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First Day of School Excitement!
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Imagine the scene. The entire grade school in a darkened Loeb Hall (our multipurpose room we use for lunch, assemblies and more). Each student had been given a new sweet Akiba-Schechter LED flashlight keychain and one student is asked to turn it on. I point out the beauty of one shining light and then ask everyone to turn on their flashlights to show what happens when we all shine together. At that moment, Miriam Kass and I flip a switch and the room fills with multicolored spinning lights among the already bright waving beams of light from 175 flashlights. The reaction in the room was one of awe and wide smiles. It was glorious! As I said then and promote today "when we all shine together, when we Illuminate Akiba, magic happens." #IlluminateAkiba, the theme of the year, was introduced at our opening ceremonies and we will focus on it throughout the year.
The opening ceremonies began with the blessing of Shehechiyanu which is customary to say for new things as when one does not see a friend for over thirty days. I included a video I edited together to shine a light on the amazing students and staff as well as a video that illustrated a special individual, Aaron Feuerstein, who was a bright light for what he did to help others. I also spoke about the many ways light is used in Judaism (when Hashem created the world, Shabbat Candles, the Chanukiah, Havdalah and more). Students were encouraged to think about ways to shine their own light this year, how to shine a light on others, and how we can all shine together.
If you have not seen it yet, check out our Facebook page and you will see the hashtag #IlluminateAkiba with some amazing pictures of what is happening at Akiba. We encourage all of you to "Like" the page if you have not yet, share what you like on our Facebook with your friends and family to "illuminate" Akiba and post your own Akiba pictures and stories on your Facebook with the hashtag #IlluminateAkiba. May this year be one of blessing and, with your help, one where we shine the light of Akiba to be seen all around the world!
Shabbat Shalom!
Dr. Eliezer Jones
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This week, the two 7th/8th grade Jewish Thought classes got together to discuss the effects of Hurricane Harvey in Houston. They looked at pictures of the damage and spent some time writing in their journals about how they were feeling and what they could do to help. Then, they had a Skype call with Manya Lazaroff of Texas A&M University to hear first hand what it's like in Houston. The students were able to ask her questions and they are working on a plan for how they can help the people in Houston who have been affected by the storm.
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This past week we have been saying Tehillim (Psalms) for those suffering from the effects of Hurricane Harvey. If you are interested, the OU has set up a way for people to sign up to say Tehillim and deliver messages of support.
There is also a critical need for supplies such as food, clothing and basic necessities, which you can help provide by donating money. JUF of Metropolitan Chicago is accepting donations for Houston and 100% of the donations will be going to help.
If you are interested in volunteering to help the victims of Harvey, Dr. Jones has personally worked with the organization Nechama that responds to disasters on the ground. He is
in touch with people in Houston to find out more about their needs, and the Akiba Chesed Club will come up with more ways on how we can help.
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Akiba-Schechter was awarded a grant from the Jewish Education Innovation Challenge to develop the first and only Research and Development Department in a Jewish Day School. We were only one of two awardees out of fifty proposals. Our R&D Department is designed to address a lack of innovation in Jewish education, which we hope to use to incubate new ideas for Akiba and share with schools around the globe.
This summer the leadership team and a task force of teachers worked with the American School of Bombay R&D Lab creators to begin the work of designing our R&D Department.
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A New Twist on an Old Idea
by Rabbi Holman
This week's Torah reading Ki Tetzei is teeming with Mitzvot - 74 Mitzvot in all! It has the most Mitzvot of any Parsha we read during the year. The Sefer HaChinuch (13th century commentary) explained that
our actions affect our personalities and our behavior. Modern research similarly indicates that the brain itself is malleable, adapting to the input we give it. That, writes the Sefer HaChinuch, is why G-d gave us so many commandments: to inform and develop our character.
This week's Parsha has Mitzvot to return lost objects, help people carry and pick up their belongings, have mercy on the mother bird when we take the eggs, and mitzvot not to cause suffering to animals. Similarly, we give Tzedaka, pray each day, put a Mezuzah on our doors and say Kiddush on Shabbat - surrounding ourselves and creating an environment of Mitzvot.
Similarly, Jewish day school is unique in that it provides an environment of Jewish values and practice to inform and impact our character. It is a place to discuss and explore our heritage and become familiar with Jewish customs and their significance. It is a place to celebrate and take pride in our Jewish identity. Shabbat Shalom!
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It was my pleasure, on our first day of school earlier this week, to walk from classroom to classroom, with my basket of apples. I gave an apple to each teacher
as was the tradition of my first principal many years ago, but I received much more. I took in the sights and sounds of our great teachers and amazing students. After spending a terrific week together learning and preparing, our teachers were lighting up their classrooms with energy and passion.
