One of Heilicher's first-grade pods participated in Tashlich last week. Students gathered leaves and thought about something they had either said or done in the past week, month, or year that they regretted or would like to change. Students threw their leaves into the wind symbolically casting away their wrongdoings. 
For Yom Kippur, two Heilicher students - Myra Berdass, Grade 4, and Mati Ostfield, Grade 5 - wrote their own prayers for the world. They shared these meaningful prayers during the Beth El Synagogue Family Service.

Mati Ostfield (Grade 5)
 
May this year be a year during which we discover the vaccine for COVID. Just as G-d made the ten plagues and G-d stopped them, may G-d help us find a vaccine. אל רפא נא לה is the prayer that Moshe said to G-d for Miriam because she had tzara'at. The definition is.: "please G-d heal her." May G-d heal us as fast as he healed Miriam.

May this year be a year where we have as much fun and joy as we would in-person doing B'nai Mitzvah training. May we be able to get back together this year to services. I wish we could gather like we gathered on Simchat Torah and Har Senai.

May this year be a year where we can see our family and community. May we be able to go to camp and on field trips with friends. May we be able to be like B'nai Israel in the desert traveling and living together.

Myra Berdass (Grade 4)

At my school, Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School, we live by 10 core values and 3 pillars. I have based my prayer for our country off the 3 pillars: Kind, Safe, and Responsible. 

I pray that everyone will be kind to one another no matter how they look, the clothes they wear, or where they come from. 

I pray that everyone feels safe in the world.  I pray that everyone stays healthy and safe during coronavirus.  

I pray that everyone will be responsible to keep the earth clean. I pray that we all feel a sense of responsibility for one another. 

(וְאִם לֹא עַכְשָׁיו, אֶמָּתַי? (אבות א:יד
"And if not now, when?" (Avot 1:14)

The time to learn is now, the time to help another person is now; the time to care for our environment is now; because if we put it off, it may never happen. Amen.

Mark your Calendars
Upcoming School Events
 
  • Thursday, October 1, PTO Schmooze and Zoom, 8:00-9:00 p.m.  
  • Friday, October 2, Erev Sukkot
  • Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, Sukkot 

  • Monday, October 5 - Friday October 9, Distance Learning Week 

  • Saturday, October 10, Shemini Atzeret
  • Sunday, October 11, Simchat Torah
  • Monday, October 12, Minimester 2 Begins
  • Wednesday, October 14-Friday October 16, NO SCHOOL (NO Fall conferences - more info below)
PTO Shmooze and Zoom Tonight

Brush up on your Heilicher History and join the PTO for a fun Trivia game TONIGHT, October 1, 8:00 p.m. for our first Schmooze and Zoom. Come connect with parents old and new. There is even a chance to win some Heilicher swag!

Meeting ID: 874 7987 8657
Passcode: 379565
Celebrating Sukkot

Sukkot, also known as, "Heh-Chag" (THE Holiday) begins at sundown on Friday. Described in the Torah as "Chag Ha-Aseef", the holiday of gathering, this harvest holiday is still central to the agricultural year on Kibbutzim and Moshavim in Israel, along with any other agriculturalists. 

This year, our distance learning week is over Sukkot which means that we will not dwell together in our Heilicher Sukkah. Instead, we would love to see how you are celebrating in your Sukkot at home. Record yourself saying the brachot (blessings) in your sukkah, give a tour of your sukkah, tell a bedtime story in your sukkah, or show the harvest of your garden. Pictures are welcomed as well. Please add to our Flipgrid or post your videos and pictures directly to Heilicher Hallway Chat. 
Distance Learning Week Schedules: October 5-9

As a reminder, please review the Distance Learning Week schedules for each grade level. The attachment is a single spreadsheet with three tabs along the bottom: for grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. Note that these are "live" documents and will be updated as schedules adjust. Therefore, we encourage you to check your children's Distance Learning Week schedules daily for any changes. 

Please note that most of the classes do not have Zoom links embedded, with the exception of school-wide programs. The class- or grade-specific Zoom links will be made available to parents via Seesaw for grades K-2. For grades 3-8, your child should receive Zoom invites via Google calendar invites  from their teachers so that the appointments appear on their personal Google calendars. 
IMPORTANT CHANGE: Conferences and Fall Break Update

We will not be holding in-person or Zoom conferences on Wednesday, October 14, as was originally scheduled. Instead, at the conclusion of Minimester 1, teachers will provide a brief narrative about each individual student - their progress, strengths, and areas to work on. These reports will be sent by email to parents by Monday, October 19. 

There will be NO SCHOOL from October 14-16 for MEA break. 
Weekly All School T'filah and Kabbalat Shabbat

Join us tomorrow - Friday, October 2 - for our Virtual All-School T'filah and Kabbalat Shabbat from 11:00-11:30 a.m. We will gather by Zoom to end the week and to welcome Shabbat together. 

During next week's Distance Learning Week, T'filah will be on Thursday, October 8, at 8:30 a.m., and Kabbalat Shabbat will be on Friday, October 9, at 11:00 a.m. Zoom links for each of these are in the Distance Learning Week Schedule. 

Parents, grandparents, and alumni are all welcome to join! 
Cooking with Chef Liz 

Looking for some new dishes to serve in your Sukkah this year? Join our very own Chef Liz for a cooking demonstration of her Apple Butter and Creamy Squash Lentil Soup.  

Watch the video and try the recipes for yourself. Enjoy!
Pickup Reminders


 

As a reminder, dismissal is from 3:00-3:20 p.m. on Mondays-Thursdays, and 12:30-12:50 p.m. on Fridays. Beginning on Monday, October 12, we will be charging families a late fee of $1/minute. Please plan accordingly and arrive on time. Thank you!

Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School
STAY CONNECTED: