BH. Iyar
14, 5780 / May 8, 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 7:46 Shabbat Ends: produced by Rabbi Mendel Rubin & students in the TNT (Torah ‘n Technology) Program 8:53 Maimonides is accredited by the NYS Board of Regents & is a beneficiary of UJF-NENY
MAZAL TOV HECHTS Mazal Tov to Rabbi Yitzchak and Leah Hecht of Kingston NY on the birth of a daughter whom they named Faiga in memory of the baby’s great-grandmother. Much Nachas!
maimonidesschool@gmail.com
MAIMONIDES 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208
This MC Newsletter is dedicated in loving memory of
MAZAL TOV SHEPHERDS Mazal Tov to R’ Mendy & Chaya Shepherd on the bris of their newborn son, named Moshe Meir, Moshe for a grandfather and Meir for R’ Meir Baal HaNes of the Mishna. The Bris was attended only by family, viewable over Zoom and they had a “drive-by” for Mazal Tovs!
CONDOLENCES BOMZERS Our condolences to Rabbi Dr. Moshe and Rebbetzin Rochel Bomzer on the passing of his mother Leona, wife of the well-known Rabbi Herbert Chaim Zev Bomzer. In keeping with the times the Shiva was over Zoom and ends today. May her memory be a blessing.
MAZAL TOV KUDANS Mazal Tov to Ruvain and Shayna on their granddaughter Chava Miriam from California (daughter of MHDS alumnus Rabbi Zalmy Kudan) on coming in as one of the top medalist winners in the international Chidon HaMitzvot (which was held virtually this year).
Pat Snyder
R’ SHIMON & THE HELPERS This year’s Lag B’Omer Parade in car parade format for social-distancing will have a special focus on appreciating and saluting the helpers (nurses and doctors, cashiers and truck drivers, scientists and janitors - all on the frontlines in this time of Coronavirus Covid19) who help make this time better, safer and healthier for all. This ties into Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, who was in a type of quarantine hiding and studying in a cave with his son for (13 years!) and upon emerging from that cave asked the people: Is there something that needs repair? What can I do to help fix things? And that’s what he did!
SECOND PASSOVER - TODAY
See inside pages of this newsletter for tidbits from this morning’s (Friday) school-wide 3 LOCAL LAG B’OMER PROJECTS online assembly for Pesach Sheni, the 2nd See inside this MC Newsletter for more details: Passover, aka: the holiday of second chances. It > CBAJ is doing an online scavenger hunt and is customary to eat a little Matzah today, so if then a 6pm virtual bonfire kumiztz over Zoom. you see this newsletter before Shabbos, grab a > Car Parade 10am on Tuesday! How can you bite of Matzah, maybe even with a shmear, or decorate your family car? Theme is rainbow, add a little Matzah to your Friday night. thanking the helpers, and Lag B’Omer! Ask Rabbi Mathless for more parade info. NO SCHOOL THIS TUESDAY > At 4pm on Tuesday there will be a Zoomin’ Around Lag B’Omer with visits of show & tell Thanks most kids (and their parents) for trying to keep up pretty good attendance despite the from your homes! Can you display a sign or circumstances. There will be no school all day painting or picture? Maybe a cave you can on Tuesday due to the many Lag B’Omer make of sheets and blankets? A short skit? events. Make the most of this special day. Speak to Rabbi Mendel to present via Zoom. School resumes regular times on Wednesday. See inside for more about each of these…
upon her recent passing. Pat engaged with our school when we were located at Beth Emeth and was part of our Better-Together Program at Ohav Shalom Apts. She shared memories of her mother dressing her up as Tag-Blatt newspaper for Purim. She submitted a recipe for our old Maimonides Cookbook. See recipe and photo with Pat in next MC. SHORT & LONG OF WEATHER Ms. Tang’s 4th grade science students are learning about short-term weather fluctuations that we feel day to day or week to week (like we’ve been feeling in Albany: between Sunday and Monday this past week the weather dropped approx. 25 degrees!) vs. longer-term weather pattern changes that are monitored by scientists over years and decades. Speaking of weather, looks like we’re not getting the forecasted snow here this weekend after all.
