August 21, 2015 6 Elul, 5775

Parashat Shoftim

Candle Lighting 7:48 p.m.

WELCOME BACK AKIBA

We're so excited to have our students back on campus!! 

B'NOT SHERUT

Help us welcome our B'Not Sherut, Tal and Nerya! We are so thrilled to have them with us this year!

WE'RE LIVE!!
Our new website is live!! Check it out at akibaacademy.org!!
 
BOARD TALK

We are thrilled to welcome an entirely new Executive Committee to our Board of Trustees. Get to know them here!

Board Talk is a periodic column in Kol Akiba that features news about key strategic, financial, fundraising and other issues that the board is working to address. The Board welcomes your questions and comments. Board President Rachel Berke can be reached at r[email protected] with any board-related questions, comments, or issues.  


RACHEL BERKE, PRESIDENT
Rachel is the mother of three Akiba students; Ari (8th), Esra (6th), and Mia (2nd). Rachel has served on the Board of Trustees and Executive Board of Akiba Academy (2001-2007, 2014-present) and two Head of School search committees. Previously, Rachel was an attorney at the New York and Dallas offices of Fulbright & Jaworski LLP (now Norton Rose Fulbright) and in-house counsel for both Blockbuster Inc. and TXU Energy. She and her husband Matthew have been active members of Congregation Shaare Tefilla since they moved to Dallas in 1998. 



J OSHUA HOCHSCHULER, EVP
Joshua is the founder of the Talenti gelato company, which began as a Dallas storefront stemming from his culinary experience in Buenos Aires, and now focuses exclusively on distribution to grocers. A committed congregant & Trustee of Chabad of Dallas, Josh has served on the Akiba Board of Trustees since 2011. He and his wife, Lindsay, have 4 children; Jonah (2nd), Caleb (1st), Liam (Chaverim) and future Akiba student, Hannah. 

HELENE SCHUSSLER, VP FINANCE & TREASURER 
Helene has been a parent at Akiba since 2003. She has three children at Akiba; Paul (8th), Benjamin (6th) and Sarah (3rd). Helene is a CPA, has an MBA in finance, and is currently working for CHOOZE Shoes. This is her 10th year serving on the Akiba Board of Trustees, previously serving as the VP of Development (2009-2010), Assistant Treasurer (2011-2012) and VP of Finance (2012-2013). She and her husband, Jeff, are members of Congregation Shearith Israel. 

SUE FOX SCHWARTZ, SECRETARY
Sue is a Director at Infinitude Creative Group and a certified coach through the International Coach Federation with an emphasis in leadership development, communication effectiveness, and facilitation and conflict management. Sue has an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin with an emphasis in marketing and Latin American business and a BA in international relations from the University of Michigan. Sue and her husband, Greg, have two children, Zach (7th) and Noah (5th) and are members of Chabad of Dallas. 

DR. EZRA BURSTEIN, VP HEAD OF SCHOOL SUPPORT & EVALUATION COMMITTEE
Ezra was born and raised in Lima, Peru, where he completed his undergraduate education, becoming a medical doctor. He emigrated to the United States in 1995, completed residency training in Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas and joined the faculty at University of Michigan Medical School. In 2008, Ezra and his family returned to Dallas as an Associate Professor of Medicine at UT Southwestern where he works as a physician-scientist, balancing research, patient care and medical education duties. Ezra and his wife, Laura, have 3 children at Akiba, Eli (7th), Avi (5th), and Eitan (Nevatim) and are members of Congregation Shaare Tefillah. 

JAY CEITLIN, IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Jay served as Akiba Board President from 2013-2015. He is a founding partner of SHOP Companies, a retail real estate firm based in Dallas. An award winning broker and retail expert, Jay has become one of the foremost leaders in tenant representation across Texas, Oklahoma and the Southeast, as well as a trusted advisor in discovering investment acquisition opportunities for key clients. He is married to Kari, and they have three beautiful children, Drew (2nd), Lev (Kindergarten) and Kol (K'TonTon). 
                                
PTO WANTS YOU TO KNOW
Hello families!

I am very excited to be the new PTO president and I am hoping each of you will get involved in some way. In addition to renaming ourselves we have new activities we are going to try this year. 
Our Mitzvah of the Month program will involve a mitzvah project that parents, teachers, and students can all participate in and will relate to what the children are learning in school. 
To help parents get to know each other better we will be starting Dad's and Mom's Clubs as well as a preschool Shabbat hospitality committee which will act as greeters on Friday mornings in the preschool. 
Of course Grandfriends' Day, Book Fair, and Teacher Appreciation Week will still be a big part of the PTO. 
There are going to be some wonderful ways you can impact your Akiba community! Monthly meetings are scheduled for the first week of each month. Please join us. 
 
Thank you 
Erica Morenoff

Please consider signing up to be a room parent for your child's class:


Please sign up to help with lunch service:


Please fill out the volunteer form to let us know your areas of interest. 
 

There are six designs of Klipped kippot to chose from, the more you order the better the deal!
 
K ippot

We are ordering from Milk and Honey again this year. Fresh challah straight to your child's backpack. 


If you are a new family OR have new addresses please fill out this form. If you have already filled information out in MyBackpack please ignore this step. 

Mitzvah of the Month for August/September: Challah Baking for Jewish Family Services Rosh Hashana baskets. Volunteers meet at Akiba on Sunday, August 30th to measure and sort the ingredients.  Monday, August 31st the kids (with adult volunteers) will make the dough and braid the challot. Ron Romaner will be leading the children. Volunteer sign ups will be available next week and we hope this is an activity you consider joining. 
Mazel Tov to the Kam family on the birth of a baby girl!
Mazel Tov to Jonathan Mulladzhanov on the celebration of his Bar Mitzvah!
Mazel Tov to Akiba's Annette Wolk on the birth of a grandson!
Mazel Tov to Terri and Richard Rohan on the celebration of their daughter Abby's wedding!
Mazel Tov to Aly and Aaron Epstein on the birth of a baby boy!
Mazel Tov to Gabriela Schwartz-Mullins on the celebration of her Bat Mitzvah!
Mazel Tov to Akiba's Tova Reifman on the birth of a baby girl!

Please send announcements to [email protected] for a Mazel Tov shout-out!

YOU NEED TO KNOW

  • Carpool Tags and Windshield Stickers can be picked up at security desk.

  • As always, please refrain from parking in fire lanes on campus!
  • Please remember to check in at the security desk every time you enter campus. This is for your safety and the safety of your children!
For the updated 2015-2016 schedule click here.

For up to date Akiba events and holiday closures, please check the 2014-2015 Akiba Calendar . 


KOL AKIBA will be delivered to your inbox every week giving you a quick look at the week's news highlights as well as a look ahead for the coming week so you can plan accordingly. If you have new stories or photos to share please contact [email protected].
Akiba Academy provides a superior general and Judaic education to children in preschool through eighth grade. As a Modern Orthodox school, Akiba Academy develops ethical and responsible members of the Jewish people and American society, knowledgeable about and committed to their Jewish heritage and the State of Israel. For more information about Akiba contact  [email protected] .