Letter From the President A Freshman In The Footsteps

Volume XVIII No. 1
Letter From the
President
E
Arielle Isaac ‘14
very year at Ma’ayanot is new
and exciting; there is always
something to look forward to
when returning to school in September,
or in this case August. Every year brings
new classes, new teachers, new classmates, and among all these things that
change every year is G.O. (our student
body’s General Organization).
G.O. changes annually, which
brings elements of excitement and mystery to each new year. Every G.O. that
gets elected is full of well-qualified students who were chosen by their classmates the year before. In spite of this,
there is always a factor of the unknown.
Will this year’s G.O. be a good G.O?
Will they rise above last year’s G.O?
Will this year’s G.O. be able to make
Ma’ayanot even more fun and exciting
than it already is? These are the questions that plague the minds of every new
G.O member. Will we succeed?
One of the key elements to
the success of a Ma’ayanot G.O. is
the theme it chooses, which continues
throughout the entire year. Picking a
theme that can be applied to each month
is crucial in determining the effectiveness of G.O. Three years ago the theme
was “Food,” two years ago the theme
was “Decades,” last year the theme was
“Disney,” and this year the theme is
“All Around the World.”
Each month, each event, each
idea of G.O is centered on the theme
that is chosen in June the year before.
In choosing this year’s theme, we
thought long and hard about something
that could encompass an entire year’s
worth of fun activities for the school.
Finally, we came to the conclusion that
the theme of “All Around the World”
would be perfect – there are so many
countries—which means so many possibilities—for fun and exciting events!
With our theme of “All Around
4
A Freshman In The
Footsteps
U
Temima Kanarfogel ‘14
the World,” each month will focus
pon their entrance into
on a new country, and all the events
high school, freshmen are
in that month will be centered around
awarded the great advanthat country. October’s country is one
tage of four awaiting, clean-slated
that all of us are extremely familiar
with – America. As is typical for a
years. As an apprehensive graduate
Ma’ayanot G.O., we ushered in this
of elementary school, the idea of
month’s country with a classic poststarting high school was intimidating
davening, post-announcement video
to me, but I eased my nerves with the
made by our very own Vice President
thought that I was starting afresh, enof Publicity, Rachel Nordlicht (’15).
tering an institution that symbolized
With fifty different states to choose
from, it’s almost guaranteed that all
of the activities we have
planned for
the school
this month
will be exciting and fun.
Will
we all have
to bundle up Miz F. welcomes in the new year with sophmores Ariin our winter ana Samet (left) and Racheli Zirman (center.)
hats and mittens
in honor of the snow-covered Alaska?
the first stage of the rest of my life…
Will everyone break out our hamburger
after elementary school.” I was soon
costumes that we keep in the back corner of the attic to commemorate the to find out, however, that my plans to
great state of Alabama and its love for bask in this glorious opportunity to
fast food? Perhaps we will reenact July
4 and dress in the American colors of
red, white, and blue, sitting in the parking lot and watching a spectacular fireworks show. While these things may or
may not happen, we know for certain
that the theme of America provides a
million opportunities for G.O. to be
creative and clever with everything we
have planned for Ma’ayanot this month.
Get your foreign country outfits ready
because the dress-up days will be country-themed. And the rest is all a mystery! Stay tuned for G.O. 2013-2014
and for the best year ever!
In This Issue
One-On-One
with Coach
Jen!
October 2013
6
I was compared to her. When I entered Ma’ayanot, students and teachers alike constantly told me that we
shared similar looks, mannerisms,
and ways of speech. My attempts to
convince them otherwise were fruitless, and so I remained a spitting image of my sister in almost everyone’s
eyes. There would be the occasional
call of my sister’s name that would
ring annoyingly in my ears when I
walked down the hall, only to lead
to the caller’s disappointment when
I turned around and revealed that I
was, in fact, not the Kanarfogel he
or she was looking for. Her presence was in high demand, not only
because she was a likeable, upbeat
person, but also because she was an
extremely accomplished student. She
was captain of the soccer, volleyball,
and mock trial teams; she was the
Editor-In-Chief of Ma’ayanei Torah;
and she was head of the Tefillah committee. A dilemma I faced was that I
was interested in many of the extracurricular activities that had my sister
joined and flourished in. I feared that
create a new academic life for myself
people would view my high school
were inadvertently, yet inevitably,
experience as a re-enactment of the
sabotaged by one person: my older
one my sister had.
sister.
Just to clarify, my intentions
Being two and a half years
are not to criticize my sister in any
my senior, Chaya was just that: a se-
way or to blame her for the inconve-
nior in my freshman year. As most
nience that came along with being
can assume, if they have not expe-
her younger sister. And that’s all this
rienced all of high school already,
experience was: an inconvenience.
freshman and senior year are drasti-
In retrospect, I thank God I was the
cally different from one another. Yet,
sister of a model student. The repu-
because of the similarities we shared,
tation I followed was a respected
there were a number of times when
one, and not one of stigma, which I
Continued on Page 2
Quiz Inside!
Extracurricular
Activities!
7
Top Three
Places to
Eat Near
Ma’ayanot!
