A Letter to the Editor

46 King George Street

Tel Aviv

58371

November 3, 2012

The Editor

Yedioth Ahronoth

103 Hashalom Street

Tel Aviv

97151

Dear Editor,

I have read Jeffrey Hartmann's letter in the newspaper this week, and I was really upset and could not agree with him. It is true that in the past women were unfairly discriminated against in many fields much more than today, however, nowadays the phenomenon is not completely disappeared. Even today, when we live in a modern and progressive society, there is still an unfairly discrimination against women.

Although today there are more women who are members of the parliament, bank managers etc. still, it is not enough. Many companies reject women's job applications for several reasons. One of the reasons is that women can become pregnant. Becoming pregnant is not a bad thing in life at all, yet in the business world it is not so good. A woman who is having a baby is not going to work, the manager can't fire her and the result is that the company loses money. Therefore, the boss would like to hire for work a man, because he won't miss so many days of work.

Moreover, I believe that women are unfairly discriminated due to misguided way of thinking, in which women should be at home, take care of the children and cook and the men are supposed to support the family. This comprehension is wrong, because today women are learning at the university as men are and they can succeed at work equally to men if not better than men.

To conclude, I would like to say that I respect Jeffrey Hartmann's opinion, but I think he is wrong. Nowadays, the bosses do not get people to work for their qualifications, it also depends on their gender and it is wrong! I hope that in the future people will try to change that fact, but unfortunately today it seems impossible.

Sincerely yours,
Dana Levine.

Can A Baby Be Born Evil ?

Nowadays, there is a debate between many people, and especially between psychologists. Some of them believe that people who are evil were born this way, while others believe that all the people were born good but as they grow older they become evil because of the people around them. It is a very difficult debate and it's hard to decide who is right.

I think that people can't be born evil. I think that we are born without traits. All of us are born as innocent babies, but when we grow up we gain skills and qualities from our relatives and from the people around us. Babies don't have the ability to decide between right and wrong and they are unable to choose whether to be evil or not.

Moreover, I believe that there are no evil people at all. No one chooses to be evil. I believe that what makes people "evil" is the way they act. There is a sentence "There are no bad people, there are bad deeds". I agree with this sentence. Sometimes the difficulties in life can lead people to act badly, but truly in their heart, I believe that they are not proud of their behavior and wish they could act differently.

To conclude, I think that there are no evil people. I believe that evilness is caused by people's deeds and by the situations they are in. In addition, I think that every baby who is born is pure and cannot decide whether to be good or bad, so people are not born evil. Always remember not to judge anyone until you are in his situation, because a person can act viciously when he is in trouble.

Very good work. Well done.
(95)
Daphna

Parents - Children Relationships

Parents - children relationships have always been complicated. When children turn into raging teenagers, who defy their parents to reach their independence, the relationships become even more problematic than usual. The difference in the way of thinking may lead to many struggles between parnts and their children and each one of them may react differently in this situation.

The main reason for the difference between parents' and children's way of thinking is the generation gap, which is often discribed by psychologists as a constant situation of historical disagreement and misunderstandings, caused by the difference in age and experience. In other words, The parents have experienced much more than their children during their lifetime and they believe they know what is best for their children. The problem starts when the children grow up and become more mature, and consequently believe they know what is good for them. The parents try to protect their children, but the children don't see it as their parents do. 

Between me and my parents the situation is similar. When I was young, there were no struggles between us, but when I became a teenager I started to seek my independence. At the beginning, my parents found it very difficult to accept this. It was hard for them to "release their baby" and let me decide what is good for me. There were many fights between us, until I decided to talk to them and explain what I felt. After we had talked at length about it, they were convinced that I am mature enough to make my own decisions. I still consult with my parents and consider what they say because they are much more experienced than I am.

