Volume 9 Issue 1,October 2010 - The Heschel School

‏ְחשוןׁ‏ ה“תשע‘‏ א
October 2010 2010
Helios Volume 9 Issue 1 Volume 9 Issue Page 11
The Official Student Newspaper
of the
Abraham Joshua Heschel
High School
“We stand for what we utter…”
- Rabbi Heschel
By Anna Rothstein
Seniors Install “Wall of Memories”
By Gabriel Fisher
Beneath a mural of memories, Heschel seniors enjoy a free period. Photographed by Cara Leiderman
Students Ponder Time Management
At any given moment, at least one student can usually
be heard in the hallways complaining about the workload
and the current stress level.
Senior Mia Appelbaum said, “My workload this
year is very rigorous and it’s stressful to have college applications
on top [of everything else].”
In order to combat stress and a heavy workload,
Heschel students have developed study techniques that allow
them to work efficiently. Most polled Heschel students
seemed to agree that studying in a quiet, clean area, like the library,
helps them learn the
material best. Senior Nico
Ravitch explained that he
needs a “quiet, peaceful
atmosphere” in order to
study, and prefers to do his
work at school. Others said
they like to study in their
room with the door closed.
According to senior
Ciara Sidell, studying
on the subway is definitely
the smartest way to go.
Sidell commented, “My
favorite place to study is
on the train to school. Although
I like studying in
my room and on my couch,
I tend to learn more if I am
sitting on the subway with
a study guide in hand. I
won’t take my computer
out on the subway, and that
takes away a possible distraction.”
While many students agreed with Sidell and find
it distracting to study with an open computer, others find it
more efficient to study on video chat with a friend.
Though all students develop different work techniques,
one of the key issues that most students struggle with
is procrastination.
Judith Tumin, ninth grade dean, commented on students’
procrastination and the intense workload. She noted
that there are a couple of different factors for why kids stay
up so late doing work or studying. The first factor is that
“there is something about the way a student focuses on homework
that makes it take longer than it would ever need to.”
Tumin believes that students would be able to do their work
much faster if they did not procrastinate, spending time on
their computers or watching T.V.
Another factor that, according to Tumin, intensifies
the Heschel workload is that “there is no such thing as 30
minutes of homework for over 60 kids. You’re good at math,
Illustration By Julie Maschler
you’re not good at math. You write quickly, you write
slowly.” Tumin explained that because all students
work at different paces, it is difficult for teachers to create
assignments that will only take roughly 30 minutes
for all students to complete.
Students are also, as Tumin pointed out, “legitimately
tired” after a long day of school and that
“slows them down.” Their drowsiness makes them less
efficient workers.
Tumin made it clear that the objective of the
30-minute homework rule is to help teachers be mindful
that students are receiving assignments from many
different classes, and
cannot have too much
work in one specific
class.
Twelfth grade
dean Natan Kapustin
agreed with Tumin
on this point and in
addition said, “Thirty
minutes is a legitimate
compromise between
too much work
per class on the one
extreme, and too little
time per class on the
other, with the understanding
that less
time than that makes
it difficult for teachers
to assign substantive
work.”
Benedict Carey,
a staff writer for The
New York Times, published an article on September 6
discussing effective study techniques. He noted in particular
that psychologists have discovered that it is better
to move around to different rooms when studying.
The reason for this, as a senior author of the experiment
stated, is that “when the outside context is varied, the
information is enriched, and this slows down forgetting.”
This would mean that students should not study
only on the subway or only in school. Carey suggested
that students vary their work environments.
Another effective technique, Carey noted, is
to study various types of material within one sitting.
He said, “Musicians have known this [method] for
years, and their practice sessions often include a mix of
scales, musical pieces and rhythmic work.”
According to Tumin, study techniques are not
only important for high school students. Tumin said,
“Time management is a critical skill to live in the real
world.”
Pictures are slowly spreading across the walls
of the second floor. The once bare walls are increasingly
filled with an array of photographs of seniors at
different moments in their lives. The eclectic assortment
of pictures ranges from snapshots taken during
video chats to 7th grade class photographs from Heschel
middle school.
The wall of memories began by chance. One
day senior Rachel Weisberg decided to hang a picture
she thought was amusing on the wall by the senior
nook, the official hangout spot for the 12th grade class.
“I was with Jenny [Katz] and she was coloring
and I thought it would be a funny idea to take a picture
of her coloring and put it up in the nook,” Weisberg
said. “And then the next day I came to school and other
people had started putting up pictures.”
What began as an isolated event slowly gained
steam as the walls by the Beit Midrash began to be
flooded with funny and embarrassing pictures of the
class of 2011.
The photos tell the story of a grade that has
grown close over its four years together in high school.
Some students feel that the pictures represent all that
is great about their grade and about Heschel’s culture.
David Zemmol, a junior, said that the pictures “show
the friendship that exists within the school and it shows
how close they [the seniors] are as a grade and how
much fun they had in their time at Heschel.”
Continued on Page 3
Is the Ground Zero Mosque
Really a Mosque?
By Becca Schwarz
Recent newspaper headlines have been filled
with controversy over the plans to build an Islamic community
center two blocks away from where the Twin
Towers stood nine years ago. Since first presented on
May 5, the proposal for the project that has variously
been called variously “The Ground Zero Mosque,” “Cordoba
House,” and “Park51” has sparked major conflict
across the country. With the emergence of the proposed
project, Americans, and New Yorkers in particular, have
been forced to confront their attitudes regarding 9/11,
Islam, and freedom of religion.
A large part of this heated debate concerns the
religious character of the center, but is the “Ground Zero
Mosque” really a mosque?
The project’s original name, Cordoba House,
refers to the city of Córdoba, Spain, famous as a model
of harmonious coexistence among Jews, Christians, and
Muslims between the 8th and 11th centuries. Though the
center’s name was changed to reflect the building’s location
on Park Place, its stated mission remains consistent
with the name’s initial iteration.
According to the Park51 website, the center’s
goals are “pluralism, service, arts and culture, health and
healing” and to “encourage dialogue, harmony and respect
amongst all people, regardless of race, faith, gender
Continued on Page 6
Do you think the mosque should be built at
Ground Zero? (What You Voted)
Yes- 54%
Undecided- 12%
No-12%
Another Location-22%

Page 2 Helios Volume 9 Issue 1 October 2010
Heschel Community Focuses on Respect
A main goal of the Heschel community
is to create a respectful and peaceful
environment among faculty and students.
