SixTH AND SEvENTH GrADE SPECiAL EDiTioN - The Heschel ...

“…Know that every deed counts,
that every word is power…”
—Abraham Joshua Heschel
V o l u m e 2 , I s s u e 4 M a y 2 0 1 2
SixTH AND SevENTH GrADE SPECiAL Edition
EBooks, Light a Candle
By Zoe Posner
Today, ebooks and other academic
technological devices are transforming
the learning environments of schools
all across the country. These devices
include the Kindle,
Kindle Fire, iPad, Nook,
Smartboards, the Internet and any other
technology that feature digital books or
educational games and exercises. Here,
at The Abraham Joshua Heschel School,
there are an increasing number of students
making use of ebooks in classes.
It is interesting to observe the subtle
change ebooks are making in the learning
environment.
The question is, are ebooks superior
or inferior to the classic, tangible book?
With every technological
leap forward,
there is always controversy
about the
merit of each device
and some who will
say it is actually a
step backward.
Many educators
dispute
whether ebooks
are beneficial to children’s overall learning
experience. Some argue that the interactive
activities that are included in
Continued on page 7
The Great Pizza
Debate
By Livia Miller, Leila Small
and Kevin Chaikelson
Not All Chairs Are
Created Equal
By Gidon Kaminer
Sometimes, you can find luxury in
the least expected places: maybe in a
fancy car; maybe in a lavish meal; maybe
in an expensive suit; and sometimes,
even in a classroom chair. But some
chairs are more comfortable, softer, and
more luxurious, than the others. A careful
survey of chairs found at the Heschel
Middle School revealed the diversity of
chairs.
Leila Small, Gidon Kaminer, and Kevin Chaikelson doing pizza math.
Have you ever been walking
down the street when
you were suddenly struck
by the delicious smell of
fresh-baked pizza? Thinking
of nothing but the warm
aroma of NYC pizza, you
wander into the nearest
pizzeria. Suddenly you are
jerked out of your reverie of
hot, fresh pizza, as you stare at the prices
on the menu. You storm out of the café,
a scowl on your face. “Seriously! $15 for
a small pie?” And of course, you might
eventually decide that the price is so
high because the pizzeria in question is
kosher.
Linda Messing’s math class decided
to investigate. Many believed that kosher
pizza was more expensive but wanted to
mathematically uncover the truth. Students
gathered their data and then compared
the unit costs of one square inch
of pizza from seven kosher pizzerias and
from fifteen non-kosher pizzerias. Per
square inch, the average cost of kosher
vs. non-kosher wasn’t so high. However,
the average cost for an entire non-kosher
pizza is $13.56, while on the other hand,
the kosher pizza’s average cost is $16.82!
So the costs do not differ hugely, but and,
as students had originally hypothesized,
Continued on page 7
One example of a superior chair is
the long padded bench in Jude and Bev’s
office. It is covered with black leather,
and is very springy. Even though the
padded bench is extremely comfortable,
it is controversial, because some would
not consider it a chair. Another type of
chair in our school is the science room
chair, a wooden stool that many students
do not find comfortable. For starters, the
science room chair has a very flat bottom
and back, and is not curved, so your
rear end sits on it awkwardly. Also, when
Continued on page 7

2011–2012
Editors
Ariella Kahan
Nico Miller
Amelia Sylvor Greenberg
Sports Editor
Noah Knopf
Contributing Writers
Aaron Brandeis
Eliana Salmon
Ella Kaplun
Gabe Scherzer
Gidon Kaminer
Grace Gilbert
Hannah Zhukovsky
Harris Zweig
Joey Zemmol
Laura Glesby
Livia Miller
Nathaniel Goldblum
Noah Shapiro
Rachel Ladds
Sonia Epstein
Theo Canter
Zoe Posner
Letter from the
Seventh Grade Editors
Dear Students and Faculty Members,
As the recently appointed editors for
next year’s Heschel Herald, we are proud
to present to you the new installment of
the Heschel Herald! This is not just any
issue of the Heschel Herald; this is the
first issue in the Middle School newspaper’s
history to be published exclusively
by the sixth and seventh graders, while
the eighth grade was in Israel. The newspaper
staff has worked incredibly hard to
publish this issue, and we hope you will
find this newspaper as interesting and
entertaining as we do. Hopefully, this
will be the first of many more terrific
issues to come. As the new editors, we
are grateful to Amelia, Ariela, and Nico
whose high standards shaped the last
three issues; it is our hope to continue
that tradition.
Of course, if you have any questions
or comments about this issue, you are
more than welcome to write to us, and
you’re guaranteed to receive interesting
and entertaining answers!
Sincerely,
Your seventh grade editors,
Hannah Zhukovsky, Eliana Salmon,
and Sonia Epstein
Everyone is reading the
Heschel Herald; Be in the
know: don’t be left out!
Artists
Amelia Sylvor Greenberg
Livia Miller
Theo Canter
Photographers
Izik Mishan
Karen Dorr
Rick Munn
Faculty Advisor
Karen Dorr
Layout & Design
Abe Hendin
Is Anyone EVER Gonna Write a
Letter to the Editors???
2 ◆ Heschel Herald, Volume 2, Issue 4 The Abraham Joshua Heschel School

Artful Desserts
The 6th Grade exhibited their Artful Desserts to
parents and students, April 21, 2012.
Indie Rock
By Livia Miller
Many probably know at least one top 40 hit. Adele is a household
name, and Nicki Minaj blasts from every radio station. However, there is
music out there besides top 40 that is often neglected. For those yearning
for a breath of (metaphorical) fresh air in our pop-clogged music radar,
there are many indie artists who, while
generally not followed by more mainstream
listeners, have genuinely good
music. Just two of many are Audrianna
Cole and The Early November.
Audrianna Cole
Audrianna Cole began making music
when she was staying at home with
her critically injured father, who was
discharged from the US Army after a
car accident. Now, at eighteen years old,
Ms. Cole’s voice is bubbly and sweet, and
many of her tracks feature layered vocal
tracks and guitar. Her music is cheerful
and uplifting, but while still maintaining
a heartfelt, sincere tone.
The Early November
The Early November is an American
indie-rock band formed in Hammonton,
New Jersey, by Arthur Enders in 1999; he
is joined by guitarist Jim Sacco, bassist
Sergio Anello, and drummer Jeff Kummer.
Their lineup has fluctuated in the
past 13 years, but their sound stays the
same. The Early November has a strong,
bold sound akin to Green Day in their
song, “Holiday,” but they still sound
unique. ◆
Happy Lag B’Omer!
The Joseph Slifka Middle School May 2012 ◆ 3

Extremely Loud And
Incredibly Close To Heschel:
The Audition
By Noah Shapiro
Prior to the final casting of the new
movie, Extremely Loud and Incredibly
Close, two Heschel students auditioned
for the role of “Oscar,” the young New
York son of Sandra Bullock and Tom
Hanks. The two students who auditioned
are Theo Canter in the sixth grade and
Noah Lang in the seventh grade.
They were asked what the experience
was like to audition for a movie
with two famous actors. Theo responded,
“At the time of my audition I had no
idea that two superstars would be in
it. I didn’t even think that it would be
that big a movie until eight months later,
when I saw a huge film crew shooting
the movie on my block. My experience at
the audition was dramatic. Before I read
for the part, the casting director asked
me a few questions, “Do you know what
a mausoleum is?” Then she asked, “What
do you think the character Oscar means
when he says “fukazowa you!” Finally, it
was time for me to read for the part. As
I said my words I had to smash a box
and cry. The casting director’s assistant,
who read the part of Oscar’s mom (later
Theo Canter
Noah Lang
to be played by Sandra Bullock) during
my scene, made it difficult for me. She
displayed little emotion, and did barely
anything to play off of.”
After learning from Theo what his
audition experience was like, Noah Lang
was asked how the experience of auditioning
impacted him. Noah said “The
auditions were definitely a good experience,
I got to meet a lot of famous people
and it gave me more confidence in my
acting skills.”
