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Shabbat Parashat Beshalach | שבת פרשת בשלח
Candle Lighting: 4:47
pm
I Shabbat Ends: 5:56 pm
January 26, 2018 I י' שׁבט תשע״ח
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From our Head of School, Rabbi Rami Strosberg
The Israelites narrowly escape from the wrath of the Mitzrim after Hashem performs the miracle of קריאת ים סוף, the parting of the Sea.
In response, the Jews sing out to Hashem - אז ישיר משה ובני ישראל את השירה הזאת. Why was their instinct to sing? In the Sefer Hachinuch (384) we learn:
Since man is of a physical nature, he needs spiritual awakening to connect to the spiritual. Otherwise, in his natural state, he will remain asleep. There is nothing greater than a song to accomplish this task.
The Jews in Mitzrayim, and the Jews of today, are very much the same. We are physical beings. We work to build pyramids and make mortar, or we work to write briefs, teach classes, or operate on patients. In order for Bnei Yisrael to adequately express their gratitude, words were simply not enough. Song was needed. In order to break free of the physicality that is required of us on a regular basis, a spiritual stimulus is needed. As Jews, Shabbat and Tefillah are designated times for this awakening. Song is built into our prayers, Torah Reading, and Shabbat meals, for this reason. We would never enter a shul and expect to hear someone reading monotonously from a Torah or from a siddur.
As you can see when entering Yeshivat Netzach, music is sung throughout the day - when in music class, when performing for the chagigat haChumash, when learning Mishna, or when just roaming the halls. Song is used by WTA to impart values, spirituality, and mastery of words of Torah. In this parsha, the Abarbanel states that music does not only ensure better recollection of words, but rather ensures that the Torah not be forgotten. May we be blessed to always have song in our lives, our school, and our homes. May the words we sing and teach our children continue to be words of Torah, mussar, and spirituality that help enrich their lives and elevate their neshamot.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Rami
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From our Principal, Deganit Ronen
This coming Shabbat is called "Shabbat Shira." Shabbat Shira is always the Shabbat of Parashat B'Shalach, when we read Shirat Hayam--the song that B'nei Yisrael said after kriyat yam suf, the splitting of the sea, when they left mitzraim from slavery to freedom. These beautiful and ancient psukim are recited each year with a unique melody, reminding us of the special power of music. The world of melody is far above the world of speech.
There are many studies done about the science of song; professions of music therapy and music psychologists; and direct connections about how our bodies and minds connect to music. Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky was speaking to a follower who was discussing the chinuch of a child. From the age of 5, a child is taught Torah - בן חמש למקרא. What happens prior to the age of 5?, the man asked Rabbi Kanievsky. What type of teachings do children under 5 need? Rabbi Kanievsky's answer was simple-- גננת מנגנת. The positive emotions a child feels when surrounded by music is key to strong development and an excitement of learning.
At WTA, we surround our children with song starting from their early years and beyond. Our very own, Rabbi Rami, brings his talent and love of music to our school each and every day.
Rabbi Rami's excitement shows through when he brings song and music to our children.
Please join us at the Shomrei Torah Annual Event on Feb. 25th as we honor Rabbi Rami for all he brings to WTA.
And this Shabbat,when sitting around the Shabbat table with your children, break out in song! You will be amazed at how good you will feel afterwards.
Shabbat Shalom.
Deganit
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Drama Chug Presents: The Wizard of Oz
Mesibat Mishnah
(5th Grade)
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Chagigat Siddur
(1st Grade)
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What an incredible event! Thank you for coming out to our first ever STEAM Night this past Wednesday. Students and their parents enjoyed fun, interactive STEAM Stations involving light, flight, bubbles, density and animals. Take a look below to see just how much fun we had!
Thank you to our amazing STEAM Coordinator, Morah Kim Siegel, to our amazing faculty, to David Bessler who ran our animal station, and to all of our generous sponsors!
