October 26, 2012

Candle Lighting Time - 5:41 PM Page 1

Volume 12, Issue 4 October 26, 2012 לך-פרשת לך

בס"ד

We Welcome Baby Chicks! By Aviva Yablok, [email protected]

It is hard for me to share in words the excitement on the second floor when, on Monday, we arrived to see some of our chicks

strutting around their incubators ready to greet the children. While we were meeting some of the chicks that had hatched, several

others were emerging from their eggs RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR EYES!!! We spent the day watching as our new babies washed

themselves off and got up on their feet.

Their feathers dried and became fluffy. We noticed that they were looking for food. We remembered the “chick cheerios” that

Farmer Lynn left for us to give them. The Morot filled their food tray and poured water into the water bottles. The chicks learned

how to eat and drink very quickly!!

At this point in their development, the chicks were able to be handled very gently. They were carefully placed into the loving

hands (and laps) of our eager students. We could tell that the chicks were comfortable with our children because they chirped loudly

as they met their new friends. Some of the classes created mazes so the chicks could exercise and have some fun running around.

If one of our goals in the Early Childhood Department is to create wonderful memories of school experiences for our youngest

learners, we have succeeded. We hope each child enjoyed the “chick experience.” We say good bye to the chicks as they go back to

the farm this week to live a long and healthy life! Please go to ParentLocker to view additional photos of children with the baby

chicks.


Page 2 Candle Lighting Time - 5:50 PM

Make Way for the Baby Chicks! Pictures submitted by Early Childhood Department Teachers



Analyzing Character Traits By Dara Abrams, [email protected]

Many of our students have been en-

gaged in lessons of analyzing character traits

in their Guided Reading Groups. This Com-

mon Core Literature Standard helps students

understand characters’ thoughts, actions, and

how these actions contribute to the sequence

of events. Students are asked to show evi-

dence (a common core standard) of their

characters’ traits by locating details within

the text. We are off to a great start. Here is a

glimpse into our Literacy Block.

This month, first graders have begun

a study of story elements in fictional litera-

ture. Currently our class has been identifying

and defining the main character in the story,

the setting, as well as the main problem in

the story and its solution. During our whole

group Read Aloud, the children have been

exposed to various texts including; The Enor-

mous Turnip, Swimmy by Leo Lionni, and

Corduroy by Don Freeman to identify these

elements. During Guided Reading, students

read to identify these elements using strate-

gies modeled during our Read Aloud.

Plotting Character Development By Julienne Dweck, [email protected]

In second grade, we are learning how to think deeper about our characters. Students have been describing the characters in

their books with specific adjectives and then proving a description based on what the character says, does, and thinks in the book. For

our class read aloud, Freckle Juice, the class described Andrew as gullible because he believed a secret recipe would give him freck-

les, and as determined because he would do just about anything to get those freckles! They thought Sharon was selfish and tricky

because she took fifty cents from Andrew and sold him a fake recipe for freckles! Great job!

Crossing the curriculum, in Social Studies we have been learning all about the elections and the two presidential candi-

dates. Today students learned about what the job of a president is and then discussed what character traits they need to do that job

well! They chose three traits and discussed why they thought these were most important.



Reading Visualizations By Yael Glatzer, [email protected]

In third grade, the children have learned that visualizing while reading helps them better understand a text. By “seeing” what

they read and “feeling” what they read the children are now able to picture what the story is about in their minds. This strategy allows

the student to tap into their background knowledge and personal experiences and build a strong reference bank to help infer, interpret,

and recall the text. In our reading groups, students shared their images with each other which also helped them articulate and discover

new words.

We recently began a unit on story elements in a fictional text. As a Read Aloud, we read My Father’s Dragon. The class as

a whole was able to identify the characters and the different settings. Using a story map / graphic organizer as a model, the class

worked together to identify the problem, solution, and main events within the text. The identification and writing of these skills are

reinforced in guided reading groups.

Grade 5 has been busy at work exploring the powerful tool

of descriptive language. Students are noticing, and becoming in-

spired by, the many strong adjectives that our mentor authors use to

describe characters and settings and are building their vocabularies

while reading engaging texts. Students have also been working on

structural writing and building strong paragraphs. Through our top-

ic sentences work, students are developing powerful and creative

topic sentences to introduce their work. We are off to a great start!

