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10 Adar I, 5779 / Feb 15, 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 5:09 Shabbos Ends: produced by Rabbi Mendel Rubin & students in the TNT (Torah ‘n Technology) Program 6:11 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
CHOSHEN GEMSTONE COOKIES Kitah Bet (2nd grade) made colored candy studded 12-hole cookies (above) with Morah Chani as they learned about the Kohain Gadol (High Priest)’s beautiful Choshen breastplate in this week’s Torah portion Tetzaveh. Nursery students (left) glued color gemstones to a 12slot upcycled top as they learned the same. The names of the tribes of Israel were engraved on these stones, indeed, our school considers each student to be a precious gem!
This week’s newsletter is sponsored in loving memory of
R’ Yechiel Michel Piekarski Upcoming Shushan Purim Yartzeit By his daughter Morah Rochel and Rabbi Rubin and family
WHY THESE SILLY PAPER HATS? It’s the month of Adar I, a time to increase in happiness and celebrate joyously. Morah Rivi made it with them in art class. Happy Adar!
BETTER 2 LEAD YIDDISH SONGS CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?
AN OLD “MC” DISCOVERY 6th grader Mendel L. was looking through a Gemorah Sukkah from the Artscroll set that Johanna Steper donated to the school that her husband Salo used and came across an old Maimonides Newsletter from Fall 2006! The students were so excited with this find! They found pictures of Maimonides alumni when they were young, discovered the school’s “Zahir Spotlight” theme of that year and also made comparisons between newsletters today and this one from more than twelve years ago. It is like a time-capsule… so interesting.
At the Massry Residence, HS Girls sang with the residents songs like Oyfen Pripitchek and Hop Mayne Hamantaschen (Music teacher Morah Lynn Gross used to sing that lively song with us), some of the residents knew it and really enjoyed hearing these songs that reminded them of their own childhood.
Mrs. Mattice’s 2nd graders read a story about a can-string-telephone and were so intrigued by it that she made it for them and they had fun talking to each other through it across the lunchroom. One thing they learned: the string must be taut (tight) for it to work.
THE 3:20 MINCHA MINYAN
Each school day during the winter months there is a 3:20pm Minyan at school (in the “I SEE IT BETTER NOW” back room upstairs) just before dismissal time. One day before English class this Some days are tight, especially if all the Barweek, Mr. Conley had his 8th graders Mitzvah boys are not in school that day, so if work in pairs to help a blindfolded partner you are around at that time, please stop in to walk up and down the stairs at school. Then help make the Minyan. they sat down in class to read a book about blind person’s struggles to get about. Their personal experience helped them better “see” RABBI RUBIN & THE ROVER See page 2 for more on the Mars Rover and and relate to the elements of the story. Rabbi Rubin’s 2004 & 2012 connections..
MYLIFE APPLIED ESSAYS HS Girls all entered their essays in the international MyLife Chassidus Applied essay contest—teen division. Essays had to be a minimum of 1500 words and address a reallife issue or problem, quote sources and explain how these perspectives help address these issues. Some of what they wrote about included: “The Middle Me”, “Dealing with Anxiety”, “Finding Joy”, “The Struggle to find Reason in Reasons for life’s challenges”, “Misunderstanding Women’s Roles”, “Being Away from Home”, “Making Prayer more Meaningful”, “Small Town vs. Big City” and “Ins/Outs of Problems: Dealing with them vs. Rising above them”. Lots of good stuff!
NEW DESIGNER FRAMES Actually, Jacob doesn’t wear glasses. But the boys have become quite adept at using the 3D pen in the Makerspace that they designed their own glasses frames (no lenses). The earliest versions were clumsier, but they experimented with different techniques (as good tinkerers should!) and they got better and better at it!
KIDDUSH & HAVDALAH
ALL ABOUT WIND POWER Mr. LeMonds did a nice presentation in our Makerspace all about wind-power, including its pros and cons. There are many environmental benefits to using a renewable existing source of energy like wind but nothing is without its costs. One interesting thing was how they learned from ducks in flight about the incline and contour of the turbine blades.
HS Girls Halacha class had an extensive review of these weekly relevant laws this week. They learned arguments in interpreting the verse, differences between Shabbos vs YomTov, and daytime vs. nighttime Kiddush. They learned the certain differences between original Halacha and observed Halacha.
