Before the game, the �鶹���� delegation got to go to the Mets’ press conference room and meet with Ben Zauzmer, vice president and assistant general manager, Baseball Analytics, who discussed the role of analytics in building a winning franchise. He noted that everything learned in school you actually will use in your future. He discussed how, in his case, he used math tools like calculus, trigonometry and regression models in statistics on a daily basis to help build the best team. The students then heard from Ethan Wilson, senior director of Communications, who described the role of writing in fashioning compelling stories for the fans in the print press, to the various media outlets and on social media.

Finally, the �鶹���� Cougar Chorus sang the national anthem at the opening of the game! They then got to watch an exciting back-and-forth game, culminating with Maariv during the seventh inning stretch. In the end, the Mets pulled through for the win! What a great night for the Cougars!

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In addition to the JV team award, �鶹���� came home with several individual awards, out of a field of around 120 students for each level of competition. Senior Shoshana Schwarz won the Ethel Gamble Award, presented to a debater who can win handily and lose graciously, the very best representative of the league, as voted by the coaches; senior Sarit Greenwood ‘23 won the Coaches’ Award for dedication to her team; sophomore Mussia Poltorak won Fourth Place JV Speaker; and freshman Tess Peiper won Thirrd Place JV Speaker. In addition, Shoshana Schwarz won 10th Place Varsity Speaker. Congratulations to the debaters and thanks to �鶹���� debate coach Ms. Nina Cohen for her dedication to the team!

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If athletics captures your heart (and feet!), there are over 13 clubs to choose from (distinct from athletic teams), ranging from crew to ski racing, golf and lacrosse, Dance Team, Skate Club—and more. Cougar Nation Network, another club, streams sports commentary during games.

Interested in the natural world and conservation? Check out the Zoological Society, the Ocean Preservation Club or Environmental Club. Or, learn how Torah and tending crops intersect, as part of the �鶹���� Farm. A creative soul with many talents? There are over 14 clubs just within the realm of arts and music—including fiber arts/knitting, interior design, drama, choir, filmmaking, performance ensemble and photography.

Future business moguls also have a place at �鶹����. The Investment Club, Real Estate Club, Crypto NFT Club, Business Club, Women in Finance and several other new clubs regularly deliver practical information as well as incredible guest speakers. Students who enjoy the thrill of competition and thinking on your feet, can try out for Mock Trial, Model UN, Debate, or College Bowl, or join Chess Club, Math League and more.

�鶹���� also has a thriving community of serious extracurricular Torah learners. In addition to Thursday night mishmar, there is regular Night Seder, Nach Yomi, Chidon HaTanach, Torah Bowl and a weekly parsha publication, Be’er Shavua, which is now being distributed in most of the community shuls where �鶹���� students daven. In addition to Be’er Shavua, �鶹���� boasts nine other student publications—Paw Print (news), Science Journal, Israel Journal, Kalliope (literary arts), Yearbook, Torah Journal, �鶹���� News Network and and Foreign Language Journal—plus 12 clubs in the fields of science and engineering, including (but not limited to) a multi-level robotics program, Hackathon Team, Coding Club, anatomy and physiology, bio research and others.

If students just want to chill and hang out with friends? �鶹���� has you covered as well, with Ping Pong, LEGO Club, The Breakfast Club and many more special interest clubs.

“Clubs allow our students to cultivate meaningful relationships through micro-communities of students who share a passion and/or interest,” said Rabbi Joshua Schulman, �鶹���� club coordinator and member of the school’s Talmud department. “Student leaders are empowered to build their dream clubs leaning on and taking advantage of the guidance and expertise of our talented faculty members. Every year I am amazed at the creativity and enthusiasm generated by our remarkable students looking to create meaningful and engaging moments for and with one another.”

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For Romm, the experience of studying Tanach has been an immersive one, suffused with religious meaning. “The study of any literature allows one to appreciate the mind of its author,” explained Romm. “When one immerses himself in a particular canon of literature, he finds his thoughts shaped by and expressed in terms of the literature he is studying. This takes on religious significance when that literature is Tanach, and one realizes that his own mind is being brought into greater alignment with the Perfect Mind, the ultimate Author of the Tanach.”

Romm’s favorite part of Tanach? “Kohelet, by virtue of the fact that it’s in Tanach at all,” he said. “It raises many of the sentiments extolled as the pinnacle of wisdom by today’s ‘New Atheists’ (an apt demonstration of its own aphorism, ‘Ein chadash tachat hashemesh,’ There is nothing new under the sun). By canonizing it, the (proto-)rabbis acknowledged that such musings, while poignant, are not the end of wisdom and man’s search for spiritual fulfillment, but only its beginning. ‘Sof davar hakol nishma, et ha-Elokim yera ve’et mitzvotav shemor’” “The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole man.”

Romm also learned about what it takes to advance in the Chidon, striving for the seemingly impossible. “In general, long term, your brain is capable of so much more than you think it is,” said Romm. “Your memory and your mind is a muscle, just like anything else. And if you work it with discipline, you can learn far more than you thought capable.” Romm also thanked his Chidon coach, �鶹���� Hebrew Department Chair and 2016 International Adult Chidon HaTanach Champion Rabbi Yair Shahak, “for his dedication to helping me prepare for the International Chidon. His coaching and advice have been invaluable.”