2
Around The School
On The Right Track
Carmi Kaye ‘16
H
ave you ever been so
geneous groups, students learn at
ties and may actually be able to rise
fore, a student may be placed in an
ahead of your classmates
a rate appropriate for them. Those
to the challenge of a more rigorous
accelerated math class, but a less ad-
that you channeled Picas-
who can handle accelerated classes
curriculum. They also make the case
vanced English class, providing her
so, or filled your entire history note-
will not become bored or frustrated
that a student’s self-esteem may be
with a customized education. Fur-
book with doodles? Or been so con-
by a slower pace, while those who
affected negatively by tracking. If
thermore, because the track does not
fused that you wondered why your
have different learning styles or who
a student is consistently placed in
cluster classes, students may switch
algebra teacher suddenly slipped
need additional time to master the
lower tracks, she may feel demor-
tracks throughout the year, without
into Mandarin while explaining a
material will not struggle to keep
alized. An advantage to untracked
completely altering their schedule.
math concept? If so, you may be a
up. Proponents also maintain that
classes may also be the opportuni-
There are also several untracked
daydreaming student misplaced in
tracking can promote a healthy self-
ty for diversity. The world is filled
subjects so students can engage with
a track. Course tracking is a meth-
esteem by allowing each student to
with people of various strengths and
girls from the entire grade.
od which many schools, including
feel comfortable among her class-
weaknesses and creating a bubble of
Ma’ayanot, employ to form classes
mates. Feeling confident in one’s en-
homogeneity may not prepare stu-
lows each student to excel at the lev-
based on students’ academic skills.
vironment, rather than intimidated,
dents for reality, and certainly will
el best for her. So, with proper place-
Designed to create environments
naturally fosters a healthy sense of
not allow her to learn from people
ment your math teacher will regain
of equal learning ability, tracking
self and encourages every student to
with different learning styles.
her English skills, and perhaps the
supposedly allows students to learn
find her voice.
Ma’ayanot tries to address
next time Picasso takes up residence
in classes tailored to their specific
Yet not everyone agrees
the these concerns by allowing for
in your brain it will be on a canvas in
level.
that this system is perfect. Oppo-
fluidity. Instead of a single track en-
the art room and not on the margins
Those who favor tracking
nents claim that students are placed
compassing multiple subjects, each
of your history notebook.
maintain that by learning in homo-
in classes based on perceived abili-
class is tracked individually. There-
A Freshman In The Footsteps (continued from page 1)
would imagine to be much more
to participate in Mock Trial, so I
burdensome. There were occur-
joined the debate team. Though
rences when the title of, “Chaya’s
I do appreciate the extracurricu-
younger sister” worked to my ad-
lar activities I chose for their in-
vantage, whether it was gaining
herent values now, I am slightly
the trust of faculty members who
ashamed to admit that I initially
loved Chaya, or dissolving any
picked them because my sister
intimidation I had of the seniors
did not. I hoped that these distinc-
who were all friends with her.
tions I had from my sister would
(Regardless of these advantages,
give the school reason to believe
I didn’t feel guilty for having
that I was not there to continue
them because of the disadvan-
my sister’s legacy, but to create a
tages I had to face.)
status of my own.
I had to formulate some plan that
At the same time, there were in-
would allow me to continue my
stances when I made the same
high school career, separate from
decisions that my sister had cho-
the one my sister had built. So
sen. I played for the volleyball
what was a freshman like me to
and soccer teams, and I wrote for
do?
Ma’ayanei Torah (under my sis-
While I strategized about
ter’s Editor-in-Chief position). I
how I could sever my reputation
eventually came to disregard all
from my sister’s, I first realized
my concerns of being compared
that I needed to provide people
to my sister. I did whatever I
with something that they could
wanted to do, be it the same or
associate with me. That led to
the complete opposite of what
my focusing on the interests and
she did. Once I did this, my con-
strengths that my sister and I did
fidence increased, and I felt the
not share. She had been on the
clean-slated years within my
Tefillah committee, so I joined
reach.
the Torah committee. She chose
Eventually, my sister graduated
and several realizations occurred
Ideally, proper tracking al-
Contrast to “Footsteps”: An Alternate
High School Experience
Rachel Klar (‘14)
I too, have an older sister, two and a half
to me. The inconvenience that my years my senior, yet I had the experience of attendsister caused was the least severe ing a different high school than she. I was excited to
that it could have been. At least begin the next stage of my life in a new school, withmy sister did not leave a pathway out the epithet of “Miriam Klar’s little sister.” That
is, I was excited until the first day of school, when
of havoc and expect me to clean
I walked into the Beit Knesset and eyed 250 unfaup the pieces behind her; she re- miliar faces. As I sat down in my designated davenmained in school with me for the ing seat, I imagined myself walking into davening in
shortest amount of time possible Bruriah High School, my sister’s friends saying hi to
and Ma’ayanot was an environ- me as I walked down the aisles. With a long glance
around the crowded room, I opened my siddur and
ment that promoted individuality.
shut my thought process.
Although I struggled with attend- I sat patiently in Ms. Kur’s first period Enging school alongside my sister, I lish class, waiting to see what would happen when
view it now as a blessing. This she took attendance. After I responded “here,” I
experience prompted me to so- waited for her to ask the natural follow-up question,
“Are you Miriam Klar’s sister?” but she did not.
lidify my position in the school
That moment inflated me with a feeling of empowas an individual, and to show erment that I still possess: I can do anything I want,
dedication to the extracurricular and I am my own person.
