Roaring Sounds of Laughter After 5 p.m. in the Lower School

by Jul McCormick
GOA Fun Tracks/After Care Coordinator.

Last Monday was a usual day for Funtracks and Aftercare at Golda Och Academy. Funtracks is over at 4:15 p.m. and the Aftercare kids can be found in the classroom finishing their homework. On any given day, around 5:00 p.m. the building is quiet more often than not. The only children in the building at that time are the kids who stay in Aftercare. So when I heard yelling and screaming in the hallway I was a little concerned. You see, my desk is in the main office, which is almost the furthest point away from the Aftercare room on the first floor. I immediately picked up the phone and called down to the Aftercare room and spoke with Ms. Keisha, GOA’s new Aftercare teacher, to make sure everything was ok. Ms. Keisha was laughing, almost uncontrollably, when she answered the call.

She explained to me that everything was ok, and that they were having an Uno Tournament. I decided to walk down and have a look for myself. When I got down to the Aftercare room, the laughter and shenanigans were still in full swing. Four out of the five kids in aftercare had chosen to play in the game with Ms. Keisha. Miri told Ms. Keisha she was “bleeding”. To which Ms. Keisha replied, “Where? Tell me where I am bleeding!” Miri explained that “bleeding” in Uno meant that you were showing everyone your cards! There was a roar of laughter, which was riotous, from the kids over Ms. Keisha’s lack of understanding of “Uno terminology”.

The hootin' and hollerin' continued as Avraham threw down a draw four card to Ms. Keisha. Ms. Keisha groaned as she picked up her four extra cards and all of the children continued to laugh hysterically. Ms. Keisha asked, “Why do I have soooooooo many cards?” Theo, Avraham, Miri, Avi and Naomi found this statement to be hilarious. This seemed like the best game of UNO I had ever had the pleasure to witness.

The volume of laughter from the kids and Ms. Keisha was a wonderful sound to hear. It made me stop and think for just a moment. It made me realize how grateful I am that Ms. Keisha has joined us this year. It made me thankful that she takes the time to sit down and play a game with the kids in Aftercare each and every day. The kids in Aftercare come in at 3:15 p.m. and get right to their homework. The children who have no homework get busy playing. Ms. Keisha and the children spend a portion of everyday out on the playground or so they have time to run and play in open space. I often peek in on Aftercare and I am always pleased to see the interaction between Ms. Keisha and the children. Ms. Keisha and the kids can be seen on any given day jumping rope, reading stories or building with blocks. Whatever the task, Ms. Keisha has shown that she is up for it!

If you are in the Lower School after 3:15 p.m., please take a moment to welcome Ms. Keisha to GOA. She is a wonderful addition to our afterschool team!

Golda Och Academy Students Attend AIPAC Summit

The following articles were written by Golda Och Academy students who attened the 2011 AIPAC Schusterman Advocacy Institute High School Summit in Arlington, VA, Nov. 6-8. The event brought together 400 students from select Jewish day schools, synagogue youth groups, and teen leadership organizations nationwide who are committed to supporting the US-Israel relationship through involvement in the American political process. The goal of the Summit was to provide students with the most advanced political training available, so that they can be more effective activists for a strong US-Israel relationship. The GOA delegation met with Arthur Mandel, a West Orange resident and legislative assistant for Congressman Bill Pascrell. The Golda Och Academy delegation would like to thank Mrs. Karen Ulric for chaperoning.

AIPAC Day 2
By Kineret B.