We make it a point at Heschel High
School to be open to the ideas, beliefs, and
opinions of others. The story of Tyler Clementi,
the Rutgers freshman who committed
suicide after a video of him engaged in
sexual acts was posted on the internet, and
the controversy over the proposed Islamic
community center near Ground Zero serve
as examples of the types of incivility we
should learn from and avoid in our community.
Judaism teaches us to treat others
as we would like to be treated. When
we were little, our parents and our teachers
looked to make sure we weren’t stealing
anyone’s markers or pushing other children
around. However, as we grow older, it is
no longer their responsibility to enforce
respectful behavior. In high school, the responsibility
is passed into the hands of the
students to regulate behavior among themselves.
We are entrusted with the task of
being respectful towards our friends and
classmates as well as towards people whom
we do not know.
This means that we must be respectful
towards all people regardless of
their race, religion, gender, financial status,
or sexual orientation.
In the controversy over the proposed
Islamic center near Ground Zero,
many people have equated all Muslims
with terrorists. People reason that it would
be dishonorable to those who died in the
terrorist attack on September 11, 2001
to show respect to Muslims by permitting
them to build an Islamic Center a few
blocks away.
Editorial
As Jewish teenagers and as Heschel
students, we should know better. Just
because it was a Muslim terrorist group
that crashed into the twin towers does not
mean that all Muslims are radical extremists.
Anyone could be a terrorist. Even Jews
have committed acts of terror, like Baruch
Goldstein, who, in 1985, murdered 29
Muslims as they were praying in Hevron.
All Jews are not terrorists because of the
horrible acts of Baruch Goldstein. So too, it
is unjustified to accuse all Muslims of being
terrorists because a small minority has
committed reprehensible acts.
However, respect extends beyond
the labels we apply to others. We cannot
just accept the differences of others—we
must embrace them as well. The story of
Tyler Clementi should stand as a warning
to show us what happens when we are inconsiderate
of the identities of others.
Recently the Student Government
ran a town meeting activity that paired advisory
groups from different grades. The
activity was an effort to help students recognize
how their actions affect the people
around them. In all the advisories, we saw
how easy it was to disregard others either
intentionally or unintentionally. A text message
simply ignored can induce more pain
than we think. Gossip affects everyone.
Simply thinking beforehand can easily prevent
harmful actions.
Heschel students should be expected
to hold the utmost respect and understanding
for those around them. Whether it
be through the words we speak or the actions
we commit, Heschel students should
always make sure that we are not judging
based on assumptions and prejudices.
Helios Information and Policies
Helios is a newspaper published
approximately seven times a
year by the student staff of the Abraham
Joshua Heschel High School, 20
West End Avenue, NY, NY 10023.
Telephone: 212-246-7717. E-mail: helios@heschel.org.
Helios is distributed free to all
members of the student body. The publication
is a member of the Columbia
Scholastic Press Association.
Commentaries and opinion
columns are the expressed opinion of
the author and not of Helios and its
editorial board or its advisors. Furthermore,
the opinions are not those of the
Abraham Joshua Heschel School faculty
or administration.
Letters to the Editor must include
the writer’s name and class. Helios
will not print anything deemed
libelous, obscene, or in poor taste, in
accordance with the Supreme Court’s
justified standards. Rights are reserved
to postpone, edit, or withhold from
publication anything submitted which
does not meet the specifications. The
meaning of any submission will be not
altered, but we reserve the right to correct
spelling, grammar, and punctuation
when necessary. Additionally, Helios
refuses to print criticism that is not
constructive and supported by facts.
Helios will not intentionally
invade the privacy of any person and
will make every effort to correctly
spell names and make accurate class
and position identifications. Accurate
reporting of fact is the goal of the staff.
Opinions will be clearly
marked and found on the editorial
pages or as designated on other pages.
Corrections will be printed when mistakes
are found or brought to the attention
of the staff. Original stories will
carry bylines, although stories rewritten
by someone other than the original
author will not receive a byline.
Each issue will contain a staff
editorial; this editorial will represent
the views of the editorial staff on a
particular issue. The editorial does not
represent the views of all staff writers
and artists.
Members of the staff are guided
by the Code of Ethics of the Society
of Professional Journalists, which outlines
principles of responsibility, fairness,
and accuracy.
Wacky Weather Strikes and Strikes Again
By Aaron Ladds
When Ciara Sidell stepped
off the subway on the evening of September
17th, her street in Queens had
become a disaster zone. The sidewalk
had been partially uprooted, and debris
littered the sidewalk.
The reason for the destruction
on Sidell’s street was an unexpected
tornado that tore through New
York that evening. The sky turned to
an ash color before large raindrops began
to pour down on the city. The wind
reached speeds of 100 miles per hour,
tearing down trees and even killing one
Queens resident, who was crushed by a
falling tree.
Several Heschel students were
severely affected by the tornado. Rebecca
Cooper, a Heschel senior who
lives on Queens Boulevard, said that
“the ground was uprooted, and it made
it difficult to walk around Forest Hills
for a few days even after the storm.”
Ciara said, “Queens Blvd was a disaster,
part of a billboard had fallen
on the street, garbage cans were everywhere…
I also was forced to walk
three miles home from the subway.”
Many homes, including Sidell’s, lost
Illustration by Rebecca Schwarz
their power for several days.
The September 17 tornado
was not the only weather disaster to
affect Heschel students. On October
12, an unexpected thunderstorm
erupted during an otherwise warm
evening. The storm began at approximately
8:30 p.m., when thunder and
lightning lit up the night sky. Hail the
size of quarters fell in some parts of the
city. The storm did not let up until two
and a half hours later.
Helios Staff
2010-2011
Editors-in-Chief:
Gabriel Fisher
Emma Goldberg
Art and Layout Editors:
Gabrielle Belok
Talia Niederman
Sports Editor:
Gabriel Klausner
Contributing Writers:
Hana Joy Ain
Elliot Allen
Naomi Blech
Adam Chanes
Rebecca Cooper
Zachary Gaylis
Aaron Ladds
Shoshana Lauter
Esther Lenchner
Elizabeth Rauner
Anna Rothstein
Rebecca Schwarz
Gabrielle Sherman
Zachary Stecker
Contributing Artists:
Sasha Gayle-Schneider
Cara Leiderman
Rebecca Leeman
Julie Maschler
Shipley Mason
Elizabeth Rauner
Anna Rothstein
Rebecca Schwarz
Faculty and Staff:
Lisa Cohen
Gabe Godin
Audrey Sieger
Dena Schutzer
We would like to formally thank
Samuel Freedman. His dedication
has helped us move Helios to
the next level.
Printing courtesy of Tri-Star
Offset & Barry Goodman
20 West End Avenue
New York, New York 10023
Send your
comments
to
HS Newspaper on
First Class.

