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Mazal Tov to Toibeh Sarah, Yaakov, Netanel and Aaron, who were invited to compete in the National Chidon HaTanach (Bible Contest) finals in New York in April! A special Mazal Tov goes to Aaron and Yaakov. On the qualifying exams, Yaakov scored in the top three of the nation for the 6th/7th grade, and Aaron came in first place nationally for the 8th grade category. A special thank you to Mrs. Schinasi, who has worked so tirelessly to coach and mentor them. We wish them all good luck in New York!
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This past Sunday at the Aqua we had our first annual 72 Society event. The event was a show of appreciation for our terrific supporters. The name "72 Society" comes from that i
n 1972, Akiba South Side Jewish Day School and Solomon Schechter South Side School merged to become Akiba-Schechter. Today, this giving society represents the school's most dedicated friends and stakeholders.
It was a beautiful evening filled with food, music (from the nephew of B.B. King!) and conversation. A special thank you to Dawn and Harvey Loeb for hosting us. We hope you enjoy the pictures from the event
here
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As we head into spring and the Passover holiday, I want to extend our gratitude for the difference our 72 Society members are making for our students. Because of their generosity, our students will continue to enjoy an unforgettable educational experience at Akiba-Schechter.
Shabbat Shalom,
Dr. Eliezer Jones
Head of School
P.S. Please save-the-date and join us for our Akiba-Schechter Run and Brunch fundraiser on Sunday, June 24! More details can be found
here
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All Roads Begin at Akiba-Schechter
By Carla Goldberg, Preschool Director
All roads begin at Akiba-Schechter. I just paid a Shiva call (Shiva are the seven days of mourning after someone passes away) with two other preschool teachers. We went to offer condolences to a former student who is now in his late 20s, and whose father had just passed away. Kindergarten teacher Iris had taught this student when he was two, Yellow Room teacher Angela had taught him in the morning and I taught him in the afternoon when he was four. The woman who opened the door when we arrived was someone we didn't know - but she knew who we were when we said our names. She greeted us with, "Oh, you are from Akiba-Schechter. I have heard such wonderful things about your school."
We hugged our former student, who is now a grown man, and chatted about all the people he is in touch with who went to Akiba. We laughed, told stories and caught up on the lives of many, many former students who are all over the world and making incredible contributions to it. Then in walked another former student with her parents, and we again caught up and reminisced about Akiba, and what an impact it made on so many people's lives. Friendships for young children and for parents begin at Akiba and carry far past the years at school.
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| Preschool afternoon dismissal in "Egypt" |
This got me thinking about how these friendships form and how these communities of children who care about each other and learn together are created every day. These past few days, during our
3:30 PM
dismissal, I witnessed our preschoolers sitting on the hallway benches, surrounded by the "land of Egypt" installation we created. A
s the children sit bundled up in their coats, waiting to be picked up and immersed in the story of Passover, they always start to sing the Passover songs they have been learning, such as "No, no, no, I will not let them go," "And frogs are jumping everywhere," and then "Daiyenu." Their voices get louder and more joyous as they go from song to song. And then one four year old begins to sing the "Four Questions," and they all join in.
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| Moses in a basket installation in the preschool hallway. |
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As teachers we listen, join in and kvell (are proud) of what our students are learning, can share with their families, as well as the stories they learned to retell about Passover. We watch parents enter, sit down and listen or join in with the songs. I love sitting there and contemplating this generation's community we are creating, possibly lifelong friendships that are developing and will reach far into the future, and I see another road beginning at Akiba-Schechter.
Wishing you a Happy Passover, and Shabbat Shalom!
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Passover
By Rabbi Holman, Judaics Director
Hallel is a prayer of praise said in the synagogue on holidays. Strangely, the Hallel at the Seder does not follow any of the usual rules. Why is this Hallel different from all other Hallels? It is the only one said at night. It is the only one said sitting down. At the Seder, we eat a meal in the middle of Hallel. No other prayer allows for such an interruption. It has no blessing at its beginning like other Hallels. Very strange! How do we account for these deviations?
The answer lies in the Haggadah text that "we must view ourselves as if we actually left Egypt." As we experience the rituals of the Seder, tasting Matzah and Maror - slavery and freedom, dipping twice in salt-water "tears," reclining like nobility, and reading the story - our goal is to reach this feeling that we actually left Egypt. What would you do if you were a newly-freed slave? Spontaneously blurt out a Hallel, praising G-d without parameters of how or when it should be said, and celebrate with a festive meal full of song and joy. (Netziv, R. Hai Gaon)
May we all attain this pure feeling of gratitude this Passover season!
Chag Sameach!
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The Lime Room had a blast doing Passover yoga with Kristine. The kids floated down the river and did lots of different animal poses.
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Oh, the wonders of entering Egypt (in the preschool hallway)!
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On Thursday the Kindergartners practiced for their Model Seder. Here they're singing "Avadim hayinu" (We were slaves) and pass around heavy bricks!
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21st Century Ways to Convince Pharaoh...
