GOA Students Still Unclear About The Alt-Right

Alex Beigelman ‘18

For a long time now, especially since Donald Trump was elected to the presidency, the term “alt-right” has been circulating and used ad nauseum. Trump has been seen as a part of this mysterious, dangerous sect of the Republican party supporting white supremacy, anti-semitism and general bigotry.

Recently, the alt-right has been in the news for various controversies. The first of these controversies was the appointment of Steven Bannon, the former editor-in-chief of Breitbart, the media center of the alt-right, to Trump’s cabinet as a senior advisor.

Trump has had a connection to Bannon for a while; he was Trump’s campaign manager during the nominating convention period during the summer. Bannon has caused an uproar in the media for various comments and jokes he made, intimating anti-semitism and racism. The response from many has been that Bannon works closely with many Jews and many Jews and Jewish organizations including the RJC, ADL and ZOA have absolved him of any alleged anti-semitism.

The second controversy to arise from the alt-right was the saluting of 200 neo-Nazis to Trump chanting, “Heil Trump,” a modified version of the WWII-era Nazi salute. The Trump camp has not responded to this incident, although some other members of the alt-right movement have come out against the neo-Nazis. The lack of response has caused some concern from some, while others argue it is not representative of Trump or the alt-right movement at large.

All this begs the question: What is the alt-right, really?

According to a small polling sample of GOA students, the alt-right is wholly or partly racist (86 percent of respondents), extreme right wing (86 percent) and anti-semitic (57 percent). Other popular characterizations of the alt-right movement by GOA students include fanatic (50 percent) and fascist (43 percent).

The media and the general left-wing, who are very opposed to the alt-right, refer to them as a fringe group of right wing, white nationalists who attract racists, Nazis and xenophobes; however, the alt-right refer to themselves as provocateurs and “economic nationalists,” according to a 2016 CNN interview with Bannon. The alt-right’s main media platform, Breitbart, employs Jews, gays and immigrants, meaning that they are not anti-semitic or bigoted, according to them.

The alt-right could, in reality, be seen as a revival of paleoconservatism, which supports strict immigration laws, decentralization, traditional values and opposes multiculturalism, but the alt-right also encompasses an obsession with ridding society of political correctness and sometimes pursues this goal through provocation, debates and internet engagement (also known as trolling).

They also oppose modern feminism and the mainstream media, although, there is still plenty of vagueness surrounding the alt-right’s official stances and ideas because they are not a party or caucus, but rather, a movement of many people.

There may be Nazis, racists and other extreme people who are attracted to the alt-right and this has caused controversy, but it can’t be confidently said that this is the majority of the alt-right’s platform. Despite all the vagueness surrounding this movement, one thing can be said for sure: they are no longer just a fringe sect of the Republican party, since “their candidate” won the presidential election.

It is very likely the alt-right has the silent support of the majority of the country as it was shown on November 8th.

Kaepernick the Hypocrite

Aaron Pearlstein ‘18

As the presidential election was winding down, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's protest of the Star Spangled Banner was still a major debate raging in the National Football League. For the past 11 weeks of the NFL season, Kaepernick has kneeled down during the national anthem.

Kaepernick explained that the racial injustice in the United States has become too great.

“To me, this is something that has to change,” he said.

Many fans and players have publicly agreed and disagreed with Kaepernick, making for a nationwide debate. One would think that someone who spoke so strongly about their beliefs on the national stage would be sprinting toward the voting booths on election day to cast a vote for the leader that backs his beliefs.

However, after the election, Kaepernick told the media that he did not vote in this year’s presidential election. This came as a huge surprise to many because he was the leader of a widespread, influential movement, yet chose not to vote. Reports later surfaced that he has never registered to vote in any election.

In the United States, when an American citizen turns 18, they gain the right to have a say in our government. From the beginning, many have thought Kaepernick's protest was just some publicity stunt. His choice not to vote makes it seem like that.

He had the chance to cast his vote for any party that he felt supported what he kneeled for, but refused to take that opportunity. As ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith said, “He comes off as a flaming hypocrite.”

Smith was once one of Kaepernick's strongest supporters in his protest of the national anthem. However, Smith now does not care what Kaepernick has to say about racial injustice and believes he is “completely irrelevant.”

As hard as it is to say, Smith is right. Kaepernick wanted change so badly but refused to act. Every American citizen over the age of 18 has been granted the unbelievable right to vote. It is what our democracy is all centered around – the ordinary citizen having a voice in the decisions implemented by the leaders of the country.

Differences of opinion are welcomed in our democracy. However, Kaepernick did not act on his call for change.

The racial injustice in this country is not something that can be ignored, which is why Kaepernick’s protest has gained such momentum. But still, Kaepernick's refusal to vote makes him seem irresponsible.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 granted African Americans with the right to vote. Kaepernick is not taking advantage of this right that so many before him fought to achieve. His call for social equality does not ring nearly as loud and maybe does not ring at all anymore.

The Voice of Jacob: Judaism and Social Protest

Rabbi Mark Cooper, Oheb Shalom Congregation

In recent months and years, our nation has witnessed numerous protests, some against the killing of civilians by police officers and others against economic inequality. Some of these protests have blocked streets and bridges and some have become violent, causing destruction of property and even injury and loss of life.

It’s worth asking if social protest works. If so, what purpose does it serve? Do we have an obligation to protest events in society and decisions of our government? What does Judaism teach us about the right and obligation to protest?

The Talmud teaches that we have an obligation to protest evil and corruption.

In Shabbat 54b we read, “Rav, Rabbi Hanina and Rabbi Yohanan taught…Whoever can protest to his household and does not is accountable for the sins of his household; if he could protest to his townspeople and does not, he is accountable for their sins; if he could protest to the whole world and does not, he is accountable for the whole world.”

The Talmudic sages tells us not only that we may protest evil and corruption, but that we are accomplices to those perpetrating that evil if we do not.

The Maharal of Prague (Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, 1525-1609) taught that being a good person in the way we relate to others and in our own actions is admirable but insufficient when facing evil. He taught that “while a person may be individually pious, such good pales in the face of the sin of not protesting against an emerging communal evil…such a pious person will be accountable for having been able to prevent it and did not.”

When witnessing evil and corruption, it is inadequate to claim to be a good person who doesn’t harm anybody. “Passive goodness” and not being a part of the problem or an instigator are desirable traits, but they are not enough to overcome evil. Our tradition teaches that for goodness to prevail over evil, every person must rise up to voice his opposition and put pressure on those committing acts of evil to change their actions.

The importance of social protest can be found in the Torah itself.

Abraham is judged as more righteous than Noah because he protested the killing of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, while Noah was content to save himself by following G-d’s command to build an ark, enabling him, his family and a small selection of animals to escape destruction.

The Torah labels Noah as “righteous in his generation,” meaning that while he may have been a good person, when compared to Abraham he wasn’t effective in bringing change to his world.

Later in Genesis, Isaac famously displays his doubts about whether it is Jacob or Esav sitting before him to receive the blessing of the firstborn by saying “Ha-kol kol Ya’akov v’hayadayim yedei Esav…I hear the voice of Jacob but I feel the hands of Esav.”

The Vilna Gaon (Rabbi Elijah ben Shlomo Zalman of 18th century Lithuania) comments on that passage: “An alternate translation is ‘If Jacob’s voice is faint, the hands will be the hands of Esav.’ Note that the word ‘ha-kol’ – the voice – is spelled in the Hebrew text without the vav, and may therefore be read as ‘ha-kal,’ meaning light or faint. This is to teach us that whenever the voice of righteousness as symbolized by Jacob becomes faint, evil embodied by the hands of Esav will gain control. But when the voice of Jacob gains full strength – when ‘kal’ becomes ‘kol’ – the hands of Esav will no longer be in control.”

The Vilna Gaon was expressing the same idea as his contemporary Edmund Burke, the Irish political philosopher, politician and statesman, who said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

There is a strong history of social protest in Judaism, both for the sake of fellow Jews and for the sake of others in the world who are oppressed.

In 1987, on the eve of a summit between former President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev and President Ronald Reagan, 250,000 people marched on Washington in solidarity with Soviet Jewry. The march, organized by the National Conference for Soviet Jewry, drew thousands more people than expected and sent a clear message to Gorbachev that the forced assimilation of Russian Jews must end and that emigration must be freely allowed. Following the march, the gates of the former Soviet Union opened and, over time, nearly a million Jews left for Israel.

