Maimonides Community

BH. Iyar

21, 5780 / May 15, 2020

‫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 7:54 Shabbat Ends: produced by Rabbi Mendel Rubin & students in the TNT (Torah ‘n Technology) Program 9:02 Maimonides is accredited by the NYS Board of Regents & is a beneficiary of UJF-NENY

MAY 15, 2020 MILESTONE Today is an important milestone as it is the formal start towards reopening in NY State, as Coronavirus statistics are starting to go down to safer levels. There is still a long way to go much vigilance is needed, social-distancing is to continue, masks are required in public areas with proximity. But this is one step (hopefully!) in the right direction. As Governor Cuomo put it, hopefully “we’re on the other side of the (virus’) mountain.” May it continue!

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MAIMONIDES 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208

LAG BAOMER ‘20 Despite the limitations of Coronavirus and socialdistancing, many enjoyed a very special Lag BaOmer this year. See below and page 3 for local highlights and pictures.

THE THANKFUL CAR-PARADE Wow! No one expected the car-parade to turn out the way it did! The Fire Department came out in force, the fire trucks with “Thank You!” signs. Ambulances joined, too. There is a real eagerness to express thanks to the healthcare workers and other frontline people during this REMEMBERING PAT SNYDER crisis. Albany Police led the parade smoothly, Pat Snyder passed away last week and our past with a full team of officers, closing off streets newsletter was dedicated in her memory. Our keeping the parade together. 30+ cars were alumni remember her from “Better Together” decorated with car-paint & messages in honor visits, and she shared a family favorite “Pesach of the health-care workers, many had special Peach Almond Torte” recipe with MHDS window flags made for the occasion. The most cookbook (see page 2). At “Better Together” beautiful part was seeing how many nurses and Hamantaschen baking gathering doctors came out to see us, really nice crowds pictured above, Pat shared her outside both Albany Med and St. Peters memories of Purim in her youth: her Hospitals, the latter even greeted us with a mother dressed her as “TagBlatt” (the huge colorful paper chain! It was Yiddish newspaper) and she won best costume clearly evident how much people every year. They reminisced how Hamantashen nowadays appreciate the opportunity from the Zuckman’s bakeries on South Pearl to both express & receive gratitude!

St were so big you would cut it and share with your friends. The fillings then were lekvar and ONLINE PROGRAMS Mon-poppy. May her memory be a blessing.

Many of our families enjoyed watching the

This MC Newsletter is dedicated in appreciation of

Albany Police Dept Albany Fire Department Albany Medical Center St Peters Hospital and all others who made our Lag B’Omer Thank You Helpers Car Parade so special and memorable.

LAG BAOMER ZOOM HOME At 4pm school hosted a Zoom with families showcasing a Lag BaOmer feature from their homes. The Semels showed the inside of their RV (like Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai’s cave), Labers showed their new sheep (Rabbi Akiva was a shepherd), Rubins on Fuller made an indoor park (many go to a park on this day), Rabbi Rubin showed off his 20-year-old special Lag BaOmer Hat with the red heart, Ted & Susannah Levin recalled their beautiful Lag B’Omer backyard party last year and how they just found a lost arrow leftover from last year, Clifton Park Rubins sang a song and showed a book made (remotely) in Morah Raizel’s class, Caras family demonstrated a toy crossbow (bow & arrow is a Lag BaOmer tradition) safely in their backyard, Morah Rivi shared her clever indoor “Medurah” bonfire (strips of colored paper flying about tied to fan), Partridge Street Rubins shared their family outing to Pine Hollow Arboretum, and the Mathless kids shared their own Rabbi Shimon Powerpoint. More people shared, t’was so nice!

amazing Hatzalah musicathon fundraiser with live music all Lag BaOmer long. Some of our Kay Levine was a local artist and art teacher, in families watched the NCFJE virtual parade at Albany and Saratoga, who later moved to noontime with nice flashbacks & singers.

