BH. THURS Cheshvan
ב“ה
27, 5778 / Nov 16 , 2017
Candle-Lighting: Community Newsletter of the Maimonides Hebrew Day School of the Capital District 4:13 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208 (518) 453-9363/3434 www.maimonidesschool.org Shabbat Ends: produced by Rabbi Mendel Rubin & students in the TNT (Torah ‘n Technology) Program 5:15 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
RAFFLE-AUCTION IS UP AND RUNNING, RIGHT ON TRACK! Look for this cheerful optimistic train coming your way! This year’s Raffle-Auction booklet has been mailed to area homes (call the school office 518-453-9363 if you didn’t get yours. Tickets can be purchased via mail, in person at the Dec 19th drawings and dinner event, or online: www.maimonidesschool.org/auction
This MC Newsletter is dedicated in honor of the
50th Wedding Anniversary of Arnold & Sue Ann Grosberg “Erev Thanksgiving” With their best wishes for a very Happy Thankgiving to all! DEMOCRATIC-REPUBLICANS
Huh? Sounds like an oxymoron, especially with today’s polarized politics! HS 10th grade is learning about the emergence of political parties in US History back then, one party was actually THE ANNUAL LENTIL SOUP Morah Devorah’s students are back at it again! called the “Democratic-Republicans”. Every year for Parshat Toldot they cook up a THE LIPS MOVEMENT big pot of lentil soup for the whole school, to What kind of movement is remember the pot of lentil soup that Yaakov this? Actually, it came up in cooked and Eisav bought in this week’s Torah davening class in connection with a law from portion. Here they are pictured working as a the Yahadus curriculum. Most Mitzvot (both HYDRAULICS ON SHABBOS? team peeling & cutting the vegetables. Along In STEAM program with Rabbi the way they learn new cooking and ingredient positive & negative) don’t fulfill their requirement or purpose unless it involves Yossi, students explored power of words in Hebrew and take pride in the some type of action (few Mitzvot are hydraulic (water) pressure in delicious soup they make together. exceptions to this rule). So what is the action hands-on experiments and in in prayer? The answer is in the Talmud: the examples of practical application SOUP OF THE WEEK IS BACK movements of the lips is considered an action! in construction machinery. They used syringe- The kids love this wintertime tradition at type pipes to try to operate a simple machines Maimonides! Parents sign up to make the soup like a claw & a mini elevator. Electrical once a week, prepared in “Nathan’s Kitchen”. JEWISH WORLD ART CONTEST components aside, is hydraulic pressure itself Kids! Draw Jewish themes or holiday art for Parents, please reserve your week and type of allowed on Shabbos? There are the JW Calendar. Deadline is end of this soup with Mrs. Wildman. This week’s first different opinions on this, one variable grade-made lentil soup will be the kick-off and weekend! Landscape format. Send scans of is what the pressure is used to do. your artwork to info@carasmaticdesign.com parents make it each week after that.
BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND THE NATIVE AMERICANS 7th grade history learned that one of the things that helped a ragtag Colonial army beat the mighty British forces in the Revolutionary War was that the British fought old-style DRAWING WITH LIGHT conventional warfare, while the American Pictured above Rabbi Caras & High School learned a couple of tricks from the out-of-thegirls Photography Class are looking over some box tactics of the Native Americans. “Who is of the very cool pictures they took (including wise? The one who learns from all people!” the two on top right spelling: “MHDS” and says Pirkei Avot. George Washington may “LIGHT”) by waving glow-sticks (in darkened have been an upright, trustworthy man but in room) in the shape of letters and slowing battle he had a few tricks up his sleeve. Good down the camera’s shutter speed to be able to timing for the Parsha about Yaakov capture that movement. In life, too, and Eisav, you’d never suspect sometimes we have to slow it down Yaakov to come in dressed up like to capture something special we’d be that, would you? too quick to see otherwise.
ANALYTICAL ESSAYS Mrs M.’s High School ELA students are each writing a short essay on the recent books they read: “Lord of the Flies” and “Fahrenheit 451”. The topics they chose from include conformity and individuality, power and savagery, censorship and loss of innocence etc. They were challenged to create a powerful opening line that crystalizes their thesis, give examples of their thesis from their reading, and sum it all up in a closing paragraph.
TEN THINGS ABOUT A HOUSE 7th grade Talmud learned a very informative Braysah with ten laws about a house ranging from safety fences to real-estate sales, Eruv participation to business partnerships, and of course Mezuzah! This Braysah provides the platform for much further in-depth analysis.
USING REFERENCE TABLES HS Girls (with an eye ahead on the Regents) took time this week to see how to make the best use of reference tables, how to pull out the information needed and how to rearrange that information in the required format.
SOLOMON, 2 WOMEN & A BABY This story about Solomon proposing to cut a baby in half to ascertain the true mother is one of the most famous stories in the books of Prophets, and our High School students are learning it this week with Morah Dini.
RELIGION AND POLITICS 8th and 9th History class is learning about the caste system in India, which didn’t allow for upward mobility aside for after-death through their belief in reincarnation. It was an example how their religion can reinforce and support (or stifle) their political system.
WAYSIDE SCHOOL This book (a series of books by Louis Sachar) is a big treat & a lot of fun in Mrs. Maher’s 4th grade classroom. The silly craziness and wacky zaniness never ends! It’s a nice end of the day treat to unwind with if they get all their work done in time. Simcha is important, too!
THE END OF “THE GIVER” 7th graders finished reading “The Giver” in ELA class, and wondered why the book ended on a cliffhanger, without a proper ending, too many loose ends! As it turns out, this is the first book in a 4-book quartet by Lois Lowry, and while they won’t be reading the other three books in class, perhaps this book (and its cliffhanger ending) whet their appetite!
SURPRISE! Talking about surprises in the Parsha (with Yaakov taking Eisav’s blessing) Kindergarten is learning letter “Hey” this week, and Hafta’ah (Hebrew for surprise) begins with Hey. They had fun coloring funny face expressions that fold and then unfold with a funny surprise!
NURSERY LEARNS
BODY SYSTEMS
4th graders are learning the various systems that keep our bodies going. The LETTER two posters that Tziporah is “DALED” standing next two This Nursery are Respiratory student points (how we breathe) to Dov = bear, and Digestive as they learn (how we eat and absorb energy and nutrients), Hebrew words both of which are very dependent on our that begin with muscular system. All the systems interact and the Hebrew affect one another. letter Daled, including: Degel TISSUE BOXES = flag, Dag = Some families sent in tissues at the fish, Devorah = start of the year, which were shared with bee, Delet = door & more! classmates. Its time for others to send in tissue boxes for the class, especially as it gets cold!
MINCHA AT MAIMONIDES
MAIMONIDES HOPES TO JOIN THE LIFE & LEGACY CAMPAIGN
As Rabbi Volovik is saying Kaddish and needs to travel, Mincha on Monday-Thurs 3:15pm. 8pm Maariv at Shomray Torah.
