Upper School Weekly Update

June 9th, 2017  -  Beha'alotecha
In This Issue
D'var Torah
Thoughts of the Rav
Tennis Victory
Final Exam Schedule
Class of 2017
Living Room Learning
Alumni Newsletter
Summer Wishes
Yom Chesed
Division Newsletters
Next Week
  Monday, June 12
World Language Exam Projects

Tuesday, June 13
Wednesday, June 14

No exams

Thursday, June 15
7:00 Senior Recognition Night

Friday, June 16
Closing Day
9:30-11:30 Final exam return
In Two Weeks
Sunday, June 18
10:30 Commencement

Monday, June 19
Faculty meetings

Tuesday, June 20
Faculty meetings


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D'var Torah

by Rabbi Dov Huff
 
In this week's parsha there is an interesting exchange between Moshe Rabeinu and Yehoshua. Upon seeing Eldad and Meidad prophesy in the camp, Yehoshua runs to his rebbe insisting that they be imprisoned. Moshe Rabeinu counters that he wishes all of Bnei Yisrael were neviim. This position of Moshe Rabeinu is a bit of a surprising shift from what we may normally think of when it comes to a navi. We are used to thinking of elite, special, unique individuals, selected from birth to be in direct communication with Hashem. Moshe's response is that all of
Bnei Yisrael, with enough hard work and self-improvement, could rise to the level of a navi.
 
Of course this has to be tempered by the end of the parsha, in which Aharon HaKohen and Miriam HaNevia make the mistake of assuming that they are on the same level as Moshe because Hashem speaks to them as well, and are punished as a result. Just because we all have navi potential does not mean that we are all on the same spiritual level.
 
Nevertheless, this idea - that we all have potential to grow to great spiritual heights - is a critical one. But this potential can only be met with hard work and commitment. The person best equipped and positioned to increase students' spirituality and commitment to yahadut is not the rebbe or morah in the school but the student himself or herself. The Chovat Hatalmidim tells us that our teachers do not know our shortcomings, weaknesses, and the best ways to inspire us as well as we do. We need to take ownership of our spiritual development. Our rebbeim and morot are resources and guides to help us in our quest, but the student must take the helm of their own spiritual journey.
 
This is especially appropriate as we head into summer. The summer is an opportunity to put all the hard work, inspiration, and skill development we have worked on this year into practice. Summer is not a break from this growth, but perhaps the most critical time for it. It is a time when our students can internalize and find their own meaning in their avodat Hashem. They can build their own relationship with Torah as they learn it lishma, and with tefillah as they open up the siddur, cultivating the intrinsic motivation to talk to Hashem.
 
May we all enjoy a well-deserved break and a relaxing, fun-filled summer which does not pause, but furthers, our spiritual growth.
 
 
Thoughts of the Rav 

by Rabbi David Saltzman
 
וַיֹּאמֶר משֶׁה לְחֹבָב בֶּן רְעוּאֵל הַמִּדְיָנִי חֹתֵן משֶׁה נֹסְעִים | אֲנַחְנוּ אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אָמַר ה' אֹתוֹ אֶתֵּן לָכֶם לְכָה אִתָּנוּ וְהֵטַבְנוּ לָךְ כִּי ה' דִּבֶּר טוֹב עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל:
Then Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses's father-in-law, We are traveling to the place about which the Lord said, I will give it to you. Come with us and we will be good to you, for the Lord has spoken of good fortune for Israel.
 
The Rav writes that whenever he read this pasuk it brought a tear to his eye and he wanted to cry. This is due to the simplicity with which the great Moshe, the master of all wise men and the father of all prophets, spoke. He used the grammatical first person נֹסְעִים אֲנַחְנוּ, אִתָּנוּ , because Moshe was certain - there was not even a shadow of doubt in his mind - that he was going to enter the Promised Land. He was convinced that he would see the hills of Judea, climb the mount of Lebanon, and be one of the ba'ey ha'aretz.
 
By this point in the narrative, there was no doubt about Moshe's destiny, and for this reason the Rav would have to control his tears whenever he read this pasuk.
 
Tennis Team Victory
For the second year in a row, the boys' tennis team has advanced to the MIAA Division 3 South Sectional semifinals. Coach Bruce Bromberg's squad competed at Old Rochester High School in Mattapoisett on Thursday afternoon for the right to advance to the championship match. Maimonides defeated Sturgis Charter West 3-2, followed by a 4-1 quarterfinals win over St. John Paul II of Hyannis, to advance to the sectional Final Four. The team's three-year post-season record is 5-2.


Final Exam Schedule

Monday, June 12:
World Languages (all projects due)
 
Class of 2017

Mazel tov to the Class of 2017! Your hard work and perseverance has paid off. Best of luck on your future endeavors. You will be missed!


 
Living Room Learning

Maimonides School is pleased to bring you
a taste of our Limudei Kodesh program
in our Living Room Learning series!

Join
Limudei Kodesh teacher Karyn Spero
for an hour of informal learning
as we engage each other and the Jewish sources
in a conversation of Torah.
 
Newton
Monday, June 12
7:30 - 8:30 p.m.
at the home of 
Claudine and Adam Grossman
1016 Centre Street, Newton
 
Brookline
Wednesday, June 14
8:00 - 9:00 p.m.
at the home of
Tova Katz and Ithamar Jotkowitz
25 Columbia Street, Brookline
 
"For the Love of Torah":
The Rise in the Centrality of Torah Study for Living Room Learning Its Own Sake

In this shiur we will explore the 
development of the role of Torah study from the period of the Tanach to the present day. Through an in-depth analysis of texts from the Tanach and rabbinic sources, we will discuss the historical and cultural changes that pushed Torah study to the fore as a precious gem that is meant to be learned for its own sake. 
 
All are welcome. 
For more information or to RSVP, please contact Karyn Spero at

 
Alumni Newsletter Online

The monthly alumni newsletter for May is now online, and can be found here This issue's articles include:
  • A Decade After Launch, Alumna's HydroChic Continues to Grow, Prosper
  • After Israeli Navy Service, Graduate a Source of Vibrant Judaism in Perth
  • Recent Graduate on the Front Lines to Educate Her Campus about Israel
  • 1967 Graduate Recalls Tension, Euphoria in School as Six-Day War Progressed
If you would like to receive the alumni newsletter each month, contact Mike Rosenberg at (617) 232-4452 x 405 or [email protected].   
 
Have a Wonderful Summer
We would like to wish you a very happy, relaxing and safe summer! We look forward to seeing everyone in the Fall.

vacation_flipflop.jpg
 
Get Involved with Yom Chesed
Would you like to be involved with Yom Chesed, our annual day of community service?

Our fourth Yom Chesed is scheduled for Sunday morning, November 5, 2017. Yom Chesed is an all-ages community service initiative for our entire Maimonides community.  Our past Yom Chesed events have each involved over 500 participants helping a broad range of community organizations in hands-on projects.

While November seems a long way off, planning for this event begins now! If you are interested in helping to coordinate one of our Yom Chesed projects, or would like to find out more information about volunteer opportunities, please contact one of our Yom Chesed coordinators, Stef Mishkin, [email protected], or Alissa Muzin, [email protected].
 
See What's Happening in other Divisions
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 Elementary and Middle Schools, or click here for the Early Childhood Center.

If you would like to contact a specific school office, please use these emails: