Erev Shabbos Parashas Te’tza’veh February 11, 2011 Licht Bentchen: 5:23 P.M. Volume XVII, Issue 21
Dear Parents, At the risk of being repetitiously redundant, we will open by very briefly rererementioning our upcoming major event:
Eighth Annual Chinese Auction Sunday, February 27,
Beth Sholom 7:00 P.M.
Need we say more?
Calendarial Anticipations
Sunday, February 13 – 5th/6th Shiurim. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, February 15, 16, and 17 – Full post 3:30 line-up, including the first Yoga class of the new session. A flyer with Yoga sign-up info is attached. Tuesday, February 15 – 1st-3rd Berachos Bowl in P.M. Wednesday, February 16 – 4B-6B and 4G-6G Berachos Bees in the A.M. Nut House Pizza. Thanks to all of this week’s in-
house helpers. Thursday, February 17 – Project Ascent comes again for 5B/5G. Friday, February 18 – Read to Succeed forms are due. Sunday, February 20 – Erev Presidents Day – No Shiurim. Monday, February 21 – Presidents Day – No School. Tuesday, February 22 – Report Cards for 1st-6th will be sent home, G-d willing. Wednesday, February 23 – 2:00 P.M. dismissed. No P.M. Day Care. Evening Conferences for K-6.
Thursday, February 24 – 10:00 opening.
Day Care starts at 8:30. 2nd-6th should Daven at home.
Sunday, February 27 – Eighth Annual TSGW Chinese Auction at 7:00 P.M. at Beth Sholom.
Sunday, March 6 – Girls’ Choir at Ring House at 10:30 A.M. Our young ladies should Arrive by 10:15 dressed in: Purim Costumes.
Kindergarten Aleph-Bais Siyumim Tuesday, March 1 – Morah Rochel’s A.M. class. Wednesday, March 2 – Morah Rochel’s P.M. class. Thursday, March 3 – Morah Chani’s class.
All will start at 9:20 A.M.
We extend condolences to Leah Verschleisser, upon the passing of her mother, Z’L. May the entire family be comforted among the mourners of Tziyon and Yerushalayim. Leah is sitting Shivah at home (10902 Childs St.) through Motzaei Shabbos and then will continue to sit Shivah in Delaware.
Coming Home Today Ooroo LaTefillah. Classroom Close-ups by
Rabbi Feldman. SOVEYA Newsletter. Yoga sign-up form. Olomeinu Commemorative Issue.
☺ Simmy Pollock for covering the front desk on Sunday.
$$””22"" TToorraahh SScchhooooll ooff GGrreeaatteerr WWaasshhiinnggttoonn
EE..SS..TT..EE..RR.. EErreevv SShhaabbbbooss ““TToorraahh”” EEvveennttss RReeppoorrtt
☺ Mrs. Lisa Solomson, our Librarian, for arranging Ms. Carolyn Reeder’s visit.
3M Update This week’s focus on Hakaras HaTov centered on the first words we are to say each A.M.-Modeh Ani.
Parshathon $ Collection
Our donations to Chai Lifeline (via the Parshathon) have soared to $8,901.16. We know that more $ is just waiting to be brought in. Please encourage your progeny to do so ASAP.
We wish a heartfelt Mazel Tov to: Rabbi Menachem and Mrs. Sara Malka Winter and family, upon the marriage of Sara Malka’s sister. May they continue to be blessed with Simachos.
Adar Ruach Revelation As we are firmly ensconced in Adar I, heading directly towards Adar II and Purim, it is time to inform you of our
Ruach Day theme and dates: Theme: Things are Popping at the
Torah School. Date: Monday, March 7, which is the
first of Adar II. Poster and instructions to follow.
Masmid Gavoha Update Sixth Grade Boys voluntary out-of-school Talmud Torah points are now up to 10,955 points (which amounts to @182.58 hours). It’s Friday. How Did We Get Here?
