BH. Tevet
27, 5776 / Jan 8, 2016
Candle-Lighting: Community Newsletter of the Maimonides Hebrew Day School of the Capital District 4:21 404 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 5:26 Maimonides is accredited by the NYS Board of Regents & is a beneficiary of UJF-NENY
maimonidesschool@gmail.com
This newsletter is dedicated in memory of
Marlene Aronson
Mina Gita bas Dovid on her yartzeit today - Tevet 27
BACH LIBRARY ON SUNDAYS
BETTERTOGETHER COOKBOOK
Starting this Sunday (Jan 10th) Bach Library on New Scotland (same block as Shomray Torah/Shteeble) will be open on Sundays from 1-5pm. This schedule change allows Sabbath-observant families to enjoy the library on the weekends (it is the only branch aside for Washington Ave to be open on Sundays), so it would be really nice for our families to come out and make use of it!
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” with a short story or background that goes along with it. To submit a recipe, or arrange our students visit, please contact Rabbi Yossi 495-0772 / maimonidesschool@gmail.com.
POLITICS AT THE SIYUM Our HS Boys finished the entire first chapter of Talmud Bava Basra, learning certain parts with Rabbi Israel Rubin and other parts with Rabbi Nachman Simon. The boys took turns reading from the start and end of the chapter at the Siyum Breakfast this past Sunday. Dr. David Luchins (former son of Albany, long-time political aide, now at Touro/ Lander College) opened his talk at the Siyum Breakfast with this appropriate story from his youth: On Erev Pesach 1963 he made a Siyum at the old Shomray Torah at 190 Elm Street downtown. Rabbi Kornmehl told him, “I hope this isn’t the last time a high school boy makes a siyum in Albany!” Dr. Luchins led everyone on a fascinating tour of American politics, of old hard “rules” since the 1950’s that seem to govern Democratic and Republic nominees, but appear to be broken in this election cycle. He shared insights into Jews and politics and politicians, including tips learned from the Lubavitcher Rebbe and Rabbi Aharon & JB Solveitchik, and the Satmar Rov, too. The back story of John Kerry was interesting & quite insightful. Dr. Luchins was engaging and personal, funny and historical, our boys and all present learned a lot, and we also found out that Mr. Wildman knows his history & politics very well!
GIVE OUR PLAYGROUND A CHANCE WITH A DAILY CLICK We do need a new playground, so let’s give this sweepstakes a shot. Please take time to click for our school (12208) once a day here: http://www.togethercounts.com/healthyplayground-makeover It’s one click a day!
TES/T IS FOR TALLIS/T Kindergarteners made this movable Tes/t letter where the man on the left can move over and under the Tallis on the right of the Tes letter. On left is the “striped scarf” on sale now at H&M, it made a lot of news because it looks like a Tallis, but isn’t priced like a Tallis. Besides, it doesn’t have Tzitzit!
STICK-SNAKE… DRAWING EXTENDED AGAIN NURSERY’S For last week’s Parsha, Nursery students made While many small winners, no jackpot winner yet. Buy a ticket before Shabbos, or before 10 on Motzai Shabbos, at least it makes a vessel!
MAIMONIDES 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208
a clever stick-snake, made of paper-towel roll with a green cloth tongue and googley-eyes. Like Moshe’s stick that turned into a snake!
MESIBAT SHMONA ESRAY
DRESS FOR THE OUTDOORS
Morah Devorah Leah’s 3rd grade Tefilah group has been learning more and more of the daily Amidah through song this year. They will be celebrating their fluency and appreciation at special party for classmates and parents, soon to be announced. They are preparing a songs for this occasion including Hashem OG’S GIANT PILLOW Melech, Hear it in the mountains and in the This huge purple pillow was left at school, oceans roar, and the Prayerbook Blues! probably from a recent Friendship Circle activity, or maybe from a womens Yoga event. NEW UNIT ON WEATHER At any rate, 6/7 boys dubbed it “Og Melech 3rd grade science began Chapter 6 in their HaBashon’s Pillow” and the girls took this Science books, this unit is on weather. They photo to demonstrate its enormous size. are learning about the various ways that scientists measure and map weather, and the tools that are used to do that. They learned that the atmosphere is a blanket of air that surrounds the earth. They learned about different types of storms and how different areas are prone to different things. Snowy blizzards are much more likely in Albany than California, where forest fires, drought and mudslides are much more likely to happen.
