BH
Adar 5, 5773 / Feb 15, 2013
Community Newsletter of the Maimonides Hebrew Day School of the Capital District 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208 (518) 453-9363/3434 www.maimonidesschool.org
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 UJF-NENY
MAZAL TOV ABRAMS
maimonidesschool@gmail.com
Candle-Lighting:
5:08 Shabbos Ends:
6:10
RABBI BOMZER CONDOLENCE
Jonathan and Esther Abrams were longtime Our condolences to Rabbi Moshe & Rochel Albanians before they moved down to Florida, Bomzer on the passing of his father Rabbi and are happy to share the engagement of their Herbert Chaim Zev Bomzer. See inside page 2. daughter Ariella Aliza to Joseph Hamaoui.
MAZAL TOV ELIYAHU’S On Ron’s Bar-Mitzvah this past weekend (Parshat Mishpatim) at CBAJ. Mazal Tov to Ron, his parents & siblings!
MAZAL TOV ANDRUSIERS The Andrusiers are celebrating their daughter Chaya’s Bas-Mitzvah this weekend! Chaya is a great TNT reporter for this “MC” newsletter and adds a lot of spirit, creativity and talent to our school. Mazal Tov!
MAZAL TOV MORRISONS Mazal Tov grandparents R’ Leibel and Morah Elisheva Morrison on the birth of a baby girl named Bina Bracha to MHDS alumna Zelda (Morrison) and Tzedek Zirkind in Pittsburgh.
LOOKING FOR OLD JOURNALS The school is looking for past Maimonides Dinner Journals/ Yearbooks from the years 1989-1996 and 2001. We do not have record of these on file as they were lost in the storage trailer fire. If you have a copy of any of these journals please contact the school office 453-9363/3434 or Rabbi Rubin at 423-4103. Thank you very much!
Chaya Andrusier’s Bas-Mitzvah - Adar 6 by her parents Rabbi Shimon & Liba Andrusier and Family
MAZAL TOV SONENBERGS A belated Mazal Tov to Sam & Barbara Sonenberg on becoming grandparents! Mazal Tov to their daughter MHDS alumnus Shera and her husband Daniel Serrulha on the recent birth of their baby girl Aderet. The Sonenbergs donated a stack of great new books to the Esty Library in honor of the occasion.
This newsletter is sponsored in honor of
LIVELY ADAR DANCING Adar is a time to increase in joy, so during the last morning period on Wednesday, while middle school girls planned their play, the boys with Rabbi Mendel did some energetic Adar dancing to a Purim Dancing Medley Mix playing off the laptop. They did circle dances, helicopter dances, on shoulders and all kinds of ways.
NURSERY GRAGGERS They’ve been busy all week making Graggers, masks, finger puppets and other projects all bringing the Purim story to life!
MAIMONIDES 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208
SNAKES IN SCHOOL Thanks to college students (who did a great job!) from Cobleskill’s College of Agriculture & Technology, our students got a close-up look at (touch and even hold!) different types of snakes, including a cobra and some corn snakes. Morah Rochel arranged it because her 2nd grader Chumash class just finished learning about the snake in Parshas Breishis, but grades K-5 got to enjoy and learn a lot.
RABBI HERBERT ILLUSTRATING THE MEGILLAH Kindergarterners CHAIM-ZEV are hard at their BOMZER O.B.M. Our condolences to Rabbi Moshe & Rochel Bomzer and the Bomzer grand-children, MHDS alumni: Yonina, Faygie, Shragie, Akiva and Avigael on the passing of their father and grandfather Rabbi Herbert Chaim Zev Bomzer at age 84. Rabbi Herbert Bomzer was a wellknown leading Rabbi of American Jewish Orthodoxy in the 20th century. He got Semicha from his teacher and mentor Rabbi J.B. Solveitchik, and from the renowned posek Rabbi Moshe Feinstein. He served as Rabbi of Young Israel on Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn for 40 years. He was known for his expertise in presiding over & performing many conversions to Judaism. Rabbi Bomzer taught many Rabbis in training for decades at RIETS of Yeshiva University, served on many rabbinical boards, was chaplain of Rikers Island prison, was awarded many honors, and authored two books on American Jewish life. He was bold & outspoken for Jewish causes, yet gentle and understanding of individuals. He also enjoyed a close personal connection with the Lubavitcher Rebbe of blessed memory, as well as with another the late Rabbi Hollander (whose parents are buried in Schenectady). On a local note, many in the Albany community recall his visits and guest sermons at CBAJ especially in the later years of his son Rabbi Moshe Bomzer’s tenure at CBAJ. May his memory be a blessing.
