Yeshiva+Atlanta+Newsletter

The Lions' Den News and Events from Around Yeshiva Atlanta

= //Much has been happening at YA in recent months.// = = //Here is a sampling of some of the things that have made us excited and proud!// =


 * We began offering AP Art and AP Chemistry, as well as a programming course (Visual BASIC) and a course in Environmental Science.
 * Robyn Faintich, executive consultant at JewishGPS, came to speak to us about service learning . We’ve been excited to offer many service learning opportunities this fall as a result of this encouragement.
 * In October, Chief Rabbi of Great Britain, Sir Jonathan Sacks, visited Yeshiva Atlanta to daven, and while at the school he spoke with our seniors about the spiritual significance of Jewish life in Israel.
 * Many of the students had the opportunity to hear the Mayor of Jerusalem speak, and Rabbi Paul presented him with his very own YA kippah!
 * We also had a wonderful lunchtime concert, thanks to Rabbi Rose’s contacts in the musical world.
 * Noted speaker Neil Lazarus came to YA to discuss Israel advocacy, and former Israeli Cabinet and Knesset Member, Effie Eitam, spoke to our students about the current state of affairs in the Middle East.
 * We also introduced our YA online school store ! Check out [] or follow the link on our web page.
 * In November, the entire school attended the Gilad Shalit rally in Centennial Park, a very moving and inspiring experience.
 * Dr. Luchins from Touro College came to speak to our 10th–12th grade students about changes and tensions among Jewish Americans over the past 50 years.
 * Battle of the Classes was a wonderful day enjoyed by all, especially the victorious seniors! Pictures of the Battle are below.
 * On Friday November 26 (the day after Thanksgiving), current families, teachers, and alumni started a new tradition: a sports afternoon at Yeshiva Atlanta, playing basketball, volleyball, and Ultimate Frisbee too! A picture of this fun day is below.


 * [[image:Picture2.png width="272" height="251" caption="Battle of the Classes--Sophomores"]] || [[image:Picture3.png width="234" height="256" align="center" caption="Juniors"]] || [[image:Picture4.png width="288" height="261" caption="Seniors--Champions!"]] ||
 * [[image:Picture1.png width="264" height="264" caption="Freshmen"]] || [[image:Ultimate.jpg width="352" height="266" caption="Some of the Ultimate Frisbee players from the day after Thanksgiving"]] ||  ||

= Message from the Headmaster = **Rabbi Elisha Paul**

When thinking of an accurate term to describe Yeshiva Atlanta High School, the word that often comes to mind is “family” or “//mishpachah//”. This reflects the unique feeling that students and faculty have, of belonging to a school that strives to be both a place of academic excellence as well as a caring community.
 * // A School or a Family? //**

The balance between maintaining the serious learning atmosphere we are known for, while retaining the personal relationship focus that we value, can be challenging, especially during periods of growth and change.

//** A Balancing Act **// I believe the key to maintaining our equilibrium is to strive to treat each student as a unique individual with specific needs, while keeping in mind the bigger mission of the school: to prepare our students to succeed in facing the challenges that life after high school will present them. The //science// of education requires objective standards and benchmarks of success as guides, but the //art// of education entails helping each student unlock their own unique potential.

//** What's In A Name? **// Throughout the history of our school there have been periodic discussions about the name “Yeshiva Atlanta” and the appropriateness of this name for our school. Some discussions focused on the word “yeshiva” as referring to solely Judaic Studies, which only partially describes what happens in our school. Others have focused on the parochial nature of the word, saying that the term “yeshiva” sounds insular, which is not an accurate description of our school either.

On the other hand there are those who have upheld the traditional meaning of the word “yeshiva” as a house of study where the continuity of the chain of traditional Torah study takes place. This interpretation focuses closely on the //raison d’être// of our school and therefore many feel is a fitting name for who we are and what we do.

In reality the name “Yeshiva Atlanta” reflects our attempt to balance loyalty to tradition while embracing modernity, the best of both Judaic and General Studies, and identifying as being both Jewish and American.

