Volume 8 Issue 1, October 2009 - The Heschel School

‏ׁחשוןָ‏ ה’תש”ע
October 2009 2009
Helios Volume 8 Issue 1 Volume 8 Issue Page 11
The Official Student Newspaper
of the
Abraham Joshua Heschel
High School
“We stand for what we utter…”
- Rabbi Heschel
Orthodox Minyan Faces Mid-Life Crisis
By Emma Goldberg
The bell rings, it’s 8:00 a.m., backpacks are
slung off backs onto linoleum hallway floors, masses
of students flock towards their minyanim with shouts
of, “What time does tefillah start?” While Heschel
has experimented with many different types
of minyanim, two are permanent staples:
the Orthodox and Egalitarian minyanim, the
only two minyanim committed to reciting the
entire shacharit service each morning.
Wandering into either the Beit Midrash
or room 322, the locations of the Orthodox
and Egalitarian minyanim respectively,
one is exposed to a living example of
Heschel’s pluralistic approach to Judaism. In
the Egalitarian service female students often
lead the prayer service, read Torah, or even
wrap themselves in tefillin. By contrast, in
the orthodox minyan male students lead the
service, receive aliyot, and occupy the leadership
role. Recently, though the Orthodox
minyan has been expanding, some students
are questioning the religious values of this
minyan and of the school at large, questioning
how Heschel High School reconciles its
core values of pluralism and gender equity
with offering a minyan that bars female students
from leading tefillah.
Heschel has always been a school devoted
to gender equity, led by a female high school principal,
Ahuva Halberstam, and a female head of school,
Roanna Shorofsky. However, Heschel has remained
devoted to cultivating a pluralistic atmosphere in the
Illustration by Abigail Lipnick
High School as well, accepting of students from all
denominations of Judaism. The mission statement of
the Heschel School explicitly states that, “The Heschel
School is dedicated to building bridges between
different sectors of the Jewish community.” In a
school dedicated to bridging the gap between branches
of Judaism, it seems fitting that a minyan reflecting
the values of Orthodox Jewish students should be offered.
In fact, the Orthodox minyan claims in its mission
statement that it can, “create substantive opportunities
for personal involvement from both genders
while remaining within the confines of tradition.”
Despite this claim, some students feel that
the school should not offer a minyan that violates the
right of female students to act as leaders of minyanim.
“I know that the Orthodox minyan’s services
are incredibly uplifting, but I would never be able
to pray in a minyan where my presence is not even
counted, I’m considered illegitimate. I
would never be able to put forward full
kavod and kavanah if I knew that the minyan’s
values conflicted with my own, and
I was not even considered part of the minyan,”
said sophomore Sasha Gayle Schneider.
Some students have also speculated
over how the Orthodox minyan drew
seventy-eight students, many of whom
are not observant, this year. Rabbi Natan
Kapustin, the facilitator of the Orthodox
minyan, expressed his view that the Orthodox
minyan attracts many students
who, “do not want to pray, but want to
be near serious prayer. A decent number
of people come because it’s the easiest
minyan if you don’t want to lead, discuss,
or even pray. The Egalitarian minyan has
done more in terms of challenging people
to lead, while I’m more lax in my approach
and no one’s walking around to
check that people are davening. I think in the Orthodox
minyan, people can get away with not participating,
which is a problem I’m trying to solve.” Rabbi
Natan’s view of the Orthodox minyan as the “easiest
minyan” highlights a conflict in the divide between
the Egalitarian and Orthodox minyanim. While the
(continued on page 2)
Administration Debates
Hair-Dying Issue in School
In This Issue
By Aliza Rosenfeld
A new school year brings new chances to reexamine
school policy, and the administration took advantage of
that opportunity. In September, High School Head Ahuva
Halberstam considered banning students from dying their
hair in colors that do not occur naturally in hair. However,
after further consideration and meeting with the administration
of all three divisions of The Heschel School, she
unquestionably decided against it.
Among Ahuva’s concerns was balancing student
self-expression with the school’s wholesome image. When
prospective parents and students took tours over the years
and saw some students with “fun” hair colors, as Ahuva
phrases it, they might have questioned the wholesomeness
of the Heschel school environment.
Ahuva drew on personal experience from a previous
school while speaking about the issue. She saw
black nail polish on a student, a color classically viewed
as “goth” with negative connotations, for the first time at
a high school she ran on the West Coast. However, her
students explained that “black is just a color.” She drew a
parallel that different hair colors are also just colors.
Ahuva understands the need for student self-expression
and that hair-dying may be a means for that. This image
can actually give the school a certain sense of “aliveness.”
Initially, Ahuva asked junior Shevi Epstein to let
her dyed hair grow out. Shevi agreed to obey the rules, but
not until they were written in the Student Handbook. Shevi
clearly voiced her opinion, explained her perspective on
the situation, and why she enjoys dying her hair. She said
it is “not a statement, let alone a rebellious one. It’s just for
the fun of it.”
This gave Ahuva further insight into the issue. She
realized that in a pluralistic school, often there are values
in tension. It was important for her to exchange perspectives
with students. After a meeting and deliberation, the
administration came to a unanimous decision to allow any
hair color. “The administration was largely on our side,”
said Sarah Epstein.
The three students in question, juniors Shevi Epstein,
Sarah Epstein, and Esther Lenchner, seemed to agree
that this was not a “power struggle, but rather a political issue,”
as Shevi explained. However, they did state that they
would have preferred for the administration to discuss the
issue before Ahuva brought it to their attention and asked
them to stop.
Esther was slightly offended, “because I think dying
one’s hair is just another form of self-expression, and
I don’t think that the school should get to decide what I
do with my hair.” Sarah “wasn’t offended exactly, but I
was upset because I thought it was an infringement on our
rights and freedom of expression.”
While senior Rachel Fell is “not sure I would have
the courage to color my hair crazy colors or that I like how
it looks all the time,” she does not think the administration
should be able to control students’ hair color choice. To
her, it is self-expression, “just like the clothing we wear.”
And even if bright hair colors may be a bit distracting, she
“wouldn’t be able to wear half [her] wardrobe if something
couldn’t be distracting!”
Bruce Springsteen
Concert Review
The New
Environmental
Column!
(Page 3)

Page 2 Helios Volume 8 Issue 1 October 2009
Orthodox Minyan Faces
(continued from page 1)
Mid-Life Crisis
Helios Staff
2009-2010
Editor-in-Chief
Aliza Rosenfeld
Jessica Appelbaum
Sports Editor
Brandon Bell
By Zoe Goldberg
Orthodox minyan has attracted many
new members, many of these students
are not interested in participating. By
contrast, the Egalitarian minyan has
shrunk because of its dedication to
challenging members to actively participate
in the tefillah service through
prayer and minyan leadership.
Despite its lax approach to
prayer, many students join the Orthodox
minyan because they feel that it has
created a serious prayer atmosphere.
The Orthodox minyan, as described by
Rabbi Natan, is “an environment of serious
prayer. Everyone who comes in
knows we take prayer seriously and we
take saying the words seriously, even
to the extent of saying the full service.”
