BH. 12
Nissan, 5779 / April 17, 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 7:24 Pesach Ends: produced by Rabbi Mendel Rubin & students in the TNT (Torah ‘n Technology) Program 8:36 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
MAIMONIDES DINNER 5779/’19 The theme of this year’s Maimonides Dinner will be “The whole world is a (very narrow) bridge” featuring broad connective bridges in our school & community: The program will have 3 parts: (1) Honoring Joshua and Amanda Gurock with the Maimonides Award (2) Recognizing the first 5-Year completion of the Yahadus/Chidon curriculum and our coordinator from the very beginning: Morah Dini Gordon (3) Remembering R’ Moshe Losice, a tribute to his lifetime of honorable local dedication and exemplary leadership. Look for invites in the mail, tribute journal information and save the date for June 4th.
MAZAL TOV PERRON FAMILY On the birth of a daughter Ronit Emunah in this week leading up to Pesach. Much Nachas!
MAZAL TOV BRENNERS Mazal Tov to Dr. Arthur & Nannette Brenner on the engagement of their son (MHDS alumnus) Misha to Nofar Abras of Israel. Wishing them much Nachas!
This MC Newsletter is dedicated in loving memory of
Leib Yisroel ben Eliezer - Yartzeit on Erev Pesach by his wife Maxine Morgenbesser and family
WHEN YOU ARE SHABBOS IMA … in Maimonides Nursery, Morah Rivka sends you home with an “I Love Shabbos!” knapsack. Inside there’s a notebook that every page has a personal letter from Morah Rivka to the Shabbos Ima of that week and a big rectangle for that week’s Shabbos Ima to illustrate their favorite things about Shabbos in their home.
GOLUB FAMILY CONDOLENCES Our condolences to the Golub family on the passing of Mrs. Jane Golub, who was a longtime school teacher, philanthropist and patron of many local causes and organizations, and an advocate for tolerance through her work with the ADL’s “World of Difference”. Jane gave camp scholarships to Albany’s Camp Gan Israel and also gave some funds for literacy efforts at Maimonides. Thanks to the Golubs and Price Chopper we are blessed with major Kosher resources and availability right here in our Capital Region community. Condolences to her daughter Mona, her husband Neil (married since 1963) & family.
BOTTLE-FLIPPING STATISTICS Last week’s MC reported on 8th graders doing statistics reports and graphing based on a LUNAR LANDING LIVE As reported last week, our school had a bottle-flipping contest. Pictured above is Ahava S. first-place winner of the bottle flipping game watch party to see Israel’s lunar module land on the moon. Last week’s MC had life lessons “caught in the act” by a TNT photographer learned from the module’s crash. This week we with her bottle in the midst of a flip, as math heard about Israel’s resolve to continue and try teacher Ms. Coffey looks on. again and never give up.. as should we in all of our endeavors! Use this link to see our school’s NEED A PLACE FOR THE SEDER? 2nd place 2-minute video entry in the “Fly Me Not too late! Call Rabbi Rubin 518-423-4103 to the Moon” video contest by the Israeli or your Rabbi to arrange for a place at the Embassy: tinyurl.com/maimonidesmoon Seder table this year! HAPPY PASSOVER!
NURSERY HANDS-ON SEDER PREPARATIONS AND THEIR OWN MODEL SEDER IN SCHOOL This Model Seder was extra-special because Nursery students were involved with every step of the preparations, from “baking” their own Matzah in a “brick” oven (far left), to actually pouring grape-juice over into a cup using a funnel (left) and doing many other things (from cleaning to peeling and cutting and setting the table) until they could sit down and enjoy their Seder table as pictured above. All types of fine motor skills and tactile learning. Of course, they had a lot of help from their teachers, but they all did help out and did their jobs all the way through!
PASTA JAR PARTY JUST IN TIME
ANOTHER ITA G. ESSAY WIN
Mrs. Hoffman’s 3rd grade classroom has a jar that a piece of pasta gets added to every time someone behaves extra nicely, or shares something nice about another. Just before Pesach they filled up the jar and enjoyed a party with nosh and games and fun. Now once Pesach begins—NO MORE PASTA!
Congratulations HS student Ita G. on another winning essay, first for her first-place win in our HS’s “Better Together” essay contest about seniors and now for the best essay from our HS in the international MyLife Applied Chassidus contest. Keep up the good writing!
