Dear
Friends,
While
many students are taking exams and completing end-of-year projects, our seniors
are performing community service. They are volunteering in a broad variety of
schools, organizations and non-profit agencies, continuing the tradition of
community service that has been an essential part of their Barrack careers.
We
work with our seniors on an individual basis in an effort to match interests and
passions with community service opportunities. We have multiple seniors working
in inner-city elementary schools and synagogue nursery schools; government agencies,
such as the EPA; cultural centers such as The National Constitution Center; and
in area college labs and hospitals.
Some of our students are using community
service options to explore a possible career. Jon Pressman, who wants to pursue a
career in medicine, is volunteering at a hospital, stating: "It gives me the
opportunity to work interactively with medical professionals and see what
happens behind the scenes, as well as have a better understanding of medicine."
Emily Steiker-Epstein chose to work at a Skate Park in Philadelphia. She is using
her art and design knowledge, as well as her creativity, to help design a skate
park for inner city children in Philadelphia.
Jackie
Cantor and Rachel Twersky decided to combine community service and their love for Israel. They work at a soup kitchen, reporting: "We help pass out the food and keep
the kitchen in working order while people come to get food for lunch. It's so
great to see how what we are doing directly helps and benefits people who need
it."
Before
the seniors walk down the aisle at graduation, they continue the tradition
of experiencing the world beyond the classroom and have another chance to give
back to the community, a community, that in many ways, has given so much to
them.
Sincerely,
Rebecca
Trajtenberg
Assistant
College Counselor
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For Learning.
6th Grade Green Thumbs:
Greener School Environment
|  Our 6th graders have translated learning
about the environment into action. After many months of fundraising, research
and planting, the sixth grade has "greened" the third floor
classrooms with lovely potted plants. They are very proud of their efforts that
were inspired by their TEVA experiences and environmental studies.
Congratulations, 6th graders, and thank you for using your "green
thumbs" to create an environmentally friendly environment for all who study and
work on the third floor.
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Annual
French Cultural Trivia Championship
9th Graders Win!
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Throughout the year, all French students in grades
8-12 practice trivia questions that focus on six aspects of French culture:
sports and arts, famous people, food and drink, history, life and geography.
Then each section chooses two representatives to participate in the Annual
French Cultural Trivia Championship hosted by the French Club. "You cannot
learn a language without understanding the culture of the people that speak
it," shares Dr. Sigal Strauss, "and the trivia championship provides a fun way
to engage students in learning and living French culture." This year, the
championship went down to the wire, with the 11th grade team of Leon
Davis and Sarah Turner battling
for the win with 9th graders Samantha Levin and Dvorah Treatman. The 9th grade team won!!
The prize: a crepe party for their class. Oh, la, la and very delicious.
Congratulations to all the teams and to Dr. Strauss.
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Vocal Ensemble to Participate in
Kolot HaYam Festival
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Select members of the Barrack vocal ensemble will
participate in the Kolot HaYam Festival at The Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel in
Asbury Park,NJ on May 14 - 16. The Festival is hosted by the Solomon Schechter
Day School of Essex and Union and will involve vocal groups from numerous
Jewish Day Schools throughout the Northeast. Students will participate in an
enriching Shabbaton experience, group singing sessions and music classes while
learning and collaborating with other Jewish day school students. "We are
delighted to have this opportunity," shares Dr. Karin Orenstein, Barrack music
teacher and ensemble director.
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For Leading.
They're
Getting All
Shook Up!
Upper School Musical Bows May 30-June 2
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Inspired by and featuring the songs of Elvis Presley, All
Shook Up!- the Upper School musical this year- is bound to have
everyone dancing in the aisles. This Broadway favorite depicts a small town,
run by a puritanical mayor, that is roused to life by a motor-cycle-riding,
rock-and-roll-playing roustabout named Chad. The book, by Joe DiPetro, also
tosses in some allusions to Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
and The Winter's Tale and addresses a number of social
issues. Rehearsals are in full swing and the energy of the large cast is
palpable. Tickets are on sale now for the foot-stomping
production that will take center stage at St. Joe's Bluett Theatre on Sunday
May 30- Wednesday June 2,
7:30pm. You also have an opportunity to support the Drama
Department. Click here for full details and to order tickets.
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Arielle Belfer '10 Featured
in Cherry Hill
Voice Article
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Arielle Belfer, a Barrack senior
and Cherry Hill resident, was featured in a Cherry Hill Voice article, focusing on Arielle's leadership in the HEAR Club and her receipt of a
Holocaust Remembrance Week Proclamation from the Radnor Township Commissioners.
