Maimonides Community

BH. Tammuz

11, 5780 / July 3, 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 8:19 Shabbat Ends: produced by Rabbi Mendel Rubin & students in the TNT (Torah ‘n Technology) Program 9:29 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

CONDOLENCES MASSRYS Our condolences to Micki & Norman Massry on the passing of her mother Mrs. Claire On Sunday this Jacob and Max began to put on Tefillin for the first time in preparation for (Kosden) Perskie of the NJ Shore (who escaped the Holocaust with her family in July 1939). their Bar-Mitzvah. Their actual putting on Around the same time they also got the news Tefillin was at home with friends & family watching over Zoom and then continued with of a birth of a grandson. May they cherish the social-distanced Shacharit in the CBAJ parking memories and enjoy much family Nachas. lot where they gave out individually packaged CONDOLENCES CORMANS jumbo cookies adorned with chocolate Tefillin. The amazing thing was how the rain Selig Corman (sister of Joan Sinai, obm) cleared up and held up just in time for their passed away this week. He was a life-long outdoor Minyan. On their ride over to the Albany resident, ran his parents local Lincoln Minyan wearing Tefillin in the car, they shared Pharmacy for many years, later served as over Zoom some of the laws of Tefillin they director of Professional Affairs at the NYS learned with Rabbi Mathless in Shevach-Yakar. Pharmaceutical Society. He was involved in Trinity Alliance in the South End. He visited MAZAL TOV SIMCHA CADANER Maimonides at a Moshe Sinai remembrance.

Simcha Cadaner of Brooklyn was a counselor in our day camp and is now engaged to Shmiel MAZAL TOV GOLDSTEINS Wertzberger of Chicago. Mazal Tov! Mazal Tov to MHDS alumnus Tzvi Hirsch and Chaya Goldstein of Monsey on the birth of a baby boy. Special Mazal Tov to grandparents MOSES HITS THE ROCK Rivka Goldstein and Zev Goldstein.

Statues are now big news. The best known beloved statute in Washington Park MAZAL TOV SCHMIDTS has ties to this week’s Parsha (also to Parsha Beshalach) when Moshe hits the rock. Notice Mazal Tov to Benny and Shayna Schmidt on his staff and the fountain that comes out from the birth of a baby girl. Special Mazal Tov to the rock. This was built 127 years ago in 1893 the grandparents Rabbi Menachem and Chava to reflect the biblical Schmidt of Philadelphia. Chava is originally rock at Horeb and it from Albany (and they keep connected here), is called the King her parents Dr. Boris and Ethel Paul lived on Memorial in memory South Main and are fondly remembered here. of Rufus (& Henry) King, founder of MAZAL TOV YITZCHAK R. Albany Savings Bank Another first time Hanochas Tefillin from and other local Maimonides 7th grade upcoming this Sunday financial & insurance morning at Shomray Torah’s 8am Minyan businesses. Stone was (masks and social-distancing seating required). quarried at Storm Yitzchak’s Tefillin arrived from Israel on King Mt. assembled Tuesday and guess who was the first one to here on site without wear them? Mr. Steve who was helping out chiseling. A Jewish with organizing and sanitizing at school (who Hungarian man was now has his own Tefillin at home but loves used to model Moses. when the boys guide him put them on).

MAZAL TOV GUROCK TWINS

This MC Newsletter is dedicated in honor of Mushkie and Shmulie Rabinowitz's baby girl Chana, born 11 Sivan, and in loving memory of my father, Moshe Shufler obm for his yahrzeit, 2 Tammuz.

by Shayna and Ruvain Kudan and family

CARL REINER AND HIS JUDAISM A well-known Hollywood comedian, actor and director died this week at age 98. The above anecdote may illustrate a Pintele-Yid teaching and insight that our HS Girls learned in Tanya chapter 18. At his 90th birthday someone said “Too bad Carl is an atheist” to which Carl at age ninety ran up to say: “I am not an atheist! I am a JEWISH atheist, and that’s different!”

JULY 4TH + YUD BAIS TAMMUZ It so happens that this year, July 4th, America’s Independence Day falls on the same day (this Shabbos) as Yud Bais (12th of) Tammuz which celebrates Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak’s 1927 release from communist prison and exile = his independence!

This year still celebrated even if not in same communal fashion as usual.

IN ADDITION TO RECIEPT In addition to the tax receipt emailed from Charidy.com on the day of the donation, Morah Rochel and Sharona Backman (both masked and sitting apart) are working on sending out email notes as thank yous to all 405+ people from far and near who so generously supported the school’s online crowdfunding campaign earlier this month.

