BH
Cheshvan 14, 5773 / October 18, 2013
INSIDE THIS “MC” SUPPLEMENT: Page 1-2: APPS Trip to the Miller House Hoosick Falls Historical Society Museum Page 3: APPS Trip to Hemmings Vintage Auto Museum in Bennington & the Bennington Monument Page 4: Students’ creative APPS Projects about “Tishrei (Jewish New Year) Holiday Foods”
WHAT’S “APPS”? Apps is short for applications, best known for the programs that run on smartphones. At Maimonides, APPS is a extracurricular project led by Rabbi Mendel (this year for grades 4-8) with a different theme each month or two, for students to create a project about (poster, game, video, 3-D object, book etc) using their own research, creativity and talent. At the end of each set, the projects are presented and displayed for the rest of the school, and then the students enjoy an “APPS TRIP” educational outing or activity.
Small World! The night before this trip, Emunnah’s grandmother called. She knows that house in Hoosick Falls, the Millers were her Bubbe’s first cousins, she came with them to America from Europe! Emmunah’s Bubbe is Rochelle, the daughter of Mr. Joe Saidel (of blessed memory) & his wife Florence (may she be well), who many in Albany remember fondly! Emmunah & some For this APPS Trip we drove East, to Hoosick Falls NY & Bennington VT. Pictured here on the lawn of the Miller friends are pictured here in House, which became the “Louis Miller Museum of the Hoosick Falls Historical Society”. The boys in front are the Miller’s old Kitchen! The holding up a sign that has on it pictures of 3 segments of a communal record of the Jewish community in kitchen actually quite modern Hoosick Falls, dating back to the last decade of the 19th century, in the heyday of Hoosick Falls, when it was a for the time, all-steel cabinets, successful, thriving & prosperous town. Thanks to JewishData.com - see more about these records on page 2. with glass sliding doors.
There was a large display of uniforms and weapons from a variety of wars that Hoosick Falls citizens fought in, dating back to the Civil War. Two things that really caught our students’ eyes (Below Left) a “Pickle” Bomb that was filled with sand & used for training purposes. (Below Right) Nazi helmet brought back by a Hoosick Falls veteran. Rabbi Laber said, “Imagine what the mere sight of that Nazi helmet meant to Jewish people in WWII!”
Our tour guide Mr Filkins showed us this parlor room, which was the best-kept room of the house. It was usually a place to entertain guests or relax in the evenings, and back then children were usually not allowed in a parlor room.
Mr. Phil Leonard (one of the last remaining Jews in Hoosick Falls) stopped by during our visit. He is a former superintendant both the Hoosick Falls and Bennington School districts, and even in his late 80’s continues to take an active role in the community. He was our tour-guide’s HS principal! Mr. Leonard was very impressed with our students behavior and lively interest. The only Jewish artifact we found was this prominently displayed Menorah (<) a gift of Dora Miller, who lived in this house with her parents and siblings, who owned the Millers Supermarket in town.
The girls are pictured here on the staircase on their way upstairs to the exhibit rooms, which used to be bedrooms back when the Millers lived in the house. The house was originally built approximately 130 years ago, but the Millers first came to town in 1908.