BH Cheshvan
7, 5774 / October 11, 2013
Community Newsletter of the Maimonides Hebrew Day School of the Capital District Candle-Lighting: 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208 (518) 453-9363/3434 www.maimonidesschool.org 6:03 Shabbos Ends: produced by Rabbi Mendel & students in the TNT (Torah ‘n Technology) Program 7:01 Maimonides is accredited by the NYS Board of Regents & is a beneficiary of UJF-NENY
maimonidesschool@gmail.com
This newsletter is sponsored in memory of
Mrs. Kaethe Peters Kayla bas Zev Volf Yartzeit: (Wed) 5 Cheshvan by her daughter Clara and the Simon Family
ESTY TALK ON RELATIONSHIPS
RABBI OVADIA YOSEF OBM
ANISFELD CONDOLENCES
A nice crowd came out to commemorate Esty’s yartzeit, to formally open the new MediaLibrary (look closely at the picture above to see the science lab window on left, the computer screens in middle and the new bookshelves on the right) and hear Mrs. Helana Herman of Raleigh NC speak about relationships. She was humorous & engaging, warm & personal. Here are 2 of the most memorable things she shared: The Divine Presence (Shechina) spoke to Moses emanating from the space between the two Keruvim (cherubs). This teaches us an important lesson about relationships. The “emotional space” between loving people is sacred, that closeness yet slight distance must be protected and cherished. Usually you hear that the key words in relationships are trust, communication, empathy.. But there’s also the critical aspect of “safety”. If people don’t feel emotionally safe, they won’t be trusting. That safe middle space needs to be protected and safeguarded by both spouses. 4 People enter marriage under the Chuppah. Four!? Aren’t there only two? Well, there’s the current Chassan (groom) standing there, but along with him is his past, an inner Chassan, his younger self, who also enters the marriage. And the same goes for the Kallah. There’s the one dressed up in the white gown, but along with her comes a younger version, filled with hurts and dreams & all types of childhood experiences. All four ‘people’ are part of the marriage and need to be thoughtfully taken into account. Another highlight of the evening was Mushky Rubin’s reminiscing about her sister Esty obm, and introducing Mrs. Herman. Following the talk there was a dessert buffet in the back room and an opportunity to browse the library.
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel passed away this week, and his funeral (estimated at 600,000 to 800,000) was the largest funeral in Israel’s history. He was best known for uplifting Sephardic Jews in Israel (who felt downtrodden and marginalized), strengthening their scholarship and Yeshiva institutions and perhaps best known for his political clout with the establishment and strengthening of the Sephardic Shas Party. Fiery, outspoken and at times controversial, but unifying to his own flock, he was lenient on several key Halachic issues. Many remember his distinctive garb and dark sunglasses - as he had poor eyesight and studied much from memory. Encyclopedic in Torah knowledge, he was brilliant and sharp at times quite sharp. Rabbi Rubin and the BarMitzvah Boys learned about him this week.
Condolences to Dr. Rachel Anisfeld and Dr. Timothy Lytton and family on the passing of her father, Dr. Moshe Anisfeld, a recognized scholar in early language development, who survived WWII and emigrated with his mother and siblings to Israel in 1949, later studying in Hebrew University and McGill, and teaching at Yeshiva University. Shiva in Albany will be observed Motzai Shabbos 8-9:30pm & Sunday 10am-4pm, 6-9pm at Anisfeld-Lytton home.
MAIMONIDES 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208
CONDOLENCES RABBI GEWIRTZ Rabbi Gershon Gewirtz was Rabbi at CBAJ until the mid 1980’s (in 1980 he helped found Maimonides where his children studied). His mother Sylvia passed away this week, and we wish him condolences, along with his children MHDS alumni (one is a relative of the Mirskys)
MAZAL TOV ESTHER RUBIN Candle-lighting celebration & 3rd birthday this Shabbos in Clifton Park. Esther Aidel was born 3 years ago, soon after the passing of her namesake, Esther Aidel (Rubin) Cohen.
RAFFLE-AUCTION EFFORT
THE MENDEL BEILIS STORY
We hope to finalize prize packages by October 17, to be printed & mailed by last week in October, hopefully an online version as well. Contact Raizy 438-4227 or 772-7299 if you have ideas or would like to donate a prize.
Rabbi Rubin’s HS history class is now reading up on the Mendel Beilis Trial of 1913. They are reading newspapers, reports and articles, to learn about the story. Beilis was acquitted, though the libel was tragically upheld. He later moved to America, lived for a time in Glens Falls and passed away in Saratoga in 1934. Rabbi Yossi is trying to arrange an interview with Beilis’ surviving son. It’s neat to take a look at an important piece of Jewish history that has a local angle and connection.
EARLY BEGINNINGS, NEW TAKE This week HS girls took a closer look at the Pilgrim story and how the early settlement was not as sweet and rosy as little kids storybook version allows. In Chumash class that week, they also took a closer look at the Creation of Adam and Eve, and got to see it in a different light than the elementary school version.
CREATIVE WRITING & SCIENCE
EYE-POPPING GRASS HEADS
HEBREW MANGO SALAD Morah Rochel’s Ivrit students made a mango salad in Hebrew class using a Hebrew recipe and speaking only in Hebrew.
NEW NURSE AT MAIMONIDES Mango salad is a healthy choice, and a great place to introduce our new school nurse. “Hello my name is Mrs. John. I am the new school nurse, and I will be coming in on Wednesday mornings. I look forward to meeting you all!”
K-2 filled stockings with earth and grass seed and decorated the outsides with “eye-balls” and colored stones and ornaments. Right now they look brown, but given a little time and some watering, they’ll start sprouting green, and eventually have full “heads of grass hair”! It’s also a great message about the seeds of growth potential hidden inside each and every person. Give them the proper care, and some time, and they will blossom and grow!
CREATIVE PARSHA PROJECT Morah Chaya Bracha teaches a weekly creative Parsha class to the HS. Last week for Parshas Noach they each did an essay about judging others or feeling judged yourself. This week they learned about the difference between description and definition. Avraham & Sarah left behind their birthplace and homeland, things that described them but didn’t define them. She asked the HS Girls to choose objects that describe them, explain why, draw them - and see how they are not defined by it.
A FRICTION RABBIT
CLEANLINESS & CHARITY ...are two of the quality character traits these students illustrated. Tzedakah is obviously a Mitzvah. Seder v’Nikayon = order & cleanliness may not be an actual Mitzvah but it is an important mindset and behavior that allows one to properly observe many other Mitzvot.
Mrs. Ballard’s class is now doing a blend of science and writing. They are using a list of “electrified” words (current, switches, wires, circuit, light, devices, outlets etc) to use in a writing project. Blending cross-curricular is an important focus at Maimonides, and is critical for student success in an ever-changing and dynamically integrated world.
7th grade with Mrs. Sahay used yarn and hand motions to move along a paper rabbit (backed by an empty minimatchbox) using the laws of friction. Why a Rabbit? Because the way the hand motions push it along, it seems to hop!
THINKING CHANUKAH YET? 4/5 grade with Rabbi Shmuly is now learning the Gemorah in tractate Shabbos about Chanukah. It’s taste of Gemorah learning, and helps them get ready for the holiday in a meaningful way withoriginal Gemorah texts!
TISHREI FOOD “APPS” “MC” SUPPLEMENT NEXT WEEK will include: (a) Photos of our Students and their Tishrei Food APPS Projects (b) Our APPS trip planned for Tuesday to Hoosick Falls NY and Bennington VT Students made beautiful APPS projects about a variety of Tishrei foods from pomegranates & apples to stuffed cabbage & Tzimmes, expressed in various mediums: posters, menus, recipe-books, 3-D objects, games & cards, video and more. We had a wonderful time presenting to the school, and we took photos to share with the community in MC supplement next week. We apologize that we didn’t keep them on display, see them in next week’s “MC”!
