Hundreds Transform Chesed Into Action They Prepared Two Huge Pots of Soup for the Hungry
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קולaŠryz a`-fenz “רמבם FALL 2013 cŠryz zah-elqk-oeyg KOL RAMBAM Hundreds Transform Chesed into Action They prepared two huge pots of soup for the hungry. They delivered gifts of ap- preciation to police and firefighters. They cleared invasive plants from the shores of the reservoir across Route 9. They wrote messages to soldiers in the IDF and col- laborated with Yachad members prepar- ing gift bags for a women’s shelter. They painted the walls of an inner-city school. Maimonides School volunteers, more than 500 strong, turned chesed into action Sunday, Nov. 10, literally and figuratively rolling up their sleeves in observance of the school’s first day of community service — Yom Chesed. “We teach our students that it is not the walls of Maimonides School surrounding us Taking a break from painting an inner-city schoolroom are seventh graders (from left) Maya Greene, Danya Gewurz, which are important. It is the doors, which Talya Saltzman and Eve Spear. The Yom Chesed volunteers were assisting Project RIGHT (Rebuild and Improve Grove Hall allow us to take our Torah and values and Together). go out into the world, that matter,” wrote monides faculty and staff. way we see the words of the Talmud com- Rabbi Dov Huff ’00, assistant Middle and ing to life at Maimonides.” Upper School principal, in a dvar Torah Each volunteer was assigned to one of 15 leading up to the event. teams, which worked on projects through- Rabbi Mordechai Soskil, Middle and Upper out the morning at the school or in the sur- School Judaic studies principal, spoke of The response to the event was gratifying rounding area. The highly choreographed achdut — unity — and his words were and almost overwhelming. It included event was the outcome of more than three enhanced by songs from the Upper School students of all ages and their families, Mai- months of detailed planning by a team of boys choir. Mrs. Gewurz also spoke, thank- volunteers chaired by Risa Gewurz, parent ing volunteers and staff contributors. of four students in Grades 2-9. “Everything After breakfast in the gym, volunteers In This Issue: about Yom Chesed, every stage of the broke off into groups to work on specific program, was good — from the school’s projects. Several of these were based in Kindergarten Team ................2 adopting it, to the massive turnout, to the school facilities — Gift of Life bone marrow tremendous feedback and warmth,” Mrs. screenings, soup preparation for Gittel’s Middle School Robots ...........3 Gewurz said. Kitchen, gift baskets for patients sponsored The Yom Chesed agenda began with by ROFEH. Other volunteers were out in Alumni and the IDF .............4 Shacharit, and the S. Joseph Solomont shul the community, visiting the elderly, and was packed. Davening was augmented by delivering gifts to neighbors, police and Class Notes............................5 remarks appropriate for the day. Naty Katz firefighters. ’73, head of school, quoted the school’s Middah of the Year ................6 “For us as a family it was such a special ex- founder, Rabbi Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik, perience, which gave us the satisfaction of zt”l, who taught that “the password of Yom Chesed Panorama ..........7 doing chesed and enjoying the outcome — the Jew is chesed.” Citing the teaching in preparing baskets and seeing the families’ Masechet Kiddushin on study leading to News Briefs ...........................8 smiling faces when we dropped everything action, he said, “Today in the most beautiful off,” said parents Rinat and Joseph Naggar. 1 JoiningJoining Kindergarten Kindergarten teachers teachers Irene Irene Blechner Blechner (left), left|), Barry Barry Wilensky Wilensky and and Myriam Myriam Lukoff Lukoff areare students,students, fromfrom left,left, NogaNoga Rose,Rose, AviaAvia Kesler,Kesler, DoronDoron Storm,Storm, TzvielTzviel Kahan,Kahan, TalyaTalya SchorrSchorr andand LilyLily Allerhand.Allerhand faculty profile: The Kindergarten Team Kindergarten is unique. So is teaching at that pri- After years of success in sales, Mr. Wilensky earned a master of education degree from mary level, as the three professionals who comprise Lesley University in 2007, concentrating in early childhood education. He joined the Maimonides School’s Kindergarten team can testify. Maimonides Kindergarten staff in 2011. Mr. Wilensky is a long-time dancer and ad- “I look at these little kids with their back- tunities to teach us. They come up with new ministrator with Hamakor Israeli folkdance packs, going through a whole day of ideas.” troupe. learning, and I am totally ‘wowed’,” declared The three alternate as lead and support Mrs. Blechner said “a tremendous amount” Myriam Lukoff. “Because this is their first real teachers, and there is some cross-curricular of Judaic content is integrated throughout academic experience, we see a lot of ‘light instruction — limudei kodesh teachers the entire