LEONARDO’S HORSE 5th graders read this story (about the famous Leonardo da Vinci) which involves art and war, animals and people—and the work that was interrupted and never finished.
GYMATHTICS Mrs. Mattice had her 2nd
SUSHI @ GIRLS graders exercise to a video that combines both MISHMAR math concepts and physical exercise! At this month’s afterschool Mishmar girls made and enjoyed sushi! Parents, please remember to send in the $2pp so the HS Girls can cover the costs of Mishmar.
A BLANK PIECE OF PAPER Each week, 4th graders take turns bringing in a Parsha connected object. This week Mendel S. brought in a blank sheet of paper. Why? Because Parsha Tetzaveh is the only Torah portion since Moshe’s birth that does not mention Moshe by name. That part is blank!
FLEXIBLE NUN LETTERS The Hebrew letter “Nun” has both a regular form and a end-of-word longer form. Nursery made Nun letters on a hinge/pivot so that it can switch between regular Nun’s to the longer Nun’s. How clever!
A VOLCANO IS IN THE WORKS
THE FOIL AND BOX METHOD
6th grade science is making one (well, a miniature indoor simulation, at least). They have been hoarding newspapers for a while now, and they have begun work on it this week and hope to have it ready next week.
SNOW DAY(S) THIS PAST WEEK
… for factoring polynomials—is what our 8th graders have been learning in math class with Ms. Coffey this week.
Early dismissal on Monday, 2-hour delay Tues.
MARS ROVER 2004-2019 The Mars Rover “Opportunity” first launched in 2004 and was intended to be a shorter mission, but somehow that persistent Rover lasted until this week! Back in 2004 Rabbi Rubin wrote a Rover-based article for Purim (see below). We can’t find the original cartoon from the 2004 Purim article, but found the above Rover cartoon from 2012 adjusted for Sukkot.
WELCOME TO PLANET PURIM Rabbi Israel Rubin, Purim 2014 WITH ALL EYES ON NASA’S mission to Mars, let’s not miss a major encounter heading our way. We are scheduled to rendezvous with Planet Purim on Saturday night March 6 and Sunday March 7. It takes a whole year to get to Planet Purim, so let’s utilize it to the max. Planet Purim is not a sci-fi concoction or whimsical fantasy. They’re still searching for life and water on Mars, but Purim teems with life, its beverages flow like water, and beyond red, Purim explodes into a kaleidoscope of colors, sights and sounds. Unlike the mythical Martians, Planet Purim has real people and real issues waiting to be discovered. You don’t need millions of dollars to travel 100 million miles to reach Planet Purim, nor do you have to be a rocket scientist or Jet Propulsion expert. Planet Purim is not way out in outer space, nor is it a distant anachronism. Purim sends clear, continuous and uninterrupted signals that hit close to home, here and now. Put out your sensors and probe around, and you’ll find that Purim’s landscape and environment is strikingly similar to ours, with contemporary ramifications and applications. Purim’s hate mongering Haman who threatens the Jews and the King’s wavering duplicity are awfully familiar. Mordechai’s faith and beautiful Esther’s rally
to unite us saved the day. Divine Providence caused Haman’s downfall and established Purim as an eternal holiday that guides and inspires us for all time, up to, and including, the coming of Moshiach. Full of Spirit and Opportunity, Purim doesn’t need rover contraptions that crawl two feet a day. You can get there by car, bus, or by foot. Just pop into Planet Purim, and tune in and listen to the whole Megillah reading! Purim has no aliens; we’re all friends exchanging “Mishloach Manot” food gifts, giving charity to the poor and eating the Purim dinner.
SIYUM TRIP TO THE ALBANY INSTITUTE OF HISTORY & ART Glimpses of 6th grade’s memorable Siyum outing: (A) at Halfmoon replica (B) They found the medal on display in the painting next to it (C) “Heavy Metal” exhibits intricately elaborately designed iron ovens made in this area (D) Larry Kagan’s “Shadow Art” was a big highlight, very intriguing, and was the source of a lot of Chassidic inspirations and connections! (E) Finding all the hidden objects in Joan Steiner’s 10 Look Alike exhibits was a lot of fun. They even went back up to the 3rd floor 3 times to check on some things they missed! It also had lessons about finding more when you review learning, and how things represent much more than they appear at first. (F) And they also got to see the Hudson River School art on display.
