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May 11, 2018
כו׳ אייר תשע׳׳ח
Candle lighting for Hollywood 7:40pm
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Fourteenth Annual Journal Dinner
Mazel Tov to the honorees, Mr. and Mrs. Sam and Ilana Reich, Mrs. Tobi Wolf and Mrs. Avital Mizrahi.
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Greetings From The Head Of School
This coming Sunday, May 13th we have the
zchut of celebrating Yom Yerushalayim - Jerusalem Reunification Day. How many of us take going to the
kotel
- the Western Wall - as a given? Yet there was a time that some of us may remember when it was indeed miraculous to hear the radio announcement "Hakotel B'Yadeinu" The Wall is in our Hands. My grandfather, z"l, had gone to Israel in 1966 and was not able to daven at the Wall. When my parents took me on a trip a few years later - upon our return my grandfather was awe-stricken and asked us to please describe the feeling, the sight, the holiness of literally standing at the epicenter of our faith. We have a great deal to be thankful for and we certainly owe a great hakarat hatov to Hakadosh Baruch Hu for the Miracles of the 6 Day War and for the brave Chayalim and Chayalot who fought valiantly so that we could have access to the Kotel.
This week, another historic event will be taking place - the American Embassy is finally moving, officially to Jerusalem, the Capital of Israel.
Rabbi Moshe Lichtman writes that in this week's
parsha right in the middle of the
Tochachah, the Rebuke, the Torah states: "I will make the Land desolate; and your enemies who dwell in it will be desolate upon it" (26:32).
Chazal see this verse as a "silver lining" in the dreadfully dark cloud of Jewish suffering throughout the exile: "This is a good measure. [It means] that the Jews will not say: 'Now that we have been exiled from our Land, our enemies will come and find satisfaction on it.' For [the verse] says: 'And your enemies who dwell in it will be desolate upon it' - even your enemies who come afterwards will not find satisfaction in the Land" (Torat Kohanim [Sifra], ibid.)
It is truly amazing that history has borne witness to the accuracy of the
Midrash. For close to 2,000 years, the land of Israel was indeed desolate. No nation was able to make it flourish, until the Jews began to return around 150 years ago. In the mid 1200's, the Ramban wrote: "Ever since we left it, it has not accepted any other nation; and they all try to settle it, but are unsuccessful." And in the mid 1800s, Mark Twain described the Land as follows: "It is a hopeless, dreary, heart-broken land... Palestine sits in sackcloth and ashes... (The Innocents Abroad, chap. 56).
The fact that this prophecy has come true in our times is more than just historically impressive. According to Chazal, the rejuvenation of Eretz Yisrael is the clearest sign of the imminent redemption (see the words of R. Abba, Sanhedrin 98a, and Rashi's comment, ad loc.) - the Geulah Shelayma.
We have the zechut to be living in a time when the clearest signs of redemption are coming to pass before our very eyes. This privilege, however, comes with some obligations, like appreciating what G-d has given us, being
makir tov, and returning to His Land to help it flourish even more.
Join us on Sunday as we celebrate Yom Yerushalayim and show our appreciation to the Honorees for the wonderful
gemilut chesed, tzedakkah, harbatzat Torah, and living lives, that truly make a
Kiddush Hashem - Mazal Tov to Mr. and Mrs. Ilana and Sam Reich, Mrs. Tobi Wolf and Mrs. Avital Mizrahi.
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Calendar News
Please click here to view the complete calendar and latest news on our website
shaareibina.org
May 13 - Annual Dinner Honoring Mr. and Mrs. Reich, Mrs. Wolf and Avital Mizrachi (Alumna)
May 14 - AP Bio
May 16 - Parent Council Bake Sale and Boutique
May 17 -
Premiere Screening of Names Not Numbers © Holocaust Memorial Documentary produced by the 8th grade.
May 18 - No Sessions - Erev Shavuot
May 21 - No sessions - Shavuot
May 28 - Memorial Day - No Sessions
June 11 -
8th Grade promotional ceremony
June 12 -
12th grade graduation
June 13 - Last Day of School - Noon Dismissal
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Brunch And Learn With Our Principal
Mrs. Tobi Wolf
For the past two weeks, we have been exploring the relationship between
Sefirat Haomer and
Chag Hashavuot. The Rambam (Hilchot Temidim U'Musafim: 8:1) states:
בְּיוֹם חֲמִשִּׁים מִסְּפִירַת הָעֹמֶר.
הוּא חַג הַשָּׁבוּעוֹת. וְהוּא עֲצֶרֶת.
On the fiftieth day of the counting of the Omer. It is the festival of Shavuot. And it is
Atzeret.
What is this idea of "
Atzeret"? We encounter this concept in Bamidbar (29; 35), when the Torah commands us to observe Succot.
בַּיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁמִינִ֔י עֲצֶ֖רֶת תִּהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֑ם כָּל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת עֲבֹדָ֖ה לֹ֥א תַעֲשֽׂוּ׃
On the eighth day, there will be an
Atzeret for you; all work of your occupations you will not do.
In modern Hebrew, לעצר can mean to stop, to be detained or restricted. Rashi quotes a
Medrash that describes Succot as a holiday in which the 70 nations of the world participated. (They were invited to bring offerings to the Temple on Succot.) As everyone is preparing to leave, Hashem says to the Jewish people:
בבקשה מכם עשו לי סעודה קטנה כדי שאהנה מכם:
I ask of you: Make me a small meal so that I can derive pleasure from you.
Succot appears to be a process. A different number of offerings are brought to the Temple on each day, signifying that the sanctity of each day stands on its own. Israel is the host nation, responsible for the sanctification of Hashem's name. The holiday, though festive, comes with obligations It is not so easy to uproot one's designated residence and move to a temporary structure for seven days. But, through the involvement in all the mitzvot, we have an opportunity to reflect on the themes of the festival and to undergo a process of growth and change. When the company goes home, we are ready to resume "normal" life. But then Hashem invites us to stay "for a small meal". Hashem is offering us the opportunity for one more day, when we are not preoccupied with specific obligations of the day and we are not entertaining. As a result of our involvement in Succot, we are able to savor the intimacy of our relationship with Hashem just before the party is over. We are able to experience a
simcha that is the culmination of the prior week of
simcha.
Sefirat Haomer is similarly related to an
Atzeret. We count seven complete weeks. But we don't simply cross the finish line and go home.
Sefirat Haomer is a process. It is a bridge that takes us from the experience of יציאת מצרים to Sinai, where we formalized our exclusive relationship with Hashem. The Rambam tells us that the process begins with the offering of the
Omer, which gives us permission to eat the new grains, חדש, and it ends with the offering of the שתי הלחם on the fiftieth day of Shavuot, which gives us permission to bring offerings of חדש to the Temple. The fiftieth day is an
Atzeret. Hashem is asking us to stop and to join Him for one more day. On this day, we are not preoccupied with mitzvot that are unique to this festival. We are ready for a "small meal", to savor the intimacy of a relationship that began on this day, on a small mountain called Sinai.
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On May 17th, the eighth grade students will be presenting an original documentary film based on their interviews with four survivors.
The students, under the coordination of Rabbi Berkson, worked throughout the year on creating a filmed memorial to the victims and heroes of the Holocaust. The community is invited to the showing which will take place in our MPR at 7:30 PM.
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By Avigail Roth and Leeam Gir
Last wednesday we had a masterchef challenge against the 6th grade class. We were assigned to make shakshuka- which is an israeli breakfast in which an egg is cooked in tomato sauce. We were challenged to speak only in hebrew, and create a delicious dish in the time allotted. This experience helped reinforce the hebrew words and phrases we have been learning in class. It was a great learning experience for us all, where we not only gained skills in the hebrew language, but were able to excel in teamwork. Thank you Morah Ronit for this great opportunity, we really appreciate it. Thank you to the amazing judges, Rabbi Berkson, Mrs Parness, and Mrs Wolf for giving us tips throughout the entire process.
Debbie Nash and Esti Weinberger
כל השנה למדנו על הנושא של אוכל ומסעדות ולמדנו מילות חָשׁוּבות הקשורות לבישול. ככל שהתקרבנו לסוף השנה, המורה שלנו, מורה רונית, רצתה לראות אם נוכל ליישם בפועל את הלמידה שלנו. התמודדנו נגד כיתה ו 'באתגר בישול הנקרא מאסטר שף. היינו אמורות להביא מרכיבים לבשל. הבאנו תבלינים, ירקות, ביצים וכלי מטבח אחרים והכנו צלחת שקשוקה טעימה עם סלט צדדי. התרשמנו מאוד מכך שלמדנו איך לנסח את משפטי הבישול שלמדנו במהלך השנה ולהשתמש בהם בפעולה. זה היה מאוד מספק לראות שאנחנו יכולות להשיג את זה ולהרגיש טוב על הלמידה שלנו. זו היתה חוויה ייחודית שתעזור לנו לזכור את הלמידה שלנו בצורה חיה יותר
Daniela Michaelov and Aliyah Fromme
During this Hebrew course the curriculum focused on food and expressions used in the kitchen. Due to this, our teacher wanted us to have the experience of working with food using the hebrew language. We imitated the TV show , Masterchef, which pins two teams against each other in a cook off. In our version of masterchef, the two teams were , Shakshuka (9th and 10th grade)and Charif Eish (6th grade). We were all responsible for bringing in our own ingredients and cooking utensils. We all got into place and gave out jobs to our teammates. Some girls washed the vegetables, others cut them, and a few cooked. Even under pressure we all worked together, trying our best to speak ONLY in hebrew. We tied in the end and everyone was given a portion of the delicious food. We had a blast! "It was Ptzatza."
