The Flame Magen David High School Student Newspaper May 3rd, 2013/ Iyar 5773

SEPHARDIC HERITAGE BY NATHAN HASBANI AND RACHEL FAIENA

Rachel SardarFreshman, All-Around Student

STUDENT OF THE WEEK

Reminders and Announcements Home School Sports Events for May 3rd- May 17th Reminders from the College Office for April :

JV Softball vs Frisch 5/3/13JV Softball vs Yeshivah of Flatbush 5/6/13JV Softball vs Yeshivah of Flatbush 5/10/13

Candle Lighting Times

May 3rd 7:35 PMMay 10th 7:42 PMMay 17th 7:49 PM

Make Up Test Dates:

Monday, May 6thTuesday, May 21st

Birthdates:

5/4 - Ralphie Massry, David Savdie, Mosie Schrem and Emily Shrem 5/5 - Sophia Cheika and Rebecca Mizrahi5/10 - Liran Cohen5/11 - Jeffery Grazi, Olga Khafif, Lauren Shalom and Albert Sitt5/13 - Sandra Yedid, Harry Shomer and Ezra Mosseri5/14 - Lenoy Vaknin and Daniel Hamowy5/15 - Sammy Shamah and Sophia Gindi5/16 - Joseph Tawil

Last Tuesday, Ms. Nasar and the 10th graders presented us with an out-standing day, filled with incredible voices, featured speeches, and fun-filled presenta-tions. Starting off with the Chazanut boy’s club, the boys sang their hearts out with pitch-perfect notes, and a new rhythm to a type of music called Ma’aman.  With a great introduction from Rabbi Haber, Mr. Mickey Kairey, an influential person in this community, told us about his early life, and his belief that every person is special and is born into this world for a reason. His rea-son was to save the hundreds of wounded people in World War II, and to teach the children of our community to read their Bar-Mitzvah parts. Finishing off the as-sembly with a spectacular boys choir led by Rabbi Shalom, MDYHS students went to visit the Sephardic Heritage expositions created by the sophomores.

Upon entering one room after another, sophomores taught each student about our own heritage, culture, and tradi-tion, whether Sephardic, Ashkenaz, Egyp-tian, Morrocon, Syrian, or Israeli. Students were taught about their cultures in interest-ing ways based on extensive research and beautiful, creative display.

For example, entering the first room I was filled with amusement and wonder. The sophomores in that class-room taught about the Victory Bulletin, the community bulletin during World War II, which was used as a way for Syrian Jews to stay religious while in the army. I also learned of Ladino- a language mixture of Spanish and Hebrew. As we all know, or didn’t, Ellis Island was the port of entry for Syrian Jews into the United States. Learn-ing all these facts was easy to remember because of (continued on page 5)

By Dennis Dayan

Q: Does being awarded Student of the Week make you feel special?A: Yes, it makes me feel special and honored that I was selected out of the whole school as Student of the Week.

Q: What do you think you did to deserve this honor, and what can you tell others to help set an example?A: I respect my teachers and do all work that is expected of me on time. I am also known to be very lovable, which is another reason why I was chosen. Not everyone can be lovable, but they should all try to respect teachers and do all their work.

Q: What do you love most about MDYHS?A: I love 4 o’clock early days, getting excused from class, and having early lunches at 11:20.

Q: What do you feel is your greatest challenge in high school?A: Oral Tradition is the most challenging because we try to make sense of a lot of random laws and at times it is hard to follow.

Q: What are some activities that you enjoy outside of school?A: I enjoy reading books, watching TV, and hanging out with friends.

Q: Which classes of yours do you feel are most exciting and why?A: Mrs. Harari’s class because she makes it fun with projects and also because I enjoy writing. (continued on page 5)

The last day to complete Regular Registration for the June 9th ACT is May 3rd (TODAY)

Page 2 The Flame May 3rd

If you thought school was tiring wait until you start your internship; that’s a whole new ballgame. The internship program serves as a kind of reality check. It is an experience where you’re responsible for others as well as yourself, and where critical thinking is needed to solve everyday problems. Your internship will probably be the first time in your life you’ll really be working, and in the beginning you’ll hate it. Though as time moves on, you’ll start to warm up to your responsibilities, and to

your co-workers. At the nascent stages of my internship, I would openly tell you I dreaded going back everyday. I would go there, watch the clock tick, and try to waste the time away. As the days passed by however, and I became more familiarized with the real world setting and demands, I grew fonder of my duties there, and I came to realize what I do actually has an impact on the practice, and the practice’s patients. Another aspect of internships that takes getting used to, is working alongside unfamiliar employees- employees of different race and background. What I found to be true for myself is that I enjoy getting to know different people and becoming friendly with them. Additionally, if I’m ever feeling stressed, I learned there’s nothing wrong with going over to another employee (as long as they’re not too busy) and having a colloquial, informal conversation with them. The truth is, they are usually as bored as you are! Overall, this experience is unique and if taken full advantage of, can turn out to be very beneficial. And yes, we do miss MDY!

“Marine Park and Fun Station? It’s called ‘junior day’; I’m not nine years old!”

We started off our day at Marine Park, which was more of a socializing atmosphere. Juniors from different cliques got the chance to bond with classmates from other cliques. We played different sports from volleyball to dodge ball. It felt like Mr. D’s class all over again; we all enjoyed it. We then traveled to Staten Island to go to Fun Station. Every-one’s first reaction was, “The dry

cleaners next door is bigger than that place.” When we entered Fun Sta-tion, we realized how big it actually was. It was so much fun!! We all congregated in the gym and prayed Minha. It felt special, and presented a Kiddush Hashem.

