A Change in Policy Effects Names
Attention Academy Voice readers!! As you may have noticed, the name policy in the newspaper on the website once again has changed.
Due a a recent change in administrative policy, The Academy Voice will no longer list students by first name and last initial. Beginning with the March issue, The Academy Voice will post both the students first and last names, according to AP style.
HBHA Teacher Publishes First Novel
Max Fogel/The Academy Voice
How many high schools can say they have produced two published authors within one school year? Not many, but one of the few is the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy.
In addition to junior, Veronika Y., who published her book The Epiphany and the Finish Line, in late Oct, Upper School Social Studies Department Chair and Newspaper Advisor, James P. Wilcox recently debuted his new novel: Sex, Lies and the Classroom.
Wilcox’s book follows the fictional character, Nathaniel O’Connell, who teaches at the fictional Southwest High School.
Before coming to teach at the HBHA, Wilcox worked as a teacher in the Kansas City, Missouri School District at Cristo Rey for a year and at Northeast High School for four years. He also worked as a newspaper photographer for the Independence Examiner.
Wilcox‘s book was inspired by his time teaching at Northeast. “I always dreamed of being a writer,” Wilcox said, “this story was written while I was working at Northeast, in that environment. The book is fiction, but the setting of the book is very true to life.”
Sex, Lies and the Classroom has come with good reviews. According to Diana Dickey, who reviewed the book on Amazon.com, the book is “salty, but realistic”. She went on to say that she “enjoyed the portrayal of the teacher, desperate to grab the student’s attention he puts himself up for ridicule, then uses it (their ridicule) to reach those who are hardest students to reach. … I was sorry when the story was over… should be required reading to all those parents in a struggling district, on how to reach out to the teachers that deal with these issues everyday!”
Students and faculty around HBHA have also read the book. MS/US Administrative Assistant Jean Bratt found the book very sad. “There was one part of the book where the students were mad at the teacher for giving them homework and mad that the teachers were making the students be taught. This is an unfortunate reality. The people that try to help are the bad guys and the students will never learn this way.”
In addition to Bratt, junior Mike Ingersoll read the book. “It was a very well written book.” Ingersoll said, “It was a very good portrayal of what I would imagine an inner city public school would be like.
Sex, Lies and the Classroom can be purchased at the Borders at 119th and Metcalf and at Rainy Day Books. It is also available on Amazon.com or at Wilcox's website: www.jamespwilcox.com. Recently, Big River Books, a regional book distributor in St. Louis, picked up the book. Big River sells books to bookstores across the Midwest.
Wilcox describes the feeling of walking into the book store and seeing his book as "pretty cool” and overall he is happy with his book.
Wilcox, who also writes a blog on kcparent.com, has another book coming out soon, The M-16 Agenda. His second novel, tells the story of Jack Granger, a husband, father, teacher and soldier. Granger becomes mayor of Kansas City and eventually becomes the Democratic nominee in the 2020 presidential race. The M-16 Agenda is expected to be published in the upcoming months.
The Deep South Invades HBHA in Greater Tuna
Maggie Herman/The Academy Voice
The combination of cross-dressing actors, southern accents and Cotton Eye’d Joe sure makes for a fun-filled evening. Wed. Mar. 24 was opening night for the Hebrew Academy Drama Society’s (HADS)
performance of, The Greater Tuna. The play took place in the Jewish Community Center’s Social Hall at 7 p.m.
This year’s play, The Greater Tuna, written by Joe Sears, Jaston Williams and Ed Howard, is a play about a small town called Tuna, Texas. This comedic play features many bizarre characters that depict what life is like in the Deep South.
“This is my first time doing the play. It has been a lot of fun, everyone worked really hard and it definitely showed,” said Senior Joel Mann.
Many actors had multiple roles. Actors donned wigs, dresses and other comedic clothing to help draw the distinction between roles. All actors employed a Southern Accent to help authenticate the plot of the play.
“I really enjoyed watching the play. I thought it was funny, and the actors were just like the characters they were acting out,” said junior Davida Rosenthal.
Senior Ben White has participated in three HADS productions. This year, he played both the narrating radio announcer, Thurston, Reverend Spikes, and the eccentric mother character, Bertha. White appeared on stage in a dress and a wig. This costume choice proved to earn many laughs from the audience.
“The play was shorter than usual but it was chalk full of laughs,” said White.
