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Shalhevet news online: When we know it, you'll know it

The Boiling Point

Shalhevet news online: When we know it, you'll know it

The Boiling Point

Shalhevet news online: When we know it, you'll know it

The Boiling Point

Alec Fields

Alec Fields, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Since freshman year, Alec Fields has written numerous stories for the Community, Torah, Features, Outside News, Sports and Arts and Culture sections.  In 10th grade, Alec received the post of Torah editor and held that position until being named co-Editor-in-Chief for the 2016-2017 school year. He has received awards for, "SUMMER OF WAR: Hollywood, too, was divided," “Refusing Playoff Suspension, Buckley Resigns,” “OUT OF THE SHADOWS: Ancient tradition meets modern sensibility,” and for “Rabbi who sauna-ed with students in New York was scholar-in-residence at Beth Jacob on Shavuot.”  Alec is co-captain of Model Congress, co-president of the Finance Club, a founder of Supplies on Demand, a member of the Mock Trial team, Firehawks for Israel, tennis team and grappling club.  Some of his favorite classes are Political Theory of Modern Middle East, Psychology, and Government and Economics.  When Alec has time he enjoys playing or watching sports, reading the news and managing his fantasy football team. 

All content by Alec Fields
CHARISMA: Rabbi Segal called Rabba Ramie Smith a rising star in Jewish education.

Ramie Smith, rabba at Hebrew Institute of Riverdale in NY, will join faculty next fall

By Alec Fields, Co-Editor-in-Chief
June 16, 2017

Yeshivat Maharat graduate Ramie Smith, who is known as Rabba Smith in her current position at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale...

CENTER: Rabbi Kalman Topp of Beth Jacob Congregation said his synagogue has begun discussions about hiring a woman as community scholar.

Beth Jacob stance prevents break over women clergy after OU says no

By Alec Fields, Co-Editor-in-Chief
March 28, 2017
For two weeks last month, Los Angeles Modern Orthodoxy held its breath as a statement from New York threatened to sew disunity in its rapidly growing, multi-faceted and yet tightly knit community.
Picketers from the Westboro Baptist Church at Shalhevet Feb. 27.

Westboro picketers wave signs, sing songs at school for 30 minutes

By Alec Fields, Co-Editor-in-Chief
February 27, 2017

Nine members of the Westboro Baptist Church, including the church's leader Timothy Phelps and his wife Lee Ann, protested outside...

Boys Basketball CIF Division 4A Semi-final Highlights

Boys Basketball CIF Division 4A Semi-final Highlights

By Alec Fields, Co-Editor-in-Chief
February 24, 2017

The Firehawks are moving on to the CIF Division 4A championship afte beating Mary Star 58-43 in tbe division semifinals. Leading...

SUSPICIOUS: Extra security guards and police officers watched todays dismissal due to a suspicious phone call received this afternoon. They searched cars before allowing them through the gate.

‘Suspicious’ phone call led to increased security during today’s dismissal

By Alec Fields, Co-Editor-in-Chief
February 2, 2017

Multiple police cars and officers waited outside school during today’s dismissal after Shalhevet received a “suspicious...

Students react to enforcement of anti-party policy

Students react to enforcement of anti-party policy

By Alec Fields, Co-Editor-in-Chief
January 4, 2017

A three-year-old Shalhevet policy prohibiting students from hosting parties and providing alcohol and drugs has been criticized...

TITLED: As a spiritual leader of Bnai David-Judea Congregation, Rabbanit Alissa Thomas-Newborn regularly gives dvrei Torah from the shuls bima.

B’nai David changes Morateinu’s title to Rabbanit

By Alec Fields, Co-Editor-in-Chief
December 16, 2016

For the first time in Los Angeles, a Modern Orthodox shul has given the title rabbanit  to a female clergy member. Nearly two...

IDENTITY: Micha Thaus rainbow Magen David (star of David) necklace, which he wears everyday, represents two critical elements of his identity -- Judaism and homosexuality. Micha co-founded Shalhevets first Gay-Straight Alliance earlier this year in the hopes of making any Shalhevet LGBT students feel comfortable and supported.

Gay-Straight Alliance draws 15 at first meeting

By Alec Fields, Co-Editor-in-Chief
October 31, 2016

Less than two weeks after calling the Torah’s views on homosexuality the biggest challenge to emunah, or religious...

TEXT: The 18th verse of Vayikra (Leviticus), above,  calls it an abomination to iie with a man as one lies with a woman.  Rabbi Segal said that does not mean gay students should not be able to participate fully in religious life at school and beyond.

School makes LGBT inclusion official policy, hoping to set an example for Modern Orthodox schools

By Alec FIelds, Co-Editor-in-Chief
October 11, 2016

Hoping to start a trend that will spread throughout Orthodox Judaism, Shalhevet has adopted a six-point LGBT non-discrimination...

SCHEDULE: Ninth-grade master schedule shows new MAP periods after lunch, which will be dedicated to math, arts and P.E. classes.

