BH. WED
Kislev 4, 5778 / Nov 22, 2017
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Candle-Lighting: Community Newsletter of the Maimonides Hebrew Day School of the Capital District 4:08 404 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 5:11 Maimonides is accredited by the NYS Board of Regents & is a beneficiary of UJF-NENY
SHORTER WEEK, FULL “MC” Thanks to last week’s overflow TNT reporting & 7th grade reporting this week, we’re able to have a full 4-page MC Newsletter, even with school ending midday Wed for Thanksgiving.
maimonidesschool@gmail.com
MAIMONIDES 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208
WELCOME MRS. M. MATTICE Our new General Studies teacher for 1st and 2nd grade, Mrs. Marian Mattice, has years of experience with early elementary, curriculum development & enrichment, hands-on learning & special-Ed, too. She begins Monday, but was here today to observe.
25 YEAR REUNION! These Maimonides alumni got together this past Motzai Shabbos to celebrate 25 years since their Maimonides 8th grade graduation! L-R: Ezra Levine (many years in Israel, now in Teaneck), Chananya Rosenblum (first in Albany, now in Passaic), Zalmy Kudan (for a time in Chicago, now in S. Barbara CA) and Levi Simon (Dayton OH, his son Menachem is in our 7th grade!). Other 8th grade classmates not pictured are Joel Fogel (now in LA) who participated via online video chat, and Yaakov Morgenbesser (Five Towns, NY) wished to come but was tied up at a Yeshiva function on Long Island. What a beautiful reunion! We are so proud of all these fine alumni and the families, lives, and careers they’ve built over these years, as well as their Jewish communal investment. Thanks for sending us such a nice Nachas picture!
This week’s MC Newsletter is dedicated by a traveling guest who needed a place to daven after local Minyan times were over and was warmly welcomed by Rabbi Rubin at Maimonides
AN ALUMNI HERSHEL GRAUBART, OBM Herschel—a jeweler in Schenectady, a pastHONOR Speaking of these 25 year-alumni, Rabbi & Mrs. Yaakov & Racheli Morgenbesser will be honored this January 8th by “Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island” with the “Harbotzas Torah” award. Well-deserved! Special Mazal Tov to Maxine Morgenbesser for this Nachas!
President of the NYS Jewelers Association, a WWII vet who served in France with combat engineers—passed away this past weekend at the age of 94. Of interest to Maimonides, he often participated in our Raffle-Auction each year, and even won a prize or two!
RAFFLE-AUCTION IS UP AND RUNNING, RIGHT ON TRACK! PITGAM POETRY This week’s Pitgam Poetry with Morah Raizy focused on “Ashreinu Mah Tov Chelkaynu” the powerfully positive effects of a grateful attitude of thanksgiving—all year!
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
JACOB’S LADDER Kindergarteners used popsicle sticks, fluffy cotton balls and their illustration of Yaakov lying down during his dream with his head surrounded by rock(s).
ALGEBRA IN THE TALMUD MITOSIS = PART OF CELL-CYCLE This Chavruta is using a worksheet to map out 7th graders were very eager that we correct this. In a recent newsletter it was reported that all the cell-cycle phases were part of Mitosis, when in fact, Mitosis is part of a larger and longer cell-cycle. The interesting thing is that while Mitosis may be the most important step, it actually takes a much smaller piece of time, time-wise (see circle graph above). This can also be a valuable life lesson: Don’t dismiss small! Take advantage of even small bits of time! You never know what may make the most change or difference in your life, or the lives of others!
a chart of 3 of 4 Halachot (on same issue) that BOOKS FROM BAT-MITZVAH are listed in a Braysa (unedited Mishnaic text) 7th grader Bassie R. donated Maaser (tithe) trying to determine which is the 4th law that is money from her Bas-Mitzvah to purchase new missing, and the reason for the conspicuous books for the Esty Library. omission of that 4th law. The 4th law is the unknown variable, which the Talmud derives from the other 3 known variables.
NOW FOR HISTORY & TALMUD & ENGLISH CLASS, TOO!