Monday’s 3rd-6th Grade sessions with author
Carolyn Reeder were fascinating. Using extensive power point presentations, she spoke about her experiential, interactive research for each of her books. Next week, Mrs. Lisa Solomson’s Classroom Close-ups will give more details of this program. The following is a follow-up email sent by Ms. Reeder:
Hi, Lisa, I enjoyed every minute of my day at your school and have been singing its praises. There’s a “good feel” to your whole building – it feels like a safe, comfortable place for both kids and adults to work. Thanks so much for inviting me – and for all the planning involved in making the day go so smoothly. --Carolyn
On Wednesday, all classes enjoyed and learned from the Maryland Science Center’s presentations. Title: Brain Benders. The focus was on discrepant events, defined as: “When you think something is going to happen one way because of everything you’ve learned, but something different happens, not because of magic, but because of science.” (Editor’s Note: Science means the creations of G-d.) The following vocabulary words were prominent in these programs and explained very clearly for our kids: air pressure, logic, scientific method, question, hypotheses, experiment, observe, conclusion, and repeatable.
3B is “heavily” into the writing trait of voice. The boys were so excited to read aloud their personal selections with the appropriate voice and inflection. They were also quite insightful as they analyzed the voices depicted in assorted readings.
Coming up on Wednesday is a relatively new Yom Tov: the 100th day of school. Kindergarten uses this opportunity to teach accurate counting from 1-100, as the children bring in bags with a “century” of assorted (rather than sordid) objects.
The girls in 3G have come up with some very creative Musician of the Week projects that they
have presented in music class. Last week, Rachel Morris taught her classmates about a variety of different instruments by creating a poster of her 3G band. She drew a picture of each member of her class and assigned each girl an instrument about which she then continued to teach her class. This past Tuesday, Chaya Deitsch, a native Australian, introduced her classmates to the didgeridoo, an ancient Australian wind instrument. Chaya constructed and decorated her own didgeridoo and then proceeded to play hers for the class.
Kindergartners are into time, $, and animal habitats. They are really getting excited and ready for the Aleph Bais Siyumim on March 1, 2,and 3.
1B/G are studying and counting teeth and wrote Tooth Tales. Next week, they will present their research posters on the animals of their choice.
1B/G have begun their Ke’ri’ah of Megillas Esther project.
Mrs. Evans’ 2G are making globes and learning the continents
4G are making Indian crafts (in their study of Maryland’s history) and writing stories about tribes.
5B have discovered that the length of time of Hashem’s rewards is longer than that of Hashem’s punishments.
5B/G have started the Revolutionary War (although it ended a long time ago).
6B/G are interpreting remainders. Problem: How many pizzas should Mrs. Mailman order on Wednesday when the tally of slices is not evenly divisible by eight? They also played bingo and Jeopardy to review their rocks and minerals unit.
Have a Good Shabbos!
Sincerely,
Rabbi Yitzchak Charner
Headmaster
TSGW After-School Sports YOGA SERIES In this After School Sports program, we will continue to explore Yoga poses while learning basic anatomy. This series will encourage strength and flexibility while developing a positive self image. • For 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade Girls • Wednesdays, beginning February 16, 2011 • 3:45-4:45pm • 7 Sessions taught by Mrs. Shevi Miller, RYT 200 • $49 PTA members* or $56 for non-members • Space is limited to 15 girls (minimum of 10) The registration form and your check, made payable to TSGW PTA, MUST be submitted by Tuesday, February 15, 2011. Registration will close when 15 girls have registered, or by Tuesday, February 15, 2011, whichever comes first. You will receive a confirmation email when your daughter is registered.
___________________________________________________
REGISTRATION FORM CHILD’S NAME ___________________________________ GRADE ________ Daytime Phone #______________________________________________ PTA Member? Y or N Email ______________________________________
** YOU MUST HAVE PAID YOUR $25 PTA MEMBERSHIP FEE IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THE REDUCED PTA SPORTS FEE OF $49
February 11, 2011
Classroom Close-Ups Rabbi Shmuel Feldman
Volume VII, Issue 15
The classrooms and schools of today look much different from those of the past. The days of the blackboards are gone. No more chalk or banging erasers. Mechanical pencil sharpeners, mimeographs and typewriters are things of the past. All of these things have been replaced with modern day inventions which are so much more practical and efficient.