Everywhere I looked I saw new classroom environments to explore, I heard new questions to ponder, and I noticed new relationships starting to develop. And as I left each apple behind, I hoped my small gesture of support to these teachers would adequately convey just how much our
Akiba-Schechter community appreciates and respects all that they do.
I feel it is a great privilege to be the Interim Principal and leader of this terrific staff.
I look forward to greeting parents at the two upcoming Back to School Nights (Middle School on
9/6 and Lower School on
9/13). These evening gatherings are an important opportunity for parents to meet the teachers and learn about the year's curriculum and expectations. I hope all parents will make every effort to attend.
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Welcome New Teachers and Bnot Sherut!
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Bat El Balson
Ivrit - Kitah Gimmel, Dalet and Middle School
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Chani Harris
1st/2nd grade teacher assistant
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Kelli, Mary Beth and Carla sorting through books in the Green Room.
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Are any of these items yours? Or do they belong to someone you know? They have been on the windowsill by the preschool front desk for a long time. The ipod tells us it belonged to a "Terry" but we don't know one. Please help reunite these items with their owners and get in touch with the
preschool office.
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And on to High School!
Best wishes to our recent graduates as they begin their freshmen year at the following high schools:
Chicago Academy for the Arts
Fasman Yeshiva High School
Ida Crown Jewish Academy
Jones College Prep High School
Kenwood Academy
Niles North High School
Rochelle Zell Jewish High School
Walter Payton College Prep High School
Whitney M. Young Magnet High School
2017 Jewish Federation Annual Meeting
Monday, September 18, 2017
10:00 AM
Hyatt Regency Chicago
151 E. Wacker Dr.
The 10:00 AM business meeting will feature the election of Directors, awards to outgoing Board members, and presentation of the annual Samuel A. Goldsmith Award and the Davis, Gidwitz & Glasser Young Leadership Award. This year our "Inclusion in the Jewish Community" project will be highlighted as well.
The
noon
Luncheon meeting will include the report of the President, Dr. Steven B. Nasatir; guest speaker Dr. Daniel Gordis, Senior Vice President and the Koret Distinguished Fellow at Shalem College in Jerusalem; the presentation of the Julius Rosenwald Memorial Award to Theodore F. Perlman; and special reports.
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Dates to Remember
Monday, September 4
Labor Day
No Classes
Tuesday, September 5
First Day of Kindergarten
Preschool Visitation Day
Wednesday, September 6
First Full Day of Preschool
Wednesday, September 6
8th Grade Mandatory Parents Meeting
6:30 PM
5th-8th Grade Back-to-School Night
7:00 - 9:30 PM
Sunday, September 10
Annual All-School Picnic
3:00 - 5:00 PM
Washington Park (across from Akiba)
Wednesday, September 13
1st-4th Grade Back-to-School Night
7:00 - 9:00 PM
Wednesday - Friday, September 20-22
Rosh Hashana
No School
After-School Programs
beginning week of September 5:
Late Bus, Homework Help, Orchestra
beginning week of September 11:
Drama, Fencing, Israeli Dancing, Robot Coding, Art
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September 1, 2017
Volume 14, Issue 1
Candle Lighting:
7:03 PM
Parasha: Ki Teitzei
Condolences
...to preschool teacher
Lexie Harris
on the passing of her grandfather. May his memory be for a blessing.
J-STEM Programs
...aim to get high quality extracurricular STEM programming to Jewish day school kids, and to underwrite the cost as much as possible.
September 10
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...to Judaics teacher
Alise Gold on the birth of her son Noam Aryeh this summer.
...to
Toibeh Sarah and Esther Devorah Gersten on the birth of their new baby brother Nachum Tzion this summer.
...to former Akiba board member and parent Estie Spero on the birth of her son.
...to Noam (2nd) and Ari Turik (Kindergarten), who got a new baby sister this summer.
...to former Akiba teacher Deirdre Willner-Schreiber on the birth of her baby boy Arthur Samuel (Adir Shmuel).
...to School Matriarch Millie Miller (who will be back next week on Wednesday, serving lunch!) on the birth of a new great-granddaughter Aviva Sulamit.
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...to Elyasheve Amster and his family on his Bar Mitzvah this summer.
...to preschool teacher
Tori Gwin and Day School Teacher
Bat El Ben-Ami who both got married this summer!
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Affiliated with the Associated Talmud Torahs and supported by the Kehillah Jewish Education Fund
773-493-8880
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