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HERALD
Vol. 71 No. 31
lights, camera . . . and action!
Dunn takes on the world
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JUlY 27 - AUGUST 2, 2023
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Efforts soar to combat a very unlikely culprit or burning sage, and to reiterate that if people want to use balloons, they should dispose of Balloon Mission, a nonprofit them responsibly. “One of the things that we’re that was founded — and took off — last December, has made really pushing and raising waves in the immediate commu- awareness on is that balloon nity, and beyond. Its founder, releases are a problem out in the Cynthia Seibold, wants people to environment,” she said. “Part of realize that the simple act of the message that we’re trying to releasing a balloon get out is — listen, into the sky, or there are cool alterthrowing them in native to balloon the trash after releases.” they’ve been used at Since January, a party, can be detriBalloon Mission has mental to the envicollected 16,387 balronment and many loons. Eager partanimals. ners have included “They’re always the Bellmore-Mergoing to be a plasrick Central High tic,” Seibold said of School District, as CYNThiA SEiBolD b a l l o o n s. “ T h e y well as the North break down into founder, Merrick School Dismicro and nanoplas- Balloon Mission trict. Shore Road tics. The science is Elementary School there.” in Bellmore will be Full balloons — either foil or joining the efforts, and Seibold latex — as well as shreds of said they’re looking forward to them, and their strings, impact working with even more schools trees and plants, and of course, come September. wildlife, which may mistake balIt’s not just Nassau County loon pieces for food. communities that are hopping From the star t, Seibold on the trend of recycling balemphasized that she is not “anti- loons. Seibold said in April, Balballoon.” Rather, she wants to loon Mission worked with the make people aware of alterna- Town of Babylon at its Earth tives to balloons, such as bubbles
By JoRDAN VAlloNE
jvallone@liherald.com
Courtesy Ellen Algunick
At Congregation Beth Ohr, the Hebrew school underwent many changes in the last couple of years, thanks to Ellen Algunick, the director of congregational learning. Now students, like the ones above, can opt to take electives, such as cooking.
Checking out what’s new at Beth Ohr’s Hebrew school By JoRDAN VAlloNE jvallone@liherald.com
Over the past two years, the Hebrew school at Congregation Beth Ohr, in Bellmore, has undergone some extensive changes in both its curriculum and physical appearance. The lively conservative synagogue, which merged with Temple Israel of South Merrick in 2019, now serves around 60 students in its school, and offers a fun, unique and experiential approach to Jewish learning, thanks to the efforts of Ellen Algunick, Beth Ohr’s director of congregational learning and programming. Algunick arrived at Beth Ohr two years ago from the Boston area, where she built her career in education. After initially working in
a public school setting, she took some time off to raise her children. Everything after that, she said, was in a Jewish setting. Before moving to Long Island, she finished her time in Massachusetts as principal of a Jewish school. “It was rough being a school principal during the pandemic,” Algunick said. “Some factors in my life had changed, and I felt I didn’t need to be in Boston anymore. Two of my three kids were here in New York, so I started looking for jobs here — and I found this job, which sounded perfect for a semiretired school principal.” Algunick began her role in person in August 2021. “When I walked in, I saw a Hebrew school that looked like the Hebrew CONtiNuEd ON pAgE 2
W
e want to make it convenient and as easy as possible.
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