Portland Maine and passed away there this week. Rabbi Rubin and Morah Rochel CBAJ “AROUND THE FIRE” remember her fondly, especially the Jewish Rabbi Roy Feldman sang & played the famous holiday cards that she made and made sure to “Bar-Yochai” song at CBAJ’s virtual bonfire at AND EVENTS AS A FAMILY So much these days is happening at home, and send them. May her memory be a blessing.

6pm. He invited Rabbi Rubin to teach a piece Lag BaOmer is no different: Many families had of Zohar (about seeing Torah’s stories also in a WELCOME BACK GUROCK KIDS higher light & meaning) and then there was a BBQ’s and firepits, some made their own little caves, and so many of us enjoyed listening to On their 22-hour road-trip back from two nice slideshow of families pictures taken in the all the live concerts and music online! months in Nebraska - learning with us online! pre-Lag BaOmer 12-photo scavenger hunt.

CONDOLENCES KAY LEVINE

GO MATH

END OF WWII

Mrs. Maher’s 3rd graders Ms. Ramsay’s 6/7 finished their 10th chapter in grade history class is their “Go Math!” workbooks, now learning about this unit was about all types of measurement, the end of WWII and from length of objects to their volume & mass, this week discussed the bombing of Japan that even calculating time. ended the war in the Pacific theater.

READING STREET

REGENTS VOCAB PREP QUIZ

Mrs. Maher’s 3rd graders finished their 440page Reading Street book this week, their last piece was on volcanoes. They read, did their vocabulary & spelling, reading comprehension and writing skills over 15 story units in 3 sections: “Dollars & Sense” (stories about money), “Smart Solutions” (ways to solve problems) and “People and Nature” (how they are interconnected).

NYS may have cancelled the Regents testing MOUSE this year but Ms. Ramsay’s students are still Mrs. Hoffman’s studying as if it was on! This week they took a Kindergarten google quiz (all on Google Classroom) on a list students read this counting book about a of Regents vocab words and it was cool to get mouse who felt his house was too small trying their results immediately. out different animal homes and finally realizing that his own home was the best for BECHUKOTAI HAFTORAH him. This ties right into this week’s This week is a double Parsha, and also Chazak Pirkei Avot chapter 4: “Who is rich? of Chumash Vayikra. Morah Raizy’s HS Girls He who is happy with their lot!”

Haftorah class enjoyed seeing two familiar pesukim “Baruch HaGever” which we know from Bentsching and “Refoaynu” which appears in the healing blessing in the daily Amidah. Plus there are meaningful verses about keeping fresh and staying connected. All by the late Pat Snyder, who recently passed away, may this is especially relevant in these times. her memory be a blessing. This recipe was originally submitted to the Maimonides Cookbook:

ONE LITTLE

Aunt Sarah's Pesach Peach Almond Torte

ART WITH MORAH RIVI It might be remote but Morah Rivi’s students are very much enjoying her art lessons from afar. It’s also cool for each student to follow her lead and make it on their own and then compare their works online.

IT’S A BLEND Yehudah is in class online with his computer open but his Chumash is open, too! Online only can be a little much, but when blended with worksheets, texts and projects, it works much better.

THREE CASES REVIEW Rabbi Mendel’s 7th grade Boys Talmud just concluded their extended review of 3 cases on Bava Kama 31a.

It would be best for them to review these cases at home so that their skills don’t get rusty. It’s all on 31a and they have worksheets both in their printed packets as well as online in their Google Classroom. The Talmud’s saying that “study without review is like planting without harvesting” is especially true in a remote/ distance learning situation in Coronavirus.

FUN AND GAMES, TOO

Study’s important, of course, but the social connections are very important, too. Pictured here: 3rd graders play card games with each other via video online, and they’re also doing a pottery painting KITAH BET RAINBOW NOACH long-distance.

