HBHA Announces New Graduation Requirements, Course Offerings
Rachel Oberman/Special to the Academy Voice

    On April 21, the students that will be in high school next year were presented with the new electives and new graduation requirements. The students that are currently in tenth-grade do not have to worry about the new requirements because they will be grandfathered in, and will follow the old requirements.
    "I like that we have more options, but what I like even more is that we were grandfathered into the old system, so we get more choices and less of you have to do this! " said Sophomore Jake Rose
    The students that were not grandfathered in now as part of their six elective credits have to complete half a credit in Social Studies or English, Mathematics or Science, and Hebrew or Judaic Studies. Along with one full credit for Physical education that the ninth-graders will now automatically take all year as freshman.
    "I hate the new system for new Freshman. We don't get any choice, since we're forced to take a year long gym class, it doesn't leave room for anything I actually want to take!" said eighth-grader Bini Allen
    "This is a great opportunity for the kids, to expand their horizons" said English teacher Cynthia Knight "At the moment I am trying to get it so that since year book will be a opt. hour, that the tenth grade can be on staff too."
    "I liked a lot of the choices they seemed really interesting." said Freshman Emma Reynolds "I really don't like that we have to start a new system and do more things, because we already started the current system and we shouldn't have to start a whole new one after the fact."
    "I'm looking forward to enlightening more young minds." said Science teacher Cody Welton "More choice for the students is a good thing, although with this small school we have to be careful, because we don't want the students spread to thin in the classes."

White for Shalit
Daniel Goldberg/Special to the Academy Voice

    Gilad Shalit is an Israeli solider who on Jun. 25, 2006 was abducted by Hamas and is being held hostage in the Gaza strip ever since. Shalit has become a symbol of the Palestinian and Israeli conflict. He is the first solider captured by Palestinian militants since Nachshon Wachsman in 1994. Shalit holds both Israeli and French citizenship, a detail that encouraged France and the European Union to be involved to some degree in efforts to release him. The United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, which released a report in September 2009, called for the immediate release of Shalit. Many human rights organizations have demanded his release as his incarceration is in direct violation to international humanitarian law. Hamas is only willing to negotiate a heavily one sided deal in which they receive 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for Shalit.
    On Tuesday Apr. 27, 2010 a national campaign to protest Shalit’s detention occurred in which those participating wore white. The phenomenon took root on the popular social networking site, Facebook. On Apr. 28 the group had over 5,000 members, and those were only the ones who were on Facebook. The wear white to support Gilad Shalit campaign spread like a wildfire and thrived right here at Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy where teachers and students alike wore white to honor and support Shalit.
    “As a devout Zionist and Jew I proudly wore white on Tuesday. I feel as if it is Israel’s duty to do whatever it can to retrieve Gilad and bring him home to his family,” said freshman Zachary Picker.
    “I truly find it amazing that a solider captured in a country halfway around the world effected students right here at HBHA. In any other country including our own this is simply a military issue but in this case every Jew and Zionist feels as if Gilad Shalit is their brother,” said Senior Ethan Kaseff.
    “I hope he comes home, but I do feel as if once he comes home he won’t be the same person he was when he left. He will have to go through years of therapy for the rest of his life. I don’t want to sound negative but I feel as if it may be like those soldiers a couple years back where we sent them prisoners for two coffins. Of course I would want nothing more than for his family to see him alive and well,” said Administrative Assistant to the Middle and Upper School, Jean Bratt.
    As supporters wait for his arrival or even just more evidence he is alive, the supporters only grow larger and stronger. Even if many people are skeptical on if Shalit is even alive, all still hope he will be returned to Israel very soon.

