The Panther

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF YULA BOYS HIGH SCHOOL

The Panther

Board

Appoints

New

Head of

SchoolRabbi Glass’ Six Year Tenure Comes to an End

A new coach joins YULA Baseball Team ushering in a new era for the sport at the School.

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Bu s i n e s s Advocacy Spor t s

YULA delegation attends AIPAC Conference in D.C.

Leading the life of an entrepenur, YULA Junior starts his own business.

Varsity basketball team places third at Red Sarachek.

Pro-Israel Tz i t z i t A nyo n e ? “YULA! YULA!”

9L@C;@E>�K?<�=LKLI<�| Architect’s depiciction of YULA’s

planned state-of-the-art gymnasium, underground parking facili-

ty, and additional classrooms.

By JOSH KOHAN ‘13 and ELON SWARTZ ‘13Panther Editors-in-Chief

On Feb. 28, Rabbi Heshy Glass, Head of School, announced that he would not be return-ing to YULA Boys High School in the coming academic year, and that Rabbi Dov Emerson –– current assistant principal at DRS Yeshiva High School for Boys in Woodmere, NY –– would be succeeding him as the new Head of School. As students learned of Rabbi Glass’ depar-ture, many reflected on his role in improving YULA over the years. “He changed the school in so many ways,” one senior said. “It’s a radically better institu-tion than it was when I first got here.”

In 2007, the YULA Boys High School administration and board –– led by President David Nagel –– decided to hire Rabbi Glass as the new of Head of School. According to the School, Rabbi Glass made the transition with his family, mov-ing from the East Coast to Los Ange-les, joining YULA Boys High School’s administration. Rabbi Glass has been an educator and administrator for over 30 years, ac-cording to the School’s website, “As the head of school he oversees all areas of academic counseling and mentoring and coordinates the activities of all the administrative team,” according to his biography on the site.

During his time at YULA, Rabbi Glass coined a new motto, which ultimately became the template for Rabbi Glass’ changes to the school. “At YULA,” Rabbi Glass said at the 2012 Student Orientation, “We emphasize the sanctity of person, place, and time.” Rabbi G l a s s c re -a t ed th i s m o t t o See (-"44 page 4

K?<JG@8EJ�| YULA Boys Drama Society’s performance of Reginald Rose’s

12 Angry Men.

Y D S P e r f o r m s 1 2 A n g r y M e nBy ASHER NAGHI ‘14Panther Contributer

A New Type of Production

The death penalty awaits a young, nine-teen-year-old man on trial for murder. The question is: Is he guilty? Reginald Rose’s 12 Angry Men tells the captivating story of twelve jurors who con-template sending a young man to death row. Only Juror Eight opposes the almost unani-mous vote of “guilty,” and as the play pro-gresses, the jurors’ personalities and motives become clear. Though the actors’ performances were no less than inspiring, the production could not have achieved the success it did with-out its intimate seating –– the chairs were

arranged in a large circle around the jury table. Audi-ence members, along with the jurors, gasped in horror as the blade of the irate Juror Three came painstakingly close to Juror Eight’s heart. “The play was so engag-ing because I could see the sincere expressions on the faces of the actors, and I felt like I was part of the play,” sa id YULA g r a n d p a r -e n t , Dan ie l Young .

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N e w s

Sports

Arts

Technology

RENEWED GLORY!

PEANUTS & CRACKER JACKS

ENGINEERS IN THE MAKING

PAINTING WALLS

YULA wins first place in YU’s National United Nations Competition.

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Ben Krombach ’13 de-signed and produced a unique mural in the hall-ways of the campus.

YULA’s newly found robotics team brings home the gold.

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The Panther2

From the Editors in Chief In Sep. 2009, YULA Boys High School’s newspaper joined together with YULA Girls High School’s newspa-per to form a new magazine publication. The new joint school magazine represented a shift in the layout of the School’s major student publication, as previous news-paper templates were abandoned in favor of a creative magazine design. In Jan. 2013, YULA Boys High School and YULA Girls High School made the decision to create sepa-rate publications once again. In light of this develop-ment, The Panther Staff made the decision to return to a newspaper design. And so, for this third and final issue of The Pan-ther, we present you, the readers, with an up-to-date newspaper template. In these pages, you will find articles that recap second-semester activities, events, and campus life. While the first issue of The Panther focused on changes at YULA Boys High School at the start of the 2012-2013 academic year, the second issue of The Panther covered first-semester events and student activities at the midway point of the school year; this issue solely covers second semester and its implications for the School’s future. The publication of this newspaper could not have been possible without the help of YULA alumnus, Jonathan Swartz ’10, former Panther Staff Writer and Student Life Editor. Currently a student at Cornell Uni-versity in Ithaca, NY, Jonathan is a Senior Writer for the award-winning student newspaper, The Cornell Daily Sun. With his experience and familiarity in journalism and newspaper design, Jonathan spent countless hours format-ing this issue’s entire layout and editing articles. We hope that you, the readers, enjoy this final is-sue of The Panther for the 2012-2013 academic year. We look forward to reading and seeing the growth of The Panther –– perhaps with a website –– in the many YULA generations to come.

ELON SWARTZ ‘13 and JOSH KOHAN ‘13

Panther Editors-in-Chief

June 2013

Congratulations to the YULA Boys High School

Graduating Class of 2013Noam AbukratYossi AlkobyAsher AlterJoseph BalakhanehAron CaganDavid ElishaYoni ElkaimMax GlaserAmit HadadJonathan HermelAndrew HirschElliot JulisIlan KaboudJoseph Abraham KavianJoshua KohanEli KrollBenjamin KrombachAriel LalezariYaakov LobodaMichael MahgereftehDavid MalkaAkiva MandelAllen ManshooryEvraham MenasherafShmuel MoadebRaphael Moradian

Joshua MorrowJoshua Okanina-Rub

Zachary PorgessJonathan Rabbanian

Omer RavivLeron Rayn

Sam RomanoJacob RothLevi Saada

Eden SarusiJordyn Schoenfeld

Joseph ShuchatowitzGabriel Simha

David SrokaElon Swartz

Matan TalasazanYoni TalitmanYaacov Tarko

Alon TivonEthan Valensi

Jacob WeinblutMoshe Yadegar

Moshe YaghoubianDaniel Yasharel

Daniel ZamanzadehZvulun ZeffrenAvi Zilberstein

The PantherThe Student Newspaper of YULA Boys High School

Elon Swartz and Josh KohanEditors in Chief

Ms. Pam Felcher, English Faculty Advisor

Rabbi Joseph Schrieber, Vice PrincipalRepresentative of the Administration

:6-"�#PZT�)JHI�4DIPPM9760 West Pico BoulevardLos Angeles, CA 90035

Phone: 310-203-3180

Fax: 310-203-3199

www.yulaboys.org

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The Panther 3NEWS

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Champions

Model U.N. captains pose after their victory with the team’s faculty advisor,

Dr. Paul Soifer, Director of General Studies.

YULA Wins Best Delegation at YU’s National Model U.N. Conference

By EITAN MEISELS ‘15Panther Contributer

From Feb. 3 - 5, the School’s Model U.N. team participated in Yeshiva University’s twenty-third annual National Model United Nations conference and ranked first among 48 Jewish high schools –– a total of 460 student participants –– from North America, Canada, Brazil and South Africa, accord-ing to a press release by Yeshiva University. YULA’s team sent twenty delegates –– three of whom were captains –– to the conference. The team was advised by Dr. Paul Soifer, Director of General Stud-ies. Of the twenty members of the 2013 team, twelve new delegates joined the team this year –– seven boys and five girls. With so many inexperienced delegates, captains Elon Swartz ’13, Alexa Hanelin ’13, and Shana Sa-lomon ’13, were not expecting the team to thrive. “We loved the talent we saw in our new teammates from the first day, and we definitely expected to perform,” Swartz said. “But we didn’t exactly know if such an in-experienced team could take home the first place award.” However, as the season progressed, the captains became more assured by their new squad. “I really began to see how much talent and potential the team had,” Salomon said. “I start-ed to get a sense of confidence when I saw the dedication of our

team. More so than any other team I had seen in the past, this team really toiled to ensure a triumphant comeback after a few disappointing seasons for YULA.” YULA had not won the con-ference since 2010, and so, none of the 2013 team members had even experienced a win at the conference. “We needed to end the drought,” Salomon said. “We had a reputation to uphold.” This year, YULA represented the countries of Luxembourg, Ugan-da, and Syria at the conference, according Salomon. Practicing once a week for several months, the team members honed their speaking and debating skills with the help of their captains. “It was tough,” said one YULA delegate who wished to remain anon-ymous. “The captains really pushed us. But in the end, we learned to research, and to speak eloquently.” Soifer and Panther Advisor, Ms. Pam Felcher, English –– the team chaperone –– flew to New York with an unparalleled deter-mination to succeed. On Feb. 3, the YULA delegation travelled to Stamford, Connecticut, where the conference took place. At the conference, the team met with delegates from other schools around the globe, according to Asher Naghi ’14. “I was surprised to see how much the other delegates knew about YULA,” said Naghi. “It was easy to detect the way in which our reputation for victory ... affected the conference culture.”

