Maimonides Community

BH. Cheshvan

17, 5776 / Oct 30, 2015

Candle-Lighting: Community Newsletter of the Maimonides Hebrew Day School of the Capital District 5:33 404 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 6:33 Maimonides is accredited by the NYS Board of Regents & is a beneficiary of UJF-NENY

maimonidesschool@gmail.com

You can sponsor this weekly “MC” newsletter, read by many in our community & beyond, in memory of a loved one or in honor of a special occasion, for a donation of $54 toMaimonides.

Contact the school office 4539363 if you’d like to sponsor.

SOUP OF THE WEEK IS BACK Parents: sign up at the office or speak to Mrs. Wildman. The weather is changing and our kids really enjoy the weekly treat of hot soup.

INTERVIEWS TO BE SCREENED AT SIYUM MELAVA MALKA

BELSKY CONDOLENCE

We join the Belsky family (formerly of this area) in mourning the untimely and tragic Last week our HS Boys traveled down to Monsey and New York to meet and interview passing of their sister and daughter Kyla, a two Shanghai Holocaust survivors, Mr. Yechiel MHDS alumna from years back, who was only in her mid-20’s when she recently passed away Meir Chaim Shapiro (top) and Mr. Yechiel Benzion Fishoff (above), who graciously shared in Florida. May her memory be a blessing and may the family find solace and comfort. their stories and memories with us. This wasn’t their first trip to Mr. Shapiro who has MAZAL TOV MORGENBESSERS been very gracious with his time, memories, and memorabilia to our boys. This is part of MHDS alumnus Yaakov & Rachaeli the “Shanghai’s Jewish Miracle” documentary Morgenbesser had a baby boy this week. project that Rabbi Rubin is working on with Special Mazal Tov to Bubbe Maxine!

Michoel Caras and our HS boys. The boys worked with Michoel Caras this week to GET WEEKLY “MC” VIA EMAIL prepare video selections of those fascinating Sign-up at maimonidesschool@gmail.com to interviews to be screened at the Daf Yomi get this newsletter each week via email.

“Nazir” Siyum Melava Malka this Saturday Night 7:30pm at CBAJ. Come to travel back in MAIMONIDES time to the pre-WWII yeshiva years from first404 Partridge Street person accounts! It is exceptionally warm and Albany NY 12208 inspiring, you don’t want to miss it...

HAPPY TO BE OUT TOGETHER Our student TNT photographer was taking photos by recess-time and came back with this great image of friendship out in the sunshine.

LAST CALL 4 AUCTION PRIZES We’re trying to finalize the Raffle-Auction this coming week. If you’d like to donate a prize or know someone who might, please contact the school office this coming week. Thank you!

READ TO SUCCEED Parents: look for letters sent home for kids in grades K-6 who read 6 hours of leisure reading

by Purim can be eligible for free entry tickets to Six Flags! Contact Morah Dini for info.

“THE BOOK THIEF” 8th graders are excited to begin reading this long book by Markus Zusak in Mrs. Crawford’s English class. Most heard about this unusual book from siblings or friends.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR 2ND GRADE SCIENCE

A RASHI CONNECTION

3rd graders have just begun to learn Rashi letters (it can be quite On October 24th, Ms. Ford attended a 4-hour challenging, especially the letters professional development seminar held at with totally different shapes) and watched a UAlbany for 2nd grade science teachers. The video about his life to get a feel for it. They topic was weather, and she came back to were excited to hear about a Beit-Din (rabbinic Maimonides with a weather kit (pictured court) in the film, because that’s exactly what above) valued at over $200. She was also able they are learning now in Mishna class. We to share ideas and resources with teachers love connections! from other schools who participated.

YAHADUS BOOK ORDERS DUE Parents who would like to order a Yahadus textbook for home study, the deadline is Nov 4th. Please send in money and the book number to Morah Dini if you are interested.

LEAVES SCAVENGER HUNT Last Friday, Mrs. Deloria Ballard sent science enrichment students out on a hunt to find all kinds of leaves based on a list she gave them.

They needed to find: a leaf with 3 points or lobes, a yellow leaf, a green leaf and a red leaf, a leaf with toothed edge, a leaf with veins that all start at the same place, a leaf that’s tapered at both ends, a leaf with parallel veins.. among others. This fun outdoor assignment made you pay attention to little details about leaves you might have missed!