Math more often, more Talmud and less lunch time among schedule changes for 2016-17

By Alec Fields, Co-Editor-in-Chief
July 22, 2016

A longer school day, different lunch periods and schedules for different grades, more Talmud and math, and no SWAP for upperclassmen...

Beth Tfiloh in Baltimore is one of the schools whose schedules were examined by Shalhevets Educational Leadership Team.

Team of administrators worked on new schedule for three years

By Alec Fields, Co-Editor-in-Chief
July 22, 2016

Shalhevet's revamped schedule was developed by what Principal Reb Noam Weissman called the "educational leadership team," a group...

Kiddush clubs: Old tradition is scrutinized in a new way

Kiddush clubs: Old tradition is scrutinized in a new way

By Alec Fields, Torah Editor
June 17, 2016
Local synagogues like Young Israel, Beth Jacob and B’nai David-Judea do not officially sanction Kiddush clubs, but like high school parties and kickbacks, they’re popular anyway.
ABRIDGED: The Just Community Constitution that hangs outside second-floor administrative offices contains less than a third of the original document.

School constitution is found, envisioning a democracy similar and different

By Alec Fields, Torah Editor
May 18, 2016

After a two-week search, Shalhevet’s original Just Community Constitution has been found, and it describes a school democracy...

ADJUSTMENT: Rabbi David Stein, teaching his 11th-grade Gemara class, is co-author with Reb Weissman of Shalhevets acclaimed Lahav Talmud curriculum. “Maybe we need to spend more time paying attention to halacha l’maaseh,” he said.

Girl leading Kiddush was a mistake, school says

By Alec Fields, Torah Editor
May 10, 2016

A Shabbat eve mistake by students and staff led to a girl’s saying Kiddush on last fall’s Princeton Model Congress trip, causing the...

Amr Eissa, a sophomore at St. Francis High School in La Canada, was asked if he belonged to ISIS when he wore a sweatshirt with Arabic writing.

Feeling pre-judged from airports to ice rinks, L.A. Muslim teens try to find their religious footing

By Alec Fields, Torah Editor
April 27, 2016

Have you ever worn a sweatshirt with Hebrew writing on it, or wrestled with whether to wear your kippah outside of school? Here’s...

SIMILIARITIES: Students at the Rae Kuskner Yeshiva High School in New Jersey all pray together in one minyan.

Across nation, various ways to spiritualize davening

By Alec Fields, Torah Editor
February 25, 2016
It might have been unusual to open a student-led discussion about davening options at Shalhevet’s Just Community meetings last fall, but the wide range of choices that came out of it is not unusual at all in Modern Orthodox high schools.
Hundreds gathered inside the gym on a Saturday night to hear rabbis agree and argue. From left, Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky, Rabbi Pini Dunner, Rabbi Adam Kligfeld and Rabbi Sharon Brous, with Rabbi Schwarzberg.

Cross-denominational discussion hosted by Institute

By Alec Fields, Torah Editor
February 1, 2016

What do you get when you cross a Conservative, Progressive and two Orthodox rabbis on one stage?  The Shalhevet Institute’s...

Off-CAMPUS:The egalitarian minyan of Temple Beth Am, above, is the only off-campus venue which students may skip school to attend so far. But Rabbi Segal said he would consider other alternatives.

School upholds promise as two girls daven off campus

By Alec Fields, Torah Editor
November 29, 2015
Three days a week before school, freshman Noa Kligfeld prays and puts on tefillin at the morning minyan in Pilch Hall of Temple Beth Am. Most days her friend Hannah Friedman, also a freshman, goes with her.
TRIBES:  Above, the Beit Midrash hosts Hashkama minyan and a 9th-10th grade minyan, while the 11th-12th grade minyan is in the Beit Knesset next door.  Twelve small windows represent the 12 tribes Below, the wooden Aron in the Beit Midrash.

Just Community to take up davening

By Alec Fields, Torah Editor
September 17, 2015
In meetings planned for the first two weeks of school, Shalhevet students will help develop ideas for davening options this year in the administration’s latest attempt to crack the code of student spirituality.
SCHOLAR: Ms. Ilana Wilner has two masters degrees, one in education and the other in

New Judaic Studies teacher views text from the inside out

By Alec Fields, Torah Editor
September 6, 2015
With years of Gemara study and two Master’s degrees from YU, Ms. Ilana Wilner brings a love for Jewish learning to school as she becomes the second woman to teach Talmud at Shalhevet.
ROLL-OUT: Students punctuate, translate, highlight and take notes on new Judaic Studies app.

New app for Talmud curriculum gets a tryout by sophomores

By Alec Fields, Torah Editor
June 21, 2015
Enthusiasm was palpable in Rabbi David Stein’s 10th-grade Honors Talmud class May 29. After a month’s delay, the students were trying out the curriculum’s new app, planned for all Shalhevet students next year.
PLANS: Beth Jacob invites teens to shiur with Rabbi Rosenblatt in pink on flyer (left), but cancels
 it with new flyer (right)  before news media described his naked sauna visits with students.