Some delegates spent their time in the United Nations Refugee Agency, while others spent time in the United Nations Counter Terrorism Committee. Collective-ly, the YULA delegation occupied seats in more than ten committees, according to Salomon. Delegates spoke, disputed, and collab-orated for almost ten hours, as they tried to resolve their assigned world problems as well as the crisis –– the surprise component of the conference that forces delegates to think on their feet. “I was pleased to see our team members adjust to the sometimes over-whelming environment of the confer-ence,” Swartz said. “Throughout the day, members of our delegation were approaching me to talk about concerns, to ask for advice, and to update me on their committee sessions. When I saw this level of engagement, I knew we were performing well.” Micah Hyman ’14, Noah Kest ’15, and Salomon all earned Best Delegate awards for their committees, while Asher Alter ’13, Deena Felsenthal ’13, Alexa Hanelin ’13, Benji Kurnick ’14, Olivia

Levkowitz ’15, and Lizzie Peled ’13 all earned Honorable Mention awards. The conference coordinators announed that YULA was the champion of the event, with SAR Academy, New York, NY, and MJBHA, Rockville, MD, finishing in second and third place respec-tively, According to participants, upon learning of the win, YULA students cheered enthusiastical-ly and walked up to the front of the large ballroom to accept the school’s ninth first-place award of the last fourteen year YULA has participated in the conference. According to Swartz, as demon-strated by this year’s win, Model U.N. is an extremely prestigious extracurricular activity at YULA, especially given its “rich history and tradition of victory,” Swartz said. Eitan Meisels can be reached at [email protected]

AIPAC Policy Conference, YULA Faculty Member RecognizedBy YONAH HILLER ‘14Panther Contributer

For a school that draws students from religious Zion-ist backgrounds, a deep-rooted passion for Israel is neither novel nor unexpected. Thus, it comes at no surprise that YULA’s Israel Advocacy Club is one of the schools most popular extracurricular activ-ities, which sends a strong delegation to the American Israel Public Affairs Commit-tee’s Policy Conference each and every year, according to team members. In March, the Club’s 26 student members attended the AI-PAC Policy Conference –– the single largest high school delegation in the country, according to team members. Over the course of the con-ference, the group learned of the importance of political involve-ment, and of the need to make a serious difference with regards to the Israeli-American relationship. Throughout the confer-

ence, AIPAC speakers stressed that students have a voice that matters and that students can take steps to successfully affect change. The YULA students started the conference all seated in bleachers in the conference hall –– a room much like a football stadium. Togeth-er with the group, 13,000 people attended the conference from across the world. At the plenary and break-out sessions, YULA students heard from many speakers, including Ehud Barak, former Israeli Minister of Defense, Israeli President Shimon Peres, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, and Israeli Prime Min-ister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The speakers lectured about Isra-el’s multiple threats, including Syr-ia’s possession of chemical weapons, Lebanon’s malicious government, and Iran’s quest for nuclear capability. All of the speakers agreed that a nuclear Iran is something that the

world cannot tol-erate, and that the United States must stand strongly with Israel in preventing such an occurrence. The speakers also highlighted Israel’s miraculous achievements and breakthroughs in

technology. The speakers also em-phasized the Jewish people’s unique combination of suffering and success. Over the course of the confer-ence, YULA students were accompa-nied by Rabbi Pini Dunner, Mashgi-ach Ruchani, faculty advisor for the Israel Advocacy Club. An expert in Jewish history, and an academic who understands the complexity of the Middle East, Rab-

bi Dunner provided the team with both an understanding of Israeli politics and a voice of guidance, according to students. At the conference, AIPAC recognized Rabbi Dunner for his leadership, as he received the “Ally of the Year” award. According to AIPAC, the award recognizes ex-ceptional educators for their work and accomplishments in promoting the US-Israel relationship on cam-pus. During the conference, AIPAC not only gave YULA students the motivation to actively participate in the political process, but also the tools to do engage, according to Elliot Julis ’13, a longtime member of the School’s delegation. “The conference helped us channel our passion for Israel into the potential for real, meaningful action,” Julis said. “It helped us take another step forward.”

“The conference helped

us channel our passion for

Israel into the potential for

real, meaningful action.”

Elliot Julis ’13

Yonah Hiller can be reached at [email protected]

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Continued from page 1

4 The Panther

for YULA in 2009. Throughout his time at the School, Rabbi Glass continued to speak of his motto and mission for the school. During Rabbi Glass’ tenure, the Board appointed Rabbi Jo-seph Schreiber as the new Vice Principal and Director of Judaic Studies for the School. Togeth-er with Rabbi Schreiber, Rabbi Glass was able to alter the Torah Studies curriculum and the overall structure of the school during his tenure. Whereas previous adminis-trations focused on separating the Advanced Gemara Track as a distinct program –– separate from the rest of the school –– the Glass-Schreiber administration focused on building one, cohesive school, and on urging the entire student body –– rather than a small segment of students –– to grow and to reach school goals. As the Glass administration adjusted to the school and be-gan to change its direction, it took measures to bring AGT into closer contact with the remainder of the student body. For example, in 2010, the Annual New York City trip, which was previously only for AGT students, became an official sophomore trip for every student in the grade. The annual YULA siyum, which previously celebrated the accomplishments of only AGT boys, became an event that cele-brated the achievements of stu-dents who challenged themselves in any Judaic Studies course. Aside from changes to AGT, the Advanced Torah Track course developed a broader curriculum under the Glass administration in order to appeal to students who might not be as interested in Gemara. Michael Mahgerefteh ’13 said

that as he walked into the School ev-ery morning, he was greeted by Rabbi Glass, who smiled and wished him and every student a good morning. “Rabbi Glass makes me feel wel-come every day,” Mahgerefteh said. “He makes YULA feel like my second home, and I will miss him incredibly in the coming years.” According to students, with the help of Rabbi Schreiber, Rabbi Glass has essentially eliminated physical bully-ing, freshman trashing, and other prac-tices that were common in the School’s past, especially between freshmen and seniors. “There is really a zero tolerance policy for the sort of horseplay that used to be common here,” one longtime faculty member who wished to remain anonymous said. “It’s truly amazing what the admin-istration has been able to accomplish in such a short period of time.” According to the facul-ty member, under the Glass administration, Rabbi Schreiber was able to implement new policies that make the school a neater place. As a result, trash no longer sits around hallways or classrooms for an extended period of time, and the school is a much nicer place in which to study. “I’m glad the school strictly enforc-es its liter policy,” another teacher said. “It certainly helps to keep my class-room cleaner.” In addition to its implementation of new safety and cleanliness stan-dards, the Glass administration has also lived up to its motto of the “sanctity of place” by successfully promoting the new YULA building project. On Aug. 25, 2011, the Los Angeles City Commission approved plans for a new YULA gymnasium, an underground parking facility, and additional class-rooms, according to the School’s web-site. Long championed by Rabbi Glass, the much awaited project will expand the size of the school and allow sports

teams to have practice and gaming facilities. In a bold move that changed YU-LA’s education, in 2009 Rabbi Glass decided to promote the revolutionary YULA-MacBook program. Designed to “lay the foundation for exciting and vibrant uses of tech-nology in the classroom,” the program allowed for each and every student and faculty member to receive his or her own Apple laptop computer, according to the school. While many faculty and administration