Finally, they reported what they
thought about the movie after seeing a
another actor play the part they auditioned
for. Theo commented, “Overall,
I was extremely proud that I came so incredibly
close to getting the starring role
in this movie. Unfortunately, I was very
disappointed upon seeing the movie.”
Noah added, “I personally thought
the movie was very good but I thought I
could have been a better Oscar, just kidding.
I was extremely disappointed when
I found out I didn’t get the role. However
I’m still keeping in touch with the casting
director to see if I can get any new
acting roles, so there’s still hope for my
career.”
For any of you Heschel students
who have not yet seen the film, visualize
Theo and Noah in the role of Oscar and
enjoy. ◆
Book Review
The Hunger Games
By Sonia Epstein
Many years ago, there was a place
known as North America. Horrifying
wars and disasters destroyed the land
and the civilizations that had settled
there. From the ashes emerged Panem:
a stunning Capitol encircled by thirteen
districts. But the catastrophes had not
ceased. The thirteen districts rebelled
against the Capitol. The Capitol responded
ruthlessly, vanquishing twelve
of the districts, and completely annihilating
the thirteenth. The Treaty of
Treason was created, giving new laws to
ensure peace, and to guarantee the uprising
against the Capitol would never
be repeated, The Hunger Games were
created. The Hunger Games is a form
of entertainment for Panem, and a way
for the Capitol to demonstrate its control
over the districts. A boy and a girl
between the ages of twelve and eighteen
are selected randomly from each district,
and are placed in a televised arena to
fight to the death.
Here is where Susan Collins’s novel
begins. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen
is a young woman living in District
Twelve, one of the most impoverished
districts. It is the day of the reaping, the
day when a boy and girl will be selected
to compete in the games. To Katniss’s
horror, it is her beloved twelve-year-old
sister, Prim, who is chosen. Katniss, who
cannot bear to watch her sister take part
in this brutal game, volunteers to replace
her. What ensues is a rapidly-paced,
drama-filled Hunger Games, concluding
with a choice made by Katniss that
may alter the future. This novel is truly
captivating, and filled with the conflicts
of having to compete in a brutal game
where friendships cannot last.
“I don’t know where to start,” says
one seventh grader. She continues, “It
is action packed. Awesome. It’s a little
gruesome but if you can get passed those
parts it’s a great book.” Another seventh
grader adds,“[It’s] a fun entertaining
week-end read.”
A New York Times bestseller, The
Hunger Games is a must-read. The adventure
continues in the next two books
of this captivating trilogy: Catching Fire
and Mockingjay. ◆
4 ◆ Heschel Herald, Volume 2, Issue 4 The Abraham Joshua Heschel School

Philadelphia Trip
Al Capone Slept Here!
By Theo Canter
Recently, the sixth grade visited
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On the trip,
the sixth grade visited many of Philadelphia’s
famous attractions, including the
Herr’s Potato Chip Factory, the Amish,
and the Franklin Institute. Another ‘attraction’
that the sixth grade visited was
the Eastern State Penitentiary.
The Eastern State Penitentiary is a
prison that was in use from 1821 until
1971. When the facility first opened in
1821, it was surrounded by a cherry orchard
and farmland for miles, as far as
the eye could see. The facility was erected
to house 250 to 300 prisoners. Before The
Eastern Penitentiary was built, prisons
were mainly built on the core value of
physical torture, punishment, and isolation
from society.
However, with the penitentiary’s
construction, a new value factor was
added to the philosophy of prisons: repentance.
The penitentiary was not designed
to brand criminals so that they
would be shunned, but rather to have the
prisoners atone for their sins and to be
rehabilitated so that they could re-enter
society. ◆
Washington Trip
Jockey Hollow Camp Hike
By Noah Shapiro
After only an hour of travel by bus,
seventh grade students arrived at their
first stop in Jockey Hollow, in Morristown,
NJ. Many were relieved to be able
to stretch their legs, but there were a few
who were a bit sad to leave the comfort
of the bus. Students were split up into
two groups, Tal B and Matar B and then
Tal A and Matar A. The B-groups went
to hike first while the A-groups went
to see a log cabin where George Washington
had stayed while his men were
camped out nearby during the Revolutionary
War. It was remarkable to think
that George Washington fought against
the British troops where students stood.