SHALOM FOOD PANTRY’S VIRTUAL BATTLE OF BBQ’S

This past Sunday was the virtual version of the Shalom Food Pantry’s Battle of the BBQ’s, this year each team competing from their own home/backyard, using supplied Kosher steak and wings.

WOMENS SHABBOS SHIUR Participating teams got lime green t-shirts with The Womens Shabbos Shiur has resumed at the Battle of the BBQ’s logo. The 21 teams the outdoor covered deck classroom at were creatively named, Maimonides. 4:45pm on Shabbos afternoon, the recipes looked and all present must wear masks and no young sounded delicious, and children should come. Last week (the first TALMUD AT YELLOWSTONE voice-over actor emcee Some of what 7th grade Talmud week) was in honor of the Rubin’s anniversary, Steve Murray got now continuing each week, same location. learned this year in tractate interesting tidbits and Bava Kama came alive this week backstories from many “CREATIVE CHESED” at Yellowstone National Park: of the contestants. There were a bunch of At the Gimmel Tammuz event that Capital “California woman gored multiple times by trivia questions (about the food pantry and Yellowstone bison” reads the headline and the Chabad showed on Thursday night for the random local trivia) article goes into say: “the animals are normally Rebbe’s Yartzeit, Sivan Rahav Meir (a popular for people to answer Israeli journalist) told a story of a widow in a placid but can respond aggressively” which is via Chat over Zoom to so similar to the Talmud Bava Kama’s NY apartment who was alone for the Seder win various prizes. In this year (during Covid quarantine) and asked addition to the differentiation between Tam and interactive viewers over Muad, calm vs. wild animal behavior, her neighbor across the hall to leave their door the normal expected vs. unusual unexpected. open so she could listen in and participate in Zoom, another 700 people viewed it over their Seder from her apartment. After Facebook Live. The real winner of course is YomTov she called her son and told him how the Mitzvah of Tzedakah, supporting the GOING THROUGH SHASS happy she was because they used all the same Shalom Food Pantry in a time of extra need.

“Shass” is a way of saying “the whole Talmud” tunes and even some of the stories that she Battle of the BBQ’s Winners were: and “going through Shass” is usually a multiwas used to & familiar with her late husband. Judges Pick - Up in Smoke year endeavor (the one page per The son explained that the neighbors called Creative Team Name - The Whole Magrilla day Daf Yomi cycle takes 7.5 him up and asked him to teach them all their Runner Up - So We Meat Again years). But Rabbi Rubin wanted family Seder tunes and stories so they could Kid Friendly - Rocking Rosenblums to rearrange the school’s Salo make her Seder as familiar as possible! This, Best-Plated Presentation -Royal Tanenbaums Steper Talmud library so that the books are said Sivan Rahav Meir, is called “Creative People's Choice - Cholent Pot back in order and more available and Chesed” they sensed her need and Hopefully next summer it can be in-person accessible, so he asked some students and went out of their way to fill it the best again, and we can not only view the Battle alumni (now on school summer vacation) to way they possibly could. Sivan said online but go around and taste it, too! “go through Shass in an hour” with masks and this as an example of what Chabad Shluchim social-distancing, working together - apart. do all the time but emphasized that we all can THANKS RABBI SHMULY and should find ways to do as much Creative For arranging and delivering a new-to-us heavy Chesed as possible, strategically targeted and duty color copier and printer for school use in attuned to the needs of others! addition to the existing machines in the office.

Yes, we are KNOWING THE UNKNOWN This call-out quote is from this past Sunday Times-Union in an article by Dr. Jacob Appel (an expert on experts) of Mount Sinai Hospital in NYC. But it's also a take on ‫תכלית הידיעה‬ ‫ שלא נדעך‬the greatest knowing (spiritually) is the unknowing! More, truer knowledge can and should lead to humility.

REPORT CARDS MAILED The end of year report cards were mailed home during the week after Moving-Up Day, Kindergarten & High School a few days later.

PLANNING FOR NEXT YEAR! Given the circumstances, it is difficult to plan with certainty for the coming school year, but we are consulting with NYSED and Dept of Health, private & religious school consortiums, locally and nationally. We are working to prepare for all eventualities. While very much hoping we can return for safe in-person actual in-school experience, we must also prepare for a combination of other possibilities. The school administration will establish parent-teacher and professional committees who will work over the summer toward these goals and possibilities for the safety of all our students and teachers.

SCHOOL UPGRADES AND FIRE & LIFE SAFETY INSPECTION Thanks Simmy Rubin for arranging upgrades and new equipment at school and our recent city and state fire and life safety inspection.

CLEANING & SANITIZING Thanks Mr. Steve for spending time at school cleaning and sanitizing many of the Nursery toys and other organizing. Thanks to Alyla and Jennifer for their work in cleaning, refreshing and preparing the Nursery and Kindergarten classrooms. Everything there was moved and cleaned and freshly painted, too!

