The Phoenix 2015-2016 Issue 7

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A Student Publication of the Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School • 1609 Avenue J, Brooklyn, New York • Issue 7 • April 2016 / 5776

D’var Torah:The importance of the four cups Page 3

Special Section:18 Under 18: Students excelling outside of the classroom

Page 4-5

Entertainment:Four books to read this monthPage 6

Sports:Girls’ Hockey takes offPage 8

In This Issue

By Daliah Ben-AriSophomore Editor

Like they have in each of the previ-ous three years, every Flatbush student spent approximately 20 minutes an-swering a schoolwide survey, this year on March 17. But students were the ones left with questions, such as why the sur-vey is done and who sees their answers.

According to Assistant Principal Rabbi Beyda, the survey began four

years ago with the hopes that it would provide the school’s leadership with a broad spectrum of student perspectives and insight on a variety of issues that impact student life and the quality of the school. The principals have access to the survey results and at times they share results with the department chairs to better inform academic decisions. The results are also shared with the school’s Board of Education as well as the Board of Trustees.

Rabbi Beyda said that the current plan is to run the survey for a total of 10 years. Without sharing specific an-swers or statistics, he did speak gener-ally about the results of the survey’s first four years. Although the student body has changed in that time, Rabbi Beyda said there hasn’t been much fluctuation in their survey answers.

“Perspective has been the same from year to year,” he said. “We’re hoping to learn from this and gain long-term solu-

tions. We want to make decisions based on real and understandable data.”

He added that, over time, action plans will be developed based in part on survey results. Complete student ano-nymity, he said, has been an important component in getting honest answers to the survey’s many personal questions.

“We’ve definitely learned an eye-opening amount of new things which change the way the school is run,” Rabbi Beyda said.

By Naomi SandersJunior Editor

Assistant Principal/Senior Grade Advisor Rabbi Beyda has implement-ed a new program this year so seniors can have internships during the month of May. Most classes for seniors end in April, leaving them with little to do in May outside of AP and Jerusalem ex-ams. Partnered with the Pathfinders program, the new internship program gives seniors the opportunity to gain experience and establish connections in their field of interest through a variety of internships.

The internships include fields such as  business, community service, fash-ion, dental, graphic design, insur-ance,  health, interior design, law, mar-keting, medicine, nonprofit, nutrition, sales, and start-ups.

So far 35 seniors have signed up for these internships. Earlier this month Rabbi  Beyda  sent out an e-mail to the senior grade, including a survey where students can describe their interests, a guideline of how to get the most out of an internship and a confidentiality agreement that the senior must sign to be an intern. Rabbi Beyda explained that these things are meant to ensure that se-

niors approach their internships with the proper attitude and professionalism. 

Rabbi Beyda explained that the pro-gram gives seniors who not taking APs or the Jerusalem exam an opportunity to do something productive. Students tak-ing more than one AP or the Jerusalem exam are not eligible to apply for intern-ships because studying for these tests re-quires time and effort that would make juggling an internship very difficult. Ms. Doris Anteby, who works vigorously all year long on the Pathfinders program, confirmed that these  internships re-quire serious commitment and that stu-dents  would most likely be attending their internships every day.

The program is quite selective. As stu-dents apply, Ms.  Anteby, Rabbi  Beyda, Ms.  Hanon, and Pathfinders’ Assistant, Paulina Mann filter out those who have other commitments and tests in May. Interviews are then conducted with the remaining students to discuss availabili-ty and interests. Of the 35 students who have signed up so far, eight seniors will have internships this coming May.

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New Teacher Spotlight:

Ms. KatzoffBy Ricky AboutboulContributing Writer

Often in school, a class will be tak-en over by a complete stranger, offering what is called a model. How many of those strangers do we ever see again? Ms. Katzoff is one of those lucky strangers, who became a new addition to the grow-ing Science department.

Ms. Katzoff is definitely an optimistic teacher. She began by saying that “Flat-bush is a lively atmosphere and surpris-ingly the students have a lot of energy, even late in the day.” Ms. Katzoff knows something about having a lot of energy, as, in addition to teaching AP Chemis-try part-time at Flatbush, additionally she teaches Chemistry and Forensic Sci-ence full-time at nearby Midwood High School.

She said that she is happy to have joined the Flatbush faculty and that “the administration and staff members have been very welcoming and supportive.”

How does one stumble upon getting a job at the Yeshivah of Flatbush? Ms. Kat-zoff said that, in addition to her duties at Midwood, she had become “interested in teaching an advanced level course” and was up for an exciting challenge. Luckily, she was recommended by a friend to in-terview at Flatbush.

Ms. Katzoff ’s hobbies include hiking.

and “trying different foods and cooking.” One surprising fact about Ms. Katzoff is that she used to play the violin when she was younger. In fact, she said she per-formed at Carnegie Hall four times.

Academically, she has won several awards and competitions in her teach-ing career. She is also part of Math for America, a fellowship program that is highly competitive. It helps her “grow professionally and network with some of the best teachers in the state.” She is an avid reader, but she only chooses to read books that have a relevance to chemistry.

“I am a nerd at heart, and will truly find something scientific to discuss with everything around me,” she said. “To me, chemistry is not a subject, chemistry is a way of life.”

Annual Schoolwide Survey May Shape YOF’s Future

May Internships Keep Seniors Busy

www.theflatbushphoenix.com | 2

The Phoenix StaffEditor-in-Chief: Michelle HarariManaging Editor: Miriam ZenilmanSenior Editor: Gabriel VizganSchool News Editor: Gabrielle CohenReligion Editor: Sarah TorguemanEntertainment Editor: Daniella BabaeeMusic Editor: Esty FromerSports Editor: Albert DweckFun and Games Editor: Merle DweckStandard of Fabulous Editors: Sylvia Ashkenazie, Aida HassonWeb Editor: Joey BaumJunior Editors: David Azrak, Diana Hoffstein, Mimi Lazerowitz, Esther Levy, Naomi Sanders, Jane ZakaySophomore Editors: Daliah Ben-Ari, Mary Jajati, Marlene LevyDesign: Therese BerkowitzFaculty Adviser: Adam Hofstetter

Rabbi Raymond Harari Head of School

Rabbi Ronald Levy Principal

Ms. Jill W. Sanders Associate Principal Director of Admissions

Ms. Sari Bacon Associate Principal

Rabbi Joseph Beyda Assistant Principal

High School Administration

Meet a Flatbush Family:

Maggie, Sarah, and Michael GammalBy Rachel DavidovichContributing Writer

Siblings are essentially pre-placed people in our lives, ready to love us un-conditionally. However, no matter how much we love them, more often than not we want space—a period of time to spend, no matter how short, away from our families and the obligations that come with being around them. For many that time is school, as it allows people to unwind from their familial obliga-tions and focus on their studies and their friends. For the Gammal family, this isn’t

quite the case; their familial obligations follow them to school.