The Power of Descriptive Language By Rebecca Tenzer, [email protected]



Identifying Character Traits By Yael Glatzer, [email protected]

Using our mentor text,

Fudge-a-Mania, by Judy

Blume, our Fourth Graders

have been learning how to

identify character traits by ac-

tion, visual, and other clues

within the text. This skill ena-

bles students to make appropri-

ate inferences from a piece of

text. Students are enjoying

debating and discussing char-

acter traits as their vocabulary

develops. During shared read-

ing, I modeled how to transfer

these ideas onto a graphic or-

ganizer using a suggested list

of adjectives. Students contin-

ue to identify and practice

these skills within their guided

reading groups.

What Are the Main Character’s Traits? By Julia Averbuch, Reading Coordinator, [email protected]

Culminating activities and pro-

jects provide an opportunity for students

to demonstrate and articulate what they

have learned in a variety of ways. Follow-

ing the reading and discussions about the

main character’s traits in the story, Sand-

wich or Sandwish, these 2nd grade students

created their own authentic sandwishes.



Destination: Athens, Greece-Tour of Acropolis Hill By Laura Csillag, [email protected]

The students in Ms. Csillag’s 4B reading group read a story called Acropolis Adventure, written by Troy Wolff and illustrat-

ed by Marcy Ramsey. The story is told from the perspective of a young boy named Brady, as he tours Acropolis Hill in Athens,

Greece with an old friend of his father’s, Dimitri. Using their visualization skills, students described this historical landmark and

drew illustrations. Enjoy the tour!

Levi Lesches:

Near the road, right into a dirty iron gate stretched a smooth, rusty

plot of land that was dotted with marble posts and specks of old,

rock-covered street. A modern iron gate divided this section from

the rest of Athens as if it were private property. As they walked

into the closed-off area, Brady shaded his eyes and looked careful-

ly. He saw metal rods which looked very old, sticking out of a two

-story-high marble tower at odd angles. Dimitri explained to

Brady that it was the Tower of the Winds, a huge sundial. The

sundial worked as a “giant marble calendar”!

Jacob Kadoe: The Acropolis is the main site for tourists in

Athens. It may look like just a bunch of rocks but when you

climb the steps to the Parthenon, you are at the highest point of

Acropolis Hill. The Parthenon is the ancient temple of the god-

dess Athena, who protected Athens. It is held up by evenly

spaced, massive pillars of marble. When you go inside the

Parthenon, you will see a massive statue of Athena all painted

with layers made of pearls. The Parthenon was decorated with

carved figures and geometric patterns in stone. The Parthenon

was built at an unbelievable height. Many places near the roof

had detailed scenes. All of the buildings of the Acropolis were

built to celebrate the greatness of Athens.



Zachary Schwartz:

The Greek theater of Dionysus could hold up to 17,000 Greeks. At the theater is where comedy and tragedy first began. There would

be a contest that goes on for three days and the Greeks would decide on the winning play. The theater is made out of stone. The thea-

ter is in the shape of a semi-circle with rows of seats built upwards. This structure trapped the sound so the people in the top rows

could hear the actors on the stage below.

Charlie Laifer:

A sundial tells time by using the shadows created by the sun at different points throughout the day. The sundial at the Tower of the

Winds on Acropolis Hill wasn’t just a regular sundial. It was huge, and it told the people of Athens the time, day and month. It

worked through the sun’s position. The sundial was made out of marble stone and on it were metal rods. Each of the lines, when hit

by the shadow cast by the rod, informed the citizens of Athens the time, day, and month.




Alex Mishan:

Dimitri and

Brady discovered

the Theater of

Dionysus. The

theater was built

so that sound

would carry.

Each row of seats

in the theater fol-

lowed the exact

proportions of the

stage. Even the

people sitting in

the highest sec-

tion could hear

the actors. As

Dimitri and

Brady turned to

leave the theater,

Brady shook his

head “I just can’t

believe that

things like this

could have been

built so long

ago”.


Middah of the Month By Adina Laury, [email protected]

Morah Dini’s class has started a Middah of the

Month project. Each month, a group of students will create a

project and poster to promote their middah. The students ex-

plained the Middah and created a game to teach the Middah,

‘Gam Zu L’Tovah. This month’s group, Batya Wolff and

Jennifer Dweck, did a wonderful job on their presentation.



