maimonides school albany

BH. Iyar

16, 5771 / May 20, 2011

Community Newsletter of the Maimonides Hebrew Day School of the Capital District Candle-Lighting: 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208 (518) 453­9363/3434 www.maimonidesschool.org 7:57

produced by Rabbi Mendel & students in the TNT (Torah ‘n Technology) Program

Maimonides is accredited by the NYS Board of Regents & is a beneficiary of UJF­NENY maimonidesschool@gmail.com

Shabbos Ends:

9:06

FOREIGN VISITORS AT SCHOOL (on Route 9 in Latham) with reduced all­day The U.S. State Department in Washington recommended our school, as part of a multi­ state tour, to a Middle­Eastern group of professors interested in the American educational system. Accompanied by the Albany International Center, six professors and three interpreters toured some of our classes and engaged in an in­depth nearly 2­ hour discussion with Rabbi Rubin and Marcia Rosenfield. They were impressed how we integrate religious education & lifestyle with secular studies & worldly outlook. They were curious about the Talmud, asked many questions about state accreditation and funding, standardized and regular testing, and how our school day is divided, what subjects we study and how that is determined. In classrooms and in the discussion, students and Rabbi Rubin both picked up on similarities between certain Hebrew and Arabic words.

At the end Rabbi Rubin displayed works of Maimonides and his Arabic manuscripts.

ride wristbands, a Kosher BBQ, a raffle, and more! Admission to Hoffman’s is free (helpful for parents/grandparents not going on rides…)

We’re nearing the end of the 2010-2011 academic year. There are only a few “MC” newsletters before the year is over.

SCANNING OLD M.C.’s

To sponsor a week of the “MC” ($54 or $72) in honor of an occasion or in memory of a loved one please call the school office 453-9363/3434 or email maimonidesschool@gmail.com

7th graders did a quick scan of this year’s past “MC” newsletters to come up with a year­in­ review “Highlights” for the Tribute Journal & Yearbook. It was cool to look back and be reminded of class activities, special projects and events, community news ­ so many good memories. There’s a lot you can see in the pictures, too, even the backgrounds tell a story.

Lag B’Omer is the yartzeit of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (student of Rabbi Akiva and early author of Zohar) and the end of the deaths of Rabbi Akiva’s 24,000 students (who didn’t properly respect one another). It is usually celebrated with joyous outdoor outings and activities, with parades (initiated by the Lubavitcher Rebbe in the 1940’s when first arriving in America) or bonfires as in common in Israel. Schools often go to parks for picnics and ball­games. On this day, many thousands pilgrimage to Mt. Meron where Rabbi Shimon is buried, for segulot and prayer, upshernish haircuts, song and dancing, fires and festivity and a huge multi­cultural experience. Locally, there’ll be a family day at Hoffman’s Playland

Talking of an arcs, in math ­ geometry, HS girls studied formulas to measure the arc of a circle based on angles of two intersecting lines/points in the circle.

LOOK AT THE LIBRARY VOTE

STILL JUMPING AWAY

LAG B’OMER THIS SUNDAY

MEASURING ARCS

The Jump­a­Thon student fundraiser to aid Leizer Galperin’s recovery may have been a while ago but some students are still hooked on getting their jump­rates up. Morah Devorah and Mrs. Carroll are swinging the rope (faintly visible as an arc towards the top of the photo) as Shira nears 32 jumps! BTW, the HS girls are finishing the collection of Jump­a­Thon pledges and hope to send it to the Galperin family in Cincinnati before Shavuot. If you haven’t sent yours in yet, please do it soon.

M A I M O N I D ES 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208

For anyone who thinks “my vote doesn’t matter” look at the recent library budget vote.

As of election­day it trailed passage by a mere 28 votes. Out of 6,952 votes cast, that’s pretty close for a few people to make a big difference.

Like the Rambam/Maimonides encourages us “to view the world as in perfect balance, any single good deed or even one negative one, will swing the whole world to that side…”

JOURNAL SUPPLEMENT The Tribute Journal & Yearbook is already at the printer, ads can still be submitted via email to maimonidesschool@gmail.com (checks sent to the school office) by Sunday 5pm for inclusion in the Journal Supplement. Dinner RSVP’s are also still being accepted.

NEW INTERNET FILTERS

JUNE 2ND METS BASEBALL TRIP

For student safety and proper computer utilization we now installed a strong K­9 filter system. Initially it may take some time to work out the kinks and be sure that we can reach the sites we need for educational and TNT purposes, but overall this is a necessary and important improvement for the lab.

L’CHAIM WINS FIRST PLACE

Middle school students are scheduled to travel down to NYC on Thursday June 2nd with teachers and chaperones to enjoy a NY Mets baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, 1pm at the new Citifield stadium.