AND FROM ACROSS THE SEA
FIRST GRADE PILLOWS & MATS Morah Devorah’s 1st graders are excited to bring home & use their Seder pillows & mats.
HAGGADAH PROJECTS These 3rd graders are very proud of their decorated and explained Haggadah projects for use at their Seder tables. Several other grades also made their own Haggadahs each according to their own age-appropriate level.
BOX GUITARS IN 2ND GRADE
STAINED GLASS-LIKE SUN ART Spring-time is a time to enjoy the sun (aside for when it rains) so Mrs. Mattice’s first grade students wrote Spring words or poems with illustration on wax paper that allows the sunlight to shine through it.
Last week’s MC had 2nd graders box guitars made with Mrs. Mattice, but no picture of them. So now here’s the picture! You can’t hear it in the picture but these do pluck up a nice sweet sound! This is also fits with Miriam’s Tambourines on the 7th day of Pesach when the Jews crossed the Sea!
MHDS alumna Rivka (Rubin) Cohen was among the top 30 finalists in the worldwide MyLife Chassidus applied essay contest for her essay “What will the Neighbors Think?”
NEIGHBORS IN PESACH STORY Dealing with how the “neighbors” will take it is part of why Hashem told the Jewish people to take a sheep (which was considered sacred to the Egyptians) and why this law was said on Rosh Chodesh (1st of) Nissan, almost two weeks before the Korban Pesach on the 14th… it is important to be able to be stand up for who you are, what you believe and not to feel intimidated or inhibited by what others might think or say.
MATZAH IN A DIFFERENT FORM
Rabbi Rubin and the 8th grade boys learned some interesting Rabbinic WHY NOSH ON PEANUTS? responsa about eating 6th grade cracked open peanut shells as they Matzah at the Seder in an learned about the Haggadah. Why peanuts? It unusual way (such a liquefied was a way to use up some Kitniyot (unlike tree SHIMSHON PLAY UNDERWAY Matzah or crushed and mixed nuts, peanuts are considered Kitnoyot) before 5th grade Navi class with Morah Raizel is still with something else—especially for working on their play about Samson. The plan elderly who may have trouble with regular Pesach and it also has a nice message about cracking open the outer external shell to get at is to perform it and film it after Pesach. Right Matzah) whether that can fulfill one’s Mitzvah now they are working on the script and the tasty meat or nut inside. There are many obligation and on what Talmudic basis. It’s an dividing up their parts. layers of depth throughout the Haggadah! interesting way to trace the Halachic sources.
EREV PESACH MIZMOR L’TODA This daily prayer passage (the thankful psalm) is conspicuously absent from our prayers on the day before (& during weekdays of) Pesach because it was made of Chametz and could not be brought when the Korban Pesach was being offered. Rabbi Rubin’s recent research and Shabbos HaGadol drasha wonders why (1) R’ Yehudah uses Todah Breads to tell time on Erev Pesach (2) the 3 Matzos are made using an “Isaron” measurement patterned after the Korban Todah (3) some Rabbis made a very big deal out of eating Chametz on Erev Pesach morning. These & other questions & sources lead Rabbi Rubin to understand that our Erev Pesach Chametz Meal (isn’t just convenience or last taste of Chametz, but rather) traces all the way back to Avraham Avinu and is a remembrance of that. Rabbi Rubin tied this in with R’ Moshe Losice obm who would pray with great devotion on the high holidays to the words “V’Zocher Chasdei Avos” remembering our forefathers, indeed he would reflect on his memories of Poland before the War, and would always cherish the 5th night of Chanukah, the night that he and his family arrived safely in Albany to escape the Holocaust. This thankfulness ties into the thankful psalm Mizmor L’Todah that we don’t explicitly say on Erev Pesach but it remains present in different ways.
FRACTION FLOWERS Mrs. Hoffman’s 3rd graders are starting to learn about fractions, 1/2’s, 1/4’s and 1/8’s etc and being that it’s Spring-time they colored in fraction-flowers with different colors on paper plates based on the fractions assigned. This is also good timing for the Seder when there’s a lot of discussion about how much of a big round Matzah is obligatory to eat as a Kzayis (volume of a large olive) amount. Is it a a quarter, a third or a half a Shmurah-Matzah depending on the various opinions and also on the thickness of the Matzah and how many come in a pound. Mitzvah-Math at work!