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Art - אומנות
We had another creative, imaginative week in Omanut! Students who had not yet finished their "spinner" toys were given the time to complete and test them out. We then moved on to a very important lesson - the lesson of how to work around mistakes and challenges while doing artwork. One of our cardinal rules in the art room is that there is no such thing as a mistake. There is always a way to erase, recreate, or re-invent a perceived error. This week's project began with an obstacle. We explored a book that had a hole in the middle of it and discussed ways to troubleshoot this hole in our paper. Before looking at the solutions in the book, students came up with their own ideas of how to use the hole to their benefit - not detriment. What they came up with was truly inventive. Some made the holes into a place for their faces, and decorated crowns around the holes to make them look like royaly. Others imagined themselves being eaten by a dragon, and drew a scary creature around the hole, waiting to eat whomever put their face in the opening. We had students who used the hole to make themselves a part of a tv show, or an image on a phone they drew. Some made the hole into part of a fruit, or even part of the Earth. We can't wait to show you what we came up with!
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פרנס היום - Sponsor A Day of Learning
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Click here to import our calendar into your personal calendar
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דף יומי לילדים
Each week we will share a copy of Daf Yomi L'yeladim with you, and you will have the
opportunity to gain a love of learning and share the experience of delving into the Talmud with your children.
For a link to this week's copy in English
click here,
for Hebrew
click here
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The white plains shabbaton was a massive success and a joy to spend time with everyone who came!
We would like to thank all the wonderful sponsors and all the parents who joined together to make a beautiful Shabbat. Toda Raba - we are so grateful!
We can't wait to do this again next year!
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Shorshim are getting ready for Tu B'Shvat! Learning about the way trees and plants grow gave us many ideas. "Rain is like water for trees," one friend said. We are planting our very own seeds, and we are excited to see what will grow.
Click
here
to read the Shorashim weekly newsletter.
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In preparation for Tu B'shvat, each child got a cup of soil and corn seeds. The children put the soil and the seeds in the flower pot that they decorated for Tu B'ahvat. We watered the seeds, and we are waiting to see them sprout.
Click here to read the Pre-K weekly newsletter.
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We learned about polar animals this week. We read the story "If You Could Go To Antarctica," and then we wrote about what we might see if we traveled to Antarctica. We also enjoyed reading several Tacky the Penguin books. In phonics, we practiced recognizing words with the same beginning sounds. In math we are working on the numbers 6-10. We played a number line up game. At center time we used tiles to make arrangements of 5 to 10.
Judaic Studies:
...טו׳ בשבט, טו׳ בשבט חג לכול אילן
Gan ילדים is getting ready for טו׳ בשבט and
learning more about planting, seeds (זרעים) and how they grow. We even have a little גינה, a garden, in our classroom. It's so beautiful to see the children come in every morning to check on our גינה.
Every child went home with his/her plant and a big smile on their face!
Click here
to read the full Judaic Studies Newsletter
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The children in Kita Alef are tirelessly preparing for חגיגת הסידור. We are now singing all the lines of אשרי after the students discovered that the letter נון is not included in the alphabet acrostic. In addition to using our large Siddur chart, which contains explanatory illustrations, we started davening this week using real סידורים. We reviewed the rules of how we take care of our siddurim, and it was wonderful to see the excitement in the class. Children washed their hands, and leafed through to find the tefilot they know. Needless to say, it was the best davening ever! The children felt mature and ready to use a real "grown-up" siddur.
Our חגיגה includes four short scenes with four important messages:
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One candle can light many other candles, but it's light is not diminished
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The siddur is like a candle; many individuals can daven with it and it is never used up.
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אברהם אבינו understood that only Hashem created the world. His strong אמונה is an inspiration to us.
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There are different types of prayers: תודה, בקשה, שבח
Through our practices, the children are becoming familiar with these messages and with the Hebrew terms associated with them. I am very proud of the children; they all have memorized their lines. And others, have memorized their friends' as well. Kol Hakavod!
Our unit on Tu B'shvat focuses on the various parts of a tree in Hebrew. The goal of the unit is to heighten children's awareness to the importance of trees in general and פרי העץ in particular. During snack time we discuss the various brachot we say for each of the foods children bring to school. The unit gives us a closer look at which fruits grow on an עץ.