I cherish the fact that there are no expectaactivities that have molded me into my present self. My sister’s tions awaiting me, which enables me to act however
I like in the classroom, and join any extracurricupresence actually benefited me,
lar that I want. I did not purposefully choose or not
and I am thankful for it now. So choose any activity because of her. In fact my siswhat is a current senior like me ter and I naturally have different interests and I did
to do? Thank you, Chaya. You not feel any need to try to follow in her footsteps. At
really enhanced my high school the same time, we have some common interests. We
both wrote and eventually held the same position in
experience.
our respective school newspapers. When I was first
offered my position, I thought, “Oh, Miriam was
that too,” but I knew that I did not work for that position because my sister had it. Rather I worked for
it because I enjoyed it. The luxury of starting high
school with a blank slate enabled me to grow as an
individual. It enabled me to grow into Rachel Klar.
3
News
What’s the best part
about school starting?
Which class are you
looking forward to the
most?
What do you miss most
about summer?
Being reunited with lost
friends over the summer
English
Not having to wonder
when my next assignment is due and being
completely at peace
Friends
Gemara and APs
Sleeping
Seeing all my friends
again and getting to
learn interesting things
Chemistry and Gemara
I miss the weather and
my camp friends
Malka Schnaidman (‘14)
Liat Clark (‘15)
Ellie Blanchard (‘16)
Syria’s Situation is Getting Syrious
Pammy Brenner ’15
E
vents in Syria are rapidly unfolding and changing by the minute.
The Assad regime has been fighting a fierce battle with rebel forces
seeking to overthrow his rule. Over the past year, over 100,000 rebels and civilians have died in this brutal conflict. Up until now, President
Obama and Congress have been wary about U.S. involvement in the Syrian
conflict, which to many looked like tribal warfare on a larger scale.
Though Israel has been quietly admitting wounded Syrians into its hospitals, it has sought to remain completely in the background, taking no public
stand. The difficulty for Israel has been that the Assad regime, which was not
a friend of Israel and was known for its brutal tactics, was fighting against
rebels, many of whom are possibly allied with Al Queda and could potentially pose a greater problem. Instead of facing a potential threat from one
brutal regime, Israel could be facing varying warlords and terrorists all vying for power with backing from Hezbollah.
All the observations from the sidelines seemed to change with the
news that on August 21, Bashar Assad had his military target civilians in a
Damascus suburb with rocket launching sarin gas, killing more than 1,400
people, including hundreds of children. This was an attack not only on these
civilians, but on the global prohibition of chemical weapons. Now Israel,
Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq could all face the terrifying prospect of
chemical warfare. Israel has begun mass distribution of gas masks in response to the attack.
In the interim, President Obama decided that the U.S. should take
military action against the Syrian regime targets. Then he backtracked, deciding he needed Congressional approval. Now the President is waiting for
Congressional approval. He has received a resounding ‘no’ from allies in
Britain for military intervention, but gained support from France and Turkey.
The specter of chemical warfare right on the border of Israel, which
has sought to call attention of the world to the threat of a nuclear Iran, has
left the Jewish state feeling more vulnerable than ever. Seeing the hesitancy
of the world to get involved has left many Israelis with the feeling that if Iran
goes nuclear, Israel may have to face the danger alone. In recent days Israel
has chosen to remain silent on the developments in Syria. However, Israel
sees President Obama’s response as a test case for how the U.S. responds
to “red lines.” On the one hand, Israel is aware that if the U.S. strikes Syria,
Syria will retaliate by lauching missiles at Israel, just like what occurred during the Gulf War of the early 1990s. During the Gulf War, the U.S. responded to Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait by going to battle in defense of
the Kuwaitis. Hussein lobbed missiles at Israel, but Israel never retaliated.
At the same time, Israel is concerned that if the U.S. decides not to take action here against a country that has crossed the red lines that only weeks ago
President Obama said would demand a U.S. response, it raises the issue as to
whether Israel can depend on the U.S. if down the road Israel decides to take
military action against Iran on its own. To many in Israel, the U.S. appears
weak, with a President who is vacillating on the best way to proceed.
Even within the Arab world there is concern over President Obama’s
response. The Arab League endorsed the idea of international action, although they did not specify what kind of action this would be. Other Arab
leaders are said to doubt President Obama’s motives and rely on conspiracy
theories, claiming that President Obama does not actually want Assad out.
Meanwhile, there are reports that Assad has been moving his fighters into
residential neighborhoods, banking on the reluctance of the U.S. to bomb
Syrian forces embedded in civilian areas. There is still no clear answer as
to how Congress will respond to President Obama’s campaign to militarily
confront Syria and its violation of international norms of warfare.
Update on Syria’s Situation by Yael Stochel
s early as November, the Syrians will destroy equipment used to create and store chemicals. However, international supervisors have already
begun destroying missile warheads, aerial bombs and other harmful machinery. Successfully achieving this plan of destroying all of Syria’s
chemical arms by the deadline of 2014 would be an incredible feat. After Syria crossed the red line, various options were available, including
entering the war militarily. With this detailed, achievable plan of action, and unbelievable international unity, military intervention will thankfully no
longer be necessary. The cooperation of Syria has so far been extremely promising, so as to predict a satisfactory outcome. With no unforeseen delays,
there is no reason why the deadline cannot be met. The success of this strategy will both demonstrate the potential of international cooperation, and
show the Middle East that they can no longer rely on international forces to help solve their problems.
A
4
Sports
One-on-One with Coach Jen Sanders
C
Gabi Lerner ’16
oach Jen Sanders, the new athletic director at Ma’ayanot, sat down with me in Ms.
