MDS Messenger February 22, 2013

Candle Lighting Time - 5:20 PM Page 1

Volume 12, Issue 17 February 22, 2013 פורים—פרשת תצוה

בס"ד

Melave Malka: A Special Evening! By Rabbi Binyamin Yablok, Associate Principal, [email protected]; Pictures taken by Ester Kelen

Great food,

great company,

great entertainment

and great prizes.

That’s what you

missed if you did

NOT attend the an-

nual father / son

melave malka this

past Motza’ei Shab-

bat. But it seemed

like everybody

WAS there. The

atmosphere was fun

and exciting. We

had an ‘all you

could eat’ buffet

supper. The choir

sang beautifully,

with some memora-

ble solos. We heard an amazing and memorable TRUE story from Mr. Charlie Harrari about a blind student who made the winning

shots in a basketball game and his brother who didn’t give up on him! A mentalist surprised us with his tricks, always seeming to

know what we were thinking. And of course we can’t forget the raffle tickets that everyone laid out on the table hoping to win some

really great prizes. Our thanks to the organizers and participants, especially Mrs. Joy Wildes, Mrs. Rachel Solomons, Mrs. Elana

Nussbaum, Mrs. Sabrina Ascher, and Mrs. Abby Knopp for producing an excellent event. See more pictures on the next page!

Two Weeks to Go!

Visit www.mdsdinner.adjournal.com to sign up for our March 10th Annual Dinner

and to place an ad!


Page 2 Candle Lighting Time - 5:03 PM

Melave Malka: Raffles, Mentalist, Lots of Fun! Pictures taken by Ester Kelen



Rebbetzin Beila Goodman of the BACH Shul recently

visited MDS so our students could present her with a check for

$7,500, the amount that they raised through tzedakah boxes with

the logo “MDS Cares 4 Long Beach”. Thank you to Rebbetzin

Goodman for her powerful speech, printed below and on the

next several pages:

Have you ever been to Long Beach? Atlantic Beach?

Lido Beach? Have you ever been on the Long Beach board-

walk? Well, here is a piece of the boardwalk now. This is what

it has been reduced to. My name is Rebbetzin Beila Goodman

and I am from Long Beach, New York. It is an honor and a

privilege to be addressing you today.

You may have heard about it in the news, some of you

may have seen it online, you may have friends or even family

who were directly affected. You may have lost your electricity

for a couple of days. The destruction was widespread. The re-

covery process is already costing billions of dollars. But we

know its real cost will exceed any dollar amount. Just ask the

family who lost the bottom floor of their house and their cars

and found themselves with nowhere to go days later. Or the

school that lost their entire preschool building and all its con-

tents, or the rabbi who lost his vast sefarim collection. Or the

community that finds its members moving away. Or the organi-

zation that turned into a haven for hundreds to charge their cell

phones, enjoy a warm bite, and find a shoulder to cry on.

Today, I am humbled to be standing here, speaking on

behalf of our community of Long Beach whose residents have

experienced firsthand the devastation wrought by the wrath of

Hurricane Sandy.

It was Sunday, October 28th, the 12th of Cheshvan.

My husband, our four children, and I went out for an afternoon

stroll on the Long Beach boardwalk, the jewel of our city. It

was extremely windy. The waves were enormous. Epic, they

say. The boardwalk - packed. Lots of passersby coming and

going, watching the waves, on what looked to be the biggest

surfing day of the year. Today however, the buzz on the board-

walk – “are you staying or going?”.

To be honest, after last year’s Hurricane Irene – where

the ocean went past our front door and just barely touched the front step before returning back with the tide, we weren’t running so

fast this time.

But by that evening however, we were moving to higher ground. We picked up whatever furniture and seforim we could to a

few feet off the ground. We packed a suitcase consisting of our passports, flashlights, clothes, and food to last two days and we

moved just one block away to the two-story home of close friends of ours.

Throughout this whole time, we were in touch with many of our community members ensuring that everyone was accounted

for and had place to go. Since the morning, the winds howled, and the tide was hitting the boardwalk, but by 5:00 pm, the streets

started to fill up with water and as the evening wore on, the water level got higher until it covered all sidewalks and then wheels of the

cars. Debris started to appear along the current of the white frothy rivers running down the streets, hitting cars and setting off their

alarms.

We were in contact with some neighbors who had stayed behind in our building. We were told that the lobby of the building

was submerged under water and that the water was coming up the stairwell. At that point, I panicked – if the ocean was going to

make house calls - our home was a first stop, since our apartment was on the ground level and our door was the closest to the board-

walk.

At 7:45 pm I was on the phone with my father reassuring him that we were ok when our connection went dead. We had offi-

cially lost electricity (the start of a two-week long ordeal for us - and for many, much longer than that).

9:30 pm found myself and my 8 year old son Gavi reciting some tehillim together on the couch to the light of a flashlight as

he was too excited and anxious to go to sleep. [Continued next page]

MDS Students Donate $7,500 to BACH Shul By Yehudit Robinson, Director of Educational Technology, [email protected]



Rebbetzin Goodman: The Water Kept Rising... By Rebbetzin Beila Goodman, BACH Shul

And just when it seemed that the conditions were about to get worse, the clouds moved aside and for a quick moment, the

moon was visible as its light glistened on the waters in the street.

At that moment, my husband received a text from one of our community members, “Rabbi – the moon is visible, can we say

Kiddush Levanah?” to which he responded, “it’s a go!” As the winds howled and the ocean roared, a couple of daring individuals

ventured outside each from their own place of shelter in their rain gear and boots taking a siddur and flashlight with them and recited

the blessing over the moon.

It was well after midnight when we finally managed to fall into a restless sleep, trying to drown out the sound of the crazy

winds, and rushing water and the car alarms going off outside.

Tuesday morning, 3:45 am. Fierce winds still howling through the chimney. I hear the sound of army vehicles outside. The

National Guard has arrived, their flashing lights casting shadows throughout the dark house. I get up and find my husband putting on

his boots. The waters have receded and he is going out to check on the damage. He comes back five minutes later and says he is going

back to our place to open the door and let the water out. I decide to join him. We get our flashlights and venture outside. I t’s very

dark. You literally have to shine the light in front of every step you take to prevent yourself from stumbling. It’s very quiet and still

except for the roar of the ocean. As we walk towards the beach to our home, we find ourselves looking away. The winds are still go-

ing at a whopping 75 miles per hour and it’s almost impossible to look directly at the water. Cars are strewn everywhere (we even had

to climb over one), some even piled up in a heap of metal, their hoods spitting out seaweed. Street signs, poles, and fences litter the

street.