Timely for the #518RainbowHunt at this These two pictures happened outside class year’s Lag BaOmer parade, Morah DL’s 2nd time but teachers have been incorporating grade students are now learning Parsha Noach student-sharing, farbrengens and socialwith the story of the rainbow after the flood. opportunities into their online class time to Pictured above is part of Yair S’ cartoon allow for lighter times and social connections. drawings of the story of Noah and his three The occasional school-wide assemblies also sons with the accompanying verses. help different age students see each other.

Have Ready: Greased 9" spin-form oven at 350 8 eggs separated 8 egg yolks 1c. sugar 1/2 grated apple 1 lemon grated 1/2 lb ground almonds not blanched 3 t. matzo meal Mix by hand or carefully pulse in food processor. Add well beaten egg whites fold them in carefully. Bake test 35 minutes (if too wet add 8 mins).

How Aunt Sarah's peach torte came to be: This very delicious peach torte is the recipe of my late Aunt Sarah Shoor [one of my father’s 7 sisters]. She was a very fashionable, well postured lady who was a excellent cook and baker and loved ''showing off'' her culinary talents. It instantly became a " winner" in the Snyder home. One of the gifts at the time of my parents marriage [1928] was an exquisite bone china cake plate. My mother decided that it deserved that beautiful plate... and they were never to be apart when the torte was served ! Now the the plate is nearing 100 years of age and since i was no longer do any fancy entertaining in my much smaller venue, the plate is an object d'art on the side board and it always draws glowing compliments. I hope you and your families will enjoy this recipe and derive as much pleasure as it has given to generators of my family.

HAPPY PESACH!

WHAT A WONDERFUL WELCOME! A big highlight of this year’s Lag BaOmer (car-)Parade was the incredibly warm and eager reception we got at both hospitals and all along the streets. St Peters Nurses came out with a big long colorful paper chain to greet us! So many were taking videos and waving. It was a great vibe! Rabbi Mathless delivered a basket of chocolates with student-made Thank You cards expressing the “Love Your Fellow” theme of Lag B’Omer and how Rabbi Shimon emerged from the cave (think: quarantine) asking, “What needs fixing?

How can I help?” as a tribute to the frontline healthcare (and other) workers during this challenging time of crisis.

SIGNS, FLAGS AND CAR-DECOR! Leah Caras designed the logo, Rabbi Shmuly got the car-flags ordered just in time and alumnus Moshe Rubin painted two car banners: Love Your Fellow - Thank You Helpers and Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. The Fire Department hung “Thank You” banners on their trucks and their flashing lights and loud honks got everyone’s attention. Many families decorated their cars with washable car-paint markers and signs. Some of those who came to greet us also held up Thank You signs of their own.

at Maimonides and in the Community 5/16: SHABBOS CHAZAK This Shabbos (even outside the synagogue) we conclude Chumash Vayikra with the double Parshiot of Behar & Bechukotai and we declare “Chazak, Chazak, vNisChazek!” (we can do all that dramatic declaration at home even w/o Minyan).

5/22: YOM YERUSHALAYIM Special schoolwide assembly on Zoom on Jerusalem Day 2020. 10am. Zoom Link: 672-547-2221, same password as in the past. Do you have a Jerusalem story, experience or memory to share with us online? Let Rabbi Rubin know!

5/24: ROSH CHODESH SIVAN

WWW.MAMACHIZUK.COM First childrens books, now a website! Our own Sarah Maddali began a new website called “Mama Chizuk” for encouragement and inspiration for moms. Wishing her success on this venture and much Chizzuk (strength and encouragement) to all moms and everyone!

MORE HELPERS TO THANK!

