BH. Kislev
22, 5776 / Dec 4, 2015
Candle-Lighting: Community Newsletter of the Maimonides Hebrew Day School of the Capital District 4:04 404 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 5:09 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
Dr. Abe Luchins & Avram Horowitz longtime pillars of the Albany community Yartzeits on the 2nd Day of Chanukah
DENVER REGARDS Rabbi Nachman and Clara Simon traveled to visit their son (MHDS alumnus) Rabbi Meir and his family who recently moved to Denver. Here’s one photo from a snow-covered mountain with a sign warning about rattlesnakes! And guess who Rabbi Simon met in a Denver shul? Matthew Granovetter, formerly of this area, whose children went to Maimonides! Nice regards…
AND FROM CAMBODIA! Rabbi Mendy Mathless flew this week for one day! and lots more travel time to Cambodia, a country in Asia, between Vietnam and Thailand, for the dedication ceremony of a beautifully magnificent new Chabad House there serving travelers and business people, run with great dedication and joyous sacrifice by Rabbi & Mrs. Butman, a classmate of Rabbi Mathless.
#SHARETHELIGHTS HASHTAG Pirsumei Nissa means to “publicize the miracle” and a hashtag is one way to do that, all across the internet. Post your Menorah pictures online using: #sharethelights
RAFFLE-AUCTION IS VERY SOON Today is the “early-bird” special deadline for a free $10 ticket. The school’s Chanukah dinner and raffle-auction displays and drawings will be one week from this coming Monday, on Dec 14th. Tickets can be purchased (a) by mailing in the order form with payment (b) by calling the school office (518) 453-9363 (c) online at: www.maimonidesschool.org/auction (d) on the day of, from 5pm-6:30pm at the event. Please share the link with friends and family so YUD TES KISLEV TREATS we can increase the support for the school. The odds of winning are better here than most At lunchtime on Tuesday, there were treats in honor of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi’s anywhere else, and there are good prizes!! release from Czarist prison in 1798. Thanks to CHANUKAH BEGINS SUNDAY!!! Mrs. Volovik and Morah Rochel for bringing: See page 4 for many exciting communal events Chocolate (rich like his teachings) Fruit RollUp (which spread out far & wide) Sprinkle all throughout Chanukah. Please note that Cupcakes (he taught both revealed Torah = Maimonides will be cupcake, and inner dimension of Torah = adds closed on Friday to flavor like sprinkles) and of course, grape-juice allow for an extended for L’chaim! 4 Chanukah weekend but -7 grade boys will have regular school shared HS (with delicious and fun boys coals and activities and learning, pearls banner of course) all the rest of and why both Chanukah. We have Chanukah songs and are parables plays presentations on Thursday morning, for Chassidus. which our students are now preparing for.
MAIMONIDES 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208
DRIVEN TO FARBRENG! Rabbi Mendel shared with the 8th grade girls and HS boys a disappointing yet inspiring story of a visitor working for a few days in Coxsackie who made the drive to Albany to find a YudTes Kislev farbrengen, was (SKEWED) DREIDEL STATISTICS then directed to Kingston Kindergarteners each took turns spinning Dreidels and recording their results on a chart. At (closer to his hotel) but was first the reports were quite accurate, but then some extended their Gimmel columns and others mistakenly given the address filled in their charts completely as if it were a Bingo board. You can’t always trust statistics! of the Shul instead of the Hecht home, so he 6/10 OF “THE BOOK THIEF” went to sleep that night without a farbrengen, after having driven over 100 miles to find one! 8th graders are now in the 6th of 10 parts of “The Book Thief” each part has several chapters. They’ve been spending time with Mrs. Crawford discussing not only the story but also the unique writing style, and emphasis on certain angles - for instance using colors as a metaphor or mood setter, or how the character feels about a certain incident, and how they perceive it.
NURSERY ALL IN ORDER Nursery students are pictured here carefully cutting out picture squares to glue onto the proper sequence in the story. It’s fine motor skills and critical thinking all rolled into one!
