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3 Adar I, 5779 / Feb 8, 2019
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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 5:00 Shabbos Ends: produced by Rabbi Mendel Rubin & students in the TNT (Torah ‘n Technology) Program 6:02 Maimonides is accredited by the NYS Board of Regents & is a beneficiary of UJF-NENY
YOSEF COSTA YARTZEIT Next week on Wednesday, Adar 8 will be the first yartzeit of Yosef Costa, obm. A Kiddush this Shabbos at Shomray Torah will remember him, in his style: Hamotzee, fish & meat, the whole 9 yards. Those who’d like to participate in sponsorship to speak to Michoel Caras.
maimonidesschool@gmail.com
MAIMONIDES 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208
WELCOME MR. DAN CONLEY
3D STUFFED FISH IN 1ST GRADE
Our middle and high school students (and faculty) are happy to welcome a new ELA English Language Arts teacher and thankfully they are off to a good start together!
Mrs. Mattice’s first graders read a story about fish, learned the short vowel sound in fish, dish, wish… and made stuffed fish to connect with what they are learning about 3D vs 2D shapes. They will be writing an imaginative short fiction on where they “caught” their fish. Also connects nicely with the Hebrew month of Adar—Mazal Dagim (fish)!
This week’s newsletter is sponsored in appreciation of Maimonides School’s amazing hospitality for opening up your doors and hearts to our group of Toronto school students forced off the highway during the snowstorm last week. You turned a detour into an unforgettable memory for us!
SPECIAL GUEST AT MINYAN
THIRD & FINAL CHIDON TEST On Wednesday this week grades 4-8 took the 3rd and final Yahadus curriculum test for the year, and when finished enjoyed refreshing freeze-pops. For those of our students going to the Chidon Weekend there will be one more test administered there. We are proud of all MORE FISH FOR ADAR that they learned, such a rich variety and broad Adar’s “sign” is fish, 2nd graders’ (top) fish art, spectrum of Jewish law and knowledge! But creating beautiful fish with a scaly textured Chidon isn’t over yet—students continue to effect thanks to a rubberized material placed study at home (and a little at school, too) for underneath while coloring. Kindergarten’s fish the tests at the Chidon event (should they (above) had a Parsha connection because of the qualify) as well as an exciting local Mini(careful & patient!) in & out paper weave they Chidon event right here at Maimonides where used to create the scaly effect for each one. all our students can participate.
Newly elected Assemblyman Dan Rosenthal attended Minyan for Rosh Chodesh at our school and Rabbi Rubin presented him with a Parsha Terumah “Keresh” Mishkan beam made by our students in our Makerspace.
TU BISHVAT SPROUTS The beans planted on Tu Bishvat are sprouting right up in Morah Devorah’s classroom. The students are caring for them and observing their growth every day at school. Some of the plants have grown enough that they were sent home for kids to take care on their own.
NOW A HOOP AT SCHOOL
PAINTING HAPPINESS
We’re lucky to have full basketball courts just down the block for the lunchtime recess. But it’s really nice to have a basketball hoop right outside school for taking shots or playing a quick game during the shorter morning recess when the weather isn’t too bad outside. Thanks to the Samsons (who donated their basketball hoop to school before moving to NJ) we now have one! Rabbi Shmuly got it set up with the help of the boys, who practiced taking shots to determine the best height.
True, these kids love to paint! And they are WALLED CITIES, VILLAGES... painting big yellow (or Rabbi Shmuly’s 5/6 grade girls Talmud are gold) background learning the Gemorah about variable dates circles to then paint (both before and after Purim) for happy faces onto them Megillah reading depending on the for the happy Hebrew type and size of the city or town. month of Adar (Two Adars this year!)
BREISHIS SIYUM IN SECOND These second graders completed the whole Parsha Breishis, their/the first Torah portion and are already onto Noach. Morah Devorah Leah is out now after her baby was born but they couldn't wait for the trip so they enjoyed a yummy cupcake Siyum with Morah Chani.
MYLIFE APPLIED ESSAYS
High School girls are participating in the MyLife essay contest, using Chassidic texts to Morah Dini’s Ivrit class sometimes detours respond to specific life issues or problems. into a little Yiddish, too. Recently they learned This is good ELA practice, it emphasizes a few YomTov Ehrlich Yiddish songs and integration of learning and life, as well as enjoyed that every much. Now they are back to personal reflection and Hebrew but hope to learn some songs with character development. that—it adds energy to the workbook learning!
YOMTOV EHRLICH SONGS
BETTER TOGETHER ESSAYS Middle and HS students made some progress on these essays in-between English teachers but much of the further work should be done at home. Essays are due later in March.
IS IT PURIM YET? No, not for another 6 weeks or so. This year has two Adar months and the real Purim is in the 2nd Adar. But as you can see throughout this MC Newsletter, Maimonides is getting into the Adar spirit so its not too soon to start baking some delicious Hamantaschen!
