BH. Sivan
13, 5780 / June 5, 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 8:12 Shabbat Ends: produced by Rabbi Mendel Rubin & students in the TNT (Torah ‘n Technology) Program 9:23 Maimonides is accredited by the NYS Board of Regents & is a beneficiary of UJF-NENY
RABBI DR. NORMAN LAMM The well-known (third) President of Yeshiva University for nearly 3 decades, Rabbi of NY’s Jewish Center, scholar & author, founder of “Tradition” journal, and the architect, guide and spokesman of “Centrist Orthodoxy” passed away this week at age 92, predeceased by his wife Mindella six weeks earlier. We have local connections via the late Dr. Morton Berger of Albany who as Dean of the Ferkauf School worked for and was mentored by him and via Dr. Lamm’s late daughter Sara obm and son-in-law Rabbi Mark Dratch (JSafe & RCA) who was Rabbi for a time in Beth Israel, Schenectady.
MAZAL TOV KALISH Mazal Tov to MHDS alumna Sarah and Ben Kalish on the birth of a girl named Rivkah. Special Mazal Tov to Bubby Maxine Morgenbesser & family. Continued Nachas!
MAZAL TOV RABINOWITZ Mazal Tov to MHDS alumna Mushkie and Shmuli Rabinowitz on the birth of a baby girl named Chana. Much nachas! Special Mazal Tov to the Kudan grandparents and family.
maimonidesschool@gmail.com
MAIMONIDES 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208
Instead of the school dinner this year…
MAIMONIDES’ FIRST-EVER ONLINE CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN The goal is to raise $40K in 40 Hours for the school’s 40th Year. See more info inside this newsletter… Save this website for this Monday June 8th 8am through Tuesday June 9th at midnight:
www.Charidy.com/Maimonides you can also donate via a family-team specific link or find their link on the page. A things to look out for leading up to and during the campaign: Keep checking “Maimonides School Albany” Facebook page or click on hashtag of any of those pictures, for continuous posts of photo archives spanning the forty years of the school, from Thursday (yesterday) through the end of the campaign at Tuesday on midnight. Look for interactive presentations and fun games on the Charidy.com/Maimonides page (streaming from live Zooms at 672-547-2221 P:404 at 5 and 7pm both Mon & Tues). Many thanks to the generous matchers and to all who will make this campaign a success!
SEEING CURRENT SITUATION THROUGH A PIRKEI AVOT LENS
With all that’s going on now (on top of the Coronavirus!) there’s a lot on everyone’s mind. As the school year comes to a close we ask all Some of our classes did an exercise exploring families to please take good inventory of the 3 19 texts from Pirkei Avot, revisiting familiar types of items below and make sure to return quotes through the lens of current events and them to school before year-end, by Wed June using them as a springboard for discussion, 17th - Moving Up Day (or earlier): interpretation and application. It is interesting (1) All borrowed electronic equipment. We seeing something you’ve seen many times are glad to help some families with tech before in a new lens & focus allows you to see needs but these must be returned and it in a different way. Some texts seemed to accounted for by end of the school year. contradict or argue with each other, or serve as (2) All textbooks (that are not workbooks or a balance. Interesting, when we learned Rabbi consumables) should be returned. This will Akiva’s teaching “Beloved is humankind for allow us to take inventory, being created in the properly prepare for next year Divine Image” one or return to the city district. student remembered (3) All of the Esty Library books the “Human Dignity” should be returned. Thank you! float (with Eli There will be a table or space to Kochman playing return these materials at Movingviolin and Chaim Up Day. If you can’t make that date Kudan playing guitar please make arrangements to return on back of the truck) them to school another time. what year was that?
PLEASE RETURN TO SCHOOL
This MC Newsletter is dedicated in appreciation of the Matchers who are making this campaign possible: Seth & Michele Chaiken, Josh & Amanda Gurock, Norman & Micki Massry, Chananya & Sara Rosenblum, Sandy & Dina Rosenblum, Yehoshua & Chaya Bracha Rubin, Jerry & Ilene Sykes, and in memory of Salo Steper
THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT In the words of the one of the student TNT reporters from 7th grade “Ms. Ramsay’s history class was super relevant this week” as they happened to be up to the Civil Rights movement just in time for all this to be in the news. Seeing current events and history side by side and interconnected makes the history more interesting and relevant, and helps you better understand, relate to and interpret the current events.