DOUBLE­SCOOP

The L’chaim Student Group affiliated with ALEPH­BAIS Shabbos House earned first­place in the recent Morah Dini’s UAlbany Unite video contribution/voting Kindergarten students contest earning $4,500 in bonus prize money stand around the table for programming next year. Hillel student in their classroom after group also got a top 5 slot, earning $1,000 for sorting and putting in alphabetical order the next year’s programming. Thanks to all! laminated “scoops” of Aleph­Bais letters, which will be matched to Nekudot (vowel sounds) “cones” for reading practice. Thanks to Mrs. Sharona Backman in the school office for getting them all laminated! This is one more way to demonstrate that Torah is delicious and refreshing!

MATZAH AND A SHMEAR

LIQUID DENSITY TEST

5/6 in Science Lab prepared differently colored (using food coloring) solutions of salt­ water, sugar­water, corn syrup, oil and plain water. When mixed together in a beaker, the corn syrup sank to the bottom, with the sugar­ water just above it; the oil floated to the top of LAG B’OMER SCHOOL PREP the cup, with the salt­water just below it; and Students in several classes have been learning the plain water was just about in the middle. about Lag B’Omer. TOP: Nursery students TORAH ON displays here plate with a “bonfire” in the MICROFILM center and paper­people dancing around it Chana brought a holding hands in Ahavas­Yisrael. BOTTOM: 3 card to school (credit 3rd graders are decorating a Lag B’Omer ­card size) that has bulletin board. The glare on their faces is a Chitas on it in tiny reflection of the camera flash bouncing off the microfilm form. foil­paper background of the bulletin board.

Chitas is an acronym for Chumash, Tehillim

and Tanya, printed in one­book as they are all LAG B’OMER SEGULOT daily studies, among other works, for Chabad A “Segulah” is a spiritual charm or merit that Chassidim. They took a break from science some (often depending on the community or class to put it under a microscope in the lab personal style) have the custom to do or say FOIL­PEOPLE where they were able to match it up with for special occasions or specific needs. Segulah SCULPTURE ART examples include: reading about the Manna as actual pages in a hardcover Chitas book!

Taking a cue from the a merit for livelihood, or wearing a red string style of sculptor Alberto wrapped around Rachel’s Tomb, some have AN IRONIC ACAPPELLA DATE Giacometti students in certain chapters of Tehillim that they often How ironic is this sign? The Guilderland Mrs. Levin’s art class Library is hosting an recite… When Rabbi Mirsky was out for a day, designed stick­type acapella (voices, no Rabbi Mathless brought a “Nitei Gavriel” an people out of pipe­ instruments) concert encyclopedic collection of Lag B’Omer laws & cleaners which were then customs, and gave students various Segulot to at 2pm on May 22nd ­ wrapped in foil. It was Lag B’Omer (when explore. Lag B’Omer Segulot are especially an amusing challenge to get them to stand, after weeks of Sefirah, emphasized at Mt. Meron (there are even it is finally permissible even with the clay­feet they used as supports. acronyms based on the word Meron). Some for observant Jews to (By the way, when the foreign visitors were at dishonest people can unfortunately capitalize school, and they saw these on display, they hear live music)! on Segulot and make a business off it, and it’s asked about the Jewish view on sculpture as a not always a genuine product or Segulah.

graven image, and Rabbi Rubin explained it).

In honor of Pesach Sheini (the 2nd chance Passover) this Wednesday, Matzah and spreads (cream­cheese, butter, jams etc) were served at lunchtime to have the customary taste of Matzah and a reminder that it’s never too late and there’s always a second chance.

TEHILLIM REQUEST

GAN ISRAEL DAY­CAMP

Please pray for newborn baby Devorah Chaya Leah Bat Aviva Dena. Her family hopes she begins to gain weight soon!

This year’s program runs from July 4th thru August 12th, 9am­3:30pm, at the Maimonides building at 404 Partridge. Mrs. Clara Simon is the camp director, and can be reached at 439­ 8280. Program includes swimming and swim MAZAL TOV BOMZERS instruction, music, art, sports, trips, and much MHDS alumnus Faygie (Bomzer) and Jay Hellman gave birth to a boy this past Tuesday more in a great Jewish environment. in Milwaukee. Mazal Tov to grandparents Rabbi and Mrs. Moshe Bomzer. Because of the Bris (G­d willing on Tuesday) we’ll miss them at the dinner which also honors Rabbi Herbert Bomzer (Sr.) may he have a speedy recovery: R’ Chaim Zev ben Ettel Chaya.

