Maimonides Community

BH. Iyar

16, 5777 / May 12, 2017

‫ב“ה‬

Candle-Lighting: Community Newsletter of the Maimonides Hebrew Day School of the Capital District 7:50 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208 (518) 453-9363/3434 www.maimonidesschool.org Shabbos Ends: produced by Rabbi Mendel Rubin & students in the TNT (Torah ‘n Technology) Program 8:58 Maimonides is accredited by the NYS Board of Regents & is a beneficiary of UJF-NENY

maimonidesschool@gmail.com

DON DAVIDOFF CONDOLENCES

This week’s newsletter is dedicated in

Our condolences to the Davidoff family on the honor of the 70th birthday of passing of Mr. Donald Davidoff, who served for a decade as Executive Director at Temple Beth Emeth (after a law career with NY State) His grandson’s national winner during the time when essay was about him!

Maimonides was located at Beth Emeth. The unique and remarkable relationship that an Orthodox Day School had with a Reform Temple is in no small part due OUR ALBANY PRINCESSES MEET ALBANIAN PRINCE & PRINCESS! to Don’s exceptional mentschlechkayt, good sportsmanship, humor and personal integrity. This Tuesday Crown Prince Leka II of Albania (This photo of Don is from a MHDS Dinner (head of the House of Zogu) and his newlywed in 1990’s held in Beth Emeth’s Wolk Hall). wife Princess Elia Zaharia were at the NYS Capitol to share the story of Albanian Jews during the Holocaust and how remarkably, MAZAL TOV SANDHAUS thanks to local heroism and refusal to comply Another Simon grandson in one week, BH! with the Nazis there were more Jews in Mazal Tov to MHDS alumna Chani (Simon) Albania after WWII than before it! This is and Moishe Sandhaus on the birth of a baby attributed to “Besa” a high code of honor and boy. Only Simchas, much Nachas! ethics. Albania was the only country in Europe with a Muslim majority and did incredible things to save its Jews. While the history was ANNUAL MAIMONIDES DINNER very interesting, our students were most Save the date: Tuesday June 6th! It’s the week excited to see an actual prince and princess! after Shavuot, one week after Memorial Day. Journal deadline is Friday before Memorial LATE SCHOOL START ON MON Day Weekend. This year’s honorees are Rabbi Mendel and Raizy Rubin for twenty years of PARENTS PLEASE NOTE: Lag B’Omer is a busy, fun and tiring dedication. The dinner will also celebrate the day, some may have Science Lab S.T.E.A.M. Center campaign and late night bonfires the dedication of S.T.S. Salo’s Talmud Studies at Maimonides. Look for the invite in the mail ANNUAL HEBREW BREAKFAST and some of our or you can use this online page for info/ads: Morah Devorah’s first graders enjoyed their families will be long-anticipated Hebrew breakfast, over traveling back from the Great Parade in NYC www.maimonidesschool.org/dinner. Journal placemats they made and using Hebrew words so we’re having a late 9:30am start on Monday, ads are due by 5/26, the Friday before Memorial Day weekend and Shavuos holiday. they learned. It’s a special tradition! please daven at home before you come to school, so we can get to learning right away!

Reb Avraham Plotkin of Los Angeles

LAG B’OMER LEARNING Many classes learned about Lag B’Omer this week, some classes did projects, too, like this stickfigure people dancing in unity around a fiery bonfire from Kindergarten.

MAIMONIDES 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208

TWO BIRDS AT THE FEEDER One of Ms. Ford’s students brought home this schoolmade bird feeder for Earth Day but was disappointed that no birds came for lunch. Then a day or two later her mother took this picture thru a window screen of two birds at the feeder, they certainly are enjoying it!