...AND WEATHER IN TALMUD Rabbi Rubin’s 9th grade boys Talmud (with community on the conference call as well) is now 7 blatt (double-sided folios) into tractate Taanit since their Pre-Passover Siyum on Megillah. This week they’ve been learning all about meteorological matters, the Talmud’s take on the benefits & effects of rain & snow, wind and clouds. And they also learned a classic teaching (that many often mistakenly attribute to Avot but is actually in Taanit) “I’ve learned a lot from my teachers, more from my friends, and most of all from my students!” If you’d like to join this daily 2pm call and learn this light tractate of Talmud, moist (pun-intended) with stories lessons and legends, call Rabbi Rubin 518-4234103 or email him at RRAlbany@gmail.com.
THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYST BAKING BREAD IS IN NOW!
WHAT UPSETS ECOSYSTEMS
This is one of the factors in kinetic chemistry Ms. Brown’s High School class learned about this week along with things like surface area, pressure, temperature etc. Kinects studies the reaction rates and the factors that will slow or speed up a reaction. Why did we choose this specific factor to title this piece? Because of its relevance in life - much of our drive and motivation depends on the presence of an effective catalyst, especially in a time like this when we have to be more self-motivated.
Ms. Brown’s 6/7 grade science finished a unit on ecosystems and now are each working on projects that illustrate some type of upset that disturbs or adversely affects an ecosystem. This scientific issue is also very relevant at home, too, especially now that we are all at home, all the time. It’s important to consider what helps maintain equilibrium and homeostasis and what might disturb that. And to think of the things we can do to help our home/family (& community) ecosystem thrive.
MONEY MATH
Timely now that sourdough starters and home bread baking has gone viral in quarantine, our HS Girls learned this week of 3 Halachic categories that bread can fall under: Pas Akum, Pas Palter and Pas Yisrael and how this plays into differences of modern day observance.
NURSERY IN CAVES
Morah Rivka Kochman asked her Nursery students to come to online class in homemade caves for Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and JACOB’S Lag B’Omer and many of them actually did! BLESSINGS They made caves of sheets, cardboard boxes, CONTINUE or toy playthings. NOTE TO FAMILIES: You can do the same or similar for the 4pm Zoom Morah Chani’s on Lag B’Omer, show us your cave concept as 5th graders are learning more of we Zoom-Around our homes showcasing Lag the blessings that B’Omer Show & Tell. Get creative! Have fun KINDERGARTEN GARDENING Jacob gave to each with it! Please let Rabbi Mendel know at mhdsnews@gmail.com or call to let him know Mrs. Katie Hoffman was doing a springtime of his sons before that your family would like to present! unit about planting and gardening with her his passing. They Kindergarten students, and asked them to are doing some send in pictures of them doing some yardwork very nice artwork or gardening. Top: One family took an old for each, this broken dresser and turned it into a raised bed week they learned about Asher’s blessings of garden! Above: Second grade and Kindergarten rich olive groves with flowing oil. Guided-art is sisters have a blast in their family garden. more challenging long-distance for both Another student (not pictured) helped seed teacher and students, but they are making it the lawn to help in grow better this spring. work very nicely. Beautiful stuff! 4th grade math is still enjoying learning with Morah Chaya Lazaroff who is now in far off Houston Texas. Since everything is online, close can be far and far can be close! This week they learned about converting fractions into decimals and they used money (various coins out of a 100 cent dollar) as an example.
DRIVE BY 91ST BIRTHDAY
HASHEM’S 13 ATTRIBUTES That there are 13 attributes are well-known, and we sing them aloud many times on YomKippur or other fast days and Selichot etc. But how to arrive at 13? Which of the words/terms count towards the 13? High School Chumash class is now learning with Morah Leyee the various calculations that the biblical commentaries make to arrive at their conclusions.
KEEPING UP WITH STIMULUS? Raffles are drawn each week and gift cards are awarded to students who fill their Stimulus Chart, get it signed and submitted (via phone text or email) to Morah Leyee each Sunday for a chance to win.
PLEASE SAY TEHILLIM/PSALMS
This grandmother turned 91 years old but her family was unable to visit her due to the situation. So the Caras family drove by and brought her balloons, cookies and ice-cream to celebrate her special day.
We all continue to pray for Morah Rochel’s brother Refael Avraham Abba ben Risha and CHUMASH CROSSWORDS Morah Dini’s father Baruch Avraham Aharon CARDS FOR SENIORS Morah Rochel’s 6/7 Chumash students are ben Yenteh who very much need our prayers. Thanks Morah Rivi for making them with now making their own crossword puzzles using Both had a name added, in the hopes that this many of our students. Keep writing/drawing words from the chapter they learned about will aid their speedy and complete recovery. them… the seniors do appreciate it very much! Yitro’s visit and his judicial system advice.