Another 7th grade inter-curricular connection! In American History class with Mrs. Ramsay they are learning about the failed Articles of Confederation, which followed the Revolution HOW MANY STEPS TO and preceded the Constitution. So why bother with the Articles of Confederation if BASKETBALL COURT? they failed? They have the same In STEAM class students each wrote down a question in Talmud study: Why hypothesis (educated guess) on how many does Talmud bother with and walking steps it would take them to get from record the “Hava Amina” (attempted the door of school to the basketball courts on but refuted answers) if it ends up wrong? Woodlawn Ave. Then they took the trek, each There are many reasons for this: An attempt is counting their steps. They then compared a stepping stone to get into a better direction, their hypothesis to their actual experiment, knowing the reasons and problems with and discussed the range of the difference and background attempts helps clarify and focus why their guesses might have been close or far. the issue, it is often still true even if it doesn't work, and while refuted it still has value both SOUP OF THE WEEK IS BACK in Torah & in history. This also connects with Parents: Have you signed up for a week? Our their English Literature study, because Havastudents really enjoy the soup-of-the-week at lunchtime, prepared by a different parent each Amina or Articles of Confederation can be week. Speak to Mrs. Wildman to reserve your considered like “Rising Action” which leads towards the story’s climax. week and the type of soup you’ll make.
WEDDING CROWN WITH VEIL Why are Nursery students designing wedding crowns with veils this week? For Parshat Vayeitze, and the wedding of Yaakov and Rachel (oops, Leah) where a veil is prominent.
MARRYING TWO SISTERS? 7th graders learned this Parsha conundrum with Rabbi Caras, exploring a variety of commentaries who explore this issue. One answer they learned from the Rebbe has a very valuable lesson about balancing (different levels of) personal observance (and defining that matter of observance) and how it may affect other people’s feelings. It was complicated but interesting.
WHY SO MUCH 7TH GRADE? They were the only class to report this week!
THANKSGIVING IN FIRST
LOCAL KOSHER DINING
Our first graders did all kinds of projects for Thanksgiving, from posters on what they are most thankful for to word-finds filled with Thanksgiving words.
Closed for Thanksgiving, but opens up again next week
UAlbany’s Kosher Kitchen in the Indian Quad (not Dutch anymore!) 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
MORE ON HYDRAULICS
SPINNING AND TWISTING AT THE PARK
This time 7th graders in STEAM class with Rabbi Yossi got to play with the water-filled syringes and use them first alone and then in These Nursery students had a fun time at the multiples to lift heavier objects using the claw. park down the street on Tuesday afternoon, As with younger grades last week (in last week’s spinning on the new (modernMC Newsletter) they also discussed type) merry-go-round or twisting if/how hydraulic-power could be down a pole. permissible for use on Shabbos.
NEW (OLD) HEBREW LETTERS Rabbi Avraham Kelman showed 7th graders an old Hebrew font called “Ksav Ivri” which is more of a cursive and seems to have some Greek or English lettering styles mixed into it. It is certainly quite different from the classic block Ksav Ashuri we are used to. There is even an argument in the Talmud about these fonts!
MORE RAFFLE-AUCTION INFO
A WALK LAST WEEK TO… The truth is that we didn’t know where we were headed. Rabbi Mendel took a few grades out for one period, and at every intersection we took a vote which direction to take. We ended up in Ridgefield Park. The lesson? Life is full of intersections, and the choices we make at each intersection influence the future choices ahead.
BETTER TOGETHER Our 10th grade students have been visiting Massry Assisted Living residents, getting to know and enjoy them. Both the residents and our students have been enjoying these visits. Each time Rabbi Yossi prepares a project or craft with a message, this time for Thanksgiving it related to gratitude and appreciation, and focused on the many daily blessings we have in the Siddur and before eating food.
CHANUKAH PLAYS Some classes are already at work, others brainstorming ideas. Stay tuned!