As a first and second grade Rebbe, my job is to understand the wants and needs of the boys. Unfortunately, recess for 3 hours a day is just not feasible. Cool stuff (a.k.a technology) is. One of the areas in which I take pride is the incorporation of technology into our daily learning.
In an article written by Gilbert Valdez, Ph.D., director of North Central Regional Technology in Education Consortium entitled Technology: A Catalyst for Teaching and Learning in the Classroom, he writes, “Educational technologies are learning tools that can increase virtually all students' learning opportunities. Technology has been proved to accommodate learning styles and to be an effective motivator for students with specific learning needs. Furthermore, students working in collaborative-team-learning settings appear to function better when learning events are accompanied by technology use.”
We work very hard at Keriah, especially in the first and second grades. During the day, we practice reading our Tefillos from the Siddur. New Tefillos are introduced when it is felt that the class has mastered the specific Tefilla that is being learned. One way to monitor the progress of each child is through the use of microphones attached to the computers. Every child has a turn to read the prayer on the computer and save it in the correct folder. Later, I listen to each child’s recording. If an error is made, it is promptly rectified during the next Keriah time.
Last year, through Grandparents’ Day, 3 SMART Boards were donated to the Torah School. This donation is one of which I am especially appreciative. After an extremely informative in-service, our teachers were given the green light to begin using these SMART Boards. Once I started using them, I haven’t stopped. I place the Pesukim on the screen with blanks that each student can fill in. Next, the words of the Pesukim are manipulated and then broken apart. Each part of the word can be emphasized and highlighted - the prefix, the shoresh and the suffix. The excitement is palatable as the boys walk into the room and the SMART Board is ready for action.
In addition, the SMART Board software was placed on the school computers. Using this interactive software leads to the discovery and construction of various games. Shoresh, vocabulary and Dikduk games are now played on a daily basis during worktime. The boys think they are merely playing, but, in essence, they are learning the same way they would with a workbook. Ask your son about Matching, Drag the Shoresh, and Wordbiz, which are just a few of the interactive games that I created to reinforce the material and the lessons taught in class.
Just when you thought there were enough games - there are more. PowerPoint games and Listening games are played on the computer, as well. These activities are completed
while using the headphones. It involves independent work and good listening skills to master all of these.
In second grade, the boys feel like Rebbeim as they learn to create various worksheets on the computer. Given only a template, they work diligently to create Boggle, matching pages, and wordsearches. After they finish each page, they proudly sign their names as the Originators of the Pages.
Even when not in school, the boys still get to utilize technology. Snow days don’t keep them from learning. During this past storm which kept us out of school for two days, the boys got to listen to a recorded message at home. Along with the special message was a Keriah assignment and a maze for the boys to complete and a Google Voice number which they could call. Upon calling, the boys were able to complete their keriah assignment by leaving a 3 minute message for their Rebbe. I received such positive feedback from the parents and students that it might be worth it to have another snow day or two...
I can’t wait to continue to develop new and exciting ways to use technology to foster a love of learning. Thank you to all of the donors for the above equipment. May we always use this equipment to teach Torah, mitzvos, and derech eretz for all future generations.
rExEl©Y§t¦il̈
d!
Wake up to prayer!
s"xc
vk̈h ¦p §T©k UrUg______________________
Volume IV, Issue 16 February 11, 2011
Berachos RishonosIn this lesson, we will discuss three (of the six) Berachos said before eating or
drinking. 1.
"/.rtv in ojk thmunv"“...Who brings out bread from the earth.”
This Berachah is recited before eating bread, rolls, bagels, Matzah, or the likewhich are made from the flour of the five grains:
BarleyRyeOatsWheatSpelt.