did not agree with Rabbi Glass’ development in YULA’s IT, he was nonetheless set on bringing YULA into the twenty-first cen-tury. According to Rabbi Glass, he knew that the initiative pre-sented risks, however, he wanted to “sanctify time” by bringing YULA “into the times.” “It’s about training our students to succeed in tomor-row’s world,” Rabbi Glass said at a technology panel in 2010. “Technological skill is a key component to future

success in any field.” According to students, YULA students have become increasingly adept with technology since the introduction of the initiative, and have thus benefited in ways that will affect their lives long after they leave YULA. “I can’t imagine my high school experience without my MacBook,” one senior said. “The technology has en-riched my educational experience in so many ways.” In addition to the MacBook program, Rabbi Glass also “sancti-fied time” with his schedule reform, as he helped to introduce the radically new block-schedule program at YULA. While students in previous years had to sit through anywhere from seven to eleven classes in a single day, students under the Glass administration have been privileged to benefit from a newer type of schedule; under the block-schedule program, classes occur twice to three times a week in lon-ger modules, so that students have any-

where from five to seven classes in a day. “I [now] have ... much less pressure in terms of homework because of the block-schedule,” Jonathan Hermel ’13 said. “I have had two days, rather than one, to complete certain home-work assignments, and I’ve been given much more freedom to manage my own time.” Aside from easing the stu-dent homework load, the stream-lining of the schedule has also opened up space in the day for afternoon electives and additional Judaic Studies classes. “Because of the block sched-ule, I can spend an hour in the afternoon studying art,” one soph-omore said. “It really gives me a greater range of options as to how to spend my day.” The Glass administration’s reform of the schedule was per-haps the greatest impetus behind the many new electives that were introduced over the last few years. Rabbi Glass’ relentless efforts as Head of School helped to pro-pel YULA forward over the last several years. His administrative expertise, his innovative spirit, and his deep-seeded care for the student body and the improve-ment of the school all made him a headmaster who will never be forgotten. “Rabbi Glass will long be remembered as a man who bravely challenged the status quo,” one teacher said. “He was never content with just average. He wanted to make YULA the perfect school for everyone.”

Elon Swartz can be reached at [email protected] and Josh Kohan can be reached at [email protected]

YDS Director: “They Owned It”

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Indeed, YDS director and producer, Ouriel Hazan ’00, went through extensive technical rehearsals in designing the innovative new set, so as to position the lights correctly for the show. The set and lighting, however, presented a challenge for the backstage crew. “Since the lights [were] set up all around the room, pointing at the center, light inevitably shone at certain seats,” said Noah Kest ’15, light technician for the show. According to Yair Fax ’14, assistant to the director, the crew members were forced to remove a number of chairs. “Although seating was limited,” Fax said, “those who were in the audience had a more immersive and enjoyable experience.” According to Fax, the seating was in fact, limited, as the usual arrangement of about 200 was reduced to 140. Fax said that although there were only a small num-ber of chairs, crowds arrived, filling the theater to its brim.

Feeding off of a spectacular Thursday night per-formance, the YDS Saturday production was sold out before guests began to arrive, and many had to stand in the back to catch a glimpse of the cast’s rendition of the play. Many audience members said that this was the finest YDS production they had ever seen. In fact, some who have attended the plays for more than a decade gave the same compliment. “I have never seen anything quite like this, and I have watched a number of YULA plays,” said one teacher –– who wished to remain anonymous –– af-ter the Thursday night showing. “It was certainly one of the best YULA productions I have ever seen.” Led by four-year veterans Elon Swartz ’13, who played Juror Eight, and Jacob Roth ’13, who played Juror Three, the cast included other familiar faces from last year’s production –– Sherlock’s Last Case –– such as Jonathan Hermel ’13, Joseph Shuchatowitz ’13, Abraham Kavian ’13, Asher Alter ’13, and Alon Tivon ’13. Returning from the 2011 production of Room Service were two old-time favorites, David Malka ’13 and Zack Brazina ’14. Amidst all the veteran presence on stage, fresh faces in this production included Yossi Etshalom

’14, Michael Shadpour ’15, and Noah Tarko ’15. “This is really going to be something very different,” Swartz said just before the opening of the production. “After three consec-utive comedies, I think the audience is ready for something new. I think they will be excit-ed by the drama, suspense, and profundity that this play has to offer.” Indeed, 12 Angry Men marked the first YULA Drama Society Boys’ Division pro-duction of a non-comedic play since former director Peter Faber’s 2007-2008 rendition of W. Somerset Maugham’s The Letter. And so, the members of the 2013 Drama Society stood before a daunting challenge –– a play like no other that they had experienced. “They met the challenge,” said Hazan af-ter the final showing. “I would only choose a production of this caliber if I knew the boys could handle it. And they didn’t just handle it –– they owned it.”

Asher Naghi can be reached [email protected]

June 2013

Rabbi Heshy Glass, Head of School

NEWS

often had to endure financial dry spells, even as expenses in-creased. “I found myself paying for catalogues, business cards, and other promotional items, while the funds to relay these costs were low,” Hiller said. And yet, Hiller’s patience and persistence through tough-er times ultimately paid off. Just months after his decision to expand to the community, he found his sales rising once again. Since then, he has sold tzitzit to Jews beyond Los Angeles, in large cities and in small towns across America. “His rates and quality of service are tough to beat,” one customer in the tri-state area wrote in an email correspondence. Indeed, Hiller is often quick to offer competitive deals and multi-tzitzit bargains to costumers, especially when the sales will help clients better observe the often overlooked mitzvah of tzitzit. “It’s really less about the business aspect,” Hiller said. “I try to never forget why I started this all in the first place.” Ultimately, Hiller’s sale of tzitzit became so success-ful that he decided to change the nature of his company; no longer would he just sell tzitzit in the United States –– he would expand beyond all borders and begin to sell other mainstream Judaica products. “I consulted some very trustworthy individuals, people with knowledge and experience,” Hiller said. “They agreed that it was time to create something greater.” And thus, Hiller said goodbye to Yonah’s Tzitzit, and a new company, Mitzvah World, was born. Mitzvah World was quick to offer a wide range of new and interesting Judaica items. Since its inception, it has been committed to the sale of sefarim, or Jewish books. The company offers both Artscroll and Koren sefarim, as well as books by prominent figures such as Rabbi Norman Lamm, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, and Rabbi Israel Meir Lau. “I try to sell a vast array of different seferaim,” Hiller said. “I want to be able to appeal to a broad range of Orthodox and Jewish communities. And so, I try to make the sefarim that I offer different and interesting.” “It’s Hiller’s ability to know his customers and give you just what you want that makes him so unique,” one LA community member said. “I know he is connected with the Hassidic communities in places like Borough Park and Wil-liamsburg, and that he even sells merchandise there. ... When I need tekhelet on my tzitzit, Hiller is more than ready to help.” Indeed, Mitzvah World offers both traditional all-white string tzitzit in varying sizes and thicknesses, as well as gar-ments with tekhelet, a rare blue-dyed string on tzitzit –– the color produced from a sea creature called the murex trunculus –– that is more commonly found in Religious Zionist and Modern Orthodox communities. Hiller was recently admitted into the P’til Tekhelet Tiers Bureau from the tekhelet factory in Israel, and promoted as an authorized dealer of the rare string. A lot of Mitzvah World’s focus is on tekhelet and it has connected Hiller to great leaders in the Jewish world such as Rabbi Herschel Schacther, a rosh yeshiva at Yeshiva University, and other rabbinic leaders. “I want to be able to help all Jews in their passion for Torah and for mitzvah observance,” Hiller said. “I don’t want to restrict myself from certain segments of the Jewish community.” In fact, Hiller’s passion to reach out to all Jews and to offer products that appeal to a wide base has helped to spread the fame of Mitzvah World to some unlikely corners of the Jewish world; people from post-denominational communities have contacted Hiller on different occasions. “Yonah is incredible,” one rabbi at YULA said.

The Panther 5

STUDENTS' STORIESYo n a h H i l l e r ’ 1 4 : T a l m u d i s t ,

L o b b y i s t & E n t r e p r e n e u rBy ELON SWARTZ ‘13Panther Editor-in-Chief

This article is part of students’ stories, a series profiling students across campus.

