Mid February 2015

‫ו ר ה וי‬
‫א‬
‫ר‬
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Sh’vat 5775 - Mid February 2015
Volume 6 - Issue 10
MESSAGE FROM THE HEADTEACHER
Dear Parents
This week we successfully launched our
new Management Information System,
SIMS. This transition is an important one
as it will enable us to manage information
about students better. Furthermore, in the
coming months, this new system will enable
you to monitor the progress of your children
more closely – both in terms of their
academic progress, but also their behaviour
and participation in school events. We
are confident that this transition will be a
positive one for all concerned and thank you
for your patience with regard to the changes
to the School’s normal routine for the special
staff meetings. Please make a note, if you
have not already done so, that school will
finish early on Tuesday 24 February. In order
to extend the scheduled staff meeting, we
will slightly shorten afternoon lessons and
school will end 25 minutes early. Year 7 will
therefore finish at 3:05 pm, Years 8 and 9 at
3:15 pm and Years 10-13 at 3:15 pm.
Last week the Department for Education
school league tables were published in the
press and online. JFS once again performed
extremely well and we were amongst the
top performing non-selective schools in the
country. A particular feature of these tables
is that they do not simply look at headline
figures for examination results, but evaluate
schools for the progress students make.
They also compare schools on a like-for-like
basis. I am proud that our position reinforces
our knowledge that we deliver exceptional
opportunities for our students. Looking at the
results of the Jewish schools overall we should
be extremely proud that as a community we
have such impressive schools.
Students in Years 11 will now have received
their mock examination results, while Years
12 and 13 will hear after Half Term. I hope that
these provide an insight to students and parents
as we head towards the ‘real’ examinations.
For those who have succeeded, they should
serve as inspiration and an illustration of the
rewards of hard work. To those who have not
yet achieved as expected I hope they provide
an impetus for improvement over the coming
months. I am sure, with support, students
across the board will make progress and
achieve their aims.
Yours sincerely
Jonathan Miller
Headteacher
Inside this
Issue:
We Must Never
Forget
Holocaust remembered
and studied by all faiths.
Page 2
Service With a Smile
BTEC students impress
guests.
Page 4
Journalistic
Aspirations
Students learn from the
professionals.
Page 6
Students enjoying new fruits on Tu B’Shvat.
Holocaust Memorial Day
Leading up to Holocaust Memorial
Day, JFS students commemorated
the Holocaust during their weekly
assemblies. Led by Miss Krieger, the
assemblies enabled the students to
reflect on the destruction the Holocaust
wrought.
For the annual Brent Holocaust
Memorial Day Seminar, as part of our
co-operation with other local schools in
the borough of Brent, we hosted Year
10 students from Alperton Community
School, Newman Catholic College, St
Gregory’s, Preston Manor High School,
Kingsbury High School and the Ark Elvin
Academy. They were joined by fellow
students from JFS with the programme
opening with an introduction by Rabbi
Aubrey Hersh (JLE) who interviewed
Mrs Lily Ebert, a survivor of the
Holocaust. The students heard the
story of her miraculous survival and
listened with trepidation as she gave an
account of her experiences and feelings
during and after the war. It was a story
that left a lasting impression on all
those present.
The programme also included a session
on German propaganda before and
during the war. It was a catalyst for
a discussion about stereotypes and
their manipulation by those who incite
hatred and violence. It was a lively
2
discussion that helped all students
better grasp the need for mutual
understanding and respect.
Ray Hill, who infiltrated the Far-Right
Fascist organisations in the UK, was
another welcome guest. He spoke
to students about the emergence of
Fascism in the UK. He impressed upon
all those present the need for constant
vigilance and the need to speak out
against those that would seek to
discriminate and hurt others. By the
end of the day, most of those that
attended the seminar realised for the
first time the extent of the Holocaust
and the impact of it on Jews and other
minority groups.
A Student’s Reflections of her
Recent Visit to Poland (as featured in
the Jewish News)
I wrote this poem, to let people know,
About my Poland experience, a few weeks ago.
I went with JFS, the journey was shared,
With my peers and teachers, all of whom cared.
I went on the trip, eager to learn,
My mind full of excitement, interest and concern.
We started by the ghetto, and stood by the wall,
The space the Jews lived in was confined and small.
Our day was not finished, and off to Treblinka we went,
A concentration camp, where many Jews were sent.
At this location, 900,000 people died,
My emotions bottled up, and I eventually cried.
We walked through Kraków ghetto, and we saw
Schindler’s factory at night,
He let Jews work for him, and kept them out of the Nazi’s
sight.
I felt so grateful that I could come and leave,
Whilst the Jews at that time could only believe.
Then we went to Majdanek, a camp where Jews ached,
In the winters they froze whilst in the summers they baked.