The Hebrew word “yeshiva” is related to the word “yishuv” which means settlement. So in fact the word yeshiva connotes both a school and a place where one feels at home. Perhaps Yeshiva Atlanta should also be known as “Mishpachah” High School where everyone is indeed family!
 * // A Place Where "Everybody Knows Your Name" //**

Please enjoy this brief overview of recent events at Yeshiva Atlanta high school and consider this your personal invitation to visit us to see up close and in person what our program is like.

Shalom, //Rabbi Elisha Paul// //Head of School//

= WHY I TEACH = **//We asked this thought-provoking question to two of YA’s longest serving faculty members.//** **//Their answers will interest and inspire you.//**

= **Dr. Fred Coolick** = = **//Head of Yeshiva Atlanta’s Social Science Department//** =



This is a question of some heft. Why does one enter teaching in the first place? It certainly isn’t for the money or the extensive benefits! There must be other reasons.

When I graduated from high school, my parents could not afford to send me to college. I would have to pay my own way. It was 1966 and the war in Vietnam was entering its most intense phase. There was a draft and I knew I would be drafted since I was healthy and would not be going to college in the immediate future. I decided to enlist in the army to get my military service out of the way and be eligible for the GI Bill with its many educational benefits.

It turned out that I loved the service and thought about making it a career. It brought me needed discipline and focus. However I was sent to Vietnam and was wounded in the ninth month of my twelve month deployment. My knee was literally shot away; thus I would not be making the service a career. The GI Bill allowed me to attend college and while in my senior year I was recruited by the CIA. I served with them for 2 years but my wife grew homesick so I had to give up a career I truly loved.

What was I to do now? I loved history and wanted to do something in that field. I also had enough education credits to be certified. Therefore I decided to enter the teaching profession.

In my 35 years in the field of education, I have grown to love this job. I can share my passion for history and love of America with my students. They keep me young and “in the loop” so to speak. I also love the fact that Yeshiva Atlanta allows me to be myself and maintain my sense of humor. The most important factor though is the effect I have on my students. I know that I am helping to shape their future success, and my goal is to make them citizens and members of the Jewish community that we can all be proud of.

I will close with this example. A student who recently graduated wrote me a thank you note, telling me of the effect I have had on her life. She recalled that she was feeling depressed one day and came to speak with me. Apparently I gave her words of encouragement and support that made an impression on her. I had forgotten about our conversation until she reminded me of it and how it had helped her. This is why I teach.

= **Rabbi Daniel Estreicher** = = **//Long-time Yeshiva Atlanta Judaics teacher//** =



1. Big Bucks 2. I’m a masochist, so I want to torment myself. 3. I couldn’t find a job doing anything else. Seriously…
 * **I teach** because I feel that with G-d’s help I can perhaps make a difference in the lives of my students. I can inspire each of them to be a better human being. This includes many areas: their personalities, character traits, and their relationships with G-d and relationships with others.
 * **I teach** because I want each student to maximize his or her spiritual potential. Each one of us has a soul, which is a part of G-d. Our mission in life is to ignite that spark of G-dliness that lies within every student. As a teacher, I need to inspire my students to want to accomplish this goal. I want to reach their souls.
 * **I teach** because I love my students and want them to succeed. It gives me great satisfaction when I do, in fact, see them grow.
 * **I teach** because I believe that it is G-d’s will for each of us to accomplish great things in this world. And what greater accomplishment is there than being G-d’s agent in imparting His teachings on young minds?
 * **I teach** because I enjoy seeing a student’s face light up when they feel empowered with new knowledge or when they ask a great question. And it gives me great satisfaction when I see that the students I taught in high school later have families of their own and to see them act as examples in their communities.
 * **I teach** because I love learning Torah, and teaching Torah allows me to continue learning. As we read in the Talmud: “ותלמדי יותר מכולם”- ““I learned a lot from my teachers. I learned even more from my study partners. But I learned the most from my students.”