“Tzitzis,” he said over the telephone. “Just tzitzis.” Yonah Hiller ’14 had just received a phone call from one of the senior managers at Keter Judaica in Brooklyn, NY. After explaining his idea to start a small Judaica business so that he could cater to the needs of his school com-munity, Hiller found himself answering many questions posed to him by the manager. The man, speaking in a thick Hassidic accent, want-ed to know what products Hiller was going to sell. Little did Hiller know that his small idea to tie tzitzit on a customized and personalized basis would eventually blossom into a bustling and meaningful business. “I have always had a special connec-tion to the mitzvah of tzitzis,” Hiller said in an interview with The Panther. “I thought it would be nice to share my enthusiasm for the mitzvah with my peers at school.” Indeed, Hiller was often distressed during his freshman year, when he would walk the hallways and see other students without tzitzit. “I saw that many classmates did not enjoy performing the mitzvah,” he said. “And I realized that I could either sit back and criticize, or that I could try to creatively find a way to help people become interested in the mitzvah.” Because Hiller found that many of the students did not connect with the mitzvah in a meaningful way, he realized that showing them how to tie tzitzit could possibly help them become more interested in the mitzvah. And so, Hiller immediately went about sharing his knowledge of tzitzit, as he shared the vocabu-lary associated with the mitzvah –– gedil, petil and chulya. Hiller was also sure to share the competing views of the Rambam, Ra’avad and Tosafot on how to tie the tzitzit strings them-selves. After he began to share his knowledge with the school community, Hiller was invited to conduct a tzitzit-tying clinic at a Bar Mitz-vah. Shortly thereafter, interest in Hiller’s tzitzit increased, and Hiller began to make sales. As he got busier, he formalized his then-small business and dubbed it Yonah’s Tzitzis. “I still remember when Yonah first started the compa-ny,” said one loyal customer. “I was one of the first to buy merchandise at Yonah’s Tzitzis, and I knew it would become something special.” When his sales started to rapidly increase, Hiller realized that he had far more than a small project on his hands. “Out of nowhere, people were buying and interested in the services I had to offer,” Hiller said. “I was surprised, but excited as well. It was time to expand.” And so, Hiller made the decision to enhance his efforts at online promotion and advertisement; he started to send promotional offers to schoolmates and community members via email and Facebook. And as members of the Jewish community of Los Angeles respond-ed positively, Hiller began to sell tzitzit in dif-ferent styles and materials, offering the ultimate customization of the religious garment. “It wasn’t always so easy,” Hiller said. “There were times when responses were very low, and I sometimes went days or weeks with-out many sales.” Hiller’s small business

“Not only does he spread Torah and mitzvot beyond the walls of our school with great en-thusiasm, [but] he also helps rebbeim and stu-dents who need their tzitzit fixed at school!” In fact, Yonah can often be found in the hallways of YULA, fixing the tzitzit strings of friends and teachers alike. “Mitzvah World doesn’t just offer products,” Hiller said. “We also offer services like talis and tzitzis repairs and adjustment. I aim to give customers the full package.” Aside from tzitzit, tekhelet, sefarim, and re-pair services, Mitzvah World also offers holiday products –– like menorahs and appliances –– such as kosher clocks and shabbat lamps. “I don’t need to go anywhere else,” one YULA

parent said. “Yonah has everything I need.” Out of re-spect for other local Judaica stores in the Los Angeles community, Hiller takes extra precau-tion not to involve himself in the politics or the competi-tion of the in-dustry; in fact, Hiller works together with local busi-

nesses rather than competing against them. “I have a personal relationship with the owners of almost all of the other Judaica stores in the area and I make sure to never take away business from them,” Hiller said. “I send them customers and they refer some to me as well. We have a special relationship.” Perhaps what is most amazing about Mitzvah World is the types of clients and institutions with whom Hiller conducts busi-ness. In the recent months, Hiller organized a tzitzit drive at Shalhevet High School; and in recent weeks, Hiller helped a U.S. Air Force pilot obtain and assemble tzitzit mate-rials that met both military and Torah stan-dards. After wearing the tzitzit for the first time, the pilot wrote the following letter of gratitude to Hiller: “Yonah – Thank you for helping my friend Sarah make the tzitzit for me. As a pilot, I can only wear natural fibers like cotton and wool while flying in case of a fire. All the cotton and wool tzitzit were too hot to wear under all of my equipment and I couldn’t wear nylon mesh. The temperatures the last few days have been anywhere from 104 to 108 just to give you an idea of how hot it gets. The temperatures are even hotter in the cockpit, especially once you add the layers of flight gear and body armor. Having a cotton mesh makes a world

See )*--&3 page 6

8IDP�=I@E><J�| A U.S. Air Force pilot poses for a picture with his

new tzitzit that Yonah Hiller ‘14 helped him assemble to meet both-

military and halakhic standards.

NEWS

The Panther6 June 2013 NEWS

4UVEFOU�4UPSF�$MPTFT�%PPST�GPS�"DBEFNJD�:FBSBy ASHER NAGHI ‘14Panther Contributer

?LE>IP�:IFN;J�| Before closing its doors this academic year, the Student Store drew

in large crowds with high demands.

At the height of the se-mester, on Feb. 27, Student Council representatives sent an email to the entire stu-dent body from the STUCO email account informing stu-dents of the Student Store’s closure. “Student Store will now remain closed all day,” the email said. “The vending machines will contain all the food that is in Student Store and no one will be available to open the Student Store.” Without warning to the student body, students were cut off from a major supply of snacks, while STUCO was cut off from a major source of revenue. According to STUCO representatives, STUCO decided to keep the store closed for the rest of the academic year. According to students, because STUCO took action without warning, students considered STUCO’s deci-sion as controversial. Ulti-mately, their decision pro-

voked a response from the stu-dent body. “I’m very disappointed,” Micah Hyman ’14 said. “I now don’t have the convenience and selection of snacks that I had from the student store in the past.” In addition to Hyman, other students expressed their irritation with the decision. Some stu-dents attributed the closure of the Store to “senioritis,” students said. Student Store representatives reminded students that –– al-though the store was to remain closed –– pizza sales and barbe-ques would still take place, and that the decision to shut down the Student Store was related to serious and practical concerns. “It was, unfortunately, no longer profitable for the student council to maintain the student store,” Joe Shuchatowitz ’13, manager of the Store, wrote in an emailed response to The Panther. “Regrettably, we had to discontinue that service.” In the wake of the shut-down, some students have speculated that STUCO’s deci-sion was related to a concern

over theft, and that the student government did not want to open the doors to the Store until it felt that security concerns were addressed properly. Despite the Store’s closure, STU-CO consistently ran activities throughout the duration of the year. Following the closure, STUCO continued to sell pizza,

snacks, and drinks on a regular basis. “I hope we did everything in our power to please the students this semes-ter,” said Josh Kohan ’13, STUCO Presi-dent. “I certainly wish next year’s leaders good luck.”

Asher Naghi can be reached [email protected]

H i l l e r ‘ 1 4 S t a r t s J u d a i c a B u s i n e s s

of difference! Thank you again for helping me to fulfill a mitzvah, stay within Army aviation flight regulations, and not melt in the process.” “Hiller’s has an ability to connect to all different sorts of peo-ple and to use his skills set to help them,” one YULA rabbi said. “It is a very rare quality to find in someone his age.” Indeed, Hiller does not only use his unique set of skills in his role as the head of Mitzvah World –– he also uses them as a student and a lobbyist. As one of only two juniors in the senior AGT talmud class, Hiller has been a top student at YULA since his freshman year. In fact, he joined the twelfth grade AGT class as early as his sophomore year and has always been known as one of YULA’s most religiously inspired students. Additionally, Hiller has been a member of YULA’s Likutei Ohr staff for a number of years, contributing to the weekly tefillah portion of the dvar torah pamphlet. “Everyone knows Yonah,” one classmate said. “His religious commitment is really something to be admired.” Aside from his special standing as a student, Hiller also is a regular attendee at AIPAC’s High School Summit and Policy Con-ference –– a key member of YULA’s Israel Advocacy Club. “The number of activities he undertakes is unbelievable,” said Josh Kohan ’13, one of the Israel Advocacy Club leaders. In fact, it is probably Hiller’s unique ability to balance his numerous roles and still main-tain a successful and motivational business that makes him stand out at YULA. “He is one of those students who will never be forgotten,” a YULA administrator said. “I have never known of any other teen-ager with a project like Mitzvah World.” Indeed, Mitzvah World is a project that has affected the lives of many –– from the bustling streets of Los Angeles, to U.S. Air Force bases. It is a project that has inspired many –– from students at a school, to members of one of the largest Jewish communities in the United States. It is a proj-ect that has provided quality tzitzit to Jews near and far.