The Buzz on Books: Elections 2012 By Michele Lyons, [email protected]

Imagine our surprise when we found a voting booth right in the middle of the library! (It’s here for the upcoming MDS Stu-

dent Council election!) But what a great conversation starter for our topic of the week: the 2012 Presidential Election! And what a

group of budding politicos we have here at MDS! Many opinions were tossed into the ring and a lot of great questions were asked

(and answered!) like: Can people in jail vote? (Not if they have been incarcerated for a year and a day. In that case, they lose the

right to vote forever.) What if the vote ends in a tie? (That is virtually impossible thanks to the way the electoral college works).

And who makes the laws? (People who are elected to Congress). We also cleared up a few misconceptions: We vote for President

every four years (not every year!) and the White House is in Washington, D.C. (not in Washington Heights!).

We then read great books that touched on the theme of voting and elections. Our four-year nursery, kindergarten, and first

grade classes heard a great fiction book by Kay Winters entitled My Teacher for President. In this enjoyable book, Oliver has been

learning about the president’s job and he believes his teacher would be the perfect candidate. She loves white houses, she’s used to

being followed around everywhere, she attends lots of meetings, and she believes in peace. The left-hand side of each two-page

spread depicts Oliver’s teacher during a typical school day while the facing page shows scenes of his heroine carrying out related

presidential duties. This very clever concept was a big hit judging by the rapt attention of our students!

Our second-grade classes explored a non-fiction book about the Obamas entitled First Family by Deborah Hopkinson. This

book follows a day in the life of the Obama family: President Barack, First Lady Michelle, First Daughters Malia and Sasha, and

even First Pup, Bo. From moving in on Inauguration Day to making important decisions, hosting state dinners, planting a garden,

exploring the historic house they call home, and leading around secret service personnel—the First Family is a VERY busy family,

indeed.

Finally, our third-grade classes enjoyed the nonfiction classic So You Want to Be President by Judith St. George. This

Caldecott-winning classic was a hit with our students! Hilariously illustrated (using caricature-style art) by David Small, the author

shows us the foibles, quirks, and humanity of the men who have risen to one of the most powerful positions in the world! A perfect

read for this election year!



How Does a Bill Become Law? By Samuel Halpern, 5B

In Mrs. Korn’s fifth grade social studies class, we are learning about how

federal and state laws are made. A federal bill is introduced in either the House or

the Senate. For example, if a bill started in the Senate, then the Senate committee

looks over the bill and makes corrections, doesn’t change it or tables it. If the bill is

tabled, it dies. If at least 51 senators vote yes, it goes to the committee of the

House. If not, it dies.

The Houses committee either changes it, doesn’t change it, or tables it. If

the bill is tabled, it dies. If more than half of the House votes yes, then the house

goes to all of Congress. If not, it dies. Congressmen can make changes to the bill. It

then goes to the president.

If the president signs the bill, it becomes a law. If not, it goes back to Con-

gress. If more than 2\3 of Congress says yes, it becomes a law. If not, it dies. It is

extremely rare for the former to happen. It is called an override.

I then looked up weird state laws. I like these laws because they don’t seem

real. Here are some examples of them. In Alaska, whispering in someone’s ear

while he’s moose hunting is prohibited. In Arizona, cutting down a cactus may earn

you a twenty-five-year prison term. In Arkansas, it’s illegal to mispronounce the

name of the state of Arkansas. In California, you may not eat an orange in your bath-

tub. In Denver, Colorado, it’s unlawful to lend your vacuum cleaner to your next-

door neighbor. In Connecticut, a pickle cannot actually be a pickle unless it bounces. In Delaware, it’s illegal to get married on a

dare. In Florida, if you tie an elephant to a parking meter, you must pay the same parking fee as you would for a vehicle. In Georgia,

it’s illegal to change the clothes on a storefront mannequin unless you draw the shades first. In Idaho, a man must not give his sweet-

heart a box of candy weighing fewer than fifty pounds. In Indiana, the value of pi is 4, and not 3.1415. In my opinion, the following

law is the strangest: In Missouri, children may buy shotguns in Kansas City, but not toy cap guns. In my opinion, the following law is

the funniest: In Rhode Island, you may not bite off another person’s leg. So, if you happen to go to Indiana and someone asks you

what the value of pi is, you’ll know to say 4, not 3.1415. Don’t you think that these laws are funny?

Cartoon Corner: School Elections By Chana Radensky, 7G



On the Ballot: Grade 5 Representatives By Messenger Staff

Students on the following pages made it through the primaries and are on the ballot for the November 6th student govern-

ment elections. Campaign speeches will take place on Monday, November 5th. Good luck to all the candidates!