The play was directed by English Teacher Michael Bannen. The students who acted in the play included: seniors White, Mann, Ethan Kaseff, David Handler, Michael Davidson, juniors, Justin Rose, Veronika Yatskevich, Shandra Haner sophomore Shoshana Margolies freshmen, Alex de Garay, Michael Azbel and Emma Marie Reynolds.
Junior Ben Solomon controlled the lights and eighth-grader Tyler Marchick was Stage Manager and Sound Controller. The set was designed by Mike Ingersoll, Solomon, Sahar Elharar and Turner Sousley.
Melava Malka
Jeremy Gutovitz/The Academy Voice
On Sun. Mar. 21 at 10 a.m., the Kindergarten class of Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy was featured in the Melava Malka ceremony, performing in front of friends and family.
The Melava Malka is the celebration of saying goodbye to Shabbat and saying hello to a new week. Melava Melka literally means the escorting of the Shabbat queen.
Every year the Kindergarten class is featured in this ceremony. This year Kindergarten Jewish Studies teacher Nira Soloman headed the ceremony, and she couldn’t have been happier with her students.
Soloman said, “The kids were great! They performed so well on stage, from God creating the world, to the days of the week, to Shabbat, to the end of Shabbat.”
During the show, the kids got to put on hats and perform in front of everyone on stage.
Kindergarten student Arthur Brown said, “I really liked my hat and showing the days God made the earth.”
At the end of the ceremony everyone performed a Havdala service, which is the service that ends Shabbat.
Kindergarten student Jacob Marchick said, “I had a lot of fun during the show and at the end we got to give flowers to our parents.”
Homework Eats Dog in Middle School Play
Elana Goldber/Senior Editor
"Baaahh ha ha ha," laughed Ms. Kobekeaneski, the teacher who never accepts late work, played by eighth-grader Ellie Davis, in the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy middle school play titled, Homework Eats Dog and Other Woeful Tales, by Allan Haehnel. The play took place on Wed. Mar. 17 in the Jewish Community Center Social Hall at 7 p.m.
The play was directed by Fourth-Grade General Studies teacher Jessica Kyanka. Overall, she was pleased with the play, especially with her cast members. Kyanka said, "They were fabulous. They worked very well together. They were the first cast that I didn't have to worry about the night of the performance."
The play follows the story of Ms. Kobekeaneski's students who desperately come to her in need of an extension on their important assignment due that day. The students come up with a variety of excuses, but Ms. Kobekeaneski will not hear of it.
Jane, played by eighth-grader Linzi Oppenheimer, claims that she is too stupid to understand the assignment. Max, played by sixth-grader Jacob Katz has an epiphany from an angel, played by seventh-grader Anna Kaseff, and is inspired to create a new religion. He says that this new religion does not allow him to complete the assignment. Diane, played by sixth-grader Naomie Scharf claims that her classmates are her identical twins and she has simply lost her identity.
Finally, Amanda, played by sixth-grader Lainie Kaseff, comes to Ms. Kobekeaneski with an interesting
excuse, the homework ate her dog. Once again Ms. Kobekeaneski says no to the extension until she sees the evidence. Ms. Kobekeaneski suddenly falls ill and cannot come to class that day, granting everyone an extension on their assignments.
Sixth-graders Adena Goldberg, Elana Goldenberg, Alec Bratt, Maya Shreiber and Lindsey Paul were part of the ensemble cast as Illustrative Students, Mice and Room People.
Anna Kaseff, whose family came to see her in the show, said, "I liked hanging with everybody [in the cast]. I love plays."
Katz really enjoyed participating in the play and hopes to continue to do so in the future. He said, "They play was funny. It was fun doing it because its the first one [for me] in middle school and we have lots of plays left."
Spectator and senior Ethan Kaseff said, "I am so glad that I got to see my sister in the play. The kids did a really good job."
Deadly Medicine Exhibit Prepares Students for March of the Living
Maggie Herman/The Academy Voice
“This Deadly Medicine exhibit will really benefit me for the March of the Living. I will go in with more understanding of the Holocaust,” said senior Ilana Heisler.
On Wed. Mar. 17, the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy's eleventh and twelfth grade students attended the Deadly Medicine at Kansas City's chapter of the National Archives.
The exhibit, presented by the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, focused on a different angle of the Holocaust than other exhibits. This exhibition focused around the eugenics craze that was sweeping through pre-war Europe, the supposed scientific field that proved the racial superiority of the Aryan race. The exhibit explained how the Nazi’s racial hatred program was legitimized by scientists and supposed genetic evidence. This exhibit helped teach viewers about how the Holocaust began and progressed in Germany.
