BH. Nissan
28, 5776 / May 6, 2016
Community Newsletter of the Maimonides Hebrew Day School of the Capital District Candle-Lighting: 7:44 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208 (518) 453-9363/3434 www.maimonidesschool.org Shabbos Ends: produced by Rabbi Mendel Rubin & students in the TNT (Torah ‘n Technology) Program 8:51 Maimonides is accredited by the NYS Board of Regents & is a beneficiary of UJF-NENY
maimonidesschool@gmail.com
HOLOCAUST ANGLES For Yom-HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) 3rd graders each picked a object and tried to view the Holocaust experience from that perspective. Here’s some of what they chose: the road of a forced march, concentration camp barbed wire, a child’s toy, bunkbeds in a barracks, a Nazi search dog, a watchtower…
אחרי
This newsletter is dedicated in memory of Dr. Morton Berger - For whom our annual dinner award is named Yartzeit Today—28 Nissan
RODDIE EDMONDS
OMER COUNT IS UNDERWAY Our students are eager to keep up the Omer count, several classes (Nursery pictured on top, first graders above) have Omer charts they keep track of, winding and climbing their way up to the Giving of the Torah on Shavuot. It’s also a great way to learn about numbers, and sets of numbers (Omer by days and by weeks) and how to value each and every day.
Some classes heard the story of the bravery of prisoner of war US Army Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds who insisted “We are all Jews” despite the Nazi prison commander pointing a gun at him ordering COMMON DENOMINATOR him to separate all the Jewish prisoners of war. Edmonds wouldn’t budge, the Nazi backed off Here’s a common denominator in both 4/5 and 8th grades, they are both learning about and many Jewish soldiers were saved. the common denominator (only that 8th graders are learning it as part of Prime IRENE SENDLER “LIFE IN A JAR” Factorization). Pictured above are 4/5 graders Student in the school lunchroom watched a laughing as their picture is taken of them short video of the story of Irene Sendler, a working in teams on their math sheet. A team Polish woman who smuggled nearly 2,500 also works on the common denominator Jewish children out of the Warsaw Ghetto. principle, and happy laughter is a common denominator that many THREE people (of all ages!) can share.
BOOKS IN SECOND
2nd graders read 3 books for young readers about the Holocaust for Yom-HaShoah on Thursday: “The Lily Cupboard” by Shulamith Levy Oppenheim, “The Number on my Grandfather’s Arm” by David A. Adler, and “One Yellow Daffodil” also by David A. Adler (he’s also the author of the popular “Cam Jansen” mystery series for kids).
MAIMONIDES 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208
SURPRISE, SURPRISE... We’re putting this picture in the newsletter but we’re not telling you (yet) what it is. Ms. Ford’s students can tell you on Sunday.
MAOS CHITTIM UPDATE The total raised by grades 2-7 to give to the needy before Pesach was $80.56! Wow!
EARTH DAY POSTERS Ms. Ford’s students posters are up on Senator Neil Breslin’s website, just look for the Earth Day Posters and click on the students names under the Maimonides header!
“LYDDIE” SETTING ESSAYS
A THIRD GRADE ROLE MODEL
Now that 8th grade finished reading “Lyddie” they were assigned to write essays on different ways how the setting affects the story.
Ms. Ford wanted to give her 2nd graders something to aspire to and work toward, so she called Jacob down from the 3rd grade and asked him to bring his binder along. She told him to show them his binder of notes and work, and they were shocked and amazed to see how much he wrote down—and that binder was only on one subject! It helped the 2nd graders how their work progresses (or ought to progress) from year to year, especially in certain years where there’s a bigger jump.
WORDS WITH A SILENT LETTER 2nd graders had a spelling test today on words with a silent letter like: gnat, climb, knob, walk, knee, write or sign. It can be quite tricky!
CHINESE FOLDED PAPER ART 6-7 grade is learning the technique of Chinese folded paper art with Mrs. Levin. The artwork can be viewed from two directions, differently.