HANDS-ON CONSTRUCTION
WHAT’S RIGHT/WRONG WITH THIS SUKKAH PICTURE? Rabbi Laber clipped this “Jewish Week” article for Rabbi Mendel to share with his Gemorah Sukkah class. They were asked to find (based on their current Sukkah knowledge) what is wrong and right with this unique Sukkah. This “drive-in” Sukkah in Florida is designed to eat inside your car in the Sukkah (which is not Kosher). The boys noticed that it only has two walls (also a Sukkah problem). Its high enough for a truck. Is that too high? Hard to tell from the photo, but probably not. And it does have more shade than sun, so that’s OK.
“JR” was outside fixing the front garden retaining wall, when some kids stopped by to watch him work during recess. He got them AN “A” WEEK IN NURSERY involved, explained to them what he was Nursery students made play “ants” out of doing, and even gave them each a turn to clothespins decorated with black buttons, pipe squeeze the cement in between the bricks! cleaner-legs and googly-eyes; painted using cut apples as the “brush”; and did a bunch of WALK TO SCHOOL DAY - MON other things that begin with the letter “A”. Remember: Try to Walk to School this
WHO IS A STAR? We are! In this week’s Parsha Lech-Lecha, G-d tells Abraham that his descendants will be numerous like the stars. Being compared to stars, shining brightly is why Nursery made projects with stars, and the big star in the center features a picture of themselves! By the way, there was a recent announcement by a European research center that discovered many more stars than previously thought, the number is way beyond huge - its astronomical!!
SEA DEVIL PLOT PYRAMID Mrs. Gray’s 7th graders read “Sea Devil” a man vs. nature short story by Arthur Gordon. They each created a plot pyramid that graphs the rise and fall of the plot & story resolution.
A JEWISH WAKE-UP CALL!
DANGEROUS STORMS IN 2/3
Mrs. Carroll’s 2nd & 3rd graders researched Morah Clara’s 4/5 Yahadut class learned and made illustrated posters or dioramas of about Mitzvot and rituals (both Halachic as dangerous storms like blizzards, hurricanes, well as hygienic - which is also a Mitzvah!) that tornadoes, tsunamis and floods. are done soon after we wake-up each morning, and they made different projects about them.
Monday morning, even families who travel a distance can park a little ways from school, so kids can have the exercise opportunity to walk to school.
5 THINGS TO LEARN FROM
BASKETBALL by “Coach” Ronnie of Sage College Rabbi Mendel & the Basketball Playing Boys
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ELLMS FAMILY FARM TRIP
IN LIEU OF “OPEN HOUSE” NIGHT This year’s early holiday scheduling made it difficult to schedule a separate open-house/ back-to-school night as well as parent-teacher conferences so close together. Parents are receiving specific class goals/formats from the school (via email or otherwise) and the conferences will be Veterans Day, Nov 11th.
Kindergarten & 1st enjoyed an outing to Ellms Family Farm where they did a cornmaze, picked their own pumpkins and learned a lot about farming and how vegetables grow. We hope to have photos in next week’s “MC”.
A VISITING YESHIVA TEACHER A visiting Yeshiva teacher, Rabbi Simmon, also teaching Gemorah Shabbos this year, met our boys this morning & had a great learning discussion after davening, he was impressed!
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Dribbling to Travel. In basketball you can’t carry the ball down the court as in football. You can either pass to a teammate or keep the ball bouncing as you advance. It’s the ups and downs in life, letting go and catching back on, that keep us moving! Holding on tight doesn’t move you along (at least in this analogy). Rebounds can make a big difference in a game. You or your teammate may have missed the shot the first time, (or even more misses than that…) but you can get a second (or third, or fourth…) chance to get it in. Like Pesach-Sheini, it celebrates second-chances, and turning around failure into success. Shooting under Pressure. It is obviously easier to shoot baskets from a fixed position with time to aim & focus. But in a fast-paced action game, you have to move quickly, think on your feet & make your move as soon as you have a good opening. In life, make the most of opportunities; don’t wait around for most opportune, ideal & perfect situations. Shooting too Hard. You need enough thrust to get the ball up there, but sometimes too much power will miss the hoop altogether or bounce back too hard off the backboard. Force and power doesn’t solve everything, in fact, a lighter hand often does it better. Be gentle! Pass the Ball! Even the best players do better when they pass the ball to teammates. Don’t think you can go it alone, and do it all by yourself. That’s what the team is for! Give others a chance, keep the ball moving around the court. It makes for more opportunities to get open!
