always wanted to take. Use one of your electives for a study hall. And finally, don’t stress yourself because everyone should have a break in their day.

Learning on the course instead of class

izzy may outgoing opinion editor There are some things you learn in the classroom, and others you learn on the race course.

When I joined cross country in seventh grade, I had no idea the

team’s influence would reach all aspects of my life. Now, I encourage everyone to participate in a sport.

Cross country is a unique sport in that the amount of practice and time you dedicate to it directly translates to your performance in races. I learned to push myself in my training in order to reap better results, and I quickly understood that this same dedication was applicable to my schoolwork.

The idea that the amount of work you put in shows in the results you get back was, in a way,

therapeutic for me. It gave me a method to put my trust and effort into. I thought that if I worked hard, I would see results.

As my senior year comes to a close, I recognize that school and life do not always work that way. Even if you put effort into something, you may not get the result you want. But even if the lesson doesn’t apply in every case, it often holds true, and those times can be of great comfort.

That is why cross country was essential to my JDS experience: It gave me a rhythm and pattern on which I could

always rely, and it was always a way to visualize success in my life. Even if it may seem stressful or time-consuming, it enhances your quality of life. Every person needs a few wins to keep them going and those cannot always be attained in academic work. If you’re like me, having a sport to fall back on when other aspects of your life become challenging is always reassuring.

Steer clear of rampaging rumors

josie stein outgoing features editor My grade is a class of 85 students. With a class that small, it gets very tempting to immerse yourself in the drama and personal lives of others. Coming from a large, public middle school, this particular aspect of CESJDS

was a shock to me.

My biggest regret of high school was letting the drama of freshman and sophomore year dictate how I saw and felt about myself. I based my self-worth on what I thought others perceived me to be, causing me to retreat in my shell and avoid branching out in my grade.

If I could give one piece of advice, I would suggest not listening to “fake news” in the social environment of JDS that can quickly turn toxic. I believed that people judged me based on what was escaping the rumor mill, and I was stuck on the idea that how you looked and the parties you

went to placed you in a “social class” at school, but this couldn’t have been farther from the truth.

While I’ve learned to be strong and resilient during my time at JDS, I manifested unwanted anxiety and stress when I should have been focusing on my work and extracurriculars.

Part of my growth was distancing myself from the toxic relationships and activities that caused me stress. By focusing on Shir Madness, The Lion’s Tale and our school musicals, I felt like I could better manage my time because I wasn’t spreading myself too thin socially.

Through focusing my time

and energy on what I truly enjoyed, I learned that it is okay to not be a part of a traditional friend group. I have found great friends who are all a part of their own groups, and I am comfortable with that. High school is too short to focus on social hierarchy and comparison, so spend your time doing what you love with whom you love, and suddenly, the “fake news” will seem truly irrelevant.

graphic by izzy may

in-depth

06 the lion’s tale

IS SHALOM H Alumni make own choices abo daphne kaplan and rochelle berman in-depth and design editor and reporter

A

87%

Data courtesy of Brandeis University’s “What Difference Does Day School Make?” Report

80%

33%

Day School/ Public high Day School/ Orthodox school alumni Orthodox students are involved Raised value being in their students date Jewish in campus “all” or college Hillels “mostly” Jews secondary coverage by oren minsk, daphne kaplan and alex landy

s alumna Beyla Bass (‘19) sat and prayed in a Conservative synagogue, she looked down at her new bumblebee tattoo, and realized that it did not make her any less Jewish.

Many CESJDS alumni, like Bass, spend the years after graduation experimenting with their Jewish practices; it is likely the first time they have to determine their degree of Jewish observance and practice on their own.

Leaving the JDS bubble For most JDS students, the thought-process of determining what role Judaism will play in their lives in college starts when completing the Naviance Junior Conference Survey in junior year.

There, students consider whether they desire a Kosher meal plan in their respective campus dining halls, live near a Hillel or Chabad or if they seek a large Jewish community on campus.

In a recent survey of 73 juniors and seniors, 51 students said they prioritize having Jewish life on campus while 22 said they do not.

Director of Jewish Life and alumna Shoshanna Schechter (‘98) believes that students often feel they “need to exhale a bit” since they have “[had an] intense [Jewish education]” and that it is acceptable to have a break.