Siman 1776: Hilchos July Fourth Weekend TEN WOMEN SHARING REBBE On the Tuesday evening before Gimmel Tammuz, the Rebbe’s 26th yartzeit, ten local Chabad women each shared a personal angle of Rebbe inspiration over a Zoom gathering (that was streamed to Facebook with over 1,100 views). Each spoke for under 6 minutes, on a different subject and from a different perspective. It is up and available to view online on Capital Chabad’s facebook page.

BBQ’ING THIS JULY 4TH WKND BBQ is one great July 4th tradition that can still be done at home on Sunday. Maybe grab a recipe idea/tip from recent Battle of BBQ’s see it online on Shalom Food Pantry’s facebook page. Or hotdogs in the Cholent?

DOUBLE-PARSHA SCAVENGER HUNT Can you find these items in this week’s double -Parsha of Chukat-Balak? Print this page out before Shabbos. You can do this just for fun learning on Shabbos, or after Shabbos write down the Perek/Pasuk for each one and send a picture of your completed scavenger hunt in a picture to mhdsnews@gmail.com by Tuesday.

Completed entries will be entered into a raffle to win a prize! (They are not listed in order).

NAME: _____________________________

1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12) 13) 14) 15) 16) 17) 18) 19) 20)

___/___ Lion ___/___ Houseful of Silver & Gold ___/___ Red ___/___ Pomegranate ___/___ Ox ___/___ Living/Spring Water ___/___ Sword ___/___ Hit the Rock ___/___ Water of Strife/Argument ___/___ Highway ___/___ Az Yashir ___/___ A Nation Dwells Alone ___/___ See it, but not now ___/___ The King’s Road ___/___ Donkey’s Mouth ___/___ Mah Tovu ___/___ Come to Cheshbon ___/___ Pasuk with many Lameds ___/___ A Star from Jacob ___/___ Gardens by a River

10 Seifim Presented by “The Torah Times” with glosses by Rabbi Y. Rubin 1. We are commanded to “Pray for the Peace of the Government where we reside” (Jeremiah, Avos (3:2): Prayer for the Government is recited before musaf (Sidur Shaloh - see also RSZ manuscript).

2. July 4th is not a problem of "chukas hagoyim.”

Indeed, this secular/legal Holiday celebrates the freedoms the US bestows on all its citizens, including (yaish omrim, especially) Jews.

3. We add no special prayer in Tefila or bentching, Tachanun is said, but its an opportune time to thank Hashem for a Malchus shel Chesed that allows us to practice Judaism freely.

A JULY 4TH 1976 ANNIVERSARY The bicentennial in 1976 was to be every story on NY Times front page, but it turned out to be every story on that page BUT ONE! Israel surprised the whole world by rescuing the Jewish hostages at Entebbe in a daring raid that took the top left corner on the front page and the headlines in many newspapers all around the world. A few years ago, 50 years after the raid, Shabbos House and cosponsoring orgs had an event at with one of the Israeli commandos of that raid.

JEWS OF THE REVOLUTION Haym Salomon is famous for his assistance in financing the revolutionary war. Col. Isaac Franks fought alongside Washington and his sister Rachel married Haym. Francis Salvador might have been the first Jew to hold public office in America, as he was elected to the Provincial Congress in 1774 but was killed in ambush early in the war in 1976. Mordechai Sheftall fought in the battle for Savannah against the British but was captured by them.

4. The Seuda (BBQ b'la'az) includes hotdogs and hamburgers (some call it "beefburgers" to avoid a traif mention), corn, potatoes, fries, sauerkraut, coleslaw, baked beans, and apple-pie V'chol hamarbeh, harai zeh m'shubach.

5. Some have a custom to put a whole hotdog or slices in their Cholent; purely a matter of taste.

Some bake a blueberry/strawberry cake showing red white and blue, but that is not me’akev.

6. When July 4th is on Friday, do not consume a big afternoon meal to leave appetite for Shabbos.

7. Seudat Shabbos reigns supreme, yet Divray Torah may include Inyana D’yoma references appreciating Democracy & Freedom of Religion (see above par. 2). Some cantors sing Zemiros to an American tune.

8. One should not rush thru the Shabbos Seuda or skip z'miros to go see Fireworks. CYLOR (consult your local orthodox rabbi) as to the proper location from where to view Fireworks (i.e. going up to a rooftop, walking to the river bank, etc.) on Shabbos. One can’t fulfill Havdalah “Meorei Haesh” on fireworks.

