Maimonides Community

BH. RC

Iyar, 5780 / April 24, 2020

‫ב“ה‬

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 7:30 Shabbat Ends: produced by Rabbi Mendel Rubin & students in the TNT (Torah ‘n Technology) Program 8:35 Maimonides is accredited by the NYS Board of Regents & is a beneficiary of UJF-NENY

HAPPYBIRTHDAY RABBI RUBIN This Shabbos, Rosh Chodesh Iyar is Rabbi Rubin’s Hebrew birthday. We all wish him good health and success as he works tirelessly for the school and our community. We can’t wait to celebrate milestones as a community in person, but for now give him a call or email!

MAZAL TOV LEVINS

maimonidesschool@gmail.com

MAIMONIDES 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208

MARVIN SCHICK, OBM

A former professor at Hunter College and the New School, Marvin Schick (a friend of our beloved Salo Steper) was a consultant and vocal advocate for Jewish education, especially small out-of-town schools like Maimonides. He was instrumental in helping our school receive a crucial $300,000 interest-free loan from AviMAZAL TOV ANDRUSIERS - VT Mazal Tov to MHDS alumna Faigy (Klein) and Chai Foundation which helped us towards financing our new wing (including the PreMenachem Andrusier of Manchester VT on School, Kindergarten, Office, High School, the birth of a baby girl. Wishing them and Blue Room, Teachers’ Room) $950,000 their families health, happiness & Nachas! construction expansion project. Anyone remember “Eggspansion” that Purim? Thanks MAZAL TOV STARKS to all our supporters and friends, the school Mazal Tov alumna Tsippi & Chanan on the birth of a daughter Shai Rose, 2nd day Pesach repaid that loan in full, timely quarterly payments for 10 years. Mr. Schick passed away in Israel. Mazal Tov to grandparents Morah this week in Brooklyn. Two more things about Devorah and Sid Stark. Rose is a nice Stark him: His father passed away when he and his name to keep in the family! twin were 4 years old and his mother opened the famous “Schick’s Bakery” in Boro Park to MAZAL TOV PHAFFS IN ISRAEL support their family. Mr. Schick was also the MHDS alumna Leah & Chaim Eherenreich founder of COLPA (the National Jewish on birth of a girl. Mazal Tov to the Phaff Commission on Law and Public Affairs) in grandparents! Much continued Nachas!

1965 and was a tireless advocate all his life.

Mazal Tov to MHDS alumnus Eli & Nechama Levin of Jerusalem on the birth of a daughter.

Wishing them and proud grandparents Ted & Susannah Levin much Nachas in good health!

This MC Newsletter is dedicated in loving memory of

Dr. Morton Berger Meir ben Yehudah Yartzeit: 28th of Nissan May his memory be a blessing!

This MC Newsletter is dedicated in honor of the birth of a granddaughter

Shai Rose

On the 2nd day of Pesach by her grandparents Sid & Debbie Stark COVID19 AND THE PARSHA

This week is a double-Parsha: Tazria-Metzorah.

Much of it discusses diagnoses and treatment of Tzaraat with some interesting parallels for our situation today: There’s a big concern about spread, it can be hard to tell and you MAZAL TOV MENDEL H. YUDA BECKER, OBM can’t judge on your own, you need an expert For his start to putting on Tefillin for the first Yuda was a generous man, great-uncle to the time as practice before his Bar-Mitzvah. Mazal Hechts of Rhinebeck in our school. He died of diagnosis, it takes a while to get a confirmed result, there is checking and rechecking, it Tov to his siblings at Maimonides for their the virus at age 67. He also has some ties to attacks in different kinds of ways, quarantine is soon-to-be Bar-Mitzvah brother. this area as he is the grandson of Doba and a key part of the solution, the necessary steps Isser Brickman, who lived here years ago. to rejoin society again, its not a good thing but RABBI MATIS BLUM, OBM may have some hidden silver linings, and as For decades the scholarly yet accessible “Torah RABBI DON YOEL LEVY, OBM much as we know about it - there is so much L’Daas” Parsha sheets by Rabbi Matis Blum Rabbi Levy was head of the OK Kosher agency we really don’t know! appeared weekly on the before passing away from Corona. Years ago, bima at Shomray Torah in the days of his Holiday Guide syndicated J-FED’S YOM HASHOAH ONLINE where they were studied and newspapers, Rabbi Rubin wrote articles about Some of our students and their families enjoyed. R’ Matis Blum of interesting OK supervisions and products. watched the Yom HaShoah Holocaust Queens was a friend of R’ Some school families have relatives who work remembrance program put together by the Moshe Losice back from Yeshiva Torah or have worked for the OK over the years.