Our Lag BaOmer Car-Parade focused on local Even without a Minyan be sure to say Yaale vYavo, healthcare workers who are on the frontlines against Hallel and Musaf. This is also the date when the Covid-19 Coronavirus. But there are other local Jews arrived at Mt Sinai, and they camped there “as helpers we need to recognize and appreciate as well! one man with one heart” so this is a good day (as is Including but not limited to… every day) to focus on unity & love of our fellow.  Reb Shmuel Kochman, the Vaad and the team at Kosher Price Chopper for doing their 5/25: YOM HAMEYUCHAS best to keep our Kosher food stocked to the 2nd day of Sivan is known by this name for this is best of their ability! the day when in preparation for Shavuot and the  The Clevensons and the Jewish World Giving of the Torah, Hashem called us “The Newspaper for keeping the local community Chosen People.” There’s no school for Memorial connected and informed.

Day, tune in at 10am for a special Zoom Assembly.  The Jewish Federation and Jewish Family Services, Shabbos House and others for 5/25-29: LAST WEEK IN MAY helping make meals for the home-bound.

Note School Schedule: No School Monday 5/25  Synagogue and individual volunteers who for Memorial Day (only a 10am Zoom Assembly for have been shopping for people and doing “Yom HaMeyuchas”), Regular school on Tues & other errands for those more vulnerable.

Wed 5/26-27 and no school Thursday and Friday  All who have been providing valuable online 5/28-29 for Erev Shavuot and Shavuot. programming enriching the community during this challenging time.

5/29-30: SHAVUOT HOLIDAY

Friday and Shabbat this year, after 49 days of the Omer Count. Whether we can or can’t gather in the synagogue, we are getting the Torah anew! Any good cheesecake or dairy recipes to share? We can feature them here!

SUPPORT VERY APPRECIATED

While the Maimonides building and physical school is closed, school is still very on and working in a remote virtual way. Teachers and bills still have to be paid. While this is a 6/4: SCHOOL DINNER - TBA This would have been the date of the annual school difficult time for many, those who can dinner, but this year we’re looking to do an online contribute online or by mail are very much appreciated. You help ensure continuity in a fundraiser instead. Stay tuned, it may be on this time of crisis, luminous learning in a time of date or around that time. darkness, and assured confidence in a time of REPORTING WANTED! uncertainty. THANK YOU! Students and families are encouraged to send tinyurl.com/maimonidespaypal in MC Newsletter reporting (pictures, news, https://www.maimonidesschool.org/donate tidbits of learning) each week (by Thursday early evening) to mhdsnews@gmail.com. It’s We hope to do an online fundraiser instead of much harder to put the newsletter together the dinner this year. Look for details soon, without school physically in session, but we hopefully will be in early June, IYH. are keeping it going with your help!

SHORT STORY CONTEST National Children’s Short Story Contest Barnes & Noble launched for young storytellers and promising wordsmiths.

Barnes & Noble is calling on children aged 6 –12 to share their original short stories for a chance to be published. Suggested word count is 300 to 800 words or four pages of a graphic story (black & white). Deadline: May 29, 2020, for submissions. See web for info.

NURSERY PACKETS AT MHDS Attention Nursery families: Morah Rivka is preparing Shavuot learning packets for pickup in front of Maimonides on Sunday afternoon. Families at further distance can contact Morah Rivka for it to be emailed to them. All please be in touch with Morah Rivka for exact pickup/emailing instructions.

PARENTS YOU ARE NEEDED! Our online learning has been going well, & we’re happy with how well we transitioned as a school, especially as this is a very challenging time for everyone. We are now entering our last month or so of school and the 3rd month of online/ remote instruction.

While there needs to be a lot of forbearance, understanding, flexibility and leeway on all sides, for the continue success of our children’s studies during this time, it is very important that parents try (as per limits of their availability & other challenges) to ensure their children show up to scheduled classes, have working equipment to the best of their ability, that they do their assignments and classwork and also to spot-check their screens so students aren’t (quite literally) left to their own devices and distracted screens. Each increased degree of parental supervision & involvement goes a very long way in improved learning (always, but especially in times and circumstances like these). We all recognize the challenges (enough working devices, hectic home lives etc) but also hope to make the most of our situation best we can. Thanks all (students, parents & teachers) for being great partners in making this work!

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!”