Maimonides Community

BH. Tammuz

1, 5775 / June 18, 2015

Candle-Lighting: Community Newsletter of the Maimonides Hebrew Day School of the Capital District 8:18 404 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 9:30 Maimonides is accredited by the NYS Board of Regents & is a beneficiary of UJF-NENY

maimonidesschool@gmail.com

This MC Newsletter is sponsored in memory of

Moshe Shufler Yartzeit: 2nd of Tammuz dedicated by his daughter, Shayna and Ruvain Kudan and Family

READY TO MOVE UP A GRADE!

UNGERMAN SHIVA

It was a great year at Maimonides, and our students are all ready to move up a grade.

Kindergarten students are especially eager!

Condolences to Herm “Mendel” Ungerman & family on the passing of his beloved wife of 62 years Debbie (Proskin) Ungerman. Lifelong HAM RADIOS VS. COMIC BOOKS Albanians! Tonight is the last night of Shiva at Rob Kovach, Jewish Federation NENY CEO, their home near Slingerlands Price Chopper. shared this short parable at Federation’s recent annual meeting. It’s a great message about Jewish education and continuity: www.jewishfedny.org/2015/06/annualmeeting-report/ or search online: Federation Annual Meeting Ham Radio Comic Books.

ONE MORE “MC” AHEAD This MC is one day early to be on time for Moving-Up Day, the last day of school. There will be one more MC newsletter coming up with pictures of today’s Moving-Up Day and the 8th grade graduation ceremonies tonight.

Plus, look for occasional summer MC editions.

Thanks for your readership!

MAZAL TOV MORAH LEAH Mazal Tov to our music teacher Morah Leah Lynn Gross and her husband David on the birth of a granddaughter. Much Nachas!

MAZAL TOV HECHTS Mazal Tov to Rabbi Yitzchak and Leah Hecht of Kingston and the Hecht siblings at Maimonides on the birth of a baby boy. Much Nachas!

MAZAL TOV KELLMANS Mazal Tov to Rabbi Yaakov and Lisa Kellman on the birth of a grandson in Givat Shmuel, Israel to MHDS alumnus Ayal and Ester Kellman.

Much Nachas!

MAZAL TOV CHAYA RUBIN Mazal Tov to 6th grader Chaya Rubin on her Bas-Mitzvah, with celebrations in both Saratoga and California. Wishing her parents and family much continued Nachas from her.

EASY WAY TO CONTRIBUTE: The school year may be over, but Maimonides needs communal support year ‘round. www.tinyurl.com/MaimonidesPayPal Thanks!

HOW ABOUT THIS PICTURE? Boys of Kitah Bet on their walk home from a Siyum party at Morah Devorah Leah’s home.

SO MANY SIYUMIM! Siyum Parties were all the rage this week.

Classes and teachers each celebrated their end of year milestones and accomplishments in different ways, with parties or outings or special activities. See all types of Siyumim sprinkled throughout this MC!

MAIMONIDES 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208

MEMORIES OF OUR YEAR Each class got a one-page questionnaire asking about their “most fun thing”, “what they are most proud of”, “anything new in your classroom” and several other questions. The answers are posted on the bulletin board at the school entrance, surrounded by photos from the year which also appeared in the Yearbook Journal. Thanks to Morah DL for the idea.

JUDAIC STORY BOXES

MINI-MITZVOT CHIDON AT SCHOOL After our 4th graders returned enthusiastic from the Chidon HaMitzvot in Brooklyn, Morah Dini arranged a mini Chidon right here at school. Students of all grades were divided into teams, and the four judges being our 4th grade finalists who already participated in the Game Show in NY. Morah Dini played them a song (they had the lyrics, too) and they had to quickly come up with as many Mitzvot are openly and hiddenly listed in that song! It was great fun, the energy was fantastic!

As a year-end celebration of the holidays, the Kindergarten with Morah Aviva created story boxes containing small pictures of Judaic and Mitzvah objects and things that they love.

They then used this as a tool to brainstorm and create their own stories after learning about building blocks that make a good story including: character, place, theme, conflict, resolution and conclusion.