Jewish Federation on Facebook. It featured VaDaas days. The Teitelmans later purchased some local Holocaust survivors who shared the set of colorful bound books for Shul. R’ RABBI YAAKOV SCHWEY, OBM their stories with our students in years past, Matis passed away of Coronavirus. May his A Rabbi of Crown Heights, he was Rabbi including Carl Rosner, Bertold Weinberg and Torah legacy continue here & elsewhere.

Rubin and Morah Rochel’s Shadchan!

Ruth Mendel, Ivan Vamos, among others.

NOW ONTO TRACTATE TAANIT Now that Rabbi Rubin and the 9th grade boys have concluded all of tractate Megillah and made a Siyum on it on Erev Pesach (over Zoom) they are now starting a new tractate, Taanit, also rich with Aggadah as Megillah was. They’re studying at 2pm everyday over a conference call and others are welcome to join. Contact Rabbi Rubin 518-423-4103 for more information.

THE 3 R’S For Earth Day Mrs. Hoffmans Kindergarteners did a worksheet for them to fill out in their own lettering a short list of things that could be recycled, reused or ways we can reduce waste to help protect the earth. They also did color-bynumber to discover an Earth Day message.

MHDS COMPOST BIN IS OPEN

ART USING A HOME OBJECT 3rd grade art with Morah Rivi each made their own 3D artwork centered around a ordinary item found in their home. The assignment was to take 3 household items and use them as a 3D part of a drawing. For example, a student made a clown using a piping tip from the kitchen as the pointy clown hat, or a papercup as a skirt, a ball as the back of a snail.

FDR & THE GREAT DEPRESSION

Families are welcome drop off veggie peels, coffee grinds and torn up newspaper. Please no onions, no citrus, no dairy or meat.

Nothing processed. It’s pretty full now (probably lots of Pesach peels) but its warming up now and the worms are just getting started.

TEFILAH W/ MORAH DEVORAH Morah Devorah sung all the morning prayers that little kids sing onto voice notes and some of the Kindergarteners pray and sing along with her every morning now. It’s familiar, and it helps them keep their davening stride.

TWINS BORN IN CHUMASH Twins were born this week in Morah Devorah Leah’s 3rd grade Chumash class! The twin boys names are Eisav and Yaakov. They were born one after the other, but they are not identical twins. The older one is redder and more hairy than his younger brother.

SOLUTIONS, SOLUTIONS Aren’t we all looking for solutions?

Maybe not this type of solution. HS Chemistry class with Ms. Brown is learning about the solubility of compounds, and how to make a solution of known concentration.

COORDINATE PROOFS

HS Geometry with Ms. Coffey is learning how to “prove” what MENU OF PROJECT OPTIONS shape a shape is using things like 4th grade Navi class now up to Yiftach learned midpoint, distance, and slope, all measured by nine of the Shoftim in the Book of Judges. their generalized coordinates. All this over Morah Chani gave them a creative review Google Classroom, by the way! menu of a dozen project options with which to review each of these nine Shoftim.

GETTING INTO YITRO 6/7th grade girls just began Yitro in Chumash class. They learn everyday over the phone with Morah Rochel, and while they cover a lot of Chumash and Rashi commentary, they also enjoying veering off into other tangents, which are also forms of learning and fun.

HS history class with Ms. Ramsay is now studying FDR’s response efforts known as “The New Deal” to restore the US economy and end the Great Depression of the 1930’s. It WRITE YOUR OWN LIFE STORY was also a start to many lasting government Ms. Tang’s 6/7 English class is now working programs including Social Security. on their own autobiographies! They are very young and look forward to long, healthy and SIGNS OF productive lives ahead, but this is just getting them used to the genre and working on their SPRING writing skills. It has to be a minimum of 1,000 Mrs. Hoffman words. What would you include? assigned her Kindergarten THE BIG GEMORAH REVIEW students to look around outside Rabbi Mendel’s boys Talmud class for signs that meets every school day via Google Spring is here.