F’s office with the door slammed shut for
a top-secret interview that elicited some extremely interesting information. I learned many things
about the mysterious Coach Jen that day: She is
not only a proficient sports player, but also an extremely funny, warm, and interesting new addition
to our school. Coach Jen has a bachelor’s degree
in psychology from the University of Florida, and
she has been coaching children of all ages since
she was about sixteen years old—in camps, JCCs,
private schools, and community teams. But that
was not even close to being enough for me. I wanted the juicy details, like the ones you get out of an
orange, and I got them.
I shined a flashlight in Coach Jen’s face.
(Just Kidding, I wish I were that cool.) But even
with normal lighting in the room, the truth still
came out. (See details below.)
Q: What is your favorite sport and why?
A: Basketball. Because it’s fast paced. I’ve played
it since I was little. I had a lot of energy when I
was little—too much—so my mom signed me up
for a basketball class. It was a three-hour class. I
was probably in first or second grade, and to me
it seemed like it was just a class. When they were
done, I kept asking, “Can we keep going, can we
keep going?” And I just kept going. So that’s when
I knew that all that energy could be used in a good
way.
Q: What are you most looking forward to this
year at Ma’ayanot?
A: I would just like to get to know the students on
a one-on-one level, and develop some special relationships with them, trying to get to know them as
athletes, as students... and just to do whatever I can
to help enhance their experience in athletics here.
Q: What are some general strategies and tips
you would give to Ma’ayanot athletes?
A: Whether you’re the captain of the varsity team
or trying out for the first time, show the coach that
you give 100 percent in every single thing. When
the coach says, “O.K., everyone, we’re going do
this drill,” you hustle to the drill. When your teammates are playing, you clap for them and cheer
them on. It’s all about attitude. Most coaches
would prefer to have somebody with the best attitude but maybe not the best talent, I think, over
somebody with a horrible attitude, but the most talent on the team.
Q: Have you always been into sports?
A: Yes. I mean, as far as I can remember, my dad
would drop me off at school and we’d all be in
the playground area waiting for school to start and
we’d race. I was always into it.
Clearly, Coach Jen is a great fit for the job. She
has experience and a true love of sports. This may
SEEM like enough, but you don’t really know a
person until you know their favorite food. And yes,
I, as a mere sophomore, was able to get this vital
information out of Coach Jen.
Q: What’s your favorite food?
A: Pizza. I can just eat pizza all the time. I’m the
health teacher, you know... so in moderation, obviously.
Q: Do you have a specific role model in your
life? Someone who really influenced a lot of
things that you do?
A: My coach from high school. He was my soccer coach and basketball coach for all four years of
high school. I think when you’re in middle school
and you’re in high school you’re trying to kind
of be accepted for who you are, and I would give
1000 percent of who I was. I felt as if he were
almost like a rabbi; he encouraged us to always do
the right thing and we were rewarded and positively reinforced for it. I always said before I became
religious that he was my rabbi, because I learned
good middot from him...I wanted to work hard for
him, it wasn’t a chore.
Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I grew up in Clifton, NJ, and then we moved to
Wayne, NJ. I went to public school, Wayne Hills
High School, and went off to college afterwards
(The University Of Florida, in case you forgot).
Q: So where do you live now?
A: I got married, and moved to Passaic, where my
husband grew up.
Q: Do you have any kids?
A: Yes. I have a son, Matty—he’s five—and a
daughter, Bella—she’s two.
Q: What are your other non-sport related hobbies?
A: I’m kind of an idiot savant when it comes to
movies, old shows, and old movies. I can quote, I
can spot an actor, and know exactly what they’ve
been in before – known, or not known. Another
hobby I have is that I love being involved in drama. My mom was a drama teacher and a drama
major in college and I took a lot of those courses
for fun... I was also involved in an improv club...
Q: Do you have a favorite thing to learn, in
terms of Judaic studies?
A: Chumash, because it’s the source, so I’ll read
Chumash over and over again. I’ll read Midrash to
give me background on it because I didn’t grow up
religious... After I graduated from college, I went
on a Birthright trip to Israel. The one I went on
was Aish. It was religious, and it kind of planted
the seed. I think I knew I was looking for a little bit
more meaning in my life and wanting something a
little bit more spiritual, and that was a perfect fit.
I think it is clear now that coach Jen IS perfect
for this job. Besides her love of sports, spirituality,
interest in Chumash, optimism, and pizza, she gave
The Source a shout-out subconsciously! We look
forward to a fun, productive year of sports with
Coach Jen, filled with pizza and old movies.
Congratulations to all those playing on a Ma’ayanot sports team this fall!
Good Luck!!!
1
4
2
3
5
1. The JV basketball team
plays defense against Frisch,
2. The tennis team and their
coach pose for a picture before
their match against Ramaz,
3. Varsity Basketball during
their trip to Miami for the Annual Capt. Hyman P. Galbut
RASGHA Girls' Shabbaton,
4. The varsity basketball team
huddles up before game time,
5. The winning varsity volleyball team rejoices after beating
SAR in the championships.
5
Sports
High School Sports Teams: What’s the Point?
Rachel Nordlicht ‘15
T
here are many advantages and disadvantages to playing sports in high school
without any intention of playing sports
in college.
To some people, playing sports is just
a hobby. They play because they love playing.
Even if they are not good enough to play in college, they at least get to enjoy themselves for
four years. And for the few that are good enough
to play in college, they may only start thinking
about it seriously after they start playing just for
the fun of the sport in high school.