Students Test Habitats at Earthworks
Jeremy Gutovitz/The Academy Voice

    Flying, Chirping, howling, and biting is what the third grade students at Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy experienced when they went to Earthworks on Mon. Apr. 19. 
    Since 1996, Earthworks has given students the opportunity to explore five different habitats around the Midwest, and in the end, determine whether they can sustain life or not. The students arrived at Earthworksin the morning and worked through experiments the remainder of the school day. 
    Third-grade student Micah Benjamin said, “I liked all of the animals, especially the flying squirrel.”
All the students were separated into different habitats for the day, and specialized in trying to figure out the best way for the animals to live.  
    Eli Levy Mackay worked in a habitat that included studying acid rain, “It was really cool and interesting working with acid rain and I learned a lot of cool things.” 
    In the end, the day was a success and all the students worked really well to do their job.
    Third-grade teacher Hayden Galler said, “The students were scientists for the day and
they did an amazing job working and completing their experiments.”

HBHA March of the Living Students Return: Flight Delayed by Volcanic Ash
Sam Abrams/Special to the Academy Voice

    Volcanic ash from southern Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull glacier has clouded the skies of northern and eastern Europe for the five days, slowing air travel in the region down to a halt. For or the HBHA students who were planning on making the flights from Ben-Gurion Airport in Lod, Israel, to Warsaw, Poland, on Wednesday, April 21, alternative travel options were evaluated. 
    To this point, over 70,000 flights have been canceled throughout Europe. The March of the Living participants were expected to arrive at MCI in Kansas City on Wednesday after a flight from Chicago, Illinois. However, the new travel plan involved a flight on El-Al Airlines from Israel to New York City, on Thursday. With an extra day in hand, the students were allowed to eat, shop, and go sightseeing across Jerusalem. The students arrived at MCI in Kansas City late on the night of April 22. Flights began to reopen in Europe just hours before the group landed. The students are expected to return to school on Monday, April 26. 
    One student, however, did not make the flight from New York to Kansas City. HBHA senior Turner Sousley participated in Moot Beit Din, a mock Jewish court competition held in Washington D.C. from April 22-25. Sousley met his three freshman teammates and teacher advisor Michal Cahlon at the D.C. airport. The other three student members of the crew are Slater Sousley, Rachel Kaseff, and Alexandra de Garay. Two students, senior Elana Goldberg, and junior Jonathan Edelman, took a different flight and arrived in Kansas City late Wednesday night. They were in a hurry to attend a United Synagogue Youth convention called Spring Kallah, in Nebraska City, Nebraska. 
    Freshman Sarah Herman, whose sister Maggie, a junior, just returned from the March of the Living, said, “I am so glad that Maggie had a great time in Poland and Israel, and that she was not stuck in Warsaw, unable to fly back to the U.S. It was really weird not having her at home, so I’m happy to have her back in town.”
    The sophomores will now have to release their privileges in the Senior Lounge, which they had occupied when the upperclassmen were overseas. Although the lunch-line at the Rams Cafe will get longer, teachers will have more classes, and the high school halls will get more crowded and boisterous, the underclassman are excited to have the juniors and seniors back at  Hyman Brand. 
    Sophomore Josie Thomas said, “It was fun being able to chill in the lounge for a couple of weeks, but we are all friends with the upperclassman, and we can’t wait to here about Poland and Israel. Looking at their blog posts and pictures is one thing, but learning about what really made an impact on them is what I look forward to hearing.”
    Freshman Avery Parkhurst said, “From just the itinerary and locations alone, it looked like the trip of a lifetime.”
    March of the Living 2010 has finally reached its conclusion. Those at Hyman Brand eagerly look rward to listening to the juniors and seniors stories from Treblinka, Auschwitz, Warsaw, Krakow, Tel-Aviv, and Jerusalem. Judging from their emotional and unique travel destinations, there should be plenty of them.

