BH. Elul
13, 5776 / September 16, 2016 ב”ה
Community Newsletter of the Maimonides Hebrew Day School of the Capital District Candle-Lighting: 6:44 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208 (518) 453-9363/3434 www.maimonidesschool.org Shabbos Ends: produced by Rabbi Mendel & students in the TNT (Torah ‘n Technology) Program 7:43 Maimonides is accredited by the NYS Board of Regents & is a beneficiary of UJF-NENY
RAISE YOUR HAND FOR ART!
maimonidesschool@gmail.com
SPEAKING OF SAFETY
Morah Rivi did this project with grades 2-6. Most Science-Enrichment classes this week Every hand is differently colored and uniquely discussed fire-safety as they experimented with designed but they are all reaching upward! flames burning under different levels of oxygen. That ties right into this week’s Torah portion of Ki-Teitze which speaks about the safety fence around a flat roof and other health and safety precautions. Maimonides Inter- (or Integrated) Connections (see symbol)!
MAZAL TOV AVI GRAY Rabbi Mathless and Nachman went down to celebrate Avi’s Bar-Mitzvah in Queens where the Grays moved back to after a wonderful decade with them here in Albany. And Rabbi Mathless and Nachman made it back up in time to celebrate the very end of Yochanon Samson’s Bar-Mitzvah at Shabbos House!
A FIERY SCIENCE-ENRICHMENT We are certainly going to miss Mrs. Deloria Ballard-Hubble—our Science-Enrichment teacher for many years, but we’re very happy to welcome Mrs. Sunnie Kirkley whose first class was about fire, from fuel and wick to oxygen, steam to safety. Above: students are watching the effect of a flame on a water-filled balloon. Middle: They’re seeing the difference of a candle burning on the table vs. candles burning inside closed glass tops though one is a much smaller glass than the other.
כי תצא
MAIMONIDES 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208
This newsletter is sponsored by a friend of Maimonides with best wishes for a wonderful start to a new year of learning
SUMMER BABY MAZAL TOVS Without summer newsletters we missed listing Mazal Tovs for babies born during that time. If we missed anyone, please let us know because we love including & sharing Simchas! • To the Mathless family on the birth of Rivka on the last day of school last year. • To Rabbi Abba & Raizel Rubin on the birth of a daughter Devorah Leah. • To the Itkin family on their birth of a son named Aharon DovBer. • To the Voloviks on the birth of a daughter named Chava Chaya Liba. • To the Rubashkins on the birth of a daughter named Tani.
FATHER & SON BIRTHDAY This week Chaim celebrated his birthday, and it was his father Rabbi Meir’s birthday, too!
MAZAL TOV BOMZERS
THRESHING CONNECTION
Mazel Tov on the birth of Chava Sora Heifetz daughter of MHDS alumna Avigaiel (Bomzer) and Shmulie Heifetz of Far Rockaway. Mazal Tov to grandparents Rabbi Moshe & Rochel Bomzer and to the whole family.
In Gemorah class with Rabbi Mendel, our HS Girls learned about a “threshing floor” which isn’t the most common thing to read about these days—but they knew it from English class because Thresh was one of their vocab words! And the threshing floor issue in the Gemorah had a little math to it, there’s a formula about the ratio of number or volume seeds/kernels left to the overall area. We love interconnectedness!
HALACHA INTROS “ONE OF A KIND” BAR/PEOPLE Rabbi Yossi introduced this year’s BetterTogether program by presenting each student WINN-DIXIE RETURNS with a delicious “Kind Bar” (that’s the brand) 4th graders were excited to find a selection with a sticker that ties it all together with a from “Because of Winn-Dixie” in their reader Torah teaching about finding treasures within this year, because (and that’s a pun!) that’s the each person, even if it might be hidden at first. story that Mrs. Maher read from a little bit They learned a story from the Tosfos YomTov each day at the start of last year, in 3rd grade! that illustrates this and it was actually the yartzeit of the Tosfos YomTov that week. There’s a new theme to Better-Together this year that includes more of a learning component, stay tuned for updates.
High School girls with Morah Dini learned intros to Halacha, an interesting mix of ideas including: things to look for in a Rabbi, being spiritual vs. being holy, “4 cubits of Halacha” and other concepts.