Many high schoolers also find that playing sports can relieve anxiety. After a stressfilled day of school, taking two hours of their
time at night to play a sport they love may help
them relax and clear their mind. Exercising is
also an important part of sports. A big health
issue in the U.S. is obesity. Playing sports requires exercise and helps promote a healthy
lifestyle, which can help resolve the problem of
obesity. Being part of a team can also help teach
a student how to be part of something greater
than just herself. Students can learn how to be
selfless and how to use their talent to help the
whole team improve. Being part of a team is
also a good way to make new friends, maybe
even some from other grades!
Many Ma’ayanot student athletes
echoed similar reasons that they play for the
Ma’ayanot Rapids. When asked why she plays
on sports teams even though she has no intention of continuing in college, Shoshana Marder
(‘15) responded, “I think sports are oodles of
fun! I’ve made lots of new friends on my basketball team and got great exercise at the same
time!” Avigayil Shapiro (’16) answered, “Sports
are a great way to get involved in school and
I enjoy playing hockey against friends. Sports
have also taught me skills for life - for example,
learning how to be part of a team.” Alex Fuchs
(’15) response to the same question was, “I’ve
played sports my entire life and I’ve grown to
love them. If I have an opportunity to play sports
post high school, I will!” Rachel Klar (’14) answered, “I love playing sports – and it’s healthy.
Aside from the exercise aspect, sports are a
healthy place to express my competitiveness,
and it’s my outlet. Even when I’m swamped
with work, I play because it helps me focus.”
Yael Bierig (‘15) said, “I play sports because I
love it. It doesn’t matter if I won’t do it forever
because for the time being it’s fun!”
Of course there are also some negatives
to playing sports in high school, especially at the
expense of other extracurricular activities and
academics. Although some may argue that playing sports relieves stress, sports can also cause
stress. Even if one is committed to playing on a
team and truly enjoys it, what happens when a
2013 in Review
game is scheduled the night before a huge test?
Playing in that game can take up precious studying time. During that game, the athlete will be
worrying about the test and whether she will get
home in time to be able to study enough. Also,
one could say that if she has no future playing
sports competitively, why not spend her time on
other extracurricular activities that will play a
role in her future? Sports just take up time that
could be better spent working towards the rest
of her life.
Another major issue with high school
sports is that although for the time being those
on a sports team are exercising, what happens
afterwards when they no longer have sports
teams as their weekly workout? If they are not
playing on a college team, there are not really
any leagues to play in, especially as the years go
on. These former student-athletes will no longer
have a way to stay fit because they never had a
practical workout in high school, such as going
to the gym. They always just relied on a sports
team to keep them fit.
Even though sports have many disadvantages, we still continue to play them because
sports are simply enjoyable, and nothing can
beat that feeling one gets when one scores for
her team. I hope many Ma’ayanot students will
consider the pros to outweigh the cons and bring
the Ma’ayanot Rapids a successful season of
JV Basketball was coached by Ken
Ashby and Atara Polinsky. They had an
exciting season, ending with a 4-6 record
and a spot in the playoffs. They played
against HAFTR in the first round. The
beginning was close, but HAFTR pulled
through to win in the end.
Head coach Tricia Indoe and assistant
coach Michael led the varsity basketball
team last season. The team had a disappointing season, but they had a great
time travelling to Miami for the Annual
RASGHA Girls’ Shabbaton, in which
they tied with Ulpanat Orot of Tornoto
for 11th place.
The Varsity Hockey team was led by a
brand new coach, Dave McCoy, assisted
by Noam Weinberger and Ma’ayanot
alumna Leora Kook. The team ended the
season with a 6-1-1 record. After crushing SKA in the playoffs on their court,
the Rapids lost in the championship
game to Frisch, 2-1.
Volleyball is rapidly (no pun intended)
becoming one of the most popular sports
at Ma’ayanot, and last year both teams
achieved great success. The Varsity
Volleyball team, coached by Eileen
Schwartz and Megan Menenzes, made
Ma’ayanot history by earning the first
ever volleyball banner. The season
ended with a 7-3 record, culminating in
beating SAR in the nail biting championship.
Coached by Matt Markman, the tennis
team lost just one match, ending the
regular season with a formidable 3-1 record. The team made it to the semifinals
(which were held at the site of the US
Open!) and lost by a single match, the
best the Ma’ayanot tennis team has ever
played in the playoffs! They ended up
with a score of 3-2 against North Shore
Hebrew Academy. Let’s hope they get
even further next season!
Ma’ayanot’s varsity soccer team was
led by “Coach Mike” and team captain
Elana Forman (’13), who was also the
team’s sole senior. They improved tremendously from the previous season’s
varsity team, concluding with a record
of 6-2 that placed them second in their
division. The team scored an incredible
62 goals last season! They lost to Kushner in the playoffs in a disappointing
final game.
JV Volleyball, coached by Darlene Markman, also achieved success last season.
They fought hard for some well-deserved
wins, and made it into the playoffs. They
impressively beat the higher-seeded
team, Central, in the first round of playoffs in only two games, but lost to SAR
in the semis.
Headed by Esther Lowens and
Ma’ayanot alumnus Ariella Feuerstein
Rudin, the swim team ended off last
season with a record of 1-5. At the final
meet against the other three participating
schools – Bruriah, Ramaz, and Frisch
– the Ma’ayanot team swam their way
into second place.
JV soccer was coached for the third
year by Risat and former Rapids soccer
player Dalia Arussy. Tova Sklar (’15)
was team captain, and fellow sophomores Sarah Shelling (’15) and Elisheva
Taragin (’15) were co-assistant captains.
They closed the season with a 4-4 record
and 36 goals.
