BH. Iyar
26, 5779 / May 31, 2019
ב“ה
Community Newsletter of the Maimonides Hebrew Day School of the Capital District Candle-Lighting: 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208 (518) 453-9363/3434 www.maimonidesschool.org 8:08 Shabbat Ends: produced by Rabbi Mendel Rubin & students in the TNT (Torah ‘n Technology) Program 9:18 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
THE DINNER IS THIS TUESDAY!
MAZAL TOV KUDANS/KAGANS
Thanks to all who have already RSVP’d, to all who sent in ads, and all the many ways that people are supporting this year’s annual dinner. This year’s dinner theme is BRIDGES, based on the popular Jewish song. The dinner honors Amanda & Joshua Gurock, an invested lively family in school and community; it recognizes our first 5-Year completion of the Yahadus Curriculum; and remembers Reb Moshe Losice obm, who passed just two months ago. The Journal/Yearbook is at the printer now. It is not too late to RSVP, contact Raizy at 518-772-7299 if you’d like to attend. It should be a very special event. First course will be on the tables at 6pm, program will begin at 6:30pm and dinner will be served during the program with desserts following it. Please park at the UAlbany Dutch Gold parking lot in the rows closest to Shabbos House.
Mazal Tov MHDS alumnus Nechama Dina (Kudan) and Rabbi Yossi Kagan on the birth of a baby girl Chava Tzivia. Much Nachas to grandparents Ruvain and Shayna!
MAZAL TOV RABBI FELDMAN and the CBAJ community on his rabbinic installation dinner last night at the Shul. Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, well-known Rabbi emeritus at Manhattan’s KJ synagogue and principal of the Ramaz School, a mentor of Rabbi Feldman, was the featured speaker who discussed the Talmud Bava Metziah story of the “Coiled Snake Oven—made of parts” as his tribute & introduction to Rabbi Roy Feldman.
This MC Newsletter is dedicated in loving memory of
Kay Greengarten
- On her yartzeit, today 26 Iyar By her daughter Debbie & Sid Stark and family
3RD GRADE CRYSTAL MAKING AND NURSERY’S BLUE STONES
Why did 3rd grade made crystals in STEAM class this week? The Luchot were made of Even One rainy day this week Kindergarten Sapir (sapphire) so they tinkered with another kids were complaining about not being able to form of precious stone. Also why Nursery kids go out during recess time. Then they had made blue-colored Parsha class (Bechukotai with its blessings and playdough “stones” curses) and they heard that rain is one of the and tried to etch blessings. It occurred to them (on their own!) out (Luchot were that hey, rain is a blessing. We might not engraved) Hebrew always like it, but it is important and letters in “the we should be thankful for it... What a stone” using nice realization & Parsha connection! toothpicks.
RAIN IS A BLESSING!
JERUSALEM DAY ART & STUDY Many of Morah Rivi’s art classes worked on these foil-art Jerusalems (top) first graders with Morah Devorah made these (above) and other illustrations of Jerusalem. 4th grade learned about the many gates of Jerusalem’s Old City. See more Jerusalem art on page 3. “Yom Yerushalayim” celebrating Jerusalem’s reunification in 1967 is this Sunday.
WHAT TYPE OF SENTENCE IS IT
SHAVUOT’S FOUR NAMES Nursery students are learning that (1) Shavuot (named for the 7 weeks of leadup Omer counting) has 3 other names: (2) Mattan Torah (festival of the Giving of the Torah (3) Chag HaBikurim (first-fruits festival) (4) Chag Hakatzir (festival of the grain harvest).
WHY HANDS FULL OF PAINT
Mrs. Mattice’s first graders learned to tell the difference between sentences that (1) tell you to do something, (2) ask you about something or (3) describe something to you. Their worksheet had 3 columns and they each cut and pasted appropriate sentences under the correct columns. Older students may have this figured out in English language reading but often struggle with this differentiation in Gemorah—is this sentence a question or is it an answer, or maybe it’s a proof. And Gemorah has no punctuation!
LANDSLIDES & AVALANCHES
Participating families should contact Morah Dini for the free passes to Great Escape 6 Flags.
LOCUSTS ARE COMING!
REVOLUTIONARY WAR BOOKS
THE BUDGETING PROJECT
READ TO SUCCEED
A Morah Devorah annual tradition! First graders made their own placemats, practiced their Hebrew breakfast vocabulary and enjoyed a special breakfast speaking only Hebrew!
Don’t worry, we should be OK here in Albany, 5th graders are learning about landslides and but 6th grade Chumash is learning about this avalanches with Mrs. Maher, & Rabbi Shmuly plague in Chumash class. showed them online a huge boulder that felt off a mountain onto a highway in Colorado. This also tied into the Gemorah Shabbos the 5/6 grade girls are learning about Jews feeling “under the mountain” at Sinai.
Ah, you will have to wait until next week to Mrs. Maher’s 4/5 grade history class are find out why Nursery making their own Revolutionary War books. students put on their paint smocks and got their hands full of paint (special washable Nursery paint, of course). Stay tuned for next week to find out what this is all about!
