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The Purple Room is beginning to think about the upcoming Akiba fundraiser in honor of their teacher Barbara Simon's! The event will take place on Sunday, June 24, and the money raised will support educational programming, professional development and curricular innovation - all of which will allow Akiba to grow and thrive.
The Purple Room hopes all families will SIGN UP for the event and/or become a SPONSOR and/or BUY an AD for the ad book!
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In 1990, after two years of research, the Commission on Jewish Education in North America released a report titled "
A Time To Act
" calling for the need to strengthen the profession of Jewish education and increasing community support for Jewish learning. On June 12th, 1990, Isadore Twersky, the late professor of Hebrew literature and philosophy at Harvard University, presented this report and in doing so stated:
"Our goal should be to make it possible for every Jewish person, child or adult, to be exposed to the mystery and romance of Jewish history, to the enthralling insights and special sensitivities of Jewish thought, to the sanctity and symbolism of Jewish existence, and to the power and profundity of Jewish faith. ... Education, in its broadest sense, will enable young people to confront the secret of Jewish tenacity and existence, the quality of Torah teaching which fascinates and attracts irresistibly. They will then be able, even eager, to find their place in a creative and constructive Jewish community."
Tomorrow night we celebrate the Jewish holiday of Shavuot which commemorates the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai. However, we are not only remembering the gifting of this sacred text but, like most Jewish holidays, we are also meant to relive it. That reliving is one of choice. The Jewish people chose the Torah when offered and it is a choice to continue to renew that commitment thousands of years later. Every day we decide how we want to engage with Jewish learning, the Jewish community, and the world. For many of our families, we have chosen to commit to Jewish education and, like our ancestors at Mount Sinai, actively accept the Torah. We decide to make it possible for our children to be "exposed to the mystery and romance of Jewish history, to the enthralling insights and special sensitivities of Jewish thought, to the sanctity and symbolism of Jewish existence, and to the power and profundity of Jewish faith." By doing so, Shavuot is not a holiday just commemorating Matan Torah (giving of the Torah). It is our Matan Torah that is happening right now.
I want to wish all of you and your families a wonderful Shavuot and may this year only prove to strengthen Jewish education and the community support for it.
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach,
Dr. Eliezer Jones
Head of School
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As with any position, being the Principal comes with responsibilities and privileges. While I had a pretty good sense of what those responsibilities and privileges might be, every day has brought with it the potential for new and unexpected challenges and opportunities. But there is one unexpected privilege I have been relishing in these last few weeks. As the sixteen 8th graders prepare for graduation, they each chose to continue the Akiba-Schechter tradition and write a speech to recite in front of their peers, family, friends and teachers. (You are all invited to come to our very special graduation on June 10 at 4pm)! I have the privilege, both as their homeroom teacher and Principal, to see the first drafts and to work with each student to edit and refine their words.
These conversations have been a gift to me for many reasons. I get to sit with each 8th grader, one-on-one, and listen as they reflect on their years at Akiba. While many of them are excited for high school, they are full of mixed emotions as they think about leaving Akiba -- for some, the only school they've ever known. They crack up relaying funny stories and memories, and they assume tender and serious expressions as they try to articulate what they appreciate about Akiba. And in every one of these conversations I am struck by a single, common thread. These students are tremendously grateful for being heard, being cared for, being appreciated, and being known by their teachers. It has been heartwarming and rewarding for me to hear student after student say, "My teachers really listen to me and help me." "My teachers know me better than I know myself sometimes." It's wonderful to know that we really do teach students, and not subjects.
Shabbat Shalom,
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Shavuot - Megillat Ruth
By Rabbi Holman, Judaics Director
During a time of famine, the rich Elimelech took his wife Naomi and his two sons, abandoned Israel and his people to live in Moav, where his sons married Moabite women, one of which was Ruth.
Eventually, Elimelech and his two sons died, and Naomi decided to return to Israel, dejected and penniless.
Her daughter-in-law
Ruth accompanied Naomi and converted to Judaism.
For food, Ruth would go out to the fields to glean the fallen stalks left by the workers so Naomi should not be put to shame.
Ruth happened upon the field of Boaz, a relative of Elimelech, who showed her kindness despite her foreign heritage.
Naomi played "matchmaker," and in the end Boaz married Ruth, who eventually became the great-grandmother of King David.
Why is this Megillah read on Shavuot, the holiday of receiving the Torah?
Rabbi Akiva once said that the Torah can be summarized as "Love your neighbor as yourself," and Ruth's story is filled with lessons of kindness - the unfortunate consequence for the unkind Elimelech, the beautiful kindness Ruth showed to Naomi, and the kindness that Boaz showed Ruth.
On this holiday of Torah, may we be inspired and grow in its wonderful, timeless values.
Chag Sameach!
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The Afternoon Explorers Boutique sold handmade soaps, bookmarks, journals, bracelets, and necklaces -- all kinds of beautiful things created by the children. Proceeds will go towards planting a tree in Millie's honor at the Point.
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Ready!Set!Go! embraces spring. The kids made a mural of the flowering tree outside their window.
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Children in the Blue Room are working on tracing painted lady butterflies before they let go their guests and release them outside.