MACHAR-CHODESH HAFTORAH
Because Rosh Chodesh begins right after Shabbos (Sunday & Monday) we read a special OMER COUNT IN HALACHA Haftorah called “Machar Chodesh” (tomorrow 6/7 grade is continuing their pre-Pesach Kitzur is Rosh Chodesh) from the Navi stories about Shulchan Aruch studies with Morah Devorah David and Jonathan the son of Saul. Pirkei Leah, but now they moved on to learning the Avot points out something fascinating about (abridged) laws of the Omer Count. For their very close friendship: These two MEASURING GRAM WEIGHTS example: Did you know that (and why) the had many good reasons to hate each 3rd graders used pan scales and gram weights Omer is supposed to be counted while other, yet loved each other instead. to determine the weight of various things, standing? And you should have that night’s This is a good lesson about our own Ahavat count ready before starting to say the Bracha? from a crayon to a ping-pong ball, and a bunch Yisrael, when you start finding little reasons of other everyday objects. They learned that a why we don’t like this or that person. single paper-clip weighs one gram and it would DAVID’S EULOGY FOR SAUL take 1,000 paper-clips to make a kilogram! 6/7 grade have been learning about Saul’s FROG DISSECTIONS jealous dislike for David, whom he High School boys did a frog SCHOOL PICTURE DAY pursued relentlessly. But when Saul dissection in their biology lab this Wednesday, May 11th, Michoel was killed, David (remarkably) week. We might have pictures (don’t worry, Caras will be taking professional eulogized him! This message of not close up!) for next week’s “MC”. photos of class groups and understanding and tolerance tied in individual students. The photos well with their readings in English will then be available online for class. Morah Rochel is encouraging them to parents to browse and order print photos learn David’s heartfelt and richly expressive (various options) and/or digital files, no later Kinah eulogy for Saul—by heart! than May 18th.
HISTORY OF ANCIENT ROME
LEARN TO READ MANY WAYS These students are working in many different ways and in different types of workbooks to become more familiar with letters, words and language. But reading efforts shouldn’t end in primary grades! Continued, regular reading practice in both Hebrew & English is very important and highly encouraged at all grade levels. Please make time for it!
6/7 history class began learning about life in ancient Rome and the first few slides were about socio-economic differences between the rich and the poor classes. It’s interesting to see how this specific issue remains relevant many centuries later, it gets much mention THANKS DEVAUXS FOR BALLS! Wow, what a nice neighbor! Our neighbor in current events and is a big discussion in this year’s election cycle. (north of the school) found some balls in their yard from our recess play, tried to return them but they didn’t get here. Imagine this: They BETTER TOGETHER RECIPES bought us three new balls—with this We’re looking for submissions of recipes our note! Our students are making them students can get from seniors, neighbors or a thank you card, but we want to relatives or family friends. Hopefully we can recognize their wonderful neighborliness! get enough recipes (short stories, descriptions
or backgrounds) to make a cookbook out of it! Email to: maimonidesschool@gmail.com Ask your relatives! Thanks so very much… Rabbi Yossi really wants to get this THE WEIRD NUMBER project underway, but Mrs. Dubarry showed her class this short video we all need to help out about a strange & unusual theft in the town of and do our part. natural numbers—partial numbers? Fractions?
PARENTS: END OF YEAR DATES Be sure to see page 4 for details: Picture Day, Lag B’Omer at school and at Huck Finns, extended post-Lag B’Omer Memorial Day weekend, Moving-Up Day for grades N-7, and Graduation Night for 8th Grade and HS. More details to be announced as we get closer.
BETTERTOGETHER COOKBOOK
FLORIDA REGARDS
Rabbi Yossi and the Better Together students are working towards a cookbook learned from and shared with seniors. They’ve been baking treats with Morah Rivi in Hebrew class, and sharing those treats in daytime visits to local seniors. The cookbook will feature recipes “better together” (connecting generations) with a short story or family background that goes along with it. To submit a family or favorite recipe, please contact Rabbi Yossi 495-0772 / maimonidesschool@gmail.com. We want to get this project going, so if each family sends in one or two recipes, it would be a big help!
THE BAKE SALE COOKBOOK? 8th graders are preparing for their year-end trip (details still being worked out) thanks to the proceeds of their year-long bake-sale. Some parents asked for their recipes, they may make a small cookbook prepared for sale to help a little further with their trip. Stay tuned soon…
WWII EFFECT ON WOMEN 8th graders are doing a DBQ (document based questions) essay on how WWII affected and changed the lives of American women, both during the war and afterwards.
CHOL HAMOED OUTINGS samples places where our students went with their families and enjoyed this Chol HaMoed Pesach
COUNTING OUR BLESSINGS… & BLESSING OUR COUNTING! Morah Devorah Leah assigned numbers to individual students who colored them in and decorated them, and then posed for a picture with their number. And that’s how we are counting the Omer on this bulletin board at the school entrance. Pictured here, students are posting Omer number 12.
Steve is a volunteer in our school, he reads with the kids one-on-one in the younger grades. He is retired and went to visit Florida, and sent us these postcards, to each of the classes he works with! The kids were so excited!