במהלך הקורס העברי התמקדה תוכנית הלימודים באוכל וביטויים המשמשים במטבח. בשל כך, המורה שלנו רצה שיהיה לנו ניסיון בעבודה עם מזון בשפה העברית. חיקאנו את תוכנית הטלוויזיה, מאסטרצ'ף, שסובבת שתי קבוצות נגד כל אחת בתבשיל.
Rina Bizalely
הפעילות "מאסטר-שף" שנערכה לפני כשבוע הייתה מאוד מהנה. ערכנו תחרות כיתה ו נגד כיתה ט וי,וכל קבוצה הייתה צריכה להביא מצרכים מהבית לשקשוקה. נבחנו על עבודת צוות,על העברית, ועל תוצאת השקשוקה. במשך התחרות היה טיפה לחץ, אבל בכל זאת נהנינו וצחקנו. כאשר סיימנו, חיכינו לתוצאה מהשופטים והתוצאה הייתה תיקו. אף אחד לא התאכזב והייתה אווירה נהדרת
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Jewish History
Rabbi Berkson
In our 9th grade, Jewish history class, we've been studying the
Shtetls of
Central
and Eastern Europe; a way of living for Jews, that spanned some 500 years, up until the Holocaust
. Students learned about the communal leadership structure of the Shtetl, as well as what life was like for the regular townsfolk, and read a humorous and touching story by Yiddish author Sholem Aleichem. As an capstone experience, we are building a complete model of
Jedwabne
, a Shtetl
in northeast Poland
. Using authentic hand-drawn maps, photographs, and available first-hand descriptions, we are recreating the Shtetl, complete with synagogue,
beit hamedrash,
rabbi's house, market square, stores, cemetery, school, tavern, church, and more. As we do research for the project, we uncover more information about the town, and increasingly draw inspiration from the generations of Jews that lived there.
Jewish life existed in Jedwabne until July of 1941, when a massive Nazi orchestrated pogrom killed
at least 340 Polish Jews of all ages (HY"D)
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Left: A row of houses on the edge of the town
Below: Students sculpting the model's clay pieces
8th Grade English
Ms. Monica Vera
Over the past two weeks, 8th grade students have been introduced to magical realism as a literary genre. By reading short stories that weave supernatural or magical elements into a realistic setting and context, students are trying to determine the ways in which the magical realist genre might shed light on different ways of perceiving reality.
Stories by Gabriel Garcia Marquez encouraged students to ask why "A Very old Man with Enormous Wings" would be kept in a chicken coop, and why Esteban is the name most befitting "The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World". More contemporary stories, like Telinda Gersao's "The Red Fox Fur Coat", helped students understand the overlapping nuances of what's "magic" and what's "real" in a more modern context. The resulting conversations about our responses to these short stories effectively achieved what many magical realist texts are meant to achieve: we were left with more questions than answers.
In order to negotiate the slippery, yet compelling, scope of the magical realist genre, students have begun writing their own short stories, and are sharing them with peers for feedback, suggestions, and open discussion in order to develop upon and improve their ideas. The initial drafting process started off with an idea, which then flourished into the drafts we're sharing with each other in a creative writing round table discussion to finetune final drafts.
The Forgotten Middle
Mrs. Englard
In 2008, ACT conducted a study* to determine the factors that prepare students for college and career. Their research revealed a surprising conclusion:
"There is a critical defining point for students in the college and career readiness process - one so important that, if students are not on target for college and career readiness by the time they reach this point, the impact may be nearly irreversible."
Can you guess what point they found to be so critical?
Read on:
"The level of academic achievement that students attain by eighth grade has a larger impact on their college and career readiness by the time they graduate from high school than anything that happens academically in high school."
This was true not only for content knowledge but also for behaviors that are known to contribute to successful academic performance. Among these behaviors:
· Academic discipline is the degree to which a student is hardworking and conscientious. Do our students invest sufficient effort in completing their schoolwork and engaging in new learning?
· Planning and organization includes thinking about the necessary steps and devising a plan for achieving objectives. Do students have a strong sense of time, organization, and prioritization? Do they use strategic skills to aid in learning new information?
· Follow through and action means students engage in behaviors according to previously set plans and remain engaged until the objective is accomplished in a timely fashion. Do our students assess their own progress throughout a task and act accordingly based on this assessment?
· Sustained effort has students focus on long-term goals and work to achieve individual elements of those goals. Do our students persist despite challenges, remain on task, and manage distractions in order to achieve a goal?
The ACT study highlights the importance of middle school in developing both the foundational content knowledge and behavioral skills that contribute to academic success and college and career readiness. As parents and educators, let us work together to help our middle school students achieve these goals.
*You can read the full report at
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