Maimonides Community

BH. Tammuz

2, 5778 / June 15, 2018

‫ב“ה‬

Candle-Lighting: Community Newsletter of the Maimonides Hebrew Day School of the Capital District 8:17 404 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 9:29 Maimonides is accredited by the NYS Board of Regents & is a beneficiary of UJF-NENY

MAZAL TOV BENDELSTEINS To Rabbi Yisroel and Bracha Bendelstein (formerly of Albany) on the engagement of their daughter MHDS alumna Chaya to Yosef Rosen. Mazal Tov to the whole mishpocha!

maimonidesschool@gmail.com

MAIMONIDES 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208

ANOTHER NEW TEFILLIN! It is exciting each time another of our 7th graders puts on Tefillin for the first time in preparation for their upcoming Bar-Mitzvahs.

They’ve been learning about Tefillin in their Pre-BM classes. G-d (& them) willing, this daily weekday Mitzvah will be with them for life!

Rabbi Rubin calls it a launching of Tefillin, propelling it into orbit, powering it into the future— rather than just a start date. This week Mendel R. (Clifton Park) put on Tefillin for the first time (on 6/13!) accompanied by the boys davening class, his friends and WONDERFUL WONDER ESSAYS family. Mazal Tov to his parents Rabbi Yossi These three students in Mrs. M’s English class and Morah Leyee and his siblings. were recognized for writing the best three essays following their classroom reading the book “Wonder”. Their essays were on the topics of: Identity, Courage & Friendship. Many Middos lessons!

This MC Newsletter is dedicated to an Israeli woman came by the school with a Tzedakah box filled with coins “I put Tzedakah in every day” She took the Pushka along on her travels (!) to Albany visiting a friend. She looked for a place to give it once it was full, so she dropped it off at Maimonides.

WAX MUSEUM

Many classes enjoyed visiting the 7th grade’s historical “wax museum” to meet and learn about historical personalities including William Wells Brown (aka Tziyon) pictured SEIDEN CONDOLENCES here on left. See more Condolences on passing of Richard Seiden about their wax lifelong in this area, an interior designer, active museum inside this MC Newsletter on page 2. in many communal orgs & MHDS contributor & advocate. Funeral at Beth Emeth, 6/18.

REGENTS TESTING NOT WINDING DOWN YET...

In these last few days of school many classes are finishing things up and winding things down. But not Morah Devorah’s first graders!

Their last few days of the school year were so exciting as they embarked on a new learning journey, learning the opening verses of Breishit, their first few pesukim of Chumash, complete with a honey treat for the sweetness of Torah. They got a great taste for Chumash and can’t wait to continue learning it next year and all the years to come!

4 NYS Regents exams administered this week and next at Maimonides. See page 3.

WHY DID 7TH GRADE VISIT A FARM? See page 2 for more about their Siyum trip and interesting experience at a private family farm near Lake George.

GETTING A TASTE OF SECOND During these last few days of school, Mrs. Mattice’s first graders began to read the second grade level decoder readers to get a taste of what’s coming next when they come back to school in the Fall. And keep on reading all summer, it keep your mind in shape!

LEARNING: FROM BOOKS & FARM Rabbi Mathless Chumash class has been learning about animals and some things weren’t clear so they arranged a trip up north to Dr. Cohen’s farm. He explained so much, they had a hands-on look. And they got to stop off at beautiful Lake George! When he put on Tefillin with the boys, all of the animals got quiet! Thanks Rabbi Abba for arranging and chaperoning.

HISTORICAL WAX MUSEUM BY 7TH GRADE HISTORY CLASS Among the historical characters featured at Mrs. Ramsay’s 7th grade wax museum were George Washington, John Hancock, Alexander Hamilton, Abraham Lincoln, JP Morgan, William Wells Brown, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Nat Turner and Rose Freedman—even Napoleon of France made a showing! Students from other grades came by to each character to learn about them from the poster, costume and explanation.

Great job 7th grade! (Re-)Living History!!

READY TO FLY, JUST IN TIME ALEF-BET BOOKS These Nursery students are proud of their very AND AN ALEF-BAIS CHART own Alef-Bet books reflecting the letters they Kindergarteners made their own letter charts have been learning in so many ways all year! with illustrations and words for each letter.

Can you see the butterfly with its wings spread wide on the paper towel near the piece of grapefruit? Kindergarten students have been watching and caring for this for a long time, through all of its stages, and now it is ready to be released, to fly off on its own! Just as they are ready to move up to first grade…

A 1956 LETTER OF THE REBBE As the Rebbe’s yartzeit approaches this Shabbos, 7th graders learned this one rich paragraph of a letter of the Rebbe from 1956 that addresses so much: income inequality, communism vs. capitalism, human nature, our relationship with Hashem, conditions for Moshiach, and even classroom or family management! Rabbi Mendel had not seen it until that day, so he was excited to share it especially as it touches on so many issues…

MINI YEAR-END CHIDON HAMITZVOS AT SCHOOL Earlier this spring many of our students attended the international Chidon HaMitzvos in Brooklyn, testing their knowledge of the Yahadus curriculum covering all of the Mitzvot of the Torah. During the last week of school Rabbi Motti made a mini-Chidon just for the 5th graders, dividing them into 3 teams, facing off against each other with their knowledge. They didn’t have electronic buzzers this time, or sit atop a big fancy stage, but they sure fired away, banging for their turn to answer the questions—and some younger grades had fun watching it.