On our second and longest day of the Schusterman AIPAC High School Summit, our delegation, along with the many other students, attended many sessions that specialized in many areas. A few of them focused on the reasons behind the different issues in the Middle East in which we learned that it is not as simple as “Arabs hate Israel,” but that there are many underlying problems that cause the uneasy relationships in the Middle East and around the world. Our other sessions were mainly focused on the importance of lobbying Congress members and how to do so effectively. We were familiarized on the positions that AIPAC takes on each issue and how to present it in a professional yet personal and conversational way to our political representatives.
Most of the day was filled with structural information, so it was nice to take a break from it all during lunch when we heard four inspirational speakers. The first speaker was an African American representative of North Carolina who spoke of his support for Israel even though he is not Jewish. The next speaker was a southern, Catholic woman who got involved with AIPAC and now works with college students to promote pro-Israel support, yet she is not Jewish. The third speaker was a Muslim who got involved in his on-campus Hillel in college and involved in AIPAC, and has become a strong Israel supporter. He also is not Jewish. The last speaker was a Hispanic college student who attended an AIPAC policy conference and has become a pro-Israel leader on campus, but to our surprise, she also is not Jewish. From these four speakers, it was clear to us that Israel is not alone, and the Jews are not alone. There are people that support Israel as an existing state, and it is not necessary to be Jewish to be passionate about it. There are so many ways to help support Israel, and if effort is put into it, Israel will continue to exist and strive as a Jewish State.


AIPAC Day 3
By Daniel S.

As the Schusterman AIPAC Summit comes to a close, our delegation can only look back in awe and appreciation for all the AIPAC personnel who led and inspired us on our journey to becoming pro-Israel lobbyists and activists. Throughout our three days in Arlington, Virginia, our group was immersed in learning about AIPAC’s different approaches and views on Israel’s current political situation. After this, we were introduced to various methods that we, both as individuals and as a school, can use to promote theses issues to our elected officials. Equipped with these tools, the group took to Capitol Hill where we were scheduled to lobby the administration of Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. Upon entering the office, we were greeted by Arthur Mandel, Rep. Pascrell’s legislative assistant. Mr. Mandel acts as the representative’s “decision maker” by recommending in which way Mr. Pascrell should vote. After discussing our stances on the issues with him, Mr. Mandel jubilantly explained that he, along with Congressman Pascrell, agreed with us on the majority of the issues and would sponsor legislation that has a positive effect on Israel in the future. Although our group was very glad about the reception we received from the Congressman’s staff, we realized that we must keep in contact with the staff for their voting record to stay this way. And so, we hope to raise awareness in our school about this new form of Israel advocacy and hope for it to bring much needed support for AIPAC and most importantly, Israel, in the future.

Israel Club Shows Support for Release of Gilad Shalit

The following article was written by Golda Och Academy High School Israel Club students after hearing the news of the release agreement for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. To show their support, students wore yellow today.

On Tuesday, as we were walking to our last class of the day, we were stopped by Mr. Shapiro, Dean of Students at GOA. "Did you hear my announcement?" he asked, "Netanyahu announced a huge advancement in the Gilad Shalit compromise; he could be home within days." Rarely have we heard the name Gilad in a sentence so close to the phrase "home within days."

Ever since the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit in 2006, Golda Och Academy students have not gone without recognizing and discussing the story. The issue of whether or not Gilad should be returned was constantly debated. We could never reach an agreement; is it fair to put millions of Israelis in danger for one man? Some of us said yes; Israel has the responsibility of returning every soldier, dead or alive, back to Israel. We also learn in our Tanach and Rabbinics classes that saving one life is like saving the world. However, others said no; regardless of whatever responsibilities Israel has towards its soldiers, putting millions in danger for one person is too risky. We started with weekly updates to the middle school and high school Israel Clubs, leading up to the distribution of yellow ribbons, which adorn most students' backpacks and lockers, and amounting to students visiting the actual Gilad Shalit tent in Jerusalem, while on Na'ale or Neshama. Our 9th graders wrote letters to Gilad’s parents expressing our love and concern for Gilad. We have also had an ongoing count of Gilad's days in captivity on our daily slideshow, and have handed out numerous "גילעד עדיין חי", "Gilad is still alive" stickers.

The students at our school have created such a strong relationship with the whole crisis and feel personally connected to Gilad. Not only have we created a personal association with Gilad, but also with his parents and fellow supporters. As a club, we've read Aviva and Noam Shalit's cries for help, and have shared similar stories of other captives and soldiers with the rest of the High School. We also took the time to read through Gilad’s children’s book, “The Shark and the Fish”, and a song composed by Camp Masad in Gilad's honor. Danielle R., a senior and co-president of the High School Israel Club, noted that the Gilad bumper sticker earned a prestigious spot on her wall of photos next to her bed at camp. Others have also decorated their water bottles or lunch bags with the sticker, serving as a constant reminder of the ordeal.

