BH. Tevet
24, 5778 / January 11, 2018
ב“ה
Candle-Lighting: Community Newsletter of the Maimonides Hebrew Day School of the Capital District 4:26 404 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 5:31 Maimonides is accredited by the NYS Board of Regents & is a beneficiary of UJF-NENY
RABBI RAZIEL SHEVACH OBM This Rabbi was the 35year-old father of six children, a teacher, volunteer medic and a mohel. Sadly he was gunned down by terrorists this week while driving on a Shomron/West Bank highway. May his memory be a blessing.
maimonidesschool@gmail.com
MAIMONIDES 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208
This MC is dedicated in memory of
Marlene Aronson Mina Gita bas David Yartzeit this Sunday—Tevet 27
“MAARIV” STORY ON SOMAYA SAHLA & RABBI ARYE HEINTZ The Israeli newspaper “Maariv” had a very interesting story about a Dutch Muslim girl who got involved with a radical group in her Holland mosque and was arrested and imprisoned twice after terrorists she was involved with murdered a fierce critic of radical Islam, a Dutch filmmaker & journalist Van Gogh. While in prison she became more curious and began studying with the prison chaplain, a Chabad Shliach named Rabbi Arye Heintz, who used to live in Albany! Rabbi Heintz was involved with local Capital Region Kashruth, including the Kosher Kitchen at UAlbany and his wife Bracha taught at Maimonides where their children attended. It’s a long story, but over time, study and discussion, Somaya transformed into an anti-radical, pro-Israel advocate, who after original denials (because of her past terror connections), was welcomed to spend time in Israel! Is this a Teshuva turnaround, or what!?
HIRSCHPRUNG YARTZEIT: FROM VILLAGE TO VILLAGE
Rabbi Rubin’s Jewish history class read parts of “The Vale of Tears” Rabbi Hirschprung’s memoirs of his (and others) escape from GOOD TO THE LAST DROP Europe and the REUNION AT Morah Raizy made Matzah Ball Holocaust through BEN-GURION soup on the last of the freezing Sugihara’s visas. His MHDS alumnus R’ days this week (more cold is book chronicles their Chananya Rosenblum coming back). That big pot of journeys by foot, one was on his way back soup was literally good to the town at a time, and from chaperoning his 7th birthright trip and very last drop! Also thanks to Morah Raizy for in the airport met Rabbi Mark Dratch, now his memories of each buying new accessories for “Nathan’s Kitchen” RCA Exec VP, but formerly the Rabbi of Beth place. This Sunday for Rav Hirschprung’s from towels to sponges. Parents who’d like to Israel in Schenectady and more than 25 years yartzeit there will be a breakfast at Shteeble sign up for “Soup-of-the-Week” (our students with video interview excerpts of Mr. Henry ago—Chananya’s teacher at Maimonides! enjoy it very much) speak to Mrs. R. Wildman. Shapiro describing the same journey.
THIRD GRADE GENERAL JEWISH KNOWLEDGE This class may be too young for the Yahadus curriculum but they aren't too young to learn with Morah Dini many types of Yidiyos Kloliyos (general Jewish knowledge) including: a)12 Tribes and their symbols b) all the Parshiyot in each Chumash c) 10 plagues d) names of the months e) Hebrew days of the week, and more!
THE CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH
FROGS ARRIVE AT THE NILE Do you remember the Nile River Nursery classroom bulletin board from last week (top) with Batya outstretching her arm to rescue Moshe’s basket while Miriam watches from behind the reeds? Well, this week (see above) a huge frog appeared (actually Nursery students made that frog with their teachers by cutting out many multi-color green squares) at the same Nile River bulletin board, with a whole bunch of smaller frogs jumping around it!
7th grade history is learning about the famous Gold Rush of the mid-19th century. It all began when a carpenter named James Marshall was building a water-wheel for John Sutter’s sawmill, and found golden flakes in the river. This set off a major turning point in American history with hundreds of thousands of people converging on California, seeking to find gold or to do business with the gold-seekers. Most of the gold-seekers themselves ended up losing money, the ones who did well were suppliers & vendors who provided goods & services for people in the newly founded “boomtowns”.
CHANUKAH LIVES ON! Yes, there’s still a lot of Chanukah art up on school walls, and this week 7th grade Ivrit also typed up Chanukah stories in Hebrew with Morah Rivi guiding both their Hebrew typing skills and their choice of wording.
CAN YOU LIST ADAM’S DESCENDENTS? < Morah Devorah Leah’s 2nd grade Chumash students can, they listed one generation after the next!
FIFTH GRADE SEES STARS In STEAM class, Rabbi Yossi connected it to the Parsha where Pharaoh’s stargazers warned him of a Jewish baby that would be born and free the slaves. 5th grade girls assembled the paper dome, while the boys put together the turning stand and LED light that shines through it making star-studded images on their darkened classroom ceiling.
