BH. Tishrei
ב“ה
7, 5781 / September 25, 2020
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 6:28 Shabbos Ends: produced by Rabbi Mendel Rubin & students in the TNT (Torah ‘n Technology) Program 7:26 Maimonides is accredited by the NYS Board of Regents & is a beneficiary of UJF-NENY
WELCOME 5781! This is our first MC Newsletter of the new Jewish Year 5781. May we share lots of good news and we hope to continue sharing many wonderful tidbits of Jewish and General Studies learning with our readers this year.
maimonidesschool@gmail.com
MAIMONIDES 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208
This MC Newsletter is sponsored in loving memory of
Dr. Bernard Teitelman RUTH BADER GINSBURG, OBM Just before Rosh Hashanah, Supreme Court Justice (since 1993) Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away at age 87 after battling cancer five PHYLLIS BRUNELLE, OBM times, serving until her last days. She was a Condolences to MHDS alumnus Daniel Seda major champion for women’s rights (things and family on the passing of his grandmother people take for granted nowadays) both as an Phyllis (Gross) Brunelle who volunteered in attorney, later as a judge especially after our school (see her pictured above years ago becoming the 2nd woman on Supreme Court. with the boys by recess on Woodlawn fields). Our students asked about her distinctive lace Maimonides was the designated charity in her jabot collars: (the one on left she donated to obituary in recognition of her volunteering at “Museum of the Jewish her grandson’s school. She was a fun, active People” in Tel Aviv, as part woman, and very dedicated to her grandson of a “Jewish Heroes & Daniel. May her memory be a blessing. Trailblazers” exhibit). The lace collars were a signature trademark of hers, her way to feminize masculine court robes. A proud Jew, she grew up in Brooklyn, and attributed her values of justice to her Jewish heritage. A story now circulating tells how she got the court to close on Yom Kippur. Her argument: No Jewish lawyer should have to choose between his/her day at the Supreme Court and their faith. The verse “Tzedek Tzedek Tirdof” hung DR. MICHAEL SCHER, OBM prominently in her office. There’s also a lot to Dr. Mike Scher’s (pictured at a Maimonides learn from her life: Her older sister passed dinner in 2007) accomplished medical career away when she was a baby, her mother passed spanned teaching, medical director for away just before she graduated high school. Northeast Health’s primary care and urgent Already a mother in Law School, her husband care, and as a superb diagnostician and Rofeh Martin got sick then and she had to help him Yedid (doctor-friend) and medical advocate to out, too. She was very into daily exercise (our so many in our community. He was a musician English teacher Ms. Bacon once met her at an and athlete (tennis, golf, skiing, karate etc), exercise program!) Most unusual thing was her and was active in various local synagogues and friendship with fellow justice Antonin Scalia: communal organizations. Our condolences to They were on opposite sides of the court, they his wife Barbara, sons Jeremy and Daniel and argued about almost everything but were their families. May his memory be a blessing. still good close friends! Imagine that…
15th Yartzeit: Yom Kippur by Joyce and the Teitelman & Lew Families
LONG CHOL HAMOED… IDEAS? This year, Chol HaMoed (the middle weekdays of) Sukkot runs from Monday Oct 5th thru Friday Oct 9th - and no school throughout. But it is during Covid when so many places and activities are closed or off-limits. Now is a good time to start compiling a list of nature places & hikes, fun things to do, outdoor activities and more. Please share some of your local favorites or regional suggestions with mhdsnews@gmail.com for a list to share in next week’s Pre-Sukkot MC newsletter.
MAZAL TOV SHMULY G. And to the Gordon family as Shmuly turns Bar-Mitzvah today, Friday the 7th of Tishrei!
REMEMBER TO WASH MASKS Cloth masks should be washed regularly for both Covid and hygiene purposes. Like our hands, let’s keep them safe and clean!
OUTDOOR DISTANCE FUN! Thank you to the Levin family for adding to our growing collection of outdoor distanced fun by donating a new pogo-stick, skipit’s, jump-ropes and yard games. This allows kids to have fun, exercise, be active and also keep safe healthy distance during recess-time. THANK YOU!
ANCIENT EGYPT
THE CENSUS IN THE CHUMASH The United States Census (once each decade) is coming to an end at the end of September. If you haven't already be sure to go online and list your family! It is very important for our region’s representation and federal funding. But there’s also a Chumash connection! 7/8 grade girls now began to learn Bamidbar with Morah Dini, and that Parsha begins with the census, a counting of the Jewish people in the desert!
This came up in few classes this week. 5th grade Chumash is learning about the Egyptian products that Yosef sent back for his father, so Morah Rochel brought in this jar of Barley Coffee made in Egypt. 7/8 grade girls also learned about ancient Egypt in social studies with Ms. Ramsay and it also came up in Rabbi Shmuly’s Gemorah class when they discussed some old honey recently found in Egypt and how honey is a natural preservative.
RONEN B’CHANUT 4th graders are reading Hebrew stories with Morah Rivi in the “Mikra’ah Sheli” workbook series, and this was their favorite story so far. It’s about two boys, one who misjudged the other but the storekeeper witnessed something that completed the picture.