Who would have thought it’s possible to win a jackpot on one of those old arcade machines? Maybe ten different students did. We got the chance to play different games, and go on many rides, and even play laser tag! Looking around at the place, I realized the importance of being a part of my grade. I spent the last three years with them, and I really could do it all over again.

We all appreciated the hard work the SGO put into the trip! Spe-cial thanks to Rabbi Scheinfeld as well! -Paulette Gindi

Dvar Torah By Hannah Cohen

STAFF

Editors: Abraham Tobias, Paulette Gindi

Reporters: Nathan Hasbani, Max Dweck, Jack Khaski, Abie Chabbott, Zachary

Mosseri, Robert Safdieh, Judah Esses, Butchie Betesh, Dennis Dweck, Florence Catton, Lisa

Chakkalo, Jennifer Harari, Han nah Cohen, Renee Cohen, Lynda Russo, Jeffrey Grazi

Faculty Advisor: Mrs. Rachel Harari

NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTSThe Magen David Yeshivah-Celia Esses High School admits student of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school programs.

Editorials

7801 Bay Parkway Brooklyn, New York 11214

Rabbi Harold SuttonRosh Yeshivah

Rabbi Saul ZuckerPrincipalMrs. Sabrina MalehAssociate Principal

As our term on the SGO comes to an end, something to look forward to is our “grade days”. After the Arista assembly, the juniors enjoyed had a blast at Marine Park and fun station! It was a great way for the juniors to kick back and bond. The Lag Ba’Omer trip to Great Adventure was another great day, even though it was very tiring!         This is a reminder for everyone: Don’t forget to go to the softball games on Fridays after school and cheer our team on. Don’t lose your school spirit! We are so proud of all our teams this year and their wins.

Also, don’t forget to look at the updated bulletin board. As our term comes to an end, and with elections around the corner, we just want to thank you for choosing us as your SGO. We also would like to wish the candidates a good luck and the new SGO much success with ease. Your secretary, Renée Cohen

A Message From Your SGO

“Five of you will pursue a hundred, and a hundred of you will pursue ten thou-sand.”

The parasha begins speaking about the rewards the Jews will receive when they observe the Misvot. Five Jews will pursue a hundred enemies and a hundred Jews will pursue 10,000.

Rashi asks if five Jews can pursue a hundred enemies then mathematical-ly speaking shouldn’t one hundred Jews pursue 2,000 and not 10,000?

We all know the saying, “two is better than one”. Two can accomplish a lot more together than just two people individually. When two people are united in searching for Hashem their actions are more effective.

When a community is actively involved in Torah and Misvot they are reaching higher levels and accomplishing greater things. The word TEAM stands for: Together, Everyone Accomplishes More.

Shabbat Shalom,Hannah Cohen

May 3rd The Flame Page 3

Russo's Philosophy " Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life

is beauty, admire it. Life is bliss, taste it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fullfil it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life is too precious, do not destroy it. Life is life, fight for it."

-Mother Teresa

MDYHS Advice ColumnE-mail questions to thepress@mdyhs.net

Ask Dennis and Flo

Busy Month Ahead,

No matter what I answer you or what advice I give you, we both know you're going to end up cram-ming it all in the night before.

Go with my motto: Due tomorrow=do tomorrow!

-Ya boy D-eazy!

Dear Negatively Influenced,

First of all if they make you talk on the phone all night make sure you don't go over your data plan, because then you will really be in trouble.

In regards to your plans on doing better in school but your friends wanting to go out, that's easy. Just go out all night with the kids in the honor class!

Best Regards,

Dear Dennis and Flo,

AP Exams and SATs are coming up soon. How do you suggest I study?-Busy Month Ahead

Dear Busy Month Ahead,

If you didn't already buy the review books, go do that now! Practice the problems over and over. Look into getting a tutor, either solo or with a friend. The school gives free review sessions too so make sure you are attending them. The best way is to keep on doing those practice tests! -Flo

Dear Negatively Influenced,

It's very hard to balance friends and work, trust me. It's important to think about your priorities and to learn to balance them. If you could go out with them for an hour rather than the entire night, or just talk on the phone for a few minutes it'll be a lot better. Make sure you take the time to study for important tests. A great strategy is to keep up with your homework every night because you won't fall behind in any subject, making studying a lot easier. -Flo

Dear Dennis and Flo,

I am trying to do better in school, but whenever I need to stay home and study my friends keep stopping me. They convince me to go out instead or talk on the phone all night. What should I do?-Negatively Influenced

THE GREAT GATSBY

Thank you for your participation in this week's book club! Stay tuned next issue for a new book suggestion,

followed by another book club discussion!

We Asked:

What do you consider the American Dream to be in The Great Gatsby? Do you

think it’s changed since then?

