BH. Adar 29, 5775 / March 20, 2015

Candle-Lighting: Community Newsletter of the Hebrew Day School of the Capital District 6:49 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208 (518) 453-9363/3434 www.maimonidesschool.org Shabbos Ends: produced by Rabbi Mendel & students in the TNT ( ‘n Technology) Program 7:50 Maimonides is accredited by the NYS Board of Regents & is a beneficiary of UJF-NENY [email protected]

NEW MATH/SCIENCE TEACHER WHY THE LITTLE “a”? This MC Newsletter After many years teaching Math and Science at Did you notice our MC masthead is Maimonides, Dr. Madhavi Sahay had to leave different this week? That’s because the first is sponsored in honor of the birth mid-year due to personal reasons. We will miss word in the first verse of this week’s Torah of our great-granddaughter her (and her many hands-on experiments and Parsha Vayikra has a small Aleph at the end of passion and knowledge of science) very much. the word. There’s a lot of significance to that Revaya Karni Gross We are very happy to welcome Mr. McFeeran small Aleph, and life lessons learned about by Michael and Sylvia Solomon as our new science teacher, who has an applied Moshe’s humility. And like our school, it may and engaging approach to science class. be small but its sure makes a big difference!

THE NEW (OLD) COPIER NURSERY Our big copier breathed its last, despite valiant MODEL efforts to resuscitate it by the service folks at SEDER Metroland Business Machines. Being a multi- Pesach learning is age, creative & flexible, dual-curriculum school in full swing, this with lots of differentiated individualized Thursday they had learning, this machine (which also links to our a model Seder in computers as a printer) is an important and their classroom well-used office resource. We invested in a complete with new/old (but “low mileage”) copier with a silver-looking service agreement & hope to get good use of it. Kiddush cups (below left) and a MY VERY OWN HAGGADAH KICKED OUT OF SCHOOL Matzah and Maror Morah Devorah’s first graders made many In addition to the copier purchase, recent lettuce sandwich beautiful Pesach projects (see a few more unexpected school costs included extensive (above left). inside this MC Newsletter). Some students pest control work to remove squirrels from the Morah Rivka also pictured above with their Haggadot which they attic and sealing work to keep took pictures to be are personalizing page by page, as the Mishna/ them out. Yes, they can be featured in their Haggadah itself encourages: “as if we ourselves cute and industrious but they own personalized left Egypt.” Pesach needs to be personalized! are best to watch outdoors Haggadahs. and can be quite destructive ADVICE FOR RECHAVAM indoors. These unexpected but necessary costs $7 SHMITAH TREES PLEASE HS Girls learned in Navi with Morah Dini cause additional strain on the school budget, how King Rechavam sought advice from so we are thankful for all the on-time tuition Thanks to all who sent in $7 per family along with vote on what type of fruit tree we should younger and older people. Turns out the payments and communal support. Thanks to a advice from the older people was much better school board member for generously purchase. Please choose your choice of tree when you send in the $7 ASAP! advice. Just in time for the “Better Together” contributing $1,000 toward this cost. essays they are writing about what we learn, or  Olive Tree  Grape Vine  Pomegranate  Fig Tree  Date Palm  Citrus Tree appreciate about connecting with older people. PLEASE HELP GET LEG-CYCLE $4,000 left to be raised from the MAIMONIDES original $17,000 goal to purchase 404 Partridge Street a LegCycle RT300 rehabilitation bicycle for daily ongoing home use Albany NY 12208 so young M. can regain function in his legs after paralysis last year. Amazingly, thanks to his medical team, miraculously indeed, and thanks to much therapy and dedication, he has begun to stand and walk to some extent and his medical team encourages home use of this machine to take advantage of these remarkable advances. Contribute online: gofundme.com/na4pwk SEDER SIGNS Pun intended: The itemized list of the Seder steps are called “Simanei HaSeder” which also means Seder Signs (as in sign-language). Morah Aviva knows that young children love songs choreographed with hand motions that tell the story. Mrs. Lori Calka, Certified MORE SEDER PROJECTS ^ GREAT DEPRESSION LETTERS American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreter, Morah Devorah’s first graders also made these 3rd & 4th learned about the drastic change in taught our Kindergarten and first grade Seder placemats illustrating the Seder’s 15 people’s lives going from the Roaring 20’s to students the order of the Seder in ASL. Steps, and they are laminated for practical, the era of the Great Depression in the 1930’s. Pictured above they are