KINDERGARTEN PARSHA These girls are holding up their colored paper plate replicas of Avraham & Sarah’s welcoming 4-door tent complete with the cloud atop and the tree on its side.

6th grade Chumash class played a game of Pictionary. Each student was assigned a few words of the Chumash to draw a picture of for other students to guess.

VOCAL EXERCISES IN CHOIR NURSERY OUTSIDE THE TENT

Morah Rivka’s nursery school students are holding the get-well cards they made outside 3rd graders have 2 jars filling up in their (their version of) Avraham and Sarah’s (big classroom. Mrs. Maher’s drops macaroni in brown paper) tent wishing him a Refuah the jar when students do work, and respect the Shlayma after his circumcision. They also class; and their Hebrew teachers do the same colored the welcome poster on the tent that thing only with rocks in a different jar. says: Bruchim HaBa’im!!

ROCKS & MACARONI JARS

Mrs. Hoffman’s Kindergarteners enjoyed a wonderful trip to Ellms Family Farm. They picked pumpkins, rode the ziplines, and the MooMooChooChoo (pictured above middle) and the hayride (see above) to the pumpkin patch. The Chicken Show was fun, too! They had a great time and were in great spirits even though it was a little wet out.

CHUMASH PICTIONARY

BREISHIS CARNIVAL AHEAD It’s not for a while, because we’re only in Parshat Vayera, but we’re going to have a schoolwide Breishis Carnival at the start of the week of Shmos, during the half-days at the end of December. Stay tuned for class assignments.

TRIP TO ELLMS FAMILY FARM

6-8 girls have choir class once a week with Morah Chaya Bracha. One of the exercises is to say a funny sentence about “whether the weather is cold or hot” or “rubber baby buggy bumpers” and other ways to play with words and with your voice, proper breathing for singing and learning how to use your voice best. This week they learned a song titled “Amen” by Rivka Leah Cylich-Velcovitch.

5 BENEFITS OF

SLEEP

A GREAT KICKBALL GAME

FRIDAY IS LIBRARY DAY

The boys had a great kickball game this week (among lots of recess fun, including the school record number of Capture-The-Flag games in a short time) that had lots of dynamic energy, sportsmanship and good times. Max caught Aharon Meir’s ball for the first time, and he was quite excited about that.

Every Friday the Esty Library is open to borrow and return one book a week per child.

We are slowly adding new books as well, which keeps some of our avid readers very excited. To donate a book please contact Morah Rochel at the school office.

1

ALERT & ATTENTIVE: If you don’t get a good night’s sleep it’s much harder to be alert, attentive, creative and functioning in school (or whatever you do). Driving on little sleep can be almost as bad as drunk driving. Rest helps refresh our mind and get it working at its very best.

2

INTERPERSONALS: People who didn’t have enough sleep are usually more irritable the next day. They get upset at little things and don’t deal well with other people. Even if you don’t think you need enough sleep for yourself, think of how it affects the other people (family, friends, students, co-workers etc) in your life the next day.

3

MEMORY: Even if you think you can force yourself to pay attention, our memory isn’t as effective if we’re running on less sleep.

And here’s the weird thing: Research has found that not only is sleep the night before helpful for memory, but sleep the night after helps, too! Even if we get a good night’s sleep on Sunday night, if we don’t sleep well on Monday night, we won’t remember what we learned on Monday as well as we could. The mind is busy sorting and organizing and storing everything it learned while we sleep, so we have to give it enough time to do that.

4

HEALTH: New studies show that a good night’s sleep is important for many health issues, it even helps lower the risk of heart attack. It helps with maintaining a healthy weight, it helps against inflammation.

5

LEARN FROM COMPUTERS AND PHONES: Everyone knows that we need to charge our phones, and if we don’t let them charge long enough we will be running on low battery. And we can learn from computers, too. Sometimes the computer has been running for a long time, and has a confused headache from all the programs running. It just needs to be shut off so it can start fresh. Same with people, only that we need a longer rest than computers do!