The hike was only around a mile
and the trail wasn’t very challenging
except for the fact that many students
were concerned about deer ticks. As students
approached the area where George
Washington’s men camped out, everyone
looked in awe at the beautiful hillside
view. The huts were simple tents and
clearly afforded the soldiers a strategic
advantage—they would be able to see approaching
British troops. After students
examined and entered the huts, they all
raced down the hill at top speed, which
felt great. ◆
Washington Trip
A River View: Washington, DC
By Ella Kaplun
Smelling the fresh river water,
hearing the motor running, and seeing
hair flying was part of the experience of
being on the Potomac River Cruise. The
view from the river was a great way to
experience Washington, DC.
The entire seventh grade embarked
onto the small boat with excitement.
There was a part of the boat with a roof
and another part with a deck. There were
chairs and tables where we could eat
chocolate cake brought along by Nina.
Sitting on the chairs, we saw against the
black sky the bright white lights of the
White House, The Lincoln Memorial,
the Washington Monument, and even
the gold-lit dome of a Mosque!
A seventh-grade student said, “I
thought it was a nice way to view historical
monuments in Washington, DC and
it was fun to be with our friends.” As we
gazed outside and stuck our hands out
of the sides of the boat, we saw overhead
big planes flying just a couple of meters
above us! It was thrilling to hear the
loud motors of the plane and to see its
red lights just above our heads! Noah S.
said, “I personally really liked the river
cruise because I thought it was very
peaceful compared to the bustling day
trying to get to Washington.” Laura G.
added, “It was great to see the sites from
the water rather than by bus, and a nice
place to talk with my friends.” ◆
Everyone is reading the
Heschel Herald; Be in the
know: don’t be left out!
The Joseph Slifka Middle School May 2012 ◆ 5

Washington Trip
The Spy Museum, Bugged
By Sonia Epstein
The bus, crowded with teacher
chaperones and seventh graders clutching
electronic gadgets of all sorts, pulled
to a stop outside of the International Spy
Museum in Washington, DC. This activity
was sure to be like none of the other
visits to museums the seventh grade had
participated in that morning: this was a
scavenger hunt.
Upon exiting the bus, the students
and teachers entered the museum, looking
curiously about, as they were lead
passed several exhibits on their way
upstairs. Finally, they arrived in a spacious
room, occupied by five tables, each
assigned a name: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie,
Delta, and Echo. The students hurried
to find a seat, and once everyone had
settled down, the tour guides began to
explain how the scavenger hunt would
operate. Each table would act as a team.
A leader was chosen from each of these
five teams, and handed a packet of questions
to share with their team. An envelope
was also presented to the leaders.
Inside were bugs; pieces of paper to represent
the devices spies place on people
they believe to be performing suspicious
activities. If a team were to successfully
plant a bug undetected on another team,
the team who hid the bug would receive
ten points. Lastly, each team was given
a short quiz, containing questions relating
to espionage. Team Bravo scored the
highest, giving them a slight advantage.
Finally, the teams were brought to the
doorway one by one, and told to begin.
Excitement ensued among the
teams. Rushing about the building trying
to acquire the necessary data and
bugging the other teams while avoiding
potential buggers made the time fly by.
The topics of the questions ranged from
information on the earliest methods of
espionage to famous spies to code words.
Navigating the unfamiliar building put
the teams at a disadvantage, and the
guards were none too eager to be of any
assistance. Nevertheless, by the time the
teams gathered in the lobby, each had
found the answers to several questions.
The tour guides collected the question
booklets and points were tallied. “Bravo”
was triumphant, securing first place
with over a hundred points.
Coupons for the gift shop were
awarded to all participants, and the
next half hour was devoted to combing
through the store and buying tee shirts,
pens and other souvenirs. Many students
thought visiting the International
Spy Museum was an exciting experience,
though expressed minor disappointments.