When we reach our building, I pause for a moment to take it all in. It’s hard to believe what I’m seeing. Huge piles of debris

consisting of pieces of the very boardwalk we walked just 2 days before, a large canoe washed ashore, as well as broken sidewalk and

building blocking our path. We are forced to climb over the ramp to the boardwalk which is just barely hanging on a thread to get to

our door. The bottom corner of our now distorted heavy duty metal door was pushed in rendering it open to the elements. We shine

our flashlights through the hole and we could see the bookshelves still standing with the silver candlesticks intact. And there doesn’t

seem to be water in there. “It’s not so bad”, my husband says. I’m not so sure. I need to see for myself. I squeeze myself through the

little hole (don’t ask me how), and the sight that met my eyes I will never forget: our furniture strewn all over in mangled heaps, sea-

weed dangling decoratively from them – and through the three feet of wet sand that now covered the floor – you can make out pages

of sefarim, pictures of our children, toys, all destroyed, glass mirrors shattered everywhere.

In the kitchen - the refrigerator flat on its back, ocean water and seaweed in every pot and cabinet. I slowly crept through the

rooms with the dim flash light in disbelief. It was cold, damp and eerily quiet. It looked like a madman had raged through our home.

[Continued next page]



Rebbetzin Goodman: We Still Need Lots of Help By Rebbetzin Beila Goodman, BACH Shul

My husband calls out that we need to go. Quickly I take the silver and some other valuables.

My eyes scan the room and I silently whisper goodbye to the place we called home.

I squeeze myself through the small opening of what used to be the door and join him outside. The ocean seems so close to

us. The one-and-a-half foot thick cement wall that was built to separate the building from the waters was lying on its side, shattered.

Once we make it back to where we were staying, I am numb. The adrenaline rush is gone. I sit there in shock. In disbelief.

I want to react but my emotions are frozen. The strength, the might of Hashem, in His creations, and what can happen all in one sin-

gle moment: I am stunned. I sit there in this state until sunrise and then turn on my cell phone with the minimal battery to contact our

family and the outside world. My phone vibrates. I peer over the screen and see a message from the principal of a school in Brooklyn

(where probably two trees falling down was the worst effect of the hurricane in their neck of the woods) and she was confirming a

workshop I was meant to give the following day to her students. With the little bit of battery left, I texted her something to the extent

of: “just lost my home, no electricity or running water, don’t think I’ll make it this week.”

Little did they know what we were dealing with. We looked like a war zone. National Guard troops in army vehicles driving

around, saving people. No running water. Porter potties were brought and put on each block. No food. No electricity. No heat. No

phones. People were waiting in line for hours to charge their phones for 20 minutes on special FEMA trucks in center of town. Could

you imagine this happening in New York in 2012? I am from Denver, Clorado, where we had tornado drills in school and when I

settled here, never in my wildest dreams did I think we would be slammed with tropical storms in New York! The Torah teaches us that everything happens for a reason. That even a leaf does not fall to the ground without a purpose.

Can you imagine that one leaf’s movement can have a ripple effect on all of humanity? A storm like Sandy, with such magnitude -

there must have been a lot of meaning, a lot of rhyme and reason.

One thing is for sure, and I’m speaking on behalf of all the families who were affected. We are deeply touched by the out-

pouring of care and concern who have taken it upon themselves to lend a hand and provide support financially, emotionally, and in

organizing relief efforts to get our communities back on their feet.

I want to take this opportunity to thank you, the students of Manhattan Day School, for organizing a fundraiser and raising

vital funds for our organization, The BACH Shul, which has been at the forefront of relief effort, to help get itself back on its feet and

to help those in need in our community. You don’t even realize how far each dollar you raised has gone in helping to rebuild, restore,

and rejuvenate the Long Beach community.

I will never forget the moment I saw three large coach buses (from your community of the Upper West Side and MDS and,

I’m sure, many of your parents) pull up exactly two weeks after the hurricane with cleaning supplies, clothing, food, batteries, and,

most importantly, helping hands, and spent the entire day with their sleeves rolled up shlepping wet mattresses out of peoples’ homes,

scrubbing children’s toys, ripping out drenched carpets, cleaning, washing, and organizing different homes and the synagogues, in-

cluding our own center, the BACH.

It was actually the moment I saw them that I found myself saying in amazement, “mi ke’amcha yisrael” – who is like Your

people, B’nei Yisrael.” Look at what we have over here: brothers and sisters helping each other in times of need. We were all in this

together and we share a common connection and bond. Ashreinu: how lucky we are.

Our Shul and youth center is The BACH which

stands for “Bachurei Chemed” – precious youth, precious

kids. We run a whole gamut of programs for youth of all

ages from exciting basketball games to pizza parties to late

night music jams. Our building, which is a few blocks from

the ocean, was completely submerged under five feet of water

for days. We lost our social hall and youth lounge with a

pool table and foose ball table, kitchen, and bathrooms. Even

after pumping it out, the water would seep back in as the

ground was so saturated. We had to throw everything out. All

furniture, games, and a decade worth of supplies. It’s been a long few months. Up until two weeks

ago, we were still finding out about families who still had no

heat. Together with local organizations, we organized JCAP

– the Jewish Community Assistance Program. And we have

been raising funds from outside sources to go straight to local

individuals and families to help them get back on their feet

until insurance kicks in. We have secured vouchers for wash-

ing machines, dryers and basic appliances, and beds. We

made a big Kiddush Hashem for the non-Torah observant

community members who have never experienced the benev-

olent act of Tzedakah until now. [Continued next page]



Thank You, MDS, for Helping Us! By Rebbetzin Beila Goodman, BACH Shul

We also have a Hebrew school (for Jewish chil-

dren ages 7 – 13 who aren’t lucky enough to attend Jewish

day schools like you) consisting of seven large classes.

We are still bouncing around to different locations every

week, classes and many basic programs have been put on a

standstill while we have been working on restoring these

basic needs to the community.

It’s hard not to feel frustrated and discouraged.

We literally have to start over.

Recently however, my grandfather shared with us

a story that has made a great impression on me and I

would like to share it with you all today. He grew up in

Communist Russia. He told us a story from his days in

cheder, in the makeshift underground secret school he

went to as a young boy. One day, as they were learning, it

became apparent that one of the boys forgot to bring ink

for his pen. In those days, they had one pen and they

would refill the ink from time to time, not like the ball

point pens we have today. He asked his friend if he could

borrow some, to which his friend replied, “absolutely not –

you forgot it, that’s too bad.” Times were tough. They

barely had enough food. The melamed, the teacher, saw

but said nothing and he continued with the lesson. The

class moved on to Beur Tefilah – learning the meaning of

different parts of tefillah. The teacher asked the boys,

“What’s the meaning of the Possuk “Hodu Lashem Ki

Tov, Ki Leolam Chasdo?” One boy raised his hand and

answered, “Praised is Hashem for He is good, for His

kindness is everlasting.” Nope. The next boy said the

same thing in different words. “No – that’s not the transla-

tion,” the teacher said. The boys were confused. The

teacher explained: “The meaning of ‘Hodu Lashem” is:

when your friend asks for ink, share your ink! ‘Ki tov’ -

When your friend asks for ink, share your ink! ‘Ki Leolam

Chasdo’ - When your friend asks for ink, share your ink!”