REGENTS TESTING WEEK

This week and next our High School students are taking the NYS Regents tests on algebra, earth-science, US history BIG BOX OF SCHOOL TOOLS and geometry. We wish Mrs. Sarah Maddali’s father retired from many them much success on years of teaching in St. Louis, and packed up a these much anticipated big box of very useful school supplies he ahd and challenging tests. accumulated over the years including many quality calculators, electronic sharpeners and THANK YOU KOCHMANS staplers, various types of rulers and more—and For a delicious and efficient yearshipped it to Maimonides! Thank you, we will end BBQ this past Tuesday. It was certainly put it to good use. up and running as soon as classes

WOMAN OF VALOR ESSAYS High School girls each wrote essays applying verses from Mishlei’s Eishet Chayil to a woman of their choice whom they felt emulated these values and ideals. Students wrote about mothers and grandmothers, some wrote about family friends, even historical figures like Rabbi Akiva’s wife Rachel.

REBBE HALFMOON COOKIES

Davening class got half-moon cookies on Friday in honor of Rebbe’s Shabbos yartzeit.

Why? Their 2 sides (chocolate & biscuit) were dismissed. Rabbi Simon symbolize Rebbe’s balance of perspectives and spoke about modern day versions synthesis of paradoxical concepts in Torah of Mesiras Nefesh (self-sacrifice), learning and Jewish life. Also Rebbe preferred and how children are the future, and the great to see each Jew as a unique person, not as multi-faceted value of Maimonides education. those cookies when they melt into each other!

PITGAM POETRY ON ANTS

SPEAKING OF THE FUTURE Please consider joining the Maimonides Legacy Society. Past legacy gifts have greatly benefitted the school, and gifts today will help secure & endow quality local Jewish education into the future. To discuss further call Rabbi Rubin 423-4103 or our attorney Murray Carr.

While Maimonides is not listed on the SHAPING ARTWORK circulating communal LOI “letter of intent” Look for these student artwork pieces on the for legacy gifts, you can definitely list bulletin boards on Moving-Up day. (Top) is in Maimonides on that list as OTHER. Other is Kadinsky’s style, but instead of whole sets, appropriate for our school as we endeavor to each student made one piece, that together sensitize our students to needs of the OTHER, made the whole piece. be there for each OTHER and help one an(Bottom) Cubism is an OTHER and don’t leave the OTHER out. We artform made up of a look to broaden their intellectual horizons whole bunch of colored with OTHER perspectives, compare and squares or square-ish contrast one idea with the OTHER, and love shapes. Look for the when they find connections with OTHER funny faces within! ideas and life experiences.

King Solomon learned from ant productivity in the summer months “gathering in the summer for the winter months”. They wrote about ways to make summer months count.

MAZAL TOV HECHTS To Rabbi Yitzchak and Leah Hecht (and the Hecht siblings) on the Upshern of their son today and his “initiation” at Maimonides on 2nd to last day of school. Continued Nachas!

YEAR-END CLASS PARTIES Thanking teachers! More in next week’s MC.

SEE YOU ON MONDAY Nursery students practicing for their year-end Moving-Up Day songs. See you Monday at 2pm. It’s been a wonderful year of learning!

at Maimonides and in the Community

MHDS YEAR-END: BBQ 6/12, MOVE-UP 6/18, GRADUATION 6/20

6/15: END-OF-WEEK CHICKEN DINNERS AT PRICE CHOPPER STARTS TODAY THRU END OF JULY

6/24: YUD-BAIS TAMMUZ FAMILY FARBRENGEN

This family farbrengen open to all is for both the 12th of Tammuz (when Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak was released from Russian imprisonment in 1927, and Starting this week continuing every Thursday and Friday through July 27th Kosher Price Chopper (Colonie) will sell seasoned Kosher Rotisserie Chicken: also for Rebbe’s 3 Tammuz Yartzeit). Stay tuned for times, location & details.

BBQ, Lemon-Pepper or Rosemary Garlic. The Lemon-Pepper and Rosemary 7/1: 17TH OF TAMMUZ FAST DAY ON SUNDAY will be seasoned on skewer and seasoned again after cooking, BBQ will baste in sauce. Regular rotisserie, too! Find out more at the store counter.

The 17th is on Shabbos, so the fast-day is pushed to Sunday, when the period of semi-mourning known as “The Three Weeks” begins.