Jews have consistently joined in other protests to demand civil rights and equal treatment under the law for all people.

At all times, Jews have respected the idea that social protest must be non-violent. Strength in numbers is all that is necessary to apply pressure to those who oppress others and send a message that acts of evil are not acceptable in a decent society.

Social protest brings together good people to advocate for important causes and to unite in a desire to confront oppression and wrong. As individuals, our resolve to bring about change for the better is strengthened when we protest.

In the words of Elie Wiesel z”l, “There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.”

Pride in the President-Elect

Eitan Szteinbaum ‘19

For the better part of the last two years, just saying the name “Donald Trump” in a positive light caused one to immediately be shunned as a political outcast by liberal-leaning students at Golda Och Academy.

Before the election, it was popular to proclaim that the billionaire had no chance of winning. People were even willing to bet money that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee, would be our next president.

This was reflected in the overconfident media, featuring pundits who stated so firmly that Clinton would win in a landslide. One could actually believe that Trump would not win a single state  or receive even a single vote.

In the days leading up to the election, the atmosphere was intense. People barely even talked to those who didn’t share their views. I was just told that I would be proven wrong soon enough.

As a conservative living on the east coast, I could not escape having to defend my views to practically everyone around me. Even if I accomplished fending off these attacks, the feeling of sheer dismissal from those accusing me of being a racist, sexist, xenophobe was painful.

       Smug is the perfect word to describe it. What I had to endure is why no modesty will be shown in this article and no gloating spared. After almost a year of being told that my views were wrong and that my candidate had no chance, the American people have vindicated me.

The feeling of entering the hallways on the morning of November 9 victorious wiped away the last of my despair I had felt before the election and lifted my spirits to new heights. No longer would I have to accept people calling me racist, sexist or xenophobic. No longer could people dismiss my views as fringe or absurd.  

It is time for everyone to accept the election’s results and look forward to changing the country for the better.  

I am truly excited about the changes Trump promised he will bring to this country. We will finally, after eight long years, have a president who knows how to rebuild the economy. The middle class will experience success like never before and there will be enough money in the pockets of all Americans to feed their children.

Our country will finally have a commander-in-chief who knows how to keep America safe. Trump will rebuild our army, defeat ISIS and protect Americans from acts of terror.

Perhaps most importantly, we will have a president who will defend the Constitution and the rights of all the citizens of the country.

This election has taught me to believe in myself. I have received a message loud and clear from the American people: I should not doubt myself and I should continue to fight for what I believe is right, even when it is unpopular among my peers.

But beyond me, this election has taught America never to give up.

For the people who supported Clinton, I know this must be a painful time and I sympathize with them, but I believe that this is the better outcome for them, too. If the country succeeds they will benefit like everyone else. Trump’s election was best for the country.

It is time for the country to unite behind its president-elect and work together to “Make America Great Again.”

The World Turned Upside Down

Eitan Gerstle ‘19

It was a fateful night, the night of November 8. This was the moment we had been waiting for and anticipating for a year and a half. This was the night we would elect the next president of the United States of America.

This was the night we would break the highest, hardest glass ceiling and elect the first woman president. This was the night on which Americans would reject once and for all racism, sexism and xenophobia and send a message to the world that if you run on those values in this country, you will be defeated.

I was as confident as could be, believing that there was no way someone as unqualified as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump could possibly win this election. How tragically wrong I was.

As the results trickled in from all over the country, it became abundantly clear that I, along with almost everyone else in America, had been deeply mistaken. Within hours it was official: Trump, a man who had never held political office and had run a campaign based on hatred and division, would be the next president of the United States.

To be honest, I was devastated. I was stunned that our country could possibly elect someone as awful and unqualified as Trump. No part of me believed until that night that there was any chance that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, arguably the most qualified candidate in recent memory, would lose.  

However, above all, I was scared. Scared for all of the people that now questioned their place in this country; all of the latinos, gays and transgender people that now faced the very real possibility of being persecuted just for being who they are.

