BH. Tevet
20, 5780 / Jan 17, 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 4:31 Shabbat Ends: produced by Rabbi Mendel Rubin & students in the TNT (Torah ‘n Technology) Program 5:36 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
This MC Newsletter is sponsored in memory of
Shmuel “Sam” Backman Yartzeit on Shabbos: Tevet 21 by his Albany family He owned/operated one of the few Shomer Shabbos retail establishments in Brownsville NY in the pre-war years.
RAMBAM YARTZEIT TODAY Today is the yartzeit of Rambam/Maimonides our school’s namesake. Some grades learned about his special blend of Torah and worldly knowledge (like our school’s motto), watched the Rambam video, some learned about the last line of Mishna Torah - the dream of the verse from Isaiah “knowledge filling the world like waters fill the sea”. 7th graders performed an impromptu play about the Rambam’s busy schedule (based on his letter to his translator Ibn Tibbon) for the younger grades. Does anyone remember when we did this same play back in our Ohav Shalom days? We’ll have to find the video and post it online next week.
BABY MOSHE Speaking of Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam), Moshe Rabbeynu is born in this week’s Parsha Shemot, he appears in every Torah portion from now on! Kindergarteners made a mini Moshe in the basket.
THE PARSHA COSTUMES... New at the fair this year, but not enough room in this week’s MC. Look for pictures next week
THE BREISHIS PARSHA FAIR The big news at school this week was the fair, with activity booth prep and sign-making, and then the fair itself. Morah Rivi was so excited, she described it as the Chumash coming alive, she loved the active hands-on review and all the student creativity and involvement. It was the first time we had a dream interpretation booth and a working well, and a potato sack race. See the full page of pictures on page 3 and two sack race pictures on page 2. >
HOW TO TELL TIME IN SPANISH Ms. Coffey’s Spanish class is now learning how to tell time. The interesting thing is that in Spanish once you get past the :30, the halfhour, you start telling time with how many minutes are left to the next hour. Thinking ahead!
THE GINGERBREAD MAN After Mrs. Mattice and her 1st & 2nd graders read “The Gingerbread Man” Mr. Steve (who assists in that classroom) brought in playdough for them to each make their own little gingerbread man. They also played a “hot and cold” game to find the little toy gingerbread man who “ran away” somewhere in their classroom!
JEWISH BOY IN THE READER 4th graders were excited to read a story about “Marven” a Jewish boy who kept Kosher and asked about Brachos while away from his family in the Great North Woods…
PURIM’S MEGILLAH SCHEDULE
THE AVNER VS. YOAV DUEL
Is anyone thinking Purim yet? 4th grade Mishna class is! They’re learning about how villagers who came in for market days were able to hear the Megillah a few days earlier, as soon as the 11th of Adar. Even though we are a smaller community we still celebrate Purim on-time and in a big way. Stay tuned!
Morah Rochel’s 7th grade Navi class learned about a duel between these two great Jewish generals after King Saul’s death before David was accepted as a king over all of Israel.
ESTHER HAD HER REASONS Not just 4th grade, but Rabbi Rubin’s Talmud II with the 9th grade boys is now also studying tractate Megillah where they learned a whole bunch of reasons why Esther invited Haman to her private party with the king. Some of her reasons were very psychological. Interesting stuff!
BRING A TISSUE BOX
AN OPTIMISTIC VERSE TWIST BABY BASKET Nursery students made and decorated brown paper baskets to hold their baby pictures as they learned about Moshe in the basket in this week’s Parsha. They also worked on sticks (paper towel rolls) that turn into snakes - but that will be ready next week.
Mrs. Maher’s 3rd graders are learning about chemical change (vs. physical change) and this experiment is to find out which of these objects soaking in water will get rusty first? Objects inside include paper-clips, marbles, steel-wool, aluminum foil, a screw, a nickel and staples. What’s your (hypotheses) guess?
HS Girls learned Rashi’s two interpretations of the word “Cheret” mentioned in the Golden Calf story and they recognized one meaning from the Book of Kings (in the story of Naaman and Gechazi) where the same word is used to mean a scarf or kerchief. So, that’s where he got it from!
6/7 grade English class with Ms. Tang began by playing a warm-up game of “Hot-Seat” where the player can’t see the word on the board and his teammates try to describe or act out the word to get him to say the right word. Kind of a mix of Taboo and Charades.
SEA SERPENT PROJECTS Mrs. Mattice’s students read a sea serpent story then did a project and their own writing on it.
“CRAZY CREATURES”
WHICH WILL RUST FIRST?
KNOWING THE SOURCE
THE “HOT SEAT” GAME
Many of the tissue boxes brought to school at the start of the year are used up. If your family hasn’t sent in tissues yet, please do so. Even if you have, try to get an extra box while shopping and send it in for the class to use.
