May 2010 Final Newspaper

8/9/2019 May 2010 Final Newspaper

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THE YAVNEH

TIMESYavneh Middle School Newspaper

Yavneh Academy

155 Farview Avenue

Paramus NJ 07652

(201-)262-8494

Stimulating the Mind, Nourishing the Soul

2010

Yavneh Times Staff

May 2010

IN THIS ISSUE:

The Holocaust

Play

The UnitedStates and

Israel: A

Relationship in

Jeopardy?

School Next

Year

Whats Hit Today

An Interview

With


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The Holocaust Play

By: Ilana Karp 10

The Holocaust play preparation was a major success! This year a group of 8th

graders were even

invited to help Mrs. Lopkin make the background sets for the play. The play was called, "An Unlikely

Hero, the Pinchas Rosenbaum Story." The story is about the life of Pinchas Rosenbaum, the son of a

Rabbi from Hungary, who saved thousands of Jews. Pinchas Rosenbaum was played by Philip Meyer. His

father, Rav Shmuel Shmelka, was played by Josh Birnbaum. DovidAsael, another lead role, was played by Ariela Rivkin. Young

Pinchas was played by Leora Hyman. Students are so excited

about the play, as are the teachers. We have a great story this

year, one I have wanted to do for several years. Many of the

students are stepping up to the

plate and showing great talent,

said Rabbi Shmuel Burstein,

Director of Holocaust Studies

before the play. Everyone been

worked very hard with Dominique Cieri, the director of the play, to make

this event truly wonderful. Its been so much fun coming to rehearsals,

said eighth grader Marlee Goodman, just days beore the event. Its

such an amazing story. Pinchas is such a great person. I cant wait to see

how it comes out. The formal dress rehearsal was May 5th

and the final performance was May 6th

at

Paramus High school. This Holocaust Play was going to be an amazing show, and everyone agrees that it

was worth the wait!


3/14

The United States and Israel-

a Relationship in Jeopardy?

By: Sarah Hiller 11

A month ago, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden,traveled to Israel. His goal: to restart peacenegotiations between Israelis andPalestinians. He did not know that the

situation would erupt due to the shockingstatement of the Israeli interior minister, Eli

Yishai, the leader of the right-wing Shas

Party. In this statement,Yishai anouncedthat Israel is planning to build 1600

building

units in the now

predominately Palestinian Eastern Jerusalem. Biden was offended by this statement, as thiswas a blatant rejection of Bidens efforts towards peace between the two nations. This led

Netanyahu to apologize for the unfortunate timing of the announcement, claiming that he did

not think that this statement would be released while Biden was in Israel. Biden was still upset

that the announcement would have been made at all, as Eastern Jerusalem is a place which, in

addition to being claimed by Israel, is also claimed by Palestinians as their rightful land.

predominately Palestinian territory. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, another long time

supporter of Israel, called Prime Minister Netanyahu and demanded an explanation for the

shocking statement. Clinton also said that the decision was an insult to the U.S. "Weobjected to this announcement because we are committed to Israel and its security, which webelieve depends on a comprehensive peace -- because we are determined to keep moving

forward along a path that ensures Israel's future as a secure and democratic Jewish state living

in peace with its Palestinian and Arab neighbors," Clinton said. When asked about a possible

crisis with Israel over the settlements, she said, "Oh, I don't buy that. We have an absolute

commitment to Israel's security. We have a close, unshakable bond between the United States

and Israel and between the American and Israeli people."

Vice President Biden and Prime Minister Netan-

yahu before the shocking announcement.


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In East Jerusalem, Yishais announcement was followed by violence by Palestinians who object

to the settlements being built by the Israelis because the Palestinians want East Jerusalem fortheir future capital. Israels decision has aroused an assemblage of Palestinians who want totake revenge on the place that the Israelis intend to become a new settlement. Palestinianleaders have refused to rejoin peace talks until Israel freezes the construction of Jewishsettlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Repeating her comment from earlier, Clinton said that the relationship between Israel

and the U.S. was not in danger. We have an absolute commitment to Israels securitywe

have a close, unshakable bond between the U.S. and Israel, she said at a news conference.U.S. president Barack Obama said that

Israeli plans to build more homes in East

Jerusalem were not helpful for the Middle

East peace process, but the issue had not

led to a crisis with Israel, one of the U.S.s

closest allies. Obama said, Israel is one

of our closest allies, and we and the Israeli

people have a special bond thats not

going to go away...but friends are going to

disagree sometimes.