)*--&3Continued from page 5

Elon Swartz can be reached at [email protected]

P Read The Panther

Let us keep you informed.

Model U.N. captains pose after their victory with the team’s faculty advisor,

Dr. Paul Soifer, Director of General Studies.

Fun Times

Freshman and Rabbi Arye Sufrin, Academic Dean, enjoy the Annual Fresh-

man Shabbaton in San Diego, CA earlier this year.

NEWS The Panther 7COMICS AND PUZZLES

"$30441. Sweet and __ Chicken3. Registrar5. “Pamphlet of Light” (2 Words)7. “Cafeteria and library” (2 Words)11. Thespian outlet12. Haunts Fenway: The __ Monster14. Author of Be-tween the Lines of the Bible16. “Sefer HaPanim”18. “Third floor” of campus (3 Words)19. Surname of mobsters based in Williamsburg in late 1920’s20. Favorite sport22. “A Pack”24. U.S. Cliffs26. Donning black polos28. News source (2 Words)30. From the USSR31. “Gentlemen!”32. Syn. of “Burper” with an F34. NY Competition38. “Sit down to start”40. An Apple a day41. Alliteration: teacher name and subject42. Dinner with “you”43. Founded in 197944. May shatter45. Memories and signatures46. Jamming up

%08/2. Tall scientist3. American IT re-search and advisory firm4. Spanish Jewry study hall (3 Words)6. Outline lecture8. The IT doctor9. “First in Califor-nia”

10. And tea leaf (2 Words)12. Unincorporated com-munity in northwest LA County13. $2 special (2 Words)

15. TV documenta-ry-style comedy looking into the world of 9-to-5 (2 Words)17. Purchase kettle chips (2 Words)

18. Making a case (2 Words)21. Underclassmen activities23. Abram’s poultry24. “Put on a collar!”25. Flush away here27. Daily pop quiz giver

29. Italian word for castle33. “Guarding” your prop-erty34. China’s largest metro-politan35. Fettuccine __

36. “Naviance?”37. “Governing body” (2 Words)39. Helen of __

For answers: armoredpenguin.com/crossword/Data/2013.05/3018/30183305.115.html

The Panther Crosswood Puzzle: Words & Phrases of YULA Life

Panther Sudoku

Fill in the empty cells, one number in each, so that each col-umn, row, and region contains the number 1-9 exactly once. Each number in the solution therefore occurs only once in each of the three “directions,” hence the “single numbers” implied by the puzzle’s name. (Rules from wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudoku)

GRADUATIO

N S

UPPLEM

ENT 2

013

The Panther 9June 2013

"The past is never dead, it is not even past"

Wiliam Faulkner

YULA BOYS HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION

2013

TIMELINECLASS OF 2013

2013-2014Dr. Paul Soifer, History, ap-pointed Director of General Studies, the School expands administration in its newfound admissions department, YULA wins YU’s National Model United Nations conference, Ye-shiva Israel Trip, college accep-tances, Rabbi Glass announces

end of tenure, gradation.

2009-2010Started at Freshman, Fresh-man Retreat, YULA begins the One-to-One MacBook laptop program, Mrs. Sherrie Singer joins the School as Director of

General Studies.

2010-2011The new block schedule be-gins, Annual New York City Trip, many new faculty hires,

No longer freshmen.

2011-2012YULA Varsity Basketball team wins Yeshiva University’s Red Sarachek Competition, the dreaded SATs and ACTs, YU-LA’s Gym project is approved by the Los Angeles City Com-missioners� Oȗce,� The� Ethical�

Leadership Seminar.

FRESHMAN SOPHOMORE

JUNIOR SENIOR

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

––Mark Twain

4DIPPM�&YQBOET�"ENJOJTUSBUJPOYULA Hires Associate Director of Admissions and Community OutreachBy JORDAN LUSTMAN ‘15Panther Contributer

At the beginning of this academic year, Anna Glatt ’06 joined the administrative staff as Associate Director of Admissions and Commu-nity Outreach, according to the School. “After graduating in 2006 from the Girls School, I never really imagined that I would come back to my alma mater as a staff mem-ber,” Glatt said. According to Glatt, she grew up in Los Angeles and attended YULA Girls High School, after which she attended Barnard College. “After experiencing seminary, four years of college in New York, and working at the Jew-ish Federation, being able to return to YULA and give back to the school that gave me so much was a perfect next step,” Glatt said. According to the School, Glatt spent the last two years working at the Los Angeles Jewish Federation in their Formal and Informal Jewish Education department. According to the School’s website, at Barnard, Glatt majored in Psychology and worked extensively in the Ad-missions Office as a tour guide and interviewer for prospective students. “I was excited at the prospect of returning to a campus setting and being able to interact

with students and parents again,” she said.According to Glatt, at YULA, her current job is “engaging” because she is involved in “a number of areas, including Admissions, Mar-keting, Alumni and Development,” Glatt said. “On a typical day, I may be in touch with prospective parents, working on an article for a local paper, putting together our new in-print newsletter, YULA 360, or planning an alumni reunion,” she said. “A good deal of my daily responsibilities vary based on the time of year and what sort of events are taking place on campus.” According to Glatt, YULA is “an integral part of the Los Angeles Jewish community history,” and she therefore feels that her work at the school is “intrinsically related to the community,” she said. “A large part of my role is to help create and strengthen the connections between the school and wider community. Our students are already a crucial part of the main Orthodox Los Angeles communities,” she said. “It is so rewarding to highlight this deep tapestry of connections that exist between YULA and the broader community.” Prior to hiring Glatt, the School hired Joey Small ’00, Director of Institutional Ad

The PantherJune 2013 NEWS10

Jordan Lustman can be reached [email protected]

vancement, to oversee “YULA’s admissions, marketing, alumni and development efforts,” according to the School’s website. “I work very closely with Joey on a vari-ety of areas,” Glatt said. “Many of our conver-sations revolve around the larger picture issues, such as our admissions events and recruitment, our marketing strategies, and alumni outreach and events.” Glatt said that she is excited to continue learning about the School and to articulate its achievements to the wider Los Angeles com-munity. “I would love to see our relationship with the wider community continue to grow, and I believe that our new campus expansion will aid in allowing for further community partner-ships,” she said. “I also look forward to devel-oping a deeper dialogue with our parent body by offering engaging programs and partnering with them to help our students achieve their fullest potential.”

Robotics Program Teaches Students “How to Think Like Engineers”By YAIR FAX ‘14Panther Contributer

In February, the YULA robotics team compet-ed in its first inter-school robotics competition. The team, which was founded last year, spent the first few months of this academic year designing a robot in order to compete in this year’s competition, ac-cording to the School. According to student participants, student team members designed the robot to grab big plastic rings off of one peg and to put them on other pegs of different heights. The competition was essentially designed to teach high school students a wide range of engineering concepts, according to Alex Fax, YULA parent, the team founder and mentor. “Part of the goal of the robotics program was to teach students how to think like engineers,” Fax said. “We were not necessarily focused on the deep math, but we did care about the important skills –– breaking big problems into small problems, improv-ing designs through testing, learning from mistakes, and working in teams to learn from one another.” According to team members, the students of the team had to work to-gether throughout the first semester in order to build the best robot possible. According to Fax, the leaders of the squad had to effectively illicit the individual talents of every member of the team so that each individual could reach his or her fullest potential and together accomplish the challenging task. The team members also learned many lessons that were not necessar-ily related to engineering throughout the year. “I enjoyed getting to know dif-ferent types of people,” said Shirelle Chalamish ’13, captain of the team. “The program ultimately enabled me to fully understand the importance of team work. Through team work and amicable collaboration, I’ve found that people can

create unbelievable things that as individuals they could only dream to accomplish.” According to Chalamish, the team learned lessons of organization when they had to write the engineering notebook –– a comprehensive record of any and all work on the robot. But even with all its successful training, building and teamwork, the squad still had to face a potentially fatal problem just a week before the official competition, as the robot was experiencing a number of technical dif-ficulties, according to Chalamish. Nonetheless, the leading members of the team were able to step forth with compo-sure to solve the problems, according to Fax. According to the School, the Girls School hosted the competition –– a day of many two-on-two matches. According to Chalamish, the matches resem-bled sports games, with the audience cheering on their various teams, and the “athletes” focussing on

winning their competitions. According to the Fax, at the end of the competition, the highest ranked team faced off with YULA in the playoffs and together they brought home the gold. Unfortunately, the YULA team could not advance to the regional finals, as they took place on Shabbat, according to Micah Hyman ’14. “We are disappointed that we cannot fur-ther compete,” Hyman said. “Nevertheless, we know that we are doing what is right, and we are tremendously proud of our accomplishment. After all, it’s only our first year in existence, and we’re already performing like champions.”