Click here to read the article.
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Rain Doesn't Dampen Lag B'Omer Spirit
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Kudos to
the Chesed Club and 11th graders who planned, organized and
implemented cheerful Lag B'Omer festivities despite the rainy weather. Eleventh
grade 'chefs' grilled lunch that students enjoyed during an in-door picnic in
the Dining Commons. Chesed Club members sold t-shirts and 50-50 raffle tickets,
raising over $200 for the Open Air School in Durban, South Africa. The
school supply collection for the Durban school was so successful that it has
been extended for another two weeks. A spirited student-faculty volleyball game took
place in the gym, as did a lively 3-on-3 basketball game. A good time was had
by all.
Congratulations to Randi Butow, the winner of the
50/50 raffle! Randi then donated her winnings to the school. Thank you! Congratulations,
as well to those who won the sports games yesterday. Rafael Haber '15 won the table tennis tournament. Tal Ben-Maimon
'10, Eliyahu Korn '13,
and Eric Henzel '13 won the basketball
tournament.
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Sports Updates
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Girls' Varsity Softball Recaps
On April 29, the Lady Cougars won their second game in
a row against Tri-County opponent, Woodlynde with a score of 22-6. Lila
Manstein '13 was the winning pitcher. The team performed well
offensively, with 18 hits. Sarah Saltz '10 went 4/4 with a
double and a triple and 3 RBI's. Arielle Mizrahi '13
went 3/3 with 2 great catches in center field. Judy Zwillenberg '10 also went 3/3. Barrack is now 6-3 in league play.
On May 3, the Lady Cougars fought back after scoring 12 runs in the 4th inning,
but under the stress of a tornado warning and missed calls, fell short to
Penn-Jersey league opponent, Life Center, 20-24. The team left the bases loaded
twice. The score did not reflect the great outing on the mound of pitcher Emily
Steiker-Epstein '10, who pitched the entire game.
On May 4, the Barrack softball team defeated host, Renaissance
Academy, 10-2 in a Tri-County league game. The team's defense was outstanding,
limiting their opponent to only 5 hits in 7 innings. Lila Manstein '13,
the winning pitcher, allowed only 3 walks. Sarah Saltz '10 had a triple and Jenna Glassman '12 had
a double. The team had a total of 10 hits, and only made one error. They now
have a record of 7-4 in league play and an 8-6 record overall.
Congratulations to the team and to Coach Gillio.
Boys' Varsity Tennis Update
The Barrack Cougars hosted the visiting team from the
Solebury School and won 6-0! Singles winners were Michael Woods '11,
Adam Wachs '10, Michael Cahana '14 and Daniel Parmet '11. Doubles winners were Tal
Ben-Maimon '10 and Jon Foster '10,
and Ezra Solway '12 and Evan Benedict '13.
Congratulations, players and Coach Mike Mooney.
Boys' Varsity Baseball News
The
Varsity baseball team continued to achieve success with two league victories
this week. On Wednesday, behind the solid pitching of Senior Co-Captain
Daniel Saewitz,
the team defeated Doane Academy 10-0. Saewitz pitched a complete game, striking out
five and now has a streak of 19 straight innings without giving up an earned
run. His record on the season is 5-0. Senior Danny Elkin (3 for 4 at bat with 3
RBIs) and Senior Etan Weinstein (3 for 3 at bat with 2 RBIs) led the offense.
On Thursday, the Cougars traveled to New Jersey and bested New Jersey United
Christian 24-2 in a shortened 3-inning game. The offense was led by Junior Jake
Levin (single, double and 2 RBIs), Senior Eli Taichman (hit his second home run of the season), Junior Danny Raiken (2 singles and a triple and 5 RBIs), Senior Co-Captain Daniel Becker
(2 singles and 3 RBIs) and Senior Etan Weinstein
(2 singles and 2 RBIs). The team is now 12-2 on the season. The final week of
the regular season is next week followed by the playoffs. Way to go team and to Coach Jerry Kleger!
 Middle School Baseball Team Wins Final Game of Season
Barrack's Middle School Baseball team won its final
game of the season, a 7-6 comeback victory over Saligman, reports Steven
Razin, proud coach and Barrack faculty member. After falling
behind 5-0 after the first inning, pitcher Jake Smolover '14 settled down and allowed only one more run over the next three innings. The
Barrack Middle School baseball team tied the game by scoring two runs in the
second, and 3 in the third. We took the lead in the fourth inning on Josh
Radack's '14 second homerun of the
season and held on to win the game 7-6. The MS Baseball team finished the
season with a record of 4-2-1. We had a phenomenal season. Thank you to all of
the players: 8th graders: Josh Radack (team captain), Shawn
Martin, Ben Bernstein, Jake Smolover,
Shai Naftali-Greer, Adam Black, and Elan Zebrowitz;
7th graders: Rafael Haber, Danny Nelson, and
Randy Frank; 6th graders: Josh Cohen,
Josh Jutcovich, Amos Epelman, Sam Engel, Max Feist,
and Jon Saewitz. Finally, a special thank you to the assistant coach Dave
Schaffer.
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For Life.
Kate Ledger '88 Shares Memories, Insights
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Kate
Ledger '88,
delighted former classmates, teachers, friends and fans with her very warm and
enlightening presentation that focused on her Jewish day school experiences, as
well as her highly-acclaimed debut novel, Remedies. Dr. Steven M. Brown, Head of School, and Joy
Pincus Cooper '90,
Akiba-Barrack Alumni Association Chair, welcomed everyone. Kate was introduced
by Susan Weisgrau,
former Akiba-Barrack English teacher and Kate's mentor and friend.
Ms. Ledger
explained that although she did not set out to write a Jewish novel, she found
herself remembering a short story about Yom Kippur by S.Y. Agnon that she read
in Mrs. Howarth's English class at Akiba - a story that inspired her writing.
She realized that her very troubled protagonist, Simon Bear, would have to
reconnect with his Jewish roots and community in order to begin a healing
process.
Kate shared: "I do think of Remedies as a Jewish book, even though I think the book's message applies more broadly.
The Bears are a family in pain, a family that might have been helped by ritual,
and even community. I see their dissociation as a frailty, a liability, and in
imagining them, I did take stock of my own family's connectedness to community
and Jewish learning. And yet, despite the Bear's dissociation, there is
something in Simon's Jewish identity that kicks into gear to rescue him. It
happens at his darkest moment. Stripped of his medical practice and estranged
from his family, he's a man with his sense of self pared to almost nothing. And
without even quite understanding why, he is propelled to Kol Nidre services.
What is strong and Jewish at his core directs him to a source of healing and
the remedies he needs to imagine a different future for his family."
Prior to Kate's presentation, friends, family and community patrons and
sponsors joined her for an intimate supper. A dessert reception for all in
attendance followed the inspirational program.
Classmates Rachel Kosloff Scheinmann '88 and
Kimberly Schwartzman Kimmel '88 were Co-Chairs of the lovely alumni event. Copies of Kate Ledger's novel are available for $18
each. Proceeds support the Akiba-Barrack Alumni Association. For information,
contact Susan Gordon: sgordon@jbha.org /
610-922-2326.
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Young Alumni Voices
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From time to time, alumni send us emails. One follows:
 "I truly believe that Barrack taught me to appreciate diversity and open-mindedness. My fellow students are from literally all over the world and come from startling different backgrounds and cultures. Barrack taught me to embrace the diversity, rather than shun it...to welcome opposing views rather than reject them... I also speak confidently in class. I am unafraid of voicing my opinions and supporting them with evidence."
Stuart Goldberg, '09
The Wharton School,
University of Pennsylvania
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Parents' Corner
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HSA
Speaker Dr.
Talia Eisenstein
Dr.
Talia Eisenstein, a licensed psychologist, will present a talk entitled "Get out of my
life...but
first take me to the mall"...What do teens REALLY want and how to
decipher their language on Monday, May 10, 7pm at Barrack. This HSA-sponsored
program is free and open to all Barrack parents and the school community.
Senior
Parents: Graduation Dinner
Reminder
Invitations to the dinner for Barrack seniors and their families that
will be held directly before graduation ceremonies on June 10 are in the mail. RSVPs are due by May 24. Click here to download the invitation.
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Urgent Call:
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Help Save a Mother's Life This Mothers' Day
Sandee Klein
Needs Your Help...
Sandee Klein, wife of Barrack Athletic Director, Mitch Klein is in urgent need of a bone marrow transplant. Since tissue type is inherited, Sandee's best chance of finding a match lies with those of Jewish ancestry with Sephardic and/or Ashkenazi background.Testing is fast and painless, involving only a simple cheek swab. Eligible donors must be between the ages of 18-60. Blood type does not matter. There will be two FREE Cheek Swab drives in Cherry Hill on Mothers' Day.
