KOL ECHAD | Weekly Newsletter 

August 29, 2024

25 Av 5784

Welcome Home!

By Alvira Chernichovski, Director of Admissions

Welcome, new and returning families, to the 2024-25 school year! We are so excited to be back on campus with the delightful sounds of your children laughing in the hallways, learning in the classrooms, and playing on the yard. As we come to the end of the first week of school, we already have so much to celebrate and so much more to look forward to.

This past 327 days have shattered our lives in many ways. We often say "life goes on," but we also recognize the reality that life as we knew it may never be the same again. Our children's lives have changed, too; they will grew up in a world very different from pre-October 7. We grieve; our faith has been shaken; and they sense these differences in us. We are more determined, and so are they. We, and they, have drawn much closer to our communities.

Now more than ever, our children need to sense an unbreakable connection to our nation and our way of life. You have chosen to give your children an invaluable Jewish education that will shape their identities, their commitments, and their futures. Bravo! Kol Hakavod! We know that your choice of Kadima involves hard work and sacrifice, and you should feel proud that you are insisting on providing your children a solid basis for the future and the continuity of Am Israel.

With your personal participation, this partnership will continue to strengthen your family and our entire community. Mark your calendars for our upcoming PTO challah bake on September 26, which will bless our beloved State of Israel and pray for the return of the remaining hostages and the safety and protection of our brave soldiers. We have also begun to accept orders for lulav and etrog sets for the upcoming holidays. Last but not least, our annual Sukkot B'yachad, a happening that brings our entire community together, will take place on October 22. We can't wait to celebrate, pray, and of course feast with all of you, because this is the Jewish way and the Kadima way.

Wishing the entire Kadima community a successful school year and a shanah tovah um'tukah!

Shabbat shalom,

Alvira Chernichovski

Director of Admissions

Important Dates

Monday, September 2

• Labor Day - school closed

Wednesday, September 4

• PTO meeting, 8:15 am, in the library

Thursday, September 5

• Staff brunch in honor of Rosh Chodesh

Tuesday, September 10

• ECEC back-to-school night, 6:00 pm



Wednesday, September 11

• Middle school back-to-school night, 6:00 pm

Tuesday, September 17

• Elementary school back-to-school night, 6:00 pm

Thursday, September 18

• Snack shack

Thursday, September 19

• Picture day

Thursday, September 26

• PTO challah bake

Monday, September 30 - Wednesday, October 2

• High holidays food drive

*For the complete 2024-25 school calendar, please click HERE.

A Warm Welcome to Our New Students!

Ari Adi (E3)

Ari Alfasi (E3)

Leon Algem (Gesher)

Ari Alon (E3)

Abir Yakkov Alzami (Gesher)

Leni Amitai (E2)

Leon Anukashvili (E2)

Shawn Ben Ami (6th Grade)

Elian Ben Ami (Kindergarten)

Joy Ben Tov Depas (Gesher)

Rio Ben-Gis (E3)

Nillay Brown (1st Grade)

Ciel Brown (E3)

Ezra Bryman (E3)

Ellie Buskila (E3)

Maya Buteau (E3)

Olivia Buteau (E3)

Kai Casas (E3)

Liav Chanero (E3)

Jordan Elimelech (E3)

Orian Sarah Ezerzer (6th Grade)

Elian Fanunu (7th Grade)

Asher Feder (Gesher)

Mia Fertig (6th Grade)

Naya Fridkin (Gesher)

Nina Glukhovsky (6th Grade)

Gia Grinberg (E2)

Atai Grinberg (E3)

David Grun (E2)

Dan Guetta (5th Grade)

Ben Haiun (4th Grade)

Liam Hazan (E3)

Ray Kaplun (E3)

Dayna Katz (E2)

Shavit Kimhi (7th Grade)

Laila Kirschenbaum (E2)

Ilay Knafo (E2)

Liv Koifman (E3)

Liam Korkos (E2)

Leevi Lankry (Kindergarten)

Eitan Lankry (Kindergarten)

Ofir Lankry (Kindergarten)

Ilay Lazimi (E2)

Guy Levi (E3)

Emilia Lopez (E2)

Jordan Maimon (Gesher)

Liv Meidan (E3)

Aylee Mizrahi (E3)

Anne Mizrahi (Gesher)

Miley Moshehai (E3)

Eliana Novik (E3)

Hilla Ohana (4th Grade)

Rio Ohayon (E3)

Eliana Peker (E3)

Mika Peleg (Kindergarten)

Lielle Rabinovitch (6th Grade)

Jake Sagi (E3)

Orr Shaul (Kindergarten)

Bar Sherzer (Gesher)

Emma Sherzer (Kindergarten)

Dylan Shlomo (Kindergarten)

Hailey Sror (E2)

Ella Victoria Stein (Gesher)

Lavie Trabelsi (E3)

Kadima Welcomes New School Staff!