“Sometimes people come out [of JDS] ready to lead their Hillels.

Sometimes people come out [of JDS] and they want a break, but [they]

come back later,” Schechter said.

College life Although students may plan to maintain their Jewish observance while in college, their locations may prohibit them from doing so.

Bass is a freshman at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. While Bass has been heavily influenced by her parents’ love of Conservative Judaism, both the JDS Irene and Daniel Simpkins Senior Capstone Israel trip and her independence in Charleston have allowed her to discover how she wants to practice Judaism on her own.

“Over the Israel trip and earlier I realized I, myself, am a very faithful person, but one of the ways I prefer to express that is through prayer and song....the Conservative Judaism song style is so heavily ingrained in my Judaism that it’s really difficult to deviate from that,” Bass said.

Even after discovering this about herself, Bass was still willing to try out the Reform and Orthodox synagogues that are walkingdistance from campus.

“I wouldn’t have discovered that [Reform style davening is not for me] if I hadn’t tried,” Bass said. “I was very open at first to going to all these styles of synagogues because I wanted to and I’m trying as an adolescent to build a Jewish identity separate from the one my parents and my school and my upbringing gave [me].”

The pluralistic ideas with which

What are your plans regarding Jewish practice after graduation?

JDS and her family had raised Bass’ pushed her to be open-minded, which allowed her to discover more about her own Jewish identity.

“Over my first semester I got a tattoo and my mom still loves me.

Part of that freedom of expression is from JDS, it’s from that pluralism, and had I not had that opportunity, I wouldn’t have been able to discover that the way I connect to God through prayer happens to be a more Conservative style of prayer,” Bass said.

Similarly to Bass, Brian Shorr (‘16) strengthened his connection to Judaism due to his life-changing experiences after JDS. Shorr took a gap year at a yeshiva in Israel before attending Emory University, and later transferring to New York University (NYU).

While in yeshiva, “I took on things [mitzvot or commandments] gradually and consciously, and I analyzed and appreciated everything that I got into; I asked questions, and I started fights,” Shorr said. Although Shorr’s experience in Israel sent him down the religious path that he has now chosen to follow, his Jewish identity was even further developed while attending Emory.

Having gone to JDS his whole life, Shorr had never had the experience of attending a secular school. At Emory, Shorr felt like he had the option to either join a fraternity or remove himself from the typical college experience to maintain his level of observance. While attending

Josh Siegel “When I am in college, I know I am going to be very active in Hillel [at New York University] and I know that I am going to keep Kosher to an extent ... I just know Judaism is going to follow me wherever I go.”

in-depth

the lion’s tale 07

ELLO OR GOODBYE? ut practicing Judaism Emory, Shorr witnessed a wall that was put up by anti-Semitic groups outside of the Hillel and Chabad. This was done to resemble the border wall that currently stands between Israel and Gaza. “They ran their members through makeshift border patrol, and checkpoints, which was definitely harsh and frightening,” Shorr said.

Shorr is now in his junior year at NYU, and he feels drastically more comfortable living as a Jew in New York City.

“I think JDS has prepared me, but what’s sad is that I think JDS can and should do more. It presents all opinions and all Jewish identities, but ... a lot of my friends aren’t in touch with their Jewish identity,” Shorr said. “Oftentimes, it was their family and their home that maintained them, but now that they’re out of the house and at college, nothing is keeping them on track.”

Pursuing professions related to Judaism According to JDS’ Portrait of a Graduate detailing the ideal skill set that graduates gain from their experience as students, alumni should be “knowledgeable, engaged, and passionate Jew[s]” upon graduating. These expectations and the emphasis on Judaism at JDS has influenced some alumni to translate their “passion” into serving the Jewish community professionally.

Raised in an Orthodox home in Kemp Mill, Schechter initially attended the Melvin J. Berman

Hebrew Academy, but ultimately switched to JDS when she was thirteen to receive validating answers to her questions about women’s roles in Judaism and other controversial Judaic topics.

“Little did I know that walking into Cynthia Peterson’s Jewish history class in seventh grade would completely change my life forever,” Schechter said. When switching to JDS, Schechter experienced an immense shock to have all of her

worked at Camp Tel Yehudah one summer.

But after her experiences at JDS and at Camp Tel Yehudah, she knew she wanted to pursue a career involving strengthening the Jewish community and ensuring that all individuals have the skill set to be comfortable in any Jewish community.