The camera is a Canon t6i DSLR, donated by Pavilion Electronics, thanks to MHDS alumnus Tzemach Simon This year’s laptop is made by DELL with an intel i3 chip, it’s touchscreen, with 8GB of memory, a 1TB of hard-drive space. Thanks to Colonial Cleaners for $100 in Dry Cleaners (right on North Allen Street) that comes alone with a Bissel Vacuum, a clothing iron and an organizing tote. A Silver Breeze on Broadway in Saratoga is once again donating a $300 gift-certificate, plus this package contains a beautiful set of pearl earrings and necklace and also $20 at a Silver Parrot in Stuyvesant Plaza. The Wood Toys package has 15 items, mostly Melissa & Doug, quite the variety. The Shopping Spree gives you $100 each at Target, Kohl’s, Macy’s & Marshalls + $180 on Amazon online. This year’s purse from Rebecca Minkoff is titled: Chevron Quilted Small Love Crossbody Purse in Rose Gold Metallic In that same package there’s a splendid 10mm pearl necklace donated by Delmar Jewelers of Montreal, valued at $2,000! Games Galore has lots of great games in it including: Splendor, Ticket to Ride, Settlers, Taboo, Othello, Kazink, Headbanz & more. Party Prep (a $5 package) has a pizza-maker, s’more maker, popcorn air-popper, a panini. Arts & Sciences (also $5) has certificates to Art Room and Pottery Place, plus a Slime Kit, and a few junior science sets. Breakfast Pkg (also $5) has case of milk, plus choco milk, a dozen cereals, and more!
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ADVANTEDGE CARD! Price Chopper recently renewed their add-on points Gas-Program, 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 Tools for Schools program. You can do both these things at any customer service (or online) & benefits accrue automatically, both at pump & for our school.
SHALOM KIDS YOGA CARDS 32 Yoga poses in Hebrew and English with a poem 7 Age-appropriate meditations 7 Breathing practices to relax and calm 8 Fun games and activities.
$14.99 special price, with percentage of proceeds to MHDS. Email jorystillman@gmail.com if interested. Visit www.shalomkidsyoga.com or on Facebook.
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at Maimonides and in the Community 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
Keep learning along with us, and keep in touch about community news and Albany Jewish events, even from afar! Email maimonidesschool@gmail.com to be added to our weekly email list with this newsletter delivered to your inbox in PDF.
northern and eastern borders. This communal event by AIPAC hosted at Beth Emeth (7pm program, 8pm desserts) features Tony Badran of DC’s Foundation for Defense of Democracies. No charge. RSVP/Info? jsamot@aipac.org
DAYS OFF AND HALF DAYS AT SCHOOL COMING UP PLEASE NOTE AS THERE ARE SLIGHT CHANGES
If you’re not interested in running around on Black 12/15: Friday of Chanukah, No School Friday and want something to do with the kids, 12/25: Monday, No School. Enjoy the 12/6: EARLY BIRD DEADLINE Albany Institute for History and Art has free extended weekend. Any Raffle-Auction tickets purchased by this date admission this Thanksgiving Friday, 10am-5pm. 12/26-28: Half-Days: Tues to Thursday, entitles you to an additional $10 in free tickets! Judaic Studies until 11:30am each day. In person, via mail or online at 11/25: SHABBOS VAYEITZEI 12/29-1/1/2018: No School, Friday to www.maimonidesschool.org/auction This Torah portion begins with Jacob’s Ladder, his Monday. Enjoy this four day weekend. arrival in Charan, working for Laban to marry his 12/6: WOMENS FARBRENGEN daughter(s), the birth of the tribes & their namings, Details TBA, Wednesday night, for Yud-Tes Kislev. 12/16: NCSY Carnival at CBAJ, 7-9pm on Sat his deal to take only speckled & spotted etc. sheep, Night. $5pp or $20max per family. and his hasty return home to the Land of Israel… 12/7: POST-MAARIV FARBRENGEN 12/17: Sunday Friendship Circle Program, stay tuned for details. Thursday after 8pm Maariv at Shomray Torah/ 11/25: MIFGASH GAME NIGHT 12/17: Bethlehem Chabad’s Chanukah Chocolate Shteeble. On the day of Yud-Tes Kislev. This is a fun game night for adults, Sat Night 7Wonderland preceded by a Car-Menorah Parade 11pm, at 44 Carstead Drive in Slingerlands. Info? from a Menorah lighting at the Four Corners. 12/9: YUD-TES KISLEV MELAVA director@mifgashcommunity.org 12/18: 6pm Menorah Lighting in Saratoga’s MALKA SIYUM AND FARBRENGEN Congress Park 11/26: ALBANY OLD BOOKS SHOW 7pm at Maimonides, this one for one and all, 12/17: Scout’s Court of Honor. See below. families and community. This annual Yud-Tes 40+ old book vendors will showcase collections of 12/19: The Maimonides Raffle-Auction with the Kislev farbrengen will also celebrate Daf Yomi’s old books and collectibles at Polish Community Kochman’s Delicious Hawaiian Chanukah! Center on Washington Ave Extension. 10am-4pm. Siyum on Makkos, with the beautifully inspiring Even more events in the works, stay tuned! story at its ending. Stay tuned for more info.