As Jews we have to remember that it is our re-

sponsibility to help each other out - to make sure our

brothers and sisters have ink for their pens. That is the most important thing. That’s what Torah is all about. That is the call of the

hour. And that’s what you, the students of MDS have demonstrated by volunteering your time to raise funds to help those who were

affected by the hurricane. We want to acknowledge you for that. We want to thank you.

I would like to conclude with an incident that occurred right before Chanukah. Jaden is an eight year old boy who attends

our Hebrew School Program. He, his parents and his sister lost their home to the hurricane. They have been staying with relatives in

another community. He was even enrolled in a different school with new teachers and classmates, without any of the familiar faces

and friends he was used to. They have been living like this for three months already. In fact, they are planning on moving back to

their house which has been under construction, hopefully next week. Before Chanukah, his mom shared with me a brief exchange she

had with her son. “What do you want for Chanukah this year?” After everything he has been through, she wanted to make it an extra

special Chanukah. A new skateboard? An X-box, Wii, anything an eight year old boy would want.

He simply said, “Mom, I just want to go home.”

Jaden didn’t want any of these cool prizes. You see, when you are home and all is well, you want an X-box, and you want an

iPhone but if you don’t have a home and your own bed to live in - all of these material objects pale in importance.

For many, the storm has come and gone but for many families, including my family, we are still not home. Therefore, once again, I

want to thank you for your efforts until now and you should realize that this will be ongoing challenge for everybody in our communi-

ty for next six months and even beyond. And we will not stop our relief efforts until everybody is sleeping in their own beds at night.



Spotlight on Our Honorees: Morah Jamie Bunin By Messenger Staff

On Sunday, March 10th, MDS will be honoring faculty member Morah Jamie Bunin at its Annual Scholarship Dinner. This

week, the Messenger staff had the opportunity to catch up with 3 “graduates” of her Kindergarten class – Sarina Kofman, Gabrielle

Posner and Yael Skydell, all currently in 7th grade and pictured with Morah Jamie in the class photo below.

Messenger: So girls, do you recognize the person in this

yearbook picture from 1994? And do you agree with the

description of the person?

Gabrielle: That’s Morah Jamie?

Sarina: She went to HAFTR? I never knew!

Yael: I agree with what they said in the yearbook, because

she’s a lot of fun and likes making all the kids feel really good

about themselves.

Messenger: You are a “graduate” of Morah Jamie’s kinder-

garten, right? What do you remember about Morah Jamie?

Gabrielle: She has a nickname for everybody. She called me

Gabagoonie.

Sarina: And she called me Booboogirl because I always had

band-aids

Yael: she had a nickname for me; she always called me Mush,

and if anyone ever bothered me she said “don’t mess with my

Mush!”

Messenger: Any stories from her class that you’d like to

share with the Messenger readers?

Yael: Once when it was naptime, and we were on the cots, I

was pretending to sleep, and when it was time to wake up, I

pretended to still be asleep, so she took me and my mat and put

me on top of all of the stacked mats, and it was really funny and

I was laughing so hard!

Sarina: Once we went to the playground where we used to

have a small basketball hoop, and she would put me up and I

would stand in it.

Gabrielle: I remember that she used to go out with us one by

one and prepare us for first grade. She would ask us to write

the letters we were learning. Once she was dressing up like a

clown and she had a rose on her shirt, and Yael and I were

walking over, and then she squirted water at us from the flower!

Messenger: Interesting that you should mention Morah Ja-

mie’s dressing up. Is that something Morah Jamie does

every so often?

Sarina: Yes - when I was in Kindergarten, I used to say to

Morah Jamie, “those wigs are fake!” and she said “no they are

real!” ...but I always knew they were really fake...

Gabrielle: Yes – she is so spunky and always full of so much

life!

Yael: She always dresses up, even if it’s not an important day,

and that’s what so special about her – that she always wants to

make people laugh.

Join us on March 10th as we honor this wonderful teacher.

Next week, we profile our other honorees – Deveaux Barron

and Andrew Berkowitz. If you haven’t yet signed up for the

dinner and placed an ad, please do so at

www.mdsdinner.adjournal.com.

http://www.mdsdinner.adjournal.com



Wow! It’s Alive! Can We Pet It? By Julienne Dweck, [email protected]

In celebration of the completion of our animal unit, the students

were surprised to walk into their class last week to find LIVE animals! They

were visited by an animal expert who brought along a snake, chinchilla,

bearded dragon lizard, and a stick bug. The students were able to learn all

about each animal, discuss their adaptations, diets, habitats, and even touch

them! It was a very exciting day after months of learning, researching and

writing about animals. Here are some of the students’ opinions about the

most interesting animal they met:

Racheli Moskowitz: “The most interesting thing was that the stick bug did

not have bones. A stick bug can camouflage in trees and brown things. I

never saw an animal like this before.”

Josh Sobel: “My favorite animal that I saw was a chinchilla. It was soft as a

pillow and super cute! It was very cuddly too.”

Joseph Savenor: “Today I saw a corn snake in class. The corn snake’s ap-

pearance was like popcorn kernels. I also learned that corn snakes hibernate

in the winter.”

Sarah Papernik: “I really liked the bearded dragon because I liked its

spikes. I did not like the chinchilla because it was acting too wild! I liked

seeing the snake crawling to the mouse.” (It was a plastic mouse.)

A Tale of An Amazing City By Leah Roth, 3A

After we finished

learning about different ur-

ban communities in social

studies, we made our own

model of a city in class.

Many characteristics of a

city include skyscrapers,

vendors on the streets, office

buildings, apartment build-

ings, and many kinds of ser-

vices. Our model looks like

Manhattan. Many of the

buildings are right next to

each other. The services are

nearby. It’s great to leave

your apartment building and

be able to walk down the

block to the supermarket.

Someone could get a mani-

cure and watch a movie in

the theater next door while

her nails are drying. If you

burn your tongue eating hot

pizza at the pizza shop, you

can run to the hospital across

the street. Check out our

“city” on the third floor.



Would You Have Joined the Union or Confederacy? By Susan Kurnit, [email protected]

The eighth graders wrote journal articles why they might join either the Union or the

Confederates in the Civil War. Here is an example of a student journal entry by Lebe

Adelman:

My first day in the army was long and hard. I started the day at dawn and ended at

sunset. First, we walked all day to the capitol to defend the border in case the Confederates

would attack. On my way to Washington, D.C., I saw my cousin Max. As I approached him,

he and his friends barked: “Dirty Northerner” and “Slave lover.” As I looked at him blankly,

shocked that the boy I had grown up with would mock me like this, I noticed the gray uniform

he was wearing proudly. Just as I had gone to fight for the Union, Max had chosen to fight for

the Confederacy. This is what it’s come to in Maryland: cousins fighting against cousins,

brothers against brothers, and fathers against sons.