FIRST EDITION OF THE “TORAH TIMES NETWORK” LIVE @MHDS Watch it online: tinyurl.com/TTN-Vaeira for the first edition of Rabbi Michael Caras and the 7th grade boys (both “on screen” and involved with behind the scenes production) presenting Rabbi Rubin’s Torah Times and this week’s Parsha in a live studio “It’s What’s Happening!” format. It is still a work in progress and they will be getting better at it, and using more technology as they go along.
“THE TROUBLE WITH LEMONS” … is the title of the mystery 7th graders are now reading with Mrs. M. More on this book as they get deeper into it. Before they began the book they did a series of literary terms typically found in mystery: foreshadowing, flashback, suspense, etc. As an introduction, they first read a story about a hanging that used flashback as a literary device.
4TH GRADE READS “WONDER”
Mrs. Maher’s 4th graders are now reading “Wonder” a 2012 novel by R. J. Palacio (pen name for Raquel Jaramillo) about YUD STANDS FOR... a boy with a severe facial Kindergarteners learned many Yud deformity and how he interacts words this week, from Yeled (boy) & with society and others with him. Yaldah (girl) to Yarok (color green), The book has become a sensation Yanshuf (owl), and Yerushalayim, Yad and discussion springboard and (hand) and Yadayim (hands plural) was turned into a film in 2017. and Yayin (wine). They decorated their own paper-bag Yalkut GEOMETRY AND GEOMETRY JR (briefcases/backpacks) which also High School and 7th grade are both learning begin with the Hebrew letter Yud. geometry right now, albeit at different levels.
DECORATED STAND-ALONE 3D LETTERS Morah Rivi’s HS design/art class students each built a 3D letter (there are paper cups within) and decorated it by theme. Four of the letters are pictured here L-R: “Lemon Letters”, “The Lanes of Life”, “I is for Ice Cream”, and “Music in the Sky”.
ELI WHITNEY’S INVENTIONS HS history learned this week that Whitney’s (1765-1825) greatest contribution may not have been the mechanical cotton gin that he invented, but something that he didn’t invent but popularized and promoted with broader application: interchangeable machine parts.
CLASSIFYING STARS
WHO ARE THESE ANIMALS?
They are the “Arov” wild beasts of the Ten Plagues that stopped into Nursery for Parsha class. More hands-on Parsha Plague activities, including making red-colored jello for the first plague of “Dam” playing with play-bugs for “Kinim” and in addition to making the giant PITGAM POETRY: WATER frog on the Nile bulletin board (see page 2) Baal Shem Tov said “seeing water is a sign of blessing”… one insight they discussed: water is they also melted chocolate chips to make chocolate frogs that pranced around in a in everything, it is a key ingredient of all life. shortbread dough (just as it says in the Seeing/seeking the hidden “water” in all aspects of life is indeed a bracha in & of itself. Chumash!) that the Nursery students made. High School Earth Science did a lab project classifying stars by color, temperature, size, composition and brightness.
WARM ENOUGH TO ENJOY IT We had all this snow out there, but for too long it was too cold to take the students out to play in it. These girls (2 top pictures) worked two days on building this circular fort gathering snow and packing it in. In others (above and on left) areas where Scott and his plow piled the snow up high, digging tunnels is the chosen approach.
LESSONS FROM A HYBRID CAR Rabbi Mendel shared 2 lessons learned from driving a hybrid car over New Years Weekend. One tied right in to the positive and negative Mitzvot our classes are learning in Yahadus curriculum.
DEAR MAIMONIDES STUDENTS & PARENTS! Our 10th graders are running this photo project and contest as part of their Better 2 Lead Program of Better Together. They are looking for pictures of students of all ages doing all types of things with seniors (not just a family picture) but a craft, hobby, Mitzvah, game, cooking or activity. It could be with a Bubbe or Zeide, an older neighbor or family friend. Please contact the 10th graders or Rabbi Yossi with any questions and to submit your photos. Thank you!
at Maimonides and in the Community 1/11: CHAF-DALED TEVES This date marks the yartzeit of the Alter Rebbe in 1813. Thursday night farbrengen at the Shteeble following 8pm Maariv. This date is also the yartzeit of Mr. Joe Saidel, Chabad attorney, dedicated Jew, cyclist, founder member of local Daf Yomi, etc.
Please park in UAlbany’s Dutch Gold Student Lot, shuttle rides available to Shabbos House.
1/23: FIRST GRADE 1/12-13: TRAVELING CHASSIDIM The group titled “The Traveling Chassidim” will be SIDDUR leading a Shabbaton at CBAJ with a Heimish-style PARTY dinner, conversation about Chassidic life after Shachris and a Musical Havdalah & Dancing.