Abigail Nosrati - Development Manager

Shalom, Kadima! I am so excited to join this awesome community as your new Development Manager. My passion for advocating and connecting with Jewish communities has been a guiding force throughout my life, from my early years at Jewish day school to my time at Emory University, where I studied Biology and English. These experiences have shaped my commitment to fostering strong, supportive environments. I am deeply dedicated to building meaningful relationships and creating a positive, collaborative atmosphere here at Kadima. I look forward to working with all of you to continue the growth and success of our school.

Mettia Cagan - School Counselor

Literature and writing are Mettia's passions! She has written three (as yet unpublished) novels, and she loves reading historical fiction. She lives in Thousand Oaks with her husband James and their two cats, Clio and Calliope. Her hobbies include playing video games, reading, and rooting for the Dodgers.  

Ethan Norof - Middle School English and Mathematics Teacher

Ethan enters Kadima as its new middle school English and mathematics teacher. Prior to arriving at Kadima, Ethan spent the last decade working in both public and private sectors of education, serving as both a teacher for 6th-12th grade as well as a school administrator. Ethan has been working with children of all ages for more than two decades. Outside of the classroom, Ethan enjoys time with his pets, his people, and watching sports. His favorite teams are the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Mets.

One fun fact about Ethan is that he owns more than 20,000 (!) sports cards and serves as a youth sports coach and official. 

James Bresden - 5th Grade General Studies Teacher

Hello everyone! I’m James Bresden, and I am excited to be joining the Kadima community as a new fifth grade general studies teacher. This will be my 11th year in the classroom, having taught every grade between 5th and 9th. I have a B.A. in Political Science and a secondary education credential from California State University, Northridge. I grew up in Thousand Oaks and have lived in the San Fernando Valley for the past 25 years. I spend my free time recording at my voiceover studio and frequenting revival movie houses.

Coby Cohen - Athletics Coach

Coby was born in Israel and moved to Los Angeles at the age of four. Coby enjoys surfing, playing sports, and driving race cars Coby has been playing football, one of his favorite sports to watch, play, and coach, since the age of 10. Coby has been coaching 7-10 year olds in the NFL flag football league for the past three years. He is excited to meet all our Kadima athletes on the practice field.

First PTO Meeting of the Year

Wednesday, September 4, 8:15 am, in the library

Join us for our first PTO meeting of the year, to be held this coming Wednesday, September 4, at 8:15 am in the library. Light refreshments will be served. We will be discussing all our upcoming events for the year and look forward to seeing our new and returning parents.

Picture Day

Thursday, September 19

Picture day will be on Thursday, September 19. Every student will have his or her picture taken by Cornerstone Photography. Shortly after, you will receive a link to order your pictures online. 

Lulav and Etrog Sets

We are now accepting orders for lulav and etrog sets. If you would like to purchase a set, please click here or on the flyer below.

The deadline to order is Friday, September 27. Late orders will not be accepted. Order pick up will be at the main office after Rosh Hashanah.

Fall Sports

This fall, Kadima athletics will be offering:

• Boys’ 3rd-5th grade flag football 
• Boys’ middle school flag football 
• 1st-5th grade cheer/dance 
• Girls’ 3rd-5th grade basketball 
• Girls’ middle school basketball 
• Coed 1st-2nd grade soccer

Practices begins Tuesday, September 3:

Coach Coby & Coach Albert @ Shadow Ranch Park

• Boys' 3rd-5th grade flag football T/W/TH 3:30-5:00 
• Boy's middle school flag football T/W/TH 3:30-5:00 

Coach B & Coach Jeremiah 

• Girls' 3rd-5th grade basketball - M/W/TH 3:30-5:00 
• Girls' middle school girls’ basketball - M/W/TH 3:30-5:00 

Coach Araceli & Coach Salma

• 1st-5th grade cheer/dance - M/T/TH 3:30-5:00 

Coach Jeremiah & Coach Albert

• Coed 1st-2nd grade soccer- T/W 3:30-5:00 (games on Sundays) 

Please complete the athletics application to register for sports. Applications and payments are due by September 3, 2024. Please return all paperwork and fees to the main office.