However, according to junior Mag-gie Gammal, having her two younger siblings, Sarah and Michael, here with her at school isn’t bothersome at all. In fact, despite the occasional “Hi” to one another in the halls, she rarely sees her ninth grade siblings. Maggie deems her school experience to be much like every-one else’s; despite the occasional tip from others on how her siblings are doing, she mostly goes through her school day with little communication with them.

Both Sarah and Michael, who are twins, essentially agree with Maggie: their only input into the matter is over school studies. For both freshman twins, homework is a tad easier thanks to their easy access to Maggie, who has already finished the subjects they are now learn-ing.

Ultimately, all three Gammal siblings agree that, rather than diminishing their school experience in any manner, having their siblings around enhances it.

A Jewish Look at Organ DonationsBy Sabrina AbrahimContributing Writer

More than 100 Israelis and 6,000 Americans die yearly while waiting for an organ transplant. Unfortunately, the number of organ donors doesn’t meet the demand for organs because of myths re-garding Jewish law. Jewish laws prevent one from tampering with a dead body or endangering oneself, and thus some prominent rabbeim have ruled that or-gan donation is not permitted. However, other rabbeim have interpreted the laws differently and ruled that donating organs is halachically permissible if it results in saving another’s life once the donor is already dead. This is the interpretation I will discuss here.

To put it simply, Jews are permit-ted to donate their organs once they are dead. Three Jewish principles regarding a cadaver prevent benefit from the body, require burial immediately, and prohibit any disgrace of the body. Additionally, it is a common belief that one is not the own-er of one’s body, rather G-d is. Due to this notion, a Jew cannot undergo an autop-sy as this is considered disgraceful to the corpse. However, saving a life outweighs all these principles and thus these laws don’t validate prohibition from becoming a donor. This explains why an autopsy is permitted if finding the cause of death of the deceased may result in a cure or other information that will save the lives of oth-ers. This notion is sustained by the Ash-kenazi and Sephardic Chief Rabbinates of Israel, bioethicist Rabbi Dr. Moshe Ten-dler, and the Rabbinical Assembly. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein agreed and stated that as long as the recipient will benefit, organ donation is permissible. These myths that prohibit donation are also discredited by Joan Gaffin, a spokesman for Hadassah, a Jewish women’s organizations.

According to Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel Ovadia Yosef, as long as there is a Jewish recipient available to receive the organs promptly after the death of the donor, it is permitted. However, it should be noted that the donor can’t be kept alive synthetically to wait for the recipient and one is forbidden from hastening death. The discordance between the two beliefs, saving a life and honoring the dead, and a vague understanding of Jewish law is turning into a barricade that discourages potential donors from saving thousands of lives. Donating an organ is not only

permitted but is a mitzvah, or fulfillment of a commandment. Ezekiel 18:31 seems to see no controversy and believes you should “get yourself a new heart...why should you die?”

One of the most vital commandments for every Jew, that exonerates one from the laws regarding even Shabbat and Yom Kippur, is to save the life of another hu-man when possible. In Deuteronomy 21:2 we are commanded to return a lost object. Rabbinical leaders interpret sav-ing a life as essentially restoring one’s lost health. Additionally, in Leviticus 19:18 we are commanded not to “stand idly by your fellow’s life,” literally meaning their blood (Bergman). Saving a life isn’t just rabbinical advice and encouragement, it comes straight from the Torah. Some rabbinical leaders to say that organ dona-tions, like saving a life, are in fact an ob-ligation. Moreover, abstaining from heal-ing or saving a fellow friend is equivalent to murder.

In order for an organ donation to be “kosher”, the recipient must be dead and the organs have to be removed prompt-ly after death while the organs are still alive. What is death? There are two fac-tors that proclaim someone legally dead according to Jewish law. There must be a standstill in all biological factors in-cluding breathing and heartbeat, and the body must be at a state where there is no likelihood of its return to a functioning organism. If these two factors are evident, even if there are muscle spasms, the per-son is considered dead and qualifies as an organ donor.

Rav Ovadia believes that the family can’t make the decision for their passed loved one and the person must have agreed to be a donor beforehand. This is not a widespread belief. It should be not-ed that there is an exception: in the case of a brain-dead patient, there is a debate as to whether or not the person is in fact dead. With today’s advanced technology, someone who is brain dead can be kept breathing artificially through a ventilator. Many Orthodox Jews believe the person is still considered dead, while others be-lieve that even though the breathing is ar-tificial, the person is still considered alive, which means that donating the person’s organs is equivalent to murder. Since there is a doubt, a rabbi is not permitted to prevent a family from deciding to do-nate the organs of the brain dead patient because of the alternate opinion.

All Jews need to be educated on the fundamental authority of the command-ment to save a life and its power to out-weigh other commandments. Hundreds of lives have been saved by organizations such as the Halachic Organ Donor So-ciety and more can be saved by the help of the people who sign up to be an organ donor (http://www.hods.org). Life is too valuable to allow simple ignorance to stop you from saving someone else’s life.

Student SurveyWhich candidate do you support in the 2016 Presidential election?

Donald Trump 134 56.5% Bernie Sanders 38 16% John Kasich 30 12.7% Ted Cruz 27 11.4% Hillary Clinton 8 3.4%

237 responses

Alumna Profile:

Linda Haviv (’09)By Dorette DayanContributing Writer

Linda Haviv never pictured herself working as a software engineer. Growing up, she was never really exposed to the idea of female coders. It wasn’t until she landed her job on the TV production end at Fox News that she realized her potential in the tech industry.

Haviv, Yeshivah of Flatbush 2009 grad-uate of 2009, is currently working as a web developer at Fox News, in addition to her contributions to the FoxNews.com tech section. Additionally, Haviv has turned her performances on the Flatbush auditorium stage into a second job as a wedding singer.

Haviv graduated as salutatorian of the Macaulay Honors Program at Baruch with a major in philosophy in 2013. During col-lege, Haviv had a number of internships, including two at Warner Music Group and two at Fox News. According to Haviv, “In-ternships are a great way to make connec-tions and a good impression. I used to walk

in to Fox around 4 A.M. to intern on the morning show and worked long hours but it was totally worth it.” She always thought she would go to law school; however, she also knew she wanted to pursue a career in media.

