BH.
Shvat 26, 5779 / Feb 1, 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 4:50 Shabbos Ends: produced by Rabbi Mendel Rubin & students in the TNT (Torah ‘n Technology) Program 5:54 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
FAREWELL TO THE SAMSONS After wonderful years of growth in Albany and at Maimonides, “where our Jewish roots are” as they say, Mr. Yosef Dovid Samson got a new job so he and son Tziyon are moving to Cherry Hill, NJ to join older brother Yochanon who is studying in Yeshiva there. We wish them all continued growth, happiness, success with our deepest appreciation for all the blessings they brought our school & community. (Photo is from Tziyon’s Bar-Mitzvah earlier this year).
This week’s newsletter is sponsored in memory of
Ella Saul
Yartzeit: Shvat 24 Picture is from Rabbi Rubin’s visit to her gravesite in the cold & snow!
SNOW MUCH FUN + FRACTIONS Mrs. Mattice’s first graders made a whole bunch of white tissue paper snowflakes. While folding, cutting and re-cutting (to create all the shapes & patterns) Mrs. Mattice taught them about fractions which are visualized as you keep folding them over or cutting them by sections…
SOME CHUMASH UPDATES 2nd graders just finished their/the first Parsha (it’s a long one) Breishis—literally one verse at a time. An exciting milestone! 3rd graders are now beginning to learn the story of the Akeidah in Parshat Vayeira. 5/6 grade girls Chumash finished the entire Chumash Breishis (Chazak, Chazak!) and PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS also learned why it might end/climax on the The large papers in the art-room have been sad note of Yosef’s death and burial. flapping about. Students said that we needed a 6th grade boys Chumash class and our HS better way to keep them straight and orderly. girls are both learning Parsha Shmot— So Rabbi Shmuly & the students built this big former focusing on Rashi skills, the latter sturdy wide wooden paper rack to hold working through layers and lenses of those papers. This is a like a Talmud Meforshim commentary. text they studied: Rabbi Shimon We’re proud of all our Chumash students. It is asked, “What needs fixing around helpful and important that they keep up the here?” (Talmud Shabbos 33b) review at home, practice is a great skill builder!
PIVOTING TO TRIVETS Morah Rivka wanted to try a different Parsha project this year. Instead of doing Milk/Meat projects for Mishpatim (where milk vs meat first appears in Torah) they drew & decorated trivets using an art form that blends their colors into a blurred pastel look. The kids were particularly fascinated about the sealing spray after their artwork was done.
WELCOME BACK AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY MORAH ROCHEL We’re very happy to have Morah Rochel back in school after her longest absence, and grades 2 and up celebrated her birthday at lunchtime with Soy Delicious Ice Cream. Welcome back!
BETWEEN ENGLISH TEACHERS This week our middle and HS students are between English teachers as Mrs. M. left midJanuary and the new ELA teacher doesn’t start until next week. In the meantime students used this week to get a good start on the Better Together essays which are a bit harder this year as the rules have changed and fiction or relatives are no longer options. Parents can & should help their children with developing an idea or with editing, but the concept and writing should be the students own work. Special thanks to our teachers Ms. Marianne Brown and Ms. Casey Coffey for filling in ELA until the new teacher starts.
INSIDE A COMPUTER KISHKES Rabbi Shmuly and the 8th grade boys took a closer look inside the “kishkes” of a computer to see if there were empty slots to add more RAM. Indeed, there are! More RAM to come..
TAPPAN ZEE DEMOLITION
It’s not every day that you get to see the live 8th graders with Mrs. Ramsay are doing DBQ (online) demolition of a major bridge. Some (document based questions) in history class on classes got to watch it on a big screen in the Makerspace. Quite memorable… what they learned about the Progressive Era.
PROGRESSIVE ERA D.B.Q.