We are now practicing words with the letter יוד; the letter functions as part of a vowel, or as a consonant. Unlike the letters ה and א, the letter yod makes a sound even when there is no vowel attached to it (like in words such as חי). The vowels in this unit include צירה and סגול.
In the study of parashat בשלח, we explored the story of סרח בת אשר who told Moshe where to find Yosef's bones as Bnei Yisrael were leaving מצרים. We also discussed the miracles of קריעת ים סוף,
מי מרה, מן, שלו.
This week we added a few verses from שירת הים to our שחרית in honor of the parasha and Shabbat Shira. Addiotionally, we discussed the mitzvah of לחם משנה. The first battle Bnei Yisrael had with Amalek showed them Hashem's endless love and protection once again. All they have to do is remember the many ניסים he did and continues to do for us each day.
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Tu B'shvat is right around the corner, and Kita Gimel continues to learn about natural cycles. We learned that we explore the world through five senses- חושים. We did a few experiments showing how each sense works when isolated from others. It was really fun to try to identify onion, lemon, ginger or coffee only by smell, with closed eyes.
The additional focus of the past week was a tree and its essential parts: roots, trunk, branches, leaves, seeds, and so on. We emphasized each part's contribution to a tree's life cycle.
And of course we never stop learning Chumash and Parshat ha'shavuah!
In Chumash we started a new parasha: Chayei Sara, learning the story of the purchase of Maarat ha Machpela.
In Parshat ha'shavuah we added a new fun activity - a Chidon, which is actually 22 Parasha related questions that they can answer- one for each letter of the Alef-bet. Look for it in your child Parashat folder every Friday!
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We are back to our pleasant routine of learning after the big excitement of Mesibat Navi.
We enjoyed learning a new story on the iTalam website - the poem "הילד הרע" written by Leah Goldberg. We learned that at times when children fail to behave they feel like somebody else- "הילד הרע"- takes control of their acts, and it can be very frustrating!
In Chumash we are in the middle of Parashat וישב. We learned the concept of "מעשה אבות סימן לבנים" when Yakov bought land near Shchem just like Avraham did when he bought Maarat haMachpela.
We continue learning in Chavrutah with our younger friends in Kita Bet. We were excited to be invited to Kita Bet's Mesibat Chumash last rehearsal!
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Chumash -
חזק חזק ונתחזק!! Kitah Hey just finished learning parashat וארא. The students are in deep preparation for their upcoming final test. Since it will test both content knowledge and skills, the kids are exercising through different games, text studies, reviews, and projects. As we wrap up this chapter of study, we are excited to transition into our second semester where students will take the next steps and prepare themselves for their middle school journey.
Mishna -
Mazal Tov to our 5th graders on completing the 2nd perek (chapter) of Masechet Brachot - all about the laws of Shema - when, where, how, and why. In addition, students have begun working on perhaps the most complex set of skills that they will be working on for the rest of their lives- understanding the people, places and context of the Mishna beginning with the first Sanhedrin. We are also preparing to teach our parents about our Mishna study this year when you join us next WEDNESDAY@5PM. We look forward to seeing you then and showcasing all our learning.
Hebrew -
This week we spent time in a vegetable market; the children had to use question words to construct correct sentences. They are now ready to shop in a market in Israel and buy vegetables for soup or salad. We continue to work on sentences that include proper conjugation for various pronouns, as well as correct use of adjectives.
By now, the students are familiar and comfortable with the steps of the Ulpan-Or approach; listening, filling in the text (based on listening), self-correcting their initial work, answering questions, and showtime (translating a dialogue from English to Hebrew).
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Community Events and Programs
Mikvah of New Rochelle Event
Join us for an evening of food, fun and mystery in support of the Mikvah of New Rochelle on Motzaei Shabbat, February 3 at 8:00pm at YINR. Click here for event details. To be included in the Scroll of Honor and to make a reservation (RSVP by January 23), click here.
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1000 Pinebrook Blvd
New Rochelle, NY 10804
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