October 2010 Helios Volume 9 Issue 1 Page 3
Seniors Install “Wall of Memories”
Students make nook their own. Photograph by Cara Leiderman
By Adam Chanes
From Sunday, October 3,
through Tuesday, October 5, ten students
from the Abraham Joshua Heschel
High School met in Washington
with a representative of the American
Israel Public Affairs
Committee (AIPAC)
in order to learn lobbying
techniques.
The students
subsequently met with
an aide to Representative
Jerrold Nadler, a
Democrat from New
York. The group lobbied
Nadler’s staffer
on Israel-related matters.
A I P A C ,
founded in 1963, is an
organization that lobbies
Congress to support
Israel’s actions
and to maintain a strong USA-Israel
alliance. In recent years, AIPAC has
enhanced its lobbying efforts with the
president’s administration as well.
During this convention for
high school students, a representative
from AIPAC spoke to the students,
teaching them how to lobby and how
to be politically active. A way of getting
involved in political activism, said
the AIPAC rep, is by creating a relationship
with one’s congressman and
his aides. Additionally, the AIPAC
representative emphasized the need to
identify issues that could garner bipartisan
support in Congress, rather than
picking polarizing issues.
From First Page
Weisberg also believes that the photos help
underclassmen feel as though the seniors
are accessible. Weisberg said, “It helps the
seniors bond to the rest of the school
since we’re making fun of ourselves.”
The pictures have caught the eye
of every passerby. Many students who
walk by the hall on their way to class
stop to admire the pictures and sometimes
laugh. Some, however, are still confused
by their presence. Freshman Ben Davis
said, “I don’t understand why it’s there,
but it makes the school look fun.”
Rabbi Natan Kapustin, a Limudei
Qodesh teacher and the 12th grade dean, is
a big fan of the wall. “I personally love the
pictures that the senior class has put up in
the nook,” Rabbi Kapustin said. “The senior
nook has long been known informally
as the ‘senior nook’ but this year’s seniors
actually made it theirs, and made it into a
comfortable spot with character - it feels
like a fun place. I think it is an expression
of their fun-loving, expressive nature.”
Junior Maya Miller agreed, saying,
“I think it’s a fun and creative way
that the seniors choose to represent themselves.
I like it.”
However, the pictures have
caused a small controversy. On October
12, Assistant Direction of Admissions
Judy Ney requested that the seniors take
down the photos for the night so that the
school would look presentable for that
High School Students Attend AIPAC Lobbying Seminar
“AIPAC tries hard to pick bipartisan
issues that aren’t controversial, and I
respect and support that,” said Ethan
Finkelstein, a junior at Heschel.
After learning lobbying skills,
the students met with an aide to Representative
Nadler and lobbied him as
Heschel’s AIPAC team lobbies in Washington D.C. Photograph by Tamar Stein
“agents” of AIPAC. Three essential
issues were discussed with the aide.
Students lobbied in support of the Israel
foreign aid bill, which mandates
that Congress give $3 billion a year to
Israel. The students also lobbied for
sanctions against Iran to protect Israel
from Iran’s nuclear threat, and emphasized
the importance of working
with Israel (rather than on behalf of
Israel) so that the Palestinian Authority
and the Israelis negotiate directly
with each other in order to continue
the peace process.
Frustrating for the students
who attended AIPAC was the fact that
the congressional aide with whom they
met was not a foreign-policy staffer.
Skyler Siegel, a senior at Heschel, characterized
the meeting as “a bit pointless
to lobby someone who is not involved.”
Despite their frustrations, the
students did find AIPAC to be a rewarding
experience. At AIPAC, students
were given the opportunity
to think
about the politics
of Israel-related
issues, rather than
labeling themselves
“pro-Israel”
without thinking
deeply about the
issues.
Members of
Heschel’s Israel
Affairs club said
that they have
heard it suggested
that AIPAC refuses
to criticize any of
Israel’s actions.
However, Siegel and other students
who attended AIPAC said that AIPAC
accepts criticism of Israel, but believes
that direct criticism of Israel by America
does not strengthen the America-
Israel alliance.
As to whether there should be
school-wide AIPAC meetings, Siegel,
the co-coordinator of the Israel Affairs
club at Heschel, said, “I don’t think that
it is appropriate to have AIPAC educating
the entire school about Israel, …but
I do think that it is important for Heschel
students to get more involved in
the American political process and be
more cognizant of what is currently going
on in Israel.”
night’s open house for parents. Ney explained
her request, saying, that although
she loves them, “The pictures are just
messy. We just wanted them [the seniors]
to take it down for the open house because
it’s important to us that the school looks
clean. We just don’t want the parents to
get the wrong message or to take it the
wrong way.”
By the next morning, the photos
were already back up on the wall.
Zoe Grossman, a senior and a
strong proponent of the senior picture
wall, sympathized with Ney’s request. Zoe
believed that without proper context, outsiders
who are unfamiliar with the easygoing
environment of Heschel could misinterpret
the purpose of the photographs.
“I think the pictures do say a lot
about our school and how much of a warm
environment there is,” Grossman said.
“But with that said, prospective parents
and students can take them the wrong way.
Taken out of context, people could interpret
the pictures to mean that Heschel is
not a serious work environment.”
For now, the senior wall of pictures
is here to stay, and some are even optimistic
that seniors in years to come will
continue to mark their territory by putting
up funny photographs.
Asked what she thought of the
pictures becoming a tradition, Weisberg
said, “it would be nice if we could leave
our mark on the school in a creative way.”
Epitome
Takes Home
the Gold
By Emma Goldberg
Heschel stresses a non-competitive
environment, but in pursuing
the goal of “learning for learning’s
sake,” literary journal staff-members
have picked up a gold medal along
the way. On October 14th, it was announced
that Epitome, the Heschel
High School literary journal, has received
a gold circle award from the
Columbia Scholastic Press Association
(CSPA).
Eleventh grade dean Sandra
Silverman is the faculty advisor
for Epitome, and the staff consists
of grade representatives who solicit
peers to create poetry, fiction, photography,
and art for the journal.
Staff members are also encouraged
to learn how to design and layout a
literary journal.
CSPA facilitates an annual
contest that judges high school literary
journals, newspapers, and yearbooks
from across the country. Gold
Circle Awards represent the highest
level of achievement and, according
to CSPA, “recognize superior work
by student journalists…as an entire
staff working with either print or online
media.”
Epitome was not only awarded
gold circle accolades, but also
received additional honors for organization.
Junior Daelin Hillman
received a gold circle award for his
photograph featured in Epitome,
“Manhattan Circle.”