On our very last day we got on the coach, and travelled
to the city of Lódź,
We went to the ghetto, the second largest in Poland,
where Jews could just not dodge.
This was when I was truly placed in shock,
The dire things that occurred I just struggled to clock.
We went to Chelmno a concentration camp, to finish off
our stay,
We found the bones of our ancestors, and a funeral we
did display.
Fingers were chopped here and clothes were removed,
And the vile conditions never ceased to improve.
We entered gas chambers, and saw piles of ash,
But the individual stories were what made my heart
crash.
Now that we’re home, we’ve remembered what we’ve
seen,
The emotions we’ve felt, and the places we have been.
On Thursday we went to Auschwitz, a place we all knew,
We’d seen pictures prior, from books we’d looked
through.
70 years have now passed, since Auschwitz got liberated,
But unfortunately there are few survivors, as most
victims became cremated.
Whilst the large book of names allowed many to connect,
The sheer piles of shoes were what helped to reflect.
We must build our future, by remembering the past,
By teaching future generations, these recollections will
last.
We travelled on to Birkenau, the largest camp in length,
Being able to sport the Israeli flag, gave me incredible
strength.
The remnants of the camps, and survivors that we met,
Taught us to remember, and to NEVER FORGET
We joined forces with the Israeli army and sung the
Hatikvah loud,
The tears on our faces, and the irony of the location
made me extremely proud.
Tania Lobetta 12ZB
We went to Tarnow on Friday, although we weren’t there
for long,
Before the war Jews lived there, and were 25,000 strong.
As the Germans burnt down the synagogues, and started
to discriminate,
Jews left Tarnow and fled to the East, as their safety they
began to debate.
On Saturday morning we heard, from a Righteous
Amongst the Nations,
She saved Jews during the Holocaust, despite the many
complications,
She risked her life for others, her testimony she shared,
She was daring, self-sacrificing and truly amazing, for
her life she nearly impaired.
3
BTEC Official Opening
Ceremony
The new Level 3 BTEC Hospitality course
and facilities was officially launched
last week with a ‘celebration event’ to
thank all those who have been involved
in setting up the course.
The students used skills gained from
the course to plan and manage the
event from beginning to end. The
front-of-house staff designed, sent out
invitations and arranged the layout
of the event room. This included
displays of their culinary creations and
information on their work experience.
They then went on to use their
customer service skills to welcome and
serve the staff guests. Those students
who produced the food showed great
imagination in their menu, which
consisted of:
•Smoked salmon and chive blinis
•Mozzarella nibbles
•Breaded mushrooms
•Fruit tarts with crème patisserie
•Meringues
•Viennese fingers
•Mocktails of Pina Colada and Virgin
Mary’s
Staff greatly enjoyed the event as can
be seen from some of the comments
received:
“I just wanted to write and say what
a wonderful event yesterday’s launch
was. The students … spoke confidently
and enthusiastically about their
experiences so far.”
“I just wanted to express how
impressed I was with the BTEC event
yesterday - I really enjoyed seeing the
students creating and presenting their
efforts so successfully.”
“The students were engaging,
interested and enthused; ambassadors
for the course and our school. The
event itself was meticulously organised
and the refreshments a joy to eat!”
Well done to all the BTEC Hospitality
students!
Finally all guest received a goody-bag
of homemade chocolate fudge to take
away, which went down extremely well
with staff! Teamwork in the kitchen
was essential to ensure a smooth flow
of well-cooked and presented food, an
area the students excelled in.
4
A Celebration of the
Wohl Legacy
JFS ‘A’ Level Music students showcased
their talents at the 50th anniversary of
the Wohl Legacy.
Our Way of Life
Explained
The Jewish Way of Life Exhibition
(JWOLE) is comprised of presentations
and workshops that focus on three
main points in Judaism. The event
is organised by Miss Krieger with
students from Year 9 presenting the
sessions. The sessions took place
over two days, with a number of
different non-Jewish primary schools
participating, as part of their Religious
Education studies.
Our guests were welcomed by Miss
Krieger who spoke about Judaism
and some of the symbols in Judaism
such as the Menorah and Shofar.
The visiting students and even their
teachers had a turn trying to blow
the Shofar.
Our guests were then split up into
Students performed in front of
guests including JFS President,
The Lord Levy and H.E. the British
Ambassador to Israel, Matthew
Gould. This prestigious event took
place at the Royal Academy of Arts
in Green Park and was a unique
opportunity and experience for our
students.
three groups for the workshops.
One was about the observance of
Shabbat, where students learnt
about making Kiddush over wine and
eating Challah. They even enjoyed
tasting some grape juice and eating
challah rolls.
interesting Judaism can be to people
of other faiths
The next workshop was about eating
Kosher (Kashrut) and how to follow
basic instructions like not to mix milky
and meaty utensils and to check food
labels before we buy anything. The
final workshop was about Charity
(Tzedaka), helping others is a very
important tenet within the Jewish
religion.