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| In Mr. Salk's 1st/2nd grade, Isaac and Ron Lev are making constellations as part of their outer space studies. |
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| Mazal tov to Kitah Alef, who wrapped up their studies with a wonderful Siyyum on Wednesday. |
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| Kitah Bet is very busy and excited learning about the holiday of Shavuot. They are learning that during this time the people of Israel gathered around Mount Sinai to receive the ten commandments and all the Mitzvot. Bnei Israel answered in one voice: We shall listen and obey! The students also are learning the story of Megilat Ruth, singing songs about Shavuot, and writing their own ten commandments as a class project. |
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| In Mrs. Esse's 3rd/4th grade, students built carnival machines in a science unit with Ms. Rodin. One stipulation was not to buy any new materials. |
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Morah Dorit's 5th/6th graders working on Hebrew synonyms, trying to find as many as possible.
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| Last fencing meet with 8th Aaron who's leaving for Israel and then graduating soon! |
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| The Lag B'Omer Color War happened on Monday, May 7 and the weather turned out perfect! |
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| The "Light Pink" team from Color War |
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Eitan Amiel and Sarah Rodin will be chaperoning the 8th graders trip to Israel this year.
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Getting Ready for the 8th Grade Israel Trip
Sarah Rodin wears many hats at Akiba-directing the school musical, teaching science in 3rd/4th grade, monitoring the late-afternoon bus, so it comes as no surprise that she'll be one of the chaperones on our 8th graders' upcoming trip to Israel. Turns out she has ample experience leading trips like that as she has been on three Ta'am trips so far, when the JUF takes 180 8th graders to Israel every year. For middle school math teacher Eitan Amiel, chaperoning this trip will be a first. He says, "Everything at Akiba is a professional development opportunity for me." Traveling to Israel, however, won't be a first for him as he has spent every summer there as his father hails from Jerusalem.
While they did inherit the tried and true itinerary from previous 8th grade Akiba trips, they did adjust it a little, working with our longtime Israeli tour operator Tlalim. One new destination will be an archeological dig in Emek Tzurim, close to Jerusalem. "We're going all over," says Eitan, "from the Dead Sea and Masada and Ein Gedi to Rosh Hanikra and Tzfat and the Kinneret. It'll be so interesting to see how the kids react to the country I know so well." Indeed, the first-time effect is why Sarah loves taking youngsters on these trips: "For most of them it is the first time in Israel. So, to stand next to them when they get to the Kotel for the first time, is truly an amazing experience, and that's why I love doing this."
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| The 8th graders - going to Israel soon! |
A pre-Israel trip to the Consulate General to the Midwest and Akiba parent, Aviv Ezra's office. We learned about the Consulate's role in US - Israel relations.
Thank you for the warm welcome.
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Yom Yerushalayim Celebration
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The Kotel and right next to it, as in real life, the Muslim Quarter, where students could paint white "domes" golden to recreate the Dome of the Rock.
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Of course, the Shuk was the busiest station.
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5th/6th grade art students have been learning to embroider. They came up with designs and are finishing them with colorful thread.
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7th/8th grade art students are continuing to work with clay at the Hyde Park Art Center. Extruding, painting, wheel throwing, and glazing are all going great!
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Participate in our Annual Fundraiser! 
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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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Akiba-Schechter Receives $53,669 Distribution from the Jewish Day School Guaranty Trust Fund
We are happy to announce that for school year 2018-19 we will receive a distribution of $53,669 from the Jewish Day School Guaranty Trust Fund, a program of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.
The Jewish Day School Guaranty Trust Fund is an unprecedented community-wide effort to help meet the critical needs of the seventeen JUF/Jewish Federation supported day schools: tuition assistance, academic programs, teacher benefits and after-school activities. These unrestricted funds are granted on a per-capita basis and are in addition to the Federation's annual allocation to our school.
Since this endowment fund began making distributions in 2003, Akiba-Schechter has received a total of $641,816 and over $18.8 million has been granted to the 17 schools with a total of $1,531,295 being distributed for school year 2018-19. We want to thank the over 230 generous donors who made this possible, and a special thank you to the JUF/Jewish Federation for its ongoing commitment, support and partnership.
Gifts to the Trust Fund, are considered commitments to the Federation's Centennial Campaign and are over and above the donors' annual gifts to the Jewish United Fund and to the individual day schools they may support. For more details on the Jewish Day School Guaranty Trust Fund program, contact the Jewish Federation's Legacies and Endowments Department at
312/357-4853 or email
[email protected]
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Refuah Shleimah
...to preschool teacher
Melinda Deegan and
Adyra Jones (6th). We wish them speedy and smooth recoveries!
Congratulations
Volunteers Needed
...for the Greater Chicago Jewish Festival on Sunday, June 10, 2018. There are multiple time slots available. The festival has food, music, activities for kids, and more. Let's make Akiba's presence known at this fantastic event! Please contact Kelli Harris.
Summer Camp at the Knuckleball Academy
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
Monday, May 21
Shavuot (2nd Day)
No School
Monday, May 28
Memorial Day
No School
Tuesday & Wednesday, May 29 & 30
7th Grade Trip to Springfield, IL
Wednesday, May 23 - Tuesday, June 5
8th Grade Trip to Israel
Monday, May 28
Memorial Day
No School
Tuesday, June 5
Kitah Bet Siyyum
8:30 - 9:20 AM
Wednesday, June 6
Last Day of School for Preschool & Kindergarten
12:00 PM Dismissal
Friday, June 8
Last Day of School for Grades 1-8
12:00 PM Dismissal
Sunday, June 10
8th Grade Graduation
4:00 PM
@ Congregation Rodfei Zedek
Monday, June 11
Preschool Summer Program Begins
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May 18, 2018
Volume 14, Issue 17
Candle Lighting:
7:48 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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