So, in conclusion, I think that there will always be problems and struggles between parents and children, because of the genration gap. However, those problems can be solved by talking politly with the parents. I am sure that if you talk politly to your parents, explain your feelings and stay calm, they will understand you and, bit by bit, you will recieve the independence you asked for. Now it's time for you to spread your wings and fly !

Better.
(95)
Daphna

Different Kinds of Sports

There are many kinds of sports and we can divide them into two groups – team sports and individual sports. In the group of the team sports we can find Football, Basketball, Baseball etc. In the other group, the individual sports, we can find sports such as running, swimming, Tennis etc. Some people prefer individual sports while others like to play in a team, but which kind of sports is preferable?

On the one hand, playing in a team is a pleasure for all the members and it teaches them a lot. Someone who plays in a team learns to cooperate with others, he learns about the importance of teamwork and this will help him later in his life – in his work, with his family and in many other fields. In addition, when someone plays in a team, he learns to appreciate the others and learns to be modest. He learns that he is not the only one in the team and that he is equal to the other players in the team. The team player learns that he is not the only one who is playing and learns to compliment another player if he played well.

On the other hand, the individual player also gains some important skills. For example, he learns to maximize his abilities. He learns what is good for him and gets to concentrate only in the game and not in what the others do. This kind of sports is suitable for people who don't like to work in a team and for people that can take on themselves the responsibility for the whole game. They are people who are not able to take care of others while they are working or playing.

To conclude, I prefer the team sports. In those kinds of games and sports you gain some important skills which will help you not only in sports, but also in life. You learn to cooperate with others and learn how to work in a team. All that will help you at work, for example. Also, you learn to appreciate people for what they do and it is very important in life.

Ecellent work!
(100)
Daphna

I will succeed !

What does success mean to you ?
Success for me, Noa, is to be an Architect and an Interior Designer. This is the future career, which I decided on when I was 12 years old, since my big cousin flew to Italy and started to learn Architecture, a subject which I was interested in. But success is very different from one to another, because every person sees success in a different way, and his success is expressed in various fields.


To reach my goal and to become an Architect and an Interior Designer, I need creativity, which is very important in the field of design. It is an important quality because you need to know how to match the colors, which fabric is suitable for the furniture, you need to have a spatial vision etc. If I have this quality, it will help me to succeed, because it will be much easier for me to understand how to work with colors, with substances etc. In addition, the quality of creativity will help me to create unique items.

In addition, I need the quality of persistence, because the studies of those subjects are very long and difficult. If I want to finish my studies and to get a degree I need to persist in my studies. I am not always persistent in my job or studies, and the result of that is  receiving low grades in the tests. This really bothers me, because I am a perfectionist and I like it when I succeed in whatever I do.

In conclusion, for me success in life is to be an Architect and an Interior Designer (and to start a family, of course!). To achieve that goal I need some qualities such as creativity and persistence. You should remember - you can be born with those qualities, but also you can acquire them and improve them. All the things you would like to do in your life, you will be able to do with just a little persistence.




And I will finish with a song, which expresses  success the best way - "We Are The Champions", by Queen. The meaning of the song is that despite the difficulties in life and the mistakes we may do, we can win everything and achieve any goal we like!

Great!
(95)
Daphna

What Should I Choose ?

 A dilemma is a problem offering two possibilities, neither of which is practically acceptable. Most of the time, it is very difficult to reach a decision in a dilemma. Our lives are made of lots of dilemmas, and we direct our lives through our choices.

When the sixth grade was about to end I had to decide which Junior High School I should go, because the sixth grade is the last grade in the Elementary School. I was tested to be admitted to many schools and to be admitted to different courses in those schools.

I was admitted, eventually, to three Junior High Schools. I had a dilemma – which school to register?

Most of my friends from the Elementary School went to "Atidim High School". But this school had a bad reputation, and I decided not to go to this High School. I decided also not to go to the music course.  At this time I had to choose between the two courses – dancing or science. It was very hard for me, because on the one hand, I really love dancing and I danced until the ninth grade and my dream was to be a Ballerina. On the other hand, I loved science. I was a very good student, especially in science class, and I had very good marks. In addition, I was about to move to a new apartment, which was very close to" Golda Junior High School". In the end, I decided to go to the science class in" Golda Junior High School".

