February 28, 2019 /23 Adar 5779 /
Parashat
Vayakhel/Candle Lighting: 5:30 PM
|
|
We are thrilled to kick off this year’s JKHA PTC fundraising program. This fundraising activity supports the collaborative partnership that JKHA shares with our PTC, who are true partners in facilitating valuable, memorable and impactful programming throughout the school. Pledges bolster these programs and enable new ideas to come to fruition.
|
|
Early Childhood/Lower School
|
|
|
|
Early Childhood and first grade kicked off Read Across America week and celebrated Dr. Seuss' upcoming birthday on 3/2. For the Dr Seuss spirit week, the classes read one of his books each day and had a coordinating fun dress up day! Thank you Mrs. DiGiovanni for coming as a guest reader and to Rabbi Srolovitz for reading the Hebrew version of "Mr Brown Can Moo Can You" alongside the English one to compare the similarities and differences.
|
|
As part of their study of China, first graders spent some time researching the history of the Great Wall of China. They collected facts from different books and some on-line sources. After they completed their research, the students actually built models of the Wall out of different materials in the library. They worked in groups using various materials to build the foundation, the walls, the watchtowers and even the steps of the Wall. After they collaborated and completed the mini-versions, they realized that if it took us so long to build just a small model of the Great Wall of China, no wonder it took the Chinese people so long to build the real thing! We also read the book The Seven Chinese Brothers by Margaret Mahy to remind the students that when they work together, they can do great things!
|
|
|
|
|
Nursery-3 through sixth grade were treated to a special performance of Seussical the Musical by the JKHA Drama Club. After months of practice, 19 students joined together to sing, dance and tell stories in a uniquely Seussian way. This encore performance followed Sunday's special show for families and the greater community.
|
|
Mrs. Swanson’s fifth graders have been working hard learning about coordinate planes. Each student designed a dot-to-dot picture using positive and negative coordinates. As a final project, they put them all together in an activity book. The students are excited to test out and discover each other’s pictures!
|
|
|
|
|
Students in sixth grade have been digging into a study of ancient Rome and the Romans' impact on ancient Judaea. Students have been enjoying learning how Jewish history intersects with world history. By working on timelines, students have been able to contextualize the Jewish rebellion against the Roman Empire. We have discussed the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans, and students are looking forward to reading the account of the event by famous historian Josephus. After we study the zealots' stand at Masada, we're looking forward to learning about Bar Kochba's rebellion and the foundation of Yavneh by Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai in the coming weeks.
|
|
By now you all should have received your log in information for
happypurim.com
to send Mishloach Manot to our wonderful faculty members of JKHA and RKYHS.
Please check any spam and quarantined folders to make sure it did not end up in there.
and enter the email address we have on file for you, and your code will be emailed to you right away.
Thanks so much!
JKHA Middle School Student Council
|
|
We are so proud to have Ali Reich (JKHA '14/RKYHS '18) featured in the "Israel Spotlight" section of the Jewish Link that highlights a different student each week studying in Israel for the year. Read all about her experience this year studying at Midreshet HaRova and see photos of Ali with her fellow RKYHS alumni
here
.
|
|
Congratulations to the RKYHS Chess Team on continuing their winning season with their victory over Ma’ayanot this week, defeating their opponents in all their matches!
|
|
|
 |
Ninth graders participated in a workshop facilitated by Shalom Task Force and SOVRI - Mount Sinai Beth Israel presenters. This workshop provided students with critical skills to understand the health of a relationship and to recognize signs of abuse. The program engaged our students in essential dialogue and delivered vital skills necessary to forming healthy relationships. The topics discussed included Evaluating our Relationships, Boundaries and Personal Comfort, Inappropriate Behavior, Trusting Your Gut, and Getting Help.