HBHA Students Compete in Moot Beit Din
Sam Abrams/Special to the Academy Voice

    Four HBHA students traveled to Washington D.C. for the Moot Beit Din, or Mock Jewish Court tournament. The team members, all first-time competitors, included freshman Alexandra de Garay, Rachel Kassef, and Slater Sousley, who joined lone senior Turner Sousley and advisor Michal Cahlon. They were joined by approximately twenty-one Jewish day high schools in two divisions from across the country. The weekend competition was held at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia. 
    Team-member Slater Sousley said, “The hotel was really nice, even though I had to share a room with my brother. I was so happy that there was a Starbucks around the corner, to keep us all hyper and awake during the preparation and delivering of our interpretation of the case issue.”
    Schools were divided into two groups based on whether they held a dual-curriculum schedule or not. Since Hebrew language and Judaics classes take up only one-third of the HBHA school day, the Hyman Brand representatives received a source book along with the standard case. Sources included excerpts from the Babylonian Talmud, the Torah, and famous Rabbinic commentators like Rambam and Tosfot. Also inserted into the source booklet was the third article from the Geneva Convention and the United Nations anti-torture, and degrading treatment policy. The case decision was a matter of Jewish traditional law and modern ethics. 
    The official case was set in a modern global condition, and was based on the fictional country of Xenovia, which is entrenched in a long war with the fictional terrorist group by the name of BANTA. Governmental leaders in Xenovia, including the President, had decided to initiate the torture of captured terrorists to aid in information extraction during interrogations. The ethical problem is whether Jewish soldiers enlisted in the Xenovian military should resign if legislation was passed to legalize torture of the enemy group. 
    Though many schools suggested a limited torture technique that would skirt the definition of inhuman treatment but could still be effective and non-fatal, the HBHA group took the defiant stance of a complete torture boycott, and encouraged Jewish soldiers to resign if necessary. Their presentation consisted of a Powerpoint accompanied by an speech that made up half of their grade, and an article that had been submitted to the judges in February that constituted the second half of the judges grade. The Hyman Brand team, dressed in their nicest suits and dresses, was chosen to present first, in front of all of the other schools in their group, based on the first letter of the last name of their faculty advisor. 
    Freshman participant Rachel Kassef said, “This competition was a great first learning experience, and I feel a lot closer to my teammates after we went through the rigorous argumentative process concerning the case.”
    After the pressure-filled presentation, the students received a glass participation trophy, and red t-shirts made for the event. Only the top two teams were announced, along with a best creativity trophy. Weber School in Atlanta won the division for the second consecutive year.
    Luckily, the Shabbaton was much more than a legal debate. All participants headed for a hesed charity project on Friday morning. Hyman Brand was assigned to paint and rearrange books for the Boys and Girls Club of Washington D.C. The community service opportunity made a lasting impression on the team. Afterwards, the students enjoyed some sight-seeing, visiting the White House, Lincoln Memorial, and World War II Memorial before Shabbat that night. 
    Competition faculty advisor and Judaics teacher Michal Cahlon said, “Moot Beit Din is a great way for students to explore the way “halacha”, jewish law applies in modern life. Our team was composed of first-time student-debaters, so I look forward to see them participate in later years as they become more experienced and knowledgeable.”

HBHA Celebrates Israel's Birthday
Josie Thomas/The Academy Voice

    Yom Ha’atzmaut sameach! On Tues. Apr. 20, the student council of Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy set up a variety of activities for the HBHA students families to celebrate the 62nd birthday of Israel. Starting at 11:00 a.m., students and staff of HBHA celebrated Israel’s birthday by going through ten different rotation of activities, including a free lunch of kosher hot dogs, potato chips, and lemonade. Laura Hewitt, Howard Haas, and Austin Benton helped grill the kosher hot dogs for all students and staff that chose to eat.
    “My favorite part was the moon bounce,” said Rachel Youngblade, fourth-grader. “I liked the station where we had to find places on a map of Israel. The hot dogs were really good, but the lemonade was the best lemonade I’ve ever had. I loved dancing and singing at the end by the flagpole, that was fun”.
    At station one, the activity was to write letters to Israeli Defense Force, IDF, soldiers in the fourth-grade classroom, led by Edna Meltzer. At Station 2, the students learned about the Kotel in Israel, and they sent letters on the computer to be put in the Kotel. 
    “I had so much fun today and I’m looking forward to doing it next year,” said freshman Sam Abrams. “I’m the freshman rep of StuCo and I helped think of some of these ideas for the rotations. Everything went pretty well and I think all of the students enjoyed it. Happy 62nd birthday Israel”!
    At station 3, Danny Altshull read the book “Our House” in relation to Israel, and it was held in the library. Station 4 was an Israeli flag activity led by Leah Heiligman. The students created their own Israeli flag and signed their names. At station 5, Nira Solomon led the students through an activity to decorate the Israeli flag for each group to hang it outside.
    “It was fun blowing up the moonwalk and testing it,” said sophomore Jacob Mehari. “I also had fun leading my family through the stations. It felt good to be the leader and it was fun seeing our school together celebrating this holiday”.
    At station 6, pictures were taken of each family in the lower school main hall. Elisa Pener took all of the pictures. Station 7 was an interactive map of Israel that students got to play games on. The students would be asked about a location in Israel and race to it on the map.  It was led by Oshra Betzer and held in the Jewish community Center Social Hall.  At the very end of the program, Rabbi Scott White sang songs to all the students and staff by the flagpole outside. Everyone was dancing along to all of the songs celebrating Israel’s Independence Day.