Her first internship at Fox was at Fox News Radio as a production assistant and booker. A few weeks into the job, Gretch-en Carlson, anchor of the Fox & Friends morning show at the time, spoke with Haviv about a new show she’d be hosting with Jon Scott on the network. The show was called The Real Story, and Carlson re-quested that Haviv be her assistant. Haviv worked as a production assistant for Carl-

Haviv at work, with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

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By Jane ZakayJunior Editor

For months, the contamination of the drinking water in Flint, Michigan, has been a national news story. Getting much less attention is the disclosure that 30 public schools in Newark, New Jersey, have found that the levels of lead in their drinking water are dangerously high, offi-cials say. All of these schools had to switch to alternative water sources.

Prolonged exposure to lead has been linked to several diseases, as well as drops in IQ scores, psychological and neurolog-ical problems, and an increased rate of birth defects.

During the Newark schools’ annual testing, the state’s Department of Envi-ronmental Protection found that the lev-els of lead were well above the 15-parts-per-million maximum considered safe for consumption. The schools have told students not to drink from water foun-tains or from sink faucets. All water for the affected schools is now coming from bottles. The kitchen staff must use bottled water in all food preparation as well. The schools are providing bottled water to all students.

School officials have told students that it is safe to wash their hands from the school’s faucets, but most students and teachers are avoiding the faucets.

“They gave us bottled water, [and] told us don’t use the water for lunch,” one teacher told NJ Advance Media. “They’re saying we could wash our hands with it,

but I don’t trust that, the kids don’t trust that. … This is crazy.”

Surprisingly, elevated lead levels have not been found anywhere else in Newark. “In the vast majority of cases where lead is found in drinking water, it enters through the water delivery system itself when it leaches from either lead pipes, household fixtures containing lead, or lead solder,” the DEP said, adding that many pipes in New Jersey could be dated back to the Victorian era.

Newark’s mayor, Ras Baraka, said that many residents are overreacting to the lead findings because of the tainted wa-ter supply throughout Flint. However, the biggest difference between the two cities’ lead problem is the source. Flint’s elevat-ed lead was caused by the city’s decision to change the source of its water from the Detroit system to the Flint River, only to learn too late that the river contained high levels of lead.

“I understand in the Flint environment that any sign of elevation is going to make everyone go haywire, but here, the wa-ter system in Newark is still safe, it’s still drinkable,” Mayor Baraka said.

At a press conference, the DEP said that parents should not be concerned as long as their children are not drinking from the school’s pipes. If a parent is con-cerned they are able to take their child to be tested for lead exposure at the Newark Health Department.

Newark Schools’ Water Too Dangerous to Drink

D’var Torah:

Four Cups of SacrificeBy Deborah CoopersmithContributing Writer

The Mishnah (99b) in Arvei Pesa-chim states, “Even the poorest amongst Israel … must not drink less than the four cups of wine [on Pesach night] even if he or she [must receive a stipend] from the communal charity fund.” The Rashbam emphasizes this point by stat-ing that the poor person has a respon-sibility to find funds through other sources, including borrowing, selling one’s clothing, and hiring oneself out in order to be able to have four cups of wine. The Talmud suggests  “Meshum pir-sumei nisa.” The cups of wine pro-claim the miracle of redemption, how Hashem saved B’nai Yisrael from their evil oppressors, thus all Jews must cel-ebrate with the four cups despite any financial difficulty.

How can we understand this? There are many mitzvot for Pesach, but the four cups is the only one that must be done without exception. However, hal-akha stresses that one could only spend 1/5 of his earnings in order to fulfill a positive mitzvah. So how come in the case of the four cups did the rabbeim deviate from the maximum financial bounds specified in halacha when they legislated this law?

Maybe this issue could be solved from a different direction. Tosafot and the Rashbam paraphrase the Talmud Yerushalmi and state that the four cups represent the four stages in the re-demptive process. However if we look at the text itself we find that in their paraphrasing they modify the text. The Talmud Yerushalmi does not refer to them as “four stages of redemption,” but rather, “four redemptions.” Leaving Egypt was not a singular process but, rather, four separate ones. These pro-cesses took one year to be completed in order to fully rid the Jews of their slave mentality and to redeem them.

The first redemption is v’hozeite.

This was where the Egyptians began to ease the Jews’ workload, giving them time to reflect upon freedom and its value. They changed from a piece of property to someone who could decide his or her own destiny.

The next redemption is v’hezalte. Here they realized that they had rights. Hashem asked the Jews to go to the Egyptians and ask them for their items that were stolen. This is the first time that B’nai Yisrael were asked to be as-sertive against their masters.

Then comes redemption three, v’go-alte. Hashem told the Jews to bring Korban Pesach and to do Brit Milah. The Jews did it without complaint, showing their willingness to take ini-tiative for their own destiny.

The last redemption is v’lakachte. The Jews received the Torah almost immediately after leaving Egypt. Rav Soloveitchik explained that Matan To-rah is a paradoxical experience where one feels free only after surrendering individual freedom to Hashem. By sur-rendering our freedom to God and the Torah, we gain freedom from societal constraints and pressures.

The mitzvah of the four cups of wine is unique because, although there are many positive mitzvot from both the Torah and the rabbis, none fully cele-brate sacrifice on the part of the Jewish people. At each stage, the Jewish people were compelled to give of themselves to reach that redemptive level. They had to: (1) reflect upon their lives and come to the conclusion that freedom bore new and difficult responsibilities, (2) be assertive for what is right, (3) de-clare their culture with rituals that were deemed repulsive in Egyptian society, and (4) achieve complete freedom through agreeing to be servants again, this time to Hashem. Since this com-mandment symbolizes the sacrifice of the Jewish people, it is incumbent upon every Jew to sacrifice in order to fulfill this mitzvah. Even a poor person must ask for communal funds to fulfill his or her obligation regarding the drinking of the fours cups of wine at the Seder.

son and Scott on that show for two years. Some of her responsibilities included pro-ducing, researching, managing the show’s social media and web pages, booking guests, pre-interviewing guests, and assist-ing the anchors, whom she truly admired.

One day while Haviv was working on Carlson’s website she discovered a minor detail that she wanted to alter, but to follow through with this she needed to code the change directly. She says, “A small change to the navigation bar caused me to shift into the career I am at today.” At first, she started taking part-time classes after work to learn the art of coding, because she be-lieved it was a great skill to have. The more she learned about software engineering, the more she found herself drawn to web and mobile development. This interest, in addition to the lack of female software en-gineers and the fact that our society contin-ues to become so technologically advanced

and reliant, pushed her to pursue a career in this field.

Eventually she left her position at Fox to go to a very selective three-month ac-celerated learning program at The Flatiron School to become a full stack developer. Carlson and Scott bid farewell to Haviv on air, calling her “a big part of The Real Story each and every day.”

Haviv graduated The Flatiron School in March, and is now back at Fox working as a web developer. She hopes to develop her own apps and business, and is always look-ing to keep her options open, because she believes that what’s meant to be will happen as long as you work hard and put yourself in a position where doors can open for you.

In addition to software engineering, Ha-viv’s interests and hobbies include dancing at Broadway Dance Center and singing at weddings and other events, where she goes by the stage name Linda Vivah. In addition,

she writes her own music and maintains a popular blog about everything from tech to beauty products.

A little over a year ago, Haviv married her college sweetheart. They live in Man-hattan but spend Shabbat most weekends with family in Brooklyn.

According to Haviv, Yeshivah of Flat-bush provided a strong foundation for her career. Flatbush provided her with the skill of multitasking, as she was able to get in-volved in the school’s extracurricular ac-tivities while maintaining good grades. Furthermore, Flatbush taught her the im-portance of teamwork. She felt her class-mates in high school were very support-ive of one another and always worked as a team. Flatbush taught her the importance of volunteering as well. Through her Jewish values, Haviv was always able to stand out and approach things in a manner that is re-spectful, moral, and sincere.

As for the students still enduring the workload of Flatbush, Haviv has some advice to offer. When it comes to your ca-reer, networking is crucial. Internships are a great way to test out a career path and make connections. In addition, by getting involved in extracurricular activities, you will learn a lot, improve your resume, and build relationships that may help you later on in life. To show that you are serious and professional, you should research a person or company you want to connect with, and follow the news in your chosen field. Be proactive and never hesitate to ask for advice. Keep yourself focused on the goals you set, but always be open to taking a path that is out of your comfort zone; it is when you are uncomfortable that you learn the most. Don’t be scared to try new things, and always follow your heart and be true to your values.

Haviv, continued from page 2

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1818UNDERYeshivah of Flatbush regularly celebrates the students who excel in the classroom and on our many teams. But many Flatbush students’ most impressive accomplishments occur beyond the school’s walls. In this special feature we shine a spotlight on 18 Flatbush students who are achieving remarkable things in a variety of fields and activities outside of school.

By Marvin Azrak and Miriam Zenilman

Stephanie Dweck12th GradeChesed

As Head of the Tzedaka Commission, senior Stephanie Dweck is known for her generosity and love for doing chesed. When she came to Flatbush three and a half years ago, she held an auction and bake sale to raise money for the school’s annual Chesed Mission to Israel. “As a freshman [I couldn’t] go on Chesed Mission, so I wanted to help Israel in a different way,” Dweck explained. “I started by walking up and down different streets and walking into stores and asking people to donate items to an auction.”

The auction and bake sale started out somewhat small, but Dweck reached out to her friends and family. Word got around, and that year they raised $6,000 for the Chesed Mission. Dweck organized another auction/bake sale the next year, this time accumulating $12,000. The third year brought in $14,000. “From the first to second year, we realized the mistakes we made,” Dweck said, commenting on how the auctions were able to improve.

Sari Esses12th Grade Sports

Twelfth-grader Sari Esses started taking gymnastics in second grade and is now a competitive gymnast on the Aviator gymnastics team, practicing for a total of 12 hours a week. Every year, she participates in six to seven competitions, most of which are held on Long Island. However, she has traveled to Rochester, Syracuse, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Atlantic City for some.

“Every Friday night my whole team has a four-hour practice, but I can’t attend,” Esses said. “And I can’t participate in competitions that fall on Saturdays.” Last year her family drove to Lebanon, Pennsylvania, on a Friday, planning to walk to the venue the following day for a Saturday competition, as they were told that it was close enough to walk. “‘Close enough’ turned out to be six miles,” Esses said. “Things like this don’t normally happen, so this was an experience.”

In addition to competing, Esses also teaches gymnastics to younger girls ages 5-12 on Sundays.

Lily Betesh12th GradeArchitecture

Anyone who has taken a class with senior Lily Betesh knows that she excels at both art and math. Because of those passions, she thought architecture would be a good course of study to pursue. Last year Betesh heard about a new four-week architecture summer program offered at Cooper Union from a representative at the Yeshivah’s colleg fair for junior grade. She attended the program, where she learned how to draft architectural sketches and make models.

“It taught me how to think outside of the box and to challenge my existing knowledge of figures and sites, and think about them in different ways,” she said. “We also visited different architectural firms and saw how the people’s ideas turned into physical structures.”

Max Edeson, 12th GradeScience

Considering all that twelfth-grader Max Edeson has accomplished, it should come as no surprise that he coauthored a report on algae in Prospect Park that went to the Parks Department. This past summer he interned for Dr. Brett Branco, a Professor of Environmental Science and Geology at Brooklyn College. The two measured the chlorophyll levels to see how much algae resided there because of the recent spur of algae blooms. Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae (“It’s a misnomer”), which is toxic, has been found at higher concentrations due to rising phosphorous levels, which causes more bacteria to grow.

Branco and Edeson discovered that New York City water treated with phosphorous ends up at Prospect Park, and the phosperous in the lake then allows bacteria to grow. “We were measuring phosphorous levels to see how it affects the algae blooms, and [Dr. Branco] is offering suggestions on how we fixed it,” Edeson explained. “I coauthored the report that we submitted to the Parks Department.”

Esther Bildirici 12th GradeScience

Esther Bildirici is a perfect example of a student who took advantage of an opportunity offered by Flatbush and catered it to her own interests. This senior developed an interest in the effects of music and art therapy on neurological and psychological diseases after she saw how happy her grandfather, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, would get when she played piano for him. This became her project topic for Flatbush’s Scholars Program, an independent research opportunity offered to juniors. She researched what happens in the brain when one hears music or does art, as she realized that painting relieves her own stress. In her research, Bildirici found that endorphin, serotonin, and dopamine levels, things that have “a decrease in the system when [one] has a disease,” increase as a result of music and art therapy. “Sometimes you can’t be healed in any other way,” she added.

Bildirici tested her findings on about 100 freshmen, asking them at the beginning of a period to record their stress and happiness levels, one through ten. “Then I asked them to draw a picture of their happy place,” Bildirici said. Most of the kids showed an increase in happiness, thus decreasing their stress levels.