6
Around the School
Getting Involved and Getting Ahead
E
Rachel Klar ‘14
xtracurriculars are fun. That is
the simplest way to describe
the inclusiveness, the friends,
the school spirit, and the thrill of accomplishing something above and beyond what is required of you. Who else
is there to wear matching green jerseys
and face paint with, other than your
fellow Rapids teammates? Who else
is there to wear Disney-themed outfits
with, other than your outgoing G.O.
buddies? What about your HEC friends,
with whom you get to miss to decorate
the MPR for fun holiday-themed activities? Decorating is not half as much fun
when done alone! Ma’ayanot students
have the privilege and opportunity of
having a large variety of activities in
which to participate outside of the classroom, including sports, the play, Heartbeats, NORPAC, chess, Torah bowl,
debate, Chessed Committee, and Holiday Enhancement Committee (HEC), to
name a few.
Extracurriculars may be fun,
but if fun is not enough motivation,
there are plenty of other reasons to get
involved. The first of many benefits
of getting involved is that it cultivates
school spirit. Human nature is to love
something to which one devotes time
and energy. This is just like the relationship between a parent and child; the
more the parent gives to the child, the
more the parent loves the child. Analogies aside, when a student gets involved
in a school activity, she spends time
and energy working on this project,
whether it’s winning a sports game for
Ma’ayanot, or putting on a play for the
rest of the school. When people complain about a lack of school spirit, they
don’t realize that it is such a fixable
problem that can be remedied by simply
joining a club or team.
Something extremely special
about Ma’ayanot is the chance to make
strong inter-grade relationships, and
extracurriculars are the perfect medium
to develop these friendships. Extracurriculars are mechanisms for becoming
better friends with people who are in
different grades or in different classes,
whom you might otherwise not have
the opportunity to know. Everyone
knows the old saying “opposite attract,”
but the fact is that being on an extracurricular with someone is having something in common built in to the fabric
of the friendship. Moreover, “similar
people attract,” too! (Even though it’s
most definitely true, it is obvious that
“similar people attract” hasn’t caught
on because it does not roll off the
tongue as nicely as “opposites attract.”)
Someone may have friends from her
classes who are a lot of fun, but who
don’t understand her love of sports.
When she joins a sports team she will
meet other people who share her love
of sports.
Most importantly, extracurriculars are great opportunities to pursue
interests outside of the strict school curriculum. You might be surprised at some
of the activities you would like to participate in. Sometimes, people avoid a
certain activity because they have never
participated in that activity before, or
because “they aren’t good at it.”Well, in
that case, now is the perfect time to start!
How can one improve at something
if she never tries it in the first place?
Ma’ayanot activities give students the
opportunity to learn to love new and old
activities in an environment in which
one does not need to be the next Picasso
or Michael Jordan – she can just draw or
play basketball for fun.
As for the definite academic
pros of getting involved, extracurriculars
are basically blessings in disguise. They
are often used as means for sprucing up
a college application. When one participates in various extracurricular activities, especially ones that she finds fun
and meaningful, the stress about grades
and SAT scores is alleviated a little.
While the numbers are undoubtedly still
important, participating in these activities shows a student is ‘more than a test
score’ and is well rounded, something
colleges love to see. Of course, college
is not the only reason to get involved,
but it is a great benefit in addition to all
of the aforementioned reasons.
Starting off the new school
year, just remember that getting involved can actually be really fun in addition to many other benefits. Try to join
at least one new extracurricular, or put
even more time and effort into one you
are already involved in, and it is almost
guaranteed you will have an excellent
year!
Top 5 Tips for
Surviving High
School
1. Keep it moving in the hallways. Seriously.
2. Know when the class after
lunch starts so you don’t end
up running back to school
from Sammy’s, exhausted, or
worse -- being marked late!.
3. Make sure you’re vaccinated against all alpaca-related
diseases in case TABC decides to show up at the next
Purim Chagiga with another
zoo full of animals.
4. Keep an extra pair of
sneakers in your locker for
gym so you can save up those
precious “zeros” for emergency situations.
5. Always check the MPR
for extra food in case you
forgot lunch or snacks. (See,
Ma’ayanot’s reputation for
loving food comes in handy
sometimes!)
Which Extracurriculars Should I Get Involved In?
To find out, just answer the following
questions.
my math class.
C. Dressing up as my favorite actress
If you chose mostly A’s, you should
get involved in sports! You are
1. My idea of a free period well spent is: 4. On GO’s High School Musical dress- active and good at being a team
A. Joining a class in the gym for a
player and would enjoy using your
up day I will dress up as:
game of line-up or volleyball
A. Troy
B. Gabriella C.
talents on a Rapids team.
B. Getting some of the night’s homeSharpay
If you chose mostly B’s, then you
work done
5. If I could choose my own schedule, I
should join an academic team! You
C. Watching music videos in the liwould choose multiple periods of:
are a quick thinker and for the
brary
A. Phys. ed classes
most part you enjoy your time in
B. Science or math
2. The best Sunday morning is:
C. Creative writing
the classroom. Make sure to tryA. Playing some sports or taking a bike
out for one of Ma’ayanot’s many
ride around town
6. If my locker is jammed, I would:
academic teams including Debate,
B. Reading the newspaper over break- A. Start kicking it – if I kick it hard
Model UN, Model Congress, Colfast
enough, it will definitely open
C. Catching up on my favorite TV
B. Start panicking because I am going lege Bowl, or Torah Bowl – they
shows that I missed the past week.
to be late for class and miss writing down would all love to have you!
the night’s homework
If you chose mostly C’s, you are in
3. The ultimate GO dress-up day is:
C. Find Mrs. Schmuckler or the main- high demand to the theater! You
A. Jersey day!
tenance staff and give them a dramatic sob are not embarrassed to do anyB. Who needs GO dress-up days? Pi
story to convince them to drop everything
thing, and love dramatizing your
day is a good enough opportunity to wear and open my locker ASAP
life. Make sure to try out for the
my funny math t-shirt and share a pie with
school drama or musical, or both!