One of Shahak’s goals was to give Romm strategies to remember the tiniest details, and know as much as possible. “He studied day and night,” said Shahak, noting that Romm has a natural affinity for spotting connections in the text. “One of the things that struck me about Beni is how much he relies on and utilizes simple logic based on linguistic and historical sources to be able to identify answers. For example, he correctly identified that metziltayim (cymbals) only appears during Bayit Sheini, so any quote with that word will only appear in Ezra, Nehemiah or Divrei Hayamim. Or, for example, knowing the history and geography of empires—that also played into his success. To say that it’s been a joy learning with him is an understatement.”

Over the course of high school, Romm said that his Jewish education “has really come from both sides of the faculty: Judaic and secular studies. This is a really unique aspect of �鶹����.” Outside the classroom, he founded a Chidon Club at �鶹���� and recruited a large membership. Earlier this year, 17 �鶹���� students advanced past the preliminary exam to the national round of the Chidon this May. When asked what advice he would give to new participants, Romm cited Mishlei 23:1: כי תצא ללחום את מושל בין תבין את אשר לפניך, “When you go out to fight against the ruler, you have to understand very well what’s in front of you,” said Romm.

“This holds true for every goal in life,” he explained. “You really have to understand what target you’re trying to achieve. With that in mind you can work towards that goal and be successful. My goal was really to master the material and win, and in that way I was able to gain a greater mastery of the material than if I were learning ‘lishma.’”

Yet, Romm is certainly no stranger to learning for its own sake. Now that the Chidon is over, he has set new goals: learn the remaining parts of Nevi’im Achronim to the same level which he prepared for the Chidon (“functionally equivalent to memorization”), sharpen his existing leining knowledge and complete shnayim mikra with the Septuagint with Koine Greek—with the aspiration of learning Greek so that he can study Second Temple and Mishnaic Judaism in college.

His work for the Chidon helped with it all. “As you’re learning you’re immediately, automatically connecting in your head all the places where similar words appear in Tanach,” he said, “as if you have a concordance in the back of your mind, and that’s a very useful tool to have.”

Romm believes that his ability to lein was indispensable in helping him learn and memorize as much as he did. He noted that boys are usually taught this skill in preparation for their bar mitzvah, while girls are not. This, to his mind, perpetuates a systemic inequality, to use contemporary terminology, when it comes to memorizing the text of the Torah and Nevi’im. “I think that this is not an ideal situation, because the Torah should be open equally to everyone,” said Romm. “We should not be putting pedagogical barriers in front of women when it comes to gaining mastery of Tanach.

“If I were to approach this problem, I would recommend that the community reconceptualize what the role of leining is—the learning of how to read and chant the Torah trop—and how it’s taught,” he explained. “Currently in the community, leining is associated with the public reading of Torah and Haftarah in the synagogue, but historically this was never the purpose of the leining. Cantillation exists not just in the parts that are read aloud in the synagogue but in all of Tanach, because it’s there to serve as both punctuation and an aid to memorization. Therefore, the skill of leining is not a skill in kriat Torah, but talmud Torah. Such that in order for there to be equality in the acquisition of skills in this area, Jewish schools should allocate class time to teaching the ta’amei mikra and how to lein.”

Romm is graduating from �鶹���� this year, and plans to major in mechanical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania following study at Yeshivat Har Etzion. He described the experience of briefly meeting people from Israel and around the world through the virtual Chidon programming as one of the highlights of the Chidon experience. “I hope to meet as many as I can next year in Israel,” he said.

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Figueroa spoke about his career, and how despite injuries he persevered and attained his goals. He emphasized the importance of hard work and not giving up when things don’t go your way. The Q&A covered several different areas, including hot topics in sports (from cheating and steroid scandals, to proposed rule changes by the league), baseball knowledge and analytics (like what makes some pitchers better than others and how to address different athletes’ specific challenges), as well as the ways to get involved in sports even if you’re not an athlete. Figueroa also spoke about how he began volunteering for Chai Lifeline and Camp Simcha.

�鶹����’s Sports Management Club was founded this year by sophomore Jack Greenfield, with the support of the �鶹���� administration. “The club is geared towards students who love sports and are interested in learning about the business side of sports, since they are unlikely to be playing professionally,” said Greenfield. “I have reached out to people in many different sports-related jobs, and the response has been really positive.” This year, the club has presentations from around 10 speakers who all work in the sports industry.

“It was very exciting to meet a former professional baseball player, and to hear about his current role as an analyst/commentator,” said Greenfield about Figueroa’s visit. “Along with his presentation, he was able to answer any current baseball-related questions from the students, giving opinions from both a player’s point of view and an analyst’s. He also gave some advice to those who want to get in the business through the MLB and minor league baseball organizations. The advice that is offered by these presenters is very valuable as we start thinking about our college years and beyond.”

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�鶹���� Drama Society Director Danny Hoffman said he chose the play because it provides many interesting ideas for the students to think about and discuss. This is Hoffman’s second year directing the �鶹���� spring production, taking over from Rabbi Dr. John Krug, who continues to serve in a mentorship role.

The production starred actors Daniella Atiya, Max Burgida, Addie Coates, Mia Cohen, Shifra Dimbert, JJ Feit, Dalia Goldstein, Maayan Keigher, Kayla Kramer, Lily Levine, Jemma Lifschitz, Molly Lopkin, Tzvi Mershon, Sophie Ostrove, Dylan Speiser, Tamara Sragow and Tzipora Lifschitz. Orly Hahn and Kaylie Jacobs served as associate directors, with Hannah Finkelshteyn as production designer, Jarret Lazarus and Daphna Cohen as assistant stage managers and Margalit Ramirez on tech.

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