PICTURE TREASURE TROVE
ORANGE SCIENCE JOURNAL
ALREADY ANNOUNCED...
As school celebrates its 40th year (since 1980) we went back to scan old print photos of the 1980s and 1990s that we had available. Not all are the crispest quality but so many memories pop right up! Lots of nice Albany history, too. Look for continuous posts of these treasured photos as well as classic photos from our digital collection (dating back to 2003 when we starting the switch to digital photos) on the “Maimonides School Albany” Facebook page (click “See All” posts or click on the hashtag #40K40Hours40Years in one of the pictures to see more and more of the photos). We started on Thursday and will go until Tuesday at Midnight. We may also feature some of these archive photos in upcoming summer MC newsletters. You can also upload your own Maimonides pictures to a collection page at tinyurl.com/AddYourMaimonidesPhotos
Kindergarten students each have their own orange journal to write down their own observations and questions about the progress of their class caterpillars that Mrs. Hoffman shows them each day via video. Towards the end of the week they were ready to be moved from their caterpillar cups into their butterfly habitat. The cool thing is that they will end up with a book they wrote themselves about the metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly. And they also read “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle.
...but hearty Mazal Tovs again to MHDS alumnus Eiden Tal -Fournier on his wedding this week (speak to his mother Chaya Tal for Zoom details to join from afar) and to Morah Dini and family for the recent marriage of her brother Mendel Plotkin in California and continued wishes for a Refuah Shlayma to her father Baruch Avraham Aharon ben Yentah.
BLUE BLOOD, RED BLOOD As they continue to learn about the heart in science, Ms. Ramsay 7th graders are learning about blue blood and red blood, the heart’s pumping and the lungs refreshing, and the important role of oxygen in that process.
BLACK SHEEP IN THE DARK 7th grade Talmud learned a Bava Kama 55b Tosefos commentary with two answers to the case of a nighttime broken fence and one of the answers discusses whether its worth the effort to look for sheep in the dark. Even nowadays with electronic lighting you hear of searches called off at night to resume the next morning. This made us think of the Laber’s two black sheep, must be extra hard to look for black sheep in the dark!
TIC-TAC-TOE MATH PROJECTS
THE DOCTOR IN KINGSTON One of our students visited a dermatologist (Dr. Isaac Rosenblum who also practices in Kingston) this week who surprised him by telling him that he is a Maimonides alumnus and still gets the Maimonides Newsletter! The student thought this was very newsletter worthy! Actually, the picture above is from the newly scanned archive (scanned the very same day that the student shared this news!) with Dr. Isaac then as a student at Maimonides (he’s wearing a coat on the right).
Ms. Coffey’s middle school math students were given 9 possible year-end math project options in a Tic-Tac-Toe grid and they each had to choose any row (vertical, horizontal or diagonal) to determine which 3 projects they would do for their final math class presentations of the year.
SHELLS IN ART CLASS
MAJOR CHUMASH MILESTONES
Amazing to accomplish these very significant text study milestones even during these months of stay-home quarantine, despite many challenges and limitations of online/remote learning: Kitah Alef began learning Chumash for the first time with Morah Devorah! Online! They are proudly holding up their GAMES & SHOWS PLANNED Chumashim to the screen in the above pics. There will be 4 games/Maimonides trivia Second graders and Morah Devorah Leah shows planned for the 2 days of the online finished Parshat Noach! This is their second campaign. To participate live, sign in to the Parsha in one year, their skills keep Zoom link: 672-547-2221 (P: 404) and it will improving and they are excited for more! stream to the Charidy campaign page as well. Fifth graders with Morah Chani finished all MONDAY: “Kahoot Poll Game” at 5pm and of Chumash Breshit this week - they learned “Guess the Staff” at 7pm. from Creation in Genesis to Joseph’s TUESDAY: “Jeopardy” at 5pm and “Catch passing in Egypt & everything in between! My Bluff” at 7pm. 7th grade boys finished Parsha Mishpatim The two 7pm shows will also be streamed later with Rabbi Mathless, nearly all of it learned on www.Charidy.com/maimonides (click on during quarantine. This is especially notable the play button in the header) along with when you consider the long and difficult archive photo slideshows at various intervals Rashi commentary on this Parsha. but it will only be live at the designated times. See more Chumash news on page 3. Be part of the FUN (and FUNdraising!)
