December 14, 2017
26 Kislev 5778

Parashah Miketz

   Shabbat Candle Lighting 5:04 p.m.

Tammie Rapps
Head of School

Akiba is embarking on an exciting course as we embrace and enact a new strategic plan developed by Akiba's Board of Trustees and administration this past spring. (Check your inboxes over break for an outline of our strategic goals for the next six years.) Independent schools throughout the world create strategic plans to propel their institutions forward and ensure the excellence and viability of their organizations.

In this week's parashah, Yosef models thinking strategically and planning for the future-key leadership skills that secure him a seat in Pharaoh's court. When Pharaoh dreams about fat and skinny cows and then robust and shriveled grain, Yosef interprets the dreams to explain an agricultural-and economic--boom and bust that would befall Egypt. After he interprets the dreams, he sets forth a novel and creative plan for the future; Yosef suggests that the Egyptians store the surplus from the fat years to ensure that the nation can survive the famine and even profit from it. With his strategic thinking, Yosef adeptly secures Egypt's future and sets the stage for Egypt's flourishing economy and culture-and status as a power in the ancient world.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explains the uniqueness of Yosef's abilities. Yosef not only understands someone else's dream, but he also knows how to act upon it. He was able to make Pharaoh's dreams coherent and provide a thoughtful, forward-thinking, and articulate framework for making the dreams come to fruition. Our Akiba Board has emulated Yosef's leadership; through the development and adoption of the new strategic plan, they have coherently and carefully gathered the dreams of our parents, students, faculty, staff, and community and have created a visionary plan of action to keep Akiba moving forward as an engine for Jewish growth in Dallas, for this generation of Akiba students and beyond. 


Mazal Tov to our on-site mashgiach  Barel Maayan and his wife A bigayil on the birth of a baby girl.
 


MORE THAN $457,000 RAISED FOR STUDENTS!
 
 

Thank you to everyone who supported Akiba during the  #whereeverychildmatters campaign . With the generosity of our community, the Rosenberg family, the Schultz family, and bonus round matchers, more than $457,000 was raised for the Akiba Fund to benefit our students. 

We are so grateful that 80 percent of faculty and staff made gifts to our school!  On this Hanukkah, we are especially thankful for the gift of Jewish education. 

Major thanks to our Development Committee of  Talia Rosenberg,   David Goldfarb ,  Josh Hochschuler ,  Rebecca Nussbaum ,  Zvi Drizin  and  David Blank . Nice work,  Lisa Kramer Morgan , our director of development!

EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM
 
This week was all about Hanukkah! We made latkes, threw festive parties and sang and danced in Mr. U's class. Our week was full of light and celebration!

 

IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES

First grade learned about kosher and non-kosher chanukiot in Pninit Lampert's Judaics class.

 

MENORAH MAKERS

In Mamta Mehta's art classes, students worked with clay, designing and building chanukiot.
 
 

CODING...CONTINUES

Just because the "Hour of Code" program ended last week doesn't mean that students are done sharpening their skills. This week, 6th graders visited the Microsoft Store to practice coding.
 
     

Special thanks to Akiba dad and board member David Yalovsky, who taught an "Hour of Code" last week.  Akiba joined  schools throughout DFW  and the world for an "Hour of Code," as part of  Computer Science Education Week . 


STEM LIGHTS UP THE HOLIDAY

In Leidy Luciani's STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) class, 1st grade explored light, reflections and symmetry. Later, 4th graders made Hanukkah cards that light up by using copper tape, batteries and LED lights to create an electrical circuit.

  

BRINGING ISRAEL TO AKIBA

Rabbi Meir Sabo's grandfather, Benzi Rosenberg, stopped at Akiba on a recent trip to Dallas from Israel. While he was here, he spoke to middle school students about life in Tel Aviv and the week's parashah. 

 

 

Lights & Latkes is tonight, so join us for a Hanukkah party and dairy dinner (cholov yisroel) from 5:30-7 p.m. in Pollman Hall. Don't forget your unused, unwrapped toy or book to be donated to Vogel Alcove. 
Akiba Academy provides a superior general and Judaic education to children in preschool through eighth grade. As a Modern Orthodox school, Akiba Academy develops ethical and responsible members of the Jewish people and American society, knowledgeable about and committed to their Jewish heritage and the State of Israel. For more information about Akiba contact  [email protected] .