Page 4 Helios Volume 9 Issue 1 October 2010
Heschel Offers
New Minyanim
By Hana Joy Ain
In the Heschel School, t’fillah
is mandatory. The school has a variety
of minyanim that any student or
teacher can join. The two traditional
services, the egalitarian minyan and
the orthodox minyan, are led in Ashkenazic
tradition.
A group of students have taken
it upon themselves to create a Sephardic
minyan. Having a Sephardic
minyan is important to many students
who are part of the Sephardic community.
Junior Louis Ades said, “I’m
more accustomed to Sephardic prayers
and it makes me feel more at home in
the school.” Alex Hedaya, also a junior,
said, “I’m a Syrian Jew and that’s
where my dad wanted me.”
Many people feel that it is
an excellent idea for students to start
new minyanim. Rabbi Dahlia Kronish,
head of Jewish student life and t’fillah
coordinator, said, “…it is wonderful
when students think reflectively about
their t’fillah experiences and come
up with new possible minyanim that
would hopefully meet their t’fillah
goals in a different way.”
She also stated that it isn’t
easy to start a new minyan. “Aside
from the logistics involved –finding a
facilitator, space, ensuring that there is
sufficient student interest – when we
start a new minyan, we need to identify
its purpose and vision. What goals
will it accomplish that other minyanim
do not?”
“Opening different
minyanim allows
students to explore
t’fillah from various
perspectives.”
-Rabbi Dahlia Kronish
Having such a large range of minyanim
with different goals allows students
to meet and make new friends
from different grades. “It increases the
diversity of the school’s curriculum,
and helps more people become acculturated
to Heschel,” said Ades.
It makes the school a more interesting
place and allows students to
follow their interests and their beliefs.
“The school would be a much blander
place without all the different kinds of
people and their opinions and interests,
and to keep this school a lively
and engaging place, I think that students
should really advocate for what
they want and believe in, which includes
starting minyans.” said Marx-
Arpadi.
As Rabbi Dahlia said, “Opening
different minyanim allows students
to explore t’fillah from various
perspectives.”
Student Profile: Gabriel Benedict
By Gaby Sherman
Every fall, the halls of the
Heschel School are filled with new
faces. Usually those new students are
members of the freshman class, but this
year along with the rosy-cheeked freshmen
came Gabriel Benedict, a foreign
exchange student in the eleventh grade.
From the town of Lausanne,
near Geneva, Switzerland, Gabe took
part in an exchange program as an opportunity
to better his English-speaking
skills and to study abroad for a few
months. After spending his summer
vacationing around America, he settled
with his host family on the Upper West
Side to live like a New Yorker for two
months.
It didn’t take Gabe long to
adjust to his new surroundings, even
though there are vast differences
between the Heschel School and the
school that Gabe attends in Lausanne.
Gabe said that the unique studentteacher
relationship that exists at Heschel
is significantly different from the
system at home. At Heschel, he said,
there is less pressure on the student to
participate for the full duration of the
class; though Heschel students are encouraged
to participate and speak their
minds, students will receive attention
from their teachers even if they choose
not to speak up. In Swiss schools, the
teachers will not approach students; it
is up to the student to get the teacher’s
attention by constantly participating.
In addition to the academic differences,
Heschel’s social life also initially
perplexed the Swiss student, who
Teacher Profile: Gabriel Rubinson
By Lizzi Rauner
Native to Buenos Aires,
Argentina, Gabriel Rubinson has a
lot of experience with the Spanish
language. For years, Gabi, as he likes
to be called, has been teaching across
North America, South America and
even in Israel. “It runs in my blood,”
said Gabi as he explained his connection
to teaching; not only does he come
from five generations of teachers, but
Gabi’s grandparents were among the
first Hebrew teachers in Argentina and
opened one of the first Jewish schools
in Buenos Aires.
Gabi has many varied hobbies.
“The list could go on and on,” he said.
He “loves Netflix” and watching Spanish
and Middle Eastern foreign films in
his spare time.
Additionally, Gabi loves to
swim, dance, and draw. “When you
swim you feel like it’s magic, “ he
Gabriel Benedict Finds Heschel vastly different from his Swiss school.
Photograph By Elizabeth Rauner
has gained a myriad of nicknames,
ranging form “Swiss Miss” to
“Swiss Cheese.” Gabe wondered
about the purpose of Heschel’s
weekly advisory periods, finds
town meetings redundant, and is
puzzled by the games of ninja in
the hallways.
But Heschel’s environment
and the overall feeling of comfort
in the student community stems
from the open-mindedness of the
school’s mission statement and its
openness to Jews of all religious
backgrounds.
In Lausanne, there are
roughly two thousand Jews and
Gabi Rubinson is in his element teaching at Heschel. Photograph By Sasha Gayle Schneider
said, “You’re totally relaxed.”
Gabi feels a deep connection to
dancing as well. When he was
younger he participated in Israeli
dance groups that went to festivals
every year. The three-day Carmel
Festival in which Gabi participated
included representatives from different
provinces in Latin America.
One of Gabi’s greatest
talents is his ability to draw and
paint. Gabi won three drawing
awards as he grew up. Additionally,
Gabi participated in drama
and theatre classes at Buenos Aires
University where he studied Media
Art. Although he never considered
using these skills professionally,
Gabi dreamt of becoming at actor
as a child.
Before becoming a teacher,
Gabi held many different jobs.
Using his expertise in media, Gabi
worked in advertising and at the
one orthodox synagogue. Reform
Judaism is exceedingly rare, if it exists
at all. Before Gabe came to New
York, he did not realize how many
different types of practices there are,
and how many self-labeled categories
of Jews exist. While, in America,
religious distinctions have to do with
how observant one is, the main distinction
between Jews in Switzerland
is Sephardic versus Ashkenazi Judaism.
Regardless of the differences
between New York City and Lausuanne,
Gabe is greatly enjoying his
experience and hopes to visit again
soon.
Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires.
He worked for Steven Spielberg
as a Historical Content Analyst,
translating and cataloging videos of
Holocaust survivors from Hebrew
into English.
After working in different
fields of media, Gabi turned to his
natural profession: teaching. He first
taught Hebrew language at Kehillat
Israel in Pacific Palisades in Los
Angeles, California and then moved
to teaching Spanish at the Milken
Community High School in Los
Angeles. “Heschel is very similar to
Milken as far as the atmosphere and
the mission statement. The teaching
system is very similar, as well as
the warmth of my co-workers and
the Kehillah.”
Gabi moved to New York
recently, after several years in Los
Angeles. “New York has a environment
and lifestyle more similar to
Buenos Aires than LA does. Except
that here it is colder and it snows.