learning the sign- actual use at the Pesach Seder table. Note the Students each put themselves in the shoes of a language for “break the middle Matzah”. Pesach bulletin boards behind them as well! person suffering during that period and wrote Thank you Morah Lori! She will be back on an imaginary letter to a friend, the President, Tuesday to teach 10 Plagues in sign-language. DOGSONG & THE TALMUD etc. about how difficult the situation was. In the book “Dogsong” by Gary Paulsen, read RE: REPORT CARDS now by 7th graders in Mrs. Crawford’s class, ADAR SONGS AND DANCING 2nd Marking period ended last Russel, an Eskimo boy, feels as if The boys davening group Friday, report cards are being his sled and his dogs are deeply has been singing a different completed this week and will be connected to him, almost as if they lively Jewish song at the end distributed on Monday. are a personal extension of himself. of the morning prayers A Judaic teacher pointed out the everyday in the month of A HINT IS LIKE LINT connection to the Talmudic stories Adar (when we increase in joy), and got up to 7th grade Pitgam class learned this quote from of Reb Pinchas ben Yair’s donkey and the dance together for many of those days. Mishlei/Proverbs: “Tehn LaChocham vYechkam story of the Cow that kept Shabbos. Nesanel was great at coming up with songs! Ohd!” Give a hint to the wise and they grow wiser MATH IN FOURTH & SEVENTH from it. Goldie K. came up Part of the Common Core initiative is to with this line: “A Hint is introduce advanced concepts in a basic form like Lint!” because you can in younger grades so it is more familiar and is either just throw out the a body of knowledge that continues to be built dryer lint and do nothing with it (as most upon. This week it so happens that siblings in people do with lint) or you can use it to start a 4th and 7th came home with similar work on fire and make something huge out of it. Same converting fractions to decimals & percentages is with a hint, some people miss it, and don’t and they were able to assist each other! value it, and don’t do anything about the hint. But the wise can do a lot with a little hint… EROSION IN SCIENCE 6th graders shared their science studies on A JOINT erosion, a destructive process which breaks KINDERGARTENS GOLDILOCKS EFFORT down materials and moves them on. There are Each students illustrated a different part of the These two different types, but so far they liked the river story, and wrote a sentence captioning their students are best. The speed of flowing water affects the illustration. The TNT student photographer working heaviness of the sediment the river will pick captured a happy moment with them holding together up and move along down-river. Once a river up their picture pages. looking up a hits the ocean, the speed slows, the heaviest definition. sediment falls, creating a delta. They learned POWERPOINTS, DIORAMAS ETC Are you about the role gravity plays, and how erosion Mrs. Maher’s 5th grade students each made a wondering happens deep down on the ocean floor, too! presentation about a Revolutionary War hero, what the using different formats. They all made a essay sneaker is doing sitting up on the desk? This is JEFFERSON AND MONROE into a small book form with an illustrated not an ordinary sneaker (though it may fool 6th and 7th grade had a test on Jefferson’s cover, some also did timelines, Powerpoints, you by its looks) its her pencil bag! Don’t presidency and is now onto President James and one student designed a GoAnimate clip, judge a pencil bag by its cover… Monroe, Florida, and the Monroe Doctrine. and there’s also one Paul Revere diorama. BIG NATE IN CLASS BY HIMSELF PESACH Mrs. Maher has been reading a funny book to her 5th graders during afternoon snack time CLEANING TIPS called “Big Nate - in a class by himself.” Nate tries everything possible to get out of school, not do his work, and miss tests and still not STEP BY STEP: Start as early as you can. end up in summer school. They don’t know De-cluttering first helps. Do one room at a 1 time. Sorting helps a lot. Once things are in the end yet, stay tuned… NACHOS NACHAS piles organized by type, its much easier to Morah Dini’s 4th graders finished Vayishlach see what can be thrown out, what can go THE YAKNAHAZ ORDER in and for their Siyum they made into storage or what needs to kept handy. Nine Talmudical opinions on the YomTov Nachos in “”Nathan’s Kitchen” to celebrate. ENJOY IT: It isn’t easy but there are ways Kiddush and Shabbos Havdalah Combo, this Morah Dini explained that it’s a Mexican treat to make it fun. Some families turn it into a year at the 2nd Seder. Rabbi Shmuly’s 5/6 and all the Kosher Pizza shops in Los Angeles 2 game or contest, but even playing music and 7th grade Talmud classes are learning it also serve Nachos, but Reb Itche calls them and working together as a team makes the