As we are welcoming 1,000 worms to our compost bin at school, we’d like to limit onion and citrus (orange/ lemons) peels, also nothing spicy (so not hot peppers). Some onion peels are OK, but too many aren't good for the worms. Veggie peels are best, non-citrus fruit peels are good, too! Bring a bag of your Pesach peels to our Earth Day Chol HaMoed with Kids Rally on Monday 4/22 10:30am-12pm at school.
YAKNAHAZ AND PEMDAS PEMDAS is a mathematical order of operations and YAKNAHAZ is the order of the Kiddush & Havadalah combo (after a 9-way Talmudic argument) that we do this year at the Second Seder. Yes, the order is significant and it matters!
KORBAN PESACH RELAY LINE
DON’T FORGET TO OMER COUNT
Rabbi Shmuly’s 6th grade class made a live demonstration of the Kohanim relay line for the Korban Pesach to keep things moving back in the days of the Temple in Jerusalem. 2nd graders enjoyed watching them at work!
Morah Devorah’s first grade already has this chart up and ready on their classroom wall. Our kids are eager to keep up the count. It can be easy to forget on a Passover night and the count has to be done after dark (which is later this time of year). Be off to a good start!
NEW LOCAL AUTHOR BOOKS
BRINGING PASSOVER SPIRIT FOUR LANGUAGE SKILLS
COMPOST UPDATE
Our 5/6 grade boys & girls were happy to bring Passover treats (thanks to Shalom Food Pantry), a box of Shmurah Matzah and lively Passover spirit to seniors at the Parkview Apts (formerly Bnai Brith Apts) as part of the school’s ongoing “Better Together” inter-generational program.
Passover is a big time for four’s & the Haggadah is big on communication and expression. Mr. Conley’s English class discussed essential skills within each of these 4: (1) Speaking (2) Writing (3) Listening (4) Reading and how they all play important roles in developing language, communication NOT TOO LATE FOR... and expression skills. The 4 posters up on the “Maot Chittim” financial funds to help others wall of their classroom has jotted down a lot of with their Passover needs. Speak to Rabbi Rubin, Rabbi Feldman or your Rabbi. what they discussed.
Rabbi Michoel Caras “The Bitcoin Rabbi” just published a kids picture book about Bitcoin and how it works, you can get it at: BitcoinMoneyBook.com, Sarah Maddali has a new kids book out about Modeh Ani called “I Thank Hashem” that you can get at Israel Bookshop online.
HALF-DAY FUN LEARNING Wednesday & Thursday this week are halfdays General Studies only. Our teachers are making these days fun and engaging with all types of educational games & activities including: 1-Step Equation Bingo with Mrs. Coffey, Chapstick Chopsticks and How Many Squares in a Checkerboard with Mrs. Maher.
WE WISH ALL OUR READERS... The traditional wish of a Happy and Kosher Passover to you and yours!
at Maimonides and in the Community 4/19: EREV PESACH SIYUM PLUS
family. More info? 518-526-0773. 4/24: Make Nest-boxes for Bluebirds and Swallows. Workshop at Thatcher Park. Call 51u8-872-0800 for more info, to register & reserve your kit. $8 materials fee. 4/25: Trout Discovery Day at Grafton Lakes State Park Thursday 1-3pm. Release trout into the lake. 4/19: EREV PESACH TIMES Bring a bucket. To find event enter park entrance Finish Eating Chametz by: 10:37am on Route 2 and park as directed in Deerfield Burn Chametz by: 11:46am Pavilion. Staff will direct you down the hill to Shabbos Candle-Lighting: 7:24pm Second Pond. $2/person or $5/family. PreKiddush (1st Seder Cup) after: 8:12pm Registration is recommended: 518-279-1155 4/25: Crime Science Lab 2-3pm at the Albany 4/20: OMER COUNT BEGINS Main Library run by MiSci. 518-382-7890 First night of the Omer count is the 2nd night (and 4/28: Garden Bros. Circus comes to town, on the 2nd Seder) of Pesach. Saturday night this year with day after Pesach! 3 shows on Sunday at the Albany the special Kiddush-Havdalah combination. Armory. See online for tickets, times etc. Annual tradition at Maimonides. 7:55am Shacharit at school, 8:45am Siyum on Daf Yomi tractate Chullin, a First-Born Break-Fast and communal Chametz Burning. All welcome!
4/22: MID-PESACH EARTH DAY Special program outside Maimonides in the WOW Learning Center 10:30am-12pm. It begins with a kids program led by Rabbi Motti, that will grow into a special Earth-Day twist. Please bring a bag of your Pesach fruits and vegetable peels and scraps to add to our compost bin. Cut-up newspaper (smaller pieces) are welcome, too. More info coming, save the date. Program ends at noon in time to enjoy the rest of the 1st day of Chol HaMoed with family.