“It was a really good informative exhibit,” said junior Davida Rosenthal.
The students were broken up into two groups and led around the museum by tour guides, one of these tour guides being HBHA Music Teacher, Devra Lerner.
“This exhibit shows the progression on the Holocaust. It moves from eugenics, to sterilization, to euthanasia of the deformed children at birth, to killing of the children and adult mental patients, step-by-step progression. It only takes one step from killing for diseases to killing six million Jews,” said Lerner.
After the first tour, students were allowed to browse through the exhibit a second time, to fully absorb all of the information.
“I think it was important to go to the museum because I didn’t really understand the reasoning behind the Holocaust this really helped clarify the Nazi’s intentions,” said junior Aaron Towle
Lerner agrees that information from the exhibit will help students on The March of the Living, “This exhibit demonstrates how the Holocaust happened. On the trip, students will see what happened. Students will need to be aware of what happened before the trip."
HBHA Partners With Children's Motivational Behavior Cneter
David Handler/The Academy Voice
As part of a new inter-school partnership Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy is developing, pre-school students from the Children’s 
Motivational Behavior Center (CMBC) in Kansas City, Missouri visited the school’s fourth- and fifth-grade classes on Tues. Mar. 16.
The initial plans for the partnership began with HBHA Head of School Howard Haas. “I heard about CMBC and went down there about two months ago and I was so moved by these children and how impoverished
they were,” said Haas, “I felt we would be benefited if we had a partnership.”
According to CMBC principal Sharon Buie, the goal of CMBC is to “produce good citizens and possible future leaders and give them a good start on their education.” Children at CMBC, when they leave at age five, will already know cursive, can read simple books, know their family members and can count to a hundred and are “more than prepared for kindergarten.”
Prior to a planned visit to HBHA, fourth and fifth-grade teachers Jessica Kyanka and Nancy Franks, Principal Gayle Gray, and Computer Teacher Lynda Alspaugh paid a visit to CMBC. Although the teachers visited when the students at CMBC were napping, they recognized the need for a partnership between the 
two schools. When the teachers returned to HBHA, they began organizing a lower school fundraiser to collect much needed school supplies for CMBC.
For the visit, the students arrived from CMBC on a bus paid for by HBHA, which, according to CMBC principal Sharon Buie was “…just a total blessing.” When the students from CMBC arrived at the fourth and fifth-grade class, they received a brief lesson about the Hebrew word “Shalom”, and were read to by the fourth and fifth-graders. The students from CMBC were then shown a PowerPoint presentation made by the fourth and fifth-graders in Alspaugh’s computer class that emphasized colors, numbers, shapes and letters. They then presented
the CMBC students with printed copies of the PowerPoint. After snacks and juice, the students then went outside to the playground for some recess.
“Our students were very kind and gracious and embraced these kids with no hesitation and it was vice-versa to. The kids loved the attention and I don’t think some of them had seen a computer before,” said 
Franks, “The students took each other by the hand and it was beautiful. The adults didn’t have to do anything. It was if the bond was instantly established”, Franks added.
Although details about the future partnership are still in the works, both Haas, Buie, and the teachers at both HBHA and CMBC will be coordinating mutual visits to focus on Hebrew, reading, arts, and the nurturing of social skills for students from both schools.
Daddy Daughter Dance
Jonathan Edelman/The Academy Voice
Dance the night away! The dads and daughters of the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy sure did at
Parent-Teacher Organization's Daddy Daughter Dance on Sun. Mar. 14. Upon their arrival, the daughters received a silk rose and a light up ring to kick off the night. The 75 daddies and daughters danced and played games with the DJ at the two hour long dance.
"My favorite part of the evening was the Hula Hoop contest," HBHA parent 
and teacher Todd Clauer said." It was amazing to see how long the girls could Hula Hoop for without dropping the hoop."
Steve Ellenberg of Bagel Works Catering made many treats for the event including a chocolate fondue fountain.
"The chocolate fountain was amazing," sixth-grader Sophia Picker exclaimed. "The
chocolate was endless. It was almost like Willy Wonka."
The evening was planned by dance chairwoman Ida Kolkin.
"I thought it was an overall successful evening," Kolkin said. "It seemed that all the dads and daughters had a fun time."
Chag Siddur
Hannah Caplan/The Academy Voice
Each year, the students in first-grade practice and learn to pray, Shaharit, the morning service. At the end of the year, the first-grade students have the opportunity to show their family and friends what they have learned, at the Chag Siddur program. This year, Chag Siddur took place on Thurs. Mar. 11 at 6:30 p.m., in the Social Hall.
