KOL RAMBAM Oct. 2008 • hŠqyz ixyz ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROGRAM TARGETS INDIVIDUAL SUCCESS Maimonides Elementary School has inform teachers so that instruction can be the first few visits are an assessment of launched SuccessMaker Enterprise, an modified or redirected to concentrated a child’s individual abilities,” Dr. Billings interactive computerized classroom needs.” explained. The assessment determines program designed to improve each stu- SuccessMaker, a product of Pearson each student’s individual instruction dent’s individual knowledge and skills in Digital Learning, is a supplemental instruc- level, considering the time it takes to mathematics and reading. tion program that begins with an indi- respond to questions, the number of Each classroom in Grades 1 through 5 vidual placement module, using students’ correct answers, and degree of difficulty, has been equipped with three comput- responses until a scoring matrix deter- he said. “At that point, the program cues ers, with the major financing provided by mines a child’s individual instructional itself to go into instructional mode. From the Gruss Foundation of New York. The level, Dr. Billings emphasized. then on, each time a child goes to the computer, the program re-cues to the program was introduced to parents at “It will quickly identify both strug- child’s discerned ability and continues. Back-to-School Night Sept. 16, and began gling students and advanced students, If a child gets to a new skill, the program in the classrooms on Oct. 2. with specific information to assist us in will continue to respond and move on at “SuccessMaker provides instruction that meeting the immediate needs of both,” a child’s individual rate.“ not only advances student learning, but he said. “The system supports classroom is also individually responsive, check- instruction, contributes to academic pro- David Nahoumi, Maimonides director of ing prior learning for both retention ficiency, and allows students to work technology, recently finished installing and application of skills,” said Dr. Jack independently and stay motivated.” the 39 new Dell Pentium IV computers, each with a flat-screen monitor. “They’re Billings, principal for General Studies. The “When a child first sits and interacts with program generates reports, which “will the mathematics or reading program, Continued on page 4 Join us for a presentation by sue s Is MATTHEW LEVITT ‘88, hi T one of the nation’s leading experts on In terrorism, as he presents his new book, DVAR TORAH Teshuvah: Restorative or Transformative 2 “Negotiating Under Fire: Preserving Peace Chesed in Brener Building 2 Talks in the Face of Terror Attacks” ALUMNI David Flusberg ‘93 3 Wednesday, Nov. 12 • 7:30 p.m. Campus upgrades “go green” 4 Seniors’ retreat solidifies Maimonides School class goals 5 34 Philbrick Road, Brookline SPOTLIGHT Rabbi Yaakov Jaffe 6 RSVP to [email protected] Students praise Beurei HaTefilla 7 or 617-232-4452, ext. 105 Upper School art students News & Notes 8 sketch the newly-landscaped Philbrick Road lawn (see story on plant improvements, page 4). Kindergartener Isaac Jacobson, left, and second grader Yaakov Baker design a Rosh Hashanah card for Brener Builds A CHESED COMMUNITY members of the IDF. Chesed always has been a central part of Grade 5, said Rabbi Saltzman. “The goal the Maimonides School curriculum. This is for the kids to all know each other, to academic year, there are “internal and greet each other in the hallway, to foster external components,” says Rabbi David communal responsibility. A first grader Saltzman, Elementary School principal. will have the opportunity to interact The internal aspect is experienced as with a fourth grader.” students participate as an integrated Joanna Parker, Grade 1 Judaic studies community: Chesed l’Chaverim. teacher, is coordinating the program this “We divided the school into mini-com- academic year, and she kicked things munities,” with each group including the off last month by introducing Chesed entire range of grades, Kindergarten to Continued on page 6 Teshuvah: Restorative or Transformative By Rabbi David Shapiro, Rosh Yeshiva; Chairholder, Rabbi Yitzhak Twersky Chair in Talmud and Jewish Thought [This dvar Torah is based upon shi’urim of the Amongst the strategies employed by, and Dynamic psychologists would speak Talner Rebbe, HaRav Yitzhak Twersky, zt”l] the characteristics of, ba’alei teshuvah are … of manifest behavior as representative In Massechet Rosh Hashanah (16b) R. [and it is as if he says] “I am another person; of the deeper, latent content of one’s Yitzchak offers four strategies that each I am no longer the person who committed psyche (which ultimately defines per- those acts.” He changes his entire behavior Jew should employ in order “to have sonality). now, doing [only] what is good and upright. the decree against him torn up.” The If I find myself engaging too often in We find a similar characterization of tes- David Flusberg fourth is shinui ma’aseh, “changing one’s leshon ha-ra, it is not enough to resolve ‘93 in his huvah in Moreh Nevuchim (Rambam’s actions.” to avoid it. I must ask myself: what Bucharest Guide for the Perplexed) [III:36]: office Rashi interprets shinui ma’aseh as shav need within me does this inappropriate mei-ra’ato, “he abandons his evil ways.” … he can correct himself, and return to a behavior meet? better and more perfect state than the one This conception of teshuvah—the com- he was in before he sinned. If I fail to daven regularly, it is not suf- monly-accepted one, to be sure—is ficient to make a commitment to try and This type of teshuvah, portrayed by minimalistic. It is only “restorative;” comply with halachic expectations. Is it Rambam and Ritva, is not merely “restor- that is, the person aspires only to repair a theologically based skepticism about ative”; it aims to be “transformative.” the damage to his record, to remove the role of prayer that allowed me to The spiritual process of teshuvah is the entries in the debit column, and to lapse? Is there a fundamental deficiency often compared to the physiological/ achieve the status quo ante. in my commitment to halachah? medical process of healing. Yishayahu, Ritva was not satisfied with Rashi’s for example, states (6:10): ve-shav, ve- If someone offended me and has sought approach. In his commentary to our rafa lo, “he will repent, and he will be forgiveness repeatedly, to be met only Talmudic passage he writes: healed.” Yirmiyahu later said (3:22): by my unyielding resentment—what Rashi’s interpretation does not appear to be Shuvu banim shovavim; erpa meshuvotei- ethical flaw in my inherent character correct. Obviously, if one repents without chem, “Repent, you wayward sons; I shall prevents me from “letting go” of my abandoning his evil ways … his teshuvah will heal your waywardness.” David haM- anger? These are the type of questions not be efficacious. Rather, [what R. Yitzchak elech had already petitioned (Tehillim that “transformative teshuvah” seeks to (in our Talmudic passage) means is:] he aban- address. dons even those actions that are formally 41:5): Refa’a nafshi ki chatati lach, “Heal permissible but are slightly inappropriate. my soul for I have sinned against you.” Let us each strive to achieve “transforma- That is to say; he becomes another person We might thus say that the “restorative” tive teshuvah” in the spirit of the pasuk entirely... mode of teshuvah aims to address the that we read in Eichah(3:40): Nachpesah deracheinu ve-nachkorah, ve-nashuvah el Although Ritva does not refer to symptomatic behavior, whereas the Hashem, “Let us each search and examine Rambam, there is no doubt that he was more ambitious “transformative” mode our ways, and return to Hashem.” May influenced directly by the latter’s formu- of teshuvah seeks to address the under- we thereby merit a ketivah va-chatimah lation in Hilchot Teshuvah (2:4): lying cause (the etiology) of that inap- propriate behavior. tovah for each member of our extended families and communities. DVAR TORAH GRADUATE GROWING IN ROMANIA Mazal tov to… Evelyn and Naftali (Herbert) Stern ‘57 on the birth of a granddaughter. Seven years ago, during a kiddush in an Upper East Side shul, Nahum Naomi (Krimsky) ’88 and Yitzi Hollander on the recent bar mitzvah of their Palefski ’96 re-introduced David Flusberg ’93 to Dvir Cohen Hoshen, son Yossi. who once briefly attended Maimonides while his parents were on a Sarah Levine ’88 and Dr. Hylton Joffe on the birth of their daughter, Hannah sabbatical from Israel. Diane. David and Dvir became friends, and even worked together on some Dr. Aliza Levine ’90 and Eric Brown on the birth of their daughter, Lilah small business ventures while Dvir studied at Tel Aviv University. Then, Arielle. in 2004, David relates, “Dvir wanted me to join him in Romania so we Eitan Levisohn ’92 on his engagement to Dina Epstein. could brainstorm together how to create a real estate venture that Rabbi Ari ’92 and Deborah Rockoff on the birth of their daughter, Talya would combine his Israeli ‘commando’ skills with my American ‘pack- Temima. aging’ skills.” After visiting Bucharest for three weeks, the opportunity Shoshana (Cohen) ‘94 and Dov Glickman on the birth of their son, Maor Levi. “seemed to be worth trying.” Grandparents are Dr. Richard ‘73 and Edith Cohen. Today David is co-founder and president of Yochanon ’94 and Henni Stein on the birth of their son, Yehudah. Adama Holding Group, considered the most Rabbi Dani ’95 and Dr. Ayala Rockoff on the birth of their son, Shimon Yaakov. important residential developer in Romania. “Currently we are constructing and selling Dr. Shira (Langenauer) ’95 and David Galper ’93 on the birth of their son, Avi Noam.