BH. Iyar
26, 5778 / May 11, 2018
ב“ה
Candle-Lighting: Community Newsletter of the Maimonides Hebrew Day School of the Capital District 7:49 404 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 8:56 Maimonides is accredited by the NYS Board of Regents & is a beneficiary of UJF-NENY
maimonidesschool@gmail.com
MAIMONIDES 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208
REMEMBERING EVE KNEZNEK On the day after Lag B’Omer, yartzeit of Eva Kneznek, Rabbi Rubin studied with students Mishnas that spell her Hebrew name. Rabbi Laber showed them (and later the High School as well) his JewishData.com research with her High School writings (from 1925!) and how those writings in some ways eerily foretold later events in her life, even her passing.
This MC Newsletter is dedicated in loving memory of
Kay Greengarten חאשא בת שמעון
HAVE YOU SEEN IT YET? Rabbi Michael Caras and the 7th grade boys released their final TTN for the year on Lag BaOmer titled “Torah Through the Ages” featuring Moshe & Yehoshua, Rabbi Akiva and the Rambam, down to Albany NY! See it on YouTube, look for: TTN Torah through the Ages or see the short video online at: www.TheTorahTimes.com It’s great!
HIGH SCHOOL PLANTING BLUEBERRIES 7th grade did something a little different during their Talmud class this Wednesday. They dug, added peat moss and planted blueberries bushes behind school. We’ll see how they turn out. The fruit doesn’t come in right away and either way it is actually considered “Orlah” for the first three years, so this could be considered planting for the future!
On her Yartzeit Today: Iyar 26 By her daughter Morah Devorah and Sid Stark and family
SCHOOL PICTURE DAY R’ Michael and Leah Caras ran school picture day this week. Parents: Order your child(ren)’s picture packages, print or digital options.
THINKING OF ISRAEL
This week’s confrontation with Iranian forces and weapons in Syria is a tense time for Israel. VISIT TO MISCI Our students High School students heard about the studying Earth Science Iron Dome missile had a field trip to shield and daring MiSci in Schenectady bombing raids by where they had a Israeli air force specialized two-part pilots to protect lesson (geared to their its country from harm. We said some Tehillim Earth Science Regents and sang “Al Tirah” with gusto! curriculum) in the museum’s SuitsBueche Planetarium. The seats were extra comfy, the instructor was engaging and entertaining, and she was impressed by how YUMMY PIZZA TREAT much our students They earned this treat for excellent behavior! already knew!
CLASSIFYING ROCKS Not just another rock, this is another Earth Science Lab. High School students were each assigned a variety of rocks which they had to classify by sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic types, looking for telltale signs like colors, textures, and layers, and whether it contains organic material in it or not.
TALMUDIC BYPRODUCT That same piece of Talmud, Sukkah 11b-12a, speaks of seeing Schach as a byproduct of the Sukkot-time grain and vine harvest and that brought up a lively class conversation about all types of byproducts. While not the originally intended product, they can have their own use and value.
SHAVUOT ALPHA-BET Morah Devorah Leah’s 2nd graders learned a whole alphabet of terms relating to Shavuot, and made a bulletin board of these words in alphabetical order. There’s the obvious Taf for Torah, Reish for Ruth, Mem for Moshe, Lamed for Luchot… but there’s also Tes for Tohar, Kaf for Keter, Gimmel for Gelidah, Hay for Har, Ayin for Aseret HaDibrot.. and Alef for Anochi!
HAMLET AND LION KING Ah, the power of parable! After reading the classic Shakespeare version, they watched Lion King to see how Disney takes that same story into a children’s animated classic, and how one is reflected or expressed in the ONE LETTER CONCRETE POEM other—like what Chassidus says a good parable ought to do! Morah Rivi’s older art students made these expressive 3D single letters on a theme. Pictured above is: (L) “R for Rain”, topped by clouds, grounded by grass at the base, with the varying layers of sky blue in between accented by crisp black rain droplets. (R) “Colorful Crayola Crayons” with a spectrum of warm colors all around the C’s circumference.