Although I grew up on a plantation, the decision was an easy one to make. Owning

another human being is wrong. And why Max couldn’t see the truth of this idea puzzled me.

But I knew that I would leave Maryland alone, and fight for what was right. When our found-

ing fathers built this country, they did it with unity. With a mindset of a people who would

work together, compromise, and lay down a life for one another. These were the intentions of

our forefathers. Today when I volunteered to fight for my country and my president, President

Abraham Lincoln, I volunteered to fight for the beliefs of the forefathers. I am fighting for

the unity of America: this amazing country. I am a Yankee and I’m proud. I know it means

fighting against my family and my friends. I’ve heard the stories of fathers shooting their sons in battle. I’m willing to take the risk.

Hitlahavut: Towards Meaningful Prayer By Rabbi Avi Genack, [email protected], Rabbi Hal Levy, [email protected], and Rabbi Ariel Cohen, [email protected]

The sixth grade boys have been learning about

davening with hitlahavut- with a fire. That tefila is not

just about saying the words, but really connecting to

them, and embracing an opportunity to have a conversa-

tion with Hashem. To this end, we have working on

explaining the davening, its meaning, its laws, and its

inner workings. The boys have been working on filling

their “Kos hitlahavut” by davening with life; when the

kos (cup), overflows, they will be treated to an exciting

Melava Malka. The artwork on the Kos is primarily

thanks to Yehuda Lowenthal.

Along with our Hitlahavut program, each Fri-

day one boy presents an explanation of one part of

Shmoneh Esrei. With pride I present to you the beautiful

presentation of Nadav Heller (based on the teachings of

Rav Shimon Shwab) on the phrase ”שפתי תפתח ופי יגיד ‘ ה

“תהלתך : These words are not considered a break

between Guelah and Tefila. The Chachamim consider these words to be an extension of Shmoneh Esrei, a תפילה אריכתא. Anway, why

do we ask Hashem to open our mouths? We can already do this with great ease!

When we pray Shmoneh Esrei, it is as if we are offering ourselves as Korbanot. There are three steps in preparing a Korban

Olah 1. Take off the hide 2. Cut it into sections 3. Offer it on the mizbeiach. Taking off the hide in Hebrew is הפשט, the cutting is

called nituach, and the burning is called kolil l’ishim. First, like הפשט, we practice התפשטות הגשמיות or withdrawing from our physical

selves to find our inner core. We disregard our outer vehicle, while our inner selves communicate with Hashem. Like a clock, our

hands just turn and do things, but also like a clock our inner workings are a lot more complex than our outsides could ever show. We

ask Hashem to open our mouths because we have lost control of our physicality, so we cannot open our lips, and we ask Hashem to

open them for us.

We say in tehillim, “A heart broken and humbled oh Hashem You will not despise.” Even the greatest tzadikim are nothing

in the face of Hashem. What type of chutzpah must we have to approach Hashem! When we say ”ופי יגיד תהלתך“ , we are saying that

our mouths aren’t worthy enough to sing Hashem’s praises, but let us say them anyway. Thirdly we must daven with hitlahavus, with

a flame, like a korban on a mizbeiach. We should feel awesome to be chosen by Hashem to be part of Klal Yisrael, and to say the

words of his Nevi’im and Chachamim. Now we can bow and begin our Shmoneh Esrei.



Edvard Munch’s THE SCREAM, painted in 1895, is among the most celebrated and recognized images in art history. There

are four versions of this composition and currently one of them is on display at the Museum of Modern Art until March 2013. There

are also woodcuts done of the same image in black and white.

The image is a haunting rendition of a skeletal hairless figure on a bridge with two dark foreboding figures in the back-

ground. The sky is an eerie blood red. It has most widely been interpreted as a self – portrait of anxiety and it an outstanding exam-

ple of Expressionistic art.

The 1895 pastel-on-board

version, which is currently

on exhibit at the MoMA

sold for a record 120 million

at auction on May 2, 2012.

A small group of

students in Mrs. Kastner’s

class decided to paint their

own interpretation of THE

SCREAM using a three di-

mensional mask to portray

their spooky looking image.

They could re-interpret this

iconic painting any way they

wanted. The materials used

are acrylic paint on can-

vasboard. Paper Mache was

used for the mask.

Congratulations to the stu-

dents for a job well done.

Edvard Munch would be

proud.

The Scream! By Linda Kastner, [email protected]

Rainsticks By Linda Kastner, [email protected]

Students in Mrs. Kastner’s classes just completed the rainstick, which is one of the favorite projects in her art curriculum. It

is one of the first things that the kids request to do when they begin their semester in art class. It is a great project that requires focus-

ing, following directions, creativity, skill and lots of tenacity to get it right! As you can see from these photos, the kids did an amaz-

ing job.

A rainstick is a long, hollow tube; in this case, a

cardboard mailing tube, which is filled with inserted tooth-

picks in a spiral formation. The students hammer nail holes

along the spiral of the mailing tube and then insert toothpicks

with glue into the holes for stability. When the students fill the

tube with rice, beans, pebbles or seeds, the rice falls slowly

through the toothpicks to the other end of the tube, making a

sound reminiscent of rain falling on wet leaves. If beans are

used, the sound is harder and if rice is used the sound is softer.

Depending on the amount of toothpicks used and the choice of

rice, seeds or beans, the students become musicologists and

can experiment with the sound that they want to create.

Of course the rainstick is not complete until it is

painted and as you can see from these photos, some of the

students even used clay to create three dimensional animals

and shapes. The rainstick is believed to have been invented in

Chile or Peru and is part of the rich cultural artistic heritage of

“The Americas.”



Celebrating Rosh Chodesh Adar By Yehudis Feinstein, [email protected]

‘Mishenichnas Adar Marbim B’Simcha!’ The Purim spirit was felt around the second floor all week. It began with our Rosh

Chodesh Adar celebration for the entire Early Childhood Department. Morah Karen, our music teacher led the group in Purim songs.

After lots of Purim music and a dramatic Purim presentation by our teachers, each child received a colorful balloon to mark the day.

This MDS Rosh Chodesh tradition of celebrating together helps our children keep track of time and begin the countdown to special

days on the calendar.

In mid-

January, MDS chess

aficionados trekked to

Riverdale to partici-

pate in the TriState

Chess Tournament

held at SAR. There

was great representa-

tion from our school

and all of the players

were in top form that

day. Here are the re-

sults of the tourna-

ment…

In the begin-

ner section, Eitan

Mandelbaum (1C)

placed 8th and Eve

Rechtschaffen (N4B)

placed 14th.

