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The Rampage The Newspaper of the Ramaz Upper School

New York • Volume 67 • Issue 1 • October 2022 • Tishrei 5783 • the-rampage.org

Ramaz is Back in Session Sarah Silverman ‘24

Whether students were looking forward in anticipation or dreading its return, the new year has arrived. As with every back-to-school article, this one is full of announcements, including the G.O.’s plans for “Gen Rmz,” the theme of this year. Kicking it off at the introduction assembly, the G.O., led by President Ilan Putterman ’23, Vice President Alex Paul ’23, Junior Vice President Raymond Ashkenazie ’24, AVP of communications Eliza Binstock ’23, and AVP of student life Alex Gage ’23, are excited to implement both action and humor into their leadership. “The G.O. is working hard to support all students and help them thrive in school. We are constantly meeting with the administration and students to make school as fun and happy as possible,” says Ashkenazie ’23. This year’s G.O. skit was filled with wordplay and included bloopers consisting of zoom mishaps and glitches. The skit was centered around the idea that peoples’ phobias can radiate off of each other, things that, at least for many students, have been repressed, along with their memories of COVID-19 from the last few years. With the end of longstanding mask mandates across the city, and, to many teachers’ happiness, the termination of zoom school, it seems that this year may finally be the return to reality.

@ramazrampage

This year’s freshmen, all 102 of them, are the largest grade Ramaz has had in the last ten years. With these fresh new faces comes real change to school. Over the Summer, the gym was remodeled due to the disastrous flood

director and producer and new lead newscaster Rebecca Kalimi ’23. Be sure to check out their videos. The Student Ambassador’s program, spearheaded by Putterman ’23 and the Institutional Advancement office, is an initiative to get

“The G.O. is working hard to support all students and help them thrive in school.”

- Raymond Ashkenazie ‘24

that happened during finals. There are new teachers, all of whom have been interviewed in this issue, along with the dreaded return to the 8:00 am - 4:45 pm schedule. At least davening is first, though, a relief for the halachically minded and commuters alike. That, and the return of the free coffee downstairs, marks a welcome return for many. The Week in Review, hosted last year by Caleb Rosenfeld ’21 and Adrian Rosenfeld ’24, returned with Adrian as

the student body more involved in developing and helping out at alumni and sponsorship events. That, alongside the Hitalovout mentoring program and Wharton Investment team, are just some of the applications currently open for the plethora of opportunities Ramaz offers. Choir, Model UN and Mock Trial tryouts are back. So are Friday tisches, with Rabbi Manu leading them while Rabbi Weiser, whose vacancy can be felt in all minyanim, is on leave for the semester. The school is alive— students running in all directions, scurrying to find their classrooms and the constant buzzing of Schoology reminders detailing upcoming tests and homework. Take a second to breathe it all in. The student body is back.

Marvel’s Israeli-Palestinian Controversy the boy, and the narration above stated that “it has taken a monster to restore her humanity.” It

Orli Rabbani ‘25

As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand, more heroes are being added to their ever-growing roster. More movies are being created, each more exciting than the last. However, the announcement of an upcoming film has created a large amount of controversy. In May 2024, Marvel is releasing the long-awaited “Captain America: New World Order.” Fans have been waiting for this film since the last one came out in 2014, but the addition of a new hero has people both excited and anxious. In 1981, an Incredible Hulk comic introduced Sabra, an Israeli hero and Mossad Spy. Sabra is a classic representation of an Israeli woman; wild curly hair and a blue Magen David she wears with pride. In her first comic strip, an Arab boy’s corpse lay in front of her and Hulk after an explosion. Sabra showed little remorse and sympathy, and this angered Hulk. “Boy died because boy’s people and yours both want to own land! Boy died because you wouldn’t share!” Hulk cried to Sabra in the original took a monster like Hulk to make her sympacomic. A few panels later, Sabra knelt next to thize with a tragic occurrence.

Marvel made the decision to include Sabra in the upcoming film, which made many anxious that Marvel may reintroduce the chauvinistic, Anti-Semitic, and violent portrayals of Arabs in the comics. Many Palestinians and their supporters hope that that stereotype will be played out differently in the movie. Additionally, many are appalled that Marvel is “buying into Zionist propaganda” by supporting Mossad and representing it with their Israeli character. To Jews, the name “Sabra” is just another name for a daughter, as well as an Israeli-born Jew. A sabra is a cactus fruit; prickly on the outside, sweet on the inside, just like an Israeli Jew. However, it has a different meaning for the Palestinians. Sabra was the name of a Lebanese refuge camp, in which thousands of Palestinians were murdered. The anniversary of this event took place this September, just as the new movie was announced. Marvel is being accused of being insensitive towards this event by naming the character Sabra. However, the character dates back to even before the events in Lebanon. The name Sabra is not updated to fit the new Israeli-Palestinian conflict in 2022. Continued On Page 8

Inside this issue... New Phone Policy

Get To Know The Editors

School Spirit Update

Israel Articles