6/16: GIMMEL TAMMUZ: REBBE’S YARTZEIT Big Kiddush Farbrengen for Rebbe’s Yartzeit at Shomray Torah, with many sponsors. Stay tuned for a Gimmel-Tammuz communal family event together with Yud-Bais Tammuz on Sunday of the next week.

7/4: JULY 4TH CELEBRATION AT THE PLAZA The Empire State Plaza July 4th party (sponsored by Price Chopper) with music, vendors etc starts at 3pm, but the fireworks aren’t until around 9pm, and they are the biggest fireworks show around with many good viewing spots.

6/16: WOMENS SHABBOS AFTERNOON SHIUR

7/9-8/17: CAMP GAN ISRAEL DATES

4:45pm given by Shayna Kudan at her home, 6 Peyster Street.

A Fathers Day celebration by the City of Albany, with music, vendors, kids activities and a day in the park. 1-6pm, no admission charge. Also at Dad Fest this year look for dozens of classic and vintage cars lining the park streets.

Gan Israel Day Camp dates for Summer ‘18: July 9th thru Aug 17th. Dedicated staff, engaging program, meaningful memories.

We are delighted to have our very own talented and dedicated Chana Laber back from two years in Israel as head-counselor for the summer. For more info call Morah Devorah Leah: 518-698-1836.

6/17: WOMENS GIMMEL TAMMUZ FARBENGEN

7/10: SHLOMO JEREMY D’S TEFILLIN

6/17: DAD FEST IN WASHINGTON PARK

8pm at the Rubins home 122 South Main. All women and girls welcome.

Our 7th graders are putting on Tefillin one by one as their 13th birthdays near. We look forward to a nice group of Bar-Mitzvah boys next year!

6/17: WILDERNESS CRAFTS AT VAN DYKE PRESERVE

1-4pm at Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy’s Van Dyke Preserve in Delmar 7/12: RASHI YARTZEIT KIDDUSH ON THURSDAY Rashi’s yartzeit is the 19th of Tammuz, and Rabbi Rubin likes to make a Rashi led by Dave Muska of Ondarta Adventures. No cost. Info? 518-436-6346. themed Kiddush that morning at Shul right after 8am davening.

6/17: FAMILY FUN DAY AT THE ALBANY JCC

7/16: NINE DAYS SIYUM BBQ AT DELMAR CHABAD 1-4pm at the Sidney Albert Albany JCC on Whitehall Road. Look for goats, lambs and chicks, pony rides, bounce-houses, face-painting, amusements. Free. 6pm at 109 Elsmere Ave. An annual tradition! Info? 518-439-8280 7/29: BATTLE OF THE BBQ’S

6/18: MOVING-UP DAY AFTERNOON Moving-Up Day (for Nursery thru 7th) on Monday afternoon at 2pm. Parents and families are welcome and encouraged to attend. It’s the last day of another great year at Maimonides. Look back at old MC’s to see how much we learned this year, and all the interesting and engaging things we did!

6 teams compete (everyone enjoys brisket, wings, sides!) to benefit the Shalom Kosher Food Pantry. RSVP ($20pp, $10 child, $25 after July 25th) ShalomFoodPantry.com. Event is 2-5pm at Bethlehem Chabad, 393 Delaware Ave.

6/19: SCHOOL CLEAN-UP & PACK-UP DAY

8/20-27: JGR—ONE WEEK RETREAT What makes the Jewish Girls Retreat different this summer?

One week instead of three, but what a week it will be! Call Nechama Laber to find out more. Located at a lakefront campsite, with divisions for Jewish girls of a range of ages.

See www.JewishGirlsRetreat.net for info.

Teachers (and any volunteers) are encouraged to come in on the “day-after” to clean-up, put away and close up the year.

6/20: EIGHTH GRADE & HS GRADUATION Wed evening, after 8th grade returns from graduation trip. 6:45pm at Maimonides. All are welcome to come and honor the graduates. Mazal Tov!

6/23: CBAJ ANNUAL GRADUATES KIDDUSH To sponsor in honor of a graduate, contact CBAJ.org by Monday June 18th.

6/24: SARATOGA BALLOON & BBQ FESTIVAL The BBQ isn’t Kosher, and the Balloons aren’t as many as the Adirondack Festival later in the season, but it’s a chance to see big hot-air balloons close up, there’s a kids zone, crafts, vendors and other fun. $10pp, kids 15 and under are $5. More info at: balloonandbbq.com

8/26-29: FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE MINI-CAMP Special camp at the end of the summer for children with special needs. 10am2pm, to be based at Maimonides. Interested families or staff (volunteers needed!) contact Chaya: Chaya@capitalfriends.org

8/26: JEWISH HERITAGE NIGHT AT VALLEYCATS More info/ticket & food purchases all online at: www.jewishfedny.org/ events/valleycatsjewishheritagenight2018/ Vaad Kosher meals!

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!”