A delegation of Maimonides administration, parents & friends attended Jewish Federations Grinspoon Life & Legacy planning meeting to promote the advantages of including Jewish education in people’s wills & legacy gifts to assure local Jewish continuity. It is still to be determined which local organizations will be included in this group effort but Maimonides submitted its application. Either way look for a renewed effort to increase legacy HEBREW WRITING gifts to Maimonides. These second graders have been doing some They are crucial for the school—Eve Kneznek’s very nice Hebrew writing (and illustrating) with major legacy gift willed to Maimonides enabled nice lettering and sentences on each page. the building’s purchase. This new effort will also focus on smaller gifts (including future gifts from life-insurance policies or IRA’s as COMMENTARY CHAVRUTA This advanced Chumash class uses the Mikraot well as wills) to collectively establish longerGedolot Chumash (note the book’s thickness, term endowments for the school. and that’s just for Breishis!) with its classic commentaries—including Ramban, Kli Yakar, Ohr HaChaim, and Rashi, of course! Pictured above they are working in pairs to do a worksheet, based on the commentary text. WE AGREE WITH CHURCHILL Chris Churchill, that is, columnist at The Times Union, who argues in this week’s THE CELL CYCLE PHASES newspaper that recess-time is important for kids, especially as some schools are doing away Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase with recess altogether. But hey, aside for free and Telophase. Mrs. Ramsay’s science students time of course, why do you think recess is so are learning about all these phases in the cell important for kids? Can you explain it? cycle called Mitosis.
THE FIRST CHIDON TEST Grades 4-8 took the first Chidon test this HOW DO BREAKERS WORK? Tuesday, and most kids did OK. We know that Do you know? It’s one of those many of our students invested a lot of time and things that are hidden away in a energy to study and review this material both in closet or basement, and you class-time and at home. We are proud of all of don’t think about it until our students, regardless of their scores because something doesn’t work. Mrs. they really learned a lot, especially considering Kirkely’s 3rd graders got a little hands-on that these Chidon tests (prepared by the lesson on how electrical circuit breakers work national office) can be very difficult and tricky. and how each breaker switch controls a different part of the building’s electricity.
YELLOW AND RED CHIPS
Mrs. Katie Hoffman’s Kindergarten students use these round yellow and red chips as a visual aid for their math work. Not too young for math fun!
ISRAELI GEMORAH TV SHOW Rabbi Shmuly’s 7th grade Talmud class has been watching an old Israeli TV show that discusses Talmud cases as if they happened nowadays using everyday (Hebrew) language and expressions. It helps make the Talmud they are learning come to life, and they are especially excited when Talmud cases they already learned are referenced in the show.
ORDER YOUR “TORAH-TIMES” www.TheTorahTimes.com (via Amazon).
BIRTHDAY CARDS FOR NISSIM Nissim Shlomo and his family moved to Israel, but his Maimonides classmates (and teacher!) didn’t forget about him. His birthday is this month and Morah Devorah will be traveling to Israel so she is taking along beautiful birthday cards (in Hebrew and English) that they made for him.
at Maimonides and in the Community 11/17-18: SCHOLAR-IN-RESIDENCE
11/29: ISRAEL BONDS BREAKFAST
CBAJ hosts Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Pill of Atlanta, attorney and visiting assistant professor at Emory University for an Oneg talk at the Gurock’s on Friday Night on Post-Modern Avodat Hashem, a Shabbat morning during Shacharit Parsha talk and an after-Shacharit conversation with Rabbi Feldman on church and state issues.
7:30-9am at Jewish Federation. Contact Israel Bonds for more info.
11/18: SHABBOS MEVORCHIM
12/4: SYRIA, LEBANON... & ISRAEL
This Shabbos we bless the new month of Kislev.
Sunday Rosh Chodesh. Add Hallel, Yaale v’Yavo, Torah Reading and Musaf.
11/19: JW KIDS ART CONTEST Try to get kids art for the JW Calendar art contest to info@carasmaticdesign.com by end of today.
11/19: CHABAD KINUS BANQUET This weekend is the Chabad Shluchim Conference, the “Kinus” in Brooklyn, with the banquet (5,000+) this year in Bayonne NJ. It will be live-streamed starting 6pm on Sunday at: Chabad.org/Kinus
11/22: EREV THANKSGIVING Half-day Hebrew-only classes on Wednesday. Send snack but no lunch, pickup is at 11:30am sharp.
11/23-24: THANKSGIVING BREAK No school Thursday and Friday (and of course, Shabbos and Sunday, too). Enjoy the big weekend!