THIS CLASS ROCKS! The boys very much enjoyed their animated scientific exploration and lively discussions with Dr. Joe. Rarely are they sedentary! Here they pose with a large set of rocks as they prepare to classify by them by the criteria they’ve learned in Earth Science class as they prepare to take the Regents this week. Our HS students are taking 3 Regents tests this week, Wednesday through Friday: Earth Science, Global History and Algebra.

SCHOOL MAY BE OUT, BUT... 

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Graduation tonight at 6pm for our 8th grade graduates, and Better Together medals presented to our Middle & HS students by Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan. All welcome!

Our HS students are still in middle of their Regents Testing, we wish them success!

Maimonides administration and faculty are already busy planning for next year. Parents are asked to return registration forms in a timely fashion. Prospective parents are welcome to contact the school. Some volunteers may be needed for year-end clean -up and later in the summer in readying for the new school year.

Kids: Learning never Ends! Be sure to learn something everyday this summer…

WHY GELATO ON QUAIL ST?

W/MORAH RIVI AT STARBUCKS For their last class of the year, Morah Rivi took her HS Ivrit students to Starbucks for some refreshing drinks, all in Hebrew, of course. But there are no Starbucks stores in Israel. Too many coffee shops there already!

Why did Rabbi Yossi’s 6th grade Chumash class walk to Quail Street (corner Woodlawn) to eat their Kosher gelato ices? That’s because they learned in Chumash about the “Slav” birds (translated as Quail) the Jews ate in the desert after complaining about the Manna.

And the “gelato” treat is the Italian version of the “Gelide” the Old French word which appears in a Rashi this classes studied, as a translation of how the Manna appeared to be like a frost upon the earth. Hebrew “Gelidah” for ice-cream comes from the same word, too.

COMING TO ALBANY 

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RELIGION ON REGENTS

Did you hear of the $14 million overhaul project coming to the NYS Museum?

Change is finally in store. Plus another million in all-new lighting!

Have you noticed the two residential buildings going up on South Allen near St Peters, where a small city playground used to be? The foundations are already in now.

Did you hear that a Turkish company is buying Rotterdam Mall and planning to put in an Aquarium and entertainment center?

Have you ever heard of Tivoli Lake? It’s NYS’ 2nd largest urban nature preserve at 80 acres, inside Albany’s city limits near Arbor Hill, but has long been neglected.

RELEASING BUTTERFLIES Now there’s some efforts to rehabilitate it and make it a nice nature preserve and park. They started off as a caterpillars and Mrs. Hoffman’s Kindergarten students carefully looked after them in a netted cage in their classroom. Then, just as they learned about it, the caterpillars wound themselves up in cocoons or chrysalis and it stayed that way for a while, until they came out as butterflies just in time for school to end! On one of the very last days of school, they went outdoors to release them, so they could fly out into the big wide world… & they did! Note clipboards, they’ve been keeping observations. When they came back inside they ate fruit shaped like a butterfly.

A TRIP TO THE AMAZON

GONE FISHING...

Grades 3-6 went to Six Mile Waterworks on Mrs. Carroll’s second grade students have Fuller Road with Morah Dini, R’ Itche and been journeying around the world, learning Rabbi Shmuly as a Siyum outing for various about different ecosystems, climates and learning milestones their classes completed. environments. In this picture they’re “visiting” Everyone tried their hand at fishing, but most the Amazon River near the Equator via their exciting was using R’ Itche’s underwater overhead projector and books they’re reading. camera hooked up to a laptop to watch the fish under water! Afterwards they made a small fire to heat up marshmallows for s’mores with graham crackers and chocolate.

This year’s thematic essay in the Global History Regents exam was on belief systems.

Religion played a huge role in history, positive and negative, and continues to play a huge role in world events. Of course, in our own lives as well, but that’s not a Regents question!

WHAT TO GET FOR YOU...

Long story how they flew in there, but 7th graders Chumash Siyum ended up in Claire’s in Crossgates. Each student was given a small amount to buy one thing for one friend. Not an easy task, but everyone was happy.

NO END TO THE SIYUMS...

So many this week! But ’tis the season for it.