WHAT ABOUT THE SIDES? Mrs. Mattice was explaining to her 1st graders how daytime is when the earth faces the sun, and nighttime is when the earth faces away from the sun. Then a student asked, “What about the sides of the earth?” Kids are listening, learning, and thinking!
RACHAV AND YERICHO Morah Chanale and 4th grade Navi class are learning in the Book of Joshua how Rachav helped the two scouts/spies Calev & Pinchas escape by rope on the other side of the wall even when the gates were locked. It was like an adventure story and they really enjoyed it.
A NICE LOCAL SHOFAR POST Pretty sure this was one of our school families who did this mitzvah, which another local family they met on Rosh Hashanah really appreciated and posted about online (see post OUTSIDE IN THE W.O.W. above). May we all continue to help each other Classes love taking turns using the WOW do Mitzvot and appreciate it so nicely! Outdoor Classroom, where they can sit distanced and mask-less (as long as the weather SUMCHOS IS THE SUGYA is decent). We’re using this space now more Rabbi Mendel’s 7/8 grade boys Talmud is now than ever before, it is high in demand! getting deeper into the Sumchos Pictured here, 4th graders are enjoying silent sugya on 2b of Shnayim Ochazin reading time of books of their choice - and it in Bava Metziah. A heavy piece! was such a beautiful day outside!
THE PLACE VALUE HUNT Morah Sara’s 5th grade reviewed “place value” in math class by finding random numbers in newspaper ads, cutting them out and writing out the placevalue for each on their worksheet.
BOOKS FOR ESTY LIBRARY Thank you to the Mathless family for donating these books to the Esty Library. This year just after Simchat Torah (on the 25th of Tishrei) will be Esther (Rubin) Cohen’s 10th yartzeit. Quality Jewish children’s books are a good way to remember her. She really loved reading (& writing)!
MRS MAHER MISSES 4TH GRADE Did you notice the homophone in this headline? Morah Rochel read the 4th graders a nice message from Mrs. Maher (still eager to keep in touch with our school even though she’s not teaching this year) who misses her former students and wishes them all a wonderful year. Her students miss her, too!
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR STUDENTS & TEACHERS It’s not easy to learn and teach in masks all day (aside for outdoor breaks and outdoor learning settings), along with all the other Covid guidelines and restrictions, but so far our students and teachers are making it work, most are being great sports about it, in a pleasant, upbeat, happy atmosphere overall at school. We are very appreciative of everyone’s efforts to keep learning going strong in-person at Maimonides. May we be able to continue in good health!
SPECIAL SIYUM AND A NEW TRACTATE LAUNCH Rabbi Rubin’s Talmud class completed the whole tractate Taanit (after finishing the whole tractate Megillah last year) with a special Siyum said by Jeremy over Zoom on the big screen behind them. They now launched their third tractate: Chagigah! For their Siyum celebration they invited the 7/8 grade boys Talmud class to join them, and Mr. Steve Caruso wanted to be part of it as well because he liked listening in to their studies last year and took pride in how nicely the boys read the Talmud! The Siyum was on an auspicious date: The 6th of Tishrei yartzeit of Rebbetzin Chana, the Rebbe’s mother, and also the day before Shmuly G. turns Bar-Mitzvah on the 7th of Tishrei.
SAYING THE WORDS ALOUD
TORONTO ZOOM SPEAKER
Our boys davening class is usually very into the singing, but this year we’re substituting a lot of the singing for boys taking turns reading aloud verses of different parts of the davening. It helps them become better familiar and clearer with words we say each day & also helps them practice & improve their Hebrew reading.
Goldie Plotkin of Markham Ontario spoke to our HS girls over Zoom about Rebbetzin Chana the power of women - and it tied right in to what they were learning in their participation in government class about RBG and a documentary they watched about her.
MINERALS IN EARTH SCIENCE
CHANGING SELF-PORTRAITS
Mr. Sid Stark’s earth science students are Chana Laber (MHDS alumna) is doing art learning to classify & identify types of minerals with the HS girls. One of their projects is to do by streak, color, luster, hardness and more. a series of self-portraits over the course of the year and to see how it develops over time.
“THE WAVE” IN ENGLISH CLASS Ms. Bacon’s 7/8 English class is reading “The Wave” a story of a social experiment that explains something about Nazi Germany.
FOUR FREEDOMS Ms. Bacon and the HS girls discussed the Four Freedoms this week & tied into RBG as well.