This week Morah Rivi’s art students used colored pencils to create some really beautiful subtly colored dimensional-looking shells.
AREA AND PERIMETER Mrs. Maher’s 3rd grade math students are learning about area and perimeter in their math class. It kind of fits in (pun intended) with the more complex tessellation project by 9th graders below.
TESSELATIONS MATH ART Ms. Coffey’s 9th grade geometry students calculate, measure and create their own unique tessellations. It is a repeated pattern of shapes fitting into one another without overlaps or gaps. So it’s a lot about getting the precise measurement right in the first place - and turning and turning to see how it will fit. Sometimes things need turning!
REGARDING REOPENINGS
THREE BOYS REMEMBERED
BE COUNTED!
In 2014 on the 14th of Sivan (this Shabbat) three Israeli youths were kidnapped at an Be sure to fill out the US census form for you and precautionary delay since limited gatherings your family! It helps everyone! junction for whom all the Jewish people are now allowed, Shomray Torah has begun a prayed as one family. Sadly, the boys were slow gradual process of reopening the Shul first in a more limited way (and only by prior found killed in a cave by terrorists. This KIDSTORAH.ORG $1 LETTER registration and approval) with a careful set of Shabbat we remember Naftali Frankel, Gilad If you haven’t done it Shaer, and Eyal Yifrah, HYD, of blessed protocols and procedures. Contact already, it is still great memory and the tremendous outpouring of albanyminyan@gmail.com for detailed time for each child to global Jewish unity and heartfelt prayer that guidelines and signup procedures. own their own letter in erupted after their disappearance. GAN ISRAEL DAY CAMP: As Governor the (now 7th) Kids Sefer Cuomo recently announced day-camps can Torah written especially open, Camp Gan Israel of Albany is awaiting ACTUAL DINNER OPTION for children in Israel. More merit! the health guidelines to see how to operate The #40K40Hours40Years online campaign is camp in safe manner. Contact Director DL substituting for the annual dinner this year. HEAD-COUNT = NASO ES ROSH Rubin for more info on camp. Some have asked to keep up the dinner option Usually expressions don’t transfer between JEWISHGIRLSUNITE.COM/CAMP is doing a for pickup. Dinner for two will be available for mostly virtual program this year but has some pick up on Thursday afternoon following the languages but the title of this week’s Parsha in-person options for local girls. Contact campaign for donations over $180. Interested? does! Naso es Rosh literally means lift the heads but refers to a census. Even nowadays we use Nechama Laber for more info. please email: mail@shabboshouse.com the similar expression: a head-count. We hope to share more info as things develop, there are changes, more is known & available. COMPARISON BOOKLETS 6th grade history with Ms. Ramsay are making BENEFIT VS. DAMAGE COST The Talmud was talking about a WHAT IS IN AN ATOM booklets illustrating differences between the sheep eating (and trampling about) Ms. Tang’s 4th grade science learned about various civilizations they learned about this in a garden, and the difference in protons and neurons and other little tiny year in ancient history. cost between what the sheep benefitted vs. things inside an atom. They’ll learn more what it damaged while doing so, and about this in the future, but this is just to get HEAD START ON HUMAN BODY the imagery from the looting was an them started! After lots of biology studies this year, 6/7th interesting illustration of that. girls science with Ms. Brown is now beginning to learn a new biology textbook about the ANGLES, LINES, SYMMETRY TAG A FRIEND! Human Body. It’s a head start to what they Seems like a geometric theme at math with If you recognize a friend or family in one of will be learning next year. many grades at school this week! 4th grade the many Maimonides photos shared online math is learning about lines and angles and through Tuesday, please tag them or share it LETTER “Z” how they play a role in symmetry. with