To be honest, some of us at Golda Och have recently lost hope in the homecoming of Gilad. After being gone for more than five years, we could no longer imagine the day when this character, Gilad Shalit, would become a real person in our Jewish American eyes. Our hearts, as well as our Facebook news feeds, have graciously been filled with new-found hope and curiosity.

Whatever way the story ends, this whole journey has been remarkable. Through the kidnapping of one Israeli soldier, thousands of Jewish communities around the world have come together and established an unmatchable international coalition in support of Gilad and Israel. GOA junior Rafaella S. mentioned how the constant presence of the story has served as a major focal point for Israel supporters everywhere, and the impending arrival of Gilad positively portrays Israel's commitment and close relationships to all of its citizens. We know the fight is far from over, and continue to pray in the hopes of Gilad's return. Carmelle B., a junior and secretary of the High School Israel Club says, “We have worked nonstop over the past five years spreading awareness and gaining support for his release. It is truly amazing to see this dream come true.”

Science, Nature and Judaism

Our 6th graders participated in a two night trip to an environmental camp on Sept. 12-14. The trip, which complements the 6th graders’ curriculum in both secular and Judaic studies, took place at the Frost Valley YMCA in Clarysville, New York. Students learned about science and nature – incorporating Jewish content – through creative writing, art, hikes and other challenging activities. The trip was also designed to encourage social interactions and to help create a cohesive class. Facilitating cooperation and caring are important components as students shared responsibilities, lived together and learned together.

Rocketeers in Our Midst!

Our sixth-graders launched their very own rockets today! The activity, which is part of the new sixth-grade science curriculum, was geared toward designing a controlled experiment in a hands-on and fun setting.

Each group of students spent three to four hours building a rocket and then collected qualitative data during the launch to study which variables affected the experiment. The launch and data collection ended with a discussion about ways to improve the students' rocket designs.

Check out our videos and pictures!

The Merit of Scholarship

On June 2, we proudly awarded our first merit scholarships to incoming ninth-grader Yael C. and current students Noa S. and Jacob C.

Our Scholars: Noa, Yael (center), and Jacob

Yael, a Golda Och Academy Scholar will receive annual awards equivalent to full tuition, and Schechter Scholars Jacob and Noa will receive annual stipends. The scholarships will be awarded annually to highly motivated students who embody the values and the ideals of the Golda Och Academy mission. Current eighth-grade students and new students were eligible for the scholarships.

“Today is a wonderful first for our school – we are truly blessed to be recognizing our first Golda Och and Schechter Scholars,” said Upper School Principal Nancy Leaderman. She added, “In creating these scholarships, our Board and administration have taken the core values of our school – academic excellence, commitment to Jewish study and tradition and the nurturance of the next generation of leaders in our Jewish community and world – and sought to embody those values in students who show remarkable promise and achievement.”

For more photos, please visit GOA's Flickr!

Scholarship Dinner Success!

More than 400 school parents, grandparents, alumni parents, alumni and friends joined us last evening to honor school leaders Jane and Mark Wilf and Mark Lederman at the Sheraton Parsippany Hotel. It was a wonderful evening of celebration where more than $270,000 was raised to support scholarships at our school, pay tribute to our honorees and recognize the top Jewish day school education that is provided at our school.

Many thanks to everyone who attended, participated and supported Golda Och Academy students! The Virtual Journal can be viewed online at www.GoldaOchAcademy.org/Dinner.

Our Children, Our Future
Here's our dinner video, which spotlights our Lower School and upcoming renovation project.




Many thanks to the volunteer leadership team who made the evening such a success including: Sheryl Pearlstein and Shelley Paradis, Board Development Co-Chairs; Evie Posner and Gayle Wieseneck, Dinner Chairs; Alan & Elisa Pines, Zygi and Audrey Wilf, Journal Chairs; Shelley Paradis and Joanne Bramnick, Journal Coordinators; and Michele Landau and Shari Broder, Silent Auction Chairs!

Special thanks to all the school staff and administrators whose significant support ensured the event's success!