6th grade math class started to do their final year-end project with Ms. Coffey. It’s about real-life financial budgeting. Each student starts off with $1000 but there are ways to earn more money, fees and needs, income and expenses—the plan is to budget for 3 months over which you constantly gain and spend (or lose) money. It includes big items like jobs and rent or home mortgages and groceries and even small expenses like leisure items and treats. Hey, 6th grade isn’t too young to learn how money and finances work and acquire some good financial sense and skills!
THE HEBREW BREAKFAST
MINUTE-TO-WIN-IT CUBED! This week’s Mrs. Maher’s students had a stackoff cube challenge to see how many cubes they could stack without falling and what method worked best. Turns out haste makes waste with this kind of thing. Careful stacking helps!
ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY 8th grade history students had to write essays arguing for and against the use of the atomic bombs on Japan ending WWII.
INDEPENDENT READING SIYUM TRIP TO COOK PARK Morah Devorah Leah took her 2nd graders on a Siyum trip to Cook Park in Colonie for great Chumash work this year and for finishing another chapter of Chumash, this one the first chapter of Lech Lecha. The teeter-totter above was unique in that it works with 4 people, plus the boys jumped on the middle. They also enjoyed a beautiful walk in the park, like Avraham’s journey in Lech Lecha (though not as far from Haran to Caanan!)
Mr. Conley’s English students (middle school to High School) each read a book of their own choosing and then had to present about the book in their own creative way: from posters to powerpoints, spark videos to storyboards. Students were impressed with their peers creativity, some were quite interested in reading books their friends presented on— which prompted one 6th grader to report in TNT class: “Maybe that’s why Mr. Conley gave us this assignment in the first place!”
Nu Pa fro
HIGH SCHOOL YEAR-END TRIP TO RHODE ISLAND Thanks Rabbi Yossi and Morah Leyee for chaperoning this beautiful trip to the Rhode Island coast. They took a ferry to Block Island where they walked the bluffs, and enjoyed the beaches and ocean. Back on the mainland they went along the Cliff Walk at The Breakers and saw the Vanderbilt Mansion. Being Memorial Day they went to “Boots on the Ground” an exhibit/memorial of 700 boots of soldiers killed in battle. And in Newport RI they had a guided tour of the Touro Synagogue, the oldest in the United States and the one George Washington wrote the famous letter to—that was painted on one of the banners of our Lag B’Omer float! Sunburned and all—these girls are all back for their last classes this week and next and to study, review and prepare for NYS Regents testing later this month.
NAVI PROJECTS IN FOURTH GRADE METAMORPHESES IN CLASS
These (and other) 4th graders each made creative projects about the story of Gideon’s son Avimelech and the parables in that chapter of the Book of Shoftim/Judges.
Mrs. Hoffman’s Kindergarteners are keeping a POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES watchful eye on the caterpillars in their class There’s a lot of learning about this in school which are hidden & cozy in their chrysalis this week but in different disciples and ways: cocoon preparing to become butterflies! 4/5 math is learning about positive & negative integers, while 8th grade biology is learning BE SURE TO SEE THE JOURNAL positive & negative feedback (though There are so many beautiful pictures inside, it in biology it is not what you think it is). is like a year-in-review! And many of the ads this year are so meaningful. It will be available WHY THE PARENTHESES? at the dinner this Tuesday, limited extra You’ve seen the dinner theme bridge logo, copies in the office after the dinner as well. right? Everyone knows the “Kol HaOlam Kulo” song. So why are two of those words YEAR-END TRIP PLANNED “very narrow” in parentheses for this year’s There are some variables still up in the air but dinner theme? That’s because Maimonides the school is planning a year-end trip date (in School believes and teaches that these addition to individual class trips) probably for connecting bridges in life and learning can & the Wednesday after Shavuot, June 12th. should be broad & many; not few & narrow.
JERUSALEM: A COMBINED CITY This Jerusalem art project is still drying but we had to take a picture of it, it is so beautiful! Morah Rivi assigned each student to make a different building style or tree that joined together in pop-up 3D style to make a city of Jerusalem in the style of the verse (Psalms 122) “Jerusalem a built-up city, combined together” of everyone’s individual efforts—together!
at Maimonides and in the Community 6/1: SHABBOS BECHUKOTAI, CHAZAK & MEVORCHIM SIVAN This week we read Bechukotai concluding Sefer Vayikra (Book of Leviticus) with a shout of Chazak! It is also Shabbos Mevorchim when we bless the new (incoming) month of Sivan.
6/1: SHABBOS KIDDUSH Kiddush at Shomray Torah this week co-sponsored by Kudans in honor of their granddaughter and the Semels in honor of Moshe’s uncles’ yartzeit. The Semels are sponsoring Seudah Shlishit at CBAJ.
6/1: WOMENS SHIUR THIS WEEK This week’s womens Shabbos shiur will be given by Sarah Maddali at her home 107 Hollywood Ave (halfway between Helderberg & Hackett) 4:45pm.
Breakstone is an executive of The Jewish Agency for Israel and a member of the Executives of the World Zionist Organization, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (JNF), and Keren Hayesod.