“To me, [JDS] has always represented the epicenter of innovation of Jewish education and

“JDS opened eyes to things I didn’t know existed and gave me a place where I could fit in. JDS taught me that it is all okay. There is no black and white; there are many ways to do what works for you.”

- director of Jewish life shoshana schechter

teachers willing to validate her inquisitive personality and to have female Jewish role models to inspire her.

“JDS opened my eyes to things I didn’t know existed and gave me a place where I could fit in. JDS taught me that it is all okay,” Schechter said.

“There is no black and white. There are many ways to do what works for you.”

Influenced by science teacher Nick Miller, Schechter originally planned to major in anthropology at the University of Maryland until she

Ahava Freeman “I plan on going to the Hillel [at The University of Virginia], and hopefully, getting to know the other Jews so I can have other people [and a community].”

our willingness to try new things.

Not just our willingness, but we want to try new things and help others,” Schechter said. “When this [position as Director of Jewish Life] came up, and there was the opportunity to help shape the vision of the school that moves forward, I couldn’t resist.”

Staying connected to Jewish and school roots In an effort to maintain and strengthen the alumni’s bonds beyond their student experiences, the alumni department, led by

Director of Alumni Relations Wendi Kaplan, hosts numerous alumni events locally and regionally.

“Whether it is the Schmooze-aPalooza, which is the joint reunion where those in milestone classes come back to the school to celebrate their reunion year together, or happy hours in various cities throughout the country, we work to connect our JDS alumni with one another and always to the school,” Kaplan said.

The alumni network does not stop their efforts to connect alumni.

They also work with alumni to enroll their children at JDS through a program called Hagshama, translating to “fulfillment” in Hebrew.

Father and alumnus Aaron Brickman (‘91) is a member of Hagshama and has three children enrolled at JDS: sophomore Aviva, eighth-grader Dalya and fifth-grader Micah.

Aaron grew up attending synagogue at Har Shalom Congregation and believes his religious education at JDS reinforced, expanded upon and explained his Jewish practices at home and at his synagogue. Although he did not always appreciate attending daily services at JDS, in retrospect, Aaron believes it enabled him to develop an understanding of Judaism and gave him the confidence to participate in services to eventually fit into the Jewish community.

Although Aaron’s experience did not directly influence him to send his children to JDS, he believed

that when selecting a school for his children, Jewish education and Hebrew literacy were imperative to pass on to the next generation.

“My wife and I feel that Jewish education is really important, and the Jewish education that JDS provides is important to ensure there is critical Jewish literacy, that my children can understand the fundamentals and ultimately make their own decisions to determine how active they want to be as Jewish adults,” Aaron said.

As a parent of a secondgeneration JDS family, Aaron sees the parallels between his own JDS experience and his children’s. He hopes that JDS will provide his children the tools to explore Judaism confidently.

“In terms of being a second generation at the school, it is really cool to see my own kids taking the classes, and in a couple of cases, being able to share the same teacher I had, not for Jewish education, but having the continuity contributes to a sense of place for our kids as part of the Jewish community and as part of the JDS community, and I like that,” Aaron said.

The Lion’s Tale was unable to find individuals who stopped observing Judaism after graduating from JDS. If you know of anyone who would fall into this category, please reach out to the Lion’s Tale at jdslionstale@gmail. com for a followup story.

Matthew Wieseltier

Davida Goldman

“I have no idea yet; that is not something I have worked out yet. It [JDS] has given me the tools to decide.”

“I plan on taking it as I go because JDS has given me this foundation, I feel like now, depending where I am at, I might start going to services more often than I do now ... I do want to keep up with prayer.”

features

08 the lion’s tale

‘Tis the (prom) season josie stein outgoing features editor Students and faculty have recently witnessed several “promposals” throughout the halls, marking the end of the seniors’ year and the beginning of prom season.

While CESJDS prom is traditionally held in late January, the meticulous planning process starts at the beginning of the school year.

Dean of Students Roslyn Landy took charge of the prom planning process in 1989. In order to maximize the budget and streamline the events of the night, Landy proposed holding a pre-prom photo session and a school-sponsored after-party following the dance. After-prom was officially implemented in 2000 and is held at the Potomac Community Center. “[After-prom] is a safe alternative to students going to [places like] the beach or other parties,” Landy said.