Flag Ceremony Honor Israel's Fallen
Hannah Caplan/The Academy Voice

    Over the past sixty-two years, Israel has lost over 22,000 soldiers and civilians due to terrorist attacks and wars fighting for their country. To commemorate the loss of all of the soldiers and people killed by terrorist attacks or lost in battle, the Israeli flag is hung half-mast and there are many memorial services that take place around the country.
    Sophomore Shoshana Margolies said, "It was a very meaningful ceremony because we were all together to rememeber the fallen soldiers and victims of terrorist attacks. It is important for us to appreciate the sacrifices the soldiers have made and are still making for Israel, our homeland"
    On April 19, 2010, students and staff of Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy gathered around the flag pole as Rabbi Avi Weinstein read a passage or prayer to commemorate all of the people lost in the past sixty-two years, and for them to rest in peace, while Hebrew teacher, and past soldier of the Israeli army, Danny Altshull, lowered the flag to half-mast.
    English teacher, Mike Bannen said, "I think it is great that the entire school shows the amount of support for Israel that it does. Especially, because of the precarious location of Israel, it needs as much support as it can get, and I am glad that our school gives so much support to Israel!"
    While students at HBHA recognize this important day, at 11:00 am, Israel time, there was a minute of silence, as a siren went off while the entire country stood still. There was also a siren that went off at 8:00 pm, on Sunday April 18, to show the beginning of Israel Memorial day, or Yom Hazikaron.
    Fourth-grader, Amanda Sokol said, "It is important to have a memorial day for Israel because they have done a lot for us and the Jewish people, and there have been a lot of people killed. This is why we need to thank them and remember them."