Other than that it is the same; the
people on the streets, the subways,
sophistication, [lots of] culture,
everything open [until] late, people
are straightforward, fast pace, energy.”
Teaching Jewish teenagers
satisfies Gabi’s love of teaching. “I
want them to enrich themselves as
human beings incorporating Spanish
with Jewish values.”
Gabi brings his fascination
with the fast-paced New York
lifestyle to his classroom. “I enjoy
the interactions that teenagers have
to offer, their enthusiasm and excitement
- they are always here for
more.”

October 2010 Helios Volume 9 Issue 1 Page 5
By Shoshi Lauter
By Naomi Blech
Dubai Plans a New City and a New Way of Living
In light of the recent spike in
teen suicides across the country, bullying
has surfaced as a hot topic, one
that is being discussed and debated in
schools and communities across the
country.
Eight teens committed suicide
due to bullying just in the month of
September.
Bullying exists within Heschel’s walls,
albeit in a very different form than the
kind that sparked the recent suicides.
Junior Jesse Tauber said
that, “it’s silent bullying with a lot
of gossip and rumor spreading.”
Many students said that
they do not see much bullying
occurring at Heschel. Heschel
is fortunate enough to be free of
violence between students. However,
silent bullying can be just as
harmful as physical harassment
and have the same devastating effects.
Based on his own experience, Jesse
said that this type of bullying
can make a teenager paranoid that
everyone is talking about him. It
made Jesse “feel like [he] wasn’t
wanted, to the point where [he]
was afraid to come to school.”
For Heschel students and
teenagers in general, cyberbullying
has become increasingly
easier due to applications such as
“formspring” and “honesty box”
that allow people to post offensive
comments to their peers anonymously.
Cyberbullying takes away yet another
safe haven for the students –they cannot
even escape their tormenters at the
end of the school day.
Senior Jacob Berger said, “I
think that people only bully other people
when they are insecure or maybe
they have been bullied themselves.”
Many students interviewed for this article
referred to this same dangerous
cycle.
Nehama Kramer recalled the
story of a girl who tortured her classmate
in school and on Facebook because
of her red hair. It was later discovered
that the bully’s original hair
color was also red, and she was teasing
her schoolmate because she was
insecure herself.
Tauber expressed the belief
Illustration By Gabrielle Belok
entists from Abu Dhabi are refining
plans to expand the city. Students
from all over the world go to this institute
to study eco-efficient, sustainable
living.
Aside from Masdar’s ecofriendly
features, Foster & Partners
plans to make Masdar visually stunning,
aesthetically modeled on ancient
Arab settlements. Despite the
city’s planned visual appeal, the
AFDEC has expressed concern that
Masdar may not attract permanent
that this cycle stems from schools,
communities, and families that teach
about right and wrong in definitive
terms and do not accept teens for who
they are. “Teens are being killed and
killing themselves,” Tauber said, because
they do not fit into the norms
that are taught to them from a young
age. Jesse himself talked about two
kids he knew personally, one who
committed suicide at the age of eleven
because he was bullied severely about
his race and sexuality, and one who
had to switch schools because of a
death threat.
If teens are told to believe that
only one value or lifestyle is correct, it
Picture a desert city perched
on a pedestal. This city has pedestrian-only
streets, and driverless cars
transports citizens through underground
tunnels.
In fact, this city will
soon exist. It will be called
Masdar, and the foundation
for its construction lies in the
middle of the Arabian Desert.
Construction of Masdar
will be completed by 2013,
and by 2020 the city will have
thousands of inhabitants.
Headed by the Abu Dhabi Future
Energy Company, the AD-
FEC, this new metropolis is to
be the first carbon-free, zerowaste,
solar-dependent city to
date. Masdar is to be an energy-efficient
utopia, setting an
example for a more environmentally
friendly world.
Foster & Partners, experts
in new-age technological
architecture, are designing
Masdar with many unique features.
Firstly , Masdar will be built
as a carless city, with streets only for
pedestrians. Driverless cars, running
on electricity, will move through tunnels
underground. They will transport
people throughout the city and
will navigate based on passenger instructions.
Masdar will also be lifted
off the ground and placed on a very
large pedestal, in order to take advantage
of the winds and solar heat
that surround the city. Winds will
cool down the temperatures in Masdar
by almost 70 degrees daily. 90%
of the city’s energy will come from
solar paneling, and the other 10%
will come from waste recycling.
Masdar currently consists of
a small science institute, where top
architects and environmental sciresidents.
It may be difficult for residents
to alter their lifestyles, adjusting
to a carless, elevated desert city.
Ideally, the AFDEC hopes to
attract residents of all ages-- not only
young students, but businesspeople,
families, and the elderly as
well.
Masdar is not the only city
“going green.” Manhattan
has also recently adopted a
sustainable initiative. In June
of 2009, construction was
completed for Mayor Michael
Bloomberg’s proposed
pedestrian walkway in Times
Square. This walkway reduces
traffic congestion in the
region, and encourages locals
to walk or take public transportation
in the area, rather
than driving.
The AFDEC hopes that Masdar
will stand as an example
to cities across the globe that
hope to tackle initiatives similar
to Mayor Bloomberg’s
pedestrian walkway. In the
mission statement for Masdar,
the AFDEC states, “Masdar City
will set a benchmark that will ultimately…provide
a functioning blueprint
for sustainable living around
the world.”
In Light of Recent Suicides Across the Country, Heschel Students Reflect on Bullying at Home
Illustration by Talia Niederman
can create a dangerous world for people
who do not live their lives in that
fashion.
The issue that Heschel faces
is how to prevent bullying when it is
silent, making it hard to detect.
The large number of students who responded
that bullying does not exist at
Heschel reflects the fact that not everyone
is affected by or cognizant of
its presence in the school. However,
the fact that even a few people claim
to be victims of such bullying proves
that it is an issue that should be addressed.
Many students stressed that
more of an adult presence could
help address the issue on some
occasions. Students expressed a
wish for a counselor who is more
present in their every day lives. It
is important to students to have a
person and a place that they can
go to for safety besides their advisory.
Ninth grader Elan Goldberg
said “Verbal bullying is something
that happens all the time through
gossip as well as just telling people
off. People need to learn how
to look at things from different
perspectives and think about how
they would feel if that happened to
you. It is definitely a serious problem
and undoubtedly something
worth addressing.”
If anything should help the
community be more conscientious
of its words, it is the memory of the
recent teen suicides. “What starts as
something funny,” said senior Hannah
Laytner, “more often than not, turns
into something hurtful.”

Page 6 Helios Volume 9 Issue 1 October 2010
Is the Ground Zero Mosque Really a Mosque?