7/8 SHABBATON IN BURLINGTON VT

7/8 graders enjoyed a great Shabbaton in Burlington VT chaperoned by Mrs. Levin. On their way up there they stopped NEST AT CLASS WINDOW off to see a British Fort (see On Monday (after the weekend) students came above) from the Revolutionary back to discover a fully-built birds nest on the War on the NY side of the VT brick sill just outside their classroom window, border. They walked across the with birds flying to it! Since that Monday they bridge to Vermont in the rain. haven’t been back much, but maybe they are Highlights of Shabbos include a busy during the day? minute-to-win-it game, Pirkei Avos learning, delicious meals and more at Burlington Chabad which hosted them. Shabbos RATS OF NIMH ESSAY afternoon they walked down to beautiful Lake Champlain. On Sunday they enjoyed a trip to Now that 5/6 finished reading the Shelbourne Museum (a collection of many historic buildings moved to a wealthy person’s “Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of property where they are maintained and open to the public). They saw a lighthouse, boarded NIMH” Mrs. Crawford gave an old ship, saw a blacksmith and toured art galleries. They saw an old-fashioned printing them several essay options. They press, a vintage carousel, varied sculptures and old stone buildings—even a jail cell! can write an essay on a literary device in the story such as THIRD GRADE’S LENTIL SOUP personification or characterization, or they can In honor of finishing the Chumash chapter of do a creative writing piece to make their own Toldot about Yaakov’s lentil soup (that Eisav alternate story ending or sequel. bought for a steep price) 3rd graders enjoyed yummy bowls of lentil soup on Thursday.

THE SHORT AND LONG OF BO

5/6 just finished one of the shortest Chumash chapters (Bo 11) which has only 10 pesukim and are beginning one of the longest (Bo 12) with 51 Pesukim and a great many Rashis.

TWO BASKETBALL GAMES

VISIT TO FORT CRAILO Mrs. Maher’s 4th graders went on a Social Studies field trip to Fort Crailo, a historic PESACH II ON PESACH II fortified manor house (that belonged to the Speaking of Chumash, 7/8 Chumash class wealthy Van Rensselaer family for whom the with Morah Leyee “happened” to learn the city and county are named) that’s between portion of Pesach-Sheini (in Behalosecha) on other normal houses right on a regular city the day of Pesach Sheini. Her students feel street (Riverside Ave) in Rensselaer NY. But that she planned it and worked towards once you go inside it’s walking right into getting there on that day, but either way it was history! Some of the most interesting things pretty amazing how to worked out. students shared in their reporting was seeing a beaver hat, clay marbles, an old-fashioned MATZAH AND SHMEARS waffle-iron to be used over a fire (still in use, For Pesach Sheini Wed Lunch there was a lot but we couldn’t use it because of Kosher), and of Matzah and some cream cheese, butter and slots in the walls for guns to shoot outward. jelly for the customary taste of Matzah one They got to smell “Besamim” like cinnamon month after the original Pesach. Rebbe Yosef and black licorice. Historians matched an old Yitzchak of Lubavitch said this holiday teaches painting of a court case to documents about us: it’s #nevertoolate! Always a second chance.. it—was neat to see the matchup.

Wednesday was a gorgeous day, so boys in grades 3+ went down to the basketball courts on Woodlawn Ave to play. They divided into two courts, 3/4 played on one court and 5th & up played on the other. It took some getting used to since it’s been a while but they were both good games.

CARRY-ON VS. CHECKED BAGS 7/8 grade boys Gemorah was learning Bava Metziah 42a about keeping (entrusted) money “athand” and not out-of-sight, and that reminded Rabbi Mendel about the difference between checked (in airplane cargo) and carry-on (aboard the plane) luggage.

METAL DETECTORS Also in that same Gemorah, they learned about early low-tech versions of metal detectors used by thieves to find buried coins.

THE BEAK OF THE FINCHES HS students did a biology lab titled “The Beak of Finches” using different types of tweezers, tongs, pliers and clothing pins to pick up lentil & lima beans. The goal was to see which type of beak would be most successful to see what beak-type would be the survival of the fittest.

“NOT BY BREAD ALONE” Many have heard that phrase but HS learned it this week in Chumash class & discussed its meaning & life relevance. They also learned the verse “eat, be satiated and bless” the source of bentsching/grace after meals.

NOW STUDYING TRIP TO THE COURTHOUSE 5/6 grade had a very special Siyum trip to see PIRKEI AVOT Like communities all over, Kindergarteners are studying Ethics of Our Fathers in this period between Pesach and Shavuot. Pictured here is their booklet of their illustrated Mishnas and life messages.

the Federal Court in downtown Albany. They met with Hon. Lawrence Kahn, the Marshalls, and had a very interested tour. No pictures of the court but we look forward to their report in next week’s MC Newsletter.

