BH. Tevet
10, 5778 / Dec 28, 2017
ב“ה
Candle-Lighting: Community Newsletter of the Maimonides Hebrew Day School of the Capital District 4:?? 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:?? Maimonides is accredited by the NYS Board of Regents & is a beneficiary of UJF-NENY
maimonidesschool@gmail.com
HALF-DAYS, HALF-WEEK @MHDS
MAIMONIDES
This week we had school Tuesday thru Thurs, until 11:30am, so much less learning than usual—but still so much learning going on! In fact, some students traveled quite far to get to school even for “only” a half-a-day. That’s because all learning opportunities are valuable, and there’s no such thing as “only a half a day!” because there’s so much that can be accomplished even in a short period of time!
404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208
OVERFLOW REPORTING Last week’s Chanukah MC Newsletter filled up with pictures of the Raffle-Auction and the Chanukah performances at school so there wasn’t enough room for all the student reporting in TNT class. Look for these reports inside this week’s “MC” at a slight delay.
SONENBERG CONDOLENCES Our condolences to Barbara and Sam, and to the Sonenberg children and grandchildren on the passing of her father Mr. Jack Sherman. May his memory be a blessing.
LEFKOWITZ CONDOLENCES Jerry Lefkowitz, married 61 years to his wife Myrna, were active members of Temple Israel and the Albany community for many years. He passed away last week at age 86, retiring as recent as 2015... Condolences to family and friends, may his memory be a blessing.
MINCHA & END OF FAST: 4pm Mincha, Fast ends 5:02pm in Albany.
LIGHTING UP CITY HALL FOR CHANUKAH An annual tradition at Albany City Hall, Rabbi Rubin and the High School girls met with Mayor Kathy Sheehan who gave them each Chanukah gelt and talked about the importance of open, accessible government, and the beauty of diversity to be inclusive of all cultures etc.
This MC is sponsored in memory of
Eliezer ben Tzvi Hirsch a Morgenbesser grandfather Yartzeit this Shabbos By Maxine Morgenbesser & family
HOT COCOA On Tuesday this week, the first day back from a long weekend break, Rabbi Shmuly cooked up a huge pot of (pareve) hot cocoa and brought it around to all the classrooms as a half-day warming treat. Devorah Leah is pictured here as she helped serve it to her classmates. And then on Wednesday, they served it again, too! It was a very nice treat.
THE SECOND CHIDON TEST
CHANUKAH PERFORMANCES FOR SENIORS First and second graders sang Chanukah songs at the Beverwyck Senior Residence, sharing their happy and sweet Chanukah spirit with the seniors there who enjoyed it very much!
Grades 4-8 each took the second qualifying national Chidon HaMitzvos test on Wednesday this week. Again, it’s quite the challenging test with many technical details and tricky questions, but regardless of the test scores we are proud of our students knowledge in this vast spectrum of topics of Jewish law and learning that most adults don’t know! We’ll get back to the Yahadus Chidon trivia column as we approach the third qualifying test. We know that newsletter readers have enjoyed the challenge of those questions!
YITRO’S ADVICE FOR JUDICIAL 7th grade is learning about Yitro’s advice for a judicial system, with a hierarchy of courts, just about the same time that they are learning about different branches of US government, including the judicial system.
THE CHESS TOURNAMENT This picture goes back a couple of week to before Chanukah. The pre-Bar-Mitzvah class with Rabbi Motti played games of chess against each other, playing winners until Mendel of Schenectady was the final winner. They also learned life-lessons from chess, including never-underestimating a pawn, how moves have longer-term consequences, and about different pieces’ different strengths.
ELI’S EAGLE SCOUT COURT OF HONOR @MHDS Maimonides was honored to host a Court of Honor as MHDS alumnus Eli K was awarded his Eagle Scout at a special ceremony, which included a Menorah being that it was during Chanukah.
BLACK PAPER GLOW ART All about Chanukah with accompanying Hebrew sentences, now posted on the wall opposite their classroom.
KERPLUNK! For her birthday, Esther M. brought in this new “Kerplunk!” game for her classroom to enjoy. Everyone has to put in crisscrossing sticks, and then once they are all in place, the marbles go in on top. Then the goal is for each player to pull out sticks one at a time in a way that will cause more marbles to fall into his/ her compartment below.
MORE RECESS GAMES… Speaking of games: Itkins brought in an Uno card game, Hechts of Rheinbeck brought in Othello. These games are for all students to enjoy during recess-time on very cold or rainy days when we have indoor-recess. Thank you!
CHANUKAH C-HAIKUS Second graders wrote their own Hebrew Chanukah C-Haikus which Morah Devorah Leah typed up for them and posted on this bulletin board. They did a great job!