Rabbi who sauna-ed with students in New York was scholar-in-residence at Beth Jacob on Shavuot

By Alec Fields, Torah Editor
June 4, 2015
When news broke that Rabbi Dr. Jonathan Rosenblatt of Riverdale had for decades invited young congregants to play squash, talk and then join him naked in a hot sauna, it was only days after he had spent a long weekend as scholar-in-residence at Beth Jacob Congregation in Beverly Hills for the holiday of Shavuot.
PIONEER: Rabbi Shlomo Riskin said leading rabbis supported his allowing women to carry the Torah from the very beginning.

Women should be ‘spiritual leaders’ but title matters, says Rabbi Shlomo Riskin

By Alec Fields, Torah Editor
June 4, 2015
Hundreds hear Rabbi Shlomo Riskin say women should be "spiritual leaders" during Shalhevet Institute sponsored discussion
TRADITION: Leviticus 18:22, highlighted above, is the verse used by Rabbis to prohibit homosexual relations, but LGBT Jews have a different perspective on its meaning.

OUT OF THE SHADOWS: Ancient tradition meets modern sensibility

By Alec Fields, Torah Editor
June 3, 2015
With society’s increasingly tolerant attitudes towards rights for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and those who are changing genders, Modern Orthodox rabbis have been grappling with the role of LGBT Jews within the community in light of halachic proscriptions against homosexual acts.
Jenny Newman ’11: Coming out

Jenny Newman ’11: Coming out

By Alec Fields, Torah Editor
June 2, 2015

Many Jews at Shalhevet and around the world struggle with Judaism and connecting to God.  But for one Shalhevet alumna, the path...

Grubbing for the grade: An awkward dance for students and teachers

Grubbing for the grade: An awkward dance for students and teachers

By Alec Fields, Staff Writer
February 12, 2015

Students frequently do it, but few want to talk about it – at least on the record.  For a variety of reasons, students ask...

DENIM: Sophmore Micha Thau dons blue jeans, which boys can now wear.

Finally, Shalhevet welcomes blue jeans

By Alec Fields, Staff Writer
November 28, 2014

Many years, one proposal, two Town Halls and an administration meeting later, on Oct. 29 Shalhevet joined the majority of other...

GONE: Founding flag football coach, longtime debate coach, and teacher Chris Buckley resigned from Shalhevet Oct. 29.

BUCKLEY RESIGNS: Longtime teacher and flag football coach quits day before team’s first playoff appearance

By Alec Fields, Staff Writer
October 30, 2014

An integral member of the Boys’ Flag Football Team will not take his place on LACES field tonight when the undefeated Firehawks...

CONFLICT: Actor Seth Rogen, left, signed a published advertisement in support of Israel, but Shalhevet parent Fred Toczek said more than 100 others said no. NBA star Dwight Howard, right, tweeted #freepalestine but later apologized.

SUMMER OF WAR: Hollywood, too, was divided

By Alec Fields, Staff Writer
September 18, 2014

Just as the war in Gaza had a polarizing effect on the world at large, so did it divide Hollywood.  While some celebritiestweeted...

PASSION: Danielle Lowes music video Breathing Love was one of this years Drama one-acts.  She says music is a way around shyness.

SENIOR SNAPSHOT: Danielle Lowe, Troubador

By Alec Fields, Staff Writer
June 18, 2014

One of the one-acts at last month’s Drama production, #disCONNECTED, was an original music video starring senior Danielle...

EXPRESSIVE: Denis Perevalov’s Triangle Cloud rotates gracefully in 3D on computer screens.

Computer art goes beyond four-cornered paper

By Alec Fields, Staff Writer
March 6, 2014

“All art is technological,” explains science teacher Dr. Jay Smallwood. Each period of art history, he explained, is influenced...

GROOMED: History teacher Mr.
Reusch displays his award-winning mustache,
grown in 30 days in November.

More hair, more money: Students and teachers raise funds for ‘Movember’

By Alec Fields, Staff Writer
January 18, 2014

The month of November has been a hirsute month at Shalhevet. In an effort to raise money for the fight against prostate and...

Meet Stacey, your new best friend

Meet Stacey, your new best friend

By Alec Fields, Staff Writer
November 19, 2013

A self-described "go-to gal" -- meaning she can be counted on to get things done – Stacey Enoch is known to most students as...

HANDOFF: Quarterback Nicole Feder gets the ball to Shoshi Miller as Shalhevet defeats YULA Girls 28 - 6 June 12.  Coach Mr. Buckley says Nicole ‘reads the game extremely well and makes few mistakes.’

[Photo]

HANDOFF: Quarterback Nicole Feder gets the ball to Shoshi Miller as Shalhevet defeats YULA Girls 28 - 6 June 12. Coach Mr. Buckley...

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