College Guidance Meets with Juniors
by Asher Lefkowitz
On Wednesday, January 31, the Frisch College Guidance office met with the junior grade and parents to initiate the application process. In these meetings, College Guidance office answered questions and advised the students and parents on colleges that best fit each student based on factors including tuition costs, geographic concerns, academics, and religious aspects. The Frisch college guidance addressed the grade and then moved on to individual meetings. The college application process begins in the second half of junior year after which College Guidance meets five times with juniors from January to June. On May 22, there is a College Fair, so students can get a sampling of colleges, and meet representatives. There are typically 25-30 colleges present at the College Fair. In the fall of senior year 35 colleges visit Frisch to give their own separate presentations and meet with interested students.
College Guidance continues to work, one-on-one, with seniors to help them edit both their personal statement essays and the supplemental essays. Additionally, College Guidance offers to help students to prep for interviews as students apply either early decision or regular decision. Early decision applicants apply November 1st and receive a response on December 15th. Regular decision applicants apply January 1st and receive a response on May 1st.
College Guidance continues to work, one-on-one, with seniors to help them edit both their personal statement essays and the supplemental essays. Additionally, College Guidance offers to help students to prep for interviews as students apply either early decision or regular decision. Early decision applicants apply November 1st and receive a response on December 15th. Regular decision applicants apply January 1st and receive a response on May 1st.
Holden Caulfield Visits Dr Berkman's Class
by Asher Lefkowitz
On Friday, November 10th, Rabbi Fleischmann performed as Holden Caulfield, the protagonist in the novel Catcher in the Rye, in Dr. Berkman’s 9th grade honors English class. Rabbi Fleischmann dressed up as Holden Caulfield and answered questions in character about the novel. Rabbi Fleischmann has been collaborating with Dr. Berkman on this project for twenty year Rabbi Fleischmann’s performance lasted about 30 minutes .The students ask Rabbi Fleischmann detailed questions about the novel. This is the first year that Rabbi Fleischmann‘s performance is on Facebook and in the student press.
Shiriyah Finale
by Brooke Schwartz
On Thursday night, January 11th, Frisch students converged in the gym at 7:00 PM to participate in the Shiriyah finale, while parents, friends, alumni, and more watched from the bleachers. The freshmen wore white; the sophomores, blue; the juniors, green; and the seniors, black. The gym was decorated with hundreds of balloons, and there was one screen on each wall to depict what was going on for anyone who did not have a good view of the current activity. Cameramen filmed the two-and-a-half-hour event, with the videos being streamed on the screens in the gym as well as online for viewers who were not physically attending Shiriyah.
The freshmen sang “Shabachi” and “Vizakeni”; the sophomores sang “Shem Hashem” and “Et Hamaroh”; the juniors sang “Shomer Yisrael” and “Chizku”; and the seniors sang “Nar Hayiti” and “Elokai,” along with medley. Interspersed throughout the songs were the junior and senior stomps, each with its own unique dances, beats, and storylines; the banners of each grade, each with a dvar Torah; and pictures and videos of alumni watching Shiriyah on various cell phones, shown to the cameras by Rabbi Ciner.
The freshman and sophomore stomps were not performed on Shiriyah night, as they had been performed for all students in the shul at 6 PM. The grade videos, stop motions, and rube goldbergs, which were a new addition this year, were also shown then. The students then ate dinner at 6:30 PM before going to the shul.
After the last song was sung, the students danced exuberantly together and then quieted when Rabbi Ciner readied himself to speak. Rabbi Ciner first thanked Rabbi Goldfischer for investing so much time in Shiriyah. Confusion followed when Rabbi Ciner unintentionally implied that the sophomores had bested the juniors in Shiriyah, before elucidating that the sophomores had beaten the juniors in several categories but the juniors were still victorious overall. He then announced that the seniors had won Shiriyah. The students got up and danced again and gradually dispersed to go home.
The freshmen sang “Shabachi” and “Vizakeni”; the sophomores sang “Shem Hashem” and “Et Hamaroh”; the juniors sang “Shomer Yisrael” and “Chizku”; and the seniors sang “Nar Hayiti” and “Elokai,” along with medley. Interspersed throughout the songs were the junior and senior stomps, each with its own unique dances, beats, and storylines; the banners of each grade, each with a dvar Torah; and pictures and videos of alumni watching Shiriyah on various cell phones, shown to the cameras by Rabbi Ciner.
The freshman and sophomore stomps were not performed on Shiriyah night, as they had been performed for all students in the shul at 6 PM. The grade videos, stop motions, and rube goldbergs, which were a new addition this year, were also shown then. The students then ate dinner at 6:30 PM before going to the shul.
After the last song was sung, the students danced exuberantly together and then quieted when Rabbi Ciner readied himself to speak. Rabbi Ciner first thanked Rabbi Goldfischer for investing so much time in Shiriyah. Confusion followed when Rabbi Ciner unintentionally implied that the sophomores had bested the juniors in Shiriyah, before elucidating that the sophomores had beaten the juniors in several categories but the juniors were still victorious overall. He then announced that the seniors had won Shiriyah. The students got up and danced again and gradually dispersed to go home.
New Shiriyah Rube Goldberg Challenge
by Asher Lefkowitz
On Thursday, January 11th, the Rube Goldberg Challenge machines were displayed. The Rube Goldberg Challenge is a new competition during Shiriyah in which students construct complex contraptions in order to complete a task. All four grades participated in this event and team members indicated that they felt that the competition was a success and should become a permanent fixture in Shiryah.
Juniors and Seniors Play Family Feud
by Brooke Schwartz
As part of the Shiriyah competition, the Juniors and Seniors participated in a family feud competition hosted by Dr. Zadoff during seventh period on Tuesday, January 9. The Juniors won with a final score of 930 to 480. Several examples of questions asked were “Name the most common traffic sign that you pass on the way to school,” “Name a parent/child at Frisch,” “Name something that brothers would fight about,” and “Give me another term for ‘mother’.”
Freshmen and Sophomores Play Family Feud
by Brooke Schwartz
As part of the Shiriyah competition, the freshmen and sophomores participated in a family feud competition hosted by Rabbi Feldman during 10th period on Tuesday, January 8. The sophomores won with a final score of 689 to 235. Several examples of questions asked were “Name something your father does better than you,” “Name a reason kids would ‘sign’ out of class,” “Name United States political figures who followed their parents into politics,” and “Name a sign you would see posted in a restaurant.”
Shiriyah In Frisch
by Rebecca Aduculesi
Shiriyah, Frisch's annual gradewide competition, took place between January 5th and January 11th. Shiriyah broke out on Friday, January 5th after a video created by Rabbi Goldfischer and Rabbi Weinberg was shown to the student body. Over the course of the week, each grade competed in a variety of categories including hallway decoration, stomp, video, tzedaka collection, cake boss, mural, banner, Rube Goldberg, and project runway. The culmination of Shiriyah was on Thursday night when each grade performed a slow Hebrew song and a fast Hebrew song. Everyone in the community was invited to come to Frisch to watch the Frisch students perform. At the end of the night, Rabbi Ciner announced that the seniors were the winners of Shiriyah.
Late Bus Schedule Changed for Shiriyah
by Judith Rosenbluth
The late bus schedule was changed for shiriyah week. The usual schedule had buses for the different out of towners at various times ranging from 7-9 throughout the week. During shiriyah, out of town late buses are available at 9 on Monday and Tuesday, and at 10 on Wednesday to allow those students to participate in the activities after school.
Shiriyah Breakout
by Brooke Schwartz
On Friday, January 5, Shiriyah broke out in the shul during second period. The breakout video lasted for ten minutes and was inspired by Stranger Things and Ghostbusters. After the breakout video, footage of Shiriyah from past years was shown, and then captains and generals from each grade were announced, along with the themes. The Freshmen's theme was Avraham and Sarah; the Sophomores’ was Rivka and Yitzchak; the Juniors’ was Yaakov, Rachel, and Leah; and the Seniors’ was the twelve tribes.
Mrs. Teichman Returns
by Brooke Schwartz
Mrs. Shira Teichman returned to Frisch on January 9 after leaving for maternity leave on October 27. Miss Laura Wheater took over her classes--10C2, 11C1, and 12th grade finite math--until her return. As Miss Wheater was not a member of Frisch faculty prior to her substitution for Mrs. Teichman, she will no longer be at Frisch.
Rav Willig Comes to Speak to Halacha Track
by Rebecca Aduculesi
On Monday, January 15th, Rav Mordechai Willig, one of the main Rabbinic authorities in America, visited Frisch and spoke to the students in the Halacha track. Rav Willig was invited to speak by Rabbi Bush. Rav Willig spoke about cases in which women were unsure if their husbands had passed away after 9/11 because there was no sufficient proof that their husbands had died in the tragedy. Rav Willig then spoke to the Gemara department separately.
Shiriyah Tzedaka Competition
by David Jaeger
Beginning on Monday morning, January 8th and concluding on Thursday morning January 11th, Juniors and Seniors sold food and beverages for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, in the lunch room. The money received from the sales were given to Tzedaka as the raising of the money was part of a competition between the 2 grades for Shiriyah.
Friendship Circle Apparel Sale
by David Jaeger
On Friday, December 29th, The Friendship circle sold apparel to frisch students. They sold hooded sweatshirts, mugs, flip flops, and beanies. They also had a container of Hershey's Kisses and had students guess how many were inside the container.
NCSY Summer Program Visit
by David Jaeger
On Wednesday, December 13th, the NCSY summer program visited Frisch. They set up a table in the cafeteria, and students who were interested were given a brochure describing what the camp is, as well as a stick on wallet. The camp is for students between 9th and 12th grade and it runs for about 5 weeks in Israel.
Dinner Honorees
by Brooke Schwartz
Frisch announced its honorees for the annual school dinner in September, scheduled for 8 PM at the Teaneck Mariott at Glenpointe on February 10, 2018. The honorees are Amy Eagle, winner of the Nedivat Lev Award, who served on the Executive Board for two years and is currently chair of the Education Committee; Doron Katz (‘93), recipient of the Alumni Recognition Award, who is very involved in the Bergen County and Frisch communities and is an enthusiastic Frisch parent; and Dafna Zilberschmid, who was given the Rav Shlomo Kahn Memorial Educator’s Award and has been teaching at Frisch for 18 years. The guests of honor are Janet and Kenny Hoffman; Kenny is a long-time board member of the Frisch school and also serves as chair of Frisch’s Finance Committee, and the couple expresses their strong approval for the Frisch school.
The decision about whom to honor was a joint effort between the board of trustees, Mrs. Rachel Roth, and Rabbi Eli Ciner. “We always look at people who have been supporters of the school, both financially and giving of their time, and for the alumni recognition award, we look at somebody whom we see as a role model of a Frisch alum,” Mrs. Roth said when asked about how how the honorees were chosen.
The decision about whom to honor was a joint effort between the board of trustees, Mrs. Rachel Roth, and Rabbi Eli Ciner. “We always look at people who have been supporters of the school, both financially and giving of their time, and for the alumni recognition award, we look at somebody whom we see as a role model of a Frisch alum,” Mrs. Roth said when asked about how how the honorees were chosen.
Cougar Nation Broadcasting Expands
by Asher Lefkowitz
Cougar Nation, the Frisch broadcasting network, has expanded. Cougar Nation was started in 2015 by a group of students who were interested in live-streaming Frisch sports games. In 2016, Cougar Nation became more organized and they became a club. They broadcast the entire sports season. Cougar Nation tries to have one broadcaster for every sport. This year, Cougar Nation has a YouTube channel, and their own website. Additionally Cougar Nation has commercials, two new cameras, and upgraded software. This is the 1st year that Cougar Nation has followers in Israel. For every game there are between 25- 350 live watchers, and somewhere between one hundred to several thousand streamers.
First Wrestling Match
by Asher Lefkowitz
On Monday, November 20th, The Frisch wrestling team played their first match, which was against Kushner. Both the Junior and Senior varsity teams wrestled. Frisch was initially losing, but Frisch came out victorious by a score of 43-36. Kushner was the second best team in the league last year.
Good Work Class
by Asher Lefkowitz
This year, the Good Work class has been introduced to Frisch‘s Senior curriculum. The Good Work class is a discussion based class taught by Rabbi Ciner. In the Good Work class, students read articles and watch videos about prominent figures and then they discuss how they could create meaningful and ethical work. Good Work meets weekly and is one period. Rabbi Ciner was inspired to make a Good Work class similar to that of project zero, a Harvard think tank, which discusses Good Work.
Substitute Science Teacher
by Asher Lefkowitz
As of Monday, November 27th, Mr. David Beckman began filling in as a substitute teacher for Mrs. Alayna Schnipper. Mr. Beckman will be substituting until March 2nd, which marks the end of Mrs. Schnipper's three month maternity leave. He teaches Freshman biology classes, level B and C, and Senior A.P. Environmental Science. Mr.Beckman has a background in science with a masters in geology and work experience as an environmental scientist.
Makeshift Minyan
by Brooke Schwartz
On Thursday, November 21, there was a makeshift Mincha Minyan in room 41. Rabbi Goldfischer’s 11R1 and 11R2 classes had been signed out of gym to take their Gemara tests from ninth to tenth period and could not attend Mincha in the shul. Due to the fact that there were not enough men for a minyan, Rabbi Goldfischer arranged for Gilad Holtzer, from 11Q, to serve as the tenth man and make the Minyan
Kahal Tzedakah Drive
by Brooke Schwartz
After Mincha On Tuesday afternoon, December 12, the Kahal Tzedakah drive began, raising money to be donated towards research to find a cure for Canavan disease, a condition which proves fatal by the time the victim is eleven. This was in honor of a Frisch alumnus with two young sons with the disease.
Any means used to raise funds had to be approved by Rabbi Goldfischer. Although students do not normally bring outside food during the drive, Rabbi Goldfischer allowed students to sell “little things,” like donuts, though students needed to consult Rabbi Goldfischer for Kashrut verification. Rabbi Goldfischer recommended that Kahal volunteers sell things with a low cost and a high yield, using an example of a previous year in which students put Rabbi Ciner in a dunk tank and had people pay money to try to dunk him.
For every $100 raised by a Talmud class, the students in that class received two raffle tickets for the Frisch on Fire raffle, which was on Tuesday, December 9. Raffle prizes included making the birthday announcements for a week, eating Edy’s or Klein’s ice cream with Daniel Edi ('18) and Rabbi Klein at the Klein home, and designing an item to be sold for the Frisch school with the Frisch Parents’ Association.
Any means used to raise funds had to be approved by Rabbi Goldfischer. Although students do not normally bring outside food during the drive, Rabbi Goldfischer allowed students to sell “little things,” like donuts, though students needed to consult Rabbi Goldfischer for Kashrut verification. Rabbi Goldfischer recommended that Kahal volunteers sell things with a low cost and a high yield, using an example of a previous year in which students put Rabbi Ciner in a dunk tank and had people pay money to try to dunk him.
For every $100 raised by a Talmud class, the students in that class received two raffle tickets for the Frisch on Fire raffle, which was on Tuesday, December 9. Raffle prizes included making the birthday announcements for a week, eating Edy’s or Klein’s ice cream with Daniel Edi ('18) and Rabbi Klein at the Klein home, and designing an item to be sold for the Frisch school with the Frisch Parents’ Association.
Early Dismissal For A Fast Day
by David Jaeger
On Thursday, December 28th, schedule changes were made to accommodate a 2 o'clock dismissal to allow students to go home early on the fast of the tenth of Tevet. Periods 1-4 ran as usual however period 7 followed directly. This combined morning classes with an afternoon class. Period 8 was replaced by speaker and the speech was followed by a school-wide mincha.
Frisch Friendship Circle Camp
by David Jaeger
During the week of December 26th-December 29th, the Frisch School hosted The Friendship Circle Winter Camp. Students served as counselors in a schedule based around their Judaic Studies classes in the morning and afternoon, and played with the children. The children and students played games, used instruments, built candy snowmen, and one group went to Turtleboo jungle gym.
December SAT
by Allison Gellerstein
On Sunday, December 3rd, Frisch administered the SAT. As per College Board regulations, admission opened at 7:45 a.m. and ended at 8:00 in the morning; any student that arrived after 8:00 was not admitted to take the test. All tests, including students with time and a half, finished by 1:15 in the afternoon. Frisch was available as the test center for any student in the region who was unable to take the test for religious reasons on Saturday, December 2nd.
Channukah Decorations
by Judith Rosenbluth
As part of this year's Chanukah festivities, decorations were put up in the window of the Fab Lab at Frisch before the first night of Chanukah, Tuesday, December 12. Students crafted wooden or plastic 3D printed menorahs with working lights, some of which flash, while others count down or up or light up differently on different days. Students also drew on the window Chanukah decorations with window markers.
Snow Day
by David Jeager
Due to inclement weather conditions The Frisch School was closed on Thursday, January 4th. Students were notified about the schools closing via email and text. This was Frisch's first snow day of the year. The administration sent an email out detailing the rescheduling of all of Thursday's tests to the following day.
Missing Healthy Vending Machine
by Brooke Schwartz
Announcements on Wednesday, January 3 included the fact that Frisch’s “Healthy Vending” snacks machine missing, which was confirmed by the empty space in the appropriate location in the cafeteria. Though the reason why is unknown, as is the culprit, the vending machine has been seen in the room next to the freight elevator by the cafeteria's exit.
Israeli Technology Speaker
by Allison Gellerstein
On Wednesday, January 3rd, Frisch students attended a presentation about Israel's technology and innovations. Hillel Fuld, an Israeli tech blogger and startup founder, spoke to the students about his beginnings as an advisor to technology startups and Israel's prominence in the world of technology investments. At the end of the presentation, Mr. Fuld answered student questions. Sophomores and seniors had the program during 8th period and juniors had it during 10th period.
Junior College Meeting
by Batsheva Ohayon
On Tuesday, November 28th, Danielle Tamir, the assistant for the College Guidance Department, sent out an email informing all Juniors about the first upcoming college assembly. In preparation for the meeting, which is scheduled for January 31st, students were asked to fill out a survey with questions about the overall college process. The students' input will be incorporated into the assembly in order to make it more informative and relevant to them.
Frisch On Fire and Chanukah Toy Drive
by Asher Lefkowitz
On Tuesday, December 19th, Frisch continued their annual Chanukah festivals with Frisch on Fire and the Chanukah Toy Drive. Frisch on Fire is an annual Chanukah festivity, which includes relay races, a raffle, and dancing with a live band. Frisch on Fire started with a Dvar Torah by Rabbi Bashist. Then two of the raffle prize winners were announced. Some of the prizes include flying the drone and watching Star Wars movies with Rabbi Pittinsky. The rest of the prizes were announced throughout the day. Following the announcement of the two winners, there was a Chanukah themed relay race. The race was between Sophomores and Juniors against the Freshman and Seniors. The Juniors and Sophomores won. The final component of Frisch on Fire was dancing. After the dancing the students and faculty enjoyed desserts, upstairs in the cafeteria, such as molten lava cakes and ice cream. The Chanukah Toy drive was another Frisch Chanukah festivity. Students brought in new toys for unfortunate children who didn’t have presents for Chanukah. All of the toys were donated to the Bergen County Toy Drive. Each student received ten tickets for a raffle.
Envision Shakespeare Auditions
by Daniel Hirsch
On Wednesday, November 22nd and Wednesday, December 6, Envision Shakespeare held auditions for its performance of Julius Caesar Act 1 Scene 2 during breakfast in room 13. There are seven speaking roles actors were able to decide which ones to audition for. Everybody was asked to give two choices in case there were multiple auditions for the same part. The students prepared and recited their part’s lines to the club’s faculty adviser, Ms. Lauren Burstein, while student director Seela Langer (‘19) read the lines in between. The students who did not receive speaking roles are set to have the non-speaking roles most vital to the production of the scene. The cast list was announced in the club’s Whatsapp group chat.
Hanukkah Festivities
by Sammy Nat
Over the course of Hanukkah, Yeshivat Frisch held a special, daily Hanukkah program including candle lighting and davening. In order to have enough time at the end of the day for the ceremony, one class per day was skipped. After the entire student body davened mincha together, a student went on stage and lit the Hanukkah candles. The entire yeshiva then sang Hanerot Halalu and Maoz Tzur. Once the singing concluded, there was a dvar torah by one of the Frisch rabbis. After the dvar torah was finished, a raffle began. Students who were on time to mincha had received raffle tickets upon entering the shul and tickets were chosen to win different “as seen on TV” toys; each day, two students were chosen. Some of the gifts included a snuggie, slushie maker, and an ice cream maker. On the last night of Chanukah, the winners received a voucher for a year of free Friday breakfasts. Following the raffle, everyone davened maariv and then proceeded to the buses.
Drunk Driving Speaker
by David Jaeger
On Tuesday morning, December 26th, the Junior and Senior grade went to the Shul for a program on drunk driving given by Steven Benvenisti. The 45 minute long program detailed the story of a young man who fell victim to a drunk driving accident. Although the victim was severely injured and brain dead, he made a full recovery. Benvenisti then shocked the crowd, revealing himself as that victim. He ended the program by giving out keychains, and contracts. The contracts asked students to promise that they would never drink and drive, and asked parents to co-sign.
Morning Donuts
by David Jaegar
On Friday morning, December 8th, donuts which were not given out after mishmar the previous evening were given out. Due to the meat lunch served on Thursday, many students were still fleisheg and could not eat the dairy donuts so instead of providing donuts for only some students, or creating a temptation for students who should not, halachically, be eating them, the school decided to wait until the next morning to serve them.
Kahal Tzedaka Drive
by Judith Rosenbluth
The annual Kahal tzedaka drive ended on Thursday, December 21st after mincha. Over $21,000 was raised this year with 10S1 raising the most money of any section, with almost $7000 and won dinner in New York City for the whole class. The money will go towards Landsman family's effort to raise money for research about Canavans Disease, a neurological disorder that both of their sons have.
Rav Murciano Dvar Torah
by Sammy Nat
On Tuesday, December 19, Rav Murciano gave Rabbi Morris’ 11S2 class a Chanukah dvar torah. Rav Murciano talked about why Chanukah is celebrated for eight days instead of seven. He explained that even though the first day of lighting the menorah wasn’t a miracle, just finding the oil was. Following the speech, Rabbi Murciano and the entire class danced and sang Al Hanisim.
Rabbi Morris Chanukah Party
by Sammy Nat
On December 14, Rabbi Morris hosted a Chanukah party at his house for both of his 11S gemara classes. Rabbi Morris rented a bus to transport all the students to his house and everyone enjoyed dinner from Chopstix, a Chinese restaurant in Teaneck. Afterwards there were divrei torah given by Yisrael Richter, Samuel Volodarsky, Hanna Karben, and Raquel Leifer. Then, everyone received a mystery Maccabee gift. To finish the party, everyone sat in a circle and sang zemirot while Rabbi Morris played the guitar.
Chanukah Donuts
by Judith Rosenbluth
Donuts were given out on Wednesday, December 13th in honor of Chanukah. They were available in each Grade Dean offices. The donuts were also distributed to 8th grade visitors who were in Frisch for the day.
Thanksgiving Advisory Program
by Allison Gellerstein
On Monday, November 20 and Wednesday, November 22,The Frisch faculty participated in the annual Thanksgiving advisory program. Each advisory class, freshman to junior, was delivered apple pie by its respective grade deans who came dressed in pilgrim costumes. Some visits included a Thanksgiving mascot as well. The freshman and sophomores got pie Monday and the juniors on Wednesday.
11R1 Chanukah Party
by Allison Gellerstein
On Wednesday, December 13th, students from 11R1 gathered at the house of their Chumash teacher, Mrs. Sarit Anstandig, for their class Chanukah party from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Students gave Divrei Torah about Chanukah, competed in a dreidel-spinning competition, and exchanged gifts. The school paid for chinese food as dinner for the night. Another Frisch faculty present at the party was Rabbi David Goldfischer, the 11R Gemara teacher.
Poetry Slam at Kushner
by Daniel Hirsch
On Thursday December 21st, the Frisch poetry team, seven students from Frisch accompanied by team advisor, Rabbi Neil Fleischmann, attended the Yeshiva High School Poetry Society (YHSPS) Poetry Slam at RKYHS. Students were challenged to write two poems: a rubaiyat with an AABA rhyme scheme in iambic pentameter or tetrameter, about “What Lies Beneath” and a free verse poem about “The Habits we have in our Lives.” Students were judged for their use of language, their adherence to the stated poetic form, their approach to the theme, the quality of their performance, and their overall success at moving the judges and the audience. For the first round the students were split into three rooms to recite their poems. For the second round, twelve students were chosen to be semi-finalists, four from each room. Then five awards were given with a prize of a ten dollar Barnes and Noble Gift Card: Best Poet, Best Runner-up, Best Rubiayat, Best Free Verse and Best Presentation. Frisch junior Seela Langer (‘19) won Best Presentation. In total, eight schools and sixty students attended.
11s3 Chanukah Party
by Daniel Hirsch
On Thursday, December 14, Rabbi Josh Weinberg held a Chanukah party for his 11S3 class at his house in Bergenfield. Rabbi Weinberg provided Chinese food from Chopstix in Teaneck. At the party, the class played different games, including “Mystery Maccabi” and a dreidel spinning tournament. Aside from games, there were multiple divrei torah shared throughout the night by both Rabbi Weinberg and the students.
Hebrew Curriculum Digitized
by Asher Lefkowitz
This year, the Junior class's Hebrew curricular material was moved completely online. Whereas in previous years, components of the Hebrew curriculum were available on the web, the entire set of material including the Hebrew textbook is accessible on Google drive based file linked through Haiku, as a pdf available via laptop or other device. Rabbi Wald, Rabbi Pittinsky, Morah Dafna, and Rabbi Ciner innovated the idea last year. The administration‘s eventual goal is to have every subject's material available as a hard copy and digitally in order to accommodate all students.
First Debate Meet
by Allison Gellerstein
On Thursday, October 26, the Frisch Varsity Debate team competed against the other schools in the North Jersey Debate League, at North Highlands High School in Allendale, New Jersey for their first debate this year. Six teams from Frisch, each consisting of a pair of students, debated the resolution "The United States federal government should substantially increase its regulation and/ or funding of primary and/or secondary schools.” Though Frisch did not win, Dr. Fuchs, the faculty advisor for the team, said that it was a good start to the debate season.
New Davening Policy
by Adina Horowitz
On Monday, November 6th, Frisch unveiled its new policy on talking during davening. The policy states that any student who is asked to move seats during davening or asked to stay late must go to a new minyan led by Rabbi Ciner in the conference room. This new minyan is designed to explain more about davening which should help the student understand the importance of davening and why he or she should not talk during davening. While it was initially designed for for Seniors the policy allows for students of other grades to be sent there.
FPA Gives Out Annual Hanukkah Gift To Teachers
by David Jaeger
In honor of Chanukah, the Frisch Parents Association (FPA), gave out a car-vent cell phone holder, and screen cleaner to all the teachers on Wednesday, December 13th. The present also came with a note, acknowledging and thanking them for all that the teachers do. Mr. Eitan Kastner of the history department said, "it was great that they gave it to us, I always appreciate the gifts from the FPA".
Eighth Grade Visitors
by Judith Rosenbluth
On Monday, November 13th thirty-eighth graders came to visit for the first of 12 Admissions visitation days at Frisch. The eighth graders arrived at 7:50 and stayed until 1:30. During their stay at Frisch, the eighth graders participated in a program led by Rabbi Goldfischer and seniors as they learned about Frisch. They also watched a chemistry presentation from Mrs Scharf. Before they left for the day, they got to sample Frisch cuisine for lunch free of charge.
Mr. Brescher Joins Frisch Faculty
by Asher Lefkowitz
This year, Mr. Kyle Brescher joined the Frisch faculty. Prior to teaching in Frisch, Mr. Brescher taught at Morristown-Beard for seven years and the Randolph high school for 3 years. He joined the Frisch faculty because he was impressed by the overall positive attitude of the faculty. Mr. Brescher teaches all levels of Math to all grades except for sophomores. He also teaches engineering and computer science.
Kahal Tzedaka Drive
by David Jaegar
On Tuesday, December 12th, Frisch commenced its annual Kahal Tzedaka Drive. The money raised will be donated to the Landsman Family which has brothers who suffer from a fatal genetic mutation, to help pay for treatment. The drive is a friendly competition between Judaic classes in each grade, as the class that raises the most money wins a class trip to La Marais for dinner. The drive ends at the end of Chanukah.
Simchas Beit HaShoeva
by Sammy Nat
On Monday, October 9, the Frisch School continued its tradition of having a Simchat Beit HaShoeva at Keter Torah in Teaneck. Many Frisch rabbis, including Rabbi Ciner, Rabbi Goldfischer, Rabbi Shulman, Rabbi Israeli, and Rabbi Weinberg came to the event. Rabbi Goldfischer opened the evening with a Dvar Torah about the holiness of a Simchat Beit HaShoeva. Afterwards, Rabbi Weinberg played music on his guitar and the students and rabbis danced in the sukkah. There was then a barbeque and a mezuman to end the party.
After the party, the rabbis invited the students to join them in Borough Park, where there were multiple Simchat Beit HaShoevot organized by the local shuls. The rabbis drove students from all grades, and some alumni to Borough Park. The entire group arrived at approximately 9:30 and met up at the first location. They walked as a group to the Chabad led dancing in the streets. In addition to the singing and dancing, there was also a performance by a clown.
Next, the group went to different succot: the Bobov Succa, the Bobov 45 Succa, the Karlin Stolin Succa, the Munkatch succa, and the Stuchin succa. Each succa was about thirty feet tall with bleachers on each side to accommodate the nearly one thousand visitors. Each also provided potato kugel,cholent, and refreshments. The group listened to many shiurim by respected rabbis such as the Bobover Rebbe, Rabbi Bentzion Halberstan. This experience allowed the students to witness a Borough Park Simchat Beit HaShoeva and celebrate with thousands of other Jews.
After the party, the rabbis invited the students to join them in Borough Park, where there were multiple Simchat Beit HaShoevot organized by the local shuls. The rabbis drove students from all grades, and some alumni to Borough Park. The entire group arrived at approximately 9:30 and met up at the first location. They walked as a group to the Chabad led dancing in the streets. In addition to the singing and dancing, there was also a performance by a clown.
Next, the group went to different succot: the Bobov Succa, the Bobov 45 Succa, the Karlin Stolin Succa, the Munkatch succa, and the Stuchin succa. Each succa was about thirty feet tall with bleachers on each side to accommodate the nearly one thousand visitors. Each also provided potato kugel,cholent, and refreshments. The group listened to many shiurim by respected rabbis such as the Bobover Rebbe, Rabbi Bentzion Halberstan. This experience allowed the students to witness a Borough Park Simchat Beit HaShoeva and celebrate with thousands of other Jews.
Project SARAH Presentation
by David Jaeger
On December 5th, the Juniors and Seniors were brought to the shul during 8th and 9th period, to watch a presentation about domestic abuse. The centerpiece was a performance, given by actress Naomi Ackerman, portraying the horrors of domestic abuse from the perspective of an abused wife. Ackerman's dramatic presentation was composed of stories compiled from multiple, abused women. The program was run by Project S.A.R.A.H, an organization that advocates for the prevention of domestic abuse. After the performance, the Juniors and Seniors were split into groups, to discuss what they had just seen with Project S.A.R.A.H. representatives
Shark Adoption
by Judith Rosenbluth
Through the work of Oceanic Preservation Club, Frisch recently “adopted” Bruce, a great white shark in support of Shark Angels, an organization that focuses on raising awareness for the preservation of sharks. The adoption was made through a donation of $55 which will go towards helping fund Shark Angels’ conservation efforts to safeguard the world’s sharks. The certificate of adoption and a picture of a great white shark is being displayed the main office.
Second Meat Lunch
by Judith Rosenbluth
The Frisch Cafeteria served its second meat lunch on Thursday, December 7th. The food, from Five Star Catering, was based on a menu similar to the first lunch with additions including a schnitzel bar, beef sliders, grilled chicken, as well as cubed steak for the salad bar. Lunch, served from 11 AM to 2 PM had an impact on other food offerings as, while breakfast on Thursday was unchanged, snacks sold later in the day were specifically parve due to the meat lunch, and no donuts were provided after mishmar. Student and administrative reaction was generally positive but there has been no move to institute a fixed schedule for future meat meals.
Program On The U.S Embassy Move To Jerusalem
by Allison Gellerstein and Sammy Nat
During first and second period on Friday, December 8th, the student body attended presentations on the U.S.'s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and the expectation of its embassy in Israel's being moved to Jerusalem, given by by Rabbi Sher. Rabbi Sher, an Israel Advocacy teacher and sophomore grade dean, discussed the historical background of the topic, the President's speech regarding the matter, and the reactions of other countries. The students also had the chance to watch a video of the speech during the program. The juniors and seniors had the program during first period, and the freshmen and sophomores during second period.
Open House
by Adina Horowitz
On Sunday, November 5, 2017, Frisch hosted it’s annual Open House for approximately 1,400 prospective eighth graders and their parents. Guests convened outside the shul for pastries and coffee before the presentations began in the shul. At 9:00 am, Rabbi Zauderer called everyone into the shul. The chairs were marked with either green, yellow, or orange signs to indicate which group a visitor would follow after the presentation. Judith Goldsmith, admissions director, began by introducing Rabbi Ciner, who spoke about Frisch’s Values, the “Core Four”, a community of kindness, intellectual curiosity, religious growth, and passion. After Rabbi Ciner’s speech, A representative from each grade spoke about the "Frisch Experience"; Ian Bromberg spoke for the Freshman, Carly Rosenblatt for the Sophomores, Addison Hartman for the Juniors, and Rebecca Bock spoke for the Seniors. Frisch alumni, Lara Jacobowitz (13’), who is a student at Columbia University, and Rabbi Spier (‘02) spoke after the students. A video emphasizing all the opportunities Frisch offers then played. Following the video, Judith Goldsmith directed each group, led by senior tour guides, to its various locations for presentations. The eighth grade presentations included classroom simulations, a game show with prizes, a shiur on Tefilat Ha Derech led by Rabbi Wald, and a club fair. While the prospective students were at the various presentations, parents attended a Q&A session with Rabbi Ciner, a student panel, and classroom simulations. The Open House closed with a sample of the daily Frisch lunch menu in the Gym next to the club fair.
Israel Program
by David Jaeger
On Friday, December 8th, the Juniors and Seniors attended a program in the shul to learn about the recent America move to acknowledge Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The thirty minute program was held during first period and was led by Rabbi David Sher, Frisch's Israel Advocacy teacher. Rabbi Sher spoke about the history of the ongoing dispute between the Israelis and Palestinians regarding Israel's boundaries. Then Rabbi Sher played Donald Trump's speech announcing the move of the embassy, and discussed the controversy which has followed the move.
Hanukkah Themed Girl's Night Out
by Allison Gellerstein
After Mishmar on Thursday, December 7th, girls crowded in the shul and the cafeteria for a Chanukah themed Girls Night Out with Yachad. Mrs. Weinberger began the evening with a program about the reason women are obligated to light Chanukah candles. Afterwards, the girls went up to the cafeteria to meet the Yachad members joining them and to make donuts that would be donated to Chesed 24/7, a chesed organization that arranges volunteers to visit hospitals. Students filled and decorated the donuts with a variety of fillings and toppings like jelly, custard, chocolate, and sprinkles. The donuts were then packed in boxes and sent to Chesed 24/7. The donuts will be distributed to three hospitals in the Teaneck area.
New Fab Lab
by Daniel Hirsch and Sammy Nat
This year, the Frisch School replaced the student activity center with a Fab Lab. A Fab Lab is a 21st century workshop that integrates 3-D printers and other tools. The goal of this new room is to allow students to build their projects while integrating the use of advances in technology. Furthermore, the students will learn the true value of having a 3-D printer and how it can help while constructing small models, levers, and parts for larger projects. When students are assigned engineering projects in Mrs. Silverman’s and Mr. Merit’s classes, they can now go to the Fab lab and create their final projects that are due at the end of the year.
Sophmore Slam
by Sophie Klapper and Daniel Hirsch
The Sophomore grade went on its class trip to Virginia Beach from Thursday, November 16th until Sunday, November 19th. They arrived to school for 7 am davening in the back of the shul, followed by loading and boarding the two boys and two girls buses. During the seven-hour drive, the sophomores and accompanying faculty made several stops. First, they stopped at Crown Roller Skating, an indoor roller skating rink in Maryland where they davened mincha and had lunch. Frisch also rented out Crown Roller Skating’s indoor soccer field for the kids who did not want to skate. The next stop was on the Chesapeake bay bridge to view the sun setting over the water. Upon arrival at the Sheraton hotel, students received their rooms, were able to put their things down, and went downstairs for dinner followed by Maariv. Everyone then went to bowling in Norfolk, Virginia as well as a on night cruise around the bay. When everyone returned to the hotel, there were hot dogs served as part of a “midnight party”. After the late night snack, everyone went back to the rooms.
Friday morning began with Shacharit and breakfast. Afterwards, the students and faculty went to Motor World Go Karting, a go karting track that was opened in it’s off-season solely for Frisch’s students to use. After spending the morning there, they returned to the hotel and the students were given free time on the beach. The kids were given footballs, frisbees, and soccer balls to play with. This time was also used to prepare for Shabbat. Shabbat began with Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv; Rabbi Sher, the male Sophomore grade dean, spoke in between Maariv and Kabbalat Shabbat. Dinner followed davening and afterward there was a game of trivia about the school’s faculty; questions about a certain teacher’s life before teaching in Frisch, a secret talent, or an interesting fact was described to the students who then had to guess which teacher was being described. Then the students were split up into small groups and were given a session about seeing God in nature. When that was over, everyone gathered for a Tisch led by Rabbi Goldfischer and Rabbi Ciner. After the Tisch there was optional dessert and board games followed by students’ going to their respective rooms for curfew.
Shabbat morning began with Shacharit. Mrs. Auman, the female Sophomore grade dean, spoke immediately afterwards. Following Kiddush, Rabbi Goldfischer gave a shiur about finding one’s true self. After lunch and Mincha, the students were given free time to relax on the beach and in the hotel. The grade took a group walk on the boardwalk with the faculty and came back to the hotel for a slow shira. After Havdalah, Everyone had time to go to the rooms and change for the night's events. To begin the night, the boys went to Cloud 9--a trampoline park--the girls went to an arcade and the groups swapped activities in the middle of the evening. When everyone returned to the hotel there was another snack of pizza, cotton candy, and other desserts.
Sunday morning there was an optional vatikin minyan overlooking the sunrise for Rosh Chodesh; 116 students attended. After davening, breakfast was served and a recap of the trip slideshow was played for the students. Long sleeve T-shirts which were designed by Rabbi Spier and Rabbi Goldfischer were given out to the students and the buses were loaded and boarded. On the way back there was only one stop along the New Jersey Turnpike. The buses arrived back at Frisch at around 7 o’clock and students were picked up from there.
Friday morning began with Shacharit and breakfast. Afterwards, the students and faculty went to Motor World Go Karting, a go karting track that was opened in it’s off-season solely for Frisch’s students to use. After spending the morning there, they returned to the hotel and the students were given free time on the beach. The kids were given footballs, frisbees, and soccer balls to play with. This time was also used to prepare for Shabbat. Shabbat began with Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv; Rabbi Sher, the male Sophomore grade dean, spoke in between Maariv and Kabbalat Shabbat. Dinner followed davening and afterward there was a game of trivia about the school’s faculty; questions about a certain teacher’s life before teaching in Frisch, a secret talent, or an interesting fact was described to the students who then had to guess which teacher was being described. Then the students were split up into small groups and were given a session about seeing God in nature. When that was over, everyone gathered for a Tisch led by Rabbi Goldfischer and Rabbi Ciner. After the Tisch there was optional dessert and board games followed by students’ going to their respective rooms for curfew.
Shabbat morning began with Shacharit. Mrs. Auman, the female Sophomore grade dean, spoke immediately afterwards. Following Kiddush, Rabbi Goldfischer gave a shiur about finding one’s true self. After lunch and Mincha, the students were given free time to relax on the beach and in the hotel. The grade took a group walk on the boardwalk with the faculty and came back to the hotel for a slow shira. After Havdalah, Everyone had time to go to the rooms and change for the night's events. To begin the night, the boys went to Cloud 9--a trampoline park--the girls went to an arcade and the groups swapped activities in the middle of the evening. When everyone returned to the hotel there was another snack of pizza, cotton candy, and other desserts.
Sunday morning there was an optional vatikin minyan overlooking the sunrise for Rosh Chodesh; 116 students attended. After davening, breakfast was served and a recap of the trip slideshow was played for the students. Long sleeve T-shirts which were designed by Rabbi Spier and Rabbi Goldfischer were given out to the students and the buses were loaded and boarded. On the way back there was only one stop along the New Jersey Turnpike. The buses arrived back at Frisch at around 7 o’clock and students were picked up from there.
NGOCSD-United Nations Meeting on Economic Innovations
by Daniel Hirsch
On November 30th, Judith Rosenbluth and Adam Varnai, juniors at Frisch, went to the NGOCSD-United Nations NY meeting on Economic Innovations. The meeting was held between 2 - 4 pm in the Boss Room of the Church Center for the United Nations. In this meeting Professor Jan W. Dash, Lead Adviser on Climate Change and Managing Editor of the Climate Portal website, spoke about how climate change is currently affecting the UN’s Sustainable Development goals. Ms. Rosedel Davies-Adewebi, the Senior Manager of Innovation at the United Nations and Global Compact, spoke about the connection between Blockchain technologies and the Sustainable Development goals. This was followed by Ms. Mahrinah von Schlegel, the Executive Director of Embassy2.0, and Mr. Isaac Reshad, the Managing Director of Global Access Partner, LLC, speaking about specific Blockchain technologies that are already affecting Sustainable Development goals and how this can be furthered. Ms. Anita Mary Thomas, Chair of the NGO Committee on Finance, as well as Mr. Ari Zoldan, CEO of Quantum Media Group and Digital Marketing Agency based in New York City responded to the speakers and provided insight on practical use of this information. Professor Juan Elias Chebly, Head of the UN Environment Management Group and Founder of Voipebox.com and giveme5, was supposed to moderate this meeting and lead Q and A, however his flight was delayed and therefore he sent a replacement who led the Q and A session at the end of the meeting. Frisch students Judith Rosenbluth and Adam Varnai who attended the meeting were given invitations by Mr. Ari Zoldan, one of the respondents because of their previous contributions to the site modelun.news.
Rekudiya
by Batsheva Ohayon
The annual Yeshiva League dance competition, Rikudiya, took place at Kushner High School at 8:30 PM on Saturday night, December 2nd. The Frisch dance team, along with nine other dance teams from different Yeshivas participated in the event. Over $2,000 was raised for Tzedakah; Hillel, the winning team, will decide where the money will be donated. Micaela Foont (‘18), senior captain of the Frisch dance team, said, “I’m so grateful to have been a part of this incredible team and participate in something that I utterly enjoy”.
Frisch Alumni Shabbat Dinner
by Batsheva Ohayon
The annual Frisch Alumni Shabbat Dinner took place at Kasba Barbecue and Grill on the Upper West Side on Friday night, December 1st. There were 90 people in attendance including alumni from 2006 to 2012, their guests, and Rabbi Eli Ciner and Mrs. Rachel Besser who attended the event with their families. Mrs. Besser, a teacher and mentor to many of the alumni in the room, welcomed the group with a Dvar Torah. Later, Frisch baseball hats, benchers, and bags were given out to the alumni. Jeremy Klapper (‘09), an alumnus who attended the event, summarized his experience: “I really enjoyed seeing friends from my class and spending time with people I otherwise wouldn't normally see and have Shabbat dinner with. It was always great getting to chat with Rabbi Ciner and hearing from Mrs. Besser, both faculty I grew up with at Frisch. Not to mention, food was A+ too. I had an awesome high school experience so it was great to be able to connect and be part of an alumni event taking place where I live now on UWS. Looking forward to attending again in the future!” Parents of students and alumni sponsored most of the dinner, leaving the alumni with a charge of $25 per person.
Pep Rally
by Sammy Nat
On Thursday, November 30, the Frisch School held its annual pep rally in the gym during tenth and eleventh periods. Before the official beginning of the rally, students assembled in the auditorium to hear a speech from student council president, Charlie Bendheim (‘18). After Bendheim spoke, the rest of the student council threw pep rally themed t-shirts to the students and a pep rally video recorded by Abe Spectre-Covitz was shown. When the video concluded, everyone was asked to go to the gym where ice cream was served in Frisch-themed mini baseball helmets. Before the games, the school choir sang HaTikva and the national anthem. Afterwards, the rabbis played the varsity basketball team’s seniors in a basketball game, resulting in a victory for the varsity team. To conclude the pep rally, there was a three point shootout and a hockey shootout between teachers and students.
Science and Torah with Rabbi Bush
by Adina Horowitz
On Friday, October 28th, Rabbi Bush spoke to 11S.1 on the science of creation. He started his lesson with a theory by Rabbi Lipshitz who lived at the same time as Darwin. He then mentioned a famous Midrash which attempts to explain why the sun is bigger, than the moon. Rabbi Bush then compared this to the scientific reason; the sun is 400x bigger than the moon and also 400x farther away, which to the naked eye would make them look the same. Rabbi Bush's message was that Torah can always coincide with science.
First College Bowl Tournament
by Asher Lefkowitz
On Thursday, November 9th, the Frisch JV college bowl team played its first league games of the year. The junior varsity team played 4 rounds, against JEC, Hillel, Ma’ayanot, and Kushner. Frisch beat Ma’ayanot, JEC, and Hillel, but lost to Kushner by a score of 12-7. In the Yeshiva league there are 3 divisions: the Long Island division, New York City division, and the New Jersey division. In the New Jersey division, there are six teams: Frisch, JEC, Ma'ayanot, Hillel, Kushner, and Frisch. Each division has one winner, and a wildcard team. The wildcard team is the team that has the second highest record in the division. Each team competes against 10 teams in their division though if there are fewer than 10 teams in a division, then a team will play other teams multiple times.
Miss Wheater Subs for Mrs. Teichman
by Brooke Shwartz
As of Monday, October 30, Miss Wheater began her role as substitute for 10C2, 11C1, and 12th grade finite math as Mrs. Teichman began her time off on maternity leave. Mrs. Teichman is scheduled to return three months after her last day, Friday, October 27. Though she used to teach at Nightingale Bedford at St. Davis's, she had most recently been working with the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools doing special events and development prior to joining the Frisch faculty.
YU Bekiut Test Scores Released
by Batsheva Ohayon
Scores were reported on Monday, November 13th to the 40 Frisch students who took the YU Bekiut Test, which consisted of multiple choice questions about the first six pages of Masechet Taanit. Eli Seidman (‘18), one of the five seniors who participated scored 100 on the test and described his experience as “a competitive, yet meaningful way of learning Gemara.” Twenty-five dollars was awarded to students who received a score of seventy-five or above on the exam.
There are two types of Bekiut tests - the Amud test and the Daf test. Ultimately, three thousand dollars in cash will be awarded to the first place winner of the Daf test, and fifteen-hundred dollars will be rewarded to the first place winner of the Amud test.
There are two types of Bekiut tests - the Amud test and the Daf test. Ultimately, three thousand dollars in cash will be awarded to the first place winner of the Daf test, and fifteen-hundred dollars will be rewarded to the first place winner of the Amud test.
Globerman Basketball Tournament
by David Jaeger and Sammy Nat
From Wednesday November 8 to Sunday November 11, the Frisch boys and girls varsity basketball teams played in the annual Steve Globerman Basketball Tournament in Los Angeles, California. The Boys team won their 2 seeding games, beating YULA by 4 points and Katz Yeshiva by 15. They then had a "bye" - meaning they did not need to play in the first round of playoffs because they had the best record. In the first round of the playoffs, they won the semifinal against Shalhevet, but ultimately ended up losing in a close game in the championship to Valley Torah, 54-52, finishing in second place.
The girls team cruised through their first two games, beating YULA and Hebrew Academy by a substantial margin. Since they were undefeated, they also had a bye in the first round. In the semi-finals the girls lost to Ma'ayanot, resulting in a third place contest against Shalhevet. The girls lost the game and finished the tournament in fourth place.
The girls team cruised through their first two games, beating YULA and Hebrew Academy by a substantial margin. Since they were undefeated, they also had a bye in the first round. In the semi-finals the girls lost to Ma'ayanot, resulting in a third place contest against Shalhevet. The girls lost the game and finished the tournament in fourth place.
Magen David Basketball Tournament
by Asher Lefkowitz
On Monday, October 16, the Frisch varsity basketball team participated in the Magen David preseason tournament at the Magen David Yeshiva in Brooklyn. The Magen David preseason tournament is a competition among sixteen Yeshivas. This is the twentieth year of the tournament. The championship game was on October 21 and began at 9:00 pm. This year the Frisch varsity basketball team made it to the finals, but lost 59-48 to the Magen David Warriors
NCSY Mission to New Orleans
by Sammy Nat and Daniel Hirsch
After school on Wednesday, November 8, a group of 17 Juniors departed to New Orleans, Louisiana for an NCSY chessed mission. Accompanied by Rabbi Shulman, the group met up with NCSY chaperones, Rabbi Eitan Katz, Ari Zucker, Rebecca Zucker and Eitan Rolnick. The group went to New Orleans to help communities still trying to recover from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. On the trip, the group built a part of a house with Habitat for Humanity. Then, with the help of Greenlight New Orleans, an eco-friendly light bulb replacement organization, the students went to different houses to help families save money on their electric bills by switching homeowners’ light bulbs to energy efficient bulbs. In addition to their chessed, the group also went to Preservation Hall, a famous jazz club, and a New Orleans Pelicans basketball game. The group left New Orleans at 2 PM on November 12 and returned at 8 PM to Newark.
Victories for Frisch's Girls Basketball
by Batsheva Ohayon
Both the Varsity and JV Frisch Girls Basketball Teams won their first games of the season against Bruriah on Monday, October 30th. The Varsity game started at 6:30 PM, followed by the JV game at 8:00 PM in Bruriah. The coaches of the Varsity team, Samantha Steinberg and Kristen Rainboat, as well as the coaches of the JV team, Leora Moskovitch and Deena Lerer, gave everyone on each team playing time. The final score for the Varsity team was 44 - 31. After the JV team's 52 - 8 win, Emma Soclof (‘20), a starter on the JV team, explained that “our teamwork and communication is what really made us win”.
Poetry Slam
by Seela Langer
On Tuesday October 31st, the Frisch poetry team attended the Yeshiva High School Poetry Society (YHSPS) Eighth Annual Poetry Slam at Rambam Mesivta. Students were asked to write two poems: one a heroic couplet, (with an AA BB rhyme scheme in iambic pentameter), about the holidays. The other was a free verse about “Jews in the News.” Students were judged based on content, presentation, creativity, adherence to theme, adherence to form, time management, and originality. Four students from Frisch went accompanied by team advisor, Rabbi Neil Fleischmann, chair of Torah Guidance. Eight schools attended, accounting for fifty-three students total. For the first round the students were split into two rooms to recite their poems. For the second round eight students were chosen to be finalists, four from each room. Two students from Frisch were finalists: Molly Lopkin (‘20) and Avi Fried (‘18). The team got back to school after the buses left, at 5:40pm.
First Stand up to Cancer Meeting
by Batsheva Ohayon
Stand Up to Cancer held its first meeting of the year in Room two, during breakfast, on Monday, October 31st. At the meeting, students discussed the upsetting effects of cancer on millions of individuals, as well as different ways to raise money for this cause. The heads of the club are Gabby Solowiejczyk (‘19) and Jessica Mehler (‘19). Free doughnuts were given to the students who attended the club meeting. No set dates or plans have been made for this club as of now.
Frisch Stops Distributing Homework Planners
by Brooke Schwartz
This year, Frisch stopped distributing homework planners to the students after it was found that they were not used by enough students last year to justify the cost. Two hundred and fifty planners out of 750 which were ordered were used last year because all things students would have written in their planners, such as tests, assignments, and calendar changes, are now on Haiku. Rabbi Ciner therefore decided that there was not enough need for homework planners. Rabbi Spier, who was involved in ordering the planners in the past, said, "If a lot of people are upset with the change; [Frisch will] reconsider. It depends on the feedback.”
Blood Drive Raffle Winners
by Allison Gellerstein
On Tuesday, November 7, Mrs. Leah Shteingart, the school nurse, went on the loudspeaker to announce the results of the blood drive raffle. Students who donated blood on Tuesday, October 31, were entered into the raffle. Isaac Zaken (‘19), Julia Herschman, (‘19), Eli Seidman (‘18), and Talia Rosenblatt (‘18) organized the raffle. According to Mrs. Shteingart, the raffle was created to encourage students to participate in the blood drive. Jennifer Reznik (‘18) and Rachel Fried (‘18) were selected as winners. The prize for raffle was a fifteen dollar gift certificate to the Frisch Cafeteria. This was the first year there was a raffle for the blood drive.
First Chess Meet
by Kayla Foreman and Seela Langer
On Tuesday November 7, Frisch had their first chess meet of the year against Ma’ayanot from 12:00-2:30 at Ma’ayanot. Led by coach Ivana Djuric, a member of the science and math faculty, nine students from Frisch competed; seven as players and two as seconds. Seconds do not touch the pieces, but they are allowed to advise their team member playing. There were 8 chess boards for the match, and two games played per board. Each game was 30 minutes. After all 16 matches, Frisch won with a score of 15-1.
The Bostoner Rebbe Comes to Frisch
by Batsheva Ohayon
On Monday, November 20th, students in Rabbi Michael Bashist’s senior Chassidus elective heard from the Bostoner Rebbe of Yerushalayim, a prominent leader of the Chassidus movement. The Bostoner Rebbe spoke about the history of the Chassidic movement throughout the world, a topic relevant as this elective focuses on the history of Chassidism and different Chassidic movements. Simon Morgenstern (‘18) shared his thoughts and reflections on the speech of the Bostoner Rebbe, saying, “He seems very intelligent and he gave a meaningful insight on Chassidus, as well as elaborating on his own Chassidic movement.”
Project Sunshine Comes To Frisch
by Batsheva Ohayon
Project Sunshine, a nonprofit organization in New York City, was introduced to Frisch by Ally Weiss (‘18) with a short program on Thursday, November 9th, following mishmar. About thirty students participated in this event, which took place in room three for twenty-five minutes. The goal of this organization is to bring “sunshine” to the lives of sick children. Students made packages that included a handmade journal, puppets, markers, and stickers to be delivered to kids in hospitals. The dates when Project Sunshine will be taking place are yet to be determined, but Weiss has said interested students should expect to meet once a month.
Simmy Bordach Speaks To 11S2
by Sammy Nat
On Wednesday November 22, Simmy Bordach (‘14), came to speak to Rabbi Morris’s 11S2 class about Chanukah and the Jewish perspective on challenges in life. Simmy started talking about the laws of Chanukah and explained why people should really be lighting their menorahs on the floor. When he talked about perspectives on life, he discussed how people aren’t defined by their mistakes or by what happened to them at one particular moment. Instead of thinking that everything is bad because of a singular setback, he said that people should use their mistakes as learning experiences for the future and view them as points of growth and opportunities for improvement.
Jonathan Gellis Speaks to 11S2
by Sophie Klapper
Mr. Jonathan Gellis spoke to Rabbi Morris’s 11S2 class during first period on Monday November 6th. Mr. Gellis moved to Israel for the year with his family this past summer and came back to America to visit friends and family. In his speech he explained what it is like to be in Chevron for שבת חיי שרה. He gave the history of מערת המכפלה and his personal experiences in Chevron on שבת חיי שרה. He encouraged everyone to try and make his or her way to Chevron on שבת חיי שרה at least once because he believes it is a meaningful and life changing experience. After he finished he took questions from the class.
Impact Tours Visits Frisch
by Batsheva Ohayon
Directors Daniel Rothner and Stewart Katz visited Frisch on Tuesday, November 21st in order to introduce their new summer program Impact Tours. This travel program is offered to high school students of all grades. Students who sign up for this program are given the opportunity to visit and volunteer in various communities around the world; students can choose to visit Argentina, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Laos, Nicaragua, Thailand, or Vietnam. The length of the trips vary depending on the country. This program observes Shabbat and serves only strictly kosher food.
Kookies 4 Kindness Bake Sale
by Adina Horowitz
Kookies 4 Kindness, Frisch's Chessed/baking club, sold cookies for Thanksgiving on Wednesday, November 22nd. From a table outside the Freshman lounge, they sold chocolate chip cookies, sprinkle cookies, snickerdoodles and double chocolate chip cookies. Platters of 50 cookies cost $36, while platters of 30 were $24, and stacks of 10 cookies for $10. The heads of the club had also sent out pre-order forms in the grade group chats and received responses via email. Those cookies were picked up by students and teachers from the office on Wednesday, November 22nd. They made $900 total from both preorders and on-site purchases. The money raised was sent to Kahal, which will chooses an organization to which to donate it.
Alumni Speaks to Rabbi Morris' Class
by Batsheva Ohayon
Frisch alum Aliza Hochsztein (‘10) came to speak to Rabbi Sheldon Morris’ 11S2 class during second period on Wednesday, November 22nd. Hochsztein spoke about her experience in Migdal Oz, a seminary located in Gush Etzion where she spent her gap year in Israel. She is now a senior at the University of Pennsylvania and is part of the Hillel there. Hochsztein discussed the religious and academic aspects of her life at UPenn. She will be receiving a degree in computer science and plans to work in Seattle next year as a software designer for Airbnb.
New Shelves in the Art Room
by Brooke Schwartz
In June of 2017, Frisch installed shelves in the art room in order to increase the amount of storage space for the following school year. Mr. José Carino, Frisch’s head custodian, installed the shelves after Mrs. Winslow’s request to install them was approved by the school. Art materials had been stored in the closet, and portfolios under a table, for the past several years; now, student’s portfolios, along with many art supplies, are stored on the new shelves. Mrs. Winslow reported the shelves as being very helpful and, when asked about the possibility of further construction, she said that there were currently no plans but she was excited at the prospect, as there is not enough space for students when area is taken up storing materials. “Sometimes, there are freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors in the room at the same time, and they’re on top of each other,” she said.
"Great Presidents" History Assignment
by Asher Lefkowitz
On Wednesday, November 8th, students in Mrs. Kaplan’s history class gave presentations on "great presidents." The students had to make an elevator pitch of between 60-90 seconds advocating for a particular president to be placed on Mount Rushmore. Students were graded on preparation and delivery. Two winners were announced per class and the winning eight will be subsequently filmed. Additionally, the students must write a paper of between 500- 750 words on their chosen president.
Thanksgiving Accommodations
by Adina Horowitz
On Wednesday November 22nd, Frisch dismissed students at 3:15pm in honor of Thanksgiving and to allow buses and their drivers to avoid expected heavy Thanksgiving traffic. Because of the early dismissal and Thanksgiving break, makeup tests were held on Sunday the 19th, Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd. Makeup tests were at 10:00 am on Sunday in room 34, directly after ma'ariv on Tuesday and at the end of school on Wednesday.
First Envision Shakespeare Meeting
by Seela Langer
On Wednesday November 1st, the Frisch Envision Shakespeare team had its first meeting, during breakfast in Room 7. Envision Shakespeare is a inter-yeshiva competition in which teams perform and are judged on the performance of a specific scene from a Shakespeare play. This year participants are performing Julius Caesar Act 1, Scene 2. Teams are not allowed any props other than four chairs. They may also not use music, costumes and any other outside elements though they can make sound effects using their voices or bodies. There is a new added element of sonnet recitation in the competition: each school can elect one representative to recite a Shakespearean Sonnet in addition to performing the scene. Awards are given for Most Creative Interpretation, Best Performance, Best Actor and Best Student Director. This year the faculty advisor is Ms. Lauren Burstein, English Faculty member, and the student director is Seela Langer (‘19). The team this year is making many changes, including starting months in advance to have more time to prepare, learning the whole play (as opposed to knowing the scene in a vacuum), and hosting auditions to see who gets each part. There are also non-speaking roles for background people and opportunities for other students to get involved helping set up the staging. The competition will be held in March, location to be announced.
Prospective Freshmen Come for Interviews
by Hanna Karben and Adina Horowitz
The interview process for prospective Freshmen started on November 6th for eighth graders who scheduled interviews after submitting their applications online. Upon arrival, the eighth graders wait in the main office where they may look over a series of magazines and brochures about the school. The students are then called for their interview with one of the ten teachers who meet with the eighth graders: Rabbi Goldfischer, Rabbi Wald, Rabbi Bashist, Mrs. Herzog, Mrs. Scharf, Dr. Weiss, Rabbi Krug, Mr. Miller, Mrs. Besser, and Rabbi Schacter. The interviewers ask the eighth graders questions about themselves, to allow the school to get to know applicants more personally and then the faculty members ask them to read part of a gemara. There is an optional tour for parents and students after their interview.
Frisch Student Serves A Perfect Game
by Seela Langer
On Wednesday November 8th, a rare feat was achieved as Tabitha Klein (‘19) served a perfect game -- all twenty-one points in a row during a volleyball match against Westchester Day School. The last time that this was accomplished by a Frisch student was over eight years ago. Coach Sam Tilp said, “It happens so rarely, because eventually the pressure gets to the server around point 16 that ‘Oh my Gd I might be able to serve a perfect match.'"
Prizmah Representatives Come to Frisch
by Adina Horowitz
On Tuesday, October 31st, Amy Wasser and Rabbi Shaffer from Prizmah, the center for North American Day Schools, visited Frisch. Amy Wasser and Rabbi Shaffer go on learning tours in all the Jewish Day Schools to understand the different dynamics and cultures of the schools. They do this so they can recognize what the schools need, whether it be professional development opportunities for the leaders, training for their teachers, or fundraising. They take this information back to Prizmah and synthesize the data to find commonalities and differences between the schools and to see what the schools can do to learn together. Prizmah then brings this information to the principals and leaders of the schools. They provide the tools to advance the education systems of Jewish Day Schools. Amy Wasser said “Walking around Frisch, clearly, there is a lot we can learn from this school.” They went to the classrooms and walked around the halls to understand the dynamic of the school, the different options for electives, and the way that the students feel about Frisch.
Freshman Retreat
by Kayla Forman
On Thursday October 19, 2017, after mincha, the freshman class departed to the Raleigh Hotel for their Freshman Retreat. Accompanying the students on their six buses (3 for boys and 3 for girls), were Rabbi Auman, Rabbi Ciner, Rabbi Goldfischer, Rabbi Sher, Rabbi Spier, Mrs. Anstandig, and Mrs. Kronenberg. Upon their arrival at the hotel, the freshman were greeted by their senior advisors singing and dancing with music and posters all around the lobby. After a quick game of “Do You Know This Freshman?” they received their room assignments and went to unpack. After unpacking, the students ate dinner. Following that, they were divided into groups, each with a boy and girl senior advisor for a series of introductory activities. When ninth graders came back into the dining room after the icebreakers, they saw a game show set had been put up. The game show is a Freshman Retreat tradition pitting boys against girls; this year the girls won. Following the game show was another Freshman Retreat tradition: speed dating. All the students sat in two rows across from each other, talked for some time, then one row kept moving on so everyone had an opportunity to meet. After ma'ariv there was regular mishmar as given on Thursday nights in school, then a bit of free time, and curfew.
Friday morning, shacharit was at 9, followed by breakfast and more icebreakers. Then, there was Frisch trivia, during which questions were asked about Frisch related trivia, and winners received items of Frisch apparel. Free time outside came next, with students given the option of participating in football games or simply socializing. As the time for shabbos came, more Frisch faculty and their families arrived to spend shabbos with the freshman. After all the pre-shabbos pictures, there was davening, and dinner, and a chaggigah with more giveaways. Later, the Retreat hosted a Friday night tisch until curfew, though Frisch seniors and freshman continued singing in the halls outside their rooms.
Shabbos morning shacharit was at 9, with breakfast and more group sessions. After lunch was a 2 hour break leading into mincha and se'udah shlishit. As shabbos came to a close, everyone came together for slow shirah, ma'ariv, havdalah, and dancing. Thirty minutes of free time was allotted in order to allow chaperones to prepare for the bonfire. Waiting for everyone when they got back in the hotel was popcorn, cotton candy, and more dancing. While enjoying their snacks, the freshman watched Rabbi Dr. Krug’s performance of “The Last Jew On Earth.” The night ended right after with curfew.
Sunday morning came with a 9 o'clock davening, breakfast, and time to pack up the rooms. After rooms were packed, buses were loaded with student bags while t-shirts were handed out.
First Kalliope Meeting
by Allison Gellerstein
The first meeting of Kalliope, Frisch’s literary and arts journal, took place on Tuesday,October 17. Ten students representing all four grades attended the meeting in room 13 from 5-6 pm. At the start of her term as editor-in-chief, Michal White added writing workshops to the bi-weekly Kalliope meetings. At a writing workshop, a student presents a piece, whether art or writing, and the other students discuss and critique what they read or see. Another change to the meetings was a new attendance policy. According to Ms. Lauren Burstein, the faculty advisor, “If a student misses more than two meetings, he or she cannot be on the main staff, but they are welcome to be part of our contributing staff."
Senior Formal Picture
by Hanna Karben
On Tuesday, October 17th, the Frisch Senior class had their formal grade picture for the yearbook. Students arrived to school dressed up with boys in suits and girls in formal outfits. The picture was taken in the gym immediately following davening as the students were positioned in height order for the shot. After the picture students went to class.
Senior Makeup Pictures
by Hanna Karben
After school on October 17, 40 Seniors who missed the original date for yearbook portraits, or were unsatisfied with their original yearbook pictures took makeup yearbook pictures in the library. Those taking the makeup pictures had to pay a fee of $35, as opposed to the sitting fee for the original pictures which was $10. Anyone who wanted to take makeup pictures had to sign up with the yearbook staff and was then assigned a scheduled time slot. Retakes were photographed by Zee Photography.
Music Room Additions
by Sammy Nat
This year, there have been multiple changes made to the music room. First, windows were added so that people can watch the students while they practice inside the classroom. Also, in the back of the classroom, a recording studio was built. Amber Hen(‘19), a student in the music track, said, “The recording studio allows me and my friends to use our skills in a new way and it gives us an opportunity to have another perspective on music.”
Bronfman Fellowship
by Adina Horowitz
On Wednesday, October 18th, Ms. Miller, the Director of College Guidance, sent out an email to the junior grade about The Bronfman Fellowship. The Bronfman Fellowship, an educational opportunity for high school students interested in both forming a closer connection to Judaism, and learning how to advocate for Israel in a leadership role, is awarded to twenty-six North American individuals entering the twelfth grade. Those selected will attend two seminars in New York City and receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Israel during which the students will learn Jewish texts, explore Israel, and meet influential figures. The applications can be submitted on bronfman.org and are due January 4th, 2018.
Sophomores Pottery Project Starts Up
by Brooke Schwartz
Frisch began its annual יד היוצר clay project which involves all tenth grade Nach classes. The classes met on different days in the week, based on their Judaic schedules and began forming bowls and vases in the week leading up to Yom Kippur. They will continue working on painting and glazing their projects in several periods spaced throughout the year. The project is based off of the idea in Sefer Yirmiyahu, which the students are learning in their Nach classes, that God is a potter, expanding and contracting His people at will.
Be'er Shavuah
by Hanna Karben
Be’er Shavuah, a weekly Torah publication run by students, had its first issue of the year published on Friday, October 27. In each issue, there is an article from a representative of each grade. Copies were available on Friday at the front security desk and were given to students to take to their home communities and distribute in many of the local Bergen County shuls.
Steve Glouberman Basketball Tournament
by Kayla Forman
On Wednesday November 8, 2017, both the girls and boys varsity basketball teams left for the annual Steve Glouberman Basketball Tournament in Los Angeles. The students left class during fifth period to buy food before their departure and then headed to the bus which left for the airport at noon. The flight to L.A. was scheduled for 3 in the afternoon and the students are expected to return after the weekend as the tournament takes place between November 9-12, at the Shalhevet school and the JCC in L.A.
Varsity Outdoor Boys Soccer Team
by Sammy Nat
This year, the Frisch School added a Varsity outdoor boys soccer team. The September 10th tryout took place on the softball field, and was lead by Coach Shamir Einhorn. As Coach Einhorn had to leave the tryout early, Coach Neil Morrin, a coach for a Teaneck travel team, took over the second half of the tryout. Coach Morrin will not be coaching the team, but he came to help run the tryout after Coach Einhorn left. The soccer team is an official school team, so the players may not join any other school team, however, it will not participate in any competitive league this year because they missed the sign up for the public school league. The soccer team will still scrimmage against local public schools.
New Soccer Coach
by Sammy Nat
The Frisch outdoor soccer team hired a new coach after Shamir Einhorn, the former coach, decided to leave the team. Shamir realized that he could not commit to the schedule so he gave up his position as head coach. After hearing from Einhorn, Aron Coren, the athletic director at Frisch, hired Coach Josh Pransky. In addition to coaching Frisch’s team, Coach Pransky is a coach for the Yeshiva University soccer team. At the end of his first practice, Coach Pransky said that he plans to “help every player improve to eventually make them college ready.”
Lunch and Learn
by Sophie Klapper
Rabbi Jaffe held a lunch and learn program during fifth period in the cafeteria on Tuesday, October 24th. The learning session was in memory of Rav Kalonymous Kalman Shapiro, the author of “Aish Kodesh." Rabbi Jaffe and the students learned a portion from one of his sefarim, "A Student’s Obligation." According to Rabbi Jaffe,”It was a small turnout but the learning was excellent and meaningful.”
Kookies For Kindness
by Batsheva Ohayon
Kookies for Kindness held its first meeting in school on Tuesday, September 26th. This club was initiated last year by Arielle Epstein (‘18), Atarah Kaner (‘18), Marilyn Meyers (‘19), and Raquel Leifer (‘19). The money profited from cookies that were baked and sold in school by the students will be given to a charity that the group agrees on. The club meets in the cafeteria and baking is done in the school kitchen under the supervision of various faculty members and kitchen staff. The students are given a choice to either bake, wrap, sell, or advertise the cookies. The meeting discussed that participating students must commit to staying in school late, several nights per year. Arielle Epstein (‘18) describes the club as “a unique way to raise money for tzedakah while having a great time”.
Rabbi Mischel Speaks at Frisch
by Kayla Forman
On Wednesday October 25, 2017, Frisch students were able to sign up and hear from Rabbi Judah Mischel ('95), the head of camp HASC. The speech was sponsored by the Miriam and Daniel Michael Distinguished Speakers Series, which brings in speakers for the student body to hear from. He gave the speech in the shul, that being the only room spacious enough to accommodate all who wanted to hear him speak. Rabbi Ciner introduced Rabbi Mischel with stories from when they were roommates, as well as some of Rabbi Mischel’s accomplishments. Rabbi Mischel began his speech with a discussion on Edward Lorenz, the inventor of the term the "Butterfly Effect." The Butterfly Effect is the belief that one tiny thing could make a huge impact. For example, as Rabbi Mischel said, “a butterfly could flap its wings in Brazil and cause a tornado in Texas.” Rabbi Mischel’s interpretation of this idea is that every Jew is powerful, impactful, and should do good in the world. He gave the example of Avraham who fed the angels that came to his tent, despite not knowing they were angels. Avraham didn’t realize how impactful this was, but since he gave them water, Bnei Yisrael got water from Miriam in the desert. His main idea was that every Jew is powerful, and impactful, and should do good in the world.
First Filming of Names Not Numbers
by Kayla Forman
The Names Not Numbers (NNN) club was filmed for the first time Wednesday, October 25, 2017, after school. The meeting was filmed for the NNN film “A Movie in Making A Documentary,” which will be shown at the closing ceremony. The students had to get a consent form signed by their parents to allow them to be a part of the film. The students will be making their own films of Holocaust survivors, but the process of their interviewing and filming the survivors will be filmed by the NNN film director, for the documentary.
Test Schedule Survey
by Hanna Karben
On Tuesday, September 26, 2017, Frisch students were emailed a survey to vote on the testing schedule they prefer for this 2017-2018 school year. The first option was to maintain the current schedule, in which there were set testing weeks for each subject and the teacher would chose the day of the test in that week.The second option is that the administration will pre-assigned test days for each subject, hoping to relieve some of the stress some students have expressed in that past having to do with too heavy a workload by eliminating having more than one than one test per day. There were 550 recorded responses from the survey. The administration made a decision based on the 550 survey responses to keep the system that was already in place, an outcome was preferred by an overwhelming majority. Kira Elbaum ‘20 said regarding the testing schedule,“ I liked how if we had too much work on a certain day the teacher would be able to switch the test to a different day that week.”
New Orleans Chessed Mission Departs
by Kayla Forman
On Wednesday November 8, 2017, 17 juniors left at 5:30 P.M. for a chessed mission to New Orleans. After gathering in the beit midrash after school ended, the students heard from Rabbi Wald who spoke about the rules for the trip, and then wishex everyone a great time. The group, along with Rabbi Schulman, Ari and Rebecca Katz, and Eitan Rolnick, davened Maariv and boarded the bus for the airport.
First Model Beit Din Meeting
Allison Gellerstein
The first meeting of Frisch’s Model Beit Din team took place on Friday, October 27, in room 4. Three students attended the meeting during breakfast, two of whom were participants in the club the previous year. As a part of the club, students learn sources pertaining to the topic of the year, present their opinions while competing against Ramaz, with Rabbi Herschel Schacter, a Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshiva University, as the judge. At the meeting, Rabbi Gedaliah Jaffe, the faculty advisor for the club, introduced two potential topics for study this year. The first is “the poison sandwich,” in which a student is bullied so he poisons his sandwich to trap his bully and the legality of that according to Halacha. The other topic is about a badly burned firefighter who refuses medical treatment, and the Halachot surrounding that.
IFL Draft
by Sophie Klapper
Frisch’s Intramural Football League (IFL) held its annual draft on Thursday, September 28th. Captains from the varsity league (all seniors) met before mishmar to make the teams. This year there are 14 teams in the varsity league, including last year's defending champion team made up of only Rabbis, the “Runnin Rebs.” The captains used a snake draft system in order to fairly distribute the students; the order of picking in the second round was reversed from the first round, so the captain who got to pick first in the first round was the last to pick in the second round. The first pick of the season was Asaf Miller ('12) who was drafted by Captain Moshe Shoenfeld ('12).
Changes due to Open House
by Batsheva Ohayon
Due to the Open House set for on Sunday, November 5th, school was cancelled for Frisch students on Friday, November 3rd. The Friday was designated for staff to prepare, and for the support staff to set up, and clean the building. Preparation began on Thursday, November 2nd, affecting the Juniors' and Sophomores' mincha davening locations: Juniors davened in the iLab, while the Sophomores davened in the cafeteria. Meanwhile, chairs were added and reorganized in the shul to accommodate the anticipated number of prospective parents and eighth graders looking to apply to Frisch. Gym periods on Thursday were moved outside, so that the gym could be transformed into a room full of tables displaying posters of all the different extracurriculars that Frisch offers. Faculty members also prepared to present information and answer questions from parents and prospective students.
Broken Register In the Cafeteria
by Kayla Forman
On Monday November 6, 2017, one of the registers in the cafeteria stopped turning on. Ms. Michelle Rayot, who usually works the now-broken register, was forced to make due with one of the older self-checkout registers. Her regular register has a scale attached in order to weigh salad, frozen yogurt, and miscellaneous items which the older model lacks. Therefore, while her scale is out of service, students who are looking to buy those items will have to go to the other registers in the cafeteria. The register should be fixed by Monday November 13, 2017.
First Blood Drive
by Adina Horowitz and Asher Lefkowitz
On Tuesday, October 31st, Frisch hosted a blood drive in the Gym, periods two through nine. The drive was supposed to start first period, but a fire drill pushed it back to second period. Those students who had signed up for the first-period slot were called to the nurse to change their time. The gym was set up with areas for waiting to donate and beds for the donors to lie on while donating. Students under 18 were required to hand in a form with parental consent and ID before donating. In order to be an eligible donor, students had to be 120 pounds and at least 16 years of age. Students were given a number and when their number was called, they went into a booth to have their blood type checked and to make sure they were eligible to give blood. If the student was allowed to give blood, they would be taken into the center of the gym and assigned a bed. This year 98 Frisch students donated blood. The blood drive has been run for the last 20 years, and on March 7th the second and final blood drive of the year will be held
Names Not Numbers First Meeting
by Adina Horowitz
On Monday, September 18th, Frisch held its first Names Not Numbers meeting for juniors. Names Not Numbers is a program in which high school students interview Holocaust survivors and make a documentary about their survival stories. Frisch has had individual students take part in this program before, but this was the first time participation was available to a whole grade. The school opened up the program to the juniors specifically because they, as upperclassmen are more mentally equipped to deal with the emotional toll that comes with this program.The meeting was led by Rabbi Goldfischer and Rabbi Richter, the heads of the program; they handed out the program's itinerary and warned the students about the amount of work they would have to put in over the course of the year: participants have to create lists of questions, spend two days interviewing the survivors, and use countless hours editing the footage to put into the documentary. Once the documentary is made, it will be submitted into the Names Not Numbers program and shown to the survivors and their families.
New Healthy Snack Machine
by Adina Horowitz and Seela Langer
On Monday, October 16th the Frisch cafeteria unveiled its new Healthy Vending Machine, installed in response to students' request for healthier snacks. This vending machine, offering both drinks and snacks presents options that are branded “healthy” including some that are gluten-free. While that is healthier than the regular snack machines, it is not necessarily healthy. The machine also lets out the snacks in one area and the drinks in another. Gary Sturnfield, head of the kitchen, helped pick the snacks for the vending machine along with the people from the Wholesome Vending company, the company that provides these machines.
Hurricane Harvey Relief Trip
by Seela Langer
On September 25th, 2017 fifteen students went on an NCSY sponsored three-day emergency mission to Houston to help with Hurricane Harvey Relief. They were accompanied by Mr. Ira Miller, Director of Mentoring and Academic Advisement, and four adult NCSY representatives. On the first day the students were split into two groups, each group was assigned to a house near the Houston Civic Center.
One group went to help a family that had been completely flooded; no one had been in the house to clean up since the storm. The entire house, including most of their belongings, was covered in mold and all their possessions was destroyed. The students removed the carpet that covered the majority of the first floor and removed anything moveable onto beds or outside for the family to sort through later. By the second day they had removed the carpet and bleached away all the mold.
The other group went to help another family. They had to rip up all the hardwood floors that had been damaged by the storm, as well as take down all the walls. The kitchen had to be disconnected and taken out of the house. By the end of the second day volunteers had piled all the wood onto the lawn.
On the third day, both groups went to the Houston Food Bank and helped with “S.E.R. bags” (in conjunction with serhouston.org); these are bags of miscellaneous items that a person might need: shampoo, diapers, cleaning product, cutlery. Students made their own bags with contents organized by category: male, female, child, baby, cleaning and teacher. They also went to the local synagogue and saw the wreckage and discussed their experiences throughout the trip.
One group went to help a family that had been completely flooded; no one had been in the house to clean up since the storm. The entire house, including most of their belongings, was covered in mold and all their possessions was destroyed. The students removed the carpet that covered the majority of the first floor and removed anything moveable onto beds or outside for the family to sort through later. By the second day they had removed the carpet and bleached away all the mold.
The other group went to help another family. They had to rip up all the hardwood floors that had been damaged by the storm, as well as take down all the walls. The kitchen had to be disconnected and taken out of the house. By the end of the second day volunteers had piled all the wood onto the lawn.
On the third day, both groups went to the Houston Food Bank and helped with “S.E.R. bags” (in conjunction with serhouston.org); these are bags of miscellaneous items that a person might need: shampoo, diapers, cleaning product, cutlery. Students made their own bags with contents organized by category: male, female, child, baby, cleaning and teacher. They also went to the local synagogue and saw the wreckage and discussed their experiences throughout the trip.
Michaels Speaker Series: Rabbi Judah Mischel
by Seela Langer
On October 25, the Michael’s Speaker Series continued period ten in the shul with Frisch alumnus, Rabbi Judah Mischel speaking to students who signed up. Rabbi Mischel is the Director of Camp HASC, a summer camp for people with physical and mental disabilities who was supposed to speak in the Beit Midrash; due to an unexpectedly large turnout, his talk was relocated to the shul, to accommodate the larger audience.
Rabbi Ciner introduced the presentation by speaking about Rabbi Mischel's work with Camp HASC, and how he was changing the Modern Orthodox community around the world. Then, Rabbi Mischel began by speaking about Edward Lorenz who innovated the idea of the Butterfly Effect, a theory that everything impacts everything else; if a butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, it can cause a tornado in Texas. He then discussed why Moshe Rabbeinu was afraid to face Og, the king of Bashan, even though Moshe had already defeated so many other kings with Hashem’s help. The answer was that Og was the one who told Avraham in Lech Lecha that Lot was in trouble, and Moshe was afraid that this action would merit Og and allow him to be saved these many years later. He concluded by saying that even though we may not realize it, every action we make can have a larger effect on the world, even if we might never know how or when. Rabbi Mischel received a standing ovation when he concluded his speech.
Rabbi Ciner introduced the presentation by speaking about Rabbi Mischel's work with Camp HASC, and how he was changing the Modern Orthodox community around the world. Then, Rabbi Mischel began by speaking about Edward Lorenz who innovated the idea of the Butterfly Effect, a theory that everything impacts everything else; if a butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, it can cause a tornado in Texas. He then discussed why Moshe Rabbeinu was afraid to face Og, the king of Bashan, even though Moshe had already defeated so many other kings with Hashem’s help. The answer was that Og was the one who told Avraham in Lech Lecha that Lot was in trouble, and Moshe was afraid that this action would merit Og and allow him to be saved these many years later. He concluded by saying that even though we may not realize it, every action we make can have a larger effect on the world, even if we might never know how or when. Rabbi Mischel received a standing ovation when he concluded his speech.
First Girl's Torah Bowl Meet
by Seela Langer
On Wednesday, November 1st, Frisch hosted the first Girls' Torah Bowl meet in the back of the Shul and in the Sephardic Beit Midrash. Four schools attended: Frisch, Ma'ayanot, SAR and Ramaz. The first round matches included Ma’ayanot vs. Ramaz in the Shul, which ended with a final score of 19-17 in favor of Ma’ayanot; and Frisch vs. SAR in the Sephardic Beit Midrash with Frisch winning by a score of 17-7. The second round pitted Frisch against Ma’ayanot in the Shul with a final score of 29-13 Ma’ayanot; and Ramaz vs. SAR in the Sephardic Beit Midrash with a final score of 21-6 for Ramaz. The third round had Frisch vs. Ramaz in the shul with a final score of 21-12 Ramaz. The fourth and final round was Frisch matched up against SAR in the shul with a final score of 25-7 in favor of Frisch, and Ma’ayanot vs. Ramaz in the Sephardic Beit Midrash with a final score of 19-18 for Ramaz. Overall, Frisch came in second place, Ramaz and Ma’ayanot tied for first, and SAR came in last. After the other schools left, the faculty advisor of the team, Mrs. Sarit Anstandig, Tanakh faculty and freshman grade dean, addressed the girls, “I’m so proud, this is the most matches we’ve won in one meet!” This year the team has 11 more girls than last year and is led by captain Shoshi Bursztyn (‘18).
New Unexcused Absence Policy
by Batsheva Ohayon
Notification emails introducing Frisch's new "unexcused absence" policy were sent to students on Tuesday, October 30th. The new policy states that students will be given twenty-four hours to fix their unexcused absence by coming to the the main office; if the absence is not taken care of within that time frame, points will be deducted from that class, a letter will be sent home, and the student will receive a cut from that class. Every time a student receives a cut, another point will be deducted from his or her grade.
Frisch Torah Journal
by Allison Gellerstein
The first meeting of the new Frisch Torah Journal took place on Thursday, September 29, in the library. The staff is made up of seven juniors and seniors because they have more experience learning at the level required for the journal, according to Rabbi Jonathan Spier, the head of the Torah Journal. The staff was shown useful tools and good Jewish books for research at the first meeting.
The objective of the club is to explore an area of Gemara, Halacha, or Tanakh and write an article about it; since there is no theme for the journal, students are free to pick any topic within the three categories.
According to Rabbi Spier, the Torah Journal will enable students to learn research skills and how to prepare a shiur on their own. Rebecca Aduculesi (‘19), a member of the club, said, “I think it’s an opportunity to learn how to learn. In our classes we are often given all of the sources about a topic, so it is almost too easy to fully learn about the topic. With the Torah journal, I will be able to choose a topic that interests me, independently find all the sources, and write an article about my topic.”
Rabbi Eli Ciner, the principal, approached Rabbi Spier with the idea for the journal during the 2016-2017 school year, but it was too late start the club then. They opened applications for this year’s Torah Journal during May of last year; the application was a one page article on a topic, such as the chronology of the events of Parshat Korach for the Tanach entries. The application was meant to single out students with the dedication and discipline to meet the deadlines for the Torah Journal, and all students that applied were accepted because they demonstrated those qualities.
Rabbi Spier said that depending on the success of the journal this year, he might expand the journal to include freshmen and sophomores.
The objective of the club is to explore an area of Gemara, Halacha, or Tanakh and write an article about it; since there is no theme for the journal, students are free to pick any topic within the three categories.
According to Rabbi Spier, the Torah Journal will enable students to learn research skills and how to prepare a shiur on their own. Rebecca Aduculesi (‘19), a member of the club, said, “I think it’s an opportunity to learn how to learn. In our classes we are often given all of the sources about a topic, so it is almost too easy to fully learn about the topic. With the Torah journal, I will be able to choose a topic that interests me, independently find all the sources, and write an article about my topic.”
Rabbi Eli Ciner, the principal, approached Rabbi Spier with the idea for the journal during the 2016-2017 school year, but it was too late start the club then. They opened applications for this year’s Torah Journal during May of last year; the application was a one page article on a topic, such as the chronology of the events of Parshat Korach for the Tanach entries. The application was meant to single out students with the dedication and discipline to meet the deadlines for the Torah Journal, and all students that applied were accepted because they demonstrated those qualities.
Rabbi Spier said that depending on the success of the journal this year, he might expand the journal to include freshmen and sophomores.
First Swim Team Meeting
by Seela Langer and Adina Horowitz
During breakfast on Tuesday, October 3rd, Mrs. Ahrona Indyk Amar, learning center faculty and girls' swim coach, held a swim team meeting in Room 30. Though this meeting would normally be held at the beginning of the first practice, poolside, Mrs. Amar decided to have it earlier so that there would be more time at the first practice to swim and make lane placements. At the meeting, information about practices, expectations as team members, and the swim competitions were discussed. Swimmers were told about a new option for girls who wanted to go to practices and be on the team, but not compete as there were some girls who wanted to get better at swimming, diving, or flip turns before competing.
Senior Trip to the 9/11 Memorial
by Kayla Forman
On Monday October 23, 2017, after davening, the senior grade boarded 4 buses and took a trip to the 9/11 memorial in New York City. Accompanying the grade was Rabbi Bashist, Nurse Leah Shteingart, and parent volunteer chaperones. One bus had to leave ten minutes earlier because not everyone could be in the museum at the same time. Before entering the museum, Rabbi Bashist gave a speech on the memorial's importance and significance. Students were then given two hours to walk around both the museum itself and the gardens outside. Inside the museum, there were many rooms surrounding one interactive room in the center. This center room played people’s phone calls to their loved ones on 9/11, in addition to videos of the crashes. Additionally, the memorial displayed some destroyed fire trucks from the tragedy, and the last pole from one of the towers. Outside of the museum, where students were free to walk around, visitors observed a huge memorial with water pouring down in the center. Surrounding the water are plaques with the names of all those who perished at the time of the attack, and the location of their death. Students returned to the buses at 12:10 and made it back to Frisch for a 7th period lunch, with classes resuming at 8th. Rachel Fried (‘18) added that “last Wednesday a speaker spoke to [the seniors] about 9/11; he was in the building during the attack, and it helped make the trip more meaningful having heard from him before we went. I feel a sense of responsibility to have been there and I’m almost embarrassed that I haven’t been there before because we’re the generation that has to keep this story alive.”
JV Volleyball Championship Banner Unveiled
by Hanna Karben
On Wednesday, October 25, before the first volleyball game of the new season, there was a championship banner ceremony for last year's team. The whole team reunited in the gym for this event. After a short speech from Coach Samantha Tilp, who complimented the girls on their teamwork and hard work last season, the team unveiled the banner together.
Mr. Merritt's Free Fall Lab
by Brooke Schwartz
Mr. Merrit’s 11A1 physics class had a lab, titled "Free Fall," on Tuesday, October 24, and Thursday, October 26. Students went into the hallways, onto tables, and on the main staircase during seventh period and dropped objects of their choice, e.g. shoes, pencils, and erasers, from varying heights. The lab was designed to teach students about distance, time, and acceleration by having them graph the distance their object fell and the time it took to fall. Due to the fact that students did not have enough time to drop their object enough times during the first day, the lab was continued on Thursday.
Judaic Studies Learning Center
by Sophie Klapper
Frisch introduced a revised Judaic Studies Learning Center this 2017-2018 school year. Initially, the center was given a trial run for the 9th grade but the administration, after seeing its impact on freshman participants chose to open it for the balance of the school population. Ms. Shira Kronenberg is directing the program and working with the students and faculty daily. Freshmen and Sophomores attend a weekly scheduled period where Ms.Kronenberg focuses on helping the students through their difficulties in Judaic subjects. Though Junior and Senior students, have no scheduled period in their week for this learning center and Ms.Kronenberg does not no have one on one time with these students, she does meet with these students' teachers to discuss what changes should be made in regard to the classroom, workload, and teaching style based on each specific student's need.
PSAT Given To Juniors
by Hannah Karben and Adina Horowitz
On Wednesday, October 25, the Juniors took the PSAT during periods one through four. The students were split up into various classrooms with one classroom being designated specifically for extra-time students. The PSAT is given to Juniors in order for them to practice and prepare for their real SAT later in the year. This also gives students more of an idea about which standardized test they want to take, the SAT or ACT, as part of a process that began during the grade's sophomore year when it took a similar practice test and a practice ACT exam as well. Juniors who receive exceptionally good scores on this test may be eligible for National Merit Scholarship for college
AIPAC Training Seminar
by Hannah Karben
From October 22 to October 23 eight Frisch sophomores attended an American Israel Public Affairs Committee event, a regional training seminar for 10th grade students at a hotel in Newark, New Jersey.The students attended this event with Rabbi Dr. Ilan Fuchs, member of the Frisch history faculty and Israel advocacy teacher, as their chaperone, as Rabbi Sher was unable to attend because of schedule conflicts. Students from over 45 other high school students participated, along with numerous college students who came on their own.
During the day, there were 45 minute long interactive seminars about Israel, with additional optional sessions at night. The seminars taught the importance of building relationships with people running for and already in office, and with supporters of Israel. The students also learned how to have a proper conversation with someone who does not necessarily support Israel. Each seminar was different; some discussed the reason for the students’ being there, while others spoke about how to get the student’s views to politicians. One of Connecticut’s previous senators, Joe Lieberman, spoke to the students about Israel. He shared his views and opinions on how he supports America and Israel alliance.
In between each seminar there were breaks, during which students from different schools informally met with each other and talked about why they personally came to this event. The diverse backgrounds among the students were also discussed. Ariella Bak ‘20, said, “It was nice meeting people from such different backgrounds. I’m so used to only being around modern Orthodox people.”
To apply for this experience, students had to send an email to Rabbi David Sher, member of the Frisch Talmud faculty, sophomore grade dean, and Director of Israel Education and Advocacy, to explain why they wanted to attend. After applying, there was a raffle to choose from among the qualified applicants.
During the day, there were 45 minute long interactive seminars about Israel, with additional optional sessions at night. The seminars taught the importance of building relationships with people running for and already in office, and with supporters of Israel. The students also learned how to have a proper conversation with someone who does not necessarily support Israel. Each seminar was different; some discussed the reason for the students’ being there, while others spoke about how to get the student’s views to politicians. One of Connecticut’s previous senators, Joe Lieberman, spoke to the students about Israel. He shared his views and opinions on how he supports America and Israel alliance.
In between each seminar there were breaks, during which students from different schools informally met with each other and talked about why they personally came to this event. The diverse backgrounds among the students were also discussed. Ariella Bak ‘20, said, “It was nice meeting people from such different backgrounds. I’m so used to only being around modern Orthodox people.”
To apply for this experience, students had to send an email to Rabbi David Sher, member of the Frisch Talmud faculty, sophomore grade dean, and Director of Israel Education and Advocacy, to explain why they wanted to attend. After applying, there was a raffle to choose from among the qualified applicants.
Tikvah Fund Speakers Speak to 11R
by Seela Langer
On Thursday October 26, three Tikvah Fund representatives spoke to the 11R classes during ninth and tenth period in the ILAB. The Tikvah Fund is a philanthropic foundation and institution that supports the intellectual, religious, and political leaders of the Jewish people and the Jewish State. The first speaker was Rabbi Mark Gottlieb, who discussed Maimonides’ idea about how reason does not need to be emotionless and how Avraham both emulated chessed and was a philosopher. He concluded his remarks by introducing the next speaker: Professor RJ Shell. Professor Shell asked the students to debate two claims he presented: one, that truth has to be objective, public and have reasoning, and two, religion is not objective, is it subjective, emotive, and is internal - therefore it can't be true or false. The students discussed and debated these claims. Allison Gellerstein (‘19) said, “We didn’t reach a conclusion, but the discussion was engaging and led me to want to know more about the Tikvah Fund.” The last speaker was Rabbi Gabi Weinberg who spoke about the Tikvah summer program for Juniors and Seniors at Yale University where for two weeks they will discuss the challenges the Jewish community faces in Israel, America, and throughout the West.
Sewing Club Starts Up
by Judith Rosenbluth
Frisch's sewing club started up again this year meeting from 6:30-8 in the art room. This is the second year the club is running, since it was started last year by Stephanie Appelbaum. The first club meeting this year took place on Monday October 16th. Students have been working on a variety of individual projects ranging from dresses to body suits, each guided by the instructor, Mrs. Bellemelle. Na'ama Kaye, a junior who participates in sewing club, is working on body suits with flare sleeves. Mrs. Bellemelle is instructing her through the process. Appelbaum, is creating a dress which she says she hopes to wear on Shabbat.
First Fencing Matches
by Judith Rosenbluth
Frisch Fencing had their first bouts - fencing matches - on Monday night, October 23rd. The students had learned basic foot and blade work during the club's first meet on October 16th. During the second meet on the 23rd, the students participated in a tournament style competition against each other and learned a variety of skills such as how to set up the electric gear for a match and how to keep time and score. Coach Frank, Frisch Fencing's coach, considers competition to be a vital step in learning how to fence in real time. Coach Frank said "I am excited to see how the group will progress throughout this year." Fencing will continue to meet Monday nights in the back of the cafeteria from 5-7.
First Dance Practice
by Sophie Klapper
On October 17th, Frisch held its first dance practice of the year. Tryouts were held before Sukkot and the new additions to the team joined the original members at the practice on the Tuesday, after the break. Everyone met in the ILAB immediately following dismissal at 5 o'clock. Practice began with “circle time”, a tradition that takes place every year at the first dance practice, in which everyone sits in a circle on the floor and introduces herself. This tradition gives the new participants an opportunity to bond with the other members. Afterward the Junior captain, Hayley Greene, taught everyone the beginning of the dance the girls will be competing with at Rikudiah. Rikudiah is a dance competition against many other Tri-State Area Yeshiva high schools. This year it will be taking place on December 2nd. Practice ended at 6:30 and will continue to meet every week on Tuesdays in the same location at variable start-times.
Freshman Retreat Video
by Sophie Klapper
On October 23rd, the Freshman retreat video was played all monitors in Frisch throughout parts of the day. The video, created this year by Rabbi Josh Weinberg, Frisch’s camera and video expert, was to be presented to the Freshmen on the last day of the retreat, but the IT team could not get it to work. Instead the Freshmen class had a meeting in the Shul during fourth period advisory to debut the video. After the debut, Rabbi Weinberg posted it to youtube.com for easy accessibility. Mrs. Toby Moses, who operates the computer that is linked to all the screens in Frisch, and who usually only posts the daily announcements there, connected to the link on youtube and put the video on a continuous loop, so that it would replay on every screen throughout the day. The administration wanted all the students from other grades to have an opportunity to see and enjoy the video as well.
Junior Varsity College Bowl Tryouts
by Allison Gellerstein
Frisch’s Junior Varsity College Bowl team held its tryouts on Thursday, September 28, in the Beit Midrash during fifth, sixth, and seventh period. The tryouts were open to freshman, sophomores, and juniors. Students took a test during their lunch period that covered a variety of topics, such as history, literature, and science. According to team captain Rafi Kigner (‘19), around seventy students had tried out by the end of seventh period. Ten students advanced to the second round of tryouts.
New Style for the Announcement Screens
by Sophie Klapper
On October 3rd, a new design was added to the informational screens in the cafeteria, at the top and bottom of the main staircase, and next to the main office. Originally, the screens merely stated the given announcements of the day and had no additional layout beyond the title above them. Now, there is a large heading with white letters which are on top of a red background with the Frisch logo on it. This design was made by Mrs. Shira Auman, Frisch’s head of graphic design. The first design had the letters written in a script font and was tested throughout the school but Rabbi Ciner decided that a block letter font would be a better fit for the screens. The change was made later that same day and has been up on the screens since then.
Davening Location Change for Juniors
by Sophie Klapper
Frisch Juniors had a change in davening location on September 28th. Usually the Juniors daven in the front half of the shul, however that portion of the shul was being used to set up a scheduled Teshuva program. Therefore the students were divided into groups and put in different locations. Everybody with last names starting with letters A-F were told to daven with the Sophomores in the back half of the Shul. Everybody with last names starting with letters G-Z davened in the I-LAB.
The Great Challah Bake
by Batsheva Ohayon
Female Frisch students and faculty were invited to participate, along with women of all ages and religious backgrounds, in the Shabbos Project’s Great Challah Bake which was held on Wednesday October 25th from 7:30 PM until 9:00 PM at Factory 220 in Passaic, NJ. Transportation was provided for the students with a bus leaving from Frisch at 6:15 and returning by 9:15. The students were asked to sign up with their grade representatives for the Challah Bake, and were charged ten dollars, each, in order to participate.
Last year one hundred Frisch students participated, this year the number reached 130. Rabbi Sheldon Morris, a Judaic Studies teacher and official coordinator of Boys Nights Out and Girls Nights Out, described this event as “a way to reach out to non observant Jews as well as Jews who are not affiliated with religion, and give them a flavor of Shabbos”.
Participants were welcomed with water bottles and pretzels. The program began with a speech from a stage four cancer survivor, followed by a recitation of a perek of Tehillim by Dina Levie. Jordana Baruchov, a teacher at Yavneh, then gave instructions to the group of how to make the challah. Each participant followed along with a bowl containing small containers of flour, oil, salt, yeast, sugar, and the tools needed to mix the dough that were placed at each seat. While the dough rose in the oven, the girls enjoyed some dancing. Every participant in the Great Challah Bake took home challah dough ready to be braided and baked.
Last year one hundred Frisch students participated, this year the number reached 130. Rabbi Sheldon Morris, a Judaic Studies teacher and official coordinator of Boys Nights Out and Girls Nights Out, described this event as “a way to reach out to non observant Jews as well as Jews who are not affiliated with religion, and give them a flavor of Shabbos”.
Participants were welcomed with water bottles and pretzels. The program began with a speech from a stage four cancer survivor, followed by a recitation of a perek of Tehillim by Dina Levie. Jordana Baruchov, a teacher at Yavneh, then gave instructions to the group of how to make the challah. Each participant followed along with a bowl containing small containers of flour, oil, salt, yeast, sugar, and the tools needed to mix the dough that were placed at each seat. While the dough rose in the oven, the girls enjoyed some dancing. Every participant in the Great Challah Bake took home challah dough ready to be braided and baked.
11S1 Gemara Class Has A Speaker
by Adina Horowitz
On Tuesday October 17, the eleventh grade S1 gemara class hosted a speaker. Rabbi Morris arranged for former student council President Evan Fromen to speak about the University of Michigan and maintaining a Jewish life in college. He talked about Friday night dinners in the Hillel and the difficulty of keeping Shabbat while the Saturday football games were going on. Rabbi Morris relayed student questions, such as "what drew you to Michigan?" and "what advice do you have for this class?" Fromen was part of a series of speakers whom Rabbi Morris invited to speak for his Friday classes.
Freshmen Retreat Departs
by Sophie Klapper
The ninth grade left for Freshman retreat at the Raleigh hotel in South Fallsburg, New York on October 19th. The students dropped their luggage in the front of the building and then had a normal day's schedule until mincha. After davening, at 3:30, they boarded the buses and prepared to leave along with their Senior advisors. There were three buses for girls and three for boys; students were assigned a bus based on a dividing of the alphabet. After attendance was taken on all the buses, all six departed from Frisch.