“I thought the game was fun, but
I was disappointed when we couldn’t
look in the museum in more depth.” says
Ella Kaplun. Another seventh grader
agreed that it was a fun experience, but
commented that “we didn’t really have
enough time.” A final seventh grader
noted that the “teams were too big.”
Overall, the scavenger hunt was a component
of the seventh grade Washington
DC trip filled with excitement and the
thrill of competition. ◆
6 ◆ Heschel Herald, Volume 2, Issue 4 The Abraham Joshua Heschel School

ebooks, cont’d from page 1
some ebooks help to engross children
in their reading; this, they say, leads to a
lasting passion and enjoyment for reading,
positive future reading habits, and
an improvement in a child’s development
as a reader. On the other
side, are educators who oppose
the adaption of the
ebook in the classroom.
These educators believe
that the additional features that are
offered on a number of these digital devices
can prove to be distracting to children
and might impede their ability to
develop new literary skills as they read.
In order to acquire further insight
about ereaders, Stephanie Entin, the
Lower School librarian, and Robin Skolnik,
the Middle School librarian, were
asked a series of questions, so that they
could express their personal opinions on
ebooks. One question asked is whether
they believe that a major flaw in ebooks
is that it does not address a child’s need
for interaction with their parents. The librarians
were also asked to explain their
views on the ebook and whether they believe
it is inferior or superior to a physical
book. Interestingly, they hold two
very different beliefs. Stephanie is an immense
supporter of ebooks and the integration
of technology into our education.
She believes that ebooks are interactive
and that a child can still be involved and
focused when using an ebook. When explaining
her perspective, Stephanie said,
Robin Skolnik, Middle School Librarian
“Appreciating literature can be done
in so many ways. Ebooks are simply a
new platform in which to enjoy literature.”
Stephanie added, “This platform
has not been utilized to
its full potential” and
believes that it will be interesting
to observe how the
ebook will develop in the future.
Stephanie noted that physical
books help stimulate multiple
senses such a vision and touch. Robin
is a strong supporter of physical books.
She believes that there is, “Great value
in the books themselves as objects.” She
also stated that while she is a strong supporter
of printed books, she understands
that ebooks are strongly appealing to
youth, and does not, “discount their potential.”
Indeed, Robin acknowledged
that the Middle School is beginning to
integrate ebooks into its educational system,
and recently purchased a number of
ereaders for our library. While Robin is
open to accepting e-books as part of student’s
education, she still holds firm in
her opinion that ebooks are in fact inferior
to the original paper book. She also
provided this intriguing analogy comparing
traditional paper books to candles
stating that, “In the past, candles
were considered a crucial and irreplaceable
part of our lives. However, after the
invention of electrically powered lights
became more accessible to the general
public, the use of candles for providing
light was abandoned.” Robin and others
hope that printed books do not become
the candles of the future.
Overall, it appears that ereaders are
here to stay. It is odd to think that our
generation may be the last to grow up
on traditional paper books. Perhaps we
should save and put away our favorite
books for the future, when we can show
our grandchildren the “candle” of our
past. In the meantime, let’s all just keep
reading in whatever form is best for each
of us. ◆
Itamar Oron and Benji Ashley doing pizza math.
Pizza, cont’d from page 1
they found that they were mathematically
correct to believe that kosher pizzas
are more expensive.
Students found that the best buy
for local kosher pizza is Cafe Viva, on
Broadway and 97th Street, where a 14-
inch pizza sells for $9.25—or six cents
per square inch. That is lower than some
non-kosher pizza prices! Also in the
running was Pizza Pete’s on Columbus
Avenue, which sells an 18-inch pie for
$16.75—or seven cents per square inch. ◆
Chairs, cont’d from page 1
spinning the chair, it creates an odd
creaking noise, which may get the sitter
ejected from class for creating a
disturbance.