= Our Faculty: What Are They Up To? =

**//Some highlights from the recent activities of our YA staff//**



 * Rabbi Bedzow, Member of YA’s Judaics Department **
 * Author of a book called //Halakhic Man, Authentic Jew: Modern Expressions of Orthodox Thought From Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik and Rabbi Eliezer Berkovits//


 * Dr. Fred Coolick, Head of the Social Science Department **


 * Attended an AP European Summer Institute course at Oglethorpe University this past summer.


 * Dr. Mark Fisher, College Counselor **


 * Participated in a panel for //Parade// Magazine of “top high school counselors from around the nation” to contribute names of colleges that often fly under the radar. @http://www.parade.com/news/2010/08/22-a-list-survey-counselors.html


 * Rabbi Elisha Paul, Headmaster **
 * Attended a differentiated instruction program for school leaders this summer in Reston, Virginia, sponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals.


 * Joel Rojek, Assistant Principal of General Studies **
 * Attended an AP Studio Art Institute course this summer at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Atlanta Campus
 * Attended the first of two STAR teacher seminars. The first session was led by Maria Foseid, an Associate with the Marzano Research Lab, and focused on Robert Marzano's book //The Art and Science of Teaching// and its implications for classroom instruction and student learning.
 * Served on the accreditation team for the SAIS accreditation of the New School of Northern Virginia.


 * Dr. Manula Trani, Science Department **


 * Attended an AP Chemistry Institute this past summer at Woodward Academy.


 * Allen Wolmer, Math Department Head **
 * Has had two proposals related to SmartBoards accepted by the Georgia Educational Technology conference.
 * Certified as a Gold Star Teacher, a designation for teachers who had at least 90% of their Financial Literacy (MMM) students pass the Financial Literacy test. 100% of Mr. Wolmer’s students passed last year!
 * Delivering both a parallel session and a workshop in February at the upcoming Georgia Perimeter College Math Conference. The topic will be "SMART Board Lesson Design for Differential & Integral Calculus."

= GO LADY LIONS! =

2010 Lady Lions Varsity Volleyball Team


[|Alexander Graham Bell] once said, “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success ”.

The ** 2010 Lady Lions Varsity volleyball team **took that message to heart. Although the 2010 season did not start until August 18th, the team began their training on May 6th. The team practiced intently throughout the summer and their preparations included the first ever Volleyball camp fundraiser for 6th and 8th grade volleyball players which raised sufficient funds to buy shoes for the varsity players.

The 2010 Varsity team consisted of : Team coach was **Kealani Kukahiko** and the managers were **Rachel Khandadash** and **Bari Sadler**.
 * Amanda Cinnamon**, **Rebecca Sirota**, **Jessica Noories, Sarah Harpaz, Yifat Kadosh, Dalya Kilov, Anna Sirota,** **Rachel Broyde, Liat Hotz, Soshie Kaplan, Cayleigh Alhadeff.**

The Lady Lions ran a strong 4-2 offense with a 2 blocker defense. For the second season in a row the Lady Lions were able to utilize the “Libero” position, which make rallies stronger and longer. Setters were successfully able to run 4’s, 3’s, 2’s, 1’s, and 10’s, and mastered the art of dumping the ball for a quick kill.

The team goals this season were to make every play a pass-set-kill, to serve strongly and to receive serves strongly. Their efforts paid off by winning their first four games. The team struggled when playing Galloway, Fellowship Christian, Tallulah Falls, and Kings Ridge, but the girls continued to grow and learn from the losses and implement new strategies which required Soshie Kaplan, Cayleigh Alhadeff and Liat Hotz to play different positions during different games.

Sarah Harpaz and Liat Hotz led the team in kills. Rachel Broyde, Dalya Kilov, and Jessica Nooriel were leading servers in the Paidea, Galloway, and F.C.S games. Amanda Cinnamon led the team in sets with Rebecca Sirota leading in setter dumps. Yifat Kadosh and Sarah Harpaz led the team in blocks.

The 2010 Lady Lion Varsity Volleyball team had 13 days of games with 17 matches played and finished their season with **11 wins and 6 losses**!