I think the American Dream in The Great Gatsby is about wealth, class and social mobility. Everyone wanted to be rich and everyone wanted to be on top of the pyramid. Today, the American dream is not about wealth and social mobility but about being able to provide comfortably for your family. It’s about living in a country where you are free to practice your religion without any persecution.-Jaclyn Kredi

The American Dream in its idealized state was meant to be equality of man and the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In The Great Gatsby, the American Dream becomes a perversion of those values, drowning them in materialism and ostentatious behavior.  The need of the nouveau riche to be accepted by established society is nev-er realized, signaling the failure of the ability of wealth to “buy” entre into their “American Dream”.The American Dream of today, as personified by Bernie Madoff, En-ron, and the Stock Market mini-crash, is still epitomized by grasping for often-illegitimate wealth, at whatever cost, and the need for osten-tatious consumption, which still does not buy happiness.  Perhaps we as a society still have not learned and sadly have not changed from the era of The Great Gatsby.-Mrs. Weinstein

The Great Gatsby is a very interesting book and I consider the American Dream in this book as going “from rags to riches.” It was important to be richer than the next  and throw big parties and drive nice cars. How-ever, this was all materialistic and what Gatsby didn’t understand was that riches couldn’t buy him love or happiness. In society today, we don’t necessar-ily respect the religious people or the humble people, but we respect those who are rich and have the most money- the best cars, the nic-est houses, the best parties. We all look up to celebrities, and most of society’s dream nowadays is to get a job and become as rich as we can. So, the truth is, no- society hasn’t change since then. It’s only gotten worse. -Esther Sardar

I think that the characters in The Great Gatsby thought of the American Dream as living an extravagant life and throw-ing lavish parties. They believed that you made it in life if you were able to live in a beautiful mansion, drive expensive cars, and throw a huge party every week. They thought that if you did not live life this way then you did not make it in life and therefore they strived to live this lifestyle. They thought that this would bring them happiness and would solve all of their problems. Little did they know that this lifestyle created their problems. I think the idea of the American Dream has changed since then. Sure it still in-volves owning a home and making mon-ey; however, it focuses more on being happy with where you are in your life. I think today living the American Dream means you are comfortable in your own skin and that you are satisfied with what you have. Every person’s idea of the American Dream can be different and that’s the beauty of it. You decide if you are happy with your life- not anyone else.-Mrs. Matya Mizrahi

In The Great Gatsby, I think Gats-by was a reflection of the original American Dream of everyone having equal opportunity for suc-cess, since he went from some-body with nothing to someone with whatever money can buy. I think he is also a depiction of what the American Dream is perceived as now which is being somewhat materialistic. -Ms. Pritchard

I think that F Scott Fitzgerald would say that the American Dream has not changed - possibly even gotten worse - the pursuit of personal wealth as deter-mining a person’s value. Part of being an American is a strong commitment to individual freedom and the belief in endless possibilities. Fitzger-ald believed that the pursuit of material wealth took over the other aspects of what it means to achieve the American Dream - but I believe there are other ways to look at it. And though we have a way to go - there are always a good number of Americans who believe that the Dream is being successful by making a contribution that changes our country for the better. It’s all what you choose to see. F Scott Fitzgerald chose to see the emptiness of the pursuit of material wealth - I agree that a simple pursuit of wealth for its own sake or for acceptance into a higher class cannot end well and leads to an emp-ty society. But for many the American Dream is about achievement and contri-bution. That is the American Dream that I choose to see. -Mrs. Tokayer

If you have any information about this crime, please talk to a Forensic Science student. Investigation into this theft will begin next week.

Page 4 The Flame May 3rd

Senior InternshipsA GLANCE INTO "THE REAL WORLD"

Current EventsStaying Current with Zach

Internship: Observing Kings County Supreme Court Judge What it is: “I attend civil court trials, which are mainly cases about tickets, car accidents, or things like someone who slipped and fell on someone else’s property. Mondays are motion days and there are usually 15 different cases, but on lighter days there are only one or two.”What you do: “I sit in the back of the room and observe the trial. I take notes on the case and talk to the judge afterwards. We discuss what’s going on in the case, and what he thinks about it. It’s not a paperwork type of job- it’s really shadowing and observing.” Goals: “I was always interested in a career like this. It’s a lot of work- I would still need four years in undergrad and then another four years in law before going into fieldwork. Being here definitely inspires me, though.”

Internship: Kings County District Attorney What it is: “Charles J. Hines is the head DA, and there are many different divisions and bureaus. So, for example, some-one might be working in crimes against children, homicide, domestic violence, autopsy, etc. The goal is to work together to charge someone who should be convicted as a criminal.”What you do: “I work with paralegals and the Assistant to the DA (ADA) and the District Investigator (DI). If anyone needs something they come to me. A typical day would be getting subpoenas, getting something signed or stamped, to photo-copy autopsy reports and pictures of dead bodies!” Goals: “I was always intrigued by the field of criminal justice by watching shows but I soon realized it was nothing like that. When I brought it up to some paralegals they all laughed and said it doesn’t happen as quickly as it does in TV shows. I still hope to take criminal justice and psychology classes in Mary-mount and perhaps get my masters at John Jay.”

Internship: Apparel Company What it is: “The company sells wholesale baby clothing- new-borns, infants, and toddlers.”What you do: “I work on inventories and I organize the show-rooms, which is where all of the meetings take place. I also work a little in sales and help make orders.” Goals: “The school chose this internship for me because I wanted something in the business area. I am definitely happy they did, because I am interested in this and I already feel like I know it well. I like working in the garment industry and I am good with sales. My supervisor told me I am useful and that made me feel very confident!”

Internship: MDYHS What it is: “I work with Mrs. Maleh at the high school.”What you do: “I am currently planning senior banquet. We have a certain budget to work with and I have to fit that budget to in-clude a dinner, catering, tablecloths, center pieces, etc. My expec-tations here did not meet the reality at all. I seriously thought this would be a fake internship and I would be chilling all day. Instead I’m making orders or going on errands.” Goals: “I am learning great networking skills through this intern-ship. I have to talk to a lot of people in order to place necessary orders. I am also working on my time-management and organi-zation skills. There are so many things to cover and some can be so time consuming that I am really learning to prioritize.”