In the novice

section, Harrison

Brooks (1C) placed 8th, Ilan Puterman (2C) placed 11th, and Zachary Jacobs (2A) placed 15th.

The MDS Beginner Team won the second place trophy and the MDS Novice Team won the third place trophy. Congrats to

all who participated! We hope you will join us when MDS hosts the TriState Chess Tournament on Sunday, March 3rd!

MDS Competes and Wins in Chess Tournament By Karen Brooks, Parents Council



Celebrating Pink Day By Loren Elmann, 6G; Pictures taken by David Feit-Mann, 5B and Charlotte Steinblatt, 5G

On February 13th, we celebrated Pink Day. All us students in grades four to

eight were allowed to deviate from our uniform wear pink all day long. We wore

pink dresses, pink shirts, pink leggings, pink socks, pink glasses, pink hats, etc. We

all had tons of fun. We also got to buy many items such as pink pins, rubber ducks,

mini footballs, dog tags, sweatshirts, candy and more. This fundraiser was for the

organization Sharsheret, which provides guidance and support to women struggling

with breast and ovarian cancer – and also to their families. We all had a blast on

Pink Day and we can’t wait for more uniform dismissals so we can have as much

fun as we had on Pink Day.



Bat Mitzvah Culmination Evening By Sophie Samuels and Dana Rebibo, 7G; Pictures taken by Liana Goldstein, 5G

Beginning last year (in 6th grade) and continuing through last

week, the (current) 7th grade girls have had monthly “Bat Mitzvah

Club” get togethers in which we davened and enjoyed a special break-

fast. At each meeting, we would celebrate any girl who became a bat

mitzvah that month, and we would hear a special d’var torah about the

responsibilities that come with becoming a bat mitzvah. Not only was

the experience fun but it was meaningful too. The mothers of the bat

mitzvah girls in each month were also invited to join us. Additionally,

we got together for some special evening activities.

With the last girl’s bat mitzvah celebration coming up soon, we

(unfortunately) had to bring this wonderful program to an end. So, last

Wednesday evening, we had our final get together in the Beit Midrash

and all of our parents were invited. The room was decorated so beauti-

fully and we enjoyed delicious sushi and desserts. We were so sad to

see the program end, so we decided to do something special. We chose

to make a video of the whole class just having fun together around

school and goofing around. We spent many days thinking long and

hard about the message we wanted to express through this video. After

listening to “Oath” by Cher Lloyd, we realized that the choice of song

was clear. This song is about a girl promising her best friend that no

matter where they go or where they end up, they will always be together

in their hearts. This song truly means a lot to us because we ourselves

realize that no matter where we go or where we end up (for high school

or beyond) we will always be together in our hearts as well. The class

had so much fun making the video and it was hilarious to watch the fin-

ished product at the end together with our parents.

To wrap up the evening, Rabbi Yablok presented each of us

with a set of personalized Machzorim – our class bat mitzvah gifts to

each other. It was truly a wonderful evening.

We would like to thank Morah Noa Ehrenholt for helping us

start, work on, and finish this video -- the night was a big hit. We

would like to thank the moms - Johanna Herskowitz, Sarah Robinson,

and Robyn Samuels -

for taking us on this

journey over the past

year and a half and for

making everything

happen in the best way

possible. Finally, we

thank Mrs. Melzer so

much for helping us

with all of this, going

through all of this and

being there for us

through thick and thin.

7G: just al-

ways remember that

“you’re never alone…

we’re birds of the

feather… and if you

get low just call us

whenever… this is our

oath to you.”



8G Devar Torah Project: Taanit Esther Submitted by Bethany Strulowitz, [email protected]; Devar Torah written by Helena Dweck, 8G

Who here likes food? I know do. Imagine if a person came up

to you and said that you had to fast for three days to be able to live.

Would you listen to them? I don’t think I would.

On this day, the thirteenth of Nisan, Queen Esther decreed that

all the Jews in Shushan should fast for three days. However, why did

Esther call for a fast?

They fasted because Haman sent a decree to destroy and kill

all of the Jews. We can learn from here how important it is to listen to

a leaders when they have your benefit in mind. Even if you think they

are wrong, you should listen to them and give them the benefit of the

doubt. B’nei Yisrael’s custom was to fast before a war to emphasize

that it is not them winning the war, but that it’s Hashem giving them the

strength to win. We can learn from this that even when people try so

hard to do things, it is because of Hashem that they succeed, not solely

because of their efforts.

“Assemble all the Jews in Shushan and fast on my behalf for

three days and nights; neither eat nor drink.” If we are commemorating

the fast, then why don’t we fast for three days, and why do we fast on

the 13th of Adar and not in Nisan?

We only fast for one day because the wise people of the time declared

that the further generations could be more lenient and fast only one day

to commemorate the fast. We do not fast in the month of Nisan be-

cause it is prohibited to fast during that month, a time of redemption.

How is this fast different than the four public fasts?

Taanit Esther is a more lenient fast than the four public fasts

(Som Gedalia, 10 Tevet, 17 Tammuz, 9 Av). Because it is more leni-

ent, if a person is weak, or pregnant, they are not required to observe

the fast. If someone is healthy however finds it challenging to fast, he

can eat, but must make up the fast another day. Additionally, if the fast falls on Shabbat, we don’t fast, we instead observe it on

Thursday, the 11th of Adar. Another law regarding this fast is if a Brit Milah falls on the fast, the mother and the father may eat since

it is considered a holiday, however the celebratory meal should be delayed until the night.

Typically we read the Megillah right after the fast, however since the fast falls on Shabbat this year, the fast was moved to

Thursday, the 11th of Adar. This year the Megillah will not be read right after the fast, and people could eat right when the fast is

over, which will result in a shorter amount of fasting.

8G Devar Torah Project: Purim Submitted by Bethany Strulowitz, [email protected]; Devar Torah written by Nikki Flamenbaum, 8G

The Purim story takes place about 56 years after the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash. At the time, the Jewish people were

spread out and confused. Hashem's presence seemed hidden.

Achashvarosh was the king. He threw a big party. He told his wife Vashti to come to the party, but she refused, so he had

her killed. Later, Achashverosh wanted a new wife. He had a contest to choose whom to be his new wife and Esther won. Esther's

uncle Mordechai visited her every day. Mordechai overheard a plot against the king and saved the king's life.

Haman was the King's aide. Mordechai refused to bow down to Haman. Haman was very angry and convinced the king to

make a decree to destroy all the Jews. He chose the day through a lottery. Mordechai told Esther about the decree to kill the Jews,

and told her she must speak with the king. Esther didn't want to go see the king because she knew that if she approached the king,

there was a chance she would be killed. Mordechai convinced her that she must speak to the king. Esther agreed, and asked all of the

Jews to fast for the three days before she talked to Achashverosh.