REGARDS FROM R’ SHRAGIE Although obviously we’d prefer for better, happier circumstances and not for a Shiva, it was good to see MHDS alumnus R’ Shragie Bomzer back in town. He teaches an advanced Talmud class at the Netiv Aryeh Yeshiva in Jerusalem, which many US Jewish HS students attend during their gap year(s) before college. At the Shiva for his grandfather this past Tuesday at his parents home in Albany, Shragie warmly recalled and spoke highly of his elementary school education at Maimonides, and the subsequent years in NY learning under the guidance of his late grandfather. Shragie shared a few stories and Divrei Torah from his grandfather. One was about Adar: Judaism never prescribes sadness. Even in Av, it says “decrease in joy” it doesn’t say to increase in sadness. Once at a sermon, Rabbi H. Bomzer called out to the back of the shul, “Can you hear me back there?... because I sure can hear you!” Shragie also shared his grandfather’s advice of always being prepared with 2 DvarTorahs, in case another speaker already speaks on the one you prepared. It once happened that both things Shragie prepared were used by prior speakers!
fun, enjoyable work illustrating their very long paper-Megillahs in time for Purim (there’s no school next week for Presidents Week break). They love doing it!
ROSH CHODESH MINYAN On Monday the 8am Shomray Torah weekday Minyan came to school, so our kids can get a Minyan-taste of Ameins, Kedusha, Barchu & Chazaras HaShatz, plus the Hallel, Musaf and Torah-Reading that’s special for Rosh Chodesh. They get to take part in Minyan-roles, too! Noah is pictured here wrapping the Torah scroll after Larry’s special wide-scroll Hagbah lift.
FOLLI’S UPSHERN AT SCHOOL
Last Friday, when we had school in the morning but closed in the afternoon due to the increasing snow, the Gordons celebrated Folli’s Upshern and Hachnosa L’Cheder at school. TOP: Rabbi Rubin treats Folli to honey-coated letters of the Aleph-Bais. MIDDLE: Moshe Kudan is honored as a Kohain to cut Folli’s hair, but only after Moshe committed to do a special Mitzvah! CATAPULT PROJECTS & TESTS BOTTOM: Folli’s uncle Rabbi Moshe Plotkin and cousins from New Paltz made the trip up Talk about lift! Dr. Sahay’s 7/8 graders each despite being on Friday and despite the huge designed their own catapult from materials found around the house (blocks, sticks, rubber snow forecast (which didn’t really happen). -bands, bottle-caps and plastic spoons) and did Mazal Tov to the whole family and all friends! some in-school testing to see farthest reach and SNOW FORECAST WINNERS highest lift, and then look at the catapult Mrs. Marcia Rosenfield presented Mendel A. design and see how that makes a difference. and Chaya H. These little devices were actually quite capable! with a prize package for their WWI FILM accurate snowIn history class with Mrs. day forecasting, Ramsay, 7/8 grade watched each time it was (parts of) this classic film “All a half-snow-day! is Quiet on the Western Next contest? To Front” about German soldiers bring in (a photo in the trenches during WWI, of) the first and the intense mental and physical stress and Spring Flower to anguish of war, and how the after-effects of pop up! WWI planted seeds in Germany for WWII.
SECOND GRADE PURIM PROJECTS Morah Devorah’s 2nd graders (and 1st graders, too) made a variety of Purim projects including: decorated popsicle-stick Graggers (that utilize both percussion and bell noise-making methods), Megillah finger puppets, colorful and happy Leitzan clowns with moveable joints, Shushan castles, Mishenichnas Adar hanging fish, Mishloach Manot plates, and horse-shaped paper-plate bean graggers. And of course, they also learned a lot about the Purim story, and lots of Hebrew vocabulary along the way!
TOSEFOS =ISRAELI COALITIONS OD YOSEF CHAI PURIM TOYS 7/8 learned Abbaye’s List in Talmud Sukkah 7b that links 8 Rabbis in different cases to one thread of “trending towards more permanent Sukkahs”. Tosefos proves that Rabbis on the list do not agree with each other on specifics, but yet are listed together for their common overall perspective. Rabbi Rubin gave an example for this from Israel’s numerous political parties coming together on a coalition list even as they strongly disagree on specifics.
GIRLS PLAY, GIRLS INITIATIVE We are proud of the initiative and leadership of our grade 6-8 girls who are putting together a play involving younger grades in 3 groups: Choir, Drama & Dance. This will be worked on over time, with specific practice time slots allotted in certain classes, and also occasionally after-school. Stay tuned for story details and the performance date!
WHAT’S IN YOUR TEFILLIN? Rabbi Yossi’s Halacha class learned about the slightly different types of Ksav (font/writing types) inside Tefillin. Most Chassidim use Arizal, most Ashkenazim (ironically) use Ksav Bais Yosef, and most Sephardim use Vellish.