I had been excited to watch America move forward, even more than it already has in the past eight years under President Obama.

On that night, my mind was filled with the possibilities of what four more years of a Democratic president would mean for for our country.

It would mean the appointment of a Supreme Court justice that believes in progress, the defense of the rights of ordinary citizens and the promotion of equality. It would mean the solidification of Obamacare, a system under which millions were able to get healthcare insurance for the first time. It would mean a continuation of the fight for the rights of the LGBTQ community and the other minorities of this country.

But those hopes were torn from me with the calling of each state for Trump.

Now, we are faced with a bad situation: we have elected a president who is deeply unqualified and even dangerous.

He is nominating people who have a history of racism, anti-semitism and above all, who have little to no experience that qualify them to serve in a presidential administration.

Now, do I believe that Trump deserves a chance? Yes.

Do I believe that he will do well? No.

President-elect Trump will take this country backward in almost every way, from the economy to our social freedoms. It is an embarrassment to the presidency and to the United States of America that it elected someone as volatile, dishonest and unqualified as Donald Trump.

In Light of Trump-Pence Victory, What’s Next for the GSA?

Alissa Lampert ‘18

Our country has mixed feelings about the results from the November 8th election. Some groups are expressing a sense of fear toward the future.

One community that is expressing much of this fear is the LGBTQ community. Between the North Carolina bathroom bill and the Orlando shootings, the community has had an extremely unsettling two years, even with the legalization of marriage rights for gays.

Their fear is not completely unfounded, as Vice President-Elect Mike Pence is known for his opposition to gay marriage. He has also declared himself as an advocate for conversion therapy, in which LGBTQ youth are tortured into being heterosexual.

Even though it is very difficult to reverse a Supreme Court ruling like the one on gay marriage, many members of the LGBTQ community are still afraid of other changes and attacks that might come their way. It has become the job of larger organizations and support groups, now more than ever, to work with LGBTQ people to make them feel safe in their communities.

The election has driven many well known LGBTQ groups and Gay-Straight Alliance chapters to be more active in their communities so that young people feel safe in their homes and schools. National groups, like Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network and The Trevor Project, have been forming support groups of which many people have spoken highly.

This idea is also being discussed within the GSA at Golda Och Academy.

GSA adviser Mr. Jordan Herskowitz said he plans to implement similar support methods so that GOA students feel comfortable.

“At GOA, our Gay-Straight Alliance is working on programs and bringing in speakers to keep awareness up and the conversation going,” he said. “GOA will continue to find ways to be inclusive to all, regardless of someone's sexual orientation and gender identity, through working alongside the GSA on programming initiatives, continuing the work of the LGBTQ Inclusiveness Faculty Committee, and being a partner with larger LGBTQ organizations, like Keshet and North Jersey Pride.”

Junior GSA leader Lizzie Irwin, agrees with these ideas and hopes that members of the GOA community will also take initiative to ensure comfort and safety in the school environment.

“Teachers and students alike should be encouraged to look out for their peers that could possibly feel threatened by certain policies that are coming forth because of the new elected administration,” she said. “There should be a continual conversation as to what is actually going on in government and how it affects individuals of our country.”

Irwin explained that the GSA wants to open discussion and encourages using one’s voice to make an impact.

“It is necessary that GSA leaders and members of the LGBTQ community contact their local representatives,” she said, “and urge them to keep them in mind, and even specifically tell them, what type of laws they want to see passed and rejected.”

Overall, there is great hope for progress and unity. Allies should speak up for others now more than ever, so the great progress can be maintained throughout this time under a new administration.

Oh The Places You Will Go

Etai Barash ‘18

Golda Och Academy gives students the ability to explore multiple countries and states, something not many high schools can boast. However, every student’s journey is unique.

Most GOA students enjoy travelling, especially to other countries. From Mexico to Canada to Poland, these countries give GOA students new opportunities to learn and grow.

Of GOA students polled, 75 percent claimed to be excited about trips to Mexico, Canada and Poland.

Junior Lizzie Irwin said she really enjoyed her trip to Mexico because it gave her the opportunity to learn about a “culture that seems very different from ours but turns out to have many similarities.”