7
Entertainment
Top Three Places to Eat Out Near Ma’ayanot
Shoshana Marder ‘15
O
ne of the amazing benefits of going to Ma’ayanot is the six-minute walk to tons of restaurants where the students
can eat for lunch or during a free period. (Sorry, freshmen! But don’t worry; Pesach will come sooner than you
think.) Below are Shoshana Marder’s picks for the three best places to go during school hours along with some
of her fascinating thoughts on each fine dining establishment.
1. Sammy’s
Pro—Sammy’s reminds me of Gan
Eden. Everyone is smiling: the customers, the waiters, even the food. The
food tastes like rainbows and smells
like unicorns. It’s mamish amazing.
Con—I guess you can call Sammy’s
Gan Eden. (That is, if Gan Eden is
an overly crowded restaurant with
mediocre food that you have to wait
waaaayyyy too long to get!!)
2. Lazy Bean
Pro—Lovely. Amazing. Zazzy.
Yummy. Boisterous. Exciting. Artificial drinks, but in a good way. Never
would I want to go to any cafe except
for Lazy Bean, because everything
there is delicious!!!
Con—I really dislike Lazy Bean. No,
it’s not its distance from Ma’ayanot
that bothers me. Nor is it the overpriced drinks. What bothers me is
its name. How can a bean be lazy!?!
I will not buy from Lazy Bean until
they learn proper grammar!
3. Bumbleberry
Pro—Bumbleberry is a great place to
go for a post-lunch dessert. Its frozen
yogurt is both (kinda) healthy and
delicious. Plus, it’s super-close to
Ma’ayanot!
Con—Though Bumbleberry is delicious, it tricks you into buying an
overload of frozen yogurt by making it
self-serve. Also, a trip to Bumbleberry
can take up a whole lunch period for
food that isn’t filling or particularly
nourishing.
Taking A Bite Out of Your Wallet
Rena Kleiner ‘14
T
he prices of food in Teaneck are something near and dear to the hearts of all Ma’ayanot students, and when someone
messes with this, we take it personally. Until now, prices have generally stayed consistent at the local restaurants, including Ma’ayanot’s own MPR. Yet recently, things have changed. As active supporters of Teaneck restaurants, the Ma’ayanot
student body is taking this to heart; it is as if our many years of already paying for overpriced food meant nothing to these food
institutions. It began with minimal price changes, as restaurants would lift prices by a dollar, or a few cents; but now the price
lifts have become more extreme.
Sammy’s Pizza Store, a restaurant that has been in existence since 2009, first started its price changes at the beginning
of 2012. The store edited its menu with markers, crossing off the old prices, and writing the new ones on top. At first the store
only changed a few prices (for example, the price for a regular slice of pizza was raised by a dollar), but by February of last
year this was no longer the case. Today, if one should pick up a menu in Sammy’s, the prices are all exactly the same as they
were when the restaurant opened, but when one turns the menu over, there is a sticker on the bottom that reads, “Please speak
to an employee for price changes.” Because this sticker is not in plain sight, one can easily order a dish and be charged anywhere between two and five dollars more than she thought she would be paying. Calzones that were previously four dollars
are now six, and waffles that used to cost eight dollars, are now eleven. If these price changes were not hard enough for the
Ma’ayanot student body to keep up with, the prices in the Ma’ayanot vending machines have also gone up. Formerly, if a student wanted to purchase a can of soda or iced tea, it would cost $0.65, but when the new school year began, the price for a can
increased to $1.00.
Yet none of these price changes drastically affected the Ma’ayanot girls until EJ’s Pizza arrived with its mini pizza store
in the MPR on the first day of school with some more unforeseen price changes. As a convenience to students, especially
freshmen, who are not allowed to leave the Ma’ayanot building for lunch until after Passover, Ma’ayanot has EJ’s Pizza come
to the school and set up a smaller food store for the Ma’ayanot students to buy EJ’s food without traveling outside of school.
The food was generally at low prices, especially for Ma’ayanot students, but now, suddenly, the prices of EJ’s food have shot
up.
It seems as though most of the lower prices that were previously offered to Ma’ayanot students exclusively were now
lifted, and are closer or higher in price to EJ’s regular prices than to previous student discounted prices. What makes matters
worse is that if one were take the 15 minutes to walk from Ma’ayanot to EJ’s Pizza Store, she can take part in a High School
Special that offers two regular slices of pizza and a fountain soda for $4.00, whereas it would currently cost a Ma’ayanot student $5.50 to stay in school and get two regular slices of pizza and a drink from the soda machine.
These current price changes have frustrated the loyal Ma’ayanot students who have always paid lower prices for their food,
but there are two ways to look at the situation. The first is that EJ’s is terrible for doing this, and it is unfair of them to raise
their prices. The other way one can look at the situation is that EJ’s is actually trying to help the Ma’ayanot student body. With
the current statistic stating that one in every three children in America is obese, the only logical conclusion is that EJ’s is trying to fight childhood obesity. The store are accomplishing this by forcing Ma’ayanot students to walk to EJ’s to get a better
lunch deal. Granted, EJ’s is then feeding students hundreds of calories when they arrive at the store, but it is really the thought
that counts.
