The Filtered ESTER • Don’t miss tomorrow night’s program at the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy at 8:30 entitled: Understanding Teenagers’ Angst: Red Flags at a young age: Where to turn for help? Kids at risk are everyone’s concern. See attached flyer for details. Our Annual Book Fair, under the direction of Lisa Solomson, opens this Monday, December 15 and runs through Thursday, December 25. ¾ Tuesday, December 16 • 2:00 Dismissal. • No P.M. Day Care. • Evening Conferences – Sign-up sheets have been in the lobby all week. Wednesday, December 17 • 10:00 Opening. • A.M. Day Care starts at 9:30. • 2nd-6th Daven at home. 9 Needed for Chanukah Carnival -Empty Large Appliance Boxes (e.g. washer, dryer, dishwasher, fridge, etc.) o The following items are desperately needed by Mrs. Shinensky for our Art Program: Long Spaghetti boxes – asap! Graham cracker boxes Large tissue boxes Cereal boxes, any size Newspaper Powder baby formula cans – large size • BE’H, report cards for all grades will be sent home to you on Monday. BE’H, they will reach their destinations. Erev Shabbos Parashas VaYishlach $”2" December 12, 2008 Licht Bentchen: 4:28 T orah School of Greater Washington Volume XV, Issue 15 E.S.T.E.R. E.S.T.E.R. E rev Shabbos “Torah” Events Report Dear Parents, year’s dinner so beautiful. 9 Our Journal Committee, coordinated by After all the mega-time, mega-work, Rabbi Lutch, with the careful overview of mega-harassing, mega-organizing, and “just Jodi Mailman, Marlene Teichman, and plain” super efforts on the part of super Anne Cohen. special people, we’ve “made it” through our 9 Our supporting and supportive cast annual Dinner. Thank G-d, our "gala affair" without whom the impossible would have was beautiful and truly a Kavod to our actually been impossible. (By the way, for honorees. Although, as is the case with anyone who is not yet a proud owner of everything in life, it was over before we knew this marvelous ad book, we have a copy for it, the fond memories of the occasion will you in our office. As in the past, it includes remain transfixed in our minds. A panorama a directory of all Torah School families - retrospective of all that transpired will reveal listed alphabetically in English.) that: 9 Rabbi Chaim Biberfeld and our youngsters y We had an SRO crowd to “celebrate” our for serenading. school and to honor Dr. Howard Sabrin and 9 Alan Sussman, Gary Goodman, Dan Morah Donna Mack. Kerchner, Hirsh Komarow, and their y There was an almost tangible warm Ashira Orchestra for the musical outpouring of positive feelings engendered by interludes. the group. 9 Mrs. Chaya Shinensky and our K-6 artists y People actually were happy to attend a for their very detailed and beautiful Sunday evening banquet because of the creations. Chaya spent mega-hours inside, populace's dedication to the Torah School and outside, during, before, and after school to the limited # of and time spent on speeches. plan and get together all of the kids’ y We have an "eye-catching" journal to creations. One of their combined works of commemorate the occasion. art (A.K.A. mural) is now on display in one y We were treated to an entertaining choir of the “cubbies” in the wall leading to the performance. cafeteria thanks to Shim Kurtz and y We listened to great dinner music. Pembo. Also, special words of gratitude • Our tables and the halls were enhanced by go to a group of 6Bers. Last Friday, they the creative and original centerpieces and voluntarily gave up recess time to help murals designed by all our students. Attached Mrs. Shinensky carry the projects to her this week is Mrs. Chaya Shinensky’s van. description of all that was displayed. 9 Our very special, superlative, superific, sanity-maintaining office staff of Marlene Teichman, Jodi Mailman, and Anne Cohen for all their background, front We owe heartfelt Hakaras HaTov to: ground, middle ground, and “no-man’s- 9 Rabbi Hershel Lutch, for being MC and for land” efforts and contributions. dedicating his “life” to all the pre-during- 9 Morah Rochel for her invaluable and-after banquet work which made this assistance on Sunday. 9 Morah Rochel, Aviva Rosen, Atara Rosen, This week, get ready quickly in the Ashira Rosen, Ayelet Rosen, Adena Miller, morning so you do not cause your parents or Shoshana Kott, Gila Harris, Sara Alya car pool or bus driver to wait for you. Arzouan, and Meira Yaffa Arzouan for helping Mrs. Shinensky on Mo’tza’ei Shabbos at her house or Sunday at Beth Sholom. 9 Yehuda Shinensky for assisting his wife and Rabbi Biberfeld. Calendarial Anticipations 9 Yehuda Shinensky for teaching Rabbi Sunday, December 14 Biberfeld how to “constructively” wind up th th a microphone wire. • 5 /6 Shiurim. 