When I came to "Golda Junior High School" I only recognized a few friends whom I knew from my Elementary School, and most of the students knew each other, because they had studied together. In addition, the connection between me and my friends from Elementary School was cut off, and there was a time that I felt lonely, until I made new friends, and we are still friends today. 

To conclude, I think I made the right decision when I chose this class, because if I hadn't chosen this class I would have never met my best friends. If I had gone to another school I would have never known them at all, and maybe I would still dance today.

 I'm satisfied with the choices in my life, and I believe that everything happens for a reason. I would not change anything in my life, it is perfect for me. I wish you will always know to reach the right decision.

This song always reminds me of changes in life, like a change as a result of a decision you make and how it affects your life : 

Now your work is really great. Well done!
(95)
Daphna

A Letter to Mr. Cattanzara (Activity Six)

03/08/1938




 Dear Mr. Cattanzara,
                                                                                             
Only now, after ten years, I got the courage to sit and write this letter.  

First of all, I want(ww.-would like) to apologize to you - I am sorry for having lied to you. I hope you know how important you are to me and how thankful I am for teaching me this lesson.

I was an idiot, I have always dreamed about money and success, but I haven't done anything in order to reach that goal ! I quit school and didn't do anything to pick up my education. So, I lied to you because I didn't want to let you down.

You have always cared about me and I thought that a 20 year old guy might have an education, certainly a guy like me, who has a lot of big dreams for his future. You knew how important it was for me to be respected, and when I told this lie about my reading I thought that I would feel good and you will(gr.) feel good - you will(gr.) be happy that people respect me and that I'm being educated. After a while you found out the truth, but you didn't tell anyone, and I thank you for that, because if you told the truth to the people in the neighborhood I couldn't deal with it. By not telling other people the truth, you let me understand by myself that I was wrong.

I don't even know if you remember our talk that night, but I will not be able to forget it my whole life. You told me that night "don't do what I did" and since that day I wondered what have you(wo.) done... After that talk I closed myself in my room for a week and refused to go out (I only got out to the kitchen when nobody was at home), and after the summer, in the fall, I finally figured out what I should(ww.+gr. - had to) do. Then I went to the library and started reading. I read a great book and then I discovered that actually I really like(gr.-liked) reading.

Today I'm learning(ww.-studying) Literature and Journalism, and that's all thanks to you ! I don't know how to thank you for all the things you have done for me ! I have my own column in the "New-York Times" where I recommend books and even publish my own short stories and poems. Isn't it the newspaper you used to read everynight ? Do you still read it ? How ironic...

Nowadays, I live in a nice private house in a beautiful neighborhood with my wife and my eighteen months old son.

I want you to know - you are one of the most important people in my life. I will not forget you and I will thank you for what you have done for me for the rest of my life.

Thank you !

                                                                 I am gratful and miss you every day, 

                                                                                     Love, George Stoyonovich.


Better.
(94)
Daphna

"A Summer's Reading" - Activities 1-5

Activity 1:

 How do they escape from their reality?

Drag the correct answer to each of the characters.

George Stoyonovich Goes to the park to day-dream. Mr. Cattanzara Drinks alcohol. The Queen singer Commits a crime

Now that you understand how different people escape from reality, what do you recommend they should do instead?

Answer:

Both George and Mr. Cattanzara try to escape from reality. George goes to the park to day-dream and Mr. Cattanzara drinks alcohol. I would recommend to George to learn something or to find a job and then he will do something instead of day-dreaming. Mr. Cattanzara does other things to escape his reality – he reads "The New York Times" newspaper every evening from the beginning until the end of it, but sometimes he drinks alcohol. Instead of that he should go out with his wife or find another job that would challenge and attract him.
(20)


Activity 2:

1. Explain the following line from the story. Say what has happened to make George feel this way. Use the thinking skill of Explaining Cause and Effect to help you: "George knew he looked passable on the outside, but inside he was crumbling apart."