David Feit-Mann: I want to be Class Repre-

sentative for an opportunity to express my

ideas to make school more fun and exciting.

Ezra Cohen: I like all of MDS, especially

the roof and gym. I want to be on Student

Government to represent my class.

Oren Shadian: I like everything about

MDS, and I think I’m qualified to the job

as fifth grade representative.

Liana Goldstein: I like that MDS is a smaller

school so you know most of the people and

you can really connect with them. I want to be

able to help other people connect and feel part

of the MDS community.

Louise Ashear: I like art, reading, and mu-

sic. MDS is the best school because there

are nice teachers and the assemblies are

great. I want to help the school improve.

Charlotte Steinblatt: I like drawing,

reading, gymnastics, writing, navi, and

math. Sometimes I think about things

that could be even better at MDS!



On the Ballot: Grade 6 Representatives By Messenger Staff

Jeremy Ascher: My hobbies are playing bas-

ketball and collecting WWE figures. The

thing I like most about MDS is the teachers. I

want to be on student government so I can

make the sixth grade better.

Lior Saada: I like soccer, swimming, and

playing with a Rubic’s Cube. My favorite

subjects are Limudei Kodesh and Lashon.

The best part of MDS is the roof. I want to

improve the school.

Rose Adelman: I like piano, running, foot-

ball, and gym. I live in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

My friends are the best part of being here at

MDS. I care about MDS and I think I can be

a good advocate for my class.

Rosalie Sohn: I like Navi, Science, Dance,

Gymnastics, Cooking, Baking, and Pottery.

Everyone here wants to help you and be nice

and friendly. I want to help and make the

school a better place for everyone

Loren Elmann: I like science, acting,

singing, and dancing. My favorite

lunch here is Panini pizzas. I love

color war breakout at MDS. I want to

make the school a better place.



On the Ballot: 7th Grade Vice President By Messenger Staff

Yehuda Davis: My favorite

subject is lunch (cheese burri-

tos). I like cracking jokes and

making puns. The people are

the best part of MDS.

Marc Darwich: My favorite

subject is gym. I like basketball,

skateboarding, and everything

about MDS. I want to represent

my friends and school.

Jacob Feit-Mann: I want to

make a difference. My mission

is to make everyone’s lives just a

little bit easier this year.

Avi Solomons: I like base-

ball, math, and playing on the

computer. I think I can help

students so vote for me!

Sophie Samuels: : I love the feeling that we

are one big family here. I want to be on stu-

dent government because I’ve been here long

enough to know that the school is AMAZING

and I want to help to make it even better!

Lily Snyder: My favorite subject is Language

Arts. I like that MDS has so many fun activi-

ties throughout the year. I want to be able to

help people with problems or suggestions that

they have about the school.

Danna Rebibo: My favorite subjects

are Lashon and Zionism. I like the

students and teachers and what we

learn here. I want to run for govern-

ment because it seems like a lot of

fun.



On the Ballot: 8th Grade President By Messenger Staff

Alexander Wildes: My favorite subjects are

Chumash and Social Studies, and the best part

of being at MDS would be the good friend-

ships I have developed over the years.

Alexander Knapp: My favorite subject is

history. The best part of MDS would be the

field trips, especially the Boston trip. I want

to be president because I think I’m a good

leader.

Lebe Adelman: The teachers and students are

what I like the most about MDS. I want to be

in student government because I believe I can

represent the voice of the students, and help

make MDS an even better place.

Hannah Hudes: I believe that I

would put in all of my effort if I were

to win this election. I’m full of ideas,

and would also love to pursue the

ideas of my fellow classmates.

Lauren Kirshenbaum: My favorite parts of

being with MDS are how people treat each

other—I have great friends. I want to share

my ideas of how to help the school.

Max Herskowitz: Kids are nice, and

teachers always help students with

any problem. This is my last year in

MDS and I want to help make it the

best year ever.



Making Beautiful Music in Lashon By Havi Pesso, [email protected]

My fifth grade Lashon students, as part of their Chaveirim b’Ivrit curriculum on music, created their own instruments. Here

is what our students had to say about the activity:

בלשון, אנחנו לומדים על מוסיקה וכלי נגינה ועל הצלילים שלהם וכל מיני סוגים של מוסיקה. אנחנו לומדים את המילים: זמר, תזמורת,

כלי נגינה, וצליל. מורה חבי אמרה לנו שאנחנו צריכים לעשות כלי נגינה עם דברים שיש בבית. אנחנו הבאנו לכיתה את הכלי שעשינו

והסברנו לכל הכיתה איך הכלי נגינה שלנו עובד. וגם מנגנים על הכלי שלנו. זה היה מאד כף.