G.R.A.P.E.S. STAND FOR... HS Girls in Global History learned to look for these five components: Geography, Religion, Achievements, Political System, Economy, and Social Classes—all key building blocks or basic elements to understand any civilization.
BACK TO BOOK ONE Our 8th graders will be learning Book One of the Yahadus curriculum this year (as will our 4th graders) which covers core Mitzvot like love & fear of G-d, Torah study and the prohibitions against idol worship etc.
SHOFAR’S TEN MESSAGES 4th grades made these illustrations of Rabbi Saadia Gaon’s 10 messages of the Shofar.
NUMBERS ON STICKS Ms. Ford’s first graders are pictured here learning math using numbers atop popsicle sticks to come up with the right solutions.
BEST VIEW OF CONSTRUCTION While all classes can keep an eye on the new construction (see last week’s MC for the background on the Hansen-Ryckman Flood Relief Project at and behind the baseball field) 4th graders pride themselves that they have the best view of any classroom in school, especially when they open their exit door for fresh air. But hopefully all those big machines digging and pushing earth around won’t disturb their busy learning schedule.
SUMMER’S HEBREW HUNDRED TALMUD IN FIFTH/SIXTH 5/6 graders are now learning Talmud tractate Sukkah (first chapter) and are here reviewing their studies of the first Mishna and first few lines of Gemorah with Chavrusa partners.
Morah Rivi asked her 7/8 grade Hebrew students to each write 10 lines of 10 words each about their summer—in Hebrew!
FORMS OF MATTER The same matter may take up different forms. H20 = water, which can be a liquid when it flows, solid when ice, and gas when steams.
NEW READING NOOK CARPET Kindergarteners are thankful to Reb Moshe Losice of Modern Carpet on Broadway for a new comfy and cool carpet for their reading nook. They aren’t readers yet, but are eager to learn how, and in the meantime as they grow their reading skills they love browsing picture books for context clues, or re-reading a book they already heard before.
FYI KOSHERDINING @UALBANY Kosher Dining is up and running again at UAlbany, under the supervison of the Vaad HaKashruth and visitors are welcome for an all-you-can-eat cook-to-order Kosher meal. But it is now longer on Dutch Quad, its now on Indian Quad (its tower is the closest of the four to Maimonides School). See more info: www.ualbanydining.com/dining-choices/ kosher-kitchen.html Visitor parking is located very close to Indian Quad on the eastern side of the campus perimeter road loop.
CREATIVE PARSHA Morah Chaya Bracha’s HS Girls Parsha class creatively expresses a specific theme. This week’s topic was “helping up the fallen donkey” and applying it in life about people who fall down and how to help them (or help yourself) back up, based on a Dvar Torah by Rabbi Yitzy Horowitz of CA, an incredible inspiration even while suffering from ALS.
SO MANY ALEF WORDS! Morah Dini’s Kindergartem students learned SO many Alef words this week: 4 Hebrew months begin with Alef: Elul, Adar, Iyar and Av. Abba & Ima both begin with Alef. Many names, too: Esther, Aharon, Avraham, Aidel. Etrog and Avatiach (watermelon) both start with Alef, as do the Hebrew words for bicycle (ofanayim), lion (aryeh), palace (armon), finger (etzbah), number 4 (arbah) and number 1 (echad), and Anee—which means Me!
THE SOLAR SYSTEM PROJECT
BECAUSE OF A BUG BITE One 3rd grader got a bug bite, so their teacher Mrs. Kirkley turned it into a science lesson about insects like wasps and bees, their stingers and its purpose.
FOOTBALL COLORED JERSEYS The boys playing football had some trouble recognizing who was on which team, so Rabbi Caras got them red and blue colored jerseys to throw on over their shirts to make teams more identifiable. Thanks Rabbi Caras! The boys love wearing them while they play.
I SPY A GANZFRIED ON A TALLIS BAG... That’s what happened at Minyan this week, so Rabbi Rubin asked this traveling visitor if he was related to the famous Rabbi Shlomo Ganzfried, author of the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch. And indeed, Rabbi Shlomo was this man’s great-grandfather!