Esther went to speak to the king and he agreed to grant her any request. She asked the king and Haman to come to a ban-

quet. At that banquet she asked them to come to another banquet the next night. That evening, Achashverosh had trouble sleeping,

and he was reminded of how Mordechai saved his life. He asked Haman what to do for a person that the king wants to hon-

or. Haman, thinking that the king was speaking about him, told the king to reward the person by letting him ride on a horse wearing

king's clothing and his crown and have it be said that this is what the king does for a person he wishes to honor. The king liked the

idea and told Haman to do this for Mordechai the Jew. [Continued next page]



8G Devar Torah Project: Purim Submitted by Bethany Strulowitz, [email protected]; Devar Torah written by Nikki Flamenbaum, 8G

[Continued from previous page] At the second

banquet Esther told Achashverosh that she was a Jew and

that Haman was going to destroy her and her people.

Achashverosh had Haman killed and told the Jews they can

fight back against their enemies. Achashverosh gave Mor-

dechai Haman's job. The Jews defended themselves and

celebrated their survival.

Megilat Esther was the only book in Tanach where

Hashem's name does not appear. This is a hint that the mir-

acle of Purim happened at a time when Hashem's pres-

ence seemed hidden. But in fact we see that Hashem acted

to save the Jewish people, even though it was not obvious

until the end of the story that a miracle had occurred. The

miracle of Purim shows that Hashem is everywhere, even

when His presence is hard to see.

There are four main mitzvot for Purim: Mishloach Manot, which are gifts that we give to

our friends. These gifts must be in the form of prepared

food or drinks. They need to include two brachos in them.

Matanot le'evyonim, which is giving at least one

gift to each of two poor people. Any types of gifts are acceptable, including money, food or clothing.

We read Megilat Esther two times. Once on the night of Purim and again on the day of Purim.

We have a feast the day of Purim.

There is a custom to wear disguises on Purim. This custom is related to the pasuk in the Torah in Dvarim, perik 31: "And I

will surely hide my face on that day" ("V'anochi haster astir panai . . ."). The Rabbis commented that this pasuk is a hint to Esther,

because the word "haster," which means hide, sounds like Esther. From this we learn that hiding one's face is proper on Purim.

On Purim we read "al hanisim" during birkat hamazon and in shemonah esrei.

There is also a custom on Purim for a person to drink until he does not know the difference between "cursed is Haman" and

"blessed is Mordechai." This custom is a recognition that Hashem saved the Jewish people because of His mercy, not because of the

merit of the Jewish people.

In addition, on the 13th of Adar, the day before Purim, is the Fast of Esther. Also, at Mincha on the 13th of Adar it is a cus-

tom to give three halves of the local currency, which is given to the poor. This is in memory of the half-shekel given at the time of the

Beit Hamikdash.

What was the reason for keeping Esther's Jewishness a secret? There are several reasons that have been suggested (as presented in the ArtScroll commentary to Megilat Esther):

One reason is that Mordechai realized that if Esther was chosen as Queen, she could help save the Jews. Mordechai thought

that if it was known that Esther was Jewish, Achashverosh would never choose Esther and Esther would lose the opportunity to save

the Jews (Rabbi Eleazar of Worms).

According to Rashi, Esther did not tell of her royal ancestry, as a descendant of the family of King Shaul, in the hope that

King Achashverosh might think that she was of humble origin and send her away.

The Ibn Ezra explains that the purpose of Esther's secrecy about her Jewishness was so that she might secretly observe her

religion.

Mordechai had Esther keep her relationship to him secret so others would not be secretive in his presence (Yosef Lekach).

Why was Haman a part of the private conversations at the banquet between Esther and Achashverosh? The Chachamim in Gamora Megila (15b) gave a number of reasons why Esther wanted Haman present when she asked King

Achashverosh to spare the Jews, including:

Esther sought to set a trap for Haman and surprise him.

So that Haman would not have an opportunity to form a conspiracy and rebel.

Because Achashverosh was fickle and likely to change his mind, Esther wanted Haman present.

So that Achashverosh would act impulsively and commit himself to saving the Jews.

Esther was purposely showing great interest in Haman to make the King jealous and to disarm Haman.

From Purim we learn that though during hard times we might think Hashem is not with us, He is. At the time that Purim took

place, the Jews were going through a hard time and Hashem seemed as though He wasn't with the Jews, but the Jews stayed faithful

and believed that Hashem would save them and He did.



8G Devar Torah Project: Tetzaveh Submitted by Bethany Strulowitz, [email protected]; Devar Torah written by Rachelle Benedict, 8G

A man ventures to see a Rabbi about becom-

ing a kohen. He says to the Rabbi, “ Rabbi, I really

want to be a kohen. Can you please help me gain this

status?” The Rabbi says, “ I’m sorry, but, I can’t really

help you. There isn’t anything I can do.” The man

offers money and gold to the Rabbi if only he could

assist him to become a kohen to no avail. Finally, the

man says to the Rabbi “Rabbi please, I really want to

be a kohen! My father was a kohen, my father’s father

was a kohen, and my father’s father's father was a ko-

hen too!”

Parshat Tetzaveh opens with the command-

ment of the daily Mitzvah given to Aharon and his sons

to ignite the menorah with exclusive pure olive oil.

Hashem then elaborately describes the priestly gar-

ments to be worn by the kohanim while serving Ha-

shem in the Mishkan. They included the ketonet, a full-

length tunic, michnasayim, linen breeches, mitznefet, a

linen turban, and avnet, a sash worn above the waist.

In addition the Kohen Gadol wore the efod, an apron

consisting of numerous colors to represent the tribes,

the choshen, a breastplate containing twelve rare stones to symbolize the twelve tribes of Israel, me’il, a blue wool cloak with gold

bells and pomegranates hemming the bottom, and the tzitz, a golden plate inscribed with “ Holy to Hashem” and worn on the fore-

head. All the precious and expensive materials needed to construct three-dimensional figures of Hashem’s instructions were donated

and contributed by the people of Israel.

When seeing this elaborate and luxurious lifestyle it helps us to comprehend the regality of the kohanim and their jobs serv-

ing Hashem. Although they were very exclusive in a sense of priestly awareness, some of the clothing like the ephod and the choshen

of the kohanim have symbolic meaning to the rest of the Jews, the twelve tribes. Perek 28, pasuk 21 says, “And the stones shall be for

the names of the sons of Israel twelve, corresponding to their names; [similar to] the engravings of a seal, every one according to his

name shall they be, for the twelve tribes.”

