Maimonides Community

BH. Sivan

18, 5779 / June 21, 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 8:19 Shabbat Ends: produced by Rabbi Mendel Rubin & students in the TNT (Torah ‘n Technology) Program 9:30 Maimonides is accredited by the NYS Board of Regents & is a beneficiary of UJF-NENY

MAZAL TOV GRADUATES Mazal Tov to our 8th grade graduates! See page 3 for some pictures from the graduation and tidbits from their very meaningful speeches.

maimonidesschool@gmail.com

MAIMONIDES 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208

MAZAL TOV TZEMACH SIMON Mazal Tov to MHDS alumnus Tzemach Simon on his marriage to Chaya Klein in Monsey last night. Mazal Tov to the whole Simon family!

There were quite a few Maimonides alumni at the wedding including (all the Simon siblings, and some of the Albany guests of course) Chananya Rosenblum, Mendy Yarmove, Elimelech Backman, Hirschel Goldstein, Mendy Rapaport and even Menachem Simon of Dayton. May we get together for many joyous occasions.

This MC Newsletter is dedicated in appreciation of Maimonides’

Middle School & High School General Studies Teachers For teaching our children and for all your efforts in preparing them for the rigorous demands of Regents testing - by grateful parents!

MAZAL TOV SEMICHA RABBIS This is a very special Semicha (rabbinical ordination) picture, of Rabbi Leibel Morrison of Troy, his son (MHDS alumnus) Rabbi Simcha Morrison and R’ Leibel’s son-in-law Rabbi Aharon Calvo—all receiving Semicha together at the same time! Part of an earlier ordination celebration but in the same study program is Albany’s Rabbi Shmuel Kochman.

A beautiful accomplishment after much study!

SPECIAL UPCOMING EVENTS In addition to longer listing (with more details) on page 4, please make note of these special communal events in the next few weeks: 6/23: Friendship Circle Walk this Sunday in Tawasentha Park. Color Run optional!

6/26: Gomel Russian Torah Rededication 5:30pm @Crossings Park Main Meeting Room 6/30: Shalom Food Pantry’s Battle of the BBQ 2-5 @ Bethlehem Chabad. Great Kosher BBQ! 7/10: “My Rebbe Story—Albany Edition” short local talks (& music) of Rebbe impressions and inspiration, Wed 7:30pm at Shabbos House.

WHAT A YEAR-END TRIP! The weather could not be more perfect! We toured Fort William Henry (built in 1755 in 44 days!) with reenactors, cannons & lots of local history made come alive; a beautiful relaxing boat ride enjoying all 3 decks of the Minne-Ha-Ha on Lake George; and while Grades 2-3 had fun at the Beach, Grades 4-8

hiked up a wooded, steep, rocky 1.8 miles of Prospect Mountain trail led by veteran 3x 46er hikers Varda & Jeff LeMonds, a strenuous climb that led to gorgeous views of the same lake but at an elevation of 1500+ feet, starting with staircases & Northway walkway with stops at Whale-Rock, Nosebleed Rock, & TableRock. Not easy but rewarding & unforgettable!

YEAR-END BBQ What a spread! On the last full day of school it was nice enough at the end of the day to enjoy the BBQ outdoors. The Kochmans cooked up a huge spread: grilled chicken, hotdogs, burgers, beans, pasta salad, regular salad, iced-tea, and very popular watermelonflavored Italian ices. It was fun to use the rain-barrels of the outdoor WOW Discovery Center to wash our hands for bread!

THANK YOU ^ LITERACY APPRECIATION MRS BACKMAN At Moving-Up Day there special recognition

SHEMONA ESRAY FAIR 3rd graders have been learning the weekday Amidah with Morah Devorah Leah and ended off the year with a fun fair for the whole school to enjoy with books for each of the 19 Blessings of the daily Shemona Esray.

Morah Rivi outlined artwork for each of the 19 (4 are pictured above) which the 3rd graders colored in beautifully as signs for each booth. The basketball booth, with extra tries per person? That was for the blessing of Teshuvah and the gift of second chances.

The Get out of the Hospital activity was for the healing the sick blessing, gathering the balls was for gathering the exiles, and there was a tin-can-wire-telephone for the blessing of G-d hearing our prayers. And more!