Yair Fax can be reached [email protected]

IF9FKJ�| YULA’s team hosts the Robot competition in the Rubin Auditorium at YULA Girls High School.

NEWS NEWS The Panther 11

YULA Art Program GrowsBy YAACOV TARKO ‘13Panther Contributer

Over Passover break, a few dedicated students, assisted by Mr. Ian Arenas, Art, added a new work of art –– a mural of a leaping panther –– to a hallway on cam-pus. Accoring to Arenas, the body of the panther is made up of He-brew lettering. According to Ben Krombach ‘13 –– the student who designed the mural and led its production –– the message contained within the panther is “the concept of Kedusha of Per-son, Place, and Time, which has become an im-portant value at YULA,” he said. “Also in-scribed on the back thigh is the word YULA in Hebrew,” Kro-mbach said. “I chose this idea to give my mural a real connection to the school and to the values that I’ve learned throughout my years at YULA.” According to Arenas, upon starting at YULA three years ago, he met with Rabbi Heshy Glass, Head of School, who intro-duced him to the school “philosophy and motto of Kedusha of Person, Place and Time,” Arenas said. “Now that we are nearing the end of his tenure, Ben and I wanted to hon-or Rabbi Glass’ time and contribution to YULA,” he said. “So we worked hard to produce a piece of art that symbolically, and quite literally, manifested that motto in the YULA Panther.” According to Arenas, the mural can only be seen properly when viewed from only one location in the hallway. Krombach used a technique known as ‘forced perspective,’ inspired by French artist Felice Varini, ac-

cording to Arenas. “The mural forces the viewer to situate his or her body in a specific location to align all the parts [of the painting] properly,” Arenas said. According to Arenas, with this particular work, the viewer must stand next to YULA’s

athletic trophy cases and championship banners to see the mural properly. Arenas –– who also coaches the soccer team –– envisions “a student, parent or rabbi admiring the YULA Boys 2014 Liberty League Championship Soccer trophy, and in a haze of overwhelming pride, turning around to be flab-bergasted by Ben’s mural,” Arenas said. Krombach, who will be studying architec-ture at the University of Maryland, said that he has been involved in YULA’s art program since his sophomore year. This mural –– the most visible of his projects –– is his latest piece in a series of artwork he has undertaken, which also includes his forced perspective Star of David in the hallway next to the art class-room, according Krombach. Krombach –– who had been working on the mural project since January –– put over 100 hours into research, sketches, drafts, and the actual painting of the mural, according to

Krombach. According to Arenas, Shmuel Moadeb ’13 and Avraham Menasheraf ’13 also assisted him in the process of painting. “Exceptional art, or anything else for that matter, does not happen

in one 55-minute class peri-od,” Are-nas says. “Complex ideas take time to manifest and per-fect.” Ac-cording to Arenas, the mu-ral is not the only major project to come out of his senior art class. Omer Raviv ’13 has designed new

uniforms for the YULA soccer team and the students are currently look-ing for a way to approach manufac-turers, according to Arenas. “Right now my sophomore and junior classes are working on group projects that I hope will be met with the same level of appreciation,” Arenas says. “We are hurrying to get the projects finished before the end of the year, but we want to keep them a surprise so they will have greater impact on the student body, parents, and administration.”

Yaacov Tarko can be reached [email protected]

4PQIPNPSFT�&YQFSJFODF�/:�+FXJTI�$VMUVSF

DLI8C�| Painting of a panther on the walls of the school desgned by Ben Krombach ‘13

By NOAH KEST ‘15Panther Contributer

On March 7, the sophomore class trav-eled to New York City for the School’s annual sophomore trip, which many students anticipated since their freshman year, according to students. From the Class of 2015, a total of 45 soph-omore students attended the trip, according to the School. According to director of underclassmen student activities, Rabbi Arye Sufrin, Academ-ic Dean, the NYC trip allows sophomores to engage with Jewish culture.

“The New York Jewish experience trip gives the students the opportunity to meet and experience different Jew-ish communities,” Rabbi Sufrin said. “It enhances their love for the Jewish people.” Rabbi Sufrin helped create the sophomore experience in 2009 –– at a time when travel to NYC was a priv-ilege extended only to the Advanced Gemara Track, according to the School. Rabbi Sufrin had a vision for the entire sophomore class –– he want-ed all the boys to share an “intense-

ly moving experience,” Rabbi Sufrin said. According to Rabbi Sufrin, with the help of Rabbi Schreiber, Vice Principal, and sophomore students, in 2009, Rabbi Sufrin sent around fifty boys to experi-ence and engage with the Jewish life in NYC. Four years and three sopho-more classes later, the trip stands out as one of the hallmarks of the YULA high school experi-ence, according to Rabbi Sufrin.

For many students, this trip constitutes a first time visit to NYC, and for other students, the experi-ence is their first outside of California, according to sophomores. On Friday morning, the students visited the No-vominsker Rebbe and were

See /:$ page 14

The PantherJune 2013 NEWS12:6-"�)PTUT�4FDPOE�.PEFM�6�/��$POGFSFODF�GPS�.JEEMF�4DIPPM

By ASHER ALTER ‘13Panther Contributer

In March, YULA hosted its second annual Model United Na-tions conference for both Los An-geles Jewish middle school students and for current freshmen at YULA. According to faculty advisor to YULA’s Model U.N. team, Dr. Paul Soifer, Director of General Studies, model U.N. stands out becuase it requires many different and unique skills. Students require an in-depth knowledge of the countries that they represent; therefore, students must embrace complexity and a great deal of devotion to research, according to Soifer. “YULAMUN is many middle school students’ first introduction to online research,” Soifer said. “It al-lows the students to see the world from a different perspective.” According to Soifer, model U.N. also demands good debate and public speaking skills, as partic-ipants advocate and defend their respective countries’ views amidst a torrent of criticism. According to student orga-nizers, in this year’s tournament, students were divided into one of four committees. Each committee was given a topic on an interna-tional crisis or controversy; students were then asked to solve the issues in accordance with the viewpoints of their countries. “Each topic chosen present-

ed a particular set of challenges. The issues really reflected today’s world.” said Asher Naghi ’14 who acted as Sec-retary General for the event. Student participants of the Security Council were asked to address the growing concern that five countries currently hold veto power only because of an antiquated World War II system, according to Naghi. Naghi said that the students were also asked to consider that Rus-sia’s and China’s actions regarding Iran and Syr-ia may demonstrate an abuse of power in constraint of human rights. While participants were not judged on the success of their proposals, the chairs of the re-spective committees paid close attention to the content of the resolutions, according to the stu-dent organizers of the conference. Although delegates had to demon-strate understanding and willing-ness to compromise, the biggest mistakes participants made were “to betray their countries’ princi-ples,” one student leader said. According to the organizers, after the resolutions were voted

on and passed, and the issues solved, the delegates had to think on their feet as they were present-ed with crises –– new challenges given to them with no time before hand to prepare. The crises allowed the students who researched their countries to shine through. The crisis challenge also capped-off an engaging and intellectually stimu-lating all-day event, according to organizers. At the end of the afternoon, the chairs of the respective com-mittees bestowed Best Delegate and Honorable Mention awards to those delegates who demonstrated excel-lence, according to event organiz-

nizers. According to organizers, representatives from every middle school, as well as delegates from the freshman class at YULA, all took home awards. “Today was difficult, but it was also really fun,” one eighth grade student from Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy said. “I would love to one day be a part of the YULA delegation.”