These nursery students (and other classes, too) enjoy going out at recess-time, even when it is quite cold out. Nursery teachers ask that their students please come each morning fully equipped with winter hats and gloves/mittens, FUN FRIDAYS WITH MS. FORD scarves and boots, and of course a warm coat. Did you know that 1st and 2nd graders have Fun Fridays with Ms. Ford? If they finish all HOW SPECIFIC SHOULD U BE? their work for the week, after their reading That’s the question Rabbi Shmuly’s 4th and and spelling tests on Fridays, they get to play 5th grade students are learning about in games with each other! Many of the games Gemorah Eilu Metziyos about the laws of lost have learning in them, too. Ms. Ford added a and found. There are two opinions in the few more games to their collection, if parents Gemorah both vying for support in the words would like to help with that, speak to her. of the Mishna. They have to see how it would be interpreted either way, and which would be too obvious, and which would make a point.
WHICH ARE THE WITCHES? That’s the question 4/5 graders are asking after starting a new book with Mrs. Dubarry titled “The Witches” by Roald Dahl. It’s supposed to be a scary fantasy book but it is actually quite funny book and the students are enjoying the read. What you might think a witch would look like isn’t the same as the criteria for witches in this book. They even made a list on how to tell a witch based on the grandmother’s advice in this book.
COMPLEX VS. COMPOUND This sounds more difficult than it actually is! The difference has to do with whether a sentence segment can stand on its own or has to be part of a more complete sentence. Mrs. Dubarry’s students completed a unit on this.
DO YOU KNOW YODA? Star Wars craze is sweeping the country again, so Rabbi Yossi took this opportunity to learn some Jewish messages from old wise Yoda (like Yod’ea) about lessons learned from our elders in the “Better Together” program, finding a Talmudic source for Yoda’s famous “Do or do not. There is no try.” The article was printed in this week’s local “Jewish World” newspaper on the upper right of page 9.
A KNOTTY PIECE OF TALMUD 6/7 boys have been learning a small piece of Talmud Sukkah 3b for a while now. It deals Mrs. Hoffman read her Nursery students the with the placement of an Eruv Matzah vs. a original “Polar Bear, What Do You See?” book Movuy Matzah, how that difference is learned by Eric Carle. Then she had coloring pages of from an omission in a Braysa, and how we this book for each student to illustrate, and support that difference by contrasting one then she made a book of all the kids pages. Mishna against another to come up with a Here she is reading to them the sum of their clarification that makes it all work. Complex, work and pointing out on each page who the but they’re slowing grasping the logic. student illustrator was for that page. They were each very happy to see their work in a book! ESPERANZA RISING, UR STORY Pam Munoz Ryan wrote “Esperanza Rising” BELOW, NORMAL & BEYOND based on her grandmother’s story, so after 6/7 8th grade learned about 3 levels: Normal, read this book, Mrs. Crawford asked her Below Normal and Beyond Normal from Basi students to reach out to older family members L’Gani, and the Gemorah story about old to hear a basic life story from their family’s rabbis juggling myrtle branches at weddings, past, which they could then write up on their clowning around (for a cause) and its effect on own, in their own way. dignity in Talmud Kesubos 17.
KIDS... WHAT DO YOU SEE?
BIBLICAL COMMENTATORS 8th graders each did a research report and presentation project on one of the early biblical commentators like Rashi, Ramban, Ibn Ezra, Sforno etc. Look for a bulletin board picture coming soon.
FROGS HERE, FROGS THERE... Read a few frog jokes in “Give a Giggle”, learn more about frogs in this week’s “High-5” and our Kindergarteners are pictured here wearing frogs hats with big eyes and long tongues. It’s all because of the frogs in this week’s Parsha!
MONSOONS IN INDIA 6/7 learned about monsoons in India, and even watched a film on this tremendous stormy weather pattern and the huge effects it has on India, both good and bad. Farmers eagerly await this window of opportunity that makes arid land turn lush and fertile.
TORAH365 learning this coming week Avos 3:7-10 Rabbi Yaakov said: One who walks on the road and studies Torah and interrupts his study and remarks, “How beautiful is this tree! How beautiful is this plowed field!” Scripture considers it as if he bears guilt for his soul. (Avos 3:9 / 3:7 in Tehillas Hashem edition).
WILLIAM’S HOUSE
A WWII P.O.W. WAS BEHIND PARTRIDGE PLAYING FIELDS Newspaper clipping above is from “The Times-Union”.
Milton Klarsfeld passed away this New Years Day at age 93. His grandparents were Jewish immigrants to this country, and soon after his Albany High School graduation in 1940, he enlisted soon after Pearl Harbor in 1941. Before long he was a B-24 bomber navigator Many are troubled by this Mishna. What’s wrong with appreciating nature? Aren’t we supposed to flying into combat, until his plane was downed enjoy G-d’s creation? Why such a harsh response? in Czechoslovakia and he was imprisoned in Stalag Luft 1 (a Prisoner of War camp for Rabbi Rubin has a lengthy commentary on this Jewish servicemen) in Barth Germany. In 1946 Mishna, quoting Rabbi Meir Shapiro and others, he founded a television shop on Hudson Ave, that switches the whole message here based on a which evolved eventually into Audio-Video single word in the Mishna, transforming this troubling Mishna into a very positive and inclusive Corp in Menands. One of the things he was message of Torah and worldly integration (which is most proud of was being part of the Jaycees committee which built Albany’s very first Little a great teaching of the Baal Shem Tov, and a cherished value at Maimonides). League on Partridge Street and Woodlawn Ave (one of those fields is where) our kids play every day! Thank you Milton Klarsfeld!
R’ PINCHAS HIRSCHPRUNG A Rabbi was officiating at a funeral in a cemetery. Someone asked the Rabbi if he knew A star pupil of R’ Meir Shapiro in Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva in Poland, the cemetery’s wifi password. The Rabbi Rabbi Pinchas Hirschprung responded: “Have respect for the dead.” Hearing wrote his own sefer by his that the person asked, “is that all lowercase?” Rabbi Mendel has a lesson from the above joke, in addition to the obvious lesson of not being overly dependent and connected to our phones: This person thought the Rabbi was responding to his/her need/ want. In truth the Rabbi was asking respect for others. Some people tend to see self in everything. Q. What happens once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years? A. The letter “M”. Why are frogs so happy? They eat what bugs them! What time on the calendar do frogs love most? A leap year of course! What happens to an illegally parked frog? Toad! What’s a frog’s favorite flower? A croakus!
Bar-Mitzvah, and was said to have memorized the entire Talmud in his youth (he reviewed it throughout his life). He escaped in time to reach Montreal in 1941, just before Pearl Harbor. Renown for legendary photographic Talmud memory, and for his breathtaking encyclopedic Jewish knowledge and life-long unquenchable thirst for it. For many years he was the Chief Rabbi of Montreal, he also served as the Rosh Yeshiva of Lubavitch in Montreal where our Rabbi Rubin studied and learned from him. Rabbi Hirschprung enjoyed a very close relationship with the Lubavitcher Rebbe. His yartzeit is today, Teves 27. Rabbi Rubin shared a lot about his beloved teacher with the HS Boys, and will also share about him at the Kiddush this Shabbos.
3rd graders are reading this story by Ginger Howard going back to Colonial times about a house built from scratch, and rebuilt to fit their needs and the weather conditions of New England, with a deep cellar to keep food from spoiling.
TEACHER APPRECIATION LUNCHEON Thanks to all the parents (organized by Rachel Horan) pitching in for the Teacher Appreciation Lunch on Monday, Jan 18th, Martin Luther King Day. There’s a need for parents to help with recess supervision that day to allow for all teachers to participate and enjoy.
SEED > SAPLING > TREE Tu Bishvat is around the corner, classes are already learning about it. 2nd graders made these posters about various stages of a tree.
BUILDING BRICKS Nursery kids made these bricks and are piling them up for the Parsha about the work & slavery in Egypt.
WHAT IS JURY DUTY? A teacher was out on at the end of this week on jury duty, so her students we eager to learn more about how this system works. The substitute teacher that morning explained the process of jury selection and its importance.
at Maimonides and in the Community 1/9: YARTZEIT KIDDUSH
1/18: TEACHER APPRECIATION
Mathless family are hosting a Kiddush at Shomray Torah this Shabbos for the yartzeit of Rabbi Moshe Yitzchak Hecht of New Haven, Rabbi Mathless’ grandfather. Also the yartzeits of Rabbi Pinchas Hirschprung and Saratoga’s Marlene Aronson, both will be remembered as well.
Rachel Horan is organizing this year’s Teacher Appreciation Luncheon. Parents are pitching for it. Parents are also needed for recess duty that day.
1/9: RABBI REISMAN SAT @7:30
1/20: WOMENS GATHERING Stay tuned for location and more details of a YudShvat farbrengen for women, 7:30pm on Wed.
Rabbi Y. Reisman’s live Navi class (his Navi class is 1/21: J-FED WINE & MUSIC IN a springboard for many topics) from Brooklyn are PREP FOR SUPER SUNDAY screened 7:30pm at the CBAJ Media Center. JFED hosts an evening of wine, hors d’oeuvres & live music for SuperSunday volunteer preparation. 1/10: BACH LIBRARY SUNDAYS Thurs 5:30pm at Federation, For more info and to New Sunday hours (1-5pm) begin on January 10th RSVP call: 783-7800 in part to accommodate Sabbath observant library patrons in New Scotland Ave area. Let’s support it! 1/22-23: CBAJ SEFARDIC SHABBAT
1/10: SUNDAYS AT SWINBOURNE Sundays in the winter, 3-5pm free skating, free rentals, and free skating lessons available, too, at Swinbourne Park in Albany.
1/10: JFED: HON. ELLIOT ENGEL Eliot Engel represents parts of Bronx & Westchester in the US Congress. He serves on Foreign Affairs, Energy and Commerce, co-chairs the House’s Oil and National Security Caucus. No stranger to Albany, as he was a NYS Assemblyman for a decade. He will be speaking for a Joint Society Federation event at Agudat Achim in Schenectady, open to 250 people. $30pp, $15 young adult, prices go up by $5 after January 8th.
Shira’s family is hosting a Melava Malka for her Bat Mitzvah, 7-10pm. Women and girls invited to Maimonides for singing, stories and Divrei Torah. Men are welcome to farbreng downstairs in the lunchroom and join the women for the speeches. Parve refreshments. There will be Women's T'filah Group at the Levin's Shabbat morning January 23rd, please call Susannah for info - 813-0633.
1/24: JNF TU BISHVAT @ MARRIOT
1/11: AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM
1/25: TU BISHVAT BREAKFAST
Monthly Hakhel activity! 3:30-4:30pm for grades The highly anticipated fruity breakfast at school. 4th and up. Girls HS will be leading the girls in making aprons and making a special dessert, please 1/31: J-FED’S SUPER SUNDAY send in $3pp for supplies. The HS Boys will also Federations’ annual phone-a-thon fundraiser for have a special program for boys at the same time. local agencies and beneficiaries (including Maimonides) as well as overseas Jewish needs. 1/16: PIZZA NIGHT III MHDS Parents are requested to volunteer for a Technically, it’s our second pizza night of the shift to make calls for these communal needs. season, considering our second one was a Pasta and Movie night. But back to pizza! Stay tuned… 1/31: SHLUCHOS CONFERENCE Sukkot in January! 3pm screening at the Albany JCC of “Sukkah City” (2013) about a creative Sukkah contest and display in NYC.
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SOME FROG TRIVIA: Frogs don’t drink, they absorb water through their skin. They can lay up to up to 4K eggs in a frogspawn! Some frogs can jump up to 20 times their own body length in one leap. The most brightly colored frogs are a sign that they may be poisonous. Frogs need freshwater, they can’t live at sea.
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FROGS AS PETS: Even if its your pet, frogs don’t like be handled very much. They can get quite smelly so their tanks need to be cleaned once or twice a week. Frogs have slimy, slippery skin while toads have dry bumpy skin. Frogs prefer their food live, so crickets and bugs that won’t fly around are best. They don’t need to eat every day, and don’t eat very much when they do.
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WHY WE NEED FROGS: There are many types of frogs who struggling all over because of pollution, loss of habitat and other factors. They are an important part of the food chain and ecosystem, keeping insect populations in check and are food for other species and even provide us with medical advances! As tadpoles they feed on algae, and they also serve as indicators of the health of a wetlands.
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STRADDLING THE FENCE: Frogs are amphibious, which means they live both on land and in water, and they remarkably transform in their lifecycle from fishy-looking tadpole to jumping four legged frog.
1/23: SHIRA’S BAT-MITZVAH M.M.
8am Minyan Monday morning at Maimonides. Remember to add Yaale v’Yavo, Hallel and Musaf.
1/17: SUKKAH CITY FILM @ JCC
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WHY FROGS? They are featured in the 2nd plague of this week’s Parsha Va’era! In fact, in the Midrash they are praised for their sacrifice in jumping anywhere and everywhere, even into hot Egyptian ovens, which was an inspiration for Chananya, Mishael and Azarya generations later.
Visit cbaj.org for more info and to register if you’d like to join for the Shabbat dinner. This Shabbat features guest Cantor Raphael Benizri of Baltimore, who sings internationally.
JNF is hosting a Tu Bishvat celebration at the Albany Marriot on Wolf Road from 9:30-11:30am, no charge. Register online at jnf.org/ tubishvatcelebtration or contact: shefez@jnf.org.
1/11: ROSH CHODESH SHVAT
FROGS!
Chabad Shluchos Womens Conference climaxes this weekend with a Sunday evening banquet that is viewable live online at: Chabad.org.
2/28: SPA FOR BODY & SOUL The 11th year! Stay tuned for info. Save the date!
BETTER2WRITE CONTEST Middle and HS students, the “Better 2 Write” contest is back! Last year Chaim Kudan won the national grand prize and Nechama Krimmer won for our school. Let’s see what we can do this year! Stay tuned for more info on this essay contest about connecting with seniors and learning from them.
JAMIE GELLER SENDS RECIPE!! Many know Jamie Geller from her cookbooks or online cooking shows. She just sent in a recipe from her grandfather for our “Better Together” cookbook. We’re slowly growing our collection, please help us make it extra special!
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!”