According to students, the Orthodox
minyan has drawn so many students despite
its controversial values, because it
has succeeded in creating an environment
of meaningful prayer, gathering
a group of students committed to praying
with kavanah, reciting each word
of the shacharit service. “The thing is
that, yes, the idea of an Orthodox minyan
goes against Heschel’s values of
gender equity, but the fact is that the
Orthodox minyan has become a place
of more serious prayer. Students feel
that they can compromise their beliefs
about gender equality, because they
think that having a rich and spiritual
tefillah experience is more important,”
explained a student who has rejoined
the Orthodox minyan for his second
year at Heschel High.
The Orthodox minyan has
emerged as a minyan whose robust
and spirited tefillah service attracts
many students regardless of personal
beliefs or Jewish practice. By contrast,
the Egalitarian minyan’s primary attraction
is its value of gender equity;
some students complain that it lacks
the deep spirituality of the Orthodox
minyan. As sophomore Rachel Ernst
says, “Members of the Egalitarian
minyan are sometimes not respectful
to the tefillah environment.” Many students
have come to refer to the Egalitarian
minyan as a “default” minyan.
“Unlike the other minyanim, students
do not seek out the Egalitarian minyan,
but often simply go there because they
aren’t drawn to any other minyan,”
said a former student member of the
Egalitarian minyan.
This raises the question of why the
Egalitarian minyan cannot create an
equally robust tefillah environment,
differing from the Orthodox minyan
only in values of gender equity and not
in spiritual intensity.
As the Orthodox minyan expands
and evolves, struggling to maintain
its deeply spiritual shacharit service,
the Egalitarian minyan faces its own
struggles to reinvent itself as a minyan
known for having a robust tefillah
service. As a new school year begins
and each minyan undergoes the Rosh
Hashanah process of renewal, minyan
facilitators struggle to lead minyanim
that challenge students to follow their
personal beliefs, while also finding a
tefillah experience that will be spiritually
meaningful for each individual.
No Smoking… Are You Joking?!
People sitting in Central Park
smoking cigarettes has been a familiar
sight for years, but now that era is
coming to an end. On September 14th,
Dr. Thomas A. Farley, New York City’s
health commissioner, revealed a plan
that will ban smoking in city parks and
beaches. After some negative public reactions,
Mayor Bloomberg did not deny
the plan but he did amend it, saying that
while “it may not be logistically possible
to enforce a ban across thousands
of acres… there may be areas within
parks where restricting smoking can
Illustration by Andrew Udell
protect health.”
This ban is intended as an important
step in decreasing the number
of smokers in New York City. Other
steps have included raising taxes on
cigarettes, banning indoor smoking,
giving away free nicotine patches to
help quit smoking in the annual Nicotine
Patch and Gum Program, and some
delis and stores posting signs against
smoking on their storefronts in recent
years.
While many smokers are infuriated
by this new plan, it is reminiscent of
the ban that Bloomberg issued in 2002
against smoking in indoor areas. This
plan was so effective that the smoking
rate in New York City decreased by
6%. However, even some of the smokers
who supported the ban in indoor
areas do not support this ban.
Jebediah Reed of online journal,
The Infrastructurist, a smoker,
claims that secondhand smoke is only
harmful in enclosed spaces, not outdoors.
However, a 2007 Stanford University
study proved that if a person is
in close proximity to a smoker outdoors
for two hours, the secondhand smoke
is just as harmful as if they were sitting
next to each other inside a bar for one
hour. Although this means the smoke
is half as effective, secondhand smoke,
even in small doses, can severely damage
the respiratory systems and heart.
Yet Reed, a smoker himself, believes
that smoking should be prohibited in
playgrounds or maybe even limited to
some select areas in parks, but should
not be altogether banned all over parks
and beaches.
One Heschel student said
that smoking should not be altogether
banned from parks because “parks are
public places where people go to do
what they want to do. It makes sense
for there to be some places where people
can’t smoke, but it’s not right for it
to be banned everywhere.”
Another Heschel student had
a different perspective than the former,
“I 100% agree with this ban. People
get that secondhand smoke kills
people and smoking is a gross habit.
We should do whatever we can to get
people to quit, even if it makes some
people mad.”
Art & Layout Editor
Hannah Weintraub
Contributing Artists
Gabrielle Belok
Abigail Lipnick
Julie Maschler
Talia Niederman
Adiel Schmidt
Andrew Udell
Contributing Writers
Jessica Appelbaum
Brandon Bell
Samantha Brandspiegel
Rachel Fell
Lauren Finzi
Gabriel Fisher
Emma Goldberg
Zoe Goldberg
Benjamin Heller
Nicole Hirschenboim
Michele Kaplan
Gabriel Klausner
Ari Kramer
Jesse Kramer
Hannah Kober
Esther Lenchner
Abigail Lipnick
Charlotte Marx-Arpadi
Kate Prince
Elizabeth Rauner
Aliza Rosenfeld
Anna Rothstein
Becca Schwarz
Andrew Udell
Victor Weberman
Rachel Weisberg
Rachel Zeuner
Faculty Advisors
Lisa Cohen
Gabriel Godin
Audrey Sieger
We would like to formally
thank Samuel Freedman for
his expertise and inspiration.
His dedication has helped us
bring Helios to the next level.
Printing courtesy of
Tri-Star Offset
& Barry Goodman
If you would like to
respond to any of
the articles featured
in this issue, please
send your
comments
to
HS Newspaper on
First Class.
Thanks,
Editors 2009-2010

October 2009 Helios Volume 8 Issue 1 Page 3
Op Ed: In China, They Love Pork But Hate Swine
By Jessica Appelbaum
Heschel students have complained
that the Jewish high holidays
took place on weekends this
year, so they barely got any time
off from school. If they were Chinese
students, however, the case
would be quite the opposite.
The Chinese education system
is infamous worldwide for being
particularly onerous. Chinese
students must go to school Monday
through Saturday, from 7 a.m.
to 8 p.m., and are expected to take
additional night classes. At most
schools, summer break is only six
weeks long, and toward the end
of those six weeks, students must
come to school for night classes
in order to make sure they have
not forgotten information over the
summer. Promising students from
small villages live with relatives
in major cities, where schooling is
relentless. This intense system of
schooling has led to an increasingly
high rate of suicide among Chinese
teenagers.
If there is one issue the Chinese
are as strict about as education,
it is swine flu protection.
When planes enter China
from another country, each plane
undergoes a swine flu check; this
check entails Chinese TSA officials
using a temperature-scanning gun
on incoming visitors. If a passenger’s
temperature is above normal,
s/he is sent to quarantine for a week
before being allowed to enter China.
Towards the beginning of the
epidemic, it was not unheard of for
entire planeloads of passengers to
be quarantined. The Chinese government
has stopped these mass
quarantines, however, due to the
expense of housing so many visitors
in hotels. Once in the country,
people wear swine flu masks on the
street. If a person so much as coughs
in public, a bubble of vacancy forms
around him.
How do H1N1 and Chinese
education intersect? It’s a question
of what happens when swine flu
starts spreading in Chinese schools.
Most schools do not deal with it by
closing down, but rather ban those
who are infected from coming to
school, until they are better. But, in
an educational system so intense,
how are students to recover from a
week’s absence from classes? Even
in America, missing one day of
school can put a student behind. In
China, it’s tantamount to a failing
grade.
I spent six weeks in China
this past summer, and received a very
upsetting email from my home-stay
sister in Kunming in late September.