ELI HUNTS FOR PARSHA CLUES This week at Shomray Torah morning Minyan Rabbi Laber asked a parsha riddle: Which 2 letters of the Hebrew alphabet are missing from the first portion of blessings in this week Parsha Bechukotai? Eli sat down and went through it and found the letters, Rabbi Laber BIBLICAL ANIMALS IN APPS was so impressed he gave him some clues as to GRADES 1&2 MONET LILIES JERNY’s Yom­Yerushalayim (June 1st) this a reason why these letters would be missing. Inspired by Monet’s “Water­Lilies” grades year will feature a small biblical zoo, so the

middle school APPS program is teaming up in 1&2 created these beautiful pieces in art class.

RAINING WORDS pairs to research the animals from Tanach (Bible) that will be featured at the zoo: camels, Kinder­Buddies (3rd HSG SARATOGA SHABBATON goats, sheep, spiders and snakes etc… Pictured graders pair up with the Each high school girl helped prepare a dish for on TOP: Nursery boy displays two biblical toy Kindergarteners one Shabbos: a dessert, salad or side­dish. After animals a sheep and a goat. BOTTOM: Moshe afternoon a week) made Friday Night dinner they took a walk together and Azriel in 5th grade research verses in the clouds with a suffix and down Broadway, on Shabbos morning they Tanach that mention donkeys. had words rain down out were happy to meet Morah Devorah and her

of it that had the same husband Sid. They even met a cross­country suffix. This was the “ing” biker! After Shabbos Rabbi Yossi took them THIRD GRADE CLOSE TO SIYUM cloud, so the rain words on a spontaneous trip to Chuck E Cheese (not 3rd grade Mishna class is almost at the end of are morning, teaching, the 4th chapter of Mishnayos Rosh Hashanah for the food, it’s not Kosher, but for the games snowing, thinking, which means they’ve almost completed their and fun). The Sunday Friendship Circle forgiving, playing, talking.. volunteer outing was rescheduled because of very first Mesechta!

the rain, so the girls used the time to catch up on school work. They’re also trying to finish MR POPPER’S up their HS yearbook before the Regents PENGUINS COMES season begins in earnest.

TO PARTRIDGE ST

Well, at least in book form…

TRAIN­TUNE, VOYAGE & THE Ms. Tate’s 3rd graders are FLOWER­FED BUFFALO POEMS now reading chapter 4 of this Mrs. Mulder’s English students read these humorous classic. three poems and analyzed them and then

typed up a booklet of it with creative covers.

MANNERS MATTER IN MAY THE NON­SUKKAH SUKKAHS

This bulletin board is a great reminder. Let’s 7th grade Gemorah class (now on Sukkah 8b) be polite, use refined language, and speak SHAVUOS IS COMING SOON is learning about Sukkahs originally designed This year it falls on June 8th (Wed) and 9th for other purposes (pottery huts or watchmen nicely to each other. Please, Thank­You, You’re Welcome ­ do make a difference.

(Thursday) with a one­day spacer before huts) and what it would take for them to be

Shabbos. It’s time to start thinking about Kosher for use on the holiday. Do Sukkahs cheesecake, blintzes and dairy recipes, flowers ADDITIONAL END­OF­YEAR have to be built for the sake of Sukkot? Can anyone build a Sukkah? Is there a requirement Nursery Parents: Look for a special end­of­year and greens, late­night Torah study, bringing even the smallest children to hear the Aseres of intent, and what does that apply to? Next graduation ceremony (before the rest of the week 7th grade begins a grand review on all school’s June 17th Moving­Up Day), speak to HaDibros (10 Commandments) and some places even have ice­cream parties! the Sukkah Talmud they’ve studied this year Morah Rivka for more info. Morah Leyee is for a year­end final test. Many of the pieces are also arranging a special year­end program for

interconnected, so it will be a fun review! the Bnos Chaya HS Girls, date TBA.

at Maimonides and in the Community 5/20­21: SPRING SHABBATON

5/30: MEMORIAL DAY

7/4: CAMP GAN ISRAEL OPENS

JGR/JGU at the Labers home in Troy for girls grades 3­7 this weekend. Call 833­0704.

No school Monday, enjoy the extended weekend.

School resumes Tuesday morning at 8am.

5/21: WOMENS SHABBOS SHIUR

6/1: YOM YERUSHALAYIM EVENT

4:45pm by Susannah Levin at the home of D.L. Kaufman 27D Weis Road.

JERNY’s Israel Center and area orgs are already at work preparing for this 2nd annual event ­ held this year at Beth Emeth. TheIsraelCenter.org has updates on vendors, program and activities. Many organizations are lined up as vendors or with info tables. Get a taste of Israel right here in Albany.