CELL DIFFUSION EXPERIMENT
ART IN CHASYNTHESIS CLASS
Ms. Brown’s biology students did a biology lab this week on cell diffusion to show how various materials (glucose & starch) pass through the cell membrane. They learned about selective permeable membranes, as not all things can pass through equally.
This morning Rabbi Mendel did two new “cards” in HS’ Chasynthesis curriculum, based on Shaar HaYichud vEmunah and Larry Kagan’s “Shadow Art” that he saw with the 6th graders on their Siyum trip above to the Albany Institute of History and Art—which has free admission THIS Monday, Presidents Day.
GIRLS BAKE SALE—FOR PURIM
Our school has been doing multi-age learning and grade combinations long before it became educationally fashionable, but with all of its necessity and benefits, it remains a challenge. Mrs. Mary Maher has different methods of balancing her multi-grade classes, pictured above is one grade listening to a story on headphones while she teaches the other class.
Note to parents: some of your children’s bakesale tabs are now empty, please refill. Note to the Community: Are you looking for baked goods this Purim? 8th grade girls have a menu of cookies, rugelach & Hamantaschen they can bake for you. For more information, email: 78bakesale@gmail.com
DRINK SALE TABS, TOO Some of the boys drink sale tabs are also nearing empty, parents can refill those tabs as well. These sales support year-end trips and also build a sense of entrepreneurship and responsibility, efficiency and teamwork.
SOUP OF THE WEEK? Parents, call Mrs. Wildman to volunteer for your week to make hot soup.
FED APPLICATIONS DUE 2/22
MULTI-GRADE LEARNING
HALACHIC RESEARCH In Rabbi Rubin’s style, not only did 8th grade research the Halacha laws and opinions but also the historical timeline and personalities behind it. They recently focused on Sifsei (Shabse) Cohen, aka “the Shach” known to students from Marcus Lehman’s “Adopted Princess” historical fiction story.
CHUMASH UPDATES 3rd grade finished Parsha Vayeira and 4th graders finished Vayishlach.
Is your son or daughter going away to summer SLEDDING FUN camp? The Jewish Federations’ scholarship for On Friday Morah Dini took grades camp applications are due Feb 22nd. One 3&4 on a sledding trip! Pictures in next MC. week left it fill these out.
THE BELLS AND POMEGRANATES Nursery pasted round red pomegranates and yellow triangular bells on a big blue paper with a neckpiece like the Kohain Gadol’s “Me’il” tunic. For more on this see Chabad.org Noise.
“BAR LAYVOV” This phrase from Psalms 24 usually translated as “a pure heart” but in Tehillim class HS learned it from root of Borer for sorting and choice. We choose what to take to heart!
at Maimonides and in the Community 2/16: SHABBOS PARSHA TETZAVEH 2/19-21: HSG AT WINTER CAMP There’s always a Kiddush at Shomray Torah but no specific sponsor this week. CBAJ’s Kiddush this week is the monthly Simcha Kiddush in honor of member occasions this month.
2/16: RABBI REISMAN NAVI CLASS Sat nights Navi class live from Brooklyn at the CBAJ Media Center at 7:30pm.
2/10-24: LEGO AMERICANA VISITS Lego Americana Road Show is here for 15 days at Crossgates Mall courtesy of MVP Healthcare. Look for large Lego replicas of White House, Statute of Liberty, Capitol in DC and more. Great photo ops! There’s a Lego play area, scavenger hunt & more.
This Pizza Lunch sale offer will be rescheduled to Tuesday 2/26 as our HS Girls were offered to staff a winter camp on Long Island Tues-Thurs of this coming week. Nice group bonding & experience!
2/18: ALBANY WOMENS CIRCLE Purim Katan event night! 38 Kakely Street, Monday, 7:45pm with a fudge-making demo by Rivi Bahir.
2/19-20: CDPHP BOUNCE AROUND
with your name on it—order online by this date at cbaj.org/mm. Forms are also being mailed.
2/24-25: SALO STEPER YARTZEIT Salo Steper’s yartzeit is the 20th of Adar. There will be a Kiddush that Shabbos prior, a special Sunday night Mincha-Maariv on Feb 24th and a lunch program at school on the Yartzeit day, Mon, 2/25.