The 2010 team has set a high standard for next year’s squad. The program will miss the senior leadership of Dalya, Sarah, Liat, Rachel, Rachelle, and Amanda. However, the 2011 squad looks forward to the rising leadership of its returning players and anxiously awaits pre-season training so we can once again eat, sleep, breathe and LIVE volleyball!

**GOOOOOOOOOOOOO Lady Lions!!!!!!**

= ** Go Yeshiva Lions! ** = = ** YA Basketball Update ** =

The ** Yeshiva Lions basketball boys ** are off and running with a good start to the season. Winning two of our four games at the Cooper tournament in Memphis, gave us a better start than expected. With a team of eight freshmen and only __one__ senior, the team is already learning to compete at the varsity level. Five of the freshmen have already contributed in meaningful ways during our first seven games. We took Prince Avenue High School into overtime before losing by just three points. We also lost to Tallulah Falls by only three points - and at their gym. We came back from **//twenty eight//** points down at Excel, and outplayed them in the second half!

So, as you can see our results to date may be 3-4, but the real story is that the competitive Yeshiva drive remains alive and well. Our students carry themselves with dignity and pride and represent our school in the finest manner. We look forward to the rest of the season and the annual Sarachek tournament in New York towards the end of the season.



Our ** Lady Lions basketball girls ** are also in a rebuilding year. They have only one starter who returned from last year’s team. All the other members of the squad have either just one year of experience or no experience at all. They are looking to solidify their identity as a team. One ingredient they possess is a wealth of speed. This talent has given them a good foundation on which to build.

The girls are working extremely hard to achieve success, and to make Yeshiva proud of their efforts. The Lady Lions will be going to New York shortly to play in the Cooper tournament at SAR. At the end of the season they will be heading to Miami for their final tournament. We know that their efforts will pay off successfully.

We are proud of our Lions and wish them continued success for the remainder of the season.

We also want to thank our entire alumni family for coming to our home games whenever you are in town. Your support inspires us! GO LIONS!

= **//Giving back!//** = = **//Volunteering and Community Service at YA//** = **//by Liat H.//**

This year at Yeshiva Atlanta, many doors have opened for students wishing to volunteer their time and efforts. Members of the National Honor Society and the greater student body have participated in a number of service projects during the first semester, and we plan to further our communal outreach in the coming year.

We began the school year by helping local Shuls and community members with their Sukkah building, and followed that with a yard-cleanup for senior citizens. We trimmed bushes, raked leaves, and tidied a garden for an elderly couple who could no longer perform these chores themselves.

We volunteered with teens who have an Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Once a month, a group of these teens attend a party at the Emory Autism Center, where they can mingle with volunteers as well as one another, learning to socialize and have fun with others. Many students at YA plan to attend this event regularly, as it is a fun and meaningful way to engage in //Chesed//.

Another aspect of YA’s community service effort was evident when a group of NHS members visited the Furniture bank to assist families who are experiencing financial difficulties to acquire secondhand furniture for their homes.

To further our involvement with the Furniture Bank, we have decided to host our own Furniture Drive where fellow community members can donate used or new household furniture and appliances to the Furniture Bank.

In addition to the Furniture Drive, we have hosted a Blood Drive, and plan to follow up with another drive later this year.

We hope to add many more projects like these to our accumulating list of volunteer opportunities.

Our goal is to lay a foundation of community service opportunities within our Yeshiva Atlanta community that other students will build upon in the future.