Two weeks after twin blasts near the Boston Marathon’s finish line, the story continues to develop. Inves-tigators have discovered at least one fingerprint among the Boston bomb debris. There have been no matches yet.

Investigators on Monday searched the family home of Tsar-naev’s widow, Katherine Russell, in Rhode Island. She and her toddler daughter -- Tamerlan’s child -- have been staying with her parents at their home in North Kingstown. Agents took items that included DNA sam-ples. Russell has said she had known nothing about her husband’s alleged plan. Female DNA was discovered on a fragment of a pressure-cooker bomb used in the attack, and investi-gators are trying to determine whose genetic material it is and whether it is connected to the terrorists plot.

The FBI investigated Ta-merlan Tsarnaev, the older of the two bombing suspects, in 2011, after Russia raised concerns about him. The agency concluded that there were no signs Tamerlan Tsarnaev “was engaging in extremist activity”.

The Intelligence Commu-nity inspector general, a watchdog that investigates risks, vulnera-bilities and deficiencies within 16 intelligence-related agencies and departments across the govern-ment, will lead a review of how the government handled its in-vestigation of Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who died after a gunfight with po-lice days after the Boston attack.

Director of National Intelli-gence James Clapper believes that all of the agencies involved in collecting

and sharing information about Tsar-naev “took all the appropriate steps.”

There have been prelim-inary talks for the past few days to potentially allow Boston bomb suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to resume providing investigators with information about the at-tacks, in exchange for having the death penalty taken off the table.

Of the more than 260 people injured in the marathon bombing, 20 remained hospitalized Tuesday, according to a tally done by CNN. More than $30 million has been do-nated to offset expenses for theses 260 victims, though it’s not clear if even that much money will defray a lifetime of new costs and expenses. The American Orthotics and Pros-thetic Association, a national trade

association, announced Tuesday that it would create a coalition to help victims who have insufficient insur-ance coverage cover their initial costs.

Zachary Mosseri ______________________________

Stay tuned for next week's article in-cluding the full story on the Middle East Crisis, Japan's Nuclear Program, and any updates with the Boston Mar-athon Bombings.

Marie Betesh

Morris Dweck

Jeffrey Dweck

Danielle Chera

Ezra Cornman Foundation Concert

By Rachel Faiena

It was an unforgettable day. A day filled with incredible food, singing, and dancing. It was a day that was raining outside, but sunny inside, a day filled with smiles, cheers, and entertaining performances. It was a day for Ezra Corn-man.

On Tuesday, April 29th, in the Sephardic Lebanese Congregation (SLC), the Ezra Cornman Foundation held many entertaining concerts, dances, and auctions. The Ezra Cornaman Foundation is a charity led by Caroline Cornman, the mother of Ezra Cornman A”H. This foundation helps people throughout the community with Bar-Mitzvah planning events, like the cost of the Tefilin, the Koracha, and much more.

The afternoon began with an inspiring speech from the principal of MDY Elementary School, Rabbi Hilsenrath. Next, the famous song “Let It Go”, produced by Rabbi Saban, was played before the crowd. After hearing this incredible song from the video, the 6th grade girls’ sang it as well. Skipping to the high school grades, the MDYHS girls’ choir performed “Ve’He Sheamdah” and “The Climb”, which touched the audiences’ hearts. The girls’ choir consisted of Esti Hazkour, Berta Nuseri, Joyce Elo, Tanya Khababieh, Judy Chalouh and Devin Ajzenman. Then another talented group of girls from MDY, the 7th grad-ers, sang another performance.

To end off the event, the 8th grade girls performed many different danc-es. In addition, the winners of the auction were called, and everyone left truly inspired.

May 3rd The Flame Page 5

SEPHARDIC HERITAGEContinued from page 1

the fun, illustrative ways they were taught.

Walking down the hall to room 503, I immediately wanted to dance. Arabic music was playing in the background, and lucky for me this presentation was all about the native food of Syria, like the ka’ak, matmoool, and sambusek (they brought samples!). In another room, we learned about the many congregations, yeshivot, and social gatherings in the Sephardic community. For example the Sephardic Community Center, Magen David Yeshivah, and Bet-El, have all greatly impacted this community.

Next walking to room 504, also known as “immigration”, we learned how Syrian Jews were able to come to America from the Middle East. On display were two biographies of influential people in our community-Rabbi Kassin, our Chief Rabbi of the Community, and Murad Faham, the saver of the Aleppo Codex.

We left these presentations with a renewed sense of pride in our community. The Sephardic community has such a rich history and has accomplished some amazing things. Our tenth graders demonstrated that in a unique way and I look forward to being a part of this program next year!

Here are some photos from the event:

STUDENT OF THE WEEKContinued from page 1

Q: Is there anything that is not in the school this year that you would like to see next year? A: I would like to see free breakfast and lunch and possibly the ability to use the elevators.

Q: What impression did you feel the Arista ceremony on Wednesday left on you?A: It left me motivated to do more work and to become an Arista student in a couple of years.

ANNOUNCING THE WINNERS OF THE SCHOOL-WIDE MATH CONTEST:

Yossi Harari, Freshman Albert Antar, Junior Hannah Cohen, Junior Nissim Hazkour, Junior

Congratulations! Each winner received a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

INTRODUCING THE NEXT SCHOOL-WIDE CONTEST: HISTORY PUBLIC SERIVE ANNOUNCEMENT VIDEO

Due: May 31st Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card

First, Choose an Issue: Make the connection between the world population at 7 billion and ONE of the following:

a. Food Security

b. Global Status of Women/Girls

c. Wildlife Habitat

Then, Research the Issue: To start your research, check out the background reading associated with the topic you’ve chosen. Outside research is also a good idea. Here is a good source to get you started: http://www.worldof7billion.org/index.php//student_video_contest/research_resources

Before you create a 30-45 second Public Service Announcement (PSA) Video, take a look at the Judging Rubric.