Without this trip, Irwin said she never would have had had the opportunity to learn about a culture which she has learned to love.

It is not specific trips that make students interested, however. Rather, it is the idea of travelling somewhere with classmates that attracts many students to new clubs. Activities like Model United Nations, Choir, Model Congress and Robotics are some of the most popular extracurriculars at GOA because of the trips that come with them.

When the school’s mission of Tikkun Olam – fixing the world – is involved in a GOA trip, students’ interest level only increases. GOA’s annual Community Service Day is one of the highlights of the year, according to junior Rebecca Landau.

“It really gives me a sense of fulfillment.”

Additionally, the annual New Orleans Service Mission gives students a tremendous hands-on experience to help those who are in need on the Gulf Coast as a result of Hurricane Katrina. 70 percent of GOA students polled said they would enjoy the opportunity to go on the New Orleans Service Mission with their classmates.

Although many students have shown support for all kinds of trips, the adventure GOA students look forward to the most is Neshama. An overwhelming 94 percent of students polled chose Neshama as a trip they eagerly anticipate.

“I really love trips that strengthen our relationship with Israel, our Jewish community and our Jewish history,” junior Alex Beigelman said.

GOA students have a profound connection with Israel, which is shown in their love for visiting the country. The ability to visit the Jewish homeland with a large majority of one’s closest friends is an experience few can share.

Regardless of the exact trips a student goes on, each individual is creating their own journey. GOA students are given the chance to flourish while on their journeys, which is what makes the opportunities provided by Golda Och Academy so special.

Boys Legs Matter

Matan Kogen ‘18

With winter quickly approaching, the last thing most people are thinking about is whether they may wear shorts to school. This holds true for most people, but not for GOA’s boys.

For years, the GOA boys have been working to earn permission to wear shorts to school, arguing that girls are allowed to wear skirts, which are often shorter than shorts.

The response to this has long been that all people are allowed to wear shorts; not just girls, but boys, not wanting to sacrifice any of their manhood, have refrained from doing so.

Until now.

Enter: #BoysLegsMatter Day, a peaceful protest in which numerous GOA boys wear skirts, in the hopes that other students will take note and will join the lobby to have the dress-code changed.

“#BoysLegsMatter was to show that if girls can wear skirts that are down to their knees, then guys should be able to wear shorts of similar fanciness that are also down to their knees,” protest organizer and junior Etai Barash said.

Unfortunately, the first #BoysLegsMatter Day, held on October 28, was not advertised well.

Senior Dan Cohen, who didn’t participate and only learned the reason for the protest days later, explained, “if you guys are going to protest something, make sure people actually know what you’re protesting.”

Nevertheless, the protest did have an impact on the student body.

“I think it’s made a lot more people aware of how hypocritical the rules are,” protest participant and junior Alex Beigelman said,

“I’m not sure if we’ll see an immediate change in the rule, but I think it’s spread some awareness as to how these rules really are not effective,” he added.

Junior Sam Russo, a participant, echoed Beigelman’s thoughts and noticed an odd circumstance.

“I think something particularly interesting was that… I wore shorts under my skirt, and my shorts, which I’m not allowed to wear, were significantly longer than my skirt, which I am allowed to wear,” he said.

By wearing shorts, Russo technically broke the dress-code. That being said, a skirt was worn over them. This means that any GOA student who wants to wear shorts to school may do so, provided the shorts are covered by a skirt.

Senior Mattan Poller, who came from SSDS Bergen, a school that allows shorts during the fall and spring, has been a proud proponent of shorts.

“I’ve been an advocate for wearing shorts at GOA since my freshman year,” he said. “I think that this movement is a great thing to do to protest against the ban on shorts.”

With regard to the protest’s effectiveness, Poller added, “I think that in the long run it could work, but for now we’ll just have to get as many people involved as possible.”

Junior Avital Kessler-Godin agreed with Poller’s mentality.

“You’ve gotta start somewhere with everything, because if you say ‘it’ll never happen,’ then nothing will happen,” she said. “If everyone supports the boys, eventually we can make a change.”

Kessler-Godin’s attitude is exactly what the boys hoped to inspire through their protest - not a feeling of entertainment, but a sense of pride and hopefulness.