VEGGIE TONGUE & MUSTARD A taste of the Parsha, a “Torah-Times” special to be served at the Avraham-Avinu Bris Kiddush this Shabbos at Shomray Torah.

SWAT THE VOCAB WORD

Ms. Ford’s students enjoyed playing this game.

THE PASSWORD CODE 6th grade Chumash class is learning about the Two players face away from the whiteboard Code that Hashem told Moshe that the elders while Ms. Ford puts up a bunch of words. of Israel would recognize when Moshe went to Then she calls out a word, the two players turn around quickly and try to find the word. The them and told them he has a message from first student to swat the word wins that round!

Hashem for the Jewish people. Do you know what that code (like a password) was?

...WITH A MILLION DOLLARS?

6/7 GRADE BOYS BAR-MITZVAH 3rd graders read a story with Mrs. Maher titled They’re still have quite some time before their Bar-Mitzvahs, but they’ve begun a weekly class with Rabbi Mathless to learn the laws of Tefillin, some Torah reading practice and other additional Bar-Mitzvah prep (in addition to all their regular learning and whatever BarMitzvah prep they are doing on their own).

TWO-STEP EQUATIONS 8th graders are now learning 2-step equations.

One important thing to remember is that whatever you do on one side you have to also do to the other. And sometimes you need to do the opposite (add instead of subtract) of what it says to do, to get at that result. You get to use a lot of different mathematical tools and formulas to get the answer. But when you do… it feels good!

“What would you do with a million dollars?” and then wrote their own paragraphs with their own ideas. But their paragraphs had to have sequence, it had to have an order.

TWELVE ANGRY MEN HS Boys read this play and then watched the What kind of bee doesn't sting? A REBbee. film about a jury. Now they learned a little about Mark Twain (actually, Samuel Clemens) What do you call the wife of a Rabbi Frog? A and will soon begin reading Huckleberry Finn.

REBBETzin.

HILLEL & THE 3 CONVERTS 8th graders learned this classic Talmud story in tractate Shabbos with Rabbi Mendel, including many psychological insights and Torah and life messages. They are now onto the Talmud story about Rabbi Akiva and Papus, with the parable of the fox and the fish.

What’s the best kind of cheese to eat on Pesach? Matzahrella, of course!

If an airplane crashes, Chas v’Shalom, on the border between two countries, where would they bury the survivors? Why would they bury survivors?

at Maimonides and in the Community 10/31: AVRAHAM AVINU BRIS

intelligences theory, especially important in the educational field and approach. He’s speaking at This week we read of Avraham Avinu’s recovery from his circumcision, so there will be a Kiddush at Union College at the Feigenbaum Forum. Some of Shomray Torah celebrating this milestone. Mustard our Maimonides teachers will be attending. will be among the items served. Do you know why?

parents about individual student progress. If parents are unable to come: (1) please notify the school office ASAP so we don’t schedule your slot (2) please make an alternate time to call teachers.

10/31: DAF YOMI NAZIR SIYUM

Late on Sat Night, technically early Sunday morning we change the clock back one hour.

Friday November 13th will be first day of early Friday dismissal.

Doron Kornbluth is speaking for Bethlehem Chabad, 7pm at the Normanside Country Club, 150 Salisbury in Delmar. $12 in advance, $18 at the door. Call Rabbi Zalman: 866-7658.

11/7: ISIS, BDS ETC AT J-FED TALK

11/13: EARLY FRIDAY DISMISSAL

Jewish Federation’s Joint Societies brings Dr. Asaf Romirowsky (anaylist and author, fellow at Middle East Forum) to speak on some of topics of the day: ISIS, BDS etc. Its’ open to the first 300 paid guests. $25pp, $10 for young adults. Includes a dinner catered by Agudat Achim’s kitchen. Event 7pm at Agudat Achim in Schenectady on Route 7. Register online: JewishFedNY.org or call 783-7800.

This is the first week of the clock change, so be sure to remember the switch to early Friday dismissal at 2:15pm sharp.

11/6-7: FALL BACK CLOCK CHANGE 11/11: PRIDE OR PREJUDICE?