SHAVUOT TORAH BLESSINGS Dayan L. Raskin of England prepared a special Halachic manual for Chabad Houses that do special kids & family-centered Torah-readings of “10 Commandments” on Shavuot, outside of the context of a regular prayer service. In it he quotes Rabbi Rubin’s creative ideas about the blessings over the Torah and a kids-centric Torah reading Halachic Responsa that Rabbi Rubin remembered from his youth in Montreal. Rabbi Rubin shared this with students in our school as a first-hand example of Halachic development and application.
3 TYPES OF BULLYING Last week a 14-year old lobbyist visited our school. Sam Verstandig is a 9th grader who writes elected officials, keeps track of the laws and advocates against bullying. He told our students about 3 types of bullying: (1) physical (2) verbal (3) cyber. Each can be the worst for varied reasons and in different situations. He also gave a book on this topic to the school’s Esty Library titled: “Honorable Mentschen” (do you remember when we had a MC newsletter feature by that name?)
10 COMMANDMENTS MATCH Nursery students worked on cutting out squares with icons of one of the 10 Commandments on each and then tried to paste them correctly onto a matching paper board. They learned about matching, of course, but also about numbers, fine motor skills like cutting and pasting and also a thing or two about the Ten Commandments as we near Shavuot!
RUTH IN CARTOON DRAWING Kindergartners learned the story of Ruth using cartoon drawings on their whiteboard.
HISTORICAL WAX MUSEUM That’s the year-end project assigned to Mrs. Ramsay’s 7th graders. Choose an historical character (from Colonial times to Industrial Revolution) to read up about, dress up as, get props for, and prepare to be an exhibit for younger students to come by and see.
JERUSALEM, CITY THAT UNITES
Just in time for “Yom Yerushalayim” (this Sunday) Maimonides middle school is joining WEAVING OPINION THREADS the pilot course that JETS is partnering with 7th grade boys Talmud learned an argument Herzog College on “Jerusalem: The City that between Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Akiva on Unites.” The program created for Grades 6-8 Sukkah 11b about “what a Sukkah reminds includes 6 independent 10-minute online us of?” Then Rabbi Mendel showed them 8 activities plus more teachings of this same Rabbi Eliezer, on one 45 topics ranging from prayer, to the Seder, to minute Yevamot that Rabbi Rubin (in his Haggadah) blended weaves together as an idea thread about Rabbi lesson. Eliezer’s style and overall perspective.
IN 57 VERSES In one long chapter of Chumash (that 5th graders just finished) Yosef goes from prisoner to viceroy, interprets Pharaoh’s dreams and also implements a plan of action. So much change, so much accomplished!
TESHUVAH BY JAMES QUAI This week a Brooklyn man named James Quai posted a video of a Chassidic young boy crying in the street, with James saying, “Hey, I’d cry COUNT WITH US OMER CHART too if I had a haircut like that!” the video clip Have you seen this year’s Omer Counting went viral with over chart at the main entrance bulletin board? a million views and Each student is holding up a number that they 100,000 likes. But decorated, on Thursday this week we were up many people cried to number 40 of the Omer. Thanks Morah out online against Devorah Leah for encouraging this project it, saying that it and keeping it up to date. makes fun of a child, ridicules the NY STATE DUTCH HISTORY customs of a whole 2nd graders and 4th graders both happen to group of people, be learning about the history of the Dutch in and can even be New York State at the same time! anti-Semitic. When James realized this, he posted a follow-up apology, (unknowingly) using much language of Teshuva: strong sense of regret, realizing one’s mistake and publicly acknowledging it, and his desire to make amends. There’s much to be learned from both his first negative video as well as the second positive one. VISIT TO THE BACH LIBRARY Mrs. Mattice took the 2nd graders to the nearby Bach Library on New Scotland. They did cornmeal sand-painting, played a red white & black bean game and heard “The First Strawberry” book read. They also brought some of their artwork to display at the library about the main varied cast of characters that comes to use a public library. Their artwork IT IS JUST SO NICE OUTSIDE was made over of leftover parts from a Cootie The weather for much of this week has been game they played and puppets they made, and so beautiful that some classes went outside to if facial parts were missing they drew them in! learn. Part of the developing plans for the Science Lab/Steam Room project include an “outdoor classroom” covered deck/gazebo, SHAVUOT stay tuned for details that will hopefully FLOWERS include solar panels, a rain barrel collection These folder system and more! paper flowers by Morah Devorah’s ECOSYSTEMS EVER CHANGING second graders are Mrs. Maher’s science class learned how all more than just types of ecosystems (which are a combination pretty! Each of all types of variables and factors) are flower has a changing all the time, because each factor Shavuot theme (holiday names, dairy foods, holiday customs that changes can change-up the whole system, which is all interdependent on each other. etc) and the petals have the Hebrew words Nothing changes without changing others! that apply to each theme.