Also at Moving-Up Day there was a special recognition and appreciation of Mrs. Sharona Backman, called the glue of the school, who manages the office helping school administration, faculty and students of all ages alike with matters big and small on a daily basis. Thanks for everything!

was presented to Mr. Steve Caruso (top) and Ms. Amy Drucker (above) of PJ Library & Jewish Federation, as well as Mr. Dan Flax who spend time each week reading with our younger students and promoting literacy. The students prepared giant thank you cards for each. We thank all those (in addition to their teachers, of course) who work patiently and lovingly with our students to improve their (both Hebrew & English) reading skills and love for reading, including: Mrs. Devorah Leah Kaufman, Morah Raizel Rubin, Morah Chana Rubin…. Parents and students, let’s continue reading all summer long!

BEST OF ME Nursery’s “Best of Me” photo mural was a lesson on positive body image in which each Nursery student chose a favorite body part (hands, feet, eyes, nose…) why those chose it as their favorite and how they use it to do Mitzvot.

BIG HEBREW TRANSLATION Morah Dini’s 6th grade Ivrit class ended off the year by translating a big part of an Israeli cartoon book of Torah study into English!

Fun work and they did a great job…

THANKS MRS. MAHER

YEAR-END TRIP TO BILLY-BEEZ

This spirit of appreciation & gratitude spills over to the students as well! These 5th graders had Mrs. Maher for two years and at their own initiative prepared a personalized gift and a beautiful poem for this beloved teacher who taught them so much! Kids, well done!!

Kindergarten and First Grade enjoyed their year-end indoor adventure trip to Billy Beez.

HOW TO GET THE FREE PASSES

If your child did the bonus reading to be eligible for free entry passes to the Great Escape amusement Reports Cards were given out by Moving-Up park this summer, please be in Day. Missed it? Call Morah Rochel 518-526touch with Morah Dini so she 0774. Parents with any outstanding fees please can email you the passes. pay the school ASAP so it can finish the year and pay all its bills, and get ready for next year!

NOT TOO LATE...

MOVING UP DAY SONG & PERFORMANCES On Wednesday morning, June 19th, the last day of school this year:

Nursery sang songs about the Alphabet. Nursery 4 year olds will be next year’s Kindergarten, Nursery 3 year olds have one more year!

Kindergarten (with homemade Tutu skirts) sang a parody of “Yesh Kahn” that Morah Chani made up which told about their Kindergarten class while a slideshow of their pictures and song lyrics streamed alongside their singing. With Mrs. Hoffman they did a poem about being bright (with sunglasses) and a song about Graduation Day.

1st grade made green lilies with Mrs. Mattice & sang about it, with Morah Devorah they sang some of many Hebrew words they know and a happy Thank You “Todah” song. So much to be grateful for!

2nd grade sang a flag-waving patriotic song (top) with Mrs. Mattice and the “Levi, Levi” humorous song about character traits from Avot 4:1 with Morah Devorah Leah. What a nice Moving-Up Day!

8TH GRADE GRADUATION CEREMONIES Rabbi Rubin opened the evening speaking about the song & music of the Levites, and a story about the late Jewish music icon Velvel Pastenak who learned by experience how natural, honest Chassidic melody is more honest than fancy instrumentals, and how each student has a song within, and while school provides tools and structure, we hope to support, encourage and not stifle students’ individual voices and songs.

Amy, a representative of NYS Attorney General Letitia James presented the “Triple C—Character, Courage & Commitment” award certificates.

Rabbi Avraham Kelman (graduation speaker) first told a few jokes (the first differentiating between a cat and a comma) and then spoke how all rejoice with the graduates similar to how all participants rejoice with one who makes a Talmud Siyum, everyday learning at Maimonides is like Simchas Torah, explained learning vs. studying, what C.S. Lewis didn’t understand about the honeyed sweetness of the law, and a cute middle of the night story about his Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshiva University, Rav Y.B. Solveitchik.

Bassie used books as a metaphor for her Maimonides education, with chapters and story genres, lessons from not skipping pages or details and how you reflect back and it all comes together at the book’s end.