2/26: PIZZA SALE AT LUNCH $1 per hot slice offered by HS Pizza Night at lunch. If parents would like their child(ren) to participate send along a dollar or two for that lunch.
2/26: “LIFE ANIMATED” FILM
In honor of Jewish Disability Inclusion Month, $5-$15pp, free for non-bouncers. A 2-day event at Federation is showing this film at 7pm. See more the Albany Capital Center downtown, presented by about the film at: www.lifeanimateddoc.com 2/17: YOSEF COSTA UNVEILING CDPHP and Ring Around The Spectrum. There The “Hakamat HaMatzeiva” (gravestone unveiling) will be 4 bounce sessions each day, see online for 3/3: SPA FOR THE for Yosef Costa obm will be 9:30am this Sunday, at more details. Whispering Willow Wild Care will the Western Ave Cemetery, across Crossgates. BODY & SOUL also have their owls and other birds on display. 1-4pm joint communal event at 2/17: (INDOOR) GREENMARKET Shabbos House. Featured 2/19: SPECIALS AT INDIAN KOSHER Year ’round farmer & crafts market at Proctor’s presenter is the dynamic, Kosher Dining (Vaad Supervision) at UAlbany’s Theater Arcade, 10am-2pm every Sunday. humorous and meaningful Indian Quad open for lunch and dinner has a new Miriam Lipsker of Emory dedicated gourmet chef Olga and now offers special University Chabad in Atlanta, 2/17: JEWISH DATA GUILDERLAND -themed dinners on certain nights. It is a student Georgia. She will be speaking Rabbi Laber will be present his extensive “Jewish cafeteria but community is welcome. on relationships. Stay tuned for Data” research database with tools and examples of updates & details. many things learned from gravestones & public 2/19: MUSIC AND A MAAMAR records, 2pm talk at Guilderland Public Library. 7-9pm at the Woodstock Community Center on Rock City Road, led by Rabbi Yitzchak Hecht and 3/10: J-FED’S SUPER SUNDAY Call-a-thon reaching out to Capital Region area 2/17: NYS-M ROCK & FOSSIL FAIR accompanied by acclaimed musician Elie Massias. donors to support the Jewish Federation and its Geology activities for kids at the NYS Museum $5pp, rsvp@ChabadUlsterCounty.org local beneficiaries (including the Maimonides from 10am to 1pm. No charge. School) and its overseas and Israel partners for the 2/20: THE WEEKLY WED SPECIAL Jewish community. Maimonides parents are asked 2/17: LOVE DOGS? MUT NUT SHOW To pre-order the weekly Wednesday prepared to kindly volunteer a shift for this effort. 10 rescue dogs from animal shelters perform in a dinner special at Kosher Price Chopper, email family-friendly comedy show with trainer Scott and JohnPiccolo@pricechopper.com to be added to the Joan Houghton. “Mutts Gone Nuts” costs $20pp weekly email list with menu, pricing & other info. 4/7: FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE GALA Stay tuned for info. To be held at the Elks Lodge. and is 1pm this Sunday at The Egg. 518-473-1845
2/17-18: F.C. WINTER CAMP Friendship Circle has 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
2/22: FED SCHOLARSHIPS DUE This is already the last minute! The Jewish Federation camp scholarship applications are due. Forms are available online at the JewishFedNY.org
2/22: SHABBAT 360 AT UALBANY
This is the big Shabbat of the year, co-sponsored by No School on Monday. Albany Institute of History all the Jewish campus organizations. Look up & Art has free admission and it’s the last day of the “Shabbat 360 2019” online for more info. Local Steiner Look Alike exhibits (kids really enjoy that). youth (teens, college-age) are welcome as well. Also see the brilliant Larry Kagan sculpture effects.
2/19: PURIM KATAN AT SCHOOL Look forward to treats & a lively Adar dancing.
2/24: CBAJ MISHLOACH MANOT
DRAWING A LAYERED VILLAGE
In art class this week Morah Rivi taught how to To participate in CBAJ’s Purim fundraiser/ Mishloach Manot to (specific) community members divide a paper into sections and create layers of a village and landscapes overlapping into each other.
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!”