SOME STUDENTS’ ROSH HASHANAH FAVORITES FAVORITE FOODS Loved the brisket with mashed potatoes. I liked the apple-roses that my sister made, also the honey-cookies. Dragon-fruit! My cousins brought exotic honey. I liked the Sabra-fruit (prickly pear). Max’s honeycake and Max’s schnitzel. My favorite is the apple dipped in honey. Plain and simple. It’s just that good. Peanut-butter & chocolate rice crispy treats. Dragon-fruit is the best of the Shehechiyanus! My best food was the pot-roast. Pepper-steak was really good. Honeycake with milk. Apple-pie. Star-fruit - light and refreshing. Cracking open and eating coconut. Pomegranates, the really good ripe ones. Orange-Dew (mix of honeydew & cantaloupe). Apples! FAVORITE PART OF DAVENING The Shofar is my favorite. I liked the Shmona Esray. This year (because our windows were wide open, and Shofar was blown out the window) the neighbor’s dog barked along every time the Shofar was blown! Enjoyed Haftorah of Chana bcuz we learned it. That our davening was only two hours long. Avinu Malkeinu is my favorite. And this year we had to wait till the second day to say it. The general melody is different and special. OTHER ROSH HASHANAH HIGHLIGHTS Walking to Tashlich was a really nice walk. I loved that my family came to visit. We walked to blow Shofar for people at home. We went to a new place for Tashlich this year. Seeing how excited people were to hear Shofar. Trying the different Shehechiyanu fruits. We went for Tashlich to two places! Our luggage finally arrived on Rosh Hashanah. We blew Shofar for many people on the street. Working the kids program.
at Maimonides and in the Community 9/25-26: SHABBOS SHUVA This week we read Parsha Haazinu, formatted in the Torah scroll as two columns, like a song/poem. The Shabbos between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is named Shabbos Shuvah for the opening word of the Haftorah and the theme of the week!
9/27: EREV YOM KIPPUR is on Sunday this year. Check your Shul’s schedule for Mincha times and other Erev Yom Kippur info and Kol Nidrei that evening.
9/27-28: YOM KIPPUR No school. See details on synagogue services, formats, conditions etc or how some will observe it at home this year. Yom Kippur in Albany begins Sunday candle-lighting 6:25, ends Monday 7:23.
9/29: THE DAY AFTER YOM KIPPUR 9:30am late school start after Yom-Kippur. This is the day that Nathan Rosenstein would recall from Albany’s old downtown as “Gut’s Numen”! See more about it on the right >
10/2-12: LONG SUKKOT BREAK No school from Erev Sukkot Friday through Isru Chag of (the day after) Simchat Torah. School resumes 8am on Tuesday. Make the most of this special holiday stretch with family and return uplifted, invigorated and inspired for a back-to-school that we hope will follow in good health!
10/4: VIRTUAL SUKKOT CELEBRATION 8pm on Motzai Yom Tov, Sunday night, with 8th Day Band, fire juggling and brief words of inspiration about Simcha. This online event is in memory of Esther Aidel (Rubin) Cohen as we near her 10th yartzeit on the 25th of Tishrei. Join via Zoom ID: 836-1534-3357, see flyer for Password or call any of the local Chabads for more info.
NATHAN IN NYC’S LOWER EAST SIDE Thanks to Mr. Paul Shapiro for this special photo of (Albany landmark) Nathan Rosenstein (in the sweater and cap) buying Lulav & Etrog sets on the street in the Lower East Side (he loved shopping down there). He’s with Steve Lefkowitz (also of blessed memory) and Nina Israel (may she be well!). You might be able to see the World Trade Center (Twin Towers) faintly in the background on left. Sadly, this Mr. Steve Lefkowitz (who lived & worked for a time in Albany) died in the World Trade Center (where he worked for NY State) on September 11th. Check out the styles of the cars. Can you spy the Aravot in a giant tahini bucket? Do you see a kosher sign? Can you find the sign of a religious Zionist youth organization? What year was this?
NATHAN AND “GUT’S NUMEN” Nathan Rosenstein would often tell of how downtown Shuls in the South Pearl Street area of his youth would commemorate “Gut’s Numen” (Hashem’s Name) as the day after Yom Kippur, with all the candles (lights?) burning in Shul and extra large attendance as if it were a YomTov. Nathan explained that it was a day for the Jewish people to demonstrate to Hashem that even after we are forgiven on Yom Kippur, we still (or especially!) come back to Shul to show our continued & renewed dedication.
But why is the day after Yom Kippur called “Hashem’s Name”? Rabbi Rubin quoted a Chassidic/Kabbalistical source because there are four days between Yom Kippur and Sukkot which represent the four letters of Hashem’s Name. Alumnus R’ Chananya Rosenblum (thanks for reading the MC Newsletter from afar!) shared that it is on this day (after the 10 Days of Teshuvah) that we switch back to saying in the Amidah “Ha-Keyl HaKadosh” instead of “HaMelech HaKadosh” and while king is a very important title for Hashem during this time of year it is not one of Hashem’s names but “Keyl” (with a Hey) is a name of Hashem.
PLEASE BE COUNTED! LAST CALL! Please be sure to fill out the US census form for you & your family! It helps everyone around here.
10/5-9: EXTRA LULAV & ETROG LONG WEEK CHOL HAMOED Do you still need a Lulav set?
We’re looking for ideas for nature hikes, outdoor outings, fun things to do. We’d love to make a nice list to share in next week’s pre-Sukkot MC Newsletter. Look for a Sukkot children’s rally/program one of the days, too.
Didn’t order yours yet? Call Rabbi Nachman Simon 518439-8280 to order or by appt a $75 (Yanover-style) Lulav set.
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!”