Regardless, the student’s must advertise the protest more prominently in the future if they are to get anything accomplished.

Mr. Herskowitz said that he had no knowledge that the skirts were worn in protest of anything before having been interviewed. Even if the protest is aimed towards gathering the support of students, the administration must know about it for it to be as effective as possible.

But one thing’s for sure: there will be more skirts.

GOAls and more GOAls for GOA’s Girls

Aryeh Lande ‘18

The fate of the Golda Och Academy girl’s varsity soccer team’s season hung in the balance.

Senior and co-captain Adi Brickman stepped up to deliver the free kick. With 15 minutes left in the first half, the score read 3-1. GOA was losing to Montclair Kimberly Academy in what had the potential to be their final game of the season. Junior Maya Robbins had just scored a goal five minutes earlier and a chance like this could swing the momentum in GOA’s favor going into the second half.

The fans around the stadium fidgeted nervously as the referee moved the wall back 10 yards knowing the importance of the play. Brickman surveyed the goal, strode up and coolly placed the ball just out of the reach of the keeper – 3-2.

Sensing the buzz of the fans, the players fought on, pressuring the opposition into making careless mistakes. GOA’s momentum abruptly ended, however, as the referee made a controversial hand ball decision in the box on the last play of the first half. MKA was given a penalty kick and the chance to cushion their lead, which they took without hesitation. At halftime the score was 4-2.

With only one substitute and no momentum, the Road Runners fell 8-2, knocking them out of the tournament and effectively ending their season. Despite their early exit from the NJSIAA Prep B Tournament, their season was a success. With a 12-4 record, the team finished second in the SEC-Colonial division.

Plagued by injuries, the team overcame exhaustion and slim odds with the help of several key players such as senior captains Brickman, Emily Blum and Emily Binstein. The trio set the pace during the games, making a difference at both ends of the field.

Brickman led the team in goals and assists with 22 and 15 respectively. She only failed to score in one game all season. The 22 goals and 15 assists brought her to 75 of them combined in her high school career.

Meanwhile, Blum played impressively at sweeper, taking control of the back and helping develop the younger defenders. She and her defense played a vital role in GOA’s 11 shutouts.

Positioned in front of Blum at stopper, Binstein contributed defensively as well as offensively with four goals and three assists. She is known for her hard style of play. According to injured goalkeeper, junior Abby Faynshteyn, she “destroyed everyone who got in her way,” branding GOA soccer with physical yet effective play.

Though these three will graduate this year, GOA girl’s soccer looks bright.

Freshman Ally Landau contributed 17 goals and 14 assists in just her first season with the team. If that play continues, she may be on pace to break records later in her career.

Additionally, there is incredible depth at the goalkeeper position with three juniors, Rebecca Landau, Anna Shpilsky and Faynshteyn, capable of playing goalie along with other positions. The trio combined for 117 saves of which Landau had 105.

This versatility is what made this year such a success.

When asked about the team’s performance, Athletic Director Mrs. Janet Herman beamed.

“This season has been very exciting,” she said. “The girls have done well against formidable opponents and it has been amazing to watch. It is one of the best seasons of my tenure and it was Coach [Robert] Cohen’s best season.”

Certainly, Mr. Cohen has played a major role in the success of the team, bringing a winning mentality to a battered squad. It has been a collective effort from start to finish.

Hopefully, the success will continue into next season as well.

Shooting For Success: GOA Boys Varsity Basketball Is Ready For a New Season

Aaron Lavitsky ‘19

On any given day of the year, the Sandy Pyonin court would be empty during the first half of the lunch period, waiting for the second half when the balls come out and the sneakers hit the court.

However, these days the courts are already flooded with players at the start of the period. A different kind of drive is in the minds of the players on the court during this time of year – the drive to impress their coach.

As the winter approaches, so does the basketball season. Golda Och Academy’s basketball is always highly anticipated and this year is no different.

With a large group of experienced juniors and sophomores, along with the veteran presence of senior Ari Esrig, this season has the potential to be a special season for the Road Runners.

Coming off a year where the majority of the roster consisted of seniors, the team has come back with a strong core group of prospects eager to fill the shoes left behind.