WHO IS PLAYING ON JUNE 7TH?

Our year-end Better-Together event will be at the Royce on the Park (formerly Bnai Brith) 23pm on Wednesday afternoon, celebrating Yom Yerushalayim. Two acclaimed musicians will play: Jonathan Greene is an active jazz, world and classical multi-instrumentalist. He’s played in Albany and Glens Falls symphonies.

LOVE THE CONVERT His clarinet video is the 10th most watched HS girls learned this verse in Chumash at the clarinet video on YouTube with over 1 million same time as they are learning the views. Sergei Nirenburg is a veteran accordion story of Ruth (the covert) in Megillah LAG B’OMER BRAINSTORM player and folk-style vocalist. As a youth, he class as preparation for Shavuot.

Morah Rivi’s 4th grade Ivrit class did an spent ten years studying the accordion, which amazing brainstorming session of Lag B’Omer allowed him later to make a nice living playing REGARDS FROM DAYTON BRIS words and terms: Har Meron is the mountain it during his college years in Kharkov, USSR. Menachem S.’s baby brother (and MHDS in the north where Rashb”i or Rabbi Shimon Bar Sergei started pumping the bellows again alumna Rabbi Levi and Rochel Simon’s son) Yochai is buried and thousands of Israelis was named Yisrael Arye Leib, after the Rebbe’s travel to on Lag B’Omer to celebrate b’Simcha about fifteen years ago and has played both solo and in ensembles in Baltimore, DC, brother for his yartzeit. Mazal Tov! ub’Musika. Many collect Ayztim LaMedurah Philadelphia and the Capital Region. Recently (wood for a bonfire), and there are Tahaluchot he released a CD by the Russian songwriter NAZIR RABBI OF JERUSALEM (parades) all throughout Israeli’s towns and Mikhail Ancharov on the Chesapeake Rabbi Kelman shared with the HS girls the cities. Keshet (bows) and Cheitz (arrows) and of Records. Community is welcome. RSVP: story of Rabbi David Cohen, the unusual course, Rabbi Akiva and Ahavat Yisrael. maimonidesschool@gmail.com 495-0772 (especially nowadays) long-haired Nazir Rabbi of Jerusalem and his son the colorful Rabbi PRACTICE! Shaar Yashuv who fought in Israel’s War of Speaking of Independence, was a POW in Jordan for 7 musicians, the old months, later Chief Rabbi of Israel Air Force joke about asking for and a vegetarian who served as Chief Rabbi of directions: “What’s Haifa from 1975-2011. the best way to get to Carnegie Hall?” The IF YOU HAD TO PICK 3 LETTERS answer: “Practice, If you had to pick only 3 letters for children to Practice, Practice!” display from the Hebrew alphabet, which The same goes for would they be, and why? The boys davening reading fluency: The best way to get better at it class & 5/6 grade learned a lesson about this is to keep on practicing! Read, Read, Read! from a Lag B’Omer Parade in early 1980’s.

BREAKING NEWS!! SECOND PLACE WINNER

A CLAY HAND PROJECT Stay tuned for what Nursery students are doing with these painted clay hands.

We just got the big news that Eli G. won 2nd place in the national Better 2 Write essay contest!

Amazing to have yet TULIPS AT WASHINGTON PARK another Several classes went to see the pretty tulips in Maimonides national winner! We are so Washington Park. They are really beautiful but proud! Rabbi Yossi is pictured here with Eli only last a short time. (Top) Kindergarteners who is displaying his medal and is also the went with Morah Dini (Above) 5/6 graders on winner of a scholarship award. the way back to school from the courthouse.

at Maimonides and in the Community 5/13: WOMENS SHABBOS SHIUR

5/29-6/2: MEMORIAL DAY WKND &

Keeping up the long-standing local tradition!

SHAVUOT SCHOOL SCHEDULE 4:45pm on Shabbos afternoon, this week given by 5/29: Memorial Day Monday—No School Mrs. Debbie Stark at the home of Mrs. Leah Siegel, 5/30: Erev Shavuot (Tuesday) No School 24A Weis Rd. 5/31-6/1: Shavuot Holiday—No School 6/2: Friday, Isru Chag—No School (note change!)

5/14: LAG B’OMER BRUNCH BBQ 6/5: School resumes on Monday, 8am.