9. Big cities hold Fireworks after "tzais ha'kochavim" of the 4th. A "ben kfar" may view local fireworks on July 3rd or 5th. One can also WASHINGTON’S LETTER fulfill the minhag of BBQ on the Sunday of the G. Washington’s letter to Touro Synagogue in "July 4th Weekend." (The Labor Day (always on Rhode Island is a Jewish American classic. It Monday w/o Shabbos issues) BBQ is held on reads in part: for, happily, the Government of the Sunday "l'chatchilah").

United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance… May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell in this land continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants—while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid.

10. In view of “melting pot” assimilation, one must stress: “America iz nit andersh” (Frierdiker Rebbe 5740) and despite American comforts, we must know that we are in Golus, and look forward to the Geula Shlema.

at Maimonides and in the Community 7/2: CBAJ’S HAVDALAH CLASS Rabbi Feldman’s 3rd of a series online class on Shabbat-at-Home is on Havdalah, viewable on the CBAJ Zoom Room Thursday at 7:45pm.

7/3-4: SHABBOS CHUKAT-BALAK This Shabbat is a double-header Parsha, it is July 4th, and it’s also “Yud-Bais (12th of) Tammuz” a Chabad Chassidic holiday celebrating the 6th Rebbe (R’ Yosef Yitzchak)’s release from Soviet prison & exile for the “crimes” of keeping Judaism and observance alive under communism.

7/4: WOMENS SHABBOS SHIUR Due to the health risks, the summer Womens Shabbos Shiur will be meeting at one single outside location all summer: the outdoor WOW Pavilion at Maimonides, 404 Partridge Street at 4:45pm. Seats will be set up with social distancing in mind. Please wear a face covering which covers the nose and mouth. If you are feeling ill or have been exposed to Covid, please stay home. Older children (also need face coverings) who will sit and listen are welcome, but please no younger children.

Cold water & hand sanitizer provided. We will not be serving snacks. Come and learn!

7/3-5: JULY FOURTH WEEKEND Empire State Plaza Fireworks show has been postponed. No parade this year. But backyard BBQ’s & red/white/blue theme will be all over!

7/6-8/7: CAMP GAN ISRAEL

disinfection, hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette.

5) Campers will be in small groups of 10 campers or less and each group will remain with their own counselors at all times, while distancing from other groups. For more info and registration, contact Camp Director Devorah Leah EARLIER IS BETTER, BUT NEVER TOO LATE This is true of many things in life, but especially life insurance - an Mathless at 518-698-1836.

important responsibility for our families. The younger you buy

7/8: RAMBAM SIYUM into it, the cheaper it will be. Ilene Sykes is a registered

representative of the reputable NY Life and is a good friend and This concludes the 39th supporter of Maimonides. Contact her to find out more. annual cycles of study of Rambam’s Mishne Torah, and begins the 40th! 1:30pm Global Siyum by Chayenu summer months but some asked for it as a means at: Siyum.Live and a 7pm Local Siyum online with of helping keep community together. If you have news or interesting things to share, or tips for safe guest speaker Rabbi Aryeh Citron, a scholar, and distanced outdoor activities or would like to teacher, author & editor from Surfside Florida. sponsor a week of the newsletter in memory of a Rabbi Nachman Simon will conclude the 39th Rambam cycle, stay tuned for the person to lead off loved one for a special occasion, please email: mhdsnews@gmail.com the Rambam study anew!

7/9: 17TH OF TAMMUZ The Fast of the 17th of Tammuz (Thursday) begins the period of The Three Weeks. It recalls the Roman siege of Jerusalem which eventually led to the Temple’s destruction on Tisha b’Av, 3 weeks later. It’s a good time to read up and learn about the Temple.

7/17: NEXT “MC” NEWSLETTER

As we are in the summer months (after school Following NYS Guidelines allowing day camp ended) we went to a every other week schedule. operations, the CGI Albany program will open this Usually we don’t do many newsletters in the summer, but has been adjusted and modified to follow summer camp guidelines set forth by the CDC, the state of NY and in consultation with local health professionals. They are following continuously updated and comprehensive guidelines and in touch with health professionals.

Below are some changes already in place: 1) Camp hours have been modified to: 9:30-3:00 2) No off-site trips unless guidelines change.

3) Campers and staff will have temperatures taken each morning at drop off.

4) All camp staff trained in appropriate cleaning,

CALENDAR YARTZEITS It’s not too early to get yartzeit dates to Rabbi Yossi for inclusion ($36 donation) in this coming year’s Jewish Art Calendar. It is a beautiful way to remember a loved one and commemorate their yartzeit with the community. Call Rabbi Yossi 518-495-0772 or email: calendar@capitalchabad.com

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!”