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For Your Calendar
Friday, January 15
Schechter Shabbat Share Dinner
Monday, January 18
Save the date:
Prospective Student Visiting Day. Let us know if you know someone who might like to visit our school.
8:45-10:45 am Taste of Kindergarten
7:30-9:00 pm
The New Lands of Opportunity: Community Conversation in honor of Martin Luther King Day
Thursday, January 21
7:00 pm
Tallit Program for 6th grade families
Wednesday, January 27
Health Education Meeting for MS parents
Thursday, January 28
Shema Bear program for Kindergarten
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Solomon Schechter Day School extends heartfelt condolences to...
Laurie and Isaac Silverman and their children, Noah (Schechter 2014) and Liora (7th grade), on the loss of their beloved father,
father-in-law, and grandfather,
Joel Cohen.
Shiva will be held on Sunday, January 10 from 3:00-5:00 pm and 6:30-9:00 pm and on Monday, January 11 from 6:00-9:00 pm at the Silverman's home, 130 Sunny Reach Dr., W
H.
Minyan will begin at
7:00 pm
on Sunday
and
Monday
המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבלי ציון וירושלים
May God comfort you among the mourners
of Zion and Jerusalem.
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Mazel tov to...
Josh and Eliana Levine Weissman (Schechter 1995) and their son Jonah on on the birth of their daughter and sister Simone Lily. Grandparents are Michael and Carolyn Levine.
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Mah Jongg Players
To order a new card for 2016, contact Susan Kurtis at
Standard card is $8.00,
Large Print is $9.00.
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Join Our List
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Community Events
Please save the date, January 24, 2016 for the Annual International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Click here for more information. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Anna Huttner
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Shabbat Shalom
Parashat Vaera
Candlelighting 4:19 pm |
January 8, 2016
27 Tevet 5776
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| A Message from Andrea |
New Year, Cycles, and Renewal
At each New Year we are given an opportunity to reflect, set goals and reimagine ourselves and our environment. We are lucky that as Jews we have two New Years within every twelve-month period. It is an opportunity to have a part-way check-in, to see how we are doing since Rosh Hashanah, or to have an opportunity to think about issues we missed. These New Years can also serve as an opportunity to think about cycles, the importance of recurring events and time, and a reminder about the nature of spirals in our lives; while we "return" to the beginning it is never the same as it was before.
You may have gathered that at Schechter we have a special relationship to potatoes. This began last year when we were awarded a grant with which to plant potatoes, and which we harvested successfully for latkes during Hanukkah. Also last year, with a generous gift from the Huttner family, we began composting our kitchen waste. These were two moments of firsts, of beginnings. This year as we planned for our potato planting again, we were able to fill our planting bags with soil from our composting. The students prepared and planted with the help of Edo, our young Israeli Emissary.
The potato plants grew differently this year. The students noticed that  some of them flowered (none had last year), others noticed that the dirt seemed constantly dry. When we attempted to harvest during Hanukkah, we discovered that the potatoes were so small that we delayed the harvest. There was a sense of disappointment after such a successful first year. We wondered what was different...the potatoes? The soil? Moisture? Right before winter break we decided it was time to try again; the leaves were yellowing and the plants were falling over. As the students worked with Edo to harvest, they found new potatoes, yellow and red. None were big, but we filled a bowl.
 This week, Leah Berson and Danielle Weiss roasted the beautiful, little potatoes in the Schechter kitchen and every student in the school had an opportunity to taste the results of their work. Some students were hesitant; others couldn't get enough. Every child who took a bite declared that they were delicious!
There was a sense of satisfaction with stepping back and seeing the entire process: the potatoes eaten had been planted by the students, in the soil created by the compost from the kitchen that feeds them with love every day.
As we embark on the new year and think of ways to be better, more empathetic, more innovative, kinder, more patient, let's also take time to sit back and reflect on what was accomplished and find satisfaction in the cycles, both man-made and natural, that help us move through our lives.
Shabbat Shalom,
Andrea
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| 3rd Graders Wonder...How Did Noah Choose the Animals? |
Have you ever wondered how Noah chose which animals to save on the ark? We know that Noah was a righteous man, honest in his generation, one who walked with God. But, what about the animals? Third grade students helped solve the "mystery" by writing beautiful modern-day
midrashim about their favorite stuffed animals. One story told about a beautiful pink dog who helped another dog across a very busy street;another story described a lion who taught two others how to compromise and build a lasting friendship; another depicted a delightful yellow lab who saved a cat from a ferocious poodle!
The students also shared some of the lessons that they learned from the Noah story. Eli Gold commented, "No one can be perfect." Lily Temkin noted, "If you're a mean person, you still have nice moments and if you're nice, you still have bad moments." Liel Harrari said, "You should always keep your promises."
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| Sharing Shabbat Dinner |
Sharing Shabbat dinner together with other Schechter families certainly  strengthens our fabulous community. That was the vision and the result of the first Schechter Shabbat Share. Over 100 people gathered at various host families' homes to celebrate Shabbat. The hosts were welcoming, the company was familiar, and the food was delicious. The children, no matter the age, all became friends. The adults were happy to meet new Schechter friends and become more acquainted by the evening's end. The participants shared prayers, food, and conversation to have a most meaningful shabbat experience. "Being a host could not have been easier. I would definitely host again," said Schechter parent Lara Lakenbach. "Shabbat Share created a special Shabbat experience for me and my family. The intimate setting allowed for wonderful conversations and provided the parents and children an opportunity to learn MORE about each other," said Leah Berson. The next dinner is next Friday, January 15th. You must register no later than January 10th. You can click here to register. Please join us!!
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| 8th Graders Grapple with Propaganda and Anti-Semitism |
Upon returning to school after a well-deserved vacation, the students in eighth grade threw themselves into their Judaic Humanities Holocaust unit. The students did a silent "Gallery Walk" around the classroom, looking at seven examples of Nazi propaganda through posters and pictures; many of them blatantly anti-semitic. Armed with Post-It notes and writing implements, students walked around silently writing comments about each of the pictures and affixing their notes. After completing this task, students then walked around, read each others comments and checked off comments (other than their own) which really resonated with them. As a class they discussed some of the images of Jews and the role of propaganda; that often times it is children that are targeted so that they can be taught "to hate and fear." Rabbi Chatinover told the students of the quote (attributed to St. Francis Xavier, 1506-1552; co-founder of the Society of Jesus, aka the Jesuits), "Give me the child until he is seven, and I will show you the man."He explained that this is why the Nazis, and so many others in our world attempt to indoctrinate the young toward hatred. All-in-all, a powerful lesson on the uses of propaganda.
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| 4th Graders Learn About the Panama Canal |
Fourth grader
Ari Sobel-Pressman
presented photos from his trip to the  Panama Canal to his class. Ari explained how the canal locks work and how ships can travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. He was very knowledgeable and thoroughly answered questions posed by his classmates.
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| In Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King |
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| Be Our Guest at Solomon Schechter |
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| Health Education Meeting for Middle School Parents |
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Susan Kurtis, Editor
Lara Lakenbach and Audrey Sobel, Asst. Editors
Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Hartford |
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