Girl Up
by Adina Horowitz
Girl Up, a club created by Ariella Weiss (‘19) had it's first meeting on Tuesday, September 26th during breakfast. The meeting consisted of Weiss introducing herself to the new members, in addition to a brief overview of what the club entails. During the meeting, Weiss said, “Girl up is a club for girls in America who use a voice to advocate for girls in other countries who don’t have the same platforms as us.” The girl up meetings will be held every other Tuesday during breakfast.
Girl up is a foundation created by the United Nations to advocate for women's rights in countries such as, Libya, Guatemala, Ethiopia, and Malawi. Frisch’s Girl Up club focuses on specific aspects of the U.N organization: fundraising and advocating. The club signs petitions for bills that Ariella sends to local congressmen. Club members fundraise for women by selling bracelets and cookies and send the money to the Girl Up foundation. Frisch’s Girl Up will be advocating in a public way to raise awareness about the hardships that so many young women around the world experience. The club has already sent letters to senator Cory Booker asking him to pass a bill helping these third world countries educate women in Refugee camps. The club will try to raise one hundred and twenty five dollars to send a girl in Malawi a bike to get to school.
Girl Up focuses on education, health, safety, and leadership and Girl Up has trained thousands of girls to raise money and lobby congressmen.
Girl up is a foundation created by the United Nations to advocate for women's rights in countries such as, Libya, Guatemala, Ethiopia, and Malawi. Frisch’s Girl Up club focuses on specific aspects of the U.N organization: fundraising and advocating. The club signs petitions for bills that Ariella sends to local congressmen. Club members fundraise for women by selling bracelets and cookies and send the money to the Girl Up foundation. Frisch’s Girl Up will be advocating in a public way to raise awareness about the hardships that so many young women around the world experience. The club has already sent letters to senator Cory Booker asking him to pass a bill helping these third world countries educate women in Refugee camps. The club will try to raise one hundred and twenty five dollars to send a girl in Malawi a bike to get to school.
Girl Up focuses on education, health, safety, and leadership and Girl Up has trained thousands of girls to raise money and lobby congressmen.
Lacrosse Practice
by Hanna Karben
Last Sunday, September 17, the Frisch boys Lacrosse team began its first practice of the season on the softball field behind the school. Head coach, Marc Goldfarb led the practice which consisted of scrimmages between the players. This year, the team welcomed new assistant coach Elan Daudov, who has played for Penn State and Lacrosse Israel. There will be ten practices throughout the season which will take place on Sunday mornings from 9:30-11:00.
New Standing Desks
by Hannah Karben
While students were at home for the Succot break, the maintenance staff was hard at work in school, placing standing desks in room 12. Standing desks are much taller than average classroom desks, giving students the choice to either sit on tall chairs (which were also situated in the room) or to stand up. The goal is to give the students an option to how they would like to position themselves during class, finding a position which will accentuate the learning process for each student. These desks are also on wheels, allowing student to move around more easily when assigned group work. Student reviews of the switch have been mixed. When asked his opinion Ikey Zeitz ‘19 said “The desks are cool but not comfortable.”
First Girls Who Code Meeting
by Seela Langer
On Wednesday, October 18, Girls Who Code had its first meeting, after school in the 21st Century Lab. The meeting was an introduction to Python, the coding program being taught this year, and was run by club heads Feigele Lechtchiner (‘19) and Liana Zeldin (‘19). They introduced the new curriculum for the year, which will teach Python through small projects, each aimed at different basic skills. The first project is a Buzzfeed-like quiz with different multiple choice questions that sort the user into a specific category, with the example being, “How obsessed with Shiryah are you?” The answers to a series of questions on that topic create a ranking: either extremely, moderately, or not so obsessed. This was to teach the girls about printing information on screen, as well as conditionals and variables, such as, “What time do you leave school during Shiryah?” correlating to how obsessed one is. Students had to learn how to organize variables and conditions to signify different elements. The girls also downloaded free software that will allow them to code in Python on their laptops whether they have a Mac or a PC.
Pre-Yom Kippur Teshuva Program
by Sophie Klapper
On September 28th, the annual Teshuva program took place in the Shul during periods 2 and 4. The program began with Rabbi Goldfischer introducing Rabbi Ciner who gave a quick Dvar Torah. Afterward Eitan Katz, well known singer in the Jewish community, led students and faculty in a sing along kumzitz; everyone sang and danced to various hebrew songs. The program closed with the singing of “אחינו”. Rabbi Ciner then announced that everyone was welcome to the cafeteria where there would be a sweet surprise. When the students and faculty arrived in the cafeteria there was fruit, graham crackers, marshmallows, and pretzels accompanied by numerous chocolate fountains. Class continued with 5th period.
Varsity Baseball Team Second Cut
by Sammy Nat
On September 19th, the Frisch Varsity baseball team’s second cut tryout took place at Mackay field in Englewood from 7:00-9:30 P.M. The tryouts were held by new coach, Mike Apreda. Coach Aprenda played baseball in college and has been coaching baseball for the past seven years. During the tryout, the coach looked for speed, accuracy when throwing, and ability to pitch. It rained for about twenty minutes during the tryout, causing the grass to become slippery and dangerous to play on. Therefore, all the drills took place in the infield on dirt, as opposed to the grass where drills are normally held. Due to the fact that many of last year’s players graduated, there are many open spots on the team this year.
Cougars Write Together's First Meeting
by Seela Langer
On October 17th, in Room 8, Cougars Write Together (CWT) had its first meeting of the year. The club was started in 2015 and is still headed by Tabitha Klein (19’), Nina Gerzberg (‘19) and Seela Langer (‘19) with Dr. Anne Berkman as its faculty advisor. At the meeting the leaders introduced the club and gave the new plan for the year. This year the club is meeting every other Tuesday so that people have time to write and think of ideas to share with the group during the school days preceding the meeting. The leaders told the club members that they were going to have a great year and to send them any pieces to discuss. This creative writing club allows students to share their writing and receive feedback from their peers, as well as participate in writing workshops. Students are encouraged to send their work to Kalliope, Frisch’s literary magazine, as well to Scholastic nation Writing Competitions.
First Math League Test
by Allison Gellerstein
On Tuesday, October 17, the first of six New Jersey Math League tests of the year was given to fifteen Frisch students during fifth period. The exam was available for all students to take, and it lasted half an hour. The New Jersey Math League writes and administers tests for over 150 high schools in the state for a minimal fee. The high schools compete for the highest individual and school rankings for each test, as well as for the entire year. Topics on the test included Algebra and Geometry, and Algebra II applied in nontraditional ways.
Guest Speaker: Sergeant Liad Arussy
by Sophie Klapper
On Tuesday, October 17th, all four grades heard from a guest speaker, Sergeant Liad Arussy. Sergeant Arussy, a Frisch graduate (‘14), is a spokesperson for the IDF’s English language social media platforms. Her job is to ensure that the truth about Israel is posted on all forms of social media, in order to project the truth about Israel to the world. Four of her videos were shown along with a slideshow presentation that emphasized the importance of her job to the students. In her presentation, she described the public hatred that Israel faces on a day-to-day basis, much of it based on falsehoods, on social media.
First Fire Drill
by Sophie Klapper
Frisch held its first fire drill of the year on September 18th, during the last few minutes of second period. Faculty and students left the building from the exits that were nearest their given classroom. Faculty stood with the students and counted their class to make sure nobody was left inside the building. Both the students and the faculty re entered when Rabbi Ciner confirmed it was safe to return to the building. According to Rabbi Ciner, Frisch hopes to have total of five more fire drills throughout the course of the rest of this school year.
The Frisch Torah Journal
by Allison Gellerstein
The first meeting of the new Frisch Torah Journal took place on Thursday, September 29, in the library. The staff, which is made up of seven juniors and seniors, was shown useful tools and good Jewish books for research at the first meeting.
The objective of the club is to explore an area of Gemara, Halacha, or Tanakh and write an article about it; as there is no theme for the journal students are free to pick any topic within the three categories.
The opportunity to join the journal was introduced last year, and students applied by writing articles during May of the 2016-2017 school year. For its first year, the Torah Journal was only juniors and seniors because they were thought to have more experience learning at the level required for the journal. Rabbi Jonathan Spier, who runs the Frisch Torah Journal, stated that depending on the success of the journal this year, he might expand the journal to include freshmen and sophomores.
According to Rabbi Spier, the Torah Journal will enable students to learn research skills and how to prepare a shiur on their own. Rebecca Aduculesi (‘19), a member of the club, views the club as, "an opportunity to learn how to learn." Aduculesi stated that, "In our classes we are often given all of the sources about a topic, so it is almost too easy to fully learn about the topic. With the Torah journal, I will be able to choose a topic that interests me, independently find all the sources, and write an article about my topic.”
The objective of the club is to explore an area of Gemara, Halacha, or Tanakh and write an article about it; as there is no theme for the journal students are free to pick any topic within the three categories.
The opportunity to join the journal was introduced last year, and students applied by writing articles during May of the 2016-2017 school year. For its first year, the Torah Journal was only juniors and seniors because they were thought to have more experience learning at the level required for the journal. Rabbi Jonathan Spier, who runs the Frisch Torah Journal, stated that depending on the success of the journal this year, he might expand the journal to include freshmen and sophomores.
According to Rabbi Spier, the Torah Journal will enable students to learn research skills and how to prepare a shiur on their own. Rebecca Aduculesi (‘19), a member of the club, views the club as, "an opportunity to learn how to learn." Aduculesi stated that, "In our classes we are often given all of the sources about a topic, so it is almost too easy to fully learn about the topic. With the Torah journal, I will be able to choose a topic that interests me, independently find all the sources, and write an article about my topic.”
Senior Chessed Day
by Hanna Karben
On Monday October 2, the senior grade had its first chessed day of the year. The grade was split up into groups which went to Yad Leah in Passaic, New Jersey, the New Jersey food bank, the JCC on the Palisades in New Jersey, Masbia Soup Kitchen in Brooklyn, and Promande in Chestnut Ridge, New York. At Yad Leah the student sorted clothing that will be sent to Israel in the near future. Students who went to the New Jersey food bank sorted and boxed food for the homeless people of New Jersey. The group visitng the JCC on the Palisades played games and sports with children. At Masbia, a group peeled and bagged vegetables and then packaged hot meals. The visit to Promande gave the students an opportunity to sing and play games with the elderly. The seniors returned to school in the middle of 7th period and resumed a regular schedule for the rest of the day.
New Davening Locations
by Brooke Schwartz
This year, due to the large freshman class, more spaces are being utilized for lessons, forcing other grades to change their davening locations. "It is too difficult to change the I-Lab’s setup every morning to accommodate the juniors, so they have been moved to the shul instead," explained Rabbi Michael Zauderer, who was in charge of the decision. The fact that there are over two hundred freshmen this year compelled Frisch to use the I-Lab for gym, testing, and classes—specifically, Israel Advocacy—moreso than in the past. The juniors have relocated to the front of the shul from the I-Lab; this forced the sophomores to move from the front of the shul to the back.
Classes in the Publications Room
by Brooke Schwartz
This year, Mrs. Feldblum is teaching English in the Publications Room. She requested the change this past August, after hearing from Rabbi Ciner that lessons are being held in new locations. “I requested to be in the Publications Room because it’s a large space, and I was able to arrange the desks and format the classroom in a way that was conducive to my class,” Mrs. Feldblum explained. The school is trying to use spaces with experimental learning—like labs, computer rooms, and the Publications Room. These places allow innovative desk arrangements and promote certain learning opportunities, which appealed to Mrs. Feldblum who, this year, is planning on adding more cooperative learning to her lessons.
Lockdown Drill
by Allison Gellerstein
Frisch’s first lockdown drill took place on Thursday, September 14. Though students had been reminded of the possibility of a drill, the exact timing was a surprise. During eighth period, Rabbi Ciner, spoke on the loudspeaker and initiated the lockdown. The lockdown procedures were to lock the doors, shut the lights, and move out of view of the door. After the lockdown was completed, Rabbi Ciner announced that there is room for improvement in the execution of the procedures, especially the noise level, for future drills.
First GNO and YU Trip of the School Year
by Allison Gellerstein
On Thursday, September 14, after Mishmar, the first Girls Night Out and trip to Yeshiva University took place. The girl students had the opportunity to have a kumzitz with the female faculty upstairs by the main staircase landing. Rebecca Aduculesi ('19), Anny Safier ('19), and Hannah Karben ('19) gave Divrei Torah about Rosh Hashanah at the GNO. The Frisch boys had the chance to study in the YU Beit Midrash and eat at the restaurant, Golan Heights. Rabbi Morris, the head of the YU trip, said, “We heard a shiur from Rav Yitzchak Cohen, a rebbe in YU, who spoke to us about Teshuva and Rosh Hashanah. We then broke up into smaller groups and each group learned with a Frisch alum- we have many Frisch alumni in YU.”
Holy Fire Lunch and Learn Program
by Allison Gellerstein
On Tuesday, September 26, the first ever Holy Fire meeting took place in the cafeteria during fifth period with Rabbi Gedaliah Jaffe. Holy Fire is a new lunch and learn initiative started by Rabbi Jaffe. The meetings are devoted to learning the books by Kalonymous Kalman Shapiro, the author of Aish Kodesh. Kalonymous Kalman Shapiro’s focus, according to Rabbi Jaffe, is to release the potential in the souls, minds and hearts of students. Rabbi Jaffe started the curriculum with Chovas HaTalmidim, “an encouraging book that provides a spiritual road map for character development, success in learning Torah, and living a life of service to G-d.”
Pre-Yom Kippur Gathering at Rabbi Ciner's
by Kayla Forman
On Friday morning, September 29, 2017, Frisch students were invited to Rabbi Ciner’s home for Erev Yom Kippur selichot, shacharit, and breakfast. Selichot began at 9:00 a.m. After davening, the 20 Frisch students present for tefillah were greeted with bagels, spreads, muffins, and drinks. Among the Frisch faculty to join were many Frisch rabbis, Mrs. Anstandig, and Mrs. Scharf. Students sang for a while in preparation for Yom Kippur. Some students expressed that they had enjoyed the opportunity to prepare for Yom Kippur together, and Gilad Holzer ‘19 added that “the minyan at Rabbi Ciner’s house enabled [him] to get in the right mindset for Yom Kippur.”
Junior Grade Meeting
by Sophie Klapper and Asher Lefkowitz
On Tuesday, September 19th, the members of the administration held a meeting with the Junior grade - Rabbi Ciner spoke to the girls in the front of the Beit Knesset and Rabbi Goldfischer spoke to the boys in the back. Both rabbis reviewed all basic school policies such as on signing in, dress code, and cheating. Most of the polices have remained the same except for a major change to the absence policy. In the past, students would be informed whether they were in danger of going over the allotted number of absences. Now, students must be responsible and monitor their own absences. The meetings finished off with the discussion of being inclusive and then students returned to their second period classes.
New Senior Elective Program
by Asher Lefkowitz
For this new school year, Frisch has implemented a new policy regarding senior education. In the past, senior history, english, talmud, and hebrew classes followed the departmental 4 year curriculum and allowed variation only in level; these classes were complemented with a selection of elective classes. This year, seniors are able to choose from a wide range of more tailored classes, electives within each department, to fulfill the departmental requirement. As a student's English class, instead of having a generic world literature class, students can choose from "Fantasy and Sci Fi," "Writing," or "Utopian and Dystopian Literature" among others. The ability to choose from a variety of courses is not limited to English and History class offerings, but includes Judaic studies as well. The new elective system was proposed last December, and the process of creating the system began last February. The faculty believe that by offering a variety of classes, students will be more engaged and enthusiastic about the courses they are taking.
First College Visits
by Hanna Karben
On September 14, the first college info sessions for the seniors kicked off at the Frisch School. Queens College and Yeshiva University/Stern College representatives spoke to the seniors who are interested in attending these schools in the near future. Twenty-seven students attended the the Queens College presentation which took place in the conference room during 5th period. The representative spoke about how important students’ success is to them and the detailed tools that the school can provide for building their students’ futures.
The Yeshiva University visit took place in the Beit Midrash in front of 55 students. YU representative, Ari Green, a Frisch Parent, started off by introducing himself to the students present. He then listed 4 reasons to come to the school followed by why Yeshiva University is big enough, yet small enough for students. Additionally he stated that many job unique opportunities can come from a YU degree. In total 32 colleges will be visiting frisch over the coming weeks.
The Yeshiva University visit took place in the Beit Midrash in front of 55 students. YU representative, Ari Green, a Frisch Parent, started off by introducing himself to the students present. He then listed 4 reasons to come to the school followed by why Yeshiva University is big enough, yet small enough for students. Additionally he stated that many job unique opportunities can come from a YU degree. In total 32 colleges will be visiting frisch over the coming weeks.
Rabbi Murciano Gives a Shiur
by Sammy Nat
On September 18, Rabbi Murciano gave a shiur to Rabbi Morris’s 11S2 class, during first period in room 35. Seniors and Freshman, joined Rabbi Morris’s class to hear Rabbi Murciano speak about Rosh Hashanah and how a person should handle his emotions while repenting for his sins. He told a parable about a person going to court for crimes he committed and being allowed to defend himself without any help. Rabbi Murciano said that this parable relates to Rosh Hashanah because when a person goes to repent for his sins, he needs to defend himself through his own prayer and devotion as no one can repent on his behalf.