From Page One
or cultural background.” They strive to
“revive the historic Muslim tradition of
education, engagement and service” and
offer social services to women, families,
children, seniors, and small business owners.
The building would be open to all
New Yorkers, no matter their religion.
The building plan calls for many
facilities, including a pool, basketball
court, gym, culinary school and restaurant,
library, art studios, exhibition space, childcare
services, and a September 11 memorial.
It would also have a prayer space,
which would occupy two of the building’s
thirteen stories and could accommodate
between 1,000 to 2,000 people. According
to the Cordoba Initiative Blog, the official
blog of the project, the prayer space
would, by definition, not be a mosque.
They argue that “certain aspects of Cordoba
House disqualifies [sic] it as a mosque,
including space for musical performance
or a restaurant, which are not allowed to
be in a mosque.”
So what is all the controversy
about? Based on Park51’s own website
and the building plans, the project and
amenities make it sound similar to the Upper
West Side’s JCC of Manhattan.
Those opposed to the center
claim that the construction of an Islamic
religious site, despite its many cultural
facilities, would be disrespectful to the
memory of those who died on 9/11. For
By Emma Goldberg
them, Ground Zero encompasses the surrounding
areas, not only the actual space
where the Twin Towers once stood. There
are two long-established mosques not far
from the proposed location—one twelve
blocks away from the site, and another just
four blocks away—but for some objectors,
particularly those who lost family or
friends in the attacks, no location can be
far enough.
Like their fellow New Yorkers,
Heschel students’ opinions range from
Heschel High School Dodges America’s AP-ization
Half a dozen students graduated
last year with highly-coveted college credit
on their resumes. The reason: Advanced
Placement. But it wasn’t easy.
Most schools, public and private,
offer AP courses that allow students
to place out of college courses, ranging
from world history, to biology, to calculus.
Heschel, however, has chosen not to offer
courses preparing students for the AP test.
The Heschel students who took the calculus
AP exam in May of 2010 did not study
the curriculum offered by College Board.
Rather, the students studied independently
for the test, participating in weekly study
sessions with Heschel calculus teachers
Edy Lucas and Bosi Kinar.
Said Heschel alum Aaron Freedman,
currently a freshman at Swarthmore
University, “¬It really was a difficult test.
I’d be lying if I said that we weren’t intimidated
walking into that testing room. I
don’t think that anyone found it easy, even
though we were given a lot of studying
support from Edy and Bosi.”
The AP program, launched by the
Ford Foundation in 1952, has stirred controversy
in high schools across the country.
Though the college credit offered is seen
as a boost in the college admissions process,
the exam is also known to be very
difficult. Many cite the test as a source of
competition and stress in United States
high schools.
Heschel history teacher Shmuel
Afek has previously taught in several
schools that do offer Advanced Placement
courses. Afek is “not a very big fan of AP
courses.”
According to High School Head
Ahuva Halberstam, “AP courses are a mile
wide, but only an inch deep. They cover a
great breadth of material, but they do not
explore the material deeply. At Heschel, we
pride ourselves on offering courses that are
interesting, deep, challenging, and suit the
culture of our school.” Halberstam also offered
several perks to attending a non-AP
school. “By not offering AP’s, we help to
promote a non-competitive school environment.
From the very beginning, Heschel
has always been against the idea of pitting
students against one another on exams
such as the AP. When you do that, you lose
the joy of learning.”
Junior Adiel Schmidt is also not
a fan of the AP. “We already have enough
stress with our dual curriculum,” Schmidt
said. “We don’t need the added stress and
competition of an AP course.”
For many students, the stress factor
appears not to be a deterrent. According
to the College Board, which has administered
the program since 1955, over
one million students across the United
States were in enrolled in AP courses in
2006 alone. By 2010, a record high 2.9
million students took the AP exam.
In an article dated June 13, 2010,
Newsweek journalist Jay Matthews referred
to the trend as the “AP-ization of
America.” Though Matthews warned that
Advanced Placement tests may be “taking
over our high schools,” many New York
schools—including Ramaz, Dalton, and
Fieldston-- have chosen a course similar
to Heschel’s, deciding to drop Advanced
Placement courses.
Judy Ney, Assistant Director of
Illustration by Shipley Mason
Illustration by Anna Rothstein
adamant support for the construction of
Park51 to the assertion that the mosque
should not be built. Students in support
of the center claim that while its presence
might offend the families of those who
died in the 9/11 attacks, the center must be
built to maintain America’s image as a free
country. Ilan Goldberg, a Heschel freshman,
said that “although it might be inappropriate
to build the mosque, it would
be against the Constitution not to allow it.
Senior Tzvi Pollock agreed, “Those who
High School Admissions, said that parents
often question her about Heschel’s decision
not to offer Advanced Placement courses.
“People definitely ask me about it,” Ney
said. She added that parents are often curious
as to whether this decision affects
college admissions. “It usually does not
end up as a problem though,” Ney added.
“I explain that Heschel does not believe in
teaching to the test. Our teachers like to expand
their curriculums, offering interesting
content that is not necessarily required by
College Board.” Ney said that this response
usually satisfies parents, and the AP is rarely
a negative factor when students deliberate
whether to come to the high school.
However, not all are as happy
about Heschel’s choice to dodge the AP
test, preferring a more noncompetitive atmosphere.
Some Heschel students and parents
have voiced the concern that lack of
Advanced Placement courses serves as a
drawback in college admissions.
According to junior Michael Cooperstein,
“I think Heschel should definitely
offer AP courses. It is a boost in the college
admissions process if students took an AP
course. Honors classes are challenging, but
they are not as prestigious as AP courses.
protest the Islamic center are undermining
everything our country stands for.”
However, some students feel that
the feelings of the families and friends of
the victims of the attacks must be taken into
account. Talia Niederman, a senior, said
that “the founders of the mosque should be
taking these people’s opinions into serious
account,” and proposed that “the project
should only move forward with approval
from the families of those who died on
9/11.”
Likewise, Sigal Palley, a sophomore,
said, “Why should families of the
9/11 victims have to go through the pain
of having a mosque by the place where
their loved ones died because of an Islamic
terrorist group?” She continued, “They
should build it at least a mile away.”
Of the thirty-nine Heschel students
surveyed about the project, only one
was firmly against it. Nehama Kramer, a
freshman, declared, “I absolutely hate the
idea of a mosque being at a place that was
destroyed partly because of a Muslim influence.”
Some students feel that not building
the center signifies giving in to religious
stereotyping. Asher Elbaz, a sophomore,
said that “many terrorists are Muslim, but
few Muslims are terrorists.”
Kathryne Prince, another sophomore,
supported the Park51 project, asserting
that “people need to realize that just
because certain people do horrible things,
the entire culture should not be blamed.”
They just don’t count for as much.”
Freedman, who took the AP in
May of last year, had an overall positive
experience with the test. “The truth is, the
people who worked hard and studied a lot
were satisfied and found it to be a really
good experience. If you feel confident in a
certain subject, taking the AP really can’t
hurt, and it is very beneficial in terms of
placing out of courses in college.”
Matthews of Newsweek corroborates
Freedman’s view, and adds that the
Advanced Placement exam is, “virtually
required for any student who wants to get
into a selective college.” The Advanced
Placement exams are seen as a boost for
college admissions, setting apart students
who are able to tackle the difficult coursework
of an AP class.
Heschel college advisor Micki
Talmadge does not see AP exams as a college
prerogative. “Colleges evaluate students
based on the courses offered by their
schools. If a school offers AP’s and a student
decides to take an AP course, that’s
great. But colleges can’t evaluate students
based on courses they are not offered.”
Halberstam added that, “colleges
are not permitted to discriminate against
schools that do not offer the AP in the admissions
process.” Halberstam also said
that because every university has its own
varying advanced placement policy, taking
an AP course in high school does not guarantee
college credit.
According to Talmadge, Heschel
has its own assets to boost students in the
college admissions process. “Heschel is
seen as a school that offers rigorous academics,
even without offering AP courses.”
Afek voiced support for Talmadge’s
view that AP courses are not
necessary in Heschel’s serious learning
environment. “In the schools that I have
formerly taught in, the main reason that
they offered AP courses was to demonstrate
to parents that they had rigorous academics,”
Afek said. “Heschel doesn’t need
to prove anything to parents. We demonstrate
our serious academics every day in
all of our classrooms.”

October 2010 Helios Volume 9 Issue 1 Page 7
Fun in The Sun: Heschel Students’ Summer Adventures
By Zachary Stecker
With the final bell
on the eighteenth of June,
2010, summer vacation officially
began. Excitement and
enthusiasm raced through
Heschel’s halls as students
eagerly discussed their plans
for the next two and a half
months. Some would spend
their break from school in
summer camp, others would
simply cherish it as a little
bit of quiet time at home.
A number of Heschel
students, however,
went on to spend the summer
months working on
various internships.
Notably, senior
Tobias Citron worked as
an intern for Jared Pollis,
a Colorado congressman.
Representative Pollis,
a 35-year-old Jewish
congressman, is the only
person ever to be elected
to congress as an openly gay man. As an
intern, Citron “answered calls, responded
to constituent mail,” and had the privilege
of attending “some briefings and hearings
about different issues hosted by different
congresspersons and organizations.”
“The coolest part,” recalled Citron,
“was being able to go basically anywhere
in the capitol, or on Capitol Hill,
including the underground tunnels that
run through the whole complex.”
Working for a politician included
some moments Tobias found particularly
amusing. “I was repeatedly cursed
at on the phone,” he said, “and I was told
that [the idea of] Iran’s nuclear capabilities
was a conspiracy concocted by the
American Israel Public Affairs Committee.”
While Citron spent his time
working on Capitol Hill for his country,
other students chose to devote their sum-
Heliostyle: Silly Bandz Have
Lots of Fanz!
By Gabi Ben-Yaish
Silly Bandz have become a viral
obsession among America’s youth. These
silicone animal-shaped bracelets are now
a nation-wide trend. Although Silly Bandz
became a fashion statement over a year
ago, the fad has continued to grow.
Silly Bandz are now estimated to
be a $200 million industry, and could grow
to become a billion dollar industry. Even
celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker, Mary-
Kate Olsen, and Justin Bieber have been
spotted sporting the bracelets. Silly Bandz,
formerly sold only in clothing stores, are
now being sold at local drugstores, toy
stores, and delicatessens.
The trend has hit Heschel High
School as well. According to junior Leeza
Gavronsky, “people used to think that Silly
Adam Cole poses with friends in Ecuador. Photograph by Adam Cole
Heschel students are Silly Bandz fanz! Photograph By Rebecca Leeman
Bandz were kind of lame, but I’ve definitely
seen a big increase in the number of
Silly Bandz around the Heschel hallway.
They’ve become so popular.”
Heliostyle TREND REPORT:
One of my personal favorite trends this
season fits perfectly with the Heschel
dress code. Maxi skirts are coming back!
Maxi skirts—which are much longer than
the average skirt-- are a fashionable way
to stay covered up, while still looking
cute. My suggestion is to pair them with
a crop top, or any basic tee to maintain
the casual look. As for footwear, I would
suggest wearing a combat boot, oxford or
flat. The beauty of the Maxi is that you
can wear anything with it because of its
versatility, making it an easy, yet stylish,
wear.
mers to traveling abroad, with a focus
on donating time and resources to another
community.
Junior Adam Cole, journeyed to Ecuador
with fourteen strangers – twelve
teenagers and two adults – for three
weeks, the first of which was set aside
for community service. Based in the nation’s
Capital, Quito, Cole and his peers
worked with orphans known as niños de
Movie Review: Never Let Me Go
By Esther Lenchner
Never Let Me Go is a movie
adaption of a dystopian novel written
by the Japanese-English author Kazuo
Ishiguro. The movie was directed by
Mark Romaneck (One Hour Photo), and
stars Carrey Mulligan (An Education),
Andrew Garfield (The Social Network,
star of the upcoming Spiderman), and
Keira Knightley (Pirates of the Caribbean).
The characters
of Mulligan,
Garfield,
and Knightly
meet as children
in Hailsham, a
boarding school
with an ominous,
eerie atmosphere.
All of the students
at the school
wear electronic
bracelets that they
swipe whenever
they enter or leave
a building. The
school administration
claims to take
all measures to
care for the health
of the students.
However,
as the plot thickens,
the audience learns that the children
are being raised in order to be harvested
for their organs, and will eventually be
killed when they have no more organs
left to donate. The children are blissfully
unaware of this until a teacher, frustrated
la calle – literally “children
of the street” – who are taken
off of the street and given
jobs to help get them back on
their paths.
“We hung out with
them, played soccer with
them, we taught them some
English,” said Cole. Overall,
he said, “It was pretty awesome.”
Cole spent his second
week working on an organic
farm, where he learned about
the advantages of permiculture,
the philosophy by
which the farm’s inhabitants
live, which prohibits them
from wasting anything.
On a typical farm day,
Cole would “wake up at
5:30 AM, feed the chickens,
harvest food for dinner, and
eat breakfast.” He said that
“everything [on the farm] is
covered in manure.” After a
while though, “you get used
to it.”