One of the most comfortable chairs
in the school is the standard teacher
chair, which spins 360 degrees, goes up
and down, and is shaped for a person’s
back. But some people claim that the
chair is over-padded. The standard chair
in school, the blue student’s chair, has
metal legs and a hard plastic seat. It’s
back reclines at an angle, and is also
made of plastic. Both the back and the
seat are curved.
In the end, despite the number of
comfortable chairs in the school, the
most comfortable, handy, popular
place to sit in the school is still... the
staircase. ◆
The Joseph Slifka Middle School May 2012 ◆ 7

Heschel Celebrates Yom Ha’Atzmaut
Heschel Remembers Yom Hazikaron
8 ◆ Heschel Herald, Volume 2, Issue 4 The Abraham Joshua Heschel School

Welcome Back 8th Grade!!!!!
We Missed You!!!
A Report From Israel
By Rabbi Jack Nahmod
April 25, 2012—When I last wrote, we
were preparing for Shabbat in the Negev,
at Kibbutz Yahel. After a restful
and spirited Shabbat, we woke up early
Sunday morning to drive north to Masada.
Although the hike up was steep
and challenging,
many students were
able to finish it in
less time than they
thought it would
take. Once on top,
we were able to use
a Torah scroll provided
by the park
service for a special
Rosh Chodesh
Tefillah. It was
particularly meaningful
to be able to
worship freely in a
place where once we
could not.
After a quick
descent and a salty
and muddy respite
at the Dead Sea, we
proceeded north
to stay one night
in Netanya, on the Mediterranean. On
Monday morning we visited the Aaronsohn
house in Zikhron Yaakov, one
of the first places that modern Zionists
chose to begin our rebuilding process as
a nation. It is incredible to travel a relatively
short amount of time by bus and
go from arid desert to green hills and
valleys with flowing water! We hiked
in and around Mount Carmel, the site
of one of the most dramatic prophetic
moments in our history, when Eliyahu
challenges 450 false prophets. We then
planted trees (see below) before visiting
Tiberias for an introduction to the
Kineret (see below) and a chance to get
some ice cream.
We arrived in Alon Tavor on Monday
night, where we still are today. Yesterday
morning began with a visit for
some to Sylvia’s gravesite (a picture of
the cemetery is below) and, for others,
to a peak above Rosh Pina to see a view
of the Galil. We then went to Tzefat to
explore our spiritual roots, differences
between Sefardim and Ashkenazim, and
our taste for falafel and shwarma. From
there we went kayaking, where it seems
the point was really to see how wet we
could get our friends in the other kayaks
(very wet, it turns out). This rounded
out our exposure to Israel’s major waters,
from the Gulf of Eilat to the Dead Sea, to
the Mediterranean, to the Kineret, and
finally the Jordan River.
Last night, after returning to Alon
Tavor for dinner, we joined the community
of Hoshaya for their Yom HaZikaron
ceremony. One of our Israeli madrichim
was able to arrange for our class
to meet with 8th graders of Hoshaya
beforehand, and it seemed that many of
them connected nicely, speaking a combination
of Hebrew and English. Then,
when the official program began, our
school was officially welcomed by the
entire community. The ceremony was
meaningful and moving, memorializing
all those residents or
relatives of residents
of Hoshaya who lost
their lives while
serving in the army
and from other
attacks.
This morning
we learned about
another early pioneer
in the Galil,
Rachel the Poetess,
before joining the
Yom HaZikaron
ceremony of Degania,
which was the
first kibbutz. We
then took a hike in
Karnei Hitim, a hill
with historical significance
not only
for the Jewish people
but also for Muslims
and Christians. Now the group is
resting in anticipation of tonight’s Yom
HaAtzmaut celebration in Tiberias!
Tomorrow we are headed for Jerusalem
after we participate in the national
custom of visiting an army base. We will
join other schools for a picnic before
marking our arrival in Jerusalem with
an art activity at the Tayelet.
All in all, the trip has been amazing,
with a variety of activities and many different
encounters with history and issues
of identity. I look forward to being in
touch again soon! ◆
The Joseph Slifka Middle School May 2012 ◆ 9