11/26: SPECIAL EXHIBITS AT NYS-M NYS Museum has 3 special exhibits running now: NYS in WWI, 200 Years of the Erie Canal, on Womens Suffrage. On Sunday Nov 26 there’s a 14pm “Thanksgiving Trifecta” with special programs and activities involving these three exhibits.
11/29: ISRAEL BONDS BREAKFAST 7:30-9am at Jewish Federation. Contact Israel Bonds for more info.
12/10: JOINT SOCIETY EVENT Dr. Sharon Goldman (who has previously spoken here on the Iran Deal) will speak on “Challenges Facing American Zionists in 2017” sponsored by the Federations Baruch, Weitzman & Maimonides Societies, 7pm at Agudat Achim in Schenectady. Cost is $30pp, NextDor Charge: $20.
12/12-19: CHANUKAH EVENTS
List in formation, updates next week. 12/12: Tuesday, first night of Chanukah, public 12/2: GREAT JEWISH RIVALRIES “Chassidim vs. Mitnagdim: How should study and Menorah Lighting at the Four Corners 12/12: Menorah Lighting at Monument Square in prayer look?” lecture by Rabbi Feldman at CBAJ Troy, will continue each night of the holiday, too part of a series on Great Jewish Rivalries. 12/12: Also all Chanukah, look for the Chabad Chanukah display and table in Crossgates Mall 12/3: MODEL TRAIN SHOW 12/12: First Night of “Final-ly Chanukah” at The Great Train Extravaganza comes to the Empire Shabbos House for college students State Plaza. Admission is $7pp, but free for kids 12/13: Chanukah Balloon Extravaganza, 5pm at under age 12. Info? (518) 668-9892 Boscov’s in Clifton Park Center. 12/14: Chanukah Bowling at Saratoga Strike Zone, 12/4: SYRIA, LEBANON... & ISRAEL 32 Ballston Ave, 5pm. This issue is becoming more and more relevant as 12/15: Final-ly Chanukah Shabbat Dinner for Israel has increasing unrest & instability on its college students at Shabbos House, 7pm
12/17: SCOUT COURT OF HONOR Maimonides will be hosting an Eagle Scout Court of Honor on the Sunday of Chanukah, 10am12:30pm with the award ceremony for MHDS alumnus Eli Kochman as an Eagle Scout.
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
12/24-26: J.G.R. WINTER RETREAT Sunday thru Tuesday in Albany NY, an exciting fun-filled meaningful winter retreat overnight program for girls ages 8-18 with workshops, activities and winter fun: JewishGirlsRetreat.com/ Winter or call Morah Nechama at 614-JGR-CAMP.
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!”
WE AGREE WITH CHURCHILL Chris
THE FIRST CHIDON TEST Grades
YELLOW AND RED CHIPS Mrs.
COMMENTARY CHAVRUTA This
HOW DO BREAKERS WORK? Do
ISRAELI GEMORAH TV SHOW Rabbi
ORDER YOUR “TORAH-TIMES” www.TheTorahTimes.com (via Amazon).
MAIMONIDES HOPES TO JOIN THE LIFE & LEGACY CAMPAIGN 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 gifts to Maimonides. They are crucial for the school— Eve Kneznek’s major legacy gift willed to Maimonides enabled the building’s purchase. This new effort will also focus on smaller gifts (including future gifts from life-insurance policies or IRA’s as well as wills) to collectively establish longer-term endowments for the school.
THE CELL CYCLE PHASES Interphase,
BIRTHDAY Nissim