HBHA Prepares For Yom Haatzmut
Sam Abrams/Special to the Academy Voice

    As the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy prepares to celebrate the sixty-second Israeli Independence Day, new attractions have been added. There is a moonbounce for the lower school students to enjoy, seven rotations organized by various kindergarten-5th grade teachers, and singing led by Rabbi Scot White of Congregation Ohev Shalom, a conservative Kansas City-area synagogue.
    Administrator and College Guidance Counselor Todd Clauer said, “It is an awesome program full of fun and appreciation that all Jews have a state to call home, Israel.”
    Hebrew Teacher and Yom Haatzmaut Rotation Organizer Adon Altshull said, “As the only Jewish day school in the area, it is imperative to study and celebrate Israel each day, but especially on the country’s Independence Day.” 
    Altshull, a former officer in the Israeli Navy, has organized an Israeli Story telling program in the library for the celebratory day. The two-hour, thirty-five minute presentation is designed for groups composed of  two “families” each that will participate in activities together. A complementary barbecue hotdog lunch, complete with chips and refreshments, will be served to the whole school on the lawn outside. Other activities include writing letters to IDF soldiers, writing notes to be place in the Kotel, an Israeli flag program, Israeli art and artists, picture taking, and an interactive map of Israel.
    Lower School Student Council President Emma Shapiro said, “I can’t wait to go outside and wear all of my blue and white to class. I know that my first trip to Israel will be amazing and I already love the country.”
    Parts of fourth and six periods will be used to carry out the celebration, and all of mentoring and lunch time will also be included in the Independence Day schedule. The holiday formally begins on the night of Monday, April 19, but the school festivities will be held on the following day, April 20. 
    Sophomore Shahar Bareli, from Israel, said, “Celebrating Yom Haatzmaut is just as important as Yom Hazikaron when we commemorate the lives of Israelis that died in combat or from terrorist attacks, serving their country, but on Independence Day, our feelings are reversed, and we celebrate having the luxury of religious freedom and our own culture in the Holy Land.” 
    Israel achieved its independence from the British mandate imposed during World War II, when the United Nation voted on the 5th of Iyar, 5708 or in the secular calendar, May 14, 1948, to allow Israel to become a self-sufficient state. The speech given by David Ben-Gurion was held  on Friday at four o’clock in the afternoon, in order for the ceremony to complete before the beginning of Shabbat. Israeli leaders arranged for Ben-Gurion to speak inside the small Tel Aviv Museum, currently known as Independence Hall. It was broadcast throughout the newly-formed country by a new radio station, Kol Yisrael, the Voice of Israel.  After a stirring rendition of the popular Hatikvah, (The Hope), which was soon to become the national anthem, Ben-Gurion delivered his speech. A poster of the Zionist Theodore Herzl accompanied by two huge Israeli flags hung in the background, providing the perfect symbolic icons for the momentous occasion. The future Prime Minister finished the declaration of the Establishment of the State in sixteen minutes, and promptly the United States, Iran, Romania, and the Soviet Union acknowledged the state. 
    Almost as swiftly came a violent Arab reaction, as the armies of Israeli neighbors Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria, attacked Israel’s borders, beginning the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, or the War of Independence. Some Arabs still refer to the date of Israeli statehood as al-Nakba, (The Catastrophe). In fact, the Israeli’s victory announced on July 24, 1949 devastated militant Arabs. The war allowed for Israel to retain its independence and increased Israeli territory to over fifty percent larger than the proposed 1947 partition plan. 
    Freshman and High School Student Council Member Daniel Goldberg  said, “Ben-Gurion’s bravery was exhibited when he delivered his speech in Tel-Aviv, because he knew that Israel’s Arab enemies would attack from all sides as soon as the nation’s independence was declared, and still, he completed the speech. Ben-Gurion showed his confidence in the toughness and ingenuity of his countrymen, although they were stacked against nearly insurmountable military odds.”
    That same ingenuity and toughness shown by Israeli leaders sixty-two years ago is still evident today. It is now felt in the hearts and minds of Jewish students and teachers worldwide, as they celebrate that great day in 1948.

The Past, Present, and Future
Sarah Harman/Special to the Academy Voice

    Pete Seeger, an American folk artist once sang, 
    "Do you know the difference between education and experience? Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don't". 
    These lyrics defined my experience while the juniors and seniors of the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy were on the March of the Living. 
    Now one might be thinking, shouldn't this quote be associated with a junior or senior talking about their experiences on the MOTL. The reason this quote fits with my experience is because during these two weeks, I got to be a leader.
    In prayers, family programs and my introduction to journalism class, I learned the tools for being a  leader. While the juniors and seniors were on the MOTL, I was the one actually leading my school family in discussions on Fridays and was also able to keep them under control and having fun on the Yom Haatzmaut (Israeli Independence Day) family program.  I also got to leading multiple sections of prayers each week and help out with the Torah service, something that I rarely get to do.  Mainly, I got to actually write for the newspaper and get my stories published.  These two weeks gave me a sense of accomplishment. 
    These few weeks also made me think about what the HBHA will be like when the juniors and seniors graduate. Will it be the same? Will the kids have fun?  Will I really be a good leader?. These weeks also reminded me of my past and how the high school students really made an impact on my lower school days. 
    One story that I specifically remember was when Tali Rosenthal, a HBHA graduate, stopped me after one day while I was in lower school and asked me and my sister if we wanted a hot dog. Most people would think, wow, a hot dog made an impact that much? But yes that hot dog did, it made me feel pretty cool to go get a hot dog with a high school student and also for him to actually know my name. That is when it dawned on me, I can do it. I can give these kids the experience that the high school students gave me when I was in lower school. 
    The HBHA has provided me with all of the tools I need for the future, and now I know that I will be able to apply them and make an impact on myself and hopefully make an impact on others.