STAINED GLASS FOR CHANUKAH 3rd graders learned about how stained-glass works and made their own (not actually glass but a lookalike) for Chanukah decorations in their classroom window with Rabbi Yossi in STEAM class. It’s not only how the design looks itself but how it changes with sunlight, and how the reflection plays on the walls of the classroom when it comes in at certain angles.
THE DONNER PARTY AND THE OREGON TRAIL
This was no party, and much more than just a game! 7th grade RHYTHM SCHEMES IN E.L.A. history is learning about Western Expansion Mrs. M’s English classes are doing a unit on YESHIVA STUDENTS RETURN and about the journey westward and new lives poetry, and the different types of poetry with On the last night of Chanukah, this group of different types of rhyme or meter or style that and communities established there. They also Yeshiva students, all Maimonides alumni, had defines it. Students in 7th grade had to choose learned about the fateful journey of the a mini-reunion, catching up, sharing Yeshiva Donner Party and of the trials and challenges a piece of poetry to memorize and present in styles & news, enjoying each other’s company. front of their classmates. they faced going west. The Oregon Trail game is based on those challenges.
MIRIAM BAS BILGAH
NEW POETRY PROJECT
Who was she? And why does tractate Sukkah end with a story about her? Being a half-day week, 7th grade Talmud switched out from their regular study of tractate Sukkah to learn this tragic story, and then heard the Rebbe’s positive twist in a unique interpretation that seeks and sees the tremendous power of the soul even where you might expect it least.
In addition to the earlier poem memorization project (see page 2) Mrs. M’s students also each chose a famous poet to research and write about, including their life-story, lifeconditions, type of poetry and the period in which they lived and how they related to it and influenced it.
NEGATIVES INTO POSITIVES
ALL PARSHAS ON ONE SHEET
Today, for the 10th of Tevet, 5th-7th grade learned how the same word ( סמךsiege) can MIMEOGRAPH FROM 1982 As this Shabbos turn into ( סומךsupport) with the simple In teaching about Ezra & Nechemia for the marks the switch of a vowel! It’s about seeing positives in 9th of Tevet, Morah Rochel found an old completion of all negatives and realizing how a slight sheet she made (about 8th, 9th & 10th of of Chumash change or twist can make that switch. Tevet in Jewish history) back in 1982 that was Breishis, Morah Students worked in pairs to write up illustrated by Rabbi Rubin and it copied in Devorah’s first reddish ink by a mimeograph stencil machine! a negative sentence they hear and don’t like, graders and on the other side of the card they wrote illustrated one box per Parsha for a grand how a slight addition or change would change WATER review—all on one sheet of paper. the tone of that negative sentence from VAPOR negative to positive. This continues the same 2nd graders with theme from the Miriam Bas Bilga story that Mrs. Mattice are 7th graders learned the day before. learning about condensation and evaporation and how the water cycle works. They tried to replicate it using an illustrated plastic bag experiment TENTH OF TEVET PROJECT with blue-colored Kindergarten and Nursery collaborated on this water hanging in bulletin board. Nursery painted the big brown the sunlight on stones of the walls of Jerusalem, Kindergarten the windows near the computer lab. made the paper chain of the siege around the
A CHANUKAH PUZZLE
wall, and they all decorated little paper-people holding hands in unity—which is the siege’s best long-term antidote!
This was a nice classroom present but it took some work to put it together!
THE TORAH TIMES IN ACTION Rabbi Yossi arranged for a new grant for students to act as newscasters of the weekly Torah-Times, along with filming and all under Rabbi Caras’ instruction. Stay tuned for this!
HAMOTZEE OR MEZONOT? HANDS-ON But hands-on WHOM—that’s the big question! This weeks Parsha Vayechi is when Yaakov famously switches his right and left hands for the blessings of his grandsons Menashe and Efraim, the first members of his family to be born in Egypt. That’s why these students are coloring these paper hands.
This is a practical question that comes up a lot at quick meals especially in big Jewish metro areas (where bread-like foods are sometimes prepared with juices instead of water—as a Halachic loophole). Rabbi Caras & his 6/7 Halacha class took a closer look at the background issues and classic texts to get a better sense of which bracha to make when, because there are a number of different factors to consider.
PRE-BM MISHMAR TIME On one of the half-days this week, pre-BM boys stayed for an extra hour or so to enjoy a little after-school afternoon farbrengen with Rabbi Motti. They discussed the first official translation of Torah under King Talmay (which has to do with the 3 days leading to the 10th of Tevet) while noshing popcorn and pickles, juice and chips. They sang Nigunnim, played monopoly and elimination, and enjoyed quality time together as a group.
It’s getting cold out, we like to take the kids out to play… DRESS WARM for Winter!
WE’RE CLOSER TO A MINYAN!