Sari Cattan 11th GradeFashion

Sari Cattan, an 11th-grader, is one of many Flatbush students with aspirations to be in the fashion industry, but she’s a step ahead of most future fashionistas. Cattan has been an intern at the fashion label Margit David since February of her sophomore year. Initially, she worked there four or five times a month during the school year, but in the summer she was there two or three times a week for 5 hours.

The experience has been invaluable; Cattan said that without this opportunity “I [never would have] learned the financial aspect of running a design company. I also learned how to design, sew, and create actual dresses.” However, the work is not always glamorous. “There were sometimes where I would be running around Manhattan for hours searching for a particular fabric. But it’s all a part of the internship,” she said.

Her favorite experience was Margit David’s first ever fashion show during New York Fashion Week. “I got to be a part of it running around backstage, helping models, going over logistics, fixing clothes and much more,” Cattan said. She said this experience has helped her find direction for her future. She now knows she wants to go to a college specifically for fashion, like Parsons or LIM.

Ikey Benzaken, 11th GradeTechnology

During the summer, junior Ikey Benzaken attended MakeSchool’s summer academy for beginner developers, an eight-week program where rising coders learn how to create iPhone apps and games. The program first has its attendees learn to clone popular games such as Angry Birds, Flappy Bird, and 2048. During the next four weeks of the program participants design, develop, and code their own apps. Benzaken created the game Helicopter Hijack (available in the App Store). He has since released a second app called Color Sorter, and he is currently working on what will be his third app, a twist on the game Snake.

He describes the experience as exhilarating: “Pressing ‘Publish to the App Store’ on Apple’s developer website isn’t something most 16-year-olds get to do, and I was extremely proud.” Benzaken said he had dreamed of making his own apps since he was 10 years old, so “attending MakeSchool made last summer better than any other; I finally got to complete my six-year journey.”

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Merle Dweck, 12th GradeWriting

It’s impressive enough that senior Merle Dweck won the prestigious Scholastic Writing Awards National Silver Medal, and a regional Golden Key, in Poetry. But not many know that the award-winning piece started out as a birthday card to her mother, and she submitted the poem only after she asked teacher Ms. Mayer to sift through her computer for materials to enter as a side project. “My real work I’ve been developing for about three months didn’t win anything, whereas this simple Mother’s Day card I wrote on a whim won the Gold Key,” Dweck said.

She will be sent a medal for her national wins. Dweck was given the opportunity to read her piece at the MOMA, but was unable to due to fact that the event took place on a Friday night. However, she was able to attend a ceremony at the New School that same weekend, and her name was bolded on a board at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Aida Hasson10th GradeFashion

Aida Hasson does a lot more than merely astound both students and faculty alike with her impressive singing voice. Despite being only a sophomore, Hasson already knows how to make clothing, thanks to a sewing class she took at The Fashion Class four years ago. “That year was the Middle Division play Cinderella, and I got the lead role,” she said. “I was looking around for a good costume, but when I couldn’t find one, I decided to make it myself.” She then proceeded to design and sew three costumes for the show. Hasson also created and sewed the costumes for this year’s Hebrew play, The Lion King. (And did we mention that she wore one of those costumes, too, starring in the play as Nala?) Hasson puts her skill to regular use as the “family seamstress,” hemming the clothing of everyone in her “huge family of short people.”

The multitalented Hasson has blended her fashion expertise with her writing talent as the co-editor of The Phoenix’s fashion section, Standard of Fabulous. That’s not the only writing she’s done this year, as she also had a gig writing for Slash Magazine, an online publication “for teens, by teens.”

We can only guess what Hasson will take on when she’s a junior.

Addie Abihzer, Sonny Setton, Yaear Weintroub, 12th GradeMusic

Last year, current seniors Addie Abihzer, Sonny Setton, and Yaear Weintroub won first place in the annual Holocaust Memorial Creative Arts contest, sponsored by Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz. The three students wrote a song together for the contest. “It was about a woman who lost her love to the Holocaust,” Abihzer explained. Although the woman herself was not Jewish, her love was, and she saw him being taken away. In the song, the woman prays for her neighbors and friends who were taken away to come back to her.

Abihzer, Setton, and Weintroub performed the song at the ceremony that was held at Kingsborough Community College, where they received their award.

Sarah Torgueman 12th GradeIsrael Activism

Every Flatbush student can recognize senior Sarah Torgueman’s voice from the morning announcements concerning Israel news. She became involved in the Israel Activism commission because she felt like she needed to do something for Israel despite being in America. She then became involved in AIPAC as a result. “I realized that one major way to get involved in helping those in Israel is by getting in contact with those who actually can make a difference, which is the U.S. government,” she explained. “What AIPAC does is help us lobby Congress, and by lobbying Congress we can tell them what matters and why it matters to us. Then, in the end, they can support Israel from the legislative process.” Torgueman has participated in several different AIPAC trips and events, such as lobbying, a High School Summit, and a Saban Leadership Seminar, where she learned more about Israel and networked with others as passionate as she is.

Additionally, Torgueman is a current MZ Teen intern, which is run through Stand With Us. She was trained at the headquarters in Los Angeles and is now involved in planning several pro-Israel events in school and the community, which Stand With Us helps to coordinate.

Charles Zeitoune and Mikey Darwish 10th GradeMusic

Tenth-graders Charles Zeitoune and Mikey Darwish have wanted to be in the music industry since they were young. After years of hoping to produce and release their own music they did just that by dropping their first single, “Giza,” on March 28, under the group name 2UO. They are currently working on a second track, and hoping for a

recording contract.When producing music, Zeitoune says his favorite part is

“finally finishing up a melody/drop because when producing you [may] have to improvise and keep going until you find something.” The two sophomores also DJ at parties in the community. They’re both ecstatic about their first release

and hoping a record label finds them and takes their music careers to the next level.

Joey BerkoVitZ, 11th GradeComputer Science

For some students on the AV squad, technology is a fun hobby, but for 11th-grader Joey Berkovitz his knowledge of computers is a full-scale career--or two. After interning at Quantum Networks (a Fortune 500 company), Berkowitz was offered a job there as a software developer. Perhaps even more impressive is that, while many of his peers are taking AP classes, Berkowitz is teaching one. Berkovitz learned the AP Computer Science curriculum on his own as a sophomore, and he teaches it to a small class of six now.