(Mnemonic is BROWS.)This flour must be then mixed with water and baked into a Pas, a “bread-like” food.Where the process is changed or other ingredients are added, there can be a differentvfrc. (Editor’s note: In fact the five grains are unique because, depending on the waythey are prepared and eaten, there can be one of four ,ufrc said over them: thmunv or
,ubuzn orvnstv or/kfva
This venue is not the place to get into the pertinent details.)
These grains have special Berachos because “bread is the most prominent offoods and the mainstay of all meals. Indeed, until modern times, a meal alwaysconsisted of some sort of bread with or without a secondary food.” (The Laws ofBrachos, pg 232.) Bread is known as the “staff of life.”
It says in Tehillim (104:15): ""sgxh aubt cck ojku
“And bread satiates the heart of man.”
A Project of the Torah School of Greater Washington
s"xc
This Berachah is recited before eating baked, cooked, or fried cakes, pies,cookies, muffins, pasta, cereals, pretzels, and the like made from the five grains:
2."/,ubuzn hbhn truc"
“Who creates types of food which are filling and provide nourishment.”BarleyRyeOatsWheatSpelt.
It is also said before eating rice. (Editor’s note: There are instances when it isHalachically complicated to determine whether a food warrants "thmunv" or ",ubuzn"/ Here, we are merely giving the general guideline.)
3."/ipdv hrp truc"
“Who created fruit of the vine.”This is recited before drinking juices made from grapes. This includes grape
wine, grape juice, and raisin wine. “Grape wine has special status in the world ofBerachos. It is the only food which both physically satisfies and brings joy to the spirit.”(The Laws of Brachos, pg 312.)
It says in Tehillim (104:15),"/aubt cck jnah ihhu"
“And wine gladdens the heart of man.”This is why wine has its own unique blessing.
Rabbi Eli Glaser, CNWC, CWMC – Director p 1-888-8-SOVEYA (876-8392) f 443-379-0665 www.soveya.com [email protected]
Volume 4, Issue 20 6209 Western Run Drive, Baltimore, MD 21209
Copyright © 2011 by Soveya, Inc.
SWITCHH Newsletter (Soveya Wellness Initiative To Create Healthy Habits)
IT’S ALL IN THE ALEPH BEIS
Torah thought on health and nutrition:
The recipe for righteousness is incorporated right in the middle of the Hebrew alphabet. Each letter in Loshon HaKodesh represents a profound idea as well as simply identifying a sound to help construct a word. The letter צ denotes tzidkus (righteousness). According to Rav Levi of Berditchev, the three letters preceding צ form the formula to achieve this foremost goal in Judaism ( פ -ע –ס ). The samech (ס) represents borders. It’s completely enclosed and teaches us that we need to exercise control and institute proper guidelines in our daily lives. What’s the first thing we need to guard? Our eyes (ע) – עיניים. Our eyes are often the first sense to catch a sight and create a desire or craving that might not be in our best interest to pursue. “Out of sight, out of mind,” is an accurate axiom. The food that goes in our mouths, or the words that come out, are usually preceded by what our eyes observe. Hence, the next letter in the aleph beis (פ) – which literally means “mouth”. Guarding our mouths and eyes, says the Kedushas Levi, is the simple and straightforward code HaShem imbedded in the alphabet to attain righteousness. Boundaries and parameters equal greatness. They are not restrictive burdens stymieing us from sweetness in life. They are the principles and procedures that insure we have a successful and enjoyable time in this world. Without them, a lifelong pursuit of pleasure would end up in pain and despair. As it says in Mishlei (21:23): “One who guards his mouth and tongue, guards his soul from pain.” The Rambam answers an obvious question about this verse with a vital lesson, the root of which is found in these four letters of the aleph beis. Why does it say a person must guard his mouth and tongue? That seems redundant.