She said, “I got ill again. I’m lucky,
it is just a normal cold this time, I
have recovered from H1N1. Many
students in Kunming are sick and
cannot go to school. It’s very scary,
they cannot go to class. We are
lucky – because of them, they have
canceled classes on Saturdays.”
This system seems to be
self-destructive. The Chinese government
places strong emphasis on
education, yet it is willing to set students
up to fail because of efforts to
prevent the spread of swine flu. It
should be possible to find a happy
balance between maintaining a rigorous
education and protecting public
health. Perhaps, students with
swine flu could wear protective
masks to school. Or, schools could
make the curriculum less rigorous
until the flu passes.
It’s ironic, isn’t it? In America,
students would do anything for
a sick day. In China, a sick day is a
student’s worst nightmare.
OP-ED Illustrations
Illustration by Gabrielle Belok
Illustration by Adiel Schmidt and Julie Maschler
Environmental Column: With High Expectations World Leaders to Meet
about Environment
By Andrew Udell
This coming December, world
leaders will gather in Copenhagen for the
United Nations Climate Change Conference.
Although this conference is still
relatively unknown, it is similar to the famous
Kyoto Climate Conference of 1997.
The goal of that conference was to come
up with a resolution for the nations of the
world to reduce their ever-increasing carbon
emission levels. The Kyoto Protocols
are a climate change treaty that was signed
as a result of that conference. More than a
decade later, the time has come to reevaluate
the goals of the Kyoto Protocols and to
examine the progress, or lack thereof, that
the nations that signed the Protocols have
made.
One of the glaring problems with
the Kyoto Protocols is that China and the
United States – who produce over 40% of
the world’s carbon emissions – have failed
to cooperate. The United States did not
even ratify the Kyoto Protocols, making its
signature a mere nominal symbol. Ratification
implies that the U.S. would have had
to carry out legal obligations. Although
China did sign and ratify the Protocols,
they have not made any progress towards
lowering their emissions. In fact, since the
year 2000 alone, China has increased its
carbon emissions by 120%. This alarming
change can be explained, in part, by
China’s increasing development over the
last decade. According to Alexis Madrigal
of Wired Magazine, every week China
builds two coal plants, which is one of the
worst carbon polluting energy sources in
the world. Nevertheless, China must fight
to reduce its emissions or risk being, along
with the U.S.A., the largest contributor to
irreversible damage to our planet.
This may sound like a disaster,
and, indeed, it could be if we do not act
now. As Rajendra Pachauri, the chair of
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change, which won the Nobel Peace Prize
in 2007, said: “If there’s no action before
2012, that’s too late. What we do in the
next two to three years will determine our
future. This is the defining moment.”
We are a part of this defining moment,
whether our environmental situation becomes
better or worse. So what does this
mean for you?
This means that now, more than
ever, is the time to get involved in fighting
climate change. This is not some abstract
problem that requires theoretical or academic
solutions – it is something that will
affect all of our lives if we do not make
changes now. The changes can be as small
as turning off the lights when you leave
For more Information check
these out:
http://www.pewclimate.org/
docUploads/Waxman-Mar-
key-short-summary-revised-
June26.pdf
http://www.1sky.org/
your room or using a recyclable bag, or
as large as volunteering for organizations
like Oxfam America, 350, Greenpeace, or
TckTckTck, even lobbying your state Representatives
or Senators. These actions can
help the battle against climate change.
Join the fight now because it will soon be
too late. Already, many think that the conference
in Copenhagen is the world’s last
chance.
For a list of volunteer opportunities,
please email me at andrewud@heschel.
org
http://www.hazon.org/
http://www.350.org/
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/
http://www.oxfamactioncorpsnyc.
org/

Page 4 Helios Volume 8 Issue 1 October 2009
No Boys Allowed in
Heschel’s New
Women-Only T’fillah
Book Review: The Lost
Symbol by Dan Brown
By Rachel Zeuner
Fans of Dan Brown’s The
Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons
will rejoice as they embark on
a new adventure with the much loved
symbologist, Robert Langdon. This
time, follow the famed Harvard professor
on a journey through the tunnels
of Washington, D.C. as he tries
to protect the life of his mentor and
friend, Peter Solomon. On his adventure,
he allies with Solomon’s sister,
religious leaders, and high ranking
officials of the CIA, who help him
uncover ancient secrets and symbols
of the Free Masons, one of America’s
most notorious secret societies.
Members of this society included the
likes of George Washington and Benjamin
Franklin, who buried Masonic secrets
in the cornerstones of America’s
monuments. Langdon uncovers a hidden
world of clandestine passages, Masonic
history and secrets that have been
guarded for centuries, while fighting
off Brown’s most malevolent villain.
Brown brings the thrill of his previous
novels to our nation’s capitol, allowing
the reader to connect with familiar
locations and follow Langdon on his
quest. This engaging story, filled with
mystery and excitement, will keep you
turning the pages well into the night,
wanting to uncover the secrets of The
Lost Symbol.
Theater Review: Aftermath
By Becca Schwarz
A new minyan option for
eleventh and twelfth grade girls is
causing quite a stir. Ilana Gleichbloom’s
“Variety of Women’s Experiences”
minyan, developed to
create a safe space for girls to share
opinions and experiences, has a
strong appeal for its girl-only congregation.
The first issue the group
addressed was sexual exploitation,
ranging from inappropriate
comments directed to women on
the street to prostitution. Minyan
members were encouraged to share
experiences they encountered of
being subjected to inappropriate
comments. Following the discussion,
they watched a documentary
called Very Young Girls, about underage
prostitution in New York
City. The minyan is currently in
the process of collecting tzedakah
to donate to GEMS, a mentoring
facility featured in the documentary.
GEMS’ mission, published
on their website www.gems-girls.
org, is “to empower young women,
from ages 12 to 21, who experience
commercial sexual exploitation
and domestic trafficking,” and help
them to escape from the horrors of
the industry.
Continuing the theme of
empowerment, the girls watched
the short film, “Sari Stories” from
Al Jazeera English’s daily documentary
series, Witness. The documentary,
made from a series of
video diaries, chronicled the lives
of a group of young women from
rural southern India. The girls,
who were given video cameras and
educated on the filming and editing
process, eventually made a film
Photo by Michele Kaplan
about the issue of child marriage in India.
The task not only gave the women
a purpose, but nurtured a sense of
self-confidence and power, providing
the ability to earn better wages as educated
videographers.
In general, members of the
minyan are attracted by the opportunity
to speak their minds about these
types of issues in a comfortable and
unbiased environment. The minyan
creates a space for them to talk about
topics that aren’t often discussed elsewhere.
Many male upperclassmen,
however, are not enthusiastic about the
girls-only minyan. In one junior boy’s
opinion, the minyan is unnecessary in
a school where women and men are
treated equally. Matan Skolnik, a junior,
feels that excluding boys from a
minyan eliminates the “sense of unity”
that comes with davening as a community.
He also believes that though
there are issues that boys cannot relate
to, perhaps “Those are not the issues
that should be discussed during the allotted
time for morning minyan.”
Even some of the female juniors
and seniors don’t grasp the allure
of the minyan, preferring to participate
in choices that vary from meditation to
mechitzah (in the Orthodox Minyan).
When asked why she doesn’t want to
join the minyan, one eleventh grade
girl replied that she thinks, “Feminism
isn’t really what we need to work on;
it’s not so much the girls that need to
be educated on the issues. What about
other people?”