11am-1pm at Clifton Park Chabad, 495 Moe Rd. Live music, bounce house, BBQ and firepit. Call 6/4: C.P. JWC GALA & AUCTION 495-0772/9 for more info.

Clifton Park Jewish Womens Circle’s 9th annual Gala & Auction features Tamar Helfen guitarist 5/14: LAG B’OMER AT HUCK FINNS &percussionist. RSVP $18 before 5/25, $25 after.

The Lag B’Omer JEWNITY communal fun day 495-0779/JWC@cliftonparkchabad.com Program back again this year at Huck Finn’s Playland! 1:30- includes buffet, silent auction, drum circle, etc.

4:30pm, reduced rate of $8 per child all-you-canride (an amazing deal!) by prior RSVP to: 6/4: ISRAEL PARADE NYC www.CapitalChabad.com/Jewnity or call 518-439- Federation buses leave 7:30am for $25pp (includes 3310. There will be a children’s rally and Kosher round-trip + tshirt!) Parade in NYC is 57th to 74th snacks. This event is co-sponsored by Capital St. on Fifth Ave. Buses return 8pm. Participants Chabad, the Jewish Federation, PJ Library (hosting must be able to walk entire parade route, adult a StoryStroll) Maimonides, and Hebrew Academy. must accompany children. RSVP by 5/17: 7837800 mgalinkin@jewishfedny.org or 5/14: LAG B’OMER PARADE IN NYC jewishfedny.org/events/israelparade2017.

There’s a nice group from Albany going to Great Parade in NY (last year on Sunday for a very long 6/6: MAIMONIDES DINNER time). Sign up online www.TheGreatParade.com go This year’s Dr. Berger Memorial Award will be to “Grab a Seat” click on Maimonides to sit with presented to Rabbi Mendel and Raizy Rubin for 20 the Albany group. It may be too late to sign up to years of dedication to Maimonides and Shabbos sit with the group at this point. $6pp include tshirt, House. Recognition will be made of this year’s concert etc. Contact Morah Dini for more info.

Better Together III, a celebration of the Science Lab/STEAM Center campaign and a memorial 5/14: THE TULIP FESTIVAL dedication at school for Salo Steper, obm. See Annual major festival on Mothers Day Weekend invitation in the mail or use this page online: (Saturday and) Sunday in Washington Park. www.maimonidesschool.org/dinner Thanks!

5/14: AND ITS MOTHERS DAY, TOO 6/7: JERUSALEM CELEBRATION Mothers Day & Lag B’Omer are same day this year. “Better Together” is hosting a communal program (all welcome!) at The Royce on the Park (formerly Bnai Brith Apts) culminating another year of Better 5/15: LATE SCHOOL START -Together visits and a celebration of Jerusalem (in Lag B’Omer is a busy fun day and some of our honor of Jerusalem Day) with live Klezmer music. families will be traveling back from the Great Program will be 2-3pm on Wednesday afternoon.

Parade in Brooklyn, so we’re having a late school Call Rabbi Yossi for more info: 495-0772. start 9:30am, please daven at home before school.

5/15: CBAJ UN-DINNER DEADLINE Deadline for participating in CBAJ’s annual undinner fundraiser is today. Cbaj.org/undinner

5/25: ALEF-BAIS PARTY Kindergarten is celebrating! Thursday, May 25th.

5/26: MHDS JOURNAL DEADLINE Those who wish to place an ad in the Maimonides Yearbook/Tribute Journal can do so until Friday May 26th by emailing maimonidesschool@gmail or by visiting: maimonidesschool.org/dinner

6/11: FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE WALK 10am-12pm in Tawasentha Park, Guilderland.

More info: tinyurl.com/Walk4Friends

THINKING SUMMER? Think Gan Israel Day Camp! Contact Morah Devorah Leah 698-1836 for info…

Program is based at the school, staffed by great team of very fine nurturing counselors, with a whole schedule of activities, crafts and trips.

MAIMONIDES SCHOOL & COMMUNITY (Nursery / Elementary / High School) 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208 (518) 453-9363/3434 maimonidesschool@gmail.com Founded in 1980, Maimonides is chartered by the NYS Board of Regents and is a JF-NENY Beneficiary “A Beautiful Blend: Torah & Worldly Experience!”