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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
Benjamin Gamson

Benjamin Gamson, Editor-in-Chief

Benjamin Gamson, 11 grade, joined the Boiling Point during his freshman year as a staff writer and became Polling Director during the second semester of freshman year. In his sophomore year Benjamin served as News Editor, managing the Community, Torah and Outside News sections. This year as a junior he is the Editor-in-Chief. 

Benjamin has authored over 50 articles and podcasts and won awards from organizations including AJPA, JSPA and NSPA. Outside of Boiling Point, Benjamin is a member of the Shalhevet Model Congress team and an active member of the Just Community. When not in school, Benjamin enjoys following politics, current events and baseball, and listening to music.

All content by Benjamin Gamson
NEXT: In voting held right after last Friday’s debate, Keira Beller became the third incoming Agenda chair in a row to have served as vice chair first.

Keira Beller elected Agenda Chair, Elliot Serure and Eliana Kerendian to lead Fairness

May 10, 2022
HANGING: Banners and flyers have been put up by candidates around the school last week ahead of elections this week.

Monday is first of two Just Community Election Days

May 1, 2022
NEW: Mr. Juan Verduzco taught his 10th grade Advanced Algebra 2 class April 6.

One new teacher arrives as two more staff depart mid-year

April 26, 2022
FACES: Students in Mr. Forresters 10th-grade American Literature class were all maskless April 1. Masks have been optional indoors at Shalhevet since March 14.

It’s unanimous: State, county and school officials all agree – masks now optional at Shalhevet

April 1, 2022
Soldiers standing guard at Chabad of Kyiv on Purim March 17.

Shul and large JCC are now shelters, says Chief Rabbi of Kyiv

March 18, 2022
NEW CONTEST: Submit your idea for Adars drawing, above, in the form box below. You may enter as many times as you like. (BP Cartoon by Elliot Serure)

Boiling Point Caption Contest: Winners and new cartoon!

March 8, 2022
WINNERS: Two seniors and two sophomores won awards in the four-day conference in Boston.

Firehawk debaters win four awards at Harvard Model Congress

February 27, 2022
Boiling Point Caption Contest!

Boiling Point Caption Contest!

February 10, 2022
SPACE: Roen posed in the Art Room in 2019. In Shalhevet’s old and new buildings, the rooms were always covered with art of hers and her students, and became not only a place for art class, but a place to relax and chat with Roen throughout the school day.

Roen Salem, who found beauty in stray objects and sparked students’ creativity, has died at 76

December 31, 2021
SHOOTING: An ordinary day at Oxford High School in Michigan turned deadly when a student at the school killed four other students and injured six more, along with a teacher. A day earlier, the shooter been caught searching online for ammunition during class and was sent to the principal.

Shalhevet planning lockdown drill as school shooting in Michigan kills 4

December 29, 2021
MASKLESS: Students lined up for PCR tests in the cafeteria last Friday, almost none wearing a mask. Two students, both seniors, tested positive, along with a staff member – all of them vaccinated.

Shalhevet cracks down on mask wearing as some students, staff test positive for Covid

December 21, 2021
CLOSE: Berman lead after the first half of the game 36-29, but Shalhevet took the lead in the second half winning 71-64. Sophomore Yalee Schwartz dribbles down the court in the first quarter.

GLOUBERMAN DAY 1: A comeback and a landslide open Firehawks’ Glouberman as both boys’ and girls’ teams win

November 4, 2021
NEW: Shalhevet Scottsdale students wearing Nishmat Adin sweatshirts with academic facilitator Josh Meisel, right, in the Scottsdale JCC last month.

Seven now attending Shalhevet on Zoom from Arizona, starting new school there

October 31, 2021
ART: Ms. Salem’s art room was ”a safe space for students to express themselves and create art,” according to Drama teacher Ms. Emily Chase. Above, she works with then-junior Sophie Handelman in 2019.

Roen Salem, head of art department and longest serving faculty member, retires for health reasons

October 18, 2021
BACK: Students filled the second-floor hallway above the gym last month, most wearing masks. “Like when someone reminds me, I immediately pull it up,” one student said.