Prom has been held in various locations over the years, but the current location is The Ballroom in Bethesda which has proved to be the best option for JDS. The Class of 2016 was the first to use The Ballroom after an incident where a previous

venue double-booked itself for the night of prom and was operating as a nightclub, serving alcohol.

Landy chose a venue that did not double as a bar, club or hotel to prevent a similar problem from occurring again. She is confident that The Ballroom will remain as JDS’ prom venue for the foreseeable future.

While Landy spearheads prom organization, both parent and student committees map out the intricacies and details that make prom special. The parent committee is in charge of decorations and food, while students serve as liaisons between the parents and the rest of the class.

Student committees for prom and graduation formally meet for the first time in early December to discuss every aspect of prom, from music selection to party buses.

Senior Amelia Rich is the prom committee administrator for the Class of 2020 and has worked with Landy and the parent committee since early fall to come up with a theme. This year, the theme is the roaring twenties, with nods to the decade shown in the decor and invitations.

“Our graduating year is 2020 and we’re all really obsessed with “The Great Gatsby,’” so we thought it would be super festive to use as a theme,” Rich said.

With menus and decorations set, one last element of prom to finalize is collecting payment for tickets. Tickets cost $90 per person, but the parent committees are asking each family to contribute $300 to offset extra costs.

Landy collaborates with the parent committee and explained that extra donations are needed to fund the after-party and other luxuries not usually hosted by other schools.

“The $90 ticket covers the cost of the Ballroom and the decorations and helps to defer some of the dinner,” Landy said. “The parents are

photo by josie stein

Seniors Dylan Fox and Naomi Jaray open their senior prom invitation. Prom will take place on Jan. 30.

asked to give $300, which covers the faculty appreciation lunch, the party buses and the after-prom.”

Buying a ticket and picking out an outfit for prom is an exciting rite of passage for many students, but another element is decided much earlier in the process for some: finding a date. According to Landy, many students feel the need to find a prom date years in advance, leading to some feeling excluded and stressed. Some students are also bringing friends from lower grades or other schools, complicating the image of a “senior prom.”

“When students choose a date too far in advance, they sometimes change their mind as it gets closer

to prom and there are hurt feelings. I think it is more appropriate to agree on a date a month or two before,” Landy said. “If some seniors don’t want to take a date, it’s a great idea to go as a group; seniors who do that have a wonderful time.”

Regardless of how complicated the process may seem, to many, prom is a night to look forward to that marks the near-end of a students’ time at JDS. “All throughtout your JDS career you think about prom,” Rich said. “I can’t wait to get dressed up and have fun with my friends.”

What is the cost of...

$90 $500 $150 $2,000 prom ticket

photo courtesy of dimensions yearbook

Senior Reilly Lowell hugs senior Tomer Masica after he asks her to prom.

decorations

photo space rental ballroom rental

$300 $5,000 $1,200 $13,000

suggested donation catering

DJ fee

after-prom

features

the lion’s tale 09

Meet the Accafellas

Senior boys form a capella group matthew rabinowitz contributing editor

A group of eight senior boys came back from their Shabbaton with a new calling: singing in their new a cappella group, the Accafellas.

“For the longest time, we’d been thinking, ‘Hey, what’s a way to spice up our grade? We’re kind of boring,’” Acafella member senior Arieh Fischtal said.

The Accafellas first sang at their Shabbaton lunch, according to Accafella member senior Yoni Preuss. The group came together once again to perform on the open mic set up for Daniel Pearl World Music Day. They also sang in honor of Assistant Library Media Specialist Mirele Kessous’ newborn baby and senior Sabrina Bramson’s birthday.

Most recently, the group sang at the extended Kabbalat Shabbat on Dec. 20. They sang a medley of

“The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” “Since You’ve Been Gone,” “Sweet Caroline” and other songs complete with choreography.

“I particularly enjoyed the hand motions aspect of it, which I did not expect, but I think that it added a lot of flavor and depth to what they stand for as not exclusively an a capella group but also a source of entertainment,” Shir Madness member and junior Moshe Zaremba said.

Despite their multiple performances, the Accafellas are still not recognized as an official club by the CESJDS administration, primarily because they have not gone through the steps to be such.

“They didn’t ask to have a club.

