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Shalhevet news online: When we know it, you'll know it

The Boiling Point

Shalhevet news online: When we know it, you'll know it

The Boiling Point

Shalhevet news online: When we know it, you'll know it

The Boiling Point

Clara Sandler

Clara Sandler, Co Editor-in-Chief Emeritus

Clara Sandler was co-editor-in-chief during the 2018-19 school year and then studied  at the Midreshet Lindenbaum seminary in Jerusalem.  She is now a junior at the University of Chicago.

All content by Clara Sandler

He built the house, then built a home

By Clara Sandler, Class of ‘19
January 27, 2020

The first basketball game I remember going to was Lakers versus the New Jersey (now Brooklyn) Nets. This has to be over 10-12...

CONNECTED: In ancient times, Jews came from all over Israel to pray at the temple in Jerusalem. Today, praying there on any day can bring feelings of unity across time.

Shavuot in Jerusalem: Anticipation rewarded, then and now

By Clara Sandler, Co-Editor-in-Chief
June 12, 2019

The morning I flew to Israel, I woke up at 6:20 am even though my alarm was not supposed to go off until 7:15. The anticipation...

STAR: Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard gets ready to drive in the Raptors 118-109 victory over the reigning-champion Golden State Warriors on May 30. Leonard, the 2014 NBA Finals MVP with the San Antonio Spurs, played a team high 43 minutes and scored 23 points in the game.

CLARA’S CALLS: Happy Endings, and may the Raptors win

By Clara Sandler, Co-Editor-in-Chief
June 4, 2019

Acharon acharon haviv. The last one is the most precious. This Rashi perfectly embodies how I feel as I write this last, most...

DEMOCRACY: Newly elected Agenda Chair David Edwards, center, said at today’s candidate debate that he would “revise and revive” the school constitution and start an Agenda Instagram. Defeated candidates were Maya Tochner, this year’s vice chair, and Noah Hertzberg.

David Edwards elected new Agenda chair; Klores and Rubel will lead Fairness

By Clara Sandler, Co-Editor-in-Chief
May 7, 2019

Here are the results of today’s Just Community Elections. The Boiling Point observed the counting of ballots. Voting was...

GLOOM:    The weather reflected the feelings of the crowd as hundreds stood and watched the funeral on a screen right outside.

Lori Gilbert-Kaye, Poway Chabad victim, is remembered for strength and ‘radical empathy’

By Clara Sandler, Co-Editor-in-Chief
May 2, 2019

Her favorite song was Eshes Chayil -- Woman of Valor -- sung around tables on Friday nights just before Kiddush, as several speakers...

PREVENTATIVE: Rabbi Segal said the policy was written with the intention of preventing bullying and creating a safer environment for students and faculty.

New harassment policy sets rules, defines terms

By Clara Sandler, Co-Editor-in-Chief
April 8, 2019

After several Town Hall discussions and heated debates about what exactly sexual harassment is, the school released a new harassment,...

ATTACK: Firehawk forward and Sarachek MVP Asher Dauer goes for a lay-up as Wildcat junior A.J. Bennett tries to block it in the Firehawks’ 60-41 win over the DRS Mar. 17. The Firehawks are the first team ever to win YU’s Sarachek tournament two years in a row.

[Photo]

ATTACK: Firehawk forward and Sarachek MVP Asher Dauer goes for a lay-up as Wildcat junior A.J. Bennett tries to block it in the...

CURSE:   Since the Chargers arrived, almost every LA team has gotten close to a championship.  None has won.

COLUMN: Are the Chargers LA’s curse?

By Clara Sandler, Co-Editor-in-Chief
March 13, 2019

For the first 15 years of my life, I was football team-less. I rooted for teams here and there -- I had a Manning brothers phase...

INFLUENCE:   Oz’s 40 books, including his memoir A Tale of Love and Darkness, have been translated into 45 languages, the most among any Israeli author. 
 BP Photo by Uzi Varon from amoz-oz.net

Amos Oz, father of Israeli fiction, dies at 79

By Clara Sandler, Co-Editor-in-Chief
March 1, 2019

“When I was little, my ambition was to grow up to be a book. Not a writer,” Amos Oz wrote in A Tale of Love and Darkness. “People...

HISTORY:   Benjamin Ackermans name appears on the 2004 alumni plaque in the school driveway area. He was arrested on Jan. 2 for stealing millions worth of goods posed as a realtor.