Student Drivers
Sarah Herman/Special to the Academy Voice

    Students driving around the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy parking lot may seem a like a scary thought, but for some students like sophomore Jeremy Guitovitz it is just an everyday occurrence.
    "Driving gives me a sense of independence, on Saturday night I don’t have to ask my parents for a ride. Also, during the school week I can drive myself and my siblings to HBHA. I can go where I want, when I want." said Guitovitz
    With this independence come responsibility. Students at the HBHA such as freshman Rachel Kaseff, Michael Azbel and Daniel Goldberg, have all taken a drivers education class. In this drivers education class, students learn about the responsibilities of driving. They learn about the financial aspect which is car insurance and car maitnence. They also learn about the responsibility of the people in the car.
    "Drivers education was a little bit on the boring side, but very educational. The main reason I took the class was so I could actually learn how to drive. In drivers education I am taking, you spend eight hours in the classroom and eight hours with an instructor teaching you how to drive, one on one. I am so excited to finally start driving on my own and am ready for all of its responsibilities. Wish me luck!", said Kaseff.
    "I think that at private schools, since there is no public transportation for the students, it is satisfactory for students to drive themselves to school, as long as their parents say it is fine", said English Department Chair, Cynthia Knight.

HBHA Students Prepare for Moot Beit Din
Rachel Kaseff/Special to the Academy Voice

    Moot Beit Din is a program that enables students from Jewish high schools throughout North America to apply Jewish law to modern day circumstances.  It is a four day shabbaton which is held in a different location every year.  This year it is in the nation’s capital, Washington D.C.  Each school can take as many students as they would like, but there can only be four students per team.  Each team is given the case to be discussed and a list of sources to help them prove their argument.  About two months before the convention, each team is to mail an eight to ten page paper to the three judges to arguing their case.  The judges read through each paper and give the teams feed back on how they could improve.  At the convention each team is to give a seven minute presentation about their point of view and then the judges get seven minutes to ask questions.  At the end of the shabbaton, awards will be handed out.  There are three awards a team could get, only one team will be awarded the winner, one team will be awarded “most creative presentation” and every team will receive a participation award.
    This year, there are four students from HBHA going to Moot Beit Din, freshman Alex de Garay, freshman Rachel Kaseff, freshman Slater Sousley, and senior Turner Sousley, supervised by HBHA Judaics teacher Michal Cahlon.  The case this year is about torturing terrorists who have attacked in a made up country called Xenobia.  The question each team is asked is, are the Jewish members in the Xenobian government allowed to partake in the torturing of the terrorists who have been captured after an attempt to bomb a movie theatre.
    “My hopes for this team are for them to have a wonderful experience and, because the majority of the team is freshman, I hope they will be team captains next year,” said Cahlon.
    “I hope to feel a sense of accomplishment when the weekend is over and to feel like I gained something from the experience and I would like to meet other students with the same interests,” said de Garay.