them. Let our people see themselves! It is Mrs. Hoffman’s Kindergarten friends learned a walk down memory lane. Letter Z this week. Perfect timing! MORE CHUMASH NEWS In addition to the Chumash milestones on GRADING RUBRIC SYSTEMS TIBERIAS HOT SPRINGS page 2 here’s some more Chumash news: Many schools have recognized the need to 3rd graders are now learning about Jacob at Rabbi Rubin’s daily Taanit shiur (now almost adjust or modify grading rubrics for this the well with Rachel starting his sojourn and half-way through the tractate!) over the phone unusual 3rd trimester period of online/remote eventual family in Charan, and 9th grade boys is now learning about the hot springs of learning. We reviewed modifications from a are now in Parsha Maasei as they near the end Tiberias. It’s such an interesting tractate with number of schools (ranging from no changes of Chumash Bamidbar. HS Girls are learning many stories, lessons and ideas. to no grades and all types of in between) at a the end of Parsha Ki Tisa. recent teachers meeting and came up with a FRIENDS DON’T FRIENDS... rubric that works for 3 parts of the school. CRYING SHOFARS, FIERY BIRDS … miss getting this weekly Maimonides MC Parents should have received this document in Rabbi Mendel and the HS Girls discussed the Newsletter! This is a friendly reminder that your email. If not contact Morah Rochel. Talmudic description (Sukkah 28a) about two CBAJ is now on a new Shul-Cloud system and ways to approach the fiery effects of Rabbi you can no longer get this school newsletter CLOSE BUT FAR MOVING UP Yonason ben Uziel’s learning and how the that way. Friends and family can subscribe to See page 4 for plans to have an in-person but same two ways are reflected in the Rav JB get it in their inbox once a week. socially-distanced Moving-Up Day outdoors at Solveitchik story in “Halachic Man” about his school. A committee of parents and teachers is CALENDAR YARTZEITS teacher and his father at Shofar blowing. working on this and will announce next week. It’s not too early to get yartzeit dates to Rabbi Yossi for inclusion ($36 donation) in this WANDERING QUE ORDERS THIS JUST IN… coming year’s Jewish Art Calendar. It is a If interested in Wandering Que food order, We hear that other schools used our 19 Avot beautiful way to remember a loved one and via CBAJ, you have to order by midnight this sayings curriculum as a framework to discuss commemorate their yartzeit with the Motzai Shabbos and pickup will be Monday the current events with students and said it community. Call Rabbi Yossi 518-495-0772 June 8th between 3-5pm at CBAJ parking lot. went over well at their schools. That’s nice! or email: calendar@capitalchabad.com SHOMRAY TORAH: Following a 2-week
at Maimonides and in the Community 6/6: SHABBOS NASO Look for the Birkat Kohanim in this week’s Torah portion and the familiar Chanukah readings. The Haftorah is the story of Samson.
6/8: WANDERING QUE Like the Kosher Chinese offer some time back, CBAJ is arranging another out-oftown Kosher restaurant, this time the Wandering Que. Order online directly at: https://wanderingque.square.site by Sat Night June 6th at midnight. Delivery on Monday June 8th, 35pm at CBAJ Parking Lot.
6/8-9: 40K, 40 HOURS, 40 YEARS! See big box and info throughout this newsletter. Instead of the annual school dinner, this 40 hour opportunity will help (we will need everyone’s help to make this happen!) the school raise $20K to match $20K (doubling each dollar contributed) in honor of the school’s 40th year. Maybe even a bonus round if we reach our goal soon enough!
Due to Corona, instead* of the school dinner this year:
MAIMONIDES’ FIRSTEVER ONLINE CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN While the physical building is closed, online and remote classes have continued throughout and the school is committed to its fiscal responsibilities and relies on funds raised at the annual dinner to help close out the year each year. Maimonides does stretch every dollar to the max, but as a small school can’t do it alone, and needs your support and investment.
