BH. Iyar
12, 5776 / May 20, 2016
Community Newsletter of the Maimonides Hebrew Day School of the Capital District Candle-Lighting: 7:59 404 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 9:08 Maimonides is accredited by the NYS Board of Regents & is a beneficiary of UJF-NENY
maimonidesschool@gmail.com
אמור
This newsletter is dedicated in appreciation of a very generous gift to Maimonides that was also matched by a corporate grant.
JOURNAL ADS DUE THIS WEEK The school dinner is an annual communal tradition since 1989 and is an important fundraiser for the scholarship fund. Journal ads can be a tribute to this year’s worthy honorees, be in appreciation of the school or congratulate our 8th grade and HS graduates. Email your ad: maimonidesschool@gmail.com or call Sharona at the school office 453-9363 or Raizy at: 772-7299. Ads arriving after this Monday May 23rd may still make the journal but if not will be included in the supplement.
TESTING FOR ABSORBENCY Today’s Science Enrichment is a preparation for a relay race next week. Pictured above, teams are testing for the most absorbent sponges among a variety of brands and types to know which to use for their team next week, when the goal is to fill up your bucket fastest using repeated sponge dunking & squeezing. They are measuring using a precise scale and recording their findings. Perhaps this can also be helpful in understanding how our minds can be more absorbent of the Torah which is compared to water!
“SONGS & SWEETS” SUNDAY
WE’RE DRUMMING AGAIN! The top picture is a pre-Lag-B’Omer practice drumming session from several years back. The younger students pictured above are now 10th graders and the older drummers in this year’s Lag B’Omer marching band. In the picture below (taken yesterday) other students enjoy watching the drummers practice with Mr. D. (they learn quickly, in just a few sessions). This year’s Lag B’Omer parade route and destination may change, stay tuned for an announcement early next week! Please join us for the parade and/or follow-up event in a park, on Thursday morning, May 26th.
Our middle-school girls have been practicing choir with Chaya Bracha and will be singing songs from Tehillim (Psalms) and serving cheesecake. Women and girls of all ages in the community are very welcome. 1pm on Sunday.
MAIMONIDES 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208
KITES & CAVES… CAN U GUESS? Nursery students are sitting in a (cardboard) cave with a tree (growing carobs) nearby. That’s the story of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (whose yartzeit is on Lag B’Omer) which our 4/5 graders learned in the Talmud text of Gemorah Shabbos with Rabbi Shmuly. And since the custom is to go out into the fields on Lag B’Omer, they colored the 4 segments of kites and hung them up with trailing ribbon.
BETTER TOGETHER RECIPES Our cookbook collection is growing! Send in your family recipes with a short background to maimonidesschool@gmail.com. Thanks!!
APARTMENT FOR RENT
GOOD TIMES FOR TEST PREP
Studying for tests doesn’t have to be boring. 8th graders played Pictionary and Jeopardy Morah Rivi’s 4/5 games preparing for their English exams. graders read a Hebrew story by TANGRAMS Leah Goldman titled “Dirah L’Haskir” (an Mrs. Maher’s apartment for rent) students played an and how different old Chinese game, a animals each come puzzle where you get to try and check it pieces of different out and each one finds problems or issues shapes that you have with it, until the dove (the symbol of peace) to rearrange and makes it home. Students made 5-story models configure to match a (as in the story) and captioned it accordingly. certain outline design. It’s very clever and can be more difficult than it might appear. It also helps you realize the same thing from many different angles.
HOW TO SIYUM VAYEISHEV? Rabbi Yossi’s 4th grade Chumash finished Parshas Vayeishev with the story of the Yosef with the butler and the baker. What do you think they had for a Siyum party? Baskets of cookies and grape-juice to drink!
MR. D’S VISIT Rabbi Rubin asked Mr. Doody to come back WHAT ARE THEY and teach our older boys drumming for Lag B’Omer and his former students (now in 4/5) LOOKING AT? were so happy to see him! He was surprised A student photographer how big they got, and they laughed together as took these great shots of they shared fun memories. Nursery kids outside, but while they seem to both be looking very intently at something, we have no ideas what it is. One thing is for sure, they are curious and interested, and those are wonderful qualities for learning and growing!
