November 16, 2017
28 Cheshvan 5778

Parashah Toldot

   Shabbat Candle Lighting 5:07 p.m.

Orly Fass, K-8 Pedagogical Coordinator & Jewish History Teacher
 
Parashah Toldot starts with Yitzchak and Rivkah praying for a child and much of the subsequent Parashah is about the differences and tensions between Yitzchak and Rivkah's twins, Yaakov and Esav. Even during Rivkah's pregnancy, the children "struggled within," causing Rivkah to seek Hashem's help. Rivkah learns that the twins she is carrying will indeed become rivals and one is destined to rule over the other. Esav and Yaakov are finally born and they turn out to have opposite dispositions; Esav is an outdoorsman and a hunter while Yaakov is mild-mannered and prefers to learn in the Yeshivot of Shem and Eber.
 
  Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch takes a critical look at the following pasuk:

 
The first two words state that the "children grew up." According to Rav Hirsch, for the first 13 years of their lives, Yitzchak and Rivkah parent and educate their twins in the same manner despite the boys' obvious different personalities. Their approach works for Yaakov, and he consequently became a righteous man who lives the values he was taught. However, Yitzchak and Rivka's methods do not work for Esav, who is an "Ish Yodeah Tzaid Ish Sadeh" (A hunter and a man of the field). While Yaakov thrives, Esav wants to get out and experience nature, and ultimately turns away from the values that his parents teach him.
 
This lesson is very much pertinent to our parenting and to the way we educate our students. The Mishlei introduces the concept of "Chanoch La'naar al pi darko," that one must educate a child in a way that is most effective for his or her temperament. Every child is unique, and as parents and teachers, we are obligated to instruct our children in the way that best matches their individual needs.
 
This idea is at the heart of differentiated instruction and is exemplified in Akiba's Second Pillar: Al Pi Darko. Equal education does not mean that each student gets identical instruction, but rather that each student gets what he or she needs in order to learn. We strive to respect the individuality of our students by taking the time to get to know each student and what motivates and makes each student special.  We then guide each child to love Torah and learning in a way that makes sense for that child. What works for one child will not necessarily work for another, the way that Yitzchak and Rivkah's instruction was perfect for Yaakov but not his brother.
 
Mazal tov to the Zack family on welcoming twins, a baby girl and boy. 

 
PLEASE NOTE: AKIBA RECEPTION DESK

Please note, Cheryl Sulski will be out of the office in South Africa taking care of personal matters from Monday, Nov. 20, through Thursday, Nov. 30. Please be patient when calling the school early in the morning or when making requests as coverage at the reception desk between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. may be minimal. Please know that the other staff in the office will be available to assist with urgent matters.

EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM
 
This week in Early Childhood, students experienced learning in so many ways!
  • Through nature walks all over our beautiful campus
  • With peg boards to practice counting
  • By sharing blocks to show kindness to classmates
  • Collecting fall leaves to work on organization and making observations
 

THANKING VETERANS

In Hilary Stern's 1st grade class, students read a book on Veteran's Day called "A Paper Hug" by Stephanie Skolmoski, about a child who slips a homemade "paper hug" into her father's bag when he is called to duty in the Armed Forces. First graders designed their own "paper hugs" to send to soldiers currently serving in the military. They wrote personal messages on paper cutouts to thank the men and women for serving our country. 

 

THANK YOU, JEWISH FEDERATION!

Major thanks to the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas for awarding Akiba a Community Impact Grant to help elevate STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) learning at our school. Through this grant, we've been able to create an Innovation Studio and acquire a 3D printer, two sets of robots, Chromebooks and more. Our students? They're getting more experience with coding and computer science and sharpening their critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and collaboration efforts around real-world challenges. We are #FedProud!

 

WORLD-CLASS PROJECT

Students in Susan Landry's 5th grade class are researching an assigned country to create projects for Grandparents and Special Friends Day. Landry worked in tandem with Orly Fass, K-8 Pedagogical Coordinator, to create a project that incorporates group work, research and creativity. Students are conceiving and writing menus, and providing hors d'oeuvres appropriate for their assigned country.  
 

SHARSHERET EVENT INSPIRES STUDENTS

Mina Rachel Pulitzer '08 recently spoke to 8th grade students from Ann & Nate Levine Academy and the Akiba middle school about losing her mother and aunt to breast cancer. At Akiba's Think Pink event, students also heard from organizer Lizzy Rosenberg Greif, who lost her sisters Sheri and Margot, Mina's mother, to breast cancer. 

The personal stories shared at the event left a lasting impression.

"My oldest son Boaz is a typical 6th   grade boy, a kid that is obsessed with sports and shares limited bits and pieces about anything school related," explained Akiba mom Amy Adler. "However, after he attended the assembly he started to get emotional as he re-told me what he had heard. He remarked about how sad he was for the families and how brave Lizzy and Mia were to speak to the students so openly and honestly about something so painful. This casual sharing in the car on the ride home triggered a beautiful conversation about illness and loss. I tried to frame it to him that while we don't understand why things happen, that we have a sacred responsibility to be kind and empathetic to those that are in the midst of hardships and to always be aware that every person has a story."

Students also learned about ways they could volunteer and make a positive impact through Sharsheret,  a non-profit that supports Jewish women with breast cancer.
   
 

Front row, from left: Ann Rosenberg, Mina Rosenberg Pulitzer, Ruthy Rosenberg, Tali Rosenberg and David Waks. 
Back row, from left: Sharsheret's Elana Silber, Tammie Rapps, Sharsheret's Shera Dubitsky and Lizzy Rosenberg Greif.


 

Get your Akiba spirit shirts to wear with uniform bottoms every Friday!
Even if you did not order by the deadline, we have extras while quantities last. Youth XS-L are $8, Adult S-XL are $10. Pick up shirts in the atrium this Friday, Nov. 10, 8:15-8:45 am. Please email akibapto@gmail.com  with questions.

Preschool Thanksgiving Feasts are Nov. 20 and 21. Sign up
here to help set up, serve and clean.
 
Lunch VolunteersSign up  to help serve hot lunch  here .