A number of Mrs. Lisa Brennan’s science classes are working in student teams on various types of solar system projects ranging MONTHLY MITZVAH: MEZUZAH from physical 3D models to digital Prezi This year’s Better-Together program will have Presentations. We are part of something huge! FIVE HUNDRED AT A TIME a different Mitzvah learning and activity each Rabbi Rubin is teaching Jewish history in month. This month is Mezuzah and next chunks of approx 500 years to 5/6 grade, its month will be Lulav. Many of our classes have like a birds-eye view, centuries at a time. They been learning about Mezuzah, both about the love the perspective (and where people, books Mitzvah itself and it applies and connects, and and time periods belong) that a 500-year view look forward to an activity or interaction with shows. Each such period has a special name. seniors centered around this Mitzvah.
MAKE A JOURNAL YOUR OWN Mrs. Crawford’s English students were each given a blank softcover journal and told to decorate the front cover with a slogan or quote or expression they like and the back with an “about the author” description. Each page will be filled with various writing prompts or assignments.
DESIGNING A HEBREW LETTER With Morah Rivi in Graphic Design class, HS Girls learned about typography and did a ELUL ACROSTICS project that removes one letter from a Hebrew The 4 letters of the Hebrew month of Elul word and decorates that letter instead with the stand for various verses that fit its theme. This theme of the word—like a heart for Lev, or an picture is from the 3rd grade classroom, they ice-cream cone for the Lamed in Gelidah, or a made these using Hebrew stencils. It’s not a flowering of the letter Pey in Perach. The comprehensive list, but goes beyond the most design add-on or substitute of the letter adds a famous Elul acrostic on top: “I am to my visual dimension. beloved and my beloved is to me”. The bottom one is about giving to others, the second one is about prayer or redemption– but what is the LOOKING FOR MOLD... On the computer! HS Girls with Ms. Brennan third one doing there: “Ark, Tablets and are researching different types of mold and Broken Tablets” Those who heard Rabbi Rubin speak of this juxtaposition and joining how it manifests itself on various substances of the whole and broken tablets may come up and surfaces. More on this when they report in TNT class next week. with a very meaningful Elul connection!
FAVORITE SCHOOL SUPPLY What do you call a boomerang that doesn’t come back? A stick!
VULTURE IN CHUMASH, AND.. in the park! Soon after 3rd graders learned about the “Ayit” vulture in Chumash class about Avraham’s dramatic covenant with G-d, they saw a vulture (confirmed by a teacher) when out in the park by recess!
What did the pony say when he had a sore throat? Sorry I am just a little hoarse! Knock, Knock. Who’s there? Cow. Cow Who? No, no, silly… cows say MOO!
Everyone gets school supply lists, but we started asking students for their favorite school supply tool, something they feel helps them learn or that they especially enjoy using. No Hi-5 this week, but this will be the theme for next week. If you didn’t think of such a tool or supply yet, please do so in time for your next TNT class next week!
at Maimonides and in the Community This Shabbos after Musaf at Shomray Torah.
see the magnificent balloons rise, but no guarantees that they will go up because it depends on weather.
9/17: WOMENS SHABBOS SHIUR
9/25: APPLE & HONEY FESTIVAL
9/17: MATHLESS B-DAY KIDDUSH
We’re nearing the end of summer season for this weekly shiur given by and hosted by women in the community. This week given by Esther Miriam Vinisky 4:45pm in her new home: 40 Cardinal Av
9/17: SPECIAL SHABBOS PARTY For boys and girls at the Rubin’s home, 122 South Main, led by Rabbi Motti (back for Shabbos) with Chana’le. 4:45-6pm (so that interested parents can drop off kids and get to the womens shiur, too).
At Schenectady JCC, 2655 Balltown Road. 12-3pm, with pony rides, photo booth, vendors and crafts etc. Free Admission, there may be costs for specific activities. 11:30am kids & parents obstacle course and 1 mile run.
9/25: LAKESIDE FARMS ANTIQUES If you like antiques or like to browse antique shows as a museum of sorts, check out this show of 60 vendors at Lakeside Farms in Ballston Lake, 9am4pm at 336 Schauber Road.