But, for the thirty or so girls
that attend the minyan every morning,
it is a unique way to start their days
with topics that often go undiscussed.
By Abigail Lipnick
Recently Audrey’s twelfth
grade English class, a course focused
on the literary voices of the
Middle East, journeyed to the New
York Theater Workshop to see the
documentary drama, “Aftermath.”
This unique play told the stories of
actual Iraqi refugees living in Jordan
through a series of reenacted interviews.
The eight Iraqis interviewed
included an imam (clergyman), a
dermatologist, a single mother, a
married couple involved in the arts,
and a married couple who owned
a restaurant. This diverse group of
characters helped emphasize the fact
that the war has not only involved
the government, but has affected legions
of innocent and ordinary Iraqi
citizens as well.
Shahid, an interviewer,
prompted the characters to tell their
stories, allowing the audience to get
a glimpse into the horrors inflicted on
Iraqi civilians by American soldiers.
In addition, the audience was made
On a cool October night, a
crowd of over 60,000 fans sawBruce
Springsteen and the E Street Band give
one of their best performancesever. He
kicked off the concert by saying what
was on everybody’s mind, “Thankthe
lord for this beautiful night tonight.”
It was the fourth of five final
shows at Giants Stadium, andthe excitement
was brewing before the show.
A few factors guaranteed a greatshow.
Bruce himself is from New Jersey
and he has performed at Giants Stadiummore
than at any other venue in
the world. Additionally, on this night
Bruceperformed his hit album Born to
Runin its entirety - a dream come true
for any diehard fan. Referring to the
album,Springsteen said, “this is the
one that really kind of brought us here
tonight.”
Things got rolling early on
when Bruce went crowd surfing inthe
aware of the extremely precarious living
situations of Iraqis in exile. One
of the most horrific stories of the play
belonged to Abdul-Aliyy, the imam,
who was imprisoned in the dismal Abu
Ghraib prison because the guards of
his mosque possessed legally obtained
guns.
The play was uncomfortable to
watch, not only because it was about
the harrowing experiences of Iraqi
refugees living in Jordan, but also because
it confirmed that westerners all
too often stereotype most Iraqis as terrorists.
The play had a strong emotional impact
on Audrey’s class. Seeing this play led
to the question of how the students,
whose level of awareness had been
raised, should use their new knowledge
in a constructive way. Should they try
to educate others about the abuse and
death inflicted by Americans soldiers
on Iraqi civilians and, if so, how?
It might take some time to
come up with answers.
In the meantime, “Aftermath” is well
worth seeing.
The Boss Rocks Giants Stadium
By Gabriel Klausner
pit during a fantastic rendition of “Hungry
Heart,” a very Boss-likemaneuver.
Despite being 60 years young, the Boss
performed with his usualspirited and
youthful vigor. Not only was Bruce in
top form, but the rest ofthe band sounded
sensational. Clarence “The Big Man”
Clemons, a fan favorite,received thunderous
applause and cheers every time
he played the saxophone oreven moved
a muscle.
The band finished up with an
outstanding performance of“Twist and
Shout”, made famous by the Isley Brothers
and later The Beatles.After a threehour
show, Bruce and the band bowed
and exited the stage, thecrowd remaining
on their feet applauding the greatest performer
alive.
Bruce Springsteen and the E
Street Band return to thetri-state area
in November when they will play two
shows at Madison Square Garden.

October 2009 Helios Volume 8 Issue 1 Page 5
By Anna Rothstein
Several years ago, my father and hisfriend
applied to be on The Amazing Race.Out
of over 20,000 pairs of contestants, they were
selected along with 200other semi-finalists.
Twenty-five would be sent to California and
interviewedto be a part of the show. They were
videotaped for a screen test in Manhattanand
sworn to secrecy, but ultimately they were not
chosen to participate.
In 2001, CBS began to air this
realitygame show. Each team has two
members who have had some personal
connection withone another; these pairs
race around the globe against other pairs.
In eachepisode, the host, Phil Keoghan, assigns
them a different adventure. In thepremier
episode of the newest, 15th season,
one challenge was tosearch through a wall
of thousands of driver licenses to find a Tokyo
license.Once a team found this license,
they had to race to Tokyo; the team without
alicense was eliminated from the show.
The winning teams were given a newchallenge
once they arrived in Tokyo.
At the end of each episode, the
teamsmust arrive at a “pit-stop,” where
they break from the game and are evaluatedby
Phil Keoghan, who tells them what
their place is in the race. The first teamto
arrive at the pit stop receives a prize. The
last team is either eliminatedor given a
huge disadvantage in the next leg of the
race.
The teams travel to various countriesusing
all modes of transportation imaginable:
planes, boats, cars, bicycles,and more.
They must go through several “leg points”
which provide them withhints as to where they
should go or what task they should complete,
either as ateam, or as individuals. These adventures,
or challenges, depend on the countrythey
TV Review: Does The Amazing
Race Deserve Its Emmys?
are in and the culture of that country.
Teams are eliminated week-byweek,leaving
the ecstatic winning team at the
end of the 12-week period with $1million.
The fact that the winning team gets such an
enormous prize contributesto people’s interest
in the show. So does the variety of the
couples chosen toparticipate. The teams consist
of individuals of all different ages, races,
andsexual orientations. Viewers are also intrigued
by the different challenges theteams
face, the clues they are given, and the places
that they must go to. Manyviewers have a
favorite team who they hope will be victorious.
Teacher Profiles
The show has won primetime Emmy
Awardsfor the past eight years. Seven of those
awards were for “OutstandingReality-Competition
Program.” The public was disappointed,
for many did noteven know what the show was.
Highly popular reality shows, such as American
Idol, The Apprentice, ProjectRunway, Survivor,
and Dancing withthe Stars, were in the running,
and many viewers would have preferred to
see one of those win.
Alec Rudin, a Heschel junior says,
“American Idol is one of the most
viewedtelevision programs of all time,
shouldn’t they win for once? The Amazing
Race is in no way amazing.The show
has even been moved to different nights
because of its lack ofviewers. I saw [the
show] once and I didn’t even like it!”
However, there aremany others who root
for The Amazing Raceand believe that
it truly is an “amazing” show. Sophie
Greenspan, anotherjunior, believes The
Amazing Racedeserves to keep winning
Emmys because the show is so intriguing.
She says, “Itshows all these different cultures
in exciting ways. The contestants are
allvery different from each other, which
makes it interesting to watch. I get tosee
the inner workings of all these places I’ve
never seen before.” Sophiefeels no other
show deserves to win this Emmy because
“most other reality showsout there are
garbage.” She believes that there is no culture
in a reality showsuch as Dancing With
The Stars andthat it is possible to learn about
different locations around the world from The
Amazing Race. It “shows culture inexciting and
adventurous ways.”
So tune in to CBS on Sundays at 8:30
p.m. and watch The Amazing Race!