now, using a blank chart and filling it in with “Nachas” which is Yiddish for pride and joy! chores more enjoyable. Clear bagless all the different opinions and reasons. And vacuum cleaners have the neat advantage of they’re putting it into Powerpoint format, too! BETTER TOGETHER ESSAYS instant gratification, seeing the effects of your work. Also, almost everyone enjoys the Most students in 7th grade through HS good feeling of having a really clean and PESACH TERMINOLOGY submitted their “Better Together” essays for fresh room. It can be very rewarding. Morah Dini gave her 5th grade students 45 the contest. They shared personal experiences, Pesach terms in English and they had to find insights, or ideas about connecting with KEEP OUT CHAMETZ: The best rules is the Hebrew terms for it choosing from an seniors whether through the Better Together to keep all food out of bedrooms (maybe all accompanying Hebrew sheet. program or otherwise. We hope to share the 3 year) but at least after Purim when Pesach cleaning begins. As you get closer it is best winners and updates on the essays next week. to narrow down the places you will have TIMELY CHUMASH STUDIES food mess, so it is more contained. And Our Chumash classes do not correspond to BETTER TWO THAN ONE crumbly food or things that roll about like the calendar, but its always exciting when the In keeping with the “Better Together” theme Cheerios? Gotta be extra careful with that! text matches an upcoming holiday. We had and in honor of Reb Moshe Rubin’s yartzeit, TOOLS AND CLEANSERS: The fanciest three reports of this happening this week: Rabbi Rubin learned with the boys a selection tools are nowhere near as good as good ‘ol  HS Chumash is learning the holiday Torah of Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) Chapter 4 where it 4 elbow grease (which means hard work). But reading, including Pesach, in Parsha Re’ah. says: “Two are better than one…” for Reb some tools or machines (like a vacuum that  6th grade Chumash with Rabbi Yossi is now Moshe was always eager to share with others, a has a wand to access hard to reach areas) learning about the Plague of the Firstborn vurt or story, he was a “people’s Chassid”. can make it much easier. Now that its and the beginning of the Exodus. springtime (almost) opening a window and letting a breeze air out a room is also a free  7th grade is now learning Parshat Naso WELCOME BACK (FOR NOW) way to freshen everything up. about the offerings of the leaders of the Chaya L. and Mushky R. are arrived late last tribes… and guess what: this began on the night from a year of study in . They will INNER CHAMETZ: We’re mostly busy first day of Nissan, which is this very be here for Passover break, and returning to with getting rid of actual Chametz, like Shabbos, and continues for the first 12 days Tzfat Israel for the rest of the school year after 5 bread and cereals, cookies and pretzels… in Nissan. Some have the custom to recite the holiday. They have so many stories, but there’s also inner Chametz, and we can’t forget about that either. Adding that leaders offering from Parshat Naso photos, teachings, and experiences to share… (which is also the Chanukah reading) on thoughtful personal moments (and relaxing and they make us very proud! A Maimonides ones, too) to the hectic physical search for each successive day of Nissan for 12 days. Albany education is indeed something to be Chametz, make the whole experience more And of course, regardless of the calendar, proud of, and they are! meaningful and memorable. Torah is always relevant and timely! KIDS WITH TAMBOURINES AND HEADGEAR What would you call a merger of FedEx and UPS? Nursery kids each dressed Fed-Up! up with ancient headgear and held tambourines What’s the main part of a lion? His mane, of course! getting into the spirit of the Jews crossing the Sea. What’s the best car to drive on Pesach? A Nissan. This “Az Yashir” poster FIRST GRADE GRAPHING has each student’s photo A pig and a chicken were walking down the street First graders did a whole unit on graphing! We cut out as they hold their and saw a “Bacon & Eggs” sign at a diner. The had some photos of their work in last week’s tambourines! chicken was so upset! “Look what they do to my “MC” but they’ve done so much more since. eggs,” she said in anguish, “they break them, beat The 2 polls pictured are: (r) favorite zoo them, scramble them! Ugh!” The pig told the animals and (l) coolest robot, and their RELATIONSHIPS, MARRIAGE? chicken: “From you they want a donation, but individual math sheets based on the graphs are Yes, Rabbi Mendel’s class this week with HS from me they want a commitment!” (a great lesson hanging alongside the big chart graphs. Boys and with HS Girls used this very for the sacrifice messages in this week’s Parsha Vayikra). important life-subject as an analogy. at Maimonides and in the Community