After reviewing the story of Passover, the Kindergarten teachers decided to give the discussion of the Ten Plagues a little 21st century twist, and posed the following question to the children: "What could Moses and the Jewish people have done or said to Pharaoh to convince him to let them go free, only using the power of persuasion and without the punishments of the ten plagues?" Read on how the Kindergartners convinced Pharaoh!
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| Mrs. Schinasi's Kitah Bet has been busy learning all about the Passover Holiday. They are learning about the exodus from Egypt, the house of bondage. They discussed the hard life the Hebrews had as slaves in Egypt and how with the help of Moses and G-d's mighty arm they became free people. The students are preparing for their Model Seders. They are learning about the order of the Seder, the symbols on the Seder Plate and the Brachot. They have also been practicing many Passover songs, as you can see in the above picture. |
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Mr. Millner's Language Arts class
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Global Citizen Check-In
Mr. Millner recently had his 5th/6th grade Language Arts students perform a self-evaluation on various areas of the class that might not fit into the traditional definition of "Language Arts" but are crucial to the development and success for students and their ability to function in the world as a "global citizen." They answered a confidential survey to evaluate themselves and then met with Mr. Millner one on one to debrief and set goals. See what questions they answered and learn more
on our blog...
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The 3rd/4th graders in Mrs. Leonard's class proudly earned their gold Olympic medals for reading a large amount over the past month. The kids also enjoyed decorating their gorgeous medals. This culminated their unit on the Winter Olympics. The students each learned about an Olympic sport and created Google Slide presentations to share with the class. They also had a fun "Potato Olympics" in class. They are great sports
!
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Mrs. Basa's Math classes celebrated Pi Day (3.14) on March 14th (3-14)!
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Pastry chef and Akiba parent Sheila Auslander baked cookies with the 7th/8th graders to sell at the musical performance on Sunday to raise funds for their trip to Israel.
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The students who read the most during the Hebrew reading contest were treated to dinner at Milt's this week.
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by Thea Crook
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| Mrs. Crook with Mr. Salk's class on another occasion |
One of the wonderful things about our library is that we can use it for all sorts of wonderful things. This past week, a group of 7th and 8th graders worked with me to scour the Internet to find free fabric and wool for our Maker Space. They were stunned at how much was available at no charge. They were excited that we would be purchasing sewing machines soon so that they could start making toys, blankets, quilts, cushions and aprons. I am so proud of their enthusiasm and their willingness to try and make the world a better place.
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1st and 2nd grade artists created fun origami jumping frog puppets.
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Dress Rehearsal for Fiddler on the Roof
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Thursday brought lots of excitement with the dress rehearsal of this year's school musical, Fiddler on the Roof, but we are ready. If you didn't make Friday's performance, we'll see you Sunday!
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Catch Sunday's Performance of Fiddler on the Roof! 
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Don't forget complimentary
bagel breakfast for 3rd-8th grade parents
before Sunday's performance (9:00 - 10:00 AM) at Kenwood Academy!
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Save the Date to Honor Barb Simon:
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Thank you to our donors who are already participating in Create a Jewish Legacy.
Find out more about making planned gifts and bequests here.
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Condolences & Shiva
...to alumnus Benjamin Postone and his family on the passing of his father, Moishe Postone, whom we will always remember as an active Akiba parent. May his memory be for a blessing.
Last Shiva: 3/23, 4-6 PM @ Postone residence, 5626 S. Dorchester, #3
Bottle Caps Update
We received a nice
thank you letter from Prairie State College where we sent our bottle cap collection to help with their goal of collecting 50 contractor size garbage bags of bottle caps to be recycled into a bench that will benefit their Kids at College Summer Program. And they will consider
dedicating it in memory of Millie Miller once they have the bench!
School's Out, JCC Is In!
More info on Hyde Park JCC Spring Break program.
ATT Summer Program
It's time to register for the Nathan & Shirley Rothner ATT Summer Program. Have your child experience an awesome summer. Make new friends, learn new skills and develop talents with sewing, drama, sports, art, science, rocketry, dance, cooking, magic, robotics, self-defense, computer programming, daily trips and more. For more information call Susan Feuer/Shelley Stopek at 773-973-2828,
www.att.org
to view brochure and apply online.
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Dates to Remember
Sunday, March 25
10:00 AM
Kenwood Academy
5015 S. Blackstone Ave, Chicago
Get tickets here ($12 in advance; $15 at the door)
Wednesday, March 28
Passover Break Begins
Monday, April 9
School Resumes
Thursday, April 12
Yom HaShoa
(Holocaust Remembrance Day)
School in Session
Wednesday, April 18
Yom HaZikaron (
Israel Memorial Day)
School in Session
Thursday, April 19
Yom HaAtzmaut
(Israel Independence Day)
School in Session
Annual Jewish Day School Night
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
7:00 PM Registration
7:15 PM Dessert Reception & Program
Featuring David Lieberman, Ph.D., award-winning author and internationally recognized leader in the fields of human behavior and interpersonal relationships.
Holiday Inn North Shore
5300 West Touhy Avenue
Skokie, IL 60077
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March 23, 2018
Volume 14, Issue 14
Candle Lighting:
6:46 PM
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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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