Double Lives
Deana Cheysvin
Photos by Zachary Stecker
By Kate Prince
Deana Cheysvin, a new ninth
grade student at Heshel, is noticeably
funny and caring. However, it is not
widely known that Deana used to professionally
snowboard. She started when she
was ten, and has been snowboarding ever
since. She snowboarded through falls and
bruises, but did not give up. Eventually,
she and her friends joined a professional
alpine snowboarding course. Some of her
friends chose freestyle, while she chose
the free riding path. “I love the feel of
going fast down double black diamond
terrain. Carving into the snow, it fit me,”
Deana said when asked to describe the
experience. She and her friends got involved
in competitions and eventually
got noticed by the public. She won prizes
such as backpacks and hoodies. However,
one day after getting home after a competition,
she realized that snowboarding did
not bring the same thrill as it did before.
But who knows, one day she might return
to the snowboarding world, and we might
have a celebrity in our halls.
By Benjamin Heller
Sherman Taishoff is a new addition
to Heschel’s mathematics department. Born
in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx, Sherman
is a true New Yorker; he even graduated
from the City College of New York. Sherman
fell in love with mathematics in the 4th
grade when he discovered that he was able
to help his older brother complete 9th grade
algebra homework. Although the thrill was
fleeting, Sherman’s love of math was certainly
not; he has been teaching mathematics
for 42 years. “It has been at times a bumpy
relationship,” Sherman said, “but I’m glad it
exists.”
In addition to teaching, Sherman
enjoys manipulating photographs of family
and travel on his computer. He also builds
model wooden ships, specifically those from
the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Among
his favorite models are a 2-gun patrol boat
from 1805 and a 32-inch WASA from 1628.
“The construction takes years to complete
and involves research into history and the
ship itself,” Sherman said. “I’ve always enjoyed
learning about
different time periods.”
A serious jogger
as well, Sherman
has run seven marathons
and many other
shorter-distance races,
including many 30K’s
and half-marathons.
Prior to working
at Heschel, Sherman
taught at Harrison
High School in Harrison,
New York, and
The Chapin School, an
all-girls school located
on the Upper East
Sherman Taishoff and Moshe Goodman
Side. He decided to come to Heschel not
only to teach mathematics in a new setting,
but also to learn more about his own
Jewish heritage. He is currently teaching
9th and 10th grade geometry, as well as
By Hannah Kober
Moshe Goodman is a new member
of the Heschel faculty andmore specifically
the LQ department. He teaches
Tanakh and Talmud, as well asan ethics
course for the seniors. The minyan that
he facilitates, originallycalled “Making a
Meaning of Minyan”, is ever changing its
title and focus.
Moshe was born in Brooklyn,
where he lived until sixth gradeand attended
Yeshivat Ateret Yisrael and Yeshivat
Mizrachi L’Banim. Followingthose
years, he and his family moved to Staten
Island. Moshe completed middleschool at
the Jewish Foundation School in Staten Island
and commuted to Yeshivaof Flatbush
in Brooklyn for high school. Immediately
after high school, Moshespent a gap year
in Israel at Yeshivat Or Hadarom, in Rechovot.
He attendedcollege at both the College
of Staten Island (a branch of CUNY) and
YeshivaUniversity. He graduated Yeshiva
University with a degree in philosophy. Aftercollege,
he returned to his middle school
and taught there for four years. The classeshe
taught included Mishnah, Humash,
Navi, informal Tfillah classes, and Jewishethics.
During the past two years he studied
to receive smicha (Rabbinic ordination) at
Yeshiva University. He is stillpursuing that;
however, he is currently on a leave of absence
while he isworking here at Heschel.
In addition to his interest in reading,
writing, andphilosophy, Moshe has
a deep passion for acting. He takes acting
classes andhas most recently performed
scenes from the plays “Angels in America”,
“It’s Calledthe Sugar Plum”, and “The
Mercy Seat”. He also had main roles in high
schoolproductions, such as the part of Otto
Frank in “Anne Frank”. He explains thatactors
do not mimic the emotions of the characters
they are playing, rather,once they “get
into character”, the actor
feels the emotion of the
characternaturally. According
to Moshe, “acting
is not the same thing
as pretending.It’s about
embodying the character
and being the real person”.
Moshe enjoyswriting
plays in addition to
acting.
Moshe is enjoying
his experience at Heschel
because he lovesto
learn Torah with his students
and learn from their
insights and questions.
By Jesse Kramer
Asher Elbaz
Asher Elbaz, a ninth grader at Heschel
High School, may seem like a typical student,
but in reality he is an outstanding classical guitar
player who spends a lot of time at the Juilliard
Academy. Asher started playing guitar when he
was three years old and had his first official lesson
when he was six years old. Asher has been playing
at Juilliard since he was in seventh grade. He has
enjoyed all his time there, although he has to spend
two hours practicing every night. He has work and
practice for all of his classes, which include music
theory and private lessons.
Asher had to work hard just to get into
Juilliard. He said, “Auditioning was one of the
scariest things, seeing so many talented people and
knowing that only a few of them would be able to
walk back into the building again.”
Asher has already had many achievements
and he has played in many recitals, making
his debut performance when he was thirteen at an
arts festival at Rivva Gallery on 20th Street. His
biggest performance was at a dinner dance for his
previous school, Park East, in front of 630 people
at The Pierre Hotel in Manhattan.
Asher enjoys playing classical music,
but, in addition, he has an interest in playing and
listening to rock and blues. Some of his favorite
artists include Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones,
Aerosmith, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Judging
from Asher, there appears to be a new musical
talent this year at Heschel High School.

Page 6 Helios Volume 8 Issue 1 October 2009
New Heschel Dance
Staff
By Gabe Fisher
Student Senate
Student Senate started working
early this year; it held a few
meetings the week before school
started in order to prepare for the
beginning of the school year, specifically
freshman orientation. Besides
spending the first week helping the
9th graders learn their way around
the school, they, along with Vaadat
Chesed, helped run the freshman
overnight, sleeping in school with
the 9th graders.
Senate also led a Town
Meeting that was unlike any town
meeting ever before. The goal of the
Update
town meeting was to integrate a fun
activity into the school’s schedule,
where students were able to interact
with people they do not usually
speak to. Sophomore Tsvi Tannin
thought that inter-grade freeze
dance was “slightly corky, but it
also displayed the inclusive nature
of Heschel.”
Now Senate is shifting its
focus to the full school shabbaton,
planning everything from the logistics
to this year’s theme, and trying
to make this year’s shabbaton more
memorable than ever.
Music Review: Kid Cudi
Launches New Album
Photo by Michele Kaplan
Elizabeth Rauner
The Heschel dance staff has
two new additions this year. Joining
the well-loved Wayne are Wendy
and Kevin. These Alvin Ailey
students generally hang out on the
6th floor outside the library and are
always willing to talk (unless they
have their headphones on). The
three teachers spoke with Helios
about their past experiences in the
dance business, what they’re doing
now, and how they got to be such
wonderful teachers.
Wendy did not start dancing
until she was in eighth grade. At a
young age she was determined to
be a singer; then she would “Ham it
up by incorporating dance moves.”
She was rejected from LaGuardia
the first time she auditioned, but she
was accepted the next year. Then
Wendy worked on productions including
West Side Story and Ballet
Hispanico. Wendy now loves dancing
and feels that her career is not
just work.
Wendy loves teaching Jazz
because it’s an infusion of many
styles of dance that can be expressed
in many ways. She greatly
appreciates when her students put
effort into their work to make more
breakthroughs in their abilities. After
teaching for many years, her favorite
words remain “I’ll try.”
Wayne Williams’ did not
originally have a passion for dance
itself, but Wayne wanted to learn
how to dance for the school prom
at the all boys’ school he attended
in the UK. Wayne explained that
he and his classmates had “very
little social skills when it came to
females.” He decided at age 15 to
take classes at a small ballroom studio
with people in their sixties. Encouraged
by his “funky” 65-yearold
dance partner, Wayne was a
“dancing fool” by the time his prom
rolled around. Unaware of his own
talent, Wayne was pushed to keep
dancing by his dance partner. After
seeing the original movie, Fame,
Wayne was inspired to pursue dancing
and eventually ended up in New
York. Wayne owes his motivation
to Peter and Sue Brooks, “the coolest
old couple ever.”
The other new addition to
the dance staff, Kevin, also did not
have dreams of dancing. Growing
up in Texas, he danced at a very
young age, but dreamed of becoming
a marine biologist so he could
study sharks. At 18, Kevin started
getting professional dance training
and did his first show with Fame’s
choreographer, Debbie Allen. Although
Kevin is Heschel’s hip-hop
teacher, his favorite genre remains
ballet. Kevin has danced in many
professional productions including
Alloy Dance Theatre, Across the
Universe (yes, the movie) and The
Nutcracker.
By Rachie Weisberg and Lauren
Finzi
We all have heard Kid Cudi’s
hit song Day ‘N’ Nite. Most people
considered the song to be catchy
and upbeat, but definitely limited
to a one hit wonder. However, Kid
Cudi has set out to disprove this assumption
with a feature on Kanye
West’s album 808s and Heartbreak.
He also helped write songs for two
of Kanye’s hits, Heartless and Paranoid,
and with his new hit album,
Man on the Moon, Cudi is showing
the music world just how talented
he is. When he debuted this album
on September 15, 2009, it immediately
gained popularity. Cudi
joined MGMT and Ratatat for his
song Pursuit of Happiness to take
his simplistic rap style to a whole
new level. The album has an intriguing
integration of techno, giving
the music an electro-rock genre
feel, evolving average commercial
rap, hip-hop, and indie rock further,
and giving Cudi a new image in the
world of music.
November and
December Concerts
- Tue 11/10 at 7:00 PM
Peter Bjorn and John @ Terminal 5, All
Ages $27.50
- Sat 11/14 at 7:00 PM AND Sun 11/15
at 7:00 PM
Metallica @ Madison Square Garden
- Thurs 11/19 doors open at 7:00, show
at 7:45 PM
Slightly Stoopid @ Terminal 5, All Ages
$29.50
- Mon 11/23 at 8:00 PM AND Tue 11/24
at 8:00 PM AND Wed 11/25 at 8:00 PM
Pixies @ Hammerstein Ballroom
- Sat 11/28, doors open at 7:00 PM and
concert at 8:00 PM
Guster @ Beacon Theatre, All Ages
$39.50
- Tue 11/03 AND Tue 11/10 AND Tue
11/17 at 11:00 PM
The Roots @ Highline Ballroom, All
Ages $10
- Sun 11/08 at 7:00 PM
Wolfmother @ Terminal 5, All Ages
$27.50

October 2009 Helios Volume 8 Issue 1 Page 7
Museum Exhibit Review:
Todd Schorr’s Dreamland
By Esther Lechner
The Todd Schorr exhibit was recently
showcased in the San Jose Museum
of Art in California under the title Todd
Schorr: American Surreal. Schorr likes to
call his style of painting ‘Pop Surrealism’.
Schorr grew up in the post World War II
era, a time of Mickey Mouse, Popeye, pin
up models, horror movies and gruesome
creatures, and 50’s and 60’s style comic art.
All these elements are infused in Schorr’s
paintings, which are merged with Salvador
Dali-esque surrealism.
Some of the recurring images in
Schorr’s paintings are pumpkins, devils,
and humpty-dumpties. Other elements that
seem to be Schorr’s favorites are grotesque
creatures, the wrinkled and the twisted, the
green and the gross.
Schorr admitted to having a kind
of fascination with carney freak shows,
and he owns a large figure from the horror
movie Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957).
This object was displayed in the San Jose
Museum of Art next to others that Schorr
owned– a few comic books, a large figure
of a smiling boy, a few smaller action figures,
a Mickey Mouse game, a Famous
Monsters of Filmland magazine and other
pop culture objects typical of the time period.
Another influence on Schorr was
the movie King Kong. He saw the original
1933 movie as a child on television. The
movie – about an ape that was king and
was then brought to a different world only
to become a menace – left its impact on the
young Todd.
Schorr has a series of gorillathemed
paintings, like ‘An Ape Allegory,’
which depicts a large ape dressed in an
Easter bunny costume giving a frightened
looking blond girl an Easter egg containing
what looks like a big spider creeping out
of the shell. Another painting in the same
series shows a gorilla fighting a dinosaur,
while a skeleton painting the scene on his
canvas. Among the many details of that
painting is a little boy who could be Schorr
himself watching the same scene on his
black and white television.
This museum’s exhibit showed some of the
original study drawings next to their paintings,
and one can see that (not surprisingly)
his drawings are just as detailed as his
paintings.
A video played in the exhibit,
showing a fast-motion movie of Schorr’s
painting process. In his studio, paintings
are done layer by layer. He starts off in
black and white, then he adds color from
the top of the painting down. Sometimes
he plays around with different colors before
deciding which to use.
Over the years Schorr has developed
a great reputation as an artist. He has
had many gallery and museum exhibitions,
and many celebrities including Leonardo
Dicaprio and Courtney Cox have bought
his art.
Schorr is unique in his own way,
combining pop culture with surrealism and
great talent with a hyperactive imagination.
His paintings are an imagery overload
to the eye. It is impossible to grasp the
contents of a painting in one glance. The
viewer cannot help but be amazed by the
incredible and intricate detail that fills every
corner of his paintings.
Heliostyle: High
By Rachel Fell
Waisted Jeans
Welcome Back, Fashionistas!
Rachel Fell is here for her very last year
on Helio, continuing to tell you about
all of the latest trends. Only, this year,
I’m going to be answering all of YOUR
fashion questions! In each issue of Helios
I will be answering one question
with a detailed answer.
Enjoy and keep sending me questions!
Q: How does one wear high-waisted
jeans?
A: I have to admit I have been caught
sporting “mom jeans,”(really highwaisted
jeans that go past your belly
button) to school, but these feel like
normal jeans to me. Having something
tight past your belly button takes a little
bit of getting used to but these trousers
instantly add jazz to any drab jeans outfit.
When you are buying high-waisted
jeans, make sure they have a lot of
stretch in them before choosing a cut.
You don’t want to risk not breathing,
even for fashion.
Now for the cut: There are two different
major types of high-waisted jeans:
wide-leg and skinny. Wide legs tend to
be fancier than the skinny but it all depends
on how they are styled. The reason
high-waisted jeans are preferred is
that they either show off your shape or
create a shape because they are accentuate
your smallest body part. Because
you are trying to show off your shape,
creating an outfit with high-waisted
jeans is all about balance. If you
choose wide leg high-waisted jeans, go
for a more fitted top because there is so
much volume on the bottom. Choosing
a pointed toe shoe will make your legs
look miles long, especially with the
extra inches above your waist. When
wearing skinny high-waisted jeans, opt
for a flowy top or t-shirt and some flat
boots and you will be going for a flower
child vibe. If you wear skinny highwaisted
jeans and a tight tank, you risk
looking like you are wearing a catsuit!