"The students are putting on a musical about the prayer book" said, First-Grade Jewish Studies teacher, Civia White
Along with singing the prayers to the audience, the first-grade students received their first Siddur, or prayer book. The students decorated their Siddurim with puffy paints, and designs of their choice.
First-Grader Mathew Saper said, "On my Siddur, I drew one Star of David on the front, and three stars on the back. My favorite part of Chag Siddur was getting brownies with our names on them at the end of it, but it was special to have our parents there to watch us. My favorite song of all of them was Ma Tovu when we sung in rounds".
The students spoke about a certain passage, and then sang the song about the passage.
First-Grader, Ilana Fingersh also said that her favorite song from Chag Siddur was Ma Tovu. She added, "I especially liked seeing everyone standing and clapping for us after we sang. When we were decorating Siddurs, I drew things that were important to me, but I also drew some swirls and squiggles."
Book Fair Raises Money for School Library
Jeremy Gutovitz/The Academy Voice
Harry Potter, sports posters and fun games! These items are just a few of the many things sold at the Scholastic Book Fair, which began on Thurs. Mar. 11.
The Scholastic Book Fair opened up for everyone at the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy and for anyone who was interested in buying a good book, poster or educational game.
The fair is run by the Parent Teacher Organization of HBHA.
PTO President Miriam Kaseff said, “This year all of the proceeds will go towards purchasing new books for the HBHA library.”
There are a wide variety of books for all ages.
Fourth-rade student Caleb Krakow said, “They have really good, interesting, and fun books; I just wish I had enough money to buy one!”
Kaseff also said, “The Scholastic Book Fair is a very positive program for the school. It promotes outside reading to the students. Teachers often receive books as gifts from families to enhance their classroom libraries.”
The book fair will go on until Sun. Mar. 21.
Spring Formal Vintage Hollywood
Josie Thomas/The Academy Voice
How low can you go? The upper school of the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy danced the night away at the Spring Formal Dance on Thurs. Mar. 11, from 8 p.m to 11 p.m. The Upper School Student 
Council, planned the Vintage Hollywood themed dance, held in the Mac room of the Jewish Community Center.
“I went to the dance with my friend Maggie and we had a blast”, said Junior Aaron Towle. “At first, we went to take pictures and then had a plentiful feast at Cinzetti’s. I’m so glad we have such a great Student Council that put so much time and effort in making a great venue."
"My favorite part was how everyone was dancing together and laughing," said sophomore Shoshana Margolies. "It was nice to be with all four grades of the high school, so it was a good time. Stuco did a really god job with the theme, and I really enjoyed it. I can't wait till next year!"
Stuco brought in KC Music Events to be the DJ for the dance.
“It was nice to see people relax and have fun as we get ready for spring time,” said Todd Clauer, Student Council Adviser. “The Student Council did a good job planning and organizing this dance. From being there, it appeared that students that attended had a good time.”
"I busted some moves, but Mr. Benton wouldn't dance with me, so I danced with Hillary instead," said HBHA Art Teacher Kelly Reichman. "I enjoyed being a chaperone. It was fun to see all the pretty dresses and everyone dressed up because we never see the students like that."
HBHA faculty Cody Welton, Clauer, Gayle Gray, Reichman and Austin Benton chaperoned of the dance.
“It was fun, but it was a little small,” said Freshman Sam Abrams. “I really enjoyed when they lifted me up in a chair for the ‘Hava Nagila’ song. I’m glad I got the experience to dress up and I can’t wait for next year to do it again”.
"Hannah Azorsky and I came up with the cool theme and we planned the dance with the help of Stuco," said Senior Becca Berger. "We were really happy with the turn out of the dance. This year we've had two dances instead of one and I'm glad to be part of Stuco because it's been better over the years."
The Secret Spirit Week
Sarah Herman/Special to The Academy Voice
“We won’t be able to have a spirit week, its too late? Oh no!” said Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy freshman Alex De Garay
This is the reaction most upper school students at the HBHA started to say on Friday March 5th when it was announced that it was too late to have a spirit week. Every year before the high school dance, the upper school student council puts together a Spirit Week, which consists of wacky tacky day or pajama day, however it was just too late to put a Spirit Week together, so junior Maggie Herman and senior Rebecca Berger took matters into their own hands.