2. Another issue to discuss here is the effect George's lie had on his life:

How did the lie George told affect his life? Consider both the short term and possible long term effects of the lie.

Answers:

1. George met Mr. Cattanzara while he was wandering in the streets. Mr. Cattanzara was drunk and George hoped that he won't(gr.-wouldn't) see him, but he had seen him and after that he treated him like a little kid, probably because he knew that he(had) lied to him about his reading. George tried to act like everything is(gr.) fine, but inside he felt devastated. He was really ashamed to have disappointed Mr. Cattanzara. He liked him a lot because Mr. Cattanzara always took care about(ww.-of) him.

2. George told Mr. Cattanzara that he has(gr.) a list of 100 books to read in the summer, but this was a lie. After he told the lie, people started to respect him and he liked it, because he wanted people to respect him. But after Mr. Cattanzara found out the truth, George was depressed and closed himself up in his room, because he thought he disappointed Mr. Cattanzara. The long term effect on George's life was that he started reading.  

(19)

 

Activity 3:

Find and tick all the autobiographic details reflected in the story.
	Bernard Malamud wrote about famous people.
	Bernard Malamud worked at odd jobs.
	Bernard Malamud's mother died when he was young.
	Bernard Malamud was interested in simple people.
	Bernard Malamud wrote about people whose hopes come true.

How is the information you have just read about the author reflected in "A Summer's Reading"?

How does reading this information about Bernard Malamud add to or change your understanding of the story?

Answer:

There are some details which are similar between Bernard Malamud and George. Both George's mother and Bernard Malamud's mother died. They both grew up in the same period of time - the great depression - and in the same area - New York region. All this information helps me understand where the inspiration for George's character was coming(gr.-came) from. Bernard Malamud's childhood is expressed in the story as George's childhood.
(20)

Activity 4:

How would you define the character of George Stoyonovich?

George is a neighborhood boy who quit(s) school at the age of 16. He always wants people to respect him, but the truth is that he doesn't do anything to gain this respect. His mother died and his father is poor, so he tries to escape the reality by wandering through the park every night. George's dream is to find a good job, so that he will be able to afford dating girls and he will be able to buy a big house in a nice neighborhood with a lot of green trees. 1. What is true about Mr. Cattanzara? 2. Compare and contrast George and Mr. Cattanzara. How are they similar? How are they different? Answers: 1. Mr. Cattanzara is a bald headed man who works as change maker in the IRT station. He is George's neighbor and he is like a father figure for(ww.-to) him. As I can understand from the story and from the meaning of his name, Mr. Cattanzara is chained to his place – he did something in the past that makes his reality bad and now he tries to escape it by drinking alcohol and by reading the whole "New York Times" newspaper everyday, from the beginning to the end. He wants George to be able to take his life in his own hands (and improve it), unlike him. 2. Between George and Mr. Cattanzara there are similarities and differences.  They both live in the same neighborhood in a difficult time. They both try to escape their difficult realities. The difference between them is that they deal with the reality (or try to escape from it) in different ways - George wanders through the park every night and Mr. Cattanzara sometimes drinks alcohol and everyday reads "The New York Times"(wo.) from beginning to end. In addition, George still can take his life in his hands and he can learn, but for Mr. Cattanzara it is maybe too late. (19) Activity 5: עמודה ראשונה                                   עמודה שנייה Living in a multicultural society.   2             1.   Growing up. Coping with difficulties.   3 2.      Being an immigrant. Taking responsibility.  1             3.   Proper Education Why is the story titled "A Summer's Reading"? Answer: The story is titled "A Summer's Reading", because it has at its core(phr.) George's lie about his summer reading. Even though he started reading only in the fall, during the summer time George got(ww-learned) an important lesson for his(מיותר) life thanks to which he would eventually be able to learn and succeed as he dreamed.  (18) Very good work! (96) Daphna

Who Is Under These Clothes ?