Rabbi Shmuly’s HS Halacha class made Sushi, fitting for a class making a Siyum on the laws of Shabbos they learned with Rabbi Shmuly.

NANO SIYUM COMING UP! See page 4 for an afternoon of lectures and learning on Tuesday July 7th at Shabbos House with the visiting girls of the Jewish Summer Fellowship in Kingston and any community who’d like to join them. The last part of the program (over dinner) will be a Siyum on Talmud tractate Brachos studied daily at lunchbreaks in the IBM offices at Nanotech on Fuller Rd. These are scientists and engineers who take out time daily to study and are welcoming the community to join them in their completion celebration!

BUT IT’S NOT ALL PARTIES Many upper grades took final tests at the end of the year. High School students are taking three Regents tests this Wed, Thurs & Friday.

7th graders took finals in Math, English and History, and each made Biome Powerpoint presentations for their final grade in Science.

5/6 grade did final tests and projects as well.

GOOD TO THE LAST DROP Rabbi Mathless’ 5th grade students were eager to finish Chumash Breishis by the end of the year and they reached their goal yesterday in the last few minutes of their last class! Their booming, exhilarating “Chazak, DOING HOMEWORK PAYS Chazak!” was heard throughout the school There are many important benefits to doing your homework, but in Morah Devorah’s class (well, at least on the upstairs floor). They there’s an extra incentive of the prize auction, finished the last verse of Parshas Vayechi, and where you can get all kinds of toys and games look forward to starting Shmos next year. Do you know the very last word of the Book of with the point accumulated simply by doing Breishis? Is it odd to end on that note? What’s your homework. The kids were very eager! the message?

REFRESHING SPRINKLER FUN On the day that most of the school went to Thacher Park for a field day, Nursery had their own fun outdoors day outside school. Dressed in bathing suits they enjoyed the refreshing cool of the sprinkler on that very hot day and going in and out of the little purple pool. They also had indoor birthday parties for classmates Chanale, Gavy and Rochel Leah whose birthdays fall during the summer months.

at Maimonides and in the Community 6/17-18: ROSH CHODESH TAMMUZ

6/21: CBAJ MEMBER MTG & BBQ

Wed 8am Minyan at Shomray Torah, Thurs 8am at 5pm Shul Membership Meeting, 5:30pm BBQ MHDS. Please be timely, Moving-Up Day follows. with bouncey-bounce and music. Free for members, $5 for non-members. Raffle prizes for CBAJ youth with Shabbat Group Tickets.

6/18: MOVING UP DAY Last day of school, 9:30am Moving-Up ceremonies for all grades. AM Dismissal at end of the program 6/22-23: B-29 SUPERFORTRESS with refreshments.

A WWII-era B-29 Superfortress will be flying into Albany International Airport on Monday and available for public tours (flights also available) 6/18: 8TH GRADE GRADUATION 8th grade graduates & families, teachers, friends & Monday 2-5pm and on Tuesday 9-5pm. Tour Cost: $10pp, $5 ages 10-17, kids under 10 are free. community are welcome back on Thurs evening, the last day of school, for graduation ceremonies.

6/24: WED TORAH & TEA AT CBAJ 6pm at school. Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan will present the Better Together medals to all student Torah & Tea 10:30am @CBAJ w/ Rabbi Lehrfield. essay writers, gold medals to our two winners.

Refreshments served.

6/24: KLEZMER KOSHER FEST 6pm at Shmaltz Brewery (6 Fairchild Square) with 6/19: PJ PARENTING WORKSHOP Clifton Park Chabad as part of the Saratoga Jewish featuring Meghan McCabe, a local pediatric nurse Cultural Festival. Kleine Klezmer music, taste practitioner, based on the writings of Wendy Jewish holiday favorites, and tour the beer making Mogel author of “The Blessing of a Skinned Knee”. process. $5pp donation, plus additional charge for 9:15-10:30am at Federation. Free and open to all.

HeBrew beer. Call 495-0772 for more info.

6/20: WOMENS SHABBOS SHIUR

6/25: VALLEYCATS OPENING NITE

This week’s Womens Shabbos Shiur will be given

by Shayna Kudan at her home, 6 Peyster Street (near Ridgefield Park) at 4:45pm.