PLC8DLE�@@�| Students check in for the YULA hosted Model U.N. conference

Asher Alter can be reached [email protected]

Early Start

Middle School students and YULA freshmen participated in YULA’s Model United Nation conference in March.

H av e a r e l a x i n g s u m m e r !

The Panther 13

SURVEYSAYS...

T H E P A N T H E R P R E S E N T S A S T A T I S T I C A L B R E A K D O W N O F T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 1 2 A N D 2 0 1 3 : C H O I C E S O F Y E S H I V A G A P Y E A R P R O G R A M S I N I S R A E L .

ANALYSIS: As the graph clearly indicates, while many of the same yeshivas remain popular, there are also new and important trends of which to take notice. For example, while yeshivas like Torat Shraga and Reishit continue to attract approximately the same number of students, institutions like Mevaseret are begin-ning to attract an increasing number of YULA boys. Furthermore, it is interesting to note that Hesder programs –– in which Ameri-cans learn alongside Israelis who serve in the army –– are becom-ing less popular from last year to this year. While Gush and Ha-Kotel garnered a total of six YULA students in 2012, these same yeshivas attracted but one YULA boy between them in 2013.

Compiled by Elon Swartz, Editor in Chief

H av e a r e l a x i n g s u m m e r !

The Panther

14 The PantherJune 2013

Sophomores Embark on Annual NYC Trip/:$


grateful to receive individual bless-ings from him, according to soph-omores. According to faculty organiz-ers of the trip, the students then headed to Washington Heights, NY, where they went to Yeshiva University to watch the second round of the Sarachek Tournament in which YULA defeated Magen David Yeshiva High School, Brook-lyn, NY. On Friday night, the rabbis led the students to the famous Bobov Hassidic synagogue, a spiritual cen-ter that brings around 3,000 Jews together each week to pray, accord-ing to Eitan Meisels ’15. “It was very different,” Meis-els said. “But different in a good way. It was quite enjoyable to see so many types of Jews under one roof.” According to Rabbi Sufrin, at the conclusion of the Friday night service, the sophomores were sent to eat dinner in the homes of vari-ous Borough Park residents. According to Jordan Lustman ’15, after dinner, students and rab-bis gathered and sang with Bor-ough Park residents and prominent Hassidic rabbis, such as the spiri-tual leaders of the communities of Belz, Bobov, Munkatch and Lolov, at the famous Borough Park ticshes –– Friday night gatherings of sing-ing and learning. “It was quite a change from the Los Angeles scene,” Lustman said. “But I was impressed to see all the different types of Jews en-joying a singular experience.” According to students, at the conclusion of Shabbat, the students

departed the hotel to attend the Comedy Sportz comedy club to enjoy a show. “It was a great time to relax and laugh after an intense Shabbos,” one sopho-more said. On Sunday morn-ing, the students headed to the city for a day in Manhat-tan. Students said that they were ecstatic to see Times Square, the Empire State Building, and Madison Square Garden. After some free time in the heart of Manhattan, the sopho-mores rode the subway to Yeshiva University, where they watched the semifinals of the Sarachek Tournament and supported their YULA Panthers, according to Rabbi Sufrin. According to Ariel Amsel-lem ’15, the afternoon came to a close as the sophomores visited the grave of the Lubavitcher Reb-be just outside Manhattan. “I was looking forward to the experience of visiting the [Lubavitcher] Rebbe’s grave for a long time,” Amsellem said. “It lived up to all my expectations.” According to event organizers, the grave visit was followed by a drive to the Five Towns –– a Long Island suburb. According to Rabbi Sufrin, the students were sent to stay at homes

of various host families in the Five Towns. On Monday morning, the students headed to DRS Yeshiva High School, Woodmere, NY, for the fourth year of the an-nual YULA-DRS chavruta study program in which students from each school are paired up to study Talmud together, accord-ing to Rabbi Sufrin. According to students, the learning was followed by a speech from the future Head of School, Rabbi Dov Emerson, Vice Principal of DRS Yeshiva High School. According to Rabbi Sufrin, after their visit to DRS, sopho-mores enjoyed a tour of YU

and a presentation from Rich-ard Joel, President of the University. On Monday, the four-day NYC experience came to a close, and the students headed to the airport for the flight back to Los Angeles, according to Rabbi Sufrin. “I have been to New York many times,” one sopho-more said, “But this was my first New York Jewish experi-ence.”

Noah Kest can be reached at [email protected]

9@>�8GGC<�| Sophomores enjoy a day together in Time Square in Midtown Man-

hattan.

NEWS

PL�| Sophomores visit Yeshiva University on the Annual NYC Trip and hear from Richard Joel, President of Yeshiva University. YULA

BOYS

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By MOSHE WILLNER ‘14Panther Contributor

“The Panthers also got a big fourth quarter from Avi Zilbertstein [’13], who scored 8 of his game high 22 points in the fourth, and knocked down clutch free throws late in the game,” according to a press release by YU. “Avi has had two unbelievable games for us,” captain Jordyn Schoenfeld ’13 said after the game. “He has really stepped up as a leader, and as a major offensive threat late in the game.” And yet, even amidst the incredible offense that Zilberstein provided, it was the Panther’s “stifling defense [that] was extremely impressive, as the Warriors shot just 30% from the field in the game,” according to YU. “The Panthers defense caused 7 first half turnovers, and center Jojo Himmelman ’14 had four of the Panther’s six blocks on the day,” according to a press release by YU. “When Jojo is defending the post, other teams have reason to fear,” Rayn said. On March 10, the Panthers competed in the semi-finals against the Frisch Cougars. Although the Panthers lost the game, they competed until the very end and nearly ad-vanced to the finals. “It was unfortunate that we could not go all the way this year,” said one YULA

fan after the loss. “But considering that we were ranked as the eigth seed coming in to the compe-tition, our performance was pretty incredible. We definitely defied expectations.” Although the Panthers did not advance to the finals, they continued to play in the tournament, as they competed in a consolation game on March 11 against North Shore Hebrew Academy. “Despite a late fourth quarter comeback bid by the North Shore Stars, the YULA Panthers were able to hold on for the 37-35 win in the Tier I consolation game,” ac-

cording to a press release by YU. According to YU, “in the fourth quarter, the Stars seemed to completely run out of steam, as the Panthers were able to pull away with the lead due in large part to the strong offensive effort of Avi Zilberstein (13 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist). The Stars, however, were not done; they were able to pull back within the last ten seconds in the game, and trailed by as few as two points. They were, however, unable to finish off their comeback bid, as Jojo Himmelman (2 points, 4 rebounds) was able to steal a pass from the Star’s Avery Lubin in the waning seconds of the matchup.” Overall, the Panthers played a successful game due in large part to the fact that Rayn (8 points, 15 rebounds, 1 assists) dominated from the defensive end of the court. “I was happy to see that our players still gave everything they had,” Rayn said. “We didn’t come in to the game with a negative attitude, so our defense continued to be a point of pride for our team.” “The coaches were disappointed in our team’s effort after the Memphis Tournament loss earlier in the year,” Solomon said (6 points, 4 assists, 1 rebound) in a post-game interview. “They were really looking for us to come out and finish the Sarachek Tournament strong. I think we did that as best we could.” Indeed, the Panthers put a great deal of effort into the tournament. And although they did not bring home the gold, their impressive Third-Place finish still gave YULA students a reason to be proud.

Moshe Willner can be reached at [email protected]

“I think we did as best we could”

Menachem Solomon ‘15

The Panther 15Sports

J?FNK@D<�| Members of the varsity basketball team

huddle during a Sarachek game timeout.

SCOREBOARD

YULA 57

WEINBAUM 28

YULA 44

MDY 36

YULA 37

NSHA 35

YULA 39

FRISCH 44

Tradition Back on the Court*/53".63"-4


Ultimately, both the staff team and Schoenfeld’s dark horse team were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. “The referees were determined to make us lose out there,” Schoenfeld said after the elimination game. “I think Zeffren’s calls raise possible conspiracy questions, and I urge the commissioners to look into it.” “Schoenfeld’s team needs to learn to cope with its

loss,” Zeffren said in response to Schoenfeld’s accusations. “If a team does not advance in the playoffs, it shouldn’t try to shift the blame on inno-cent referees.” The commissioners of the league declined to comment on the matter. Currently, Porgess’ team –– which includes YULA varsity basketball star Jojo Himmelman ‘14 –– has se-cured one of the two spot in the championship series. “We are very confident about our chances to win it all,” Porgess said. Meanwhile, Levi Saada’s ’13 team and Rayn’s number one seed team are competing for the second spot in the championship series. “Porgess should be afraid,” Saada said. “We’re coming.”