Chanukah 2017 marks ten years since the laying of the cornerstone for the new wing 12/26-29: WEEK AT NYS-MUSEUM 1/6: GREAT RIVALRIES III expansion of Look up the NYS Museum website online and find 3rd in Rabbi Feldman’s Great Rivalries series, Maimonides the Holiday Week programs. The emphasis is on “How should Judaism respond to modernity? School, a few WWI (now marking 100 years since) and the Erie Reform vs. Orthodox” Shabbos morning at CBAJ. Canal (now marking 200 years since construction years after the first began in 1817!). There are films to watch, purchase of the 1/6: PIZZA NIGHT AT MAIMONIDES activities for kids, special exhibits etc. There are old building. HS Girls are at it again! Come out to Nathan’s also some nice new exhibits at MiSci Schenectady. Kitchen for some freshly made delicious pizza and a This December nice casual Motzai Shabbat with community, (only a few days left!) will be the final $7,500 12/28: TENTH OF TEVET FAST starting 7:30pm. This wintertime fundraiser loan payment of $300,000 to Avi-Chai It’s one of the shortest fasts of the year (as it is a supports High-School’s extra-curricular Foundation which helped fund this building daytime only fast and falls during the wintertime). programming and trips. Questions? Pre-Orders? expansion, which Maimonides has been paying Mincha has a special Torah reading & Haftorah Email: BnosChayaPrograms@gmail.com down at all this time since. If you would like to plus Avinu Malkeinu: 4pm Mincha at Shteeble. be part of the “Minyan” (ten good people) Fast ends at 5:02pm. 1/12-13: TRAVELING CHASSIDIM contributing $750 to have the final merit of The group titled “The Traveling Chassidim” will be retiring this loan, please speak to Rabbi Rubin. 12/29/2017-1/1/2018: NEW YEARS leading a Shabbaton at CBAJ with a Heimish-style Help complete the “Minyan!” we’re getting Maimonides students and families: Enjoy this dinner, conversation about Chassidic life after closer to a Minyan of contributors for this.
at Maimonides and in the Community
extended weekend break, no school Friday through Shachris and a Musical Havdalah & Dancing. Monday. School resumes 8am on Tuesday, 1/2.
12/30: SHABBOS CHAZAK!
1/18: SUPERSUNDAY TRAINING
First Chazak of 5778, as we conclude Chumash Breishis this Shabbos with Parsha Vayechi.
2pm and 8pm at Federation for Super-Sunday volunteers. Maimonides school parents are needed to signup. Thanks!
12/30: REISMAN SHIUR AT CBAJ
1/28: J-FED’S SUPER-SUNDAY
Weekly Navi shiur broadcast from Brooklyn. 7:30pm this time of year at CBAJ’s Media Center.
12/31: KOSHER AT FIRST NIGHT Bethlehem Chabad (at their center, 393 Delaware, close to the Four Corners) will have Kosher food and activities at Bethlehem’s First Night Celebration, which kicks-off 6:30pm on Sunday Night, New Years Eve, with fireworks and festivities at a number of nearby locations.
1/1: CHINESE BREAKFASTUDY As we mark the secular new year, its an appropriate time to recognize “Chassidei Umos HaOlam” righteous gentiles. On New Years Day there will be a Chinese-style breakfast (eggrolls and other goodies) after 8am Shachris at Shomray Torah along with excerpts from a recently published book of Rabbi Pinchas Hirschprung’s (Rabbi Rubin’s teacher, and Chief Rabbi of Montreal, whose yartzeit is later this week) war-time memoirs titled “Vale of Tears”, on how he and thousands of others were saved by escape to Shanghai by the Japanese diplomat Sugihara.
We need Maimonides parent volunteers to assist with Federation’s Super-Sunday, as funds raised benefit many organizations & institutions in local & overseas communities, including Maimonides.
1/21: SPA FOR THE BODY & SOUL Stay tuned for more details on the annual women’s program! Rivka Krinsky, Australian singer and songwriter will be this year’s featured presenter. She “weaves soulful music with healthy living.” Spa treatments 1:00pm, Program & Luncheon 2:004:00pm. For more info call Leah: 518-495-0779 or Clara 518-439-8280.
THE TORAH TIMES! Breishis may be over, but there’s still Shmot ahead! Order your book of Torah-Times at: www.TheTorahTimes.com
NEW-OLD PLAYGROUND UAlbany was moving & upgrading their (still in good condition) pre-school playground, and looking for a school that could use it—so we have them now here at Maimonides. Most pieces are ready to go, some will have to be assembled/installed in the springtime. It will be a nice play area for our younger students in addition to the city park down the street.
WINTER CLOTHES! Morah Devorah’s winter-clothes bulletin board is a reminder of the warm clothes and accessories all our children need this time of year. Parents, make sure they are prepared!
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!”