VOLCANO SCIENCE CRITERIA
REMEMBERING ILAN RAMON
Today, Friday, February 1st Mrs. Maher’s science students are learning the marks the 16th anniversary of READING TO A PARTNER differences between Cinder Cone, Composite, the Space Shuttle Columbia First grade readers are utilizing an age-old Shield and Dome volcanoes. Another disaster. Among the astronauts “Chavurta” technique, as one student reads to important volcano criteria is to know if it is was Ilan Ramon, formerly an the other, taking turns & helping one another. active, dormant or extinct. A funny story: At IDF pilot in the 1981 raid on dismissal time at Wednesday there was a fast the Iraqi nuclear reactor and & furious snow quall. One student called out, later Israel’s first astronaut. Years ago, our “Hey, it looks like there’s a tornado outside!” school made a card about him, and in more Mrs. Maher quipped, “Know your storms, recent years some of our students watched “An that’s a snow squall!” Article of Hope” a documentary about the Holocaust Torah he took with him to space. This year our school is following SpaceIL, a venture to get an Israeli scientific space craft to the moon, set to launch this month.
CAN WILD ANIMALS BE PETS COLONIAL AMERICA BOOKS 4th graders made these very nice books about what they learned about Colonial America in history class with Mrs. Maher. The book has a timeline from Jamestown (the first colony) to Georgia (the 13th colony established).
HISTORY + ENGLISH It so happens that this week in their Reading Street book Mrs. Maher’s students read the story of Paul Revere’s midnight ride, which is quite timely as they learn about Colonial America and the times and issues leading up to the American Revolution. It’s nice when one piece of learning connects & supports another.
Grades 3-4 Mishna class learned an argument in Mishna Bava Kama that persists to this day: Can (or should) dangerous wild animals be trained and domesticated as pets? Their teacher showed them online pictures of people nowadays who have exotic pets like tigers and lions and bears. There’s even discussion if snakes (a much more common pet around this area) can be properly domesticated or not. Some places have different laws about such things. The Mishna is discussing it from a safety & damage perspective, whether and to what extent the owner would be liable for damages. This is a great connection to this week’s Parsha Mishpatim which is the Torah source for the Talmudic laws of damages.
PIZZA NITE IS NEXT SAT NIGHT Save the date! Motzai Shabbos Feb 9th!
GREAT PRAYER QUOTES! Did you see what Morah Devorah’s 1st graders shared about davening for their recent Siddur party? It’s up here on this poster (in their class)
ANOTHER TALMUD AMUD An Amud is a 1-sided page of Talmud, a half of a double-sided Daf. 6th boys Gemorah class now completed their second amud, Sukkah 3b which is a collection of several mini-Sugyot (Talmud topics) explaining “The Braysah of the Ten Things”. The last item was about a complex courtyard divide.
MATH HANDY FOR TALMUD Math came in handy for the piece of Talmud (see bottom on page 2) 6th grade boy just finished studying with Rabbi Mendel. First of all it deals with square footage and both initial size and the remainder for each after the split. But Jacob used some math skills to figure out a scenario where Rav Chisda would end up allocating more of the courtyard space to larger homes, even if it appears that Rav Huna is the one usually arguing for that.
A ONE WORD SWITCH
JEWELRY PENDANTS @ MASSRY This week our “Better 2 Lead” HS students made Jewish jewelry pendants with Massry residents.
Rabbi Rubin’s Talmud Discovery 8th grade class learned the development of Meat & Milk laws from the verses through the Talmud, down to Halacha. One day this week they explored the interesting switch in Mishna language between milk and cheese, and how that has both background & implications.
CAREFUL ON ROLLER COASTER Some students have been putting a lot of time & effort in the Makerspace to assemble a working mini roller-coaster. They have been working on it for some time, through trial and error, one piece and segment at a time. Yes, it is a toy, but it is also an educational project that time and patience and quite a bit of learning & skill. There’s actual engineering and physics involved! They ask that other students should please respect their work, realize that its fragile and be extra careful with it so they can get it done and working.
SETTLEMENT HOUSES 8th grade history learned about Jane Addams and the Settlement House movement as a social response help those in urban areas struggling with poverty to have easier access to help and support.