Judging Rubric:

Content Clarity: Does the PSA clearly make the connection between population and the chosen topic?

Memorable/Interesting: How well does the PSA draw in the listener and keep their attention?

Creativity: Is the PSA original and something we haven’t seen before?

Production: What is the overall quality of production (including visual and sound elements)?

You can work in groups! Good luck!

Internship: MDYHS What it is: “I work with Mrs. Maleh at the high school.”What you do: “I am currently planning senior banquet. We have a certain budget to work with and I have to fit that budget to in-clude a dinner, catering, tablecloths, center pieces, etc. My expec-tations here did not meet the reality at all. I seriously thought this would be a fake internship and I would be chilling all day. Instead I’m making orders or going on errands.” Goals: “I am learning great networking skills through this intern-ship. I have to talk to a lot of people in order to place necessary orders. I am also working on my time-management and organi-zation skills. There are so many things to cover and some can be so time consuming that I am really learning to prioritize.”

Join our team at The Flame

Freshmen: Email ThePress@Mdyhs.net Sophomores & Juniors: Sign up for Journalism

Arista Awards Ceremony

On Wednesday, the Arista stu-dents participated in a wonderful, in-spiring ceremony. Mr. Randall, a spec-tator at the event, "was inspired by the messages presented in the student and staff speeches." Similarly, Jessica Almani and Mrs. Auman described the partici-pants as "true role models" who "moti-vate us to aim higher." Sophia Safdieh describes the "model students" as not only academic, but also respectful to both their peers and their teachers. Juniors Caline Chaaya, Hannah Cohen, Renee Cohen, Yehonatan Hadar, Aaron F. Harari, Stephanie Laoui, Mordi Lati, Raquel F. Sabbagh, Angela Shaaya, Gloria Terzi, Michelle Wahba, Orly Yaz-di, and Amy Yedid were presented with this honor. These students qualified by achieving over a 91% average for five consecutive semesters. The ceremony was followed by a congratulatory lun-cheon in the library with parents and faculty members.

Page 6 The Flame May 3rd

Abie Chabbott: What was your main inspiration for your blog?Laura Harari: It’s a funny story actually. Two years ago I was given a homework assignment: start a blog. I came up with the name Edgify Me and just started writing. There were no rules, no professor editing my work, or penalizing me for grammatical errors and I found it thrilling. It wasn’t until I had about 8 or 9 blog posts that I started telling people about it. The reactions were amazing and I knew I was onto something. I absolutely loved having the blog as a cre-ative, personal space to express my point of view on fashion through my own voice and writing style.

AC: What is your blog about?LH: My blog covers major fashion trends, up and coming design-ers and boutiques, runway reviews and personal style all with my personal spin. I tend to reference pop culture a lot, somehow making it relevant to the fashion topic at hand. My blog has the underlying theme of seeing the exciting and emotional side of fashion and using fashion as a daily means to self-expression. I always say the best way to know if you’ve come up with a great, authentic look is if it makes you dance alone in the mirror.

AC: Did you always know you wanted to work in the fashion industry?LH: For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved fashion. Getting dressed was one of the most fun things for me since I was a kid and I’ve always loved shopping and seeing fashion up close. When I first realized there were schools dedicated to fashion and that I could make a career out of it, I knew it was what I wanted to be doing. 

AC: Where have you gained experience in this field and what did you learn?LH: While studying at FIT, I interned for Bloomingdale’s fashion office, Women’s Wear Daily and Basic Resources. Each internship shed light on what specific parts of the industry were really like and in that way I was able to hone in on what I love to do. After graduating, I started working for Sam Edelman and was soon promoted to Fashion Director. I learned so much about market analysis, the importance of trends, merchandising a line, and the value in pre-sentation. My past experiences have lent themselves so well to the skills I needed for my blog. 

AC: What is it like to have your job be on the internet?LH: It has its benefits and challenges like anything else. The best part is you can work from anywhere, anytime. The challenge is keeping up with technology and making the time to get

out to stores to shop, research and be inspired, because it is so easy to get stuck behind your desk when your job lives on the internet. 

AC: What college did you go to?LH: I went to FIT (and loved every minute of it). I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bach-elors of Science degree in Fashion Merchandising and Management. 

AC: How does someone go about making a blog?LH: It’s as easy as creating a name for your blog, choosing a theme and posting content. The blogs that tend to stand out are the ones that have strong aesthetics and unique content. Bring something new and authen-tic to the table and people will want to listen. 

AC: How can someone generate income from a blog?LH: There are so many ways to make money from a blog, most of which are heavily dependent on the readership and number of views that your blog gets. Some of the most common ways to generate income are affiliate links, banner ads, brand collaborations, sponsored posts, styling gigs and freelance blogging. 

AC: What would you advise a high school student that is interested in becoming a blogger?LH: I would say get a head start by starting your blog now. It takes time to build up your readership so the earlier the better. Make sure you have something unique to say and really differentiate yourself from the other

bloggers by being completely authentic. The blogosphere is blowing up, which is making it harder to stand out. The great thing is that blogging is becoming more and more popular among brands as a new way to reach their customers. Brands are seeing customers respond much more to bloggers promoting their products than traditional advertisements. So the in-dustry is definitely growing. 

AC: What is the name of your blog?LH: Edgify Me: www.edgifyme.com. 