STEP INTO HISTORY
ELI BEER’S PESACH II SEDER Eli Beer is the head of United Hatzalah in Israel and came down with a severe case of the Covid19 virus while visiting Miami, and was not able to celebrate Pesach to him being very sick and in the hospital. But BH he’s better now, and therefore made a Seder on Pesach Sheni also to thank Hashem for his Earlier today at 10am school had an assembly for recovery. May all those who need a recovery the 2nd Passover (holiday of “second chances”): be blessed with good health and all the strength they and their families need! RABBI RUBIN opened describing Pesach Sheni as “Plan B” when “Plan A” doesn’t work out as planned. Our current situation isn’t Plan A, but as with Pesach Sheni, it is important that we have Plan B and make the most of it. SID STARK described 2nd chances that people have in life, some people (like Rabbi Akiva) become more observant or reconnect to their Judaism even when older. In terms of cars (as he knows from decades in car repair) cars break down but can usually be fixed and repaired so they can once again serve their masters (the person driver) to go where they want to go. Same is true of people. Sometimes we need to fix ourselves up so we can better serve Hashem and go and do what Hashem wants us to do! MORAH ROCHEL first described PesachSheini as the eraser atop a pencil. She also described the FOMO (missing out) feel that students and teachers can miss out due to hectic homes, lousy internet, not enough devices or a broken mic. So it is important to remember the Pesach Sheni message that there’s always opportunity, we can make it up, it’s not lost. CHANANYA ROSENBLUM recalled his own days 30 years ago at Maimonides, and shared how counting each day for Sefirat HaOmer helps us prepare and get into the groove of learning Torah every day (not missing a day!) for Matan Torah. In his days there were snow days and other missed days, but now Zoom helps to TORAH TIMES FLASHBACK keep learning everyday no matter what. And as The baby that Morah Rochel is holding is an attorney he very beautifully described how Rabbi Mendel! This picture goes back to people make mistakes and do wrong things 1973 when Rabbi Rubin made and hung a (maybe they drive too fast or take something that giant “Torah Times” clock (always time for doesn’t belong to them) and often the lawyer Torah!) outside of 770 for the Rebbe’s Lag and judge show the person that what they did B’Omer Parade. This was one of the first was wrong but they can still get a second chance. signs displayed outside 770. As Torah Times END OF ASSEMBLY was a beautiful Hebrew nears its 50 year mark, Rabbi Rubin is song by Ishay Ribo titled “Lashuv HaBayta” (in working towards a more complete special acapella version) which has a chorus about edition (beyond updated Breishis and Shmot) Hashem being forgiving and welcoming, and already available at TheTorahTimes.com. giving us all another chance.
PESACH-SHENI SCHOOL WIDE ZOOM ASSEMBLY
LAG B’OMER SLONIM, POLAND 1931 Rabbi Rubin’s father, Reb Moshe, then 11 years old is 3rd from right in the top row.
LOSICE, POLAND 1939 AND 1942 MHDS alumnus Efraim does a lot of research and translations, and in his work he came across an auction house selling this photo of a guard in Losice, Poland, as the Jews were forced to march through the next town of Siedlce, and from there onto trains to Treblinka. Efraim also found this list of survivors of Losice’s original 35,000 Jews are listed on a page on left. Among them Reb Noach Losice who came to Albany just in time (arriving here on the 5th night of Chanukah, 1939) with his wife Brocha Yospeh and young son Moshe. Also on this list is another Losice who changed his last name to his wife’ maiden name of Gewirtzman to increase their chances of escape (which thankfully they did) is pictured here getting his US Citizenship with Governor Thomas Dewey. Thanks to Avi Losice for filling some missing pieces of this Albany history puzzle. He described the “Losice Society” (named for the town, not the family) which formed after the war. They met every few years, usually in Israel, up until the 1990’s and Avi remembers that his grandparents Noach and Bracha Yospeh tried to time their travels to Israel (starting in the 1960’s) to coincide with these Losice Society meetups as survivors of that Polish Jewish town.
at Maimonides and in the Community 5/10: LAG BAOMER HUNT Starting on Sunday CBAJ (along with HACD, MHDS and Shomray Torah) will be circulating 12 challenge clues for families to upload pictures at: LagBaOmer @dropevent.com Complete all 12 challenges to be entered into a raffle for prizes.