Alumnus arrested in theft of high-end items from celebrities

A Shalhevet alumnus from the class of 2004 has been arrested in a string of burglaries of celebrities, according to the Los Angeles...

SCHOOL:    The Ilan Ramon Jewish Day School, a K-5 progressive school in Agoura Hills, was in flames Friday afternoon. News reporters on the scene said separate buildings in the back of the school were still intact at 3:30 pm., but that firefighters were busy with homes.

Deadly Woolsey Fire hits Jewish camps, schools, homes

By Clara Sandler, Co-Editor-In-Chief
November 27, 2018

The Woolsey Fire ravaged Simi Valley, Agoura Hills, Calabasas, West Hills and Malibu, resulting in thousands of home evacuations,...

SCHOOL:    The Ilan Ramon Jewish Day School, a K-5 progressive school in Agoura Hills, was in flames Friday afternoon. News reporters on the scene said separate buildings in the back of the school were still intact at 3:30 pm., but that firefighters were busy with homes.

Jewish school, summer camps damaged or destroyed in Woolsey fire

Jewish schools and camps have been hit hard by Southern California’s fires, with at least one day school and two camps reporting...

CHANT:   Senior Jeremy Ashagian chanted from the Torah scroll as Rabbi David Block followed along watching for errors. Many students know how to do this, and a few do it professionally on a regular basis at synagogues like B’nai David-Judea and Young Israel of North Beverly Hills.

The Torah by heart: Students lain professionally in local shuls

By Clara Sandler, Co-Editor-In-Chief
October 24, 2018

For most people who learn how to chant from a Torah scroll, it’s a skill to use for their bar or bat mitzvah -- something they...

SCHOLAR:   Yoetzet Halacha Atara Segal in 2013 became the first woman to teach Gemara in an Orthodox school in Los Angeles.

Ms. Segal is first female teacher to get Jewish title at school

By Clara Sandler, Co-Editor-in-Chief
October 4, 2018

Yoetzet Halacha Atara Segal is Shalhevet’s first female Judaic faculty member to have a title other than Ms. or Morah, but neither...

Mr. Weslows title has changed from General Studies Principal to Principal, and he has a new and bigger office next door to his old one.  BP Photo by Neima Fax.

Mr. Weslow now principal; Rabbi Block Assistant Principal, Judaic Studies

By Clara Sandler, Co-Editor-in-Chief
September 13, 2018

Shalhevet’s administration still plans to operate as a team, but Mr. Daniel Weslow has become overall principal and Rabbi David...

FUNDRAISING:  Ms. Wolf plans to introduce an intergenerational women’s luncheon featuring A Girl’s Lounge founder Shelley Zalis as a speaker.  BP photo by Zoey Botnick

New Development Director hopes to raise $1.3 million this year

By Clara Sandler, Co-Editor-in-Chief
September 8, 2018

Bored during a free period? New Director of Development Cheryl Wolf has candy on her desk and wants students to come and talk...

Co-Editor-in-Chief Clara Sandlers sports column analyzes current events in the sports world.

CLARA’S CALLS: Kvetch about the present, but kvell for the future

By Clara Sandler, Co-Editor-in-Chief
September 7, 2018

As an Ashkenaz Jew, oy vey zmeir is not only part of my vernacular, but perhaps one of my most commonly used phrases. In case...

 POULTRY:  Seventeen cases, including one death in New York, have now been linked to Empire chicken that was sold between last September and June. Cooking chicken thoroughly prevents the disease.  BP photo by Honor Fuchs.

Check your freezer: Salmonella outbreak in Empire chicken from last spring prompts USDA advisory now

By Clara Sandler, Co-Editor-in-Chief
August 29, 2018

The USDA has issued a public health alert for Empire Kosher Poultry because of  “possible Salmonella contamination.” The...

Mrs. Sunshine leaving

A legacy of excellence as Ms. Sunshine retires

By Clara Sandler and Hannah Jannol
June 10, 2018

Mrs. Tove Sunshine, known for her commitment to advanced subjects, her organized teaching style, her fairness to all students...

Jonny Ravenshenas

New Dean of Student Life leads focuses on unity and ‘value added’

By Clara Sandler, Community Editor
May 24, 2018

The last name of Shalhevet’s new Dean of Student Life, Dr. Jonny Ravanshenas, is hard to pronounce, but it’s a good name for...

Math teacher Ellen Greenman will not return next year

Math teacher Ellen Greenman will not return next year

By Clara Sandler, Community Editor
May 23, 2018
Math teacher Ellen Greenman, known for kind and reasonable teaching policies over five years at Shalhevet, told students today that she will not be returning next year.
Co-Editor-in-Chief Clara Sandlers sports column analyzes current events in the sports world.

COLUMN: Getting lost in the game in times of loss

By Clara Sandler, Community Editor
May 22, 2018

While basketball is definitely not my favorite sport, I do identify as a Laker fan. Being a Laker fan is usually easy, but...

COUNT: From left, Sam Hirschhorn, Rabbi Ari Schwarzberg and Academic Dean Aviva Walls compiled tallies after school in Rabbi Schwarzbergs office from todays Just Community elections.

[Photo] Talia Gill is new Agenda Chair

May 4, 2018

COUNT: From left, Sam Hirschhorn, Rabbi Ari Schwarzberg and Academic Dean Aviva Walls compiled tallies after school in Rabbi Schwarzberg's...

New schedule for next year to include “flex” period and schoolwide lunch

New schedule for next year to include “flex” period and schoolwide lunch

By Clara Sandler, Community Editor
April 12, 2018

A completely new schedule is coming next year, with a three-times-a-week  “flexible” time slot to be used for Advisory,...

Students from Florida school shooting tell their stories

By Clara Sandler, Community Editor
March 23, 2018

The rain had stopped in LA, but it was still cold and the ground was damp when juniors Mia Freeman and Hayley Licata of Marjory...

SALE: Within minutes of its posting, Ben-Tsion Oliel perused merchandise on the website of Supreme. He sells everything he buys, at a huge markup,

Clothing company creates student entrepreneurship at the click of a button

By Clara Sandler, Community Editor
March 14, 2018
It’s 8 a.m. and a regular Thursday morning for most Shalhevet students, but for Ben-Tsion Oliel, Sam Navon, Josh Weindling, Sam Navon and Asher Dauer, it’s time to get down to business.
DEDICATED: Mrs. Sunshine is known for her passion and dedication to her students.

Ms. Tove Sunshine retiring at the end of the year

By Clara Sandler, Community Editor
March 8, 2018
SAS Psychology, SAS History and Jewish History teacher Ms. Tove Sunshine, known for her passion for advanced subjects, her organized teaching style and her fairness to all students, has announced that she will be retiring at the end of the school year.
Co-Editor-in-Chief Clara Sandlers sports column analyzes current events in the sports world.

COLUMN: Let’s crush stereotypes

By Clara Sandler, Community Editor
February 8, 2018

My grandmother was the sports fan in my dad’s family. She was born in Dayton, Ohio, and went to Ohio State University,...

NEW: Rabbi Block is now taking on oversight of the Judaic Studies department after joining the staff last year

‘Strategic shuffling’ and new staff member will cover roles of former principal, Rabbi Segal announces

By Hannah Jannol and Clara Sandler
January 11, 2018
Head of School Rabbi Ari Segal said today that a “strategic shuffling will go into effect immediately” in light of the recent removal of Shalhevet’s Principal and Assistant Head of School who was in charge of many areas within the school ranging from admissions and discipline to curriculum development, student life and co-curriculars.
LEARN: Beit Midrash Chabura, led by Rabbi David Block, meets Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Optional extra Judaic classes extend day in both directions

By Clara Sandler, Community editor
November 20, 2017

Students are opting for extra Torah study this year with three new programs outside of school hours this year: early morning learning...

Doctors in the house

Doctors in the house

By Clara Sandler, Community Editor
November 7, 2017

What do stem cell differentiation, females with disabilities in the classroom, the relationship between Jewish and American law...

IMPACT: Senior Sarina Finn, right,  and junior Nomi Willis wanted to “normalize” the need for monthly supplies.

Student campaign gathers 4,078 pads and tampons for the poor

By Clara Sandler, Community Editor
November 5, 2017

On Sunday, Oct. 22, senior Sarina Finn stood on the corner of one of the busiest intersections in L.A.’s Orthodox community,...

UNITY: Members of the NFL Jacksonville Jaguars locked arms as one player knelt during the National Anthem before their game against the Baltimore Ravens Sept. 24.