“I was disappointed at first when I heard we could not have a spirit week this year”, said Berger, “so Maggie and I decided it would be a fun idea to create a secret spirit week for all of the
students. I also thought it would be silly to trick all of the teachers.”
Herman and Berger created a Facebook invitation to all of the students at the HBHA, this invitation said that on Monday students should wear blue shirts, Tuesday students should wear Bermuda shorts with high socks, Wednesday students should wear ugly sweaters and Thursday would be a jeans day.
“It was a success, almost everyone participated and all of the teachers got a kick out of it.” said junior Ari Wolf.
Art teacher Kelly Reichman said “I was really surprised when all of the students wore blue shirts and I thought it was a really cute idea.”
HBHA Students Serve Others on Mitzvah Day
Max Fogel/The Academy Voice
HBHA students were able to help out the community, and the world. On Thurs. Mar. 11, Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy high school students traveled throughout the city to various organizations to help out those in need.
The freshman class carpooled to Turn Styles Thrift Store in Overland Park to help sort clothes and run the store. While most of the class took clothes out of trucks and folded and sorted them according to size and gender, one special student got to help work the cash register.
“It was great I got to work with people and see how the store was run, it was a great experience,” said freshman Sam Abrams.
Art teacher Kelly Reichman traveled with the freshman class where the students received high praise for their work. “The stores mangers said it was the most mature group that he had ever worked with. I believe him; we had a lot of fun and the kids worked really hard.”
The sophomore and junior classes went together this year to Operation International Children, located in Kansas City, Missouri's Northland district. While there the students unload boxes and packed care packages full of school supplies.
Sophomore Jacob Mehari was surprised with the experience. “It was actually a lot of fun” he said, “I had a good time and its great to know I’m helping other kids just like me.”
The senior class went to ReStore, an organization run by Habitat for Humanity as a revenue stream. Students there sorted out supplies for houses, such as blinds, trim, and countertops. Michael Davidson found the experience entertaining and fulfilling.
“I was surprised by how much I was able to help out and have fun just by untangling blinds. It was great, now these home accessories can be used in houses for the unfortunate. We were really doing a good thing.”
The high school students were not the only ones participating in Mitzvah Day. The middle school traveled to Harvesters, the largest food pantry in the Kansas City metropolitan area. While there, the students packed backpacks for underprivileged kids.
“We gathered together all the school supplies and then we put them in backpacks." sixth-grader Elana Goldenberg said, “It was a nice feeling. Now kids all across the city, our age, will be able to go to school and have the same supplies everybody else does.”
Mitzvah Day is an HBHA tradition and will be around for a while.
“Community service is a value we share at the HBHA and we hope they will continue to do mitzvahs in their years to come” said College Guidance Counselor and Stuco Advisor Todd Clauer.
HBHA Student Competes in Equestrian Competition
Josie T./The Academy Voice
A student from the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, Kara Kahn, went to Ocala, Florida to compete in a horse show from Thurs. Feb. 25 to Mon. Mar. 15.
Kara is currently an eighth-grader and she competed in an international competition and going to be gone for almost a month. After the first week or so, she will be coming back for school for a few days. After that, she's leaving to Florida again and she will be attending a school that the horse show holds for the remainder of the time she's there.
"I've been riding horses since I can remember," said Kahn. "My horse's names are Danny, Ziggy, and Newman. We also have a retired horse named Blackie".
In this competition, there are two different divisions, Hunters and Jumpers. The Hunters group focuses on different skills, like jumping obstacles and it's also based on elegance and form. The Jumpers group focuses on jumping the obstacles, but they jump higher jumps. The Jumpers group is based on the speed and the height of the jump.
"I'm in both divisions, but in competitions and training I mainly focus on Hunters," said Kahn. "My mom also competes in the horse shows for her age group, and my dad trains us."
The competitions are divided into two different age groups, the Children's Hunter and the Junior Hunters. In the Children's Hunter they jump 3 feet, and in this age group it's divided into 2 sections for people ages 14 and under, and for people ages 15 through 17. Kara sometimes competes in both groups. In the Junior Hunters group, they jump 3 feet 6 inches, and it is also one of the highest levels a junior can be in. To be a junior you have to be ages 18 and under.
"I've been riding a long time, about 40 years," said Sherri Kahn. "I have many friends whom I grew up riding with, and I still keep in touch with them. My parents started horse back riding in Kansas, and it's a fun family sport that has been a tradition. It's nice to travel and see different kinds of places. Also, I wouldn't have met my husband if it weren't for horses."