Senior Nicole Grunzweig has been working to bring awareness about the issue of dating abuse as part of Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.
|
|
|
|
Eleventh graders had the special opportunity to hear from Rabbi Yaakov Luban, Executive Rabbinic Coordinator of the OU and Rabbi of Congregation Ohr Torah in Edison. Rabbi Luban spoke about the challenges and details involved in certifying items as kosher. Students had the opportunity to ask Rabbi Luban questions on a variety of practical topics related to kashrut and to hear his knowledgeable answers.
|
|
|
|
Twelfth graders welcomed Rabbi Noam Friedman of the JLIC Rabbi at Columbia University. He spoke to the students about some of what to anticipate when they get to college, examples of what they might find themselves faced with and encounter when they graduate and are on a college campus.
|
|
Morah Ben-Guy’s 9th grade Hebrew classes moved beyond the textbook for an interactive PBL unit. The students had to conceive of their own airline that have unique features and characteristics and to explain it all in Hebrew. This interactive project has taught students the difficulties of creating a new company including instructing them on how to anticipate real life challenges, all while utilizing their but growing Hebrew vocabulary. Students worked together to create Hebrew presentations on their respective airlines and to create advertisements marketing their cooperation. By the end of the project, all students improved their Hebrew vocabulary and conversational skills. The experience was not only fun for the students, but also educational, and a creative approach to expanding their Hebrew langauge.
|
|
Mrs. Malashock’s eleventh grade Hebrew students finished learning a unit on sports, the Jewish Maccabia, various types of exercises in the gym, and the importance of maintaining proper physical fitness to achieve a healthy life. Students were asked to choose one type of physical exercise and teach it to the class in Hebrew. Students practiced Yoga, Pilates, working with weights, stretching, jump rope and other exercises. Students enjoyed the ability to have a Hebrew class in the gym and to further develop their spoken Hebrew and vocabulary.
|
|
The Sophomores enjoyed a jam packed night (and early morning!) as a grade at Sophomore Sleep In. After dinner it was off to High Exposure, bowling, and ice skating, then back to RKYHS for more eating and hanging out with classmates!
|
|
Twenty RKYHS students visited the residents of the Lester Senior Housing. The large group were part of the Dovid ben Yitzchak z”l Jewish Elderly program who visit with the residents there on a monthly basis. The residents and students truly enjoy their time together as they play games and get to know one another, developing friendships throughout the continued visits.
|
|
Come Cheer on our JKHA/RKYHS Kushner Cobras at their upcoming games!
The JKHA Boys Middle School Hockey team is playing in the championship game tonight! We wish them luck as they take on RYNJ tonight at TABC at 7:45pm.
The JKHA Middle School girls basketball team is headed to the playoffs! Congratulations on their win over WDS last night and their incredible teamwork.
Can’t wait to cheer them on at their playoff game vs Hillel Saturday night 3/2 at
8:30pm at Hillel
The RKYHS Boys JV Hockey Team is headed to the Championships! Congrats to the team on their playoff win against North Shore. Come cheer them on in the finals on Sunday, March 3rd vs. TABC at the Lawrence Middle School- Lawrence, NY @1:15 PM
The original high school varsity basketball team from the first graduating class in 2001, will be playing against our boys varsity basketball team Saturday night, March 9th at 8:30 PM
|
|
A Look at Torah She B'al Peh in Middle School and High School
|
|
Kushner Torah Videos (KTV)
|
|
|
|
Rabbi Mintz discusses how this week’s parshat teaches us that “There’s no greater feeling than feeling part of the greater.”
|
|
DVAR TORAH VAYAKHEL
MOSHE CALLED THE WHOLE COMMUNITY OF THE BNEI YISRAEL TO GATHER (SHMOT 35:1)
The fact that the entire Jewish people gathered together to hear the
halachot
was attributed to Moshe Rabbeinu. Rav Gedalya Schorr z’l, who was known as the first American Gadol, in his work Ohr Gedalyahu, derives from this verse that Moshe had a certain quality that made this gathering possible.