When I'm sad I often go to the mall. I past the window shop(ww.+phr.) , looking for new collections in the stores and buy some new clothes, shoes and accessories. It makes me feel good , but it is actually not as good as it seems. Nowadays, clothes have become a major part in people's lives. To be honest, it takes a major part also in my life. My apperance is very important to me and if I look well(ww.) I feel well(ww.) too, but me and many other people(phr.) are becoming more and more obsessive with our apperance.

In the last few years people are buying designers clothes or Brand clothes. They think that the clothes influence the way people will treat them. The designers clothes can make them feel unique, because there are not many of them, and that is why people buy them - they want to be special. When a person feels special, it makes him feel good about himself.

People stopped looking for the person who is under the clothes and started to choose friends according to what they wear. We also judge people by their looks, probably when they dress in a different style than our style. Our behavior towards people stemes from their appearence and not from their personality. People attach so(ww.-too) much importance to other people's looks.

To conclude, I think it shouldn't be this way. It's true - not everyone has the same taste in clothes and the same style. It doesn't mean that people have to judge other people or treat them in a different way just because they like(a) different style of clothes. Clothes can make you feel good about yourselves but don't forget to treat well people who look different(phr.+wo.). 

Don't stop loveing yourselves (not because of your clothes ;] )

Love, Noa ♥ - חמוד אבל מיותר

Good work
(92)
Daphna



By the way, there is great song by Chris Brown called "beautiful people", just like you guys :)

"What do you know about me ?"

Hi Everyone :)

My name is Noa Livne and I'm 16 years old. I'm a junior, which means I'm at the 11th grade. I love to dance, and I danced for 10-11 years. Those days I don't dance, only when I'm alone . Also I love to swim, and I try to go swimming twice a week.

I have curly, auburn hair. I'm not tall but I'm not a short girl and I'm not really thin but not fat at all - I'm a normal and average size. My eyes are bright brown, which reminds the color of honey, but it's just a statement of people with brown eyes, who feel deprived by not getting blue or green eyes.

As you can understand from the title of my blog, I want to be talented in everything I do - I'm a perfectionist. In addition, I think I'm really friendly, but sometimes I'm too shy, which makes it a little bit difficult to be friendly with new people. That's why people may think I'm unfriendly - which is really not true.

To make a long story short, one of my strong points is that I really like to learn new things, until it gets to perfection. I like reading, watching TV, playing on the computer - just like everyone else. My weak point is that I'm a bit shy, which makes talking to people quite difficult for me.

To sum up, I want to post a song, which my post's title is taken from it.

Enjoy listening, Noa :) -♥-

I loved that. Well done!
(100)
Daphna

It's a new year, a new teacher but still it's me and my talent ;)

Using the blog for writing

I was asked to write about using the blog for writing. In my class, we are using the blog for writing. Do you think it's good or not ?

On the one hand, writing in blog or on the computer is more comfortable then writing with pencil or pen. We are in the technological age and we use the computer all day long, so it's easier for us to write on computer.

On the other hand, writing with pen or pencil helps us to practice how to write better letters and words. From time to time and as we write more and more it improves our writing form.

To conclude, I think that writing on notebook is much better than in blog or on computer. Writing on blog is nice, but on notebook it's helps us to improve your writing and langueage and when we write we can remember more the material.

My only fight with my best friend

Have you ever had a big fight with a good friend ?
There are people that I can fight with so many times and for hours. Hadar is not one of these people! I know her since I was two years old, and she was just born. Hadar is my best friend ever and she was also my first friend because we grew up together (Hadar's grandma was my nanny). These days she lives in Belgium and she came to Israel every summer. One time she came to my apartment (when she was in our country) and we started to play dolls. we started to argue about how to dress the doll. She started to cry because I shouted her and she wanted to call her grandma to take her home. I didn't want her to go home and I took the phone and didn't let her to call her grandma. She was crying then before. after thad I had tried to come to terms with her, but she wanted to go. after few days we started to talk and we were the best friends until now! after this fight, her grandma didn't let to stay at my house alone...