Nutrition & HealthBy Frances C. Mamiye and Michelle Catton

Community Spotlight: Interviews by Abie Chabbott

Ginger and Veggie Juice A healthy recipe brought to you by Frances & Michelle

Juicing has become extremely popular in the community. I mean why wouldn’t it be? It’s a great way to detox and clean out your body.

Juicing gives you the opportunity to pick and choose exactly what goes in your body, which is hard to do these days with all the processed foods there are out there. Juicing allows your body to easily absorb the vitamins and anti-oxidants extracted from fresh produce.

Each ingredient in a juice is benefi-

cial. Beetroots  alone can help with blood pressure, gall bladder, constipation, atherosclerosis, and so much more. One of the biggest benefits of juices is the fact that they help blood flow to the brain and body.

Some people do a three day juice cleanse, which help them completely cleanse their bodies. Although these cleanses are good, they are not supposed to be done a lot be-cause it's not a practical way to lose weight and you shouldn’t deprive your body for too long.

The Unknown Stranger A Serial by Lisa Chakkalo

So I chased my father. I had to know why he killed Brandy, and what he had against my family. I ran as fast as I could, not letting the tears and anger overcome my adrenaline.

I reran the whole night through my head. I couldn’t believe my father was out to get my family and me. He always promised to stay close to us no matter what. But looks like his fingers were crossed this time. Because he’s as far as he ever was, and I couldn’t catch up to him.

I found him sitting on the stairs of our old home sobbing. Wait, why is my father crying? I wondered. He felt me staring and suddenly picked himself up and brushed his tears off his face before anyone would realize a fifty-three year old man was crying.

“Dad?” I said with my voice trembling. I was so scared. Was he going to kill me next? What’s wrong with me? I thought as I regretted chasing after him.

“Celia, listen to me. Please.” He said with his chin directly at the floor.“I had to find you, I had to hear your voice and make sure you were happy.” My father told me with symphony in his voice. I felt the sorrow and sadness he had. I felt

sorry for him. But he almost tried killing me.“Why did you threaten our family and even tried to kill ME, your own daughter?” I asked, letting my hunger for answers take over. “I knew it wasn’t you, I knew it all along. I wanted you to chase me; I needed you to be scared. I know you don’t take no for an answer. I need to know you’re okay.” He

answered me trying to calm down.At this point I was angered. He killed an innocent girl for no purpose. “Dad, she had no reason to die.”“I kn-“ I cut him off. Of course he knows she didn’t have a reason to die. But we both know why he really killed her. His anger management issues kicked in, that’s

why he left us in the first place. “You know why, I got angry that it wasn’t you and my problems got the best of me. I’m so sorry Cel.”“I guess I just have to understand that. But dad, why did you threaten to kill the family?” I asked him frightened.“Because I want to have a relationship with you. I want to connect with you, I wanted to get you over here so I can explain to you that I am still your father and I still

love and care about you and I would be so happy to be able to reconnect with you… please give me one more chance.”“Dad...”“Please Cel?” He asked me once more. I couldn’t say no to that puppy look in his eyes. “Okay, fine. Just no more threats to kill our family okay?” I said with a chuckle. My father grabbed me in his arms for a hug, and it never felt so great to have my father back. For good.

To Be Continued…

Previously on The Unknown Stranger...

Celia received a mysterious text message threaten-ing to kill her family if she does not meet the stranger

in the park. She texts a random phone number to meet the stranger instead of her, only to realize the stranger was

her father and she accidentally set up her boyfriend's younger sister. Her father shot her boyfriend's

younger sister, then walked away...

There is a juice for just about anything!

Ingredients:1 beet3 large carrots4 stalks of celery1 cucumber1/2 thumb of ginger1 pear

This juice combines nutrients and can help lower blood pressure. If you make your own juice, experiment with combining different kinds of fruits and vegetables for taste and nutrition. Popular combinations include mixing leafy vegetables like spinach or kale with celery or cu-cumber, and adding beet, carrot or apple for sweetness. 

May 3rd The Flame Page 7

High School HumorBy Jeff Grazi

Mrs. Harari: What are you writing?Jeff: A letter to myself.Mrs. Harari: What does it say?Jeff: I don’t know. I won’t get it till tomorrow.

Mr. Rabinow: Want to hear the story about the broken pencil?Jeff: No, thanks, I’m sure it has no point.

Mrs. Muller: Jeff, the story you handed in called “Our Dog,” is exactly like your brother’s.Jeff: Of course. It’s the same dog.

Mrs. Maleh: Your poem is the worst in the class. It’s not only ungrammatical, it’s rude and in bad taste. I’m going to send your father a note about it.Jeff: I don’t think that would help, Mrs Maleh. He wrote it.

Mr. Naftali: I hope I didn’t see you looking at Mike’s test.Jeff: I hope you didn’t see me either!

Jeff: Great news; Mr Bromfeld says we have a test today come rain or shine.Mike: So what’s so great about that?Jeff: It’s snowing outside!

Rabbi Tawil: Jeff, What’s you excuse this time?Jeff: Funny story actually. I made a paper airplane out of it and it got hijacked!

Mrs. Auman: Jeff, you’re a terrible student!Jeff: I always thought I was your favorite?Mrs. Auman: What made you think that?Jeff: You always put tons of X’s and and big O on my paper!

Mrs. Auman’s Jokes

“You didn’t pass your permit test? Hopefully you’ll pass my test on Monday.”

“Can you please give me the homework?” “You don’t have to be so demanding!”