Matching Hebrew Prefixes! By Havi Adina Laury, [email protected]



Parshat Noach: Predicting Rain By Adina Laury, [email protected]

Last week, Morah Dini’s class created and presented special Parshat Noach newscasts after listening to a mock weather re-

port about the Mabul. Students spoke about upcoming heavy rain, traveling doves, and rainbows. In one newscast, Noach himself

was an interviewee! Each presentation was quite creative, and delivered in an entertaining manner.

Parshat Noach: Rainbows! By Lynette Heller, [email protected]; Picture taken by Raquel Verschleisser, [email protected]

As we go through the parshiot with our Toddlers we try to identify a personality or topic that is developmentally appropriate

for our youngest learners. As we learned about Parshat Noach, we met Noach, a tzadik who was kind and good and tried to behave

properly all the time. We talked about the Tevah and the Mabul and finally the rainbow…the keshet. What a perfect opportunity to

teach about colors.

Red, Adom is our first color. We try to provide our children with a variety of modalities through which they can learn about

each topic. We explored the room to look for as many RED things as we could fine. The children wore something RED. They will

cook RED foods

(e.g. jello), use

RED in their art

work and read some

books about col-

or. We are weaving

the topic of red into

music and poetry as

well. When we do

rhymes with chil-

dren at this age, it

helps their phone-

mic awareness as

they listen for

words that rhyme.

Red is an apple

Red is a rose,

Red is the color of

my frozen, icy nose.

Please come and

visit our Toddler

classes to see how

our color unit is

progressing!



8G Devar Torah Project: Lech Lecha Submitted by Bethany Strulowitz, [email protected]; Devar Torah written by Danielle Ben David, 8G

New to the pages of the Messenger are beautifully written divrei Torah by

Mrs. Strulowitz’s 8G Chumash class. The students learned how to highlight and

synthesize key points in the weekly parsha, analyze passukim and larger issues in the

Chumash, and apply the lessons of the parsha to their daily lives. In addition, they

also applied various writing techniques to strengthen and clarify their divrei Torah,

sharpened their public speaking skills in presenting their divrei Torah to the class,

and designed fun and engaging review games for their classmates. Each week, the

8G students will share their meaningful divrei Torah with the MDS community in

the Messenger. We hope you enjoy reading them!

Have you ever had a test and thought that you were destined to fail? You

might have been thinking: “this teacher wants me to fail because she doesn't care

about my grades!” Is that really the case though? Even though this test is going to

be hard, does the teacher really want you to fail?

In the beginning of Parshat Lech Lecha, Hashem said to Avraham ” לך לך

“מארצך וממולדתך ומבית אביך אל הארץ אשר אראך , which translates to: “leave your land,

from the place you were born, and from the house of your father to the land that I

will show you”. Avram immediately listened to Hashem’s instructions and took

Sarai and Lot with him on a journey to Eretz Canaan, when Avram was already 75

when it is not so easy to travel anymore! When they arrived in Canaan, there was a

famine in the land. Avram decided to go into Egypt but was scared that he would be

killed, and that Sarai would be captured because of her beauty. So he introduced

Sarai as his sister. He did that because, if Pharaoh’s officers saw Sarai as an unmarried woman, they would think it would be okay for

Pharaoh to take her as a wife, but if she was married, they would probably have killed Avram to show that Sarai was not married.

When Pharaoh’s officers saw Sarai, they took her to Pharaoh thinking that she was unmarried. In response, Hashem punished Phar-

aoh for taking a married woman even though he did not know her status. Pharaoh immediately confronted Avram and asked why he

did this to him and why Avram did not tell the officers that Sarai was married. Avram then explained the situation and told him that

he was afraid that he would be killed. So Pharaoh returned Sarai to Avram and they continued on their way.

Avram and Lot both had flocks, cattle, and shepherds and soon realized the land could not support all of them because there

were too many. The midrash tells us that Lot’s shepherds would let their flocks and cattle eat off property that did not belong to them.