Netanyahu has not taken any

action to halt the building process. He

issued a statement saying that Israel

appreciates and respects the warm wordssaid by Clinton on the relationship

between Israel and America. He said that

the building plan in East Jerusalem in no

way hurts the Palestinians. Israeli officials say that the Obama administration misread the

situation and that stopping the building process was never an option. Obama believes that

Israel should not build in a Palestinian area, because it will only increase tension in the area.

The U.S. - Israeli relationship is not in jeopardy. Biden, Clinton, Obama, Netanyahu, and

other members of both governments have assured reporters and others that there is an

unshakable bond between the two nations, and that is not going to go away. Netanyahu claims

that Israel has the right to build in East Jerusalem, as that is truly Israeli property. Obama

acknowledges that Israel has the right to, but it is not helpful to peace negotiations at this

point. As supposed to some former presidents, such as George W. Bush, who have had more of

an undying support for Israel, Obama will support Israel, conditionally. He wishes that Israel

wouldnt do such things which are going to hurt peace negotiation.


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Obama doesnt want Israel to simply

give up East Jerusalem or any other part of their

country any time soon. He wishes that Israel

would attempt to make some sort of treaty oragreement with its Palestinian neighbors

concerning the disputed areas as supposed to

building there without Palestinian knowledge

and agreement.


6/14

School Next Year

By: Corey Berman 11

School next year for the middle school will end at 4:40,

as opposed to the current time of 4:25! This new schedule will

have some benefits for the middle schoolers, however. The new

model will give students additional time for breakfast. This has

been a heavily discussed topic in the middle school for quite some

time. This will hopefully give students time to have a quick bowl of

cereal, fruit, or drink before classes begin. The new schedule will

also put Mincha, the afternoon service, into the middle of the day, as opposed to its current

place at the end of the day. According to Rabbi Knapp, this will highlight the importance of

tefillah [prayer] and not making it seem like an afterthought to be rushed through as the buses

queue outside. Next, the new timetable will give a little more time for lunch/recess. This is

very important for middle schoolers. Kids have been pushing for this for years, and it is finally

going to be a reality. There is one last issue that the new

construct will address: there are currently two times a day

when students attend a cycle of four, uninterrupted classperiods. This can prove difficult for many, as that totals

four classes, each forty minutes- a total of 160 minutes of

straight learning! Middle school kids need to have

unwinding and reflecting time just as adults do, and this

schedule will

address that

need.

Therefore, there

will be a mid-

morning and

mid-afternoon break/snack time. Some feel that by

making these changes, Yavneh Academy is showing

its ability to be a school which is constantly trying to

make whatever adjustments necessary to keep up

with the academic and social needs of its students.

Others are frustrated that their school day will be

extended. As soon-to-be graduates, two eighth


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grade girls, who requested their names be kept anonymous, said that this decision is, Brilliant!

Its good for educational purposes, as children

need breaks in order to nourish the mind. A

seventh grade boy who also did not want his

name to be published, shared that, Its a bad

decision because you get less time at home toplay around and do homework, but its

good because you get more breaks and time

outside during school. Seventh grader

Elisheva Fridman has an alternate suggestion;

she believes that, If Yavneh would shorten

class periods to thirty- eight minutes instead

of the current time of forty minutes, then

there would be over fifteen minutes for all

of the benefits of the new schedule, without

extending the school day one minute!

Obviously, some are opposed to this

decision while others are comforted that

Yavneh is taking many important factors of

student life into account and giving more

opportunities for them in the school day. This

decision has aroused much disagreement among the students of the junior high school. Only

time will tell what kind of environment these changes will bring to the middle school. Well see

on September first!


8/14

Shrek Forever After

After defeating a dragon, rescuing a

princess, and saving a kingdom from

destruction, Shrek doesnt know what to do

next. After settling down with his wife Fiona,

and their three children, Shrek beings to lose

his edge. He used to send villagers runningin terror of the big-bad-ogre; he now

autographs pitchforks and torches. He longs

for the good old days of when he could

terrorize the villagers. The sly

Rumpelstiltskin gets Shrek to sign a contract.

The pact causes Shrek to realize what life wouldve been like in Far Far

Away without him.


9/14

Ke$ha

Ke$ha is the popular artist who sings the

songs TiK ToK and Blah Blah Blah. She wasborn on March 1

st, 1987 with the name

Kesha Rose Sebert in Los Angeles,

California. Kesha has had a rough life

growing up with her mother, Pebe Sebert,

and her two brothers, Lagan and Louis. She

writes her songs based on life experiences, like the storytelling style of

country music. Ke$ha has been described by The New YorkTimes as afemale rapper into pop music for her song TiK ToK. Some enjoy her

style of singing and see it as fresh, new and cool, while others dislike

her way of speaking in her songs, as supposed to singing the whole way

through.

Halo: Reach

The game Halo: Reach takes place in the

future, around the year 2552. It is a

prequel to the popular Halo trilogy of

XBOX games. It is about a raging war

between the humans and an alien race

known as the Covenant. At the time ofthis game (the year 2552), most of

humanitys interstellar colonies have

been destroyed. One stronghold

remains: the planet Reach. Players


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assume the role of Spartans, a group of specially manufactured super-

soldiers, who will attempt to fight the Covenant, and preserve

humanitys biggest secret from the Covenant: Earth. Comes out in fall

2010. Based on the novel The Fall of Reach by Eric Nylund.

American Idol

American Idol is a TV show where

people can show off their talent and

passion of singing. The show is in its

9th

season, and is still going strong.

The top 12 contestants this season

are Aaron Kelly from PA, Andrew Garcia

from

CA, Casey James from TX, Crystal Bowersox from OH, Didi Benami from

TN, Katie Stevens from CT, Lee Dewyze from IL, Michael Lynche from FL,

Paige Miles from FL, Siobhan Magnus from MA, Tim Urban from TX, and

Lacey Brown from TX. After performing, the contestants are judged by

judges Randy Jackson, Ellen DeGeneres, Kara DioGuardi, and Simon

Cowell. This competition gets more and more exciting every week!


11/14

An Interview With

Rabbi KnappBy: Elijah Lippe 11 and Gabe Haymes 11

YT: Rabbi Knapp, what inspired you to become a principal?

RK: Originally I started out as a Talmud and Torah teacher.

YT: What year did you become principal?

RK: I became assistant principal in 2001 and then became principal in the 2005-2006 school year.

YT: Did you have any occupation before you started teaching here, like, the military, etc.

RK: At first I was going to take part in the army as Chaplain, but I got married instead.

YT: Where were you born?

RK: I was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

YT: Where do you live currently?

RK: I currently live in Bergenfield, New Jersey.

YT: Like Rabbi Schreiber?

RK: Correct.

YT: Rabbi Knapp, do you think that the recent recession in the economy will/has effected Yavneh in any

manner?

RK: No, Yavneh is a stable school.

YT: Did you play any sports when you were in school or now?

RK: I was once the starter on a hockey team. In addition, I just retired from the Bnei Yeshurun Softball

League, where I was a third baseman.


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YT: In all the years that you have been in Yavneh, have there been any drastic changes?

RK:When I got here, it was already a great school. But, in addition, we added some new things to go

with the old.

YT: Rabbi Knapp, we have so far gotten lunches from Burgers Bar, Chopsticks, Dougies, and Chickies.What do you think about this lunch program?

RK: I find it to be great and for it, you can thank the student council and Morah Baruchov.

YT: Since we are concluding our interview, I would like to ask a final question. How many kids are there

in Yavneh?

RK: There are 716 kids in Yavneh, currently.

YT: Wow! In my last school there were only 100 kids. Thanks for the great interview Rabbi Knapp.

RK: It is my pleasure.


13/14

By: Benji Dukas 11

*based on many 7th

graders and some 6th

and 8th

graders


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Faculty Advisor

Rabbi Aaron Ross

Editors

Sarah Hiller and Corey Berman

Writers

Ilana Karp, Sarah Hiller, Corey Berman,

Lisa Appelbaum, Elijah Lippe, GabeHaymes, Benji Dukas

FormattingYair Berger

Readers: If you are interes

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editions, please see Rabbi

or [email protected]

YavnehTimes welcomes le

from readers- whether it

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or an idea for a future art

They must be appropriate.

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May 2010 Final Newspaper