Rabbi Nevins Visits High School Classrooms

Having learned so much in Middle School, I felt ready following Thanksgiving to plunge into High School, but was I really? Every day our students embark on a far-ranging journey through knowledge, and it’s enough to make your head spin! Come along with me:

Our Judaic studies teachers problematized ancient teachings about crime and punishment, asking students to consider the psychology of a “thief in the night.” We parachuted into pivotal moments of Jewish history, such as the escape of Rabban Yohanan Ben Zakkai from the besieged and doomed capital of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Then in Social Studies with Ms. Smith we studied the Supreme Court Decision, “McCulloch vs. Maryland” (1819) which allowed Congress to establish a national bank, checking the right of states such as Maryland to impede “necessary and proper” expressions of Federal power. But how to strike the proper balance between Federal and State authority? With Ms. Cruz our students looked at “Bloody Andrew Jackson,” who was accused of corrupting politics and trampling on the rights of states. Using political cartoons, our students connected with early 19^th century America, while with Mr. Ober, they debated more recent politics, seeing how once again those in power test constitutional restraints in pursuit of ideology and ambition. 

Then there was this problem in Pre-Calculus (see image of coordinate plane). I’ll admit that I was terrified by Geometry class with Ms. Antilles (recalling similar feelings when I was actually in 10^th grade). Still, with her calm, patient, and reassuring manner, and with the explanations of her students, I arrived at the correct answer, y=3 cos(2x). Well, I’m still not sure I can explain the answer, but I was impressed by the insights of our students. 

Do you remember the “Valley of Ashes” in The Great Gatsby? It refers to a wasteland situated between New York City and the resort villages of East and West Egg. High above “the gray land and the spasms of bleak dust” is a billboard with two giant blue eyes. This advertisement for an optometrist also symbolizes something—but what?  Mr. Hefetz’s students speculated that perhaps the eyes represented the upper class looking down on and exploiting the working class. Perhaps. I wondered if this was not a biblical reference, perhaps to the “valley of the shadow of death” in Psalm 23, and to the reassuring divine presence guiding us through peril like sheep. 

In our STEM lab a class of juniors made “Shark Tank” style pitches for various machines that could improve life. One team developed an automatic flotation device to prevent drownings. Another redesigned subway turnstiles to frustrate scofflaws, while yet another was interested in making a better back scratcher. Two students were surprisingly concerned with kids not putting their shoes away and devised a system to incentivize proper storage. You never know which ideas will change the world! 

Outside of class I have been awed by the skills of our basketball players, and the songs and acting of our thespians. It is impossible to keep track of all our student clubs but let me tell you this—GOA students are proud of each other and of their school. You can see it in the swag that they eagerly acquire, and in their support for each other’s accomplishments. I celebrate our oldest students and look forward to seeing the younger ones rise in the years ahead.