9 Cory Myers for snapping the pics. Tuesday, December 16 9 All of you for your support and allowing us • 2:00 Dismissal. to work with you in educating our • No P.M. Day Care. children. • Evening Conferences. 9 Dr Howard Sabrin and Morah Donna Wednesday, December 17 Mack for allowing themselves to be • 10:00 Opening. subjected to the ordeal of being our • 2nd-6th Daven at home. honorees. They agreed to it only because • Pizza. Todah for this week to lots of staff of their dedication to our kids and to our members. school. • 6B/G to National Building Museum in ....And, for a Final Word Washington in the P.M. Wednesday and Thursday, December For all the Hatzlacha with which we've 17 and 18 been blessed and, particularly, for the success • Full post-3:30 schedule. of our dinner, we first and foremost thank the Sunday, December 21 Ribbono Shel Olam and pray that He will continue to find us deserving of being the • First Night of Chanukah. beneficiaries of His Chasadim. No End to Week of Chanukah Hassling Monday, December 22 Now that our Dinner is over, we have Boys’ Choir sings at Walter Reed at 11:30. our next “nudging” item – the 6th Annual Military bus will pick us up at 10:00. Any Chinese Auction on Sunday, February 8, parents who want to hop on the bus should 2009. Your help and presence (and presents) please let us know. are more critical than ever to the school. Tuesday, December 23 Please mark the date on your calendar – today! 9:15 – Special Chanukah Program for Women/Girls Zerizus in the Forefront * Grades 1G-6G will sing one song Our Middah “du jour” (or du month) each- in ascending class order. continues to be Zerizus, acting with alacrity. * Second Grade girls should bring (next The special focus this week has been – week) aprons or dishtowels and one or two It is important to act with Zerizus safe kitchen utensils to wear and use during when other people and their schedules are their presentation. involved. Making other people wait for you * Girls’ choir will sing 2 melodies. can be a great inconvenience to them. * Surprise Command Performance. * Interactive sing-a-long. Wednesday, December 24 achieved, with lots more to come. Please, please, please help pace your kids or call us to P.M. Chanukah Carnival. assist you. Thursday, December 25 Attached Today 3G Poetry Recital in room to the left of Chosen Words. the Cafeteria at 10:30. Ooroo LaTefillah. List of what’s available at the Book Friday, December 26 and Sunday, Fair. December 28 Flyer about tomorrow night’s program at the MJBHA. Chanukah Break. Auction flyer. Classroom Close-ups by Mrs. Chaya Monday, December 29 Shinensky. • Rosh Chodesh Teves NOAM (Night Out at Max’s). Parshathon News Today, Grades 3-6 began studying We wish a Refuah Shelaimah to: Parshathon Parasha info – on Vayishlach, 9 Ron Mizrahi’s father. of course. Pleases encourage your children to 9 Deena Perelmuter’s mother. get involved in this fantastic Mitzvah opportunity. We extend condolences to Rabbi Samberg upon the passing of his aunt, Z’L. May the entire family be comforted among the mourners of Tziyon and Yerushalayim. Interesting Fact The full moon Friday night will be the We extend a heartfelt Mazel Tov to: biggest one of the year, as Earth’s natural The entire Orlofsky family upon the satellite (i.e. the moon) reaches its closest engagement of their sister/sister-in- point to our planet. law/aunt/daughter, Chavi. Dr. Judah and Mrs. Maya Beck, upon the marriage of Maya’s sister. 5G, upon their completion of Parashas Shemos. May they continue to be blessed with Simachos. We express HaKaras HaTov to: Good Shabbos! • Simmy Pollock for covering the front desk on Sunday. Sincerely, • Mrs. Karp’s 6B and the Boys’ Choir for sacrificing class time to help Mrs. Solomson. Chemdas Fever is at a High Pitch Chemdas is back in full force!! Rabbi Yitzchak Charner Thousands of points have already been Headmaster s"xc v¨kh ¦p§T©k UrUg Volume II December 12, 2008 Issue 9 Understanding Teenagers’ Angst; Red Flags at a Young Age; Where to Turn for Help? ON DECEMBER 13, 2008, PLEASE J O IN US IN A NIGHT O F E D UCATI O N AN D AWARENESS -BUIL D ING AB O UT CHIL D REN AT RISK . Watch The End of the Road, a candid play designed for religious audiences that traces the path of a teenager as he spins out of control. Hear a talk by Rabbi Eitan Eckstein, founder and director of the Retorno program in Givat Shemesh, Israel, and learn: • How to spot a child headed for trouble, at any age; • How to begin to understand the maelstrom of thoughts and feelings that spin the child out of control; • How to find a program to help a child at risk.