Jack Kirschenbaum can be reached at [email protected] and Omer Raviv can be reached at [email protected]

This article paraphrases, summarizes and quotes a series of articles from macslive.com, Yeshiva University Sports broadcast source. After a successful regular season, the YULA Panthers geared up to defend their title at Yeshiva University’s annual Red Sarachek Tournament. In 2012, the Panthers won first place at the competition behind stars Jack Gindi ’12, Matthew Reich ’12, and Yisroel Solo-mon ’12. Although the core of their team graduated last year, the teams players still felt confident as they entered the 2013 tourna-ment. “We are still incredibly talented,” captain Leron Rayn ’13 said just before the competition began. The Panthers’ first game of the tournament took place on March 7, at YU’s Max Stern Athletic Center in Washington Heights, NY against the Weinbaum Yeshiva High School Storm, Boca Raton, FL. The Panthers “started the game on a 14-0 run, and they never looked back in a game that they ultimately won, 57-28,” acccording to a press release by YU. Acccording to YU, the “WYHS Storm looked sluggish in the early going, turning the ball over many times in the first half”; but, “YULA was able to open up a sizable first quarter margin with their stifling defense,” according to YU. Acccording to a press release by YU, “WYHS shot just 19% in the first half, and YULA was able to capitalize on turnovers.” “The Storm were held scoreless for almost all of the first quarter, finally getting a three pointer from Daniel Lasko with four seconds left in the quarter,” acccording to a press release by YU. “The Panthers shot 85% from the field in the 1st half, and went 3-5 from 3-point range,” acccording to YU. Acccording to a press release by YU, “the Storm were unable to make a comeback in the second half, and the Panthers began to run the clock. The Panthers had nine players tallying points, with Avi Zilberstein [’13] leading the way with 16 points (6-8 FG, 2-3 3PT).” “We moved the ball nicely,” Zilberstein said after the game. “We are always at our best when we dominate defensively, and we did that today.” On March 8, the Panthers continued their surge, as they domi-nated the Magen David Yeshiva Warriors to advance to the semi-fi-nals. “Up three points and with two minutes left, the YULA Pan-thers were able to knock down key free throws to seal a 44-36 win against the Warriors,” acccording to a press release by YU. Acccording to YU, “the Warriors tried to claw their way back late in the game, but were not able to convert on a layup attempt and a few long threes. With the score tied early in the fourth quar-ter, point guard Menachem Solomon ’15 hit two consecutive threes to give the Panthers a six point lead after starting the game 0-7 from 3-point land.”

Noah Kest can be reached at [email protected]

NEWS

YULA

BOYS

.ORG

The Panther 16June 2013

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By JACK KIRSCHENBAUM ‘14 and OMER RAVIV‘13Panther Contributors

Few individuals have the chance to play profession-al basketball in the NBA, and YULA’s intramural basketball league is as close as most of the students at YULA will ever experience. Led by commissioners Zach Porgess ’13 and Yaakov Laboda ’13, the 11th and 12th grade intramural basketball league has tried its best to mimic the NBA. Every lunch period, two teams have played against each other, while the rest of the students have cheered on their peers. To make the league as legitimate as possible, each game has been facilitated by the presence of two referees

and by the help of a statistics keeper who has kept tracks of individual player’s points. “The crowd gives us a tough time,” said Zvulun Zeffren ’13, when asked about the difficul-ties of facilitating an intramural game as a referee. “They sometimes forget that we’re just teenagers, not NBA professionals.” After the long intramural regular season, the playoffs finally began in April. The teams were seeded 1-8 based on their regular season records, with the 1 seed playing the 8 seed, the 2 seed playing the 7 seed, etc. While the first round games were all single elimination by nature, the following rounds –– as well as the championship series –– have been set up as best of three series. This year’s number 1 overall seed is YULA varsity basketball captain Leron Rayn’s ’13 team, which includes Rayn himself, as well as sharp-shooters Joshua Morrow ’13, Jonah Anderson ’14, and Ethan Haik ’14. “I made sure to draft as many shooters as possible,” Rayn said. “Because when my teammates are hitting their open jump shots, we’re unstoppa-ble.” This year’s dark horse to win the Intramural Championship was Jordyn Schoenfeld’s ’13

team, which received the 7th seed due to some close regular season losses. Schoen-feld drafted a group of players with good chemistry in Joshua Rub ’13, Yaakov Laboda ’13, and Yoshi Roshanshad ’14. “I’ve played with Rub and Laboda for years,” Schoenfeld said. “We all know each other very well on the court.” Fortunately, this year’s intramural playoffs tournament also included a staff team, composed of Rabbi Arye Sufrin, Academic Dean, Rabbi Yisrael Maza, Torah Studies, Carey Maney, Director of Athletics, and Joey Small, Director of Admissions. Although the staff team didn’t have the stamina of the other teams, the players used their larger size to try and overpower the smaller students. In doing so, they tried to become the first staff team to ever win the intramural champi-onship in YULA history. “It’s a pretty lofty goal,” Maney said at the time, “but I think if we play to our strengths, we should be able to make a run at the championship.”

K?<�G@K:?�| Zvulun Zeffren ‘13, a long-time member of the baseball

team pitches in a game.

A New Age for the YULA Baseball Team

By DAVID HANELIN ‘16Panther Contributor

With seven senior athletes having completed their high school careers, and a head coach having left as well, the YULA Baseball Program faced a number of challenges as the 2013 season began. “We essentially needed to rebuild,” said Zvulun Zeffren ’13, a long-time member of the team. The first step in the rebuilding process was to hire a new head

coach. Former Coach T.J. Runnels, was a former professional baseball player for the Detroit Tigers and a consummate professional with a strong resume who se-riously improved the YULA baseball program in a number of ways, according to Noah Schiff ’14, a three-year veteran of the program. “He led us to the playoffs,” Schiff said. “That was new and exciting for YULA.” Although the school had a long list of candidates from which to choose, Coach Eric Johnson was ultimately hired, according to the School. A former pitcher, Johnson said he has played baseball since he was four-years-old. According to Johnson, while playing for his high school team during his senior year, he earned a full baseball scholarship to Tusculum College, Green-ville, Tennessee. In 2004, Johnson said he was awarded the number one pitcher honor with the lowest earned-run-average in Division 2 NJCAA (2004). Johnson has also played on the United States Jr. national team NJCAA ALL STARS and has traveled overseas to compete against professional baseball teams around the world, according to Johnson. “I was strictly a pitcher,” Johnson said. “But I am glad to still be around the game and to help the youth develop into better athletes –– pitchers and hitters alike.” Coach Johnson’s presence is not the only change to the YULA baseball pro-gram this year. Since several athletes graduated YULA in 2012, the baseball team recruited new members this spring, and gave them the opportunity to train, try out, and potentially join the squad, according to students on the team. According to Johnson, there are a total of six new freshmen on the squad this year, giving YULA one of the youngest lineups in the Liberty League. “I felt very blessed to have such a young team this year,” Johnson said. “My freshmen impressed me a tremendous amount, and the future looks very bright.” As the team adapted to its new coach, many starting positions were in flux throughout the season –– a few freshmen even earned coveted starting slots, ac-cording to Johnson. “I am still trying guys out in new positions and discovering their strengths and weaknesses,” Johnson said. “Ultimately, I feel we can all grow together and continue building YULA’s Baseball Program.” According to Johnson, in late January, the team began to hold Monday through Thursday practices at Rancho Park, and Sunday practices at Baseball Central; the official season began in February. According to Noam Posner ’15 –– a new addition to the team –– overall, the Panthers had a win-loss record of 4-11. “It is tough losing as many close games as we did,” Posner said. “But I think we still proved that we can compete at a very high level.” “The team continued to improve with every outing,” Johnson said. “The guys played their hearts out, and I am really proud of the efforts so far. I defi-nitely look forward to the upcoming seasons.”

David Hanelin can be reached at [email protected]

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