“Hitler married Stalin. It’s actually legal these days.”

“I single handedly started Word War I today.”

“You’re getting so many answers right today you should buy a lottery ticket.”

“Alice please come down to the office.”“I will not give in to your demands!”

“You laughed at my joke. You get a 100 on class work.”

“That was a good joke. Put that in Sefer HaZichronot.”

“I want gum! I want gum! I want gum! I want gum! I want gum! I want gum! I want gum!”

“Everyone go home, listen to Hatikva, and practice getting goosebumps.”

Compiled by Ralph D. Betesh and Abie Chabbott

Riddle: It is greater than God and more evil than the devil. The poor have it, the rich need it and if you eat it you’ll die. What is it?

E-mail your answer to thepress@mdyhs.net for a prize! Last week’s answer: Boarding SchoolWinner: Amy Yedid

Round 1 (THIS ISSUE)

Faculty: Mrs. Muller and Ms. Nasar VSRabbi Tawil and Rabbi Tobias

Student:Danielle Shamah, Carol Missry, Linda Mosseri, Mike Cabasso VSRichie Ayal, Joe Zalta, Eddy Antar

Round 2 (NEXT ISSUE)

Faculty: Shakespeare's Angels VSWinner of Round 1

Student:Dunkin Duo VSWinner of Round 1

"The Incredibles"

"Rabbi T Squared"

Best Known For: Giving out awesome FREE candy to all the students at MDY, shtayging like crazy during our breaks, being the best dressed Rabbis of MDYUsually Seen Doing: Arguing over a halacha, helping students in need, scholars program, “Grade Dean-ing”Why We Should Win: “Because this is a contest about the best people, right?”

Best Known For: Drinking Starbucks, collecting quarters, running through the building with a backpack, carrying Mrs. Muller’s stuff, grade deaning in the lunch room  Famous Lines:Muller- “That’s a quarter,” “What’s going on in Rome?,” “You’re in the hot seat,” “I’m cranky,” “you’re all lazy,” “These vocab words are great, such nice words”Nasar- “So anyways...,” “That was awkward,” “Don’t tell Mrs. Muller,” “I don’t like you”Why We Should Win: Starbucks all around!  "MDY Flames"

Best Known For: I’m an Ayal (Richie), One of the few redheads (Zalta), Cheetah de-signed glasses (Eddy)Famous Lines:“Who needs school?”, “Where’s the chap-stick?” “Broken pencils are pointless.”Why We Should Win: We really don’t know. We’re just freshies.

"Ers Crew"

Best Known For: The ers suffix, creating new terms daily, chilling by the bay and sbux, publicized twitter groupchats, coning, always up to something fun and crazy and never a dull moment, having a blast and gazzing in the halls.Famous Lines: Ers at the end of words, “You’re being an Ockam” “K ba/byyyyyy” “Hassy Hassy was a bear” “Whyyyy u cry-inggggg” “Lol.ockam/noserverfound.org”Why We Should Win: Because we’re the definition of what a fun crew is and we make the world a “betta” place.

Page 8 The Flame May 3rd

We asked Twitter: "What is your secret obsession?"

@JaclynKredi: Reading the MDY press

@Gmmusiclover1: I'm obsessed with music, all day everyday (LOL my twit name)

@Ezra_azizo: My secret obsession has to be Oprah OPRAH!!! almost every night

@RaquelImir: Manatees

@BrigetteDana: Rabbis

@NathanCohen: Not a secret at all but baseball and Star Wars

@RichieAyal: I love lip gloss

@IFoundASecret: I Found The Secret

@Dshamz: Cones

@Sharronnnn: Hershey's choc- o-late. Can't live without that stuff

@MikeCabasso: Cones!

@Beckc1025: Dimples... I automatically like you if you have dimples

@RaquelNahum: I'm a chocoholic at heart ask anyone. They'll tell u

@SarahSaide: But it's a secret

@AlicenAshley: Blistex

Tweet Us! @MDYFLAME

Faculty Focus

Message BoardGood luck to all the students on their finals! -Dr. Dearson

Happy birthday, Donna! -Esti Hazkour + Lorraine Gammal

Happy birthday, Becca! -Rebecca Safdieh

Really proud of your Jewish Heritage projects you've done this week (11th grade Academy)-Rabbi E. Bitton

Check out our article in the Image on page 60! Mrs. Cohen's bio class, Mrs. Falack's Torah class, and Mrs. Mizrahi's algebra class- you're famous!!-MDY Staff

Happy birthday Becca Miz!!!-Becky Chakkalo and Natalie Segev

9GH, wow! We covered so many topics and still finished the curriculum!! Favorite class of nuggets!-Rabbi Tawil