THIS YEAR’S DINNER LOGO...
Have you seen this year’s Maimonides Dinner logo? (If you didn’t get the invitation, please TWO TALMUD VERSIONS 6/7 grade boys Gemorah learned two versions contact the school office 453-9363). It’s a of the same Talmudic conversation, with only location tag set on a road going off into the subtle differences. And then a big question on distance. It honors parents who have been dedicated to LOCAL education for the LONG both versions, that will lead into a careful HAUL. It also symbolizes the school’s closer look at the nuance of Mishna texts. individualized focus for each students’ life-long journey. And like the meaning of this phrase INTERCONNECTED TEXTS in it’s Tanya title-page application (based on a HS Boys have been learning “Kuntres Eitz Talmud story about the wisdom of children) it HaChaim” for a while now, and in review celebrates effort, struggle and challenge. realized the extent of the interdependence with Tanya chapter 14. Now they’re learning SPACE TO GROW both, and recognizing the borrowed phrases, Mrs. Ballard-Hubble’s 6/7 science-enrichment elucidation of one another, how “Torah may be rich in one place and took a big picture look at the globe. Once you poor in another” depending on the discount oceans and deserts, and very rocky mountainous regions, there’s a much smaller emphasis, so interconnected study gives us the fullest, most well-rounded picture. percentage of surface where things can grow. (Israel is an amazing example of a country that made the desert bloom and found ways to MEZUZAH FIXINGS grow thing in places intolerable for growth!) Our 6/7 graders pointed out that we’re They learned about rich soils and poorer soils missing two Mezuzot on doorways at school, and what enriches soil. Think the role of and some Mezuzot (thanks to lots of tapping decay, insects and worms. They learned how and kissing) have become loose, so we’re going composting works and how we can turn some to try to fix this in the week ahead. of our food waste into good rich soil!
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Parks and Nature: Many students reported going to nearby (and also further) city parks with playgrounds and state parks and nature preserves. Some went to the Geyser at the Spa State Park, and to the Creekside Village playground in Ballston Spa.
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Indoor Fun Places: It rained for some of Chol HaMoed so families enjoyed places like Dave and Busters, other arcades and bowling alleys. Some did the Escape Room at Crossgates Mall, Roller Skating and several families enjoyed the newly renovated MiSci Museum in Schenectady, lots of hands-on.
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Outside Fun: Aside for parks & playgrounds in #1, some kids went go-karting, had fun at batting-cages, one family even went to a shooting range (and brought back empty shells as unique souvenirs for their friends)! Being the start of Spring (even though it didn’t always feel like it) a few kids said they had a great time going bike riding. Some started to do some planting.
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Faraway Travel. Some families traveled far away for Pesach, to places like Monsey, Brooklyn or even California! In those cases the trip itself is an outing, being in a new place, seeing different people, meeting family you don’t usually see—that’s already an exciting adventure.
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Stuff at home: Just hanging out at home can be very special, too, enjoying quality family time by cooking up a storm or trying to make a new type of food, playing board games, reading books, doing a craft or puzzle together. Relaxing, bonding, good times!
at Maimonides and in the Community Albany JCC, Israeli musical performance by Achrei & Kedoshim (often combined) are read on Rami Feinstein, separate weeks this year. Haftorah is “Machar Israeli dancing, Chodesh” because of Rosh Chodesh on Sunday dinner food and Monday. We bless the new month of Iyar, (cost: $20 per many say extra (or all of) Tehillim this Shabbos. family or $5 per person). Meet 5/7: WOMENS SHABBOS SHIUR our It’s back for another season! This week at the home community’s of Leah Caras, 96 Grove, at 4:45pm. If you’d like guests from to give the weekly Shabbos afternoon shiur and/or Eshkol region. host it, contact shiur organizer Chaya Tal.
5/7: ACHREI, MACHAR CHODESH, AND SHABBOS MEVORCHIM
5/8-9: ROSH CHODESH IYAR Sunday and Monday Rosh Chodesh. 8am Minyan at Maimonides on Monday morning. Tachanun, skipped for all of Nissan, resumes on Tuesday.
5/12: FELFAEL LUNCH ISRAEL FUN
at Maimonides on Thursday. Look for fun activities 5/27-30: EXTENDED WEEKEND OFF No snow days! No school Friday 5/27 thru Mon led by Israeli teens from Eshkol Region. 5/30. School resumes 8am on Tuesday the 31st.