The book is out now in print with the winning stories from around New York State. Several of our MHDS students are now published authors! We’re proud that their wellwritten entries won.
HS Girls learned the darker sad origins of a Jeremiah phrase in Lecha Dodi, how its author Shlomo Alkabetz twisted it to have a positive uplifting & reassuring meaning. This is especially meaningful considering his time period, following the great upheaval of the Spanish Expulsion.
GIDEON VS. THE BAAL SONG GREAT SPORTSMANSHIP Morah Devorah Leah was especially impressed at recess time this week when primary grades got their soccer game going happily and smoothly and figured it all out on their own and had a great game. Usually they play down at the park but this game pictured was on the school lawn, and it was on one of the especially warm days this week before the weather turned cold. Even on (most) cold days we try to get outside for fresh air and exercise.
4th graders are learning about Gideon in Navi class and one of the students made up a song about it and it stuck!
THE JUMPING SACK RACE
In addition to all the Parsha Fair activity booths on page 3 (and not Ms. Coffey’s Geometry class had an all are pictured) there was a lively sack race intriguing homework assignment that students of all ages enjoyed. Why a sack this week: A set of varied triangles race? Because Yosef’s son Menashe raced after were all considered suspects in a crime, and The Brothers (his uncles) to you had to match the clues (using math, of search their sacks & find the course) to find out which one did it! goblet inside!
MATH MYSTERY
THE BEAUTIFUL COLORFUL PARSHA SIGNS Thanks to Morah Rivi for working with many of our classes to design these and other beautiful Parsha signs for each booth. It added so much to the Parsha Fair and even as we are already moving on to Chumash Shemot (Parsha-wise) we’re going to hang these up around school because so many of our students are still learning Chumash Breishis in Chumash class. Visitors to our school will get to see them, too!
ALL STAMPED UP!
PASSPORT OFFICE It all starts by filling out your passport which has room for 12 stamps, one for each booth!
These girls got excited & stamped themselves up with their booth’s stamp. BTW, these stamp pads were made right at school using sponges stuffed inside cups filled with water-paint & worked well!
MAKE A YESHIVA! In Vayigash, Jacob sends Judah ahead to build a Yeshiva in Egypt, And their blessings! Rabbi that’s why this booth had students Mendel tries to match them up at build delicious sweet houses made the Vayechi booth, while Jacob of graham & fluff, and candies… (the student, not Avinu) explains.
JACOB’S SONS
DREIDELS IN THE WELL SEARCH RACHEL For idols she took away from her father… at Vayeitze booth.
Well, how many Dreidels can you pull up from the well using this sophisticated working rod that turns and pulls up a net. Great mechanism and lots of fun!
HOW FAST YOU CAN WRAP A PRESENT? In this case wrapping a wood block in tissue paper. In Vayishlach Yaakov sent gifts to Eisav. It takes 2 to compete at this booth.
WHICH WOULD IT BE? THE DREAM BOOTH STAR COUNT Guess how many holepunched stars? 4th graders smile at guesses!
One player makes up a dream using random items from a box while the other player has to interpret it - positively!
SORT CREATION Can you put all these items into their right day of Creation? Plus trivia Q’s!
In front they are trying to find Yosef’s goblet (i.e. the lollipops with colored bottoms); just behind them that booth has a bunch of leaves and you have to find the one with the ram hidden behind it! (Vayeira!)
RAINBOW Cookie-making for Noach!
PARSHA COSTUMES!
at Maimonides and in the Community 1/17: RAMBAM YARTZEIT TODAY Today (Friday) is the 20th of Tevet, yartzeit of the Rambam/ Maimonides, our school’s namesake. There will be a light informal Rambam Melava Malka at school on Sat Night, see below.
1/18: SHABBOS PARSHA SHEMOT Special guest is Rabbi Marrus & family (he’s the dean of the San Antonio Community School). Welcome! Kiddush this week at Shomray Torah for the Rambam and in memory of Sam Backman. Snow forecasted for Shabbos afternoon, maybe a treat for the Texans!
Not enough room this week, look for the pictures next week!
1/23: FRIENDSHIP NIGHT OUT An enjoyable night out (with art, auction, dinner, drinks and entertainment) at Glennpeters Jewelers to benefit the Friendship Circle. 5:30-7:30pm. $25pp, drinks sold separately. All of the art pieces sold were made by Friendship Circle participants. There will be a caricature artist, opportunity to make your own perfume, and win amazing prizes! For more info contact Chaya: (518) 488-8992
1/26: FOX TROT AT PINE BUSH
HAVE YOU SEEN OUR VIDEO “SCHOOL-SHOES” YET? Maimonides entered Charidy’s “Ducks in a Row” fundraising contest. We were a finalist but didn’t win one of the top 3 slots. Part of the requirement was to create a creative video - which we did (thanks Chani Rubin) titled “School Shoes - A Metaphor”. See if you can find all the analogies and puns! You can see and share it on YouTube:
1/18: RABBI REISMAN SAT NITE
Indoors presentation on the two types of foxes that live in the local Pine Bush, followed by an outdoor walk to find signs of these foxes. 1pm at the Pine Bush Discovery Center on Route 155. Registration is required. See albanypinebush.org or call 518-456www.tinyurl.com/maimonidesSchoolShoes 0655 for more info and to RSVP.