Happy birthday Rabbi Tawil!!-Class 9GH

Ms. Audrey Nasar Audrey Nasar, Sephardic HeritageInterview by Max Dweck

MD: Where did you get the idea?AN: I have always loved Jewish History. Mrs. Tokayer was my Jewish History teacher when I was in High School and she really inspired me and showed me that teaching Jewish History is not just about facts and figures; it’s about constantly striving to live by the values that are derived from our past. I feel this sense of responsibility most strongly in relation to our own community history. While studying Jewish History in college, my professors constantly bemoaned the fact that there was so little research done on Sephardic Jewry. I began to fear that if we didn’t study our own past, then we would lose sight of the glorious traditions that our ancestors passed down to us. I wanted to come up with an engaging and interactive way to have students delve into our history and to present that history with pride. I shared this dream with Mrs. Maleh and together we came up with the Sephardic Heritage Expo. MD: How is this year’s expo different from last year’s?AN: I loved both Expos and I was so happy to work with the students this year and last year! I am constantly impressed by their creativity, commitment to excellence and drive. This year we tried to make the Expo more collaborative. We sought out different departments and met with groups of faculty members in advance to reformat the project and to expand on the concept. The tremendous input from Mrs. Muller, Mrs. Harari, Mrs. Netkin, Rabbi Bitton, Miss Mishanieh and countless others, truly transformed the project. The students were required to write research papers and to attend workshops to design creative brochures. The results were amazing- students had more ownership over the information. They really became familiar with their topics and were able to express themselves confidently and eloquently.MD: Did you learn anything new?AN: I learned so many new things! Our students are often our greatest teachers. Through their projects I heard incredible stories about their families. I listened to interviews about escapes from hostile countries, learned how to twirl the edges of Sambosaks, and was fascinated by the story of printing in the Sephradic world. At every booth, I heard or saw something new, from an actual report card from our community’s Talmud Torah to interviews with experts in the field of Jewish History describing the similarities and differences between the Ashkenaz and Sephardic experi-ence. Our students never cease to amaze me!

SPORTS NEWS By Jack Beyda

Hot Start for Junior Varsity Softball

With just two days of playing we managed to bring in three wins and no losses. Our first game was an out of divi-sion against MTA. This game was played on Thursday April 25th in Seth Low Park. As a team we started off slowly not hitting very well in the first few innings and our defense was keeping us in the game. But there is this known thing in sports- if you lose an opportu-nity to score the other team will come back and score more than you could have, and this is what happened that night. We made some bad plays in the field and in the top of the fifth inning we gave up four runs. After the in-ning we felt like we could take the momentum and the game right back if we just played well. After this it couldn’t have gone better, Harry Shomer led off that inning hitting a homerun over the center fielder’s glove and he brought us within three runs. After this there was no looking back; everyone start-ed to hit and we scored three more runs tying the game 4-4.

This is when Leo Esses came up to bat with Ralph Shamah on third base. All Leo had to do with one out was just to hit a sacrifice fly to score Ralph and we would have gained the lead back in just one inning. Sure enough Leo hit a deep fly ball and Ralph was able to score giving Leo the go ahead run batted in, which in the end came to be the game-win-ning run that he drove in. Our pitcher Eddie Levy who pitched phenomenally in the last two innings brought us home with our first victory of the season against MTA 5-4.

Our second and third games were on the next day April 26th and we played against our newly established rivals, YDE. We came out hitting on a hot streak and our defense was superb. Our pitcher Eddie Levy pitched another gem, and gave up only one run the whole game. But, he could have given up 10 runs and we still would have won because we scored 15 runs and the game ended in the fifth inning by the mercy rule. Our third game followed this game by a half hour and

this time we started off slowly giving up one run in the first inning to YDE by poor defense. However it didn’t take long for our hitting to get started on their pitcher. Leo Esses hit a three run home run in this game and also had multiple hits. The team has really been playing well together and we won this game 9-3. This has made our record 3-0 and we have three games left.

Our re-maining games are on Friday May 3rd, Monday May 6th, and Friday May 10th. Our game this Friday is against Frisch and our last two remaining games, clos-ing out the season, are against Flatbush.

Football Season Never Ends In reality football season does have an end, but it does not feel this way be-cause of what goes on during the NFL’s offseason. The Su-per Bowl is in February, and there are a few weeks where players cannot sign a contract with a team. However, after this short period everything is back in full swing. The coach-es and owners never stop; they are constantly trying to figure out a way to make their team better and more athlet-ic. Besides for a free agen-cy period where a team can sign a player to a contract if his contract expired with an-other team, there is another way the coaches and owners make their team more com-petitive. This way is the NFL Draft, which takes place in New York City in the Radio City Music Hall. Many fans of teams come to cheer their team on when it is their time to pick which collegiate play-er will now play under them in the upcoming season. This day can make or break the life of a 21-year-old man. This year’s draft

started with round one on April 25th and concluded with its last round on April 27th. Every year the analysts try to predict which play-er will get selected first. But this year there were many analysts who were left unde-cided. However, many could narrow it down to two men. Eric Fisher who went to Cen-tral Michigan University for college and Luke Joeckel who went to Texas A&M, these two men were projected the top two players in the draft, but no one really knew who was going to be selected first. Now it was time for the Kansas City Chiefs to make their selection, they were awarded the first pick of the draft because they held the worst record in the NFL in the last season. The Kan-sas City Chiefs went 2-14 in the previous season. Now it was time to see who would be selected. The NFL com-missioner Roger Goodell got the confirmation of who was to be selected and he walked to the podium. Now let me remind you this is very dra-matic, the player is sitting

with their families in a differ-ent room waiting to get the phone call to let them know what team has selected him. Every selection begins with the following: the (number pick) in the 2013 NFL Draft the (team) selects... So in the 2013 NFL Draft Roger Good-ell said this: With the first pick in the 2013 NFL Draft the Kansas City Chiefs select ... Eric Fisher out of Central Michigan University, and the Chiefs fans cheered on their team’s coaching staff on that wonderful pick. Luke Joeck-el was selected second by the Jacksonville Jaguars. On April 27th the last pick of the draft is an-nounced, and over the years this man has claimed the ti-tle as, “Mr. Irrelevant.” The Indianapolis Colts had the “honor” to make this selec-tion and with the 254th pick of the draft they selected “Mr. Irrelevant,” a Tight End out of South Carolina named Justice Cunningham. As this year’s draft comes to a close we wait anxiously for next years draft.