The 2016-17 boys varsity basketball team is built on skilled guard play. The junior guards lead the squad with Elijah Taitel, Alex Moskowitz, Aaron Pearlstein and Yonatan Arieh all bringing solid play and leadership to the team.

Complementing this strong group of guards is a consistent assortment of forwards. Junior Matt Friedman along with sophomores Jamie Gutterman and Aaron Lavitsky provide this reliable play at the forward position and add solid defense as reserves.

Additionally, some promising players have joined the ranks from the freshman class, looking to bolster an already developing young team.

This group of great players is looking to build off last year’s average team, which finished with a record of 9-10.

Because last year’s team was led by senior play, the current junior class did not get much of a chance to make an impact. Now, with only one senior on the team, the juniors are looking to take over and make a statement.

Dominated by contributions from the guard positions, the juniors thrive on speed and playmaking, while also being able to stretch the floor and play from the perimeter.

“The basketball team this year is very different from last years,” Taitel said. “Last year we played with our size, but this year we have to play to our speed and quickness.”

Building off Taitel’s point, Coach Sandy Pyonin said, “this year will be exciting because we have a great group of young, fast guys who love to compete.”

To add to existing pressure, the team has moved up a division and faces a plethora of new opponents. This means the team will have to fight extra hard not only to win games, but to earn respect as well. Pyonin, along with others on the team, is excited for this change.

“With the new season comes new opportunities,” he said. “Having moved up a division, the competition is going to be much tougher and more exciting.”

There will be plenty of other changes for the team as well, such as new uniforms that the players will be able to show off at the Whiteout Game which will be played against Kushner Academy on December 17. The Road Runners will also be participating in the Tri-Schecter Tournament this year in Westchester, New York.  

These new and exciting developments should make this year a great one for Road Runner basketball.

Inside GOA Fantasy Football

Jordan Mayor ‘18

Over the years, watching football has transformed itself from a mild pastime to an almost cult-like obsession. The National Football League has gained a tremendous amount of popularity, but this may not be totally due to the sport itself.

Many sports often have outside components to make them more interesting to watch. For example, many baseball aficionados fill out the box score and betting on horse races has brought attention to the equestrian sport. For football, fantasy football seems to be the counterpart.

For those unfamiliar with it, fantasy football is a game in which participants select real football players for their imaginary teams. Their teams then receive points based on how their selected players perform in real games.

Although it might seem silly to some, there are numerous reasons why millions of people engage in the side-game.

“[It] helps me become more invested in the [football] games,” junior Rebecca Landau said. “Even if it is not the team I like I still have somebody to root for.”

This point was echoed by sophomore David Wingens.

“It gives each game personal significance,” Wingens said.

While junior Aryeh Lande shared Wingen’s and Landau’s sentiment, he noted the added advantage of connectivity.

“[Fantasy football] creates a social bridge between sports and friends,” he said. Lande felt this was the aspect that most allowed for the fantasy sport to improve the enjoyment of the real sport.

Outside of contributing to one’s enjoyment of watching the sport, many Golda Och Academy students felt fantasy football still offered plenty of benefits to its participants.

Junior Aaron Pearlstein, his league’s reigning champion, felt that it teaches its participants how to manage something and that it gives people a responsibility.

Yonatan Arieh, also a junior, shared in Pearlstein’s point of view, but felt the game specifically taught risk management skills.

For Lande, the main benefit was stress relief. Pearlstein strongly disagreed though and responded, “Are you kidding? It adds to stress.”

The final major component of the game students talked about was money. A monetary element is not mandatory for the game to be played, but is often an added source of motivation.

Junior Matthew Friedman explained many of the reasons he enjoys fantasy football, but was sure to end with, “Plus there is money involved which create an extra drive.”

Arieh mirrored this thinking and when doing so jokingly said, “[Assuming I lose,] my strategy is to make my money back in pizza and soda given out on draft day.”

Even though he reflected much of what was already shared, sophomore Aaron Lavitsky noted yet another draw of fantasy sports.

“It allows me to show off my knowledge of football,” he said.

Despite the many different reasons for enjoying the game, one thing is clear: fantasy football is a positive experience that almost everyone involved enjoys.