Berkovitz said he wanted to teach the class because “I thought that it could be an interesting experience and because I enjoy writing software in any language.” When working at Quantum he enjoyed “learning new [computer] languages and nuances of [computer] language that I use while writing programs.” The next thing on this computer prodigy’s agenda, besides meeting his PE requirements, is to expand his knowledge in the field of computer science.

Stephanie Franco 11th GradeChesed

Many Flatbush students go beyond their required chesed hours to perform acts of chesed on their own. But only one of them won an international award last year for it.

While in Israel, Junior Stephanie Franco said she was inspired by Pantry Packers, a two-year-old program through Colel Chabad that provides food for Israeli families in need, and she wanted to do something to help. On October 16, Franco and her friends made a bake sale to raise money for Pantry Packers. They raised over $4,000 dollars and she was extremely happy to help this great organization. She says that she “was amazed and happy to see everyone passionately helping.”

Colel Chabad was so grateful and impressed that they honored Franco for her work by giving her the first-ever Pantry Packers Award at the Colel Chabad International Awards Dinner in December.

Abie Rosow, 11th GradeSports

You might know Abie Rosow as the guy who hit the game-winning three-pointer to send the Flatbush Varsity Basketball team to the championship. However, you might not know about Rosow’s additional adventures on the court. This past December, Rosow was chosen to represent the United States at the 16U Maccabi Basketball Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. “It made me feel really great that after all the hard work that I have put in to the game of basketball, I was getting rewarded for it. There was no way I was going to turn down a chance of a lifetime,” Rosow said.

Rosow described the exhilaration of being a part of an international tournament of fellow Jews who share the passion for the game that he has. His favorite part was the opening ceremonies, when the athletes from all 25–30 countries lined up and sang Hatikvah. Rosow and his team went undefeated in the tournament and won the gold medal.

Rosow, a junior, will be back to lead the Falcons as a senior next year. “The next thing for me is to keep grinding hard and to continue to get better … I just want to bring a championship to Flatbush.”

Toby Zibak, 11th Grade Finance

Eleventh-grader Toby Zibak says he has always been interested in making money. He started investing in the stock market as a freshman, with $3,000. The first stock he purchased was JC Penny. When the taste of a successful investment hit him, he knew he was hooked. In the two-plus years since he started, Zibak has roughly tripled his money, and he’s not interested in stopping.

Zibak says that he likes investing “because you never know when the market is going up or down. It gives me thrills all the time.” His proudest moment as an investor was when he invested in a pharmaceutical stock that increased drastically in only one day. After high school, Zibak is looking to go to business school and study finance.

Hannah Waide, 11th GradeWriting

With so many talented writers at Yeshivah of Flatbush it can be difficult to stand out. However, one of the more decorated and prestigious of the bunch is junior Hannah Waide, who has recently won two major writing contests. On April 11 Waide was honored by Barnes and Noble and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams for being the local winner of Barnes and Noble’s “My Favorite Teacher” writing contest; she is currently under consideration to win the contest regionally and nationally. Days earlier, she was notified by e-mail that she was a topical winner of the national “Inside of Me” poetry contest run by New Jersey-based Live Poet Society. Waide is quite humble about her accomplishments, and credits a lot of her writing success to her favorite teacher, Mr. Hofstetter. Her drive and inspiration for writing go back much further, however. She says, “For as long as I can remember I have been reading and writing.” Waide is also known around school for her artistic ability, which she displayed most recently during Color War as one of the Art Captains for the victorious Team Justice. But her passions do not end there: she also has a major interest in physics, and has been studying particle physics outside of school for the past few years. Waide said that she is driven by a quest for knowledge. As for the future, she says “I don’t have anything specific planned out but I know I want to continue reading, writing, and learning the wonders of science.”

www.theflatbushphoenix.com | 6

Entertainment & Fun

With Pesach break approaching, we’re all going to have a little more time on our hands to catch up on our reading. So if you’re not planning to spend the whole holiday cramming for AP exams, give any of the following four history-themed books a read.

1. Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kel-ly: Set in Nazi Germany, this historical fiction novel follows the extraordinary and intertwining lives of three women, Caroline Ferriday, Kasia Kuzmerick, and Herta Oberheuser, as their identities and countries are torn apart by the ravaging nature of the War. Although each woman is experiencing the War and is prompt-ed to act in drastically different ways the core themes of the novel lay within the framework of it all. Hall’s writing is not only able to touch reader’s hearts but also cause them to reexamine the way we view history and ourselves. This book is for anyone looking for a sad and serious yet awakening read that’ll make them strongly attached to the characters of the story.

2. Hamilton: The Revolution by

Lin-Manuel Miranda: This brand new book (published April 12) is perfect for fans of Miranda’s award-winning and groundbreaking Broadway musi-cal, Hamilton, which follows the life of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton through the Revolutionary War and the founding of our country. The most pop-ular show to hit Broadway in decades, Hamilton features an eclectic soundtrack heavy on hip-hop, including a rap battle between Hamilton and Thomas Jeffer-son over the need for a national bank. The Revolution will showcase the two revolutions surrounding the musical: the historical one led by George Washington, and the musical one led by Miranda in his novel approach to his show. This book is for anyone who’s already a fan of Miran-da, or any history buff.

3. The Selected Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Laura Ingalls Wilder and William Anderson: This book tells the story of the beloved author of The Little House on the Prairie series through her personal letters to her husband, her family, and even her fans, and grants

Four Books to Read this MonthBy Esther LevyJunior Editor

Ask MerleBy Merle DweckFun and Games Editor

Dear Merle,I have a problem. Ever since the Pu-

rim edition of The Phoenix, students have been flocking to me to see if the article written about me is true. Though I’ve become a bit of a celebrity, my sheepish nature has caused me to shy away from the attention. Furthermore, I’m under the scrutiny of the FBI, CIA, SEC, DOJ, FDA, USDA, PETA, and even the ASPCA! I’ve gone to some people for help, but they feel as though I pulled the wool over their eyes for so long that they’re not sure what to do. I’m so frus-trated—and even a bit frightened—that I’m thinking of going on the lamb!

Do you have any advice for me as to how I can patch up my frayed relation-ships with my peers and how I can get the Feds (and the animal rights people) off my back?

