Hashavua

April 20, 2017 24 Nisan 5777 Hashavua - The Week

MESSAGE FROM

THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Less than two weeks ago, many of us participated in at least one Passover seder, which according to surveys, is the most celebrated Jewish ritual. And while the holiday's themes include stories of infanticide, slavery and more, the historical empathy which is called for in the haggadah as the goal of the ceremony may get lost as children are often presented the Exodus as a fairy tale, and engaged adults are urged to focus on modern political parallels, and many focus on counting the minutes before the meal.

This coming Monday, we will observe Yom HaShoah, the day that is marked on the Jewish calendar as Holocaust Remembrance Day. While this occasion is not as widely observed as Passover in the broader U.S Jewish community, it certainly is a significant day in Israel, the organized Jewish community and in our Yavneh community. I feel that to many of us who do observe the memorial day, there is a much stronger empathetic/emotional connection to its narrative than to Passover, probably because it is historically closer to us, and many of us have connections to victims or survivors, or at least know people with direct connections. These connections in some ways make the holiday both easier and more difficult to teach in an impactful way. We teach our students openly about Pharoah's edict to slay the first born Jewish males, yet we typically don't begin to broach the topic of murder in the Shoah until much later in elementary school. While there is exposure to the nature of the day as a sad day beginning in kindergarten, and students learn about discrimination and war, only in third grade do students begin attending our Yom HaShoah ceremonies, and more formal in-depth learning is part of the fourth and seventh grade curricula. I believe in the wisdom of our approach based on my own experience. I was exposed to the truth about gas chambers when I was in kindergarten. I know how that knowledge traumatized me to the point that for most of my childhood I refused to take showers and only bathed in a bathtub.

While fairy tales can also traumatize children, in most cases, children are able to deal with the distant storybook nature of these horrors. I wonder at what point does history become more of a fairy tale? It certainly doesn't help to distance our own tragedies when we open the news and hear of the horrors that are happening in our current times: chemical weapons and other mass killings in the middle east, intermittent genocides on the African continent, and acts of terrorism in Israel and elsewhere. As with Passover, I believe that it is important to never forget the scars of our past, I pray for a time at which the greater world around us can be at peace and that we can allow for those scars to forever heal.

Shabbat Shalom -Zvi

Please note:

*In observance of Yom HaShoah/Holocaust Remembrance Day this coming Monday, all students and faculty are asked to wear white shirts and dark bottoms.

*All parents are invited to join our Kitah Gimel - Chet (3rd - 8th grade) community at 8:30AM in the MPR for a special Yom HaShoah ceremony led by our Kitah Zayin (7th grade) students.

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

Friday, June 2nd - Sunday, June 4th

Sells Out Quickly, Don't Wait to Sign Up

CLICK HERE

WALK-A-THON

Tuesday, May 2nd

Grab your walking shoes and join us for this year's Walk-a-thon. Each year our students help raise funds for our school through pledges and donations towards their laps completed.

Click here for the Walk-A-Thon Pledge Form. All Donations are 100% tax deductible. Prizes are given to students and classes raising the most money. Students should bring funds collected and pledge forms in by Friday, May 12th to receive credit for prizes.

This is very fun afternoon and we invite parents, grandparents and friends to join us! We need 4 volunteers per class from 1:00-3:00pm to

track laps and cheer on students. Please click here to volunteer.

STUDENTS IN ACTION

Middle School students are getting ready for the science fair.

Take a look at the stunning trays that were lovingly created by Yavneh students with the help of Morah Judy and presented to Mrs. Fine and

Andrea and Joel Rubnitz at Yavneh's Spring Benefit, Striking Gold.

While visiting family in Israel, Kitah Alef student Ethan had the opportunity to visit Yavneh's sister school yesterday. Ethan, and his mom (Morah Vanina) toured the school and garden, and spoke and sang with Kitah Alef students. Ethan sang the Hebrew part of Yavneh's school song to the students and gave the students a drawing with the American and Israeli flags. The students prepared a journal for Ethan to share with his class about places to visit in Israel.

MIDDLE SCHOOL IN ACTION

Yavneh 8th graders visited LifeMoves today. They donated toys, books, art supplies, and stuffed animals.

WEAR WHITE TOPS AND DARK BOTTOMS ON MONDAY

C ALENDAR

Fri. Apr. 21

Kabbalat Shabbat 2:30pm

Mon. Apr. 24

Yom HaShoah

School Ceremony 8:30am

(Grades 3-8) Led by 7th grade in MPR

Tue. Apr. 25

Middle School Science Fair 3:30pm-7:30pm

Sun. Apr. 30

Gan Family Learning Program 10:00am

Mon. May 1

Yom HaZikaron

Flag Lowering 8:30am

Ceremony in Auditorium (Grades 3-8)

Tue. May 2

Yom HaAtzma'ut

Walk-A-Thon 1:30pm

Sun. May 7

Hebrew Sing Along

7:00pm-9:00pm

YEARBOOK TRIBUTES

DUE TOMORROW

APRIL 21st.

Reserve your Tribute for the 2016-2017 Yavneh Yearbook! Write a message, poem or include pictures that will remind your child years from now what a great time they had at Yavneh. Click here for more info and ordering

"BUY IN" PARTIES

There is still space available at some "buy in" parties that were auctioned off at Yavneh's Spring Benefit, such as: Science Show with Mr. Davis, Paddle Boat and Picnic with Miss Matthews and Mrs. Ross, Wine 101 Class, and more.

Limited space available.

Click here for the list of openings and sign up today! If you have already purchased a spot at a buy in party, you will be contacted shortly with
details.

LOVE & LOGIC PARENTING WORKSHOP

Tues. & Thus. in May

May 4 - May 23

5:00pm-6:00pm

$170 per person includes materials

Limited to 10 parents

Yavneh Day School

Click here to register

YAVNEH'S HEBREW SING ALONG

Sun. May 7

7:00pm-9:00pm

Auditorium

$10 per person

Click here to register

BUY A TOTE!

Kitah Chet is selling these super cool canvas tote bags to raise money for their end of the year gift to Yavneh. The design is an original using their own hands and photographed by Morah Judy. Each bag is $12. Totes are in the Yavneh Office.

APRIL HOT LUNCH AND BRUNCH MENU

Click here for menu and ordering

IN THE COMMUNITY

JEWISH COMMUNITY OF THE SOUTH BAY YOM HASHOAH PROGRAM AND SERVICE

From Kindertransport

to the Refugees of 2017

Sun. Apr. 23

6:30pm

Congregation Shir Hadash

More info