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ES Calendar
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Sunday, Oct. 22
Family Learning
Wednesday, Oct. 25
Grade 1 Principals' Coffee
8:00-8:45 a.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 31
All-School Faculty Meeting
3:00 p.m. Dismissal
Sunday, Nov. 5
Yom Chesed
Wednesday, Nov. 8
Grade 2 Principals' Coffee
Thursday, Nov. 9
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Friday, Nov. 10
Begin 1:05 p.m. Friday Dismissal
As always, please see
the Kol Rambam Weekly for the all-school calendar, events and PTA notes.
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| Quick Links |
ES Missed Homework Policy
ES Announcements Archive
Galim (Israeli educational website):
www.galim.org.il
username: smaimonides
password: maimonides
Mibereshit (Parashat HaShavuah website with interactive learning activities):
English | Ivrit
YU's Shabbat Table Discussions
Soveya: Torah-based resources for healthy eating (subscribe to their e-newsletter)
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Send us your
Maimo Moments |
Whether you are a parent, alumni or faculty member, your Maimo Moments are welcomed and appreciated.
Please send your Maimo Moments to
maimomoments@
maimonides.org or call our Maimo Moments hotline 617-232-4452 x424 and record your moment in a voice message.
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Welcome!
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Dear Parents,
We had another great week at school!
Please read on for the latest Elementary School news and information about upcoming events.
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D'var Torah
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by Rabbi David Saltzman
In this week's parsha, Noach is commanded by G-d to save his family and all species of animals by seeking refuge in an ark. G-d instructs Noach to construct the ark, and adds some details regarding how to make it:
עֲשֵׂ֤ה לְךָ֙ תֵּבַ֣ת עֲצֵי־גֹ֔פֶר
Make yourself an ark of gopher wood
קִנִּ֖ים תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה
Make it an ark with compartments
וְזֶ֕ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֖ה אֹתָ֑הּ
This is how you shall make it
צֹ֣הַר ׀ תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה לַתֵּבָ֗ה
Make an opening for daylight in the ark
וַיַּ֖עַשׂ נֹ֑חַ כְּ֠כֹל אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֥ה אֹת֛וֹ אֱלֹקים כֵּ֥ן עָשָֽׂה׃
Noah did so; just as God commanded him, so he did
It is interesting to note that although Noach was told to build something, the verb
עשה
- which means to do or to make - is employed, and not the more common word for build, which is
בנה
.
However, later in the parsha, when Noach exits the taiva (ark):
וַיִּבֶן נֹחַ מִזְבֵּחַ לַה' וַיִּקַּח מִכֹּל הַבְּהֵמָה הַטְּהוֹרָה וּמִכֹּל הָעוֹף הַטָּהֹר וַיַּעַל עֹלֹת בַּמִּזְבֵּחַ׃
Then Noah built an altar to the L-rd and, taking of every clean animal and of every clean bird, he offered burnt offerings on the altar.
The Malbim explains that Noach took his cue from Adam Harishon:
כמו שאדה"ר הקריב קרבן להודות לה' חסדו על בריאת העולם כן הקריב נח על קיום העולם ועל הצלתו,
Just as Adam sacrificed to give thanks to Hashem for creating the world, so too Noach brought sacrifices to thank Hashem for the continuation of the world.
It is super interesting to note that this is the first instance where the Torah uses the word
בנה
(build) regarding Noach's activity (rather than
עשה
). For this reason, the Medrish comments:
וַיִּבֶן כְּתִיב, נִתְבּוֹנֵן, אָמַר מִפְּנֵי מָה צִוַּנִּי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְרִבָּה בַּטְּהוֹרִים יוֹתֵר מִן הַטְּמֵאִים, אֶלָּא לְהַקְרִיב מֵהֶן קָרְבָּן, מִיָּד וַיִּקַּח מִכֹּל הַבְּהֵמָה הַטְּהֹרָה וגו'.
The Torah uses the word
וַיִּבֶן
because Noach understood that Hashem commanded him to bring more tahor animals in order that they be available for a sacrifice.