Vaccines and distancing optional, masks required as school begins third Covid-affected year

October 11, 2021
GONE: Dr. Ashley Evans, left, and Ms. Esther Rbibo helped students manage academic and emotional issues, respectively.

Two members of Shalhevet student support team do not return

October 6, 2021
EVENTS: Ms. Wilner, who taught Judaic Studies in addition to leading Student Activities, has a degree from YUs Graduate Program of Advanced Talmudic Studies (GPATS).

Ilana Wilner, mastermind of school spirit, leaves for admissions post at YU

October 4, 2021
PRESENTATION: The crowd at Bonita Vista High School in Chula Vista crowd looks on as Coach Ryan Coleman accepts the runner-up plaque from the home team’s athletic director.

‘A lot of emotion on this team’ — Coach Ryan reflects on a season of records and heartbreak for boys basketball

September 6, 2021
SERVICE: Mrs. Hametz gave instructions at a pie-baking event for Thanksgiving last November in the parking lot. She arrived at Shalhevet in 2019 and will teach at Berman Hebrew Academy this fall.

Mrs. Hametz, who taught feelings behind Torah stories, moving to Maryland

August 10, 2021
POLL: View a slideshow of poll results by clicking through the Gallery box below.

Covid Tracker May 25-26 – Last survey of school year shows three-fourths of the school is partly or fully vaccinated

June 25, 2021
GRAVE: A pamphlet about Nishmat Adin/Shalhevet Scottsdale was photographed on the grave of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz z”l in Israel by a Scottsdale rabbi last month.

Shalhevet Scottsdale is ‘moving forward’ after applications exceed expectations

June 1, 2021
SWING: Above, Josh Harrison hits a game-ending single to left centerfield at the bottom of the seventh inning at East Valley Baseball Fields last Sunday

Walk-off single by Josh Harrison lifts Firehawks over Panthers 6-5

May 21, 2021
POLL: View a slideshow of poll results by clicking through the Gallery box below.

Covid Tracker April 20-21 – Vaccinations rise sharply in Shalhevet community

May 7, 2021
CLASS: Rabbi Abraham Lieberman taught his 10th grade Modern Jewish History class in Room 305 May 4.

After one year, one month and 21 days, all students are on campus every day

May 4, 2021
LIVE: English teacher Ms. Nancy Fasules taught her 10th grade American Literature class in person April 12. Grades 10, 11, and 12 were all on campus for the first time since March 2020.

All classes return in-person and in-building as LA County moves into Covid ‘Orange’ tier

April 22, 2021
POLL: View a slideshow of poll results by clicking through the Gallery box below.

Covid Tracker — Nearly one-third of students and staff are at least partially vaccinated as of April 7, survey finds

April 20, 2021
POLL: View a slideshow of poll results by clicking through the Gallery box below.

Covid Tracker – March 23-24

April 5, 2021
TRANSFER: Rabbi Ari Segal (left) became Head of School in 2012. New Head of School Rabbi David Block (right), who was announced as the next head of school in 2019, says hell stay in his old office for now and move into Rabbi Segals next fall.

It’s official: Rabbi Block is Head of School as Rabbi Segal steps aside

April 1, 2021
POLL: View a slideshow of poll results by clicking through the Gallery box below.

Covid Tracker – March 9-10

March 18, 2021
DESERT: Part of the name for the new Phoenix campus is ‘Nishmat Adin,’ after Rabbi Adin Steinsalt, z”l. The planned school is using a version of Shalhevets logo.

‘Shalhevet Scottsdale’ plan foresees Phoenix-area students attending LA school via Zoom with next year’s freshmen and sophomores

March 8, 2021
POLL: View a slideshow of poll results by clicking through the Gallery box below.

Covid Tracker – February 23-24

March 5, 2021
VOTE: Residents of Beverlywood and other areas received ballots to vote in the 30th State Senatorial district.

Candidates in primary election for open State Senate seat share their views

March 2, 2021
TREATS: On Monday and Wednesday, the first two days of two grades on campus, there was a free fruit cart on the roof and an ice cream truck in the parking lot.