Sincerely,Sweatin’ It Out in the Nursery

Dear Sweatin’,Listen, if people can’t handle the

awesomeness of your new debut, there’s nothing you can do about it. It is in the very fibers of our beings to be jealous; embedded in every pore. Now that you have an advantage of wool, use it! I sug-gest offering them a share of your clos-et. Perhaps one strand per friend; we wouldn’t want them to get greedy and steal your title. As for the celebrity aura you have been feeling, it comes with the job. The paparazzi are going to come soon; offer them a strand of wool, too (not mixed with linen, though, or you’ll fail the Halakhah final). If your friends get jealous, I suppose you may give them a full sweater. It’s not called bribery, it’s called friendship.

The animal rights people? Bah! They should go worry about the chicken mar-ket. I mean, seriously! If that got half the attention lambs did, I would have to take my fame to the national level. Frank Bruni does a great job of explaining it all in “To Kill a Chicken.” Poor chickens.

As for the Feds, CIA, and FDA (with apologies to all the other letters in the al-phabet you listed and I just didn’t under-stand), tell them they don’t know whom their dealing with. This grammar expert could take them any day. And he’ll prob-ably come dressed to impress in one of his wool sweaters, too. Move out of the

way, everyone, we got a celeb in town. (Sweatin’, are you a celeb or a teacher? Or a dad? Maybe an undercover FED playing victim? You might have to ex-plain what you do before I blow both your covers …)

Always, Merle 

Merle,Do you wear your retainer every

night?Sincerely,I Like Your Smile :)

Smile,Aww, I extend my greatest gratitude!

And I might just tear up any second, you sweetie! I like your smile, too! Also, great personality! Keep being you ;) 

Always, Merle P.S. Yes, yes I do. It gives me a lisp, but

eh. Dentist’s orders. I wouldn’t want my lawyer coming and asking the dentist for a retainer, drilling him with questions. Brace yourself folks, it’s about to get real.

Merle,Would you rather have nice blown

hair and be ugly or have ugly hair and be pretty?

Sincerely,You Win Some, You Lose Some

Win/Lose,I’m sorry, but I think there was some

faulty autocorrect on your phone. I think what you really wanted to say was, “My hair has been great lately and I love the way I’ve been looking,” and in that case, I would say, I am inspired by you and have found a role model. The experts don’t lie. If you don’t trust me, ask them:

“True beauty is not related to what color your hair is or what color your eyes are. True beauty is about who you are as a human being, your principles, your moral compass.”

—Anonymous “Optimism is the faith that leads to

achievement. Nothing can be done with-out confidence”

—Helen Keller 

“You don’t win some and lose some, you can win it all. But you will most defi-nitely lose all the battles you don’t try, and that’s a fact.” 

—Merle

readers insight on to both Wilder’s life and personality and direct inspirations to her writing. Anderson, through his placement of the letters and directive comments, is able to seamlessly weld to-gether all the different parts of Wilder’s life, creating an almost everlasting spirit of who she was. This is for anyone who loved Wilder’s book series or the TV se-ries that the books inspired.

4. Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, from Mis-siles to the Moon to Mars by Natalia Holt:

This book focuses on the pivotal work of women at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory during the 1940s and ’50s and how they refused to be pushed aside by the laws of science or the restrictions on women and their roles in society. Holt revisits the lives of these women and how they were able to change the world around them. This book is for anyone who challenges the status quo and hopes to inspire great change in humanity’s perception of the world.

Midnight Machines is the fifth al-bum from Lights (aka Valerie Pox-leitner), and it incorporates tunes and sounds from her past albums into this collection of soothing melodies and uplifting lyrics. Lights incorporates beats and acoustic guitars into her music, which is great for people with easy ears and a knack for soft pop mu-sic. It is definitely an album to pick up, whether you’re in a somnolent mood or have a need for soft, endear-ing words to flow through you.

The songs range from lullabies to rainy day songs, especially the song “Don’t Go Home Without Me,” which strikes a feeling of happiness and

sends the warm fuzzies to comfort you. “It’s amazing that you’re here / so alone I would be in a world that you’re not near. / Don’t go home without me... / I hope you know I appreciated you in every possible way. / All of the little things that you did, they got me through the hardest days.”

Music Review: Midnight MachinesBy Esty FromerMusic Editor

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Standard of Fabulous

Over the past few decades, technolo-gy, like fashion has taken over the world. Continuing to invade and innovate, these two very different industries now collab-orate, coming together to create new and fantastic designs. It is starting to become the norm to wear a smart watch, smart jewelry or a smart band.

In 2007 FitBit released its first fitness tracker, promising to measure all kinds of personal health data. Not only did it do cool things, but it also came in many different styles and colors. This was one of the first advancements in the field of wearable technology, starting a whole new revolution. FitBit has fought hard to keep its business, and market, intact while creating a whole new innovative field for the future. Throughout the years we have seen Pebble, Nike + Fuelband, Google Glass, the Apple Watch and many more new products being added to this market.

One of the newest of its kind, released

in April of 2015, the Apple Watch has revo-lutionized this market. Not only is the Apple Watch one of the most advanced of the watch-es, it is also very com-fortable, easy to use and has many designs to ap-peal to wide variety of tastes. Apple has even teamed up with Hermés to create an advanced and chic watch. They realize the demand of fashion in every area, understanding that if it doesn’t look nice, people won’t wear it.

Iris Apfel, the 94-year-old fashion icon, recently dipped her toes into the tech world too, releasing her “Wisewear” collection. This collection consists of gor-geous jewelry that allows its wearers to monitor their health without having to

look like they’re going to the gym. She plans on expanding the line to include statement pieces, necklaces, brooches, and men’s accessories such as belts.

This market is big and growing. It wasn’t that long ago that the market was struggling to survive and now it’s boom-ing. Who’s to say that it won’t continue

on this path and grow beyond our imag-inations? We don’t know what the future will hold, but one thing we can almost guarantee is that the wearable technolo-gy market will advance while delivering breakthrough technology that can fit in the palm of your hand.

Fashion FactValentino owns five pugs. Their names are Monty, Maude, Margot, Maggie and Molly, and they travel with him everywhere.

Dress for the Job You WantBy Dubby SassonContributing Writer

Work hard and dress smart—the two pieces of advice that come to mind when I think of assembling a professional ward-robe. Last month, NYU alumna Nora Gardner of NYU Women’s Initiative, held a boutique in NYC featuring her new professional women’s clothing line. I was one of the people lucky enough to attend this exciting event.

The evening was focused on Gardner’s tips and advice. She showed us dresses

from her line and explained how to wear and accessorize them. A cardigan, sweat-er, scarf, necklace, bracelet, earrings, or even a white collar underneath made the dresses look professional without sacri-ficing style. Gardner gave tips on what she thinks a woman should and shouldn’t wear to work. She told us to never wear bright colors unless you’re promoted. Most working women wear black or gray, basic colors. She also incorporated pock-ets into her designs because they’re very convenient for a working woman.