What was this unique quality?
Moshe was detached from the Bnei Yisrael while they served the Golden Calf. As a result, Moshe remained on the spiritual level of the Jewish people
before
this event. This spiritual level included the unifying force of
Achdut:
a force that does not exist when the people commit a sin.
The reason for this is that when the people have a singular goal of serving Hashem, they are like one single unit. Their connection to Hashem is reflected in each individual soul which is then connected to all other souls. When the Jewish people sin, this unifying force is gone because their connection to Hashem has been severed.
This Shabbat is Shabbat Mevorchim Chodesh Adar Bet, the month of Purim. It is interesting to note that Haman understood how the concept of
achdut
operated. The Rabbis in the Talmud tell us that Haman knew how to slander the Jews more than anyone else, as he said ”
there is a nation dispersed among all the other nations” (Megillah 13b)
How do these words prove that Haman was an expert slanderer?
The Rabbis saw from these words that Haman was aware of the Jewish nation’s hidden essence: If the Jews are dispersed and do not have
achdut,
then they must be involved in sinning. Had they all served Hashem, they would be in a state of
achdut
. Haman realized this and told Achashveirosh that now was the perfect time to strengthen his rule over the Jewish people as they were highly vulnerable while in a state of sin.
The month of Adar has the power to bring about unity in Klal Yisrael. According to the commentaries, the month of Adar is aligned with the tribe of Yosef. Yosef is the only tribe that became two, i.e. Ephraim and Menashe, and Adar is the only month that becomes two in a leap year. Just as Yosef had the power to gather the entire nation and care for them in Egypt, the month of Adar has the power to bring us to unity, uniting us through our Avodat Hashem.
“Mishenichnas Adar Marbim b’Simcha”
May we merit to experience much happiness on a personal level as well as on a communal level in the coming month and beyond!
Shabbat Shalom
Ms. L. Levin
|
|
|
|
|
Mark your calendars! The JKHA Scholastic Book Fair is March 4-10th!
|
|
Mazal Tov to Shira Kaplitt and to Steven and Chevy Kaplitt on Shira's bat mitzvah.
|
|
T
he PTC is looking for a few moms, dads or grandparents to volunteer in the school dining hall. We are primarily looking for help on Wednesdays or Thursdays. Volunteers help serve lunch from 11:30-1:15ish. It's a lot of fun and it's rewarding to see your children or grandchildren during the day. To volunteer, please contact Cheryl Munk at
cherylmunk2@gmail.com
.
|
|
|
|
Discount cards are here! $20 per card. Cards will be available at the school office next week. Venmo @JKHA-PTC or pay via cash or check. Thank you to all the amazing local businesses who have participated!
|
|
We Invite You to Dedicate Our
Children's Torah Learning
at JKHA/RKYHS
If you are interested in sponsoring a Day of Learning, contact Sarah Levinson: slevinson@jkha.org or (862) 437-8001
|
|
If you are interested in dedicating a mezuzah, please contact Lauren Shapiro, Director of Development at
lshapiro@jkha.org
or
(862) 437-8192
|
|
Mazal Tov to Aliza & Yechiel (aka Charlie JKHA '03) Roth on the birth of a baby girl.
Mazal Tov to Tali (Stadtmauer JKHA '98/RKYHS '02) and Izzie Steckler on the birth of a baby boy.
Mazal Tov Shai Adler (JKHA '10/RKYHS '14) on his engagement to Chani Shatzkes.
Mazal Tov to Aviva Geretz (RKYHS '06) and Matis Kleidman on the birth of a baby boy.
Mazal Tov to Eliana Geretz (JKHA '07, RKYHS '11) on her engagement to Zachary Kovach.
|
|
Spread the word to JKHA/RKYHS Alumni!
|
|
The original high school varsity basketball team from the first graduating class in 2001, will be playing against our boys varsity basketball team Saturday night, March 9th. Come cheer them on!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