Devorah Leah used baking cinnamon buns as her speech’s metaphor, highlighting how different ingredients (like different students) each play a key role, one adds sweetness, the other a stabilizer, one is a leavening agent… all needed!

Menachem shared how Maimonides learning goes beyond books to how they interact with one another (basketball games as an example) and with the world.

Shlomo Jeremy started with lessons from music, but ended strong about trying hard, giving it your best, and not letting anything stop you!

Mendel spoke about Maimonides integrated and interconnected learning, using programming code as an example for the letters of creation, finding real-life examples for Talmud study, making it reverberate!

Eli juxtaposed two Torah portions where people were both justified and had good reason to be upset but their difference in attitude and how they dealt with issue made a huge difference in the result—as an example of a life lesson and personal growth he learned at Maimonides.

Rabbi Mendel Rubin (the evening’s emcee) learned from Pirkei Avot, even with less people there is still Divine Presence accompanying the Torah study of small groups or individual study. While several graduates couldn’t be present this evening, Maimonides School is a master of this Mishna, as the school staff and spirit is totally invested even with smaller classes, as another Mishna teachers: “each person is an entire world!” (and R’ Moshe Losice obm has a nice story about that from Rabbi Heiman, another time…)

Each graduate received a beautiful Pirkei Avot engraved with their name (as it is the type of learning meant to be personalized!) in tribute to all the meaningful personal growth and character development of the individuals in this class and the class as a whole over the past few years.

TO BE SHARED THIS SHABBOS: As Daf Yomi completes tractate Bechoros, Rabbi Rubin came across a “Chasdei Avos” commentary on a curious Talmudic story of hyperbole (Bechoros 57b) of lettuce and cedar. This commentary jives with Rabbi Rubin’s interpretation of the R’ Yosi ben Kisma story in Avot, it affirms small-town Judaism, it also ties in to Avi Rynderman coming back to Albany to celebrate an Ufruf here with us before his wedding—so Rabbi Rubin emailed the contact inside the book. The son of the author replied that his father, Rabbi Aharon Krieger, the author of Chasdei Hashem, is not well but was happily uplifted to hear that his insight was so appreciated!

at Maimonides and in the Community 6/21: END OF REGENTS WEEK

Stay tuned for occasional summer newsletters. If you have news to share or would like to sponsor a newsletter, please email: mhdsnews@gmail.com The MC returns on a weekly basis at the end of August when school starts back up again.

6/26: DO YOU LIKE BAGPIPES?

FREE SUMMER STUFF FOR KIDS

Last day of Regents testing this year! Our 8th grade Freedom Park (across Collins Park) in Scotia hosts through HS classes took a variety of Regents tests Capital District Youth Pipe Band. 7-8:30pm. this week, some classes taking as many as 3 Regents.

6/22: UFRUF KIDDUSH & SIYUM Grand Kiddush celebrating the upcoming marriage of Avi Rynderman and Baila Silverman who are coming up for a special early Ufruf Shabbos at Shomray Torah! Kiddush this Shabbos also celebrates recent completion of Daf Yomi Talmud tractate Bechoros in memory of Salo Steper.

6/22: SHEEHAN FROM ISRAEL At CBAJ this Shabbos after services, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan will share impressions from her recent trip to Israel.

6/22: WOMENS SHIUR THIS WEEK This week’s womens Shabbos shiur will be given by Vicky O’Brien 4:45pm at her home 60 Forest Ave in honor of the 19th yartzeit of her husband Dr. Jonathan O’Brien (Yartzeit 22 Sivan).

6/23: FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE WALK 11am-1pm at Tawasentha Park on Route 146 in Guilderland. Cost is $15pp or $36 per family. There will be a breakfast buffet, obstacle course , firetrucks and a color-run for those interested—non-toxic washable packets can be purchased at check-in.

6/23: RHEINBECK CRAFTS FEST 10am-5pm at Dutchess County Fairgrounds, 6550 Spring Brook Ave in Rhinebeck. Cost: $10pp, $4 Kids (ages 6-16) kids under 6 are free. 200 artists & vendors display & sell their works, plus activities.