Classroom/Meet now reviewing They each made a together all the Bava Kama Talmud segments little poster of the they studied this year both in original text and signs they found. worksheets. For now the worksheets are all Their next assignment was a paper checklist of PDFs & Google forms online but this coming Spring signs they could look for and find. week they’ll be sent to student homes for good Some found items by looking out their old hard copy review. It’s a good refresher, and window or sitting on their porch, others took as the Talmud says: study without review is a nature walk with their parents. like planting without harvesting!

JACOB BLESSES HIS SONS 5th grade Chumash with Morah Chani is now learning the famous blessings in Parsha Vayechi with which Jacob blessed his sons before his passing. They learned about the first 3 sons and learned a whole bunch of nice Maimonides Middos lessons (see the heart shaped symbol with crossed hands and two M’s - dedicated in memory of Rivka Losice) including: dangers of anger and impulsivity, the importance of follow-through on good intentions, concern about bad influences, and the increased problems when we team up to do the wrong things. They also did a guided art (see above) with Morah Chani (from a distance, it wasn’t that easy!) illustrating Ruvain’s rushing water imagery, one step at a time.

MASKS NOW REQUIRED In public spaces without social-distancing.

SIYUM ON CHAYEI SARA Did we mention? 3rd graders finished Chayei Sara and are now learning Toldot - online.

THE NAME OF THE PARSHA #518RAINBOWHUNT Have you noticed homemade rainbow art or designs in home windows? Look for them (in home windows and doors, or online) more are cropping up. It’s spreading as people are using it as a message of hope (similar to Hashem’s WORLD ON THREE THINGS promise after the flood). Can you think of a clever or cute colorful rainbow to display?

These students each made a “world stands on three things” from last week’s Avot Chapter 1 based on an assignment from Morah Raizel.

CARDS FOR SENIORS IN ART This coming week Morah Rivi’s art class (of course, currently all virtual/remote) will work YOUR SUPPORT IN MAY/JUNE on making beautiful cards to be shared/sent Our school also is supported by a mix of to seniors. But you don’t have to be in Morah things! We’re looking to hold an online Rivi’s class to participate in this Mitzvah! This fundraiser in place of the annual dinner that is a time when seniors can’t get visitors so it is would have been in June. Stay tuned for that extra special to get mail! Think of seniors you effort, as the support is needed. Our school may know, or mail to Daughters of Sara. building may be closed but bills still have to be paid, payroll is being paid timely every two weeks and our teachers are still teaching our PATRICIANS AND PLEBEIANS students online and remotely. This is a very This goes back quite a few years all the way hard time for everyone, and more uncertainty back to ancient Rome. 6th grade history is lie ahead, but it will take a communal team learning about the difference in the homes and lifestyles of the classes in that old society. effort to keep our school and community together and strong through all of this.

They also learned about Roman education and the focus on their studies back then.

RICE CRISPIES AND MILK

DOING PR WORK FOR ROME One history assignment has 6th graders working as “public relations and marketing consultants” for Rome, trying to create a buzz about events at the Coliseum. (Even though a lot of what went on there wasn’t so great).

VOLUME PROJECTS PRESENTED 6th graders shared videos of their real-world volume projects with their classmates online.

CONTINUED TEHILLIM Some local families have friends and family fighting for their lives in hospitals from this virus and others who are affected by it in many other ways. There aren’t six degrees of separation to those profoundly affected by it.

Many are saying extra Tehillim, adding in Tzedakah, and doing Mitzvot in their merit.

Among those we are praying for is Morah Rochel’s brother Avraham Abba ben Risha and Morah Dini’s father Avraham Aharon ben Yenteh. And also for the husband of the pianist who performed here for the Spa: Chaim Schneur Zalman Yehuda ben Hinda Yocheved. May they recover speedily along with all others struggling with this virus.

In honor of Rosh Chodesh, Rabbi Mendel’s Gemorah class had a special farbrengen. It was mostly about “Lechatchila Ariber” and how that slogan especially applies in our limited situations right now, but some of the discussion was about how rice-crispies and milk work together & how that combination and ratio represents the vibe of a farbrengen.

