It’s back to JCC after heat wave ends early

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.

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 or after Rosh Hashanah, as had been feared.

After having been split up in three locations this week with faculty shuttling between locations, Friday was back to normal, without 25-minute breaks between classes or school ending half an hour early.

“On the one hand, I am really happy to be back in one building because it makes life easier, but there was also an element of fun in going from building to building and bonding with teachers in the shuttle,” said Advanced Biology teacher Dr. Melissa Noel.

The temperature on the third floor at dismissal time was a gentle 80 degrees, down from 90 at dismissal time on Tuesday and 93 on Monday, according to the Boiling Point’s thermometer.

Last Friday, when the decision was made to move, the third-floor temperature reached 87 degrees during school. The record-breaking heat wave was supposed to last through the week and possible through next Tuesday, the day before Rosh Hashanah break.

But it cooled down sooner and the forecast changed. On Thursday, Sept. 18. It was just 82 degrees on the third floor at 3:20 p.m.

Principal Reb Noam Weissman announced the change via e-mail to the Shalhevet Community just before 5.

“After looking at the forecast and seeing that the heatwave has now passed, we have decided to move everyone back to the JCC for tomorrow and Monday and Tuesday of next week,” the e-mail stated.

“We know the forecast calls for mid-80s temperatures for Monday and Tuesday but we think the benefits of being all together in one building outweigh being a bit uncomfortable.

Freshmen had spent the first four days of the week at Young Israel of Century City, while the sophomores were at Bnai David Judea down the street, except for Wednesday, when they had a field trip to the California Science Center near USC.

Juniors and seniors had stayed at the JCC, having classes everywhere from the faculty lounge to the JCC auditorium – the rooms that are air-conditioned there.

At lunch on Friday, students rejoiced at being together again, and male students paraded around the JCC singing “Shabbos Kodesh.”

“It was really relaxing and quiet this week, but I just feel like it’s nice to interact with the younger grades again,” said senior Josh Goldner.

According to Reb Noam, it is possible that the weather will get too hot for the JCC again after Rosh Hashanah break.

“The threshold is 90 or 95 degrees,” said Mr. Weissman. “If it happens again, we’ll have to figure out a solution.”

But for now, he was happy school was back to normal.

“Having everyone together on Erev Shabbat is an uplifting experience, especially having seen the students create mayhem while dancing,” said Reb Noam said.

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