At the end, Miss Krieger reviewed
all the aspects covered by the
workshops and fired questions at
the visiting students. The session
was enthusiastically received by the
students, demonstrating just how
5
Just before our visitors left, they were
extremely pleased to have a tour of
the JFS Synagogue, where they learnt
about the different prayer services
throughout the day. The visitors also
learnt about the School’s wide range
of Siddurim (Jewish prayer books)
for anybody to pray with, even if the
student does not own a Siddur. This
left the visiting students with a smile
on their faces and a new outlook on
the Jewish religion in their minds,
wanting to learn more.
On their return to their respective
schools the students wrote personal,
decorated ‘thank you’ letters to JFS
which have been put up on display
for all to see.
Jordan Becker 9W1
Student Journalist
DailyTelegraphWelcome
to JFS Journalists
As part of our Student Journalist programme,
the team of JFS Journalists visited The Daily
Telegraph central office and was, in the
words of one of my fellow journalists, Ore, “A
fantastic opportunity and a great journalistic
experience.” The trip was very exciting for
both staff and students as going on such a trip
is potentially a ‘once in a life time’ experience.
During the visit, we met some of The
Telegraph’s most widely known journalists
and editors, such as the Science Editor, Sarah
Knapton,whosharedwithus herexperiences
of getting into Journalism through
Archaeology. We were also introduced to
the newer and less experienced journalists
of The Telegraph who spoke about their
experience of following a career in Journalism
and what can be done in order to increase
employability in the industry. In addition,
we met a very senior editor, Parick Sawer,
who discussed the pressures of the tight
deadlines.
This visit had a number of different aims, the
first of which was to hear from people who
have had successful careers in Journalism and
providing an insight into what the students
need, to follow this career path. Also, to show
us what having a job as a Journalist entails on
a daily basis.
The tours around The Telegraph building
gave us an understanding of the work
environment and resources that the editors
and journalists have access to, such as the
state-of-the-art computers as well as a wellequipped gym. In The Telegraph building
most of the journalists work in the same
impressively large open space, in which
they are separated into different areas
for different subjects, such as Politics and
Sports.
Furthermore, we were taught about how
Journalism is evolving and improving
using media and technology. We were
given explanations of how certain
recording equipment is used and how
The Telegraph streams live to news
channels on television.
Finally and, most importantly, the trip was
planned in order to inspire the Student
Journalists to encourage their ambitions.
The trip showed us how far a person can
succeed within the field of Journalism
and how one can grow as a journalist.
Gilad Feebish 8A1
Student Journalist
6
Tale of a West End
Star
As a Year 12 student at JFS studying
‘AS’ Levels it sometimes seems like the
world beyond exams and the struggle
for university places is still a distant
aim. Any chances to momentarily
break from the chains of academic
stress are grasped with both hands. A
trip to the Garrick Theatre to see the
production of ‘The Scottsboro Boys’
was useful both for ‘AS’ Drama and
enrichment.
As a Drama student, any opportunity
to see the working field of Theatre
is invaluable. This show did not
disappoint any member of the
audience. It was audacious, elating
and shocking; finger-snapping, toetapping and tremendous. The show
was moving, inspirational and eyeopening. The touching and dark
story of the ‘Scottsboro Boys’ is
universally felt in the deepest part
of each audience member while the
catchy and upbeat songs play over
and over in your mind, compelling
you to laugh rather uncomfortably.
“To tell the story true” was the aim
of director, Susan Stroman, and the
comic elements of the play enhanced
the message. One of my classmates
was in tears by the end, although it
is impossible to know if these were
tears of laughter or sorrow, for these
young men who encountered such
tragic circumstances. Probably a
mixture of both.
The whirlwind of emotion following
the production was still with us
and thus, our excitement was
immeasurable when we were told
that Forrest McClendon was coming
in to speak to us. I think we all knew
exactly who he was after reading the
‘Scottsboro Boys’ cast list countless
times, in appreciation of their
performance. “For any aspiring actor
or actress, to meet someone who
has made their way into the business
is helpful and Forrest was truly
inspirational,” stated my peer Ruth. In
every sense I have to agree. Although
I am not sure if I want to become
an actor for a living, Forrest was a
complete inspiration. His message
was applicable throughout life in
general and in an hour of listening
to him speak I felt empowered
and ready to tackle the world’s
challenges. His personality was
captivating and every word he spoke
seemed to be graced with a higher
wisdom. As he told us the story of
how he climbed to where he is today,
Forrest was energetic and charming.
The thought did cross my mind “Does
the man ever stop acting?” I am still
not sure. However, I am sure that his
fascinating temperament made sure
we all wanted to be his friend, even if
only on Facebook.