Kindergarten curriculum, and bulb’ moments, and they’re really exciting sometimes address general studies. “We what they learn often enriches and enhanc- for a teacher,” Barry Wilensky said. “Once kids each have our own areas of strength,” said es their family Shabbat tables. come through Kindergarten,” added Irene Mr. Wilensky. The three know each other Indeed, she said, Kindergarten teaching is Blechner, “they are always ‘our’ kids.” well enough to add some spontaneity in often an extension of parenting. “They’re The three have taught the Kindergarten sec- their presentations. Orit Steinberg joins with us awake more than they are with their tion as a team for three years, following the the class for Ivrit three days a week, and own families,” she said. “And this isn’t an carefully crafted dual curriculum that de- the teaching team brings Hebrew naturally 8-to-3 job. We don’t shut ourselves off.” fines every level of learning at Maimonides. into lessons throughout the school day. The “There is a lot more emotion involved The teachers regard their responsibilities team also works with a Kindergarten aide, with Kindergarten,” Mr. Wilensky observed. as profound. “We develop physical, social, Kayla Brody. “Things happen that can hurt feelings. We and emotional well-being,” Mrs. Blechner Mrs. Blechner, who began teaching in the help them get through those emotions. said. “We instill in them their Jewish identity Maimonides Kindergarten in 1997, earned a We provide love and support.” Mrs. Lukoff and teach them how to integrate with the bachelor of business administration degree pointed out that “we have experience as secular world.” from Baruch College and is a graduate of parents ourselves.” “We begin the process of teaching them Rivka Breuer Teacher’s Seminary. She and Kindergarten is also the reception station how to be in school and to make new her husband Zev ’76 have four children who for what Mrs. Blechner calls “diversity within friends,” said Mr. Wilensky. attended the school. Mrs. Blechner also has halachic Judaism.” In recent years the team Mrs. Lukoff commented that the team “nur- taught after-school Mishmar and cooking has worked with students whose primary tures independence. We get them to the classes. language at home was not only English or point of being independent when they walk Mrs. Lukoff holds an undergraduate degree Hebrew but also Russian, French, Italian and into the classroom.” in psychology from McGill and teaching Farsi. There are family and cultural traditions “We also teach that we learn from mistakes,” certification from Machon Ate in Tzfat and connected to these varied backgrounds, Mrs. Lukoff added. “Mistakes are opportuni- Machon Chana in Brooklyn. She began and Mrs. Blechner said “we validate and ties for self-acceptance and growth. We tell teaching Maimonides Kindergarten in 2003 celebrate this diversity.” the kids, ‘That’s why pencils have erasers’.” and also has taught gymnastics in several “Most of these kids will be here for many She added, “We also celebrate their oppor- area day school after-school programs. years,” Mrs. Blechner said. “We see the im- pact we have.” 2 Rabbi Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik, z”tl Robotics Accelerating Founder Ken Rosenstein says he has a five-year plan for come up with their own codes, using those skills, Rabbi M.J. Cohn, z”l Principal Emeritus his elective robotics class for Middle School and then dealing with the curveballs that reality students. “We already are beyond where we keeps throwing at them…It all looks so simple Abraham Levovitz, z”l anticipated,” the science and math teacher said. until the robot starts moving.” President Emeritus “And I will never be satisfied with where we are, Participants will confront a more complex task because as soon as we get there we will want to in the winter, “for which they will need to not Sam Wald ‘92 go farther.” only remodify their machines but also have their Chairman, Board of Directors Now in its third year, the robotics group meets machines begin working with other machines,” after school for a two-hour weekly session. “We he added. Jeffrey Swartz Chairman Emeritus capped it at 10 students — but we are currently “Anybody can build a machine from a set of running at 19, almost all in sixth grade,” Mr. directions. Anybody can write computer code Rosenstein said. “We are wildly oversubscribed; Nathan Katz ’73 that resides strictly in a computer,” Mr. Rosenstein Head of School there’s a waiting list.” continued. “Our team will take building outside “Our concept is: we take mechanical ingenuity, the box and find a plethora of problems when Frederique Smits combine it with coding knowhow and put them coding meets reality. We deal with those Director of Institutional Advancement together to create machines that are capable of problems.” accomplishing successively more intricate tasks,” Faun Zarge Mr. Rosenstein emphasized that “the process Director of Strategic Engagement The Kindergarten Team Mr. Rosenstein said. is more important than the result.