They asked if they could perform, and we allowed it. And, they were cute. That’s it, and now they’re graduating,” Dean of Students Roslyn Landy said. “If there’s another group

that wants to have a musical group, we would certainly consider it.”

The Accafellas themselves have acknowledged that they have little expertise in the realm of singing.

“It was just mainstream songs that photo by matthew rabinowitz people all know so we The Accafellas perform a song medley at Kabbalat Shabbat in December. They incorperated could all sing together. handmotions into their songs to excite the audience.

We’re not amazing singers, and we know gag to rip us off, but I think that it has who are performing [as] a rival a that,” Preuss said. “But that makes good merit and that they’re doing it capella group,” Accafellas member it an even better experience because to have a fun time, and it’s not really Josh Siegel said. “All this is [is] eight we all get into it together.” getting on my nerves,” Zaremba said. guys in their senior year who are The Accafellas’ Instagram “And, they’re making music, which I trying to make the most out of their biography mimics that of JDS’ official totally encourage.” last year of high school.” a cappella group, Shir Madness. The The Accafellas agree: they are Currently, the Accafellas are Accafellas also blocked Shir Madness’ solely focused on having a good time. speaking with lowerclassmen to Instagram account as a joke. This has “Honestly, this entire thing is find students who will continue resulted in a friendly competition not meant to be any disrespect to the group after the Class of 2020 between the two groups.

Shir Madness. We’re not trying to graduates, hoping it remains afloat “I think that it might just be a present ourselves as great singers once they leave the school.

New students and teacher reflect on first semester “I felt really welcomed pretty fast. I made a lot of new friends easily and am really happy to be a part of this community.”

- Junior Alex Frame

“The first semester has been wonderful. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know all the JDS students, and it has been a really enjoyable learning experience.”

- Middle School Science Teacher

Hayley Anglin

“I think it’s really cool how many options [JDS] has with clubs and sports and other activities. I made new friends, and I’m really happy here.”

-Freshman Devorah Freeman compiled by jessica gallo

sports

10 the lion’s tale

Winter Season Sports Schedule Jan. 19 - Girls Varsity Basketball vs. Barrack Hebrew Academy 11 a.m.

Jan. 19 - Boys Varsity Basketball @ Barrack Hebrew Academy 12:30 p.m.

Jan. 21 - Boys Junior Varsity Basketball @ Edmund Burke School 4:30 p.m.

Jan. 21 - Boys Middle School Basketball @ Sandy Spring Friends School 4 p.m.

Jan. 21 - Girls Middle School Basketball vs. Sandy Spring Friends School 4:30 p.m.

Jan. 22 - Girls Varsity Basketball vs. Washington Waldorf School 4:30 p.m.

Jan. 22 - Boys Varsity Basketball vs. Washington Waldorf School 6 p.m.

Jan. 23 - Boys Junior Varsity Basketball @ Model Secondary School 4 p.m.

Jan. 23 - Boys Varsity Basketball @ Model Secondary School 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 23 - Girls Varsity Basketball vs. Model Secondary School 5:45 p.m.

Jan. 23 - Boys Middle School Basketball @ Barrie School 4 p.m.

Jan. 23 - Girls Middle School Basketball vs. Barrie School 4:30 p.m.

Jan. 28 - Girls Varsity Basketball vs. Berman Hebrew Academy 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 28 - Boys Varsity Basketball vs. Berman Hebrew Academy 7 p.m.

compiled by sophia miller

Spiking up club options eva bard reporter After grabbing the equipment from their trunks, four boys gather behind the school, bouncing a ball back and forth across a black and yellow net. It was not until the very end of the last school year, photo by mischa trainor however, that many Seniors Dylan Platt, Jonah Abrams and Matthew Lawrenz others joined these and junior Alex Frame play a game of Spikeball outside. boys and realized their love for Spikeball. that any high school student can join.

Although the Spikeball club The club adviser is history teacher was only officially created this year, Matt Cohen, but the club is heavily a large group of current seniors student-run. played with each other outside of Spikeball is a two-on-two game school and during lunch for over with rules similar to volleyball. a year. According to member and However, instead of hitting the ball senior Dylan Platt, creating the club over a standing net, players bounce was “an excuse to play Spikeball.” the ball off a trampoline-like net, It took the club some time to go which stands slightly above the through the approval process with ground. Although a typical game is Dean of Students Roslyn Landy, but it played to 21 points, club members is now recognized as an official club

play to 11 points in order to maximize their playing time and give everyone a chance to play.

