BH. Elul
28, 5774 / Sept 23, 2014
Candle-Lighting: Community Newsletter of the Maimonides Hebrew Day School of the Capital District 6:31 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208 (518) 453-9363/3434 www.maimonidesschool.org Shabbos Ends: produced by Rabbi Mendel & students in the TNT (Torah ‘n Technology) Program 7:25 Maimonides is accredited by the NYS Board of Regents & is a beneficiary of UJF-NENY
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TEN REASONS FOR SHOFAR Rabbi Shmuly’s Halacha class learned 10 classic reasons for Shofar, mostly from R’ Saadia Gaon (because the Shofar dates back to the ram at the Akeida, that it’s like a spiritual alarm clock, it resembles a baby’s cry, it symbolizing a heralding coronation blast, and reminds us of Har Sinai and Mattan Torah etc), plus laws and customs surrounding this all-important Rosh Hashanah Mitzvah.
PINGING THE SERVER
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LITTLE KIDS, BIG SHOFAR Morah Chaya Bracha’s Kindergarteners learned a lot about 3 Key Words for Rosh Hashanah: “Teshuva, Tefilah & Tzedakah!” that are said aloud by the congregation at the end of the famous Nesaneh Tokef prayer.
For those who know a little bit about computers and networking, Rabbi Mendel explained that the Shofar is like “pinging the server” (configuring the master/slave computer ALL THAT APPLE TALK WAS... identities can also be a parable for Malchiyot) Last week’s MC featured apple taste tests and to test and demonstrate the related activities, but we forgot to write that it connection and was Nursery where it all happened! IP configuration between us and K-1 TRIP TO APPLE ORCHARD Hashem. The analogy goes further because of How do you like this the data-packs that are sent have 3 segments: a image of “apple header and footer that sandwich a data set in picking”? We’ll have between. This communication format is very better pictures next similar to the Tekiah blasts that are headers week with edible apples and footers for each Shevarim & Teruah, and delicious kids! Just whose broken blasts are like pieces of data in time for Rosh sandwiched between. Hashanah they are off this morning to the apple orchard for a AND A SHOFAR LIFE LESSON… field trip. Not just to Everyone has broken parts of their lives, that’s pick apples but to just life. We learn from Shofar to try to learn about how seeds grow into fruit, and sandwich broken pieces in the supportive what trees need to grow the most delicious framework of the Tekiah, never having fruit and what farmers do to help them. a Shevarim or Teruah stand alone without a Tekiah before & after.
MAIMONIDES
BETTER TOGETHER Last Sunday morning our boys visited Bnai Brith apartments where they learned a few Russian words for Rosh Hashanah favorites (there was some argument on how to call a Shofar) and the HS girls visited Ohav Shalom Apartments, and actually met a few people they already knew! They gave residents Rosh Hashanah cards and honey-cupcakes. Look for updates on our “Better Together” intergenerational program.
404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208
SUBJECT AND PREDICATE Mr. D. and Grades 3/4 are now learning about the parts of a sentence, and different types of sentences… which is also very useful in prayer (which we do a lot of on Rosh Hashanah) where there are also adjectives and verbs and nouns, of course. And there are statements and exclamations and questions…
PICS COMING NEXT WEEK... Next week’s (actually next year!) MC will feature pictures of our students at the Army’s Spirit of America Show, and from their visit to Bnai Brith Apartments for Better Together.
ARTWORK Mrs. Levin’s art classes have been producing really nice work. (L) “Texture Library” by 3/4 grade (B) a Moccasin sketch by Esther W. in 6th grade. See back page for “Warm & Cold Colors” by the younger grades.