• The Boiling Point has reached its millionth online view! Thank you, readers!
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
Alexa Fishman

Alexa Fishman, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus

Now a freshman at Princeton University, Alexa Fishman joined the Boiling Point as a freshman and went on to serve as Community Editor and Features Editor before becoming Editor-in-Chief in 2014-15.  She headed to Princeton University after a gap year at Midreshet Lindenbaum in Jerusalem.

Alexa won First Place in Sports News reporting in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s 2015 Gold Circle Awards for her story,  “Buckley says he resigned rather than accept playoff game suspension,” and a Quill and Scroll National Award in News Writing for her story

All content by Alexa Fishman
SPIRAL: The new round foyer stretches from the entry level to the third floor. The communal staircase emerges under a sunroof dome supported by beams that form the shape of a Jewish star.

Diverse spaces will become classrooms in ‘flexible’ new building, set to open in July

By Alexa Fishman, Editor-in-Chief
May 1, 2015
Boiling Point staffers who toured the construction site last Thursday saw the three-story lobby and grand staircase, reminiscent of government buildings in Washington DC. There are many windows and a domed skylight that let natural light into the lobby. Ironwork supporting the dome is in the shape of a Jewish star, which casts a six-pointed shadow on the lobby floor at midday.
CHANGE: Mr. Weslow said he believes in a transparent leadership style.

Daniel Weslow, former Upper School Director at New Roads in Santa Monica, named General Studies principal

By Alexa Fishman, Editor-in-Chief
March 26, 2015
Mr. Daniel Weslow, a longtime educator who was director of the Upper School at New Roads in Santa Monica for five years and earlier headed New Heights Preparatory School in Northridge, has been chosen to be Shalhevet’s new General Studies Principal, Rabbi Segal has announced.

It’s back to school for Mr. Danovitch

By Alexa Fishman, Editor-in-Chief
February 26, 2015

After becoming increasingly interested in the philosophy of education during 11 years at Shalhevet, General Studies Principal...

PRINCIPALITY: General Studies Principal Mr. Danovitch, right, who is not returning next year, chatted with Principal Noam Weissman at lunch Feb. 6.

Search committee closes in on replacement for Mr. Danovitch

By Alexa Fishman, Editor-in-Chief
February 13, 2015

School officials say the committee searching for a new General Studies principal has settled on four candidates, and that it hopes...

FLAME: Seniors held candles during Havdalah at the school Shabbaton Nov. 14 at Camp Max Strauss in Glendale.

OPINION: On schoolwide Shabbaton, vulnerability ruled and should have kept its crown

By Alexa Fishman, Editor-in-Chief
December 14, 2014

On a recent Friday morning, about 140 of us sat on the gym floor in the JCC and watched a Ted Talk video about vulnerability and...

Buckley says he resigned rather than accept playoff game suspension

By Alexa Fishman, Editor-in-Chief
December 1, 2014

Science and math teacher Mr. Christopher Buckley suddenly resigned Oct. 29, leaving behind Model Congress, Mock Trial and Boys...

HISTORY: Students in Tipping Point discuss the 17th century monarchies in Central Europe. Since there are only 5 students in the original class, Mrs. Sunshine teaches it like an informal seminar.

New honors history class offers a glimpse of school life post-APs

By Alexa Fishman, Editor-in-Chief
November 4, 2014

Sitting around a small circular table, the students in Tipping Point prepare to read Castiglione’s The Courtier, a 16th century...

COLD: Rabbi Schwarzberg's 12th grade Gemara class learns in the JCC auditorium during heat wave week. Juniors and seniors were split up among the air conditioned rooms downstairs due to the temperature.

It’s back to JCC after heat wave ends early

By Alexa Fishman, Editor-in-Chief
September 19, 2014

Cooler temperatures meant Shalhevet students and faculty all returned to the JCC today, instead of next Monday as originally hoped...

HOMEWARD: Jake Benyowitz, Nathan Benyowitz and Will Bernstein cross Olympic Boulevard on their way to the old student parking lot, across the street from the building on Fairfax

2014-15 Shalhevet school year opens at the JCC

By Alexa Fishman, Editor-in-Chief
September 2, 2014

School opened officially at the Westside Jewish Community Center today, with 186 students arriving in cars and on foot for the...