at Maimonides and in the Community 10/12: ZAYIN CHESHVAN Today marks last day of post-Tishrei travel coming home from Jerusalem Temple & start date to pray for rain in Israel. (We wait for start of December).
10/12: RAPPAPORT KIDDUSH Dr. Paul Rappaport is celebrating the anniversary of his Bar-Mitzvah with a Kiddush after Shabbos morning davening at CBAJ.
10/13: DAF-YOMI PESACHIM SIYUM Breakfast Siyum at Shomray Torah, expanded Siyum next Shabbos (10/19) at Seudah-Shlishit.
10/13: “TASTE OF YESHIVA”
10/18-19: GREEN SCHOLAR-INRESIDENCE AT BETH ISRAEL
Monday 6:30pm at the Clifton Park Library, 475 Moe Road. This film tells the story of a righteous gentile, a Portuguese Consul in French Bordeaux Rabbi Morey Schwartz, originally from this area, who (against official orders) granted visas in 1940 now Director of Education for Melton School of allowing refugees to escape France in WWII. Hebrew University is this year’s Green Memorial Following the movie, Varda LeMonds and Harry Scholar-in-Residence at Beth Israel in Schenectady. Osterreicher will share their family stories of this He will speak at Friday Night Dinner: “Status Quo: life-saving escape. Info? Call 495-0772/9. Interface of Jewish Law & Modern State” at Sat Lunch: “A Radical New Approach to Binding of Isaac” & Sat Night 8:30pm: “Rethinking Miracles - 11/11: PARENT TEACHERS CONF. No school, but Parent-Teacher Conferences will be a New Set of Lenses”. Info? Beth Israel 377-3700. held, stay tuned for your appointment schedule. 10/25: CBAJ NEW MEMBER DINNER Due to the many early holidays, instead of “OpenHouse” evening, class goals/format are being sent RSVP 489-5819 by October 20th, $12 adult, $8 home for parents, conferences on November 11th. child, $45 family. Free for New Members.
This time in Delmar! 10am at 395 Kenwood Ave in Delmar (at Four Corners). Great morning of Torah 10/27: WALK FOR ADDICTION study, start with Shachris and Daf Yomi Siyum and $5pp includes t-shirt for sign-ups & as supplies last finish up with “Taste of Yeshiva” in Delmar about see www.tinyurl.com/Action4Addiction to register the prayer for rain. Community is most welcome! your shirt size. 10:30am registration at UAlbany Collins Circle (main entrance) Walk begins 11am sharp. Parking available in Dutch Quad Student 10/13: TAKE A HIKE WITH CBAJ Gold Lot. Business sponsorships on shirts are Walking in Avraham’s Footsteps. Meet 10am at $100. Walk benefits Hope House & Senior Hope. CBAJ, drive to hike at 5 Rivers. Dress Warm.
10/13: LOCAL FALL FESTIVALS
10/27: SARATOGA TORAH SIYUM!
Food is always a Kosher issue, but these are cheap opportunities on Columbus Wknd Sunday to get out with kids and do/see something interesting. There may be additional costs for certain activities. Goold Orchard’s 25th anniversary Apple Festival 9am-5pm, 1297 Brookview Station in Castleton NY, adults $8, kids under 12 are free. Fall Fest at Waterford Harbor Farmers Market, 9am-1pm with complimentary cider (not sure if doughnuts are Kosher) & costume parade. Plus walk access to Peebles State Park & the Locks. 17th “Autumn in Austerlitz” Festival, 11am4pm, 550 State Route 22 in Austerlitz NY. $6pp, under 12 free. Event features volunteers dressed in 1830’s costume, quilt raffle, silent auction, sheep-shearing, border collies, vendors, etc.