9/18: BNOS ISRAEL MIKVAH HOSTS 9/27: KOSHER KNISH CAFE PAINT & SIP NIGHT AT CBAJ 7:30pm at CBAJ. $25 in advance, $33 at the door. Info and RSVP online: www.bit.ly/paint4mikvah this program is for women only. You can still get the $25 price if you sign up today (Friday).
9/18: UPPER MADISON ST. FAIR The Upper Madison Neighborhood Street Fair is on the block of Steamer 10 closest to the fork with Western Ave. They close the whole block to traffic and fill it with entertainment, activities and neighborhood spirit. Free Admission.
Beth Tephilah Synagogue (82 River St in Troy) is opening a Kosher Knish Café on a bimonthly basis. The dates will be announced weeks in advance at: www.kosherknishcafe.org with gluten-free vegan food and storytelling of hidden heroes. Our first Knish Café will be Tuesday, September 27th, 5:307:30pm. Admission $5. For info call Elisheva Morrison: 894-3490 UNTIL 9/30:
ISRAEL PHOTO EXHIBIT @ THE FEDERATION
The Jewish Federation is hosting a photographic 9/18: PRE-ROSH-HASHANAH APPLE exhibition titled “Through Each Others’ Eyes” by 25 Israel young people from Jewish & Arab homes. Clifton Park Chabad arranged a pre-Rosh-Hashana It’s open on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Noon-2pm workshop at Riverview Orchards in Rexford, with a through September 30th. For more info contact the shofar demo, honey tour, hayride & apple-picking. Federation at: (518) 783-7800. Cost of apple-picking is $3.50pp. Call 495-0772/9 for more info.
9/21: CHAI ELUL FARBRENGEN After Mincha/Maariv (that week at 6:30pm) at Shomray Torah, all are welcome to a farbrengen at 7pm for Chai (18th of) Elul which celebrates the birthdays of the Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe, and also the yartzeit of Maharal of Prague.
9/24: SAT NIGHT SELICHOT Because Rosh Hashanah falls Sunday night, the first Selichot will be on Sat Night a week prior: • 8:45pm Pre-Selichot Concert and welcome to new Rabbi Roy Feldman (performing) and his family, followed by Selichot at CBAJ. • 1:00am Midnight Selichot at Shomray Torah (Shteeble).
9/25: ADK BALLOON FESTIVAL Adirondack (hot-air) Balloon Festival is one of the biggest in the country, you have to get there early to
RABBI ITKIN’S “HIDDEN YIDDEN” ELUL COVER STORY IN MISHPACHA A Mishpacha Magazine writer & editor, Eytan Kobre tagged along on Rabbi Itkin’s dedicated journeys to little towns in Ulster County visiting Jews in every corner with Elul shofar-blowing and sweet honeycake and turned that experience into the cover story of the September 14th—this week’s edition of the magazine. It’s truly an inspiring and uplifting story, a tear-jerker that’s brimming with soul and exploding with Ahavas Yisrael, and as the writer says, it’s “right at home one of the Baal Shem Tov’s journeys.” 4th grade Meir is part of the story and there’s a picture of him, too, as he accompanies his father on this Mitzvah mission. And Maimonides School is mentioned too, because that’s where the Itkin children learn every day!
A NEW PLAYGROUND? The City is looking to put a new playground in on Woodlawn… stay tuned!
MAIMONIDES TISHREI HOLIDAY SCHEDULE 10/3-4: Rosh Hashanah, No School 10/5: Fast of Gedalia, 9:30am start* 10/11: Erev Yom-Kippur, No School 10/12: Yom Kippur, No School 10/13: Day after Yom Kippur, 9:30am start* 10/17-25: Sukkot & Simchat Torah, No School 10/16: Post- Simchat Torah, 9:30am start*
* on days with a 9:30am start, grades 1+ please daven before school
IS YOUR ADVANTEDGE CARD LINKED TO MHDS? Please check at any Price Chopper Customer Service. Your purchases will automatically add up to earn equipment for our school! 2 ways to link your card to Maimonides: a) online at this link: www.pricechopper.com/savings/sign-up our school code # is 15962 B) simply go over to any customer service desk in any Price Chopper and ask them to connect your card to Maimonides School in Albany, 12208.
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!”