HAPPY MAKES IT STICK Nursery students were gluing colored layers of flame together when a roving TNT student photographer snapped this picture of Shlomo very happily & sweetly holding a bottle of glue. Learning happily, as a sweet and positive experience is what helps make lessons stick!
CHUMASH MILESTONES Several classes reached Chumash milestones this week: 2nd graders finished “Perek Gimel” the third chapter of Breishit. 3rd graders finished Parshat Lech-Lecha, and our 6th graders finished Parshat Shmot. One level leads to another! There may be even more Chumash milestones this week at school, but these were reported by students in TNT class.
SCENERY PAINTING Morah Rivi’s students are painting backdrop scenery for their Chanukah play. The songs and plays performances will be next week on Thursday morning of Chanukah.
KIDS! EARN FREE TICKETS! Kids can earn free Raffle-Auction tickets by selling tickets to family, friends etc.. Be sure they write your name on the order form “Sold By” line. For $50 in tickets sold get a free $5 ticket, for each $100 in tickets you get $15 in free tickets, for $150 sold get $25 in free tickets! Claim your free tickets from Mrs. Backman in the office on Wed & Thurs of Chanukah.
HS BOYS MENORAH MAKING
DISCUSSING THE PLAY Morah Dini is discussing the Chanukah play with her 3rd grade class (3rd row not pictured)
CHANUKAH CHUMASH GAME 7th graders played a test your knowledge Chumash game using a Dreidel as the playing piece, to determine what kind of question or method of answering.
Rabbi Shmuly worked quickly with the HS boys on Thursday to whip together several carmenorahs from scratch, with wood-bases, PVC pipe Menorahs illuminated by LED cables. It was fun, productive and a hands-on learning experience, where the results work quickly.
PIDYON HABEN(S)! Pidyon HaBens aren’t that often, but this month we had Simmy & Chaya’s son last week and look forward to Yehoshua & Chaya Bracha’s son at the end of Chanukah. It’s a very special Mitzvah, 2x this month!
IS EARLY PAYMENT CREDIBLE?
TELL THEM ABOUT THE OIL!
Rabbi Rubin’s HS Boys Gemorah class learned about when a person might be believed about an early payment before the due date and in what situations such a claim is not credible. The discussion even made its way to a discussion of the 5 Coins of the Pidyon HaBen, just in time for the local celebrations.
Rabbi Yossi and our 8th grade girls did a “Better Together” program making veggie and potato Latkes at Beverwyck Senior Living. They played a Dreidel recipe game: NUN = share a nostalgic recipe, GIMMEL = a glutenfree recipe, HEY = a holiday recipe, SHIN = a sweet recipe! Not all of the attendees were Jewish, so one Jewish lady there strongly insisted that the girls “tell them about the oil!”
PEEK INSIDE THE PYRAMIDS Mrs. Ramsay’s 6/7 history class watched a documentary about pyramids. There’s a lot of thought of how it was built, and they learned about John Pierre’s theory about an inside ramp and how a French team later confirmed it. Even the corners were a big question, how the huge stones pivoted around them. It was fun to explore these mysteries and theories.
MANY LAWS OF SHABBOS TEST 8th grade is having a big laws of Shabbos test in Rabbi Caras’ yahadus class, they learned many different concepts all in nutshell form: lighting candles, the 4 types of areas for carrying and several types of Eruv, what can be told to a non-Jew to do and what can’t, various categories of Muktzah, and more!
HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF
KORBAN RATIOS - AND HOPE! Morah Leyee made this chart for her 8th grade Chumash class of the Mincha and Nesach ratios required for various types of Korbanot, since there are a lot of complicated details and requirements. Why is this in the Chumash just after the Meraglim story? It was a way of G -d giving the Jewish hope for a longterm Jewish future, even when they felt all was lost.
MACHAR-CHODESH This year, Shabbos Chanukah will be both Rosh Chodesh and Machar Chodesh (because Rosh Chodesh is also on Sunday). The Haftorah for a Machar-Chodesh is the story of David and Jonathan which 6/7 graders are just finished in Navi class with Morah Rochel. They are now learning about David’s flight to Nov, the city of the Kohanim… stay tuned!
#LEARNFOREZRA Rabbi Rubin and our HS Boys (& community at early Mincha-Maariv) are continuing to learn Mishnayot Challah in memory of Ezra Yechiel Schwartz, as part of a joint effort by Jewish high schools around the country.
THE SIGNAL SYSTEM 3rd graders began a new chapter of Mishna Rosh Hashanah with Rabbi Shmuly, learning about the mountaintop fire signal system!
4/5 graders were perplexed why Yosef would not have attempted to send a letter home and notify his father that he’s alive and well. It’s still a good question, but they learned how patterns repeat themselves: Jacob himself was away from his father Isaac for the same lengthy period of time. Things are often repeated in future generations.
FRINDLE IN 3RD Mrs. Maher is reading “Frindle” to her 3rd grade students who are enjoying very much!
PARENTS NOTE RE: WED 12/9 Parents please note: Dismissal will be at 3pm. Parents who can not be there at 3pm, there will be teacher supervision at school until 3:30pm but children will not be able to go on the car parade without their parents. Car Menorah Parade (flags provided to cars without rooftop Menorahs) leaves at 3pm. Returns by 4pm (in time for Mincha at the Shuls) for a onehour Kids Chanuka Rally at the School for interested families. Happy Chanukah to one and all!
at Maimonides and in the Community
MOTTI’S MOBILE MENORAH!
12/4: “SHABBAT 360” UALBANY
Have Chanukah, will travel! See it lead the Car Parade on Wed, and all around town!
A joint effort for a mega Shabbat dinner, 7pm in the UAlbany Campus Center Ballroom. Area college students are welcome to join!
12/5: TAL U’MATAR SWITCH This year, the diaspora winter-mode switch to V’sayn Tal U’Matar in the weekday Amidah begins at Maariv on Saturday Night, December 5th.
12/5: RABBI REISMAN @7:30 Rabbi Y. Reisman’s Navi class from Brooklyn are screened 7:30pm at the CBAJ Media Center.
12/6: CHANUKAH BEGINS!! The first Chanukah light is lit, Sunday after dark.
12/6: FOUR CORNERS MENORAH Outdoor Menorah lighting 3:30pm at Delmar’s Four Corners, followed by a Car Menorah Parade to the 4:15pm “Glow in the Dark Chanukah Around the World Extravaganza” with a Top Chef Cooking Show and Hot Latke Bar at Normanside Country Club. Call Bethlehem Chabad: 866-7658.
12/6: MENORAH OF WARMTH
Zone, a popular bowling alley with lots of arcade games, bumper cars & more. $10pp includes dairy dinner, latkes, games and activities.
12/7: ON-CAMPUS MENORAH 8:30pm Menorah Lighting at UAlbany. See www.shabboshouse.org for updates and additional Shabbos House & UAlbany Chanukah events.
12/9: CAR PARADE & KIDS RALLY Plan is to leave Maimonides at 3pm (early dismissal, there will be supervision till 3:30 for those not on parade). Parade goes up Partridge Street, making right on Western, merging into Washington and down to the Capitol. Return trip is via Madison Ave. Flags available for those without a car Menorah. Mincha will be at Shomray Torah but there will be a one hour Chanukah rally for kids at the school led by Motti.
At 2om, join with Jewish girls from all over, in a virtual celebration: www.JewishGirlsUnite.com.
12/6: BETH ISRAEL CHANUKAH 3-5:30pm at Beth Israel in Schenectady. Russian musicians, light Chanukah dinner, treasure hunt, plus building an edible Chanukah House! Cost $12pp, $6 for kids 12 & under. RSVP: 377-3700.
12/6: MONUMENT SQ MENORAH 4:30pm at Monument Square in Troy for a Menorah Lighting with the Mayor. Plus Chanukah table at Monument Square Dec 7th thru 10th.
12/7: GREENBUSH CHANUKAH 4:30pm at the East Greenbush Library, with Menorah lighting and Chanukah party. Contact the Labers 833-0704 for more info.
