BH
Iyar 23, 5773 / April 3, 2013
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 7:39
produced by Rabbi Mendel & students in the TNT (Torah ‘n Technology) Program Maimonides is accredited by the NYS Board of Regents & is a beneficiary of UJF-NENY
maimonidesschool@gmail.com
Shabbos Ends:
8:45
This newsletter is sponsored in honor of
Rabbi Moshe Chanowitz’s 60th Birthday The Chanowitz’s lived in Albany in the 1980’s (taught at MHDS and ran Shabbos House among other activities).
KNEZNEK MISHNA STUDY Rabbi Rubin studied with a few classes the GETTING A LEG UP Our students spied this unusual vehicle parked same 3 Mishna texts (from Challah & Peah) that were shared at the Maimonides Dinner across the Capitol on a trip downtown this (and printed in this year’s Journal on page 12) week. It’s L.L.Bean’s “Bootmobile” truck that speak of giving and the Mishna initials celebrating the company’s 100 years since its spell Eve’s Hebrew name Chava. Rabbi Rubin founding in 2012. The boot equates to a size “747” – perfect for a 143-foot-tall man! What’s added an educational twist to each Mishna: the Jewish connection? Shavuos (getting closer “Combining Resources,” “Educational every day!) is one of the “Shalosh Regalim” (3 Diversity,” & “Down-To-Earth Accessibility.” legs) when Jews were “Oleh Regel” (Hebrew for pilgrimage, or literally, “a leg up!”) to Jerusalem A CENTURY OF DIFFERENCE and the Holy Temple for the major holidays… 6th graders made a t-chart comparing and Calev also connected the big boot to a story he contrasting children’s recreation & relaxation heard this week from Morah Devorah Leah methods and activities in the early 1900’s and how Mr. Leibel Zisman hid his Tefillin in his now, one century later. Some fun, games, toys boots during the Holocaust. & activities remain the same, but many things have changed. It’s interesting to think about.
Mazal Tov on this Milestone! MAZAL TOV TO THE SCHORRS Mazal Tov to R’ Yaakov and Naami Schorr on the birth of a newborn baby girl.
CONGRATS MRS. D. BALLARD! The Albany City Council PTA honored Mrs. Deloria Ballard-Hubbell at the “Founders Day 2013” event as part of a group recognized for being outstanding volunteers and advocates for children. Mrs. Ballard has been a teacher at Maimonides in the past, and now serves as our science/math/writing-workshop enrichment teacher for primary and middle school grades.
WHY IGNORANT DANCE ON S.T. “Why should ignorant Jews dance on Simchas Torah, if they haven’t studied it?” This question appears in Artscroll’s Hakafot book. VIDEO ON SURVIVING D-DAY High School learned 2 interesting Hashkafa 7/8 watched a HistoryFeed video about WWII perspectives in answering this question or vets describing how they survived D-Day. They turning the question on its head, and the liked Hal Baumgarten’s story because it seems pros/cons and beyond Simchat-Torah that keeping Kosher (only a chocolate bar, and ramifications of each perspective. no breakfast sausage) helped him survive! He later became a physician in Jacksonville FL. MAIMONIDES
EARTH DAY IN THE TALMUD At lunchtime on Earth-Day last week, Rabbi Rubin shared a Talmud story (Bava Kama 50b) about “throwing stones from a field that isn’t yours, to a road that is!” in connection with the kids cleaning up the school grounds, caring for property that isn’t theirs, yet it is! Our students remember an old edition of “Mendy and the Golem” comic-strip on this Talmud story and if they find that issue we can put a selection in an upcoming “MC” newsletter.
404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208
PLAYING “O’ DEER” OUTSIDE Mrs. Ballard’s students took turns playing this game, trying to draw “the deer” (fellow students) to their side with incentives like food, shelter & water, using hand-signals.