The sport was created in the 1980s, but according to ESPN, only recently became popular after its appearance on the television show “Shark Tank” in 2008.

Between 10 and 15 members attend club meetings every other Thursday to play Spikeball outside during lunch and Community Time.

However, because of the recent cold weather, they have taken a hiatus and plan on starting again once it gets warmer.

Although the club is primarily comprised of seniors, current members want the club to continue past their graduation.

“The freshmen, aside from the seniors, are the most active members of the club, so we will just have them build it up: the people we know and trust,” member and senior Aaron Kirkpatrick said.

Outside of the club, seniors Jonah Abrams and Matthew Lawrenz, along with Dylan and his brother, member and freshman Ari

On winter watch matan silverberg reporter It is a frosty December morning at Wintergreen Resort in Nellysford, Virginia. Snow’s falling softly on the white ski slopes as CESJDS high school health and exercise science teacher and head athletic trainer Jessica Matula snowboards down the slopes, ensuring the safety of skiers.

Jessica, an experienced snowboarder, works on ski patrol for the resort on winter weekends. It is Jessica’s responsibility to snowboard the mountain before it can be called open in order to ensure it is as safe as possible. Jessica also responds to injured skiers and provides first aid.

Jessica’s snowboarding career began with her skiing.

“In college, I went to Massanutten Resort in Virginia to ski for a weekend,” Jessica said. “My first night I took off my boots off for dinner (novice mistake I’ve been told) and when I tried to put them back on, my feet were too sore. The next day I rented a board and had

a great day riding, so I invested in lessons and equipment and never put skis back on again.”

Jessica has been snowboarding since 2001. She was introduced to the National Ski Patrol by her husband, JDS varsity girls soccer coach Jay Matula, who joined when she was in college. Jessica became a ski patroller 11 years ago because it allowed her to combine her passion for snowboarding with helping people. In her job, Jessica often deals with serious injuries.

“There are a lot of actual breaks and fractures involved in ski patrol,” Jessica said. “There are more dangerous injuries … a lot of time skiers like to see if trees move, and they do not.”

Jessica likes to work the intermediate, blue and black diamond slopes. If anyone gets hurt on those trails, she responds by trying to get them to the first aid room as quickly as possible.

JDS parent Adam Ducker knows how helpful a ski patrol can be. In the spring, Ducker was on a ski trip with Rockland Country Day School.

Platt, played in the youth division at the Spikeball National Tournament in Virginia in early October. However, neither pair ended at the top of their pool.

“I kind of thought we would be pretty good … Little did I know [that] people are actually very good and a lot better than me and my brother,” Dylan said. “It was a lot of fun, but we were not the greatest competition.”

The club might not have prepared the players to compete on a national level, but nevertheless, gives them something fun to look forward to in the middle of a stressful day.

“I think it [Spikeball] is a great way to have fun,” Dylan said. “It is a fun game to play and there is not a huge learning curve so … if you practice for maybe an hour you could be having a competitive game.”

Head athletic trainer and family patrol slopes during ski season

With the snow melting a little bit, he skied too fast and crashed into a pole. He broke his arm and cut his chin and forehead.

“It was pretty scary; there was lots of blood,” Ducker said.

Ski patrolers put him in a red toboggan, brought him down the mountain and took him to the medical tent. Ducker said he is very grateful for ski patrols.

“I think they [ski patrols] are doing a really big and important thing by helping people when they get hurt …. You have to be very brave and patient,” Ducker said.

Jessica’s winter job is a great opportunity for her family to spend quality time with each other. In order to be near the ski resort, her family stays at a condominium next to the mountain. While Jessica opens the mountain, her husband stays with their two kids who are a part of the Youth Patrol. Jay also works ski patrol, but at night, while Jessica watches their kids. Jay has also found his own love for the job.

“Just seeing the

kids grow up and friends we have made … it lets us do something we enjoy while continuing our training and having our boys learn from it,” Jay said.

Jessica could not agree more.

“I love the family we’ve created,” Jessica said. “I’ve been a part of it for over ten years now, so I look amongst all these patrollers not only as colleagues but as friends and family too.”