A GREAT TECH WORKAROUND A snap circuit car sets in the Makerspace seemed to be missing a remote, but that did not stop 6th grader Aharon Dov. He played around with it for about two days off and on in between classes until he realized that he could create a tech workaround using some other snap-circuit parts in the Makerspace. It won’t work remotely, but using wires lined up with a circuit board pieces he could get the car to turn right, turn left and go straight.. This is even better than if we had the remote! A big part of Makerspace learning is identifying problems, finding solutions, being creative and resourceful—just like Aharon Dov did!
THE ADAR I DILEMMAS This week Rabbi Avraham Kelman discussed with our older students Halachic dilemmas of the first (& extra) Adar month (in Jewish leap years). In which month do we celebrate birthdays, yartzeits; reasons & opinions…
SOUP OF THE WEEK? 3D PRINTING MISHKAN EQUIP
This week the kids enjoyed Matzah-Ball soup by Raizy Rubin. Who is on for next week? Mrs. Wildman is looking to sign up parents to cook up the “soup-of-the-week”. Thanks!
In our Makerspace this week, Rabbi Yossi and these students 3D printed miniature vessels of VOLCANOES & HURRICANES Mrs. Maher’s science students are finishing up the Mishkan (in plastic, not gold or copper) as FED APPLICATIONS DUE 2/22 an educational hands-on Parshas Terumah a unit on these different types of storms and Is your son or daughter going away to summer learning about the differences between them, experience. Years ago we thought that colored camp? The Jewish Federations’ scholarship for including intensity, speed, duration, height or pictures in books brought Mishkan learning to camp applications is due Feb 22nd. life, and now we have it in 3D! width of winds and how widespread an area.
SHEVACH HIGH SCHOOL OF QUEENS VISITS MAIMONIDES Shevach, a Jewish high school from Queens NY was visiting our area on a trip and stopped in to Maimonides for about half-hour to meet our High School students. 55 High School girls at Maimonides is not an everyday experience! A special treat was to meet Maimonides alumna Rivka Gray who attended elementary school in this very building. The students conversed, asked each other about their schools, talked about what classes they take, and things like that. Rabbi Rubin and Morah Leyee addressed the group. Our school prepared veggies and dips and other refreshments.
THE TRAVELERS TORAH The Maimonides Travelers Torah (donated by Bruce Lorence) is on loan this weekend to “Kids of Courage” an organization supporting children with serious illnesses that is in this area on a trip with 200 people in a hotel.
SNOW ART Morah Devorah’s 2nd graders made very pretty textured snow art using white paint and pastels on blue paper & added Hebrew handwritten sentences below as A FLOCK OF CARDINALS AT SCHOOL captions. They used The red cardinals that Morah Rivi guided students to draw in art class are now all displayed on white paint and pastels. the bulletin board inside the main entrance.
SPEAKING OF THE OUTDOORS
HANDPRINT GIVING
As this week is Parsha Terumah (about the donations The weather keeps for the Mishkan) Morah changing and we do try Chani had her Nursery/Kindergarten students to have the children play trace their hands and draw inside what they outdoors during recess would donate to the Mishkan from the time. Please be sure that students come to precious things they have. Some kids drew school with all necessary outerwear (scarves, candy or toys, others drew diamonds. Morah hats, gloves) and it’s also wise to bring a Chani asked, “Do you have diamonds?” sweater or sweatshirt everyday to school as the heat varies between different wings of the GENETIC MUTATIONS school building and students desired temps aren’t the same—so sweaters/sweatshirts help. Ms. Brown’s biology class is now learning about genetic and chromosomal mutations and how some of them make a bigger, more “THE USE OF FORCE” impactful difference than others. Mr. Conley’s HS English class read this short story by William Carlos Williams, and INDEPENDENT READING then discussed the story as an During his first week, Mr. Conley assigned a “extended metaphor” about war. long-term independent reading project that’s due in May. They each get to choose a book as FACTORS LEADING UP TO WWI well as a presentation format. Perfect timing for the ELA story above, Mrs. Ramsay and HS history are now learning the WIND ENERGY PRESENTATION timeline and factors before World War I. Happening today at school, report next week!
OUR BEST WISHES A few years ago our students video interviewed Mr. Henry Shapiro who remembers Rabbi Meir Shapiro and the pre-war Yeshiva and its transplant to Shanghai. He’s now 102 years old and just broke his hip. We wish all the best to this very special Holocaust survivor R’ Chaim Meir Yechiel ben Malka Leah.
LEARNING AT PIZZA NITE This Motzai Shabbos: Parent -Child learning 7:15-7:45pm. Rabbi Rubin will present background sources for “Is Cream-Cheese and Lox Kosher?” at 8:15pm. There will be an Adar video for kids. As usual, pizza pies $9, w/toppings $10, fries, sushi, garlic-knots and more. Save date for Pizza Lunch ($1 slice) at school on Tuesday Feb 19. Rabbi Roy Feldman will present at the next and final Pizza Nite on Sat, March 9th.
GIRLS MISHMAR THIS MONDAY See page 4 for more details. Grades 2+, $2pp.
at Maimonides and in the Community 2/8: A NIGHT AT THE MAGIC CLUB 2/10: TIMES UNION HOME EXPO CBAJ hosts Ben Cohen for Friday Night dinner & entertainment of magic, comedy and mentalism. RSVP’s were required by the start of February.
2/9: YOSEF COSTA OBM KIDDUSH
10am-5pm at Albany Capital Center $8pp, kids 14 & under free. Free parking in Times-Union garage.
2/11: MONDAY GIRLS MISHMAR
This Monday 3:30-4:30pm after-school for girls in Kiddush at Shomray Torah this week is in honor of grades 2+, please send $2pp to cover supplies. Yosef Costa's first yartzeit on the 8th of Adar. A grand washing meal with rolls, salads, fish & meat 2/12: SPECIALS AT INDIAN KOSHER as Yosef himself would do! To assist with Kosher Dining (Vaad Supervision) at UAlbany’s sponsorship please contact R’ Michoel Caras. Indian Quad open for lunch and dinner has a new dedicated chef Olga and now offers some special2/9: PJ LIBRARY MAGIC SHOW themed dinners including a Southern Comfort 5pm at CBAJ (before the end of Shabbat), a PJ dinner on the 12th. It is a student cafeteria but Library story, and a magic show for kids by Magic community is welcome. See costs and other info. Ben, all followed by a musical Havdalah.
2/9: PIZZA NITE IS BACK, THIS WEEK WITH LEARNING, TOO! Come to “Nathan’s Kitchen” at Maimonides 7:309pm for pizza, fries, sushi, garlic knots. Eat-in or take-out. All proceeds benefit HS extra-curricular activity. This week look for a half-hour of ParentsChildren learning 7:15-7:45pm, plus a learning presentation by Rabbi Rubin at 8:15pm (Is cream cheese and lox OK? in the text sources) while kids can watch a Children’s Adar video. To order ahead, email: BnosChayaPrograms@gmail.com
2/9: RABBI REISMAN NAVI CLASS Sat nights Navi class live from Brooklyn at the CBAJ Media Center at 7:30pm.
2/10: SARANAC LAKE WINTER CARNIVAL (AND THE ICE CASTLE)
2/13: COSTA YARTZEIT KADDISH 11:15am at the gravesite on the day of his first yartzeit, community is welcome.
2/22: FED SCHOLARSHIPS DUE
A wine, cheese and art reception with Yitzchak Moully, 7pm at Bethlehem Chabad 393 Delaware. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. RSVP online at BethlehemChabad.com or 518-439-3310.
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.
2/13: THE WEEKLY WED SPECIAL
2/24: CBAJ MISHLOACH MANOT
2/13: CHASSIDIC POPART ARTIST
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.
To participate in CBAJ’s Purim fundraiser/ Mishloach Manot to (specific) community members with your name on it—order online by this date at cbaj.org/mm. Forms are also being mailed.
2/26: “LIFE ANIMATED” FILM 2/17: JEWISH DATA GUILDERLAND In honor of Jewish Disability Inclusion Month,
This Sunday is the last day. See website for details & schedule: SaranacLakeWinterCarnival.com
Rabbi Laber will be present his extensive “Jewish Data” research database with tools and examples of many things learned from gravestones & public records, 2pm talk at Guilderland Public Library.
2/3-2/24: SUGAR ON SNOW
2/17-18: F.C. WINTER CAMP
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.
Friendship Circle is planning a 2-day winter camp program for children on the spectrum. Volunteers are needed. More info? Call Chaya: 518-488-8992
2/18: PRESIDENTS DAY
Federation is showing this film at 7pm. See more about the film at: www.lifeanimateddoc.com
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
No School on Monday. Albany Institute of History reaching out to Capital Region area 2/10-24: LEGO AMERICANA VISITS & Art has free admission and it’s the last day of the Call-a-thon donors to support the Jewish Federation and its Lego Americana Road Show will be in our area for Steiner Look Alike exhibits (kids really enjoy). Also local beneficiaries (including the Maimonides 15 days at Crossgates Mall courtesy of MVP see brilliant Larry Kagan sculpture effects. School) and its overseas and Israel partners for the Healthcare. Look for Lego replicas of White House, Jewish community. Maimonides parents are asked Statute of Liberty, the Capitol and more. Also a 2/18: PIZZA LUNCH BY SLICE to kindly volunteer a shift for this effort. designated Lego play area, scavenger hunt & more. On Tuesday after Presidents Day, the HS Girls will be selling hot pizza slices at lunchtime for $1 each. 4/7: FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE GALA 2/10: (INDOOR) GREENMARKET Parents who’d like their kids to get pizza should Stay tuned for info. To be held at the Elks Lodge. Year ’round farmer & crafts market at Proctor’s send 1 or 2 dollars for a slice or two of pizza. Theater Arcade, 10am-2pm every Sunday.
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!”