ThE LATEST BArrACK NEWS • December 20, 2019 • 22 Kislev 5780 • Volume 2 - ISSUE 4
BARRACK SPOTLIGHT Welcome Back MUSS Juniors n November 27, fifty-five students from our 11th grade returned from MUSS (Alexander Muss High School in Israel) trimester abroad! Our MUSS program gives our students the transformative opportunity to discover and enrich their connection to Israel’s history and culture and to each other. Our students live and learn in Israel for three months while following a chronological curriculum using the land as a living classroom, studying
O
tough. Anita Hoffman, ‘21, explained, “At first, being back was a big adjustment. The time zone, the food, the weather, suddenly living without roommates; coming back has made me love Israel even more. When I was in Israel, I had an indescribable feeling. My sense of Judaism grew and will only continue to grow because of Muss.” Lane Barsh ‘21 said, “I want to inspire friends to go on the trip, or to learn about Jewish history, and help them understand our roots and our importance in the Jewish community today.”
Jewish history and visiting sites from ancient biblical times through the modern era. While studying the Shoah, they also visited Poland and bore witness to the tragedy and renewal of European Jewry firsthand. MUSS leaves an indelible impression on our students, and the transition back “home” to the United States can be
MORE PHOTOS: jbhacademy.smugmug.com/Muss-2019/
Arielle Zabusky ‘22, Sivan Kahlon ‘22, and Ziv Shadur ‘22. Special thanks to our faculty chaperones Matt Dorsch, Johnny Bistline,
Matt Gormely, Amy Grolnick, Dan Rosenberg, Darin Katz, Steven Razin, Kim Gillio, and special guest Frank Tow.
9th & 10th Grade Winter SemiFormal Dance
O
n December 5, 9th and 10th grade students danced the night away at the winter semi-formal! “This year, the 9th and 10th grade Semi-Formal was extra-special because of the participation and energy...as the night went on, everyone was dancing,” said Arielle Zabusky ‘22, Dance Chair. Our own math teacher Matt Gormey was the special guest DJ for the event. Arielle continued, “The main highlights of the evening were the DJ, music, and dance floor! From dancing to popular songs to singing great throwbacks all together, everyone had fun with their friends.” From dancing to socializing to silly photo-boothing, students had a great time in the magical party space (aka the Dining Commons!). Kol ha’kavod to the Dance Committee,
MORE PHOTOS: jbhacademy.smugmug.com/9th-10th-Grade-Semi-Formal/
BARRACK SPOTLIGHT DECA District Success n December 9, twenty-five upper schoolers competed in the annual DECA Pennsylvania District Competition. DECA (Distributive Educational Clubs of America) is a national association that encourages the development of students’ business and leadership skills through academic conferences and competitions. Over the past few months, our DECA students have worked fiercely and independently to hone their business knowledge and presentation skills to prepare for this competition. Competing alongside Shipley, Baldwin, Friends Central, Lower Merion high School, harriton high School, and more than fifteen other local public and independent schools,
O
Barrack students were recognized on stage in almost every category we competed in: Principles of Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Sports & Entertainment, hospitality, Business Management, and more. Barrack students won 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place trophies and honorable mention medals, and many of our students are now headed to the February DECA State competition in hershey, PA. Kol ha'kavod to our amazing DECA students. Motivated,
MORE PHOTOS: jbhacademy.smugmug.com/DECA/
Annenberg High School Science Symposium he Annenberg High School Science Symposium, a highly selective program designed to promote discourse among high school science students, features meetings with mentors in specialized medical fields and a final presentation that gives students the opportunity to integrate art and science.
focused, and competitive, these kids represent our bright future!
T
The 9th grade Annenberg Science Club attended a kick-off symposium at Lankenau hospital on December 13th, and, along with 16 other high schools, they watched a real-time video of a
cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. For this year’s program, Barrack’s Annenberg team will be researching the topics of genetic engineering and advancements in gene editing, including CrISPr mediated base editing procedures. Over the course of the next trimester, students will consider how gene editing can be accomplished on the molecular level with modern day technologies. We are looking forward to following the Annenberg Club’s scientific findings and creative presentations in 2020.
HEAR CLUB Renate "Ronnie" Breslow - MS St. Louis Survivor ponsored by the HEAR (Holocaust Education and Reflection) Club, Ronnie Breslow, an Elkins Park resident, spoke to a packed student audience about her experience fleeing Germany during the rise of Nazi power. Breslow was just 8 years old when she boarded the MS St. Louis in Hamburg, Germany, with her mother, Elly Reutlinger, on May 13, 1939. Our students were deeply moved and engaged by Breslow’s first-hand account of her life as a refugee, and the value she places on living here in freedom.