6/3: SENATOR KAPLAN’S STORY NY State Senator Anna Kaplan is the first political refugee, first Iranian-American elected to the NYS Senate and will speak about her efforts at talk at Bnai Shalom at 7pm. More info? 518-482-5283
Moving-Up Day ceremonies (& end of school) in the morning with 8th grade graduation ceremonies in the evening of the same day. HS students have a Regents testing schedule of their own.
It’s late but something nice to do this Sat Night… this (hopefully) came together last minute, if you are free come & enjoy “HardCharlie” at University Heights Chabad, he’s a baal-teshuvah, a rapper and also a psychotherapist. 10:15pm at 147 South Lake. Call 518-522-1872 or 518-698-1836 for more info. Event is still tentative but hope to take advantage of this opportunity if “HardCharlie” is in town! Call just before or after Shabbat to be sure we’re on…
6/23: FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE WALK 11am-1pm at Tawasentha Park in Guilderland.
6/26: 100+ YEAR OLD GOMEL TORAH RESTORED & DEDICATED 6/4: MAIMONIDES DINNER
This year’s Maimonides Dinner “The whole world is a (very narrow) bridge!” will honor Josh & Amanda Gurock, dedicated parents, an invested Now open through Sept 2nd for the summer school family with broad, lively communal vision season, 11am-8pm. Www.HucksPlayland.com and involvement. The dinner will also recognize our school’s first 5-year Yahadus curriculum 6/2: WILDLIFE FESTIVAL @WILTON completion, recognized nationally. This dinner will 11am-3pm, Wildlife Festival at the Wilton Wildlife also be a communal remembrance for R’ Moshe Preserve. Animals, crafts, fire tower, pond science Losice who recently passed away after a lifetime of & more, enter at Camp Saratoga Parking Lot #1. local leadership and dedication. If you have questions or want more info, call the school office 6/2: WORMS WORK @ THATCHER 518-453-9363 or Raizy at 518-772-7299. THANKS A program on worms and vermicomposting (which for your support (via journal ads, in person we started at school) will be 1pm at the Thatcher attendance etc) of this important school fundraiser Park Nature Center. Call/RSVP: 518-872-0800. and annual communal event.
6/2: HUCK FINNS PLAYLAND
6/2: ALBANY COMIC-CON $5pp, opens 10am at the Red Lion Hotel on Wolf Road. If you are into comic books and collectibles, this might be for you. See more info at: www.albanycomicbookshow.com
6/3: LUNCH W/ DR. BREAKSTONE
6/10: TANACH SIYUM AT CBAJ
6/19: MOVE UP & GRADUATION
6/1: *** SAT NIGHT SPECIAL! ***
Jerusalem Reunification Day. This year on Sunday.
Shabbat Parshat Bamidbar goes straight into Shavuot’s on Sat Night, Sunday and Monday for a “3 Day YomTov”. No school on Friday 6/8 and late 9:30am start on Tuesday 6/11. School Trip likely on Wed 6/12.
Communal Tanach collective Siyum celebration after CBAJ services around noontime of the 2nd day of Shavuot. Maimonides and Hebrew Academy 6/4: ROSH CHODESH SIVAN students will take part of the celebration. Those 8am Minyan at Maimonides (last Rosh Chodesh of who took study chapters should finish by this date. the year at school). This is the date that Jews arrived at Sinai “as one person with one heart” a fitting 6/12: TENTATIVE TRIP DATE date for the Maimonides school dinner celebrating School’s year-end trip date is tentatively on the together as a community. Wednesday after Shavuot, but the date will be finalized soon. Stay tuned!
TENTATIVE LAST-MINUTE POSSIBILITY:
6/2: YOM YERUSHALAYIM
6/9-10: SHAVUOT HOLIDAY
6/6: J’FED: OPIOD CRISIS TALK A panel discussion of experts on this important issue is being hosted by the Jewish Federation’s Joint Societies, 7pm at UAlbany’s School Of Public Health, 1 University Place, Rensselaer, just across the river. $20 by RSVP, $25 at door. Info? 518-7837800 or online at: www.JewishFedNY.org
Naftali (Tony) German came to the US from Gomel Russia in 1989 and carried with him a Torah from the synagogue where his father served as Gabbai, written 100 years earlier! This Torah has been lovingly restored and will be dedicated for use in Colonie community. All welcome to join this rededication celebration & amazing Torah life-story that preceded & survived all of the 20th century— 5:30pm at the Crossings Park. To RSVP for the event or for more info, please contact: ChaiCenterColoni@gmail.com
6/30: BATTLE OF THE BBQS 2.0 Teams now assembling for the 2nd Battle of the BBQ’s to benefit the Shalom Food Pantry, to be held 2-5pm at Bethlehem Chabad.
7/8-8/15: CAMP GAN ISRAEL DATES Now is a good time to find out more about what Gan Izzy has in store, and to register for day-camp this summer, kids ages 3-10. One tidbit: This year’s preschool division counselor is Simcha Cadaner, a Jewish Montessori teacher in Brooklyn. More info contact Morah DL Mathless: 518-698-1836
Noontime at the Jewish Federation. $5pp. Dr.
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!”