The Rambam teaches that guarding one’s mouth means, “from eating harmful foods, or from overeating,” and guarding one’s tongue means, “from only speaking what’s necessary,” (Hilchos Deios 4:15). Each word, therefore conveys a unique and powerful concept. The bells and pomegranate-shaped tassels on the bottom of the Kohen Gadol’s me’il (robe) also mirror this message, as we see in this week’s parsha. They were meant to amend for the transgression of lashon hara (slanderous speech) by making noise as the Kohen Gadol walked, to atone for the “noise” we made by speaking negatively about others. But what was the significance of the pomegranate? Rashi in the gemara (Zevachim 88b – last Sunday’s Daf Yomi by the way) informs us that the pomegranates on the hem of the me’il should resemble those on a tree that have yet to ripen and open. It’s as if the pomegranate’s mouth was not open, refraining from speaking. Once the pomegranate opens its mouth, it begins to spoil and dry up inside. We’re to learn from here that we need to exercise control and closure with our mouths when appropriate, only emitting words that are kind and helpful, and only letting in food that is healthy and nutritious – a true path to righteousness. Good שבת.
The SWITCHH newsletter is provided free of charge to schools across the country through the generous support of our underwriting partners including:
718-252-2332 1-800-875-0100
SWITCHH is a coalition of Jewish Day Schools committed to effecting real and lasting changes toward our approach to eating and nutrition. The Wellness Initiative uses a Torah educational approach combined with practical tools and the latest news and information to inform and empower parents, teachers and students about the obligation to properly care for our bodies by developing and enjoying healthy eating habits. SWITCHH is presented by Soveya, providing nutrition & wellness coaching, educational programs, teleconferences,
seminars and newsletters concerning healthy, nutrition, and obesity prevention.
Changing the Jewish World – One Pound at a Time
Jewish Meditations for Women
an extraordinary new CD by Zakah Glaser
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Easy & Healthy RECIPE CORNER
Pomegranate Fruit Salad Platter
Ingredients: 1 Pineapple, sliced into rounds; 3 oranges, sliced into rounds; 1 ripe mango, diced; Seeds from 1/2 pomegranate Directions: Slice fruit and arrange on a platter. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. From Soveya’s Incredibly Easy & Healthy Cookbook
(300 no sugar, No flour, recipes – all but a few gluten free & kosher for Pesach)
BUY FOR YOURSELF OR FOR THE PERFECT GIFT – ORDER TODAY!
Thumbs Up
Pomegranate Seeds (1/2 cup) Great Snack
Benefits: 92 Calories 20% DV of Vitamin C
Thumbs Down
Red Hots Candy (1/2 cup) Lousy Snack
Drawbacks: 400 Calories 88 Grams of Sugar which helps decrease the chance of bad breath and gum disease. In addition to antioxidants, pomegranates contain an element that combats the enzyme that eats away at cartilage. This delays the onset of osteoarthritis. The fruit also contains anti-inflammatory qualities which would treat the disease after onset.
POWER OF POMEGRANATES Pomegranates contain the most antioxidants of any natural food. Eating pomegranates, which contain antioxidants such as polyphenols, tannins and anthocyanins, can therefore lower a person's risk of cancer, Alzheimer's and premature aging. Furthermore, these antioxidants clear arteries of plaque, preventing heart disease and lowering blood pressure and the risk of stroke. They also lower the bad kind of cholesterol (LDL) in the body. Consuming pomegranates also reduces dental plaque build-up,
DAILY DIET SODA MAY LEAD TO HIGHER RISK OF STROKE & HEART ATTACK
Just as you were starting to feel virtuous for having switched from sugary sodas to low- or no-calorie substitutes, a new study comes along suggesting that diet sodas might be bad for your head and your heart.
The study, which followed more than 2,500 New Yorkers for nine or more years, found that people who drank diet soda every day had a 61 percent higher risk of vascular events, including stroke and heart attack, than those who completely eschewed the diet drinks, according to researchers who presented their results today at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference in Los Angeles. “I think diet soda drinkers need to stay tuned,” Gardener said. “Hopefully this will motivate other researchers to do more studies.”
“This is pretty scary,” said Denise Gainey, a 49-year-old administrative assistant from Amelia, Va. “I guess I’ll just be drinking a lot more water,” she said.
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