MOSCA Meets With HBHA Students During Mentoring
Sam Abrams/Special to The Academy Voice
MOCSA, or the Metropolitan Organization to Combat Sexual Assault, based at Broadway Street in Kansas City, Missouri, sent an employee named Leddy Glenn to the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy for five once-per-week educational sessions between February and March of 2010. The community outreach service called Teen Exchange: Foundations for Personal Safety and Healthy Relationships, is a town hall style discussion and learning programs for high school students in the Kansas City area. The main topics were healthy relationships, sexual harassment, date rape, drug facilitated rape, dating violence, gender stereotypes and seeking help and/or resources for youth and others. Additional discussion topics included victim empathy, and media influences.
Administrator, Counselor, and program organizer Julie Hardeman said, “ The sessions were provided as part of a drug and alcohol education unit. A major concern over students using drugs and alcohol are decisions that they make while intoxicated. MOCSA’s involvement was important, for the students to be more aware of boundaries and relationship issues and to understand that being under the influence causes a person to engage in other dangerous behavior.”
The multiple sessions, scheduled between the second eighty-five minute block period of the day, and lunch, were a chance to prevent teen violence in relationships. Many of the activities were hands-on. One of the exercises involved an abusive situation between a boy and girl, and each student had to choose how long they could stand to be in the relationship before they felt that it was too dangerous, and would move to the other side of the room.
Freshman Daniel Goldberg said, “Putting ourselves in the shoes of the abused victim in the relationship gave me a new appreciation for how difficult these situations can be, because one partner is often relying on the abuser, either financially or emotionally.”
High school English teacher Cynthia Knight said, “The discussions were highly beneficial, and illuminated the need for student awareness for what constitutes abuse and consent.”
MOCSA’s existence is based upon its passion to prevent, educate, intervene, treat, and advocate against sexual assault and abuse. The sessions, which were convened in the Beit Midrash, were an opportunity to make sure that MOCSA would not have to anything more than educate and prevent this behavior amongst area youth. The group encouraged open dialogue, and many shared about past relationships and their, albeit more minor, problems.
Junior Justin Rose said, “I think that the most important thing to be learned from these sessions is that in order to prevent dangerous relationships, both people have to have respect and trust in each other, and one cannot pressure or dominate the other into an unwanted action or way of life.”
Much of the debates revolved around the aspects of personal boundaries, and having the self-confidence and security to stand up in pressured situations. Many powerful statistics were central to the understanding of the enormity of sexual assault, including that one in four girls and one in seven boys will be sexually abused in their lifetime, and that a rape is reported in the greater Kansas City area every other day, but sixteen percent of all rapes are ever reported. The result of the discussions was a deeper understanding and appreciation for stable, equal, peaceful relationships and life choices.
Dubai Assasination Leads to Bad Press for Israel
Sam Abrams/Special to The Academy Voice
Israel is currently facing negative press around the world due to the alleged spy agency Mossad-backed assassination of top Hamas official Mahmoud al- Mabhouh in the five star Al Bustan Rotana Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates hotel on January 19, 2010. The outrage caused by the alleged murder caused the head of the Dubai police department, Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan, to call for the international arrest warrant for Israel’s current Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Students at the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy are affected by the international pressure and contempt towards Judaism’s most important land.
Freshman Daniel Goldberg said, “Although I believe that Israel has the right to defend itself from known terrorists and kidnappers of its soldiers, the fact that many of the suspects were caught on the hotel camera system will no doubt lead many in the Middle East and even America to look down on Israel and Jews worldwide.”
Edna Meltzer, an Israeli Hebrew teacher from kibbutz Gal’on and Tel-Aviv, who previously served in the Israeli Defense Force advocated for peace. She said, "I think that an assassination instead of verbal deliberations between Hamas and Israel is bound to result in various costly consequences. Israel needs its allies and it is never good that the country’s leaders and average citizens are in such an unfortunate position."
College Guidance Counsellor and Math teacher Todd Clauer said, “Unfortunately, Israel had been engaged in a media battle for their country’s legitimacy, and timing of the announcement frustrated the American government, but an ongoing partnership between the two will not be severely disrupted.”
Twenty-six suspects that either provided technical support, logistics, or facilitated the assassination have been identified, and their pictures revealed. None of them have Israeli passports, however. Most sport documents, presumably fake, from Australia and European nations such as Great Britain, who have expressed concern over a strained relationship with Israel should the allegations prove factual.