CIRCUITS & LED PROJECTION These students in STEAM class made circuits and got LED lights to shine enough through a clip-on lens to project onto the wall of the Makerspace. They also created a light tunnel.
START OF A FISHY PROJECT As we near the Hebrew month of Adar (which has the symbol of fish) Morah Chani and the 2nd graders began a fishy art project. Stay tuned for how it turns out in next week’s MC!
TREE POEMS
CARDINALS IN ART Morah Rivi’s art students made cardinals. She drew the style on the board and without tracing they learned (each in their own way) from her sample design and then colored it in.
PROHIBITION’S SPEAKEASY’S 8th grade is also learning about the period during Prohibition when “Speakeasys” would be a name for illegal bars hidden in regular houses or hotels (often marked by specially designed fences) that had a culture and atmosphere all its own. The name is coming back nowadays as a retro-style bar.
Tu Bishvat may have passed but we didn’t include these beautiful Hebrew tree poems in the MC yet, so we wanted to make sure we did!
CHIDON REVIEW WEEKEND The third and final school Yahadus test to qualify for the Chidon will be on Wednesday. Our students have been reading the book, listening to the audio, reviewing with friends and parents. No matter the score on these difficult national tests, we are proud of the broad and extensive knowledge they are accumulating which is constantly referred back to in different classes & subjects around school. This weekend is a big review time!
LOCAL ATLANTA EXCITEMENT
The Laber kids are excited that their father’s Jewish Data genealogical datebase resource will This time of year there’s a daily This took many hours (and lots of filament) to be going into an Atlanta Library around the Mincha Minyan at the school 10 3D print in the Makerspace but the boys were same time as the Superbowl held in that city! minutes before dismissal at 3:20 amazed at the design detail of this explorer made up of community, parents figure with a lot of ins/outs and object detail FEEL BETTER MRS. MAHER & our Bar-Mitzvah boys.. Nesanel at the base. They are certainly learning the We miss you, hope you feel all better soon! is Chazzan in this photo. new Makerspace equipment!
MINCHA AT SCHOOL
3D INTRICATE DESIGN
at Maimonides and in the Community 2/2: MISHPATIM & MEVORCHIM This Shabbos we read Parshat Mishpatim (many laws of all types in this Parsha) and we bless the new month of Adar I. Two Adars this year!
& $3 for kids. Open every day in the winter.
2/2: SAMSON FAREWELL KIDDUSH 2/5-6: Mr. Yosef Dovid Samson is sponsoring this week’s ROSH Kiddush at Shomray Torah as he got a new job and CHODESH will be moving with his sons to New Jersey. ADAR I
#WEREMEMBER WITH A HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR During their visit at The Massry, our HS students asked Mr. Kurt Weinberg (who spoke to our school years ago about the Holocaust and was involved with the Holocaust Torah dedication at Beth Emeth) to join in the AJC #WeRemember campaign.
Tuesday and Wednesday. 8am Minyan at School on Tuesday morning. We usher in a period of 60 Rabbi Feldman’s “Sages of the Middle Ages” talk at days of double-Adar joy! CBAJ this week will be on this important Rabbi. Nanette Brenner will lead a Torah 365 Kiddush 2/5: SPECIALS AT INDIAN KOSHER Conversation discussion on Psalm 93. Kosher Dining (Vaad Supervision) at UAlbany’s Indian Quad open for lunch and dinner now has 2/2: RABBI REISMAN NAVI CLASS some special-themed dinners including a Chinese Sat nights Navi class live from Brooklyn at the dinner on Tues the 5th and a Southern Comfort CBAJ Media Center at 7:30pm. dinner on the 12th. It is a student cafeteria but community is welcome. See costs and other info.
2/2: R’ MEIR OF ROTHENBERG
2/3-10: SARANAC LAKE WINTER CARNIVAL (AND THE ICE CASTLE)
It runs for over a week, see online for more details and daily schedule of events and things to see. www.SaranacLakeWinterCarnival.com
2/3-2/24: SUGAR ON SNOW 1-3pm every Sunday from Jan 13th to Feb 24th, Riverside Maple Farms offers tours of their maple syrup facility including freshly made in front of your eyes maple-syrup-shaved-ice-taffy. 7152 Amsterdam Rd in Glenville. Call ahead for info.