Annual tradition in Morah Devorah’s classroom! Parents are 1/14: FROM SHTETL TO SHTETL invited… they're After discussing excerpts from Rabbi Hirschprung’s already preparing! Vale of Tears book on New Years Day, on Sunday morning after 8am Shachris at Shomray Torah 1/27: MELAVA (which will be Rabbi Hirschprung’s yartzeit) Rabbi MALKA AT Rubin will present excerpts from our school’s video SCHOOL interview of Mr. Henry Shapiro who describes Motzai Shabbos Shira aspects of the same journey from town to town to (Parsha Beshalach and Pre-Tu Bishvat) and Yudfinally get the Sugihara visas rescuing them from Shvat Melava Malka farbrengen at school. 7:30pm. the Holocaust. Enjoy the vivid descriptions and inspiration along with a tasting of Shtetl foods with good old herring, whitefish and more. It’s also the 1/28: J-FED’S SUPER-SUNDAY We need Maimonides parent volunteers to assist Daf Yomi Siyum on tractate Shavuos. with Federation’s Super-Sunday, as funds raised benefit many organizations & institutions in local 1/16: AFTER-SCHOOL MISHMAR & overseas communities, including Maimonides. 3:30-4:15pm for grades 2-7. Younger children can be supervised for $2. Mishmar costs $2 per child to cover supplies and expenses.
1/17: ROSH CHODESH SHVAT 8am Wednesday morning Minyan at Maimonides.
1/18: SUPER-SUNDAY TRAINING 2pm and 8pm at Federation for Super-Sunday volunteers. Maimonides school parents are needed to signup. Thanks!
1/20: CBAJ PARENT-CHILD STUDY 6:45pm at CBAJ includes study & a craft followed by pizza. Info? Email: GoldsteinT@ncsy.org
1/21: SPA FOR THE BODY & SOUL Stay tuned for more details on the annual women’s program! Rivka Krinsky, Australian heath-coach, singer and songwriter will be this year’s featured presenter. She “weaves soulful music with healthy living.” Spa treatments 1:00pm, Program & Luncheon 2:00-4:00pm. $20 prepaid before Jan 15th, $25 at the door. For more info call Leah: 518495-0779 or Clara 518-439-8280. This event is cosponsored by: The event is co-sponsored by Capital Chabad Centers, Ladies First!, Bnos Israel Mikvah, Hadassah and the Jewish Federation of NENY.
1/29: DOUBLE FIRST-TEFILLIN
Israel" about her personal journey in discovering Judaism. Children ages 10 and over who can sit respectfully are welcome upstairs to the talk, there will be a children’s program downstairs as well. The annual Esty Lecture is in memory of Esty (Rubin) Cohen, who loved hearing people’s stories!
2/5: BREAKFAST WITH JOHN FASO Jewish Federation hosts Congressman Faso for a communal breakfast, 8-10am. $5pp. 518-783-7800.
Two our of 7th graders are scheduled to begin putting on Tefillin for the first time (in preparation 2/5: THIRD YAHADUS TEST for their upcoming Bar-Mitzvahs) on the same The third and final Chidon qualifying Yahadus test morning: Menachem S. & Nesanel S. They will be (covering the last chapters in each class’ respective putting on Tefillin at the Shteeble’s 8am Minyan books) will be on Monday morning, Feb 5th. and their classmates will their celebration.
1/30: AFTER-SCHOOL MISHMAR
2/11: TIMES UNION HOME SHOW
10am-5pm at Times Union Center. $10pp, kids 3:30-4:15pm for grades 2-7. Younger children can under 14 are free. All kinds of vendors & exhibits be supervised for $2. Mishmar costs $2 per child to on home remodeling. cover supplies and expenses.
1/31: TU BISHVAT BREAKFAST Annual eagerly anticipated Maimonides tradition, fruity breakfast for Jewish New Year for Trees.
2/3: GREAT JEWISH RIVALRIES III Rescheduled from Jan 6th. “Reform vs Orthodox” a talk by Rabbi Roy Feldman Shabbat at CBAJ.
2/3: PIZZA NIGHT & ESTY LECTURE
2/11: GIL TAMARY, ISRAEL TALK Jewish Federation Joint Society event at Ohav Shalom. Gil is Washington DC bureau chief for Israel's Channel 10 News.
2/15: JEWS AND THE MOB You wouldn’t expect this at Chabad. But Myron Sugarman will tell his own story about Jewish mob connections, 7pm at Bethlehem Chabad.
Please note the two parts of the evening: HS Pizza Night 2/28-3/1: PURIM NIGHT AND DAY will sell and serve 7:15-8:40pm downstairs at Hard to believe but Purim is in February this year! Maimonides. At 8:45pm Chava LeVine will share It falls Wednesday night into Thursday, stay tuned her fascinating story "From Papua New Guineau to for a listing of communal events and celebrations.
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!”