My surprise party :]

Dear Hadar,

I want to tell you about my surprise party!
My friend, Noy, decided to organize a surprise party in my honour in my apartment. When I told her something like "What can I do for my birthday?", she got away and didn't answer. I started to suspect and decided to celebrate my birthday in a restaurant. I told my friends that I wanted to celebrate my birthday in a restaurant and they told that theythought it's fine. My friend, Sapir, called me and said that she wanted me to come to her apartment to get organized for the evening. She started to suggest me about surprises. She was supposed to sleep over at my apartment and we had to put her stuffs in my apartment and after that to go to the restaurant. When I opened the door I was shocked ! There were my friends that shouted "surprise" ! I was so excited and this was a birthday that I won't forget forever, because I had so much fun !!!

Tell me about a party you have been there !

Love,
Noa :]

Story about teacher from the past...

Did you have a positive or negative experiance from school ?
Almost all the children have an experience from school, but today I want to tell you about an experience from elementary school.
When I was at the fifth grade I had a Geography teacher. Her name was Tzipi Tovim (=good) and she was the opposite - she was so bad !
One day she decided to test us about the materials. She loved me so much that she gave me the mark of 100. When I looked at Lior's test I discovered that he had only one mistake, but I have done the same error. She gave me the mark of 100, but she gave Lior the mark of 97 !
It was so funny !! But this wasn't the worst thing she has done : once she invited my friend's parents because she hadn't written the date as was written on the board. Another time she invited my friend's parents again because she had written the numbers in the margins.
There are little things of what she has done to us ! Recently I have discovered that she had been fired from her job as a teacher in the Elementary School I have learned at . I heard that evreyone was so happy after they had discovered that because she treated us so badly !

The invention that changed people's life !

Have you ever thought about revolutionary inventions ?
There are some revolutionary inventions, but I think that one invention that changed people's life is the cellphone.
It's the greatest thing that has ever been invented !
The cellphone's best benefit is that you can talk on it and walk anywhere you want at the same time .
the cellphon was invented in 1973 by Martin Cooper.
In the beginning, the cellphone was a bit lame. People used it only for communicating with each other.
Nowadays, the cellphone has so many things like games, SMS messages,
camera, internet and even television !
In my opinion, it is the best thing that has ever been invented !

A letter to my friend Hadar

Dear Hadar,


Do you remember the trip we flew to Kos ?
It was great vacation ! I remember that my family arrived first to the beautiful hotel and your family and Zarfati family arrived at 2 a.m because we don't flew in the same airplane -
your family and Zarfati family came from Belgium and my family came from Israel.

I loved our bungalows because it looked like a real house.
another thing I can remember is the swimming pool. I loved that because it was only for us.
I loved the water slides and all of the time I used them.
Do you remember the "Kids Club" ? Lotem always drew there.
Can you remember that my father, your father and Yadin's father rent a motorbike and took us for a ride around the hotel ? It was the best ride I ever had !!

It was the best summer ever !
I hope to see you soon and maybe I will visit you in Belgium alone !

Love ,

noa :]

A bit about myself

Hi !
I'm Noa and this is my first blog.
I was born on May 24th, 1995 and I'm a student on the 9th grade.
My hobbies are dancing and swimming. I also love singing,
playing computer games and watching TV. I really love the programs
"Casi Angeles" (Almost Angels), "Arthur", "Spongebob",
"Shemesh" and more...
Another hobby I have is going to the gym.
I have one brother and I'm five years older than him.
His name is Gilad.
That's all for now !
Love, Noa :]