Seventh-Graders Visit the State Capitol
Sarah Herman/Special to the Academy Voice

    On Thurs. Apr. 15 the seventh-graders from the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy along with Middle and Upper School social studies teacher Laura Siebers, took an all day field trip to Topeka, Kansas. 
    "I think that the field trip to Topeka helped me learn more because not only did we go to the state capital, but, we also learned about the Kansas government ", said seventh-grader Elle Kolkin. 
    While in Topeka, the students got to visit the Senate Chamber and the Supreme court . They also learned about the Brown Vs. Board of Education case and got to visit the Brown Vs. Board of Education school building. The students also got to see one of John Steuart Curry's most famous paintings, Tragic Prelude. This painting is a mural illustrating John Brown and the effects of Bleeding Kansas.
    "The trip to Topeka was very fun. I got to hang out with my friends and I found it really interesting that our capitol building is actually taller than our nations capitol building in Washington D.C.", said seventh-grader David Liebschutz
    The seventh-graders got to eat lunch outside and play on the near by playground. The students also got to tour the outside of the capitol and visit all of the statues surrounding the building. Although the capitol building is temporarily under construction. 
    "I think that going to Topeka is a highly educational experience and I encourage all students to go visit it.", said Siebers

Reaching the Write Mind
Max Fogel/The Academy Voice

    HBHA students compete for the chance to write a play for local theater. On Tuesday, April 13 the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy welcomed Nancy Marcy, a consultant from the Coterie Theater. Marcy, who recently retired from the position of Education Director at the Coterie Theater, has been both an actor and playwright. She now spends her time traveling to schools around the community in a program called Reaching the Write Mind.
    Reaching the Write Mind has come to HBHA for the past two year as a workshop for the juniors and seniors. This year however, since the workshop came when a majority of the upper class men were on the March of the Living, the freshmen and sophomores were able to attend.
    The six and a half hour workshop started off with the Marcy, handing out pictures depicting groups of people doing various things. After each student chose a picture they then had 15 minutes to write a dialogue between the characters. The students were instructed to put the characters into conflict.  At the end of the 15 minutes, each student read their short play aloud.
    The students then made up two characters that differed in age. After a break for lunch, the students returned to find out they had to write two monologues relating the two characters. The students were then instructed to describe a setting. Then the students were tasked with having their two characters meet in the setting.
    “It really challenged me,” sophomore Michelle Noykhovich said, “it made me a lot more creative and I hope that will transfer over to my English papers for school.”
    The program means more to instructor Nancy Marcy then just teaching helping students find their creativity. “I am an actor, it is my passion and having kids write plays gives me a job” Marcy joked. Marcy hopes the students “discovered new ways of writing and make the choice to not just write stories but to write plays”.
    There was a perk for the students, besides becoming more creative. The students had the to opportunity to be selected to sit on The Round Table, a panel of high school students that write a play for the Coterie Theater to perform. In 2008 HBHA alum Felica Sokol was selected, and last year, now senior, Ethan Kaseff participated. This year freshman Alex de Geary will be sitting on The Round Table.
    “I gained new insight into writing in general,” de Garay, “I found a new enjoyment in expressing the characters in my writing, I am very excited to spend time with others that enjoy writing and exploring the world of play writing.  This is a great opportunity that I am happy to take advantage of.”

Holocaust Memorial room
Hannah Caplan/The Academy Voice

Library Renovations
Rachel Oberman/Special to the Academy Voice

    "The last time the library was renovated was in 1997." said school librarian Civia White 
    Throughout the winter, the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy school library received a face lift. The renovation was paid for by the Jewish Community Center. Some of the new additions include new carpeting, a digital book check-out system, the librarian desk being moved, the card catalog being removed, and some of the book shelves being removed out to make more space. A possible future addition is a tile wall created by the students, with pictures of story book characters on them.
    "I really like the new library, it's a great improvement," said eighth-grader Tyler Marchick "I think it's way more efficient for the desk to be in the front when you walk in, it was weird having it in the back of the room."
    "At first I didn't really like it because of the smell, but I really like how there is a lot more room." said fourth-grader Jonathan Mehari "I can't wait to see the rest of all the new stuff!"