The problem was that Avram’s shepherds were not too happy with that because it was wrong to graze on others’ land. So Avram

talked to Lot and explained to him that it is not his property and he should not be using it. Avram and Lot then parted ways, with Lot

heading towards the Jordan River towards Sedom, where the people there were rude to each other and hated Hashem, as it says in

“מאד‘ ואנשי סדם רעים וחטאים לה” :13:13 , while Avram stayed in Cana’an. Hashem told Avram there on that day to look around because

one day that whole land of Israel would belong to his descendants.

A short while later, Amraphel, king of Shinar, Arioch, king of Ellasar, Chedarlaomer, king of Elam, and one other king made

war on Bera, king of Sedom, Birsha, king of Gemorrah, and three other kings, all fighting in the Valley of Siddim. Sedom was de-

feated and all the people and their possessions were taken captive, including Lot. Someone managed to escape, and ran to tell Avram

about the war and that Lot was taken captive. When Avraham heard, he armed 318 men to go save Lot. Avram and his men came at

night and struck the perpetrators. Avram brought back all the people’s possessions and saved Lot and all the people who were taken

captive.

After this has all happened, Hashem came to Avram in a vision reassuring that He will always protect and support him and

keep him safe. Hashem continued, saying that this will be Avram’s land…the Promised Land. Hashem said that if Avram takes three

heifers, three goats, three rams, a turtledove, and a young dove and split all of them in half, Hashem will make a treaty with Avram.

The treaty is what most people know as the Brit bein HaBetarim, in which Hashem tells Avram that his descendants will be strangers

in a foreign land and they will work for them for four hundred years but will then leave there with great wealth. Hashem continued to

tell Avram that his descendants will have the land of Israel and all of the rivers.

Meanwhile, Sarai, Avram’s wife was not able to have a child. Sarai had an idea that Avram should have a child from her

maidservant, Hagar. When Hagar conceived, Sarai felt lowered in Hagar’s eyes; in turn, Sarai gets mad at Avraham. Sarai then treats

Hagar unfairly. Hagar ran away but an angel stopped her and told her to go back. The angel said to her that she will give birth to a

son, and she shall name him Yishma'el. When Yishma'el was born, Avraham was 86 years old.

At this point Hashem gave Avram and Sarai new names. Avram became Avraham because his new name means that he will

be the father of many nations. A midrash says that Sarai became Sara when the ”י“ in Sara’s name was given to יהושע instead of הושע

and the second ה‘ in Hashem's name was given to her.

[continued next page]



8G Devar Torah Project: Lech Lecha Prepared by Rabbi Benjamin Yablok based on questions from Congregation Beth Aaron in Teaneck, New Jersey

At the end of the parsha, when Avraham was already 99 years old and Sara is

90, Hashem promised Avraham that he will have a child. Avraham laughed and thought:

“how can a 100 year old man have a son!?!?”

Hashem also talked to him about the topic of circumcision, or as some might call

it, having a brit milah. Hashem explained that at the age of 8 days, every Jewish boy

shall have a brit milah. The concept behind that is so there will always be a sign of the

everlasting promise that He promised Avraham. On that day, Avraham took Yishma'el

and all the men of his household and circumcised them. Thus the parsha ends.

Why did Hashem just tell Avraham to get up and leave his birthplace without

any previous notice? Did Hashem want Avraham to be miserable? Did Hashem want

him to not listen, or in other words...fail? Do you see where I'm going with this? Well, I

sure hope you do. Hashem was testing Avraham. You may ask why Hashem is testing

him, and here is my answer. Hashem was testing Avraham to see how loyal he really is

to Him. Hashem was not giving Avraham this ridiculous test to make him fail, but is

instead giving him this test because Hashem knows that he will try his hardest to succeed.

The lesson that we learn from this parsha is that we should never let ourselves

down and say that we can't do something. We can, and Hashem knows that we can. So,

try your hardest to succeed and never say to yourself, “I'm gonna fail any way so I don't

even have to try.” And I hope you all succeed in whatever you set out to do.