Combining the Medrash with the Malbim, we learn that in order for Noach to give thanks to Hashem, an extra level of understanding was necessary for him to completely appreciate what G-d did for him, his family, and all the animals that were saved. Once Noach had that deeper level of appreciation, he acted upon those feelings and brought korbanot.
This year we are focusing on hakarat hatov. We are learning to be extra sensitive and to be able to recognize, as Noach did, the good deeds that are performed for us by G-d and by our friends and family on a daily basis. Once we are able to recognize (hakara) the good performed for us, we will be able to reciprocate with an appropriate thank you.
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Thoughts of the Rav
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by Rabbi David Saltzman
Rabbi Soloveitchik writes that a major transformation in human beings occurred after the flood. He tells us that the Zohar states that
Noach was partially to blame for the flood, because he did not daven for the people of his generation to be saved from the oncoming storm.
Noach held that the generation was so entrenched in sin that they could never be removed from it. The
pasuk describing man before the flood seems to validate
Noach's thinking. When G-d decided to bring the flood, the
pasuk states:
וַיַּרְא ה' כִּי רַבָּה רָעַת הָאָדָם בָּאָרֶץ וְכָל יֵצֶר מַחְשְׁבֹת לִבּוֹ רַק רַע כָּל הַיּוֹם:
And the Lord saw that the evil of man was great in the earth, and every imagination of his heart was only evil all the time.
The
Rav explains that the words
מַחְשְׁבֹת לִבּוֹ רַק רַע
mean that all of man's thoughts and instincts were rak ra - only evil. Before the flood, a person could become totally, irretrievably impure.
After the flood, however, G-d said about the people:
כִּי יֵצֶר לֵב הָאָדָם רַע מִנְּעֻרָיו
for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth
The Rav points out that the word רַק was removed. The Torah is teaching us that since the Mabul, from now on, man always has a chance to repent. There is always something good remaining in man, and the gates of repentance are never closed.
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| Pinat HaParasha is Back! |
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Please click here
to view the
Pinat
HaParasha for Parshat Noach. You are encouraged to print the document and use it as a source for discussion at the Shabbat table.
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Kindergarten Principals' Coffee
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Our first round of Principals' Coffees began
on Wednesday morning with a sizable group of Kindergarten parents sitting together with Rabbi David Saltzman and Mrs. Reena Slovin. Parents enjoyed coffee and snacks, listened, asked questions, and had time to schmooze.
After Rabbi Saltzman shared a
d'var Torah related to Parshat Noach, the principals presented an introduction to the Elementary School's advances in the area of STEM (Science, Technology, Mathematics and Engineering) education. At the younger grade levels, students begin to learn coding and program robots using programs such as Scratch Jr. and Code.org, as well as programmable three-dimensional KIBO robots. An example was shown of a robot the students created that shook a
lulav in each direction.
Kindergarten teacher Mrs. Adrienne Jennings also talked about the science and engineering units that she is teaching this year. The students will be working in teams, using a variety of materials to make sails for boats and for windmills and test them out with a fan. The focus of the engineering process is always to try things out, make improvements, and try again.
Parents had the opportunity to ask questions about topics and issues that were of interest to them. These included their wanting the children to have many opportunities for both physical play and symbolic and dramatic play. We talked about our efforts to balance the important aspects of play and socialization skills with the introduction of academic skills, all of which are done
th
rough hands-on and physical activities, games, and collaborative work with peers.
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Next Principals' Coffee
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The next
Pr
incipals'
Coffee
will be for first grade parents, and will take
place next Wednesday, October 25 at 8:00 a.m.
in the
library
on the third floor.
Principals' coffees are taking place for parents of students at each grade level on mornings from October through December. The coffees are an opportunity for parents to talk with the principals, ask questions, give i
nput, and learn more about different aspects of Maimonides students' life and learning at a particular grade level.
Come and meet other families from your child's class and ask the principals questions about the class, curriculum, or anything else!
Upcoming coffees:
2nd grade -
Wednesday,
November 8
3rd grade -
Wednesday,
November 15
4th grade -
Wednesday, November 29
5th grade - Wednesday, December 6
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Family Learning on Sunday
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Candy on Halloween
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As you may be aware, Halloween this year will be on
Tuesday, October 31. A few students have asked if it is OK to give out candy.