11/24: FREE MUSEUM DAY
“Chassidim vs. Mitnagdim: How should study and prayer look?” lecture by Rabbi Feldman at CBAJ part of a series on Great Jewish Rivalries.
11/26: ALBANY OLD BOOKS SHOW 40+ old book vendors will showcase collections of old books and collectibles at Polish Community Center on Washington Ave Extension. 10am-4pm.
LOCAL KOSHER DINING Go out for Lunch or Dinner! UAlbany’s Kosher Kitchen in the Indian Quad Dining Hall is open for lunch and dinner and is under Vaad Supervision. Visitor parking is located just outside Indian Quad. Call 518-442-2668 for info, menu and cost. Kitchen closes for extended Thanksgiving Weekend as well as all of UAlbany’s Winter Break
12/9: YUD-TES KISLEV MELAVA MALKA SIYUM AND FARBRENGEN 7pm at Maimonides. This annual Yud-Tes Kislev farbrengen will also celebrate the Daf Yomi Siyum on tractate Makkos, with the beautifully inspiring story at its ending. Stay tuned for more info.
STAY TUNED FOR COMMUNAL CHANUKAH EVENT LISTING First night of Chanukah: Tuesday, 12/12 will have public outdoor Menorah at Four Corners, Delmar. Clifton Park’s event will be on Wednesday night, 2nd night of Chanukah. Sunday of Chanukah 12/17 look for a Friendship Circle program, Bethlehem Chabad’s Chocolate Chanukah and Menorah Parade, etc. Troy Chabad is having Monument Square Menorah lighting each night, and Shabbos House will have “Final-ly Chanukah” programs for students for the first half of Chanukah during UAlbany’s finals week. Look for Menorah Parade from school and Menorah at Capitol with Chabad and Jewish Fed… Check back next week for event listings!
If you’re not interested in running around on Black 12/17: SCOUT COURT OF HONOR Friday and want something to do with the kids, Maimonides will be hosting an Eagle Scout Court Albany Institute for History and Art has free of Honor on the Sunday of Chanukah, 10amadmission this Thanksgiving Friday, 10am-5pm. 12:30pm with the award ceremony for MHDS alumnus Eli Kochman as an Eagle Scout. 11/25: MIFGASH GAME NIGHT This is a fun game night for adults, Sat Night 711pm, at 44 Carstead Drive in Slingerlands. Info? director@mifgashcommunity.org
Keep learning along with us, and keep in touch about Albany Jewish communal events. Email maimonidesschool@gmail.com to be added to our weekly email list with this newsletter delivered to your inbox in PDF.
12/2: GREAT JEWISH RIVALRIES
This issue is more relevant as Israel has significant unrest & instability on its borders. This communal 11/18: D.O.S. MUSEUM MYSTERY event by AIPAC at Beth Emeth (7pm program, Annual fun fundraiser for Daughters of Sarah, 7:30 8pm desserts) features Tony Badran of DC’s -10:30pm at NYS Museum. $100pp, $50 (under 40) Foundation for Defense of Democracies. No Register online by Nov 8: www.daughterofsarah.org charge. RSVP/Info? jsamot@aipac.org
11/19: ROSH CHODESH KISLEV
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12/19: ANNUAL MAIMONIDES RAFFLE-AUCTION & DINNER The Raffle-Auction display and prize drawings will be on Tuesday, the 8th night of Chanukah, along with a delicious Hawaiian-themed Chanukah dinner prepared by the Kochmans. Tickets can be purchased via mail, in-person at the event or online at: www.maimonidesschool.org/auction
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR ADVANTEDGE CARD! Price Chopper has recently renewed their add-on points GasProgram, there was one in the summer and now again in the Fall through New Years, but you have to sign your card up again to get those extra discounts off gas. Please link your card to Maimonides School for the Tools for Schools program. You can do both these things at any customer service desk (as well as online) the benefits will accrue automatically, both at the pump & for our school.
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!”