Parsha Challenge: Lech Lecha Prepared by Rabbi Benjamin Yablok based on questions from Congregation Beth Aaron in Teaneck, New Jersey

1. (a) How old was Avram when he recognized Hashem (3 views)? (b) (1)yourself) (10 views)? (2) Why did Hashem not specify

that he go to Cana’an (4 views)? (Bereshit 12:1)

1. (a) (1) 3 (Nedarim 32a). (2) 10, when he went to learn with Noach and Shem (Sefer haYashar). (3) 48 – at the Haflaga (Dispersion)

(Seder Olam). (b) (2) (i) To keep him in suspense, making the destination more beloved in his eyes (Bereishit Raba). (ii) It made the

journey more difficult, giving him a greater reward (Medrash Tanchuma). (iii) Hashem did not reveal the destination so heathens

would not follow him to Cana’an (Abarbanel). (iv) Terach might have gone too, as he did when Avram left Ur Kasdim – Hashem

wanted Avram to go alone (Malbim).

2. (a) (1) Which 7 blessings did Hashem give Avram? (2) Why 7 blessings? (b) Who were “the souls [Avram and Sarai] made

in Charan”? (c) Why is “ohalo” (his tent) spelled with a heh, not a vav? (d) Which 6 of Avraham’s 10 trials are this parasha (2

views)? (e) Did Avram sin by going down to Mitzrayim during the famine (2 views)? (Bereshit 12:1-17:12)

2. (a) (1) (i) “Ve-e’escha le-goy gadol” ([Avraham] will be a great nation); (ii) “va’avareche’cha” (blessed with possessions) –

“avarechecha’s” gematria (248) equals “Avraham”; (iii) “va’agadla shemecha” (his name, lengthened from Avram to Avraham, will

be great); (iv) “ve-heyay beracha” (he himself will be a blessing); (v) “va’avarcha mevorche’cha” (Hashem will bless those who bless

him); (vi) “u-mekalelcha a’or” (and curse those who curse him); (vii) “ve-nivrechu becha kol mishpechot ha’adama” (all of the earth’s

families will be blessed through him); (2) they correspond to the 7 times “tov” (good) appears in the Creation story (Ba’al haTurim).

(b) The idol worshippers they converted to believe in Hashem; (c) Avram pitched Sarai’s tent first, teaching that one should honor his

wife more than himself (Rashi). (d) All list these 5 – (1) Avram’s leaving his homeland; (2) Cana’an’s famine; (3) Sarai taken to Phar-

aoh’s palace; (4) Avram’s war against the 4 kings; and (5) the mitzvah of Avraham circumcising himself – the 6th nisayon was either

(i) Brit bein ha-betarim (Covenant between the Parts), during which Avram saw his offspring’s 4 future exiles (Pirkei deRebi Eliezer);

or (ii) taking Hagar for a wife (Rambam). (e) (1) Yes, he did 2 unintentional sins – (i) leaving Eretz Yisrael, and (ii) bringing his wife

to a place of immorality – he should have had faith that Hashem would protect them from the famine (Ramban). (2) No, he did not sin

– (i) Avot 5:4 says that Avraham passed all 10 trials – including the trial of going with his wife to Mitzrayim during the famine, and

(ii) he followed the advice given in Bava Kama 60b, “when there is a famine in the land, go elsewhere” (Abarbanel).

3. (a) Since 13:1 says that Lot travelled with Avram, why does 13:5 repeat this? (b) Why did Avram separate from Lot (3 rea-

sons)?

3. (a) 13:5 adds that Lot had “flocks, cattle and tents” only since he went with Avram (Rashi). (b) (1) Due to the strife between Av-

ram’s shepherds, who did not graze on other peoples’ land, and Lot’s shepherds, who did (Rashi). (2) The Cana’anim worshipped

idols – Avram sensed Lot’s inclination toward avoda zara (Malbim). (3) While the Shechina accompanied Avram, the land could not

bear Lot’s people’s crooked ways (Ba’al haTurim(stringencies) on others? (Bereshit 14:7,12,18-24)



November Lunch Menu Prepared by Aleta Gelb, Director of Food Service, [email protected]



Parents Council Thank You’s

MDS PARENT COUNCIL

WANTS TO THANK YOU!!!

Thank you to Seasons’ catering for providing the delicious food for our Parent Council wine and cheese social. Thank you

to Elisha and Kellie Rothman (Hannah, K5A, Sarah, N4C) for donating the wine from their personal collection. And a spe-cial thank you for everyone who attended—it was great to meet and get to know you all. We are excited to work with

you throughout the school year.

Thank you to Meryl Degen (Noam, N4B) for another successful challah baking program and thank you to everyone who

participated in the baking.

Thank you to Julie Ackerman (N1) for chairing the MDS Merchandise program. MDS kippot and sweatshirts, as well as size 4 three button polos, are now on sale in the business office and more exciting MDS swag is coming soon!

KEEP SAVING YOUR BOX TOPS! More on our Box Top reward program coming soon. ______________________________________________

SAVE THE DATE: SATURDAY NIGHT, DECEMBER 1st

MDS ANNUAL CHANUKAH BOUTIQUE WE NEED YOU!!!

Thursday evening, November 29th, need volunteers to set up the event

Saturday night, December 1st, need volunteers to help out at the event

This has traditionally been one of the biggest fundraising events of the year. Help us keep it that way! We are seeking SPONSORS for the event; you will be listed in the program and in the Messenger to thank you for your contribution.

***WE NEED TWO VOLUNTEERS TO CHAIR THE CHANUKAH BOUTIQUE FOR THE 2013-2014 SCHOOL YEAR

WHO CAN TRAIN THIS YEAR WITH THE CURRENT CHAIRPEOPLE. If you’re creative, good with vendors and love organizing events, please email Rachel Gelfand, [email protected].

THANK YOU!!

mailto:[email protected]



MDS Used Book Fair, 10/30-31

1st Annual MDS Parents Council

Used Book Fair

Purchase Gently Used Books Tues Oct 30 & Wed Oct 31

MDS Lobby 8:00 – 9:30AM 12:00 – 1:30PM 2:30 - 4:30PM

Cash or Check Only To volunteer: Email Shari Friedman,

[email protected]

To Donate Your Used Books (Children, Adult, Judaica & Seforim) to the Book Fair,

Leave in Lobby Drop-off Box October 22 – 29




Parents Council School Uniforms, 11/2

MDS PARENTS COUNCIL

SCHOOL UNIFORM PROGRAM

FREE Gently-Used School Uniforms All Parents Welcome!

Friday, November 2

nd

8:15 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Lower Lobby

Contact [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected] with any questions.






Family Fun Days: Knicks Game, 11/4



MDS Upcoming Events

Stay Tuned for the Following Upcoming Events:

Student Election Day, November 6th

Veteran’s Day Commemoration, November 9th

Are you receiving nightly homework and class news emails from ParentLocker?

Stay connected to all of the learning at MDS!

Please contact Yehudit, [email protected], with any questions about the site!



Chanukah Boutique 12/1

Help your class win an ice cream party!

Submit your box tops to Sharon Newman In a bag with your name and class on it!

The contest is on…

Which class will win?



Share the News About MDS!

Recruitment for 2013-14 is underway!!

If you are aware of a family interested in a Torah-based,

developmentally appropriate Early Childhood Program for their

2-5 year old, please encourage them to contact

Cindy Sherman, Director of Admissions,

[email protected], to arrange a tour.



Manhattan Day School

310 West 75th Street

New York, New York

Tel: 212-376-6800

Fax: 212-376-6389

www.mdsweb.org

Tel: 212-673-3066

Fax: 212-376-6389

Email all articles and graphics

to Yehudit Robinson,

Director of

Educational Technology,

[email protected]

…

Thank you for keeping our school

a nut-aware environment.

Please join our daily parent

tehillim group which meets in the

library at 8:15 AM.

Shabbat Shalom! Sumbitted by Early Childhood Department Teachers

In the MDS Family...

Correction: In the September 19th issue, the J.K. Rowling Webcast article was

submitted by Mrs. Rebecca Tenzer.

Mazal tov to Sharon Newman on the birth of a grandson.

Mazal tov to Joseph and Dalia Cohen and Ezra (5B), Jack (3C), and Morris (N4B)

on the birth of a girl.

Mazal tov to David and Suzy Serraf and Yoel (K5A) on the birth of a boy.

Mazal tov to Jonathan and Shoshana Schwartz and Zahava (3C), Ariel (K5A), and

Elana (Toddler Alef) on the birth of a boy

Mazal tov to Dr. Jeffrey and Alanna Schwartz and Hannah (Toddler Bet) on the

birth of a boy.

Mazal tov to Aryeh and Daniella Schwebel and Noah (Toddler Bet) on the birth of

a girl.

Mazal tov to Dani and Bari Erber and Cailey (3C), EJ (K5B), and Ava (Toddle

Alef) on the birth of a boy.

Mazal tov to Kenneth and Eta Hamlet and Emma (2C) and Eliza (K5C) on the birth

of a boy.

Documents

October 26, 2012