Admissions season for the 2023–2024 school year is underway! If you have another child who you are interested in enrolling for the first-time next school year, please fill out the application now. Siblings are given first priority to open spots as long as applications are in by December 14. If you have any questions regarding the new sibling application process, please reach out directly to Admissions Director, Fannet Nater at fnater@berenacademy.org

This week students in Morah Clara's ECE3B class learned all about Thanksgiving by counting feathers, learning about the bird's life cycle, and how the President pardon's a turkey each year. The class spoke about Fall and made leaf puppets. While finishing up their unit on Bikkur Cholim (visiting the sick) the class had a good time video calling a friend who was home feeling under the weather. They enjoyed doing such a special mitzvah all together.

On Monday, November 21 students in Mr. Stanulonis's advanced and on-level, 11–12 English courses will have an opportunity to speak with Dr. Patrick Deneen, professor of political science at Notre Dame University, about his book, Why Liberalism Failed. Deneen's book has received international acclaim since it was published in 2018, having been translated in over twenty languages, with Deneen himself becoming a highly sought expert for interviews and podcasts around the world. This is a unique opportunity for students to engage with an actual scholar and wrestle with some of the deepest principles that undergird the American - and more broadly - the Western liberal order. 

On Monday, RMBA lower and upper school students dedicated a day of learning in commemoration and celebration of the life and legacy of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"tl. Rabbi Sacks was one of the greatest Jewish thinkers, teacher of Torah, and leader of our generation. To mark his 2nd yahrzeit (anniversary of death) students participated in a school-wide tefillah, followed by breakfast generously sponsored by the Barvin family. UOS's Rabbi Sprung addressed the students speaking about the life of Rabbi Sacks. Lower and Middle school students were then paired together for group learning where they studied a section from Parshat Vayeshev when Yaakov thought that Yosef had died and refused to be comforted because he didn't want to give up hope. Students analyzed and meaningfully discussed the texts with each other. High school students participated in one on one learning and also lead their own groups discussing Rabbis Sacks' Torah.

Last week lower school students participated in the Global Shabbat Project initiative which was first introduced in South Africa in 2013 and aims to bring Jews from all walks of life and levels of observance to keep one Shabbat, celebrated in a spirit of global Jewish unity. Students in K–5th did a deep dive in their learning about Shabbat and enjoyed a special Friday oneg of singing with Rabbi Johnny Ouzzan and his guitar. On Motzei Shabbat, RMBA partnered with UOS and Bnei Akiva and hosted the community under the stars for a beautiful and inspirational musical havdallah led by Dr. Trent Gluck and Nava Teller. After havdallah, families were invited to warm up by making delicious smores and enjoyed a crafting activity making their own havdallah sets to bring home.

Last night about 25 people gathered at the Jewish Federation's Hineni listening forum held at RMBA for parents and alumni to get to the heart of the matter and discuss what each individual's aspirations are for Houston's Jewish community now and in the future. The evening was led by Elyse Freed, Federation's Communications Manager and RMBA parent, with the assistance of parent Steven Plumb and Alumna Talia Saghian Morrow (Class of 2009). If you were not able to make last night's meeting, we highly encourage you to attend one of the many conversations happening over the next two months to have your voice heard! Subjects which were discussed at the RMBA forum included affordability of Jewish day school and life, support for students with special and additional learning needs, increasing orthodox life on college campuses in Texas, and community programming for pre-teens and teens (social and educational). To sign up to participate please click here.

Students in Kindergarten through 5th grade, and the greater RMBA community, are invited to participate in RMBA's annual Menorah Building Competition! We are so excited to see our students express themselves creatively! What is required you ask? Submissions should represent a kosher Menorah which must have 8 candles and a shamash which is offset (on a higher or lower plane, or to the side from the rest of the candles). The 8 candles must all be of equal height and in a straight line. The menorah should be one that can actually be used and lit (not a drawing). Menorahs are due by December 13 and grade level winners will be announced on December 16. All menorah submissions outside of K–5th will be placed in a separate category. Extra points will be awarded to menorahs that incorporate a star theme. Our most important requirement though is to please have lots of fun! This is an optional project!

In honor of Parshat Chayei Sarah, students in Morah Aviva's ECE4 class created their own wells- “B’eier”. The class focused on the special Middah of Chesed which means kindness by sharing with each other during centers and using kind words when communicating with one another. The class is also diligently working on counting skills, number identification, and patterning skills with new fish counting mats.

This week students in Morah Sandy's ECE3A class learned about parshat Chayei Sarah. In her life she was such a tzaddeket (righteous woman)— her challah stayed fresh for a week, her Shabbat candles stayed lit all week, and Hashems’s shechina (essence) stayed over her tent. After she passed away, none of that happened but it did continue with Rivka, Sarah’s daughter-in-law. Students made a tent by practicing cutting (a coffee filter), and added the challah, candles and cloud.

Coinciding with this week's parsha where we read about Sarah and her special mitzvah of Challah which did not go stale all week, high school girls spent a morning learning about the mitzvah of hafrashat challah (taking challah) with Morah Yocheved Stock and then made and baked their own challah. Every few weeks the high school girls will get to continue in this very special mitzvah.