10/29: “JUST SAY YES!” RABBI TAUB SPEAKS ON ADDICTION
10/14: WALK TO SCHOOL DAY
Join Saratoga Chabad 4pm for a Torah completion & dedication ceremony, procession from Saratoga Public Library to Chabad on Circular Street, followed by dancing, food etc. It also will mark 100 years since the 1913 trial of Mendel Beilis on a blood libel, he died in Saratoga Springs in 1934.
8:30pm at Shabbos House, open to students and community, part of the “A4A@A” JSAM Project. Rabbi Taub authored “G-d of Our Understanding” a Jewish view of the 12 Steps, & an advice column in AMI magazine. Desserts served. Please park in nearby Dutch Quad Student Gold lot.
11/17: PRE-CHANUKAH ACTIVITY Pre-Chanukah Menorah Making at Home Depot, call Rabbi Yossi 495-0772. FC’s Sunday Circle with Chanukah theme, Call Liba at FC 438-4220.
11/23: YUD-TES KISLEV SAT NIGHT Communal Farbrengen Melava Malka, stay tuned!
CHANUKAH NIGHTS Wed 11/27: Bethlehem Chabad w/Our Towne Thurs 11/28: Kosher Thanksgiving & Chanukah Dinner at Saratoga Chabad RSVP: 526-0773 Sun 12/1: Celebration at Clifton Park Center -Mall Mon 12/2: Chanukah on Ice in Saratoga Mon 12/2: Afternoon Menorah Lighting at UA Tues 12/3: Clifton Park Chanukah Bowling Wed 12/4: School Auction & Chanukah Dinner
More Chanukah events to be announced soon...
Looking ahead… Save the Dates! 11/16: First Pizza Night of the Season, stay tuned! 12/4: Chanukah Dinner & School Raffle-Auction 1/11: Chabad 40th Year Melava Malka @ SH 2/9: Annual Womens Spa for Body & Soul 5/28: Annual MHDS Scholarship Tribute Dinner
11/3: ONE-DAY BIG SKIRT SALE
Large load of skirts donated to Shabbos House will be available for $3 each or 5 for $10 with proceeds to Maimonides. Selection is limited to a few styles, Action for Addiction at Albany mostly for women and girls ages 10+ but all are new is the theme of this year’s JSAM (Jewish Social and good quality. 12pm-3pm on Sunday, Nov 3rd Action Month) project run by UAlbany’s Lchaim at Shabbos House. Call 438-4227 for more info or Student Group. A4A@A features: for appointment if you can’t make it on Nov 3rd. 10/14: WOMENS BEIT MEDRASH 10/27: Walk on the UAlbany campus, 10:30am Back for another year, this time rotating presenters registration, 11am walk. $5pp participation on Jewish holidays. Once a month, 8pm Monday 11/4: “DISOBEDIENCE” FILM ON includes t-shirt (supplies limited), $100 for night at Maimonides. First time 10/14 by Morah SOUSA MENDES WWII VISAS business sponsorship (on t-shirt & promotions). Rochel Rubin with a post-Tishrei re-cap study. Walk benefits Hope House Inc. & Senior Hope 10/29: Rabbi Shais Taub, author of “G-d of my MAIMONIDES SCHOOL & COMMUNITY Understanding - a Jewish take on the 12 Steps” (Nursery / Elementary / High School) 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208 will speak on “Just Say Yes!” a Jewish addiction (518) 453-9363/3434 perspective, you do not have to be an addict or maimonidesschool@gmail.com know an addict to benefit from this talk. Founded in 1980, Maimonides is chartered by the We ask all families to make an effort to walk to school this Monday morning. Families who live at too far a distance can park the car further from school so their kids can also “walk to school.”
NYS Board of Regents and is a JF-NENY Beneficiary “A Beautiful Blend: Torah &
Worldly Experience!”
In addition there will be a volunteering project at a Hope House’s residence. For info call Shabbos House 438-4227 / visit: www.shabboshouse.com