Students have been taught that even though we do not participate in Halloween by trick-or-treating, it might be considered meritorious to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters who come to our house
mipnei darkei shalom
, for the sake of maintaining good relationships with our neighbors.
Please feel free to contact Rabbi Saltzman or your child's
limudei kodesh teacher if you wish us to discuss this issue further with your child.
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Three Upcoming Events
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Thursday evening, November 2
- An Evening in Memory of Rabbi Reuven Cohn z"l
Sunday morning, November 5
- Yom Chesed
Sunday evening, November 5
- Annual Kristallnacht Commemoration
An Evening in Memory of Rabbi Reuven Cohn z"l
Please join us for an evening of learning, tribute, and appreciation in memory of our beloved teacher Rabbi Reuven Zvi Cohn z"l on Thursday, November 2 at 6:45 p.m. at Saval Campus, 34 Philbrick Road.
Don't Wait - Register NOW for Yom Chesed!
Registration for Yom Chesed is going strong, and we're looking forward to seeing so many of you on Sunday, November 5! Though many projects are nearing capacity, there is still availability, and we welcome your involvement!
This schoolwide community service initiative is in its 5th year and is fun for everyone, including students, parents, faculty, grandparents, alumni, and parents of alumni.
In addition to the many hands-on projects that take place in our school buildings and throughout the community, our Saval Auditorium will host two organizations that focus on medical needs. Gift of Life, a bone marrow and blood stem cell registry, will be on hand to register new donors, and the Hope Time Cure Epilepsy Foundation will be here to share information about its mission to promote epilepsy awareness and provide support to individuals with epilepsy and their families.
Our Yom Chesed web page has a complete list of projects as well as an online registration form. Please don't wait to sign up - together we CAN make a difference!
Annual Kristallnacht Commemoration
Maimonides School's annual commemoration of the Kristallnacht pogrom is scheduled for Sunday, November 5 at 7:30 p.m. (ma'ariv at 7:15).
The speaker will be Dr. Jonathan Skolnik, assistant professor of German and adjunct assistant professor of history and Judaic and Near Eastern studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Maimonides began this lecture more than 20 years ago, when Rabbi Isaiah Wohlgemuth,
זצ"ל
, described his personal experiences on Kristallnacht - the night of Nov. 9, 1938. Rabbi Wohlgemuth, who joined the Maimonides faculty in 1945, was then a young rabbi in the town of Kitzingen, where a mob attacked his shul. Rabbi Wohlgemuth subsequently was detained at Dachau for several months.
Reservations are not required but would be appreciated (mike@maimonides.org, 617-232-4452 x 405).
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Mazal Tov!
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Send us your simchas!
Please share your simcha announcement
s with us by sending details to info@maimonides.org.
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Invitational Basketball Tournament
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Save the dates! The annual Maimonides Invitational Basketball Tournament in memory of Leland Gelman is scheduled for Thursday - Sunday, December 7-10. Visiting teams will be from Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School (boys and girls), Joel Braverman High School of Yeshivah of Flatbush (boys and girls), Atlanta Jewish Academy (boys) and Melvin Berman Hebrew Academy (girls). Contact Ahron Solomont (asolomont@aol.com) for information on serving as a tournament volunteer.
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| Lost and Found - השבת אבידה |
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Below are the lost items we have collected. Please take a look to see if anything looks familiar and retrieve it. If you label lunchboxes, water bottles, and clothing, we will be sure to return them to your child directly.
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Social Time!
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There's so much going on here at Maimo! Be sure to check out our social media to get the inside scoop (with lots of great photos) on happenings at school.
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See What's Happening in the Other Divisions
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 Lots of wonderful things are happening at Maimonides School!
If you'd like to take a peek at the other divisions' newsletters, please click here for the Early Childhood Center, or click here for the Middle and Upper Schools.
If you would like to contact a specific school office, please use these emails:
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!שבת שלום
Rabbi, Reena, and the Maimonides ES Faculty
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