MANY USES OF MARSHMALLOW Wow! This from Kindergarteners! Morah Mushky brought in marshmallows and small wooden sticks and asked her students to make things that could represent Lag B’Omer. Here are two of the very clever things they thought of: (L) is a Kallah (marshmallow on a stick with added tissue) because Lag B’Omer can be a time for weddings (R) is like a Torah, two marshmallows connected by a stick.
ELIMINATION/SUBSTITUTION 8th grade learned this week these two methods of solving systems of equations in Math class.
THE LAST D.B.Q. OF THE YEAR HS Boys did their last history DBQ on effects of Supreme Court decisions on civil liberties of African Americans. The topic was good, but even better was that this was their very last “document based questions” essay of the year!
SENTENCE LIFTING It’s not the same as lifting weights, but you do need to work hard to pick up sentences. Mrs. Maher wrote a few sentences on the board and asked her 3rd grade class what could be changed to make it a better sentence. They wrote the original sentence and the improved sentence and appreciated the difference.
HISTORY ON THE STREET
On their way back from picking up two used tom drums and accessories they needed for the Lag B’Omer marching PARTRIDGE CONSTRUCTION band, Rabbi Mendel Our kids have been wondering and the High School boys came across this old what National Grid is digging rusted red tow truck, and a historic marker up on Partridge Street, so we dating back to 1790 for an old building on asked them. They installed a Plank Road which served (at different times) as new underground gas main, in a court house, a jail, a dance hall and a hotel. preparation for a major What an unusual set of varies uses… repaving project this summer.
TRIP TO DOANE STUART Ms. Ford took her 2nd graders on an outing to visit the “green roof” of Doane Stuart school. They’re pictured on top in the second grade classroom there (they have same class size, and same gender breakdown! What are the odds?) and above at the school fountain. They toured the green roof and learned about its benefits and the different types of plants, from cacti to flowers that are growing up there.
THANKS FOR THE BIRTHDAY PUPPETS It was Esther M’s birthday and in honor of that occasion her parents donated a set of 3 puppets to her class for use in learning and play. What a nice gesture, and her classmates were so excited, that they asked to take this picture for the newsletter.
SIGN UP NOW FOR HUCK FINNS WHAT’S THE ARGUMENT? 6/7 boys Gemorah is learning a Talmudic LAG B’OMER REDUCED PRICE $6 all you can ride is a $10 savings per child off the usual $16 price. Limited availability. Register now: capitalchabad.com/jewnity Please don’t wait until last minute, there may or may not be reduced wristbands left on the day of. There will also be a children’s rally and a Kosher supper for sale there.
argument (with proofs going both ways) as to what Bais Shammai and Bais Hillel are arguing about in a Mishna. The very subject of the argument is itself in dispute. It’s a knotty piece of Talmud, but after learning it in different ways and a bunch of worksheets and review, they’ve gotten the hang of it.
THANKS MORAH RIVI BAHIR Morah Rivi is leaving for Israel soon for a family Simcha, but before she goes she’s helping us sketch out the banners for our Lag B’Omer parade. Students are already busy painting! This year’s theme are sets that go together and compliment one another, like the idea of “Hakhel Unity—Better Together!” There’s the letters of a Torah scroll (even one missing invalidates the whole scroll), the 12 months of the year, 12 tribes of Israel, the 4 parts of a Lulav set (you need all four), you get the idea! Hope to be ready next week...
MAZAL TOV ELIANA SOHN Mazal Tov to grandmother Nina Israel and the Sohn family on the graduation of Eliana from YU’s Azrieli Graduate School of Education. Eliana went to Maimonides when her family lived in Albany. She will be making Aliyah this summer, on her same flight is David & Margie Hamm who lived in Albany many years ago.
DRUMMING MESSAGES
THE COUNT KEEPS GROWING Every day a student posts another picture of a student holding up a large colored-in number, following the daily (or nightly) Omer count. Today Muki posted number 27. When we reach 33, that’s Lag B’Omer, and once we do 49 that means Shavuos is the next night!