COLUMN: To kneel or not to kneel: that is not the question

By Clara Sandler, Community Editor
October 22, 2017
Around the NFL, players are kneeling during the National Anthem to protest our president and racial discrimination around the United States. Players and owners are uniting to stand up for what they believe, and I support them.
DODGERS: Players rejoice after their 9-3 victory over the Padres on September 25.

COLUMN: Dodgers we love it!

By Clara Sandler, Community Editor
October 2, 2017

When you go to a Dodger game at Dodger Stadium and they win, Randy Newman’s “I Love LA” rings through the stadium. The song...

Beyond courtesy: Titles raise conundrum for schools and synagogues nationwide

Beyond courtesy: Titles raise conundrum for schools and synagogues nationwide

By Clara Sandler, Community Editor
September 12, 2017

When Judaic Studies teacher Ilana Wilner arrived at Shalhevet in fall 2015, it wasn’t clear what she was going to be called. She...

MS: Ms Atara Segal spent last year in Israel completing the first year of a two-year program to become a Yoetzet Halacha.

Titles for women are even more complicated

By Clara Sandler, Community Editor
September 10, 2017
Women’s titles are problematic at Modern Orthodox institutions -- not just at Shalhevet -- because women’s leadership in Orthodox Judaism is still new and controversial.
UPDATED:  Lunch
is 15 minutes longer for 9th grade than last year but MAP period still exists. Freshmen arranged their schedules as sticky tiles on a grid during orientation Aug. 24.

Lunch is back as new schedule fixes problems created by last year’s

By Clara Sandler, Community Editor
September 3, 2017

After a year of complaints that 25-minute lunch was hurting co-curriculars and making it hard for teachers and students to meet,...

EARLY: Rabbi Abraham Lieberman held a daily Talmud shiur this year that met at 7 a.m.

Rabbi Abraham Lieberman arrives with experience and ‘gravitas’

By Clara Sandler, Community Editor
September 1, 2017
Rabbi Abraham Lieberman loves dark chocolate. He believes he has tasted every available kosher, dark chocolate brand, and enjoys them all, but his favorite is Taza Chocolate, a brand based in Somerville, Mass.
ALUMNA: Dr. Smith was valedictorian of Shalhevets class of 2004. She went on to college at Brandeis and recently received her Ph.D. from NYU.

Dr. Smith leaving high school to go back to college

By Clara Sandler, Torah Editor
May 23, 2017
Part-time Judaic Studies teacher Dr. Sara Smith will move from high school to grad school next year, leaving her position as ninth grade Tanach teacher at Shalhevet to become assistant dean of the Graduate School for Jewish Education at American Jewish University in Bel Air..
LAYUP: Point guard Edan Sokol elevates to the rim in the second round against Lancaster High School in the CIF playoffs Feb. 17.

Firehawks face Milken tonight in historic CIF championship game

By Clara Sandler, Torah Editor
March 1, 2017

For the first time in history, it is a certainty that a Jewish school will win the CIF Southern Section 4A basketball division....

 A photo-illustration from the Chargers Facebook page.

Not exactly a warm welcome for newest member of LA sports family

By Clara Sandler, Sports Editor
January 18, 2017

After 21 years with none in Los Angeles, two NFL teams seem to be too many for Shalhevet students. After learning Jan. 12 that...

LEAVING: Agenda Secretary Lucy Fried, second from right, listened Jan. 16  as the committee discussed how to replace her for second semester. Lucy announced last Friday that she would be spending spring semester in Israel, setting off a constitutional crisis as to how to replace her.

Agenda asks Fairness to help decide how to replace departing secretary

By Clara Sandler, Sports Editor
January 17, 2017

The Agenda Committee decided yesterday to ask the Fairness Committee for advice about how to fill the vacant position of Agenda...

SOAR: Firehawk Mascot Eli Greenberg shows the meaning of ruach (spirit) even without his bird mask. The Glouberman Tournament included seven new teams this year from Los Angeles to Israel to compete in memory of almuni parent Steve Glouberman. See stories on pages 21 and 22.

Different teams, same spirit in second annual Glouberman tournament

By Clara Sandler, Sports Editor
January 2, 2017

The Steve Glouberman Basketball Tournament came back last month, upending the school schedule with four days of basketball, blasting...

Two Boiling Points of View: Should Ben Shapiro have been allowed to speak at School?

Two Boiling Points of View: Should Ben Shapiro have been allowed to speak at School?