JDS head athletic trainer Jessica Matula with her sons who are a part of the Junior ski patrol.

photo courtesy of jessica matula

Hulu

Netflix

28 million

158 million

worldwide subscribers

worldwide subscribers

$5.99 per

$12.99

8,000+

5,000+

month

titles available

per month

titles available

Disney Plus 24 million worldwide subscribers $6.99 per month 7,000+ titles available Information from Statista, Variety and CordCutter

compiled by irit skulnik

Streaming Service

SHOWDOWN

style

the lion’s tale 11

Giving Disney Plus an A+ sally rogal contributing editor Whether you want to take a trip to a galaxy far away by watching “Star Wars” or hang out with the East High Wildcats by watching “High School Musical,” Disney Plus has something for you.

On Nov. 12, 2019, Disney released a new streaming service called Disney Plus featuring over 7,000 movies and TV shows.

Starting at $6.99 a month, Disney Plus is a great economical choice for families, as well as teenagers like myself, to have access to a large array of content and to relive some of their favorite childhood memories.

When I heard that Disney Plus was coming out, I got very excited. Many of the shows I grew up watching, such as “Hannah Montana” and “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody,” have long been off of live TV, but are now available on Disney Plus.

Disney Plus only has titles from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic, all companies and franchises owned by Disney, so you should not expect to find any content rated higher than PG-13.

Still, the choices are ample within the realm of Disney owned material.

My family’s Verizon Unlimited

subscription provided us with a Disney Plus subscription for a year at no additional cost. Even after one year, the price point is still low compared to similar streaming services. Netflix’s standard plan only offers a few more features than Disney Plus, but costs $12.99 a month, a six dollar difference per month.

When you open Disney Plus for the first time, its platform will immediately look familiar to a Netflix user. In addition to there being no ads, Disney Plus allows users to create a “Watchlist,” similar to the “My List” feature on Netflix.

This enables viewers to star shows they might want to watch in the future, making them easier to locate. It is also great for families as you can stream on multiple devices simultaneously.

Disney Plus gives viewers the option to download content, allowing them to watch shows without internet access. It also separates its content into sections such as “Trending,” “Recommended for You” and “Disney Originals.”

These features make the interface user-friendly.

A popular Disney Plus series is “High School Musical: The Musical, The Series,” a spinoff of the “High School Musical” movie series. I grew up watching “High School Musical”

when it was first broadcasted, so I could not wait to watch this TV series based on the movies. While the TV series does not live up to the high standard of the movies, I still find it very enjoyable to watch.

In addition, Disney’s “vault” containing all previous Disney movies are now available on Disney Plus. Previously, Disney would release a movie and then later take it off the market, preventing viewers from watching the movie unless they owned a copy. Disney would then re-release some movies from the “vault” every once in a while and then take them off again. However, viewers will now have unfettered access to all these exclusive movies.

Even though Disney Plus has so much to offer, I don’t expect many people to ditch popular brands, such as Netflix or Hulu, anytime soon.

Disney Plus’ content is directed mostly towards children; however, it also offers teens a way to rewatch the shows they watched as a child, which is uniquely appealing to teens today.

Disney Plus is a great complement to other streaming services because it offers a different selection of content that some other platforms might not offer. It is definitely worth the investment.

Acai bowls make South Block worth the trip zara ducker reporter Smoothie bowls made with tropical and healthy berries and topped with lots of fresh fruits, granola and others, called acai bowls, have gained popularity recently. You can find some of the best acai bowls at South Block, which offers various kinds of acai bowls, smoothies, juices and snacks.

I have been going to South Block for quite some time now, and I love it. The closest South Block is all the way in Georgetown, but the bowls make the trip worth it.

There are currently no locations in Maryland.

My favorite bowl is the Nutella bowl. It has an acai base, topped with banana granola, strawberries, coconut and lots of Nutella spread.