MUSCLES TENSE & RELAX Mrs. Maher’s students did this “hands-on” demonstration of how an elbow works, using cardboard, yarn, and a fastener. Take a closer look at this picture: The girl holding it is bending her own elbows as she holds the bent “elbow” in the cardboard experiment.
CLEANING UP AT HOME? Our General Studies teachers are planning again for a Spring-time Garage-Sale. Stuff can be brought to school. Larger items? Call first.
In addition to local needs of the poor, our school collects Matanot L’Evyonim for Od Yosef Chai in Israel. They sent us a big box of fun Adar puzzle-toys (older classes got some that were quite challenging) in appreciation. To donate call Rabbi Rubin 423-4103 or use the school’s secure online PayPal donation link: tinyurl.com/MaimonidesPayPal and write “Purim Poor” in the memo.
ORDER A FEW PURIM CARDS! It’s not too late to order a few “Purim-Cards” for out-of-town friends and family. As the office will be closed next week, you can email: maimonidesschool@gmail.com to arrange it.
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD HS finished reading this classic, and will be working on individual multi-media projects over break, and begin “Of Mice and Men” when they return in March.
PURIM FUN MADE OF JUNK 3rd and 4th grade brought the “Collage-a-majigs” re-use bucket up from downstairs into their classroom to try and create their own Shushan castles, Graggers & masks out of an assortment of random pieces & shapes of leftover paper & craft materials. Something out of (almost) Nothing! Old stuff gets new life!
DOWAGER & DOWAGER
A TRIBE A BLESSING, AT A TIME Interesting: In the same week that HS learned 5th graders are now learning Birchas Yaakov in Parshas VaYechi and decorating a scrapbook with the motifs and symbols of each tribe’s blessing as they go along.
about a dowager empress in China (because the heir to the throne was too young to rule) they learned a similar story in Tanach!
DNA, RNA, PROTEIN SYNTHESIS
9th graders had a unit test on this science subject with their teacher Madhawi Sahay, Morah Devorah Leah’s 5th grade PhD. They also learned about the mutations learned how Haman’s 4 words: L’Hashmid, in DNA and how that can unfortunately cause L’Haarog, L’Abed, & Shlalam LaVoz refer to 4 types of destruction, which in turn correspond things like cancer, birth defects, & disabilities. to the 4 Mitzvos of Purim: Megillah, Mishloach PROJECT (POSITIVE) THINK Manot, Matanot L’Evyonim and Seudah. On Wednesday this week Rabbi Mendel led a “Project Think!” workshop (designed by Mrs. THE LITTLE RED BOOK No, not little red riding hood… this was one of Laber in memory of her father) that focused on the power of positive thinking in health, the most reprinted books in history! It had studies, career & in friendships/relationships. collected quotes and sayings from China’s
4 WORDS, 4 MITZVOS
communist Chairman Mao teachings. HS IN NEXT “MC” NEWSLETTER: learned how Chinese soldiers & civilians from Not all fit in this week! Look forward to Student all walks of life carried this book with them, Book Reviews, Self-Portraits in Art-Class, and a held it dear, and how it guided their decisions. recent news story on Yaakov Yarmove…
NO “MC” NEXT WEEK
at Maimonides and in the Community
Maimonides is off for all of President’s Week this year, so there will not be a “MC” newsletter until the following week. Thank you for your continued readership!
2/16: AT CBAJ THIS SAT NIGHT
2/24: PURIM DAY EVENTS
R’ Reisman’s class 7:30pm. (R’ Frand Thurs 9pm). Plus, special this week: Parent & Child Learning.
2/18-22: PRESIDENTS WEEK BREAK No school for the entire 3rd week of February, from Monday the 18th thru Friday the 22nd (plus the Sat & Sun before and after) so it’s quite a long stretch of school vacation! Be sure to rejuvenate and refresh, and enjoy some quality family time.
2/19 & 21: 2 ASTRONOMY SHOWS 11am, $3 a seat, at downtown Albany Visitors Center planetarium. 2/19 “Lions & Bears in Sky” is geared to kids K-3, 2/21 geared to grades 2-12: “Stars on the Underground Railroad.” 434-0405.
2/21: TAANIS (FAST OF) ESTHER Purim falls Sat night into Sunday, so the Fast of Esther will be on Thursday. Fast ends: 6:02pm.