6/24: A NEW OPEN CAR SHOW

Kids Bowl Free! Find local participating bowling alleys that let kids bowl free all summer. Also similar programs at some Roller Skating rinks.

6/30: BATTLE OF THE BBQS 2.0 Teams gearing up for the 2nd Battle of the BBQ’s 2-5pm at Bethlehem Chabad, 393 Delaware Ave. Cost is $20pp, $25 after 6/25 for adults.

Kids $10, free under age 5.

BBQ contest, Touch-a-Truck, family activity day benefits the Shalom Food Pantry. Info/ RSVP: www.shalomfoodpantry.com or call: 518-439-3310.

4th graders at National Parks: Each year, 4th graders and their families get free admission to all National Parks! See EveryKidinaPark.gov $1 Films, Free Films: Look up local theaters and local cities also show occasional films in parks.

County Fairs: Some fairs let kids 12 & under in free with paying adults, but doesn’t include rides.

Apple Camp: Apple Store offers free workshops but you must register: apple.com/today/camp Parks, Libraries: They’re not all the same... Go and visit different ones to keep it interesting!

Target Slurpees: As a special treat on a hot day, Target offers free small cup slurpees for kids. But not too often as they are loaded with sugar.

SHABBOS HOUSE’S “EXCESSACCESS” WIN-WIN PROGRAM Shabbos House usually over-prepares (especially during the academic season) as students do not RSVP. After Shabbos, extra food is packaged up right away and brought to seniors & locals who’d appreciate home-style Kosher cooking. Obviously this varies, it is not consistently available and the menu is based on what was already prepared. If you or someone you know would appreciate an occasional delivery, please contact Shabbos House: mail@shabboshouse.com 518-772-7299

7/8-8/15: CAMP GAN ISRAEL DATES Still not too late to register for part or all of daycamp this summer, kids ages 3-10. More info and forms contact Morah DL Mathless: 518-698-1836

7/9: DAVID BABINET, OPERA STAR 7pm at Saratoga Chabad, 130 Circular Street.

From the stage of the LA Opera to a cantor’s pulpit hear a smorgasbord of melodies from Broadway to Cantorial, Yiddish to Ladino. $10 suggested donation. More info? 518-526-0773.

YARTZEIT DATES IN THE “JEWISH ART CALENDAR”

7/10: MY REBBE STORY—ALBANY EDITION: A COMMUNAL EVENT

The Rebbe’s yartzeit is Shabbos, 3rd of Tammuz, July 6th. On July 10th, a communal event cosponsored by all Capital Region Chabad Centers will feature local people 6/26: 100+ YEAR OLD GOMEL each sharing 4 minute TORAH RESTORED & DEDICATED (short, poignant TEDIn 1989 Naftali (Tony) German came here from style) impressions or Gomel Russia with a Torah from the synagogue memories of the Rebbe where his father served as Gabbai, written 100 years interspersed by musical earlier! This Torah has been lovingly restored and melodies. This tribute to dedicated for use in the Colonie community. All the Rebbe will be local & welcome to join this re-dedication celebration personal with diverse 5:30pm at Crossings Park Main Meeting Room. presenters. Stay tuned for Suggested $18. RSVP/Info contact: (518) 368-7886 more info. Wed evening or email: ChaiCenterColonie@gmail.com 7:30 at Shabbos House.

This is one of the best local ways for community friends to remember a beloved one on the day of their yartzeit. Contact Rabbi Yossi 518-495-0772 or email: calendar@capitalchabad.com Cost per yartzeit date is $36. Please submit by June 30th.

Colonie Senior Service Centers has their first annual car show, 4-7pm at Beltrone, 6 Winners Circle in Colonie, open to all. Admission is free.

7/28: JEWISH HERITAGE NIGHT AT THE VALLEYCAYS BASEBALL 3-9pm at Joe Bruno Stadium. Buy Tickets via: TCVALLEYCATS.COM/GROUPTICKETPORTAL

Search: Jewish Heritage Night Use Password: jhn19 $18.50 package includes: a premium Box Ticket, choice of Kosher Vaad-approved meal (buy ticket by July 22) and Jewish Heritage Night Baseball Cap. More info? KB Goodkin: (518) 783-7800 ext 222

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!”