HBHA Students Return to School After Long Spring Break
Nathan Mendel/Special to the Academy Voice

    April 12, 2010 was the first day back at school at the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy and students do not seem to ready to return. In a recent poll,  six out of ten students answered no to the question, “Can you survive through the rest of the school year?”
    Freshman Slater Sously said, “What’s the point?” 
    This begs the question, “Are the students really ready for school after the long sixteen day break?”
Conversely,  the teachers and faculty seem to be too ready for school.
    Science teacher Cody Welton said, “I feel like there’s too much to do and not enough time to do it."
    “I’m loving it today and this week is a lot of fun and May 10th through 12th is going to be middle school trips,” said administrative assistant to the middle and upper school Jean Bratt. Bratt also mentioned how peaceful the upper school is with the juniors and seniors gone on the March of the Living, which is a trip when the juniors and seniors go to Poland and Israel to learn about the Holocaust.
    As the school year continues after that nice break the school year reaches the final stretch and the students are getting antsy, while the teachers are working hard to get there busy schedules over with.

Spirng Break 2010
Daniel Goldberg/Special to the Academy Voice

    From March 26 to April 11, no student, faculty member, or administrator was forced to get ready for the usual eight hours and twenty five minutes of school. A carefree bubble was put in place over the minds of those exempt from sitting in for their classes, until the morning of April 12, 2010, a morning when the bubble popped and spring break 2010 came to a close.
    “I went to Chicago with my family. We shopped all over Michigan Avenue, and even went to the beach at Lake Michigan,” said sophomore Jeremy Gutovitz.
    “My family and I went down to Las Cruces, New Mexico. My sister plays on the soccer team for the New Mexico State University Aggies. We went to a soccer banquet as it was the first year of the program and my sister received an award for scoring the first goal in the programs history,” said
freshman Cameron Burns.
    “My spring break consisted of hanging out with friends for days on end and resulting in a spring break of absolute chaos. In other words it was unbelievably amazing. I did take a short break from my wild spring vacation to focus on some community service at Yachad Food Pantry, and a short trip to
the Omaha zoo with Nathan (Mendel),” said Freshman Zachary Picker.
    Although some Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy students left town for vacation there were still many who had just as much fun at home. Watching movies, playing video games, and roasting marshmallows were just a few ways HBHA students and faulty had fun on their break.
    “My break was great. I played Call Of Duty all day everyday, only occasionally breaking for snacks. I did this for the large majority of the break although I did have social interaction towards the end when I hung out with classmates while roasting marshmallows,” said freshman Slater Sousley.
    “The best part had to be not having to wake up at six in the morning. I probably watched every movie ever made, but I would sternly warn anyone not to go see Hot Tub Time Machine, it was intolerable. I did spend the Sedar with my family who flew in, it was wonderful to see everyone,” said Administrative Assistant to the Middle and Upper School, Jean Bratt.
 It didn’t matter if they went out of town or played video games until their eyes bled; it’s safe to say the two weeks of no school were very much needed. Now that we are all back, we can use the thoughts of spring break to drive us the last six weeks of school.

Lady Rams Gear Up for Road Game
Sarah Herman/Special to the Academy Voice

    The Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy Lady Rams have won two out of their two games, both with shutouts.
    "I have high hopes for our soccer game on Tuesday", said sophomore and right side midfielder Josie Thomas, "Although half of the team has been on the march for the past two weeks, I think that we can pull off another shut out. Hopefully, I will be able to get my first goal of the season and a couple of assists."
    The HBHA lady rams will play Bishop Seabury Academy on Tues. Apr. 27 at YSI field in Lawrence Kansas. This is the Lady Rams only away game this season. 
    "Half of the team has been on the March of the Living for the past two weeks so in practice, we are going to focus on drills, ballwork and conditioning. In the Seabury game we are going to focus more on playing ball to feet and overlapping, which will save the girls time and energy so we do not wear ourselves out during the game," said Athletic director and HBHA middle and high school soccer coach Austin Benton. 
    "I love the HBHA Lady Rams soccer team, although I have not had a chance to attend a game this season. I really hope to go to the Seabury game because since it is an away game, they will need someone to cheer them to victory! Hopefully the lady rams will be able to continue their winning streak. Good luck ladies, I love you!", said freshman Avery Parkhurst.