This bowl is great for people who mad ginger shot, made up of love Nutella. It is filling, but not to not only ginger, but turmeric the point of feeling overstuffed. and lemon as well. The ginger You can get the same bowl with shot is not as strong as the almond butter, which is also ginger shot at Puree, a juice delicious. store in Bethesda, but it is still There are also bowls that do very good and refreshing. not have acai in the base if you I recommend that you go prefer one without the berries. to South Block early in the day, For example, the magic dragon as the line gets long during bowl has a base made of dragon lunch hours, or when classes at fruit, coconut water, agave, the SoulCycle across the street strawberries and mangoes and is let out. But don’t be alarmed: photo by zara ducker the line moves quickly and the topped with granola, goji berries, coconut and strawberries. This bowls are definitely worth any South Block offers a variety of healthy bowls, smoothies and juices. bowl is a lot fruitier and sweeter wait. compared to the normal acai bowl.

The employees are very In addition to acai bowls, they The bowls range from around friendly and knowledgeable also serve smoothies and juices $10-12, which is the average price about the menu. They are helpful which are both delicious and for an acai bowl in the DMV area, and answer all of the customers’ healthy. There are various green or like at Playa Bowls in Potomac. questions, even on busy days. fruit-flavored juices and smoothies With all natural ingredients, it is There are plenty of places to to choose from. They also have a understandable why it is expensive. sit, inside and out. On weekends, it

can be difficult to find a table, but if it is a nice day, you can take it down to the waterfront and eat, which is very pleasant and close. The shop is colorful, cozy and a good place to get work done or hang out with friends.

South Block is hands down the best acai bowl place in the DMV area.

South Block is located at 3210 Grace St. NW Washington, D.C. 20007.

Hours are Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-7 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

style

12 the lion’s tale

Thrifiting guide: Best places to buy used clothing sophia miller contributing editor

1. Uptown Cheapskate

Prices: Sweaters were around $15 and jeans were $10-20.

Atmosphere: It was very chaotic and the racks were incredibly full. Everything is organized by gender and article of clothing.

Quality of clothes/brands: They had everything from fast fashion brands, such as Forever 21, to high end clothing, such as Madewell and Calvin Klein.

Overall experience/rating: This store is good if you know what kind of article of clothing you are

looking for because it is all is grouped by type of clothing and size. They have everything from sporty attire to dresses and jumpsuits. If you just want to browse it might be harder because all of the racks are overflowing which can be overwhelming. In the front of the store, they also had clothing from trendier brands, such as Vans, that they were showcasing. 9/10

2. Goodwill

Prices: This store had the best bargains out of all of them. The shirts were three dollars and jeans were seven dollars.

Atmosphere: This store was bigger than the others, and the clothing was more spread out. It was incredibly well organized with signs in both Spanish and English labeling each rack.

Quality of clothes/brands: They did not sell clothing with name brands. Most of the

clothing is dress/work clothes rather than trendy clothes for teens. They had inexpensive blazers, button down shirts and blouses.

Overall experience/rating: While the clothing at this store was less trendy, they sold a wider variety of items than expected. Half of the store is devoted to household items, such as pots and glassware. A lot of the glassware was retro and unique if you want to spice up your kitchen. 8/10

3.Unique Thrift Prices:This store was similar to Goodwill, and the majority of clothing was under $10.

Atmosphere: The store was enormous with clothing on one side and household items on the other. Similar to other stores, the clothing was separated by type of article, except this store was much more cluttered and items were mixed up.

Quality of clothes/brands: They did not have name brands, and the clothing was not as high of a quality as the other stores.

Overall experience/rating: This was the largest store, located in a warehouse, and had the widest selection of clothing and household items, including books, furniture and kitchen items. 7.5/10

4. Reddz Trading

Prices: This was the most expensive store. Most of the jeans were $30-50 and sweaters had a starting price of $20.

Atmosphere: This storefront was the smallest, with the least amount of clothing, but had the best aesthetic with walls of deep red and mannequins around the store showcasing the clothes.

Quality of clothes/brands: Reddz had the nicest quality and trendiest clothing, including a rack of Lululemon sportswear. They also had fancier trendy pants, not just jeans.

Overall experience/rating: They had the trendiest clothing, but for the highest expense, and the smallest men’s section out of all the stores. 7.5/10

photos by sophia miller From top to bottom: Ceramic ducks found in the extensive home goods section of Goodwill; Uptown Cheapskate displays different kinds of shoes. This helps to maximize the space of this store; Unique Thrift had the largest variety of goods, including different types of stuffed animals for kids; The central display of Reddz Trading thrift store was a mannequin surrounded by different dressy shoes. This store had the best setup with many interesting visuals.