Don’t worry about the specifics of the
shirt, just watch out for shape!
So hike up your trousers to hype up
your outfit!
Keep the questions coming!
Rachel
By Michele Kaplan
Aries:
You will lose something you really
love this week. Stay organized and
try to take care
of your possessions.
Otherwise
you will get
stressed out and
overwhelmed.
So, do yourself
a favor and prevent
unnecessary
anxiety. If
you do, you will have a great week!
Taurus
You will fall
in love this week.
Take things slow
and don’t rush into
anything. However,
keep your mind
open and don’t get distracted from school.
This could be one of your most important
academic months.
Gemini
Creativity
is flowing
through
your veins this
week. Take
advantage of
it and do some
arts and crafts
projects, or just doodle when you have
time. You will be amazed by your talents
and may even pick it up as a new hobby!
Cancer
D o
something after
school, whether
it is taking an
exercise class,
going shopping,
or learning how
to play an instrument.
Everyone needs a break between
school and doing homework. Go out and
have fun! You deserve it!
Leo
Start changing your style! Wear
funky shoes, cool pants, or bright shirts.
As it is getting colder, you can get inspired
by layering different clothes and wearing
scarves and hats. Have fun with it. You
will see, people
will pay attention
to you and compliment
you on your
new wardrobe.
Virgo
You will be pressured by your
friends and your surroundings this week;
however, stay true to who you are. If people
don’t appreciate that, then they are not
your true friends. It may be tough to realize
that at first,
but you will be
so much happier
doing what you
love than following
others.
Horoscopes
Libra
You may get in trouble in school
for cheating, so be on your best behavior!
You don’t want
to risk your academic
record or
the respect of
your teachers.
Be smart and
study! It will
pay off in the long run.
Scorpio
This week you
will be getting
a little bored.
Don’t just slack
off and waste
your time. Try
to do things
in advance. Start studying for a test next
week, clean out your closet, or start a research
project coming up. When the due
dates become closer and closer and your
schedule becomes more hectic, you will be
happy you got it done.
Sagittarius
You may feel like you are working
very hard for nothing, but be aware that
others are recognizing your efforts. Don’t
give up. Soon people will come up to you
for advice and they will turn to you for support.
You are
going to have a
great month, be
surrounded by
great people,
and everything
is going to pay
off.
Capricorn
Don’t get
down if you want
to apply to a college,
a job, or an
activity that is out
of your league. It
may take a couple
of days to organize
yourself, but
don’t get discouraged. Anything is possible
if you really want it and work hard!
Aquarius
You will be seeing a lot of movies
and plays this month with your family
and friends. Enjoy the shows, movies, and
times you have
with the people
around you. The
time will fly so
quickly, so you
should cherish every
moment.
Pisces
You will have
to tell someone
how you really
feel about a situation.
Don’t feel
hesitant. Everyone
will be happy you
told the truth and it
will make your life a lot more relaxed. It
may be difficult, but keeping it in will only
cause more damage.
Illustrations by Talia Niederman

Page 8 Helios Volume 8 Issue 1 October 2009
2009 Israel Maccabiah Games
Feature the United States Men’s
Basketball Team
By Brandon Bell
Every four years, the world comes together
to participate in the Olympic Games. And
every four years, Israel has a similar event called
the Maccabiah Games. This summer almost seven
thousand Jewish athletes from over fifty countries
participated in this “Jewish Olympics”. It was the
18th Maccabiah Games, and perhaps the best attended.
The mission of the Games is to draw Jewish
athletes from all over the world together and
create bonds between them through friendly competition.
One of the more popular sports during
the games was men’s basketball. The United
States team consisted of nine players, six of whom
currently play on college basketball teams. A week
before the team left for Israel, they gathered in
Philadelphia for a one week training camp. The
goal of the week was to acquaint the players with
one another and develop a “team first” mentality.
As none of these players had played together before,
the task at hand was very difficult. Luckily,
they had the best in the business to guide them
towards the coveted gold medal: Bruce Pearl, the
current head coach at the University of Tennessee,
served as their head coach. Pearl’s accolades
and awards speak for themselves. In 2008, he was
awarded the National Coach of the Year honor, the
highest coaching award in College Basketball. He
reached 300 victories more quickly than any other
coach. A Helios reporter had the opportunity to attend
one of the practices in the week leading up to
the team’s arrival and to present Mr. Pearl with a
few questions regarding the Maccabiah Games.
Helios: Have you ever been to Israel
before, and what will it mean to you to actually be
there?
Mr. Pearl: Sadly, I’ve never been there before but
I am extremely excited to finally go in a few days.
Right after graduating college, I wanted to live
there for a year, but I
never had the right
opportunity to do so.
It is the number one
event on my “bucket
list”. Words can not
describe how excited
I am. As a Jew I feel
obligated to at one
point in my life visit
Israel, the land of my
people.
Helios: What will the
competition be like during the games, and who is
the “team to beat?
Mr. Pearl: One thing is for sure: this is not going to
be some easy competition. Each country comprises
a special set of skills and basketball one has to prepare
for. Some of these teams have been playing
together for weeks, while we haven’t played with
each other at all! As for a team, I have to say the
host country, Israel. They have been playing together
for the longest in a Pro-League and embody
toughness and heart. The quality of basketball will
be terrific.
Helios: What else will the team be doing
besides playing basketball?
Mr. Pearl: Well, the USA Maccabiah delegation has
planned a week of learning and touring Israel before
the Opening Ceremonies. This will provide the
players with a unique experience because many of
them have never been to Israel. The purpose of this
trip is not only to win a gold medal and compete
with the best, but for our team to see and experience
their homeland.
The United States team captured the
gold medal, winning 95-86 in an overtime thriller
against Israel. Considering the team only had one
week of preparation, this victory was remarkable.
The game was a back and forth affair with each
team playing their toughest, trying to capture that
elusive gold medal.
The U.S.A. players were thrilled to be
part of an amazing team that fulfilled their dreams
of winning a gold medal. Dan Grunfeld, the tournament’s
Most Valuable Player, said, “Being in Israel
has been very special for me. As a Jewish American
I had never been here before and it's really meant a
lot. And winning the gold medal, that's been really
special as well. All in all, it was a great trip.”
All of the USA players had a great experience
playing in the Maccabiah Games. University
of Pennsylvania sophomore guard Zack Rosen
loved Israel so much
he may consider
playing in Israel
one day. “I love this
country, and I spent
a lot of time with
the guys who have
played here and they
love it. I'm Jewish,
so I have pride in
that and I have pride
that I'm a Jewish
player, and where
else to play but in
the homeland?”
Varsity Basketball Preview
By Victor Weberman
Sports
Heschel missed a three at the buzzer,
as they fell to Flatbush by two points in the
quarter-finals of the Yeshiva League Playoffs.
The crying could be heard outside the locker
room, as the Heat players and coaches mourned
the end to a heart-breaking season. For the seniors,
their time was done; for the juniors, the
beginning to their final season had just begun.
Now these 11th graders are 12th graders,
and are hungrier than ever for a championship.
Heschel has switched from the New Jersey
division to the Manhattan/Brooklyn division.