4/22-25: CHOL HAMOED PESACH Monday thru Thursday this year. Does anyone have ideas for outing & activities? No school all Pesach.
4/25: ERUV TAVSHILIN Don’t forget to make an Eruv Tavshlin on Thursday before YomTov which enables us to cook and prepare food on Friday (7th day of YomTov) for Shabbos (the 8th night and day of Pesach).
5/30: CBAJ INSTALLATION DINNER FOR RABBI ROY FELDMAN RSVP for honorary committee, dinner RSVPs or journal ads online at: cbaj.org/dinner This dinner is the formal installation ceremonies of Rabbi Roy Feldman as CBAJ Rabbi.
6/4: MAIMONIDES DINNER This year’s Maimonides Dinner will honor Josh and Amanda Gurock, who are dedicated parents, an invested school family with broad and lively communal vision and involvement. The dinner will also recognize our school’s first 5-year completion of the Yahadus curriculum and our students achievements, recognized nationally . This dinner will also be a communal remembrance for R’ Moshe Losice who recently passed away after a lifetime of local leadership and dedication. Look for more info and dinner invites coming soon.
4/27: SEUDAS MOSHIACH End-of-Pesach inspiration, that is even more special locally, a meaningful celebration that Salo Steper z”l appreciated. Leave Pesach on a high note! The last hour or so of YomTov at Shomray Torah.
4/29: MISHNA FOR MOSHE LOSICE Because of Pesach a formal “Shloshim” is not
Here are some local & nearby Chol HaMoed ideas: observed, but on the first day back at school after 4/20-28: 1pm-11pm Rockland Fair with free admission and shows, pay for rides, all at the Palisades Mall just past Monsey off the 87 Thruway. 4/22-24: Chol HaMoed at Skate-Time, 5164 Route 209 between Kingston and Ellenville. Arcades, Inflatables, Skating and more! $15pp benefits the Hebrew Academy of Sullivan County and Ellenville Shul. Info? Call Asher Handler: 845-423-0404 4/22: The above listed “Kids Rally and Earth Day Program at Maimonides WOW Outdoor Learning Center” bring a bag of veggie & fruit peels! Cut up newspaper (smaller pieces) are welcome, too! 4/23: Six Mile Waterworks (Pine Bush on Fuller Road) Fishing Festival at 10am. 4/23: Erie Canal Design Challenge for kids, 10am11:30am in the NYS Museum Classroom #2. 4/23: Also a Build-a-Bird project at the NYS Museum 2-3:30pm 4/23-25: Gallery of Earl Dotter’s photographs of dignity & danger of work in America are on display at the LOB Building Concourse Level 8am-5pm. 4/24: Pesach dinner & entertainment at Saratoga Chabad, Wednesday 5:30pm at 130 Circular Street. Juggler, music and dinner $10pp, $54 per
Pesach, one month since his passing, some of our classes will learn Mishna of Moshe Losice’s name: Eliezer Moshe. May his memory be a blessing.
5/1: COMMUNAL YOM HASHOAH Albany-area communal Yom HaShoah Holocaust commemoration 7:30pm at CBAJ.
5/7: YOM HASHOAH LECTURE This year’s Malka & Eitan Evan Yom HaShoah Lecture features Dr. Elissa Bemporad (of Queens College) on “Modern Permutations of an Ancient Anti-Semitic Myth: The Blook Libel during the Holocaust”. 7pm in the UAlbany Assembly Hall (2nd floor of the Campus Center).
5/9: J-FED’S SIX13 AT THE EGG The Jewish Federation is bringing Jewish acapella group “Six13” to perform at The Egg for Yom Ha’Atzmaut on Thursday at 7pm. Adults $12, Children $8. See The Egg website for tickets: theegg.org/event/six13-israel-independence-day
SCHOOL PESACH SCHEDULE 4/11: High School Pesach Break begins. 4/17-18: Half-Day General Studies classes, 8am to 11:30am. Send snack, no lunch. 4/19: Erev Pesach Shacharit, Siyum Break-fast & communal Chametz Burning at Maimonides 4/19-28: No School—Pesach Vacation 4/22: Kids Rally and Earth Day Program outside Maimonides in the WOW Learning Center 4/29: School Resumes 8am
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!”