YEAR-END SCHOOL TRIP
Plans are in the works for something unusual this year, on Thursday June 2nd, the morning after the Maimonides Dinner. We’re lucky that “Lucky Strikes” an entertainment venue soon to open at Crossgates will be opening just for us, even before it opens for the general public. And we’ll top that off with an outing in a park (probably Six Mile Waterworks). If WELLS & CAMELS enough parents volunteer transportation we 3rd grade Chumash is won’t have to rent a bus and charge per child. learning about Rivka at the Well with Eliezer and THE BAKE SALE COOKBOOK his camels, so Rabbi 8th graders are publishing their bake-sale Mathless showed them an recipes in an online cookbook for $5. Email online video how old-time wells used to (and them: 1classof2020@gmail.com if interested, still do in many parts of the world) work, and give the $5 to Mrs. Backman at the office! how camels get down on their knees to drink. This supports their upcoming year-end trip.
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MAKING MUSIC OF TENSION: Drums are basically a skin or material that is stretched just the right amount. Being pulled in different directions can be stressful, but if the tension is just right, and its plucked or struck in just the right way, it doesn’t have to be bad, in fact it can make a beautiful sound.
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THE HOLLOW WITHIN: Drums make a sound when struck because of the hollow space within. Actually the size or shape of that hollow space makes a big difference in the tone of the sound. This can refer to the space or void or vaccum we make within ourselves, which in Chassidus is called “Bittul”.
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BEATS AND RHYTHM: Drums aren’t just loud, wild and crazy noises. It actually has a plan and a focus, and works best in an organized way. It follows patterns, or can even create a baseline pattern for a whole band to follow. It’s not just banging, it has to make sense and match whatever else is going on.
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TIMING: Everything has its time, and timing is everything when it comes to rhythm. Our drumming boys know the importance of doing the beat (especially the big base drum) or clashing the symbols at exactly the right time. We can learn a lot from that to our regular lives where timing can matter a lot.
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BETTER TOGETHER: Yes, you can pull off a pretty good beat on one snare drum all by yourself. But it sounds much better when a number of different drums are all playing together, coordinated in unison. Same with people: Hakhel, Better-Together!
at Maimonides and in the Community 5/21: SHABBOS EMOR @ CBAJ
5/25: J.N.F. WATER SUMMIT
A prospective Rabbi is visiting CBAJ this weekend Seth Siegel is the author of “Let There Be Water” (he visited Maimonides today) so there’s a spectrum about the history of Israel’s amazing efforts to of classes & opportunities planned at CBAJ. maximize its water resources, and its lessons for water management the worldover. 9:30-12:30 at the Radisson Hotel on Wolf Road. It’s Free. RSVP: 5/21: YARTZEIT KIDDUSH jnf.org/capitalwatersummit. Info: The Mathlesses are co-sponsoring Kiddush at Shomray Torah for the Rebbe’s brother’s Yartzeit. watersummit@jnf.org or 212-879-9305, ext. 249.
5/21: WOMENS SHABBOS SHIUR This week given by Chaya Yehudis Dank at the home of Leah Siegel, 24A Weis Rd at 4:45pm.
5/22: PESACH SHEINI This Sunday is “the holiday of Second Chances”! In addition to the regular Daf Yomi there will be a breakfast (with Matzah-brei) at Shomray Torah.
5/22: “SONGS AND SWEETS” Our girls choir led by Chaya Bracha will sing songs from Tehillim (Psalms) in honor of the upcoming holiday Shavuot (yartzeit of King David) and serve cheesecakes. The event is open to women and girls in the community and especially welcomes “Better Together” seniors. 1:00pm at Maimonides. More info: 495-0772 maimonideschool@gmail.com
5/22: RHINEBECK MIKVAH Grand opening and dedication of “Mei Reichel” 11:30am-12:30pm in Rhinebeck. Info/RSVP: RSVP@RhinebeckJewishCenter.com
5/26: LAG B’OMER PARADE
Ads honoring the school, honorees, our graduates or to promote a business must be submitted to the school office or to maimonidesschool@gmail.com by this date to be including in the Yearbook/ Journal. Ads arriving after this date (may make the Journal, or) but before the 30th, will be including in the Journal Supplement.
5/24: GIRLS OVERNITE SLEEPOVER yes, it’s at school! HS girls are hosting an exciting sleepover night with dinner & breakfast, programs and activities, beginning at 3:30pm until school starts the next morning. Cost is $10. Grade 4+.
6/2: YEAR-END SCHOOL OUTING We’re going to enjoy a sneak-preview of bowling and other games at the all-new Lucky Strikes at Crossgates before it opens to the public, followed by lunch & activities in a park. More details soon. We need parent volunteers for transportation or charge for a bus. Please stay tuned for details.