3/20-21: SHABBOS ROSHCHODESH Friday Erev Pesach 4/3: No School thru end of This Shabbos begins the new Hebrew month of Pesach. See Erev Pesach schedule below. Nissan, 1st Seder is 2 weeks away on Friday Night! Monday 4/13: School resumes at 8am.

3/21: TRIPLE TORAH SHABBOS 4/3: EREV PESACH We begin Chumash Vayikra, read the (4th of 4) 8am Minyan at Maimonides followed by Firstborn special reading of HaChodesh and also Rosh Siyum by Rabbi Nachman Simon on Yevamos, Chodesh! The Costas are making a Triple Torah the recent tractate studied by Daf Yomi. “EXHIBIT A” AT THE NYS SENATE Communal Chametz burning outside the school Kiddush at Shomray Torah in honor of the triple. The OU and other Jewish political advocacy will be later that morning. We finish eating groups from NYC were up in Albany to lobby for 3/21: RABBI REISMAN SHIUR Chametz by 10:50am & burn it by 11:50am. certain support for Yeshiva education, and Sat Nights 7:30pm at CBAJ Luchins Media needed “Exhibit A” students who study Jewish Center with Rabbi Y. Reisman, televised from 4/3-4: COMMUNAL SEDERS Brooklyn. Rabbi Frand’s class Thurs 9pm. CBAJ (489-5819) and Bethlehem Chabad (866- and General Studies subjects and don’t live 100+ 7658) are hosting each hosting communal Seders miles away. Our boys were an excellent exhibit 3/22: MAPLE SUGARING IN B&B on the first night, Shabbos House (438-4227), because they represented the fact that Yeshivot It’s maple-sugaring season! at Mountain Winds Union Chabad (496-0779) and Saratoga Chabad are not limited to NYC’s 5 Boroughs but are Farm, 12 Williamson Rd, Berne, NY or at Kent’s (526-0773) are hosting communal Seders on both present throughout NYS. The boys got to sit in Sugarhouse 2529 Plank Road in Berlin NY. See nights. Call ahead for info & RSVP. very comfortable seats in a very ornate room process first-hand, with farm and woodland tours. before rushing back to General Studies classes. Call ahead for info. Check Kashrut before 4/8: PASSOVER FUN DAY They’re pictured here with Senator Simcha tasting/purchasing any products. Saratoga Chabad is once again hosting a fun day Felder and Senator Martin Golden. on Pesach, this year on Wed of Chol HaMoed. 3/22: BAR-ZOHAR AT JEWISH-FED Program includes carnival booths, a performing Michael Bar-Zohar is a former member of Knesset juggler and balloon artistry, plus a delicious and best-selling author of a book on the Mossad. Kosher for Passover meal. $36 suggested per He is speaking for Federations Joint Society at family, $10pp. Questions? 526-0773.

Agudat Achim 7:15pm. This event has been sold out! 4/19: JCC PILLARS 15 HONORS M. SALE OF CHAMETZ FORMS, MAOS LOSICE & CARL BLOOMBERG 3/23: WOMENS BET MEDRASH CHITIM AND SHMURAH MATZAH Reb Moshe Losice, well-respected in our Mrs. Nechama Laber will lead the study and All the above pre-Pesach items are available with community, is one of JCC’s Pillars event awardees discussion on Yocheved and Miriam, timely this Rabbi Rubin, please call 423-4103 or email him this year, along with Mr. Carl Bloomberg, a past time of year as Passover approaches. 8pm at recipient of the Dr. Morton Berger Memorial at: [email protected], or most of these can Maimonides, all levels of learning are welcome. Award. Info? contact Sidney Albert Albany JCC. also be arranged through your local Rabbi.

Pesach is around the corner now, and coming -- DATE TBA: FARBRENGEN 5/7: LAG B’OMER very soon! Don’t delay… A Pre-Passover Farbrengen in honor of the On a Thursday this year after several years of Rebbe’s Yud-Aleph Nissan birthday (not on that Sundays. Look for the return of the Maimonides date) with guest Rabbi Dovid Dubov of Princeton daytime Parade & also a special communal event NJ is being scheduled and will be announced being planned for late afternoon. Stay tuned! shortly. It is open to all men and women and children who’d appreciate it. Stay tuned!! 6/1: MAIMONIDES DINNER -- AND CHAMTEZ NIGHT PRIOR… Stay tuned for info! HS Girls will have a “get out of the house and eat some hot Chametz night” (food for sale) in late afternoon prior to Farbrengen, so people can CAMP GAN ISRAEL UNDER NEW come for both events, either/or that same night. MANAGEMENT FOR THIS YEAR

Morah Devorah Leah Mathless will 3/28: STEALING AFIKOMAN be the new Camp Gan Israel Rabbi Lehrfield’s CBAJ Shabbat Hagadol learning director for this year, efforts are now will be on how this teaches good Jewish values… underway to bring talented, capable and dedicated staff and add some 4/1-13 PESACH SCHOOL SCHED. new exciting programming. Contact Wed 4/1 & Thurs 4/2: General Studies only, 8am- Devorah Leah if you have questions, stay tuned 11:30. Morning begins with Davening at school. for more info, registration forms coming soon.

MAIMONIDES SCHOOL & COMMUNITY (Nursery / Elementary / High School) 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208

(518) 453-9363/3434 [email protected] Founded in 1980, Maimonides is chartered by the NYS Board of Regents and is a JF-NENY Beneficiary “A Beautiful Blend: Torah & Worldly Experience!”