12/7: CHANUKAH BOWL Saratoga Chabad hosts Chanukah at The Strike
1-5pm with food and activities at the Troy Atrium. More info? Call R’ Leibel and Elisheva: 274-5572.
12/13: JCC & T.I. CHANUKAH 5-8pm at the Albany SAAJCC. Max per family $36. Kids 5-12: $6, Adults: $10pp. RSVP by Dec 7th. Additional $2 fee at door. Hosted by Temple Israel and the JCC. RSVP: 438-7858x112.
12/13: CHANUKAH ON ICE 5-7pm at Bethlehem YMCA, 900 Delaware Ave. For more info call Rabbi Simon 439-8280.
12/13: FRIENDSHIP CIR CHANUKA 1-3:30pm at Afrim’s Sports, 636 Albany-Shaker Rd.
12/9: CHANUKAH AT THE GALLERY 12/14: MHDS RAFFLE-AUCTION Young professionals join Chabad of University Heights and Bethlehem Chabad for a Chanukah night out starting 7pm at Albany Center Gallery on Columbia Street downtown.
and Chanukah Dinner ($7pp, $25 family) at the very last moments of the 8th day of Chanukah, Monday 5-7pm. Please share the online link at: www.maimonidesschool.org/auction
12/10: MHDS CHANUKAH PLAYS
12/20: JERUSALEM OF LEGO
This year Chabad of Clifton Park is making a big Chanukah plays by class will be performed on Menorah of donated gloves and scarves etc to be Thursday morning, parents and friends welcome! later given to those in need. Bring something to donate when you come! 4pm at Boscov’s in Clifton 12/11: NO SCHOOL AT MHDS Park Center Mall, with Chanukah celebration An off-Friday for extended Chanukah Wknd break. including Incredible Larry, crafts, hot latkes etc.
12/6: JGU ONLINE CHANUKAH
12/13: CHANUKAH TO LIFE
Using 60,000 Lego blocks, Steven Schwartz will lead area students grades 3-6 in a Jerusalem recreation. Our students are invited as well. Begins 9:45am at Beth Emeth. Please be prompt.
12/24-27: JEWISH GIRLS RETREAT 12/11-12: CBAJ ACAPELLA SHABBAT Winter session! Contact Nechama Laber for details
Limited seating for Friday Night dinner & concert, on this richly filled overnight camp experience with RSVP at cbaj.org. Singing will continue on Shabbat energy and warmth even in the dead of winter… day as well during prayers, lunch & learn and the 12/28-31: HALF-DAYS AT MHDS Seudah Shlishit. On the half days at school during the last week of December, plans are in the works for an especially 12/12: DAF YOMI SWITCH exciting and meaningful time. A one-day Winter Due to the special accapella Shabbat at CBAJ, the Shabbos afternoon Daf Yomi, which usually meets Camp is being planned...Our annual Breishis carnival will be a half-day that week as well. at Shomray Torah will meet at CBAJ instead.
12/13: S.Z.R.’s PIDYON HABEN Dr. Yehoshua and Chaya Bracha Rubin will be having the Pidyon HaBen for their son S.Z. noontime at the Maimonides school on the 7th day of Chanukah. Festive meal follows.
12/13: DAF YOMI SIYUM The Daf Yomi study group is completing tractate Sotah and will be celebrating with a Sunday Siyum Breakfast at Shomray Torah with more of the Shanghai documentary. Come celebrate!
12/30: ONE-DAY “TEAM-UP” CAMP Camp Gan Israel & Friendship Circle are teaming up for a one-day “Team-Up” winter camp for kids ages 3-10 of all ability levels, joining in friendship and fun! A unique arrangement of mixing 2 types of campers (modeled on Camp Kaylie vision) which can be a huge benefit for all involved. Contact Friendship Circle Director Chaya 488-8992 or CGI Director Devorah Leah 698-1836.
2/28: SPA FOR BODY & SOUL The 11th year! Stay tuned for info. Save the date!
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!”