So maybe before one gets upset with the price changes at these restaurants, one should consider her options. Is it worth
walking up the block to EJ’s? Or should one just shell out the extra two dollars to get lunch? The choice is ours, and we hope
we will make the more healthy and financially beneficial one.
8
The Back Page
Wanderings Through Warsaw
Amira Pechet ’15
T
his summer I had an opportunity that will forever change the way I look at life. I went on a program called NCSY JOLT (Jewish
Overseas Leadership Training), which is a program that travels through the past, present, and future. We began our journey in Poland,
set up a Kiruv camp in Denmark called Am Echad, and eventually landed in Israel. Walking through Warsaw, Poland, a community
that was once active, energetic and full of Torah, kept reminding me of my home and community. Therefore, seeing first-hand the horrors
that happened during the Holocaust was especially shocking. As I walked through Majdanek, Treblinka, and Auschwitz, I felt numb and
astonished by the gas chambers, piles of ashes, and the fully intact crematoriums that the Nazis had constructed before and during World
War II.
My thoughts constantly went back to the living survivors of the Holocaust, who witnessed this tragedy and still continued to believe in God. Realizing that they had davened here asking God to save them, made davening in the same place more meaningful. Furthermore, as I stood where my ancestors were tortured, I felt the urge to pray in honor of those who perished, Al Kiddush Hashem.
Going from a place of Jewish death to a camp of unaffiliated young Jewish children reinforced my belief that Jews are Am
Echad, one nation. In the Denmark camp, where children came from all over Germany, I had the opportunity to teach young Jewish children the essence of Jewish life. The kids’ desire to learn and grow in their Jewish studies was very inspirational. Playing games, singing,
and having deep conversations with them about Judaism made me appreciate how easy it is to be Jewish in my own home in Bergen
County, New Jersey. This realization strengthened my connection with HaShem.
After the intense journey through Poland and Denmark, we finally arrived in Israel, a home and a place where Jews can live and
practice Judaism freely. Coming from such a dark and anti-Semitic place to our land of Israel was incredible. My appreciation and passion for Israel has increased tremendously. Friday night, running to the Kotel with my newfound family – the family that has been on the
same journey as I have, the family that has gone through and seen everything I saw – was a moment that I will never forget. Touring Israel and learning about our past was unbelievable. The journey that I was fortunate to experience had a greater impact than I ever could
have imagined. I hope to take this experience with me and grow from it.
Top 5 Fall Fashion Trends
Arielle Issac ‘14
Now that school has started
again, it’s time to revamp
your wardrobes with the hottest trends of the season! Fall
is a whole new season, which
means there are new and exciting trends to explore!
1
Houndstooth. Patterns
always change, and every
season comes along with
its own patterns. One of fall
2013’s patterns is houndstooth.
Houndstooth is black and
white, which makes it really
easy to accessorize with a pop
of color. Wear a houndstooth
sweater with a colored skirt or
a colorful pair of shoes for a
polished and stylish fall look.
3
Parkas. Unfortunately,
fall tends to get quite
chilly, so in order to brave
the cool weather, you might
want to buy a parka – a stylish
twist on the traditional puffer
winter jacket. Instead of wearing the classic poufy coat, opt
for one of these jackets that go
with every outfit.
Editors-In Chief
Rachel Klar
Shira Sohn
Associate Editors
Yaffa Stone
Shoshana Marder
Davida Goldstein
4
Leather. Another huge
fashion trend this fall
is leather. And I’m not
just talking about that classic
leather jacket you have stored
away in your closet. Leather
skirts, shirts, and dresses are
extremely trendy this fall.
Pair leather with a pattern or a
poppy color, and once again,
you will be walking the halls of
Ma’ayanot as a fashionista.
2
Loden Green. In addition
to seasonal patterns there
are also seasonal colors.
The color of fall 2013 is loden
green, more commonly known
as army green. Believe it or
not, green, specifically loden
green, is a very versatile color.
Wear it with other subtle colors
or with a pattern skirt, and
you’ll be walking the halls of
Ma’ayanot as a fashionista.
staff
5
Peplum. Last but not
least, peplum is a hot fashion trend of the season.
Peplum came about in the
spring and is hanging around
for the fall. So if you happen
to have purchased a peplum
shirt or skirt in the spring and
summer, don’t hesitate to wear
it this fall!
Managing Editor
Ayelet Golubtchik
Staff Writers
Shira Wolff
Margalit Silver
Ariana Samet
Hannah Siegel
Mairav Linzer
Rachel Leiser
Elisheva Cohen
Shira Goldsmith
Arielle Isaac
Goldi Weiser
Naima Hirsch
Gabi Lerner
Ruut Schapiro
Carmi Kaye
Adina Cohen
Tamar Even-Hen
Tova Greenberg
Guest Writers
Amira Pechet
Pammy Brenner
Rachel Nordlicht
Rena Kleiner
Temima Kanarfogel
Yael Stochel
Faculty Advisor
Mrs. Enid Goldberg
Technical Advisor
Mr. Moshe Azizollahoff
Principal
Mrs. Rivka Kahan
Assistant Principals
Mrs. Tamar Appel
Ms. Elana Flaumenhaft