By Hannah Jannol, Clara Sandler, and
November 20, 2016

No: Free speech is different when it takes place at a high school By Hannah Jannol, Community Editor Ben Shapiro’s Sept....

SCORE: Firehawk power forward Isaac Goor shot a layup during practice Nov. 9.  Shalhevet boys’ first game in the 2016 Glouberman tournament is Thursday at 11:45 a.m.

Different teams, same spirit as 2nd Annual Steve Glouberman Tournament opens today

By Clara Sandler, Sports Editor
November 10, 2016

Glouberman is back, with its four days of basketball, broadcasting, blasting music, and ruach (spirit) along with some changes....

HANDS-ON: Boiling Point editors said the Comprehensive Writing Award was for group effort.

Boiling Point wins Rockowers and top national honors in writing

By Clara Sandler and Lucy Fried
November 2, 2016

In its highest honors to date, the Boiling Point last spring was named one of the top three best-written high school newspapers...

PURPOSE: Seiji Shaw worked at two hospitals, including Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Robotics captain turns his talents to hospital labs

By Clara Sandler, Sports Editor
October 9, 2016

Senior Seiji Shaw is known around school as the robotics superstar, and he spent his summer also pursuing work in the field of...

DISAPPOINTMENT: Ezra Hess prepares to throw ball as Zack Hirschhorn defends an AGBU payer during one of the two losing games.

Boys’ Flag Football undefeated streak ends with back-to-back losses to AGBU

By Clara Sandler, Sports Editor
September 28, 2016

After two years of undefeated seasons in the Coastal League, the boys’ flag football team ended its 30-game win streak this...

DRIVE: Freshman Michael Soussana takes a shot at the driving range where the golf team practices.

Sport or not, golf team makes championship round

By Clara Sandler, Staff Writer
July 20, 2016
There are students at Shalhevet who argue about golf’s validity as a sport on a regular basis, but the Firehawk golf team proved its side of the argument by making it to just one stroke away from winning the league championship.
FAREWELL: School founder Dr. Jerry Friedman spoke at graduation in the new building took place in the gym June 5.  Percentage of graduates going to Israel for gap year has been rising.

60 percent of seniors will head to Israel, most to yeshiva, seminary

By Clara Sandler, Staff Writer
June 15, 2016
More than 60 percent of the 2016 graduating class will spend next year in Israel, continuing a steady upward trend, according to principal and boys’ Israel adviser Reb Noam Weissman.
Shalhevet and YULA race a 100 free at the swim meet this past Sunday.

Girls sort through obstacles to continue female swim team

By Clara Sandler, Staff Writer
April 11, 2016

Shalhevet has no swimming pool, but juniors Maayan Waldman and Sarah Yadegari discovered in their sophomore year that that was...

HUSTLE: Firehawks and Panthers converge on the ball as they both try to pull ahead in a nail biter 1-0 Panther victory.

In soccer rivalry match, Firehawks relish a loss that felt like a win

By Zev Kent and Clara Sandler
February 24, 2016
After a scoreless first half, the Firehawk boys’ soccer team fell to the crosstown-rival YULA Panthers 1-0 in their only head-to-head soccer match of the season Feb. 13 in Encino.
girls basketball team shared a cheer with Coach Flava before their first game at the Glouberman Tournament Nov. 12.

Lady Firehawks are first-ever Glouberman champs — and more

By Clara Sandler, Staff Writer
January 13, 2016

After starting the season with dazzling play on the home court to win the first-ever Steve Glouberman Basketball Tournament, the...

CAPTAIN: Natacha Chowaiki, No. 3, prepares to return the ball from Pac Lutheran in the gym Oct. 28.  Shalhevet lost the match 3-0.

Girls volleyball heads into post-season in spite of young team, losing record

By Clara Sandler, Staff Writer
November 8, 2015
The Firehawk girls’ volleyball team is in a transition stage and had a losing record this year, but improved as the year went on and are headed to the playoffs after placing third in the Coastal League.
Lady Firehawks trounce YULA 20-0 in flag football rivalry game at LACES

Lady Firehawks trounce YULA 20-0 in flag football rivalry game at LACES

By Clara Sandler, Staff Writer
October 25, 2015
An intense girls’ flag football game with two touchdowns by junior Nicole Miles led to a blow-out of the rival YULA Panthers 20-0 Oct. 12 on the Firehawks’ home court at LACES.
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