Location Changes Due to Testing
by Allison Gellerstein
On Wednesday, September 27, several temporary class location changes were made due to student relocating because of testing. According to Rabbi Michael Zauderer who was in charge of the room changes, the location changes “accommodate the proctoring schedule so that each class has their teacher and to accommodate extended time.” Students were notified of the classroom changes by their teachers and/or a chart with the new locations and times on the screens in the hallways.
New English Track For Freshman
by Kayla Forman
For the 2017-2018 school year, the Frisch administration has added a new track for Freshman between the A and H English track levels called accelerated. The administration believed that the A level, as it was, included students from too wide a range of skill levels, so adding an extra level would help teachers focus on each student's capabilities. Now, the general studies classes will be parallel to the Judaic studies structure though on the Judaic side, the class equivalent to the new Accelerated track is called the S level. This track was implemented for only Freshman this year because all other grades have a system already in place and the administrators thought that altering that system might be met by opposition and confusion. The plan is to implement the track one year at a time, so that all future grades will be represented by the new tracking system.
Cougar Clothing Sale
by Kayla Forman
On Wednesday September 27, 2017, the Frisch Parents Association had its second Cougar apparel sale of the year. Apparel was available for purchase from breakfast until 2 p.m. outside the freshman lounge. Among the items on sale were black basketball shorts for $10, black PJ cotton pants for $10, dri fit white polos for $10, and zip up grey sweatshirts for $16. Purchases could be made through credit card or cash. Even if items ran out, students were still able to make purchases online.
New Junior Health and Halacha Curriculum
by Judith Rosenbluth
Frisch revealed its new 11th grade Halacha curriculum on September 18th centered on the text, Health and Halacha . The book, written and developed by Rabbi Asher Bush, a Frisch Halacha and Talmud teacher, is complete with sources, contemporary conversations, and questions for students to answer. Mrs. Shira Auman, Frisch’s marketing and design go-to, designed the cover and put together the graphics inside the book. They assembled this book over the summer and it was sent to be printed about a week before the school year started. Health and Halacha is being used for the Junior Halacha track where topics such as God’s role in the healing process, cosmetic surgeries, the doctor-patient relationship, and much more are discussed in depth.
Junior Trip to Yad Leah
by Sophie Klapper
A group of Frisch Juniors left school after first period to go to the Yad Leah facility on their first Chessed day on September 25th. Yad Leah is an organization that provides clothing to those who are in need and lack the financial means to buy their own. Arriving at 10AM, the students first sorted men and women’s clothing into carts. They then folded all the clothing and packaged the pieces into boxes. In total they packaged over 600 articles of clothing. Afterwards, the students were taken out to eat in Passaic and then boarded the bus, arriving back at school in the middle of 6th period. Classes resumed at period 8.
Frisch Commemorates 9/11
by Adina Horowitz
On Monday, September 11th, 2017, Frisch commemorated the sixteenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the US by showing footage of the destruction on the tv monitors throughout the day. The event was also memorialized in that morning's davening, as the students added a prayer that was written specifically for the victims of 9/11. Additionally, history teachers took time out of their classes to teach the students about the Twin Towers and the planes that crashed into them.
Lauren Burstein Joins Frisch Faculty
by Seela Langer
Frisch alumnus, Lauren Burstein, joined the Frisch English Department this 2017-2018 school year. For the last five years she taught at Torah Academy of Bergen County (TABC) and previously taught at a small Beis Yaakov in Brooklyn for a year. She wanted a chance to teach in co-ed environment and Frisch was her top choice because of the opportunities it provides for both students and teachers. She is teaching ninth and tenth grade english, as well as a twelfth grade writing course. Additionally, she is the faculty advisor for both Kalliope, the literary magazine, and Envision Shakespeare, a multi-school Shakespearean acting competition.
First AISAC Meeting
by Adina Horowitz
The first AISAC (American Israel Student Action Committee) meeting was held on Tuesday, September 19th. Kayla Grunstein (‘19) president of the club, and Rabbi Sher, who is the faculty coordinator, sent out an email the night before the meeting, informing the students who signed up that a meeting would take place the following day. The purpose of the meeting was to introduce the aspects of the club to its members and to give updates on Israel. Twelve students attended the first meeting. The students watched President Trump’s first speech to the United Nations on Monday, September 18th. Mr. Trump spoke about the Iran deal and how America keeps making mistakes when it comes to North Korea and nuclear weapons. Grunstein said, “This club is not only to raise awareness about the problems Israel is facing, but to teach students how to advocate and show them that they can help”
Schedule Changes
by Hanna Karben
On Monday September 18th and Tuesday September 19th there were a changes made to the regular schedule due to pre Rosh Hashana Slichot. Slichot caused shacharit to end later, therefore a change in the morning schedule was necessary. On Monday, first period began at 9:10, instead of 8:50, and ended at 9:30. Second period was skipped and third period started at 9:40, instead of 10:16. On Tuesday no periods were canceled, but first period was shortened in order to accommodate the longer davening that slichot entails.
Assigned Seating for Freshmen Lunch
by Seela Langer
On Thursday September 14, 2017, the Freshmen discovered assigned seating in the cafeteria during their sixth period lunch. The principal, Rabbi Ciner, had the idea of creating a seating mixture so that freshmen could meet new people in their grade. Each table had a mix of students from different middle schools, and had a faculty member present to facilitate conversation. At the end of lunch, Rabbi Spier, a Freshmen grade dean, said to the Freshmen that even though this interaction was not spontaneous, he hopes that they continue to break previous social groups.
New Cougar Cards
by Judith Rosenbluth
The new Cougars recently unveiled for Freshman new cougar cards. The cards will sport updated graphics and technology and can be used in an expanded capacity. Not only is the new design by Mrs. Shira Auman new, but the small white circle that had been on the cards last year is no longer there.
Last year a small white circle on the back added a touch sensitive technology. This enabled students to tap their card to a sensor to buy lunch (replacing the need to swipe the magnetic stripe) or print papers from a school printer. A chip inside that small circle, called a proximity chip, sent a 10 digit number that is unique to each student to a receiver, completing the transaction. That chip is now embedded inside the card.
This new technology of the “tap” card opens up many possibilities for Frisch in the future. Teachers and staff might have their cards configured to open doors which would eliminate the need for keys. Students could buy from the vending machines with their cards completely eliminating the need to carry cash. Mr. Chris Perez, the IT Systems Administrator, who was in charge of the implementation of the cards, stated that “If you’re going to spend money, you want to be able to do as much as you can with it”, and there certainly is a lot to do with this new “tap” technology, with much more to come in the future.
The technology has increased the cost of each card so replacements now will set students back $10, double last year's charge.
Last year a small white circle on the back added a touch sensitive technology. This enabled students to tap their card to a sensor to buy lunch (replacing the need to swipe the magnetic stripe) or print papers from a school printer. A chip inside that small circle, called a proximity chip, sent a 10 digit number that is unique to each student to a receiver, completing the transaction. That chip is now embedded inside the card.
This new technology of the “tap” card opens up many possibilities for Frisch in the future. Teachers and staff might have their cards configured to open doors which would eliminate the need for keys. Students could buy from the vending machines with their cards completely eliminating the need to carry cash. Mr. Chris Perez, the IT Systems Administrator, who was in charge of the implementation of the cards, stated that “If you’re going to spend money, you want to be able to do as much as you can with it”, and there certainly is a lot to do with this new “tap” technology, with much more to come in the future.
The technology has increased the cost of each card so replacements now will set students back $10, double last year's charge.
"The Happy Minyan"
by Batsheva Ohayon
This past Friday, September 15th, the first "Happy Minyan" of the year was held in the iLab. The Happy Minyan differs from other minyanim as it boasts Rabbi Josh Weinberg's guitar as he plays along with the tunes of the prayer while the students and faculty sing throughout davening. The Happy Minyan was started two years ago by Yosef Borodach (‘19) and Zev Kirsch (‘19) with the help of Rabbi Joshua Wald and Rabbi Weinberg. Since then, the minyan has gained enough popularity that it is now big enough to be held in the iLab. The happy minyan takes place every Friday and Rosh Chodesh.
New Screens
by Adina Horowitz
Returning to school on Wednesday, September 6th, students and faculty found that new announcement screens have replaced the old ones. The new screens are bigger and easier to read. They are linked to a new system attached to a screen controlled by Toby Moses. Toby can easily create the announcements and change them from her new third computer screen. The screens run on Microsoft Powerpoint to create the announcements, thus allowing them to show videos and pictures on the screens.
Girls Varsity Softball Tryouts
by Kayla Forman
On Sunday September 17, 2017 from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., Frisch held tryouts for the girls varsity softball team. Running the tryout was Coach Sam, assisted by Coach Eileen, last year’s head coach, who are looking to 20 girls from the 26 girls who showed up to tryout. The girls warmed up by playing catch. Coach Sam had them sprint to first base, then around the field, and then instructed them to fielding ground balls and and pop-ups at their position of preference. After fielding, they split into two teams and scrimmaged for the remainder of tryouts. The softball season begins in the spring after winter sports end, once the fields are in the best condition to play on after the winter.
Head of NCSY visits Frisch
by Hanna Karben
Before the 7:45 start time of Davening on September 14, Rabbi Moshe Benovitz, the head director of NCSY Kollel, gave a shiur to 25 boys in the Beit Midrash. Rabbi Israeli, a member of the talmud faculty, organized the shiur during which Rabbi Benovitz spoke about tefilah and how it can impact one’s life.
Girls basketball Tryouts
by Hanna Karben
On September 12 from 5:30-7:30, Frisch junior varsity and varsity girls basketball tryouts took place in the basketball gym. Unlike other years, the tryout was a joint tryout where both the varsity and the junior varsity teams tried out together. Around twenty to twenty five girls tried out for both teams. There were three returning players for the junior varsity team and nine returning players for varsity. Every grade scrimmaged and performed the drills together. The junior varsity coach is still Mrs. Leora Moskovich, Torah Studies teacher at Frisch, who has been coaching this team for the past two seasons. The varsity team however has a change in coaching this year, Kristen Rainbolt, former assistant coach is now head coach with Samantha Engelhardt as assistant coach.
Volleyball Tryouts
by Kayla Forman
On Tuesday September 12, 2017 from 5:30-7:30 p.m., Frisch held tryouts for the girls varsity volleyball team. After tricking the team into thinking they had a new coach, Coach Sam Tilp, who has coached at Frisch for 18 years, revealed to them that she would be their coach. Sam began tryouts with serving as a warmup. After everyone was warmed up, they practiced spiking. Next, to put the pressure on, all the girls had to serve ten serves while the other thirteen girls sat on the floor and watched as Sam marked how many they made and missed. The girls then scrimmaged before tryouts ended.
Senior Hoedown
by Batsheva Ohayon
Frisch held its annual Senior Hoedown last Thursday, September 7th to kick off senior year. The theme of the night was a traditional Southern BBQ in Northern Jersey. Seniors had the opportunity to bond with faculty, and fellow classmates. After a casual buffet, seniors ended the night with a round of square dancing.
New Cougar Cards
by Kayla Forman
Upon arriving to school on Wednesday September 6, 2017, Frisch freshman students and faculty were greeted with newly designed cougar cards. After many years of the old cougar card, the administration decided to try a new design. Mrs. Shira Auman designed them. The card has the Frisch logo on top, like the previous card, however, this card has a paw on the left side, with the Core 4, Frisch’s four values, instead of the previous “STUDENT”. The card also has date of birth of the student. Under the picture of the student on the new cards, it has their name, and the year they will graduate.
Office changes
by Sophie Klapper
When the new school year began on September 6th, many office changes were made to accommodate different teachers. Danielle Landau, Frisch’s newest guidance counselor claimed the office in the guidance counselor corner on the second floor; the room that Dr. Lopata previously occupied. In previous years, Rabbi Klein has shared his office with both former Frisch faculty members, Bobby Fleming and Leora Orenbuch. Since both have left Frisch, Rabbi Klein, who has worked in Frisch for the past three years, is now able to have his own office. When asked about how he felt about his new situation he said, “I don’t get lonely and I have constant visitors due to the fact that I’m an advisor, but I do hear the music coming from the zumba gym all the time.”
Israel Delegation Group Visits Frisch
by Judith Rosenbluth
Students from the Ort Yoqneam High school in Israel visited Frisch on Thursday 9/14 from 10:00 until 1:00 PM. Mr. Dani Benishay, the teacher of Computer Science at Ort Yoqneam, brought a delegation of Computer Science students to visit Frisch, to learn about how CS is taught differently in America and to share ideas about engineering. About 20 students from this delegation came and were able to listen to presentations from students, clubs, and teachers. Frisch engineering students presented to the group during 3rd, 4th, and 5th period where they introduced the Israel group to some of the projects they had been working on. Afterwards, the group toured the building and listened to presentations from Girls Who Code. Their visit to Frisch came to a close at 1:10 after a pizza lunch in the conference room.
New IFL Choices for Sophomores
by Brooke Schwartz
This year, the Intramural Football League (IFL) will allow sophomore boys to join either the JV or varsity football league according to preference, instead of being automatically placed in varsity. Rabbi Jonathan Schachter, who runs the league and made the decision to allow sophomores to choose which league they wanted to join, said, “Sophomores didn’t enjoy being the youngest in a league, since it meant less playing time and less activity in the game. But, on the other hand, some sophomores liked being in the older league, because they like the better competition and being able to meet kids from other grades.” After hearing complaints from the students, Rabbi Schachter successfully changed the system.
Cougar Store Sale
by Hanna karben
On Wednesday September 13, the first Cougar Store sale of the year took place outside of the Freshman lounge. This sale is run by the Frisch Parent Association, a volunteer committee, a few times each a year in order to give students an opportunity to purchase Cougar apparel during their lunch period. New items were on sale including improved dri-fit shirts available for 18 dollars each, a lightweight hoodie for 22 dollars and a new pair of pajama pants for 10 dollars. In addition to the new items being sold, established favorites such as sweatshirts, accessories and kippot were also presented for purchase. Between sales, items are still available through the main office.
New lockers
by Sammy Nat
Over the summer, the Frisch School added a new set of lockers in the hallway opposite rooms 10 and 11. The lockers were added in order to accommodate this year's larger freshman class. In order to add the lockers, Frisch had to build out one of the walls, resulting in a much narrower hallway.
Dr. Djuric Joins Frisch Faculty
by Kayla Forman
Dr. Ivana Djuric joined the Frisch math and science department this 2017-2018 school year. Last year she worked at Passaic County Community College and decided to come to Frisch because she always worked in university and wanted to teach high school for a change. Dr. Djuric believes that young students should be exposed to sciences, especially physics and wanted the opportunity to teach them. She teaches 11th grade physics and 10th grade algebra and is really enjoying Frisch so far. Dr. Djuric has expressed her excitement for joining the Frisch family this school year.
Meat Lunch Trial
by Kayla Forman
On Wednesday September 13, Frisch implemented a trial run for meat lunches. After a dairy breakfast, the gates closed in order to convert the dairy kitchen for the incoming meat shipment that would arrive at 10. The kitchen staff set up the meat tables in front of the regular serving station and one where the soup would normally be placed. All dairy machines were covered, and the salad bar remained pareve. The Grab ‘N Go fridge contained it’s regular pareve foods and the ice next to it had deli and schnitzel sandwiches. In order to decide if meat lunches should be a weekly lunch, a survey was sent out to all students asking them to rate their thoughts on the meat lunches, and based off of these results, a decision will be made if meat lunches was a success and should continue or not.
Annual Club Fair
by Adina Horowitz and Seela Langer
On Tuesday September 12, 2017, Frisch held their annual Club Fair in the back of the cafeteria during periods five through seven. Students were invited to learn about all the clubs Frisch has to offer. Students upon arriving at the fair, received a directory, organized by Rabbi Michael Zauderer, Director of Educational Systems, telling them where every club table was located inside the cafeteria. At the fair, there was a large assortment of clubs varying from clubs such as the Ocean Preservation Club, to Kalliope (Frisch’s literary magazine), to AISAC (American Israel student action committee). Faculty advisors or current student members of the club provided more information to students who came to tables that were designated for the club they run. At each of these tables there were sign up sheets and a QR code that enabled you to sign up using your phone. If a student missed the fair the QR codes are available in the grade deans’ offices.
A Sweet Beginning of the Year
by Jennifer Reznik
Frisch kicked off its new school year on Wednesday, September 6, 2017. Students were greeted at the doors by the faculty and the Frisch cougar, the school’s mascot. Students were excited to reunite with friends and teachers and start a new year of friendship and learning. Between ninth and tenth period, Rabbi Ciner called for a grade-wide mincha so the whole school can daven as “one community, one yeshiva.” Following mincha, the faculty “sweetly” surprised the students with the annual candy toss, where the teachers stood on the main staircase and threw candy at the students below to create a sweet beginning of the year.