A parade is in the works! The overall theme of this 6/5: RHINEBECK TORAH SIYUM year’s colorful parade banners (painted by each class) will be “Hakhel—BetterTogether!” Parents & 11:30am conclusion of the writing of the “Sobel Torah” scroll and its celebratory dedication at the friends are very welcome to join the parade & follow-up event at a park. STAY TUNED: Parade Rhinebeck Jewish Center. Just in time for Shavuot! Route and Destination may change this year. TBA early next week. Please join us! 6/6: BETTER TOGETHER MINYAN Our HS Boys at Parkview (Bnai Brith) Apartments. 5/26: LAG B’OMER AT HUCK FINNS Contact Rabbi Yossi 495-0772 or Rabbi Mathless Huck Finns downtown near the 787 is the new 522-1872 for more info. Torah reading, brunch, home for the former Hoffman’s Playland, and the and presentations, just prior to Shavuot. warehouse store itself can be fun to visit & browse. Chabad co-sponsored by Albany JCC & Federation 6/12-13: SHAVUOT HOLIDAY are arranging a communal after-school Jewnity Lag Sunday and Monday. No School on Monday 6/13, B’Omer outing there. SPECIAL RATE: only $6 all school resumes 9:30am on Tuesday 6/14. It’s -you-can-ride for kids reduced-rate (usually $16!) by customary to eat dairy foods, and people make a prior reservation, limited supply, limited supply. special effort to bring even the smallest children to Register ASAP for subsidized reduced price at: the synagogue, since “children are our guarantors” www.capitalchabad.com/jewnity Kosher packaged for continuing Torah into the Jewish future. dinner for sale: $5pp, $25 per family.
5/30: MEMORIAL DAY PARADES
Show support for Hoosick Falls at their Memorial 5/22: HANFORD MILLS MUSEUM Day Parade kicking off 9am at Wood Park and It’s about 1.5 hours drive from Albany, off a ways Main Street. Castleton-Schodack kicks off at 10am from Oneonta in the northwestern corner of the at Boltwood and Seaman Avenues. Lansingburgh Catskills. They have a “Built, Fix, Grow” festival starts at 11am beginning at 123rd and 5th north of this Sunday featuring artisans and craftsmen, 10am Troy. Bethlehem also starts at 11am, starting at the -5pm. Adult admission is $9, kids 12 and under are Elsemere Fire House. North Greenbush starts at free. Find out more about this science and history 1:30pm at Streamview Lane and West Sand Lake museum at: www.hanfordmills.org Road. You can’t make all these parades of course, see which might work for you.
5/23: JOURNAL AD DUE DATE
you didn’t get yours please contact the school office 453-9363 or email: maimonidesschool@gmail.com
6/13: TORAH365 SIYUM (auspicious secular date!) Maimonides students will be part of the celebratory Torah365 Siyum at CBAJ on the second day of Shavuot morning. They began to prepare their presentation this week.
END OF SCHOOL DATES 6/2: Year End Trip to Lucky Strikes and Park 6/21: Moving6/14-23: Regents Week, HS testing 6/21: Moving-Up Day in the morning, 8th grade and HS graduation that Tuesday evening.
5/27-30: EXTENDED WEEKEND OFF 7/11-8/19: CAMP GAN ISRAEL
Registration is now open! A great staff is lined up, No snow days this year! No school Friday 5/27 and there are exciting plans in the works for this thru Mon 5/30. Enjoy the extended Memorial Day summer. Call Camp Director Devorah Leah Weekend. School resumes 8am, Tuesday the 31st. Mathless 698-1836 for more info. The day camp is based at Maimonides, but you don’t have to go to 6/1: MAIMONIDES DINNER Maimonides to attend and have a really fun, Maimonides awards dinner on Wed, June 1st, enjoyable and meaningful time. You can sign per honoring Phyllis Silverman with the Dr. Morton week or for the whole summer season. Check out Berger award and paying tribute to 3 sets of parents the FB page “Camp Gan Israel of Albany” or visit: with long-term dedication, educating their children tinyurl.com/ganisraelalbany for registration forms. here from start to finish: Avrami & Sharona Backman, Ruvain & Shayna Kudan and Nachman & Clara Simon. Dinner invite has been mailed, if
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!”