Maimonides’ “Hot-Spot” Purim Prunch (see above) 10am Megillah, 11am Hot-Spot Prunch. Friendship Circle’s Purim Party (w/ teenage volunteers to assist kids) 4:30-6pm at the Maimonides School. $8pp/$30 family. 438-4220. “Purim in Paris” 3pm at East Greenbush Fire House, 68 Phillips Rd, Rensselaer with food, marionette theater & a fashion show. Motti & friends will be in town for Purim and “Purim in Africa!” 4pm at 6 Clifton Common are eager to go around to read Megillah for seniors, shut-ins, work-places & others who Court, with African buffet and music, haircan’t make it to Shul & bring them joyous & braiding and jewelry-making, African drum-circle infectious Purim spirit. Purim is only one day! and live parrots! $10pp/Kids $5. 495-0772/9. A “Wild West Purim” 4pm at the Normanside Call Motti 522-8478 to setup a time. (150 Salisbury Rd) with Bethlehem Chabad. $10 advance, $15 at the door, $5 kids. Purim feast 3/2: CULTURE OF WELCOME and illusionist David Garrety! 439-8280. Ron Wolfson of Synagogue 3000 and Jewish Open-House Purim Seudah at CBAJ Rabbi education expert will speak at the Federation Lehrfield’s home, 2-4pm. 7:30pm on “Creating a Culture of Welcome”. 4:45pm Megillah & Purim Seudah at Rabbi Mirsky’s home in Schenectady.
CALL THE MOBILE MEGILLAH READERS!
2/22-23: ZACHOR TORAH READING 2/25: SHUSHAN PURIM It’s especially important to hear the “Zachor” (antiAmalek) Torah-reading on the Shabbos before Purim, and if getting to Shul on Shabbos is not possible, there’s a similar Torah reading at the Shachris morning service on Purim Day.
2/23: PURIM NIGHT EVENTS
Shomray Torah Megillah soon after 6:50pm, earliest reading in town. CBAJ Costume & Improv Comedy. 489-5819. Beth Israel Schenectady Megillah, Music and Skits by Simcha Squad students, 6:40pm. “A Magical Purim” at Saratoga Chabad with “Joey D”, includes musical Havdalah, Purim feast, 130 Circular Street. 526-0773. No charge! “Purim, Inc.” with painted-doors, Sushi, Potato & Salad Bars, Masquerade contest, comedy & fun at Shabbos House (for students). 438-4227.
2/24: MHDS’ PURIM NOON “HOT-SPOT” Maimonides continues its tradition of “Purim-Prunch” this year with a “Hot-Spot”! 10am Megillah followed by 11am hot soup, tea & chocolate and other hot items, opportunity to swap Mishloach Manot with others you might not see at shul or Purim event. Purim-Prunch offers you “P1” broadband access no need for Dial-Up RSVPs. Password is: HAPPY PURIM! Compatible with all devices! Quick secure connections! Hi-speed Purim interaction with speedy spiritual routers for simultaneous Mishloach Manot and Purim spirit - upload and download!
Do you know someone who can’t get to Shul on Purim but would love to hear the Megillah and enjoy some Purim spirit?
First day back from Presidents Week break will be Monday, “Shushan Purim” (day after Purim) when we come to school in costume. School begins 9am as all recuperate from exciting Purim festivities.
2/26: JEWISH-GEN SEMINAR @JCC 7pm at Albany SAAJCC, a free seminar by Nolan Altman on how to go about researching family roots and finding long lost relatives. Program is presented by the Center for Jewish Studies at UAlbany (442-4130), Mr. Altman is a graduate of UAlbany and is Vice President of JewishGen, Inc.
3/10: DAF YOMI SHABBOS SIYUM
Shabbos is one of the longest tractates! Daf-Yomi welcomes community to celebrate the completion with a Sunday 9am breakfast at Shomray Torah.
3/10: LORENCE TORAH & B.M. Sunday March 10th, 12-4pm for the Lorence “Alumni Torah” dedication at UAlbany’s Alumni House with procession to Shabbos House, for dancing and festivity along with Moshe Rubin’s Bar -Mitzvah celebration. Park at Dutch Student/Gold.
3/10: CCJE PROGRAM AT NYS-M
3/2: CHAIM’S BAR-MITZVAH
10am-11:30am for 4th graders celebrating 350+ years of Jewish American History. Call Marci at the Jewish Federation: 783-7800.
9am at Shomray Torah, 463 New Scotland Ave. The Kudans look forward to celebrating with you!
3/17: CHRIS GIBSON AT FED EVENT
The Congressman will speak at Agudat Achim in Schenectady for the Federation’s Joint Society event about “Major Domestic and International Captain Zvi "Hank" Webb shares an honest and humorous talk “Waking Up Jewish in Vietnam” on Challenges facing the United States: 2013 and Beyond.” Call 783-7800 for info and to RSVP. Jewish pride in jungles of war. 7:30pm at Delmar Chabad, 109 Elsmere Ave. $5pp, Book signing of “Loyal Soldier” follows talk. Info/RSVP: 439-8280.
3/2: JEWISH IN VIETNAM
This nationally syndicated cartoon appeared in Thursday’s “Times-Union”.
MAIMONIDES SCHOOL & COMMUNITY
(Nursery / Elementary / High School) 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 JF-NENY Beneficiary “A Beautiful Blend: Torah & Worldly Experience!”