**A sentimental look at Yeshiva Atlanta: a place with a "soul", a place where…**

 * The team will explain to the referee that the call should have gone against them, not in their favor (go Lady Lions volleyball team!)
 * You spend some of your vacation time helping synagogues or community members build their Sukkah
 * A student thinks, after hearing speaker Neil Lazarus, “I want him to come speak to my school”-and then makes it happen (Thanks Noam Buckman!)
 * A student asks a speaker a great question, causing the speaker’s people to say “Wow, HE goes to Yeshiva Atlanta?” (way to impress Josh Ingber!)
 * People will help you look for a misplaced object for hours, even if they have a sneaking suspicion that (ahem) it might still be in your car.
 * People get excited for a lunchtime concert, clapping, Shabbos dancing, and even throwing the occasional back flip.
 * People like to hang out with each other on Shabbos.
 * When asked which of the 40 YA students at the Freundlich home on a Friday night you are particularly close with, you answer “pretty much all of them.” (we love you too Avi Goodfriend!)
 * You organize or participate in so much community service that you wonder if you will ever have time to finish your homework.
 * You volunteer at your shul during High Holiday services to help with youth programs.
 * You can //lein// your bar mitzvah parsha.
 * Even though you think your Hebrew is weak, you can lead part of the services and get a yasher koach from your friends.
 * You keep working on a project outside of class time - just because you think it’s kind of cool.
 * Your wife gives birth on a Friday, and you are back in school teaching Monday morning (Yasher Koach Rabbi Bedzow!).
 * You can leave your locker unlocked, confident that your friends won’t invade.


 * .............YOU CAN ADD TO THIS LIST EVERY DAY!**

** Who is the ideal YA graduate? ** // ﻿ //// The long-term measure of our success as mentors and educators, is the role our graduates play AFTER they leave our school. //// ﻿﻿ //// We asked our faculty to brainstorm this question as a way to focus our current goals and evaluate our successes. //// In their view, the ideal YA graduate is someone who....... //
 * * Engages in the community
 * Plays a leadership role
 * Is a “mensch”
 * Takes pride in the Jewish religion and continues to study
 * Loves Israel
 * Remembers YA fondly and wants to give back
 * Maintains relationships formed at YA
 * Is respectful and caring
 * Has a joy for life and a great sense of humor
 * Is civic-minded
 * Possesses skills to be an independent learner
 * Gives tzedakah
 * Tolerates differences
 * Is culturally literate
 * Can merge Judaic and General knowledge without feeling conflicted
 * Has goals
 * Uses technology responsibly and safely
 * Is articulate and has good communication skills
 * Has a good heart and a special soul. || [[image:Cayley_Becca.jpg width="427" height="321" caption="Cayley '12 and Becca '13"]] ||

= Alumni News =


 * Esther Clark, Class of 2008 **, will be starting her senior year of college at Lander College for Women this spring, majoring in political science and serving as the vice president of student government. After completing her degree, she plans to attend graduate school to earn a Masters degree in international relations and public policy. She just completed an internship with US Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand and spent last summer traveling Central Europe and Israel on a NCSY OU summer program as an advisor. This January she will IY'H be getting married. Flatbush, Brooklyn will become her new permanent home, but she will always have a HUGE place in her heart for Raymond Drive! She misses Yeshiva Atlanta!


 * Shanee Ovadia, Class of 2006 **, lives in Manhattan. She graduated from Stern (Sy Syms) in May 2010 with a marketing degree and is currently enrolled in the Wurzweiler School of Social Work pursuing a Masters degree. She is engaged to Josh Kirschenbaum of Plainview, NY, a student at NYU dental school. They are planning to, G-D willing, get married this coming June.


 * Aaron Hodes, Class of 2005 **, Franklin & Marshall College (Lancaster, PA) Class of 2009 (Major: chemistry, minor: philosophy). Drexel University post-baccalaurreate program from 2009-2010. Drexel University College of Medicine class of 2014. Currently on board of Jewish Grad Network for Philadelphia.


 * Tal Ovadia, Class of 2004 **, and his wife Jessi live in Manhattan where Tal works for a public accounting firm, Friedman LLP, working towards becoming a CPA. Jessi plans and produces healthcare conferences for the World Research Group. They are expecting their first child, G-d willing, at the end of April.


 * Eliana Leader, Class of 2004, and Yoni Kaplan, Class of 2004 ** married in 2009 and are now living back in Atlanta. Yoni is currently working as an independent carpenter/handyman and woodworker, and Eliana is the Executive Administrator at Young Israel of Toco Hills and a Birthright Israel NEXT 2011 Fellow.


 * Goldie Robinson, Class of 2003 **, is currently attending Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, where she is pursuing a Master of Arts in Art & Art Education. She will receive teaching certification for Visual Arts, grades K-12. Her undergraduate studies were at Stern College for Women, where she received a Bachelor of the Arts in Studio Art (Shaped Major: Illustration), in January 2008. She hopes all is well at YA, and loved her time here.