What do most people know about a Nazir? That Samson was a Nazir? Our local Daf Yomi study group learned the whole tractate about it. There will also be a screening of video selections from recent interviews our boys had with Holocaust survivors who escaped through Shanghai, including their pre-war Yeshiva memories. Come learn & celebrate as Daf Yomi concludes this tractate with a Siyum Melava Malka at CBAJ, Sat Night 7:30pm.

11/1: KIDS STUFF GARAGE SALE 9am-1pm at Albany JCC. Clothes, books, toys.

11/1: A SUNDAY FARBRENGEN 5:30pm at Shomray Torah, after Maariv, for ChafCheshvan. A Chassidic gathering with songs and stories, nibbles and inspiration.

11/9: “NICKY’S FAMILY” IN C.P. Clifton Park Chabad and Clifton Park Library present “Nicky’s Family”, an award-winning film which tells the nearly forgotten story of Nicholas Winton, an Englishman who organized the rescue of 669 children during the Holocaust. Winton, who recently passed way on July 1st 2015 at 106 years old! did not speak about these events with anyone for more than half a century. His exploits may have been forgotten if his wife, fifty years later, hadn’t found a suitcase in the attic, full of documents and transport plans. Today this story is known all over the world. The film will be shown 6pm at Clifton Park Library on Moe Rd.

11/2: BOYS & GIRLS AFTERSCHOOL 11/9: HSG TRIP TO NYC MUSEUMS A monthly Monday program for 4th grade and up, 3:30-4:30pm. Girls will be led by the HS Girls and will include crafts and cake decorating ($3pp to cover supplies). Boys will be led by the HS Boys.

This week for Chaf-Cheshvan, the boys are planning stories, songs and some learning, along with refreshments. ($1pp to cover snacks). Families with kids in grades 4+ interested in participating should make pickup arrangements accordingly.

11/3: ELECTION DAY It’s not a Presidential Election year (yet) but often local races make a big difference. Supreme Court race, too! A big question on the ballot (for Albany City residents) is the proposition to raise taxes for the construction of a new Albany High School.

11/3: HOWARD GARDNER SPEAKS Gardner is considered the father of the multiple

11/14: ESTY MEMORIAL LECTURE Mrs. Bronya Schaffer of Brooklyn, a noted counselor, educator and lecturer on Jewish Womens issues and relationships will speak at the 5th annual Esty Memorial Lecture. 7:30pm at Maimonides. For adults only, men and women welcome. Refreshments will be served. This annual fall-time lecture on relationship matters was established in memory of Esty (Rubin) Cohen.

11/21: FIRST PIZZA NIGHT Save the date for the first Pizza Night of this year’s winter season. Eat-In/Take-Out. All proceeds go to High School year-end trip and extra-curricular activities. Stay tuned for details!

12/4: “SHABBAT 360” UALBANY A joint effort is being made to have a mega Shabbat dinner in the UAlbany Campus Center Ballroom on this Shabbat. Area college students are welcome to join! Stay tuned for more info.

Mrs. Ramsay, our Social Studies teacher, is taking the HS Girls on a day-long field trip to NYC to visit 12/14: MHDS RAFFLE-AUCTION and study at the WTC site, and visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Stay tuned for their and Chanukah Dinner, at the very last moments of the 8th day of Chanukah, Monday 5-7pm. Save the report in the “MC” on their return. date, and also please consider donating or soliciting prizes as we have to finalize the packages before the 11/10: “MY ITALIAN SECRET” last week of October.

Another film about Holocaust rescuers, this one set in Italy. Kristallnacht screening 7pm at UAlbany’s 12/28-31: HALF-DAYS AT MHDS downtown Page Hall, with La Rabinessa Liora On the half days at school during the last week of Kelman of Congregation Beth Israel sharing her December, plans are in the works for an especially family story, the Saranos from Milan, how they exciting and meaningful time. A one-day Camp were saved in the small Italian village of Gan Israel Winter Camp is being planned, stay Mombaroccio, during the Holocaust. tuned! Our annual Breishis carnival will be on one of those half-days that week as well. Maybe an adult 11/11: PARENT-TEACHER CONF. learning day on the week prior, too!

K-HS Parent-Teacher Conferences at Maimonides are scheduled for Veterans Day. There will be no 2/28: SPA FOR BODY & SOUL school that day to allow teachers to meet with 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!”