Beit Rayim Hebrew School Newsletter March 2010 Adar - Nisan 5770
Principal Rabbi David M. Eligberg
Shalom Horim,
CO NT E NT Shalom Parents News March Birthdays Sponsoring Kabbalat Shabbat Food Drive Upcoming Events Pesach Kabbalat Shabbat Spice Up your Seder Youth Programs March Calendar
en Upcoming Ev
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abbat Kabbalat Sh ta Gimel Ki 3 Grade March 5 March Break No School and 21 March 14, 18 cil Meeting School Coun March 28
To Contact your Child’s Teacher: Please call or e-mail the school office at 905-889-0276 x 32 or school@beitrayim.org
The message will be given to the teacher who will contact you.
Through the years I have been fortunate enough to attend a great many wonderful Pesach sedarim. In celebrating Pesach in my own home I have adopted ideas and elements that spoke to me, and hopefully, charging and enhancing the seder experience from year to year, keeping it fresh and engaging for all attendees. The many positive experiences have truly blurred together and it is hard now to pinpoint the source for many of our “normal” seder traditions. This is particularly striking to me as I can remember with great clarity some of my least memorable or enjoyable sedarim. The one that stands out most powerfully can best be described as an actively participatory, nonparticipatory seder. Confused? Let me try to explain. The seder began with everyone gathering at the very elongated dining room table has the head of the household recited Kiddush. Kiddush was then recited by his two brothers-in-law, my grandfather (of blessed memory), and several other adult guests. This was followed by the youngest child reciting Mah Nishtana—the four questions. Then came the next youngest, the next and the next until all pre-Bar/Bat Mitzvah children had provided their parents and grandparents an opportunity to kvell. While this seder could be described as highly participatory on one level, the cumulative effect of seven recitations of Kiddush followed by ten renditions of Mah Nishtanah was completely mind-numbing and people simply stopped listening. After almost 30 minutes at the table we were still mired on page 3 with everybody dreading what page 4 would bring and how many times it would be brought. Mercifully and with a tremendous twist of irony we leapt forward in our haggadot to Dayenu—”It would have been enough if …” This was followed by a perfunctory rapid reading of a few pages leading u to the eating of the matzah, maror, charoset and the meal. Participation at the seder is not about each of us reciting a familiar passage or having any passage repeated to allow everyone to participate—this is artificial. True participation is to participate with everyone present in the ongoing dialogue of which the haggadah captures only a moment. Engaging each other, the texts and rituals of the seder are what help to make it an incredible learning opportunity for all of us. Great Jewish education happens most effectively when it is done in its natural venues. Cha’zal, our great teachers, of blessed memory understood this completely and were guided by that awareness in creating one of the paradigmatic Jewish learning experiences—the Pesach seder. From beginning to end, its structure and rituals combine to form a powerful educational moment—with one generation sharing the insights born of years of attending sedarim while another generation challenges the status quo demanding that the enduring Jewish values be given a contemporary expression which demonstrates its ongoing applicability to our lives as Jews in the 21st century. Given the lofty goals stated successful sedarim do not just happen, they require significant preparation and planning equal to the attention given to the gastronomic elements of the holiday. We need to think about what the main course at our seder will be—what text(s) or ritual(s) will be given particular attention this night? What theme(s) will be highlighted? How will I prepare this so that the young people at the seder will be eager consumers of the spiritual fare being served? Today, there are many resources available to help make your seder a more memorable and uplifting experience. The Beit Rayim website has a Pesach Resources section with suggestions of haggadot that are, each in their own way, unique user friendly guides and tools. In addition to printed and on-line resources, I will be offering a session entitled “Beating your Neighbour with Scallions and Other Seder Oddities” which included many ideas and suggestions which you can incorporate. May you have a happy, joyous and unique Pesach. Rabbi David M. Eligberg
BRHS Newsletter
MARCH BIRTHDAYS Adam Rose, March 1 Nathan Duke, March 8 Peter Joseph, March 12 Hannah Pinsk, March 16 Carly Beard, March 20 Gabriel Sher, March 20 Alec Griner, March 21 Robyn Arbour, March 24 Shiraz Masliah, March 24 Jack Pearlman, March 27 Ashley Rosenthal, March 29
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NEWS
Sponsor Your Child’s Kabbalat Shabbat Service We are pleased to offer you the opportunity to sponsor your child’s Kabbalat Shabbat Service. Sponsors will be formally acknowledged at the Service. Tax receipts will be issued for donations of $18 or more, and more than one family can sponsor each Service. Please bring in a cheque made out to Beit Rayim Hebrew School by the Sunday before your child’s Kabbalat Shabbat Service. For more information contact Grace at the School office at 905-889-0276 x.32 or email at school@beitrayim.org
We are on the Web! www.beitrayim.org
Did you move? Did you change e-mail ? Do you have a new phone number? Please contact the school office to update your information. school@beitrayim. or 905-889-0276 x.32
Our school is NUT FREE and KOSHER.
BRHS Newsletter
UPCOMING EVENTS
CHAG SAMEACH! Kabbalat Shabbat 5770 March 5th Save the date! Interactive and participatory service for all ages! Upcoming Kabbalat Shabbat Services
2010 Schedule March 5 Kita Gimel (G. 3) April 23 Kita Alef (G. 1) May 7 Kindergarten and Kita Vav (G. 6) Schmooze and Snack 6:00 p.m. Service 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. at The Reena Battle Centre 927 Clark Ave. W. - Thornhill
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BRHS Newsletter
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CALENDAR
Adar – Nisan 5770 • March 2010 Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
2
3
4
5
6
15 Adar Shushan Purim
16 Adar
17 Adar
18 Adar
School
19 Adar Kabbalat Shabbat at Reena Kita Gimel (G3)
20 Adar Shabbat Parah Parashat Ki Tisa
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
21 Adar
22 Adar
23 Adar
24 Adar
25 Adar
26 Adar
27 Adar Shabbat HaChodesh Parashat VayakhelPekudei
Chidon Contest
School
School
14
15
16
18
19
20
28 Adar March Break
29 Adar March Break
1 Nisan 2 Nisan Rosh Chodesh Nisan March Break March Break
3 Nisan March Break
4 Nisan March Break
5 Nisan Parashat Vayikra
No School
17
No School
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
6 Nisan March Break
7 Nisan
8 Nisan
9 Nisan
10 Nisan
11 Nisan
12 Nisan Shabbat HaGadol Parashat Tzav
School
No School
28
29
30
31
13 Nisan
14 Nisan Erev Pesach Siyyum Ta'anit Bechorot
15 Nisan Pesach I
16 Nisan Pesach II
School
School Council Meeting
School Office: 209209-1118 Centre St. Thornhill ON L4J 7R9 Phone: (905) 889During School Hours: (647) 230889-0276 x32 230-0597 Fax: (905)889-4113 e-mail: school@beitrayim.org www.beitrayim.org