A runway show followed this meet-and-greet session. It was really lively and enjoyable! The dresses looked even bet-ter on the models and were absolutely eye-catching. The entire audience was in awe. It was an incredible experience.

Wearable TechnologyBy Ezra FaksContributing Writer

Sam SaysBy SamContributing Writer

Hi, e ver y-

one. Con-trary to the last issue, I am back. I’ve decided I do like fashion after all, I was just having a small break down. So, once again, if you think you’ve fig-ured out who I am, e-mail me your theo-ries at [email protected].

This month I wanted to talk to you

guys about glasses. Many peo-ple choose contacts over glasses,

but I think that glasses can real-ly change up your look and add

something different. You can choose statement glasses to give a pop to a

boring outfit, or simple ones to always match what you’re wearing. You can turn anything into fashion, especially glasses, so go for it—next time you have to change your prescription, choose wisely.

www.theflatbushphoenix.com | 8

SportsSportsman Spotlight: Victor ZaltaBy Miri ZenilmanManaging Editor

After a disappointing season last year, the Boys’ Varsity Softball Team is looking to make the playoffs. This is es-pecially true for the senior players, who were able to make it to the playoffs for both of their JV years but were forced home after the regular season their first year of Varsity. Current twelfth grader Victor Zalta expressed his confidence in the team’s ability to go far this year.

“We have a great group of new players,” he said. “We hope they [can] take us back to the postseason, and may-be even help make a deep playoff run.”

Zalta realized his love for the sport in ninth grade when, on a whim, he joined his friends at tryouts. He made the team and was given an outfield position, this being the first time he ever played for a school team. “I was a little nervous … but with the help of the coach and the older players, I started feeling more con-fident and improved a lot.”

Two years later he found himself transitioning from the JV team to that of Varsity, going from being one of the more experienced players to being one

of the younger ones yet again. Addition-ally, he had to keep up with players from other schools, whose skills had increased from the JV level.

Regardless, Zalta has had a great run and “always looked forward to when softball started.” Expressing remorse over this being his last season, he com-mented, “I can’t believe it’s coming to an end. Being on a team means a lot to me because it’s a great way to make new friends and have fun, whether you win or lose. I’m [going to] miss the compet-itiveness.”

By Netanel Ben-ShabatContributing Writer

With many key players from last year’s team returning, the 2016 Varsity Baseball season looks promising. Last year’s juniors now lead the team as se-niors, and several younger players are more experienced and ready to give it another go.

With only nine games per season before the playoffs, the Falcons have no time to waste. Juniors Sam Laniado (catcher) and Kevin Haddad (pitcher/outfielder) headline a fierce and ath-letic team. Both players are vital to the success of the team, and the coaches are looking to them to lead the defense with smart plays and provide the offense with some power.

The team will also need quality per-formance from sophomores Bert Rob-inson (shortstop) and Murray Dweck (outfielder/pitcher). With so many young players, even the juniors are seen as veterans.

Haddad, for one, said that experi-ence is very important and that, after playing last season, he now knows how to properly prepare for games and make

the most of opportunities to excel. He

also stated that he hopes to share his

knowledge of the game and his past ex-

perience with the new members of the

team.

Will that knowledge and coopera-

tion translate to wins? Falcons fans will

soon find out.

By Victor AllahamContributing Writer 

After an increase in interest in hock-ey among Flatbush girls, dreams of play-ing the sport have recently become a reality. The addition of floor hockey to the girls’ Phys Ed curriculum this year was the first step, and the next step is to field a competitive girls’ team to compete against other yeshivot.

Many students have worked with Athletic Director Eric Amkraut to work out the logistics and put together a team, which is playing a “practice season” for the first time this spring. Mr. Amkraut and the rest of the members on this mis-sion are hoping to have the girls play a scrimmage or two before the end of the spring season, and then start competing against other teams in a full season next spring.

“The main goal for this school year is to have the girls learn the basics of the game and prepare for a full competi-tive schedule in the MYHSAL in spring 2017,” Mr. Amkraut said.

The head coach of the girl’s hockey team is Chelsea Donovan, who is an ex-perienced ice hockey player and coach. She currently coaches a few different ice hockey teams at City Ice Pavilion, a local ice hockey rink, and can now add Flat-bush to that list of teams. She earned a

Division I Athletic Scholarship to Niag-ara University, where she played for four years. She is loaded with experience and seems fully capable of helping the girls on the team improve their game. Along-side Coach Donovan is Assistant Coach Barbara Stern, one of Flatbush’s Girls Phys Ed teachers. The duo will do their best to make Flatbush Girls’ Hockey a must see event. 

As of now, Coach Donovan says that the two most important things she is working on with her players are basic skills and basic game strategy. She wants the girls to be able to pass the ball around and advance up and down the floor with control. Knowing how to position them-selves on defense and offense and mak-ing sure they get a lot of offensive oppor-tunities is another main goal.

So far Mr. Amkraut has been im-pressed by the the dedication that the girls have shown. “I am really proud of the girls who have not only taken the steps to get this program off the ground, but of the commitment they demon-strate on a weekly basis to learn the game, to prepare to represent the school in competition. They are real pioneers!”

By Sam E. BeydaContributing Writer

Pesach is the most popular, well known Jewish holiday, and everyone has their individual traditions. Even the White House has a ceremonial Seder. In addition to the universal customs such as eating matzah and reading the Hagadah, many families have their own unique traditions.

One student said her family walks around the table carrying matzah on

their shoulders to reenact the exodus. One freshman said that every year his grandfather takes it a step further, dress-ing up as Pharoah and unleashing the 10 plagues upon those sitting at the seder table. He then puts on a performance of the Hagadah, all so that the children will become more involved and prompted to ask more questions. In another student’s family men dress up in a kittel, the white gown worn by men on Yom Kippur, for the entire Seder. A third student, just for fun, eats dessert for breakfast every day.

Some traditions are a bit more wide-

spread. Many students follow the ev-

er-controversial “list,” while others won’t

eat rice. Then there are those who won’t

even let their matzah become gebrokts

(get wet) because maybe it will become

hametz. Whether it’s acting out plagues,

keeping matzah dry, or eating dessert,

Yeshivah of Flatbush students definitely

have some interesting Pesach minhagim.

Season Preview: Varisty Baseball

Girls’ Hockey Moves from Dream to Reality

Pesach Brings out Diversity