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16 | NOVEMBER 18 • 2021 

lings were in the same houses 
because it’s easier for parents, 
we also didn’t want to cre-
ate rivalries within families,
” 
Taylor-Abt laughed. “I think 
it’s so awesome that it’s already 
traveled beyond our own 
school and the younger kids 
in the community are learning 
about this.
”
Taylor-Abt has noticed a 
difference in the corridors this 
year, with the school not nec-
essarily trying to “get back to 
pre-COVID times,
” not even 
knowing if that’s a complete 
possibility. 
“What we’re doing is redi-
recting the attention and we’ve 
created a path to excitement 
and community-building with-
in the school that isn’t depen-
dent on anything from ‘the 
before,
’” Taylor-Abt said.
She is proud of making the 
connection to Israel by divid-
ing the houses into the three 

regions, creating a situation for 
cross-curricular activity. The 
students actually designed their 
own house logos based on the 
characteristics of their house 
and its respective Israeli region, 
which Taylor-Abt believes 
makes it a global learning expe-
rience.
 “Galil, which is up north, is 
very green. The characteristics 
that came out of it were peace-
ful, serene, calm, adventurous. 
Mercaz was enthusiastic, wel-
coming and vibrant. Negev is 
adaptable, resourceful and resil-
ient,
” Taylor-Abt said. “It gives 
a taste of the different flavors of 
Israel. To have the house sys-
tem as an additional resource 
in creating connections with 
Israel, it’s a win-win and a fan-
tastic teaching tool. 
“We really aim to allow our 
students to find their place to 
shine,
” she continued. “By cre-
ating the houses, which are not 

just academic-based or athlet-
ic-based, it’s a little bit of every-
thing; it allows these students to 
find their place to represent.
” 
Taylor-Abt doesn’t want to 
give away any possible plans 
they have for future years of the 
house system but says to look 
for continued innovation. 
“I think there’s something 
here that shows I’ve taken a 
historical artifact from my own 
Jewish education, brought it 
around years later and it’s as 
true and trusted as it was then, 
and I think that’s a lesson we 
have within Judaism.
” 

HOUSE SPIRIT WEEK
During the final week of 
October, FJA conducted a 
House Spirit Week. FJA
’s annual 
grade-by-grade spirit week will 
still happen in the spring.
The FJA community showed 
their spirit by dressing up each 
day in different themes: Friends 

of the IDF Day, Book & Movie 
Character Day, Sports Day, 
Decades Day and House Color 
Day. There was an overflowing 
amount of activities, competi-
tions and student participation 
opportunities associated with 
those themes throughout the 
week, one associated with each 
specific day. 
There were also student 
house delegates who helped 
plan and set up spirit week, 
four from each house and one 
from each grade, along with 
teacher-leaders Melanie Sesi, 
Social Studies department chair 
and head of Galil House; Nicole 
Kahn, English department chair 
and head of Mercaz House; 
Margaret-Ann Wommer, social 
studies instructor and co-head 
of Negev House; and Kat 
Untener, English instructor and 
co-head of Negev House.
Movie trivia, relay races, 
a “Music of the Decades” 

OUR COMMUNITY

Adam State ’22, Daniel Bernstein ’22, 
Eli Gordon ’22, Andy Tukel ’22, Dalia 
Zwas ’22, Benjamin Schmeltz ’22, 
Kira Saroken ’22, Daniel Stryk ’22 
and Melanie Sesi, Social Studies and 
History department chair.