SIGN: Mira Wolman says "I love you" in American Sign Language (ASL), which she speaks fluently.

SENIOR SNAPSHOT: Mira Wolman, Interpreter

By Alexa Fishman, Community Editor
June 17, 2014

Sitting next to Mira Wolman in Hebrew Language class, the other students stare in wonder as she translates words from Hebrew,...

Demolition has begun

Demolition has begun

By Alexa Fishman, Community Editor
June 6, 2014

At exactly 8:55 Friday morning, Shalhevet’s old campus started to come down, beginning with the Mansard-style roof over the...

GAVELS: Juniors Daniel Steinberg and Sigal Spitzer won two awards each.

In spite of fewer seniors and less debating time, 10 awards for Model Congress

By Alexa Fishman, Community Editor
June 1, 2014

Shalhevet’s Penn Model Congress team won 10 awards at the annual debate conference in Philadelphia, in spite of scheduling changes...

DANGER: Workers remove asbestos, a toxic chemical that was formerly used to prevent fires, from the walls of the old school building April 29. Asbestos must be removed first to prevent poison dust from being released when the building is demolished.

Shalhevet moving to JCC during construction, officials say

By Alexa Fishman, Community Editor
April 30, 2014

Shalhevet plans to relocate to the Westside Jewish Community Center for the 2014-2015 school year while its new building is under...

INTERFAITH: Juniors stand in the library of King Fahad Mosque in Culver City after spending the afternoon observing prayers and the imam's sermon Dec. 20.

On mosque visit, class views a different culture of the Middle East

By Alexa Fishman, Community Editor
January 11, 2014

Seven juniors spent an afternoon looking at Middle Eastern culture through the lens of a local mosque, on a field trip last month...

SUSPENDED: Debate team members at Princeton Model Congress last fall worked on their bills. Misbehavior on that trip after curfew has resulted in an earlier curfew for the upcoming Penn trip, and practices have been suspended through Jan. 15.

Penn Model Congress back on as administration finds ‘alternative consequences’

By Alexa Fishman, Community Editor
January 1, 2014

Reversing a decision made Dec. 5, the administration has decided to allow Shalhevet to compete at Penn Model Congress in March,...

Robots compete at Town Hall in tech class demonstration

By Alexa Fishman, Community Editor
December 24, 2013

Amid loud cheering, stomping, and yelling, student-built robots competed for the first time in Shalhevet history during Town Hall...

DELAYED: Plans for Shalhevet's new three-story building are still tucked away near Robyn Lewis’s office.

New building won’t open before January 2015

By Alexa Fishman, Community Editor
November 25, 2013

According to Head of School Rabbi Ari Segal, unforeseen delays in the permitting process mean that approval from the city of L.A....

ELIMINATED: Prosecutors Scotty Silver and Alec Fields prepare to cross-examine.

Mock Trial team knocked out in first round

By Alexa Fishman, Community Editor
November 24, 2013

Shalhevet’s Mock Trial team has been eliminated after losing in the first round to Damien High School of La Verne by just seven...

Shalhevet sponsoring first-ever Jewish high school journalism conference later this month

Shalhevet sponsoring first-ever Jewish high school journalism conference later this month

By Alexa Fishman, Community Editor
October 7, 2013

Students from across the U.S. will study topics ranging from ethics of journalism to freedom of the press at a first-ever national...

CHOSEN: Members of leading debate teams in the country, Shalhevet among them, have been invited to the 'beta-test' a new program modeled on the US Senate.

Shalhevet debaters invited to Boston to advise new model US Senate program

By Alexa Fishman, Community Editor
October 4, 2013

Four debaters from Shalhevet’s Model Congress team have been invited to beta-test a new Model Senate program being developed...

TRAFFIC: Residents of Barrows Drive, which goes west from Fairfax opposite Shalhevet, are afraid school traffic will clog their street in spite of no-left-turn and no entry signs.

City zoning official approves building plans, but neighborhood group may still appeal

By Alexa Fishman, Community Editor
September 12, 2013

A key city zoning administrator has promised to approve Shalhevet’s  building plans, meaning that construction could begin...

GETTING READY: Maintenance chief Jose Flores applied new paint to a hallway in the Annex.

Permits are late, but Larry Gill says that won’t delay construction of new campus

By Alexa Fishman, Features Editor
June 5, 2013

As the school year ends, Shalhevet hasn’t yet closed the sale of its building because the buyer has yet to obtain all needed...

NEW: Great sandwiches just east of Robertson

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Sand-Which Bar shows good food is good business on Pico

By Alexa Fishman, Features Editor
June 3, 2013

As I learned a few weeks ago in U.S. History class, America’s economy thrives on competition.  You might have thought there...

IN THE AIR: Senior Jojo Fallas makes a jump shot against Frisch in the final game of the Sarachek Tournament March 11.

After Cornell, Fallas would like to play pro ball in Israel

By Alexa Fishman, Features Editor
March 21, 2013

Days after being named Sarachek Tournament MVP, Firehawk co-captain Jojo Fallas was interviewed by Features Editor Alexa Fishman...

CHALLENGE: Agenda Chair Daniel Schwartz addressed more than 700 delegates to Penn Model Congress debate conference in Philadelphia Feb. 7. His speech helped him become the first observant Jew ever to win the post, after he became eligible by choosing a non-Jewish running mate from another school's delegation.

Novel solution to Shabbat problem propels Daniel Schwartz to become first-ever observant Jewish president of Penn Model Congress

By Alexa Fishman, Features Editor
February 20, 2013

Agenda Chair Daniel Schwartz made history Feb. 7 as the first observant Jew to be elected president of the University of Pennsylvania’s...

Agenda Chair Daniel Schwartz elected president of Penn Model Congress

By Alexa Fishman, Features Editor
February 8, 2013

After beating Rajan Mehra from Harrison High School in New York on Thursday, Daniel Schwartz made history as the first observant...

HIGH TECH: AP Government teacher Mr. William Reusch prepares to post a PowerPoint on the white board in Room 2, connected by Apple TV. Connectivity has been a problem, but most students and teachers like the equipment when it's working. BP Photo By Emilie Benyowitz

From Twitter to Talmud, technology comes to classrooms

By Alexa Fishman, Staff Writer
December 25, 2012

Looking to enrich learning this year, many Shalhevet teachers have incorporated the use of Twitter and other technologies into...

We know them, but do we? President Obama and Mitt Romney on the issues

By Alexa Fishman, Staff Writer
November 1, 2012

President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney both believe that Iran should not acquire a nuclear weapon,...

New SAT, ACT rules hurt students who take the tests on Sunday

By Alexa Fishman, Staff Writer
June 14, 2012

In response to a major cheating scandal in New York, students taking the SATs and ACTs this fall will face tighter security procedures,...

New SAT rule hurts Sunday test takers

By Alexa Fishman, Staff Writer
June 11, 2012

In response to a major cheating scandal in New York, students taking the SATs and ACTs this fall will face tighter security procedures,...

'Got Kosher?' gets beyond the plastic - slowly

‘Got Kosher?’ gets beyond the plastic – slowly

By Alexa Fishman, Staff Writer
May 30, 2012

Located next door to B’nai David-Judea on Pico near Livonia, “Got Kosher?” reopened in February after several months of...

Daniel Schwartz and Hannah-Leeba Ellenhorn elected to lead Agenda Committee

By Alexa Fishman, Staff Writer
May 30, 2012

By Alexa Fishman, Staff Writer The Shalhevet Just Community learned results from run-off elections for Agenda Chair and Vice...

Chapa Grill brings Israeli flavor to Wilshire

By Alexa Fishman, Staff Writer
March 30, 2012

You might wonder: does Los Angeles really need another kosher Israeli-style restaurant? On Pico Boulevard alone, there must...

YUNMUN team questions conference formula that keeps its team small

By Alexa Fishman, Staff Writer
March 20, 2012

For the first time in 10 years, Shalhevet’s debate team returned from the Yeshiva University Model United Nations (YUNMUN) in...

Student creativity to highlight choir concert

By Alexa Fishman, Staff Writer
December 21, 2011

On Dec. 21, the second night of Chanukah, the Shalhevet choir and band will be performing together at the Ninth Annual Chanukah...

Junk food wars: Student Store has lost some business to cafeteria

By Alexa Fishman, Staff Writer
November 7, 2011

Sodas, cookies and chips for sale in the cafeteria this year have hurt business at the Shalhevet Student Store, potentially reducing...

Load More Stories