“The Joe” is an intimate baseball ballpark right across the River at HVCC, you are never too far or removed from the action. Many games are played weeknights or Sundays. Tickets are reasonable and sometimes discounted or with added value.

6/20-21: REBBE’S YARTZEIT

The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Gimel-Tammuz yartzeit 6/25-7/19: JGR DATES falls on Shabbos Korach this year, there will be a farbrengen Kiddush at Shomray Torah. At DafThis year’s JGR overnight camp will be at a scenic Yomi on Sunday Rabbi Rubin will share an insight boarding school in Hoosick, near the Vermont of the Rebbe to that day’s study of Talmud tractate border. Info? nechama@JewishGirlsRetreat.net Nedarim on “no-fault exemption” with a breakfast.

6/21: BALLOON & CRAFT FEST at the Saratoga Fairgrounds in Ballston Spa. Cost is $15pp, $5 for kids (balloon rides cost extra) but if you come early enough (and that means really early, like 5:30am!) you can get watch the grand balloon launch! Plus there are craft vendors and activities for kids. Info: balloonandcraft.com

6/21: DADS IN FREE AT CMOST Fathers and grandfathers get free admission to CMOST on Fathers Day, so they can explore and enjoy the museum with their kids or grandkids.

6/28-30: FREINDSHIP CIRCLE CAMP Sunday thru Tuesday at the end of June. Over 20 children with special needs are already signed up, contact Chaya 488-8992/chaya@capitalfriends.org if you’d like to volunteer as staff, ages 14+.

6/28: BALLSTON SPA VILLAGE FUN The Ballston Spa Village Fun Day at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds. Free admission. Find out more info by calling: 885-5711.

staff. Call Morah Devorah Leah for info: 698-1836.

7/7: J.S.F. DAY OF STUDY AT S.H. & THE NANOTECH TALMUD SIYUM The Jewish Summer Fellowship (in Kingston NY) is coming to Shabbos House for afternoon of lectures & learning, open to the community. Program begins 1:30pm with 4 or 5 lecture slots (with short breaks and refreshments) until 5:30pm when the Nanotech Talmud study group will present their Siyum of tractate Brachos (studied daily at lunch break over two years time!) over dinner. Men and women in the community are welcome for any part or all of the program. There is no charge, but participation to help defray the costs are helpful.

Contact Shabbos House 438-4227 for more info.

7/20: DELMAR TALMUD SIYUM Rabbi Nachman Simon’s annual “9 Days” Siyum BBQ in Delmar. Monday evening. Stay tuned!

7/28: CHABAD GOOD FOR JEWS? A farbrengen & discussion, with live chassidic melodies at Saratoga Chabad.

8/11: ALTAMONT FAIR OPENS through that weekend. Look up schedule & cost.

8/30: SARATOGA SHALOM FEST annually in Congress Park, stay tuned for info!

CAPITAL PARK AFTER DARK Empire State Plaza shows several films on the big screen outdoors in the West Capitol Park. “Mary Poppins” (8/5) “Monsters University” (8/19) etc.

EXPLORATORAH! A Tuesday afternoon (July 7th at Shabbos House) of varied lectures and Torah study, followed by the Nanotech Talmud study group Siyum over Dinner. Open to community. Schedule and topics TBA soon. See event above. Come and Learn!

CAMP GAN ISRAEL

7/5: FAST OF TAMMUZ 17TH (18TH) Morah Devorah Leah Mathless is this year’s Camp

6/21: “DAD FEST” AT THE RIVER

The 17th of Tammuz falls on Shabbos this year so its pushed off to Sunday. It begins early Sunday morning and ends in Albany quite late, at: 9:11pm

a first time Albany event for Father’s Day!1-5pm at Jennings Landing @Hudson River. Free admission.

7/6-8/14: CAMP GAN ISRAEL DATES Gan Israel Day Camp located at Maimonides.

Quality, talented and dedicated local and Israeli

Gan Israel director, with help from Morah Dini.

Local & Israeli staff is coming for the summer! Contact Devorah Leah with questions or for forms: 518-698-1836.

Registration forms available!

Please submit ASAP. Thanks!

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!”