 * Rebecca Goldstein, Class of 2002 **, attended Barnard College and graduated in 2007 with a B.A. in biochemistry. She is currently a second year graduate student working toward a PhD in pharmacology at the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences in New York City.


 * Lily Iskhakova, Class of 1997 **, earned her PhD in Neuroscience from Emory University in 2009. She is now working for Cardinal Intellectual Property as a Patent Consultant. She lives in Atlanta, GA (Toco Hills) with her husband, Scott Kuperberg, and two kids: Shaindel, 4 years old, and Yedidyah, 4 months old.

//Are you an alum with news to share? Please email your update, including year of YA graduation, to Paul Oberman at poberman@yeshivaatlanta.org Feel free to include a picture!//

= **Graduation Speech** = = **By 2010 YA Valedictorian Rebecca Stein** =

Two men stand beside an anonymous tree, by an anonymous highway, on an anonymous day, and they wait. They await a man named Godot, whose purpose is also unknown. These men, Vladimir and Estragon, amuse themselves with redundant conversation for an entire two acts until Samuel Beckett’s play—//Waiting for Godot//—comes to a halt. Without having met this famous Godot, with this unknown purpose, by the end of this play the main characters are just as confused as they were at the beginning. Their days of waiting become so repetitive and habitual that they blend together into one haze of a life. It is easy to read or watch this play under the impression that Vladimir and Estragon are two strangers who are in no way analogous to actual people in a realistic context. But I believe that Beckett had more profound intentions when he wrote this play. Rather than taking the play at face value, an inquisitive reader finishes //Waiting for Godot// with a great epiphany. Thoughtful readers realize that Vladimir and Estragon can serve as symbols of the average human being. Like Vladimir and Estragon **wait** for Godot to approach them, most of us have, at some point, **waited** for our purposes to tap us on the shoulder to announce themselves. But our purposes do not behave in this way. We must meet them through passion and work—anything but waiting. I would consider myself, along with my 15 classmates, to be people who oppose the passive attitudes of //Waiting for Godot’s// protagonists, Vladimir and Estragon. This is certainly a result of spending four years at a place like Yeshiva Atlanta, a place that calls for student initiative. Our high school does not have a football team, or model UN, or a marching band, but it does have a supportive administration, a devoted faculty, and a nurturing environment. With these elements, it is incumbent upon the students themselves to initiate the opportunities that they envision. This empowers the students, as they are left to their own devices in an attempt to develop their personal passions. This almost guarantees that once their goals are met, they will be greatly cherished. The Yeshiva student does not spend four high school years merely waiting for opportunities to approach. She creates her own path to achievement, and, luckily, her goals often align with those of other students. This creates a unique environment that is filled with sub-communities. The beauty, though, is not that internal groups are formed, but that they often overlap. A basketball player is also on the yearbook staff and the afterschool learning group. Grade council members help the student council run Shabbaton activities. The student-formed environmental club works with the student government to create and distribute recycling bins to classrooms. Our communities draw their strength from their student participants and leaders, making their members far more enthusiastic and committed. Think of the amount of influence that a student with this type of organizational experience will have on a college campus. This is the impact that I am sure many members of our class will have in the future, and it is my greatest hope that the pattern persists—that Yeshiva continues to produce young adults who do not wait for Godot—whatever their Godots may be—but who work through high school with ambitious outlooks. But how does one guarantee the continuity of this type of cycle? For this, we can turn to Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, whose work I studied this year with Rabbi Paul. One of Rav Nachman’s most crucial points is the concept of seeing the wisdom and godliness that lies beneath all creations. From a striking sunset to a well-built kitchen table, we must open our minds and our eyes, to find inspiration in every sight. To me, this is a form of not waiting for Godot, but of behaving as an active member of humanity. For, rather than relying on typical sources of wisdom—teachers, parents, and mentors—Rav Nachman’s ideal human is on an active quest for inspiration, finding it in everyday sights and experiences. Rav Nachman’s idea of a wisdom-seeking