For question, please contact Alexandra Fiscus (afiscus@kadima.co).

Mazal Tov!

Please join us in congratulating Noa Steren and her family on the occasion of her bat mitzvah. Mazal tov!

Top 10 Conversation Starters: Parashat Re'eh

By Dr. Steven Lorch

#10 - Parashat Re'eh begins with a choice: ראה אנכי נותן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה (See, this day I set before you blessing and curse - D'varim 11, 26). Is this a real choice? Is there anyone who, after thinking through both options, would choose the curse? Or is the curse a result of not carefully considering one's options? If it's not a real choice, why is it presented as though it is?

#9 - B'nei Yisrael are promised that they will inherit the land and settle in it (11, 31 - וירישתם אותה וישבתם בה). Ramban considers this not to be a promise, but rather a mitzvah, commanding us to live in Israel. The Rambam disagrees and doesn't count living in Israel as one of the 613 mitzvot. What do you think - is living in Israel a promise or a mitzvah?

#8 - This parashah contains the proof text for מחיקת השם, not erasing or throwing away a page on which God's name is written, but rather giving it a proper burial. After describing all the actions B'nei Yisrael will take once they enter the land to destroy idols and temples of idolatry, including ואיבדתם את שמם, obliterating their name, the next pasuk says: לא תעשון כן לה' א-לקיכם (Don't do the same to God - 12, 4). For a religion that forbids any physical depiction of God, why is God's written name treated with so much reverence?

#7 - Prior to this parashah, the only permissible way to eat meat was as part of a sacrifice brought to the Temple. Here (12, 20-21), permission is given to eat meat from animals that weren't sacrificed. Why? What changed?

#6 - According to one commentator, Rabbi Saadia Gaon, eating meat is a positive commandment, based on the pasuk בכל אוות נפשך תאכל בשר (eat meat with feelings of desire - 12, 20). On the other hand, the original command to Adam and Eve was to be vegetarian - and for all animals to be vegetarian as well! Is eating meat a praiseworthy thing to do, or a concession to human weakness?

#5 - Even meat from animals that aren't sacrificed must be kosher: from kosher animals, slaughtered in a kosher way, and its blood drained. Different commentaries offer different reasons for keeping kosher: health, preventing animal suffering, self-control and refinement, social separation from non-Jews, etc. Which reason for keeping kosher do you find most compelling?

#4 - B'nei Yisrael are commanded not to follow the words of a false prophet who tells them to disobey the Torah, even if the signs and miracles he offers come true. If he's a false prophet, how is it that he can make miracles? If both true and false prophets claim to be sent by God, and both offer miracles, how can you tell the difference between them?

#3 - The parashah includes two seemingly contradictory statements about poverty: אפס כי לא יהיה בך אביון - There shall be no needy among you (15, 4) because, if you obey God, God will bless you with abundance. On the other hand, כי יהיה בך אביון...פתוח תפתח את ידך לו - If there is a needy person among you...you must open your hand (15, 7-8). But if there are no needy people, where does the needy person come from whom you must open your hand for? How can these two ideas be reconciled?

#2 - B'nei Yisrael are told to give loans to needy people even though the sh'mitah year is approaching and loans are canceled by the sh'mitah year (15, 9-10). However, later in Jewish history it became necessary to create a legal way to collect debts in spite of the sh'mitah year, because needy people were unable to get loans otherwise. This law, called prozbul, is still in effect today, nearly 2,000 years later. Was it unrealistic for the Torah to rely on people's generosity and compassion to overcome their mistrust?

#1 - There are three places in the Torah that contain commandments about the Jewish holidays: Vayikra 23, 1-44, B'midbar 28, 16-29, 39, and here (D'varim 16, 1-17). In the other two places, all five holidays are included. Here, Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot are mentioned, but Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are not. Why not? What's different here?