This actually ties right into the role of soft tissue adding flexibility to the rigid structure of the skeletal system that they are learning now in science class with Ms. Ramsay.

DAILY LOAF OF BREAD One student shared in his TNT reporting (and yes! we need your TNT reporting to make this newsletter, it is much harder to fill up without being in-person at school!) that his mother bakes a fresh loaf of bread each day for the kids to enjoy at lunch.

OMER COUNTING CHARTS Many of our families are still in the Omer count (and by the way, there’s value to keep up the count even if you no longer can count with a blessing). Some of our younger students made and colored a variety of Omer charts sent by teachers or found online.

Interesting tidbit: Back in the days of the Rishonim the 2nd Parsha this week was called “Zot Tihiyeh” or “Parshas Tahara” as they wouldn’t call Metzora Metzora as we do.

What’s to be learned from that fact that today we’re comfortable calling it Metzora even if it has negative connotation?

PARENTS MAKE IT WORK While we are impressed with our students independence and responsibility with our school’s remote learning it could not happen without parents support and involvement, especially at the younger grade levels. This can be extra challenging for parents working from home, and for homes with not enough devices or more tech issues but everyone is working to make it work well and be as flexible and understanding as possible.

PLOT POINTS ON GRAPH 5th grade math learned to precisely plot points on a graph, this week they did an 8-point star.

LAST UNIT OF ALEGBRA II This last unit is on probabilities and the various methods to determine that. Regents review was supposed to come next, we’ll see what happens (but no Regents tests this year).

PEARL HARBOR CHANGED… a lot of things, but also Americans willingness to go to war and send Japanese citizens to interment camps. They discussed how big events can sway and change public opinion.

PEARL HARBOR CHANGED… a lot of things

BETTER TOGETHER ESSAYS Attention our middle school students: These essays are due March 26th (or at latest before Pesach) and all who enter get a $20 gift card! You can write about your visits with seniors, bringing them Challah or soup, singing for them and with them, putting up Mezuzot on their doors or putting on Tefillin, hearing their stories and sharing yours. It can be lessons learned from seniors, it can be about aging or your own intergenerational experiences outside school etc. It has to be based on truth and not fiction, it can be within our school’s Better Together program or outside of it, but it can’t be about family members. Length is 2-4 pages, 2.0 line spacing, 1 inch margins, 12 point

at Maimonides and in the Community 4/45-25: ROSH CHODESH IYAR

ONLINE RESOURCES

Two days of Rosh Chodesh Iyar, the month that spells “Ani Hashem Rofecha” (I am Hashem Your Healer) may this be a month of great miraculous healing! Don’t forget to add Yaale v’Yavo in prayers & bentsching, Hallel & Musaf. And Rosh Chodesh Iyar is Rabbi Israel Rubin’s birthday.

Some of these are free all the time, some listed below usually have a paywall or subscription but are now free due as a courtesy. Obviously all links below should be with parental guidance and with respect for family values and style. They have not been individually vetted, the content may vary greatly within each.

4/25: MOTZAISHABBOS FARBRENG KidsChitas.org offers “Chitas For Kids” a free Contact Michoel Caras for the Zoom link for a Motzai Shabbat local farbrengen, especially in connection with Bais Iyar. See below.

4/26: BAIS IYAR This date is the birthday of Rebbe Shmuel, the Rebbe Maharash of Chabad, whose boldly positive, upbeat, uber can-do “Lchatchila Ariber” slogan was the subject of some of our classes this week.

4/26: SAM SHOR ISRAEL CLASS Rabbi Sam Shor (formerly of Albany) will present a class in partnership with World Mizrachi on “Yaakov’s Open Tent: Legacy of the Zionist Admor of Tel Aviv.” Sunday 10am at CBAJ Zoom Link.

4/28: CBAJ TEKES MAAVAR Rabbi Roy Feldman of CBAJ will lead a meaningful (online over Zoom) “transition ceremony” between Israel’s Memorial Day and Independence Day on Tuesday evening.

5/8: PESACH SHEINI The Second Pesach is the holiday of 2nd chances and we will be having a school-wide Zoom assembly that day, stay tuned for the Zoom link and code. It is customary to eat a little Matzah on this day.