Heschel’s schedule is very tough as they will
be playing archrival Flatbush three times. Flatbush
has ended the Heat’s season in the playoffs
for the past three seasons, but Heschel looks to
break that pattern.
Head coach Kevin Flynn is a determined
leader, and he now has a team that is
taller, stronger, faster, and deeper, to compete in
a very challenging division. The addition of last
year’s junior varsity championship squadron
only strengthens the chemistry. Last year’s JV
coach, Mark Wiseman, has been added to the
coaching staff along with newly added assistant
Abraham Keita. Keita has been involved in basketball
since his early years of high school, and
carried on this career throughout college at St.
John’s and on the professional level in Europe.
Being an inch away from the semifinals
only reminds the teams in the Yeshiva
League of how close Heschel is to clinching a
final four berth this season. The popular league
website, JVelite.com, predicts Heschel will be
one of the elite teams at the end of the regular
season heading into the post-season.
While the Heat lost half their team
from the previous season, they still have two
excellent returning starters in Daniel Kasman
and Ezra Ellenbeg, and last year’s back up point
guard Jack Liechtung. Liechtung looks to command
the offense in the backcourt with Emanuel
“Mani” Schlisser, the MVP of last year’s JV
championship game, and both expect to run the
floor with the lightning speed of Kasman. Joining
Ellenberg in the front court is Ben Fenster, a
junior who has shown exceptional ability in the
past two seasons. Even with all this potential
in the starting lineup, one of many underlying
questions is: “can Schlisser and Fenster continue
to be successful at the varsity level?”
The rest of the team consists of players
from previous years, which greatly contributes
to the experience factor. One crazed Heschel
fan, senior Brandon Bell, commented on
this area of the team, saying “senior leadership
on any team is vital. The 12th graders are the
ones who act as role models. The experience
factor will contribute greatly to the performance
and success of this year’s squadron.”
Omri Casspi Acts as a Role Model for
Jews
By Ari Kramer
If you happen to watch a Sacramento
Kings basketball game this season, don’t
be stunned when you hear the commentator
announce, “Omri Casspi hits the shot!” You
might think it’s just a coincidence that this
Omri fellow has an Israeli name and wears
number eighteen, that there’s no way an Israeli
could make it to the National Basketball
Association (NBA). However, when you
hear his heavy Israeli accent during a postgame
interview and read about his love for
hummus, you’ll realize that he is as Israeli as
can be.
B o r n
outside of Ashdod
and formerly a
member of Israel’s
world famous
Maccabi Tel-
Aviv basketball
program, Casspi
became the first
Israeli selected
in the first round
of an NBA Draft
when the Kings
drafted him twenty-third
overall
in 2009. All first
round draft picks
are guaranteed
contracts; Casspi’s
bestows him with $3.5 million over three
years.
Other Israelis have unsuccessfully
attempted the transition from the Euroleague
(Europe’s professional basketball league) to
the NBA. Maccabi Tel-Aviv’s Lior Eliyahu,
taken by the Orlando Magic in the second
round of the 2006 draft, was the first Israeli
drafted. A few picks later, the Seattle Supersonics
selected Eliyahu’s teammate, Yotam
Halperin. NBA executives viewed Eliyahu
and Halperin as unworthy of NBA contracts,
so the two Israelis returned to the Euroleague.
Other than the country he calls
home and the team he used to play for, Casspi
has one major trait in common with Eliyahu
and Halperin: he has not played a game in the
NBA. However, unlike the two unsuccessful
Israelis, Casspi has affected Israelis and
Eric Lecain: Not Just A Volleyball
Coach
By Charlotte Marx-Arpadi
Eric Lecain, the multitalented coach
of the Heschel varsityvolleyball team, grew up
in the mountains near Asheville, N.C., where he
beganstudying music at the age of five. He went
to the North Carolina School of theArts for high
school, where he continued to pursue his passion
for music, andthen continued his studies at
the Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio. He was apianist,
composer, and conductor for many years.
He still plays from time totime in small, local
venues, but now concentrates on writing music.
Eric played volleyball throughout
high school and college,although his piano
teacher was not thrilled. He not only played,
but alsobecame a real student of the game. His
friends considered him obsessed becausehe
would carry a playbook, always writing ideas
and notes about the game. Inhis late twenties he
started playing two-man beach volleyball, and
played invarious tournaments in the U.S., as
well as internationally.
Eric balances his time not only between
music andvolleyball, but also his passion
for photography. Over the past couple ofyears,
he had the opportunity to film documentary projects
in Asia, and hecomposed his own music for
the film. He is currently working on a film about
aU.S. medical mission in a northern province of
the Philippines. This work hasintegrated many
of his talents into one project. Even today, every
American-Jews because he provides them
with hope—they, too, can defy odds and
reach the NBA.
Less than two months after Casspi
was drafted, two Israelis chose to enroll in
American colleges so they could play basketball
under the American spotlight with hopes
of garnering the attention and interest of NBA
scouts. Also a member of Maccabi Tel-Aviv,
Nimrod Tishman, announced his commitment
to the University of Florida in the beginning
of August. A few weeks later, Carmel Bouchman
informed Temple University coach Fran
Dunphy that he would accept his scholarship
offer. Tishman and
Bouchman were not
allowed to comment
due to NCAA regulations,
so there is no
firm proof that Casspi
influenced their decisions.
However,
Casspi said in a video
interview on nba.com
that he expects to
serve as a role-model
to Israelis and Jews
now that he is in the
NBA.
Even Jews who
don’t aspire to play in
the NBA feel a connection
to Casspi simply
because he is Jewish.
“I used to be much more heavily invested
in the NBA than I currently am, but it’s likely
that Casspi, being Jewish like me, will revive
my interest,” commented a Heschel student
who requested anonymity. Many Jews share
this sentiment and will check the Kings’ box
scores every day to see how Casspi performed
the night before.
In the early 1990’s, when the University
of Connecticut signed four Israelis
within a five year span, it appeared that Israeli
basketball was making its way to America.
However, none of the “Israeli Huskies” developed
enough at UConn to advance to the
next level in America, leaving Casspi without
an Israeli role model in the NBA. Now, he
will provide Israeli youth with something he
was not fortunate enough to have—a player
they can identify with in more ways than basketball.
free momenthe has, he heads to a jungle or off
scuba diving to take photos and nurture hispassion
for the arts.
Eric eventually moved to New York
and owned an IT(Information Technology)
consulting company. He is now semi-retired,
althoughhe still does occasional projects. He is
the current lead volleyball instructorat Chelsea
Piers, where he teaches classes and trains teams
to play intournaments. He has worked with several
AVP (Association of VolleyballProfessionals)
teams, as well as a Polish national team, to
prepare for theOlympic qualifier tour. He has
coached in the Philippines, Malaysia, andThailand.
Most recently, two of his teams qualified
for the U.S. Open of BeachVolleyball in California.
When the chance came up to coach
a high school girls’varsity team, Eric thought
it would be a new challenge. He began during
themiddle of last year’s season for a team
full of strong personalities, whichposed some
problems. Eric was faced with dissension that
he dubbed “the perfectchallenge.” He, with the
help of his regular assistant, Ola Wolak, aprofessional
volleyball player from Poland, helped
transform a team of six starterswith some substitutes
into a unified team of ten players. “I
couldn’t be moreproud of this team”.