On-campus school expands to two days a week and two grades a day

February 14, 2021
Covid Tracker – February 9-10

Covid Tracker – February 9-10

February 12, 2021
POLL: View a slideshow of poll results by clicking through the Gallery box below.

Covid Tracker – January 26-27

January 30, 2021
RAIN: Covid tests went on as planned Thursday evening in spite of heavy rain. All students who plan to come to school next week were required to get the test.

Covid tests will be required for all students who want to attend in-person next week

January 28, 2021
STORM: This graphic from Thursday mornings hourly weather report showed the most intense part of the storm is expected to take place during Shalhevet’s outdoor Covid testing of students who wish to attend classes or co-curriculars on campus next week. Source: wunderground.com/hourly/us/ca/beverly-hills/date/2021-01-28

In-person school and co-curriculars cancelled tomorrow for rain, but outdoor Covid testing will proceed

January 28, 2021
WET: Rain pummelled the rooftop turf March 12, 2020. The roof is now home to the Leah, Yaakov, Rachel, Avraham, and Sarah open-sided tents where Judaic Studies classes are held for those who want to learn on campus during Covid.

In-person school may be cancelled this week — for rain

January 25, 2021
POLL: View a slideshow of poll results by clicking through the Gallery box below.

Covid Tracker – January 5-6

January 15, 2021
NEIGHBORS: Protestors marched peacefully from Circle Park on Sunday, Nov. 29. Some residents complained that they were frightening people.

Protest fights purchase by Beverlywood developer in Baldwin Hills

January 13, 2021
POLL: View a slideshow of poll results by clicking through the Gallery box below.

Covid Tracker – December 15-16

December 19, 2020
CHESED: Then-juniors Maya Miro ‘19 and Mikey Khatan ‘19 volunteered with Mr. Reusch at the Lynn project in June 2018.

Chesed Committee changes course to follow school constitution

December 11, 2020
CANCELED: Prospective students and their families arrived in the foyer Nov. 22 at the first of three Open Houses that had been scheduled for this admission season.

School stays open but Open House is cancelled as Mayor Garcetti issues new orders to fight Covid-19

December 4, 2020
POLL: View a slideshow of poll results by clicking through the Gallery box below.

Covid Tracker – December 1-2

December 4, 2020
NAMES: New tents set up to accommodate in-person outdoor learning are named after the patriarchs and matriarchs. Tents Sarah and Abraham are on the third-floor patio; tents Leah, Yaakov, and Rachel are on the turf; and tents Yitzchak and Rivka are in the parking lot.

After delay, in-person school to start tomorrow with one grade at a time instead of two

November 30, 2020
POLL: View a slideshow of poll results by clicking through the Gallery box below.

Covid Tracker – November 24-26

November 28, 2020
POLL: View a slideshow of poll results by clicking through the Gallery box below.

Covid Tracker – November 17-18

November 20, 2020
PAUSED: New tents in the parking lot last Thursday night waited for students who would have started on-campus Judaic Studies classes yesterday if not for a last-minute cancellation.

Partial reopening of in-person school is cancelled after LA Covid cases spike

November 18, 2020
MODEL: Firehawk debaters managed three honorable mentions at this year’s meet in spite of missing fully half of the two-day competition.

3 awards for Firehawk debaters at first-ever Zoom Model Congress

November 16, 2020
HONEST: This 1867 engraving by John C. McRae refers to a famous myth about George Washington that when he was a boy, he damaged his fathers cherry tree with a hatchett. The story goes that when asked what happened to the tree immediately admitted it, saying, Father, I cannot tell a lie. In advance of the presidential election, students debated the importance of character traits in 2020.

Character vs. policies: Town Hall asks which matters more in a president

November 12, 2020
FACEOFF: Four days before the election, President Trump and former Vice President Biden competed in an online poll for the Boiling Point. The results differed by grade.

Poll shows Shalhevet students prefer Trump while staff favors Biden

November 3, 2020
VOTE: An official California election drop box was ready for ballots at the Westside Jewish Community Center Oct. 21. Many people are voting by mail to avoid exposure to Covid-19 while waiting at polling places, and mail-in ballots can also be placed in drop boxes around the state.

Prop. 18 could make voting a reality for some 17-year-olds in California

October 28, 2020
POLL: View a slideshow of poll results by clicking through the Gallery box below.

Poll shows only two Covid cases so far among Shalhevet extended community

October 19, 2020
REMOTE: Rabbi David Block blew the shofar over Zoom for his 10th-grade Talmud class on Sep. 8.

Even via Zoom, the shofar signals the season in Elul

September 15, 2020
FIRE: Emergency personnel worked to extinguish an arson fire Aug. 25 at the Chabad Jewish Center in Newark, Del., which serves the University of Delaware’s Newark campus.

Arson at Chabad near U Delaware gives Div. 1 athlete a platform to oppose hate

September 10, 2020
SAFETY: Dr. Josh Sharfman taught Computer Science in the Wildfire Theater during the first week of the summer classes. Desks were spaced six feet apart, and new plexiglass shields aimed to keep students’ air to themselves.

For the Shalhevet building, spring vacation ended in summer

September 6, 2020
SAFETY: Plexi-glass dividers built by Maintenance Head Jose Flores have been installed around desks in larger classrooms.

COVID 2.0: Online classes, after-school “camp” and Zoom shofar-blowing welcome new school year

August 26, 2020
Students said Mrs. Tobin Cohen showed them multiple sides of the Israel issues they discussed.

Israel Ed. teacher Hannah Tobin Cohen will not return

July 14, 2020
CANCELLED: AIPAC, which last year welcomed 18,000 pro-Israel activists to its policy conference in Washington, D.C., held its general session in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Pictures of side-by-side Israeli and American flags are a common backdrop for speakers, who include political and religious leaders from the U.S. and elsewhere.

AIPAC cancels 2021 national policy conference

June 4, 2020
ELECTED: Rabbi Lieberman is the first person elected by the faculty and staff to represent them in a Just Community position in at least 10 years.

Rabbi Lieberman elected faculty representative to new Judicial Review Subcommittee

May 21, 2020
REVIVED: An original of the preamble to the Just Community constitution, signed by students and staff in 2002, dominated the second-floor hallway Thursday, day 39 of distance learning due to the coronavirus pandemic. Proponents said changes would bring the constitution into line with what school is like now, and also help more proposals be enacted.

CONSTITUTION OVERHAUL IS APPROVED, 149 – 20

May 14, 2020
Vote moved up to Thursday after Town Hall shows support for new constitution

Vote moved up to Thursday after Town Hall shows support for new constitution

May 14, 2020
BROADCAST: Snapshots of candidate videos were posted by school officials on Instagram Tuesday. The videos were required by the Fairness Committee, and for most candidates that was their entire campaign.

Just Community election campaign moves online, but not everybody follows

May 7, 2020
LIVE: Agenda Chair David Edwards led a discussion on proposals at Town Hall in the gym Feb. 4. It turned out to be one of the last times that the entire Shalhevet community gathered in person this year.

Candidates to lead Agenda, Fairness and SAC next year all running unopposed

April 27, 2020
OPEN: Ms. Weiss, whose office near the foyer has been a place where students came to talk and grab a snack, has been in charge of Admissions and graduation since 2010.

Natalie Weiss, ‘welcoming face’ and creator of new initiatives in admissions, will leave May 1

March 15, 2020
CROWD: According AIPAC’s website, more than 18,000 people, including 51 Shalhevet students, attended AIPAC’s annual policy conference in Washington, D.C., last week. Also there were some who had been in contact with a coronavirus patient in New York, and who were quarantined on their return.

Three coronavirus cases in people returning from AIPAC; one is in Los Angeles

March 8, 2020
HONORED: Rachel Lester gives a speech on Sept. 24 in Herzliya at the award ceremony for top soldiers in the Operational Directorate.

Shalhevet alum is awarded Best Soldier in directorate of the IDF

February 6, 2020
UPCOMING: Residents of Iowa, whose flag is shown above, are casting the first ballots of the 2020 presidential contest at caucuses tonight.

Stark divide between teens and adults ahead of Iowa caucuses tonight, polls show

February 3, 2020
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