Cole spent his third and final
week on the Galapagos Islands, doing
what he describes as “standard Galapagos
activities,” including mountain biking
and swimming with baby sharks.
As people often say about experiences
such as these, “the best part was
the people I was with,” said Cole. “That’s
really what I think about when I look
back on those fond memories.”
with the ignorance of the children, informs
them of their fates.
Andrew Garfield stars in a lead
male role. His character is innocent and
lovable, but his innocence is painful
to watch, as he tries to postpone his organ
donations and ultimately his time
of death. At one point, Garfield gives a
heart-wrenching scream that expresses all
of his pent-up frustration over the life he
must lead, which is designed to optimize
his organ donation potential.
Though Garfield’s
story is one
of heart-wrenching
tragedy, Mulligan’s
story centers
on her childhood
crush. Throughout
her boarding
school years, Mulligan
expresses a
deep love for Garfield.
However,
this affection is
disrupted by the relationship
between
Knightly and Garfield
that develops
throughout their
years at boarding
school. Mulligan’s
frustration over her
unrequited love,
intertwined with
her pain and repressed emotions, heightens
the emotional content of the film.
Mulligan, Garfield, and Knightley
all give touching performances and
leave the audience moved, in an emotional
state that cannot be shaken off.

Page 8 Helios Volume 9 Issue 1 October 2010
SPORTS
Fantasy Sports Take Over
Heschel High School
Hidden Gems
The
Inglorious Bastards
(1978)
By Gabriel Klausner
Year after year, the girls
Varsity Volleyball team is a top contender.
With a fresh roster, including
three starting juniors, this year’s
team is full of talent. For these girls,
the season started early, with preseason
workouts beginning in mid-
August.
The squad has won six of its
first eight games, and with one more
remaining, looks to close out the
regular season on a high note. Team
captains Jenny Katz, Hannah Laytner,
and Charlotte Marx-Arpadi all
expressed great optimism and high
expectations, saying that the team’s
hard work since day one has paid
off. This group is more than capable
It has infested the world,
this generation, and this school with
its drafts, free agents, and trade proposals,
taking over life in the classroom
and at home. The pandemic
is fantasy sports, and it isn’t going
away anytime soon.
Small colonies of students
gather at the beginning of every
professional sports season, drafting
players to be on their fantasy teams.
Each player’s statistics are tallied
up as part of those of the fantasy
team’s, as teams go head to head
in a race for the league championship.
Now, the majority of students,
mostly female, are crying out: “Do
these guys not have a life? I mean, a
fake league with fake teams, this is
an embarrassment to humankind!”
However, according to Heschel
seniors Daniel Kressel and Jacob
Feld, this phenomenon is more
than a little fantasy world. Kressel
said, “Fantasy sports is a large piece
of our social activity both in school
and at home. There is a lot on the
line, this is high stakes gaming, and
those who are involved take it quite
seriously.” The “stakes” that Kressel
refers to is a winner-take-all pot
of upwards of $300 or $400. Feld
said the money aspect is “extra incentive
and brings the level of interest
and dedication one step higher.”
When pressed about the gambling
piece of the equation, they both
were quick to point out that a Ramaz
School fantasy basketball league recently
started with a $300 buy-in per
team, leading to a $3,600 pot. With
big bucks on the line, a fantasy team
general manager understandably approaches
running his squad with the
utmost attention and discipline.
The question, though, is
how the obsession came about? For
fantasy general manager and Heschel
senior Alec Rudin it was quite
simple. “Fantasy sports are perfect
for me because I don’t have the athleticism
to compete in real life, nor
can I run a professional sports team
– this is the closest I can get to the
real competition.”
For fantasy sports devotees,
managing a team in cyberspace is
the first step towards the dream of
real-life managing prowess.
Heschel Heat Volleyball Once
Again A Top Contender
By Zachary Gayliss
of winning the championship.
Despite the squad’s overall
success, they feel somewhat neglected
by the school. The crowd
was nearly non-existent at the team’s
home opener, something that would
never happen at a Varsity Boys basketball
game. The team deserves
more attention considering the talent
on its roster.
The captains made it known
that with more support from the fans,
they will feed off the increased energy
and continue to thrive.
By Elliot Allen
Hello, readers. The first film
I would like to discuss is The Inglorious
Bastards, known in Italian as
Quel maledetto treno blindato, directed
by Enzo G. Castellari, should
not to be confused with the 2009
film Inglourious Basterds, directed
by one of the most influential directors
of the modern, cinematic age,
Quentin Tarantino.
Most of you probably have
not heard of this little Italian war
movie, which is understandable, but
it is a shame because the film is really
quite good. The Inglorious Bastards
was part of a minor subgenre
known as “Macaroni Combat”.
These films were Italian-made war
movies inspired by such American
classics as The Dirty Dozen and Kelly’s
Heroes. These films were characterized
by minimal budgets and
greater violence than their American
counterparts.
The plot of The Inglorious
Bastards concerns four military convicts
during World War II who escape
custody and team up to escape
to the neutral territory of Switzerland
where they will be free. Along
the way they are pursued by Axis
and Allied forces alike. Many exciting
firefights and explosions occur
along the way, satisfying everybody’s
need for the cathartic joys of
Nazi death. Eventually, the Bastards
get a chance to redeem themselves
through a secret military operation,
and the action increases exponentially.
I loved this movie for one
main reason: its protagonists. The
Bastards are just so loveable and full
of distinct character. All the ingredients
for the perfect band of soldiers
are present in this film. There is the
brave leader, played by veteran actor
Bo Svenson, the unscrupulous,
party-loving thief, the rookie, and
the two who I personally believe exhibit
the greatest screen chemistry,
the tough Samuel L. Jackson-esque
black guy, and in a matching set, the
insane racist.
The interplay between The
Bastards is a joy to see, and not a
second of screen time will go by
without either a cheer for The Bastard’s
triumphs or a laugh for The
Bastard’s stupidity. This movie really
makes you root for The Bastards;
even though they are criminals, they
have honorable characteristics, and
all they really want is to be left in
peace.
This movie is just plain
fun. If you enjoyed the Nazi-killing
romp that was Quentin Tarantino’s
Inglourious Basterds, then you will
most certainly love the original film
that inspired Mr. Tarantino’s opus.
I wholeheartedly recommend this
movie. Until next time, enjoy.
In Elliot Allen’s new column,
he will highlight films underappreciated
even in their own times. Allen
said, “I hope that once recommended,
these films will be watched, and
the joy that I felt while viewing these
movies can be passed on to others
for them to laugh, cry, and just simply
be entertained.”