#1. Sons of Israel
720 Cooper Landing Road
Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
10am to 12 noon
#2. Torah Links
304 D Kresson Road
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034
12:30pm to 3:30pm
Mitch and Sandee thank everyone who volunteered for cheek swabs last week at Barrack and helped organize this vital event. They are truly gratified by the outpouring of support and kindness.
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In the Spotlight:
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Senior Community Service Highlights
Our seniors, through their
community service commitments, are making a positive difference in the
community. Here are two reports from the field:
Judy
Zwillenberg-
Volunteering at Living Beyond Breast Cancer
I chose to work at Living Beyond Breast Cancer, a non-profit organization
dedicated to helping those with breast cancer "live as long as possible
with the best quality of life." Aside from being attracted by their
mission statement, I was interested in helping with their main fundraising
event, "Yoga Unites for Living Beyond Breast Cancer," which will be taking
place May 16 on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Through
my community service, I have been able to assist LBBC by organizing
mailings to raise money and contacting the media to receive publicity for "Yoga
Unites." I have learned much from my community service, but most
importantly, this experience has taught that non-profit organizations can have
a profound impact on individuals and society. LBBC has educated and supported
hundreds of women and their families as they cope with the effects
of breast cancer.
Hannah Kosman- Volunteering at Philadelphia Reads
I'm working downtown at Philadelphia Reads, an organization that works to
improve the literacy skills of children living in the Philadelphia area and to
instill a love of reading in them. I love to read and am especially fond of
children's literature, so this seemed like the perfect place for me to be! I'm
helping them prepare for this year's "Reading Olympics," as well as putting
together boxes of books to be sent to various schools. I'll also be
participating in their books on tape program, which I'm very excited about.
Apart from helping out the community, we are also getting a taste of life outside
of Barrack." Since I am going to college nearby, I could continue working there
next year.
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Calendar
| 9th
Grade Shabbaton
Capital
Camps
May 7-9
HSA
Speaker
Dr.
Talia Eisenstein
Monday,
May 10
Barrack,
7pm
8th
Grade Williamsburg Trip
May 10-13
Yom
Yerushalayim
Wednesday,
May 12
6th
& 7th Grade Sleepover
Thursday,
May 13
Barrack
Hebrew Academy
(Classes
will be held Thursday &
Friday)
Shavuout
Assembly &
Presentation
to Jonah Stern '09
Monday,
May 17
Jr.
& Sr. Prom
Monday,
May 17
Upper
School Musical
All
Shook Up!
Sunday,
May 30-June 3
7:30 pm
Bluett
Theatre, St Joseph University
Tickets:
$15 adults; $12 students
Click here to order tickets
Upper
School Awards Night
Thursday,
June 3, 7:30pm
Barrack
Auditorium
Graduation:
Class of 2010
Thursday,
June 10, 7:30pm
Temple
Adath Israel
Akiba-Barrack Alumni Reunion
Milestone classes recognition '0s and '5s.
Sunday, June 13, 1-3pm
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For everything,
there is a season...
| Alumni Life Cycles
Mazel
tov to:
Ari Brooks '86, who was named as one of Philadelphia
Magazine's Best Docs in the May 2010 issue. He is a surgeon at
Hahnemann/Drexel with a specialty in Breast cancer.
Marti
Dembowitz '05 on graduating from Brandeis University and being named Phi Beta
Kappa.
Ruth
Pinkenson Feldman '67 and husband Gary on the engagement of their son Noam to Shana Binstock of Silver Spring, MD.
Alisha
Goldblatt '91 and husband Zackery Heiden are the proud parents of a
son Zev Hillel,
brother
to Anya.
Shira Roemer '02 on her marriage to Jacob
Matthew Greenbaum. Shira is the daughter of Rivka Katz, Barrack
Board member, and Steve Roemer.
Aliza
Rosenthal '01 on her marriage to Adam Mervis.
Heartfelt
Condolences to:
It is with much sadness that we inform you of
the passing of Mrs. Helen Winokur z'l,
grandmother of Barrack alum, Matthew Surden '07. The funeral
took place this morning (5/7/10) at 11:30 AM at Mt. Sharon Cemetery. No further
information is available at this time. |
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Photo Gallery
Kate Ledger
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Green Thumbs
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Lag B'Omer
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Submit to Benainu
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Please send Benainu information to our new email address benainu@jbha.org
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