Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16:1-16:34)

The Torah reading for Yom Kippur describes the ritual for purification of the mishkan (tabernacle). The Kohen Gadol (the High Priest) takes two identical goats and places a goral (a lot or marker) on each. One goat is sacrificed to God, and the other, carrying the sins of the people, is sent out into the wilderness to die (Lev. 16:8-10). Ibn Ezra (a 12th-century Spanish commentator) claims identical goats are chosen as a reminder: the impulse to sin and the impulse to do good live side by side within us.

The verses describe an ancient ritual while also making an oblique but important statement about sin. The Torah doesn’t describe explicitly what a goral is, but states clearly that one is placed upon each goat. One goat’s role is to carry the goral to atone for the sins of the people. Sin, then, is not an inherent (or “original”) attribute; it is an added burden that is carried.

The destruction of the Temple forces the rabbis of the time to shift Yom Kippur’s focus from national to individual purification. This is accomplished by acknowledging the burden we’ve been carrying (our imperfections, called sins in religious language) and our plan to drop them off and be rid of them (called atonement or repentance in religious language). In simple terms, Yom Kippur asks us to examine and improve our behavior. On a deeper level, Yom Kippur asks us whether we choose to be slaves to our behavior, or whether we choose to be masters of our behavior. Ultimately, it’s up to us. 

G’mar Chatimah Tovah/A Good Signing and Sealing

Dr. David Ackerman (Doc)

Torah Thoughts from Doc

Read a brief message about this week's Torah portion, Parashat Vayeilekh. Why does Vayeilekh refer to the Torah as a song?

Mark Your Calendars!

• Tuesday, October 4 - NOON EARLY DISMISSAL: Erev Yom Kippur — NO LUNCH
• Wednesday, October 5 - NO SCHOOL: Yom Kippur
• Thursday, October 6 - Instrumental Music Program Parent Info Meeting, 7 p.m., Beit Knesset (details below)
• Monday, October 10 - NO SCHOOL: Sukkot
• Tuesday, October 11 - NO SCHOOL: Sukkot
• Sunday, October 16 - Gradewide Sukkah Parties (information below)

View the full Heilicher calendar online

Key Dates for 2022-2023

Middle School Fall Assessments

Providing for the highest level of academic growth involves many factors, such as lesson planning, curriculum resources, and teacher preparation. Another factor is effective and useful assessment data. Teachers collect data from a variety of sources: listening to and observing students, reviewing student work, and providing responsive planning for instruction.

The primary purpose of assessment at this time of year is to understand student strengths, skills, and areas for growth. Also taken into consideration are existing data, disruption to learning time, and students' emotional well-being. In consultation with the middle school team, we have decided to administer the following assessments:

Grade 6: All sixth graders will take the FastBridge Math and Reading screener. These computer assessments take about 30 minutes and will be in the classroom. Tests will be administered in low-stress environments over the next two weeks, and your child's teacher will share their test times with you.

Grades 7 and 8: All seventh and eighth graders will take the MAP Language Usage and Reading tests. These take approximately 45-60 minutes and will be administered in the Idea Lab.

Please contact Director of General Studies Jackie Smith with any questions.

Register for October Swimming

If your student is participating in swimming through the JCC — or wants to join the lessons or swim team — remember that registration is monthly. See our athletics page for more information and to register for October.

Join Dr. Dan for an Instrumental Music Program Meeting

Heilicher is looking at available options to be able to offer a more robust instrumental music program. Please join Dr. Dan Ahlstrom Thursday, October 6, at 7 p.m. in the Beit Knesset to learn more and help us gauge interest.

You're Invited: Gradewide Sukkah Parties Are Back!

Throughout the day on Sunday, October 16, various Heilicher families will host sukkah parties for individual grades, as well as a couple combined grades. By now, you should have received an invitation for the parties. If you have not, please see the Roar sent to your email for details. RSVP directly to your party host family so they can best plan for each party. Many thanks to the party hosts for inviting us into their sukkot!

Join Us for the Heilicher Annual Benefit!

Celebrate with us as we dance the night away and reconnect as a community. The Benefit honoring Wendy Lovell-Smith and Colin Smith will take place Sunday, November 20, at 5 p.m. at Beth El Synagogue. RSVP for an evening of entertainment and inspiration, while supporting our amazing school.

Parent ID Card Hours

Please note that your parent ID cards give you building access through the main (south) entrance of the JCC during school and HaBonim hours only, 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m, Monday-Friday.

Volunteer Opportunities

Sign up to help with All-School Lunch and/or All-School T'filah.

• All-School Lunch: Help set up and clean up our all-school lunch on Wednesday(s) in the auditorium 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

• All-School T'filah: Help us set up for all-school t'filah (prayer) Monday(s) in the theater 8:15-9 a.m. 

Grade-level volunteer opportunities will be sent out by room parents.

Give to Heilicher When You Shop Amazon

You can shop Amazon and generate funds to help support Heilicher! Simply go to smile.amazon.com and choose Heilicher as your charity. For no extra fee, 0.5% of your payment on eligible products will go to Heilicher. It's a great and easy way to help the school.