SHAVUOT THRU TALMUD LENS Rabbi Shmuly’s Talmud classes are now learning Gemorah Shabbos about the Giving of the Torah at Sinai on Shavuot. One of the discussions is about which day of the month the Torah was given. Pictured here is a 5th grader making a Powerpoint of his learning.
SENSORY SAND TABLE Nursery kids are having loads of fun playing with sand, and playing nicely together!
GAME OF COLORED CANDY Mrs. Maher assigned each of her science students a card that had what color & number of Skittles they needed to survive & what they could/couldn’t do. They played in groups of three, each round they got more or less and were ahead or behind in the game. It showed how variables affect animal adaptation.
THE HEBREW LETTER “TAF” Kindergarteners are reaching the end of the Hebrew alphabet (for second time, after doing it in Nursery first) see their big chart of Taf words, they helped choose them from their classroom Hebrew dictionary. Morah Chani sketched them out, and then they all helped to color them in!
at Maimonides and in the Community 5/12: DOUBLE-HEADER CHAZAK AND MEVORCHIM
in Malta with the Clifton Park Jewish Womens Connection. 518-495-0779. This Shabbos we (in the diaspora) read the double Torah portions of Behar & Bechukotai (while in Israel they read only Bechukotai, catching us up together 6/3: ELI G. PUTS ON TEFILLIN since splitting off on Shabbos 8th day of Pesach). This concludes the Book of At the Sunday morning Minyan at Shomray Torah in preparation for his Vayikra (aka Leviticus) with a dramatic Chazak! declaration. We also bless the summertime Bar-Mitzvah. new month of Sivan (with Rosh Chodesh on Tuesday).
5/12: WOMENS SHABBOS AFTERNOON SHIUR 4:45pm this Shabbos by Shayna Kudan at her home, 6 Peyster Street.
6/3: CELEBRATE ISRAEL PARADE IN NYC Our local Jewish Federation will going down to participate in the 5th Ave parade in Manhattan. $30pp includes bus trip (leaves 7:30am, returns to Albany 8pm) and t-shirt. RSVP/Info: 518-783-7800 x239.
5/12: RABBI REISMAN’S SAT NIGHT SATELLITE SHIUR
6/5: 30TH ANNUAL MAIMONIDES DINNER HONORS RABBI RUBIN AND MORAH ROCHEL!
Now screened 10:15pm on Motzai Shabbos at the CBAJ Media Center.
5/13: THE TULIP FESTIVAL IN WASHINGTON PARK This year is the 70th annual Albany Tulip Festival! Hopefully the gorgeous tulips will be in full bloom... Usually it is a little quieter for pictures the days just before and after the festival, but there’s a lively scene there with vendors, performers, activities on the days of the festival itself.
Dinner invites are in the mail and webpage with journal options is: www.maimonidesschool.org/ dinner (please share the link with friends, family, old Albany families and alumni!). This year, the 30th year of the dinner & the Dr. Morton Berger Memorial Award honors Rabbi Yisroel & Rochel Rubin who founded the school in 1980 and continue to shepherd it daily!
5/13: YOM YERUSHALAYIM—51 YEARS SINCE 1967 Celebrating the reunification of Jerusalem and reclaiming the Kotel etc during the Six Day War. This year on Sunday. CBAJ has a Hallel-Shacharit.
5/14: MORAH ROCHEL’S MONDAY NIGHT SHIUR
6/10: FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE WALK IN TAWASENTHA
For women, 8:30pm Monday night at her home, 122 South Main Ave.
1pm-3:30pm in Tawasentha Park (188 NY-146) in Altamont. Bring sneakers! Enjoy a BBQ after the walk/run, with Arts & Crafts for the little ones and fire truck demonstration. $10pp or $30 per family. RSVP: capitalfriends.org/ events/friendship-circle-walk-2018/
5/14: JNF BREAKFAST FEATURES IZZY EZAGUI Izzy Ezagui lost an arm in the IDF but that didn’t keep him from fighting his way back into combat. Hear his overcoming the odds story at a JNF program 8 -9am at the Albany Marriott. Info/RSVP: jnf.org/capitalregionbreakfast.
6/12: THE YEAR-END SCHOOL BBQ
5/15: ROSH CHODESH SIVAN
This year it will be a few days before the end of the school year, on Tuesday during the last full week of school. Cost per family is $25 or $5pp.
This is the day when Jews arrived at Mt Sinai, as “one person with one heart”! Tuesday morning 8am Minyan will be at school.
6/18: MOVING-UP DAY AFTERNOON
5/16: KOSHER TROOPS BAKEOFF FUNDRAISER
As a number of families are getting their kids to camp (some starting earlier this year) on Tuesday, we’re moving Moving-Up Day to Monday afternoon at 2pm. Parents and families are welcome and encouraged to attend.
8pm at Bethlehem Chabad. 100% of the profits from this pre-Shavuot bakeoff go to KosherTroops.com. Present will be high-ranking (and local!) US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and Orthodox Jew.
6/19: SCHOOL CLEAN-UP & PACK-UP DAY
5/20-21: SHAVUOT 3-DAY HOLIDAY
Teachers and students are all encouraged to come to school on the “day-after” to put things away, tidy up and close up the school year.
Shabbos (5/18-19) runs into Shavuot (Sunday & Monday May 20 & 21) for a 3-day YomTov. No School Friday 5/18. School resumes Tuesday at 9:30am.
6/20: EIGHTH GRADE & HS GRADUATION Wednesday evening, after 8th grade returns from graduation trip.
5/28: DEADLINE FOR DINNER JOURNAL ADS Honoring Rabbi Rubin & Morah Rochel: maimonidesschool.org/dinner
7/9-8/17: CAMP GAN ISRAEL DATES
5/30: YEAR-END SCHOOL TRIP
Gan Israel Day Camp dates for Summer ‘18: July 9th thru Aug 17th. Dedicated staff, engaging program, meaningful memories. For more info call Morah Devorah Leah: 518-698-1836.
All day Wednesday trip (possibly delayed return pickup at 4:30pm) for Grades 2-8. School will be renting a bus to take us to Old Sturbridge Village in MA. See www.OSV.org. Cost is $10 per student.
6/3: EAT LOVE PRAY—WOMENS LUNCHEON & TALK Featuring guest presenter Rus Devorah Whalen LCSW PC, along with a buffet brunch, silent auction, and musical presentations. 11am at Hyatt Place
LOCAL HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL PETITION See online petition supporting a Holocaust Memorial in Niskayuna, it is facing zoning opposition so they are looking for petition signatures to show support for it, look into it yourself: thepetitionsite.com/886/487/582/ support-holocaust-memorial-in-the-capital-district/
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!”