If the ephod includes the names of the tribes why does the choshen have to repeat it? Rabbi Israel Rubin explains that the

tribes on the ephod were listed jointly as an alliance and group. Contrastingly, individual rare stones represented the tribes on the

choshen. This metaphorically translates into the fact that Judaism recognizes and appreciates our roles as individuals, our assets and

defects, and how we play our roles in society. At the same time Judaism honors the commitment we make to community our ties to

each other and our fellow Jews serving Hashem. This lesson plays into our humdrum typical lifestyle, meaning we have to grow as

our own individuals with our strengths and weaknesses. However, the real test is contributing our strengths to our Jewish community

and growing towards Hashem together. Demonstrating this in our modern life would be to take an interest in public affairs, to do

chessed for others in our community and to help those in need. If you have a special talent, or you have learned something meaning-

ful share it with the world so that both you and those around you can grow from it.

Parshat Tetzaveh proceeds and describes the procedure with detailed instructions for the seven-day process for anointing

Aaron and his sons, Nadav, Avihu, Elazar, and Itamar to become knighted priests. Moshe must immerse them in the Mikvah, dress

them in their holy garments, and pour the anointing oil over Aaron. Then, he must offer various sacrifices on their behalf. Moshe is

instructed to complete many tasks however his name isn’t mentioned at all throughout the parsha.

Why is Moshe’s name omitted from the parsha although it appears periodically throughout Sefer Shemot? The Oznayim Latorah says

that the typical religion celebrates and observes piously the birthing and death of its original founder. Moshe Rabeinu died on the

seventh of Adar, the same week, during which we read Parshat Tetzaveh. Judaism has zero worship of individuals. Moshe was a

great leader and an outstanding individual. However we don’t worship him, so the Torah omits his name from the Parsha of his birth-

day.

Alternatively, when Hashem was considering leaving the Jews for their sin with the golden calf, Moshe intervened and said

“Erase me from your book which you have written.” Although Moshe tried to have the right intentions, we learn that Rabbis and holy

tzaddikim must be very careful with their every word, the power of word! We must be so careful about what comes out of our mouths

and be constantly censoring our words. This is one of the sources for going to get a bracha from a Rabbi, because their words have so

much power, “A tzaddik makes a decree and Hashem listens.”

Hashem then instructs the kohanim to offer two burnt sacrifices per day, a lamb in the morning and evening. Moshe is com-

manded to build a second altar made of wood and covered in gold. Hashem promised that His shechina would be in the Mishkan.

The kohanim are commanded to burn incense upon the altar twice daily. Finally, Parshat Tetzaveh closes its pages. Shabbat shalom!



Parsha Challenge: Tetzaveh Submitted by Rabbi Benjamin Yablok, Associate Principal, [email protected]

1. (a) When saying to Moshe, “ve’ata tetzaveh” (and you shall command), why did Hashem add the un-

necessary word “ve’ata” (and you)? (b) (i) What are the 3 times for the Mishkan’s construction that the

Torah says “ve’ata”, referring to Moshe, rather than naming him? (ii) What does this connote? (c) Why

is Tetzaveh the only parasha in Shemot, Vayikra and Bamidbar not mentioning Moshe’s name (3 rea-

sons)? (d) (1) When did the menorah’s lamps burn (2 views)? (2) How do we know that the kohanim had

to light it even on Shabbat? (Shemot 27:20)

1. (a) To tell Moshe he could not delegate this – he personally had to command Bnei Yisrael about the oil

(Ramban). (b) It shows Hashem crediting the Mishkan’s donations, construction and functioning to Moshe as if

he personally did them – (1) (i) “Ve’ata tetzaveh” [Bnei Yisrael to bring the menorah’s oil] (27:20) – (ii) the

menorah’s light signifies the Torah wisdom Moshe transmitted; (2) (i) “ve’ata hakreiv” (and you shall bring

close) [Aharon and his sons as kohanim] (28:1) – (ii) the kohanim did the avoda only by listening to Moshe; (3)

(i) “ve’ata te-dabeir” (you shall speak) [to Bnei Yisrael’s wise people to make Aharon’s garments] (28:3) – (ii)

Bnei Yisrael succeeded only with Moshe’s support (Ohr haChaim). (c) (1) After the cheit ha’eigel, Moshe told Hashem that if He did

not pardon Bnei Yisrael, “erase me from Your book” (32:32) – while He forgave them, a chacham’s curse is somehow fulfilled –

Moshe’s name is “erased” from Tetzaveh, the last parasha before the cheit ha’eigel (Ba’al Haturim). (2) When Moshe hesitated lead-

ing Bnei Yisrael (4:13), Hashem made Aharon, not him, the Kohen Gadol – he is not mentioned in this parasha, focusing on the

bigdei kehuna (Rokeach). (3) Tetzaveh is read during the week of 7 Adar, Moshe’s birth and death date – his missing name tells us

that Hashem is the true Lawgiver, with Moshe only His courier (Oznayim leTorah). (d) (1) “Tamid” – (i) Continually, i.e., every day,

dusk to dawn (Rashi). (ii) Perpetually – while 6 lamps were lit every day at dusk, the “western lamp” always burned (Ramban). (2)

The Torah’s calling it a “neir tamid” (continual light) tells us it had to be lit every day, even on Shabbat (ספר החינוך – Mitzvah 98).

2. (a) What was the bigdei kehuna’s (priestly garments’) purpose (3 views)? (b) (1) For what sin did each of the Kohen Gad-

ol’s 8 garments atone – (i) ketonet (shirt)? (ii) michnasayim (pants)? (iii) mitznefet (headdress)? (iv) avneit (belt)? (v) choshen

(breastplate)? (vi) eifode (robe)? (vii) me-il (mantle)? (viii) tzitz (head plate)? (2) Why these sins? (c) Which of a kohen’s gar-

ments could he wear only during the avoda? (d) From where do we know that a man should put on tefilin shel yad before the

shel rosh? (e) Where does Megilat Esther refer to the bigdei kehuna? (f) Lacking which garment during the avoda made a

kohen liable to death (2 views)? (Shemot 28:2-43)

2. (a) They brought glory to (1) Hashem, inspiring the kohanim to convey kedusha to Bnei Yisrael (Sefer haChinuch – Mitzvah 99).

(2) the kohanim, serving in royal clothes (Ramban). (3) the shevatim, whose names were on them (Sforno). (b) (1) (i) Unwitnessed

murders unpunished by Beit Din; (ii) immorality; (iii) arrogance; (iv) improper thoughts; (v) perverted justice; (vi) idol worship; (vii)

lashon hara; (viii) brazenness; (2) these were the major sins during the Batei haMikdash periods (Zevachim 88b). (c) Avneit – the 4

garments, ketonet, mitznefet, michnasayim and avneit, were made of linen – the avneit was embroidered with wool – a kohen could

wear sha’atnez only during the avoda (Mitzvah 99). (d) Hashem commanded making the choshen, which, like the shel yad, was worn

opposite the heart, before the tzitz, which, like shel rosh, was worn on the head – we first must subdue our heart’s passions, then our

mind’s desires (Oznayim leTorah). (e) The bigdei kehuna were “le-chavode u-le-tifaret” (for glory and splendor) – for his 180-day

party, Achashveirosh showed “cavode malchuto” (his kingdom’s glory) and “tiferet gedulato” (his majesty’s splendor) (Esther 1:4) by

wearing the bigdei Kohen Gadol looted from the Beit haMikdash (Megilah 12a). (f) (1) Lacking any of the 4 or 8 garments (Rashi).