Some of the many things to look for:  Mini Biblical Zoo ­ with animal rides!  Malcha Mall with pastries, honey, candles, juice  Machane Yehudah Shuk with fine jewelry, hand­ made gifts, Jewish books, Judaica…  Strolling musicians, biblical personalities…

This year’s day­camp runs from July 4th thru August 12th, 9am­3:30pm, located at Maimonides, 404 Partridge Street. Mrs. Clara Simon is the camp director, and can be reached at 439­8280. Program includes swimming/swim instruction, music, art, sports, trips, science activities & more in a great Jewish environment with dedicated staff.

5/22: LAG B’OMER AT HOFFMAN’S Area Chabads are arranging discounted wristbands ($14 unlimited rides until close), Kosher BBQ ($7pp, $25 family), free admission to the park, with festive atmosphere for kids & families at Hoffman’s Playland Route 9, Latham. Program 12­3pm.

(Maimonides Lag B’Omer neighborhood Parade is when Lag B’Omer is on a weekday).

5/22: LAG B’OMER EVENING FIRE

5/25: SUGIHARA FILM

6/12: CBAJ DINNER HONORS DOCS

Later that evening will be the Galway Bonfire at the 6/2: MIDDLE SCHOOL METS TRIP Auerback Estate, info/directions: 439­8280.

Middle school students will head to NYC for an

afternoon Mets game at the new Citifield stadium.

5/22: AD SUPPLEMENT DEADLINE Sunday evening is the very latest that we can accept 6/2: COMMUNITY OF WRITERS II ads/greetings etc for the Journal Supplement.

Ten Jewish writers read from their works at Ohav Email them directly to mail@shabboshouse.com Shalom, 7:30pm. Info? 489­4706. and to maimonidesschool@gmail.com and send the payment checks to the school office.

6/5: WALK FOR FRIENDSHIP

2nd annual Walk for Friendship, noon­time at Elm 5/24: MAIMONIDES DINNER Park in Delmar. See capitalfriends.org for info or HONORS “PEOPLE OF THE BOOK” to support a volunteer or team. This important Tuesday, 6pm at CBAJ. Maimonides honors with fundraiser benefits the Friendship Circle of local volunteers helping special needs children. the Dr. Berger Memorial Award: Linda Berger­

Spivack; Baruch Shenatan Torah Award: Bruce Lorence; and this year’s “People of the Book” 6/7­10: SHAVUOT SCHEDULE award highlights a spectrum of local authors: Dr. 6/7 Tues: Erev Shavuot Half­Day English only.

Jeffrey Berman, Miriam Biskin, Rabbi Herbert Tefila 8am, dismissal 11:30. Send snack, no lunch.

Bomzer, Marlene Rosenfield­Crawford, Dr. Bob 6/8­9 Wed & Thurs: Shavuot Holiday celebrates the Herman, Sylvie Kantorovitz, Jackie Morse­Kessler, Giving of the Torah, it’s important for all to attend Joseph Krausman, Lyn Miller­Lachmann, Linda synagogue for the “10 Commandments” read on Elovitz Marshall, Marlene Newman, BJ Rosenfeld, Wednesday, especially children!

Dr. Mary Valentis, and Dr. Suzanne Vromen. Also 6/10 Friday: No school; Shavuot goes into the honoring posthumously Vera Propp and Hy Rosen. extended weekend.

“Conspiracy of Kindness” on the heroic Japanese diplomat who saved Jews from the Holocaust.

12pm at Beth Emeth 100 Academy Road. Free.

5/25: JLI SHABBAT COURSE II Now in the 2nd of 6 Wednesdays, May 18th thru June 22, 7:30­9pm at the Shabbos House. Course fee $60 includes textbooks, some discounts/ scholarships available. Explore the depth and relevance of Shabbat in classic Jewish texts & modern context, from Halacha to psychology and many interesting angles. Call 495­0772 to register or visit: myJLI.com

Dinner and Journal honoring member doctors at Cong. Beth Abraham­Jacob who serve the greater community. For more info call the Shul 489­5819.

6/16: FIGHTING HATE IN OUR TIME Abe Foxman will be speaking on fighting hate and bullying in our community at Proctor’s Theater in Schenectady, 7pm. There’s no charge for this event, to RSVP go to www.jewishfedny.org

6/17: YEAR­END / MOVING­UP DAY Half­day AM only. 9am program of songs, class presentations and refreshments, parents welcome!

MAIMONIDES SCHOOL (Nursery / Elementary / High School) & COMMUNITY 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208 (518) 453-9363/3434 maimonidesschool@gmail.com Founded in 1980, Maimonides is chartered by the NYS Board of Regents and is a UJF-NENY Beneficiary