2/3: (INDOOR) GREENMARKET Year ’round farmer & crafts market at Proctor’s Theater Arcade, 10am-2pm every Sunday.
2/3: CLARK’S FIRST SUNDAY FREE First Sundays of the month are free admission 14pm at The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown MA. It’s a classic museum with beautiful grounds. This month’s theme is hearth & home. The road to get there is scenic but best in decent weather.
2/3: SUPERBOWL LIII (53)
2/17: JEWISH DATA GUILDERLAND Rabbi Laber will be presenting his extensive “Jewish Data” research database with tools and interesting examples of the many things that can be learned from gravestones and public records, 2pm at the Guilderland Public Library.
2/18: PRESIDENTS DAY
2/5: SHEVACH H.S. VISITS ALBANY
No School on Monday. Albany Institute of History & Art has free admission and it’s the last day of the Steiner Look Alike exhibits (which kids really enjoy). Also check out the brilliantly designed Larry Kagan sculpture effects, it’s hard to believe.
Our HS Girls will be hosting Shevach High School of Queens for a visit on Tuesday. Welcome!
2/22: FED SCHOLARSHIPS DUE
2/6: THE WEEKLY WED SPECIAL To pre-order the weekly Wednesday prepared dinner special at Kosher Price Chopper, email JohnPiccolo@pricechopper.com to be added to the weekly email list with menu, pricing & other info.
2/6: THIRD CHIDON TEST The 3rd of 3 Chidon tests will be on Wednesday, Feb 6th, the 1st of Adar I. Keep on studying!
2/8: A NIGHT AT THE MAGIC CLUB CBAJ hosts Ben Cohen for Friday Night dinner & entertainment of magic, comedy and mentalism. RSVP at cbaj.org by February 1st at the latest.
2/9: PIZZA NITE IS BACK Come to “Nathan’s Kitchen” at Maimonides for pizza, fries, sushi, garlic knots, and some Motzai Shabbos get-out-of-the-house feel. Eat-in or take-out. All proceeds benefit HS extra-curricular activity.
Don’t wait until the last minute! The Jewish Federation camp scholarship applications are due mid-February. Forms are available at the school office (you will need a school letter, too) or online at the JewishFedNY.org website.
2/24: CBAJ MISHLOACH MANOT If you would like to participate in CBAJ’s Purim fundraiser/Mishloach Manot to (specific) members of the community with your name on it—order online by this date at cbaj.org/mm. Forms are also being mailed.
3/3: SPA FOR THE BODY & SOUL 1-4pm joint communal event at Shabbos House. Featured presenter is the dynamic, humorous and meaningful Miriam Lipsker of Emory University Chabad in Atlanta, Georgia. She will be speaking on relationships. Stay tuned for updates & details.
3/10: J-FED’S SUPER SUNDAY
Call-a-thon reaching out to Capital Region area to support the Jewish Federation and its 2/10-24: LEGO AMERICANA VISITS donors local beneficiaries (including the Maimonides The Lego Americana Road Show will be in our area School) and its overseas and Israel partners for the for about 15 days at Crossgates Mall courtesy of Jewish community. Maimonides parents are asked MVP Healthcare. Look for Lego replicas of the to kindly volunteer a shift for this effort. THE E.S.P. ICE SKATING RINK White House, the Statute of Liberty, the Capitol Empire State Plaza’s ice-skating rink (in the shadow and more. There will also be a designated Lego play 4/7: FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE GALA of the NYS Capitol) is open every day of the season area, a scavenger hunt and more. Stay tuned for info. To be held at the Elks Lodge in 12-8pm (closed 3:30-4:30pm for rink maintenance) Albany. and is free to skate. Skate rentals are $4 for adults The New England Patriots vs. the Los Angeles (formerly St Louis) Rams. It’s the biggest football game of the year and will be played in Atlanta. Any ideas of Jewish connections or life lessons?
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!”