(2) Not wearing the michnasayim (pants) which assured the kohen’s modesty (Ramban).

3. (a) How many (1) words and (2) letters were engraved on each of the 2 stones on the eifode’s 2 shoulder straps? (b) What

words? (c) Which name was modified (2 opinions)? (d) In which order were the shevatim listed (3 opinions)? (e) The 2 stones

served as a “zikaron” (remembrance) – for what were they a zikaron (3 explanations)? (Shemot 28:10-12)

3. (a) (1) 6 words, (2) 25 letters; (b) each stone listed 6 shevatim; (c) since the 2nd stone’s 6 names had 24 letters, (1) Yosef had an

added hei (“Yehosef”, as in Tehilim 81:6); or (2) Binyamin had an extra yud before the final nun; (d) (1) Tana Kama – birth order

(except for Yehuda, honored being first); (2) R. Chanina – the order in Shemot 1:1-5; (3) Rav Kahana – the shevatim’s order on Har

Gerizim and Eival (Devarim 27:12-13) (Sotah 36a-b). (e) (1) Bnei Yisrael’s virtue – Hashem will have mercy on them seeing their

names on the stones (Rashi). (2) Yosef’s virtue – he restrained himself from sinning with Potifar’s wife, envisioning Ya’akov telling

him that his name would be removed from the eifode if he sinned; (3) how Bnei Ya’akov accepted the yoke of Heaven before

Ya’akov died, saying “shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echod”, with 6 words and 25 letters, and Ya’akov’s response

“baruch Shem Kevod Malchuto le-olam va’ed”, with 6 words and 25 letters (Ba’al haTurim).

4. (a) How many of the 613 mitzvot are in Parashat Zachor’s maftir? (b) (i) What are they and (ii) how do we fulfill them ?

(Devarim 25:17-19)

4. (a) 3; (b) (1) (i) “Zachor (remember)” what Amalek did to Bnei Yisrael as they left Mitzrayim (25:17) – (ii) by annually hearing

Parashat Zachor’s reading (603 מצוה – ספר החינוך). (2) (i) “Timcheh (blot out) Amalek’s remembrance” (25:19) – (ii) by eradicating all

of Amalek’s offspring – male and female, adult and young (Mitzvah 604). (3) (i) “Lo tishkach (never forget)” what Amalek did

(25:19) – (ii) by hating Amalek and never casting away that hatred, i.e., “not forgetting” this hatred in our hearts (605 מצוה).



The Parents Council Thanks You!

The Parents Council Thanks You!

Rosh Chodesh Teachers’ Breakfast for the Month of Adar Is Sponsored by...

Deveaux Barron, in memory of my father, Gerry Barron A"H.

Class N4A, in honor of their teachers, Morah Nitzan, Morah Aliza and Morah Karen.

Rabbi Seth and Leba Grauer, in honor of their children’s teachers: Gila (K5C), Morah

Jennifer, Morah Shanna and Morah Rena; Yosef (2C), Morah Nellie, Mrs. Dweck, Morah Arianna and Morah Ariella; and Yonina (4G), Mrs. Miryam Alter, Moreh

Arnon Arad, Mrs. Leora Sulimanoff, Mr. David Bernstein, Ms. Leyla Demirtas, Ms. Deb-bie Goodstone, Mrs. Krishan Khanna, Morah Rivky Rendler, Mrs. Rifkey Moskowitz,

Morah Havi Pesso, Morah Daniella Salig and Morah Ilana Schreier.

Thank you to David and Dalia Debora (Ezra, N4C; Rachel, 4G)

for picking up the food.

Thank you to the following parents who helped with the mailing for the school dinner:

Barbara Jankelovits (Sam, K5C; Max, 4B), Nancy Miller (Jonah, 4B), Pia Rubin (Tova, 6G), Lisa Scharf (Jolie, N4C) and Gaby Sobel Samuel, (N4C; Joshua, 2A).



Boot the Loot!, 2/25

Boot the Loot! Give up the junk and get healthy!

Looking for a place to drop off your

excess Purim candy?

We've got news for you!

MDS is going BRIGHT GREEN and we want you to be a part of it!

Bring your packaged Purim candy to school on

Monday, Feb. 25th, and drop it in the bins in the lobby.

Get yourself a BRIGHT GREEN bracelet and be proud to be green!

All candy will be donated to charity.

So...lose the candy and win big at MDS!



Pesach Wine Tasting, 2/27



Tri-State Chess Tournament, 3/3

JOIN US FOR THE

TRI-STATE CHESS TOURNAMENT

AT MDS Sunday, March 3rd, 10AM

For afterschool chess kids, lunchtime chess kids

or those who just love the game!

Join fellow MDS chess players

and show your school spirit.

To sign up for the tournament,

go to http://tristatechess.com.

To get more info,

email Karen Brooks, [email protected],

or Deby Puterman, [email protected]

*The Parents Council will be selling food, drinks

and snacks at the event.

Email Karen or Deby if you would like to help with the sales.

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



MDS Annual Dinner, 3/10

To sign up for the MDS Annual Dinner

and to place an ad in the online journal,

please go to

www.MDSdinner.Adjournal.com

http://www.MDSdinner.Adjournal.com



MDS Auction, 5/5/13



MDS Auction, 5/5/13



Community Flyers: Free Large Print Hagadot



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.

In the MDS Family...

Mazal tov to Ariana Denenberg (Lower

School Faculty) on her engagement to

Greg Lapushin.

Mazal tov to Hila Gul (Lower School

Faculty) on her engagement to Leon

Mayer.

Mazal tov to Rabbi Eli Cohen (Middle

School Faculty) on the engagement of

his daughter Atara to Yossy Waldman.

Mazal tov to Daniella Salig (Lower

School Faculty) on her marriage to Sam

Schertz.

Correction: The correct spelling of the

third grade overall Bracha Bee winner is

Ella Shwirtz.

Stay tuned for next week’s Chagigat

HaSiddur! Grade 1A on Thursday, Feb-

ruary 28th at 1:30 pm, and Grade 1C on

Friday, March 1st at 10:30 am.

Our Box Tops contest continues! Bring

in your box tops to Sharon Newman

in the Business Office in a bag with your

name and cl ass clearly labeled. Yash-

ar koach to the first semester winners:

2C! Which class will win this semes-

ter’s Box Tops contest with the prize of

a class ice cream party???

Documents

MDS Messenger February 22, 2013