Although Forrest did not deny the
brutal nature of the acting world
he did offer an insight much more
inspirational than the alternative of
just giving up. He told us everybody
gets a chance. Often people
complain that life is not fair and
others have advantages over them.
However, Forrest is a firm believer
that somewhere down the line an
opportunity will come about; we just
have to be ready to grab it as they do
7
not hang about long. “Don’t be stuck
on your Blackberry,” Forrest said,
which follows the famed maxim, “You
snooze you lose”. This is a message
to be learnt everywhere, not just for
an aspiring actor. We must be careful
not to hesitate, to throw ourselves
into every opportunity. Of course,
we cannot all have a seemingly
infinite amount of enthusiasm like
Forrest, but we can try to make sure
that when our destiny reaches us it
does not pass us by. So we are not
caught still in the moment, sitting and
waiting for our dreams to come true
but instead use our destiny to make
something happen. The message to
remember is, “There is a Divinity of
destiny, not dreams.”
Scott Simon 12AT
Selected from our Student Journalist Blog... (view our blog at: http://jfsstudentjournalist.blogspot.co.uk/)
Inspiration:
Jamie Cullem at his piano.
Daniel Marx 12AR
Music plays a huge part in my life, inside
and outside of school. The main reason
that I am inspired to learn how to play new
instruments or pieces, to write, or listen
to, new and interesting styles of music, is
because of the musicians and the pieces,
that have had an impact on my tastes and
interests. I would like to talk about a few of
those influences in this article.
For as long as I can remember, I have loved
the Saxophone and whilst Michael Brecker
was not the first Saxophonist I came across,
he was certainly the best and most inspiring.
Michael Brecker was a Tenor Saxophonist
who played post-bop Jazz music. Not only
was he one of the best tenor players ever
to have lived, but he was so passionate
about his music that he continued to play
live concerts even after experiencing a
herniated larynx (he blew out the muscles
in his neck from playing too strongly and
had to play with a neck brace). Having been
diagnosed with Leukaemia, Brecker died
in 2007 at the age of 57 but his music and
his attitudes towards it continue to have a
profound effect on me.
Recommended tracks: Some Skunk Funk –
Live and Delta City Blues.
Aside from being a virtuosic Mandolin
player, Chris Thile is on this list because of
his ideas regarding genre. Despite coming
from a background in playing traditional
Bluegrass (American folk music), he listened
to a huge range of musical genres and came
to the conclusion that the boundaries of
genre would one day become obsolete.
This idea is particularly inspiring for me as
the styles of music that I really enjoy are so
far apart that one would never associate
one with another. Thile’s music, particularly
his band ‘Punch Brothers’, blends ideas
from multiple genres to make some of the
most exciting music I have ever listened to.
YouTube search “Chris Thile Genre
Hopping” for a summary of his ideas.
Recommended tracks: Movement and
Location and Soon or Never.
I love film music. Pieces written to
accompany motion pictures are some of
the most interesting I have ever listened
to. This is because they have to change and
warp around what is happening on screen.
For me, the person who is best at writing
music like this is James Newton Howard.
The range of different genres and styles of
music he is able to compose in is incredible.
From the dark, brooding feel of the Dark
Knight soundtrack, to the jazzy, laid back
sounds of Glengarry Glen Ross, to the
driving, upbeat Dinosaur soundtrack. The
score that is particularly special for me is
the soundtrack for Disney’s Treasure Planet.
This is the soundtrack to my childhood
and is the first film I can remember seeing
where the music really stood out for me.
Recommended tracks: Jim Saves the Crew
and Silver Leaves.
Until I was about 12 years old, I had always
been introduced to musicians and groups
by either my father or my sister. In 2010, I
happened to see Jamie Cullum performing
his song ‘I’m All Over It’ on television. From
there, I was hooked. This was the first time
I had discovered a musician by myself and I
am so glad I did. I did not just gain a couple
of great new albums to listen to, but I was
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@JFSSchool
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inspired to start finding more and more
music by myself. For this reason (in addition
to the fact that I love his music) Jamie
Cullum will always be my favourite musician
and my biggest musical influence. Cullum’s
songs were incredibly accessible and
managed to introduce me to Jazz in a way
that no other artist had been able to until
then. They were also the first songs that I
really wanted to learn to play. It has been
four years since I learned of the existence
of Jamie Cullum and since then I have only
continued to enjoy his music even more.
Recommended tracks: All at Sea, Pointless
Nostalgic and I’m All Over It.
There are plenty more people who have
inspired my playing and influenced my
taste in music, but those mentioned above
have had the biggest impact of all. It is the
music and ideas of these people that can
inspire creativity and new interest in people
everywhere and I hope that they do for
years to come.
Honourable Mentions: Gerry Rafferty,
Newton Faulkner, Chick Corea, Gary Burton,
Béla Fleck and Edgar Meyer.