5/12: NO SCHOOL ON TUESDAY Due to the many events on Lag B’Omer, there will be no Maimonides School classes all day on Tuesday, May 12th, Lag B’Omer Day.
5/12: LAG B’OMER EVENTS 9:45am - Car Parade line up at Maimonides. Decorate your car! (Rainbow colors, hearts for the helpers, and for Rabbi Akiva’s Ahavat Yisrael Lag B’Omer themes and more). Join the car parade for a short drive, or a longer one. It even goes afterwards to meet at Saratoga Chabad at 130 Circular Street for a parade there. 12:00pm - NCFJE Virtual Parade online at Chabad.org/rally with a line-up including Benny Friedman, 8th Day, Eli Marcus, Baruch Sholom, Mitzvah Boulevard and Uncle Moishy with hookups to Mt Meron and the Kotel. 4:00pm - “Zoom Afternoon” with show & tell Lag B’Omer from various homes. Kids can put on a short skit, build a cave out of sheets or boxes, families may have a small firepit. Cards and signs and books are great to show, too! Get ready to share at 4pm. Zoom Sign In: 672-5472221 Password 404. 5:00pm - Live Concert MBD, Shweky & Ribo $18 view pass per family benefits Migdal Ohr. www.MigdalOhrEvent.com 6:00pm - Virtual Bonfire with CBAJ with singing & slideshow at Zoom: 940-508-9347. 6:00pm - Cellist Concert by Sholom Eagle fo Toronto with Colonie Chabad Zoom ID: 838 0073 4194 Reach out for Password.
5/14: SHAIS TAUB VIA ZOOM Chabad Centers welcomes Rabbi Shais Taub to speak to our communities on “Jewish Life in the Age of Corona”. He’s a columnist for Ami Magazine, a sought after speaker on a variety of life issues and authored a big on dealing with addictions. Shais is profound, thought-provoking yet relevant and could be humorous. Tune in on Thursday evening, 7pm. Zoom Meeting ID: 646-558-8656, ask any local Chabad for password. Email Qs’ to ChaiCenterColonie@gmail.com.
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!
6/4: SCHOOL DINNER - TBA This would have been the date of the annual school dinner, but this year we’re looking to do an online fundraiser instead. Stay tuned, it may be on this date or possibly an earlier date as plans come together. This school needs your support!
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 difficult time for many, those who can contribute online or by mail are very much appreciated. You help ensure continuity in a time of crisis, luminous learning in a time of darkness, and assured confidence in a time of uncertainty. THANK YOU!
tinyurl.com/maimonidespaypal https://www.maimonidesschool.org/donate We hope to do an online fundraiser instead of the dinner this year. Look for details soon,
LAG B’OMER CAR PARADE Colorfully decorate your car to join this “518 Rainbow Lag B’Omer Parade” as it ties into the local #518RainbowHunt uplifting rainbow campaign, a tribute to Rabbi Shimon’s Rainbow Transcendence. Remember, Lag B’Omer celebrates the end of a plague. And when Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai of Lag B’Omer emerged from the cave after a long quarantine he asked “What needs fixing? How can I help?” This car parade salutes the helpers (as Mr. Rogers said to “look for the helpers!”) those on the front-lines helping out during these challenging Coronavirus times. Lag B’Omer is Tuesday May 12th. Car Parade will line up outside Maimonides starting at 9:45am. Families must all careful respect and practice social-distancing.
AND A LAG B’OMER ZOOM Later the same Tuesday afternoon, we will have a school-wide (community is welcome) Lag B’Omer from Home! What Lag B’Omer spirit or show/tell can your family share from home? Maybe a homemade cave (like a fort) where Rabbi Shimon and his son Elazar studied in quarantine/hiding? Big signs with big red hearts for Love Your Fellow? One family is preparing a very short Rabbi Shimon play. Maybe a small backyard fire (with supervision, of course)? Signs, books, a Lag B’Omer craft… all kinds of ideas! Afternoon Lag B’Omer Zoom will be at 4:00pm on Tuesday, May 12th. Zoom ID: 672-547-2221 P: 404. You don’t have to share to participate but the more families who share a glimpse of their home Lag B’Omer will make it all the more beautiful and interesting.
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!”