S
JEWISH LIFE Jewish Studies: Comparative Religion eniors taking Comparative Religion class with Rabbi Steven Razin, Rabbi Michael Yondorf and Rabbi Akiva Weiss have learned so much from our guest speakers. Seniors heard from a number of guest speakers from various religions including Christianity, Islam, Sikhism and Buddhism, which allowed students to ask in-depth questions about faith and engage in meaningful discussions. rabbi razin explains, “Spiritual beliefs provide meaning and inspiration for the majority of the
S
earth’s people. North America in the 21st century is a diverse spiritual smorgasbord, so understanding the major religions is important for everyone wishing to be a responsible citizen in today’s world.” One student commented, ""The impact this class has is invaluable as
it provides them the opportunity to be exposed to different religions and cultures; to hear from guest speakers, truly presents these religions in a dimension that is not found in books or videos. The opportunity to compare these religions to Judaism and to gain a better understanding of our world."
Kavneet Singh Chief resource and Advocacy Officer American Sikh Council with Jewish Studies 12 Class
COUGAR CORNER Barrack Cougar Signs with the Drexel Dragons azal Tov to Rachel Civan ‘20 who signed a national letter of intent to row with the Drexel University Dragons Women's Crew team next fall. rachel says, “I did a learn-to-row the summer after ninth grade, fell in love with the sport, and have been rowing ever since. I honestly cannot picture my life without it. Signing to row for Drexel means the world to me because all of the hours of hard work I have put in at practice actually
M
Jordan Naim named Main Line Athlete of the Week! his November, senior Jordan Naim ‘20 was named Main Line Times Athlete of the Week.
T
amounted to something! There were times when it was hard and I wanted to quit, but I kept going...and I am beyond excited to continue my rowing
career for the next four years at Drexel.” Wishing rachel the best of luck out on the Schuylkill!
Our Soccer Team Captain, star midfielder, and MVP scored 18 goals and dished out 12 assists in 14 games this fall and received all-conference honors. Kol ha'kavod to Jordan!
DRAMA DESK Upcoming Winter Theater Performances Grab a Seat! arrack’s drama season kicked off with an artful performance of Thorton Wilder’s Our Town, acted and staged masterfully by our own Barack Repertory Company.
B
Next up is the award-winning drama Sense & Sensibility, a poignant and funny adaptation of Jane Austen’s early work, directed by rivkah Wyner ‘20, February 2-4, 2020.
Then, the much-anticipated Middle School Musical Frozen, Jr. will debut March 1-3, 2020. Don’t miss this magical musical filled with adventure and humor! Stay tuned....tickets available soon!
BARRACK ADVANCEMENT Barrack Builders Second Annual Event n December 11th, more than 50 of our most generous community supporters attended the second annual Barrack Builders event, graciously hosted at the home of Lori & Ray Levin.
O
MORE PHOTOS: jbhacademy.smugmug.com/Barrack-Builders-2019/ The evening featured our illustrious alumna hadas Kuznits ‘93 who shared her journey as a from Akiba to the IDF to KyW News. What a
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT When the Student Becomes the Teacher rachel Kosloff Scheinmann ‘88, has a deep connection to Akiba-Barrack. An alumna of Akiba, rachel is currently a beloved Barrack history teacher, and she now has four children enrolled at Barrack: Sarah ‘20, rebecca ‘22, Benny ‘24 and Liora ‘26! We recently interviewed her for some insight into her experience as a teacher and a parent at the school where she was once a student. read more at jbha.org.
gala.jbha.org
wonderful event celebrating the philanthropy and stewardship that helps to support and advance our school!
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Chaim Bloom ‘00, Takes Top Job with Red Sox This November, our own Chaim Bloom ‘00, was hired as the new chief baseball officer of the Boston red Sox. Bloom says “The Jewish values I was raised with, and the mandate to impact the world and the people around me positively, are really important to how I approach my job,” Bloom said of his Jewish education and upbringing, “I’m sure that I am far from perfect in how I apply them, but I try every day to do that well.” read more at jbha.org.
JACK M. BArrACK hEBrEW ACADEMy
18TH ANNUAL GALA MARCH 25, 2020