Due to Corona, instead of the annual dinner, this will be the school’s first-ever online crowdfunding matching campaign. We are using the reputable Charidy.com secure platform. The goal is to raise $40K in 40 Hours for the school’s 40th Year. Every dollar will be doubled! If $20K is contributed, school gets an additional $20K matched. 20/20! Momentum is building, we may even be able to reach a bonus round! It’s an all-or-nothing campaign, only 40-hours to do it. It’s a challenging time for many, but the beauty of crowdfunding is that every (& any size) contribution matters and together we will make it happen!
Save this website for 6/8-9: www.Charidy.com/Maimonides It begins on Monday 6/8 at 8am and runs 40 hours until 6/9 Midnight. you can also donate via a family-team specific link or find their link on the page. The campaign is mostly online, but for those who prefer by check, checks received from now through June 9th will be entered and can be included towards the match.
FOUR GAMES & SHOWS PLANNED: There will be 4 games/Maimonides trivia shows planned for the 2 days of the online campaign. 6/12: END OF MARKING PERIOD This is the end of the 3rd marking period/trimester To participate live, sign in to the Zoom link: 672-547-2221 (P: 404) and it will stream to the much of which was online/remote this year due to Charidy campaign page as well. MONDAY: “Kahoot Poll Game” at 5pm and “Guess the Staff” at 7pm. Coronavirus Covid-19. A letter was emailed to TUESDAY: “Jeopardy” at 5pm and “Catch My Bluff” at 7pm. parents about the modifications to the grading The two 7pm shows will also be streamed later on www.Charidy.com/maimonides (click on the formula given the circumstances, this was play button in the header) along with archive photo slideshows at various intervals but it will only determined at a recent faculty meeting based on various formulas obtained from a number of other be live at the designated times. Be part of the FUN (and FUNdraising!) schools. This date (June 12th) is also the last day of High School classes for the year (and no Regents).
6/15: HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION This will be held over Zoom 672-547-2221 (plus school password) 7pm on Monday evening. Guest speaker will be Rabbi Chaim Lazaroff of Houston whose daughter Chaya attended High School here for all four years and was a tremendous asset to our school! Please join to honor our graduates!
LOOK FOR MANY ARCHIVE PHOTOS SHARED ONLINE: On a pretty regular basis we’re posting more photos of Maimonides spanning 40 years! See them at “Maimonides School Albany” on Facebook, look for Hashtag: #40K40Hours40Years and a slideshow of archive pics will also play occasionally on Video-Play link on the Charidy page. * THE ACTUAL DINNER OPTION: Some have expressed interest in keeping up the tradition and having a dinner available for pickup. Dinner for two will be available for pick up on Thursday afternoon following the campaign for donations over $180. If interested, please email: mail@shabboshouse.com
6/16: LAST DAY OF CLASSES
outside the school (perhaps in shifts) to take a The last day of (online/remote) classes will be on photo, see teachers, return books etc. Stay tuned Tuesday, June 16th. See below for Moving-Up Day. for details. It is planned for Wed June 17th but PLEASE REMEMBER to return all electronic reserving a rain-date for Thurs June 18th in case. devices, textbooks and Esty Library books to school.
6/17(18): MOVING UP DAY A teacher-parent committee is trying to arrange for a social-distance outdoor Moving-Up day event
6/25: RESHIMOT FILM
This year, the Rebbe’s Gimmel Tammuz yartzeit will be June 25th and Capital Chabad Centers will jointly show & discuss (online in virtual format) a new film about the Rebbe’s “Reshimot” notebooks 6/23: LOCAL SHLUCHOT (unpublished in his lifetime), many of which were In preparation for Gimmel Tammuz local Shluchot written leading up to and during the war years, women will share Rebbe perspectives and teachings some written while fleeing the Nazis. Stay tuned for over Zoom. Stay tuned for time & log-in info. more information.
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!”