Details

Written by: Megan Shelton

Published: 03 September 2014

Created: 03 September 2014

Last Updated: 04 September 2014

Hits: 6113

When people in Scarsdale talk about the high school's athletics, the Varsity Girls Swim Team is not always the first team that comes to mind. This year, however, the girls are ready to step into the Scarsdale limelight.

Last season, Coaches Barney Foltman and Tim Callahan graciously allowed over forty ­five girls to swim for the team. However, practices were difficult, as lane space was limited and, since there is no swimming pool at the high school, the bus that took the team to and from the Westchester Community College pool was often cramped. While creating lineups for the meets, Coach Foltman and Coach Callahan did their best to make sure that everyone could swim at least once, but that couldn't always happen.

This year will be different. There are only thirty­nine girls on the team, so everyone should be able to swim at every meet, and more than once. The bus will be less crowded, and thus far there have been no complaints of cramped lanes. More importantly, the new swimmers as well as spirited captains Nicole Katchis, Rebecca Kearns, Catherine Scarcella, and Trisha Pabby are predicted to lead the team to new heights.

"Last year, we are about five and five, but we lost some good swimmers along with one very good swimmer who didn't come out for the team this year," Coach Foltman recently confided. "My hope is that we can get to five hundred, if not a little bit better and be competitive in the league. We have some new talent that's come in that should really help us: Sydney Vleck, Sabine Con, Merritt Shelton, and Natalie Isick to name a few. So I think that we should be able to get some depth. Right now we are trying to put in some yardage, and we are going to get a little more concerned with speed as we start to progress closer to the competitive season. But right now, we are just trying to fine­tune all our skills."

Friday, August 29 marked the beginning of the season. The girls wrapped up their two­week preseason with time trials, in which swimmers dive off blocks and swim a given event as fast as possible. The girls are excited to swim in their first meet on Friday, September 12 against Pelham at the Westchester Community College pool. The girls were not able to beat Pelham in their meet against them last season. But they are sure that this year, the tides will change.

Coach Callahan, reflecting on the determination the girls have shown since the first day of preseason, remarks: "As a team overall, I think we are extremely well­balanced this year. I see a lot of girls that are going to help us out in a lot of different events, namely the A, B, and C relays. I think our goal for the season is to finish higher in our division and higher in the section than we did last year."

Details

Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 25 August 2014

Created: 25 August 2014

Last Updated: 25 August 2014

Hits: 6207

If you are interested in learning to be an EMT, here is your chance. Phelps Memorial Hospital's Hoch Center for Emergency Education, in conjunction with Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps, is offering a NYS certified EMT-B (Emergency Medical Technician) class, from September 3, 2014, through March 19, 2015. Course lectures will be held at SVAC headquarters (5 Weaver Street, Scarsdale) and practical skills labs will be held at the Hoch Center at Phelps Hospital (755 North Broadway, Suite 200, Sleepy Hollow).

Classes will meet Mondays and Wednesdays, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., and approximately one Sunday per month, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The class is open to the public (must be 18 years or older, as of the course's final NYS exams on March 14 and 19, 2015). There are no prerequisites to enroll. The cost of the class is $725. However, the class is being offered free of charge to current and prospective SVAC members and Scarsdale volunteer firefighters. Tuition will also be funded for other volunteers or employees of a registered or certified EMS agency upon attaining the EMT-B certification. Upon completion of the class, participants will be graded on a NYS practical skills exam and a NYS written exam. Successful completion of these exams will earn participants a NYS EMT-B certification, valid for three years.

It is anticipated that the same course will be offered again, from January -May 2015. For further information about the September course, including a full schedule of class dates, times and topics, please call the Hoch Center for Emergency Education at 914-366-3577 or SVAC at 914-722-2288. You may also visit SVAC's website at www.scarsdalevac.com, where the course syllabus is posted online. Pre-registration is required at cee@pmhc.us or by calling 914-366-3698.

Details

Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 21 August 2014

Created: 21 August 2014

Last Updated: 01 September 2014

Hits: 5055

The UJA Federation of New York and Westchester Jewish Council hosted a briefing on Israel featuring Shahar Azani, the Consul for Media and Public Affairs for the Consulate General of Israel in New York at Temple Israel Center in White Plains on August 14. The goal of the event was to update local residents on the current crisis in Israel and to inform them about how they can get involved. Azani provided insight on the war in Israel and delivered a moving presentation on why the public should assist Israelis in fighting for their country.

Azani spoke about the importance of supporting the Israeli people, the atrocities committed against the Jewish population and how American Jews can assist those affected by the war. "In times when the sky closes, and planes cannot make their way to Israel, everyone who is able to make his way to Israel, to hug an Israeli, to visit the women soldiers, to show support, to spread the support, it means a lot," said Shahar. He informed the crowd that if they have an opinion, they shouldn't hesitate to share it through social media. He believes it is crucial to spread awareness of the war and inform others of the events taking place in Israel. According to Azani, educating others on the topic increases the number of people who will support the cause. He preached about the power of standing together as a Jewish community to take down the enemy, otherwise known as Hamas. "Together is how we stand as Israelis in Israel, together is how we stand as Jews, as a Jewish community, here and in Israel. Together we are facing these challenges, stronger than ever before, in our joy, and in our grief, and in our belief that this is our home, and we are there to stay." Azani's speech presented the idea that the more unified the Jewish population is, the easier it will be to rise above the enemy. He stated, "we are a united people, stronger than ever before to face our enemies, sending a clear-cut message: we are in our home to stay."

The night was also sponsored by the UJA who manages the Israel Emergency Fund. As the world's largest local philanthropy, the UJA Federation strives to make a difference in lives of Israeli citizens who are struggling to cope with the war that has plagued their country. Statistics show that the Israel Emergency Fund has moved more than 65,000 kids to safe play areas and has cared for more than 60,000 elderly people this past month. Martine Fleishman, a member of the UJA Federation of New York's executive committee, commented, "today when there is a crisis that requires that we take responsibility, that we do something, we are there, and Westchester is there, standing in solidarity for our brothers and sisters, and offering real help."

Details

Written by: Sarah Schuman

Published: 12 August 2014

Created: 12 August 2014

Last Updated: 13 August 2014

Hits: 5809

I will start off by saying that I am not writing this piece as a journalist. I am writing this personal commentary to share what I have seen since I moved to Jerusalem last year to pursue a career in photojournalism. As you are all aware, there is a war occurring here in Israel, which the Israeli's call "Operation Protective Edge". It began on July 8, 2014, but for me it really started when three teens, Naftali Frenkel, Eyal Yifrah, and Gilad Sha'ar, were kidnapped on June 12, 2014.

When the three boys were first kidnapped, I, like many others, believed that they would come back alive. For 18 days people from all over the world were coming together and praying for the safe return of these three innocent teenagers. Jews from many backgrounds came together to pray that these boys would return home. The night we heard the news that the boys had been killed, I was celebrating my birthday with a group of friends. What started off as a joyous celebration with laughter, tons of food, and confetti --that I'm still finding around my house -- came to a sudden halt. The music and chatter stopped immediately. Everyone was silent and the environment became rather eerie. No one wanted to break the silence, as it seemed wrong. For 18 days these boys were on our minds and the hope that they would be reunited with their families kept us strong. But then we found out they were not only kidnapped, but also murdered. Although we didn't know it at the time, it was Hamas that was responsible for the killing of these three harmless teenage boys.

What happened next was tragic. An innocent Muslim boy, Mohammed Abu Khdeir, was murdered in retaliation. This is when the violence, by the Muslim population, started in the Jerusalem streets. It was dangerous to go downtown due to the rioting. Everyone became very cautious about where they walked and which buses they took. A short time later, the war officially began.

Living in Jerusalem, I have not heard the sirens that go off in the south. These alarms, or alerts that Hamas has fired a rocket at Israel, have gone off multiple times a day every single day for the past month south of here. I have been lucky that I've only heard it a few times. The first time I heard the siren I was terrified. I was sitting on the couch eating a bowl of cereal after a long day. I was enjoying the peace and quiet in my apartment when all of a sudden I heard a loud noise overhead. I froze as my only previous experience with the sirens took place last summer during a military drill. I could hear people outside running into their homes and closing their doors as they knew they had only 90 seconds to find cover after the siren goes off. I jumped off the couch and ran into my roommate's room, as her room is the "safe room" in the apartment, and quickly closed the door behind me. I started to shake as I attempted to close the window and shut the doors. I was alone, curled up on the floor shaking, and worrying that the rocket would hit somewhere close by. I prayed that everyone would be okay. 

The Iron Dome is Israel's defense system and has been preventing many of the rockets from hitting civilians. The first time I heard the Iron Dome, I was in a park with a friend where we took her cousins to play. We heard loud booms in the distance, and we knew that meant that a missile had been fired at us. We were far away from the attack, so the sirens did not go off. My friend and I gathered her cousins as we were scared that there would be more rockets and that the siren might go off. We wanted to make sure that we were back in the house and not in an open space if they hit. Now when I hear the Iron Dome I don't get nervous. I view it as a sign that a rocket has been intercepted and that no one is hurt.

All my conversations with American family and friends since the conflict began have been quite similar. Everyone asked me if I was okay and told me to come back to New York. Some even told me to call, email, or text them at the end of everyday to make sure I was still breathing. My mom called every few days to check in and offered advice on how to stay safe. She told me to avoid buses and take taxis instead. What she doesn't know is that the buses are much safer than the taxis, as many taxis have Muslim drivers, so there have been a few attempted kidnappings. Friends in Jerusalem and around Israel called each other frequently to check in. I spoke to some friends daily to make sure we had all made it home at night. Each night I felt a nervous tinge in the pit of my stomach until I knew that all was well.

For the past month, the war has constantly been on our minds. In the beginning, whenever I had a free moment, I would check my phone for updates. But now we are all accustomed to living through this sad time. What started out as a frightening experience has become a way of life.

Reading the papers here, it is difficult to identify what really happened and separate personal agendas from news reporting. But I do know that recently, both Hamas and Israel have been observing a ceasefire while negotiations are taking place in Egypt. The tension in the air has slightly eased. The situation for Israelis as well as for the people living in Gaza is terrible. Both sides have suffered tremendously and one cannot compare whose suffering is greater. I do hope that this will all be over soon and that those who have been directly affected by the fighting can start to piece their lives back together.

 Photos and text by Sarah Schuman. See more of Sarah's photos at www.sarahschuman.com and email her at: sarah.schuman@gmail.com.