Parts of the murder was caught on the hotel’s Closed Circuit Television monitors, including the victim taking his room key, and two men dressed in tennis gear following him at a distance, and then checking his room number. Mabhouh’s body was found the next morning, and police officials quickly determined that the Hamas official had not died of natural causes. It has not been determined whether or not Israel will admit a role in the capture and murder, but Hamas, the very Gaza Strip-based terrorist group in which Mahmoud al-Mabhouh held power, are condemning the rival Palestinian group, Fatah, which is in control of extremist government in the West Bank, for the attack. Jews in Israel and America hold their collective breath as they await the international repercussions, both social and political.
HBHA Students Participate in Tornado Drill
Nathan Mendel/Special to The Academy Voice
A tornado drill took place in the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy on March 10, 2010. In the tornado drill all of the students are to leave there classrooms, go down to the basement, and sit in the hall by the art room, until the end in which they return to there respective classes and continue class while remaining quiet.
“Its good incase there is a tornado and also a good little break from class,” 10th grader, Max Fogel said while walking in the hall.
During past drills the students are normally loud and talkative, but this one was different.
Upper school Administrative Assistant Jean Bratt said, “I was so impressed how quiet the middle and upper school kids where…,” and also that, “I thought the teachers where fabulous.”
The tornado drill is an important safety precaution that the students and teachers both play a part in, to secure the schools safety for another day of learning and progression.
Counting Down to the March of the Living
Jonathan E./The Academy Voice
The countdown has begun. Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy juniors and seniors are counting down the days until they embark on a two week trip to Poland and Israel through the March of the Living program.
On Mon. Mar. 8, participants of the March of the Living trip and their parents attended an informational meeting regarding the trip next month. Lead by chaperones Associate Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City Alan Edelman, and HBHA Principal Gayle Gray, the meeting discussed the rules and regulations of the trip as well as travel information and itineraries.
Edelman is excited about participating in the program.
"I am very excited at the caliber of students that are going on this trip," Edelman said. "After being responsible for this program over the past many years, I am privileged to be a chaperone on this year’s experience."
Junior Shira Levine echoed Edelman's excitment for the trip.
"I’m excited for this trip for two reasons, both relating to my family," she said. "I am looking forward to visiting the concentration camps in Poland because my grandpa was a survivor of the Holocaust. His stories were very moving and now to be able to put a picture with his story will be even more touching to me. I am excited to go to Israel because it will be my first time going there. I have learned about Israel all my life and now I finally get to go. I’m also excited to see my brother, Micah who is studying abroad for a year.”
The hour long meeting ended with the participants receiving their March of the Living backpacks and jackets.
“When I unfolded the jacket and saw the March of the Living logo, it finally hit me,” Senior Joel Mann said. “I cannot wait to share this amazing experience with all of my friends.”
Singing, Dancing, Costumes; It's Dizneyfest
Maggie H./The Academy Voice
What if you were told that you could sing all of your favorite Disney songs in front of your friends and family? Sounds fun, right? What if you were told that you would be singing these songs in Hebrew? 
A little bit more complicated. Well, for Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy third grade students, this was no problem at all.
On Thurs. Mar. 4, the third grade class performed their Dizneyfest production in the Lewis and Shirley White Theater. During the play, students sang classic Disney songs in Hebrew. Students dressed up in Disney costumes as well as coordinated dance moves to follow along with the songs.
“I liked doing Dizneyfest because everyone who wanted a solo got to have a one,” said third-grade student Josh K.
Students sang Disney songs from the Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas and The
Prince of Egypt (which is not a Disney film).
“It was a lot of fun to watch,” said junior Ari W. “I wish we would have been able to do something like this when we were in third-grade”.
Along with each of these songs, students spoke, in Hebrew, about the deeper lessons they can learn from each of these movies. They also spoke about the new things they have learned in their third grade Hebrew and Judaic and General Studies classes.
“It was like everyone was watching us on T.V.!” said third-grader Natalie B.
Third-grade Jewish Studies teacher Shelly Rissien started this program last year and has seen many good outcomes. “I wanted to do something from the student’s world but show them that they could do it in Hebrew. Dizneyfest gives students a chance to showcase their Hebrew proficiencies, while singing the songs they love. Also, the students Hebrew skills have improved as well as their relationships” said Rissien.
The play was produced by Devra Lerner and Myrna Braverman
NHS Makes Final Visit to Food Pantry
David H./The Academy Voice
On Tues, Mar. 9 from 11:15 am to 12:50 pm, Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy’s chapter of the National Honor Society traveled to the Village Church Food Pantry, for their last visit this year.