5/12: ISRAEL AT BETH ISRAEL
6/1: MAIMONIDES DINNER Beth Israel in Schenectady is hosting a festive service and light dinner for Yom Ha’atzmaut, 6pm. Maimonides awards dinner on Wed, June 1st, (Saturday) and Sunday in Washington Park. Tulips Wear blue & white. $10pp, $5 for kids. 377-3700. honoring Phyllis Silverman with the Dr. Morton are in bloom, vendors, activities, throngs of people. Berger award and paying tribute to 3 sets of parents with long-term dedication, educating their children KidZone (& built-in playgrounds) & entertainment 5/15: YITTA HALBERSTAM stages. 100K+ gorgeous tulips in 150 varieties! here from start to finish: Avrami & Sharona The author of the popular “Small Miracles” series Backman, Ruvain & Shayna Kudan and Nachman (extraordinary coincidences from ordinary life) will & Clara Simon. Dinner invite has been mailed, if 5/8: MIKVAH GROUNDBREAKING speak at the Hyatt Place in Malta for the Jewish 10:30am on grounds of the soon-to-be-built Mikvah Womens Circle of Clifton Park’s 8th annual year- you didn’t get yours please contact the school office “Ma’ayan Chai” at 253 Lucas Ave dessert reception end gala and silent auction. Info/RSVP: 495-0779. 453-9363 or email: maimonidesschool@gmail.com at Agudat Achim at 254 Lucas in Kingston NY. 5/8: THE TULIP FESTIVAL
5/9: ALBANY WOMENS CIRCLE 7:30pm Monday evening, Rosh Chodesh Iyar at the home of Sarah Maddalai with a discussion on Sefirat HaOmer led by Chaya Tal.
5/10: BETHLEHEM CHABAD GALA 30-Year Gala event at the Normanside Country Club honoring Rabbi Nachman & Clara Simon, Dr. Lev & Lana Barats, and Dr. Michael & Roberta Fuhrman, featuring mentalist Ted St. James as entertainment. Info? 866-7658
5/11: SCHOOL PICTURE DAY
5/22: “SONGS AND SWEETS”
6/6: BETTER TOGETHER MINYAN
Our HS Boys at Parkview (Bnai Brith) Apartments. Our girls choir led by Chaya Bracha will sing songs Contact Rabbi Yossi 495-0772 or Rabbi Mathless from Tehillim in honor of Shavuot (yartzeit of King 522-1872 for more info. Torah reading, brunch, David) and serve cheesecakes. The event is open to and presentations, just prior to Shavuot. parents and community, and especially welcomes “Better Together” seniors. 1pm at Maimonides. More info: 495-0772 maimonideschool@gmail.com 6/12-13: SHAVUOT HOLIDAY Sunday and Monday. No School on Monday 6/13, school resumes 9:30am on Tuesday 6/14.
5/26: LAG B’OMER AT SCHOOL
A parade is in the works! The overall theme of this year’s colorful parade banners (painted by each class) soon to be announced. Stay tuned for info! Parents & friends are welcome to join the parade.
Once again the Caras’ will be taking professional 5/26: LAG B’OMER AT HUCK FINNS school photos. No obligation to purchase, from the Huck Finns downtown near the 787 is the new several print and/or digital options available. Please home for the former Hoffman’s Playland, and the dress kids accordingly. Orders are due by May 18th. warehouse store itself can be fun to visit & browse. Chabad, co-sponsored by JCC and Federation are 5/11: HEBREW CONVERSATION arranging a community-wide after-school Lag Wednesday evenings, 8:30-9pm at the Kaplowitz B’Omer outing there. SPECIAL RATE: $6 home. Open to all Hebrew levels, all working on subsidized all-you-can-ride for kids reduced-rate improving their conversational Hebrew skills. (usually $16!) by prior reservation, limited supply, while supplies last. Kosher dinner for sale at the Playland: $5pp, $25 per family. 5/11: ISRAEL 68 YEARS YOUNG! Federation communal celebration. 6-8pm at the
END OF SCHOOL DATES 6/14-23: Regents Week, HS testing 6/21: Moving-Up Day in the morning, 8th grade and HS graduation that Tuesday evening.
7/11-8/19: CAMP GAN ISRAEL Registration is opening soon, a great staff is now lined up, and there are exciting plans in the works for this summer. Call Camp Director Devorah Leah Mathless 698-1836 for more info. The day camp is based at Maimonides, but you don’t have to go to Maimonides to attend and have a really fun, enjoyable and meaningful time.
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!”