KOL ECHAD | Weekly Newsletter 

February 6, 2025

8 Sh'vat 5785

Life is Art

By Jennifer Winderlich, Art Teacher

Art fuels creativity and adds color to life. Painting, singing, dancing, improv and sculpting are some of the innovative outlets that can be used to express emotions and feelings. 

I look at our students as talented little artists (although they are growing up so fast...after 15 years at Kadima, most are now taller than I am!); it's my job as an educator to unlock that endless creativity. Depending on their interests, in media including painting, video design, and even furniture design, each child has the ability to create amazing work; I'm responsible for helping them discover and develop those talents! 

The arts highlight material being taught in the classroom, deepening that knowledge in the studio. Art forms a bridge that connects me to my students, with the ability to enhance core subjects and express understanding of subject matter in a new way. It reinforces student learning and is great for teaching collaboration within traditional subjects, like history, math, literature, etc. I love collaborating with fellow teachers to bring their subject matter to life. For example: lessons about ancient Egypt in social studies can be enhanced by making papier-mâché mummies; and using microscopes in science can be enhanced by creating artwork inspired by magnified swirling organisms.

Art is a healing tool, too. As a volunteer with an organization that brings art into hospitals through music, fashion, and creating, I see and feel the magnitude of its importance. Art allows patients to distract themselves from illness or pain by becoming truly immersed in a world of beauty and creativity... even if it's just temporary. 

We each receive a blank book in life. Are your pages filled with black and white sketches or dripping in colors?  Will these empty books be filled with memories, adventures, trips, lessons? My job as an art teacher is to help direct, encourage, and inspire students to tell their stories. We, the illustrators of our own lives, decide how to fill these books. What will your book look like? 

Shabbat shalom,

Jennifer Winderlich

Art Teacher

Important Dates

Monday, February 10

• 4th and 5th grade field trip - Jewish Home for the Aging

Tuesday, February 11

• Snack shack
• 3rd grade parent meeting: Coffee with Coen - 8:15 am, in the library

Wednesday, February 12

• Kadima's Dad Night - 8:00 pm

Thursday, February 13

• Tu BiSh'vat and K-5 Intergenerational Day via Zoom

Friday, February 14

• K-5 Intergenerational Day in person



Monday, February 17

• Presidents' Day - school closed

Tuesday, February 18

• 5th grade parent meeting: Coffee with Coen - 8:15 am, in the library

Friday, February 21

• 1st grade Siyum HaAmidah and Shabbat program - 1:30 pm, in the beit knesset

Tuesday, February 25

• Snack shack

Wednesday, February 26

• A Taste of Middle School - 8:15 am

Thursday, February 27

• PTO Tie-Dye Event - 3:45 pm, on the Kadima yard

Friday, February 28

• 4th grade parent meeting: Coffee with Coen - 8:15 am, in the library

Monday, March 3

• Re-enrollment contracts for returning families are due

Friday, March 7

• 1st and 2nd grade parent meeting: Coffee with Coen - 8:15 am, in the library

Parent Meetings: Coffee with Coen

Please join us for the following parent meetings, hosted by our Principal, Rebecca Coen. These are excellent opportunities for parents to share with our principal questions and concerns and to talk about what to look forward to in future years at Kadima. All meeting will be held in the library.

• Tuesday, February 11 - 3rd grade parents, 8:15 am (please note date change)
• Tuesday, February 18 - 5th grade parents, 8:15 am
• Friday, February 28 - 4th grade parents, 8:15 am (please note date change)
• Friday, March 7 - 1st and 2nd grade parents, 8:15 am

2025-26 Re-Enrollment

Families have begun receiving their 2025-26 re-enrollment contracts. All ECEC families should have received their 2025-26 re-enrollment contracts this week. All Elementary and Middle School families will be receiving their re-enrollment contracts by the end of next week. If you submitted a tuition assistance application (FAST), your re-enrollment contract will be sent once the tuition assistance committee reviews your application and determines your award, if applicable. You will be assigned a different due date than the one below.

• Please review your re-enrollment contract carefully. The tuition and fees schedule is on page 4.
• To re-enroll your child for the 2025-26 school year, please initial each page of your contract and sign on page 3.
• Please also submit a deposit of $1,000. You are not considered enrolled until both (signed enrollment contract AND deposit) have been received. 
• You have the opportunity to save the enrollment fee of $500 (Early Childhood Education Center) or $700 (Elementary School/Middle School) if the contract is submitted by March 3, 2025.
• You can submit your signed contract and deposit electronically or schedule a date and time to come into the main office to submit in-person. 
• If you have any questions about re-enrollment please contact Alvira Chernichovski at achernichovski@kadimadayschool.org
• If you have questions about tuition assistance, please contact Orly Levy at olevy@kadimadayschool.org

Kadima's Dads' Night 

Wednesday, February 12, 8:00 pm

KADIMA’S DADS' NIGHT IS BACK! All Kadima abbas are invited for a laid-back night of drinks and good company on Wednesday, February 12, at 8:00 pm, at the HQ Gastropub located on 20969 Ventura Blvd., Suite 32, in Woodland Hills. Let’s take some time to connect, unwind, and get to know each other. No RSVP is required. This event is not to be missed.

Intergenerational Tu BiSh'vat Celebration

Thursday and Friday, February 13-14

Tu Bish'vat higi'a, chag ha'Ilanot!

Kadima will be celebrating Tu BiSh'vat next Thursday and Friday, February 13 and 14, with all our families near and far. On Thursday, February 13, saba and savta in Israel can join your child's class on Zoom and enjoy a special holiday celebration. On Friday, February 14, elementary school parents (kindergarten - 5th grade) can join us at 10:00 am for special classroom activities, followed by Kabbalat Shabbat and Tu BiSh'vat songs. Our middle school students will be celebrating with a special seder Tu BiSh'vat.

Siyum HaAmidah and Shabbat Program

Friday, February 21, 1:30-2:15 pm, in the Beit Knesset

First grade parents, you are cordially invited to attend our first grade Siyum HaAmidah and Shabbat program on Friday, February 21, from 1:30 to 2:15 pm, in the beit knesset. This is a special and significant milestone in your children's Judaic Studies learning, and we want you to be a part of this joyous occasion.

A Taste of Middle School

Wednesday, February 26, 8:15 am

Get ready for an exciting and immersive event designed just for 5th grade parents! Come explore Kadima’s dynamic and enriched middle school experience, where academic excellence meets creativity, leadership, and personal growth. Discover our innovative programs, meet our passionate educators, and see firsthand how our engaging curriculum and supportive community set students up for success. There’s so much to be excited about! Don’t miss this opportunity to get a glimpse of the incredible journey that awaits your child at Kadima's middle school!

Kadima PTO Tie-Dye Event

Thursday, February 27, 3:45 to 5:30 pm

Let’s get together on Thursday, February 27, and have some fun making tie-dye Kadima swag that your kids will love to wear. Purchase your Kadima t-shirts, sweatshirts, and sweatpants now. Purchase includes dye, gloves, rubber bands, and bags to take your creations home in. This is a pre-order only. Pizza and snacks will be available for purchase during the event.

Yearbook Cover Contest

Due Friday, February 28

Calling all artists! Do you want your artwork showcased on this year's Kadima yearbook cover? Be sure to submit your art by Friday, February 28, to Jennifer Winderlich, art teacher. This year's theme is am Israel chai. Please be sure to include your full name and the title: "Kadima Day School, 2024-25". Good luck!

Rosh Chodesh Lunch

Thank you to the Katz, Fereydouny, and Peker families, in honor of Ms. Maya, and from the Sheelo family for sponsoring a delicious lunch for the faculty and staff in honor of Rosh Chodesh Sh'vat . We really appreciate it!

In the Community

Ramah Day Camp Virtual Info Sessions and Open House

Questions about Ramah Day Camp LA and Kayitz 2025? Join Ramah on Zoom on Monday, February 10, or Wednesday, March 12, both at 8:00 pm, or on Sunday, March 23, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm for an open house, to learn about Ramah's program, enrollment, camper care, and more! To register for the virtual info sessions, click here. To register for the open house, click here.

Parashat B'shalach

By Dr. Steven Lorch, Head of School

#10 - According to the Torah, God leads B'nei Yisrael (the children of Israel) in the desert with a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night (Sh'mot 13, 21). Were there two separate pillars, or was there only one (whose fire wasn't visible during the day and whose cloud wasn't visible at night)?

#9 - God instructs Moshe to camp on the shore of the Red Sea and gives three identifying features: "before Pi Hachirot, between Migdol and the sea, before Ba'al Tz'fon" (14, 2). Why does God have to give Moshe such detailed instructions if B'nei Yisrael are being led by the pillar?

#8 - God wants Pharaoh to chase after B'nei Yisrael, explaining that this will give God glory, and the Egyptians will know that He is God (14, 4). Don't the Egyptians already know this from all of the plagues? Anyway, they're about to drown in the sea. What difference does it make if they know for just a few more minutes that God is God?

#7 - Pharaoh hitches his own chariot to his horse (14, 6). Why doesn't he order his servants to do it for him?

#6 - B'nei Yisrael are so afraid of Pharaoh and his army that they cry out to Moshe that they're going to die in the desert (14, 11-12). Why? They have a large army (600,000 men), they've already seen the Ten Plagues, and they see that God is with them in the pillar!

#5 - God tells Moshe that he shouldn't cry out to God (14, 15). But Moshe doesn't cry out; B'nei Yisrael do. Why does God tell Moshe, who isn't crying out, not to cry out? Anyway, what's wrong with crying out? Doesn't God desire our prayers?

#4 - Moshe tells B'nei Yisrael to stay out of the battle, that God will fight it for them (14, 13-14). Why shouldn't they fight for themselves and defeat the Egyptians with their own hands?

#3 - When the sea closes up and kills the Egyptians, they're already trying to escape (14, 24-27). In which direction do they try to escape (towards B'nei Yisrael, or away from them)? In which direction does the sea close up? Explain.

#2 - After the splitting of the sea, the Torah says that B'nei Yisrael are in awe of God and they believe in God (14, 31). Why didn't it say the same thing after the Ten Plagues?

#1 - The Amalekites attack B'nei Yisrael, and Moshe goes to the top of a hill from which he can see the battle. Whenever Moshe raises his hands, B'nei Yisrael start to win, and whenever he lowers his hands, they start to lose (17, 11). Why? What difference does raising or lowering his hands make?