5/12: LAG B’OMER (PARADE!) Lag B’Omer is the 33rd day of the Omer and a special day of celebration. While we can’t celebrate together in person this year, there are some plans to possibly arrange a fun decorated car parade which all can join from inside their own cars. Stay tuned for details on this.

5/29-30: SHAVUOT HOLIDAY Friday and Shabbat this year, after 49 days of the Omer Count. Whether we can or can’t gather in the synagogue, we are getting the Torah anew!

6/4: SCHOOL DINNER - TBA This would have been the date of the annual school dinner, but this year we’re looking to do an online fundraiser instead. Stay tuned, it may be on this date or possibly an earlier date as plans come together. This school needs your support!

email signup for a daily booklet download with coloring pages and nuggets of learning for kids.

PJ Library Live Storyhour - Wed 7pm, Fri 11: facebook.com/PJLibraryNortheasternNewYork/ DK.com see their Stay-Home-Hub of resources for kids and adults! Thanks Mrs. Mattice!

Google’s Art & Culture - virtual tours of many famous museums and buildings. Always free.

Scholastic Learn at Home - username: Learning20 Password: Clifford.

Zoos & Aquariums - many now offering free live cam views (all the time, some at specific times) Cincinnati Zoo, San Diego Zoo, Montery Bay and Georgia Aquariums, best is: Explore.org.

Mo Willems Lunch Doodles - learn to draw with this kids book author & illustrator weekdays 1pm via the Kennedy Center. Good for little ones, too.

Otzar HaChochma with its vast scholarly online library of Jewish texts now has free access - it’s usually expensive to use.

NYPL.org has 300K e-books and audio-books to download for free.

UnclePinchey.com offers (now free) Small Wonder Puppet Theater shows to watch.

TorahTots.com has music videos, some learning Yeshiva.net adult learning lectures now kids too. torahgames.org free games to help kids learn! torahlive.com/schools/ use code: TORAH to access free vieos, games, and more! jewishbedtimestories.com/stories Chabad.org always free mega resource: articles, texts, many levels of Torah, multimedia, how-to TorahPalace.com - a local resource, not only free but you can also win some prizes!

Kids.NationalGeographic.com has animal videos, brain boosters and all kinds of learning.

Seussville.com Seuss-ian activities and learning.

Bit.ly/freemakerstations has 3 weeks of makerstation activities using household everyday items.

KhanAcademy has lessons and tutorials for all ages: toddler through High School.

CBAJ on Facebook has Rabbi Feldman doing live classes and pre-Shabbat programs etc.

Vivify has STEM resources.

ABCYA is a popular primary education site.

NEW (TO US) RESOURCES Artscroll.com offers a free Parsha download if you don’t have a Chumash at home: https:// www.artscroll.com/vayikradownload.html and you can also download a tractate of Talmud or of Mishna at this link: http://kb.artscroll.com/ article/AA-20706/132/ Rusty on Torah Trope? This is funny and good! https://www.jta.org/2020/04/21/united-states/ meet-the-dad-bringing-jews-stuck-at-home-thesounds-of-torah-set-to-classic-childrens-books Pirkei Avot online! www.chabad.org/library/ article_cdo/aid/680274/jewish/Ethics-of-theFathers.htm has text, translation, insights, pages for kids and more. Or study it on sefaria.org/ Pirkei_Avot.1?lang=bi which has a lot of classic texts online. Also: mishna.alhatorah.org/Full/ Avot has links to a lot of classic commentary.

Do you have any new online resources to share?

Please share with us so we can share with others! Email: mhdsnews@gmail.com

BE COUNTED! Be sure to fill out the census form for you and your family! It is VERY important for all types of federal funding, districting and other matters that every local person be counted!

YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED While the Maimonides building and physical school is closed, school is still very on and working in a remote virtual way. Teachers and bills still have to be paid. While this is a difficult time for many, those who can contribute online or by mail are very much appreciated. You help ensure continuity in a time of crisis, luminous learning in a time of darkness, and assured confidence in a time of uncertainty. THANK YOU! tinyurl.com/maimonidespaypal https://www.maimonidesschool.org/donate We hope to do an online fundraiser instead of the dinner this year. Look for details soon, hopefully will be in May or early June.

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!”