person is analogous to an opportunity-seeking high school student. Rather than waiting for clubs, teams, and classes to approach her, an ambitious student is on a constant quest for opportunity, even if that requires that the student create her own opportunity. At Yeshiva, there are numerous one-on-one classes that the students themselves have created. From independent poetry studies with Mr. Rojek, to private Torah study with Rabbi Paul, Yeshiva students leave the spectrum of the typical class structure to satisfy their personal educational objectives. But let us not forget that the students could not accomplish these feats if the school was not filled with faculty members committed to the development of their students, to the point where they make themselves available for this type of educational endeavor. The faculty and students, together, are on the type of quest for wisdom that Rav Nachman, and other Jewish scholars preach. As Rabbi Yehoshua ben Perachia famously stated: “Make for yourself a rabbi,” denoting the active nature of learning. Intellectual ambition is a trait that sets the Yeshiva student apart from those who merely accept the education that is handed to them. While it is impressive for an individual—even more so, a student—to adopt a set of wisdom-seeking eyes, what is the purpose of this virtue if it cannot be passed on? Again, Rav Nachman proposes a solution. And this is where we find one of his most profound ideas. Rav Nachman emphasizes that rather than being a vessel that holds knowledge, a knowledge-seeker must be a conduit, who obtains and conveys wisdom as a canal receives and transmits water. It is not the act of seeking and absorbing knowledge that is truly virtuous, but it is the ability to share this knowledge with other people, seekers and non-seekers alike. And to guarantee this transmission of knowledge, it is our responsibility to remain “open” to influence on both ends—from being inspired to actually inspiring others. With this openness, a continuous flow of wisdom is created. When a person experiences this sense of “openness,” mundane events become far more profound, as almost every encounter seems to have a greater sense of relevance. I was sitting in a hairdresser’s seat a few weeks ago, when I unashamedly pulled out my AP English multiple choice review packet. I looked at the first excerpt, and was stunned to see that this 84-line segment could sum up the complex thoughts that I was experiencing while reflecting upon my high school career. I was shocked to find that this coincidental read could resolve the regret that the last few months of high school left me with—I had been questioning whether I took full advantage of the possibilities that this unique school had offered. The piece left me intrigued, so after coming home, I did more research and found that the text is an excerpt from Alan Lightman’s novel, //Einstein’s Dreams//. He begins, “Suppose people live forever. Strangely, the population of each city splits in two: the Laters and the Nows. The Laters,” Lightman explains, “reason that there is no hurry to begin their classes at the university, to learn a second language, to read Voltaire or Newton, to seek promotion in their jobs, to fall in love, to raise a family. For all these things, there is an infinite span of time....” Lightman then describes the Laters’ counter-group, the Nows, and I quote, “The Nows note that with infinite lives, they can do all they can imagine….Each person will be a lawyer, a bricklayer, a writer, an accountant, a painter, a physician, a farmer….they begin early and never go slowly.” After this portrayal of these two attitudes, Lightman comes to the conclusion that an immortal life poses far more burdens than benefits for both groups. “Such is the cost of immortality,” he says, “No person is whole. No person is free.” This piece’s rejection of an infinite world settled my feelings of frustration and gave me an appropriate sense of closure; I began to understand that my regret was natural, because everything is //finite//. Of course, when one stage of life comes to an end, a person will question whether she could’ve achieved more, but this is just the nature of the world. And while an infinite lifespan seems appealing, we must live our lives in finite stages. We have a set four years of high school, in which our possibilities are limited. But in a sense, it is this limited time that allows us to gain as much as possible, as we yearn to experience a sense of accomplishment at the end of our four years. And this accomplishment will taste much sweeter if it is gained with a sense of openness, a sense of ambition, a hint of Anti-Vladimir and Anti-Estragon. We must accept the truth that if we wait around forever, our purposes will not just come and meet us. It is a harsh reality, but Godot will never come, and time is not infinite; we must seek with open minds in an attempt to taste the triumph that endings can grant.