Rabbi Reisman’s Navi Shiur is screened live from Brooklyn now at 7:30pm on Sat Nights at CBAJ.
1/27: ROSH CHODESH SHEVAT
2/9: J-FED: HOLOCAUST EFFORT
Rebecca Erbelding (archivist, curator, and historian at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, with a PhD in American history) will speak on her 1/30-2/2: EMPIRE WINTER GAMES Rambam’s Yartzeit is (on Friday) Tevet 20. Come to an informal Sat Nite Melava Malka 8pm at the Does your family enjoy watching winter sports? The book “The Untold Story of America’s Efforts to Save Jews of Europe” 6pm at Ohav Shalom at Shteeble celebrating our school’s namesake’s life Empire State Winter Games is held up in the and teachings. All are welcome! Note: It will be Adirondacks. See more info, full schedule & costs Jewish Federation Joint Society program. All are welcome. Info/Cost/RSVP: see JewishFedNY.org 8pm at the Shteeble, not at school. Special guest is at: empirestatewintergames.com/ or call the Federation at: 518-783-7800. medical student Stuart Green who will present on Maimonides and Preventative Medicine. 1/31-2/9: SARANAC LAKE WINTER 2/10: TU BISHVAT BREAKFAST The Saranac Lake Winter Carnival dating back to Kids look forward to this special breakfast of fruity 1/19: SPECIAL 1897! (about 2.5 hours north of Albany) features winter games & activities & walk-in ice-castle! More cereals, fresh and dried fruits every year! Parents: If SUNDAY STUDY details and info at: saranaclakewintercarnival.com/ there are any tree nut allergies, please let the school The usual Sunday Chassidus know ahead of time. Shiur after Mincha/Maariv at 2/1: PIZZA NITE IV Shomray Torah is changing for these few weeks. Instead of The first of February will be the 4th Pizza Night of 2/13-17: FEBRUARY BREAK No school Thursday through Monday, Presidents a shiur there’s Chavrusa or the season. Sat Night at Maimonides. Day. School resumes 8am on Tuesday 2/18. individual study as part of a global effort to collectively study all of the Rebbe’s printed Torah 2/2: ANTIQUE SHOW AND SALE before 10th of Shevat. Albany will do 32 units of 44th annual, at the Shenendohowa High School on 2/26: GIL TROY SPEAKS IN ALBANY The Jewish Federation hosts American History study from the year of 5715 (or 1954-55) and there Rt 146 East in Clifton Park. $3pp, kids under 12 Professor Gil Troy of McGill University (now in will be a study-hall for this (or any other Torah are free. 60 dealers and their goods on display. Jerusalem) a presidential historian, Zionist activist, study of your choice) the few Sundays, late and author. He will be speaking on “Visions of a afternoon/early evening after Mincha/Maariv. 2/4: IF ALL SEAS WERE INK Jewish Homeland: Then, Now, Tomorrow.” Timely for Siyum HaShas & the buzz around Daf 7:30pm at Beth Emeth, all are welcome. No charge. 1/20: ALBANY INSTITUTE FREE Yomi, CBAJ Book Club is reading this excellent For Martin Luther King Day 10am-5pm. The Joan memoir by Ilana Kurshan which creatively weaves ORDER “THE TORAH-TIMES” Steiner Look Alike Exhibits (which kids enjoy) are Talmud tractates and teachings through her life. back at the museum through Feb 23rd. This is the best season for it… Breishis & Shmos! Read is on now, they meet on Feb 4th to discuss. One-day Rosh Chodesh. 8am Minyan at school.
1/18: RAMBAM MELAVA MALKA
1/22: KOSHER DINING REOPENS
2/9: HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
Kosher Dining on UAlbany’s Indian Quad (under Show mixes basketball and entertainment. Tickets Vaad supervision) reopens for the semester and the start around $15 for 1pm game & show at Timescommunity is welcome for lunch or dinner. Union Center. Doors open 12pm. Communal participation is helpful for the continuation of this important service.
www.TheTorahTimes.com
(printed, bound and shipped via Amazon).
SUPPORT LOCAL KOSHER Stop in to shop at the Colonie Kosher Price Chopper or call 518-456-2970 x8 to make a special order or find out about prepared meals.
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!”