The group, consisting of chaperones Laura Hewitt and Danny Altshull, junior Maggie Herman, and seniors Elana Goldberg, Ilana Heisler, Hillary Gutovitz, Joel Mann, Ben White, and David Handler, have gone to the food pantry nearly once a month since Oct. For this visit, the students were tasked with sorting domestic goods, various soaps and potatoes.
“I really liked going throughout the year and it allowed me to have a lot of experience and doing different things,” said Gutovitz.
“I liked working directly with people because I can see how my actions directly affected people.” Mann added, “I feel like I really gave back to the community and I feel happy to know that. It was fun doing hands on work and knowing that it affects the community.”
Hewitt spoke glowingly about the initiative that the NHS students showed at the food pantry. “I think it gave all of the students an opportunity to see what life is like outside of southern Johnson County and it gave you an opportunity to give back a little, step outside your comfort zone a little bit and to really help those in need and those people are needy.”
Hewitt was impressed by how much work the students were able to get done in an hour and their willingness to handle piles of potatoes.
Together We Remember Trip
Sam Abrams/Special to The Academy Voice
Select Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy and local synagogue freshman representatives will attend the Together We Remember trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, or USHMM in Washington, D.C. The educational experience will begin when the local participants take a Midwest Airlines flight in the early afternoon of Sunday, March 7th. Once in the nations capital, the approximately fifteen representatives will take the Metro subway system to Eli’s, a popular Kosher eatery. After dinner, the group will take the night bus tour of Washington D.C.’s federal buildings and memorials, including the Lincoln Memorial and the Capital Building. Monday, March 8, will be entirely devoted to touring the expansive museum.
Two chaperones, Karen Gerson, from the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas CIty and Jessica Rockhold, the Director of School Programs and Teacher Education at the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, both located on the Jewish Community Center campus, will accompany the students.
Zachary Picker, one of the two HBHA participants commented on his anticipation over the trip, saying “We have studied and learned together for weeks about the Holocaust as a whole, as well as how individuals were affected by the Nazi takeover, and we can’t wait to experience the museum with each other."
“I just want to thank this trip’s founder and sponsor, Sam Devinki, for giving us the rare opportunity to hear his experiences and to see a top-rated Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C.” said Emma-Marie Reynolds, one of several representatives from congregation Ohev Shalom.
Mr. Devinki, was born in postwar Germany to Holocaust survivor parents. He is an important figure in the Kansas City Jewish community, having served on the boards of the HBHA, Menorah Medical Center, the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, and congregation Kehilath Israel, for whom he served as president. Mr. Devinki will attend the trip himself and will be with the students to help add his own family’s story at the museum.
“It (the trip) will give me a chance to teach kids my age at my temple about the importance of the Holocaust, and all of the people who helped save or hide Jews from the Nazis during the war.” said Sarah Herman, a Beth Torah member who is also attending the museum tour.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the current Prime Minister of Israel, said, "No one yet knows what awaits the Jews in the twenty-first century, but we must make every effort to ensure that it is better than what befell them in the twentieth, the century of the Holocaust." To the small group of student leaders from Kansas City, this quote epitomizes part of the trip’s ultimate goal, which is to educate area youth about the Holocaust in order to ensure a brighter, safer Jewish future.
Kindergarteners Make a Purim Visit
Hannah A./The Academy Voice
Happy Purim Village Shalom! On Mon. Mar. 1, the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy Kindergarten Blue Group students went on a field trip to the senior living community, Village Shalom.
At Village Shalom, the kindergartners sang Purim songs to the residents. Rabbi Benjamin Davis from the Community Kollel provided the musical accompaniment on his guitar for the trip. The students also took a class picture in their Purim costumes and gave the picture to the residents. The students got to choose prizes such as, notebooks, rings and pencils, and they gave those prizes to the residents instead of keeping them for themselves.
“My Favorite thing was going there and singing the songs with everyone. It was fun to drive there,” said Kindergartner, Shalom Dovid S.
The Blue group is a new option at HBHA for students to learn in-depth and hands-on Judaics. The Blue Group consists of nine of the thirty-five HBHA kindergarten students.
"Some of the residents knew the songs and sang along, while some others clapped happily. But what a sight to see the smiles on the faces of the proud children who recognized how great it felt to bring joy to others!" said the Kindergarten Blue Group Jewish Studies teacher, Bracha Schulgasser. “You should have seen the residents' joyful expressions as the children sang!”